RAIN, GO AWAY!

I know, I know....rain is necessary, but man, I despise it! The rain caused the power to go out for an hour this morning while my 12 year old was trying to get ready for school. So, she started flipping out, my 3 year old was mad she couldn't turn anything on, especially the t.v., and all I could think about was how in the heck I was going to get any "PAID" work done on my computer today! Not to mention how I was going to feed anyone today! Actually, in 2004, when we lived in Maryland, we endured four days without power due to Hurricane Isabel....PURE TORTURE! Luckily, we had wonderful neighbors who had a generator and an awesome gas grill---we practically lived with them during that time! Sometimes, when I'm playing Oregon Trail with my girls, I like to think that being a pioneer would have been fun......seriously, what am I smoking? I need my modern luxuries to make it through life! What about you?

Be careful what you wish for!

Last week, I was complaining that I might lose my new job. Well, be careful what you wish for! This week and next, I am going to be swamped with work! So this blog will be very sporadic! Happy blogging and hopefully soon, Happy Spring!

Oh Free Amazon Dollars, How Shall I Spend Thee?

Yes, you read that title correctly...I said FREE Amazon dollars! As in $25, to be precise! I tried to do a screenshot of my Amazon balance, but the image wouldn't display properly on here. I earned that $25 through Swagbucks, which I have blogged about before. You can scroll down through my previous posts to learn how to use Swagbucks, then sign up through my referral link on the right side of the page. And, as always, I'm available to guide you through the Swagbucks process. Just ask!

I'm thinking, since I'm a huge Twi-Mom freak, that I will probably place an order today for the "New Moon" dvd/plus computer viewing through Amazon. Then, tomorrow, the online movie viewing will be available on my computer for 24 hours, and in just a couple days, my DVD will be in my greedy little hands!

Why am I, at almost 38 years old, obsessed with the Twilight Series? Well, that's another blog post for another day. But, please comment here if you love Twilight too! Happy Friday!

What's Your Sign?

Do you believe in Astrology? Are you exactly like the description of your Zodiac Sign? For the most part, I'm a Virgo through and through. I"m analytical, critical, meticulous, practical, fairly intelligent, a worrier, and a perfectionist. To the detriment of my poor husband and children, I'm very critical, which drives them nuts. It's something I'm working on controlling.

But the one Virgoan trait that I do NOT have is the "clean house" one! I despise housekeeping and chores and manual labor. Don't get me wrong---I would kill to live in a perfectly clean and beautiful home. I just don't want to have to be the one to clean it. Some people might call me lazy, but that would not be true. I just feel like manual labor is, well, not so much "beneath" me...but I have far better things to do with my time. Give me a desk job where I can use my brain and I'll work my tushie off, but hand me a vacuum or a dishcloth, and I'll probably break down and cry. Luckily for me, I picked the right husband the second time around...and he understands this about me. I take care of the family, and he does the majority of the chores.

I'm curious---how are you different from your Zodiac sign...and how are you the exact description of it? Here's a great link to find out more.
http://www.astrology-online.com/

Three Year Olds Are The Best!

I have a wonderful, super smart, precious 3.5 year old daughter (in addition to my fabulous, beautiful and also highly intelligent 12 year old daughter, who hates for me to blog about her) and she keeps me in stitches, all the time! I'm very lucky that she's also, for the most part, very well-behaved---unlike so many horror stories I hear nowadays, or view with my own eyes.

So, as I was sitting here, pondering out loud on which topic I should blog, and she said "Mom, what about me, and how cute I am?" :)

Then, she said, "Here is the story you should blog up!"

"Once upon a time, there was a Mommy Allosaurus and a Daddy T-Rex and a baby Allosaurus and a baby T-Rex. Then, they went on a walk and found people. They were nice dinosaurs and they liked people. The End."

Yes, she is obsessed with dinosaurs. Every day, all I hear about are allosaurs, t-rex, long-necks, etc. Every day, she watches either "Jurassic Park" part 1 or 2 or both, "Ice Age 3," "The Land Before Time," or any other dinosaur thing she can find. When she's not watching those, she's bugging me to look up dino-related stuff on Ebay (one of her fave websites)! Just now, as she's typing in Notepad on the computer, she typed a bunch of numbers and said "Look Mom! Dino DNA!"

