Ask Brandy Ellen

True Saying: It Takes a Village to Raise a Child

noreply@blogger.com (Brandy) — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 18:02:00 +0000

I have always been a positive person for children, now that I have three of my own I do my best to be a trusted, open place for discussions of all sorts. I believe that every child needs to have at least one trusted adult to turn to when times are hard, let's face it, being a child is difficult and sometimes we seem to think being a child is easier once we become adults. It's as if once we become adults we neglect to look back on our childhood days of hardships with bullying, teasing and trying to find our own true self in this world. It is so difficult to learn to find your voice when you are young and for me it took me well into the adult years to find my real voice!

This fact of having difficulties finding your voice as a child reminds me of those children being abused, whether physically, emotionally or verbally, abuse is neglect and neglect is unlawful. I could never work in social services, why? Well because my heart would break with how our laws are set up, it seems whether you are an adult getting abused or a child the laws do not do much of anything until something extremely awful has happened, and sometimes yes this means death.

I can not imagine standing by, trying to help a child or adult, and then see all doors close one by one to getting the help this person needs. I can not imagine standing by watching a person turn so negative towards their own self from the abuse and lack of help that they feel they truly have no self worth. I can not imagine being the person inflicting such pain upon another human soul. A person who is abusive must have some really deep, dark issues that could easily be resolved with therapy and possibly the correct dosage of prescription drugs, depending up on how deeply wounded this abusive person is.

Why is it that the law does not stand up for those who are still living a good life, who still have hope in their heart and hope in their eyes? Why is it that the law for protecting those being abused does not protect them from the destruction of self? I have to admit bi-polar and all sorts of not so fun depression type mental health issues run deep in my gene pool and I will be damned if I do not stand up and recognize those symptoms in another person or child, whether it's a child of mine or a child of another person, I would stand up and fight for the rights of that child to be able to live a healthy, happy life. You see, a child who is abused will more than likely end up being an abusive adult later in life or just as worse an alcoholic or drug abuser.

I say there are loop holes in every law and I say we all start to stand up and fight for what we see is wrong. The old saying "It takes a village to raise a child" isn't gone is it? Do we not see as a society how stepping in and protecting the children of the world, our future generation, is not being nosy, it's a form of protection under the old saying "It takes a village to raise a child". There are some situations and circumstances when a stranger or extended family member needs to stand up for what is best for the children of our world, even if that means getting unfriended or being told they need to mind their own business. The end result will be that you saved a child today, so I say that is worth all of the negative anyone can inflict on another adult, be the strong voice and person you know in your heart to be and remember emotional/verbal abuse is abuse, it's just that we can't see the bruises on the surface.

A Haircut Can Boost Self Esteem in Girls

noreply@blogger.com (Brandy) — Mon, 30 Jan 2012 19:10:00 +0000

This past weekend my family went to the local barber shop, why a barber shop? Well quite simply because the girl who has been cutting my hair all of my life works at a barber shop and she is the only person I trust with my kids hair. This girl has been a part of my "family" since she was five years old, having been and still is a close friend of my only and younger sister.

When my daughter was younger she always wanted to have long hair like Rapunzel but then it happened, she started getting older and just this past year she requested to have layers put in her hair, with a trim. This girl is nine years old and has only ever had a trim done to her hair with the exception of adding small layers in last year.

My daughter is now what I call a "tween", she is going through some changes in her life and sometimes it's hard to see if she has low or high self esteem, certainly some of her environmental factors, cliques at school and such make it hard for her to fully appreciate the beauty she holds not only on the outside but on the inside as well. Last week my daughter requested that she get a haircut, like a real cut, no more trims and no more Rapunzel hair.

After I got over the shock that my daughter now wanted her beautiful, long hair cut off I allowed her to make this hair cutting decision on her own. Searching online for hair cuts for girls based on her requests of hair length just below her shoulders, layers and long bangs we found a style that was a cross between Miley Cyrus and Selena Gomez styles in previous years.

Bringing the pictures we printed, we set off to the barber shop, where my daughter had no clue we were going. Then it happened, my daughter came home with a new haircut and a brand new attitude. This haircut and style was the best decision she has ever made and I am happy that I allowed her to make this decision. The girl is happy, bouncy, smiley and so appreciative that I let her choose her own style.

