Have you had your summer vacation yet? Just a few more weeks left before the kids go back to school and the fall routines begin. One of my favorite vacation spots is San Francisco. There is so much to do there! When we were there, we had a ball!
For a quiet, beautiful experience, visit the Japanese Tea Garden in Golden Gate Park. Gorgeous and peaceful, it's a nice little refuge from the big city buzz. Check out Fisherman's Wharf too. There's activities for all ages - visit the sea lions hanging out at Pier 30, or check out the Aquarium of the Bay, USS Pampanito Submarine, The Maritime Museum, Museum Mechanique, and and Ripley's Believe It or Not Museum among other things. Chinatown is another fun place to visit in San Francisco.
San Francisco has all kinds of great food, night life and entertainment and of course you can't miss riding the trolleys! Don't miss Ghiradelli Square either if you're a chocolate lover! “The City by the Bay” has everything a family needs to have a great time whether it’s a short weekend jaunt or a longer trip.
A great way to plan your vacations is using Trusted Tours & Attractions. They have all the information you need to make sure you get the most out of your visit in their online travel guides. Access to tickets, attraction information, hotels, maps and just about all you need to plan the perfect trip. Take a look at what they have to say about San Francisco: Things to do in San Francisco, or if another city is more your speed, check out Kennedy Space Center and other great things to do in Orlando. Right now, they're running a great promotion where you can win $150 Itunes gift card! Sign up for the newsletter here!
Whatever you do, don't wait because the summer is slipping away!!
See...this is why I read others' blogs. Not only do I learn about cool people, but I get the heads-up on awesome deals out there. Found this one at at a blog I discovered and subscribed to today TheFreebieBlogger. Now that's my kinda blog!
So anyway...the deal is from Blockbuster and you can get $25 in your PayPal account by signing up. You get a 2 week free trial, then you have to pay for one month subscription - I chose the $3.99 plan, but I will probably upgrade and keep the subscription. It's handy. Movies by mail. Gotta love it. She explained it really well in her blog post, so go on over to TheFreebieBlogger and check out this Blockbuster deal! Check out the rest of the blog too. Great stuff there!
Doing the playlist on my blog the other day got me thinking that I really needed a new portable music device. I put it off for a long time because I didn't really see a need for it and it seemed like a hassle to carry something around. Guess I just didn't realize how far technology had come.
I finally graduated from the 80's Walkman days and got myself an iPod Shuffle! OH...MY...GOSH I am SO happy with this little thing. And boy, do I mean little. It's about and inch and a half by an inch and weighs next to nothing - and the thing holds 2 gigs of music! They have a 1 gig and a 2 gig version...iPod shuffle 1GB and 2GB from $49. Free shipping.
I got it today and it's SO easy to set up. I downloaded iTunes, hooked the little guy up by the USB port and put a bunch of my favorite tunes on it. Just drag & drop. Easy as pie. Easier than pie actually, because frankly I find making pie complicated. But that's beside the point. Point is, I'm as happy...happier than when I am EATING pie!!
So here I am, blogging away and jamming to some Carole King, Crosby Stills & Nash, Pink Floyd, Jason Robert Brown, Jewel, Sondheim. It's a dream. You should get one. They rock...and now that I have one, I can rock wherever I go! Check it out!
Free Shipping, Free Engraving on All iPods. iPod shuffle, 2GB - Green. A new gig for iPod Shuffle. Now in 1GB and 2 GB. Born to be worn. - Clip on the world's most wearable music player and take up to 500 songs with you anywhere. Choose from five colors including four new hues to make your musical fashion statement. Random meets rhythm. - With iTunes autofill, iPod shuffle can deliver a new musical experience every time you sync. For more randomness, you can shuffle songs during playback with the slide of a switch. Everything is easy. - Charge and sync with the included USB dock. Operate the iPod shuffle controls with one hand. Enjoy up to 12 hours straight of skip-free music playback.
Gotta have some great tunes in the background while working. At least I do. When I'm not on the phone, that is. :-) I discovered Playlist on a cool blog "Mama's Family" - and I discovered that cool blog at Mom Bloggers Club. :-)
Oh, and I start a new job tomorrow. It's sort of work from home...just not my home. I'll be working part time for a woman who is a productivity expert. She does tons of speaking engagements each year and I'll be helping out in her home office. It's actually perfect because it's a few hours a day while the kids are in school and it gets me out of the house AND I *really* like her. We hit it off so well during my interview.
I'll also be interviewing soon for something that is working from home - a contract grant writing position with a local non profit. That will be sometime in August.
So...that's the short catch-up on what's going on here.
