Friday, February 06, 2009

It's friday!! I hope everyone had a productive week :)

Tuesday, January 27, 2009

Will This New Law Steal Your Entreprenuerial Dreams?

Stephanie Fish
stephanie@buckeyeva.com
http://www.buckeyeva.com
330-204-6570



Will This New Law Steal Your Entreprenuerial Dreams?

New Philadelphia, OH (January 2009) Stephanie Fish owner of Buckeye V.A. knows what it takes to get a business idea from paper to the internet, having done this with her virtual assistant business since 2006 she understands the struggles that go along with reaching towards your dreams. Fish enjoys educating others about utilizing the internet as a means to grow their current business or by helping them make their dreams of entrepreneurship become a reality. Having an online presence can increase your bottom line since a website is visible across the globe and can be seen by your potential clients now matter where they reside.

For the past 3 years Stephanie Fish has been providing services to physical product sellers, such as crafters and custom invitation providers, who were in need of marketing for their online businesses. Among the various clients Stephanie has worked with, one thing rings true for each client; they each are actively pursueing the dream to own and run their own business.

As an American we have the privilege and freedom to choose whether or not to work from home. Many home-based business owners sell hand crafted items, such as purses, dolls, toys and baby slings, as a means of bringing income into their families. However, according to the CPSIA law that was passed by the Consumer Product Safety Commission, there will be millions of home-based businesses that will be forced to close. The effects of this law will increase our need for government help and place an unnecessary strain our economy.

Whether you're a consumer or a crafter you are invited to take a stand on this issue by joining us by blogging about this issue on Wednesday January 28, 2009 and also by writing to your local congressman. To learn more about this day of blogging being hosted by Etsy.com please visit Stephanie's website at www.buckeyeva.com and click on the tab that reads "WAHM Life" for more details.

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About Buckeye V.A.: Stephanie Fish, owner of Buckeye V.A. has been servicing online and small business owners with various tasks that range from online marketing to online research. Visit my website to learn more about how a virtual assistant can help you with your business needs.

Saturday, January 17, 2009

Get Money Back By Shopping Online

One of my goals for this year is to find ways to cut costs and save money on all of my purchases. I have become a fan of CVS over the last few weeks because they accept coupons and you can earn ECB (extra care bucks). I'm fortunate that I have family members that share their money saving secrets with me, and I'm about to share 2 secrets with you!

My Two Secrets? Refundcents.com and Cashbaq.com

I signed up with Cashbaq.com since its free, I earned $5 just for signing up and I do a lot of online buying. With this program I can save money on my purchases and earn money on the same purchases without having to use coupons or leave my house! Now that's a great reason to shop!

Refundcents.com
Since I new to using coupons and earning extra care bucks I decided to signup for the online membership and the print subscription. I was pleasently surprised to see that the cost of this membership was so "frugal"! I'm excited to learn more about saving money for my family and still buy name brand products.

Friday, January 09, 2009

Do You Own a Successful Craft Business?

6) Summary: Mistakes Made in Small Craft Businesses

Category: Business & Finance

Name: Patrice Lewis

Email: patrice@patricelewis.com

Title: Freelance Writer

Media Outlet/Publication: Crafts Report Magazine

Anonymous? No

Specific Geographic Region? No

Region:

Deadline: 6:00 PM PACIFIC - January 13

Query:

“Are you the owner of a successful home craft business? If so, I
want to hear the biggest mistakes you’ve made during the growth of
your business, as well as what you had to do to correct or overcome
those mistakes. I’m looking for people who overcame early
challenges and boo-boos, and can now offer sage words of wisdom to
newbies in the business. Please be positive and upbeat. I’m not
looking for people whose businesses have failed, but rather those
who have struggled and succeeded.

Please put HARO - Craft Business Mistakes in your subject line.”

Thursday, January 08, 2009

Week 1 of Menu Planning!

