I Want to be sane with 4 kids in Enola: Blog

Mystery Shopper Service

Fri, 31 Aug 2007 13:51:39 GMT

Have you ever thought about mystery shopping or if you own a company, ever thought about using a mystery shopping company to help with customer satisfaction or to find out how your customers are being treated? Well, BestMark is one such mystery shopper service that allows you to gain incident-specific performance information at the customer level. When a customer comes in contact with your company (the mystery shopper), you will know just how well your training has trained your employees to service the customer. You will also be able to track trends and behaviors that can impact long-term guest value, satisfaction and customer advocacy.

As a mystery shopper, you have the ability to help the company by going into select retail, apartment and customer driven service locations and rating the location based on what the client is looking for. You usually will need to fill out a questionaire about your experience and it goes to the client. Once the client receives your questionnaire, they have a better understanding about how their company is faring in the customer service training department. As you might understand, customer service and customer satisfaction is extremely important when gaining customer loyalty. That is why mystery shopping is such as important area. Plus, you can do it while you stay at home with the kids, although when you go, you usually do not bring your children. It is a great part- or full-time job to get into to make money.

As a mystery shopping client, you will have all the access to the information gathered through BestMark's extensive team of mystery shoppers. Each shopper is highly trained to know what to look for in customer service and before going into an establishment, will know exactly what attritributes you, the customer of BestMark, are looking for.

So, as a mystery shopper or a mystery shopper client, BestMark's
mystery shopper service is one of the "best" in the market. Click on the link to see what they have to offer you. Peace, Maureen

It's all good

Fri, 31 Aug 2007 13:30:50 GMT

So far, it's all good for the kids at school. Ben is loving middle school, 6th grade and says it is his best year yet. He loves the independence of moving around the school and the independence given the kids. Hopefully, it is not too much and he can stay organized. Libby, Joe and Max love 1st, 2nd and 4th grades. They all have friends in their classes and like their teachers, which makes it nice for them all. I am liking having the day to get errands and things done. I don't like working the night shift, but being home is nice. I am not used to all this freedom. I have been going in for lunch at school to help out with the 1st graders putting their PIN numbers into the lunch computer. I'll do it again next week and then my job is over. Hopefully my criminal clearances come through soon, so I can sign up to substitute and be on the kids' schedule instead of Walmart's. Walmart has been pretty good about switching me though. If I had someplace for the kids to go when they are off school, I might think about working there full time as they pay well, but with 4 kids, day care is so expensive and Don will not contribute at all to it. C'est la vie.

Anyway, things are good in the house. And I am able to write a little, which is nice. See you in a day or so.

Peace,

Maureen

Back to school so soon

Wed, 29 Aug 2007 12:42:13 GMT

Well, the kids got off to school today. Ben started middle school and had to be on the bus at 7 am and the other three had to be on the bus by 8:30. Everyone got off to a good start and got to school on time. That will have to happen a lot more often this year as I do not want to drive them to school every day like last year. It is actually 8:37 here in PA, not 9:37 like my blog is reading.

I am in the process of getting my criminal and child abuse clearances to work in the school district, so I can have days off with the kids. It should not take too long, I hope. I need them to teach CCD also in my church. I am teaching Libby's 1st grade CCD class. I hope I do well.

Well, I have plans to get some housework done today with the kids gone...all of them. Boo hoo. See you after the first day with updates and plans and work schedules, oh my.

Peace,

Maureen

Wow.

Sun, 05 Aug 2007 21:31:46 GMT

The kids are gone to the kids' vacation at my parent's house and I miss them. I can't believe it has been one month since I wrote my last entry here. I don't have much to say and I focus is on cleaning the house and not writing. But I do miss the kids. I just used 123greetings.com to send them free ecards for the remainder of their stay to say hi. Hallmark.com was down, do I googled it and came up with them. They had a lot of cute cards. I do prefer Hallmark.com though.

Anywho, gotta run. I hope people are still reading my old messages. I promise I will start writing again soon. Maybe I need ADD medicine to focus. Focus focus focus.

Love and peace
Maureen

Thursday Thirteen #16

Thu, 05 Jul 2007 04:11:12 GMT

I am away, so here are thirteen things I am doing at the beach while away:

1. Spending time with my family.

2. Shopping

3. Spending quality time with the kids

4. Going on the beach

5. Going to a 4th of July fair and spending money

6. Eating pizza

7. Having a barbeque tomorrow

8. Celebrating my 43rd birthday...ugh@!!@@@!!!

9. Swimming in my aunt's pool

10. Riding bikes (or watching the kids ride around the block, since I did not bring my bike down.)

11. Relaxing

12. Finally finishing my cross stitch for my mother

13. Having lots of fun and wishing I did not have to leave Friday to go back to work.

Hope you all had a happy 4th.

Peace,

Maureen

blog not getting attention

Wed, 04 Jul 2007 17:54:39 GMT

I am not paying attention to my blog recently. I go in when someone writes a comment, but I have not done a TT in 2/3 weeks. I cannot pay attention to write right now. I had a health scare, but all is well. My antidepressants are making me not pay attention and I have so many emails that I don't know what to do with them, except delete them. Anyway. Wanted to write. I thought I would try to write something each day while I'm "down the shore" at my parents house visiting with the kiddos.

Hope you are having great days and summery nights. Happy 4th.

Maureen

New Coloring Pages for Teens/Tweens/kids

Wed, 13 Jun 2007 00:06:19 GMT

Are you looking for Coloring Pages for your little ones, your tween and your teenager all in one convenient spot? Well look no more. At www.DollPalace.com.coloring-pages you can upload pen and ink artwork and create interactive online coloring games. People can color pictures online and view colorings by others.

