May 14, 2012

Save Money Shopping on Amazon

May 14, 2012 By Leave a Comment

I love shopping on Amazon. They have some great deals and have everything I’m always looking for. I’ve never been disappointed with an order from Amazon. I am also an Amazon Mom, so I get suggestions each week. Well, I am always looking for new ways to save while shopping and this includes on Amazon. Sure, their prices are already reasonable, but you can never save too much money. So, when I found www.APCodes.com, I was ecstatic.

APCodes posts Amazon promotional codes, which helps you to save even more money off your Amazon purchase. You  can find codes for so much, so browsing the site is definitely worth your time. Not only can you save money off your purchase, but some of the codes are for free shipping as well. You won’t be able to complain when you see your total going down as you apply your Amazon promotional codes. APCodes is not like most promo code sites as it is specific to Amazon only. Since I shop on Amazon so much, I definitely find the site useful. It is definitely a site for bookmarking since I am constantly browsing Amazon and looking for things I need or want.

So, if you enjoy shopping on Amazon, you should definitely check out APCodes. You will be happy you did when you see how much money you save on all of your future Amazon purchases. You really can’t go wrong when you’re saving money. So, check it out and tell all of your friends.

Filed Under: Deals & Savings
May 14, 2012

6 Weeks and Counting

May 14, 2012 By 1 Comment

I had my ultrasound on Saturday. Going off of what information I had, that would have put me at 6 weeks and 2 days of Saturday. However, I measured at 5 weeks and 6 days instead. I was only off by a few days. So, now I am 6 weeks and 1 day. I really couldn’t be happier. Having my ultrasound made it all real, both for Karl and I. They gave me 2 pictures, so I let Karl keep one.

Looking at the picture, it looks nothing like a baby. I’ve never had an ultrasound done so early on. So, it looks weird. To me, it just looks like a blur. It’s amazing how a baby is developed.

I won’t lie. I was a little nervous that there would be two. Karl is a twin and every single time his mom was pregnant, she was pregnant with twins. So, I was a little nervous. Thankfully, it looked like there was only one.

I have my next appointment the first week of June. I’m excited to see how he/she is growing. This pregnancy has been different from the other two. I haven’t gotten sick and my energy has been pretty good. I hope things continue to go as such.

My only concern right now is my weight. I had gained 5lbs, but now I’m back down to 100. I’m eating normally and not getting sick. I’m also completely removed from stressful situations. So, I’m not really sure what’s causing that. If it doesn’t get any better I’ll give my doctor a call.

Until next time…

Filed Under: Bump
May 14, 2012

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May 14, 2012 By Leave a Comment

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Filed Under: Deals & Savings
May 14, 2012

SYWBAB: Content is Key

May 14, 2012 By 1 Comment

When it comes to blogging, your content is one thing that will definitely either make you or break you. This is why you need to be careful about what you post. When I look at blogs sometimes, I end up shaking my head. Some newbie bloggers treat their blog like a social networking site. I see people posting a daily update of their life about things people really don’t care about. It’s okay to post about your life, but make it interesting. I also constantly see new bloggers posting surveys like it’s the old MySpace. I suppose it’s okay to do this if you’re just blogging for yourself for fun, but this is not something you want to do if you want to become a professional blogger and get paid opportunities.

The rule of thumb for content is simple. If you wouldn’t read it on someone else’s site, chances are nobody will read it on yours. People will end up leaving your site just as quickly as they came with no return if your content is boring. You want your content to be interesting and appeal to your readers. Think about things you would want to read about that would fit in with the niche of your blog. These are the things you should be posting about on your blog, not useless filler garbage. If you truly have nothing to post, don’t post. Posting something that nobody wants to read about is going to be more harmful to your blog than not posting anything at all. I only blog when I have something worth posting. That’s how I keep my readers. There are certain things I know my readers wouldn’t be interested in, so I don’t post those things. I could sit here and post about every single TV show I watch, but I promise you that would bore my readers. I could also post about the weather on a daily basis, but I’m sure my readers could care less about the weather in my part of the world. So, I only post when I have something worth posting that would be of interest to my readers.

I always want to be deemed as professional. I want to be made available for any opportunity possible. When PR or businesses visit my blog, I want them to be moved my blog and leave with the desire to work with me. For this reason alone, I do not use profanity in any of my posts. If I drop the f*bomb every other sentence, I don’t think many businesses would want to work with me. If they did, they certainly wouldn’t put a high value on my site. So, I might get work, but not for a high price.

Also, don’t ever copy someone’s content. That is a HUGE no-no and your PR will get docked. Google will notice the duplicate content and you will be punished for it. It also isn’t a good way to make friends in the blogging world. Instead, it’s probably going to do the opposite–make you enemies. So, always write your own content. The only exception to this rule is guest posts. Guest posts are a good way to get filler content when you’re going to be away or for fresh content from time to time. Someone else will write a post for your blog that will generally have a link back to their site. This is great for networking and for keeping your stats up.

