Job Woes

I have been looking (halfheartedly) for a job for the last month now and my biggest concern right now is I have done nothing but sale my entire career and now, I am tired of it! I have my nursing degree but as I have said before, I hate nursing. So now what?

I am looking over the available jobs and I just can't find what I need. But then how many jobs out there have the requirements set at: Must be able to type very fast, own your own equipment and work from home. Hours from 9:30am to 11:30am. Must be able to go all day without ever dealing with another person.

Does not sound very reasonable or likely. Lots of sales and nursing positions out there and a few for fulfillment centers, not exactly what I was looking for.

So if anyone hears of a great opportunity, with at least some of the above perimeters, please let me know!

I'm Going to Be Independently Wealthy!!!

I'm Going to Be Independently Wealthy! Isn't that exciting news! Here's how I am going to do it....

First I am going to enter myself into the Miss Black America Contest.

Second I am going to sue for millions on the basis of discrimination! My case will be that I lost because I was white! After all, it is the Miss BLACK America pageant.

Of course I'll have to form my own version of the NAACP since those idiots would have no idea how to defend this. I'll have to find a group of people that actually have brains! We'll convince the jury, made up of poor white women, that my losing had nothing to do with the fact that I am a 30 yr. old mother of five with no hips or chest at all, but rather my losing was based solely on the color of my skin and I was discriminated against. Of course, people are so used to hearing the discrimination plea that everyone will buy right into it, since after all, discrimination is so prevalent still.

And when I get my millions out of these Miss Black America people, then I'm entering the Miss Mexican America!

P.S. We'd never get away with holding a Miss White America!

Cadillac Song by Johnny Cash

I just heard the Cadillac song by Johnny Cash and it gave me a wonderful idea! Forget the Caddy, I'm going to get myself a job at the Ferrari plant and sneak myself out some Ferrari parts. Except I'll learn from his mistakes and start with the exterior, get all those parts first and then work on the interior and finally the engine and tranny. I think that's the only way I'll ever be able to get myself a Ferrari. Other than that, I'll be driving my little minivan for the rest of my life!

But until then, the Johnny Cash is always good for a laugh with his Cadillac Song.

Helping Families - Helping Yours

I have just signed on with a new company, actually, they are not a new company, they have been in business for many years, but they are new to me. I will have the flexibility to set my own hours and work when I can. The pay is reasonable and I will be getting the opportunity to help people by offering free financial needs analysis to families. It includes debt consolidation, life insurance quote, retirement planning and investing.

I love the program because it has the ability to save families hundreds and sometimes even thousands of dollars per month, some of which can be invested to help them make their retirement goals. It's a great company so far and I love the benefits of the job.

If anyone is interested in getting involved or just getting a free financial needs analysis, leave me a comment and I'll get you hooked up. This has been really great for me, so far!

Diet Drug Addictions

Drug addiction is an epidemic that challenges millions of people from every walk of life. No one is immune from it. And it's not just the addict that suffers, all the people around them, everyone that loves and cares about them suffers with them. And addiction to diet pills is no exception.

Our society places so much value on being skinny when in fact it is not healthy to be "model thin". Highly overweight or obese is not healthy either, so finding a nice balance, somewhere in the middle is an ever increasing challenge. And with that challenge come the new monster. Diet drugs are popping up everywhere! They are worse than Starbucks!

Not all diet pills are bad, however. Most can actually be very beneficial, if used properly. Diet drugs can give the dieter the edge they need to get going. They can kick start the metabolism to help proper diet and exercise do their job. And there are even some diet pills that can give you energy to get through your day and others that can help cure acne while your at it!

But I have seen too many people start popping these little pills with tragic results. It can seem too easy and when the time comes to actually change their diet or start the exercise routine, they falter. Falling back on the pills to lose the weight. It becomes a vicious cycle and they get hooked. Please, if you use diet pills, do it responsibly.

Losing my Mind....

Is it just me, or does everyone start losing their minds as they get older? I swear, as I get older, I can not remember what I am supposed to be doing, where I am supposed to be going and who I am supposed to be doing it with!

I have two boys that need to be at football practice, one at 4, one at 5. One girl has to be to cheerleading practice at 5:15 and the other has Dance at 4:45. One child gets picked up from her mother's at 2pm and her brother dropped off at 9pm to be babysat all night.

Add in our Country Fair Days Kid-K run at 6 and Movie in the park at dusk and I feel like I am running in circles. I am beat and tired and I can't remember who needs to be where, when. I'm going to need to get myself one of those PDAs everyone has, just to keep track of myself!