I have conquered week 1 of menu planning! Breakfast is usually cereals (hot or cold) or bagels with cream cheese. For lunch, during the week, its usually just me and hubby so we eat leftovers or soup/sandwhich/salad. Dinner is our biggest meal, which purposely has a starch, veggies,fruit, meat. I have a Fly Lady calendar http://www.flylady.com/pages/FlyShop_calendar.asp which has a lot of room and record our dinners on.

I'm hoping to continue getting creative and healthy with our meals. I want to be a good steward of my "temple"...it's in need of some reconstruction!

Wednesday, January 07, 2009

What's in Your Kitchen?

Desperate Cooking for Tight Budgets by Sandra Jensen

Have you decided to cut corners anywhere you can in order to pay bills and save money? Do you need to feed your family this week with little or no money, or the ability to go grocery shopping? Don't panic! You might just have enough on hand to get through.

Here's how: Grab paper and pen.

Walk through your kitchen, taking inventory of everything you have in your pantry, refrigerator and freezer, organizing your list into categories, such as meats, vegetables, pasta, etc.

Sit down and think creatively. Consider what veggie and/or pasta you can team with which meat to make a meal. Broaden your normal menu; be brave enough to serve some things you maybe wouldn't normally serve. Think outside the box and serve breakfast for dinner!

Carefully write out your meal plan for the week, and be diligent to stick to it!

Here are a few kitchen budget-savers I've learned:

Eggs can really stretch a dollar! Breakfast casseroles, quiches, or just plain scrambled eggs with cheese are always hits. If you've got a handful of hash browns or a potato you can shred up, that will stretch them too. You'd be surprised how just a few slices of bacon, or a piece or two of ham that wouldn't be enough by themselves can work for a dish like this!

If you've saved small amounts of burger, sausage, chicken, pork or bacon and frozen them in baggies, you're really doing good! Even ½ - 1 lb can be stretched in many dishes to feed a family!

Bisquick (or generic baking mix) is a lifesaver – for pancakes, biscuits, potpies, dumplings, and crusts.

If you have staples on hand such as flour, sugar and oats, you can mix up your own muffins or granola bars for breakfast, sack lunches or snacks for after school or in the car when you're on the run (lots cheaper than stopping off for fast food!)

Use those lonely boxes of Jell-0 and pudding for desert or stretching lunch boxes. A can of fruit or a little sliced up fresh fruit can jazz up the Jell-O. If you find some Cool-Whip in your freezer, the kids will think you've gone all out for them!

Make a pot of soup or a potpie with the little bits of vegetables you have left in the frige or freezer.

Use that rice with some carrots, mushrooms and green pepper to make a stir-fry (almost anything goes!) If you don't have any meat, use a couple eggs instead.

Think you can't do anything with one small carton of yogurt? You can make smoothies using it plus a handful of frozen berries, or a banana (over-ripe works best) and a shot of juice or milk.

A can of cream of celery, mushroom, or chicken soup can stretch a little meat a long way! Use it in the crock-pot or for a casserole, serve with a vegetable and some noodles, rice or biscuits and you've got a delicious meal!

Think you've got nothing for desert? Just a few apples dipped in peanut butter, or some oranges scrubbed and quartered on a plate are great. How 'bout that lone cake mix – make it as is, or add a can of crushed pineapple and brown sugar on the bottom for a pineapple upside-down cake.

Odds and ends of bread, or the crusts you've saved in the freezer can now be used for French toast, homemade stuffing or croutons, or bread pudding.

Thinking to toss out the last of that potato chip or Doritos bag? Don't! Use those crumbs on top of a casserole for added crunch and flavor!

You've heard the saying, "Necessity is the mother of invention"? Being desperate in the kitchen is how I've come up with these tips. As you stroll through your own kitchen, you too, will concoct clever ways to put delicious meals on your table without breaking the bank.

About the Author: Sandra Jensen is a dollar stretching mother of four boys. She's learned a trick or two about feeding a hungry family on a budget. Grab her ebook, today: href="http://www.quicksales.com/app/aftrack.asp?afid=575755&u=www.momstalkebooks.com/freezer-cooking.htm">
Freezer Cooking

Friday, January 02, 2009

Summary of Life

I don't know who wrote this...but I received it in an email and thought I'd add it to my blog. It's so true!
Summary of Life

GREAT TRUTHS THAT LITTLE CHILDREN HAVE LEARNED:

1) No matter how hard you try, you can't baptize cats.

