The Eclectic WAHM

Hey folks! I wanted to let you know that I'm consolidating and moving the blog over to www.eclecticwahm.com, so please visit me over there. All of the pages and posts are there now and all new posts will be on the main site. I'll keep this blog here for a while, but please bookmark www.eclecticwahm.com and subscribe to the feed there so you don't miss anything.

Thanks for reading!

Great news from MySurvey! They've always been one of my favorite online survey companies. They always pay fast, my checks always came very quickly. NOW you can get paid via PayPal too! Also, they've added tons of other prizes, gift cards, Amazon.com certificates and all sorts of wonderful things. If you haven't signed up yet, I highly encourage doing so.

Hi readers! This is off-topic, but I really want to share this story with you. This couple is trying to adopt two teen sisters from Latvia whom they met on a trip. As you may know, overseas adoptions can be complicated, but the ages of these girls is making it even more of a challenge. David and Julie are an amazing couple with huge hearts and would be incredible parents for these girls. I got to meet Baiba and Agnese when they came to visit David and Julie over the holidays and they are just great kids who need a forever family. PLEASE - visit their website, send your prayers and good thoughts and if you can help these wonderful people become a family, please do!

http://www.adoptquest.org

Thanks for reading!

It's that time of year when I start to get the itch to clear out clutter from the house. A garage sale can be a great way to get that done, but sometimes it seems like a monumental task. I'm trying something different this season. It's been a while since I've actively sold stuff on eBay, but I'm going to give it a shot again. I've got a bunch of items I think may sell for decent prices online, so this weekend I'm going to take the time to get some good photographs and put up some auctions and see what happens. Wish me luck!

Relating this to working from home - sometimes eBay can be a great way to earn some extra cash from home. Many years ago I used to go to rummage sales, garage sales and estate sales and I would pick up good items cheap and re-sell them on eBay. It helped get us through some rough patches with the extra income and if I had put my mind to it, it could have turned into a decent income. Just a thought for something to try!

When you have kids, you know it's handy to have snacks on the go. My kids enjoy GoGurt and it makes me feel good to serve a pretty healthy treat that they like. Yoplait's new Simply GoGurt comes in two flavors - Strawberry and Mixed Berry. Yum!

Yoplait and MyBlogSpark sent me a great package including a free coupon for Simply GoGurt, a weekly planner, a mini Etch-A-Sketch and a cool seat back organizer. We tried the GoGurt and the verdict was unanimous - we really liked it!



The first 30 readers here can grab their own free coupon! The information, micro-site and giveaway are provided by Yoplait and MyBlogSpark. Check it out!




A lucky winner can also receive a cool gift pack. To enter the drawing, simply post a comment on this post sharing your favorite healthy snack for kids. You can get additional entries by posting on your blog about this giveaway with a link and leaving a comment here, and by tweeting about this giveaway with a link and leaving a comment here.



The winner will be chosen by Random.org on Wednesday, April 28 and notified by Thursday April 29. Good luck everyone!

The lucky winner is Lindsay! Please send your contact info to becca @ eclecticwahm dot net. Congratulations!!

If you're in the mood for some deliciousness it's time time to visit your old friend, Betty Crocker! Safeway and Betty Crocker have teamed up to create a great site, Bake Sweet Memories, to share recipes, fun ideas and coupons. Seriously - mini Key Lime cupcakes? Talk about yummy-ness! What's fabulous is on the site, you can register your Safeway Club card and have coupons loaded right on to your card!! It doesn't get any easier than that.

Safeway and Betty Crocker provided me with a great prize pack through MyBlogSpark - and guess what? They also are providing a great Sweet Spring Treats prize pack for me to give away here on the blog! This awesome package includes a baking pan, stainless steel mixing bowl, oven mitt, Betty Crocker mixing spoon, and a $25 Safeway gift card.



So - here's the scoop.

