It's official - I am the parent of an "adult"

Happy 18 Tee!

Yeah, it's sideways.  Duh....

They're Everywhere!!!

I couldn't resist

I am that mom who always laughed cynically when someone (everyone) would say, "They grow up so fast!"  Really?  That has not been my experience.  Perhaps when they were babies, it did seem that time flew by, but as they got older, and especially throughout the teenage years, I must admit that time seemed to come to a stand-still.  Please don't get me wrong--my kids are the world to me.  But in all fairness, while I probably am not going to get the oh-so-coveted Mother of the Year Award, neither of my kids are going to be receiving the Teenager of the Year Award either. 

But those are stories for another day....or several other days.  Let's just say that I can vouch for the saying that "Payback is a Bitch!"   Certainly gives my parents a good laugh watching me go through these times with my own kids. 

Anyway, so while I never thought time flew by, it really was shocking to wake up last Sunday and realize that I am now the parent of an adult.  It just does not seem possible--for her, or for me.  Of course, her first official act as an adult was to go register to vote.  YAY!  One of the requirements for continuing to live at home after 18 is to vote.  That is simply not optional.  Especially not with the direction this country is headed. 

There are also other requirements for living at home.  First, she must be moving forward in her life.  This means a paying job, in addition to working on her apprenticeship at the tattoo parlor.  She also has to enroll in school.  She wants to learn pastry art (the correct term evades me.)  So she has to be working toward that goal as well.  While I do not mind the piercing and tattooing as her Plan B, she does need to have a Plan A for her life.  While tattooing might be great at 18, 19, 20.....she must stay focused on long-term goals.

I have seen too many of her older friends just stop moving after high school.  I do not want her to be one of those adults.  It still strikes me as odd, and sad, that this new generation seems to have lost that drive and determination that I remember having as a young adult.  However, I am committed to helping overcome these obstacles, as long as she is committed to working toward being a productive and responsible adult.

The truth is, I don't know what I would do if she left home right now.  Maybe it's because I'm a control freak and cannot imagine not being there to help her manage her life.  Maybe it's because, after being a single mom for so long, I am overly attached to my kids.  Maybe it's because I really enjoy spending time with Taylor (most of the time....)  But most likely, it's a combination of all these, and more.

All I know for sure, is that I am proud to be her mother and her friend.  She was a beautiful baby and is now a beautiful young woman.  And I am older than dirt!  haha

Yes, she is an adult!  Not grown up, but an adult!  ;)

Until Next Time, Dream Large....

A Brand-New Episode of "To Work or Not To Work (from home)" TODAY'S TOPIC: LEGIT COMPANIES -- WHO ARE THEY & WHERE DO I FIND THEM?

What your pet might think about you working from home!

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Like the title suggests, today's topic is about how to find those legit companies for those people who are looking for a "telecommute" type of position.  Some companies offer Independent Contractor positions and some are looking for employees.  At least one of these companies even offers health benefits!! 

So before I get too far into this series of "Working From Home," I want to point out a couple important things to know:

1. I am not an expert on the subject of working from home. (WHAT?!)  All my information, links, etc. come from my own personal journey or through talking with friends who work from home.
2. My list of companies I believe to be legit, are simply the ones I have some experience with.  Clearly there are countless reputable work-from-home opportunities, but I will only add links to ones that either I, or someone I know, has researched.
3. Don't take my word--or anyone's word--on any opportunity.  While the people you know have your best interest at heart, no one knows what is right for you--except you.
4. DO YOUR HOMEWORK!!  Google the company and add "SCAMS", "COMPLAINTS," etc to the search...and read what real people are saying about anyone you are thinking of doing business with.  The things I have learned by that one simple search have stopped me from making what could have been many potentially disastrous mistakes.
5. If you have a company that I have not listed, and many people will, please put it in a comment and I'll do my best to get it in one of my next blogs!!

Okay, Okay, I get the point....On to the Good Stuff!! 

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my baby, Jax

I just did a Google search for "Work from Home Jobs" and this is what it came back with:  
"About 77,500,000 results"   Can you say "YIKES!"  No wonder so many people just give up the pursuit and stick to their day jobs!!


Now, on to that list!


