From OUR FAMILY to YOURS....

~ May your 2010 be filled with nothing but THE BEST ~

Back from Hibernation

...and it's not even winter yet. I wasn't really "hibernating". I am just busy with work the last few weeks. In my last entry here, I mentioned that it's been really slow on the work front. A few days after that, work started coming in. We're still busy but I wanted to take a few minutes to wish those who are in this part of the world a.....

I have a lot of things to be thankful for. Like I said, work flow has been kinda' steady. We're continuing to survive the economic crisis. Above all, my family is healthy and happy. And for that I am very very thankful.

For those who 'may' drop by here and are not familiar with what's being celebrated on Thanksgiving day, I did a quick search on Wikipedia and this is what came up:

Thanksgiving Day is a harvest festival celebrated primarily in Canada and the United States. Traditionally, it is a time to give thanks for the harvest and express gratitude in general. While perhaps religious in origin, Thanksgiving is now primarily identified as a secular holiday.

The date and location of the first Thanksgiving celebration is a topic of modest contention. The traditional "first Thanksgiving" is the celebration that occurred at the site of Plymouth Plantation, in 1621. The Plymouth celebration occurred early in the history of what would become one of the original thirteen colonies that became the United States. The celebration became an important part of the American myth by the 1800s.^{[citation needed]} This Thanksgiving, modeled after celebrations that were commonplace in contemporary Europe, is generally regarded as America's first. Elementary school teacher Robyn Gioia has argued that the earliest attested "thanksgiving" celebration in what is now the United States was celebrated by the Spanish on September 8, 1565 in what is now Saint Augustine, Florida.^[1][2] Today, Thanksgiving is celebrated on the second Monday of October in Canada and on the fourth Thursday of November in the United States. Thanksgiving dinner is held on this day, usually as a gathering of family members and friends.

Being a WAHM

It's a slow day today at work so I decided to jot down my thoughts in being a Work-at-Home Mom. Whatever I write here are my personal opinions and/or experiences as a WAHM.

Being able to work from home is a blessing for someone like me who does not drive [yet]. As a matter of fact, my inability to drive is one of the 2 prime reasons I decided to try my luck in finding a telecommuting job. What's the other prime reason? Motherhood.

But those 2 primary reasons are not the only things to be considered when deciding to work from home. There's a lot of other important things to think about before taking the plunge diving into the work at home industry. So what things did I consider before getting into this thing called telecommuting?

*Family Income. Questions like: Can we survive with only one income while I look for something I can do from home? I was already pregnant when we decided that I should give it a shot to work from home. Understandably we were a bit scared that we may not be able to make ends meet especially with a baby on the way. But we were able to work around it for me to start my quest for an online job.

*Do I have what it takes to be a 'telecommuter'? Self-discipline is a must when working from home. It's very easy to get distracted since I have no one breathing down my neck. I am essentially my "own boss"....although I do have a boss.

These were only 2 of the many things I tried to think about before finally coming up with a decision. About 7 years later, I'm still working from home. Hopefully, I'll be able to do it 7 or more years to go.

Winter yet?

Courtesy of: TBO.com

It feels like it anyway. And in other states, it does not only feel like it's winter, it looks like it is with the snow piling up already.

Per the 7-day forecast from the TBO.com site, our 'cold' weather is not going to last for long. It seems the coldest [at least this week] was this morning which was in the 40s. The weekend weather was very nice. I was able to go out and pull some weeds with the sun shining brightly.

I am inside the comfort of home so the cold [or hot] weather doesn't really bother me. If it gets too cold for me, I just turn on the heat. If it gets too hot, then AC it is. Right now, the heater is on. Can you say: WIMP WAHM??? LOL! I may have to turn it off later on because it will be in the 70s in the afternoon.

Anyway, it's another Monday again. In about 2 weeks, Halloween will be here. The little one already knows what she wants to be and we ordered some of her costume already. The most important item has to be shipped yet. I am hoping it makes it or we will be really disappointed. We ordered it at the beginning of this month and as of today, it hasn't even shipped yet. Arggh! I've been in contact [via email] with the seller and she's assuring me that the item will be here by Halloween so we'll see.

Aside from the aggravation because of this much delayed delivery, I've also been stressed out because of a software I need to install for work. The software has so many bugs that I decided not to install it until they get rid of all of them. It seems the tech people that developed it are doing a "trial and error" because they want us to let them know of the problems we encounter while installing it. Yeah, right! I wouldn't take the risk of my computer crashing just because they couldn't make it right the first time.