I received this note from a dear friend today. I am so very lucky that my children have been blessed with excellent health. Several of my friends have children facing diabetes. Together we can all make a difference - please read this letter and watch the video. Make a donation if you can. Juvenile diabetes radically alters the lives of the kids who have it and they need all the help we can give them to find a cure!
Dear Friends, Family, and Neighbors,
On February 18th, 2008 everything changed for our family. Our middle daughter, Hanna, was diagnosed with Type 1 (juvenile) Diabetes. She will be dependent on insulin for the rest of her life. We had become aware that something was just not right with her, but having Hanna diagnosed with a life-long, life threatening chronic disease was a shock. We were more shocked to find out that she was the 4th child diagnosed at her school this year. Hanna’s body no longer produces insulin so we replace it by giving her 2-5 shots a day. She must prick her finger 6-8 times a day to test her blood sugar. We hope for a number between 70 and 150. If her number is consistently above 150, Hanna could suffer the long term complications of diabetes such as blindness, heart and kidney disease, amputations and a shorter life span. A number below 70 is even more frightening, Hanna’s numbers can drop quickly and we must be vigilant to avoid her becoming unconscious, leading to coma and death. We are not looking for your pity. Hanna is doing well right now, she is healthy and happy, loves to play with her friends, swim, and read. She faces every day with a spirit of courage and hope. Our goal is to keep her as healthy as possible. We could use your support. We will be walking in the annual walk for the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation on September 28th, 2008. The walk is held in the morning at Rentschler Field in East Hartford . The JDRF is actively seeking a cure for diabetes, more then 85% of the funds raised go directly into research and research related education.
There are two ways you can make a difference in Hanna’s life and the lives of other children living with diabetes.
* Join Team Hanna and walk with us on September 28th. Collect pledges from your family and friends and bring them the morning of the walk. Free registration is at JDRF.ORG, select the East Hartford walk and then select Team Hanna from the drop down menu under Choose Team.
* If you can’t walk with us, you can still support our Team. Simply log onto JDRF.ORG and click donate under walk central. Type Hanna Rosenfield and Team Hanna in the box and your donation will go to our team. You can also mail donations to us at our home address. Please make checks out to the JDRF and we will deliver them the morning of the walk.
The walk itself promises to be lots of fun with a breakfast provided by Stop and Shop and an autograph session with Jim Calhoun and the UConn men’s basketball team. The walk will be done by noon. We are designing a fun team T-shirt that we will have for anyone who registers by September 1st. Thank you so much for your support, we are hopeful someday with the research done by the JDRF, Hanna will be able20to say “I USED to have diabetes.”
Here's a great blog with freelance jobs listed. Freelancing is a great way to earn income from home. She's got a great listing of various gigs, most of which are writing jobs.
Isn't it great that so many people online are so willing to share what they've found? I've been so excited lately reading other people's blogs and seeing all the great stuff they write about.
By the way, I've discovered that Google Reader is a great way to keep all your blog subscriptions in one spot. I had been subscribing by email to many blogs, but was too overwhelmed with all the email. Google Reader lets you place all the various blogs into folders. I organized mine in several categories to make reading easier. Love it. Give it a shot if you have lots of subscriptions.
Check out this link. If you're one of the first 25 to click each day this month, you could get a full size product from them. They are giving away a different product each day on this promotion, so you have a chance to win every day. Gotta love a great skin care freebie!
When you're searching for a work from home job, you need to treat the job search as a job! It's a competitive world out there. For each work from home job there are potentially hundreds of applicants. As fuel prices rise there are even more people seeking employment from home or asking their current employers if they can telecommute.
The first thing you need to do is make an honest assessment of your experience and skills. Start building a strong resume. Not only should you include your past work experience and skills, but you should focus on accomplishments at your previous positions. When describing your past work experience don't just focus on the tasks you performed. Succinctly explain the RESULTS of the tasks you performed. For example, if you were in a sales position, you could state that you grew your account base by 30%, or that you gained "X" number of clients for the company.
A common issue with WAH job seekers is that some of them have been out of the work force for a long period of time and feel they have nothing to put on a resume. Whatever experience you have put it on that resume! You may have done volunteer work, helped your church with bookkeeping or designed a web site for a friend. Use those things. Something to know as well is that you do not have to put dates on your resume. There are different schools of thought on this. Some will tell you that you must include dates of employment. I disagree. Unless the job posting states that it is required, it isn't! Put down your experience and if it's relevant, you may just get that interview. If questions about time of employment come up at that point, answer them honestly. It's OK to say that you took time off to spend time with family.
If you are uncomfortable with your resume writing skills you may want to seek help from a friend or even a professional resume writing service. It may be a stretch for you to spend the money, but in the long run this investment in your future will pay off.
