6 Great Mom Communities

I love when I come across new work at home sites and mom communities. This week, while stumbling around the Internet, I came across some really great mom links:

Mommy Club

Mommy Club is a Canadian-based site for moms. But all moms are pretty much the same, don't you think?

WorkitMom.com

Great site with great attitude.

Mom Blog Network

All mom blogs all the time. What more could you ask?

Mom Logic

Their motto is: "For thinking moms who don't have time to think." That's me.

Maya's Mom

A great site for meeting and conversing with other moms.

I'm an Organizing Junkie

I can always use some help in this department.


Go check these mom sites out. I promise you won't regret it. It's time well spent.

Read more »

The 3 Most Important Questions

As I get older, I find some of the things that were of utmost importance to me when I was young, no longer are. In fact, much of the stuff I worried about in my teens and twenties isn't even on my radar now. I could care less.

As the years progress, you learn what's really important. And it's not clothes or cars or jewelry (Don't get me wrong. I like all three, and wouldn't turn any of it down if it was given to me). What's important boils down to just a few questions:

Are your kids healthy and happy?

Are you healthy and stress-free? (Still working on this)

Do you have enough to get by?

If, at the end of the day, my answer to these questions is yes, I'm golden.

The Wisdom Journal has a great post on just this subject entitled 12 Things I Learned by 42 That I Wish I Knew at 22. My favorite: "It's quality of time at work, but quantity of time at home that matters." Enjoy.

Read more »

Work at Home Opp: Avalon Travel Books

Avalon Travel Books, which publishes the popular travel book series Rick Steves, Road Trip USA, and The Dog Lover's Companion is looking for travel book authors. AT writers are compensated with an advance and royalties.

AT is particularly looking for someone to author their Minneapolis/St. Paul guide for the Moon Handbooks series. Interested applicants should send a resume, cover letter, and up to five relevant clips to this email: acquisitions@avalonpub.com. You can also visit their website at Avalon Travel Books for more information, or to find out how to submit to other guidebook series. Good luck!

Read more »

Work at Home as an About.com Guide

Are you passionate about a certain subject, see yourself as somewhat of an authority on a certain topic? Then you might consider being an About.com Guide. As an About.com Guide, you'll build and maintain your own site, which will be part of About.com.

Guides provide original content on a particular topic, a personal blog about that topic, and a directory of the best Web content on that topic. In addition, you'll host a discussion forum around your subject. Some guides earn in excess of $1,000 a year, according to the About.com Guide FAQ. Check it out!

Read more »

If You're a Fan of TV's Lost

Saw this and just had to share. If you're a fan of TV's Lost, then you'll love this TED talk by writer, producer, and director J.J. Abrams. Besides being hilarious, it definitely sheds some light on the inspiration behind Lost.

Read more »

Snow Cream: Recipe for a Winter Treat

I know a lot of people are getting snow right now. One of my favorite memories of childhood is my mom making snow cream on the rare occasions we actually got snow. For best results, the snow needs to be fluffy. Wet snow will result in a slushy mess. Enjoy!

INGREDIENTS:

• 1-3 C. clean snow
  
• 1/2 C. whipping cream or other cream of choice
• 1 T. sugar
• 2-3 drops vanilla flavoring

PREPARATION:

Keep snow cold until ready to use. In a large bowl, mix cream, sugar and vanilla. Slowly add snow to desired consistency. Some recipes use raw egg, but due to the risk of salmonella, this is not a good idea.

Read more »

Work at Home as a Tutor for Aim-for-A Tutoring

Aim-for-A Tutoring is looking for online tutors. You must have the following equipment:

• A personal computer with broad band Internet access.
• Computer speakers and a microphone.
• Internet telephone software Skype (freely available at http://www.skype.com/).
• For some subjects, a digital tablet & pen mouse is highly recommended (details will be provided to you).

