Freelancing Parents

How to bring in that little bit extra you need this month!

2019-04-24T13:48:00.000-04:00

It's a fact of life for the vast majority of us, sometimes we have too much month left at the end of our money! And it's easy for someone to advise us to just get a better job. Or tell a stay at home mom to get a job. It's not that easy, and sometimes you just need that little extra to make life easier! Over the years, I've found several ways to bring in a little extra to meet expenses, pay for an unexpected repair, or just use as fun money! And now I'll share them with you. InstaGC My favorite thing about Instagc is that you can cash out anytime you want if you have more than a dollar. And there are so many different ways to cash out! You can get gift cards to Amazon, Walmart and a ton of other stores. Or you can get Paypal and direct deposit. And you get it within a few hours, but generally within five minutes! It's a great way to save up for something you want, or to cash out for some extra grocery money. There are different ways to earn. You can take surveys, this seems to be the quickest way to me. Most surveys pay 70 or more points. Each point is a penny, so 100 points is a dollar and is very easy to get to! You can also sign up for free offers or try out apps. There are some offers that require a credit card, such as trials, but I never do these because there are more than enough free offers. Rev.com Rev is a lot of fun and pays you weekly via Paypal. Rev is a transcription site, but the application process is short and relatively easy as long as you are decent with grammar and spelling. Pay varies from file to file, but I can easily make $100 in a week just doing some short files in my free time. Anything completed prior to Midnight on Saturday is payed on Monday. I've never had any issues getting paid from Rev, and the farther up in level you go, the higher paying jobs you get access too. Some people treat this as a full time job! WeGoLook We Go Look pays you to do simple tasks such as take photos of car damage for an insurance company, or deliver a confidential document. They only send you places within 55 miles of home and you can choose which jobs you want to take. The pay ranges from $12 to $25 per job and even in our little town, I can generally pick up a job or two anytime I want! Be sure to follow the guidelines and you could make quite a bit doing this!

It's been years!

2019-04-17T19:55:00.000-04:00

Hi there, fellow parents! I admit it, I abandoned this blog years ago. Life got busy and other things became more of a priority. But I've recently gotten back in to blogging over at www.mamauncrafty.com and since I still work at home, I thought this blog deserved to be revived! So I am back! You can look forward to knew posts focusing on companies that hire WAH employees and freelancers, as well as different ways to make money online if a set schedule isn't for you! I can't wait to interact with all of our wonderful readers again!!

Review of "Telling Lies" by Cathi Stoler

2011-09-30T21:18:00.001-04:00

Imagine being on vacation in another country, and suddenly catching sight of a man who died several years ago. In Cathy Stoler's mystery novel, Telling Lies, that is exactly what happens to a woman named Laurel. While on vacation with her boyfriend, a police detective, she encounters the husband of a close friend. A man who died during the terrorist attacks on 9/11 and left behind a grieving wife. A man who was not, obviously, really dead. Laurel promptly enlists the help of another close friend, who also happens to be a private detective. While her boyfriend Aaron returns to New York to begin working on finding out the truth, Laurel stays in Italy to investigate there. What follows is a often confusing web of intrigue that puts Laurel and her family and friends in danger. Jeff Sargasso, the undead dead man, was an art dealer who was in the middle of a huge deal when the attacks occurred. There are dangerous people in the New York art world, and they all want the artwork and the money that was exchanged for it. Since Laurel is investigating, they are all now after her. The book is honestly a bit confusing and hard to get excited about in the beginning, but it definitely improves as it goes on. I found it an interesting read, and since the ending is somewhat vague and open ended, I am hoping there is a second book in the works!

Fire Men

2011-08-15T21:46:00.000-04:00

As the wife of a volunteer firefighter, I've heard more than my fair share of stories and gained first hand knowledge of the ruined plans and sleepless nights that are a big part of being a volunteer. But while reading Fire Men: Stories From Three Generations of a Firefighting Family, written by Gary R. Ryman, I gained more insight into the life of a firefighter.

Gary R. Ryam is, in his own words, the creme filling in the middle of an oreo cookie of firefighters. His father started the family tradition and his son followed in his footsteps to make the third generation of firefighters. Mr. Ryman has a way with words, pulling you so far in to the scene of a structure fire that you can almost feel the heat of the flames on your face. The book starts with action on the first page, not leading up in to it like so many authors do. This grabs your attention from the start, and it will keep your attention until you get to the very last page.

