A Sad Day... The Loss of Two Legends

It always surprises me how I react to the news of a dying celebrity since I don't follow movie actors or musicians all that closely. I'm more of a news junkie than anything else and cried for 2 days when my beloved Tony Snow passed away not so very long ago.

Hearing the shocking news of Michael Jackson's passing has me feeling down and yet I didn't buy his music or follow his career. Really all I knew of him were the hideous tabloids that have plagued his image for over a decade. They made me ill and I say that not knowing how much of the claims he was charged with were truth or fiction. I don't need to know, don't care to know... regardless of what the real story is, it's a sad one.

Then there's Farrah Facett. I didn't follow her career either, but did see a segment of her battle with cancer. Just enough to break my heart. The sound of a strong woman coming from a frail body... it was evident that her battle for life wouldn't be a long one.

In any case, I'd like to express my deepest sympathies to both families. It's really sad even for a mom like myself who knew very little about either individual.

Storage Solutions for Gardening Moms

I absolutely love the garden sheds at Tigersheds.com! Seriously, they're stunning for a shed and how often have you heard the words stunning and shed in the same sentence? lol Additionally they're affordable. If you're an avid gardener or just have a lot of outdoor tools and supplies to store outside your home, this is a great option that will only add beauty to your property.

When I was a kid, my father had the ugliest green metal shed behind our house. It was unattractive and really didn't help the look of our lawn... in fact there was a reason he had it where he did... behind the house, well hidden by full grown bushy trees that kept eyes from focusing too closely on the unit. If only he'd had one of these handsome wooden garden sheds.

If you're looking to buy garden sheds, and you're in the UK, be sure to take a look at what's available from Tiger Sheds. They have a variety of sizes and models to choose from all with a nice warm colored finish that actually match our deck work. A garden shed will give your tools and supplies a new home, out of the reach of little hands and will serve to help you keep house and home in good order.

Tigersheds.com also offers attractive log cabin style storage sheds, many of which offer larger windows and windowed doors. So, depending on what you're looking for, the log cabins might be a better fit for you. A couple of the log cabins would even make fun play houses for children. They are that nice! Who would have guessed that a storage unit could look so good?

I guess I just didn't realize that anything intended for storage, could look nice! I just wasn't raised that way! lol My in-laws have a beautiful storage gazebo in their yard, but they built it themselves. It was their own design, a trip to the store for all the materials, and a lot of work, but yes it is nice. Tiger Sheds offers equally nice units, and no engineering or architectural design skills on your behalf required! Very cool!

Interesting Read for Mom's Looking for WAH Possibilities

I say possibilities since we're not all looking to work for someone else... some of us are happier working for ourselves. I haven't read every piece on this site, but did find what I did read exceptionally interesting. It's really one person's perspective on working from home with links embedded in a variety of areas. This site is probably serves as a work from home venture for it's owner and there's not a thing wrong with that! However, it's important to consider this possibility before reading through the articles. If the author tries to steer you towards a particular business opportunity for example, be sure to research it independently to be sure it is the right fit for you. With that said, I do believe this writing mom's intentions are good.

What I appreciate about the Home Jobs for Mom website is the coverage of topics that seem to apply to most women who would find themselves on my own blog. There is even a job page, but please follow all leads you may find there with the best of discretion. One good rule of thumb is that you should never be asked for banking information or money for a job offer. If it's a business opportunity you will likely be asked to pay a start up fee, which is all together different. Such fees often go towards paying for your start up materials, possibly even products, and sometimes even your own website.

Ok ladies... venture on with me as we read through the Home Jobs for Mom site and tell me what you think!

Musician Mommies?

If you're reading my blog you're probably a mom. I wonder how many of my readers are musicians or women who are looking to learn to play an instrument? Most of us have children who either play an instrument or who will at some time take music lessons. What does this all amount too? The need for instruments! lol

Reverb is currently offering musicians in all shapes, sizes, and musical abilities with great savings on high quality musical instruments. I'm currently taking a look at their musical instrument shop and thinking about my own children. My husband is a drummer and we currently have 3 drums sets in our basement. Fortunately only one is assembled! lol Our children are definitely interested in music, but we're in those early stages of knowing where to focus their attention. They currently seem equally interested in drums and guitar, so which way to go is the current question at hand.

