Hippie Spelunker

Curlee Oh Nooooo!

2013-04-13T17:10:00.003-05:00

Hippie Hodgepodge, That's Me!

2013-03-01T18:18:00.001-06:00

I am going to be moving this blog over to http://hippiehodgepodge.blogspot.com very soon. When I lost my main site with the super cool name that I loved so very much - Hippie Spelunker - I had a plan to at least hold on to some semblance of the name. I was going to hang onto the Blogger blog of it.

I have now, however, decided to completely divorce myself from that lovely name. Because they are muddling it up. Schmodaddy snatched up the domain, under the name "Mary Mix", who lives at a nonexistent address. Nonexistent chick at a nonexistent address. Psh. Whatever. But now they are posting links to their spammy diet content over there and I've just decided what I probably should have decided from the get-go ...that it is time to just give them the name completely so I'm not associated with that crap.

So anyway, I'm giving ya'll fair warning. I will soon transfer this site over to HippieHodgepodge.blogspot.com. Those stupid dummies. Whatever.

The cool thing is, though, that now I get to be "The Hodgepodge Girl". And I like that. I've bought three domains in the Hodgepodge family so far, and I am going to buy at least one more pretty soon.

So pooh on them, they've "given" me a blog network. I'll be takin' names and kickin' butts all over the internet.

Woohoo!!

Dear Ben,

2013-01-16T11:58:00.002-06:00

Hi +Benjamin Roethig How are you, dude? Like this better? It's a post all for you!

Hmm....maybe it should have some hot chicks in it or some smart chicks .....or some super hot, mega-smart chicks!

Lemme see...

Okay, so I googled "super hot mega smart chicks".... the first image in the results is this:
http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-HGfYjDiuh3Q/UFlk1-wOQSI/AAAAAAAADSk/FqwTd4C4g_M/s1600/smartchicks4.png Not entirely what I had in mind.

An interesting photo with a funny saying on it caught my eye, though. It led to this funny blog post: The Princess and the Pee I skipped down to the end part, where she's describing her funny mensa-referenced photo.

So we don't have some super hot chick photo, but we have a funny blog post. There ya go!

Snoopy - 18 Year Old Neighbor

2012-11-22T10:09:00.001-06:00

Halo 4 Vote 4 Obama Senior Skip Day

2012-11-06T09:43:00.001-06:00

Ok, I kid, I kid. Vote for whomever you want, children. Just make sure it's Obama.

So my son (an 18yr old senior) and his buds hung out last night, went to Gamestop at midnight to each purchase their copy of Halo 4 with their AP test money. While there, they played in the tournament - one of the boys won and therefore won his copy of the game. Sweet!

They all then went back to one of the boys' house and hung out all night, playing their cherished and long-awaited game. And are now skipping school.

I'm either a really cool mom or a really terrible parent. Or maybe a little bit of both.

Two of these sweet boys will be voting today for the first time - thrills me to the core. My darling and super rotten 19yr old refused to register. He should count himself grateful that he lives five hours away from me - or his noggin would be very, very sore. Grrrr!!

Someone even made Halo cookies for the boys! I would expect that would have been Taylor's mom, she owns a cake/cupcake business in town. Or maybe he inherited the baking gene and made them himself. Pretty cool, either way.

The boy on the couch to the right (our right) is the other Shawn - and he's the one that won his copy. Lucky kid!

The goofy, sullen kid in the desk chair at the back is my Shawn. Kinda funny they're all doing the I'M SO FREAKING EXCITED look and Shawn chose that moment to be a cool cat.

They're so cute! And isn't that room amazing? Dang! When Britt goes to college next year, I should just move in over there.

I'm really going to miss this crew next year, just like I miss Patrick's crew this year. Two of Patrick's gang do go to the college here in town, so I get to see them sometimes. Maybe a few of Shawn's will do the same. I know Shawn won't be.

He'd love to go to UCLA or UTD, but, I'm pretty sure when we're being realistic, he's probably going to invade his brother at Univ. of South Alabama. Which I think will be just awesome. Though Pat's not too thrilled. That's alright - he'll get over it. And who knows, maybe as college students together, they'll go back to the friendlier side of their relationship. Like when I used to listen to them talk for hours and hours over army men, tonka trucks, history, wars, science, and just all kinds of stuff.

Anyway, game on, sweet boys! And DON'T FORGET TO VOTE!!!

Music Festivals

2012-10-23T17:28:00.000-05:00

Infographics are fun and make information easy to consume in chunks. Quite often, the ones that I see are about online marketing, social media, internet business, etc. And I'm glad of that - it really is a great way to get an overview of a giant chunk of information.

This one is really fun, though. All about the fun. It's about festivals. And it's got some really juicy tidbits on it.