While Mr. Ryman does omit any overly gory details, you get the gist of every situation that he writes about as you follow him through life, starting with childhood memories of dreaming of following in his fathers footsteps. The book chronicles calls from his fathers day all the way up to his sons time and it is fascinating to note how procedures and equipment changed over the years.

I highly recommend this book to anyone, but if you have a firefighter in your life, it is a must read. Follow Mr. Ryman on Facebook or on his website.

Mountain Bikers

2011-07-26T10:36:00.000-04:00

Thanks for the guest post by Jonathan Curtis

My husband has gotten really into mountain biking and he’d been nagging me to do it with him for years. I simply wasn’t interested in such a dirty, dangerous sport but sometime last summer he convinced me to come up with him on one of the easy trails and now I’m completely hooked! I got my own bike and now we spend our weekends out and about finding new places to ride and new people to do it with. I got us HTTP://WWW.securitychoice.com for the house since we’re gone for big stretches of time and since we’re doing a lot more camping lately, too. I love being so athletic and I’ve never been this active before. Thanks, honey for making me get off my butt and come out there with you! I had no idea mountain biking would be so easy or so fun or I would have come out there and ridden along a very, very long time ago! Now if I can just get the mosquito problem under control I’ll be good…

Review of Stories From A Lifetime

2011-06-20T15:55:00.000-04:00

Stories From A Lifetime by Hugh Aaron is a collection of short stories the author wrote over a period of 30 years. All of the stories are based at least loosely on a real event in Hugh Aaron's life and is, in the authors own words, "a disguised autobiography spanning eight decades."

I often find it difficult to read a chapter of any book in one sitting due to the hectic schedule of balancing work, family, home and everything else life throws my way, but this book eliminated that problem. The stories are quite short, often only two pages long and very well written so as to grab your interest quickly. There is a hidden lesson in most of the stories, much like the morals in old fairy tales. Many of the stories taught such a clear lesson in dealing with life that I shared them with my older children so that they could learn from them.

All in all, this book is excellent, and I highly recommend you add it to your list of must read books!

Review of Johnny Eye-One

2011-06-13T13:56:00.000-04:00

I recently read the book Johnny One-Eye by Jerome Charyn and could not wait to review it to share with everyone else. Historical fiction is not generally my preferred reading material, but this book had me hooked from the first chapter and would not release me until I read the last sentence.

The book is set in 1776 during the Revolutionary war where the main character, John Stocking, flits between the two sides of the war with both amusing and enticing antics. Believing himself to be the illegitimate son of George Washington himself and the madam of a local brothel, he spends his free time mooning over a prostitute.

This book is history like you have never read it before. The mixture of fact and fiction along with the authors knack for overly descriptive writing will leave you feeling like you are standing there in person rather than reading words on the page.

I highly recommend this book, and if historical reading isn't your thing either you may well change your mind after reading this!

Date Night! And Swagbucks :)

2011-06-10T13:14:00.000-04:00

I couldn't for the life of me figure out what to blog about today. And I finally figured out it was because in a few short hours, my mother in law is coming to get the little ones and it is date night for the parents! I am to happy about that to think about anything else. :)

Date night is rare around here. For one thing, the hubby is back at work and once again only home on weekends. For another, I like my kids with me, and don't really care to ship them off to Nana or anyone else over night. But, with my stress level sky high, and with his new job a perfect reason to celebrate, it's past due. He won't be home until around 8 tonight though, so our choices are limited. But I know that whether it's a late movie, or just sitting around talking, it will be a wonderful night!

One thing I did think about today was Swagbucks. If you aren't already familiar with Swagbucks, it is a search engine with a twist. When you search something on the site, you can win points. These points can then be used to buy all sorts of things. My favorites are the Amazon gift cards, they came in quite handy last Christmas! And when you sign up, you get 30 Swagbucks! And, today is Mega Swagbucks day, which means the prizes are even bigger!

