All Knotted Up

Being a Mom is Exhausting

Tue, 25 Apr 2006 17:58:06 -0400

One thing I've been curious about is the difference between the general thinking of moms and dads. I know, I know, I'm generalizing here, but bear with me.

This came to mind because I often feel like my husband doesn't understand how much being a mother can stress me out and make me so exhausted all the time, even though the house is a disaster and he has to wear dirty socks to work.

Sure, he's a dad, but the responsibility to take care of day to day things concerning my two girls is MY responsibility. I have to make sure they're fed, cleaned, entertained, and just generally taken care of.

I Found PLASTIC in Gerber Baby Food

Wed, 29 Mar 2006 19:39:30 -0500

My daughter has started eating solids some. To save time, I've been using jars of Gerber baby food that my mom gave me some months ago because my niece wouldn't eat them.

Today I dump a little bit in a bowl and get to feeding her. It's Apple Banana or some such and oh does she love it! All of a sudden, though, there's a piece of plastic on the spoon. About an inch and a half long and an inch wide. Gross!

A Shit and A Shower in Peace - Is That Too Much to Ask?

Fri, 17 Mar 2006 12:29:53 -0500

I've been meaning to write this blog for a while, but with two kids under two (although my oldest is turning two in a few weeks, wow!) I don't get a whole lot of time.

There are a lot of things I miss from before I became a parent. Sleeping in until noon, staying up until the wee hours of the night, and just not having to be responsible for another person.

But I find that I miss small things the most.

Two Children Under Two - Getting Through the Day

Tue, 21 Feb 2006 10:40:10 -0500

If you've read some of my previous entries, you know I have two children under two years old. It isn't easy. But, my husband has been home helping for the past month because his crazy boss finally fired him. It's been really nice.

Getting Paid to Post on Forums

Sun, 19 Feb 2006 11:56:41 -0500

It seems like everyone is looking to make some easy money on the Internet lately, and finding legit work at home jobs is difficult. Everybody wants to work from home. I've explored many, many work at home opportunities, some that turned out to be scams and others that were surprisingly legit. One of my most recent ones was getting paid to post on forums. How great would that be, right?

Breaking off bits of other people's lives

Fri, 17 Feb 2006 00:35:47 -0500

A man scribbles on a notepad on the other side of the courtyard, his long, uncombed hair held back in a colorless ribbon. He's probably waiting for the train, distractedly peering up from his task now and then towards the tracks. It doesn't look like words - drawings of some kind. He abrupty puts the notepad down and takes a drink of water from a small bottle. He notices nobody around him.

Click me! I'm colorful!

Tue, 14 Feb 2006 17:42:56 -0500

Okay, so I'm spamming a bit. But I have this colorful new theme and it's kinda cute. Not sure if I'll keep it, though.

How come nobody else is using any of the themes?

Two Children Under Two: Sick Days = Good Days?

Mon, 13 Feb 2006 01:51:06 -0500

Being a mom isn't easy. Being a mom of two children, both under two, is even harder.

My 23 month old is, well, extremely energetic. Just watching her makes me so tired. She never runs out of energy, when she's tired she goes on full Speedracer mode and doesn't stop until the moment she finally passes out. It's quite unbelieveable.

I read a blog here the other day about someone's daughter who wouldn't sleep because she might miss something. That's my oldest. Her whole life has been a huge sleep struggle. You would not believe the things my husband and I had to go through to get her to sleep, especially during the first year of her life.

Mystery Shopping

Sat, 11 Feb 2006 01:56:36 -0500

The idea of getting paid to shop, what could be better? I know I always heard stories about “mystery shoppers�? or “secret shoppers�? and always thought to myself, Wow, I wish I could do that! The best part is, it actually exists! It isn’t even difficult to get started in.

Just remember - do not pay any company to work for them. They will pay you! Mystery shopping does often require you to make a purchase out of pocket, but you will be reimbursed.

So what exactly is mystery shopping, anyway? Basically, companies hire these mystery shopping companies to come in and act as customers, usually to see how their employees are doing and where they can improve in customer service. They generally require quite a bit out of you – such as going into a drug store or super market, speaking with a number of employees (up to 10, in some cases), observing how well kept the place is, the restroom, and usually making a purchase, just to fill out a huge questionnaire afterwards. You also usually have to be very precise with the time specific events occur. It isn’t super easy and it isn’t for everyone. The image of strolling into a store and just shopping then watching the money roll in just isn’t realistic.

How to Spot Work at Home Scams

Sat, 11 Feb 2006 01:53:22 -0500

In the search for work at home opportunities, there's a LOT of scams out there. Many people who first set out looking to work from home fall prey to these scams. Here are some tips on how to spot a scam and some common scams to look out for.

If the job, business opportunity, or whatever you are looking into has any of the following, STOP! Do your research, ask around. Here are some red flags:

1. They ask for a fee. It can be disguised as a processing fee, a fee to cover the cost of materials. There are very few legitimate businesses or opportunities out there that will ask for a fee.

2. Claims of making a large amount of money in a short amount of time. Working from home is work and it usually takes time, no matter what you're doing, to make a good amount of income.

Children and Natural Consequences

Sat, 04 Feb 2006 02:35:02 -0500

Today, as my not yet 2-year-old daughter was running around the house, climbing into her baby sister's exersaucer, my mother-in-law couldn't keep her eyes off her. "Careful," she says, sitting on the edge of her sit, ready to jump up might she climb on the coffee table or stand on the kitchen chairs.

Little does she know that during the day, my monkey of a daughter climbs onto the kitchen table, over chairs, across the couch, stands on the coffee table, attempts to climb up the book shelf, yadda yadda yadda. All day long. Her energy is so exhausting to even watch! And you know what? I let her.

Blingo - Search and Win!

Sat, 14 Jan 2006 23:35:54 -0500

I've been using www.blingo.com as my default search engine for months now. They're powered by Google and the search results seem to be exactly the same, and everybody likes the chance to win some prizes, right?

Some of the prizes you can win include a Sony Playstation Portable, an iPod, Visa gift card, and movie tickets. The coolest part is, if you get friends to sign up under you, if ANY of them win, you win, too!

They have a maximum of chances you can win a day, though, so don't think you can just spam searches.