So, I guess I better get planning her 4th birthday in August, complete with everything DINO! Anyone know where I can get a dino bouncy house? :)

Need Something To Read?

Are you looking for a new series to read? Then, let me help! The Outlander Series by Diana Gabaldon. You may have heard of this series, but been reluctant to read it, because you think that it's just a romance. Well, you would be wrong. It is so much more than just a simple romance story. It is everything---time travel, history, adventure, intrigue, complex characters, and yes, an EPIC romance.

The basic story follows Claire, a young nurse during World War II, who goes on a belated honeymoon with her husband to Scotland. She accidentally stumbles into a standing stones circle where she travels back in time 200 years. She meets Jamie and, after a series of adventures, must decide to stay with him or go back to her own time. I guarantee, you will fall in love with Jamie and Claire!

The series consists of the following books:

Outlander (also titled Cross Stitch)
Published: June 1, 1991

Dragonfly in Amber
Published: July 1, 1992

Voyager
Published: December 1, 1993

Drums of Autumn
Published: December 30, 1996

The Fiery Cross
Published: November 6, 2001

A Breath of Snow and Ashes
Published: September 27, 2005
Winner: Quill Award
Winner: Corinne International Book Prize

An Echo in the Bone
Published: September 22, 2009

Book eight, Outlander series
No Publication Date Yet

You can find all this information and much more at :

http://www.dianagabaldon.com/

Do things happen for a reason?

Sorry to be philosophical today, rather than cheery and humorous...but it is Monday after all! So, do you believe that things happen for a reason? When I look back on my life, there are many occasions where I can now say, "OHHH, that's why that happened that way!" But, there are also times when I can't find the reason at all, which is very frustrating for me, as a Virgo, to not find the answer.

For instance, right now, I am on the verge of losing a dream job that I started back in January, and have been in for a trial period. Why? Why would God, or fate, or life, or the universe, give me such a perfect job, finally after all these years....only to take it away again so soon? What would be the point? Especially when I need this job so desperately, to pull our family out of financial distress that we've suffered from for the last 6 years!

Anyway, what do you believe? Do things always happen for a reason...or do they just happen? And by the way, doesn't Daylight Savings Time bite?

MyPoints might benefit YOU!

Yes, another profitable internet website that I'd like to introduce you to! No, I'm not making this stuff up...it really does work! Mypoints.com is a site where you can build points to earn gift cards. Since October 2009, I've earned a $25 Outback Steakhouse gift card and a $25 Home Depot gift card, and I'm on my way towards earning a 3rd gift card. Although it does take longer to earn prizes on this website, it is so worth it! Once you sign up, you agree to receive about 4-5 emails a day (just create a spam email account for this website). You open these emails (NEVER ANY VIRUSES), click on the "get points" button in the email, and you get 5 points per email viewed. You can also earn points through surveys that they send you, and MAJOR points by shopping through their website. I am a huge Ebay shopper, so I do all my Ebay purchases through MyPoints. And, of course, there is always the option of getting your friends to sign up under you to earn even more points. And MyPoints has a great Daily Deal section, like Ebates, where they do all the work of finding the best shopping deals out there! Unfortunately, MyPoints does not have a referral button that you can click, so, if you are interested, let me know your full name and email, and I will send you a referral email. And as always, if you have questions, just ask and I will be happy to help you out!

"Modern Family" is ..... SO FUNNY!

Do you watch t.v.? Are you an addict, like me? If you haven't started watching "Modern Family" yet, you really should. It's on ABC on Wednesdays at 9 pm EST. There have been 17 episodes so far, but only 5 full episodes are available on ABC.com right now. Even though its a comedy, you really should watch them in order. The show is so well-written, it blows my mind! In my opinion, there hasn't been a comedy out like this in a very long time. My husband and I instantly identified with the middle-aged married couple in the family, which makes it even funnier to us. Here's a quoted convo between the husband and wife:

Claire: Getting everybody out of the house in the morning can be really tough. Especially the first day of school.
Phil: From the moment we get up at seven until we drop them off at school it is: go go go.
Claire: I get up at six.
Phil [mocking]: I get up at five.
Claire: Seriously, I get up at six.
Phil: That's you? I thought we had a racoon.

