READER POLL: WHAT WILL YOU BE DOING FOR HALLOWEEN? Thoughts for Thursday

Ok, so aside from posting Deals, Freebies & other finds, I haven't really written much lately. Or should I say "typed" much? I feel like a kid trying to explain why I didn't turn my homework in...and I really have no explanation!

Life has not been any crazier than usual...in my household, "normal" life & "normal" schedules don't exist anyways! So, nothing new there! After so many years of working from home and my children getting older, they are finally learning that when I'm in my office, I'm not just playing on the computer!

I have put more effort lately into the balancing act though. Walking away from the computer and leaving the room completely solves that! There is so much waiting for me throughout the rest of the house at all times, as I'm sure is true for all of you, as well.

You haven't seen me going crazy with Halloween posts and talk about decorating or baking,etc., because personally, we don't "celebrate" Halloween in the same sense that we celebrate other Holidays. Halloween is more of a man-made holiday and while it's fun for the kids to dress up and of course get candy & goodies, that's about the extent we do in our household. Most of our local churches will hold a sort of Fall Festival, as an alternative to public trick or treating, which usually turns out to last longer and be more fun in the end. And they won't go to bed with nightmares like many other Halloween events!

So, what about you? Do you decorate for Halloween in the same way you do Christmas and other Holidays? Will your kids dress up and trick or treat or attend some other type of event? Inquiring minds want to know...especially since I am apparantly suffering from writers block (shall we call it "typers block" ?)

Leave us a comment and let us know!

Thoughts for Thursday - Recycling Plastic Bags and using Recycle Totes

I have never been one to jump on any bandwagon, take any major political stand or the like. So it's a HUGE surprise that over the past few monthes I have become very insistant on using Recycle Bags when shopping. Those PILES AND PILES of plastic bags under my kitchen sink, overflowed and made their way into even more and more piles in my pantry. And I'd finally had it! ENOUGH is ENOUGH!

Now I'm just talking about 1 households plastic bag accumulation. Can you really imagine the millions or likely billions that end up in our landfills, or blowing with the wind into natural areas and cause problems for wildlife, not to mention just plain ugliness that takes way too many years to degrate? Did you know that nearly 1 trillion plastic bags are used every year and that an average family throws away approx. 1,500 plastic trash bags per year! For whatever reason, this is one of those "controversial" issues that has really hit home with me and I feel the need and more likely, the duty, to do my part to keep this process from continuing.

Most stores now have their own Recycle Totes available for purchase. Some even PAY YOU to use them!(CVS Green Bag Tag $1 every 4th scan/trip and Target gives 5cent discount for every recycle bag you use!)They are also usually pretty cheap at about 50cent to $1 per bag. The average Recycle Tote holds 2 to 3 times as many items as a plastic bag, and even better than that, there's no risk of it ripping and breaking or ruining whatever is inside! Can you say busted milk or 2 liters? That happened to me one too many times, even with doubled plastics.

Recently, at a trip to our local Merita bread store, I noticed their sign that they are now charging 3cents for each plastic bag you use! Some states have now banned the use altogether...so I really think I'm just one step ahead of the game! I foresee in the very near future that all stores will either not offer plastic or will charge for it, to discourage it's use.

Maybe it's really a sign that I'm getting older...I don't know, but I know that feel the responsibility now and won't turn back. If that's the case, then here's the contradiction to that thought....the designs are so cute on the Recycle Totes now that it's almost become an obsession to have them! I have one that I even carry just because it is so cute! And when my 18 year old daughter saw one, she had to have one too! CVS just redesigned some of theirs and though I already had tons of the Green Bags, I just had to grab one of the new Black ones with the Green recycle designs on it ( I had a coupon for half-off, too, of course!)

So, is it catching on with any of you? I would really like to know if you are utilizing the cute Recycle Totes and rejoicing over the non-clumped pile of plastics, or are you still using the plastic bags? Please post and share! Inquiring minds want to know :)

Thoughts for Thursday - Money Matters & Quotes

"Debt is dumb. Cash is king." - Dave Ramsey

"This would be a much better world if more married couples were as deeply in love as they are in debt." - Earl Wilson

"The amount of money you have has got nothing to do with what you earn.. people earning a million dollars a year can have no money and.. People earning $35,000 a year can be quite well off. It's not what you earn, it's what you spend." - Paul Clitheroe

"Make money your god and it will plague you like the devil." - Henry Fielding

"Never spend your money before you have it" - Thomas Jefferson

{{ 1 Timothy 6:10 }}
"For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs."