It was put together by the people at EquipSupply, who provide event supplies and concession machines. Oh lawdy! That's something I have some knowledge about now, for sure! Mark (hubby) and I have been running our marching band's concession stand this year for all the football games. In fact, next week, we'll have it open ALL. DAY. LONG. on Saturday for the Little League playoffs. That's gonna be a long day. Oh my.

Anyway, so check out this cool festival infographic - it had me shocked and surprised more than once!

Infographic Provided by EquipSupply

iPad Mini

2012-10-23T17:03:00.000-05:00

So yeah, the iPad Mini was finally announced today. Last week, however there was a leaked iPad Mini Promo Video!

Holy cow! Check it out!

I had no idea Johnny Five worked at Apple - did you? ;)

And to follow up with more silliness and giggles, they've been nice enough to share their outtakes with us!

iPad Mini Bloopers and Outtakes

Stay tuned to Geekbeat.TV for lots of shiny, happy tech news and all kinds of silly shenanigans!

Weddings and Family and Such

2012-10-05T07:07:00.000-05:00

My kids have gotten older, so much older. *le sigh* My boys just had a birthday and turned 18 and 19. My 18 year old keeps saying, "Mom, you have two adults!" He does it because he likes to watch me tear up and get all wishy washy sad and talk about how they were just babies and then they were just my little guys and then start sobbing. Evil child, he is.

And my daughter will be 16 in about a month. This all really just blows me away. But I was thinking recently that it would be really cool to watch our wedding tapes with them now. Maybe not all the way through, but, look at them, at least. We haven't done so since they were itty bitty.

Problem? They are on VHS and we don't have a working VCR in the house. I really need to get those things changed over to disc. I was thinking, however, it would be really fun to see how this whole noisy, tall, rambunctious family got started.

It's so weird to think of a time when our kids weren't on the planet. They really are so awesome and though our family is rambunctious and yes, even quite grumpy at times, we just love our kids so much and we are so grateful for them. They amaze us with their talents and their smarts and their adorableness. Hey, come to think of it, are you sure they're ours? Ha!

And it all started with a wonderful, pink, and lovely backyard wedding!

Here's a very interesting infographic from Moissanite:

Presented By Moissanite.com visit moissanite.com

Soul-Flower Labor Day Sale

2012-08-30T12:29:00.000-05:00

Sweet! Nothing like a groovy sale at Soul-Flower! Awesome!

And you should totally check out the new stuff - there are two skirts that I am just dying to get!

Hellish Week

2012-08-29T17:14:00.001-05:00

Hurricane at my son's new home of just three weeks
Absessed Tooth
Ball Game Thursday night, instead of Friday - when I need to be working
Car Wreck
Migraine due to hurricaney weather
Out of prozac
Oh yeah, and my internet was down for 3+ days and is still sorta wonky

I'm feeling a nervous breakdown. Just a itty bitty one. Or a big one.

I just want to go to bed for two or three days. I need to pull it together, though - get my shit together. Breathe and figure things out.

Jumping Jupiter, the damn police report costs five damn dollars - which I, of course, don't have. And I don't have grocery money for next week.

I'm sinking and I'm falling and I'm just barely treading water. I hate when life is like this.

The really stinky part is that I just came OUT of a depression and was doing better. See, my husband's uncle, who we dearly love - passed away a few weeks ago. It was totally unexpected. Completely.

And then a day later, my oldest left for college - 5 hours away. Right - in that silly hurricane zone. So I kind of crashed for a couple weeks. Had that black cloud thing.

There was a really great article on CNN about depression and I loved the way she described it. I think she said something like, 'putting on the grey sweater'. Something like that - and yep - because it just kind of wraps you up in it. And you're stuck, for the time being anyway.

So I think I'm wearing the grey sweater again.

And you know what's funny? Or strange ...or what the hell ever.... migraines weaken my resolve against depression. I can very easily get depressed while fighting them. That's stinky, huh?

Ok, I'm a rambling whiney butt. I think I'll just shut up now.

Google, Leave My Baby Alone!

2012-06-18T19:56:00.000-05:00

Okay, well, my baby, Patrick, is almost nineteen years old! (Ah jumpin' jeeminy, that's RADICALLY HORRIBLE!) But - he's still my baby. And anyway....this is what happened just now.

I have the Google Notifier thing, I think it's an Mac App. Yeah, that's it, it's a Mac app - so it's always up there in the bar up top. And a few minutes ago, it popped up with this message...

And I was like, "Hey! How do they know my Patty? What the heck is going on?"

But then I realized it was from Smart Passive Income, run by none other than Pat Flynn, and I realized he was blogging about a message Google had sent to him. Duh me!

(It's so funny when I say "duh me!" because, it sounds like "du..mmy". So it's kind of a double whammy of DUH!) ((Either that or I'm just a complete goob.))