So I think no matter how old you are, a woman enjoys a good haircut and a style, but it's more than just the action behind getting this done; getting a new haircut and style really does boost the self esteem in any woman whether they are a young girl, a teen or an adult.

RECIPES ONLINE

noreply@blogger.com (Brandy) — Fri, 30 Dec 2011 15:58:00 +0000

Guest written by our friend Gladys Fuentes

Our neighbors convinced us to use their internet and log onto http://get.wildblue.com/internet-provider/mississippi/ to get internet service at our house too. I have enjoyed having it at our house. I have really been able to pursue one of my hobbies and get great tips. I love to cook and always have. The internet is a great resource for recipes. One of my favorite cooking magazines, that I have been ordering for years has a great website. It is definitely my favorite cooking website because it has everything that you could want. It has product reviews, how-to tutorials, and a ton of information about any food you can think of. I didn’t even know how many different types of eggplants there were until I got on this website. It also archives all of the old magazines. If there has been a recipe that they produced in the last fifty years, it is searchable. I have been experimenting and cooking a lot. My family’s tummies are pleased! They are excited about dinner every night now and show up to dinner on time.

My Husband and I

noreply@blogger.com (Brandy) — Thu, 01 Dec 2011 17:04:00 +0000

I appreciate the guest post, Ignacio Phillips

I got us some Texas Electricity Saving Tips and I was telling my husband about it and of course, he didn’t listen per usual. He asked me to repeat the whole story when I was done. It started a big fight at our house because I just feel like anytime I talk he totally tunes me out but you know, there’s something to be said for at least being somewhat happy after so many years of marriage. I love my husband a lot but you know, he needs to work on his listening skills. I have a feeling though if you asked a lot of other women in the world they would tell you the same thing about their husbands so I need to stop pretending like I’ve got it so bad. At least he goes to work and brings home our support and doesn’t step out or drink too much or anything like that. I guess in the grand scheme of things I’m actually pretty lucky.

The House

noreply@blogger.com (Brandy) — Thu, 06 Oct 2011 01:35:00 +0000

Guest post of the week by Val Flores

Having enough money to buy my first home was a really great accomplishment and I can’t believe I’ve reached that point. I feel like I’ve been working my butt off for years to get to this point and I’m finally closing next week on an awesome, modern townhome really close to downtown! I can’t wait to get in there and really make it my own with paint and furniture and my brother said he’ll help me with some of the techie stuff like Direct tv and surround sound which I’m really thankful for. I just feel more adult than I ever have and I’m really proud of myself for getting to this point at such a young age and I know I’ve got nowhere to go from here but up! My finances are in good shape and I’m not buying such a big house that I won’t be able to keep up with the mortgage so at the end of the day I think this is a really sound financial decision for me.

My Trip to Type-A Parent

noreply@blogger.com (Brandy) — Sat, 06 Aug 2011 00:36:00 +0000

I was going through my laptop today and found an article I wrote while away in NC at Type-A Parent Conference and since I already shared a different version on my other blog, I wanted to share this particular one here!

A while back Type-A Parent held a contest where one lucky person and a friend would win three nights at the Renaissance Hotel along with a pass for Business & conference for Type-A Parent Conference. Of course, this is a blog conference I had heard fantastic feedback about. Out of all the conferences I have had feedback for there have been only a couple that actually were told to me a more friendly, intimate setting; Type-A Parent Conference was one of those friendly conferences I had heard about and I knew I just had to go to this. I tweeted about three times per day which meant three entries per day for myself and @mommadjane. The day the contest winner was announced I wasn't near a computer to hear the winner. I was around dealing with the kids doing the Mom thing when @mommadjane called me and said we had won the contest. Funny thing is, she had no clue that she had just won with me the three nights at hotel and the pass to attend business and conference for Type-A Con! When I visited the site again and contest information I found out that I had actually WON and was going to be rooming with my long time friend @mommadjane. I cried, seriously ... cried!