As you can see, keeping fresh content that is interesting will be your key to success as a blogger. So, as your posting on your blog think about whether or not your posts fit in with these standards. If they don’t, change it. If you want to be taken seriously then it’s time you get your content up to par. If you don’t, you’re only wasting your time. You will be nothing other than a personal blogger that nobody other than family and friends knows about. So, take the time to work on your content. You’ll be happy you did.

Filed Under: Blogging Resources Tagged With:
May 12, 2012

The Enablers

May 12, 2012 By Leave a Comment

No matter how much you try to show your abuser’s true colors to the world, they will always have those who enable them. These people will condone their actions and will make excuses for them. These people are just as bad as your abuser. Generally, these people are close friends or family members. There’s no sense in trying to set them straight because it doesn’t matter to them. All they care about is enabling your abuser.

Let me share a little more from my story. My abuser (DB) abused me mentally, physically, sexually, and emotionally. No matter what, I have to carry the pain from that throughout the rest of my life. There are no words he could ever say that will make it better. There are no actions he could ever do to take away what he has already done. However, his family and friends have done nothing but make it worse by enabling him. They make me out to be the bad guy. I’m the bad guy? Why? Because I finally had enough of being abused by what you created, raised, condoned, or befriended? Please!

The thing is, he is a champ at pulling the wool over everyone’es eyes and making everyone believe he is something other than what he is. The truth be told, he is an abuser. He abused me mentally, physically, sexually, and emotionally. He has a daughter by someone else and he also abused her mother at least emotionally and sexually. DB is a predator. It took me 3 1/2 years to have my finale. I decided I was better than what he was putting me through. I picked myself up and did what was best for my children and and I.

Living with DB was like living with Satan himself. The rage and anger he had inside made me feel like I had to fight for my life more often than not. I will never forget any of those memories. No matter how much I want to, they just don’t go away. Every single night I prayed for a calm night, but more often than not that didn’t happen. I threatened to call the cops every single time he put his hands on me, but it only made it worse. I remember times where he would push me down or against something and tell me I would die that night. DB wanted me dead. DB has the ability to kill. I do not doubt that. The rage I saw in him does not just go away.

If these enablers would see that he is the problem and that they feed into it, which makes him worse then he might have a fighting chance at not one day spending life in prison because he put someone in a box. Instead they tell him it’s not his fault, it’s my fault or anyone else’s fault except his own. He has never been held accountable by his family for anything he has ever done wrong. Instead, they all run to his rescue and look for someone to blame.

Honestly, if he became a true Christian and made himself right with God he also might have a good chance at changing. God can help him. He was going to church, but not for the right reasons. He certainly wasn’t a Christian to come home from church and beat on me. If he made himself right with God, God can help him. I hope that he does one day make himself right with God. I hope that he does get himself right, but I think God is really the only way for him. He’s been in programs and on probation and they haven’t done a single solitary thing for him. He had just finished anger management when he choked me when I was 8 months pregnant.

My advice to anyone who has ever been in my situation or who ever will be: do not deal with their family or friends. You will save yourself a lot of heartache and pain. If you’re with someone who has done it before, chances are they will do it again. It’s like a disease. I gave DB chance after chance and every time he said he would never do it again and every time he did it again. Promises will get broken. I relied on his family a lot, so do yourself a favor and learn to only rely on yourself. You’ll be much happier that way. I have been in my new relationship for 6 months now and I still have trouble relying on him. DB proved to me that I can’t fully rely on anyone but myself. I make sure my children are taken care of. I make sure there is a house and a car. I make sure that all of my bills are paid. I won’t have it any other way. I won’t rely on anyone anymore because of what DB and his family have put me through.

My advice to the enablers is simple. You need to put yourself in the victim’s shoes for one second. How would you feel being thrown around, beat, used, yelled at, choked, punched, slapped, and more on a weekly if not nightly basis? How would you feel being in fear of your life? How would you feel being in fear of your children’s lives to the extent that you refused to leave them alone with your abuser? Better question. How would you feel if this happened to your daughter or your best friend? The only reason you feel the way you do is because you only allow yourself to hear one side and that person is who you are related to. Take a look around and open your eyes. I wasn’t his first victim and I won’t be his last, especially if you continue to enable him.

Filed Under: Domestic Violence Survivor
May 11, 2012

Gift Ideas for Graduation

May 11, 2012 By Leave a Comment

More and more children are becoming harder to shop for. Either they want nothing or everything under the sun. Some children have everything and just can’t be shopped for. I don’t like shopping for other people because I’m always afraid of buying the wrong thing. I also worry that if they don’t like it that I wasted my money. It’s the thought that counts, though, right? I try to keep that in mind, but I would definitely want my child to be happy with what I got him or her–especially on Graduation Day.