Anyhoo, so I carry on with my ADHD-fueled web-surfing, etc. and my phone goes off with a text message. It's from Twitter, more specifically, from my cool friend, Loretta. But look what it says:

And I realize, ZOMG! Google is after my kids, after all! Ack!

I thought that was funny and silly and serendipitous in a goofy, but, not flowing-spiritual-goodness kind of way and I definitely thought I had to share it. So here it is.

Perhaps, I've sealed my goobness. But it's been shared.

It was like an itch I had to scratch.

You know the feeling.

Blog CPR by Nicole Dean

2012-03-20T19:19:00.000-05:00

Your blog is your baby. You love it, nurture it, and treat it with tender, loving care but it’s still not doing that thing you wanted it to do when you gave birth to it.

It’s Not making money.

It seems like every other blog you read has a great following and is making a ton of cash
and you’re a tiny bit jealous of their success but, don’t let looks fool you.

Not every blogger out there is making more money than you are (no matter what appearances say) so stop with the envy and put your time & energy into making YOUR blog the best blog it can be. It’s time to put on the blinders and revitalize your lifeless blog.

When you order Blog CPR, Nicole will teach you things like:

how to come up with endless content topics and quick blog post ideas (kiss writer’s
block goodbye, oh yeah!)
what to do when you don’t want to or can’t write a single word (by legitimately using
Other People’s Content – with their permission, of course)
why plagiarizing yourself makes you one smart cookie (not to mention a richer one)
how to spice up your blog with easy but meaty posts involving other experts
and bloggers (and they’ll thank you for it)
why and how to use Private Label Rights content (even if you’ve never considered it
before)
where to find done-for-you blog posts that actually make you money (this is my favorite
blogging-for-money shortcut!)
a collaborative technique Nicole personally uses, which produces high-quality, unique
content in a flash and tons of links from people with vast audiences (nobody else does
this but after you get Blog CPR, you will too!)
how to outsource writing and other parts of blogging so can finally enjoy
being a blogger instead of being a slave to your blog (you’ll be surprised how affordable this is)

Stop struggling with your blog and let Nicole show you how to have a healthy, flourishing
blog and help to increase your REACH, grow your LIST & ultimately make more MONEY. It
only takes a small investment to get started.

It’s a no-brainer really. Do you want to keep doing what you’re doing with the results
you’re currently seeing or are you ready to become a blogging success story?

Visit Blog CPR to get started with your very first lesson now.

Are You Confused About PLR Articles?

2012-03-09T15:32:00.000-06:00

I absolutely love private label rights articles, a.k.a. PLR articles, or even just PLR. My friends and I buy it up like candy! ;) It can be so helpful in getting your brain going on a topic. Sometimes it is just hard to get started, you know? And PLR provides a great framework from which you can start - and knock out some killer content!

You have to be buying it from good, reputable sources, though. And Nicole Dean's PLR site is one of the oldest and definitely one of the best. I can always count on her articles to be top notch.

She is having a sale right now that will knock your socks off! Read her awesome explanations about PLR and what it is and how to use it and then I'll tell you how to partake of the sale.

4 Common Misconceptions About PLR Content
by: Nicole Dean

Recently, in an interview, I was asked this question:

“Can you explode any misconceptions that stop people from using PLR content?”

Here is my answer.

There are four main myths that I run into regularly.

The biggest misconception that people have is that all PLR is crap.
The second biggest misconception is that ghostwriters are not good writers. We can even take that a step further and add that people assume they are stupid, taken advantage of, and/or they don’t speak English as their native language.
The third misconception is that using PLR takes away from your expert status.
The fourth misconception is that PLR and ghostwriting are somehow dishonest.

Let’s run through those one by one.

Myth #1: All PLR is Crap.

If you go back to about 2003, then I’d say that you are absolutely correct. Nearly all PLR at that time was junk. There may have been a few exceptions, but I wouldn’t touch most of that PLR content with a 10-foot pole.

We’ve made great strides in the last few years to raise the standards for what is acceptable and what is not in the PLR world. I’d like to think that I was one of the leaders in that movement.

Myth #2: Ghostwriters are Stupid.

I’ve got to tell you that I’ve worked with some ghostwriters who are brilliant in many ways. Oftentimes, they’re fabulous communicators, smart marketers, and hard working entrepreneurs. And, yes, they’re qualified to write quality information on many topics on the internet.

For instance, for a long time, I had a nurse writing my health PLR articles. I’ve also got a writer who graduated from Stanford University, who writes for several popular print magazines, and is a published author. Yes, she has her own book. And, another who had a career as a Political Speech Writer (before having children). That’s just three of my writers. They’re all amazing people, each with a variety of skills and life experience.

To assume they aren’t capable of writing quality content would be just silly.

I don’t just go to eLance.com and take the lowest bidder. To think that’s how all PLR sites work would certainly be a misconception.