Here I was a winner of this contest and now all I had to do was purchase a ticket to fly on a plane there and come up with one night hotel stay because I needed to arrive the day before the conference started which meant four nights, not just three as won during the contest. As a person who has always had a fear of flying, I was a tad bit nervous about flying alone. @mommadjane lives in Texas so there was no way she could fly with me. I put some tweets out and posted around looking for a way to find a flying buddy and tweeted about my fear of flying. At one point @mommycosm tweeted me back and we decided we would fly together. @mommycosm is a NH blogger and we could fly together, even though we really don't know much about each other.

I have never flown, never traveled outside of the New England area or anything. This trip was going to be full of firsts; first conference, first flight, first elevator with more than two floors, first escalator and so much more. I was excited, nervous and starting to feel a bit panicked about getting on a plane and flying. A few days before my flight I felt a calm come over me and I was almost at ease over the idea of flying. On the ride to the airport in Boston, MA I felt my mind getting nervous about the conference and being away from my family for so long. Nervous about how @mommycosm and I would get along, nervous about the idea that my room mate @mommadjane wouldn't arrive until late Wednesday night when I would arrive close to 1pm. Nervous, excited and anxious to get this conference trip moving yet pause it all at the same time.

The first flight out of Boston, MA into Atlanta, GA wasn't bad at all. I even sat next to the window and stared out at the clouds and when the clouds were not in the way I stared out at the landscape from the plane window. I enjoyed the view very much and since we were near the wing of the plane I was also able to watch how they work! What an experience. Not once did I feel panic, not once did I feel like I couldn't breath. I was happy and felt so proud that I wasn't even scared riding on this big plane in the sky.

Once we hit Atlanta, GA I had to get off of the plane with @mommycosm and head to another deparature area to get onto a smaller plan to ride about one hour to Asheville, NC. The smaller plane was a bit more challenging for me. The size of seats were smaller, the plane hit every air pocket possible and I felt every single move. I wasn't so sure I could ride another minute on this plane and then the pilot announced we were about to arrive in Asheville!

Excited that I had made the flight on two planes with no issues I could now focus on the fact that I was about to meet Kelby for the first time ever! I love Kelby, she has always been an amazing supportive person online and I knew I had to meet her! I also had quite a long list of blog buddies and fave bloggers that I had to meet also while at the Type-A Parent Conference and I WAS READY! @mommycosm and I had to hire a driver from the Asheville airport to the hotel but it was affordable at about $40 for the trip. We also made sure to schedule them to come back on Sunday to pick us up for our flight back to NH.

I must admit this has been a fantastic trip but I find I am ready to go back home. I really need to get home to my "babies" and bring them all of the goodies that I got for free as well as the souvenirs I purchased at the gift shop for them!

So .... have you ever stepped out of your "comfort zone" and jumped right into something like I did with the Type-A Parent Conference and flying?

Make it a Happy Day!

Animal Planet Watcher

noreply@blogger.com (Brandy) — Fri, 05 Aug 2011 00:35:00 +0000

Guest post of the week by Moises Henderson

I’ve gotten to where I really, really like the Animal Planet network and most of the time when I’ve got my www.DIRECTstarTV.com satellite on, that’s what’s playing. I think the shows are just fascinating and I have two dogs of my own so I’ve actually learned some really good tips on keeping them trained from the network itself. I love the idea of being a professional dog trainerbut I can’t figure out how you’d make any money in it unless you were on a television show or something and people have been telling me all my life I’ve got a face for radio, if that tells you anything! I love working with animals but being a vet would be too hard when they’re sick and suffering and I don’t really want to go back to school for all that time, anyway. I think for now I’ll keep on being an accountant and getting my fill of exotic creatures every night when I watch Animal Planet snuggled in bed with my two little pooches!

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noreply@blogger.com (Brandy) — Mon, 20 Jun 2011 20:47:00 +0000

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House of Payne Reigns

noreply@blogger.com (Brandy) — Fri, 06 May 2011 02:36:00 +0000

Posted by Heriberto Fuentes

I have always thought that Allen Payne was good actor. He was good on the Cosby show, and he was believable in the movie New Jack City. I have no idea, however, how he became the main character on House of Payne. I am even more confused about how his last name was attached to the name of the show. Regardless of this, House of Payne is a great sitcom.

