Free ebay ebook!

Oh what a week it has been! Sorry I have been incommunacado, but I think you will like what I have for you! It is a free ebook from ebay power seller, Suzanne Wells. This book has been in the top 20 at Amazon and has great reviews. I, personally have not used ebay as a way to make money from home, but that is because I didn't know how. I am certainly picking up a copy of this book and am going to look in to selling. God knows I have a million things here to get rid of that someone else might want. If it works out, I could see myself trying to get an inventory and really sell. Anyway, this free ebay ebook is a great offer for moms, and I dont typically post links to other blogs, but I think that this is a great resource for women out there looking for another way to make money from home. Every little bit helps!

So, this past week was ds' 10th birthday...I feel so much older. I am glad I had him young! Keeping up with him and all of his extracurriculars is a job in and of itself. I worked out all week, watched what I ate and lost 7 pounds, so that was pretty cool. It proves with hard work and dedication you really can lose weight. I think a lot of it was water weight (hence the high number) but we will see what this week brings. I treated myself for all of my hardwork and bought a new tv. The giant bulky 5 year old big screen in the living room has been on the fritz for a few months, so instead of dropping a bunch of money to fix it, I bought a 52 inch 1080p LCD Sharp tv. It was a pretty big purchase, but I got it on sale, at Costco (so it was cheaper), a free 2 year warranty from Costco and 2% back on it since I am an executive member, so I really cant complain. It is gorgeous and it is funny because I was worried it would be too small. It definitely isnt. So to celebrate some more we had a superbowl party here and that was a lot of fun. I really just wanted to watch The Office afterwards.

The Flu...YUCK!

Well, we are recovering from the flu. The baby had it slightly a week ago when I got back from the funeral, but it never really got that bad (thanks to the flu she got, I bet). Then dd1 got it and was sick from Tuesday until yesterday. So of course, on Friday, I came down with it.

I am feeling better now, luckily it ran its course quickly. I know I should get a flu shot, but I HATE needles. Plus, I rarely get the flu, so I figure it isn't worth it. Honestly, this was so bad, I kind of wish I had just gotten the stupid shot. Especially considering this is the 2nd bout of the flu I have had this season. Is it just me or does it seem to be getting worse? Has anyone else been sick?

Wordless Wednesday

This isn't just Halloween. It's everday.

Searching Craigslist

Craigslist can be your best friend when trying to find a work at home job. Two of my best jobs, one of which I am an employee, I found on Craigslist. When searching CL you need to keep several things in mind in order to maximize your time and results and limit applying for any possible scams.

1. Search ALL of CL, not just your regional area. Think about it, if you are in Chicago and an position is advertised in New York, but is telecommute or work from home, you are just as qualified for it. To search all of CL you will need to use Google. In the Google search box type: "telecommuting is OK" site:craigslist.org 2009-01
*Please note the year and month...you need to apply this for whatever month (or year) it is. So, for example, if you come across this post in March, you would change it to 2009-03. Make sense?

2. If you want to search regionally, type in phrases such as "work from home" or "virtual" or "remote." This will help narrow your search.

3. If you find something you want to apply to, DO NOT ATTACH your resume or cover letter. It will just get deleted. Employers are terrified of viruses and most will not open any attachments. Instead, simply paste it in your email response after you introduce yourself and write your cover letter. This will get you noticed.

4. Eliminate your personal info from your resume. You don't have to be paranoid, but be cautious and use common sense. When I submit a resume I only use my name, email and sometimes cell phone number. I figure if they want more information they can have it after we have spoken.

5. Treat a CL ad just as you would if it were an ad on Careerbuilder. This means use proper grammer, a normal font, and run spell check. If you answer the ad in 2 sentences you look unprofessional and lazy, so put your best foot forward. Remember, you probably have a lot of competition.

6. If it seems too good to be true, it probably is. If the ad is only a few lines and states you can make thousands a month from home, chances are it is a scam. One thing that is great about searching CL nationally is that you can find scams much easier. Typically scammers post ads in many cities, so when you see the same ad popping up, you can be sure it probably isn't legitimate.