My husband has played in bands for years and years, although in the 14 years I've known him, he's only been playing with a band for 2 1/2. So he took a bit of a break upon meeting me. His current band is amazing! It's so important or maybe better said, essential to his happiness that his children are musically inclined! lol Not that we have a lot of control over this, but the fact that they are interested in playing thrills him to no end.

Drums would be his first choice for the kids, but if they opt for a guitar, there's a good chance they'll eventually want to buy electric guitar's as that's what they've been exposed to. My daughter has also expressed an interest in learning keyboard, which would be my choice too, if I were so inclined to take up lessons.

Reverb is currently offering a Summer sale with savings up to 50% on select items. Just to clarify, this isn't a children's music store... it offers something for everyone... yes, even moms! If you're a professional musician or just someone wanting to make some noise, you'll find great prices on essentials and those not so essential items that you've been dreaming of purchasing. What if that must have item is on sale? Maybe you should look!

Earning Money Through Google Adsense

If you're a blog or website owner, you can make a nice side-income (some even do better than that) with Google Adsense. It's so simple to get started and in fact if you're blogging through a Blogspot blog, you are given the tools directly from your template to insert an Adsense widget.

I've been using Adsense for several years and it's been very reliable. I will caution that users should be sure they're familiar with all of Adsense's terms of service as I've seen many well-meaning bloggers lose their accounts. Just be sure you never solicit clicks for example, but beyond that there are other no-no's that many people don't realize until their accounts are permanently suspended.

With that said I found an article that presents the case for using Google Adsense as an income stream quite nicely and I wanted to share it here: the Work from Home Resource Blog has an article titled: "Google Adsense Revenue- Another Income Stream" .

Google Adsense's TOS has rules about what you can and cannot disclose about your revenues and since I'll confess that I can't recall what those rules are... I'm going to play it safe and just report that I make a little every month. lol You're paid upon reaching $100 and I've never done that in just one month, but that is my goal. It's all about knowing what to write about, where and how to display your ads, and attracting a steady audience to your site. Don't make Adsense your only income source, but add it to whatever it is you're doing and see where it takes you!

Good luck!

UK Moms... Start Saving on Water Heatering Products and Pest Control!

Moms have many important jobs in life, one of which is keeping the families finances in balance. When we're looking for household essentials, it's helpful to know where to shop. If you're currently in the market for water heaters for your home or business... Hygeine Supplies Direct has an impressive inventory, offering unbeatable prices... in fact they guarantee that if you find the same item at another online retailer for less, they'll match that price. I'd never visited the UK's leading online retailer until today and I have to tell you... I really enjoyed navigating the site. I've never found so many options for kettles, beverage heaters, hand wash heaters, water filter kettles and even water coolers.

The water heaters are prevalent on the site... in a wide variety of models and all come with a 30 day money back guarantee. This site provides a very useful tool next to each product giving you a quick overview of where the unit featured is best suitable. For example, is the unit wall mounted or free standing? You'll know at a single glance of the blue checked boxes indicating which features to expect from the unit you're considering.

Then there's the pest control department which I'm particularly interested in. My kids have been coming home from Summer activities covered in bug bites. I can't always control what happens to them when they're not under my wing, but those itchy insect bites only serve as reminder to the fact that mom hasn't found a pest control solution at home. Hsdonline has everything from fly swatters to a bed bug spray. Thankfully we don't have a need to control bed bugs in our home, but did you know such a product was even available? I didn't.

Our big issue this year is mosquitoes; the diseases they can carry are nothing to mess around with. I have a friend infected with West Nile Virus. She's been sick for many months and her unpleasant illness has made me a bit paranoid about these nasty insects. Fortunately, hsdonline sells a variety of products specifically designed to repel and destroy mosquito's. They offer an insect repellent which is advertised as the best to be found. Sounds good to me!

Hsdonline offers pest control for anything and everything you might find lurking in your garden, in your kitchen and as mentioned before, even under your mattress! I also wanted to mention their humane animal traps. My neighbor used to own one of those special cages to trap rabbits who wished to dine on his flower garden and shrubs. He was a good guy who believed in relocating these cute little critters to another side of town rather than sentencing them to a senseless death. I love rabbits... can you tell? : ) In fact I had the pleasure of finding a young bunny bouncing through my lawn just this morning and it made my day!