The Distracted Mom

I am having one of those weeks. We are in the process of taking all of the children's toys, moving them to the play room, sorting them and boxing them. The children will then have to check them out, just like a library system.

I have not figured out yet just how to work it all. I would like them to have to earn them, but I think I would need 5 different POS systems, just to keep everything straight. And at $10,000 a shot, I doubt I'll have even one! I knew they had too many toys, but I never imagined they had this many! Good thing, some get to be thrown out and others are too young, even for Baby, so they get donated.

However, I am thinking that this is already working. I am seeing much less clutter in their rooms and the rest of the house. It's actually pretty nice!

Mesothelioma

Cancer is a scary thing and having children does not make it any easier. One lady I know, a mother of three, lost her husband of 42 years to Mesothelioma. They assume he got it from the asbestos he inhaled while doing home renovations in the early 60's. The funny thing was, it didn't rear it's ugly head until much, much later in life. He was in his early 60's when they found it. He was finding it harder and harder to breathe and when he started the chronic wheezing, he decide to see his doctor. Unfortunately, he was not one to see a doctor regularly so it was very advanced and although they tried several rounds of chemotherapy, it proved far to advanced for even today's medical science. He passed away peacefully and without pain with the assistance of medication, but he left behind a wife and 3 teenage children. This poor woman has been through so much in the last year and she finally decided to look up Mesothelioma lawyers, so far she hasn't had much luck with that, as the company he worked for has long since disolved, but they seem optimistic. She is now trying to put her life back together without her dear husband. But with the help of loved ones, and the little money the state gives her, she should be fine. It just never ceases to amaze me how quickly this life can leave us. Please make sure you see your doctor regularly and kiss your kids and your spouse every day!

Diet Pills?

The debate on diet pills continues to get bigger and bigger. Which ones are safe? Which are FDA approved? Which is the best route... Natural or synthetic? All are good questions and all have serious risk factors involved. I have seen natural weight loss pills do as much damage as synthetic, man made ones. I have seen hundreds of billions of dollars pumped into the pharmaceutical industry via the sale of these drugs and billions of dollars generated in the legal system by the prosecution of the drug companies on even the best diet pills. Not to mention the millions of dollars earned by the medical industry from the "side effects" of these drugs, both natural and synthetic. And yet, as a nation, we continue to cling to the hope that we can still eat our $5.00, 2000 calorie big mac with a diet coke and pop a pill to make ourselves healthy. I don't know what the answer is, but I know that popping diet pills like candy is not the answer. However, Safe, practical use of diet pills, a healthy diet and plenty of exercise is a good start!

Lose it Right

Losing weight is not an easy thing and it can be very frustrating and cause feelings of failure when it doesn't work. However, it does not need to be that way. There are many natural ways to kick start your metabolism. Coconut oil for instance, when used at a rate of 3 tablespoons per day, it is said to speed up your metabolism greatly. And there are many drugs on the market to help you out, but even the best fat burner can't compete with a poor diet. Chocolate cake for breakfast, McDonald's for lunch and a salad for dinner followed by ice cream is just not going to cut it!

Choose healthy meals and healthy snacks. Eat lots of fruits and vegetables as fillers with small amounts of protein and carbs for the energy you need to get through the day and not feel hungry. An apple and peanut butter make a great snack. A piece of toast, a banana and a cup of low-fat yogurt is a yummy and healthy breakfast and go easy on dinner. Then that piece of chocolate cake once in awhile is a necessity for everyone, but daily it is nothing more that a sand trap for even the best dieter.

So take a minute to look through your cupboards. Are they stocked with healthy, quick grab snacks, or are they filled with high calorie, high sugar, fill you up fast but leave you hungry in 10 minutes treats? Now is a great time to make the effort to clean out your cupboards and stock them appropriately. You be very glad you did next time the mid-day munchies sneak up on you.

Free Summer Fun Activities

Here is a great way to kick up your fun this summer. The R.A.M.P. program in Weber County has opened up a world of opportunities for families finding themselves on suddenly tight budgets and in these dire economic times, that is more than a few of us. They are opening various facilities in Weber County every Saturday free of charge. I am really excited to be able to take my family on some of these outings.

Link to http://www.co.weber.ut.us/ramp/PDFs/summer%20schedule%202009.pdf and you can see a listing of all the available facilities and the dates for free admission. There are some really exciting ones like the Roy Aquatic Center, BSA Ropes Challenge Course and The Ice Sheet to name just a few. Spend your summer having fun, get out and go!