Ok, off to get ready for date night! If anyone has any suggestions for a good date later in the evening in a small town with nothing in it, let me know! :)

Work at Home Resources

2011-06-09T10:30:00.000-04:00

Whether you have been working from home for a while, or you are a newcomer to the scene, it is important to know what resources you can trust. Other people who work from home are your best resource and can be found on forums and communities that are dedicated to freelance work. By networking with other freelancers, you not only find out about new job leads quickly, but you can also hear about others experiences with a company you might be interested in. Some good forums dedicated to working at home include:

WAH Clubhouse

WAHM

Work Place Like Home

Other sites are also valuable resources, posting job leads and reviews of work at home companies. Some of these sites include:

Work at Home Adventures

Rat Race Rebellion

Bizy Moms

I hope the resources help you in your job search! I have been babysitting two children recently, and watching their moms pain as her three year cries for her to stay home each morning reminds me of how truly blessed we are to be able to be at home for our children while still making a living!

Pit Bulls as Nanny's?

2011-06-08T09:35:00.000-04:00

I stumbles across this article this morning on a forum. Since the pit bull is hands down my favorite dog breed, it was heartwarming to read an article that wasn't focused on negativity.

I have a "nanny" pit bull who is a treasured member of our family. And before I get blasted by anyone, let me state that I never leave my children unsupervised with any animal. But our pit, Dixie, watches over the kids with as much care as I do. While they are playing, she is never more than a few feet away and she is super protective. She is no guard dog, preferring to greet any stranger with kisses and a wagging tail, but if she thinks you intend harm towards her babies you are in trouble. Visiting friends and relatives know that you must exercise caution when playing with the kids. My youngest is a rough and tumble little boy who loves to be picked up and thrown in the air, or to wrestle with anyone willing. Dixie will get right in the middle and push her baby away from the person who is playing with him. She isn't aggressive about it, she just wants your hands off her kid. :)

We are blessed to live in the country, outside of the city limits, since a nearby city has breed specific legislation. I don't understand these laws, since we have experienced bites from two different small breeds of dogs. No one has outlawed chihuahuas, and they bite too! To me, it's like saying that a certain race of people is evil. It just makes no sense! Our Dixie is an ambassador for her breed, we take her with us to many places and she has changed quite a few minds about pit bulls. With the exception of a serious case of separation anxiety, she is very well behaved, follows commands well, and loves everyone.

What are your feelings on pits and other breeds that are labeled as vicious? Feel free to debate, but do so nicely! :)

Business School Graduate

2011-05-27T18:28:00.002-04:00

Thanks to Olga Quinn

Business is one of those things I’ve always had a knack for. Even when I was a little boy I would set up “shop” in my bedroom and pretend to sell things to my stuffed animals! Once I graduated college I knew it was time for me to become an entrepreneur and I knew just how. I was going to sell myself as a business consultant to anyone who would have me! Drumming up new clients was hard at first, but once I did some research on www.domainnames.com and figured out how to create a website I felt less out of the loop. I was get! ting inquires for my services online and I had a new, professional forum for my clients to find out about me. I’m still learning exactly what it takes to be my own boss and I’m working 16 hours a day but I’ve never felt better. Putting that business degree to good use was the smartest decision I’ve ever made and I can’t wait to see where the next ten years takes me!

Still Alive :)

2011-04-28T14:58:00.002-04:00

I'm still alive! Things have been super hectic around here, between regular work and training for a new non-writing client, blogging has been pushed to the background. Now I have some serious catching up to do! As always, I have a lot to say, but with only a few days left to say it, I don't think I will complete the challenges. :(

Easter was fun around here although I neglected to take more than a few pictures this year. We had way to many places to be and not enough time to be at all of them, so we chose to spend the day before with my husbands brother and mom. My brother in law is in the Army, and he is being deployed once again. :( He and his wife are expecting a baby any day now, and after his birth he will be sent back to Afghanistan. While I am very proud of him, and I do support our troops 100 percent, I am so saddened that he will miss so much of his son's life. It just doesn't seem right to me, is all this war and fighting more important than fathers being with their children? Or mothers, for that matter. Families should be together, especially during the first year of a child's life. My sister in law is a much stronger woman than I am, I don't think I could handle it.

We spent Easter day with the other side of my husbands family and had a great time hunting eggs and just enjoying the day, I adore my in laws on this side of the family, they are such laid back, easy to love people. There is always plenty of joking around and good cooking, and we always leave full of food and exhausted! It was a truly wonderful day.

I will be trying to post several times a day from now on. It won't help me to complete the challenges, but it will give me an outlet for all these ideas floating around in my head! That is if the storms that have hit us today will calm down a bit, my internet service is in and out which is making doing anything difficult!