A Telecommuting Funny

If you can't view the entire 8 strip panel from my blog, please feel free to click on the comic strip for a full view!

Protect Yourself from Identity Theft

I think we've all heard the stories and unfortunately some of us have lived them first hand. We go to apply for a loan for a new vehicle or even worse a home, and we find out someone has hijacked our credit! After years of disciplined spending, paying our bills on time EVERY TIME, and putting off vacations we cannot afford and pricey clothing we drool over while window shopping, we suddenly find ourselves unjustly crippled financially.

Maybe you're a mom looking to work from home and you finally know what you want to do! You have the perfect vision for your home-based business... all you need is a small business loan to get started. The bank runs a credit check and walla... there it is... someone has been racking up debt under your name and you had no idea. So, you leave the bank bewildered and without your business loan!

The situation is this... we live in a wonderful day and age of convenience when it comes to our ability to pay bills and make purchases online. We work hard to pay our bills on time and act responsibly with what we spend, insuring our financial future is secure. Through modern day technology we can pretty much acquire anything we might need on credit through the use of the Internet. Additionally, we can apply for credit with just a few clicks of a mouse... finance a dream, plan a vacation, start a new business venture, or even just subscribe to a magazine.

As wonderful as it all seems, there are cracks in the system... cracks that identity thieves know all too well. With that said, are you diligent about checking your credit rating on a regular basis? Do you even know how? Callcredit Check provides protection against identity fraud by notifying you via email anytime your credit report changes. All unusual activity will be brought to your immediate attention, allowing you ample time to act before all chances for recourse on your behalf have expired.

Visiting Callcredit Check today and viewing your online credit report is the first step to a more secure tomorrow. If you haven't examined your credit report recently, you should. Sometimes identity theft goes undetected for years before the victim is made aware there is a problem. I believe in taking a pro-active approach to everything, including protecting our credit standing. You may have learned about defensive driving when you first learned to drive a car... why not practice defensive finance? Keep yourself aware of what is going on with your credit by acquiring the services of an email alert system to do the detective work for you.

I hope you'll never be the victim of identity theft, but if you are... best case scenario would be to catch it the moment it happens! Now... go out there mom's and make your dreams a reality. :o)

Still Learning... A Mom's New Journey with Her Business Opportunity

I recently found out that I cannot blog (via a blog post) about my business opportunity (here or on any other blog), at least not by name. I was a bit discouraged when I learned this, but at the same time totally understand the argument supporting this decision. Blogs are hard to police (not that they should be), but when you are working as an independent distributor and putting your name behind a corporation, there is always the possibility of misrepresenting the company. It's one thing to make a mistake verbally, but to have it in writing for the entire Internet to view... well, that's something else! lol So, honestly it's understandable that they've drawn a hard line in the sand when in comes to what is acceptable advertising.

My main reason for bringing this up? I know some of you are independent distributors or reps for business opportunities, not necessarily the same as mine, but considering what I've recently learned, I did want to put out a "head's up" if you will. ALWAYS be sure to ok any form of advertising with the company you're contracted with. It's better to play safe than sorry. You've likely invested much time and energy into building your business, and likely a bit of money to boot. It would be a shame to blow it now!

With that said, I do want to share that I am still loving what I do and the potential behind it. They say it takes 2 years for a small business to take off and indeed, based on my predictions and general assumptions about how my progress will continue, that is precisely where I plan on being 2 Summers from today! That place being "taken off". lol

By the way, I was given permission by the company I represent to share my link in my profile, so anytime you would like to visit my site, by all means do. :o)

Let's Shop for Home Insurance in the UK!

There are many pleasures of home ownership, but with great enjoyment comes great responsibility. Well... this is at least the case when it comes to insuring your home and all it's contents!

If you're a homeowner you owe it to yourself to invest in home insurance. After all, things can and do happen in life, and when it comes to protecting your greatest asset (for most of us our home and all its interior possessions) the small amount you pay for insurance is nothing compared to the peace of mind it buys you.

So, are you living in the UK without home insurance? Maybe you have insurance, but you're in the unfortunate spot of overpaying? Now is the time to visit Norwich & Peterborough Building Society for a no obligation, price comparison among UK's leading insurance companies. You'll save precious time by letting N&P collect the quotes for you! Shop and compare and discover how thoroughly N&P protects its customers.

