Ancient Artifact Found in Family's Couch

Well, it wasn't exactly an artifact, but it was ancient. Cinnamon Henke at MyWahmLife tagged me to write about one disgusting thing I've found in my house. And after pondering all the disgusting things I've found under my children's beds, behind doors, in the bottom of a closet, in the lettuce bin of my refrigerator, I'd have to say the most disgusting thing was what appeared to be a sandwich, approximately six months old, in a Zip-loc baggie, deep within the recesses of my couch.Now I'm not sure, mind you. It had all the markings of a sandwich. (It was square, and in a sandwich bag.) Nevertheless, it was a greenish color, moist looking,...

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What Are Your Secrets for Personal Productivity?

Ben Yoskovitz over at The Instigator Blog recently started a group writing meme on the subject of personal productivity. He tagged people to write about what most helps them to be optimally productive, and those people tagged a few people, and so on. The hope is that at the end of it all, he will gather up everyone's personal productivity tips and produce an Ultimate Guide to Productivity. Here are some of the valuable tidbits that have been produced so far:MomGadget's Gayla McCord uses Excel spreadsheets to do everything from organizing a blogging schedule, to keeping track of affiliates and income, to tracking expenses.Monk at Work's Adam...

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For Chocoholics Only

Okay. This has nothing to do with working at home. I just saw it, liked it, and so I'm posting it. It has two of my favorite things: chocolate cake and chocolate sauce. And best of all, you can cook it in your slow cooker. It's the recipe for Slow Cooker Hot Fudge Sundae Cake that I received in an email from BettyCrocker.com. I am a little bothered that the ice cream in the picture looks like strawberry, instead of vanilla. But who am I to judge? And the picture with this post? That's what I feel like after eating chocola...

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Cool Site O' the Day

Stumbled upon another cool site that is very timely. It's LivingonaDime.com. Why is it so timely? Because not only does it have lots of great tips on saving money, budgeting, and organizing, it has an article entitled "What Do I Do With My Tax Refund?" Unfortunately, my tax refund is already spoken for. It will go to pay off debt. But for those of you who don't already have plans for your refund, this article might help you decide what to do with ...

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How to Start Your Own Online Book Business: Chapter Five

In previous posts, I've told you where to buy used books, how to list them, grade them, and ship them. And now I'll touch on where to sell your used books. I've already mentioned Amazon.com, the big dog of online book selling. But there are other venues for selling your used books, and which one you choose will depend on the type of books you sell and which site you feel is right for your business. The most popular, though, seem to be Amazon.com, Alibris, AbeBooks, and Half.com.As I mentioned earlier, one of the best sources of good quality used books is your local library book sale. A great online tool for keeping track of the dates and...

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I've Been Reviewed!

I'm so excited! Sandy over at The Blog Hog reviewed my blog. It's my first review! Check it o...

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What Exactly is an Independent Contractor?

I'm an independent contractor for a transcription company on the West Coast. And recently, several people on a message board that I frequent asked: what is an independent contractor? Basically, being an independent contractor means that you contract with a company to do work for them, and you bill them for your services. You are not a salaried employee. The downside of this is that you don't receive health benefits. The upside is that you are your own boss, and can take as little or as much work as you want.It's a great option for moms who want to work from home, particularly if the company you contract with is flexible about deadlines....

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My Coffee Addiction

Okay I'll admit it. I use coffee as a crutch. When I'm exhausted and don't think I can type another letter, when I'm on a deadline, and I need my wits about me, or when I just want some desktop comfort, coffee is always there for me. I love it. Hazelnut. French Roast. Blue Mountain. Mmmm.So with all the articles about the dangers of caffeine floating around the Internet, I was pleased to find that coffee is getting some good press also. It seems that a cup o' joe may fight depression, protect against Parkinson's disease, gallstones, cancer and diabetes. The National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases found in a 2005...

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I Was Tagged and Tagged and Tagged....You Get the Idea

For those of you not familiar with the concept of tagging - and I'll admit I'm only slightly more informed - it's a form of social networking between bloggers. One blog tags several blogs to write about a particular subject. Those blogs tag several blogs. And so on and so on, ad infinitum. And so yesterday was my turn not once, but four times! The subject? Obsessions.And so in response to my tagees: The Blog Hog, Coffee Shop Chatter, Bev's Bits, and vbacdventure.com, here are my most recent obsessions, in no particular order:1. Lately, blogging.2. My children. Specifically, trying to fix everything that goes wrong, even though I can't possibly,...

