This Episode Brought to You by Your Toxic Home

We will return after this quick commercial interruption:

There are some things in this world that are worth starting wars over.  Then, there are some things in this world that will bring lifelong enemies together.  One thing that could bring peace to all mankind (especially my 4 year old): the McDonalds Chicken McNugget.  Why, oh, why must this breaded and fried white chicken meat be so irresistible to my son.  He has a very limited palate, yet he chooses the Nugget.  We drive by the Golden Arches and he proclaims it 'The Chicken House'.  Oh, the humanity!  Yet those golden fried poultry morsels will bring peace at all times.  I'm sure I'll have an 'ode to the chicken house' soon.

We now return you to the regularly scheduled program:

So, this week was busy, yet seemingly unproductive.  Got lots of things done and lots of appointments set, but had to reschedule a few.  That threw things off a little bit.  I did get a business partner to come on board though.  Wahoo!  That means $$$ for me and $$$ for her.  Another two will be coming on early in August.  This is starting to be a fairly lucrative venture so far.  Baby steps, right? 

For those of you who may be reading this an are interested in what I'm doing, let me explain.  I have the pleasure of being my own boss and working from the comfort of my home.  By working for this company, I have access to superior products that allow me to keep my family safe, while helping save money and the environment.  The best thing is, the products are so amazing, they sell themselves.  I just show people what it is that I do and what the products are all about.  The rest is money in the bank. 

The Environmental Protection Agency has reported that the air inside our homes is 3 to 5 times more toxic than the air outside our homes.  This is crazy!  Why?  It's because we use household cleaners, sometimes several times a day, that have toxic and even cancer causing chemicals in them.  I had no idea that there was cancer causing formaldehyde in my toothpaste and the air fresheners I use near my kids.  Disinfecting wipes on highchair trays leave behind a nasty chemical layer for my kids to eat off of.  Man, even the diaper wipes I use on my kids has formaldehyde in it.  This gets used in the most sensitive and absorbing areas of my little babies!! 

Nearly everything that is meant to clean and disinfect our homes leaves residual traces of toxins for our bodies to absorb.  Now, I don't know about you, but this is scary.  I try every day to protect my kids from harmful things, germs, strangers, accidents, but I am bringing potentially fatal cleaning products into my home for them to be exposed to.  I have found a fantastic alternative to those harmful cleaners!  Ones that I know are safe around my family and good for the environment, too.  They are also very affordable, long lasting, and more effective than the brand name products.

If anyone is interested in working with me, or if you are interested in getting superior products that don't have harmful and toxic chemicals, drop me an e-mail at lmarin@q.com. 

If you have any questions, please post them.  I'm sure others will have them, too. 

Coming up next, Billy Maze comes back from the grave to tell you that OxyClean is SO effective at removing dirt and grime that they used it in his casket and he disappeared.  AMAZING!!  Stay tuned...

(Sorry, that was bad.)

Leslie

Certificates and Big Balls

So, the day after I got 'spoken to' about my job, I got a Certificate of Achievement from my 'employer'.  Needless to say, I took that puppy and put it in open view of everyone to see (mainly my husband).  It felt good to have some extra motivation behind me and know that I am doing something well.  I think it worked, because I haven't gotten the push back today. 

My schedule is very busy this week, but I've also determined that I need to set a clear schedule of when I work.  This way, it won't seem like I'm so 'absent'.  I've narrowed it down to three days a week with an hour or two on other weekdays when the babies are asleep.  Never thought this before, but I may be a workaholic.  This is only the case when I work at home, of course.  It's strange though, on my days off, to have no work to get done.  It seems like I'm on vacation, but I have a burning desire to keep busy.  The kids get extra lovin' and the house gets extra clean.  I might be onto something.  

If there is anything that I can recommend to keep your sanity as a parent, it's to get some alone time with other women.  I play on a women's softball team.  Some nights, I don't really feel like going, but it seems like on those days I really end up appreciating it the most.  I am only able to do this because I have an amazing support team.  My husband, my parents, my in-laws, and my friends have been my saviors.  Life would be unbearable without them all.  I also get some much needed exercise running around. 