I watch House of Payne all the time on demand on direc4U TV. I usually watch the shows over and over again because they are so incredibly funny. There have been so many episodes that made me and my entire family laugh. It's great because it is a family-oriented show.

I love the fact that Payne's uncle on the sho! w, affectionately referred to as Uncle Curtis, is such a bold guy. He always gets into trouble with his wife, Ella, as he gets into all types of mischief. Their son, Kevin, adds even more comedy with his own troubles that he has in his new marriage.

I will admit that the show is serious at times even though this is a sitcom. I guess it has a lot of this has to do with all of the marriages on the show. Married life can but funny, but the show covers the serious stuff as well.

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noreply@blogger.com (Brandy) — Wed, 27 Apr 2011 14:53:00 +0000

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Steam Clean Team Get Cleaning

noreply@blogger.com (Brandy) — Sat, 19 Mar 2011 19:00:00 +0000

I watch the news daily and it seems there seems to be a lot of fires lately here, there and everywhere! I noted that there are thing such as fire damage restoration services austin that will help people get their homes clean faster!

I tell you fire damaged buildings austin are probably really hard to clean which is why many will need to consult with the professionals who handle cleaning of this sort. I have seen on the house I own that there must have been a fire way back in the day because there is still left over soot there from the fire.

Not only will there be major fire damage to get removed but the smell, oh the smell must get removed! That's where fire odor removal austin comes into play! The company can safely remove the smell in order for you and your family to enjoy a fresh clean home after a tragic event such as a fire or even flash flood damage austin!

Have you ever been in a situation where you need fire cleaning services or water damage cleaning services?

Make it a Happy Day!

Snow, Snow, Snow!

noreply@blogger.com (Brandy) — Mon, 21 Feb 2011 00:57:00 +0000

Guest post written by Rachel Manuel

My family and I all live in a suburb of Portland, Maine, and we've been getting a lot of snow lately. The snow has been absolutely fantastic for the kids, but it's brought on a lot of work for my husband Eric and me. Eric has taken the time to show the kids how to make a snow man, and he's always started mischief with them with tossing snowballs around. The kids have had so much fun outside. It's really reminded me of when I was a little girl and my father used to take me sledding at the local hill. It was steep enough so that all the neighborhood kids would congregate there to experience the best sledding in town.

While I Eric and I have lost some of that wonderment, we are getting the chance to experience it once again through our children. We focus so much on the weathering that occurs with the house that we forgot to enjoy the snow. Good thing there is a Sears Home Improvement Portland. We can get some help with the upkeep of the place while showing the kids a great time in their lives.

Make it a Happy Day!

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noreply@blogger.com (Brandy) — Wed, 29 Dec 2010 05:48:00 +0000

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Mon, 22 Nov 2010 00:00:00 PST

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noreply@blogger.com (Brandy) — Thu, 07 Oct 2010 19:21:00 +0000

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The Real World

noreply@blogger.com (Brandy) — Mon, 12 Jul 2010 23:11:00 +0000

Posting by Taylor Ronan

Reality shows plague televisions across the globe. They started off limited in numbers, but now there are so many different ones to choose from. Personally, I enjoy watching The Real World on MTV. The locations constantly change, and so does the cast. Each season you are introduced to a new house and a new set of strangers. They go out to clubs and drink, have sex with outsiders or each other, have flings with others in the house, and you can’t forget the fights they get into. The producers place a variety of personalities into one household to see how they interact with one another and if they will get along. But, of course, there are always going to be arguments that take place. With many different personalities to choose from, there are often the loudmouths who don’t know when to shut up, the brutally honest who don’t care what others think and tell it how they see fit, the homosexual who shocks everyone in the house and takes a few out of their comfort zone, the shy one that has to break out of their shell in order to fit in, the instigator who always likes to start a fight with anyone (whether they are in the house or not), and of course the drama queen that takes everything too far and too personal. There is never a boring moment when watching these shows on Georgia directv, and they will keep anyone entertained.

