Revving Up for 2012 and Laying to Rest 2011 (and 2010, 2009, etc.)
Well. Here we are 2012. Happy New Year!!
It’s definitely time to do some reflecting. regrouping. All the “re’s” – except resolutions. I gave up on those years ago. Instead of making the same old empty promises, I have spent time reviewing and retooling my goals for each year. I’ve been keeping a Vision Board for the last couple of years and even though I don’t always hit all the marks listed on it, having it above my desk everyday helps keep me on track with what I say that I want. And it helps me get honest more quickly about things that aren’t working out so well or that I’ve lost interest in.
3-Year Recap
2009 – I graduated from Hypnotherapy school and was excited about embarking on a career in helping people overcome some of their most challenging problems.
2010 – I got frustrated by the lack of results for my marketing efforts. Realizing that my hypnotherapy business was quite difficult to manage as a stay-at-home mom, I got lured in by the bright lights of blogging and Internet marketing.
2011 (part 1) – I set about creating an active online presence (blogs, Facebook, Twitter, Podcasts, etc.)
2011 (part 2) – I got burnt out from being “lost in cyber-space” and took a step back. I stopped blogging and “connecting” online for 3 and 1/2 months. This was a very good thing.
Looking Ahead
Now that I’ve had a chance to step away and gain some perspective, I can come back to blogging with a renewed (yep, another ‘re’) enthusiasm. The time away has also allowed me to realize that it’s okay to just focus on the parts of blogging that I really enjoy and the rest of it…well, let’s just say that the social media world won’t stop spinning without my participation and leave it at that.
Blogging has given me many great opportunities for fun, learning, friendships and professional development and for that I am very grateful. So as I review my Vision Board, cross off a few items and re-evaluate others, blogging for fun and creative expression as well as for work will definitely remain as one of the top things on my list.
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So what about you? What’s the good, the bad and the ugly in the past year for you? What stays and what goes for the coming year? Please share!
Strawberry Shortcake Giveaway Winner
Happy Sunday!
We’ve been having some chilly weather here in SoCal for the last few days and for
the first time in the six years I’ve lived here I actually feel like I need a coat. I guess my blood has finally thinned out. Everyone told me it would happen. The New Yorker in me has given way to the Valley Girl. When the temp. falls below 50 degrees, I’m toast (or icicles). Ah well…
Before I head off to make myself some hot chocolate, I’ve got a winner to announce:
Tiffany Hearn
Congrats Tiffany! Send me an email with your address details so I can get your prize mailed off to you ASAP and in time for the holidays!
And thanks to everyone else who participated. Enjoy the remainder of your weekend – hopefully it’s not too cold for you in your part of the world!)
Holiday Shopping Kickoff – Strawberry Shortcake Giveaway
As promised, I am excited to share some of the Strawberry Shortcake goodness from the Hollywood Hot Moms-hosted event I attended a few weeks ago at Giggles and Hugs here in Los Angeles.
Now that Black Friday is over and the first 20 people in any given store have gotten their spoils, let the real holiday shopping season frenzy begin!
The Giveaway
Strawberry Shortcake Prize Pack:
Includes a Strawberry Shortcake “Bright Lights, Big Dreams” DVD, 40 stickers, 4 charm bracelets, 4-pack of soft, scented themed toothbrushes, 2 pairs of sunglasses and a Wot Wots sampler disc which includes show episodes, a sing-along, Wot Wots ringtone and a free e-book for iPads.
How to Enter:
There are 6 possible entries available per person. Please leave a comment for each one letting me know you’ve completed each entry requirement. The comment count will be used in determining the winner:
- Subscribe to Biz Mommy
- Like Biz Mommy on Facebook
- Like this post
- Follow Biz Mommy on Twitter
- Tweet this post
- Stumble this post
Deadline for entry is Friday, December 2nd @ 11:59pm. One winner will be selected randomly by the WordPress plug-in “And the Winner Is”, on Saturday, December 3rd.
Good Luck!
A Day of Fun, Food, Family and Gratitude
Happy Thanksgiving!!