We also found a highly recommended babysitter.  Wahoooo!!  We haven't had a regular sitter, ever.  I was quoted $12 an hour just to watch the twins.  Ouch.  The price we pay for freedom.  I ended up talking her down to $10, but for 3 hours of dinner and a movie, we'll end up paying $30 bucks more.  Wow.  Freedom is expensive.  Good thing we don't have any more kids or a date night would cost as much as a root canal. 

Ok.  Topic for the night: What reality or game show would you like to be a part of and why?  I'll start.

I would like to be a part of Survivor.  It seems like people learn a lot about themselves, or should unless they are completely self-absorbed.  And I would like to kick Jeff Probst in the junk, because he's really lame.  He always does the same lame ass things over and over.  Half the fun of watching is making fun of him.  Also, it would be a great way to lose a few pounds.

I would also like to be on WipeOut!  Looks like it would be a blast and I can only hope I'd do well.  Who knows.  I might look good covered in mud.... nah.

Ladies, what do you think??

Good Night and Big Balls!

Leslie

Crap-tastic.

Today was one of those days where I felt that a lot was accomplished, but was slammed down later in the day.  As a mother of an autistic child and toddler twins, I try to balance everything, which is very difficult.  Then everything seems to blur together and I didn't do anything constructive with my kids or clean the house, or even brush my teeth (yuck!).  I'm in desperate need of some guidance.  My husband is not very supportive of my work at home business, because he perceives that I am not paying enough attention to the kids, the house, or him.  I knew what being a homemaker entailed, but I NEED to use my brain or I will go crazy.  Absolutely crazy!!  I never get out of the house.  My husband has a lot more flexibility to get out.  I do clean the house, but it gets thrashed by kids about a half an hour later.  My husband also knows that having children means that I will have priorities other than him but it is still difficult.

So, I am being torn into several different directions all at once.  The thing that really stinks is that I am getting REALLY good at my job.  I truly think I would be very successful at it.  Any of you who know me know that I am a people-person and am very dedicated at whatever I do.  My husband pointed out the reason for me staying home from work.  Duh.  Why though, does it bother him most when HE has to watch the kids?  Arg!

If you are reading this and you have a fully supportive and unselfish husband, please tell him how much you appreciate him.  Don't get me wrong, my husband works very hard for this family.  He just doesn't have much of a feel for calming the kids when they get in a tear.  I do this all day long, every day of my life.  When I try to gain a smidgen of my independence back or even try to speak with adults on a consistent basis, I get a battle axe thrown at me.  So, do I quit 'working' from home and quit something that I get some personal satisfaction at or continue to balance between my needs and the needs of my family and continue the job?

I am open to any suggestions on this matter.  It would be a miracle for my husband to read this, so suggest away.

Frustrated,

Leslie

Oh, Mother!

Today is one of the days where I know for certain that God is testing me.  I keep saying to myself the ever-popular 'that which does not kill us makes us stronger'.  Doesn't make the desire to bang my head repeatedly into a wall diminish though.  Yesterday, I was able to take a break from my life and get a spa treatment with my good friend.  This makes me feel worse today.  I would think the few hours of independence would make my cup o' patience runneth over.  It most certainly does not.  Makes me feel like a bad parent.  Oh, Mother!

I'm so glad that today is Sunday and not a weekday.  If absolutely no work gets done today at home, my family is no worse off.  For starters, the Directv in our kids playroom went out...again.  By the way, I hate them with a passion.  By my own fault, the kids have grown accustomed to having the TV on at random intervals throughout the day.  When it is not there on demand, they can become little devils.  I've tried singing to them, but I don't want to scar them for life.  Oh, Mother!

My 4 year old son, Brady, is autistic and has random bouts of 'bad days'.  He has been taking some new vitamins and has done very well lately, but today he was a whirlwind of drama, resistance, and testing.  We went with grandma to McDonalds, aka the Chicken House, to get everyone some nuggets.  My son had a meltdown and started slapping my youngest boy.  I began to discipline right away and got loads of resistance.  His new word is, 'ouch!' and he uses it at all times when he is touched, even softly.  So when trying to move him quickly so he quits pummelling the 15 month old, he starts screaming, "Ouch, ouch, OUCH!!" and everyone looks at me like I'm beating him. I absolutely hate disciplining my kids in public, but it must be done.  Oh, Mother!