Sutherland Global Services provides various types of outsourced support for companies.  They offer positions in various fields:  Customer Service (answering phones, taking orders, handling complaints, etc.) for some very well-known companies.  They also have positions for you techies out there, providing tech support for the clients of these companies.  They may have added new positions as well.  They hire employees, rather than Independent Contractors, and even offer health insurance!!  I have a good friend who works for them and loves it!  You will have a set schedule with this company rather than being able to make your own hours.  But, hey!  You can do it in your pajamas!!


FlexJobs has literally thousands of jobs to look through and apply for.  This is what they say about themselves:  "You'll find the best telecommuting and online jobs, from freelance to full-time, in over 50 different job categories. Every job is hand-screened and legitimate. Guaranteed"

I have picked up a couple piece-work jobs off their site and been happy with their service. They even have a "Research Companies" tab right at the top of their page.  This is a perfect site for someone who isn't sure what they might be looking for.  Definitely worth checking out!!!


LiveOps is a call-center outsourcing company.  These jobs will primarily be providing telephone customer-service for their clients.  While I did not work with this company, I did my homework on them and was impressed enough to leave them in my contacts.


LiveWork is also provides outsourcing to their clients via at-home workers.  They offer positions in many different areas, including answering telephones, providing customer service, data entry, etc...


Staffing at Home is also like LiveOps and LiveWork.  Many different types of positions with various companies.  Worth a visit!!

Okay, so as you can clearly see, this is a very small list indeed.  Even I have many more legit sites I used to frequent before I found my dream job...if you would like further info, shoot me an email, or leave me a comment, let me know what you are looking for, and I'll see what I can do!!


However, this list should keep ya busy for awhile and give you an idea of the opportunities available to anyone who is looking to work from home in a virtual office environment.

TUNE-IN TOMORROW FOR MORE ON THE CONTINUING SAGA OF

"TO WORK or NOT TO WORK (from home)

To Work or Not To Work (from home)...is it for you?

While some of us thrive on the hustle and bustle of the 9 to 5-- including the water-cooler talk, lunch with co-workers (aka:  other adults), commutes, a reason to get up, get dressed and get out of the house....there are more and more people who are looking to work from home.  There is an infinite number of reasons for this shift:  high costs of daycare, downsizing of companies, longer commute times as our cities continue to grow, etc...But regardless of your personal reasons, the big questions remains:

TO WORK or NOT TO WORK (from home)

This is certainly not an easy decision, nor is it one anyone else can make for you. We are all wired differently and what excites and motivates one person may be another person's worst nightmare!  A great book, by one of my favorite motivational speakers, Tamara Lowe, explains Motivational DNA and helps you figure out your own personal Motivational make-up, as well as those of the people around you (kids, husband, co-workers, etc....)  You can find it online anywhere--it's a very informational, yet easy read!

Another thing to consider about working from home--What to do?!  There are so many options, but they boil down to just a couple main categories:

Work for Someone Else (Virtual Assistant, Data Entry, Telemarketer, Transcriptionist, etc....)

OR

Work for Yourself (Independent Distributor for a retail company, Freelance work, or starting your own business (online or brick-&-mortar, in your field--whatever that is...), etc.

How to do you decide which option is best for you?  Where can you get honest information about legitimate opportunities?  How will the current economic instability affect your career choice?  What will be the effects on your family life--good and bad?  What is the first step?  And the second?

There really is a lot to think about...so for those of you looking for online resources to investigate, I will post some of the sites, information, and experience I found most useful as I waded through the world wide web to find what is now my personal Dream Job.

***TUNE IN TOMORROW AS I DIVE FURTHER INTO THE "WORK FROM HOME" TOPIC***

30-Day Blog Challenge---We're Off & Running!!

So, fellow bloggers, bloggettes, and blog-followers, this begins Day 1 of the 30-Day Blog Challenge!!  The timing really could not be better, for me anyway.  I just started my blog last week, and so far, I love it!  This challenge will not only keep me motivated, but will also help me to meet new people and learn new things!
If you are a blogger, or have ever thought of blogging, whether for personal reasons or as part of your marketing plan, check out this awesome opportunity!!


There has been lots of talk on what to blog about, and lucky for me (and hopefully my readers), I never seem to be at a loss for words.  I am one of those people who can strike a conversation with strangers in the grocery store, standing in line at Home Depot, or walking down the street.  The challenge for me, I think, will be to really define my focus, keep in line with my ultimate goals, and stay on track with my message.