I hope you’re all out enjoying the holiday with loved ones, as well as sharing some
A feast shared lovingly with family and friends is worth the extra calories
yummy meals and seasonal treats like sweet potato pie, candied yams, stuffing and cranberry sauce. If you are, please relish every moment and every bite WITHOUT stressing about going off your diet. The joy of sharing a few decadent, delicious dishes surrounded by your family and friends is well worth falling off the wagon for just one day. And you can always make up for it by doing extra time on the treadmill tomorrow. So kick back, relax and stay firmly grounded in the precious moments today – including every scrumptious bite of the feast before you.
As far as after-dinner entertainment goes, I know football is the order of the day for many sports-centric families and that for some, heading out to see the latest Hollywood release is the annual tradition. But, in thinking about Thanksgiving activities it occurred to me that that would be a good way to promote one of my sponsors, a company that allows you to play online bingo for cash. Yes, I know you’re probably thinking that the suggestion probably sounds too “salesy” or a bit unorthodox, but given that Black Friday is just hours away, maybe it would be a good time to try something new – as long as you keep it fun, stay within your budget and don’t go overboard (and I guess the same could be said for going shopping too).
I mean, I’ve never been much of a gambler myself and I’m one of the few people I know who don’t really like Las Vegas, but I figure playing online bingo is much like playing Angry Birds and other popular online video games – except with the chance to win a little cash. And with the economic pinch that so many people are feeling, taking a chance on playing to win some money might end up paying off in a big way. You never know. Either way, it still presents the opportunity to have a little mindless fun…but again, as long as you remember to play responsibly.
Whatever your choice of recreation for today, try to stay focused on feelings of gratitude…for family, friends, food on the table and anything that you feel is good in your life, no matter how small. Making that choice today will lift your spirits and stay with you far longer than any of the wonderful meals you share.
Have a wonderful holiday weekend!!
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**I’m curious – what are your thoughts on online bingo or other types of online gambling games? Have you tried them? Are they too addictive? Would you advertise for them on your blog? Writing this post brought up an interesting dilemma for me, so I’d love to hear your thoughts on it. Thanks!
Simple Tips to Help Single Moms to Get Out of Debt
*This is a guest post from financial writer Angela Sanders of A Financial Journal.
Get out of debt more quickly with a consistent (and sensible) plan.
Are you a single mother and drowned in a sea of debts? If so, you might be wondering how you got into this state of affairs. Well, instead of wondering what made it happen, it is advisable that you start thinking of ways to get out of such a precarious situation. You could consider debt negotiation in order to settle the debts through a discussion process between you and your creditor. With this, you pay only an agreed proportion of your net debt and the creditor lets off the balance. If you are in debt, it not only affects your own financial status, but also the standard of living that you desire for your kids. So, hard as it may be, it’s important to face your debts in stead of ignoring them.
Following are a few tips to help single mothers in eliminating their debts.
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Contact your credit card companies – Call up the credit card companies with high interest rates, and let them know that you are thinking about changing to a card with low rates of interest. If they do not present you a lower interest rate, move your balance to a credit card company with lower rates of interest. Find out the maximum monthly amount that you could pay for your credit card and make the payments without delay. Also, reduce your existing line of credit. This will lessen the risk of your expenditures being more than you could afford to pay in a fixed period of time.
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Debt snowball – If you have a reasonable amount of debt, you could consider a debt snowball program to pay off your debts. This is a debt reduction process where you primarily pay the smallest debts while making least payment on bigger debts. After paying off the smallest debts you could seek to pay off the larger ones. This program helps you to eliminate your debts steadily.
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Be honest – Try to be sincere about your debts. Since your creditors have a very good memory, it’s of no use looking the other way and avoiding your debts. Study your bills and make a detailed list of the amount you owe to your creditors. Call your creditors and explain your circumstances. Try and negotiate a suitable payment plan. Do this before they call you and start harassing you with their collection activities.
There are also several non-profit organizations that help single mothers in gaining back their financial freedom. They offer several programs to educate single mothers on how to manage their finances and how to breathe within their financial plan. Debts could make life miserable, and when you are a single mom it makes your existence more stressful and complicated. Consider the above tips on debt relief and liberate yourself from the clutches of financial obligation.