Work was released and we were told to use the new software which I hadn't downloaded yet. So I went ahead to download it. It took me approximately 2 days to do it because of, yes, BUGS! I was able to install it nonetheless. But it was so so so sllloooowwww that I was only able to do very little work. Our boss said that they're going to address the issues as soon as we're done with the project. Ugh! That means there will be more de-bugging in the near future.

Earthquake...Tsunami....Typhoon...Flooding

I know that a lot of people are in really bad situation because of all that's happening brought about by the different calamities that took place within days of each other. Those affected by the massive flooding in the Philippines have not even recovered yet when the news about the tsunami in the Samoas came. A day after the tsunami, a magnitude 8.0 earthquake in Indonesia occurred. Because of all these, I can't help but think...

Is Mother Nature telling us something? I'm sure I'm not the one thinking this. Or am I?

One of the things I do on a daily basis is browse the internet for the latest news. The news in the past couple of years have been full of the economic crisis that the world is facing. The past few days though, it seems that the crisis has been taking a back seat giving way to all the devastating effects these natural calamities have causing.

As I am writing this, the Philippines is again bracing for another typhoon. They are labeling it as a super typhoon. The worst part is, it seems to be taking the same path that Ondoy took. I am hoping and praying that this latest typhoon changes direction because those who got hit the hardest by Ondoy can't take another devastation. It's just WAY too soon.

RECALL Alert: Tylenol for Children/Infants

Here's a complete list of the Children/Infants's Liquid Tylenol that are being recalled. This is what the little takes so I had to go through her medicine cabinet to make sure we don't have any of these listed products.

I lifted this list from Tylenol.com to share it here. Go check your little one's medicine cabinet to make sure you're on the clear on this one.

Recalled Products - Full List

Lot #	Product Description
SBM041, SBM067, SCM037, SDM027, SEM109	Children's Tylenol Plus Cold MS Suspension 4 oz. Grape
SBM042, SCM015, SCM036, SDM034	Children's Tylenol Suspension 4oz. Grape
SBM043, SBM044, SCM029	Children's Tylenol Suspension 4oz. Bubble Gum
SBM045, SCM011, SCM030, SDM035	Children's Tylenol Suspension 4oz. Strawberry
SBM064, SCM033, SDM020	Infant’s Tylenol Grape Suspension Drops 1/4oz.
SBM065, SCM005, SCM006, SDM032	Infant's Tylenol Suspension 1/2oz. Cherry
SBM066, SCM068	Children's Dye Free Suspension 4oz. Cherry
SBM068, SCM035, SCM070, SCM080, SDM005	Children's Tylenol Suspension 4oz. Cherry
SBM069, SBM070, SCM081, SDM006	Children's Tylenol Plus Cough & Runny Nose 4oz. Cherry
SCM012, SCM067, SDM007, SDM068	Infant's Tylenol Suspension Drops 1/2oz. Grape
SCM013, SCM014, SCM069	Children's Tylenol Plus Flu 4oz. Bubble Gum
SCM016, SFM024	Children's Tylenol Plus Cold Suspension 4oz. Grape
SCM017	Children's Tylenol Plus Cough/ST Suspension 4oz. Cherry
SCM082, SDM039, SDM040	Infant's Tylenol Suspension Drops 1oz. Grape
SCM083, SCM084, SDM008	Infant's Tylenol Dye Free Suspension 1oz. Cherry
SDM064	Children’s Tylenol Pediatric Suspension 1oz. Cherry
SDM038, SDM009	Infant's Tylenol Suspension Drops 1oz. Cherry
SDM033	Children's Tylenol Plus Cold/Allergy 4oz. Bubble Gum
SDM078	Infant's Tylenol Drops 1oz. Grape
SCM034	Infant’s Tylenol Grape Suspension Drops H/G 1/2oz.
SDM028	Children's Tylenol Suspension 4oz. Cherry, Hospital Govt.

Time for....

...an UPDATE! Ha! It seems that's all I've been doing on this blog. Updates and more updates.

Not much happening around here actually. I guess the saying 'no news is good news' would have to do for now.

Home front...same-o same. I had a couple of appointments with regards to my 'hyperthyroidism' saga. Last week was blood work appointment and this week, today actually, was my doctor's appointment. It turned out to be 'good visit' because he reduced the dosage of my medication. That means it's actually working. Yippeee! But I'm not going to be overly-excited because my thyroid still has 'ADD'...but I'm happy enough.

Work front...still kinda' slow. One of the companies I work for has steady work. It's not much [as my boss likes to say], but it's still work and it's steady.