Heart Racing .... Mind Moving Faster Than Lips

noreply@blogger.com (Brandy) — Fri, 09 Apr 2010 15:56:00 +0000

Do you ever get that feeling? It's like all of a sudden your day has gone from a relaxing moment to a work filled day, which is great on your pocket book but if you let it can be quite overwhelming to your mind and body!

I often find that I am allowing myself to have a panic attack, you see I love being busy that's why I do so well as a work at home mother. It's great to know that I am able to run around with the kids and then get them down to nap to sit down and work. My mind loves to stay busy! Don't get me wrong, I do know when to take a break and relax a bit, which I do make time for, but overall I am a person who has always loved to keep busy!

The last out of home job I held was as an administrative assistant in New London, NH for a great office that only had three of us working there, on the rare occasion they would bring in a fourth person but because of how well I worked as a multi-tasker and the job requiring someone who had that skill it was really hard to find the perfect fit. I will be honest I miss that job and my bosses dearly, they had become my family and now they live in South Carolina!

My point to this rambling is not that I love to multi-task and keep busy but more that I get overwhelmed just like the rest of you. The difference between me and most people is that I do not allow it to ruin my day or get the best of me so to speak. I am a firm believer that it's all in your mindset!

If you allow your busy day to consume your mind and spend a moment worrying about the work load or activity load then you are sure to end up having a panic attack or a break down. Take a moment ... breath in and out ... slowly ... deeply and then relax. Sit down to really look at all you have to do in one day and write a list ordered on priority basis and work from highest priority to lowest. If you allow your mind to think proactive versus reactive then you will find out you can complete everything that has been thrown to you today and you will feel great doing it all!

HUGS TO YOU and remember ... you can only feel the way you allow yourself to feel so say it really slow ... I FEEL GREAT TODAY .... I CAN SUCCEED TODAY!

Make it a Happy Day!

Three Kids and Me @pizzahut

noreply@blogger.com (Brandy) — Thu, 25 Mar 2010 13:52:00 +0000

A couple weekends ago I had plans to go to Pizza Hut with my sister and the three munchkins, well that plan fell through when just before I was leaving my sister was unable to go. I wasn't upset with my sister but I did have a problem on hand, the kids were already super excited to be heading out for dinner because we never eat out. This was a rare opportunity to see how three kids will do in a restaurant alone with Mommy and I was afraid, very afraid. My daughter was excited and telling me she would help with AJ and Baby K would be fine in the high chair, she is always so reassuring and positive, love that she gets that attitude from me. Of course, I had to remind my daughter that she is 7 and although I will appreciate the help she is not required to be a 2nd mother ... I am the mother and I can handle AJ.

Since the kids were all excited I couldn't cancel our once in a year event of being able to go eat out at a restaurant and besides Pizza Hut is family friendly so figured why not. Well Baby K fell fast asleep on the ride there, mind you the place is less than half an hour away from where I live so apparently that baby was tired! Baby K actually slept the whole time up until about 5 minutes before we were ready to leave. My daughter and AJ were complete angels and it's funny because AJ had been quite the terror all day long with his acting out. You see AJ has ADHD and ODD anything you want that kid to do he will do the opposite, his first reaction to anything you ask him to do is NO, it's like he is just wired to want to do the opposite and be completely 100% defiant. I am working on this, it's hard, but I am working on it. AJ apparently loved being able to go out to a public restaurant, he used his manners, he blew me kisses when I told him I ordered him chicken (he doesn't much care for pizza, unlike me - I love pizza).

Overall the experience was amazing, the waitress was awesome and the kids were even more awesome! I praised the kids all the way home and they were beaming so proud of themselves and I could tell that my praise to them meant the world! So there you have it I went out to Pizza Hut, alone, with three kids ages 18 months, 3 1/2 and 7 and I survived! If I can do this alone YOU CAN TOO! Have faith in your kids they seem to always surprise me when I am least expecting it!

Make it a Happy Day!

