I need more money.

Yeah...Who doesn't?

In my quest for some extra cash, I've taken to the internet. From online auction sites, like eBay, to reward sites that send you gift cards for points you earn, I am earning extra money (and gifts cards-which have cash value at their respective stores)!  Granted, it takes some time and EFFORT (nothing is FREE and time is money, so they say), I'll share some of my tips with you!

eBay

I just made over $30 from a maternity jacket I was never going to wear again.  Got some extra clothing crowding your closet?  I know some of you have stuff you haven't even worn!  Pull it out, get online and sell it!  Baby toys, clothing, outerwear, tools, luggage, knick-knacks, anything you name it, you can find it on eBay.  So why aren't you selling this stuff cluttering your house?  You're probably thinking about a garage sale...but really, who has time to set one of those up.  Put an ad in the paper, price everything, wait...sit outside one weekend and sell your items dirt cheap?  I don't think so!  Go to eBay and post your things and make some real money.  Clean up your things, wash and scrub, launder, and start taking pics!  There is a small fee for posting, and eBay does get some commission from the item, but if you have some items that people want and will buy, you're gonna sell them.  Yes, you have to ship them, but if you have a printer, you can print the labels from home, postage paid! 

I suggest you get a PayPal account as well.  This makes transactions MUCH EASIER!  It links to your bank account, is much safer than putting your credit info online, and the funds deposit right into the account, and you can transfer your money earned into you bank account!  Cool!  If you don't have money in your PayPal, it will pull it from the linked bank account.  

You don't have time to go to the post office?  Have them deliver supplies to your house FREE and when you are ready to ship, they will pick it up if you buy and print the label at home.  You can order shipping supplies from the USPS website! Boxes, labels, all free-Click to visit the USPS Postal Store!

Print out your labels at home, pay for postage at home and get a package pick up!  It's too easy!  If you're not sure on what to do, eBay has it all set up, step by step on how to print labels, packing slips, etc.

Go to eBay, sign up, and start selling!

MyPoints

I signed up and started earning my points by making a profile, signing up for featured newsletters, taking surveys they send me through my email.  Download a toolbar, get points, and then use it to search and-GET MORE POINTS!  You can earn points from getting friends to sign up too!  They have tons of offers you earn points from and if you shop online, you can go through their website to do it and EARN MORE POINTS.  Gift cards range from popular restaurants to brand name retail stores!  Yes, you will get quite a few emails from them, but most of them give you 5 points just for going to the sponsors website through the email. 

Check out the website MyPoints, or BETTER YET, let me refer you!  You'll help me out and I'll be eternally grateful!  Check out my Facebook page, go to my info, and click on my link to the page!

These are just a couple of site that I recommend, but as I venture into the endless world of the internet, I'll share more!  Good secrets are just too hard to keep to yourself

I'm off to find more things to sell...GOOD LUCK!

Naptime Nugget

Do you have a slow cooker?  

This kitchen gadget has saved me so much money spent on drive-thru kids' meals!  I usually start a meal before I go to work, so we when daddy comes home all he has to do is dish it out!  Chili, soup, pulled pork, chicken or beef, stews-even frozen meals can be cooked in your slow cooker!  Almost anything can be cooked in a slow cooker with a few modifications.  So dust off that old slow cooker sitting on your fridge and get to cooking the easy way!  Nothing beats a homemade meal without all the slaving over a hot stove all day.  Your house will smell wonderful and your kids will be getting better food than those fried chicken nuggets and french fries.  

There are tons of sites that feature kid-friendly recipes.

Here are a few sites to get you started:

http://allrecipes.com/Recipes/Main-Dish/Slow-Cooker/Main.aspx 

http://www.familycrockpotrecipes.com/

http://busycooks.about.com/od/recipesbycourse/a/morechickencp.htm 

If you have any recipes that YOU and YOUR FAMILY LOVE, please feel free to post them!  I'll make them at my house!  I'm always looking for new things to try!  I will be posting some of my favorite recipes from around the world that my kids LOVE!  Korean, European, Mexican...YUM!

I know they say breakfast is the most important meal of the day-and nutritionally speaking, it is.  But I feel dinner with the family feeds the soul.  Catch up with the kids and spouse.  Laugh, relax...Press the pause button and enjoy dinner with your family tonight!

My First Blog! I'm surprised I found time for this...

Aaaaah!  Shhhh...do you hear that?  Quiet.  The kids are in bed taking a nap.  So I thought this would be the perfect time to set up my first blog.  I really should be doing the laundry or putting up the dishes, but this is SO much better than housework!  Moms (and dads!) need some quiet time too, you know!  This is my life...the highlight of my day is naptime!  If there was only a pause button, I sure would press it now!

My husband, Travis, and I just celebrated our 6 year anniversary this past weekend.  I remember that days we used to just go...wherever, whenever we didn't work.  Travis works full time at a telecommunications company.  I sell shoes at the local mall at a department store in the evenings and weekends.  We are making ends meet, but it's stressful.  Especially now that we have kids.  I have 2 beautiful and rambunctious girls. Sophia (we call her Sophi) will be 4 in January, and Danielle (Dee or Danielly) will be 2 on New Year's Day.  My little ones aren't really so little anymore.  Sophie is already wearing girls' clothes and Danielle is starting to look like a "little person."  Pause...right now...no more growing up!

I'm sorry to say but my kids are possessed with something called "The Mother's Curse."  Apparently, this is when you have kids, your kids do the same things you did when you were a kids...ONLY WORSE!  Sorry Mom!  

Sophi is at that "NO!" stage.  My patience is tested on a hourly basis.  But, really, she is such a wonderful kid!  She's outgoing, funny and extremely sensitive.  She was the first grandchild, so she was doted all the time.  She has curls that would make anyone jealous, a vocabulary that exceeds most grown-ups, and she loves to spend time with her dog, Trooper, a stray we rescued a year ago.  We do arts and crafts together-she loves spending time with mommy and daddy, without Danielle.  I think she's still jealous of the baby that moved in and took her mommy and daddy time.  That was hard-"No, Danielle!  That's MY Mommy!"

Danielle is the complete polar opposite of Sophi.  It was really hard to bond with her, or so it felt.  She was born with Bell's Palsy, torticollis and stiffness throughout her entire left side and has been in physical therapy since she was 8 weeks old.  She had to wear a helmet when she was 4 months old and got it off when she was 8 months.  She has sweet little glasses, just got tubes put in her ears and has to go to a neurologist next month, just to be safe.  She doesn't talk, yet.  She is starting speech therapy this month.  This past year has been better than the last.  Doctor appointments 2 times a week, work, chores, diapers, feedings....the list goes on.  But I'll tell you what, when that little one smiles, you can't help but fall in love with her all over again.  Everything she's been through has been worth it and more.

So, I thought I'd share some of my experiences with others.  Maybe some parents are going through these things, maybe not.  Maybe you just want to find time to do some things for yourself, or with your family.  I really believe that there is nothing more precious on than the time we share here on Earth.  Time is short, we are busy and kids grow up in the blink of an eye.  It's hard to remember to stop and smell the roses (or was that the trash we forgot to take out?).  In the blogs to follow, I will share my tips and secrets to staying sane (Ha HA) in this busy life.

Maybe we can all find the pause button and enjoy life to the fullest together!