My latest work-at-home gig is going well so far. It's not as busy as I first anticipated it to be but it's something. It's definitely a part-time job but I'm liking it so far. Right now I don't care much about the money I make with them. I am more concerned in 'learning the ropes' so to speak.

Anyway, it's now officially Autumn. A lot of people are actually waiting for this season to get a break from the scorching heat of summer. Since Autumn only lasts a couple of months, it won't be long before we hear people complaining again not because of heat but because of freezing temperatures. But for now let me just say....

Early Bird or Night Owl?

Which one are you? When I was still working on an 8-5 job, I was definitely an early bird or shall say, a morning person. I didn't have a choice but to be one. I was a "slave of the clock" so to speak. That meant going to bed before the clock hits 10 PM and waking up before the clock hits 6 AM. That was my life for more than 10 years. But that's all in the past now.

Now that I am a WAHM, I have the choice if I want to be an early bird or a night owl. Sort of, anyway. The time I go to bed at night is MY decision. The time I have to get out of bed in the morning...that's a whole different story. In other words, it's not ALWAYS my decision when I should get out of bed and it's called 'mommyhood'.

During the first few years of my being a WAHM, I would work until 2AM most days. The little one was just a baby then so her sleeping wasn't the best. Instead of waking up in the middle of the night to attend to her, I would choose to stay up late and work in case she'd need me. I got used to that so for a few years, I was definitely a night owl.

Now that she no longer wakes up to be fed or changed, I can go to bed pretty much after she does...but I sometimes don't. I am no longer staying up till 2 AM but I still go to bed later than I would want to. The result? Me having a hard time getting up early, well, earlier.

Just like today and the other day. It's easy for me to wake up and get ready. The hard part is staying up alert throughout the day. Ugh! We had an early delivery earlier this week so we needed to be up by 7. The husband stayed home until after the delivery which meant he left a little late than normal. Today was my appointment for some blood tests and I scheduled it at 7 AM. Hubby has to drive us that's why it's that early. Everything went well with the visit to the lab but guess what? I am sooooo sleepy right now. I could have taken a nap but I didn't think it would be any good so I just stayed up. Hopefully I'll be able to sleep good tonight.

It is days like today that make me want to go back to my old sleeping routine. Being out and about that early in the morning is very refreshing. It also enables me to do more as far as chores and work are concerned. Hmm...maybe I will...go back to my old 'sleeping-waking' routine, eh?

4 More Months....

...and 2009 will be over? Actually, it's a little less than that because it's the 4th of September already as I'm typing this. Where did time go? Nothing much changed with me except a few pounds here and there, a few additional gray hair on my head and a new WAHJ.

Yes, I have a new work-at-home job. I just started last week so it's my second week with the new gig. I still have the old WAHJs but it's been so slow so I decided to start hunting for a new one a few weeks ago. Well, let me correct that. I am ALWAYS on the lookout for a potential work-at-home job even if I have a few already. You just never know when that "perfect" [wah] job would come along. It doesn't matter if it's a temporary one or something longer lasting. What matters most is being able to gain that experience as an additional 'ammunition' in your CV, right?

Due to some confidentiality agreement I signed, I cannot reveal what kind of job it is or which company I work for but I can at least say that it involves a lot of phone work. One thing I would like to say though is legitimate work-at-home jobs exist. I have been working from home for the last 7 years and thousands have been working from home way longer than I've been doing it.

Be patient and keep on looking. One day you'll get that 'dream work-at-home job'. YOU JUST HAVE TO LOOK FOR IT....

Long Overdue Post

This blog has been left idle for a long time. It's been almost a month since my last post. What can I say? I've been quite busy the past few weeks and that's busy in a good way.

Work has been coming in sporadically the last few weeks which means that work is there one day, then no work for a few days. That's much better than no work at all. My schedule has been crazy because I drop almost anything I'm doing as soon as I get emails that work is available for the taking, and blogging is almost always the first that gets dropped.

Aside from that, I am also fortunate enough to land another Work-at-home job. Yep, another WAHJ for me. I know I am EXTREMELY LUCKY. A lot of people are getting laid off from their jobs and a lot more couldn't find any so I am really thankful that I have not only the privilege to work at home but to find a job during these difficult economic times.

I have a few topics I really want to blog about in this blog but because of my crazy schedule lately, I haven't been able to do so. I am hoping to do that in the coming days...fingers crossed, again. I just wish I know how to manage my time more efficiently. In the meantime, let me just say...

To ALL Dads...

My father is no longer with us so I only have my brothers [and my husband] to greet on this day. But I found this poem online by an Unknown Author which I want to dedicate to my Father who I dearly miss!

