Did You Ever See Something That Just Made So Much Sense?

I've held so many jobs in my life that my complete resume has become more of a coffee table book.  LOL  Some of the positions I've held are, housekeeper, grocery cashier, frozen foods manager, toy merchandiser, blow molding factory floor supervisor, produce manager, floral department manager, graphic designer, babysitter and a lion and tiger trainer.  That's just a portion of my jobs.

What that told me was I did not want to work for someone else, but what else could I do?  I knew others were working for themselves, Steve Jobs, Warren Buffet and Donald Trump, ok, well I'm not THAT ambitious, but others that I knew were, so I started doing what they were doing.  It went really well and I loved it.  I worked for 13 years and I was happy and doing good but it wasn't really work, I never had to ask for business so when the economy went south (in our area about 9 years ago) so did my business.  Since I never had to "Work" at it I didn't know how to make it grow, so I went back to the corporate world.  HATED IT!!  I felt terrible since I now had children I felt so sad everyday I had to leave them.

Then my dear friend invited me to come over and hear this gal talk about a business.  Now, I was right in the middle of post-partum depression and didn't have the energy or want to go but my husband reminded me that I had promised I would be there.  UGHHH!!  Talk about a guilt trip!  But it was just what I needed.  I reluctantly went and at first I was totally not going to "buy" anything but as she talked she was making some sense.  I listened further and this was actually making perfect sense to me.  The concept of residual income was exactly what I was trying to get from my last business, but the company didn't have anything in place for residual income.  I was excited, yes I said excited even with the depression.  But I remembered later that I actually heard about this before but I just didn't "SEE" it.  I was so kicking myself, how could I have not seen the potential, but I now realize even if I had started then it would not have worked for me.  I so dislike that statement, any business does not work for anyone we work for our success, but that's another post all together.  I would have fallen by the wayside like a lot of others have.

Did you ever see something that just made so much sense?

Raw Kale Chips...YUM!

Well, we are incorporating some more healthy foods in our lives and I came across this recipe and thought I'd give it a try.  I know it's a far cry from last week but we are incorporating slowly.  I think these are an acquired taste but I can't eat just one!

sunflower seeds (chopped)
1 bunch of kale
1 red, orange or yellow pepper
2 stalks of celery
juice from 1/2 lemon
1/4 c nutritional yeast
1/4 - 1/2 c tahini
seasonings you like (I use italian mixes)
2-3 T honey

Puree everything except sunflower seeds and kale.  Wash and devein kale, tear into palm size pieces.  Pour puree over kale and transfer kale to dehydrator trays, sprinkle with sunflower seeds.

These are deceptively filling but Oooooo so good!!  Maybe next week I'll share a Raw Oatmeal Cookie recipe.  Yup, Raw!!

"I'll Start My Work At Home Business As Soon As My Life Settles Down"

I said that to myself over 3 years ago and I've heard it from a lot of others. But you want to know a secret? ...My life still hasn't settled down, in fact it has gotten busier. I looked at others who had success and thought, "Wow, how do they do it? They must have help or something." When in fact they don't have help and didn't when they started their home based business. So what is their secret? They must know some magic that helps them be so successful. Of course not! But how can they be so successful?

It doesn’t matter when you start, you just have to start.  Now think of it this way, if you took on a job at a corporation you wouldn’t tell them, “Well, I have so many things going on in my life right now so I’ll let you know when I am available to work for you.”  How long do you think you would have that job?  Probably less than a minute, well the same is true for a home based business.

     Decision

     Commitment

     Be Constantly Involved

The first thing is to make the decision that this is going to be your career.  It should be a no-brainer, you will be successful because you believe you will.  You need to be 100% sold on yourself, there should be no doubt that you have that faith in yourself. 

Next comes the commitment.  If your “why” for choosing this path is strong enough then again there will be no thought about IF you are going to do this or TRY to do this. What is your why?  If its money, then think again it has to be a strong why and money is just a means to an end.

Then, be constantly involved in your business.  No action leads to fear and self doubt, the best way to squash that is activity.  Schedule your activities as if it is your job because it is.  If you treat it like a job then you will find the time to work it.  And always remember that you are the only one who can fire you.  Are you the type of employee you would hire?  If you are then you will be successful.  Build your business on a daily basis and there will be no room for fear.