The Meaning of Life and Strawberry Shortcake
I routinely feel the urge to “drop out” and go raise my family somewhere in a quaint
rural farming community or to drag them along with me as I join the Peace Corps, go off to find the meaning of life and save the world, one volunteer project at a time.
But then I think, “I’d miss all the fabulous online Giveaways, though!”
Okay, no, that’s not really what I think, but I bet you thought I was going in another direction with that beginning didn’t you? Well, truthfully, I was. But as is often the case, I got called away by kids/chores/errands/mini-crisis, take your pick. Of course, by the time I finally made it back to this spot (over a week later), I had no idea where I was going with those initial thoughts.
But we make lemonade and keep rolling right along, right? So instead of racking my brain trying to remember what was going on in my head on that particular day, I thought I’d shift focus to another day that is very easy to remember because it was so much fun, especially for the kiddies. And it’s all about the kiddies!
My girls and I happily joined the MomsLA bunch for some fruity fun with Strawberry Shortcake at an event sponsored by American Greetings. It was held at L.A.’s Giggles & Hugs, which my kids DO NOT even need an excuse to go visit – it’s one of their favorite places to play. We hadn’t yet been to it’s fabulous new location in the Century City Westfield mall, so it was great to head over there, see the new digs and join in on all the fun.
And fun it was! Face painting, a dance floor, yummy food, cotton candy and pink lemonade – my girls were in heaven. Of course, the day wouldn’t have been complete without an appearance by Miss Strawberry Shortcake herself. She did not disappoint and the kids loved it. She even brought along some of her friends, The Wot Wots and a brand new character, Cherry Jam!
Yep, good times. (My fellow moms, and especially bloggers, can certainly sense the tongue-in-cheekiness of that statement).
But seriously, I am in love with anything that puts a smile on my kids’ faces and watching them enjoy all the Strawberry pinkalicious-ness that Natalie and Ciaran of Hollywood Hot Moms put together for this event was pure joy for me.
I could go on, but, “why?” you’d probably ask. Instead, I’d rather share not one, but two super cool things with you before I go (yes, I said “super-cool”. I’m old.):
- I have two EXCLUSIVE coloring pages to share with you, that were only given to bloggers who attended the Strawberry Shortcake event…and now to you too! Download the pages here: Exclusive Coloring Page _ Cherry Jam and here: Exclusive Coloring Page _ SS and Cherry Jam. Enjoy!
- I love to share pics, so here’s a few lovely photos from the event:
3. Yes, I know I said I had only 2 super cool things, but, remember the aforementioned Giveaways? We can’t forget those!! Although I won’t share all the details in this post (which is why it’s not really a #3), BUT, of course I can’t go to an event without sharing some swag with my lovely readers!! So stay tuned…and in a week or so I’ll give you all the info you need to get in on the goods. Promise!
In the meantime, enjoy your long Veteran’s day holiday weekend…and don’t pass up any chance you might get to hug a soldier and thank him or her for their honorable service to our country.
If your kids love Strawberry Shortcake (like mine do), tune into the new season of Strawberry Shortcake’s Berry Bitty Adventures on the Hub TV Network on Saturdays at 9a.m., ET.
Get REAL and Win Money for Your Child’s School
As I write this I am exhausted. Not necessarily physically (although there is a bit of that too), but mostly I’m mentally worn out from having yet another
discussion with parents at my daughter’s school about the frustration we feel over the threat of more budget cuts to some of our school’s programs.
My kids just started going to a new school, mainly because we wanted them to be bilingual and the school they were previously attending didn’t offer a language program. We really love the new school and we were fortunate that both our kindergartner and second-grader went through a relatively smooth transition to new surroundings, new teachers and new friends.
But apparently, as far as school budget cuts go, the conversations are far from new. It seems no California school or academic program goes untouched. We are lucky at our school to have heavy parent involvement and numerous community fundraisers that take up the slack for what’s lacking in state funding, but there are many district schools and under-privileged communities that aren’t so lucky.