You never said I'm leaving
You never said goodbye
You were gone before I knew it,
And only God knew why
A million times I needed you,
A million times I cried
If Love alone could have saved you,
You never would have died
In Life I loved you dearly
In death I love you still
In my heart you hold a place,
That no one could ever fill
It broke my heart to lose you,
But you didn't go alone
For part of me went with you,
The day God took you home.

Productive Weekend!

Finally! A weekend without much rain so we were able to do the things we wanted to. It wasn't completely free of rain though. It did rain a little on Saturday just after the husband finished mowing. We originally planned of planting some bottlebrush trees along the property but it had to wait because mother nature decided to sprinkle the newly cut grass.

Sunday was a totally dry day though. Tree planting was done as planned. We [more like 'he', the husband] planted 6 bottle brush trees. We thought we would need a couple more but we decided to stick with the 6 we already have. Hubby bought them last weekend. The only glitch we had was we ran out of plant food and dirt. But super hubby flew..err, drove to Lowe's and got what we needed and then some.

I tried to pull some weeds while he was planting while the little one helped him by 'watching'...LOL. We helped him by putting mulch around them. It was a fun experience for the little one of course. We're planning in planting some more plants this weekend. Maybe around the big trees in the backyard. The little one sowed some flower plants a few weeks ago and some came out victorious while the others decided to 'perish'. The plants are now ready to conquer the big world, yard, so we're going to let them loose soon.

Here's a picture of the before and after of our planting activity this weekend.


Now we just have to wait for them to grow....with a lot of watering involve of course. Well, let's hope it rains enough so they can be watered without me moving a finger. Ha!

Nothing Much....

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

...going on around here. Life has been pretty boring as usual. The weather is still as unpredictable as it has always been. We were spared of rain for the past few days. It did rain a little bit last night but it didn't last long. It's very hot outside though so even if it's not raining, we don't go out much because it's just way too hot.

Other than the 'exciting' weather we have around here, nothing much has been happening. Work is at a standstill. Not sure when it will be busy again but I'm hoping it's going to be soon. You would think I'd be updating this blog more now that work is slow but I'm not. Ugh!

Anyway, it's midweek again and weekend is of course just around the corner. No big plans for us. I'm thinking we can go see a movie or something this weekend. There's a few I want the little one to see....Up and Night of the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian.

Up is on 3d I believe so it would be neat to let the little one see it. We saw Aliens vs. Monsters in 3D and she loved it. We didn't see Night of the Museum 1 in theaters but we caught it on FX this weekend and she also liked it...so, it would be great for her to see the sequel. Hopefully, the weekend will be dry so we can do that.

Been A While...but...

I think anyway. I have been trying to play catch up with some tasks and I'm almost done. Hopefully I'll have more time to spend here once all of my tasks are done.

Aside from that, my time on the computer has been limited because of bad weather around here. It's been raining forever. On most days, there's even lightning/thunder to boot.

Anyway, I'm keeping this short. In the meantime....

glitter-graphics.com

Work At Home SCAM...

Just got this in my email. Beware of work at home job offers like this one.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Job: Virtual Data Service Position

Hello,

My name is Amy Sweeny , and I am a human resources supervisor at
Virtual Type Data Service I would first like to thank you for your interest

in the position. Here’s a brief overview of what we have to offer you.
Remember if you have any questions please feel free to email me back,
and I will be sure to respond personally.

Job Description:

-Work from home full or part time
-Full online training
-Pay based on per-completion basis
-Work your own hours/days

Requirements:
Computer and e-mail access
Competent typing ability
Basic internet knowledge
Willingness to learn and set goals

Details:
We are seeking only self motivated people with the desire to work with
online advertising.
No experience is necessary. You must have a computer with internet
access, a working email account, and basic typing skills. You can
choose
to work full or part time and the hours are set by you. We recommend 18

to 36 hours weekly. You will be processing responses from
advertisements; this will be explained to you in the training
materials.
Everything is sent via email. There is no contract to sign; the amount
you choose to process is entirely up to you. As with any job, you must
be able to respond to advertisements in a timely manner.

Compensation:
You will be paid $15.00 to $25.00 for each application you process. For
example, if you process 35 in a week you can expect to make $350 to
$700 weekly. The average person makes $600 per week. The amount of money you
earn is entirely up to you. You will be responsible for keeping track
of your earnings for tax purposes. We do not take out anything for
government tax purposes, nor provide accounting services.