{{ Proverbs 22:7 }}
"The rich rule over the poor, and the borrower is servant to the lender."



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Thoughts for Thursday - Tips for Selling On Ebay

"There are no secrets to success. It is the result of preparation, hard work, and learning from failure.” - Colin Powell

This is one of my favorite quotes and it is so true! I get so many emails about the various ways I make money from home and questions and tips for how to do this and be succesful, so I thought this quote was fitting for todays Thoughts for Thursday post!

There really are no secrets to success. In my own opionion, whatever it is that you are pursuing, whether that be a real world job, career, lifestyle or what have you, there is only one main "tip" I can really think of to reply with that sums it all up. And that is......drumroll please....hehe

Only pursue and do what you are passionate about! Your life experience lends to this. The number one advice I am asked for is how to list and sell on ebay. I do very well on ebay and have for many years now. Why am I "successful" with it? How can you? Well, it's a combination of many things.

Number one being my love for "resale" (i.e., thrift store finds, used items, deals, etc.)If you are not passionate about a "product" then you will most likely not do well trying to motivate others about it. For me, it's gently used items, whether they are clothes, shoes, household decor, anything really. I was very spoiled once in life and was all about "labels", brand names, etc. So my target is always gently used brand name items. In my years of raising babies, I learned to budget and make our family work on one income. That meant shopping thrift stores, yard sales, etc. Out of that necessity then, it grew into a lifestyle where I wouldn't go back to paying full retail for something if you paid me! I get excited when I find a deal on something that I know is worth more! So naturally, when I first began to purchase things that were not for myself, but were actually for resale, I purchased items that I would buy myself and listed them at the price that I would pay for them and still consider to be a great deal. I was an avid yard sale, flea market, thrift store and yes, even trash by the side of the road shopper, even before I started acquiring those items with the intention of selling them. So basically, it boils down to having been that customer that I'm now targeting. (Actually I still am!)Knowing exactly what they want, what they will pay for it, etc.

Secondly, whatever venture you pursue will most likely require some sort of business sense and/or customer service skills. No matter how small the venture, if you conduct yourself and present yourself and your business on that level, then you gain the trust and respect in order to gain the business. When you continue in that way, then you gain the loyalty of your customers and your customer base builds. Ebay is a great one for that because of the feedback system and most buyers do check it before they buy!

Even if you are a stay at home mom, just trying to sell a few items on ebay that your kids have outgrown...your customer doesn't have to know that by looking at your listing! In other words...it doesn't have to appear that while you were in your pajamas and the kids were running around the house driving you crazy, you threw some of their old clothes onto an ebay listing! Your listing should cover all the basics about the item and leave out personal details. For instance, a more "professional" styled listing of a used item will describe the item in detail, list any flaws and the statement that the item is gently used or pre-owned. The business will state the terms for payment (amount of time before item needs to be paid for), shipping details, return policy and any other information about the auction terms or details. A listing in this way appeals more to most people than a listing that has one line of text like: "This is a pair of shoes I bought last year and only wore a few times" and one photo. Instead of: "Up for auction is this pair of Ladies XYZ brand shoes,size 8, Black, with a 3 inch heel. They have a gold buckle across the toe and an elastic strap around the heel. These heels would be perfect for a night out on the town or a special occasion. The soft leather and brand XYZ assures you of the quality..etc.,etc.etc...."

The other big tip and most often made mistake for new sellers on ebay is the "Title" of your auction. Most will just put "Black Heels" or something vague like that. Your title is the only way that buyers will find your item. So you have to think about what someone might type into the "Search" field to find your item. Example: Ladies Black Heels Size 8 or Ladies Black Leather Patton Heels Size 8.You want to be as descriptive as you can with the item specifics, even if it doesn't make sense as a sentence, it's basically one line of "keywords" in order for your item to be pulled up in a search. So study your item and be very descriptive. Do your own search for similar items and see what other sellers are using to describe similar items. Research is a very good thing.

I hope that these few tips are helpful to some of you that have an interest in making extra money with ebay. It's never a get rich quick, it will take some time and effort to create a listing style for yourself (that you want to maintain with all listings) but in my years of ebay as a buyer and a seller, I know that it is crucial if you would like to make it a regular money maker.