This will be a random drawing. You can get multiple entries and here's how:

- Leave a comment on this post telling me about your favorite Betty Crocker product.
- Post about and link to this post on your blog and leave a comment here with a link to the post.
- Tweet about this giveaway with a link to this post and leave a comment here to tell us you've done so.
- Follow us on Twitter and leave a comment here to let us know you've done that.

So there you have up to four ways to enter! We'll accept entries through 10:00 PM Mountain Daylight Time on Wednesday, April 14th. The winner will be notified on Thursday, April 14th and must provide us with your contact information so your fabulous prize pack from Safeway, Betty Crocker and MyBlogSpark can be sent to you.

Meanwhile...get over to http://www.bakesweetmemories.com, load up your coupons, run to Safeway and bake up some deliciousness!


Have fun and good luck!!

The lucky Cheryl F. won the fabulous prize pack from General Mills from this blog post: http://www.eclecticwahm.net/2009/11/general-mills-movie-giveaway.html. Cheryl, you have until Tuesday to get your mailing information to me so My Blog Spark can ship your prize package. Congrats and have a great time at the movies!!

There's just nothing like going to the movies! With so many exciting films out this season, now is an awesome time for this fabulous giveaway that General Mills is sponsoring. Here's what to do to get your FREE movie ticket:

1. Purchase two boxes of the specially marked General Mills cereals including yummies like Honey Nut Cheerios, Lucky Charms and Trix.
2. Check inside the box for a special code.
3. Visit this page at General Mills and enter your special code: http://new.emoviecash.com/gmills/

Then you can print your movie ticket or have it emailed to you. Easy, isn't it?

A few details:
Codes must be entered by June 30, 2010
Each certificate is worth up to $12 for a movie at selected theatres.
The certificates expire 60 days after issuance, so pick a movie quick!
Take a look at the FAQ if you have more questions.

We had a fun family movie night seeing the new Disney's A Christmas Carol film. It's a fun flick in 3-D which is perfect for the holiday time of year. What do you want to see?

And guess WHAT? My Blog Spark and General Mills have teamed up to sponsor a giveaway right here on the Eclectic WAHM blog! My Blog Spark will send the winner a “Movie Moment” prize pack that includes 4 e-movie cash certificates ($12 each) and one (1) free coupon for a General Mills cereal. Each person can get up to four chances to win!

Here's how:

Main Entry:
Leave a comment on this blog about your favorite movie.

Bonus Entries:
Follow me on Twitter @EclecticWAHMand leave a separate comment letting me know you've done this.

Send a Tweet about the contest with a link to this blog and leave a separate comment letting me know you've done this.

Post this giveaway on your blog with a link to this post and leave a separate comment with a link to your post letting me know you've done this.

Winner will be selected through a random number generator.
This contest will run through 8:00 PM, Wednesday December 2. The winner will be announced on the blog and contacted by email that evening and the will have until Sunday, December 6 to respond.

And just FYI - I did not receive monetary compensation for this post, but I was send one of the Movie Moment prize pack and we had a BLAST at the movies! You will too...so get your entries in!

A lot of us WAHM's have web sites of our own and we're always looking for a great deal on website hosting services. Web Hosting Geeks is a great site to find out about all the various hosting plans out thee, what people think about them, pricing and more. I like that their front page lists the year's top hosting companies and shows reviews, pricing and other helpful information like bonus features the hosting companies offer.

Do you have a favorite host? Want to give your review? Need help finding the right hots? Visit Web Hosting Geeks and check out all they have to offer. Their left-hand navigation allows you to quickly select the type of hosting you need. Do you need a good forum host, blog hosting, a host that allows you to have multiple domains or one that allows you to be a reseller? Find the scoop right there and participate by adding your reviews or commenting on the blog!

The Web Hosting Geeks blog has tons of great posts about web sites. Get advice on how to use control panels, or ecommerce. They simply have one of the most comprehensive sites out there for information on web hosts.

Check out The Frugal Housewife for a new giveaway today! They're giving away two $30 gift cards to Kroger (which are good at the Kroger family of stores.) It's a great blog with lots of ideas on being frugal and how to do more with less. You know I'm a big fan of that!