2) When your Mom is mad at your Dad, don't let her brush your hair.

3) If your sister hits you, don't hit her back. They always catch the second person.

4) Never ask your 3-year old brother to hold a tomato.

5) You can't trust dogs to watch your food.

6) Don't sneeze when someone is cutting your hair.

7) Never hold a Dust-Buster and a cat at the same time.

8) You can't hide a piece of broccoli in a glass of m ilk.

9) Don't wear polka-dot underwear under white shorts.



GREAT TRUTHS THAT ADULTS HAVE LEARNED:

1) Raising teenagers is like nailing jelly to a tree.

2) Wrinkles don't hurt.

3) Families are like fudge… mostly sweet, with a few nuts.

4) Today's mighty oak is just yesterday's nut that held its ground.

5) Laughing is good exercise. It's like jogging on the inside.

6) Middle age is when you choose your cereal for the fiber, not the toy.



GREAT TRUTHS ABOUT GROWING OLD

1) Growing old is mandatory; growing up is optional.

2) Forget the health food. I need all the preservatives I can get.

3) When you fall down, you wonder what else you can do while you're down there.

4) You're getting old w hen you get the same sensation from a rocking chair that you once got from a roller coaster.

5) It's frustrating when you know all the answers but nobody bothers to ask you the questions.

6) Time may be a great healer, but it's a lousy beautician.

7) Wisdom comes with age, but sometimes age comes alone.



THE FOUR STAGES OF LIFE:

1) You believe in Santa Claus.

2) You don't believe in Santa Claus.

3) You are Santa Claus.

4) You look like Santa Claus.



SUCCESS:

At age 4 success is... not piddling in your pants.

At age 12 success is... having friends.

At age 17 success is… having a drivers license.

At age 35 success is... having money.

At age 50 success is... having money.

At age 70 success is... having a drivers license.

At age 75 success is... having friends.

At age 80 success is... not piddling in your pants.

Wednesday, December 31, 2008

Happy New Year!!

The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want....may I have a heart of gratefulness and contentment no matter what!

I lay down all expectations of others.

I'll strive, with the Lords help, to take care of the "temple" the Lord has blessed me with and not "down" myself for my "imperfections". I pray for healing from the inside out.

Monday, December 29, 2008

My newest VA article....

Are Your Arms Tired? Learn To Outsource in 2009
December 29, 2008 by Stephanie

It’s almost 2009, what are your business plans? If 2008 left you with tired arms from juggling all of your own business tasks, then you may want to start 2009 outsourcing. Not only will outsourcing help you lessen the stress of managing all of your own business related tasks, it can even make it seem like your getting more hours in your day. Some other outsourcing perks may include helping you get organized and see faster results than you would if you were to continue to handle all of your business tasks yourself.

If you want your business to be more successful in 2009 then perhaps you need to outsource to a virtual assistant. Even if you don’t know what tasks to outsource, contact a VA (virtual assistant) and he/she will be able to help you decide what to outsource.

Here’s a list of popular tasks to get you started on your “Outsourcing 2009 Success Plan” :

1. Content Writing such as press releases, articles, blog posting, and newsletter writing

2. Article and Press Release Submissions

3. Search Engine Optimization to website

4. Seek Podcast Interviews

5. Submit blog and/or podcast to various directories

This is only a small list of tasks that can be outsourced. By writing a business plan, even a rough draft, you will be well on your way to having a more successful 2009.

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Stephanie Fish, owner of Buckeye V.A. has a current full-time opening, as well as, by-the-hour services. Contact me at buckeyeva@gmail.com for a free 30 minute consultation.

Friday, December 26, 2008

Finding joy in darkness


Well, I've been in this dry desert place for several weeks and I'm very thirsty! Spiritually, mentally, physically, emotionally,financially....thirsty.