Sharing Embarrassing Moments

I had a friend tell me the other day that she had heard that sharing embarrassing moments with friends was a great way to make them less embarrassing to you. So over lunch at our favorite hang out (McDonald's, of course!) she shared with me the details of her most recent date. Lets just say it didn't go very well at all. This wonderful guy she had just met had invited her to a party in which everyone was supposed to dress as the opposite sex and go to the "prom". I guess it was really alot of fun, men in prom dresses and women in tux's.

As the night wore on, it got hot and stuffy so she took off her jacket. Well, part of the party involved water balloon volleyball. (If you have never played before, it's alot of fun. It involved a volleyball net and passing water balloons back and forth using towels.) They enjoyed a lovely game of water volleyball until it happened! She got hit, square on with a huge water balloon. She was soaked and it was at that time that she, and her date, realized that under her white tuxedo shirt she had made the mistake of wearing a black bra and she had left her jacket across the yard and inside the house. She was very embarrassed, but said that her date handled it like a true gentleman. He wrapped the towel they had been using to play around her and quickly ushered her inside and waited until she had dried herself off and was presentable again.

He then decided that he had had enough of the Prom dress as well and he took her home to change before taking her out to a lovely dinner.


I don't know if she feels any less embarrassed about the situation for having confided it in me, but I feel a whole lot better now that my sides have stopped hurting from laughing so hard. Hopefully soon, she'll stop rejecting my phone calls and talk to me again.

Summer is Here, Electronics are In

Summer is upon us and with that comes lots of children with lots of time on their hands. So that leads me to this particular post.

In this day and age, electronics rule our world. They are every where we go, involved in everything we do and they occupy our every waking moment. However, that does not mean that they need to be our constant source of entertainment.

Now, I'm not saying that you should hide the Nintendo Wii or lock up the computer. Actually the opposite. Make time each day for your children (and yourself) to spend time playing video games and working or playing on the computer. The video games are a great way to build hand-eye coordination and the computer is a necessity of daily life. But set time limits. One hour each day and then it's outside to play.


And finding yourself outside doesn't mean that the electronics get left behind either. Bring along your ipod when you go for a walk, especially in the city. The music will be a beautiful distraction to the noise of city life. On a nature walk, bring your blackberry or PDA and record what you are seeing and doing. It will be a wonderful memory during the cold dreary months.

Take pictures and upload them to your computer as a screen saver or on your digital photo frame. Record the sounds of nature and upload them to your ipod to listen to as you are falling asleep.

Getting outside doesn't mean leaving the electronic behind, but in our world it means incorporating them. So take your electronics and get those kids outside! Enjoy your summer!

Modernize Your Kitchen

One of the coolest new ways to modernize your kitchen is with a new zero radius sinks and matching cutting board. These beautiful sinks are wonderfully functional as well as elegant. They can give a new, modern look to any residential kitchen with minimal effort and minimal expense. They will add an elegant, functional appeal to any kitchen.

Curb The Hunger Naturally

The fastest cure for any diet is hunger. I don't care what kind of diet you are on, whether it be diabetic, weight loss or gluten free, as soon as you start to feel like you are starving your natural instincts to feed yourself kick in and your self control goes out the window!

So how in the world are you supposed to lose weight if you are hungry all the time? You have to find the right appetite suppressant. You can try drugs or you can go natural. Try some of these on for size: Dark Chocolate has been shown to curb cravings, suppress appetite and increase happiness! Apples, Probably the #1 best appetite suppressant. Celery has long been known to burn more calories eating it than it actually has. Oatmeal is high in carbohydrates, which are burned slowly as energy, you will feel fuller longer and the fiber helps it to last even longer. Flax Seeds are high in omega-3's and fiber and you wont even notice them in your breads, oatmeal, yogurt and trail mix.

So take the drugs out of your diet and add some of these healthy and delicious alternatives to your weight loss routine.

What is Education?

I read a couple quotes by Albert Einstein that got me thinking. He said "Education is what remains after one has forgotten everything he learned in school." He also said "It is a miracle that curiosity survives formal education."

I started thinking about my youngest son and how hard he is struggling against the "system". He doesn't want to conform. He doesn't want to be forced to learn what someone else thinks he needs. He wants to branch out on his own. Learn what interests him. And he wants to do it his way.

I look at all of my kids. Some are great in school, some do well, some struggle and some just get by. But I look at them and I see so much potential. Potential to be whatever they want to be. Potential to be an expert in whatever they choose. But I also see a system that can not allow them to choose. They have to learn to read NOW! They can not wait until they are ready because the teachers do not have the time to deal with children that can not teach themselves by reading it. I see a system that teaches children that their ideas of how thing should/could or might work is wrong because someone already looked into it and found out that it works another way. There's no use in trying it out for yourself. I see a system that takes nice round children and shoves them with all their might through a square hole and on the other side, our most mold able, darling children have been purposefully shaped into what the "system" wants them to be. They are looking forward to administrative careers, doctors, lawyers, nurses or IT administrators. Where are our pyrotechnics? What about our Roller Coaster Builders? Our treasure hunters? And how about our designers?

