Blog Awards

Are so much fun and make you feel so good! Tammy is great at keeping spirits going and keeping all us bloggers feeling special. Thank-you Tammy! BTW, Tammy has a great "Stress Reduction" kit on her blog...if you want a chuckle, go check it out!

The Wedding Planner .... A Business For You?

If you are the kind of person who loves planning parties right down to the last detail, who loves dealing with people, and are very organized and outgoing, a wedding consultant business might be just right for you.

Holidays are always a big time for engagements. So now could be a good time to seriously start thinking about a wedding planner/consultant business if you are inspired by the thought. What's nice about a wedding planner business is that you can run it from home. If you are excited by the business of planning and coordinating weddings, but really are not sure how to get into the business, there's a couple of ideas you could try:

Consider learning about the business and all the details involved, by working for a professional first. You could offer to work as an apprentice/intern and gain valuable hands-on experience. Check with local wedding consultants in your area to see if any are looking for help with pay, and if not, if any would be willing to take on an apprentice/intern.

If you are lucky enough to know a friend or family member getting married soon, try organizing the wedding for them. Get lots of photographs from the photographer, and letters of recommendation from the bride. This could be a great way to begin your portfolio.

One of the most essential aspects of running a wedding consultant business is being knoweledgable about the vendors that provide food, beverages, entertainment, clothing, and supplies for weddings within your region.

It is important to know who is available and what they charge, and to be acquainted with their reputations. Establish relationships with your potential suppliers and be aware of the best possible prices for buying items in bulk. Brides will usually want the best they can have for their special day, and it will fall on the wedding planner's shoulders to fufill that wish. A wedding planner's best friend can be a great supplier, such as Truly Wedding Favors that offers Internet access, unique supplies and favors, and instant bulk pricing.

To promote your business, try signing up with freelance job sites and place your profile on their sites. You can also take classes via the Internet on wedding consultation. Just search the web under Bridal Consultant Courses. When you create your resume, having some kind of course work and training could give you an edge over the competition.

Plan to start slowly. A business takes time to grow and become established. Word of mouth will be your best advertising, so you will want to keep your client, the bride, as happy as possible.

Christmas Lights and My Achy Achy Back

Well, our Christmas lights are up, and if I may say so, look quite nice! Guess who did the stringing up along the roof and gutters while perched nervously atop the ladder? Yours truly, of course. LOL...I can't really blame my hubby because my kids (me too!) are not of the patient nature and I decided we just couldn't wait another day, let alone the weekend--which is when my hubby could maybe have been able to help out--for our outdoor lights to go up. So, with my 3 year old coaching me, my 1 year old laughing at silly mommy up on some strange looking thing, and my 10 year old directing and advising me, I got all the lights up! I am proud but very sore tonight.

I'm used to my hubby, who is a carpenter, having the aches and joint pains, not me. But tonight I am feeling sore and achy and my poor old joints are a hurting. Kind of wish I had started my yoga routine a long time ago. Anyway, I checked around for advice and such on relief for joint pain, and found something that looks like it might work. I am much more inclined to try remedies for my family that are natural, and so I was happy to find a nutritional supplement that says will ease joint pain naturally, and even help improve joint function. We will see! The cool thing is this supplement has ingredients that are also supposed to help rebuild damaged cartilege, which is exactly what my husband needs as he has a bad knee from college football days that still acts up and causes a lot of pain and discomfort. Maybe with a supplement and my yoga exercise,if I can persuade hubby to join me doing them each morning,we will get our old bones and joints to behave and work like we want them to.

A Green Home Business Idea

"Going Green" is important to the environment in so many ways, and to our children's futures. With all the focus going on these days about ways to be green, and ways to protect our environment, it is an excellent time to start a home based cloth diaper service.

New Parents and Parents-To-Be are faced with diapering choices. Cloth diapers or disposable diapers. I believe a strong deterrent in choosing the cloth diapers is the inconvienence. Mainly--the laundering of the diapers. So much easier and quicker to toss the disposable into the trash.

A diaper delivery service can offer a perfect solution for parents that really want to do the green choice and use cloth diapers, but may not have the time or energy needed to keep the diapers laundered.

You can do your delivery service and launder the diapers as well ( maybe hire some help when your business grows !), or take the dirty diapers to a commercial cleaners to have them cleaned.

You can locate new clients for your Cloth Diapering Service through resources such as local hospitals, Lamaze Classes/Teachers, Midwives, and Doula Services. New moms often get baskets of goodies from the hospital as they prepare to go home with their new baby; Ask the hospital if they would like to include a gift certificate for free cloth diaper service for a week. Baby showers are another good way to spread the word about your new business.

There is a great site full of resources and information on setting up a home business in cloth diaper services.

And an added perk to this business: The cutest clients ever!!

Incorporations and Small Businesses

When I was visiting family at Thanksgiving, I got into an interesting conversation with my brother. He was telling me about a friend that started a blog two years ago, and has recently incorporated her website business. This was the first time I had heard of a blog being incorporated, and I wondered why this blog owner made the decision to incorporate. I know many small businesses will decide to incorporate or form an LLC, but a blog? My brother explained that this was done in part because her personal aim is to sell the blog at some point. Still sounded confusing to me. He also eplained to me that his friend now has to get approval of stockholders and the director, that she is no longer in sole control of this blog she started. There are regulations the corporation must follow, such as there must be regular meetings held, and minutes of each meeting need to be taken.