Seriously, this show just slays me! Try it out--it really has something for everyone, especially since everyone's family has their own bit of drama!

It doesn't feel like a fun Friday!

It's Friday, but it doesn't feel like one. I'm suffering from an allergy attack and I have the busiest day and night ever! Ok, who volunteered me to be the Middle School Dance Organizer? Oh yeah, that's right, I volunteered myself....musta been on drugs that day! So, needless to say, I will be running around like a chicken with its head cut off today---packing snacks into my car, getting last minute items from the school, and attempting to find 30 minutes for a nap.

On a positive note, its Mega Swagbucks Day over at Swagbucks.com, so don't forget to register through my referral link, and then WIN BIG!

That's it for today...pretty boring. I promise to have more interesting blog posts this weekend!

Do You Shop Online?

Do you hate malls and the madness of stores and the rudeness of other people? Well, you can avoid all that by shopping online. I live in rural Vermont, where the closest Walmart and malls are an hour away, in one direction! To me, its more worthwhile to shop online, save my gas, and avoid crowds. And if I can earn cashback or points for prizes while shopping, EVEN BETTER!

Yes, I said CASHBACK! Through Ebates.com, you can shop at their wide variety of stores and earn cashback on every purchase. Every 3 months, if you've earned $5.00 or more, you receive a payout, either into your Paypal or a check to your home. And the selection of stores is amazing, including Ebay, Walmart, Kohls, Overstock.com, and so much more! They also offer coupons, promo codes, and Daily Deals, which save you time and money. If you sign up through me, I earn $5 into my account. (See the logo/widget on the right of this page) Then, you can start earning and signing up your own referrals! Consider it, and if you have questions, please just ask!

Do you like FREE money?

So, do you like FREE money, as in Paypal or Amazon giftcards? If you do want these things, then consider signing up through my Swagbucks referral link on the side of this page. Once you get the hang of the website, it is SO WORTH IT! You can earn at least TWO $5 Amazon giftcards a month, just by searching 3 times a day, like you would with Google. That's $120 in Amazon money in a year!!! That's the bare minimum! Even better, if you put a little time into it, you can earn even more....through your own referrals, finding the daily codes, doing special offers, and shopping through the website. ALL FOR FREE! And I am always here to answer questions and help you navigate the site! Consider it for me, ok? :)

Is this still really going on?

Yes, we are going on Day 3 of my plumber drama, and still no Mike! ;P Today, the plumber is coming "sometime" in the afternoon. His work will take at least 2 hours and I won't be able to use the water for an hour before nor during!!!! I have a 3 year old who has to go pee quite often..hmmm...! Luckily, we still have the little portable potty! I can't wait to see the bill for all of this "work", and trust me, I won't be paying for the first 2 days when they did NOTHING. Why is it that we have to sit around and wait for service people??? Tell me some of your horror stories and plumber drama!

The Plumber Saga, Part Two

So, I waited around all day yesterday, without a shower, for the plumber to show up. Finally, I had to take my daughter to dance, but I left the door unlocked for him to come in and fix the problem. (Yes, we live in a small town and it's still safe to do this.) And, yes, he came while I was gone, and "supposedly" fixed the problem, then left before I returned. Was the problem fixed? NO!!! Did he look like Mike from "Desperate Housewives?" I have no idea, though I highly doubt it!
So, yes, here I sit, waiting for him, or another plumber, to show up and finally put me out of my misery. If he does it in a timely manner, I hope to have another blog post later today .


This is probably more like the Average VT Plumber!

Yep, its Monday!