In addition, they require:

• A minimum of a bachelors degree in the subjects you would like to teach.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills.
• Some teaching experience.
• Ability to work during time zones to suit the students in Europe, North America, or Australia.
• Passion for teaching.

Their employment page is here. Good luck!

Read more »

Spice Up Your Firefox with Themes

I'm probably way behind the curve on this one. But I figure if I just found out about it, maybe some of you guys don't know about it either. Did you know that you can dress your Firefox browser up with different themes?

There are holiday themes, animal themes, nature themes, retro themes. And for those of us getting on in years, who need our letters a little larger, there are some large-type themes. I'm grooving on an Aquatint Black Gloss theme myself.

And for you sports fans, there are even sporting themes. So get on over to the Firefox page and check it out. Spice up your browser today!

Read more »

Blog the 2008 Summer Olympics and Get Paid!

TFS Media Network is looking for a person knowledgeable about sports to blog the Summer Olympics. This paid job requires posting a minimum of 5 times a week. A knowledge of online post promotion and image editing would be helpful, but is not required. If you're interested, send 2 blogging samples related to the topic, and links to any online writing samples you have to: apply@tfsmedianetwork.com. Here's a link to the job posting. This sounds like a lot of fun! Good luck!

Read more »

Digg Your Painful Childhood

Thanks BLaugh!

Read more »

The Payday Loan Trap

One of the easiest traps to get caught in if you're struggling financially is borrowing money at a high interest rate. And if you have bad credit or no credit, you're an easy target for payday loan lenders.

Need the money now? No problem. Just pay an exorbitant amount of interest to borrow off your future paycheck, and you're back in the game. And it is a game you can't win.

Payday loans feed off the desperation of people who are struggling. Don't get caught in the trap. Read one mom's story of her downward spiral into payday loan hell here.

Read more »

Free Computer Programming Courses Online

Have to share this really cool site I found today. It's DiplomaGuide.com. It lists 15 different online courses in computer programming that you can take for absolutely nothing. Nada. Zilch. Enjoy!

Read more »

Alpine Access Hiring Seasonal Teddy Bear Counselors

Alpine Access is hiring seasonal customer service agents. They are currently looking for teddy bear counselors, who "will be responsible for providing exceptional customer service while selling high-end Teddy Bear products and accessories. Selling is a requirement, as well as up- selling. Excellent sales and customer service skills required." Check it out!

Read more »

Feed Your Family for Less

I wrote yesterday about how expensive it has gotten to eat out, and how I'm going to make a sincere attempt to prepare more meals at home. So I was really excited to find some great websites that will help me toward that goal.

First is TryOneBite.com, whose author has three kids herself, and has made it her goal to try a new food every week for 52 weeks! The site is really neat, because you can follow along each week with her menu plans. And since recipes are included, you can introduce your family to some new foods. The most recent recipe is for Chicken and Dumplings. And since I've never tried to cook this dish before, and the recipe looks pretty simple, I may have to give it a go myself.

Most recently, TryOneBite put up some links to some great sites for eating on a budget. My favorite is CheapEats, which has a recipe section titled $3 Dollars or Less. Now that's eating cheap.

Read more »

5 Tips: Saving Money on Groceries

My family eats way too much takeout. It's true. Although lately, I've been trying to plan ahead and cook more. So I've been reading about meal planning and couponing, and searching for simple, quick recipes on the Internet.

Here are a few of the great tips I've found:

1. Plan ahead before grocery shopping to make best use of coupons and specials. This also helps to cut down on impulse buying. Make a list and stick to it.

2. Eat before you go to the grocery store. Going shopping on an empty stomach makes it harder to resist buying food items you don't really need.

3. Make good use of coupons, specials, and rebates. Don't just cut the coupons out. Actually take them to the store with you. Save your receipts. Mail in those rebate forms.

4. Consider generic. Most generics are quite comparable, and at times superior, to brand names. I would say that at least 40% of my groceries are store brand or generic.