These are just three observations, I know there are many more but I've learned as I went along.  It’s funny, one day I just decided that if I didn’t start building my business I never would and wouldn’t you know, I made the time. 

What do you find challenging in your business?

Fridays are Fabulous Mexican Night

Tonight we had tacos and those are probably self explanitory but the recipe I want to share is out of this world, well at least our world. 

An unnamed Chicken Recipe

3-4 Boneless skinless chicken breasts
1 can of black beans (drained)
1 can of corn (drained)
3 cups of salsa (your choice mild, medium, hot)
1 medium onion chopped

Put the above in your crock-pot cook till chicken is done.  I set it on high for about 5hrs (unless the chicken is frozen then about 6hrs)  I tend to cook things longer, so use your own judgement on length to cook it.

The chicken will have to be shredded (I take it out and use 2 forks)
Add 1 8oz. pkg. of cream cheese

Add shredded chicken and stir until the cream cheese is melted.

I serve it with Doritos or tortilla chips.  YUM!!  My kids really love this recipe.  Or take soft corn taco shells fill and put in a pan cover with cheese and bake until the cheese is melted and browned.

So what would you name this?

New Format!!

So, since my business is rocking and things are getting busier I've come up with a schedule for myself.  Let's see if I can stick with this.  I'm going to do a business blog on Mondays, on Wednesdays a Green, Eco-friendly tip blog and Fridays a Helpful Family Recipe blog.  Now since I've got this out there I feel a sense of responsibility to keep it up. 

I've read that blogs should be longer than I'm willing to spend on them.  My thought is I have a home business hence the business blog and the business is built on eco-friendly science proven products (Wednesday's blog) and Friday is a freebie.  The length will be what it will be.

What is your thought on content and length of blogs?

Want To Increase Your Profits For a Garage/Yard Sale?

So, you’ve decided to have a garage sale/yard sale and you’re expecting a profit.  But of course!  But how can you increase that profit?  I’ve come up with a few hints and tips (from past experiences) that could help out with that.

1.        Let’s start with signage.  So many times I’m driving down the road and I see a garage sale sign but it’s so small and there are so many words I can’t read it in the 2 maybe 3 seconds I have.  Poster board in color is great, but keep the color theme the same.  The words should be very bold and concise.  And please be careful where you post the signs, there are some really strict laws in some towns and cities.

2.       Curb Appeal.  I can’t tell you how many times I’ve passed a sale only to keep on going because it looked like they didn’t have a lot or it wasn’t neat looking.  Some neat full tables near the front are a good thing.  I’ve seen some people use a big sign by the road with balloons just tied to the corners of the sign, it looks very inviting. 

3.       Reasonable Prices.  Everyone is going to a garage sale to get a great deal.  That doesn’t mean things need to be given away, but putting a sentimental price on things won’t sell them.  And if you can increase the traffic at your sale the chances are better for a greater profit but not if the prices are too high that no one buys anything.

4.       An Interest for the Men.  I always see men either sitting in the car or aimlessly looking around like they are lost.  But if they see something that interests them they are more likely to stop and look and their wives are more likely to look longer if they feel comfortable and not pushed for time.

5.       Advertisement.  Now this is something I see that needs drastic improvement.  I had a relatively small sale but I put in a grand ad and I had a ton of customers.  It was so busy we couldn’t keep up at some points.  I figure that if I’m going to take the time to get everything ready I’m going to put in a huge ad.  Now some don’t want to spend the extra $10-$15 but if it’s going to pull in more people its so worth it because that’s where the increased profits come from.  A picture in your ad (or some graphic) will attract attention.  Being vague like just an address or “too much to mention” gets passed by so many times.  If you have clothing list the size range, men’s, women’s, girls, boys and list the other items you have.  It’s good to also have some big ticket items, even if they are not yours and you are selling for a relative or friend but they will call in more people.  The more you have listed the more people you can attract.

Well, those are just a few things that I’ve found extremely helpful, I hope you find some value too.

We Will MAKE the Time If Its Important Enough!