I remember when I transferred from a private school into public education. It was a very difficult transition. Suddenly I was a round child and I wanted nothing to do with that square hole. Not only did I have big dreams, I had been allowed to learn at my own pace. I was excelling in what I enjoyed and just mediocre in that which I did not. The "system" did not quite know what to do with a 5th grade child that could read at a 12th grade level. Their solution was for me to just wait until everyone else caught up. The end result: I was Bored. A bored child is never a good thing. It just always leads to trouble.

Then came the dream crushing. In my private school I could grow up to be whatever I wanted to be! I could be an astronaut, a fighter pilot or an explorer. I could even be a Mommy if I wanted to. And I wanted to! In private school they explained to me all about how I would need to know how to read well to be able to read bedtime stories to my own children. How I would need to know alot of Math to be able to run a checking account and a household and even help my own children with their homework one day. And I would need to know my history so I can teach my children about their heritage. I needed to know more than anyone else... in order to be a Mommy.

I did well in everything. I worked hard beacuse I wanted to know enough to be the best Mommy ever. Then came public school and in 7th grade we were required to decide what we wanted to do with the rest of our lives. At 12 years old we had had enough experience to decide what we were going to do for the next 60 years. But I already knew. I was going to be a Mommy. Then it happened... I still remember looking at the half smirk half frown on the counslors face when he said, "You can't be a Mommy. You need to pick a real career." I was totally confused. Why was being a Mommy not enough? But I quickly pulled myself together and announced that if I could not be a Mommy, I would be a Pilot and travel the world. Again, the ha;f smirk, half frown but with a few more wrinkles this time, he was starting to get impatient with me. His answer: "You can not be a pilot, you are a girl." Strike two. What is a good career for a girl then? A Nurse! That was it! I would be a nurse. That obviously made him happy. And I was on my way to becoming a nurse. My courses of study were laid out for me and my path was chosen. I would make a great Nurse.....

WRONG! I hate nursing. I hate it with every fiber of my being. I followed that course that my counslor had set out for me and I really did try to be a great nurse. But I hated biology and narrowly managed to avoid having to disect any small creatures. I go tmy CNA and then my HHA and started into my LPN classes when it hit me. This is not my choice. I do not want to be a nurse. I have never wanted to be a nurse. I want to be a Mommy! And with that I quit. I quit my job at the nursing home. I quit my LPN classes. And I quit pretending that Nursing was what I wanted to do.

I have been home raising my children ever since. Picking up small, part time jobs here and there to help out and loving every minute (well, almost every minute) of my life as a Mommy!

And back to looking at my kids. How are they going to turn out? Does Big C really want to be a K-9 officer, or is there another desire, hidden in the depths of his dreams, afraid to surface, knowing that it is not the mainstream. And my Little Man, will he come out of 1st grade still longing to find out how and why? Where and what? Or will he have been forced to conform? Forced to accept the fact that everyone knows better than he? And my beautiful girls? Will they look to being a football player? A Pilot? Or a Roller Coaster Builder? Or will they sucumb to the pressure of a school counslor or a teacher telling them that they are better suited to being a Dental Assistant or an Administrative assistant? And me. Will I continue to allow it to happen, or will I be the Mommy I always wanted to be and make sure that my children have every opportunity to thrive, however they thrive best?

New Cell Phones

Here's a tip for anyone out there that didn't already know (i.e. people like me), if you have had your phone for over a year and are ready to replace it, Call Your Provider.

I found out that most companies offer upgrade services for their customers. I found this out when my husbands cell phone started having troubles. I'm not exactly sure what the problem was, if his phone could not make a connection with the cell tower or the satellite or whatever, but for some reason it would only send/receive calls and texts about 50% of the time. So after many lengthy calls to AT&T, being lied to about the length of the warranty and finally finding out that he was under warranty when I started dealing with this whole mess but is now not under warranty any longer. A very nice gentleman at AT&T informed me that he was eligible for an upgrade meaning that he could get a new phone at little or no charge by just extending our contract out another 2 years. Not a bad deal. (especially since he waived all the fees associated with it due to the warranty situation!).

So for those of you wishing to update your old phone, call your service provider and see if they have an upgrade plan available to you.

Education in Education

For any mother, getting an education is tough, but necessary. And what better field to get your degree in than education? Your children will need you to have that information when they bring home their homework and if you end up needing to work, what better place than in your own child's school?