As a mother, there is only so much crying you can tolerate before your heart and brain will explode.  The twins normally take naps during the day.  Today was the exception and I had no reprieve.  We finally got Brady to fall asleep after a long screaming battle.  He wore himself out.  The twins were a different story and never went down even after multiple tantrums.  In the crib, scream, out of the crib, scream: repeat.  They've been well fed, changed, given drinks.  You know when you're at the breaking point when you ask your 15 month olds, "What do you want?!?!" and actually wait for a response.  Maybe I've been watching too much Family Guy and expect them to rant like Stewie:  Yes mother, I would like a glass of tepid milk and a slightly warmed baguette with a generous side of balsamic vinegar, olive oil and a sprig of rosemary.  Thank you ever so much for asking.  So I took some Kix out of the cupboard and dispersed about a quarter of the box out freely onto the playroom floor.  They quit crying and went to town.  Dogs get to use a bowl, but not my kids.  Not today.  Oh, Mother!

If anyone knows of a comedian that needs material on parenting or perils of raising a child, pass my info along to them.  I'm sure I'll have a lot of good stuff to use.  Bill Cosby was by far the best, but Louis C.K. has been really easy to relate to lately.  He has a special out on Showtime and a sitcom on FX Tuesday nights.  He's added in the fact that we are all getting older, less attractive, and have much different priorities in life than we used to.  Our blood pressure goes up permanently, our bodies change drastically, and we no longer sit at a table to eat.  We shovel in the kids leftovers as fast as we can while leaning over the sink.  We never sleep either.  I would have never thought I could consistently get less than 6 hours of interrupted sleep a night and actually function as a human being.  And think, I get to do all of this tomorrow, too!  Oh, Mother!




Leslie

Generation Lost

Being a stay-at-home mom, you'd think I have all the time in the world.  That couldn't be farther from the truth.  Between diaper changes, making meals, cleaning the floor after meals, diaper changes, getting kids to take naps, cleaning dishes, doing laundry, and diaper changes, I seem to run out of time. 

I am going to travel back in time in order to bring my blog up to date.  I started with a work at home company where I truly believe in what they are doing.  I'm a very skeptical person by my nature.  I don't think I would be able to really recommend a product or business unless I am a customer myself.  I'm sure there are many companies that are fantastic to work for.  However, I need to believe in something in order to become a part of it.  That applies in all aspects of my life.  With that being said, I researched many work-at-home opportunities.  Most of them were either too good to be true or would require endless amounts of my time filling out surveys or writing reviews into space.  Again, not that these are bad options, just not the ones I wanted to utilize my time with.  

I was hesitant at first when I received a call from a nice woman named Deb.  She reminded me of my mother, in a good way.  She was very calming, incredibly informative and friendly.  Long story short, I was soon to become part of a fantastic network of mentors, trainers, and peers.  This is only the beginning.  I started the middle of June and jumped in eager to learn.

This is when I realized my first hurdle: Time Management.  For a wife and a mother of three, this is easier said than done.  You go from being so selfless to needing more time for yourself.  You start to lose your identity.  That scared me, a lot.  I love being a mother, but I love being my independent self, too.  

In our society, mothers and fathers have an incredible responsibility for raising their children.  Learned values from parents and grandparents are being phased out from one generation to the next.  Budget cuts in our schools keep getting worse.  I have a sad feeling that my children will be labeled as "Generation Lost".  They will have little to no resources to enhance their lives.  The government will be unable or unwilling to provide basic services for its citizens.  Part of my decision to go back to work is to earn enough money to put our kids through private school if necessary.  This means the whole family will need to make some sacrifices.  

Time management has been more difficult than I originally imagined.  Because my brain is not fully recovered from the ailment of having children, I get sidetracked often.  I would be going to get a paper from the printer and have to grab a kid to change a diaper.  Then I'd see it was lunchtime and get some food for them.  Two hours later, I would remember what I printed and grab the paper from the printer.  The typical 'walk into a room and forget why you went there in the first place' syndrome.  