I plan to share much more on this topic in hopes to help those of you that are trying to break into the ebay world. I'm letting the questions you all email me, to guide in what's the most needed info:)

Next topics :
Why I don't sell/list for other people (?!?)
How much do I start my listing at? What's a reserve & how does that work?
But I paid $250 for it, I can't start the listing so low!! (This will be a good one !)

And a final Thought for Thursday:

“If you are going to achieve excellence in big things, you develop the habit in little matters. Excellence is not an exception, it is a prevailing attitude.” - Colin Powell


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Thoughts for Thursday - Randomness

Thoughts for Thursday...from the random racings of my brain:) I've had a lot going on lately. In no particular order from the randomness of what runs through my brain and keeps me awake all crazy hours of the night! From learning I need to have a minor surgery, to my husband's company closing the doors, searching obsessively again for my birthmother, planning to remodel my laundry room and a few other "creative" chores around the house, knowing that our heat is running constantly($$$) and the house is not getting any warmer, wondering if we will buy our house in June as planned, wondering why I can never seem to mark everything off my to-do lists, need to call the executor of the estate of the guy that backed into my brand new car with his golf cart and on and on and on.....LOL...crazy how we can have so many things going on at once!

So here's to randomness:) My Thoughts for Thursday!

It costs Nothing to Dream and Everything Not To

However motherhood comes to you, it's a miracle.

Stop telling God how big your storm is -
Instead tell your storm how big your GOD is.

To be ignorant of what happened before you were born is to forever be a child.

I know God won't give me anything I can't handle.
I just wish he didn't trust me so much --- Mother Teresa

And in the end, it's not the years in your life that count. It's the life in your years --- Abraham Lincoln

I'm going to live life or die trying

Knowing which way to turn gives you self confidence. Taking a chance and going the opposite way gives you a chance to see what you are made of.

There are two types of people - those who come into a room and say, "Well, here I am," and those who come into a room and say, "Ah, there you are."

Silent gratitude isn't much use to anyone.

Success is to be measured not so much by the position that one has reached in life as by the obstacles which he has overcome while trying to succeed --- Booker T. Washington

Happiness is not getting what you want, it's wanting what you've got.

Life is what happens to you while you're busy making other plans
You have the right to remain silent. Anything you say will be misquoted and used against you!

Some people walk in the rain, others just get wet

All those who believe in telekinesis, raise my hand.

If you can't fix it with duck tape you haven't used enough

You say physco like it's a bad thing

The only reason that I talk to myself is because that I'm the only one whose answers I accept

Anger is a condition in which the tongue works faster than the mind.

There will come a time when you believe everything is finished. That will be the beginning.


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Thoughts for Thursday - About Me

So who is this person constantly posting all this stuff? If you don't know me, here are some of my thoughts of who I am and how I got here :)

I am a 30 something wife to one, mom to 3 and GRANDmom to 1.

My children are now 9, 14 and 18. (Wow! That really makes me feel old!)

I was married (the first time around) in 1994 (at the too young age of 20)and was blessed to be a stay at home mom and raise my children full time while they were babies. I feel very fortunate that I had those early years - from 1995 through 2008 without the added stress of having to work, put them in daycares, etc. Of course, being home 24/7 comes with it's own added stresses and I remember the times when it got overwhelming...no adult conversations, (seemingly) unrewarded efforts, day in and day out of laundry, meal planning, diaper changing and household cleaning!

I learned to make my own "getaway" at home. I took that time to become an avid flower gardener and landscaper. The minute they went down for a nap, I was in the yard! I practiced and played with home decor, faux painting and anything and everything that had to do with making "home" a better place to be! I became a queen of "trash to treasure", literally! I was always hunting for things to give new life to and beautify my surroundings(without much $) After all, it was my world !

One of the things I am most grateful for is having learned how to live on one income, just as happily as most people live on two incomes! From coupons and deals to yard sales, flea markets and thrift shops, I learned not only how to SAVE money, but how to MAKE money. I "recycled" all the kids clothes in consigment stores where I used that money to purchase what else they needed. Since consignment means giving up at least 50% of the sale amount, I eventually taught myself how to sell on ebay. Once that happened, it was all over! No longer was I just "recycling" our own household items, I was on a mad hunt for more things I could make some extra $ with ! My love for that lead me to rent a monthly booth at a local flea market and on and on and on....