J is for Just Keep Going!!

2011-04-16T11:32:00.000-04:00

That's right....Just keep going! This clip from the movie Facing the Giants has always inspired me and this week I particularly needed to watch it again. It doesn't matter if what you are facing has to do with your freelance career or your personal life. You just keep going. No matter what life throws at you, no matter what stumbling blocks get thrown in your path, you persevere and keep driving right through it.

If you want something badly enough, and you let a set back or road block stop you from achieving it, you will be left with nothing but regret and broken dreams. But if you just keep on going, no matter how tired you are, or how many things get in your way, you WILL achieve your goals. So, just keep going!

Updates on Life as I Know It :)

2011-04-14T23:46:00.000-04:00

I often feel that I share to much of my personal life and opinions on this blog and that I am risking boring my readers. But after reading one of my favorite blogs, The Self Employed Writer, today I have decided to continue sharing what is going on in my life as well as pertinent information for freelancing parents.

First of all, the dogs at animal control that I posted about on Tuesday. I brought two dogs home with me that day. One of them is a little brindle boy who is just terrified of everything! I don't know what his past was like, or why he is like this, but the slightest movement or noise spooks him. I was told he was a bad bet by the guy who followed me around the place, that no one could get close to him. But he was on the list to be put down and I knew no one else would take him home since he was so skittish and because he has a prolapsed gland in his eye. It took time to catch him in his little, dirty pen but with the help of a friend we got him. Now we are slowly showing him that he is safe and can trust us. My four year old son is my secret weapon in this quest, he has a natural affinity with any animal and his smaller size makes him less of a threat. Bracken will come to him when he will run from the rest of us.

Our second rescue was a little cutie pie who had no name, the same four year old has named him Boxer. He is a friendly guy with helicopter ears that make him look like he is going to launch into space at any moment! His ribs are sticking out and he has worms, but he is a happy guy now. Food twice a day instead of a few times a week and a good worm medication will have him ready for a new home in no time.

The other major thing going on around here is the blog challenges, and as of this post I am three days behind. But, I will catch up and I will complete both challenges.

I am struggling with making the changes to this blog that I want to, because I cannot find a way to do it with blogger. The other sections of this blog are just crappy, to put it politely. I want the information I put in these sections to be separated by date like these blog posts are, but instead they post as one long post and I cannot figure out how to change that! It is frustrating but I don't want to change hosts at this point in time. If anyone has any advice, I would love to hear it!

Independence of Freelancing

2011-04-14T11:31:00.000-04:00

One of the things I love the most about freelancing is the independence it allows me. If there is a party at school, I can be there. If one of my babies is sick, I don't have to scramble around trying to take a day off and worry about my job. I just get them settled in on the couch and work while taking care of them. Or, like yesterday, I can just say the heck with it and go sit beside a pond with a fishing pole and enjoy the pure joy on my youngest child's face when he pulls in a fish. :)

Independence can also be a bad thing for a freelancer. It is to easy to say you will do it later, or catch up tomorrow because you would rather do something else. Then you end up behind on deadlines or not making your financial goal for the week because other things got in the way. Speaking for myself, not making what I need to make for the week frustrates me and makes it even harder for me to buckle down and get it done.

Setting goals is helpful for some, while other freelancers set strict office hours and do not do anything but work during those hours. Software such as Focus Booster helps to keep track of the time you work, and holds you accountable for the amount of time you are working.

How to you keep yourself motivated to get everything done despite the independence of your work? This seems to be what most freelancers see as their biggest problem, so sharing advice might help someone else! :)

Help These Pups!

2011-04-12T10:43:00.000-04:00

I realize that this blog is about freelancing and parenting, but today it is about dogs. Because these dogs are the reason I have not posted in a few days, and are weighing heavy on my heart.

The so called Animal Control in Lyons,GA recently euthanized 77 dogs at one time. The entire shelter full of animals was murdered. Half of the animals that were killed that day were scheduled to be picked up the very next morning by SOAPS, a local rescue group. The dogs were not sick, they were not aggressive and they would have been in loving homes in less than 24 hours if they had not been senselessly murdered! Many people in the area have said they heard gunshots the day this happened but the government officials refuse to exhume the mass grave that was dug to investigate.