That being said, I have spent some time recently looking into getting a degree in Elementary Education. I have always thought that being a teacher would be great and I love education and children. However, I have never liked the system. I'm not sure that getting into the middle of it would be the best idea.

I found St. Xavier online university that looks like it would be a great option for anyone that is looking at getting their MS Instruction from home. They offer a masters program in curriculum and instruction that could help you further your career in education even. They offer key components such as a focus on literacy, diversity, integration of technology and an interdisciplinary perspective in education. This course examines integration of the theories of curriculum and instruction, learning, growth and development, the implementation of technology and research, and the application of assessment into the practice of developing and delivering an effective curriculum for K-12 classrooms, college, and other educational arena. All of which are great in a classroom and even better in your home. Not to mention, they are accredited so your degree will be recognized.

They offer flexible schedules to work around your busy lifestyle. So really there is no good reason not to get your degree.

Spring Fling

Spring is here and Spring cleaning is upon us and the house is not the only thing needing a little TLC. Now is the time to take your sweetheart and spend some time getting to know one another again. As we move from the winter vacations into summer vacations the intermittent spring time brings slower times for the hospitality industry so you start to see some amazing packages and specials. Here are my picks for the Utah area:

Eden
Spring Skiing at Wolfcreek:
$199 Per Couple, Per Night Includes:
Luxury Lodging
Massages for Two
Two Lift Tickets to Wolf Creek Utah Ski Resort
$100 Club Dining Certificate
Continental Breakfast
*Based on double occupancy. Minimum two night stay. Offer does not include taxes or gratuities, excludes holidays and is subject to availability.

Moab
Upgraded Rock & River at Big Horn Lodge:
$294.95 per person (based on double occupancy)
reg rate $369.95

3 Nights Lodging for two
Full day Raft on the Colorado River with Lunch
2 hour Hummer Tour
Your choice of:
Horseback Riding
Fiery Furnace Hike in Arches National Park

St. George
Signature Package at Red Mountain Resort & Spa:

The popular spa program from $199 per person, per night, double occupancy
Deluxe Accommodations with High-Speed Internet Service
Three Delicious & Nutritious Meals Daily
Daily Guided Morning Hikes
Unlimited Fitness Classes including Yoga, Pilates, Chi Ball & Drums Alive
Healthy Life Classes & Events at the Wellness Center
Personal Discovery Activities ~ Meditation Hikes, Fire Ceremonies, Tai Chi on the Rocks & More
Eat Well, Feel Well Cooking Demonstrations
Use of Resort Facilities including Indoor and Seasonal Outdoor Pools, Bicycles, Walking Trails, Strength & Cardio Studios

There are just a few of the best so grab the sexy lingerie and your sweetheart of choice and go find out what you have been missing all winter long.

April Foolin' Around

The idea of april fools day seems to have come about near the beginning of the 16th century when Pope Gregory XIII ordered that the old Julian calander, which celebrated the new year on April 1st, be replaced with the gregorian calendar that we use today which celebrates the new year on January 1st. Rumor has it that the French adopted the new calendar right away, but peasents in the outlying areas did not get word of this and continued to celebrate the New Year on April 1st and were soon looked upon as "Fools" by the upper class. Once all was settled, they decided to continue the practice as a day of fun and joy and April Fool's Day was born!

For April Fool's Day this year, I made a dinner my family will not soon forget! I made Not Chicken Pot Pies for "Dinner". They were made from small potpie tins filled with green mini m&m's (peas), papaya dices (carrots), yellow starburst pieces (corn), banana dices (potatoes) and dried apple ring pieces (chicken) and covered in butterscotch pudding (gravy). Then covered with *mini, precooked pie shells made to look like pot pie tops. They looked SO realistic I fooled everyone!

By the time I got out "Dessert" they were all pretty suspicious. My oldest guessed right away that my "cake" was not what it seemed. And was he ever right! It was a "beef cake" as my husband called it. I filled 2 8" cake pans with meatloaf and cooked for 30 minutes on 375, drained off the grease, and layered them on top of each other with shredded cheese in the middle. Then I "frosted" my cake with mashed potatoes that I had colored blue. With a large decorator tip and bag full of colored mashed potatoes, I accented the edges with mashed potato shells. It did look very convincing.

But the best part of the whole evening is when my husband decided that he had had enough fun and it was time for a drink. He picked up his glass to try the "fruit juice" that I had served, only to set his cup back down with a groan and a roll of his eyes. He found out the hard way that the "fruit juice" was actually a cup full of jello and he would be pretty hard pressed to get a good drink out of that cup!

It was really a night to remember for the whole family! Happy April Fools Day!