Attempt one FAILED...Moving on...

The flu came rushing through our house and now that everyone has had their turn at being sick it's time to get back to a normal schedule! (Thank goodness!) I missed out on half of the month and half of my goal for organizing the house, so now I am really getting down to business! So here are a few posts all wrapped into one:

1. The first thing that I did was went through the house and cleaned it. I washed walls, baseboards, light fixtures, blinds, did all of the laundry, EVERYTHING! I felt that if I was going to tear apart the house and put it all back together, it should probably be clean to begin with.

2. My next step was to get rid of things that we don't use or want anymore. Last month, right before Christmas, my wonderful Husband purged all of the broken items. (So luckily I didn't have to do much of that). I boxed up everything that we had too many of or just plain didn't use and I am planning on having a garage sale once the weather is bearable here. (If you price as you go, a garage sale is cake later. Might as well do it now instead of having to go through it all again right?). This one was hard because I tend to find things and think I will use it, but I forced myself to get rid of it if I didn't use it in the last year.

3. The next task (that I am still working on) is to go through everything that we have stored. We plan to move at least one more time in our lives and I have moved these storage items from house to house, only to put it back into storage. So, what's the point in keeping it? A lot of what I have kept are baby clothes and while I am not ready to part with all of it, I realized that I can part with A LOT of it and still have PLENTY for our 7 month old and #4 (we just found out that we are expecting again...YAY! =D).

This is as far as I have gotten so far, and I will try to update more regularly as well. The BEST place to find organizing tips is Pinterest! (oh so addicting)! This is what sparked the cleaning and organizing and I definitely plan to use some of the ideas from there. Thanks for putting up with my lack of posting...more to come. I PROMISE! =D

Love,
Susan

Happy New Year.....2013, Here we come!

HAPPY NEW YEAR! I don't know about you, but I am ready to pack up 2012 and run full speed ahead into 2013! Everyone always has high hopes when they make their New Year's Resolutions (me included), but rarely stick to them....So, my first resolution is to stick to all of my resolutions! Every year I resolve to do something that I have put off, to be something that I think I should be (or to not be something that I shouldn't be), to do this, do that and I always fail! I sat down and reflected on why I always fail and I came to the conclusion that it is because they are empty resolutions. They don't mean enough to me to follow through with, so this year I am making those that resolutions that mean something to me and to my family. So here goes:

1. To be a better wife, mom, daughter and friend. 
         ^--To be quite honest, if this is the ONLY resolution that I stick to this year I will be more than happy.
2. To be more efficient. 
       ^--#1 and #2 are really tied together. In order for me to be a better mom and wife, I need to step up my efficiency and organization.
3. To loose the baby weight.
   ^--Yes, I know, cliche! But, its an honest goal. I know that I will feel better all around and it doesn't hurt to want to look good for the hubs. =D

To kick off my resolutions, and the real reason for this post, I will start by organizing my house day by day, room by room. I will post before and after pictures and day by day progress for those who want to follow along and do the same with their homes! So stay tuned for Susan's version of "30 Days to an Organized (AND FUNCTIONAL) Home!"

                I hope everyone has a safe holiday and a fun night!!


(Photo Credit:  http://marian16rox.tumblr.com/post/9437391488 )

--Susan

Making Money From Home!

Making money from home…YES! it is possible to make money from home without spending a lot! (But please do your homework before jumping into a contract or sending anyone money, there are unfortunately A LOT of scams out there! =( ). I have heard several people over the last few weeks talking about money (or the lack thereof) and wondering how they could bring in an income without having to go to work and worry about day care (which is outrageous). Here are a few different ideas and sources that I have compiled, but don’t stop with just what’s here. Make this a starting point because there are literally THOUSANDS of ideas and options out there!!

1.       Direct Marketing (Don’t let these two words scare you!) I know that direct marketing has been given a bad name by companies who have done the pyramid scheme, but they are not all like that I promise! (This is where doing homework comes in handy. Be sure that you are not signing up for a company who is not ethical and a “fly by night” type of company). There are tons of different options out there, so be sure to pick something that you truly enjoy and can stand beside. The biggest part of direct marketing is believing in the product you are selling, otherwise you probably won’t make much (people can see when you are selling something that you are skeptical about). I am an independent consultant of Arbonne International and I absolutely LOVE it! If you want more info please feel free to contact me, I would love to help others get started and make some extra money! Opal is an Independent Consultant of Pampered Chef and this is right up her alley! She is an amazing cook, so having a job that she can cook for others and show them all the cool kitchen stuff out there is awesome. I am sure that she would love to help others get started with it too, so definitely don’t hesitate to contact her!! (Okay shameless promotions are done now LOL).

2.      Surveys and Product testing. YES! YOU CAN MAKE MONEY DOING THIS!! There are a lot of companies out there that will pay you to take surveys about products that you have tried, everyday things that make life easier (or sometimes harder), and even products that they send to you to test. (And you usually get to keep the item, so it’s a double bonus!)

3.      Offer a service! Are you fantastic at organizing and cleaning? Have a lot of time after the hubby gets home from work or on the weekends? Have days to yourself while the kids are at school? Offer a service to someone else and make some extra cash! Offer house cleaning services, errand services, grocery shopping services, etc. to those who may not have the time to do this for themselves. (Please, please, please be very careful not to put yourself in a situation that could be dangerous or illegal! Make sure that whatever you are doing that you exercises caution and common sense. Don’t forget to make sure that you are also compliant with tax laws. I don’t want to misguide anyone here =D).

4.      A second job? If you are looking for a second job that will work around your current schedule and will give you pretty quick money, why not look at the service industry? Waitressing is a great way to earn some money on the side and be able to work part time. You usually make pretty nice tips as well, so that could help bridge the gap in-between paydays.

5.      Make something and sell it! Not everyone is great at making everything. There are people out there who absolutely suck at sewing (like me!) and in turn, they avoid doing it all costs! You have an advantage if you are at all creative, you can make stuff at your own leisure and sell it on sites like EBay and Etsy. Signing up for an Etsy account is pretty easy and painless. They ask for your information and you get to pick your store name and can sell just about anything you can think of. (Just be sure to review their policies before you list something that might be questionable. You don’t want them to ban you because of an honest mistake!) J and I started our own Etsy store and I LOVE it. We can craft together and I list it. When something sells we package it up together and mail it right out. Each listing is only 20 cents (so you are out only pennies if it doesn’t sell) and the listing is valid for 4 months! That’s amazing!

6.      Ad space. Do you drive a lot? Why not sell ad space on your car? Companies will actually pay you to drive! This would be ideal if you have a long commute, are always driving the carpool or are just out and about a lot. Be sure to read and understand all of the information set forth by the company before signing any contracts though. Make sure that if there is a minimum mileage or any extra requirements of you that it is understood.

7.      Start a daycare or babysitting service! Are you home all day and love kids? Offer to watch someone else’s kids while they go to work. (Disclaimer once again! LOL Make sure that you are following all applicable state and local laws regarding daycare services. Some states make you go through a certification process to watch a certain amount of kids.) This might be a great way to make some extra money from home though, while also giving your kids a play buddy! The going rate for daycare is pretty high, so it could be very lucrative. Just make sure that you absolutely love kids and are capable of taking care of the kiddos, quality child care is of the upmost importance!

I hope that at least one or two of these ideas helps out, and like I said don’t limit yourself with this list. Use it as a starting point; there are TONS of options out there! =D

Susan