One of the most significant decisions that you have to make as a business person is deciding upon the structure of your business and where you are going to incorporate your firm. This decision needs to be based not merely on what you think, but on the facts, as the outcome of your business depends on it. You must set up your corporation in a state that is not only convenient location wise, but also has tax perks and other benefits as well. This will be very helpful as you will not only have the flexibility to operate your corporation in a manner that is most suited to you but you can also take advantage of the many relaxed corporate laws in the state.


nevada corporation has gained popularity over the last few years because this state has changed many of its business and taxation laws so as to attract more investment. Of late instead of Delaware being considered the corporate capital of the country, Nevada has taken over inviting business men and women from all over the country and the world to come and incorporate their businesses here. According to figures released by Nevada's state government 1995 was a record year for the state for incorporating new businesses, while of late roughly 12% of Nevada's corporations have 'foreign corporation' status. This means that 12% of corporations in Nevada are owned and operated by non-resident Nevadans.

If you are looking to get information on incorporating, you might want to check with Incparadise, a compant specializing in helping small businesses incorporate. IncParadise offers free forms online for corporations, as well as the option of having documents fully prepared for you. IncParadise also offers an online faq section that helps explain the differences between LLC and Corporations.

There are many things to consider in incorporating a small business, and if you are thinking about forming a Corporation or a Limited Liability Corporation, it is important to get as much information as possible and that you completely understand all the legalities involved.

Yoga...Day 1

Yes...I did it! I started my morning yoga routine this morning. It actually felt great. I don't think I have really stretched mucles in my body quite like I did this morning. And I have to admit, my stretching was not easy for me...yikes...my body felt stiff and old! Now, I didn't get through it all, as I had to stop after each move and read about the next move and look at the pictures, but I still enjoyed the routine. Hopefully I will get used to the different moves quickly enough that I can do the whole routine without looking at the step by step directions. I am happy that I started this yoga stuff...now if I can make myself stick to it! My plan is every morning before I do Anything else...no kids, no work, nothing. We will see how day 2 goes tomorrow!

Mommy Auctions...Fun Way To Make Money At Home

This is fun! Mommy Auctions is a site that is just for moms. It was started by a mom for moms. Like Ebay, you buy and sell items, but unlike Ebay, there are no listing fees and there are free stores! This website is dedicated to just maternity, baby, and children's products, only. They even have a "wanted" section where moms list specific items they are looking to buy...and maybe you have ready to sell! There is also a member's forum with great sections for moms to share tips, recipes, parenting issues, etc. It is a cute site and worth taking a look. If you have some things you would like to sell, you might want to consider Mommy Auctions...and maybe earn some extra Christmas shopping money.

Yoga

I am stressed. Just back from a nice mini-Thanksgiving vacation, and already I am stressed. We drove up our street last night and the first thing we saw were Christmas lights and decorations on almost every house! So of course my kids wanted to start doing our lights and stuff right then. After 4 hours of traveling in the car, and at 8:00 at night..and they want to go in the garage and pull out the boxes of lights, the blow up santa, reindeer, candy canes, etc. Uh..no. But today I guess we will have no choice but to get started. Ah, so I feel the holiday stress today.

I decided that I want to try some yoga to see if it will help combat my stress that is at a reasonable level now, but I am sure will start to rise stealthily with each passing day. So, I went to Oprah's site (I love Oprah, I really do), and found Dr.Oz's yoga program. It doesn't look too difficult or too contortionisty for me, so I think I will try it out starting tomorrow morning. The stretching exercises take around 7 minutes or so, and are supposed to help with focusing and centering yourself. Sounds nice. I plan on doing this before the kids are up...and I will let you know how it goes. Here are the directions and pictures of the program, if you feel like yoga-ing too!

Home for the Holidays

So we are back home from our Thanksgiving travels. It actually feels good to be home though I enjoyed our family gathering tremendously. No computer for 4 days! Hehe...just the thought made me stressed and distraught the first few hours away. But now, I can honestly say I am so greatful that this was the case. The quality time with my kids was immeasurable, and my husband was very happy as well. Even if I thought I could be firm and disciplined and not spend more than 20 minutes or so on the computer each day, chances are that wouldn't of happened. Besides, 20 minutes each day not spent with my family while on vacation would have been not good.

We were in Cambria...one of my most favorite places ever! The air is wonderful and the ocean right there in front of you while gorgeous pine trees and forest is behind you is beyond nature at its best. We shopped in the charming little town, walked the beach collecting shells and shiny stones, gazed at the outrageously gorgeous sunsets every night, and ate too much and drank too much with our extended family every night. Our rental had a view of the crashing waves from most of the windows and decks, and we woke up every morning to the sounds of the ocean and seagulls.

It is good to be home though. There really just is no place like home, mushy as that sounds, lol. So, on to Christmas we go. Today we will get out decorations and lights, and get to work. I think today I am going to try and add some ideas to my earlier post about brainstorming for some extra Christmas shopping money.

BTW, we saw someone driving home yesterday with a christmas tree tied to the roof...how will they keep that tree fresh until Christmas?? Its always fun to spot the first car with a Christmas tree on the road...really makes me feel like it's Christmas. But how will they keep it fresh?

Happy Thanksgiving!

Hope everyone has a wonderful and blessed Thanksgiving.

Want to Blog About Real Estate?

A company is looking for real estate bloggers to cover local real estate on a daily basis. You need to live in the community that you are going to blog about though, and there are only a few communities listed right now.

Posts need to be done daily, and you should be going to Open Houses in the area, and generally be on top of real estate happenings in the community. The company expects you to spend about 20 minutes a day on posts. Not bad.

Compensation is $250 monthly.

I wanted to apply, but I do not live in any of the communities listed...darn! Maybe I should move? This could be an extra source of income for work at home moms and dads.

Interested...check out the link here, and good luck!