Without spilling my entire life on the internet, let me just say that I went through a divorce in 2005. Thankfully, having not worked a "real job" for 12 years, I was able to "make it" for another 3 years providing for myself and my 3 children. In 2008, I decided to get a part time job, to help pay the bills and honestly, to get me out of the house. My children were now at the age where not only did they not need me holding their hand anymore, they really didn't want me to either! (That's another blog post...we'll dive into that some other time!)

And now it's 2010 !!! Where does the time go? My little part time job, turned into a full time Management position. Somehow, everything I ever do I'm either ALL or NOTHING ! I guess that's a good thing, but it is honestly never intended! It just kind of works out that way. I also did something I never imagined I would do again...I got married in 2009! I have the most understanding, sincere, honest and open-hearted husband. He is the real deal, and I am grateful that our paths crossed and changed both of our lives forever.

Ok, back to 2010 !!

I recently posted about a huge disappointment with a promotion I had been promised for 3 monthes that fell through....and that has vividly reminded me of the major downsides to being someone else's employee.

Just in time for the new year, I've taken that disappointment as another nudge to reallign my priorities and remember that for me, it has ALWAYS been the Quality of life that I loved and NOT the Quantity of it. The stress of working full time, juggling 3 kids, laundry, housework and all that being a mom involves (no matter how old they get!) And to reinforce that even more, I just found out that I have to have some minor surgery within the next 2 weeks. Nothing major, but it will require at least a month of being at home to recoop and I will not be able to work for at least a month. Now if all these things coinciding at once is not a loud and clear signal to me, then I wouldn't know one if it hit me in the forehead!

So, here's to my blog....to spending more time at home doing what I love and what keeps me stress-free. Being able to be there when my kids get out of school.... Being able to eat lunch with them at school whenever they ask...picking them up instead of making them ride the bus, having a clean house, catching up on laundry, taking a nap when I want, spending the entire day in my robe-just because I can! And many more "little" things that keep peace in my life.

As spoken by Sandra Bullock in "Hope Floats"....

"Beginnings are scary, endings are usually sad...it's the middle that counts the most..."



My beautiful children & Grandbaby


Then:







And NOW ! ( +1 !)






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Thoughts for Thursday

I LOVE words...does that sound weird? I have always loved and collected things in my kitchen that have labels, ( i.e., canisters that say coffee, tea, sugar, flour, cookies, etc.) Photo frames with words and sayings and I've even graduated to applying the vinyl wall lettering to walls. Most recently was one in our Master Bedroom that says "Always Kiss Me Goodnight" in a beautiful Calligraphy script. So, it's no surprise that magnets, T shirts and other items with sayings always catch my eye! Just to share a few things that might give you a little more insight into me, I've started compiling a few of my favorites! Some thought provoking, some sentimental, some silly and maybe some just plain stupid! If you have some of your own, I'd love to hear them in a comment !

Don't pray for Rain if you're gonna complain about the mud!

Be You....Everyone Else is already taken.

God is Everywhere...even at your Wits End

Dogs have owners, Cats have Staff ( one of my faves...I love my fur babies! )

I had to get rid of the kids, the cat was allergic

If my house is clean, the computer must be broken :)

Home is where your Mom is

Today is a gift. That's why it's called the present.

Beginnings are scary, endings are usually sad, but it's the middle that counts the most. ( Sandra Bullock/ "Hope Floats" )

Childhood is what you spend the rest of your life trying to overcome.

The only true wisdom is in knowing you know nothing.

I don’t know what the key to success is, but the key to failure is trying to please everyone.

The best things in life are not things.

Quitting smoking is the easiest thing in the world. I’ve done it dozens of times.

Find something you love to do and you’ll never have to work a day in your life.

We make a living by what we get, we make a life by what we give.

No sense in being pessimistic It wouldn’t work anyway.

Beat the 5 o’clock rush – Leave work at noon.

Out of my mind… Back in five minutes.

And finally 2 of my very favorites:

True love does not come by finding the perfect person, but by learning to see an imperfect person perfectly.

The thing that is really hard, and really amazing, is giving up on being perfect and beginning the work of becoming yourself.




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