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Cool Site O' the Day

Just visited this really neat site. It was recommended by a friend on a message board I frequent. It's Zamzar.com, a free online conversion tool. You can convert image files, documents, music files, and video files to other formats without having to download software. You just upload your file, choose the format you want it in, enter an email address, and click convert. It will convert the file to the chosen format and mail it to the email address you've entered. You can convert document files to text files, mp3's to wma's. It's that simp...

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How to Start Your Own Online Book Business: Chapter Four

Well, if you've followed my first three chapters, you know how I got started in the online used book business, where to buy books, how to grade them, and what to expect, in terms of turnover. But how do you get the books to your customers?Fortunately, most book selling venues provide a shipping allowance. The amount varies, depending on the type of shipping the customer chose at checkout. The majority of customers will choose Media Mail. But a few will choose Priority. For Media Mail, you will need to have padded envelopes on hand, so once you're shipping more than 10-15 books a week, it's better to buy these in bulk. There are plenty of...

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Look What I Stumbled Upon!

I saw an article recently that stated there are more women online in America than men. You can read that article here. I wasn't really surprised. I think women have really latched onto the Internet, not only as a valuable source of news and information, but also as a tool which allows them to work from home. Women don't just see the Internet as a form of entertainment. They see it as an opportunity.Anyway, as I was stumbling around the Net this week, I found a site I really like, one that I think will be helpful for those of you out there who write for a living. It's the Writer's Resource Center. It has news, helpful articles, and information...

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Can a Gimmick Make You Rich?

I like to read about money, since I don't have much myself, and would like to have some one day. And so today I was doing a little surfing and found an article on MSN.com by Liz Weston entitled "10 Easy Ways to Stash Away Thousands." It's about Jean Chatzky's book Pay it Down: From Debt to Wealth on $10 a Day. It's a gimmick, she notes, but a gimmick that works. Basically, the concept is: if you can find $10 a day to put towards your debt, you will soon have those credit cards paid off and be on the way to great riches.I'm thinking, "Well sure. But I don't have an extra $300 a month that I can afford to give up." And of course, while it...

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How to Start Your Own Online Book Business: Chapter Three

Well, I've told you how I got started in the online used book business, and I've told you where to find your inventory. So in this chapter, I'll tell you what to expect, as far as inventory turnover, how to grade your books, and why it's so important to grade your books properly.First, don't expect that you will sell every book in your inventory immediately. You won't. You may buy 50 books, sell 10 the very first day they're listed, 5 the next day, 5 a week out, another 5 two weeks out, and the rest one-by-one over the next six months. You are establishing a rotating inventory of books. The size of that inventory is up to you, and depends...

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HAPPY EASTER!

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I'm a Professional Mom

I was surfing the Net and came across a 2004 Harris Poll about what Americans see as the most prestigious occupations. The two occupations that were seen to have the greatest prestige were doctor and scientist, followed by firemen, teachers, military officers, nurses, and police officers. The occupations garnering the least prestige were real estate agents, stockbrokers, accountants, journalists, bankers, actors, union leaders, lawyers, and in dead last place, business executives.Oddly, the results demonstrated that job prestige - in the eyes of Americans - didn't depend upon money or celebrity. The Harris Poll demonstrated that prestige was...

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Cool Sites O' the Day

I have to share some other great sites I've come across. First is Bakespace.com. It's a place to talk food and swap recipes. I've already found some recipes I can't wait to try. You can make your own cookbook and keep it in your kitchen. You can share your recipes with others. Or you can hang out in the pantry, where other food-minded individuals hang out. It's a great "social-networking site for people passionate about food." And who's not passionate about food?If you're particularly fond of cupcakes, I love 52 Cupcakes. Right now, there's a recipe for Chocolate Chip Cookie and Brownie Cupcakes. It's the best of three worlds. Cookies,...

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Read All About It: Cars

Even though as a telecommuting mom, I don't put as many miles on my car as someone who travels to and from work each day, car upkeep and repair is something I need to know more about. I have to make my nearly antique Volvo last as long as possible. And so I was excited to come across AskPatty.com, a site specializing in automotive advice for women. You can request advice via e-mail, search for a new or used car, or just read up on car upkeep or repair in general. It's a great si...

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