Work From Home as an Ebay Trading Assistant

Did you know that Ebay has a "trading assistant program?" I didn't until today! Basically a trading assistant sells items on Ebay for others too busy or not computer savvy enough to want to handle the sales themselves. You can even register on Ebay's Trading Assistant Directory and market your business globally. Sound interesting? Check out the program and see what you think.

Work At Home Opportunity---Telecommuting Position

OnPoint@Home is looking for Advocacy Coordinators. This is an Independent Contractor position and you can work from home.

Minimum Technical Requirements are

Windows 2000 or higher
Internet Explorer
High Speed Internet Connection
Landline Phone

Coordinators work on varios projects, each project lasting from 2-12 weeks. Projects will range from energy to health care issues, and are .

Pay is $12 an hour. The company asks that you work a minimum of 25 hours a week, but you can set your own schedule.

There are no fees, and you apply online.

L.A. Parent Magazine Looking For Freelance Writers

"L.A Parent is seeking a freelance writing and editing talent to contribute to our monthly magazine and Web site. Among possible assignments is the compiling, writing and packaging of our monthly calendar of family events for print and Web. This involves working with staff editors to create the most useful and engaging calendar of family events and destinations in greater Los Angeles area. Calendar work can be done primarily from home, although occasional visits to family attractions and events are required, as are meetings with staff in office. Calendar duties include: Research; development of PR contacts; writing and editing listings, hot tips, highlights, roundups and parenting education and support listings; and collecting appropriate artwork from sources. Must meet a monthly deadline for submitting all calendar files. Contracted monthly payment of $800 to $1,000.

Qualifications: Publication experience and familiarity with parenting topics; strong writing, editing and oral communication skills; strong attention to detail and editorial style; proactive and team-oriented attitude; and knowledge of Microsoft Word and Web.

Send a cover letter, résumé and work samples to: Senior Editor Christina Elston, L.A. Parent, 443 E. Irving Dr., Suite A, Burbank, CA 91504; fax 818-841-4380, or email: christina.elston@parenthood.com. (No phone calls, please.)"

This was posted today. Good luck to anyone who decides to apply...and come back and let us know if you do!! Here is the website for L.A. Parent

My Blog Got an Award

"really sums up what a successful blogger does. And what I mean by successful is that they make it their own, stay with it, are interactive with their readers, and just plain have fun."

Thank-you Tammy, I feel very honored! I am in turn going to pass this award on to "MsFit" at Cash 4 You and Ken at The Money Blog. These bloggers share great information and advice daily on their blogs--thank-you both!

Christmas Stories Wanted

The Common Ties site is looking for Holiday Stories! If you haven't checked out this site yet, you might want to take a look.

"The story site Common Ties has been publishing personal stories since October of 2006. Among its themes, Common Ties is looking for holiday stories. As a reference, here is a link to the holiday stories we published a year ago.

The holidays are a time for reconnecting with family and friends, but that this can lead to unexpected drama. We are looking for stories not only about the holidays themselves, and how they were celebrated, but the other underyling issues that came about due to the family gatherings. Your story can be written using your byline or a pen name and should be between 750 and 1,500 words. (If you prefer to write a shorter story, please see the Quickies Guidelines.)

We purchase both original stories and reprints. Payments are typically between $100 and $200 per story, although writers can suggest another amount. Should your story be accepted, we may approach you to record it for additional compensation. Accepted stories appear online and some may appear in book anthologies. All submissions are kept confidential. To learn more about writing for Common Ties, please see our Submission Guidelines."

Common Ties is also looking for writers for their new "20 Questions" section.

Online Selling

Setting up your own online store for selling things like pet supplies, baby products, etc.. is one way a lot of people are working from home. I don't know very much about selling products online, or running an online store,but I have come across many work at home moms that are doing this, and loving it. It's another added stream of income that you can add to other things you may be doing already. I checked out a site, Ashop Commerce, that offers everything needed in the way of ecommerce software and support to set up your own online store. The site offers a free 10 day trial so you can try it out and see what you think before spending any money. Ashop Commerce offers shopping cart software for small businesses just starting out, as well as medium sized businesses. The website says that even a beginner (like me!) can set up and run an online shopping cart easily! Plus, they offer tutorial movies to help guide you along the way as you set up your store. Just reading through their website made me feel more confident and excited to maybe start my own online store. There are so many cute online stores on the Internet and it looks like it could be a fun way to earn some extra income. If your site is set up professionally and has features like safe credit card payment options, it can basically be earning money 24 hours a day! I am going to think about this more during the holidays, and maybe actually give it a try when the new year starts. Now, I just need to figure out what I could sell!

New Writing Opportunity

In a pervious post I wrote about Common Ties, a site where you can submit personal life related stories and possibly get published and earn between $100-$200 per story.

Now they are offering a new opportunity called "20 Questions", which encourages people to share their answers in the form of very short stories/snippets of 50 words or less. All answers are kept confidential, and you can choose to use your real name or a pseudonym.

Accepted answers will be paid $50. Answers submitted have to be 100% true, and be to the best of your knowledge.

The website has all the guidelines for submission, and the list of questions that you can choose from to answer.