5. Pay attention at checkout. Although the orange juice may be advertised as 50 cents off, that 50 cent reduction might not show up at the register. Be vigilant, and don't be afraid to speak up if you're not getting the advertised price.

Happy Grocery Shopping!

Read more »

Environmental Blogger Needed for SurfMyAds.com

SurfMyAds.com is looking for an environmental blogger to post 2 to 3 articles per week for a new blog site. Payment is $20 per article, which will be paid biweekly. If interested email your resume, including education, previous writing experience, and samples to: hr@surfmyads.com

Good luck!

Read more »

Google Page Rank Update

Google, in its infinite wisdom, appears to have updated page rank again. Page rank, for those of you who don't have a website or blog, is Google's opinion of your relevance, which is judged using many mysterious and altogether secretive processes. If you haven't checked your page rank, there's a free tool here that I have found reliable. Good luck to one and all!

Read more »

Banana Split Pie Recipe

Someone mentioned this today and got me salivating. So I did a search and found this great recipe at BetterRecipes.com.
Banana Split Pie

Ingredients:

• 1 can Eagle Brand Condensed Milk
• 12 oz. Cool Whip, thawed
• 1 (15 oz.) can crushed pineapple, drained well
• 1 lg jar Maraschino cherries, drained 4 bananas, sliced and dipped in lemon-lime soda (to deter browning)
• 6-8 strawberries, sliced
• Chopped nuts (optional)
• 2 graham cracker pie shells

Method

Fold Eagle brand milk and Cool Whip together until smooth and creamy. Fold in other ingredients until well blended and fruit is mixed throughout. Place mixture into pie shells and place in freezer until set. (Will take about 1 1/2 hours to freeze firm.) Slice and serve. Makes 2 pies. Can also be made into individual tarts.

Submitted by BetterRecipes member: pcscam

Mmm. Enjoy!

Read more »

Work at Home with Accolade Support

This job with Accolade Support is as a call center agent. It is full or part time and pays $8.25 to $10.00 per hour. They are looking for immediate help. You must have:

* a U.S. based home telephone number (no cell or VOIP)

* a corded telephone with headset (no cordless)

* a PC with Windows 98, 2000, or XP

* cable modem or DSL modem or broadband connection (no wireless)

* and a quiet background environment.

Good luck!

Read more »

The Best 100-Calorie Snacks from Hungry Girl

Just had to link to this since weight loss is heavy on my mind lately, and I can never get too many ideas for low-calorie snacking. It's Yahoo's Hungry Girl's "IT List" of the best 100-calorie snacks out there. I'm on the way to the grocery store right now!

Read more »

Work at Home with Blue Zebra

This is a job setting appointments by phone for Blue Zebra Appointment Setting. They are looking for candidates who:

• have two or more years of outbound, B2B cold calling and appointment setting experience.

• have two to five years serving the B2B marketplace.

The website says the pay is $15 to $20 to start, based upon experience, with the possibility of future pay raises for excellent performance.

Check it out. Good luck!

Read more »

Free Online Tax Calculators: Yes, It's That Time Again

Yes, it's that dreaded time of year again, tax time. And since I have to fill out my daughter's financial aid forms for FAFSA by the end of January, I have to do my taxes now. Yippee!

I dream of the day when the U.S. goes to a flat tax. But until then, I'll just have to do what I can to get through this time of year.

And in that spirit, I've found a couple of nifty tools online to help you get an idea of just how much you're going to either owe Uncle Sam or get back from him. And here they are:

TaxBrain.com's Free Income Tax Calculator

Turbotax's Tax Rate Calculator: (Click the link down on the left)

I wish you all big refunds.

Read more »

Work at Home Job with Advantage Communications

I found this posted on a work at home message board I frequent. It sounds like a good opportunity for someone who enjoys sales. You will be selling Clearwire Internet over the phone. Here are the details:

Advantage Communications is currently looking for reps to sell Clearwire Internet over the phone. Clearwire is offering 3 free months of service plus a $75.00 Visa web card to all new subscribers.