Training:
The training materials you receive will give you step-by-step
instructions on how to get started. When
you receive your training materials, you may begin working the same day.
There are no special software requirements for this position, but familiarity with
basic computer skills.

Payment for work completed:
You will receive your payments through PayPal for each application you
process. There is a one time
non-refundable fee of $24.99 USD. This cost covers the training
materials sent to you. Once you process your first response, you will
have made back this fee. This is just a small processing fee,
protecting
from those who are not serious about doing this work. No business can
cover administrative cost, wasted time or provide costly materials to
everyone who inquires about this position. If this is not acceptable
for
you, or you cannot afford this small cost, please disregard this email.

The training materials and information will be sent to you after we
receive your administrative fee, you can begin immediately.

If you do not have a PayPal account, click on the link below to open a
free account so you can receive payment for your work and purchase your

training materials. Please notify me once you have made the payment, so

I can be sure the materials are sent to you. This is a completely free
service and it is a verified secure website. When making your payment,
please enter “Service/Other” in the “For:” field. Please send
your payment through PayPal to our account at sunny_emale@yahoo.com

You will receive your materials within twenty-four hours. If you do not,
please email me with your PayPal address so I may confirm receipt.
http://www.paypal.com

NOTE: [ HA - HA - HA!!!]

You can feel 100% comfortable that this is absolutely not a scam in any way, shape form or fashion. There is one reason and one reason only that hhere is a fee for the training materials. We need to identify those applicants that are going to take this serious. This is an at home job and leaves little ability to monitor applicants efforts. If this minimal fee is not acceptable for you, or you cannot afford this small cost, please disregard this opportunity . But be assured you this is completely genuine and legitimate!

******************************************************************************

Best,
Amy Sweeny
Virtual Type Data Service

Asst. HR Supervisor

Two Weeks

It's been that long since I last updated this blog. Mother's Day has come and gone and I wasn't even able to post something about it here. Was I busy? No. Was my internet out? No. I was just not in the mood to post I guess. I did some posts in my other blog though. Not much but at least it's updated.

So what happened in the last 2 weeks? Well, I had a good Mother's day for starters. Our little one was very excited about it [just like any the other occasion] so she's been giving me cards almost everyday leading to Mother's Day itself. Yes, I have one thoughtful little angel. Of course the Dad is always her 'partner in crime', so to speak. If you want to read what she did to surprise me, you can read it here. I also posted the cards she made me here and the store-bought card, here. I love all the cards but the ones she made are more precious to me, of course.

Work wise. S-L-O-W! As in no work for 2 weeks already. I am hoping that it would start to pick up last week but it didn't. Oh well, I guess that's the economy speaking.

One not-so-exciting thing that happened to me during my absence from this blog was that I had an allergic reaction to my prescription medicine. It happened on a weekend so my doctor's office was close. I gave him a call to tell him what I thought I was having an allergic reaction to the meds he prescribed but he DISAGREED saying that I've been on them for 3 weeks so there was a slim chance I'd have the reaction 3 weeks after. Monday, he asked me to come to tell me what we already knew...ALLERGIC REACTION! I almost walked out on him but I tried to hold it. He took me off those meds and asked me to wait 2 weeks before I start taking the new ones he prescribed me.

That's my life the past 2 weeks. Hopefully it won't take another 2 weeks before I update this blog again. Fingers crossed!

The Magic 8 Tag...

The Wonder Wifey Clarisse tagged me on this one. Since I don't really have much to blog about [can you say 'boring life'?], I decided to take her on it and do this tag. I think this is my very first tag on this blog! Here we go....

8 Things I'm Looking Forward To:

1) Closing a "transaction"...I won't elaborate for now. Maybe when it's all done, I'll blog about it.

2) My high school batch's Silver Jubilee later this year...even if I don't make it.

3) The weekend!

4) The little one's daily improvements/developments/milestones...

5) Seeing my husband at the end of the day....I do!

6) starting a garden

7) having the gutters put so I can do #6 already...

8) Nice weather

8 Things I Did Yesterday.

1) Pulled Weeds in the backyard

2) Blogged a little

3) Got in touch with a college classmate after almost 20 years!

4) Called my nephew who just graduated from med school...the first in the family.

5) played a little bit with the little one

6) Taught the little one "Rounding Off Numbers"

7) Googled/Did a Search on some college classmates....somewhat a success since I found one [see # 3). I wish I'd find the others as well.

8) Watched some TV, did my chores, etc....

8 Things I Wish I Could Do.

1) Fly...seriously! So I can go from one place to another without driving.

2) Cook exciting dishes. I'm getting bored making the same meals over and over again.