Here's an idea... insure your structure and your contents together and save money! Did you know you can save 20% when you combine coverage? Additionally, you might not realize you can actually get coverage for legal expenses, accidental damage, and loss of things like money and credit cards... even due to theft.

I especially like what they call a 30% no claims discount that you'll be entitled for if you're a customer in good standing for 3 or more years without any filed claims. I wish my insurance company offered such an incentive.

What about identity theft? That is such a huge issue these days, and yes they have a provision for that too including 24-7 customer support providing much needed advice and information to stop the theft in it's tracks and further destroying your financial standing.

In addition to helping you land the best insurance protection possible, for the best price, N&P building society offers mortgages, investment plans, personal loans, credit cards and more.

Another Work from Home Idea (A Fun One!)

A couple weeks back I took my kids to the mall to play at a place called Monkey Bizness where I met another mom who shared with me something her sister does as a work-from-home (self-employed) job. I hadn't thought of this before, but it's really quite a good idea for the right individual who has some money to invest.

Apparently her sister does very well (as a side-income) renting out bounce houses to people in the community. For us, that's a relatively large area as we live in a metro area of around 2 million people. Not that I believe there would be a great degree of competition for bounce houses, but I did want to mention this first as you always want to consider your market before launching a new business venture.

In any case, she owns 2 professional quality bounce houses and a small trailer. For a couple hundred dollars a rental, she delivers and sets up the bounce house or bounce castle, then returns 2 hours later to take it back down. Pretty cool! I was impressed that something so simple could have escaped my thinking. lol Some weekends she has multiple rentals on the same bounce house, so think about the potential there!

If you're looking for an idea... well, why not consider this? I would like to suggest just one thing if you do decide to research this possibility and that is that you contact a lawyer first and discuss the creation of a legal waiver for parents of anyone attending the party to sign. It just seems like a good idea!

Happy WAHM hunting!

Finding a Flat in Leeds

Call me goofy, but I love a website that offers a bit of fun and flair... regardless of the nature of the site. Even property websites can be more than just functional wouldn't you agree? Rather than stale and stagnant, adding a bit of art and color in motion made my search for a flat a little more exciting. I confess that I got a kick out of watching the floating box of cities that came up on my monitor when I ventured to One-UK's property site and since I'm not all that quick with a mouse, it took me a couple tries to catch the city of my choice, but I was up for the challenge. lol Curious yet?

If you're looking to rent a flat in Leeds visit One-UK and play with the floating box until you see the side that reads "Leeds", then click, Walla! You'll be transported to the beginning of your search for a flat in one of Britain's most fascinating cities.

Searching for properties is a snap when you visit the hot properties tab and select the location you're seeking residence, then to narrow your search to fit your budget, enter your minimum and maximum price of property sought after. Finally select the number of bedrooms you require.

As with any up to date property website, One-UK features multiple full color photos for you to examine for each property viewed. Looking for flats to rent in Leeds couldn't be any simpler than this... or as much fun! In my humble opinion this is one of the better property sites I've found online, with it's clean layout, simple design with a flash of energy, and ease of use. You'll only find what you're looking for and nothing else, making the site easy to navigate and a pleasure to visit.

Will This WAH Mom Ever Find Me Time Again?

Here's a little tip from a mom who knows... don't ever think you don't truly need a little time just for yourself! You're raising kids, working from home (or looking to) and you're no doubt overwhelmed from time to time. This is especially true if you have infants or toddlers, and from what I understand... teenagers. lol

Have you heard it said that you are worthless to anyone depending on you, if you don't first take care of yourself? It's true. Even if that means just taking a shower today... find a way to do it. Get up early, pray you don't wake the baby, then jump in and enjoy.

When my kids were very young I was very much in love with them, but not so much in love with being a mom. At the time I thought it was just me. That somehow I was inadequate or just not cut out for that role, but as my kids grew I did manage to find other mom's reporting similar thoughts and feelings. From those conversations I've discovered two very essential truths of motherhood.