So, what do you get a child on Graduation Day where you don’t want to risk losing money for nothing when they don’t like it? Well, everyone likes the beauty of flowers. When in doubt, get flowers. There are so many beautiful arrangements to choose from, and the best part is there are promo codes available for virtually anywhere. So, you can buy something your graduate will love while saving money. That sounds like a big WIN to me!

Generally, the big gifts are given at the graduation party, so don’t feel like you’re minimizing what they have just done with flowers. Flowers are beautiful and fun to tend to. You can save the big gifts for the graduation party. Every graduate would love to be welcomed by their family right after they receive their diploma with a nice arrangement of flowers. Don’t think flowers are just for girls either. Guys have their favorite flowers as well. You can get an arrangement in their favorite colors. With so many different flowers to choose from, you really can’t go wrong.

When you’re looking for a flower delivery service you can trust, go with somewhere that has recognition and popularity. One very popular online flower shop is 1-800-Flowers. You can’t go wrong with them. Their prices are reasonable and their arrangements are definitely beautiful. The best part is, even with the reasonable prices you can still save money by using 1-800-Flowers Promo Codes. Don’t waste any more time. Get your graduate the arrangement they will love to tend to as a reminder of the great accomplishment they have made by graduating.

Filed Under: Deals & Savings
May 10, 2012

SYWBAF: Your Working Environment

May 10, 2012 By Leave a Comment

Without the proper working environment, you won’t be able to work effectively. There are a lot of important factors when it comes to your work environment. Probably the most important factor is having somewhere quiet. You need quiet so you can concentrate and put your all into your work. If you have kids, this isn’t always possible. This is why I save my high-concentration projects for nap time or bedtime. As you get the hang of being a freelancer, you’ll have contracts that require minimal brain power that you’ll be able to work on while the kids are running about. However, when you go to work on your more in-depth projects, it will be very important that you have peace and quiet while you work.

Another important aspect of your working environment that is important is your lighting. You don’t want to work in poor lighting or in the dark. This is for two reasons. One, you will strain your eyes. Two, you’ll get tired and won’t be as motivated to work. So, be sure to have a lamp that offers good lighting while you work. It will make your life a lot easier. You’ll get more done and your eyes won’t hurt at the end of every day.

Distractions is one thing that many freelancers struggle with. Watching TV while you work is not a good idea. You will get sucked into your shows instead of getting work done. Remember, as a freelancer time is money. If you’re wasting your time getting distracted, you won’t be making money.

Always have good seating and posture while you work. I am not saying you have to sit in an office chair each time you work, but it can’t hurt. During the day when I work, I am at my desk in my office chair. It helps with my posture, which keeps me on task. However, at night I am sometimes known to do my work while laying in bed. If I decide to do my work in bed, I make sure I am propped up well with pillows to maintain good posture.

In my working environment, I always like to have something that reminds me why I am a freelancer. When I work upstairs I have a small picture frame that has a picture of the kids, my boyfriend, and I. Downstairs, I have a much larger picture frame of another picture of the boys, Karl, and I on my dresser. My family is the entire reason I work from home as a freelancer.

So, as you consider becoming a freelancer be sure to create a good working environment. It’s really not that difficult and you’ll be thankful once you do. You’ll get more done and you’ll be more motivated to work. On top of that, you’ll also get more done. Home offices are also a lot of fun to decorate!

Filed Under: Freelancing Tagged With:
May 9, 2012

5 Ways to Keep Your Kids Busy this Summer (for WAHMs)

May 9, 2012 By Leave a Comment

Summer holidays have long since been an issue for working parents in securing child care for their young ones. For those of us who work at home, the challenge to keep kids occupied can be even more difficult, as our work doesn’t stop just because the kids are out of school. If you’re self-employed or working on a freelance basis, you’ll need a few helpful hints to avoid couch potato kid syndrome and keep your children entertained, happy and active through these summer months.

Crafts

For many kids, crafts are a great way to get hose creative juices flowing. You can set your children up with a wide array of crafts that they can do to while away the time while you’re working or otherwise engaged. Consider buying inexpensive projects for your child to paint without your help, like a pre-built birdhouse or feeder. Not only are these easy to decorate, they also make great gifts for grandma or grandpa!

Classes

One of the best ways to keep your kids busy is to help them hone and perfect new skills while they’re out of school. Harness your child’s interests into a learning experience by looking into summer programs, camps or community center day trips. You may find you’re surprised by how cost effective these programs can be, and how your child’s confidence grows from learning something new on their own.