3) Eat anything I want without any unpleasant results.

4) Swim.

5) Drive

6) Troubleshoot computers so I don't wait for hubby to fix every little problem I encounter with it.

7) Make every great wish come true...especially my little one's wishes.

8) Draw... I can't draw a straight line even if my life depended on it.

8 Shows I Watch

1) NCIS...over and over again!

2) Snapped [for those not familiar with the show, it's about women who snapped and ended committing crimes...usually murder...not that I want to follow their lead...LOL]

3) CSI NY, CSI Miami and CSI itself.

4) Monk...it's the last season this June so I'm a bit sad about it.

5) Burn Notice

6) Food Channel shows

7) CMT Music videos

8) 20/20 in the WE Channel

Neglected!

That's how this blog is probably 'feeling'...if it has 'feelings'. I've been quite busy with the hustle and bustle of life.

Work is still sporadic. I'm trying to schedule everything [especially blogging] around it but it's kinda' hard when you don't know when work will come in. Another downside of my job I guess. I wish I can find a WAHJ that has some kind of a schedule so I know when work is there...but...

Aside from that, nothing much going on with me. I am still on medication for my thyroid problem. I have more doctor's appointment in the future of course. I need to get some lab work done - blood test - to see if the medication is working or not.

Hubby's work is slow right now. I hate that because our bread and butter is his job. What I make with my online jobs are just extras...and with how slow my work is, there is not much extra coming in as well.

Hopefully, I'll be able to update this blog and my other blog!

From Me to YOU!

glitter-graphics.com

The Week That was..

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I had one of the busiest week in a long time. It's not because of work or my family but because of some health issues that concern me. Nothing 'that' serious though. At least I'm hoping it's not serious. Anyway, I went in for not one but two doctor appointments. The first one was with a family doctor who in turn referred me to an ophthalmologist. Aside from those visits, I also had to go have some blood tests and an ultrasound on my thyroid. I have to go back to both doctors in the next 2 weeks and another visit to the lab for a CAT scan for my left eye.

How's that for being busy? I don't go to the doctor that much so those visits certainly came as a shock to me. The last time I went in was for shingles which was in November of last year. I am hoping my visits in the next 2 weeks will be my last for a while....fingers crossed of course.

I posted a more detailed account of my 'medical issues' in my PinayWAHM blog.

When the Going Gets Tough...

...the tough goes 'joking'?

With all the bad news we've been getting with the economy, I'm glad that some people can still find the humor in all of it. Here are some 'funnies' I got in my email recently. These are the so-called company logos after the financial crisis.

Best Part - Time Jobs

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

With the news that more than 600, 000 people lost their jobs during the month of February, unemployment is now at its highest at 8.1 % since early 1980s. This brings the number of unemployed people to almost 2 million in a span of 3 months.

Not long ago, one of the companies I work for has filed for bankruptcy. I've been working for this company since early 2002 so I feel bad about it closing. This also makes me a direct casualty of this ongoing recession. Now I am trying to find something I can do to replace that job I lost...but it's proving to be a difficult task.

As I was browsing the news yesterday, I came across an article titled: 7 Best Part-Time Jobs. Of the 7 in the list, I did 3 of them already. Private Tutoring, Substitute Teaching and Copy Editing.

Here's the list I lifted from the article:

1. Tax Preparer
Thousands of people need help every year to file their returns. Part-time tax preparers are often accountants who know their way around deductions and forms, and who want extra income. Though the job typically peaks in the spring, many clients choose to retain their tax professional as a year-round personal accountant and adviser.

Salary: Set your own fee. H&R Block typically charges anywhere from $100 to $200 for their services, so you can probably charge up to $80 and still offer a bargain.

2. Substitute Teacher
Many states offer substitute teaching positions without requiring a teaching degree. Often, anyone with a bachelor’s degree is eligible, provided they pass a background check and interview. The length of employment varies and you should be flexible for days when you get a frantic last-minute call at 6 a.m., but it’s a good way to put your education to use while aiding in the education of others.
Salary: Varies depending on the state. In Oregon, for example, substitutes get about $150 a day.

3. Private Tutor
Jeremiah LeBrash started tutoring in college as a way to make some extra income. He’s now making enough money for it to be his full-time job. “I started out teaching SAT prep for Kaplan, but I was only making $20 an hour,” he says. “I realized I could do it on my own, give my students one-on-one attention, and charge twice as much.” LeBrash now charges $80 an hour for test preparation and $60 for general math and science help.
Salary: Companies like Kaplan and The Princeton Review pay tutors anywhere from $20 to $60 an hour, depending on the test they teach and the size of the class. Private tutors, like LeBrash, can set their own fee.

