Confessions of a Housewife

My List is Ginormous!

Eve — Thu, 09 Jul 2009 21:25:44 +0000

Today was day one on the new schedule, and it MOSTLY worked… The living room is clean and the laundry is started! Yeah, it is 5pm and that is all I have gotten done. I have a list in my head of things I need to get done but every time I get started the baby cries, the power goes out in another stupid Florida storm, or I plain forget what I was doing! I just spent the last three hours working on the baby…. yeah, it is majorly work to get her to sleep lately! She already acts like a toddler, she gets ‘almost’ there then perks back up and wants to play and chatter! It is adorable, but come on! LOL

So what do I have to do? I need to pick a winner for the SkinMD giveaway, I need to write up the newest giveaway (sneak peek: cool water bottles!), I need to respond to a few product review emails, I need to pick a party theme from the awesome company that is sponsoring Taylor’s first birthday party and sending me all sorts of party decorations, I need to edit and upload new logos for my mom’s new business venture (thank goodness for that or Taylor would be wearing a T-Shirt as a diaper tonight! , I need to clean the bathroom BADLY, I need to find the source of this god-awful smell I keep smelling, I don’t see anything around here!! Oh goodness, I still need to call Tire Kingdom and see WHY they didn’t actually change the oil like they said they did when we got a new tire (last month- been putting that one off- probably too late now), and goodness know how much more crap I need to do that does not include general household crap….

Easy Peasy Blog Challenge – Task 2

Eve — Thu, 09 Jul 2009 01:35:56 +0000

Welcome back to the blog challenge! Yesterday went great, we had some wonderful prizes donated and more are in the works! In case you missed yesterdays post, the “Easy Peasy Blog Challenge” is a series of tasks assigned through the month to help increase your blog’s traffic. All you have to do to be eligible to win any one of the prizes we have is to add one of the buttons to your blog. You can pick the Easy Peasy Blog Challenge Button (below) or the main site button from the sidebar, either one will qualify you! Then once it is added leave a comment on any one of the posts and I will add you to the list of participating blogs! Free traffic AND a chance to win prizes!

Now that the introduction is done, let’s get on with the second task of the challenge! Join, or participate in StumbleUpon. If you have not used this form of social media before to promote your blog, you really should- the results are really fantastic! If you are already a member, head over here to add me as a friend, this way you can ’send me’ blog posts and I can stumble them for you, and vice versa.

If you have never signed up for StumbleUpon, or downloaded the toolbar, it is not too late, head on over and sign up, install the toolbar and start playing around. I am NOT going to make this post a big long how to, as that would be re-writing history, instead I will link to a few good guides and it is up to you to check them out. Here is a great list of 10 ways to make stumble upon work for you. Feel free to hit the thumbs up button on this post to help get the word out about this challenge!

So your official task today is to make sure you are a member of StumbleUpon, then ‘thumbs up’ this post (shameless huh? Then head over to your blog and submit it to the StumbleUpon Database if it is not already added. All you have to do is click on the toolbar’s thumbs up button that says ‘I like it’ and fill out the little pop up that comes up with your sites information. You can submit your blogs individual posts this way as well but BE CAREFUL! If you promote all your own articles you will be considered spamming the database, that is a NO NO! The more you play in stumble upon and ‘make friends’ then the more you can message everyone with a special article you want stumbled. But do not abuse this either, only email a article you are really proud of, not every one!

Leave a comment here if you took part, let me know what you thought or if you have any questions! And be sure to add the button to your blog to be eligible for prizes! Just like yesterday, your secondary task today is to leave at least 15 comments on 15 blogs!

Participants:

Prizes to be awarded:
Matching Header/Button combo design from Karen of ABOG Designs
Matching Header/Button combo design from Victoria of Life Starring Ellie & Eve
Custom Twitter Background from Stefanie of Mommy’s Quiet Time!
*****These do NOT include the use of custom graphics*****

Shopping Tips from a ‘not-so’ pro

Eve — Wed, 08 Jul 2009 16:18:38 +0000

I can ell you the best way’s to shop, I can even make the most detailed shopping list possible, with prices, coupon amounts, and even tax totaled out. I have enen organized it by aisle! But when it comes to actually shopping, I get to the store and my mind freezes, I can’t follow a list, I cant remember to hand over coupons at the end, and I end up getting things I didn’t have on the list- all while forgetting half the list! Hence why it is Wednesday now and I have to go shopping again already! We usually only have to shop once a week. So there you go, I am a great advice giver- but I can’t follow my own! LOL

Regardless, I can’t waste all the things I have learned so far! I have already written a series on coupons, Coupons 101. That’s a good place to start if you have not used coupons before. You can also print coupons from your computer at Coupons.com to use at the store, this is sooo much easier than clipping papers. I highly recommend still checking the paper though- you can find a lot of good ones!