Life seems to be a constant ebb and flow....up and down...bright and dim. What is a mom to do when you feel...dry, down,bummed?
I'm sure every mommy goes through a season of the "blues". My "blues" start at around the 3rd week of November and don't lift until early spring...and I never had the "blues" before Hannah's death. I wonder if this is something that I will always endure while being on this earth?

Well, while I'm going through the "blues" I listen to uplifting praise songs, read my Bible, pray, and really just ask the Lord to lift me out of this place so that I can see His face again.

I often wished I could have another baby, not that a new baby would replace Hannah but he/she would take the empty space and fill it again. I know of some other women that went on to have another baby after the loss of a child. They seem (atleast on the outside) to be joyful again. In fact, I've never met a women in my shoes...you know, who's last child passed away at an early age and never had another child. Maybe one day I can meet a women like me and she can help me see what I'm not seeing!

It's just I didn't get the chance to gracefully let go of Hannah moment by moment, its just that death makes you feel like your loved one was stolen....snatched right out of your arms leaving your empty armed and broken hearted. Almost like running 95 mph into a brick wall...face first!

People think that you should just be "over it" in a year or 2 and be back into life full force. Life isn't a fairy tale....is it? Am I looking through black tinted glasses? Is my head buried in the grave?

I don't know...my arms seem...empty? My lap seems....cold? My heart fills...incomplete? My hands feel....less useful?

I know I sound very ungrateful to some people...but I'm not. I've been very blessed with my other 4 children. Perhaps one day I can... wake up day after day seeing Gods perspective on every happening in life.

Until next time! Squeeze your booger tight tonight and thank the Lord for such a blessing!!


PS: What gets me through my "blues" is knowing and believing that the Lord is in control, wrote Hannah's story, wasn't surprised when she went Home, and isn't surprised by "dark colored glasses".

Monday, December 22, 2008

2009 Goals and Plans

I am no longer a "resolution" gal! Nope, not me! I'm now a "goals and plans" gal. So for 2009 I'm taking measurable steps towards my goals/plan:

1. Make a weekly menu
2. Make sure I only buy what we are going to eat that week
3. Make sure my children and I exercise 5 days a week..even if all we do dance like silly people infront of the tv
4. Bake our junk instead of buying it...this way I can inconspicuously place fruit and veggies into our goodies
5. No more drive-thru's(not even for coffee)*on a side note: if family and/or friends want to take us then its ok ;)

Merry Christmas!

Sunday, December 21, 2008

One Size Fits All Christmas Gift

I bet there are millions or even billions of people that don't know what the "one size fits all" Christmas gift is? I'll give you some hints:
1. It's Free
2. It can be for any gender
3. It can be for any age
4. It fits ever person perfectly
5. Once you recieve it, you can give it to someone else
6. It doesn't fade
7. It doesn't shrink
8. It doesn't go out of style
9. It's been around more than 2,000 years
10. It isn't an "it" but a WHO
Can you guess?
http://www.billygraham.org/SH_StepsToPeace.asp

Tuesday, December 16, 2008

Curlers,Chocolate and Tears

What a day! It started off very nicely, then over a period of minutes..it started to unfold. Let's see, first our dryer stopped working, as in it won't start, then the doctor called and told my hubby that he has high cholestral, then I was able to pay some bills and realized that we have more month than money.

I took my children to place a snowman on my daughter, Hannah Grace's, grave...then I spent the next few hours crying on and off...while praising the Lord for my children that are alive, and for making a place in Heaven with Him for our little girl.

While I was crying and praising, I helped my 12 yr old DD make chocolate Buckeye Candy for her friends and teachers :)Then we sat down together so I could curl her hair and we started talking about Caylee A. and how could her mother do such a thing..then we both started crying. This opened up the door for me to talk to her about what the Bible says about sin, and how sin hurts many people not just the sinner.

So, all in all, it turned out to be a blessed day anyways!
Remember, life live by moments and not minutes!