4. Part-Time Receptionist
Answering telephones and receiving packages may not be the most glamorous job, but according to career counselor Judith Gerberg, it’s a great opportunity to network. Gerberg, president of the Career Counselors Consortium, knew a laid off radio DJ who ended up working as a receptionist for a law firm. She soon became acquainted with a filmmaker client who loved her music knowledge so much, he hired her as an associate producer. “Lawyers and small businesses always need administrative help,” says Gerberg. “You might be making minimum wage, but keep your ego under wraps. You never know who will walk through the door.”
Salary: Varies, but can be in the $20,000-a-year range.

5. Computer Technician
Gerberg says there is an increased need for tech support, as more people move their businesses home. Computer technicians make basic repairs, set up wi-fi and perform other jobs. Companies are also looking for individuals who can build websites, which makes this a no-brainer for anyone with a little creativity and HTML experience.
Salary: Set your own fee. Tech support rates vary according to the job, rates can be around $30 an hour or more.

6. Copy Editor
“Copy editing is proofreading,” says Rachel Goldman, who took her skills honed in her day job as an online news producer and used them to score part-time work as well. In addition to checking texts for spelling, punctuation, grammar and formatting errors, "I also help the person brainstorm and flesh out their work,” says Goldman. Although she started out editing essays for college students, Goldman is now working on documents such as patent applications and television scripts as well.
Salary: Goldman’s fees vary based on length and subject matter, but she estimates that she makes about $100 per document.

7. Direct Seller
Companies such as Amway and Avon allow people to make money on their own time, while offering incentive programs like discounted insurance. And while the recession may have curbed consumer spending, Avon recently reported earnings that were above expectations. “Our products are selling well because it’s affordable luxury,” says Lindsay Blaker, an Avon spokesperson.
Salary: Blaker says she’s seen reps make anywhere from a few hundred dollars a month to six-figure annual salaries. “I met someone who went from a corporate setting to becoming a full-time seller because she was making just as much money staying at home,” she says. “People love the flexibility of the job.”

from Yahoo News & Mainstreet.com

My New Header!

Courtesy of Mama Cathy of:

Isn't it pretty? If you need a new template, header 0r the whole she-bang for you blog, make sure to visit her My Design Workbench site.

What is Happening....

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

...with my template? Everything on the template disappeared...the header, the background color. I didn't do anything. I thought the site where I got it was down but that can't be that case. I have the same template on my 'trial and error' blog and it looked fine when I opened it earlier.

So now I'm back to the blogger templates just to make it presentable enough for those who will take time to visit. I'd probably change it again tomorrow or the next day...or when I get the chance.

Thanks to all who came by already. I appreciate the time.

Baby Daddy....

Photo from MomLogic

Yes, a baby having a baby of his own! Shocking is probably an understatement. Yeah yeah... I know that in the old days, a lot of younger people used to have kids. But that was then, and this is now. In this day and age, parents should be more responsible. And when I say parents, I didn't mean the 13 year old boy and his 15 year old girlfriend. I meant...THEIR parents!!

Look at him! You can tell by just looking at his angelic face that he does not know what he is doing! Yes, I applaud them for choosing to keep the baby instead of aborting early on....that's because I'm pro-life.

At 13, I didn't even know how one gets pregnant....seriously. But that was a long time ago. Kids now are well informed so it should be expected that they should know better. In a lot of schools today, students are asked to bring home a doll that has baby-like qualities and take care of it for days. Yes, the doll cries....at any given time....day or night. The 'doll' has to stay close with its 'mother' or it will throw a fit...or something like that.

I honestly feel scared for these new parents and their daughter. How will they survive? Will they live together now that they have a child? I read somewhere that the girl still lives with her father and siblings and the baby daddy has been spending a lot of time there as well. Let's just hope that they wait a while before having another one.

Oh, I just read in the news that the local police there are not pressing any charges against anyone. If it were up to me, I'd probably be looking at the adults looking after these children. It's their responsibility after all considering these kids are just minors.

Hopeful...

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

...that this week will bring in some work as far as my coding is concerned. It's been weeks since we had some work from any of the companies I work for. For a while there, I thought we won't be affected much by the economic meltdown [yeah right] because we were getting so much work but it suddenly stopped! Oh well, I guess no one will be spared by it, eh?

It's a holiday today [I think] because it's President's Day so we may not hear from work until tomorrow. Still, I am hoping that we'd get some work one way or another.