Because of those under-funded and under-served schools, and on behalf of all the very worthy programs that should absolutely be continued but are in danger of being on the chopping block, I am more than happy to spread the word about a new program that is being sponsored by the California Milk Board. This program, the “Real Seal Appeal” will be awarding California schools up to $2 million in cash, books and prizes.
Even if your school has not (yet) felt the sting of slashed funding, if you live in Southern California, chances are you personally know someone’s school that has. This is a great opportunity to possibly make a huge difference in the quality of education at your child’s school, so, get involved for yourself and your own school district’s sake or spread the word on behalf of someone else’s. Here are the details:
Real California Milk is Supporting California Schools by Launching the Real Seal Appeal Program
From October 1, 2011-December 31, 2011, The California Milk Advisory Board in conjunction with Scholastic, will be challenging Southern California elementary classrooms, schools and students to collect Real California milk and cheese seals for a chance to win up to $2 million in cash, books and other prizes. Families can participate by collecting Real California Milk seals from milk and dairy products and turning them in to their teachers. Each seal acts as a sweepstakes entry – the more seals collected and turned in, the more chances your child’s classroom (and school) has to win.
Real California Milk invites everyone to participate in building better schools and healthier, stronger bodies and minds. Parents and kids work together to clip and save seals from any Real California Milk product. Thereafter, they turn the seals into their teachers; the teachers then turn in the seals for the chance to win cash and prizes.
Participating elementary schools in the following counties are eligible to enter: Imperial, Kern, Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside, San Bernardino, San Diego, San Luis Obispo, Santa Barbara and Ventura.
Prizes
- Grand Prize: 3 winning schools will receive $20,000 plus a Wii Fit™ game for every child in classroom (up to 50)
- 2nd Place: 3 winning schools will receive $10,000 plus a Wii Fit™ game for every child in classroom (up to 50)
- 3rd Place: 3 winning schools will receive $5,000 plus a Wii Fit™ game for every child in classroom (up to 50)
- Runner Ups: 2,595 winning schools will receive $500 prize
What You Should Do
Halloween is Here: Keep it Fun AND Safe!
Happy Halloween!
If your kids are anything like mine, even though they’ve already worn their costumes about 14 times already, they are still jumping out of their skin waiting for the “official” wearing during trick-or-treating festivities tonight.
Although a lot of Halloween fun and shenanigans are focused outside the home for many people and there’s always talk of keeping your kids safe while they’re out hunting for candy, I thought today might an be appropriate time to reinforce some important home safety practices as well.
Thanks to Home Security Family for sharing some of their professional wisdom:
Any mother’s primary concern in the home is to keep her children safe at all costs. Of course, this is not news to any mother, and much of what is necessary in keeping children safe comes instinctively. However, there is always more that you can learn about making sure that your home is a secure environment. Home Security is a broad concept that involves a number of different considerations. There is much that you can do on your own to enhance your home’s safety, but also much that you can gain from signing up with a professional home security company. So, here are a few important home security tips for mothers.
To begin with, while it may seem a bit obvious to some, it is quite necessary to teach your children some of the basic concepts that by now you probably consider common sense. For example, you should definitely instill in your children at an early age that they should never open the door for strangers, and that they should make sure doors and windows are locked at night. It can also help to teach them to leave a few lights on when no one is home, and other similar practices. All of these tips will help your children to gain understanding about some of the basic elements of keeping your home safe, which is obviously extremely important on a day like Halloween, with a higher number of strangers than usual lurking about the neighborhood.
A couple of Halloween-specific tips are to make sure that kids know not to leave the front door unattended while they go get candy for trick-or-treater’s baskets and also that they should never allow even the sweetest-looking bell-ringers inside the house, as they may not realize who is trailing right behind them.
Additionally, for the good of your family, you will want to look into advanced, professional home security. A professional company can equip your home with all kinds of extremely valuable home security tools. For example, you can install protective devices like house alarms and motion detectors in order to guard you against home invaders. In fact, you will even gain access to advertisement warnings, such as window decals and yard signs, which will keep criminals away by demonstrating that you and your home are professionally protected. Ultimately, a professional security company can help to make your home a very unattractive option for criminals.