This website specializes in content for teen girls with its anime drawings and Naturo drawings, but also has content for the littlest with princesses, Disney, pets and Bratz. And of course, for every age group of girls, there is Tinkerbell.

Here is a sample of a pen and ink uncolored artwork and it colored:

The detail on the website is much better for coloring and is age appropriate. My niece loves to draw anime drawings. Here you can use the existing pictures and fill them with any color selected from the palette. You select a color and click an area on the picture that you would like to "fill".

But, like for my niece who likes to draw her own artwork, you can also upload your own pen-and-ink pictures. The outline needs to be closed on the drawing, otherwise color filling will not work as expected. They can upload their own drawing and share the URL with their friends so they can all try to color your picture.
You can always save the picture when you are done (Free Registered Account Required).

The site also has dress up areas with celebrity dress ups, forums, and other really neat content. I can't wait to share this with my niece and her friends and my 1st grader. They will all love it. I bet my son's will love it also since they like anime shows and watch Naturo and love pets. The site makes it easy to color and draw and just have fun. Just remember to monitor your teens Internet access, as I did see some pictures that may be inappropriate for little ones to see.

Peace,

Maureen

For a copy of my disclosure policy, please click on this link.

Technorati tags: coloring pages, anime, princesses, disney, pets, artwork, pictures, drawings, dress up

Thursday Thirteen #15

Thu, 07 Jun 2007 08:05:58 GMT

Thirteen Things we are going to do as a family this summer: 1…. Go camping...so far we have Frontiertown planned, but I would also like to go to Little Buffalo. 2. Go to Niagra Falls 3. Go to the beach 4. Go to the pool 5. Play mini golf 6. Sail on the Pride of the Susquehanna 7. Go to City Island 8. See a Senator's game 9. Mow the lawn (DH always gets us involved in this) 10. Play 11. Play cards 12. Heely around the malls until they throw us out for Heelying 13. Go to the movies and rent movies and eat popcorn.Get the Thursday Thirteen code here!

The purpose of the meme is to get to know everyone who participates a little bit better every Thursday. Visiting fellow Thirteeners is encouraged! If you participate, leave the link to your Thirteen in others comments. It’s easy, and fun! Be sure to update your Thirteen with links that are left for you, as well! I will link to everyone who participates and leaves a link to their 13 things. Trackbacks, pings, comment links accepted!
View More Thursday Thirteen Participants

Links to other Thursday Thirteens!
1. (leave your link in comments, I’ll add you here!)

How To Start a Business

Wed, 06 Jun 2007 20:00:23 GMT

Say you wanted to start a North Carolina business, but did not know what papers to file or what the heck you were doing. Well, this website, http://www.incparadise.com would help you start and incorporate that business. It offers online filing services to start a corporation in all 50 states. They have a section for FAQ's (of course, who does not have FAQ in this day), and they show you the difference between different business entities in case you forgot your business management Entity chapter. They have a price list (http://www.incparadise.com/incorporation), but charge only $89 = state fees for doing all the necessary paperwork to start your corporation.

IncParadise.com offers very aggressive and competitive pricing packages. They work hard to get most orders processed in less than 24 hours and set up thousands of companies in nationwide. How can they afford to be so cheap and stay in business? And more importantly, will they stay in business? Yes, because they are in the top 5 in filing new incorporations per month in Nevada. They do a better job than their competitors and do not have telemarketers or any other ineffective advertising. They use state-of-the art-software to manage their operations, which allows them to notify clients about annual requirements by email and keep the operation very organized and efficient.

They also offer an affiliate program for those who want to make commissions on incorporation services. You can find that link at http://www.incorporation/opportunity.

Sounds like a plan. I think I'll head over there to find out about that affiliation program. Would work great with my paralegal background.

Peace,

Maureen

For a copy of my disclosure policy, please click on this link.

Technorati tags: incorporation services, business services, affiliate services, business entities

Small Change Update

Tue, 05 Jun 2007 21:15:58 GMT

Well, it seems like my small change is running into red tape. I wrote directly to the Philadelphia Bone Marrow Foundation about a local drive. They or the national foundation sent me back a form letter stating that I need to contact my local foundation (there is none). So, I contacted the Philly site again and so far no answer. How can you make a small change if you have to encounter red tape just getting an answer. My next step is going to be going to the Central Penn Blood Bank and talking to my contact there who I used to work on Blood Drives with at my church to see if she can help me.

I just wanted to update everyone who has supported me in my efforts to make this change.

Peace,

Maureen

P.S. More updates to come.

New Search Engine - Masterseek

Tue, 05 Jun 2007 21:11:01 GMT

There is a new search engine out there that helps businesses locate business information and it is called Masterseek. Masterseek is unique in that it is a new site and global search engine which provides quick and free access to company profiles, contact information, and descriptions of products and services from more than 45 million companies in 75 countries.

You are also able to search for business partners, sales opportunities and new avenues for your business in your own country or worldwide. This is great for expanding your business and with no broker fees to worry about just for looking, increasing profitability.

You can go to Masterseek.com and enter your companies profile and showcase your products and services worldwide. Go check them out all you small business and larger business owners. I know I am going to check them out with my business getting off of the ground.

I have already planned 3 bus trips and am looking to start planning some more. I am more nervous than ever, but I have nothing to lose and everything to gain. Try Masterseek and see what happens to your business. Let me know.

Peace,

Maureen

Vacation Anyone?

Tue, 05 Jun 2007 20:55:31 GMT

I have been looking forward to going on vacation for a while now. We are going camping in June and hopefully taking another vacation in the near future. There is a website www.vlbo.com who specializes in vacation rentals including vacation rentals in Florida, North Carolina, as well as Hilton Head vacation rentals. I would love to go to Hilton Head and enjoy the sun and surf of a different beach other than the Jersey Shore where I grew up.