I originally started this blog as a way to talk to other people out there who are looking for a way to make money from home.  Whether hoping to make enough money to pay bills, plan a dream vacation, or to earn a full-time salary, now really is a great time to start a home-based business!!  And the great thing is that anyone can do it!  No matter where you are, where you come from, or where you are going, we all have the opportunity to realize our dreams!!  The difficulties often lie in overcoming our doubts and fears.  My hope is to show people through my stories that these obstacles CAN be overcome...and that success IS attainable!  For Everyone!

How do I hope to accomplish this?  By sharing with others who I am, what I stand for, my fears, my hopes, my dreams, and both my failures and my successes.  And showing others how we can climb through the clouds to reach the sky!

So, while I will be talking about my business with Scent-Sations and why I think this is the greatest company, creating the best products, and offering the best compensation plan, for the best home business ever, and how being my own boss benefits not only me, but those around me as well...I will also talk about my life, offer some savvy shopping advice, why networking is important, aromatherapy info, and other topics that catch my eye, touch my heart, or make me laugh!!

See you Tomorrow for Day 2 / 30!!

"IF YOU CAN DREAM IT, 

YOU CAN ACHIEVE IT!"

-Walt Disney

DREAM LARGE!!

In My Next Life....

It's been a week since school let out, it's 100 degrees outside, I've had the flu (or something resembling the flu) for a better part of the week, I've been working to build my business, done a lot of networking events and such, and then.....


I woke up this morning to what looks like a war zone!  My house has literally "gone to the dogs!"  Ronda and I spent the evening here working, so I didn't clean the kitchen after dinner, the clean clothes are piled feet-high on the living room couch, there are blankets everywhere (despite the hot temperatures!!), the stairs have so much stuff piled on them that it's a miracle no one has plummeted to their death trying to navigate around all the clutter, and....well....I could go on, but I think you get the point!!  If the doorbell were to ring, I would not even let my closest friends inside!!

And amongst all this mess, I have animals--lots and lots of animals--laying around, seemingly oblivious to the chaos that surrounds them!! 

Tweak, our Hunter...she's always bringing me presents

like dead birds or lizard tails.  She's so thoughtful!!

 Montana--our resident crazy lady!  She has to take prozac cuz she always tries to kill Max, the cattle dog....when you see the pics of Max, it will probably make sense!

This is Baby, I used to really like this one.....until.......

 .......this.......now?  Well, let's just say I will like her more after I get her spayed!!

 Peaches....our old cat and reformed hunting champion!  Now he is only interested in 2 things--eating and sleeping, in no particular order!!

 Did you really think I was limited to dogs and cats???  These are two of our tortoises...Tank is the big guy.  He'll get to about 75 pounds.  And the little one is a baby sulcata.  He'll get even bigger than Tank!  

To their credit, they do not bark, meow, growl, bite, or bug!!

 Woah...almost forgot Hogan....God forbid, he's such a sensitive guy!!

 This is Max...don't let him fool you with this sleeping in the basket trick!!

 He's usually somewhere in the middle of the chaos!  Right now he and Jaxon are trying to figure out why there are still toys in the basket!

 Heck, we even have Monkeys that hang out in the trees!!

 But Wait!  Here is the Star of the Show...Jaxon!! 

 Jax and his toys!  He sleeps in his basket so no one will take his stuff!

 And another one of Jax just cuz he's the baby!!

I would like to state that this is far from ALL of our animals, but I just didn't want anyone to think I was exaggerating about having a zoo!!

Now back to my story about my disaster of a house!!!

Maybe the normal person would look at the mess surrounding them and their first thought would be to get up and start shoveling through it all....but my first thought???

IN MY NEXT LIFE, I WANNA COME BACK AS ONE OF MY PETS!!!

Do any of them look stressed?  Embarrassed about the state of their surroundings?  Worried about whether HAZMAT is going to come in and condemn their home?  No.....none of them seem to care.....or even notice!  They just go on about their day, sleeping, playing, eating....all of their needs & most of their wants are given to them.....and they don't even have to clean up after themselves, much less everyone else!!

So, I ask you.....


Do you think I'm crazy for wanting, in my next life, to be one of my pets?  Looks like a good life to me!

But for now, I guess I better clean...cuz they sure as hell aren't going to!