The first one is this... every mom needs some time to herself. When was the last time you went to the bathroom by yourself? I honestly remember going to the potty with my son on my lap, because I was too tired to listen to him cry when I put him down. The first time I was able to go to the restroom and not have an audience felt like a vacation. Before kids who would have thought something so simple could feel so awesome? lol

The second truth is you are not alone! Oh heavens no. Not by a mile. I thought I was some sort of freak show because there were nights I cried myself to sleep. I was constantly tired, trying to balance house and home, children and work... feeling guilty when I was working as my kids were running wild. Feeling guilty when I wasn't working because my bank account was going to tell me about it later. Feeling guilty while sitting at my desktop computer and seeing the overfilled laundry basket waiting for me on the sofa. So much guilt! None of which was healthy... or necessary.

So, today my kids are 6 and 8 and things are much happier for this mom. For starters I find several opportunities to be alone (something I really need). I find time for friends (another essential to my happiness and emotional well-being). I find time for sleep (yes, it does get better). I even find time for work! And then... somewhere at the bottom of it all (and believe me that's where it belongs), I find time for housework. Usually in a mad dash just 1 hour before my husband makes his appearance I put on my tennis shoes and go into crazy cleaning woman mode... so there ya go. I even have time for moderate exercise.

If you can't find me time yet, hang in there. I promise it will come! You will never appreciate it more than after having had children. When you come back to mom time, you'll be refreshed and oh so much nicer! You'll have the patience of a saint and you'll radiate a special kind of warmth you thought you'd lost forever.

Hang in there mommies!

Are You a Card Sender?

Just as of late, I am! Loving it too. I've found a service that will allow me to send cards for as little as $1.06 per card, postage included... so that's my new thing now. I send cards almost every day. Cards to people who are hurting, people who are celebrating, those who are ill, and those who just need a little pick me up.

One of the things I like about sending out a greeting card, is that these days it's so unexpected. People just don't send cards anymore, so when someone recieves one, they're delighted! The cards I'm sending are printed on high quality cardstock and are printed on recycled paper!

Yes... I feel no shame in patting myself on the back for becoming an avid card sender. Love what you do and do what you love! That's the real secret to success. :o)

Learn & Earn! Social Media Optimization Through Yovia

Yovia, a new ad network has just been born... one consisting of real people and one that is currently in beta testing, and looking for people like us to jump on board! A limited number of bloggers are currently being accepted through Yovia. If you're already a part of the MySpace, Facebook or Twitter community or if you currently blog, you'll want to visit Yovia today and learn about a real chance to earn and learn. This is of so much interest to me personally! One of the things I'll learn about through Yovia is social networking... which is something I'm currently researching. I didn't expect to find a learning tool that paid! This is totally perking my interest!

I'm there now, registering for my Free Blog... yes, I said free! I'll be a part of a community, an advertising engine as they call it, where I'll be able to generate free traffic to my blogs. Since this is a Beta Testing situation, spaces are limited! Thankfully I'm sharing this opportunity with my readers early... it is still early, but I can't say how much space might still be available. My recommendation is to register for your free blog today!

Earn extra money by inserting a widget on all your blogs and all your social media profiles. As with other ppc's, you'll earn when someone clicks the widget. These widgets allow companies to share their products and services through an online social networking community. Pretty cool!

So this is a new venture for Yovia, and a new adventure for me! lol I'll keep you posted on this new blogging experience and once I'm set up will be installing my widget here on Mommy Space. Stay tuned for further developments and the link to my new blog!

Promoting Your Home-Based Business

Maybe you're trying to promote your product or service, or perhaps a product, service and an opportunity all in one. It's not always easy to know how to go about getting yourself out there in an attractive and welcoming way. A lot of it is personality... I'm convinced of that. We really need to watch how we talk to people, our tone says so much. Our words are obviously equally as important, as is the way we carry ourselves. We must look professional, remember names, really know our product and smile until it hurts. I think the one thing a lot of us miss is that we get so wrapped up in what we're selling we really forget to learn about the people we're selling to.

I'm very much a people watcher and I take careful mental notes of the actions and reactions of those around me. This has taught me to be very sensitive to what I say to others, how I say it, and to remember that hey... you know this conversation isn't all about me! lol Be sure to be engaging and to get to know the person you're having a dialogue with. Oh, and be sure it really is a dialogue and not just you talking. Especially when you're first introducing a product or service to someone you've possibly just met? I'm all about planting seeds along the way. If your product is a good one, they'll remember you! If they need your service, they'll remember the pleasant conversation you had together at the park while your children played.