My time is more effectively spent than it was before.  There are still diapers to change, mouths to feed, and chores to be done.  Now, I prioritize my time better.  I now own and use a Day Planner to keep my head straight and my appointments visible.  I haven't been scheduling house cleaning or meals, but maybe I should be.  I just don't want to end up like some of those anal-retentive moms on Wife Swap who has a schedule for everything.  How sad would that be for my children (and husband)?  

 I also purchased a laptop and wireless Internet so I'd be able to be more mobile around the house.  Unfortunately, I think my kids think a computer is supposed to be around mommy all the time.  During the minute intervals of downtime I have during my day, I'm checking emails, on muted conference calls, or actively marketing on the Internet.  It seems to be working so far.  In about 3 short hours of active marketing, I now have 28 leads and counting.  They are good leads, too.  I believe this could be the beginning of something beautiful!

Deb has been a fantastic mentor.  I hope I can be as supportive and interactive with my partners as she has been with me.  At my request, I asked to jump in with both feet and contact the prospective partners.  I made business meetings with ALL of those I have contacted so far.  This is so very easy.  I CAN DO THIS!  The company's history will speak for itself and I have gained some much needed self-confidence.


To date, I have two personal customers and one business partner.  I consider that a slow month, too.  For just starting out, I needed to get my niche in the business and complete much of the training.  Now, I am on a path of extreme growth.  I have set reachable short- and long-term goals and posted them on my desk.  That way, not only do I get to see them daily, my husband does, too.  


If you are going to start any type of home-based business, make sure you have a strong support system.  There will be many ups and downs.  There will be people cheering you on and those who tell you that you'll fail.  I personally, want to tell the downers to kiss my @$$!  It makes me want to prove them wrong.  It gives me the fuel and drive to shove it in their faces.  I want this for my kids and for my hardworking husband.  I want this for myself.  





Please let me know if you have any questions about working from home or if you have suggestions about my writing.  I promise my posts will get shorter.  I'm just getting caught up.  Thanks again for reading!!


Leslie


www.myblueprint.info

First Day of the Rest of My Life

Hello everyone (if anyone is out there). I consider myself pretty technologically savvy. However, I am embarrassed to say that I have never participated in a blog prior to today. Yep, I'm no longer a blogger virgin.  I'm going to talk about my hope in this terrible economy to thrive in a home based business as a stay at home mom.

Let me tell you a little bit about myself.  I like to think of myself as reasonably educated by today's standards.  I have a Bachelor's Degree in Criminal Justice with a Forensic Emphasis and a Psychology minor.  I also have three young children (4yrs, 15 months x2), who have completely changed my life.  Don't get me wrong, I love my children, but also appreciate using my brain and trying to making a difference in the world.  Nowadays, that seems non-existent. I had to quit my job at the local police department when my husband and I had our second and third children (yes, twins). Much to my surprise (not really) I didn't have the energy and the attention to detail required to continue. I was heartbroken to say the least. My ideal and dream job fizzled away. But I will never say that I regret having children. They are my life and soul. They make me get up each morning and strive to be a better parent, a better person.  Does my situation sound familiar to anyone?

Going along with my monotonous daily routine and the infrequency of speaking to adults, I have lost my brain.  My expensive, college educated brain.  After having children, there is no longer time to read books, watch educational television, or even watch poorly-made movies. Now I watch the occasional Dora the Explorer and the ever-repeating kids movie Up, thanks to my 4 year old. There is hardly time to take a short shower, let alone a relaxing bath.  My husband works his tail off at his job and at home.  We are both burning the candle at both ends.  I knew there had to be an area for personal growth that could be made to benefit myself and my family.

I think I've found it. This blog will be my work diary to catalog my successes and challenges as my role as a working stay-at-home mom.  I personally want to invite you along in this journey to keep me motivated and accountable.  Perhaps you can even try it yourself and we can grow together.

Wish me luck!

Leslie Marin

www.myblueprint.info