Smorty ------- Get Paid To Blog

I am pretty excited. My blog was approved for blog advertising through a service called Smorty. Advertisers like to advertise on blogs, and will pay bloggers. Smorty is a service that connects advertisers with bloggers. Advertisers need bloggers to review their sites and/or products, and write opinions of them. Bloggers then post their opinions on their blogsite. Once the advertiser approves the post, payment is made. You get paid weekly, which is very cool, through Paypal. I am really looking forward to this opportunity to make money by blogging. With the holidays almost here, I can use the extra money!
There are some requirements for your blog to be approved. Some of the requirements include being indexed by Google and Yahoo, and the blog must be at least 3 months old. If you happen to be a blogger and your blog meets these requirements ( there are some more as well), you should go to the website and check it out. Start a blog now, if you don't have one, and apply with Smorty after 90 days. Just make sure to keep your blog active and informative with new posts every week.
I submitted my blog for approval and received my approval within 24 hours. It's free to set up and maintain an account with Smorty,and I was able to pick an advertising campaign as soon as I had my approval. I am pretty pleased right now----I get to post my opinions (which I already enjoyed doing anyway!), and now get paid for doing so!

Relaxation Tips For The Overwhelmed Work at Home Mommy (or Daddy!)

I read an article tonight on ivillage.com about ways to relieve stress when working from home. With 3 kids and 5 dogs, it gets kind of noisy(to say the least), and hectic at our house. These are some stress buster ideas from the article that I am going to try, asap!

Get more sleep and rest. You will be more in control and be more productive if you take time to recharge your battery. Makes sense to me----I'll be off to bed shortly!

When stress levels are rising---do some deep breathing. For at least 3-5 minutes, lay down or sit down and close your eyes. Take deep slow breaths.

Try some Progressive Muscle Relaxation. Mentally go up and down the body relaxing each body part in turn.

Eat lunch away from your desk. Try a picnic with the kids.

Hug and kiss your kids (I know when they hug and kiss me first I instantly feel better)

Play hookey once in a while. Even if it's for half a day, or just a few hours of the day. Go for a walk, or take the kids to the park.

Remember to think about your successes. After all, running a business while taking care of kids and navigating piles of laundry is something to be proud of!

My Christmas Stress Reducer

My husband is the only steady income earner in our household. Since I am a work-at-home-mom, my income has the inevitable side effect of extreme fluctuation from month to month. Stretching the dollars is a way of life that my husband and I accept because we both feel strongly about me staying at home with our kids. But with Thanksgiving and Christmas upon us, I am really nervous about our cash flow situation. We will be traveling for Thanksgiving, which means extra expenses. Then we will be smack in the middle of Christmas shopping---and with kids, that is very expensive for us! So, I am looking at the possibility of getting a payday loan to tide us over for the holiday season. I love Christmas, and want to enjoy shopping for toys and stuff for my kids. And I don’t want to have to wait until the last minute to do shopping (till my hubby gets his paycheck) like I have had to do in the past. I checked out Faxless Payday Loans and was reassured by what I read. Just by filling out a short and secure one page form online, I can have a lender contact me via email ( my preference!),or by phone with free quotes. It even says that all credit levels are welcome…a good thing for us ( need I say more?). I like this because it allows me to work out terms with my lender, and I can be comfortable with the terms before I decide to get the loan. And best of all, if the terms are acceptable, I will have the cash in my account in a day or wtwo after approval. I want to relax and enjoy the holidays this year. I think I have found the way that will work for us.

Home Business Idea-----Selling Used Books

Starting an online used bookstore is easy to do with sites like Abebooks. You list your books that you want to sell on their website, and they will email you when your book sells. You ship the book, and Abebooks can collect the payment from the customer, or you can directly accept payment from the seller using Paypal or money orders. You can also check sites such as Amazon and Half.com for their selling programs.

To find used books to build your inventory, try a site like BookSaleFinder. This site lists book sales that are often put on by non profit organizations such as "friends of the Library". Check for book sales listed in your area.

Explore other sources such as:

Garage Sales
Friends
Family
Craigs List

There are places online that offer programs for you to easily track your inventory. If you start listing and selling large quantities of books, it is important to keep track of books you have, books that have sold, and books that are shipped. If you have listed a book on different sites, you need to remove it from all of the sites once it sells. Having an inventory program in place will help you do this much more easily. Check The Art Of Books to see their inventory program.

When you do start collecting used books to list and sell, research online to find out the market value of your books so you can determine your list price. It may take a little time for you to know which types of books will be worth selling and which might not be worth it. You'll become an expert in used books before you know it!

HubPages: Another Opportunity To Earn Money Working From Home

Here is an online site that is looking for freelance writers to write "How To" articles, and other articles with information ranging from recipes to relationships. You own the content you write, which is nice because you can still submit it to other sites/publications. Basically, you will take 4 steps to start:

Create an account (Free, and takes a few minutes)
Pick a title for your "Hub" (article)
Add content (Text, Photos, Links, etc.)
Publish.

Your article is published as a rich web page you have written and designed. The webpage is referred to as a "Hub".
Writers are referred to as "Hubbers" ( don't ask me why??)

Each time you want to write another article, you'll create another hub. You will have the ability and tools to add pictures, videos, and links.

How will I make money?

You set up affiliate accounts with Google, Ebay, and Amazon. Hubpages earns revenues from the ads these affiliates place ( for Ebay and Amazon, you pick the products to highlight on your "Hub"), and Hubpages splits the revenues with you. More traffic, more revenue, more income you earn. There is a much more detailed description of the program on the website. Here is some information from Hubpages' website:

"Launched in August 2006, HubPages has drawn tremendous traffic to the over 45,000 articles written on various topics. Almost 4 million people visit HubPages every month, mostly from search engines such as Google and Yahoo - a reflection of our articles' quality.

HubPages's high visibility with search engines and high caliber of content quality also make it an ideal showcase of your writing talents. Hundreds of freelance writers add their HubPages writing to their online portfolios and resumes.

No HTML or blog programming knowledge is necessary. Our simple authoring tool works similarly to Microsoft Word, but you can also easily add pictures, YouTube videos, and news and RSS feeds.