This is the biggest downside of being a WAHM. We are ICs or independent contractors so we get paid only if we work. It bites but that's the way it is. Thankfully my family does not rely on the money I make with my work-at-home jobs or we will be in big trouble.

Anyway, here's hoping that work will come in as soon as possible to keep us busy for the months to come. Wishful thinking? Probably...but it's free to make a wish, right?

Octuplets Mom...

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

It's all over the news. If you haven't heard about her and her growing family [read: 14 children], then get out from under that rock...LOL...

At first, she was being hailed. Imagine carrying 8 babies in your womb! I only carried one and I thought it was heavy...but 8? People thought what she did was incredible...until more information came out.

First, that she's already a mother of 6 children. Second, that she's actually living with her parents. Third, that she doesn't have a husband or a partner to help raise the kids. Added to these, she's not working. So the big question is: How is she going to support her 14 children?

Then she went on TV and was interviewed by the Today Show. I didn't watch the interview myself so I have no idea how she fared there...but I read a lot of criticisms. as a result of that interview. Apparently, she said some things in the interview that are not really accurate. One of which is her denial of getting any kind of help from the state. She's actually getting food stamps...which is given by the state of course.

Now she has a website where visitors can only do 2 things. Leave a comment and donate! Kinda' fishy, isn't it? I was also surprised to find out that she hired a publicist and an agent. Just like a movie star, eh? If rumors are true, she's actually shopping for a TV show. So yes, just like a movie star....

Blog Header....M.I.A....

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Not quite sure what happened to the header of my blog but it has disappeared. I was trying to find a good header to replace the one that came with this free template and I don't remember taking out but it's now MIA.

I guess I have to start looking for a header ASAP or this blog will look odd without it. I may even change the template if I find another one more fitting with the theme of this blog. I haven't done any work on this blog today but we'll get on it as soon as get done with my tasks...

Template Dilemma

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I've been looking for a template for this blog. I think I've seen more than a hundred different templates but I still haven't found the one I REALLY like.

I am not really that knowledgeable when it comes to this so, yes, I'm struggling. I really wish I am like those bloggers who can change their templates easily...but I am not.

I will keep on looking though and I won't stop until I find it. For now this one will do.

And We're Live!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Yay! After 2 days of tinkering in My Account of the GoDaddy site, I was able to finally move this blog into my own domain! And I did it all on my own...well, guided by some online search results. At least I didn't have to ask for help like last time. I was ready to do that though, ask a friend to help me convert this blog to my own domain, if I wasn't able to make it work. But I DID it...

So what's the plan now that I have 2 blogs with my own domains? Nothing definite yet. I'm still trying to see what I should to maximize the use of this new blog of mine.

Accomplishments for today:

- changing this blog to my own domain

- loads of laundry

Yeah! Now, if only the weather cooperates. I can add "weeding" in my list. Ha!

Decisions...decisions...

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Working at home is something I have learned to love. I've been doing it for the last 6 years and if I have a choice, I will NOT exchange it for a job outside the house. But...

The past few weeks have been extremely slow as far as work flow is concerned. I'm certain that the economy has everything to do with it. We still get work every now and then but it usually lasts less than 4 hours.

There are thousands of WAHM/D/P like me. One company I work for has about a thousand independent contractors. That means that if that company releases work, there will be a thousand people trying to grab something. I personally don't waste my time if there's only very little work since it's just not worth the time and aggravation since it not only involves grabbing the work. We have to read manuals to be able to do it right.

But now that work is on 'hiatus', that means I am not also getting paid since I am an independent contractor. No work, no pay.

Should I start looking for something I can do outside the home? Or should I go ahead and look for other work at home opportunities? Both will be very hard...again, because of the economy. I don't even drive yet so that's another reason why I can't look for jobs outside the house.

I guess I'm stuck with looking for another WAHJ for now, eh?

How I wish our economy starts getting better instead of the other way around. Sigh...

WAHM Talks!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Yep, this blog is now officially my 'venting' machine! I have not posted much on this blog because I got too busy with ummm...life?

Right now, work is a bit [really!] slow. So I am trying to attend to the things [this blog included] I've neglected for quite a while. I promise though that this blog will be taken cared of from now on....fingers, toes & eyes crossed!

So why "WAHM talks"? I am WAHM...which stands for "Work-At-Home-Mom". Since I am rarely in the company of people my age [except for the husband of course], I wanted to have a space where I can express myself...READ: T-A-L-K....

This blog will serve as my 'water cooler'. I will post anything and everything my little heart desires in this little corner of mine.

So come on board and let's TALK!