A camping vacation is a lot of work, but it is worth it when you get to spend so much time with nature and with the children all sweaty and sticky and ready to jump into a cool shower or the cool ocean. I love vacations and wish we could afford more. Hopefully, checking out this website, we will be able to afford more as they have specials running all the time.

Peace,

Maureen

For a copy of my disclosure policy, please click on this link.

Technorati tags: VLBO, vacation rentals, vacation, North Carolina, South Jersey, South Carolina, Florida, PPP

Thursday Thirteen #14

Thu, 24 May 2007 08:34:26 GMT

Thirteen Well, I am at a loss for what to write for my TT this week. I could complain about things, I could ask many questions, I could mention 13 reasons why I miss Ben while he is at camp. That's it...I will make a list of Thursday Thirteen's I can do in the next/coming weeks. Ingenious!!!

13 Thursday Thirteen Ideas I can come up with (I have borrowed some ideas from other TT'er's who are so giving)

1. 13 Reasons I miss my son at camp (self-explanatory and his smile and hugs being the first and second entries).
2. 13 things my DH does or is doing that is making me mad (like purchasing land I don't think we need).
3. 13 new blogs I have visited and what makes them special
4. 13 mystery shopping companies you can sign up with to make some extra money
5. 13 things that make me sad
6. 13 things we are going to do over the summer as a family
7. 13 reasons my house is a mess and I need an intervention or a housekeeper or both
8. 13 reasons why I like to volunteer my time in school. ( I just signed on to be the VP of our school's PTO). I hope to do a good job and stay in the loop on things.
9. 13 people who have made my transition from one school district to a new district easy and fun and exciting.
10. 13 tests my doctor wants me to get ( including labs), why they scare me and how they eventually turned out.
11. 13 reasons I need to get my a** in gear to start my business. Any ideas would be appreciated.
12. 13 marketing strategies for my business
13. 13 more ideas for TT's again when I have exhausted this list or have intervened with something different because a need came up.

So, that is my list. Simple and yet effective. A jumping off point for the next 13 weeks, plus whatever pops into my mind in the meantime. Have a great weekend and have fun visiting. Let me know if you can leave a comment without signing up for Windows LIve. If that is the case, I may switch over to another blog site. Any suggestions? My email address is mom23guys1girl@hotmail.com.

Peace and happy Thursday.

Maureen
Links to other Thursday Thirteens! 1. (leave your link in comments, I’ll add you here!)

Get the Thursday Thirteen code here!

The purpose of the meme is to get to know everyone who participates a little bit better every Thursday. Visiting fellow Thirteeners is encouraged! If you participate, leave the link to your Thirteen in others comments. It’s easy, and fun! Be sure to update your Thirteen with links that are left for you, as well! I will link to everyone who participates and leaves a link to their 13 things. Trackbacks, pings, comment links accepted!
View More Thursday Thirteen Participants

Oldest Son at Camp

Wed, 23 May 2007 04:19:56 GMT

Well, Ben is at camp this week. His 5th grade class always goes away to camp in May. He left today and will be back on Friday. I missed him as soon as his bus pulled out. We sent him cards. I sent him one and the kids and DH sent another that I bought. I know he is having a great time, away with his new friends. I am really not worried about him. I just find it odd that he is gone. We went to get pizza tonight and I ordered a drink for him until my husband said, only 4 drinks. Oh, right, Ben's not here.

Unfortunately, this is the last year that the 5th graders will be going to camp overnight. They are still required to do outdoor education as part of their curriculm, but they do not need to do it overnight. My other sons are pretty disappointed that they won't be going, but I am sure that whatever the principals in the district decide, should be fun and educational for the kids.

Better run. I need to get some sleep. Libby and I have a playdate at a playground tomorrow and I need to be feeling good, not tired.

Peace,

Maureen

Maureen's Small Change #1

Sat, 19 May 2007 08:04:11 GMT

Maureen's Small Change #1

As my one blog stated, I wanted to start visiting more blogs...getting out more. Tonight I visited Diary of a Playgroup Dropout (ClubMom.com) and clicked onto her Small Changes link. Each month since January she has decided to make one small change to help a child other than her own. This month is month 4 and her month four challenge is to either donate blood or sign up for the
National Marrow Donor Program Registry. As she states, she knows this is hard as many people are, to say the least, nervous about donating blood. And to join the Marrow Donor Registry you not only have to likely pay a fee and give blood for testing, if you are called it involves large needles and other rather frightening things.

She states, "So yes, this is a lot more difficult than our earlier challenges, but the stakes are a lot higher. Blood and bone marrow donations save lives. Period. And no, it isn't specifically for children, but the recipients of your donations certainly may be. You are, as always, welcome to choose to repeat an earlier challenge or do something entirely different, but I hope at least some of you will give this one a try. The effort is inarguably worthwhile. If you want to participate in this one but, for whatever reason, aren't able to bond with the needle, please consider a monetary contribution of any size to The Marrow Foundation. Financial contributions can help offset the fees required to join the registry, so you can still help build the registry even if you can't join yourself. For information on marrow donation, start here. Information on blood donation is here."

Well, so far, I have decided to look into the bone marrow registry. They have a registry in Philadelphia and one in Pittsburgh, but none in Central Pennsylvania. But, they do donor drives. So, my one thing, so far, was to contact the Philadelphia registry and volunteer to help plan a donor drive in the Central PA area. I have my church, my school and other places in the area who I know I could contact to be a donor sponsor and a donor location, so I have good prospects.

Now, I need to go out there and give blood. I used to be in charge of my old churches blood donation drive, but since we moved I have not been able to donate due to having a cold, etc. So, I need to get my labs done from my physical (next week) and then see if I can donate. But, even if I cannot donate myself, I think that helping to set up a donor drive or a blood drive is worthwhile also. A "small change" I can make this month. I will keep you posted on what the Philly registry says about setting up a donor drive up here.