Writers earn 60% of the advertising revenue generated by ads displayed on the articles they write. Many of our authors are earning hundreds (and, a few, thousands) of dollars a month on what they've already written."

If you want to check this site out more, and read more about writing and making money, check them out at Hubpages.com

My Award

Tammy from Mom Knows Everything ( gotta love that name!), gave me this award. Thank-you Tammy!

Home Business Opportunity

This is for someone who like s the "home party" kind of home business. Except that it is not tupperware or books or make-up. This is a "Romance-Home Party" business opportunity.

From the BrownBagParty Website:

"Here’s your chance to join one of the fastest growing romance home-party companies in the industry. Brown Bag Party has one of the most competitive payment structures in the industry, with a 50% buying discount from the start.


As a Brown Bag Party independent consultant, you’ll have access to our entire product line at deep wholesale discounts. We offer monthly specials and bulk packages of selected products to ensure maximum profits for all our consultants.

Here’s a few reasons why Brown Bag Party is the perfect choice:

* 50% Commission with no large kits to buy
* No monthly sales quotas
* No recruiting required
* No inventory to carry
* We ship direct to your customers
* We collect and file your state sales taxes
* We process your customer’s credit cards for you
* Highest payouts for team builders
* We pay for the majority of your hostess rewards costs"

So if home parties and selling is your thing, you might want to check out their website...looks like it could be fun ( too bad I'm not the "hosty" type!)

Target's Made In America Toy List

here is Target's List.

Toys Not Made in China

With all the recalls lately, and Christmas fast approaching, I thought this might be a useful list for parents!

500 Toy List

Writing for Associated Content

I write articles for associated content, and as far as working from home goes, AC has been a good source of steady income. I just had an article published this morning, and within an hour, I had about 7 or so comments on my article! I get notified of new comments via email. Getting comments is not new, but it is suprising for me anyway to get comments that quickly and frequently. So I decided to check the AC website to see what was going on. I mean, it is just an article about junk mail..nothing exciting or controversial. So why was I getting new comments every time I checked my email? I had a hunch, and so I checked it out at the AC website. Yes! My little article is in the "Featured Article " site on the front page. And, it is listed first..."The Junk Stops Here"... Wow...I am excited! I don't know how AC picks articles to feature on the front page, but I am so happy they picked one of mine. Associated Content is worth taking a look at for any moms or dads wanting to find a way to make money from home. You can make money with upfront payments that associated offers you to publish your article, and you can continue to make money with your articles by "page views"--which means that each time someone reads your article, you can make money. There are alot of good resources and information on the AC forums on how to promote your articles. Associated Content---check them out!

A Mommy's Home Business Success Story

This is for inspiration! Read it, enjoy it, and get inspired by it!

Grace Welch came up with a new design for a changing pad for babies. It is a unique
look on an old product. Tired of the standard rectangular baby changing
pads, Grace designed a circular one. It is the innovative "patemm pad".
And it is the world's only round changing pad. Grace sold her product
exclusively online on her website for several years. Then Grace was
featured on OPRAH. Grace now sells thePatemm Pad through Target and
select boutiques and retailers. Visit Grace's website and see her product,
read more about her story, and get inspired!! Remember, this mommy
started out selling her product on her website....developed a "cult
following" ( as Grace calls it), and created a buzz in the media.

Challenge yourself this weekend! Keep a notebook handy, and jot down
any and all creative ideas that pop in to your thoughts. Add any ideas
that you've had in the back of your head, and just never gave any
action to.Make your list, then select the one or two that really grab
you...you know, the ones that make you get tingly and excited. Make a
plan. Write down six things you can do EVERY DAY to get your idea from being just an idea to becoming a reality. Let's motivate and encourage each other. We can all be successful "mommypreneurs"...just like Grace!

The Work At Home Journey

This is an article that expresses pretty much how I feel about my journey towards becoming a successful work at home mom. I enjoyed reading it, and I hope you do too. Savor your journeys....and never give up!

Success Is A Journey - Enjoy The Ride
By: Margaret Cowles

Success is not a destination, it's a journey. The truth is, if you were to ask the most successful people in the world, Donald Trump included, they would more likely than not tell you that they haven't reached the pinnacle of success.

And that is a very good and healthy thing. Think about it. If you were to look at your life and be totally content with what you have achieved then what would there be left to do? You'd be sitting around looking at your bank account, or your possessions, or whatever it was that you defined success by with nothing left to do. You may be alive physically but emotionally there would be very little life inside of you, especially if you were driven by the need to succeed.

So success is a journey. One who's destination you hope never is fully reached.

Having said that, you still want to have some kind of success. You certainly don't want to look back at your life and feel that you haven't achieved anything. The last thing anyone wants to feel like is a total failure. But what exactly is even partial success? Sure, you can micro manage things to the point where you declare that simply getting up and making it through your day without anything terrible happening to you is a successful day. And yet, to some people, that would be a miracle. I'm talking about people who have serious illnesses, or have some kind of addiction to drugs or alcohol. For these people, getting through a day is a major triumph.

You have to look at the life you've been given and figure out how you can make it better. You have to first decide what it is you want to be successful at. If it's to be a great actor then the first thing you have to do is learn your craft. You may never reach the point of hitting the silver screen but if you managed to land a small role in a local town production of "My Fair Lady" wouldn't you consider that a degree of success? I know I would.

See, success is not an absolute. It's a continuing evolution of your progress as a person. When you learned to cook, if you learned to cook, you didn't make the most tasty meals right from the start, unless of course you are just naturally gifted. But gradually your cooking skills became greater and greater. Okay, so maybe you never get that job cooking at the Waldorf. But wasn't it successful having the family over for Thanksgiving dinner and telling you how wonderful everything was?