While talking with people about telecommuting, I come across a good number of folks who don't have decent internet access. Maybe they live in outlying areas that don't have DSL or Cable available. Well, I just found out about satellite internet providers. Maybe I'm behind the times on this, but it never occurred to me to look at this option. I mean, really - dial up can drive a person crazy. Do you all remember the early days of AOL and waiting...waiting...waiting for pages to load. There are still people who have to deal with that!

Even in remote areas, you can get some great satellite internet deals. Equipment can be leased or purchased and the monthly fees are reasonable. Some of the deals right now even include rebates. There are a variety of speeds and price options. Check it out and see if satellite internet is available where you are.

Having high speed access makes it easier to find telecommuting positions and finally there is an option for people who don't live in areas with DSL or cable! Get speeds 20 to 50 times faster than dial up. Think of the productivity increase! Satellite is faster, it's reliable and easy to use. It could work for you!

There is a domain I am no longer using available for sale at GoDaddy. You can view the information at GoDaddy Domain Auctions. There is an asking price, but you can make an offer. Great domain name - BestShop2Earn.com. Check it out, and while you're at it, check out GoDaddy's great deals on domains and hosting.

...but I haven't been posting lately because I've been ill. Pneumonia, to be specific, and it's been more than a month that I've been sick. So I will be posting again - I promise! I just need to get lots of rest and get better. I'm just glad it's not swine flu!

I found this great video over at Jessica Knows on why being a WAHM (or marketing yourself as a WAHM) is bad for business. Scott Stratten brings up some very good points. What do you all think?


Scott Stratten on Why Being a WAHM is Bad for Business from Jessica Knows on Vimeo.

One of my new favorite sites is Swagbucks. You use it to search the Web like you would Google, but you earn Swagbucks doing it. Trade your Swagbucks in for cool prizes. Over the last month I've cashed out $25 in Amazon.com gift certificates. Now that comes in handy. There are lots of other prizes to choose from too. Check it out:

MySurvey has treated me well so far this year too. I've gotten over $50 in checks mailed to me. It's not a living, but the extra cash sure comes in handy!

Scammers are out in force trying to get your personal information or set people up in "jobs" which are money laundering schemes or dealing in stolen goods. Here's a link to a recent report from 7 News in Denver: http://www.thedenverchannel.com/video/18806204/

Bottom line: be careful out there. Don't give too much personal information on job applications. There is no reason a company needs your Social Security number before you are hired. If the job seems too good to be true, it probably is. No real company pays hundreds of dollars a week for a "few hours" of work re-shipping packages or doing "data entry." And no legit company sends you money orders, has you cash them and wire back a portion of the funds.

Best case scenario, your identity gets stolen. Worst case, you end up in jail for fraud or money laundering. Be careful out there!

Something very disturbing was announced today at WAHM.com, a site I have been recommending for years. WAHM.com, originally conceived and owned by Cheryl Demas, was created as a resource for moms looking to work from home. Over the years it was built into a terrific Web site with a valuable informational forum where WAHMs could communicate with one another, share leads, talk about business and life. Ms. Demas (whom I do not judge one bit for making the decision that was right for her) sold the business to Internet Brands, and internet media company.

Today WAHM.com announced that one of its long-time employees (who worked faithfully from home for years for WAHM) was being let go because they are bringing the position "in house." As far as I am concerned this is typical corporate America bovine excrement. It is the height of hypocrisy. The entire purpose and mission of WAHM.com is to promote working from home and give people resources to find ways to work from home. Why in the WORLD would a company make a decision to go against everything the Web site stands for by taking a job in house which can easily be done from home and has been successfully done from home by this employee for years? It makes no sense.

So, unless this course of action is changed I am removing my recommendation to use their site.

Here is the updated list:
http://www.eclecticwahm.net/2008/01/massive-listing-of-wah-companies.html

Find tons of companies that hire workers from home!