Peace and have a great weekend.

Maureen

Junk'd

Thu, 17 May 2007 09:19:59 GMT

You have got to watch this video. This is a video show called Junk'd, like Punk'd but only with homeowners and landscapers. It is hysterical. They have 3 videos done and I can't wait for the fourth one to come out. These people really think they are screwed.

This all comes at you from GoFish.com. Watch and be cracked up.

Peace and lots of laughs,

Maureen

Technorati tags: Junk'd, landscaping, makeover, GoFish.com, funny

Bloggerwave is live

Thu, 17 May 2007 08:46:26 GMT

I was passing around the Thursday Thirteen blogs and found that one of them was using Bloggerwave.com on the recommendation of Median Sib's blog. Well I went on, signed up and now I am accepted to Bloggerwave.com. I get to post about interesting topics of my choosing and get paid. I like that. So, check out Bloggerwave and see if they have something to offer you.

Peace,
Maureen

Thursday Thirteen #13

Thu, 17 May 2007 08:15:32 GMT

Bum, bum, bum, bum...#13...oh no. I am now not a newbie, but not yet a pro. I guess I fall somewhere between. Plodding along, here is my Thursday Thirteen early for a change so I am not in the 100's again.

Thirteen Jobs I have held throughout my lifetime (all 42 years):

1. My Dad owned a "take-out" food kitchen down the shore and at age 10-11 I helped him in there cutting steaks for steak sandwiches, making cups of cole slaw and other little jobs that he could give me. My first real job came at the age of 14 when I finally got my working papers and that was...

2. Counter Help and counter person at my Dad's Take-Out Kitchen. However, one summer of working for Dad lead me to the realization that I could not work for my dad and I sought other employment for the next summer.

3. Breakfast Waitress at Johnson's Restaurant in Wildwood, NJ. Made good tips and made nice friends. When I turned 16, I was able to work nights, so my next job was...

4. Dinner waitress at Johnson's Restaurant. Made better money. Then I turned 17 and wanted to branch out, so I worked for one of the most popular seafood restaurants in Wildwood...

5. Set-up girl at Urie's Fish Fry. That is where I grew from a little girl to a bigger little girl (you know a little more mature, hanging out, making more friends, using fake ids to get into seaside bars...oh...how decadent). We had lots and lots of fun at Uries and I met some really fun and neat people from all over. I worked there until I went away to college, then during my college years, I worked during the summer and during the winter.

6. Each summer (except for the one after I graduated) during college I worked at the Pan Am Hotel Restaurant serving breakfast. I left there everyday with at least $50 in my pocket, which was nice. The Pan Am, if anyone is familiar with the Wildwoods is the hotel in the Crest that had the spinning globe on top. Remember that one? It is actually still there even after they tore down all the older hotels.

7. My last summer after I graduated I worked as a waitress at the Anchor Inn in Wildwood. I made friends from Philly there who I moved up there to be closer to. When I moved up there I took the first job offer that I got...

9. Assistant Manager at Roy Rogers. No fun, no fun, no fun. I will never work in fast food again, especially management. After all those years of waitress, you would think I would be prepared for the people I had to "manage" at Roy Rogers, but oh no...no one could be prepared for the band of crazy people I worked with. I lasted there about 6 months and then got a job working as a...

10. Employment Consultant. I was so desperate to get out of Roy Rogers that I took a commission only job. Not a good idea for a girl on her own. Luckily, down the hallway, I met a nice woman who worked as a recruiter for Metropolitan Life. They paid commission, plus draw or a salary that I could live on. So my next job was...

11. Life Insurance Salesperson (please don't run and hide) for Metropolitan Life. I enjoyed that job, but found out that my skills did not lie in sales. I was not hungry/eager/pushy enough for that job. Although I was not a total failure, I did not enjoy it much. Which lead me to my calling. I decided to take a student loan and go back to school and get a certificate from The Philadelphia Institute for Paralegal Training. After I graduated from there I took various part-time, temp jobs (personal liability paralegal researching why a file cabinet fell on a man and severed his legs, etc) until I got my wonderful job as....

12. Documentation Specialist at Fidelity Bank in Downtown Philadelphia. Wow. Finally a job in Philly. I got to take the train in each morning and pay city wage taxes and I really, really enjoyed my job and my boss Deborah H. was amazing and funny and a wonderful mentor to me. But, the banking industry at that time was getting mixed up and little fish were being swallowed by bigger fish and the wage tax and cost of SEPTA was getting into my paycheck, so after three years I moved onto...

13. A job as a Real Estate Paralegal at Penn Mutual Life Insurance Company. I worked there for over 7 years until I got pregnant with Ben, my oldest. I was planning on coming back, but as my maternity leave came closer, they decided to close our department (that was 1996 and the real estate market was not doing well as an investment). So, I got my maternity leave, severance pay and unemployment. What luck. I was able to stay home with Ben, almost fully paid from February to the following December.

And as we all know, I never did go back to work full time. I have had a slew of part-time, keep my head above water and keep myself independent from cheap DH, such as medical transcriptionist, medical records scanner, medical secretary, clinical assistant (I was thinking about a career in nursing, but decided I did not like the hours), mystery shopper, blogger and cashier.

My life has taken me in unexpected directions. I went from small town beach girl to big city girl to suburban girl to country mom to city mom to suburban mom and now back to country/suburban mom. I want to substitute teach next year because I really don't want to pay for day care for 4 kids who never went to day care a day in their lives. I like to spend summers with the kids, plus, it is very expensive to day care 4 kids (as I am sure some of you already know.