The point I'm trying to make is this. Success is relative. And the key to success is recognizing the strides that you have made along your journey to success, or whatever your definition of success is. As long as you keep trying; as long as you don't give up; as long as you continue that journey; that brass ring, if that's what you're reaching for, will always be within reach. You may not reach your ultimate goal, but every inch of progress you make brings you that much closer to getting there.

Success is a journey. Enjoy it!

Article by:

Margaret Cowles is a veteran Home Based Business Owner and has trained and coached representatives both inside and outside of her sales organization. One of her primary goals is to help others succeed. She can be reached through her web site at www.ScentsibleLady.com

Friday Food Fun

With the holidays upon us, I thought it might be nice to share recipes. I have posted a yummy spinach dip over at The Christmas Place

Anyone that would like to share a recipe, please do!

How To Make Some Extra Christmas Money?

How about a little brainstorming on ideas to make some quick extra cash for Christmas shopping?

Ebay. Now is a great time to sell on Ebay because so many people are Christmas shopping! Take inventory of things around your home you no longer use, but are in good condition, and list them. Scour garage sales and thrift shops for some great buys, and then list those things on Ebay. If you are creative, make a product and list it on eBay and see what happens. Not sure of whta you can sell? Go to Ebay and cruise around all the auctions for a while and get ideas on things that other sellers are selling. You may not normally do Ebay, but at Christmas Time, this is a good and easy way to make some extra cash quickly.

Garage Sale Spend a Saturday morning having a garage sale and pick up some cash. Maybe you can get some extra "inventory" from friends and relatives if you offer to go clean out their garages ( or send your hubby to do it while you make garage sale signs, smirk!)

Unclaimed Cash Go to www.cashunclaimed.com and do a search for any unclaimed cash that you may be entitled to. Hey---you never know!

I will try and list a few more ideas for making some extra Christmas money tomorrow and through the next week. Anyone else with ideas...please feel free to share!

Home Business, Kids, and Clocks

Working from Home with small kids feels a lot like playing "Beat the Clock!". My day is chopped up into a million segments. Type two words, go make a bottle. Type four words, go make a peanut butter sandwich. Research on computer for two minutes, go take 3 yr. old to the bathroom. Curse myself for not bookmarking the website I had previously found with the afore mentioned important research. Go get 3 yr. old off the toilet; Remove my curious one year old from the shower stall where he is happily playing. Turn on Blues Clues. Run back to computer, sit down. Breathe. Place one finger on key board, poised to strike a key. Stop. Go back downstairs to console crying one year old who has just had his favorite blanky confiscated by grinning three year old. Turn off Blue. Hold one year old on lap while typing and singing the Alphabet song with three year old who is coloring in coloring book by my feet. Actually accomplish some work this way. Yea. And so it goes. The clock is always ticking, and I know my minutes alone at my computer are invaluable. I feel like a marathon runner most days...sweaty and out of breath, but also pushing myself much harder and farther than I used to think I was capable of. Working from home is alot like playing beat the clock, but I love it!

Moms At Home Make Money Here!

My Girlfriend's Closet is a fantastic website for buying and selling clothes, shoes, and accessories. You create "closets" on this website, and sell clothes, shoes, and accessories. Of course, you can shop for some great deals for yourself as well!! Go check out the website and see if you would like to become a "local Seller". This sounds too fun...think I may give this one a try!

WAHMS--Take a Patrick Swayze Break

I admit it...I am a Patrick Swayze fan! Watch this music video and even if you are not a fan, this might convert you!! Just a nice afternoon break for all the hard working mommies out there in the blogosphere...get ready to smile! "She's Like The Wind"

Work At Home Writing Opportunity

eHow.com is looking for writers to share How To articles with a growing community of more than 8 million visitors a month. Writers are paid based on the quality and readership value of their content.

eHow.com covers “just about everything” including topics ranging from simple (How to Boil an Egg) to complex (How to Build a Dry Stack Stone Wall).

Writers can write on topics of their choice and publish immediately using eHow.com’s simple publishing tools.

Start contributing your knowledge now … and get paid for it! To start publishing, visit: eHow.com

Here is a link to the website with more information. Have a look around at the articles and give it a try...you have nothing to lose and possibly some $$ to gain!!

Transcriber Work From Home Opportunity

Came across this opportunity listing this morning:
"Financial At-Home Transcriber
Experienced transcribers sought for at-home financial transcription. Must be accurate, deadline-oriented, and reliable. Hrs flexible. Deadlines firm. PC requirements: Internet connection (dial-up or highspeed), RealPlayer, Transcription software/foot pedal for digital .ra sound files. QUALIFIED applicants, send résumé to Applicants."

This is posted at the Morningside Partners LLC Website. Click here to go check it out further. There are other opportunities posted, but this looks like the only work from home opportunity listed right now on their site. It's listed on the bottom...last one .

Work At Home = No Laundry

This is how my laundry looks about now.... seriously.

Cartoon by Dave Walker. Find more cartoons you can freely re-use on your blog at We Blog Cartoons.

Telecommuting.....Very Funny Article!

A must read, I think. Pretty cute article on telecommuting by Bill Zuck, a telecommuter whose roomate doesn't quite understand the work at home concept.

Here's the article, "Think You've Got It Tough? Try Telecommuting"

A Fun Way To Earn Extra Cash!!

This is a fun site that you can have lots of fun on, and earn some extra cash---and with Christmas fast approaching, who couldn't use a little extra shopping money?? Basically, all you do is sign up for free and start playing. How do you play and why? You play by predicting outcomes of future events, like " What will win as Song of the Year at the 41st "CMA Awards" on November 7th?". You select your answer/prediction from a list of about 4 choices. Why would you play? To win points for every correct prediction you made. You then can convert your points into cash! Check out Guess Now and see what you think....will you make some spending money with this site or not??