One very important element in the job search is to follow the instructions on the job posting. If the employment ad says "no phone calls" do NOT call them. If it says email your resume to a certain email address, do that. If it says to go to their website and fill out an online application, do that. This may seem simple, but you have no idea how many people don't do this. If you follow the instructions to the letter your chances of being selected for an interview go way up.
When you get that interview it is important that you focus on one thing: how you will be valuable to the employer. This isn't the time to focus on how great the job would be for you, but how great you would be for the company. Before your interview find out as much as you can about the company. Write out a list of ways you can bring value to the company in the position. Also have a list of any questions you may have about the position. It helps to have these things written out. Interviews can be stressful. When you're nervous you are more likely to forget things you want to say or questions you want to ask. Keep your resume and cover letter in front of you to refer to also. Be on time for you interview. Have a positive attitude and show them how you will be a benefit to their organization.
Once you have completed your interview make sure you send a thank you note to the person who took the time to interview you. It is a nice way to keep yourself at the front of their minds and to leave a good impression. Show that you appreciate their time and let them know you are looking forward to hearing from them.
A common complaint from WAH employers is that they end up with people who really don't want to work, or that can't seem to perform the tasks effectively. The purpose of a work from home job is not for you to spend more time with your children. The purpose is to perform the tasks your employer requires and to do the job well. Make sure you have appropriate care for your children while you are working. It is unrealistic for most people to think that they can have four hours of uninterrupted quiet time to work while supervising toddlers. Be honest with yourself about your situation and find the type of job that suits you and your situation the best.
Finding the perfect work at home job is not an easy task, but it is worth it when you find the right one for you. Check out this list of companies that hire workers from home to see if there might be a fit for you.
I was catching up on some blog reading today and came across this post and its related comments. It really got me thinking and musing. So here comes the musing...
Balancing parenting with work can be...no, IS tricky. Penelope Trunk's assessment of "mommy porn" is spot on. I think she is right when she says that "I’m telling you this: people are not being honest about what it’s like to be with kids. People are scared to admit that they would rather be at work than with their kids, because work is easier than parenting." But it's even more than that. It's because of self-imposed (and sometimes society-imposed) guilt. Mommies aren't supposed to want to be away from their kids. That's what the rabid SAHMs would tell you anyway.
I'll tell the truth: I love being a parent. I also love just being "me." Being me means doing things that don't include my kids. Do I love being with my kids? Sure I do. Do I want to be with them all day, every day to the exclusion of all else? No way. I'm not scared to say that. It's honest and it's who I am. I am more than a mother. The challenge is that becoming a mother many times means putting other things like work or hobbies on the back burner sometimes.
Since my first child was born almost thirteen years ago I have made many different choices when it comes to work and hobbies. For the first few years I stayed home. At one point it might have been fair to say I was a hard-core SAHM and couldn't imagine why anyone in the world would ever make a different choice than to stay home full time. Then I got a clue. Being a mother doesn't mean you have to spend every moment of every day focusing on your children. Some people may do just that. It may even work for them. It doesn't work for me and, darn it, that doesn't make me less of a good mother. Since that time I've worked full time outside the home, full time at home, part time outside the home, part time at home depending on what worked best at the time.
I need to work, I want to work. I need to play, I want to play. And frankly, I want it all on my terms which means sometimes my kids and sometimes my employers need to take a back seat. I'm not going to apologize for that. My kids are at that age where having more money for more "stuff" would probably be pretty cool to them. Well, if that happens on my terms - great. I won't sacrifice my personal peace so they can have designer clothes and more video games. Thrift stores and used game stores have the same stuff at less than half the cost. That will have to be good enough. I'm not above reminding them of the "starving children in China" like my mom used to do. Mother of the Year...that's me. LOL
Let's look at some basics when it comes to this whole "have to work" vs. "want to work" thing. I think it is fair to say that the *average* American family struggles to make ends meet. We can talk about downsizing our lifestyle and making different choices until we're blue in the face but the fact is that having a lifestyle that's halfway decent in this country costs a lot. The average American isn't a mid-level manager making $100k plus a year. The median family income in 2005 was just over $56k. Take out that big chunk for taxes and what the average family has left to work with just isn't all that spectacular.
Wouldn't it be just ducky if working were truly a choice? The need for many mothers to work is undeniable. Problem is, many mothers don't currently have the earning capability for it to make a huge financial difference for their family. Ever tried to pay for full time daycare on fast food wages? I haven't, but I assure you it's not a pretty sight. It's reality for many women though. Those who are lucky enough to have decent earning capacities have more options open to them. Still, this whole "having it all" thing is kind of a crock. No one "has it all" all of the time. No matter what you have to do or choose to do, it's exhausting and sometimes emotionally taxing.