Personnels?? LOL. Um, "personnel" is already plural. That and about a million other spelling and grammar errors. Smells like the old Nigerian scam to me. Besides, a company that it a subsidiary of the Sony group isn't going to use Hotmail and Yahoo. They're clearly idiots. Friends don't let friends work for morons. Shall we highlight all the mistakes in this ad? Let's see:

ONLINE CLERK - COMPUTER SKILLS - TYPIST Hello Applicant, We have recieved a notification of your resume from Job Planet Resume Database. We have reviewed your resume and we are satisfied with your credentials. Let me start by introducing myself and the Company to you, I am Benny Moore the Personnels Manager of the firm Chester Concepts Networking Company which is a new Innovation of the Sony Group Holdings Japan, Through our Rep. Ms. Josephine K. Anderlet Sony Technologies, Inc and also a member of the British Better Business Association.

We are offering one of the Best Work from Home opportunity to individuals seeking for Temporary Jobs, Work From Home and Second Shift. The Company is offering an ( HOME BUSINESS NETWORK - WORK FROM HOME INICIATIVE ) For $25 Per Hr. ( location not required ).

Chester Concepts Networking Company is a United Kingdom baby firm which is just getting to a year old, seeking assistance with the work from home iniciative to assist with clerical and administrative duties online pending the establishment of our New Outlets in ( Ontario, Alberta and Saskatoon ) Canada, ( New York ,California, Texas, Georgia, Illinois, Iowa, Pennsylvenia and Virginia ) United States. We are into Computer Peripherals Supplies. We are dedicated to meeting the needs of independent dialysis providers around the world by leveraging today's most innovative technologies to deliver a full spectrum of high-quality services to the businesscommunity. We Specialize in all kinds of Computer peripherals Suplies such as ATX case, Networking Routers, HDDX Compacts, Satilite HDD Communicator, Computer Pheripherals, CD-R Hard Drives, Memory Sticks and many more. CHARACTERISTIC DUTIES:Your duty when work commences are to be provided by your supervisor which would be made known to you . You would be giving Log s and records of company transactions that are back dated and back logged to sort out and help to ascertain balance sheets and computer records of several invoicing and payments made in past transactions. This are the enormous logsthat the company needs an extra hand for, which made it necessary for the company to employ Online staffs to record company transactions the ever growing needs of our clients.Now the software you would be having would entail the proper data entry and arrangements of records beingsorted out along side with Microsoft office Soft.( Spread sheet and Excel ). This would help make it easier. After Logs have been processed by you, the end data would be passed on to your supervisor by through the Accounting Software. ( Tuition and Training on how to use the softwares would be given freely by our supervisors before your equipments arrive. These equipments are given out to online staffs for Data-security reasons. ) Here is a Brief Questionaire that would help Us acertain your skills and experience. Interview Questions *Have you ever worked from home?*So why do you want this Job?*Are you taking this as a primary or secondary job? if secondary explain why?*Do you have professional Reference which I can go through?*Will you be able to devote 20 hours of your time toChester Concepts Networking Company.? that is 2hrs atleast daily?*Have you worked as an Online assistant before?*Do you have a printer, fax machine and a scanner?*Privacy and code of conduct....explain the phrase?*What do u understand by petty cash?*How would you describe your self?

*Do you know your clerical speed?what is it?*Do you have an idea of how to use ms excel? SEND YOUR REPLY TO ( chesterconcepts@yahoo.com ) IMPORTANT: Send in Your Full Name, Address and Contact phone number so we could reach you after the Interview and create a folder for you on the administrave desk.

RegardsBenny MoorePersonnel And Resource ManagementChester Concepts Networking Company. HQ26-29 Curlsburg Avenuve,Bolton, SW London. SW2 S1Email :

chesterconcepts@yahoo.com chesterconcepts@hotmail.com

Bwahahahahaha. Seriously. WHO in the WORLD would take an ad like this seriously? It's ridiculous. I can't believe anyone would fall for that after the first couple sentences.

Bottom line...use common sense, people! And if you don't see the problem with ads like this, you should seriously enroll in an English class.