The dogs in Lyon's Animal Control are not properly cared for. The so called shelter is not staffed, there is no one there on a daily basis. The dogs are not even fed on a daily basis. Pens are not properly cleaned, the area behind the pens is regularly filled with feces that has been sprayed out of the pens. SOAPS tries to help by going to the shelter to clean the pens and feed the animals, and pulls as many as possible. But the shelter will not cooperate with them at all. They have stopped them from coming in to help anymore, and dogs that they have scheduled to pull have mysteriously disappeared. They will not adopt out any dogs that are believed to be pits or pit mixes, just putting them down because of their breed, not taking in to account their temperament or health.

We managed to get one dog out yesterday. The family who took him was going for a different dog who is scheduled to be euthanized Thursday, but were told he had a hold on him. They were not told why a hold was in place. When they brought the dog they did adopt to me, he had a big sore on his head that had not been treated and he has worms. The poor guy was starving, emptying his food bowl in a few quick gulps. I treated the sore on his head, and provided more medication for them to keep treating it. He will be going to the vet today as well.

I will be going myself later today to pull as many dogs as I can hold. Unfortunately, the most I will be able to hold is three. Two is a more likely number. That still leaves many that will be killed Thursday. I am asking all of you to help, in any way you can. Even if you can't take a dog, you can write an email or make a phone call to let people know that this has to stop! Here are some people who need to hear about it:

Mr. Doug Eaves, County Manager
P.O. Box 112
Lyons, Georgia 30436-0112
Phone: 912-526-3311
deaves.toombsco@bellsouth.net

Magistrate Court of Toombs County
Chief Magistrate John “Chip” Matheson
147 Jerry Avenue
Lyons, GA, 30436
Phone: 912 -526- 8984
Fax: 912-526-8985
Email: chipmatheson@yahoo.com

Lyons City Mayor’s Office

257 North State Street
Lyons, GA 30436-1364
Phone: (912) 526-8606 ‎

If you think you can help one of the dogs, SOAPS is excellent at finding transports to just about anywhere. The dogs can be viewed at Petfinder or on my Facebook page. You can reach Holly from SOAPS at 912-539-9840.

Now, I am off to catch up on some of the writing and blogging I have missed in the last few days before I go to bring more furbabies home. :)

Goals

2011-04-09T11:13:00.000-04:00

Without goals, we wouldn't accomplish anything. Or at least I wouldn't! :)

I have plenty of them, some related to this blog, others related to writing or my personal life. Since being held accountable is a huge help in helping force myself to do what needs to be done, I thought I would share some of my goals today.

For this blog, I want to achieve a decent following and make improvements such as a domain name and larger recipe, craft and book review sections. There are quite a few changes that I want to make in the design of it, but first I have to figure out how! Anyone know a good blogger tutorial?

For my writing, I want to expand my career so that I am doing more work for private clients as opposed to content companies. I want to write more about the things that are important to me. And I want to see my name in print.

As for my personal goals, I want to develop a more positive attitude. People see me as an upbeat person, and I am. But I am also my own worst enemy, always finding fault in my appearance, writing and everything else about myself. I also want to continue the home improvements we started several months ago, and finish our extra bedroom.

Now, you know what I hope to achieve in the future so tell me about your goals. What do you want to achieve? How to you plan to make it happen?

Education

2011-04-08T12:26:00.000-04:00

My grandmother, who raised me for the majority of my childhood, considered education the most important thing. I think she began teaching me the moment I emerged from the womb! :) When I was three, she delighted in telling her friends that I could read and proving them wrong when they denied that it was possible. Teaching me to read at such a young age often backfired on her though, since we had to drive daily down Orange Blossom Trail in Orlando. The area abounds with adult businesses and I was determined to read every sign we passed!

As I grew older, she continued to push me when it came to my education. When I began misbehaving in school, she determined that I was bored and placed me in a small private school that allowed me to work at my pace rather than the pace my grade determined. I know she had to struggle to pay the tuition, but it was important to her. And to me, because I flourished in the new environment! The school was very laid back, teachers were called by their first names and each class had no more than five students. I would often finish my work before lunch and spend the rest of the day in the small library, reading everything in sight.

Because of her influence, education is one of the few things I am very strict about with my own children. I am a laid back parent, but school is one area where there is little leniency. Recently, my six year old son began acting up in class, not paying attention and playing instead of doing his work. His teachers rave about how smart he is, so I immediately starting thinking of ways to challenge him at school to battle the behavior problems. Apparently his main teacher was thinking along the same lines, because I received a letter from the school telling me that he has been nominated for the gifted education program for academic and creative excellence!