Well, I would love to be cheery, but it is Monday morning....and as is normal for Mondays, its a bad one! First of all, I stayed up way too late last night watching the Oscars! Then, I was up early, getting my daughter ready for school. And now, I'm waiting on the plumber to call. :( Yep, the bathtub is taking an hour to drain and now the kitchen sink is backing up. Plus, last week, we found out, after paying $500 for new tires, that my car needs an additional $1200 of work done. There goes that beautiful hefty tax refund! I hope your Monday is better than mine! Or feel free to vent here! :) Hmmm---what are the chances the plumber will look like this?!?!?

Proof of my Internet Freebies

Here is just one week's inventory of freebies and samples that I received in the mail. The Stylebook was purchased from Amazon FOR FREE with my Amazon giftcards that I won through Swagbucks. The magazine is a free year subscription. The rest are freebie samples: One full tube of toothpaste, one small tube of toothpaste, one laundry detergent sample, one shampoo/conditioner sample, two perfume/cologne samples, one coffee sample, one feminine product sample, and a coupon for a free food product! Just ONE WEEK'S WORTH! Do you believe me now? Read below for tips on how to earn these freebies...or comment with your questions and I will help you. It is really a thrill to go to the post office and find these every week! But, I wonder how the postal workers feel about it....? :)

Ahhh Etsy!

One of my absolute favorite websites ever is Etsy.com and I think it will soon become one of yours as well, if it isn't already! I will try to feature a seller from Etsy at least once a week on my blog. To start, I am featuring another Vermonter whose shop makes me drool with envy!

Champlain Jewelry is a jeweler based out of the town that I grew up in and his jewelry is to die for! This ring is gorgeous, but I'm partial to blue topaz anyway! The seller, Patrick Marshall, also has another website, lakechamplainjewelry.com, where you can view dates for events that he will be attending this year. And his prices are very reasonable, in my opinion, considering the quality of his work and the gemstones. So, go visit his Etsy store or regular website. And if you buy anything, please tell him Virgo-Mom-Wife-Internet Addict sent you!

Swagbucks is the BEST!

Do you know what Swagbucks are? Do you want to learn more? Read on!

Swagbucks.com is a totally legitimate website where you can earn prizes just by searching! It has even been featured on the national news! Once you sign up, through my referral link on the right side of this page, you should read the FAQs and the tips at the top of the homepage. Then begin by searching, just like how you would search on Google. Search about 3 or 4 times during a 24-hour period. You can win anywhere from 1-100 swagbucks with each search. You also can win swagbucks by finding codes that are usually released 1-2 times a day. To find these codes, you should do the following things:

Become a fan of Swagbucks on Facebook. (this page will be very helpful)
Download the Swagbucks toolbar. (there are often codes in the toolbar)
Grab the Swagbucks widget and add it to your blog or FB page. (this will also contain codes or clues on where to find codes)
Follow Swagbucks on Twitter. (there will sometimes be codes tweeted there)
Follow the Swagbucks Flickr page. (codes here are few but can happen)
Get referrals of your own. When you get someone to sign up underneath you, you earn Swagbucks for the first 1000 that they earn through searching.

Since October 2009, I have earned $60 worth of Amazon giftcards through Swagbucks!!!! And that was just through searching and finding codes...imagine what you could earn with your own referrals! Please feel free to ask me questions at any time!

How to earn freebies from the Internet

Do you spend a lot of time on the Internet? Are you addicted, like me? Do you like free things and free money? If so, keep reading!
Like so many others in this economy, we suffer from financial problems. And since I am a stay-at-home-mom with limited income from disability and freelancing, I need to do all that I can to contribute to our household funds. A few months ago, I started scouring the 'Net for freebies, actual legit freebies. And I did find some! The most helpful websites for freebies, samples, and coupons are as follows:
www.freesnatcher.com

www.freebies4mom.com

www.dealseekingmom.com

You can also follow those 3 sites on Facebook as well, which is what I do. There is not a day that goes by that I don't find something useful from them. My best piece of advice is to create a special hotmail/gmail/yahoomail account just for subscribing to freebies and other sites---this will catch all the spam and not clog up your regular email account. Since October 2009, I have received countless coupons, samples, and freebies in the mail and it has been a blast! Try it out and please let me know how it works for you!