I hope this information helps you on your work at home search! I know there are other websites such as Indeed.com so if you have any you know of, please share it with all of us. If you have a Craigslist success story, please share that as well. I am compiling information on people who have successfully found work at home jobs and I would love to include your story!

New Diggs

So, check out the new digs! Thanks to Kateedyd I have a whole new look, new layout and everything! I really love what she did with the place. What do you think??

Flu Season is Here!

We are on the 3rd day of snow this week and what do you know, dd1 is sick with the flu. She has been projectile vomiting since 7pm last night, poor girl. It is every 30 minutes or so and just horrible. I gave up on trash cans so I put a bunch of old towels on the floor in front of her and told her just to lean over and throw up there. The poor kid takes one sip of ice water and BAM...

Supposedly the baby was spitting up over the weekend while I was gone, but she has had a flu shot, dd1 has not. I think that the baby may have had a bug but it didnt go anywhere because of the shot and dd1 just got slammed with it. I am PRAYING I dont get it. I have an important conference call this afternoon and have to go back to my regular job tomorrow, THEN I start the new gig next week. Plus, I have some articles with a deadline of the 19th that I need to write. I hate shots but I may now wish I had gotten one.

Does anyone know any good remedies for neusea? The doctor called in a prescription for Zofran which should help (I took while I had my kidney infection and stopped the puking but gave me the worst headache of my life). Wish me luck, I swear it never ends...

Out in VA

Sorry I have been MIA. I have been busy trying to rearrange my work schedule and get out to VA to be with my family and pay my last respects to my grandfather. It has been a lot of juggling but it worked out.

The best part was my pt job from home gave me paid bereavement time--5 days! It was so generous and thank god for it, I needed all 5 days. As far as freelance writing, I brought my laptop to VA with me and have been able to do a little bit of work, which has been great. I am just glad I have the freedom that I do.

Now--the exciting news. I found an ad on Craigslist about a month ago or so for a Message Board Operator position that was work at home. It was from New York, but I figured I would try and send my resume anyway. Around New Years Eve I heard back that over 300 people applied and I was one they were interested in. Wellllllll....I emailed, did a couple phone interviews and guess what?!?! I GOT IT! I am so excited. Made these last few days a little easier to bear.

Just a note--the two regular jobs I have with a steady income, working from home--I found on Craigslist. While there are some scams on CL and you have to be careful, there is a lot of legitimate opportunities out there. I am going to do another post on how to effectively search Craigslist, why employers use it and how to set yourself apart from the crowd. Stay tuned!

RIP

My grandfather who I love dearly passed away yesterday, so I have been out of sorts. Thank you for your thoughts and condolences. More to come soon...

UPDATE: An online guestbook and obituary has been posted in my Grandpa's honor. Please take a look here if you have a moment.

Party Like It's 2-0-0-9!

Happy New Year! 2009 is upon us and THANK GOD 2008 is O-V-E-R. 2008 was a difficult year and I am so glad it is over so I can move forward. I wish everyone, health, wealth and prosperity in the new year! I have a few goals I am working on but I am going to try to focus on work/finance related ones here.

• I will write more...it is becoming profitable and I know if I push myself I really can make a decent living at it. Plus I enjoy it. It is an outlet for me.
  
• I am going to manage my time. I have a set schedule with my remote position, but the rest of my day is a chaotic mess. I am going to have a real schedule with goals and things I need to get done.
• I am going to organize my office. It is a disgusting mess. I hate it. Probably why I dont accomplish enough.
  
• Thanks @HollyRigsby for giving me the idea to wake up earlier each day! I am going to do it no matter how badly I want to sleep in. I know I will get more done. Stop by Holly's blog, she is awesome and extremely motivating!
  
• I am going to keep my house more organized and pick up more often. It isn't dirty, but there is just STUFF everywhere, all the time! I am going to stay on top of it.
  
• I am going to post more work at home job opportunities I come across!

Does anyone else have any suggestions? What are YOUR resolutions?