In The Trash They Went

noreply@blogger.com (Brandy) — Thu, 04 Mar 2010 18:14:00 +0000

My youngest loves to steal my keys and he gets ahold of them from time to time because I am too slow. Today was one of those days, I had left my keys in the door as I brought things in from the car and away Baby K ran with those keys in hand, jingling all the way to the bedroom, the bathroom and back to the kitchen. I didn't take them, I pretended that it was a big deal and he was getting away with stealing something Mama wanted. We made it into a cute little game.

Well one thing I should tell you is that I do not have a spare car key, apparently Saab keys are not easily copied down at the hardware store, and I have yet to get it through the dealership. I am cheap, I don't like to spend money and so I have yet to get a spare key and just hoping I don't lose this one.

Finally I had to go to the bathroom, I had been holding it since all morning while we were out running errands, just the two boys and me! I told Baby K come with Mama to the bathroom she has to go potty and so he followed along keys in hand and smiles! I stood up after going pee and oops, he threw the keys so fast that I couldn't catch them and in the toilet they went. Oh yeah, my keys hit the toilet and sunk!

So today I had to reach my hand into a pee filled toilet to save the only car key I have, luckily the boys are not old enough to pick on me for this for the rest of my life! So do you kids or have your kids done anything like this that you think oh man, this is gross?!

Make it a Happy Day!

What 2 Hours of Sleep Gets Me

noreply@blogger.com (Brandy) — Mon, 22 Feb 2010 20:54:00 +0000

OMG I seriously had 2 hours of sleep last night, so you would think I would have been dragging butt and feeling all groggy. That was not me, I woke up around 3 or 3:30 in the morning to a 3 year old who was saying "Mama me puked everywhere, and on my pillow". I jumped out of bed, slowly as to not wake the sleeping Baby K who had snuck in my bed mid night but it didn't work. I was now officially out of bed with an 18 month old and a 3 and a half year old, both of which are sick. One worse than the other, considering all I could see was throw up piles of liquid (no food or anything as he hadn't eaten in a while) all over my living room floor and AJ's bedroom.

How exciting, would you just want to curl up and go back to sleep? Yeah, me too and so I did. Yup, I put the 18 month old in his playpen with a bottle of milk told him it wasn't time to get up yet and put on PBS Sprout for the 3 year old. Well I napped for a little while but woke up to find that each child had decided to place saltine crackers everywhere, one playpen full and one bedroom full as well as a living room floor filled with saltine cracker crumbs. Mind you it was me who set the crackers out thinking it would be good for the 3 year old's tummy, well apparently it was only good for Mama's house. LOL

I finally realized a nap was not happening and so I was up and ready to move on with my day, as if I had any other choice! I cleaned the cat box, I gave the cats fresh food and water, I cleaned all the cracker mess up and all the throw up. I washed bedding, I dried bedding. I also took care of three loads of laundry that had been sitting there calling my name for a couple of days now. I vacuumed, I scrubbed, I just went all crazy on a cleaning and organizational spree. I completed all the paperwork for the legal separation and it's ready for the soon to be ex hubs to sign, well I just feel so accomplished. My work is pretty much complete for the day as well so I may just crash after Girl Scouts but who knows the way I am I usually get all hyper around 9pm and can't sleep no matter how exhausted I was all day long.

So that is what 2 hours of sleep does to me .. what does it do to you?

Social Media Expert Examiner

noreply@blogger.com (Brandy) — Thu, 18 Feb 2010 17:33:00 +0000

Don't think I told you all but I am now the Social Media Expert Examiner and if you want to catch up on my first three posts here they are:

Hopefully you will stop by and leave me some comment love on those posts! Oh and be sure to subscribe if you want to keep up with any social media advice I post on that site! I hope to share my expertise with you all so that everyone can understand social media a bit more!

Make it a Happy Day!

The Waiting Game

noreply@blogger.com (Brandy) — Wed, 17 Feb 2010 17:26:00 +0000

It's really great that you can turn something that was a passion into a money making opportunity, such as I have done with both of my blogs! The only thing that stinks is waiting for that payment. I swear I check my accounts daily to see when that money I earned 30 days ago is going to pay out to me. I have less than $10 in my bank account right now, not because I don't make enough to pay current bills but because I had to pay two big bills in two weeks and so well it pretty much drained my account.