Another resource I just found is called Alice, it is a online store that has GREAT prices, I am in love with the diaper prices there! AND they automatically find matching coupons and add them for you. I put in my order last week and right now you get a free $10 when you spend $50- I got a BUNCH of diapers, with the coupons added I spent a bit less than I would have at wal-mart, including shipping- and even more savings with the free $10 credit! They have all sorts of things- and the site is so cool looking and super easy to use!

I also love Amazon groceries and shopping at the online walmart- the shipping takes a while, but when you only have one store in town with a horrible selection, it is a great place to get extras!

Another big tip I have learned is to PAY attention when checking out! Listen for the coupons to beep and make sure the clerk does not just toss the coupon if she has a problem the first time ringing it in, know how many coupons you hand over so you can check it after- at places like publix and walmart you can take your reciept up to customer service and get the issues fixed USUALLY with no problems!

All in all, if you make a list, stick to it, and actually remember your coupons- unlike me- you should do very well!

Easy Peasy Blog Challenge (Now with Prizes)

Eve — Tue, 07 Jul 2009 15:17:38 +0000

I decided to start something a little different this week. I am going to call it the “Easy Peasy Blog Challenge”, at least once a week, and up to every day, I will list a new challenge. These challenges are meant to help you do one thing, build traffic. There are so many ways to do that, some are quick, some take a while! If you want to take part, just grab a button and add it to your site and let me know you have it added, I will list your blog here for all to see! I will have more button choices up later!

Ok, so what is the first challenge? Today I want you to check out your stats, (or set up a stat tracking program if you do not have one). This way we can keep track of what is helping, and how much. I want you to look at yesterday, the 6th, Some things to make note of are:

Visits
Pageviews
How Many Pages per Visit are viewed (visit depth)

Also, take a look at who is sending you traffic, this will be helpful in a few weeks to know what is working and what is not. Make a not of the top 10 referring sites and how many visits they sent yesterday. With the right stats program, like Google Analytics you can even go deeper and not only see where they came from, but how long each person stayed, what pages they saw, when they left, and more. There are so many more stats that you can look at, but for this task I am sticking to the basics. We will dig much deeper later in the program!

As a secondary challenge, I want you to leave at least 15 RELEVANT comments on other blogs today, no spam, no short “your blog is nice” comments, you know what I am talking about! Try to branch out, if you regularly comment on the same 10 blogs, today go find 10 NEW blogs to comment on.

So who is in? Add the button and let me know and I will list you as a participant, be sure to visit each others blogs and comment! BONUS: Everyone who participates by adding a link back here on your sidebar will be entered to win prizes! See below for details! You can use the challenge button or grab my main blog button on the sidebar and link to the homepage! Winner to be picked August 7th!

Participants:

Bacon Wrapped.. Bacon Stuffed… Meatloaf… MckLinky Blog Hop round 2!

Eve — Tue, 07 Jul 2009 04:08:53 +0000

This is my second MckLinky Blog hop, this week it is all about photos! I have to do a few because they are too cute not to share! These are from the fourth of July…. enjoy!!! And be sure to check out my giveaway for a free bottle of Skin MD, it ends Weds July 8th!

my husbands boss made these for my husbands birthday, it is a fat mans heaven! They were yummy, but not my favorite! He is a master grill guy, so he did these in the smoker they cooked all day and everyone says I am NUTS for not loving them, just a little too meaty for me! LOL

This is what happens when mommy is sick and lets daddy take Taylor swimming for the first time ever- everyone said she had a blast, but I would have never allowed this!

10% off discount coupon for YNAB (You Need a Budget)

Eve — Sun, 05 Jul 2009 12:38:34 +0000

You all know I am a huge fan of YNAB (YouNeedABudget.com) I have been using it for a little over a year now and have written several posts about it and how it has helped us. I got a great email this morning to share with you about a new discount code for 10% off YNAB because Microsoft is discontinuing MS Money.

The code to get your 10% YNAB coupon is is “msmoney“, without the quotes (”") of course and is active now and good through the 15th of July. And they offer a 60 day money back guarantee so you have nothing to loose! You will not need it though, as this program has it all, and from what I can see the new one they are working on will be even better. While there will be a upgrade cost, I am sure it will be worth it, and you will save money by buying now and upgrading when it is released. Be sure to check out the forums for lots of discussions on tips and usage examples once you have it too.

This program has helped us so much, it has been amazing how we have been able to afford to get a tire replaced, get groceries, pay bills AND have money in savings without overdrafting. Being in control of your budget is so important and a HUGE marriage saver, before YNAB we used Mvelopes Personal 3.5, and while I still love Mvelopes I do like YNAB a bit better, but if they could combine the two it would be perfect! Before Mvelopes we used nothing, well, occasionally a paper budget, but failed miserably, we never had money in savings, we never had extra, and on ‘rent weeks’ we were completely broke! Whatever budget you use, just use it, LOL, it does you no good if you don’t use it! Learned that the hard way!