Baking

Older children are especially great at creating fun and fancy foods with limited supervision. So long as your child has a basic knowledge of the kitchen and safety, you can set them up with a recipe that will occupy them for a few hours. Try getting your preteens to make colourful cupcakes or cookies that they can decorate and give away, which is also encouraging of a giving spirit in your child. Baking and cooking are great confidence boosters for kids, no matter the age or gender. You might have to closely supervise the actual baking process, but older kids can usually handle the decorating themselves while you work.

Employ an Older Kid

When worst comes to worst, you can always employ older kids as a babysitter to supervise your kids while you get some work done. Many kids are looking for a way to make summer cash, and would love to watch your children and entertain them at the park or in your own back yard. For many work-at-home parents, this is a viable option to ensure your own sanity and productivity throughout summer. College kids are also a good babysitter choice, though remember to do a background check when bringing someone new into your home.

This guest post is from Allison with BackgroundCheck.org.

Filed Under: Parenting
May 9, 2012

All You Need is Love

May 9, 2012 By Leave a Comment

It’s true. I have never known a real relationship until I met Karl. He has been my rock over the past 6 months. I would not have made it through all that I have if it weren’t for him. Already we have so many great memories. We have humorous memories. We have a good time together and I couldn’t imagine myself with anyone else. Being with him has shown me why it never worked with anyone else. Sure, we have our problems. What couple doesn’t? The difference is he doesn’t yell at me. We work through our problems as two adults. We talk to each other instead of attack.

One thing I have learned in our relationship is we don’t money to have fun. We have fun going to church. We have a group of parents we get together on Wednesday nights for dinner and playtime with the kids. We have a lot of fun with that. It’s free. All we have to do is bring a dish, which is easy enough. The boys love it. We also like to go on walks when it’s nice out and go to the park. We enjoy doing things as a family. We also enjoy watching movies together. We have some of the same interests, which is a big help to our relationship. We both like sports, movies, music, good food, socializing, shopping, etc. So, we always have a good time together.

A couple weeks ago we were driving to church and the song “Free” by the Zac Brown Band came on. We both fell in love with it instantly. We don’t have a lot of money, but we do have a lot of love!

Filed Under: Relationships Tagged With:
May 9, 2012

SYWBAF: Time Management

May 9, 2012 By 2 Comments

One area in which many freelancers struggle is with time management. Freelancers make a bad name for themselves when they get behind and are unable to meet their deadlines. It is vital to your success as a freelancer to learn how to manage your time more effectively. Sure, you have a family and other obligations. Isn’t your family the reason behind you being a freelancer? Don’t you enjoy being home with them? Well, in order to keep getting contracts to take care of your family, you need to learn how to manage your time so clients see you as dependable.

Once you start getting a lot of clients under your belt, you probably won’t be able to manage your time alone like you used to. The more clients you have, the more hectic things can be. Honestly, if you have more than two clients with open contracts at one time you will find yourself a little stressed out. However, you can utilize some tools that are extremely helpful and should almost be a necessity to all freelancers.

Let’s stop for a minute. You’re probably thinking, “I don’t need anything to help me manage my time!” Let me give you a scenario. Let’s say you have five contracts going on. Client A wants you to write an e-book on internet marketing. Client B wants you to write 50 articles on green living with different keywords. Client C wants you to write 10 articles formatted for approval on Ezine. Client D wants you to write 50 articles on all different topics and keywords. Client E wants you to write 10 SEO blogs for his site that fit in with his niche. That’s 120 articles/blogs on different topics and e-book with different requirements and deadlines. There is no way you can keep track of it all inside your head, no matter how good of a memory you think you have. Throw your home life in there and you have a recipe for disaster if you don’t use something to help you manage your time. So, throw your pride out the window and use something that will benefit your success as a freelancer.

While there are many different possible time management tools out there, below are five of my favorites. I have used each of them at one time or other.

  1. Klok – Simple and inexpensive. You can start with the free version to decide if you like it. You can export all data to Excel or Google Spreadsheet.
  2. Fanurio – Easy to use, but packed with useful features. You start off with a free trial or purchase. A little more expensive, but worth it.
  3. Bontq – Used by many small businesses and has proven to be useful to freelancers. It has a 30-day trial and is really inexpensive after that.
  4. GTimeReport – This is completely FREE, which is awesome! It has minimal features and only creates time sheets from your Google Calendar.
  5. TABB – This is packed with features for time and project management. You get a 30-day trial and then it’s reasonably priced after that.

I have found each of these useful, but I do have my favorites. I still use Bontq. It has everything I need and has a really clean interface. I do sometimes switch back to Klok. It depends on my mood and the clients I’m working with. GTimeReport I use if I need to show a client how much time I have planned to work on their project and I need to negotiate my hourly rate. For new freelancers, I recommend starting off with either Klok or Bontq. However, they are all great!

Filed Under: Freelancing Tagged With:
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