Benefits include:

Excellent Pay

Excellent Leads @ No Cost To You

Pay is tiered:

A) Cold calling $50.00 per subscriber

B) Warm Lead $25.00 per subscriber

Free Training

The phone contact info is: 206-350-6640

The company is Advantage Communications

Good luck!

Read more »

Mom and Pop Spears: Help Your Daughter

If you've been watching the news lately, or reading it on the Internet, you're sure to know about Britney Spears' recent hospitalization and subsequent release. And while many people seem to get a lot of entertainment and pleasure out of the sorry situation, I just feel sad.

It's more than clear she's suffering from some sort of mental illness, most likely bipolar disorder. She has all the symptoms, and one look at recent pictures of her as she's being driven away in an ambulance leave no doubt she's not all there.

So why don't her parents step up and force her to get the help she clearly needs? Yes, I know she's 26 years old. I know she's rich. And I know she's pushing anybody away that disagrees with her. But I can tell you right now, that if my child was behaving like this, I'd do whatever it took to get her help, even if that meant risking arrest myself.

What's most sad about all this is when she does finally get some help, is diagnosed, and gets on the proper medication, she will have lost her kids. And that's something that's not going to be easily reversed.

So step up, Mom and Pop Spears. Risk making your daughter angry. Risk being rejected. That's what parents do when their child is in trouble.

And to everybody out there watching, remember there's a person in there, a person who has feelings.

Read more »

Work at Home as an Eldercare Advisor

I saw this post on a work at home message board I frequent. It sounds like a great opportunity for the right person. There is a 3-day training in Seattle, WA. But it is a home-based job. This is from A Place for Mom, Inc.'s website.

"A Place for Mom, Inc. is seeking Eldercare Advisors due to rapid growth.

Our ideal candidate is a self-motivated, detail-oriented, entrepreneurial individual. You must also be a caring and compassionate person with a desire to help people through stressful times during their search for eldercare. Additionally, you are comfortable working in a fast paced exclusively web-based environment where you are directly rewarded for your hard work. Senior care industry experience is preferred. Sales experience is essential.

Job Benefits:

• 3-day comprehensive training in Seattle, WA, plus ongoing support and training during your employment;
• Home-based office with reimbursement for most business expenses;
• High-income potential with uncapped earnings
• Qualified leads
• Superior tools to help you in your job, including the industry’s number one lead management system
• A comprehensive benefits program including medical, dental, vision,
  401(k), stock options, supplemental insurance plans, vacation,
  bereavement, jury duty, holidays and family and medical leaves of
  absence.

Contact: Please send your resume to jobs@aplaceformom.com"

Read more »

Blogger? What's a Blogger?

Thanks BLaugh!

Read more »

Make Your Own Household Notebook

Found this cool page at Household Notebook, where you can print up free forms to keep your family organized. After you click on the form you want, scroll down for the link to print. Create your own household binder. Enjoy!

Read more »

50 Best Productivity Blogs from Zen Habits

My number one goal in 2008 is to be more productive. Although I didn't get off to a very good start today; I stayed up way too late last night and slept way too late this morning. How can your life not get better if you're more productive? Right?

What does productive mean though? At the end of 2008, will I measure my productivity based on the things I've produced or accomplished? That's obviously one way to gauge my effectiveness. I think what I'm hoping, though, is that at the end of this year, I can look back and say I made the most of my time, that I didn't waste my time on the minutiae of life.

I want to read more good books, spend more time with my kids, and vacation more. I also want to work less, yet make more money, which sounds a little screwy, yet I'm sure it can be done. How about you? What do you want to do more or less of in 2008?

One of the moms on a message board I frequent was kind enough to post a link to Zen Habits and its list of the 50 Top Productivity Blogs. I intend to check them all out. Hope you will find them useful also.

Read more »