While you do not, of course, need to go out and purchase every single piece of security equipment you can find, some of the options listed above are examples of the type of protection that a professional company can offer you. It is important to consider these options and work out the best possible system for protecting your home and family. If you instill a sense of basic security measures in your children and also keep your security system up-to-date, your home will be the safe environment that your children deserve it to be.
So, all that being said, make sure you’ve got home (and outdoor) security always on your radar, but do also remember that today is about fun! Now go out and enjoy all the tricks and treats of the day.
Oh, but before you do, check out some terrific Halloween posts (and one on Dia de los Muertos with some awesome pics!) from a few of my fellow MomsLA bloggers:
Celebrating Dia De Muertos {Day of the Dead}
Have a great and SPOOKY Halloween!
What Was I Talking About? Oh, Right. Work at Home Distractions
I’m on a writing deadline. I need to have a series of three 500-word articles by Friday. It’s Wednesday and have I written a single word yet? If you guessed
no….ding, ding, ding, ding, ding, for the win!!
I have distraction problems. And this time I can’t blame the kiddos, because they’re at school right now. Nope, it’s just me and my propensity to pay attention to every single other thing in the room (or on the computer) that needs to be done other than the necessary work at hand.
And it’s not that I don’t love what I do. I really enjoy the writing process…it’s just that well, so many other things seem so important in the moment. I know this might sound weird, but part of me thinks it’s sort of like leaving the thing you really want to do until the very last second, because the leading up to doing it is kind of exciting – the whole “anticipation is making me wait” sorta thing.
But luckily I have a secret weapon: my husband. Bless his heart, he knows his wife. He kindly offered to take the kids to school this morning so that I could get to work on these articles. And here I sit blogging. I told you.
Okay, lest his generosity go to waste, I will get to writing! (and thank you, honey, for sometimes knowing exactly what’s necessary to hold it down at home!)
Have a FANTASTIC day!
Lunchtime Date with Yoplait for a Good Cause
Hey everyone,
It’s a rainy, gray day here in Southern California so the morning rush was particularly challenging. The kids in my daughters’ school all gather in the
cafeteria when it rains instead of going out into the schoolyard to wait for the morning bell. And, let me just say that the cafeteria is very, very small…but there are a lotta, lotta kids. So drop-off was super-fun working my way through that crowd! My 2nd grader’s poor teacher looked like she wanted to run away with me as I left. Being stuck inside all day with 25 stir-crazy 7 year olds? The woman is a saint.
Anyway. Just wanted to give you all a heads up about Yoplait’s “Save Lids to Save Lives” campaign if you haven’t already heard about it. If you have heard about it, you may already be saving your yogurt lids, but if you want to learn more about preventative things you can do and get a chance redeem your lids, there’s a cool event I wanted to share with you and it’s happening today.
Join Yoplait, celebrity breast cancer surgeon, Dr. Kristi Funk and breast cancer survivor and Komen Los Angeles volunteer, Annette Reid to hear how you can take important steps to help reduce your risk and support women in your community fighting the disease.
They will participating in a LIVE Lunchtime Facebook Chat, at 3pm (Eastern time / 12pm Pacific) today.
Here’s a little background on the guests:
Annette Reid:
Having a family history of breast cancer, Annette was always overly cautious about self-exams, regular screening, eating healthy and exercising. Thanks to early detection, Annette’s breast cancer was caught early and successfully treated. The 9-year breast cancer survivor has turned her fight into inspiration to help other women in LA through her work with Susan G. Komen for the Cure Los Angeles.
Dr. Kristi Funk:
Dr. Funk is a nationally known, board-certified, breast cancer surgeon and founder of the Pink Lotus Breast Center, a comprehensive and integrative breast center exclusively dedicated to the prevention, screening, diagnosis and treatment of breast cancer. Dr. Funk has helped thousands of women through breast cancer treatment, including well-known celebrities like Sheryl Crow, who have turned to her for her expertise.
They will also be taking questions beforehand to address during the chat. If you have something you’d like discussed, send your questions to: Yoplait@coneinc.com.
If you do attend the webcast, be sure to come back and let me know your thoughts in the comments. Thanks!
Join the Chat Here: Yoplait’s LIVE Lunchtime Chat on Facebook