Yes, I am bragging. Sorry, but I can't resist! :) I am so proud of my little man! Bragging is a right that we gain with motherhood, right?

How important is education to you? What lengths are you willing to go to in order to ensure your children receive the best education possible?

Fatigue

2011-04-08T02:17:00.000-04:00

To say I am tired would be putting it lightly. Due to my unbelievably crappy internet provider, I have been battling to stay online. Not being able to stay online makes it difficult to blog, work or even check my bank balance! It also results in my losing what little sleep I get because I spend that time trying to catch up.

I gave in today, and decided to just take a day off and relax. I even took a short nap earlier, but not long enough to make me feel truly rested. Now it is 2 AM and my baby boy is wide awake, which of course means I am too. And in just 3 short hours and a few measly minutes it will be time to wake up and start the day. I am thinking I will continue to be fatigued for quite a while!

I am also two days behind with the Ultimate Blog Challenge, so I will be posting again later today to begin catching up! Hopefully by the time I hit all my article deadlines and catch up on blogging, I can get at least one full nights sleep!

What are your tips for dealing with fatigue? I would love to hear them!

Expectations

2011-04-06T07:25:00.000-04:00

All freelancers have different expectations for their business. Some just want extra income in order to provide extras for their family or themselves. Others want, or need, to have the ability to support themselves with the income completely. Sometimes, expectations change because your life changes.

When I first began freelancing, it was for extra income to help with the bills and take care of the extra things such as school clothes and holiday shopping. Then the economy went to hell and my hubby no longer had any work for his electrical business. Thankfully, I was able to step it up and keep everything paid for a year while he searched for work and finally went back to school to change careers. Now that he is again out of work because of the wreck, I am able to again keep everything going until his income is back. It is a real blessing to have that ability, while still being right here when my kids need me, make it to school functions, and serve a good meal every night.

I write because I have to, even if I wasn't doing it for a living I would still write. I have written for as long as I can remember! But I freelance because it allows me to adjust my work schedule around my family and put their needs first. I worked 12 hour shifts, 6 days a week outside of the home when my older children were young. I never want to do that again!

What are your expectations for your business? And what do you intend to do to make sure those expectations happen?

Dependability

2011-04-05T11:27:00.000-04:00

If a pipe burst in your home and the plumber you called to fix it promised to be there by 6, you would be pretty upset if you were still waiting around at 7. Clients feel the same way about the work you do for them. If they expect articles to be delivered by 9 pm on Friday and you send them in at 8 am on Saturday, they will most likely find another writer for their needs.

Being dependable is one of the most important things you can do for your business. Just as you do not want to use a business that you can't depend on, clients will not want to use your talents if they aren't assured work will be done on time. And since word of mouth is an important part of advertising, people will start hearing bad things about your business and be less likely to choose you.

Being well organized is one way to ensure you meet deadlines on time. Knowing what work you have to do and when it needs to be done will enable you to get work done in the correct order to get it turned in on time.

Time management is another important factor in dependability. It is also one that I struggle with regularly. A fellow blogger has been doing a series on time management that I have found inspiring. You can find her at The Self Employed Writer. Her posts have inspired me and helped with managing my own time. It is well worth the read.

Content Companies

2011-04-04T10:54:00.000-04:00

Having multiple places to write content for is very important, since work is sometimes scarce. With multiple eggs, you aren't completely dependent on one company to provide your income. I have done a list of content companies before, but things have changed, with companies closing or changing and new companies starting. So it is time for a new, updated list.

Break Studios places articles on sites such as Mademan.com. Articles pay $8 each and payment is made through paypal on the 1st and the 15th of every month.

Bright Hub ranges in pay from revenue share to $10 per article.

Demand Studios pays from $7.50 to $25 for articles, depending on the site you are writing for. Pay is twice a week and is made through paypal.

Emerging Cast
has an average pay of $2 per article and pays once a month through paypal or bank transfer.

Internet Brands pays from $4 to $10 per article and payment is made once a month through paypal.

Need An Article pays weekly through paypal and articles start at $5.

Textbroker pays twice a month through paypal. Article rates vary widely according to the level of the writer and the word count.

Writer Access also varies according to levels and word count. Pay is once a month by paypal.