I love that I can make money doing something I am passionate about ... writing, but man sometimes I wonder why I ever tried to start making money from it. The waiting can keep you anxious and it can be frustrating. There are a few sites that pay monthly no matter what and another site that pays bi-weekly which is pretty cool, but those sites are not the "big money makers" usually so reality is I have to wait 30 days for the work I do today in order to get the money I earned.

I get it, they want to ensure their links are on your website for at least 30 days, because if not the search engines wouldn't scroll them or whatever the word is. I know SEO tips and tricks, I get it, but I also want to get my money! LOL

In all seriousness, I do love that I can make money from my blogs. It's funny I originally started making money from my blogs and doing my virtual assistant business as a way to help my soon to be ex husband get out of a job he hated. Funny how we are now facing separation and he quit that job before I was even financial stable enough for him to quit! Life is all about adventures though, so what waiting game are you playing in life today?

Make it a Happy Day!

What A Weekend

noreply@blogger.com (Brandy) — Tue, 16 Feb 2010 17:17:00 +0000

Last weekend I had a pretty off weekend for lack of a better word! We had a decent day on Saturday with the Winter Carnival events but come about 3pm my daughter started shivering and I just assumed it was because we had been out in the freezing cold weather most of the day for a parade and other fun times. Little did I know that horrible cough she had all last week was going to turn into this awful fever that wouldn't go away.

When my daughter curled up in a blanket on the couch and I saw how rosey her cheeks were, I knew something was wrong so I took out the ear thermometer and checked her temp. The temp was 103, so I pulled out the children's Tylenol and gave her some of that and allowed her to simply relax covered in a blanket, drinking water. Dinner time came and she could barely eat, so I started to worry a little bit, but showed my relaxed Mama face and allowed her to go back on the couch. Later on her brothers were getting a bit wild so she retired to her room for the night where I ended up awake until 1am and then again periodically until finally come 9:30am I got out of my bed after the boys father tended to the kids for the first part of the morning.

Little did I know the weekend and Monday too would be filled with high and low temps. Luckily my daughter's father (my ex boyfriend) came by with some Motrin and that seemed to help cut her fever for a little while, but at one point her temp reached 105.8 in her ear! I was so worried that I had her father call the pediatrician who told us that as long as she was comfortable and had no troubles breathing to just let her sleep. I gave her meds every 4 hours alternating between Tylenol and Motrin and then late Monday evening her father took her for two days.

Last time I spoke with her father she was doing pretty good and even ate dinner. He hadn't checked her temp yet but said if it kept going up and down he would certainly get her to the pediatricians on Tuesday (I am writing this post late Monday night). So we will see how she is doing later on Tuesday when her father calls me with an update. I hope she gets passed this, but as I sit here writing this post I hear both my sons coughing ... yes it's the same cough my daughter had last week. Shall I say it? Here we go again!

Make it a Happy Day!

The Ups and Downs

noreply@blogger.com (Brandy) — Tue, 16 Feb 2010 04:34:00 +0000

Knowing that you are about to have a complete life change makes your mind go crazy. It's like one moment you are ready to move forward in your life and take on this new found freedom but the next you are scared and worried about whether or not you are going to make it on your own in this new situation.

What I do in times like this is simply talk out loud, yes talk ... seriously even if no one is listening. It feels good to get out your thoughts in the form of talking or sometimes writing can help. I know writing is like my therapy, when I get all my thoughts out of my head onto a blog post or a piece of paper (that I later shred) I feel a sigh of relief knowing that I am now free of those thoughts that were consuming my mind and trying to make me second guess what I know to be right in my life.

Life has it's ups and downs, that's for sure, all that matters is that you take each day as it comes and smile your best smile! I am serious when I tweet about how a smile can change your day and make another persons day better. I have practiced being an optimistic person now for many years and I will be honest that each time I think a positive thought about a life challenge everything ends up turning out better! It's funny how a simple thought for the positive can make good things come to you!

I invite you to smile today and enjoy the life you life! We are not able to relive our past mistakes and we do not know what our future holds, but today ... awww today ... today we can be happier knowing that all it takes is the simple act of smiling!

Make it a Happy Day!