I finally found my niche! I am so excited about my new business, and it is already growing faster than I would have thought, especially during the holiday month when I didn't have as much time and energy to spend on it like I wanted to.

If you are looking for a great business opportunity with a fantastic company, look no further. Especially if you are looking for a great, Christian company with high ethical standards, great opportunities and a chance to really help others and make a difference in people's quality of life.

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It's been quite a ride since my last post. I am now in the process of divorce, living now as a single parent of 4 year old triplets, and working not just for additional or supplemental income, but to put food on the table.

It really gives you a whole different level of motivation when your "why" is a have to, not a want to.

That said, I am still in the process of building a full-time income with part-time hours. I'm not where I want to be yet but I am well on my way.

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I got my kids not only to eat their spinach, but to come back again and again asking for more! We ran out and they still wanted more.

How did I do it?

Gotta love media motivation. My kids recently saw the movie Cars, so the boys especially are in love with Lightning McQueen. We told them that eating spinach would help make them super fast, just like Lightning McQueen. They each took a bite, then raced around the room, and we exclaimed about how super fast they were! That got them excited, so they kept coming back for more, and, at least according to us, getting faster and faster each time they ran around the room.

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Oh NO!! I still can't believe it. I've done something horrible and now I'm in a major quandry.

I'm not the most organized person in the first place, but I've always been extremely careful with my clients' materials and never had a problem before.

However, now that all five kids are out of school, there's a lot more chaos and chances for error. Especially with my stepdaughter, who likes to help "clean" by stashing anything ANYWHERE, and I do mean anywhere. There is no telling where things might end up when she cleans (for example, I once found a tomato in the tupperware cabinet, my bible in a laundry basket underneath folded clothes, and recently I discovered a watermelon rotting in the spare bedroom, ugh!). I might mentioned that at 16 years old, she is way too old to be doing this, but then again, who listens to their mom at 16?

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I've been so busy with all my work stuff I haven't been able to blog much. But seeing as I get paid hourly for the other things, it's kind of a no brainer of where to spend my time.

I do want to get back to blogging though, I miss hanging out here and learning all the great stuff that is shared.

I also need to get back to setting my weekly goals! Focus focus focus is the key!

I've been working on two different websites that I'm trying to get up and running - will be posting about those hopefully soon - one is for inspiration, support, encouragement, life improvement, etc., and the other is for triplets and more.

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Well, it's been nearly a month since I last posted, and yet every time I come out here to post, anything I was thinking about writing about is gone from my head. Sometimes it even feels like it RUNS from my head, as soon as I get to the web page.

Anyone else have this problem?

It may have something to do with the fact that I am so busy right now. I'm trying to get three entire websites up and running, and am on a major learning curve with about five different types of software. I am still doing my part-time freelance business, and I'm starting a new business teaching Pilates. I'm also ghostwriting a book for the first time. All of this on top of being a full-time mom to nearly 4-year-old triplets and two hormone-ridden teenagers. Oh, and a husband who travels.

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I recently attended a writing workshop with a writer and magazine editor named Lou Harry as the speaker.

We discussed various aspects of writing, including how you can know how long a book, play, article, or short story should be. Lou spoke of what he calls a story's "fighting weight". Similar to boxing, he believes each story has a "perfect weight" or length. Make it too long, and people will get bogged down in the wordiness. Make it too short, and you will cut out too much of it meaning.

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I am consistently amazed at the number of would-be writers, people I meet who want to be published authors, but are too afraid to submit their work. Some are too afraid to even show their work to another person, let alone an editor or publisher.

I used to be a "shy writer" myself. For years I wrote articles and stories, but I never did anything with them. They just sat there gathering dust. A master's degree, business career, and several kids later, I've returned to writing as my passion for it has never ceased. But this time around is different. This time, I'm taking that chance, I'm putting myself out there, I'm giving it a real go.

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Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes recently delivered a baby girl and decided to call her Suri.

I thought this name was odd when I first heard it, but that seems to be the trend in baby names these days, especially celebrity baby names.

The initial reports claimed that Suri meant "Rose" or "Princess". A more recent news story, however, says that the most common meaning for this name is "Get out of here" - similar to our word "Scram".

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Is it really Saturday already? Time sure flies when you are busy.

My freelance business goes in cycles. Since I have to wait for my clients to give me their content, I can't start on the project until I get their information. So I tend to have a couple of slower weeks in between projects, and then I get slammed for the next week or two.

This is one of those weeks. I am struggling to keep up with it all. The kids don't seem to understand that it would really help me if they would suddenly start taking care of themselves and be self-sufficient during these busier times (of course, since they are only three I suppose maybe I AM expecting too much...)

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Okay, this week has already started, so hopefully that means you are already making good progress on this week's goals. Be sure to include what you have already accomplished this week since we're already a few days in. This will help you not only feel good about what you have done, but help you keep a record of the progress you are making as well.

Don't forget to post your goals in a visible place so you have that daily reminder.

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Predators are rampant on the Internet, especially at places where teens gather, like myspace.com, xanga.com, and other similar sites.

What can you do to protect yourself and your children?

First, you need to monitor what your kids are doing online. No kids, no teenagers, should have free reign and free access to the Internet. That is our job as teachers and parents, to help protect and teach our children. That includes monitoring their Internet activity.

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A blank page can be quite daunting.

When you are writing something new, sometimes the hardest part is starting. Once you get something written, you can go back and revise it (and revise, revise, revise some more). If you have nothing written, however, you can spend hours staring at a blank page (or screen, as the case may be).

One writer describes writing a first draft as "throwing out the clay". Like a sculptor making pottery, you can't make anything if you don't have clay to start with. Your first draft is like that clay, throwing it out there on the wheel. Once you get a lump of clay to work with, you can massage it, sculpt it, change it, chisel it into a work of art.

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One of my current projects is ghostwriting a book with a local doctor. This is the first time I've done something like this, so I'm excited but nervous. I really want to do a good job and make sure I do the material justice.

I've been waiting for material from my client, and he gave me his first set of dictated notes today. I'm anxious to dig in and start putting some things together.

For me, this is a perfect way to write a book. I get to help someone else write their story and help them come up with ideas. Typically, with ghostwriting, you get paid more upfront and can make more than just earning a percentage of your book (of course depending on sales). Also, you get to do the "fun" part - writing the book, and them someone else gets to worry about the marketing (something I typically dread). Plus I'm at a point in my life where it would be difficult for me to go around promoting my own book.

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How's everyone doing with your writing? Are you making good progress? Are you posting your goals in a visible place so you have that daily reminder?

If you don't know where you are going, how will you get there?

Don't dismiss the importance of writing goals. Use this as a place to post your own goals or get ideas for goals you may want to reach for. Just be sure to use specific, measurable goals so you can track your progress.

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