Word Gigs pays between $1 and $4 for articles and pays once a month through paypal.

B is For Blogging ;)

2011-04-02T14:23:00.000-04:00

Yes, blogging. My newest obsession! I was suffering this morning, because instead of being able to grab my coffee and sit down to blog, we had to make the long drive to get the stuff out of hubby's truck. Seeing that truck in person, rather than in pics, did not make my morning. It did make me want to hug that man of mine a little tighter though!

I started this blog originally because there are many people out there who have a talent and want to use it to make a living from home. And the majority of people like this are parents as well. Not to mention, my children and my freelancing career are my two biggest loves and I have a lot to say about them both!

I have big dreams for this blog, starting with getting a real domain name and expanding the site to have larger and searchable craft and recipe sections. The blog will remain the main focus, but the rest of it will be a great resource for both freelancers and parents alike. And a section for book reviews as well, since reading is another love of mine. Of course, none of this is going to happen immediately. It will take hard work and time. But if a dream isn't worth hard work, it isn't much of a dream! Until then, I will keep on blogging. :)

What I want to know is, why do you blog? What made you start your blog originally and what keeps you blogging now? I can't wait to hear everyone's responses!

As for the blog challenges, this is only day two but things are going great. And I have found many new blogs to follow written by awesome writers! I am actually considering having a guest blogger or two for this blog. What do you think?

Accountability

2011-04-01T07:29:00.000-04:00

I don't know about the rest of you, but I need accountability to accomplish everything I need to do in a day! Being held accountable for bills and having extra money to make sure my little munchkins enjoy their childhood keeps me writing everyday.

This month, I have joined two different blog challenges in order to help myself stay accountable for blogging each day. The first one, Ultimate Blog Challenge, requires me to post 30 times in the month of April. I can choose to do it by posting once per day, or do several posts in one day. I have done this challenge before, but fell slightly short of the quota.

The second challenge, A to Z Challenge, requires 26 posts. That is one post for each letter of the alphabet, hence today's post which is brought to you by the letter A. Excuse the Sesame Street flashbacks, I do have five children! ;)

I am hoping for two things from both of these challenges. My main priority is to develop a habit of posting daily that will stick with me after the challenge is over. I have a lot to say, I just don't always find the time to sit down and say it!

My second goal is to bring more readers to this blog, since there is little sense in saying what I have to say if no one is listening! And in the process, I will find many other blogs to feed my daily reading addiction. My favorite part of blogging is definitely checking out the blogs that my readers have!

Hopefully, by the end of the month I will have spectacular results to report. And if not, I will have fun trying! Anyone care to join me?

Terror and Gratitude

2011-03-31T07:21:00.000-04:00

Sometimes life will give you a huge shove, knock you right on your butt and remind you to focus on what really matters. I got one of those shoves yesterday, and experienced emotions ranging from complete terror to utter thankfulness over an hour long period.

It all started with a phone call from my husband. He calls me several times a day when he is on the road, but this time I could not hear him. His signal was awful and I thought he was saying check the text. Since he had not sent me a text, I was understandably confused! After he lost his signal completely, I sent him a text telling him I couldn't understand him. The answering text simply said "I flipped the truck" and then nothing. No answer to my text asking if he was ok. My heart just stopped beating. Rationally, I knew that if he could text me he was relatively uninjured, but emotionally I was falling apart.

20 minutes later, he managed to borrow a phone and even with the awful reception I could understand him to say he was ok. Almost an hour after the first call, he finally called me from a paramedics phone to let me know he was being taken to the hospital because he had pain from the seat belt cutting into him. Heavy rains moved mud onto the road and he hit it and slid, losing control in the process.

A few hours ago, he finally got home to us. All in one piece, really sore and most likely unemployed since his company has a zero tolerance policy for wrecks. And I don't care. Jobs, trucks and everything else can be replaced. Husbands and dads cannot be and as long as he is ok, everything else will work out in the end. If I have my way, he will never drive over the road again. I have my work, and if coming home every night means less pay, so be it. I will remember that moment of terror every time I trip over the boots he leaves in the middle of the floor, or clean up the huge mess he always makes cooking, because he is here to do those little things that annoy me. The alternative is to horrible to imagine.

If you are sensitive to car accidents, or have lost a loved one to an accident, please don't look at the pictures below. Even knowing he was ok, viewing them caused another bout of tears and anxiety.