I've met women at the pool and at church who were peddling a business opportunity or a product who wanted to talk about just that every time our paths crossed. Big mistake! They weren't treating me as a friend, but only as a prospect. Why couldn't I be both? Trust me, it doesn't work unless you make your prospects feel they are just that. In fact, you should be treating them as friend first... especially if you only know them from church or the pool! If you're meeting at a networking event or at another venue where people attend for the sole purpose of learning about products, services, and business opportunities... well that's a different cup of tea.

Just remember to consider each situation and what it calls for. Carry your business cards, know your product and learn to know and read people. The best success comes to those who really get these key ingredients and approach people as friends first, prospects last!

How Do Name Brand Formulas Compare to Store Brand?

Have you ever wondered why name brand infant formulas are so expensive? Think back to when you first found out you were expecting and you started receiving all the free cans of formula in the mail... perhaps it wasn't until you actually gave birth that you found free cans waiting for you at your bedside... wrapped in a nice little package sometimes even with a free diaper bag? Guess what... if you continue using that brand, you will be paying for everything you were given and then some. Higher formula prices is how they pay for all the free products they distribute as part of their promotional campaigns.

It feels great at the time to be pampered with free products, especially since we are all too aware of the high expense of having a baby. The diapers alone are enough to drain a pocketbook. When we had our first baby we had to supplement his diet with formula and fell into the trap of believing that the most expensive brand on the shelf was the only brand good enough for our little man. At the time we weren't making much and we felt the financial pinch each and every time we ran to the store.

Of course we should remember that mother's own milk is the best for baby. Sometimes we're not able to give baby our best, so we must rely on formula to provide our bundle of joy with the nutrients she needs to grow healthy and strong. Thing is, store brands provide the same benefits and meet the same requirements as imposed by the FDA as those highly advertised name brands, but usually at half the expense. In fact, we could save as much as $600 a year purchasing Parent's Choice infant formula. Don't believe me? Check out this free calculator at Parent's Choice Infant Formula's website. Numbers don't lie.

Parent's Choice is able to keep their costs low because they don't pass out free products before, during and after your baby arrives. You've no doubt seen Parent's Choice at wonderful retailers such as Walmart and Sam’s Club, but did you know it's also available at Target, Kroger, CVS, and Walgreens? A great quality baby formula at up to 50% less.

So, visit the Parent's Choice site now and let the numbers do the talking! Don't be fooled by fancy campaigns and don't be overly impressed by goody bags in your mail box and at your hospital bedside. Happy mothering!

Signed my first distributor for my new business!

I just signed up for a new business opportunity a few weeks ago and last Thursday signed my first distributor! Pretty cool and now that I have one person under my wing, I'll be able to learn how to coach and lead to the extent that she will require my assistance. I'm hoping to find another 7 business builders this year, and a couple dozen retail accounts.

This new business is a lot of fun because I get to send out REAL cards as a marketing tool, but the bigger picture for me is that I'm able to share my heart with everyone I know. Not just for obvious occasions like birthdays and anniversaries, but also to send out congratulation cards when someone gets promoted, or cards of encouragement when someone is layed off. There is always a reason to send out a card. My guess is nearly any day of the year, someone you know and love could use a pick me up or a pat on the back.

Since joining this new venture just 3 1/2 weeks ago I've sent out dozens of cards, but the reaction I received in the mail today was the most touching. A friend of mine who lives out of state and who has been struggling with divorce, a troubled new boyfriend, and raising kids on a part-time income just filed for bankruptcy. The last couple of months she felt her world was crashing down, so for the last 3 weeks I'd been showering her with cards. Today I received a letter from her that brought tears to my eyes. She was so touched that someone was thinking of her enough on a consistent basis, praying for the storm to pass, and sharing encouragement and warm thoughts that her burdens felt lighter. She actually told me that I made a difference! I can't tell you how amazing that is. One of my prayers last year was to be a blessing to everyone around me. That's sometimes hard to do, but today I felt like for at least one friend, I've been just that!

I'm not a great writer, not the best with words, and certainly not Dear Abby, but I have experienced first hand what being real with someone can do. Being real, sending warm thoughts and encouragement through the mail isn't even a task, it's simple, affordable, and even exciting!

To follow my new business closer, just follow this blog!