So, that is my job history in a nutshell. I also worked a little during the winter months of college, but nothing too strenuous that made a real difference. One job I had was working at our Student Affairs office. One of the perks was that I got to see a free Paul Young concert ("everytime you go away, you take a piece of me with you") because we lent the stage to the college that had him there. He was hot hot hot. What an excellent concert.

Maybe that will be what my next TT will be: all of the concerts I have seen. There have been many many many concerts and I have loved everyone. As opposed to all the jobs that I have had. But, I will tell you, with the variety of jobs and the responsibility at an early age to work my way through college, I have gained tons of experience. My sister calls me a chameleon, because I can do any job and do it well and just blend right in. I like that.

Happy Thursday.

MaureenLinks to other Thursday Thirteens! 1. (leave your link in comments, I’ll add you here!)

Technorati tags: thursday Thirteen, jobs, careers

Want a New Recipe? Try CookingSpot.com

Wed, 16 May 2007 18:19:35 GMT

Want some free recipes? Then head on over to www.cookingspot.com. Cooking Spot is a new recipe site where you have access to coupons, shopping lists, recipe searches and recipe sharing. Plus, it is all free to join. Just sign up and members can save their favorite recipes to form their own online cookbook. You can interact with other members to share advice and recipes, plus get professional advice from professional chef, Jimmy Spellings.

Members can rate and review recipes, which is great when you are trying to make a different recipe you never tried before and want to know if the kids will like it. You can also choose to receive newsletters.

So, head on over to www.cookingspot.com and see what they have to offer. I found some great recipes to try.

Peace,

Maureen

For a copy of my disclosure policy, please click on this link.

Technorati tags: Cookingspot.com, cooking, recipes

I'm Ready...I'm Ready!!!

Wed, 16 May 2007 06:55:44 GMT

I sound like Spongebob...think I watch too much tv with the kids!!! I'm ready, I'm ready for my Thursday Thirteen posting!!But, they want us to wait until Thursday to post. I work until 3 am tonight (Wednesday into Thursday), so I probably will be still in the 100's when I finally get to post. But I am ready. For one week. It is my 13th 13 posting. Pretty neat huh. Gotta go to bed now before I never get there. Libby does not have pm kindergarten tomorrow because the am'er's are going on a field trip all day and the pm'ers don't have school. So...I have a friend of hers coming over and I think we'll head over to the local wooden playground for them to run around. Then I am going on a field trip with Max (3rd grade) to the Army Heritage Center on Thursday. I love being a chaperone on the kids' field trips. I'll be going to Gettysburg with Libby at the end of May and to Olde Bedford Village with the 5th graders in June. Plus, Joe (1st) just got back from Hershey Gardens. That was fun. We had a neat scavenger hunt. We'll have one of those at the Heritage Center too.

It is always neat to see how the kids interact with their classmates. DH doesn't know what he is missing. He was being such a pain in the butt tonight. He comes home at 8 (saying he comes home late so we don't fight), spends one hour with the kids, takes the dog for a walk and all the time egging me on about this or that (the roast wasn't cooked good enough last night, blah, blah, blah). It wears me out.

Anyway, I didn't write to complain...I wrote to tell you I'm ready Thursday...bring it on.

Peace,

Maureen

Why I love Pay Per Post

Fri, 11 May 2007 17:45:56 GMT

Why I love Pay Per Post...could it be that for writing little ditties about things and issues that are interesting I can get paid. Can it be that one lady just reached the $10,000 mark posting on Pay Per Post? Can it be that the extra money I earn from PPP goes to help my family buy little niceties and extras that we might not have?

There are many reasons why Pay Per Post is so great. I like that I get to chose what posts I work with and what posts I write about. If I don't believe in something or something does not work for me, no one is telling me I must write about it. I get to chose my opportunities.

Plus, the people who review the posts are so nice. Almost all of my posts were initially rejected for little things, and the people who support PPP always emailed me and walked me through what I did wrong. After their help, my posts were always approved and paid for.

But what I like best about PPP is the opportunity to stretch my boundaries and write about a website or a product that I may not have heard of before and to give the readers of my blog the opportunity to read about something they may not have heard of before either.

Blog advertising has never been so easy. Trying PPP is free and is fun. You get paid to write about things that interest you and that you believe in and in my mind, that is what it is all about. Thanks Pay Per Post!!!

Peace,

Maureen

Technorati tags: Pay-per-post, blog advertising, fun, earn money, PPP

For a copy of my disclosure policy, please click on this link.

Thursday Thirteen #12

Thu, 10 May 2007 07:52:10 GMT

Thirteen of my favorite magazines to read (warning: I am not a literary person...I love to read books, but my taste in magazines runs to the home...so, here goes):

1. Better Homes and Gardens

2. Country Living

3. Better Homes and Gardens special Publications (remodel, storage and organizing, budget decorating, etc)

4. Real Simple

5. Country Sampler (this is a neat magazine that I usually read at my mom's house when I am there because she subscribes)

6. Family Fun

7. Newsweek

8. Reader's digest

9. Good Housekeeping

10. Various cooking magazines depending on what looks good (Rachel Ray, Gourmet, Taste of Home, etc.)

11. Women's Day

12. Family Circle

13. Any other magazine that catches my eye and looks interesting. There are lots of them and I spend way too much money on magazines. But anyone who wants to buy me a gift can always score with a magazines.com gift card. makes it easy.

Have a great Thursday.

Peace,

Maureen

Technorati tags: Thursday Thirteen, magazines

Thursday Thirteen Participants: (leave your link in comments, I’ll add you here!)

1. Crystal: http://twomomsinablog.com

I Won a Book!!!