Work From Home Opportunity

This is a tutoring opportunity with a an online tutoring community called InfiLearn.

"infiLearn is an online community of parents, students and trusted educators who are united in their focus on achieving learning goals today and expanding opportunities for tomorrow.

If you would like to check out their website and get more information, or want to apply online, here is the link.

Are You An Independent Contractor?

I read an article about Independent Contractors, and some of the IRS guidelines that determine if someone qualifies as one. Independent Contractors exist in any kind of business these days. A person supporting themselves by offering business services and expertise to clients may be an Independent Contractor as opposed to an employee. Some of the IRS guidelines are:

An Independent Contractor generally works for more than one company.

An Independent Contractor can terminate a contract with a company,just as the company can cancel a contract with an Independent Contractor as well.

Independent Contractors generally use their own tools and equipment; They will also set their own hours and control their own expenses.

Independent Contractors cannot be "fired" like an employee, unless he or she fails to fufill the terms of the contract.


Parents and others that work from home doing telecommuting are often Independent Contractors, but it is important to be sure of your status when you sign on with a company. Independent Contractors have different rules and regulations than Employees have when filing and reporting income taxes and deductions, so it is important to know for sure if you are an Independent Contractor or an Employee when working with a company.
If you are not sure,it is best to consult an accountant or lawyer.

To read the full article written by Priscilla Huff, go to Ivillage

Celebrating My 100th Birthday!!

Yesterday I posted my 100th post!! Yea for me!

Why I like Being A Mommy (RemindersFor Those Days When I Want To Run Away)

I felt my baby moving inside me. Kicking, stretching, hiccupping, and even sleeping. No one else did.

No one else looks at me with as much adoration as my three year old does when I first open my tired eyes in the morning.

No one stretches out their arms to me with such love and hope as my sweet baby when he is standing in his crib every morning and I stumble bleary-eyed with hair and teeth unbrushed into his room.

Who else but my daughter can absolutely hate me one minute, and throw her arms around my neck the next minute professing undying love before she ventures out to school?

My baby and my 3 yr old don't care if I clean the house. Actually, the messier, the better!

My baby and my three year old don't care if I put on makeup or walk around all day like a character out of "Night of The Living Dead". Just as long as I'm there. Period.

I like being a mommy on Mother's Day because my children beam with smiles and bright eyes as they anticipate my immeasurable joy and glee at the wondrous handmade gifts they will soon bestow upon me. Little do they know that those smiles are my greatest gifts.

I like being a mommy because I get to say "Mommy says so, that's why!" and all is quiet. For 3-5 minutes, anyway.

I like being a mommy because when I do put on makeup and wear anything besides my dreary old robe, I get looks that tell me I am as beautiful as ANY woman, EVER, ANYWHERE, on the face of the earth! (Why can't my husband look at me that way?)

Being mommy gets me points when I make cupcakes for class parties. My daughter is proud to claim me as her mom, at least until the cupcakes are gone.

I like being mommy when my son comes to me in the middle of the night after awakening from a nightmare, and my arms are the only arms he wants to comfort him.

I like being a mommy when my baby looks sleepily into my eyes and I can feel tears run down my cheeks at this beautiful little angel in my arms, asleep now, a gift I don't deserve but treasure.

I like being a mommy when strangers think MY children are sooo adorable and cute and POLITE! YES!!

I like being a mommy when one of my children draws a grimace from a stranger for some behavior that I can hardly contain my laughter about. I
like being a mommy and smelling my sweet smelling bubble bath kids after a long fun bath time.

I like being a mommy when my baby offers me a slurp of his beloved pacifier.

I like being a mommy when my three year old offers me his treasured teddy bear to hold when I don't feel well.

I like being a mommy when my daughter wants MY opinion on an outfit she is wearing. I really like being a mommy when my daughter gives ME a compliment on an outfit I am wearing!

I like being a mommy when the barber asked my little boy if he had a girlfriend, and with a very serious face, my son replied, " yes, my mommy."

I like being a mommy because there is no other love in the world stronger than the love I feel for my children. Nothing can take my breath away, or make me feel stirrings so deep in my soul as their faces can. I LOVE being my children's mommy.


Thought I'd share an article I wrote a few months ago for Associated Content. Hope You Enjoyed it!

Blogging Wishes

Tammy from Mom Knows Everything sent me blogging wishes. Thank-you Tammy! I am going to pass on wishes as well for all bloggers who share resources, information, tips, and daily life adventures with all the blogosphere community. Three bloggers in particular I'm sending wishes to are Kelly, at Making Ends Meet, Sheryl, at Making Money Online, and Ken, ( aka The Exile), at The Money Blog.

Happy Blogging Everyone!

The Picture People

"With over 170 portrait studios across the country, we're always on the lookout for talented, passionate, creative and results driven team players. We not only welcome experienced photographers, but we also look to hire those who have an interest in learning photography and sales. We provide a paid training program that will help you develop photography skills that you will be able to utilize for the rest of your life. We offer a team-oriented environment, competitive pay, associate discounts and opportunities for advancement. Please apply online today or visit a Picture People studio near you to fill out an application."