Non-Invasive vision test for children – free online assessment

Eve — Sun, 05 Jul 2009 10:02:05 +0000

We spent months worried about Taylor’s vision, she was a preemie, and she was not focusing for the longest time. She finally got it down but the doctors are still wanting to keep a close eye on things, just in case. So when I got an email about enfant vision, who offers non-invasive vision testing, I was happy to share the information.

You can see a video of the process with some great information, here. I love how it is a real test, not jst looking at the baby’s eyes with a light. That would have made me feel so much better during the vision scare! You can also get a free online assessment to see if you should look into getting your child the test.

They even have a section on HOW to request a test, where they will help you contact your childs doctor on your behalf to talk about getting the test, that is a GREAT feature for those of us that live in smaller towns where the doctor may not have heard of this option. If you have any concerns, do not hesitate to talk to your doctor, most vision problems can be corrected if diagnosed in time. This is just one way to help get the right diagnosis.

Introducing myself to the MckLinky Blog Hoppers

Eve — Fri, 03 Jul 2009 05:00:00 +0000

I decided to jump in and participate in the MckLinky Blog hop this month, I use him enough So this month we are to introduce ourselves and our blogs. So who am I? I am Eve, a 27 year old mommy, wife, sister, daughter, nerd, and blogger. I live in Lake City, FL; a very small town in north Florida where I can’t seem to find other bloggers aside from real estate blogs and blogs that have not been updated in years- so if you are a Lake City Blogger PLEASE let me know, I would love to meet someone local! Ok, back on topic, this blog, Confessions of a Housewife, has been around for four years this month, and has seen it’s share of changes! I started blogging about all the work I did online, then about getting married, then about being pregnant. Now it is all about being a housewife, offering reviews, giveaways, advice, and even a good bit of rants mixed in!

I love blogging, being that I work from home I don’t really socialize with very many people, so getting my contact online through all of you is it. I am a member of several forums and associations online where I get to network with other moms, bloggers, and even ‘mom bloggers’ on a few. Take a look around and feel free to ask questions! It is great to have you here and I LOVE comments! I am off to ‘hop’ around!

Join Multiply free and get 50 free photo prints

Eve — Fri, 03 Jul 2009 01:09:09 +0000

I have been using Picasa to share my photos with family and friends, but they don’t have much of a space to leave notes, updates, and easy comments from everyone, so I have been looking for a site that I can easily maintain to share pictures, video, and information about Taylor with friends and family. I finally found what I have been looking for at Multiply, it is free, and has a lot of neat features to play with.

I am a self confessed dork, so I demand themes at sites I join, and even better, customizable ones! Multiply offers a whole blog of user created custom themes to go with the great selection of built-in themes they already have. I haven’t picked out a custom one yet, but I have my multiply site looking pretty cute, already added some pictures and a birthday announcement. Check out the button you can make to add to your blog/facebook/myspace page!

The wonderful people at multiply offered me a code to share with you all to get 50 free prints of pictures you or your family/friends share at Multiply. Simply use code CONFWIFE50 when you click on any shared photo and order prints of pictures. Super easy and you can’t beat free! Be sure to sign up first so you can take advantage of the free prints before the code expires. Without the code I shared you can get 25 free prints, but 50 is better!

In case you wanted to know more about the service, I have a handy dandy list of recent upgrades from the newest launch of Multiply 4.0 below. They are the fifth fastest growing social networking service in the United States and based in Boca Raton, FL. They also added a micro-blogging feature, like facebook and twitter, where you can post short status updates with everyone. I love how you can invite family and friends and even set permission for who gets to order prints of your pictures. Safety first!

These are just SOME of the new features in the free Multiply 4.0- Check out the Multiply blog for even more details.

* Multiply’s Media Locker serves as a member’s central home for media – making it easier than ever to publish photo albums and videos with a few clicks, while offering members a private, secure dashboard to view, organize, store and edit their media.
* Fully Integrated Online photo editing tools including red eye and blemish reduction, cropping and resizing, contrast/brightness controls, exposure adjustment and auto leveling – make it easy to edit photos right from a member’s Media Locker, making photo editing possible at any time, from any computer. With Version 4.0, Multiply will be the first major social network that offers photo editing integrated within its core service.
* Multiply’s AutoUploader is more powerful than ever, making it a simple, time-saving solution for automatically uploading media files to the Multiply Media Locker. AutoUploaders save, on average, 90 minutes each week in upload time with the free, quickly installed, no fuss tool. The AutoUploader provides a completely automated back up solution for a member’s most precious photos and videos.
* Picasa and Windows Photo Gallery plug-ins will allow members to seamlessly import their desktop media galleries to their online media lockers.
* An Expanded Selection of Photo Finishing Options, with additional themes and options for turning favorite photos into physical products, including photo books, calendars, cards and prints, give members the ability to turn their favorite photos into memorable keepsakes.

WW: Happy Baby

Eve — Wed, 01 Jul 2009 17:32:02 +0000

Someone has finally started enjoying her food! For more Wordless wedsnday reviews check out 3KidsandUs!