Wed, 09 May 2007 18:33:41 GMT

I am so lucky. I have joined my local library's online bookclub for the past 2 years and have won many books through Suzanne's site Dear Reader and through author sites, like AuthorBuzz.com. I have won Shout Down the Moon (excellent books and one of my favorites as you can see from my book list), Sanity Savers, Creepers (creepy, mystery, suspense novel, excellent read) and today I just got word that I won Hick, by Andrea Portes. This is her debut novel and it seems like a real chiller, thriller. Here is what Publisher's Weekly had to say in Amazon.com: From Publishers Weekly
Portes's chilling debut tracks a 13-year-old Nebraska girl's hard-going life on the road. Young Luli knows losers—her "aging Brigitte Bardot" mother, Tammy, and her father, Nick, go at each other every night at the Alibi, the watering hole in hometown Palmyra, Neb. Tammy runs away one morning, and Nick soon follows, leaving Luli alone at home with the Smith and Wesson .45 her Uncle Nipper gave her. Pistol in tow, she hitches rides heading west to Vegas. A crooked man (literally; he "looks like an italic," says smart-alecky Luli) named Eddie picks her up briefly before throwing her out of the car. Next comes cocaine-snorting grifter Glenda, who enlists Luli as an accessory to a robbery that goes awry. Glenda takes Luli under her wing. The two cross paths again with Eddie, who rapes Luli and ties her up in a secluded motel. Glenda comes to her rescue, but the confrontation with Eddie ends badly. Luli's flippant narration makes for a love-it or hate-it read. Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

And here is the Book Description from the author:
Foreseeing a hopeless future in barrooms and parking lots, cagey 13-year-old Luli McMullen bolts headlong from the heartland, aiming at Las Vegas where she expects to find herself a sugar daddy. Almost immediately, crooked-bodied Eddie Kreezer, a roving obsessive with a violent
streak, and a fading but lovely grifter named Glenda begin to do battle for Luli’s head and heart. On their perilous journey westward, Luli is introduced to drifters, lowlifes, strippers, speed freaks, gold-diggers, and a Libertarian with a dog named Karl. Along the way, she learns the truth of American rootlessness and discovers both the power and the peril of her own sexual curiosity. Part coming-of-age story and part raggedy picaresque, Hick leads us at a blinding pace down broken roads through a world that seems to this extraordinary and indomitable young girl dangerously uncharted.

Well, it does not seem like your run-of-the-mill feel good novel, but I love a good challenge and a book that speaks to me in a voice I may never hear in my own head. I can't wait to read it. I am currently in the process of reading two books, plus the Kovel's 2007 Antique Guide to see if I own any Ebay-worthy possessions that I can sell and retire. I am sure that 1987 Sauder Entertainment Center that I put together myself and have lugged around from apartment to house to house to house....is worth at least....dare I say $5.00? Maybe a yard sale would be more appropriate than the Ebay crowd. I am sure people sell all kinds of things on Ebay, and have sold my share of things too. But I try to sell things that maybe people would pay real money for. You know, $10, at least.

Gotta run. I have a mystery physical to take...my real one is on Friday. E-gads!!! I'll probably need a battery of tests to make sure my family history does not catch up with me at the dear old age of 42. My poor kids, between my husband and I, they are screwed. Not that my husband or I have any ailments, yet, but between our family history we have enough disease and early death to make a person want to get a physical each year, or never get one and play slots with one's life. I decided I better get one. I love my kids and even sick, I want to be around for a long time. I am sure I am not sick though. Just headaches that won't go away. Oh well. Maybe they'll just lop out that part of my brain!!! Does that sound like a viable solution? Because when I get my headaches, I would lop it out if I had the tools sometimes.

I'm babbling. I'll be back later tonight or tomorrow to do my Thursday Thirteen. Maybe I can be one of the first 100 to get up so that people will come read my blog and comment. I have noticed the significant lack of comments lately on my blog and I think that is because I have not been a good partyer and gone out and met more people. I guess I need to give to get. So, hopefully after I've lopped out that part of my brain giving me headaches, I'll come visit you. However, don't blame me if you don't understand what I write. Who knows what else lies in that part of the brain. I'm just kidding. I am sounding kind of morbid. I guess I don't want to get a physical because I know I will need a stress test and a colonoscopy because of that damn family history and I really don't need any more stress or sticking it to me than I already have. Bye bye. See you on Fun Thursday Thirteen. Come and visit and stay a spell.

Peace,

Maureen

Technorati tags: bookclub, Andrea Portes, Hick, winning, physical, health

Stone Hawk Drug Treatment Program

Mon, 07 May 2007 14:23:21 GMT

I cannot say that I have ever had a drug addiction problem, but as I was searching the internet, I found a program called Stone Hawk that uses people who once used drugs and alcohol to rehabilate its patients. Stone Hawk does not seem like one of those hotsy-totsy addiction programs that the stars go to. It seems like a down-to-earth, pull you up by your boot straps addiction program that helps real addicts. Stone Hawk is a tremendous drug rehab.

As I said earlier, I never had a drug problem, but there was a time, when I thought I was drinking too much. I would not consider myself an alcoholic, but I found myself at the bar after waitressing (this was back before kids) every night I worked.

Once I had kids and started nursing, I stopped drinking and have not gone back since. Once in a while I partake, and it still worries me that I could get addicted because those high feelings are there. But, I just need to take a step back and stop and realize that one night does not make me an alcoholic.

In that light, I can feel empathy towards people with real addiction problems. If I did not feel I was addicted, but the prospect scared me, I cannot imagine who scary it must be for those who finally realize they have hit rock bottom and need help. That is where Stone Hawk comes in. At Stone Hawk, they follow they follow and stand by the Narconon® program, because the Narconon program worked for then when other programs failed.

Drug addiction is a problem that they take very seriously. If you feel that you or a loved one has a drinking or drug problem, have them or you start a new life at Narconon Stone Hawk and let the healing begin. Learn how to save a life, and your family.