Now, this is not a work at home job I'm posting about, granted, but....Picture People provides "a Paid training program that will help you develop photography skills that you will be able to utilize for the rest of your life." So, hey, if you have ever dreamt about starting your own photography business, but lack the camera skills, like me, this could be a win-win deal!! Work, have fun, learn, and get the photography skills lined up that you'll need to be your on boss one day. If you want to check out The Picture People website some more, and/or apply online, here is their link

Make Some Extra Christmas Cash

My Christmas Gift list is long...too long. I am already stressing about budgeting for the presents I need to buy. So I checked out a site today that you apparently can make some quick extra cash on. It is not a GPT Site, but more of a "Task" site that Amazon has where a person can choose from a list of "hits" that are on there, and get paid through their amazon account when the task is completed. Here is info from the website:


What is a HIT?
HIT stands for Human Intelligence Task. These are tasks that people are willing to pay you to complete. For example a HIT might ask: "Is there a pizza parlour in this photograph?" Typically these tasks are extraordinarily difficult for computers, but simple for humans to answer.
How do I find HITs to work on?
Just click the "Get Started Now" button to browse thousands of available HITs, without any obligation.

How do I work on a HIT?
Once you have chosen a HIT to complete, click the "Accept HIT" button to have it assigned to you.

Follow the instructions on how to complete the HIT and when you are done, click the "Submit " button to save your answer.

Step 3 - Earn - Get paid for your work

How do I get paid?
You are paid when your answer is approved by the person that listed the HIT.

The money you earn is deposited into your Amazon.com account, where you can turn it into cash at any time by transferring it to your personal checking account.

I know this is not a way to get rich, for sure, or even a way to make a decent income, but it could be a way to earn some quick extra Christmas cash. After looking at the various "hits" offered, it looks like offers range from .01-$7.00....some tasks take very little time/effort, and others a bit more time. For more information if this sounds interesting to you, click here to go to Amazon Mechanical Turk

What is Telecommuting?

When you call an 800 number to place an order at J.Crew or 1-800 Flowers, there's a good chance the voice that answers is coming from someone sitting in the comfort of his or her own home. Telecommuting is basically working from home for your employer or as an independent contractor for a legitimate company. Many companies today outsource work to telecommuters to keep their business costs down.

Telecommuting can be a great resource for parents that want to earn a steady income from home. The flexibility of scheduling work hours can be a great benefit to a stay at home parent. Some companies will offer more flexibility than others, however, so it is important to research. Training is usually provided by the different companies offering telecommuting positions, but you need to find out if the training will be paid or not, as this differs from company to company.

Telecommuting can be offered in a lot of different business fields, such as customer support, data entry, and document coding.

To qualify, a prospective agent must usually, at the least, have high -speed Internet access, a landline to handle calls, and a quiet workspace. And different businesses may have additional requirements, so you need to check out each company's individual requirements for employment.

It is very important to research a company offering telecommuting opportunities to make sure they are a legitimate company. Here are a few guidelines:

Never pay for a job. If the company is legitimate, they will not ask you to pay to work for them.

Always check with the Better Business Bureau.

Call the company directly for more information. A legitimate company will have a 1-800 number. Call and talk with someone and ask questions. If the company does not offer a 1-800 number, or the option to speak with a live person, you should consider that as a red flag.

If the company offers exaggerated claims about your potential pay, and it sounds "to good to be true", it probably is. This is another red flag.

Visit forums and boards on work at home websites, and look for threads about a company you are researching.

You can also do a Google Search on the company's name, and add the word "scam" to see what pops up.

Research cannot be stressed enough--ultimately you must decide if a particular company will be the right one for you to work from home for.

Here is a listing of companies that are offering telecommuting opportunities. I will be adding to this list often, so keep checking.

Take a Break From Working and Laugh

Cartoon by Dave Walker. Find more cartoons you can freely re-use on your blog at We Blog Cartoons.

Laughing is good....we should all laugh each day!!

Home Employment Opportunity

Lisa at Work at Home Mom Revolution has listed a work at home opportunity in transcription on her blog. Go on over to Lisa's blog and check out her post, "Work at Home Opportunity In Transcription".

Happy Friday!!

Another Writing Business Opportunity

Common Ties is a site that pays for personal stories. Their website states " 2. Story type and themes.
No topic is off-limits. We look for personal stories that are in some way emotionally compelling - stories that make us gasp, giggle, cry, or cheer. Stories that do this can range from the subtle to the sensational, but tend to work better when describing a single event, rooted in a time and place, as opposed to a decades-long memoir. We always look for a hook toward the top of the story that hints at the outcome and holds suspense, compelling us to read more." And re: payment, " 3. Pay.
Common Ties pays for the stories it publishes. Our payment guideline is between $100 and $200 per story, but this is only a guideline. You may suggest a higher or lower amount depending on what you think is an acceptable level given the quality of the story and your past publishing experience. If you record your story you will be paid an additional $150 should your recording be accepted. Common Ties mails checks within 30 days of acceptance."
Check out the website for full information, submission requirements, and more information. Anyone with experience with Common Ties, please share!!

Make-Over's For Mommies Working At Home

My day consists of Coffee,feeding kids, coffee, computer during "Blues
Clues", coffee, diapers, computer/holding kids, coffee, chasing fast
crawling baby/yelling at ambitious 3 yr.old climbing up walls ( yea..he
stacks things and climbs up to reach the highest shelves where he is
sure I have hidden wondrous treasures..eh!)coffee, and so on. Brushing
my hair does not even occur to me until a: I need to go to the store or
some other outside real life place, or b: someone knocks at my door!
So, this morning when I read Tammy's
post about a site where you can do a virtual makeover, I thought that
sounded like fun! I am going to try and do this later. I would love to
see me again with make-up and a cute hairdo!! Maybe I can print out a
copy of my make-over and just hold it up when someone knocks at my
door,lol! check out Tammy's blog, and give yourself a virtual make-over too!!