I was thinking today of how we think of our business.  Two scenarios

1.        Someone is a baseball fan and they want to TRY and make a few games in the season.

2.       Your child is in need of critical medical treatments and you “TRY”?? to get them to the doctor.

Of course the second is a no-brainer, you will make the time to get the child the medical treatment they need.  But what about our businesses?  I’ve heard so many, as I’m sure everyone in business has heard, “Oh, I’ll give it a TRY and see if it works.”  If its important to us we will MAKE THE TIME to MAKE IT WORK!  We will treat our business as if we just invested  a million dollars and are not going to lose a dime.  So are we a hobbyist who is gonna give it a try or are we a serious business builder who is GOING to succeed?

Mom is Always There...And Thank Goodness For That!

What an absolutely beautiful day for The Curwood Festival.  We went and had a wonderful pancake breakfast at the Middle School.  Boy can that boy eat!  DJ had his sausage then he had Grammie's.  Then we decided to wander thru carpetbagger's row and got some great deals.  Hello New Sunglasses!  We sat for a few minutes and watched the AirDogs.  Did you know that dogs can fly?  Then on the way to Farmer's Market is when it happened.......

My mom's cell phone rang!  Real scary, but the funny thing is it was the people at the Middle School.  They found this cell phone and decided to call "MOM".  I never put my mom's name in, just Mom.  Wow, if I didn't do that who knows what would have happened.  And I just reloaded it with an unlimited card!  Thank goodness for honest people!

My lesson learned this week:  Mom is always gonna be Mom!  And I programmed my husband in as "Husband". 

Monday, Monday...Whoops Turns Into Tuesday!

What happened to the day!  Well since my husband had the day off work things were very mixed up, schedule wise that is.  But we did manage to get the kid's room painted and put up the bunkbed, the kids seem to really like it.  My husband put the boards together for the gardens.  Feels good to have some things accomplished.

Well I managed to put up a post, not that it was Shakespeare or anything.

What I want to remember:

Our lives are a direct result of our decisions and choices we make. 

Were do I want to be?  And what choices do I need to make to get there?

"Perfection" is Never Perfect In the Eye Of The Beholder

This is a note to myself.

Others don't see the mistakes I see and if they do, they really don't mind.

Remember that whatever you do, just do it.  Don't sit back and analyze it until you don't do it!  Just do it!

Did I make my point to myself?  Ok, Monday mornings I will blog -- NO MATTER WHAT!  Even if I have absolutely nothing to say, I Will Blog! 

Ok, now back to our regularly scheduled programs! 

To Dream The Impossible Dream...

Why do I find it so hard to reach my goals or dreams?  I've read and heard so much on how to attain your dreams and goals that I came up with some questions.

What's stopping you from reaching your goals? 
What's standing in between you and your dreams?

Why not you?  Why not now?

What are you waiting for?
What are you scared of?

And the most important What do you want?  What are your goals?

Are the roadblocks truly roadblocks or just excuses to not make the changes that are necessary to reach those goals?  And if they truly are roadblocks how do you go around or thru them?  I have found that if our goals are not "excessive" that all are really attainable, but as was stated before it all starts with that first step!

The Journey of 1000 Miles Starts With...

I am a new homeschooling mom, a new home business owner, a new blogger (and really having no idea where to start or where to go with it), and also attempting to paint and redecorate the whole house.  Well, Emily came to me and asked me to get her some homework to do (on her own, no prompting), my husband painted the bathroom (still have the trim to do) and I made a phone call for my business, the first steps has been taken.  I've been told it gets easier but I want to hold myself accountable right here so I don't quit! 

*note to self*  Keep Going!  Don't Stop!
 
When it gets tough get back to the basics.  Last night I had a call to make and Emily was trying to keep DJ quiet, I heard her say, "DJ, do you want to go to Disney World?  Mama needs to make this call so we can go."  I promised the kids we would go when my business could pay for it, now I NEED to fulfill my promise.

*note to self*  Make That Next Call!  Take That Next Step!

It's The Little Things!

Today was a very good day!  The kids got to go outside and play in the water and still slide on the ice and I am now starting a new journey.  Well, several new journeys.  For the first, I've now learned how to start a blog.  I've taken a few days to get it just right but what I'm learning is that if I wait for things to be just right they will never get done.  So I've started, with whatever mistakes I make, I'll just have to learn more as I go.  But for now I've started and that is just a HUGE step for me.