Stone Hawk's drug treatment program is one of the most successful in the country, with a history of an astounding 76%+ success rate. That means that more than 3 out of 4 of their graduates leave clean, and stay clean.

The Stone Hawk program is an alternative to traditional 12-step programs, it follows the principles of the Narconon program founded by William Benitez and inspired by L. Ron Hubbard.
Peace and Good Luck to you.
Maureen
For a copy of my disclosure policy, please click on this link.

Question of the Week from WAHM's

Mon, 07 May 2007 13:54:18 GMT

Well, I finally found another question of the week at Work At Home Musings and thought I would respond to it. I checked back there a few weeks ago and could not find a Monday question. But there was one there today, so I thought why not...plus it is an easy one:

What is your “Breakfast of Champions”? (What do you normally eat for breakfast to get you going in the morning?

Well, that is an easy answer. I hardly ever eat breakfast. I take my medications, drink some diet pepsi and sometimes eat some popcorn that I popped for the kids for their snacks. But as for an official breakfast, once in a while I have toast or a bagel if we have them. Sometimes I have cereal and milk, but usually that makes me sick to my stomach because of too much sugar. Today, I treated Libby and I and we split an Egg McMuffin and each had a fruit and yogurt parfait. That tasted good.

But, on the average, I don't usually do breakfast. Oh well. So much for a great answer.

Have a great week.
Maureen

Bookkeeping Help for Small Businesses

Mon, 07 May 2007 07:11:21 GMT

As most of you who have been reading my blog know, I am starting a small business called Flea With Me Tours. I will be offering bus trips to out of the way flea markets and antique shows and also a Christmas shopping trip to one of the largest outlet malls in the Country, Franklin Mills Mall in Philadelphia. Well I found a new site that offers inexpensive bookkeeping help and I thought I would check it out. The site is called Accounting Paradise and they offer small business bookkeeping to small businesses just like myself.

The gentleman who started this firm is John Vanhara. In the past, he has started several small businesses and always found that he could not hire or afford many employees. Therefore, he was doing the bookkeeping all by himself. Of course, that did not work out because as a new small business owner, you are always busy doing something else. So he found himself spending weekends doing bookkeeping and thought "there must be a better way". That is probably how most small businesses get started, right? What he has created in AccountingParadise.com is accurate bookkeeping service, completely outsourced online and for a very low and reasonable cost. What more could the small business owner want, right?

He also provides discounts for people who want to take on the bookkeeping themselves and has discounts of Quickbooks at this bookmark. John's company also handles payroll and has numerous articles on bookkeeping and a bookkeeping and accounting blog, which gives the most up-to-date information about the bookkeeping services and information you need to keep above the law.

So check out Accounting Paradise and see what John and his team of dedicated bookkeepers can do for you.

Peace,

Maureen

For a copy of my disclosure policy, please click on this link.

Technorati tags: Accounting Paradise, small business, small business accounting, accounting blog, accounting and bookkeeping news

Get out more

Mon, 07 May 2007 06:45:17 GMT

I need to get out more. I don't mean out of the house, I mean out of my comfort zone of checking my emails, checking on other things and then turning off the computer. I need to get out and visit friends and other's blogs to see what is going on in the world of blogging. I am in the process of creating my business website and between that and responding to emails, I feel like I need to fight my sons for the computer just to use it. I can't justify staying on it all day while they are at school as I do not yet consider this work. So, my goal is to visit at least one blog a day. I will let you know whose blog I visited and will write a comment on their blog. Maybe then people will come visit me and see what wonderful, yet humble person I am. LOL.

Have a great week. I hope the weather holds out for us and begins to stay Spring instead of flucuating back and forth, back and forth.

Peace,

Maureen

Is Alex Baldwin a bad parent?

Sun, 06 May 2007 05:09:44 GMT

I thought the category I put this in "Family Oddness and such" was a good one. When I created it, I never anticipated using it for someone else's family, especially someone's family I do not even know. But this story has been in the news for a while now and I just saw Alex Baldwin on a SNL retrospective for 06/07 and I had to think that I actually felt bad for the man. I actually feel bad for his daughter, but I do feel like Alex got the short straw here. Whoever, in their bad judgement, released that voice mail message was a fool. There was absolutely no reason to release it that would not be hurtful to both parties, the father and his daughter. His daughter is at an age where she will get teased at school still and no one wants their parents to seem less than perfect in front of their friends and classmates.

About what was said on the voice mail. It is a shame that he chose those words. I understand from what I have read (and I do not believe all that I have read, but some of it does have a grain of truth) that Alex is a bit of a temperamental kind of guy. His rant to his daughter was in bad judgement, as a parent and as a grown-up. But, to tell you the truth, and I am not defending him, I can empathize with him and how he felt. I have always tried to not make my temper outbursts personal. Instead of saying "You're stupid for doing such and such", I have always used the "that was not such a smart thing to do" or "that was stupid to do". I have been successful up until this past year when I started noticing some behaviors in my kids that just did not gel with how I believe DH and I raised them. Bratty behaviors that were unnecessary or mean behaviors that were, well, mean. I used to tell my kids when they were little, little that when they whined "I can't hear you when you whine, you need to use your regular voice", and that made them rearrange their thoughts and use a voice more suitable and tolerable. However, lately, the behaviors are hard to just brush off. I have told my sons that, straight out, they are acting like a spoiled brat. Now, to defend myself, it was right after I had just purchased them something that they wanted and for some reason something else was not purchased and they were complaining or I asked them to do something for me after I just did something big for them and they complained. But, when I told them this and used the term "spoiled brat" I tried my best to explain to them, what my definition of a spoiled brat was and why I thought they were acting this way. That way they understood that I was not attacking them, just their behavior.