I just spent 8 weeks rehearsing and performing a show that took time away from my family. Did I feel bad when my kids said "mom, can we do XYZ on Saturday?" and I said "sorry, I have rehearsal"? A little. I do feel bad when I deny a perfectly reasonable request from my kids. Bad enough to not do something that feeds my soul? Hell no. Bad enough to stay up way too late working and doing homework so that I'd have time on Tuesday to do XYZ with the kids? Yep. And that's exhausting. I don't know how I'd do it if I was working full time right now. Let's toss a little more guilt into the mix now because frankly, we'd be much better off if I were working full time. Wanna know why I'm not working full time? I don't think "having it all" is worth the price I'd pay physically and emotionally right now, and I'll be honest and say that it really doesn't have all that much to do with my kids. Sure, what's best for the kids comes into play in our major decisions. I also know that what's best for the kids is to have a mother that is happy and sane. It also helps that I'm blessed with a husband who has a decent job that he LOVES and this gives me the opportunity to have choices I wouldn't have otherwise. Not everyone is so lucky.
I'll go back to work full time outside the home when I find a job that I really want and love that fits into the schedule that I like to have. Or if the choice is full time work or living on ramen noodles at the homeless shelter. I will not work full time so that I can afford to have a house that looks like Martha Stewart just got back from Pottery Barn. My life will likely never resemble a swanky catalog. I am SO ok with that. I'd rather struggle a little and find more ways to make money from home doing things I enjoy than make the sacrifices I'd make working full time outside the home.
Global Test Market is yet another terrific online survey company. They actually have surveys for people all over the world, so no matter where you are they have something for you! They are one of my favorites due to the frequency of the surveys.
I get survey invitations many times each week from GlobalTestMarket. I don't always end up qualifying to complete each survey, but I do often enough to have cashed out several times. Cash out is at $50. It's not difficult to get there if you try to qualify on each invitation they send you.
The surveys themselves are never too long and boring. Interesting topics make it fun to do. When the time comes to cash out, the check always comes promptly. I love that in a company!! I have to give Global Test Market the thumbs-up!
Opinion Outpost is another online survey company where you can earn cash for your opinions. I've been a member of Opinion Outpost for a couple of years now and receive a fairly steady stream of surveys to take. One thing they do really well is have a dashboard where you can log in and see what surveys are available to you, which ones you have taken and how many points you have accumulated to cash in. You need 50 points to cash out. 50 points is the equivalent of $5 and when you cash out they promptly send you a check in the mail.
Opinion Outpost also has a referral program and you are awarded 10 points for each referral who completes at least one survey.
When you sign up with Opinion Outpost you should complete all of your profiles so that you can receive surveys appropriate for you. They keep all of your profile information private and only use it to send you surveys that relate to you.
I highly recommend joining Opinion Outpost. You can join by clicking one of the links or on the banner here:
MySurvey is an online survey company that pays you for your opinions. When you sign up, you complete a profile that provides them with demographic information so they can send you appropriate surveys. For each survey you complete, you are awarded points which can be converted into cash, prizes or charity donations.
I've been a member of MySurvey for over a year now and have made some nice spare cash with them. They frequently send surveys by email and they give you the option to download a toolbar which will alert you when new surveys are available.
MySurvey has been one of my favorite survey companies to work with. They have always been quick to pay. You can cash out at 1000 points, or $10. It's a great deal, and it's free to join. Check them out - you won't regret it!
Huh? What the heck does she mean, "Giant Squid"??? I've talked about this really cool site, Squidoo where you can build pages (called lenses) for free on any topic you want. So I've been playing around on the site for a while and building lenses on various topics like working from home, theater, making home made ice cream, having gerbils as pets...all kinds of stuff. I've made some money at it too. It's been a blast and I've had a great time getting to know my fellow lensmasters and learning the "tricks of the trade" to build better lenses and make more money.
They have this "Giant Squid" program where you have to have 50 or more quality lenses. Giant Squids get cool lens making tools and all kinds of other things. So this morning, I was playing with my lenses and whaddaya know...I have a shiny new "Giant Squid" badge on all my lenses! Woo hoo!
Squidoo is so much fun, and you can make some cash too. I have all my lenses set to donate 10% of earnings to charity also. I'm supporting NPR with my contributions. You can choose from tons of various charities to support.
Check it out...make a lens about your favorite hobbies, yourself, your favorite Broadway show...whatever. It's easy and FUN!
My life as a work from home mom. Ideas, tips and tricks about making money from home. Whether it's part time for some fun pocket change or full time to make a living, there are many work from home options out there on the internet. You'll find some good ideas and opportunities here. You'll also find me just talking about life!