Who knows if I have scarred them for life...I seem to doubt it because, as I said earlier, it has just been recently that I used that term, never before and I tried to explain myself since my kids are not little, little babies anymore. They understand and even tell me "yeah ma, I was wrong" or however they would put it at 11, 9, 7 or 6. I also try to contrast another person's behavior who is worse than them and show them how they did things right, but in this case they were wrong.

Bad mom? I hope not. My kids love me to death and tell me I'm a great mom when I am having my doubting, depression days, but I know I am not perfect. What parent is. It is a constant learning experience. Alex Baldwin is in a nasty custody battle for his children and I am sure he is feeling the effects of that when he speaks to his kids. It is a shame that he had to use such harsh words. They can never be taken back. But as a father, you can ask for forgiveness from your child and explain to them why you did something and hope that they understand how much you love them and want them to be happy. But to also respect that you are the father (even during a nasty custody battle) and that respect is needed. On both ends. My heart and thoughts go out to both Alex and his daughter. And I hope whoever leaked the tape, gets what they deserve. Playing nasty is never nice when kids are involved. You just hurt them. And that should be considered in a custody battle as even worse than a temper tantrum and name calling that can be apologized for and talked about. Leaking that tape can never be taken back, everyone has heard it, has commented about it and has an opinion on it. You cannot take that back and the daughter (not Alex) will be hurt more fully for it.

I hope that my family oddness, even during our bad times with DH and such, never escalates to hurting the kids. I love them and would never want to see them at such a tender age, go through what this little girl is going through.

Peace,

Maureen

Technorati tags: Alex Baldwin, parenting, bad parenting, good parenting, insults, divorce, custody, temper tantrums, temper, respect, family, family dynamics

Bid4Prizes

Fri, 04 May 2007 09:22:49 GMT

There's a new auction site out there, bid4prizes, where you can bid on prizes using your cell phone and to win a prize, you must have the lowest unique bid at the end of the game. That's right...the lowest bid. So if 500 people bid a penny, then the lowest bid goes to 2 cents. If 3 people bid 2 cents then the lowest bid goes to 3 cents and so on.

I looked through the prizes that are on the auction block and I think I like the BMW, but it is just not practical for my 6 person family. So, I think that the prize I would like best is the Philips 50" HD Plasma TV. All 6 of us can enjoy that!!!

It sounds like a really neat concept. To bid, all you have to do is click on your favorite prize and enter your cell number and your bid in cents. Bid4prizes will then send you a text message telling you whether or not you have the lowest bid. You can also bid using your cell phone and text messaging. Either way, you have the chance to win some great prizes.

Plus, bid4prizes understands that not everyone is going to win the daily prize, so they have given participants reward points to get cool rewards like watches, jewerly, clothing, electronics...you know, the little things that make life fun.

I definitely know if I won the plasma screen tv that I would keep it for my family. I can imagine all the fun the kids would have playing their Playstation 2 games on the big screen and us watching family movies together. We have an entertainment room just begging for it. I can't wait to see about bidding. You should give it a try. See if you can win with the lowest bid!!!

Peace and happy bidding.

Maureen

For a copy of my disclosure policy, please click on this link.

Technorati tags: bid4prizes.com, bid4prizes, auction, online auctions, fun

Thursday Thirteen #11

Fri, 04 May 2007 08:54:24 GMT

13 things that make me smile

1. My kids, Ben, Max, Joe and Libby

2. Our puppy, Cody

3. When my DH is nice to me and not yelling and actually gives me a compliment

4. Thinking about starting in the Ladies Who Launch incubator program to promote, launch and build my new business

5. My new business

6. The thought that I can have a clean house if I keep plugging away at it.

7. Making money from Pay Per Post and Mystery Shopping.

8. Being able to do my hobbies: reading and cross stitching among my first loves.

9. Tulips...I carried a bunch of them at my wedding tied up in an organza ribbon. So pretty.

10. Sunshine...it makes me happy to see the days getting longer and the sun shining.

11. Watching the kids outside all playing nice together instead of sitting behind the computer playing WoW.

12. Playing fetch with Cody (that's the puppy, not one of the kids).

13. Taking the kids to my parent's house to see them. My mom's house is tidy and organized and I always feel comfortable and happy there. They even made a beach room for the grandkids with fish hanging from the ceiling. It is great to see my sisters (they live 4 hours away) and get away from bickering and nonsense up here. The summer is the perfect time to be at the beach at my parent's with the kids. Christmas time is great there too because my mom decorates beautifully with all kinds of antiques and things...always has since we were growing up. Note to self: need to get more organized like mom.

Hope you have a great weekend. Sorry this is 4 hours late for Thursday, but I thought I had better get back to writing. I still need to work on getting my new website up and running (Fleawithmetours.com). Come see it in a few weeks and see what I have put together.

Peace.

Maureen

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As Seen on TV

Mon, 23 Apr 2007 14:06:25 GMT

Have you ever seen those advertisements for As Seen on TV products? Well there is a great website that has all of the As Seen on TV products all in one place.

At tvproducts4less.com you can find Lint Removers, sunglasses, those great things called "moving men" that help you move heavy furniture with just a small push, Hercules Hooks, Kitchen accessories such as silicone bakeware, As Seen On TV music and videos like Kidz Bop and Time Life Music. It's all there, on one convenient location. Space bags, pet grooming items, household cleaners and exercise and fitness equipment just in time for the summer bathing suit season.

So, check out tvproducts4 less.com and see what you can find.

I'll tell you, I could not have gotten through my last move without those great "Moving Men" furniture sliders. Have a great spring day and check out this website when you have time.

Peace,

Maureen

Technorati tags: As Seen on TV, shopping

For a copy of my disclosure policy, please click on this link.