Myth #3: You’re Not a “Real” Expert if you Use PLR.

The other misconception is that using PLR articles takes away your own value as the expert. That you are somehow cheating, plagiarizing, or that you’re a phony if you use PLR.

If ONLY you could see my customer list. It reads like the “Who’s who of Successful Online Business Owners”.

Business is all about cutting costs while increasing the bottom line. What better example is there than PLR content?

If you use PLR articles as drafts, they are delivered to you, ready for you, as the expert, to add your unique thoughts to them.

If you look at PLR like that – you can still keep your personality in your brand – and your sanity at the same time.

Myth #4: Using Ghostwriters or PLR is Cheating.

Most biographies in the bookstores are written by ghostwriters.

Most of the famous orations from our history were written by someone other than the public figure who gave the speech.

It’s not cheating to get help. It’s smart business.

Nicole Dean is the owner of www.EasyPLR.com – where you’ll find high-quality PLR articles sold in very limited quantities. The PLR articles at EasyPLR are professionally written and professionally edited — top quality at an affordable price.

THE AWESOME SALE at EasyPLR: Nicole is running a half off sale, for a very limited time. To get the half off price, enter the coupon code: LIFEISGOOD when you order! But, hurry - this sale won't last long! I think she said until/through the 12th.

RACHEL RAY DOG FOOD

2012-03-09T13:54:00.000-06:00

Thanks for the post, Vernon Lowe

I have been using my 4g clear internet connection to do some research on Dog food. I have never really thought about what I was feeding my dog until I saw a special on Rachel Ray about dog foods. Most dog foods have processed meats and animal parts. They had a vet on the show that talked about the health risks of feeding your dog a food that isn’t the best for them. They can have heart and stomach problems. It can even cut your dogs life short! I felt absolutely terrible. I have been researching dog foods on-line. I have decided that I am going to pick up some Rachel Ray dog food ( go figure) this afternoon. They had a coupon on-line that is going to save me three dollars. I hope that Henry ( my dog) likes the food. I am going to look into other good foods because I hate to feed him the same thing all the time. I just can’t imagine what it would be like to be a dog and have to eat the same food everyday. It would be totally boring!

Elephants on Pinterest

2012-02-06T15:49:00.001-06:00

Source: imgur.com via Lisa on Pinterest

Are you on Pinterest? I just love that site! This is one of my favorite pins, in a board I've named "Heffalumps - I love them!"

Isn't this the absolute sweetest picture? A moment with a father, his son, and their ellie. So precious.

I call them that from that part in Winnie the Pooh. Man, that part scared me as a kid. I love it now, though.

You should join me on Pinterest if you're not on there - it's so much fun!

Hangout With President Obama

2012-01-30T18:58:00.002-06:00

Did you watch the hangout on Google+ with President Obama? How cool was that?

The video was having some trouble and my husband kept talking - at me, at the president, and then the video just stopped playing...so I eventually gave up on it, but, how dang cool was that? I love how open President Obama has been to new media, social media, even keeping his Blackberry. I just love that about him.

I missed the one question I was looking for, too, and that was the one about the British college student being extradited to the United States over linking to copyrighted material. I'm going to have to watch the whole thing over again and see if he ever got to that one.

This was definitely a cool thing, though. Totally awesome!

Thought about it

2012-01-30T18:48:00.000-06:00

Post contributed by Alfredo Gaines

I thought about dishnetwork for the house but the last thing I wanted was for my kids to get too addicted to TV. I love that they’re so young that they still want to be at home all the time but you know, at the end of the day I know they’re going to grow up and eventually want to be off with their friends and not so much at home with mom. I love my kids but I want to make sure I’m choosing really educational shows because I don’t want them to end up being brainfried because I plop them down in front of the TV too much. I wish I had more time to sit down and teach them things but between the grocery shopping and the cooking and the laundry I feel like my work around here is never done so I’m just trying to find a way to feel good about being a mom but also being able to give my kids what they need. It’s a hard balance!

Soul-Flower Blog: GIVEAWAY!! Freaks & Geeks May Apply. Inquire Withi...

2011-08-16T19:15:00.000-05:00

Soul-Flower Blog: GIVEAWAY!! Freaks & Geeks May Apply. Inquire Withi...: "A favorite moment from the short lived, but nonetheless amazing series, Freaks and Geeks , is the episode where Nick convinces Lindsay to ..."

Totally, totally awesome ya'll! My very favorite online store is having a back to school giveaway and let me tell you, the goodie bag is CHOCK O BLOCK FULL of totally awesome and groovy stuff! And not only that, the goodie bag itself is a rockin' cool gift! Seriously - go check it out! You can thank me later! ;)

Soul-Flower Blog: Hometown Tourist: Cutting Floor Hippie Dress Revie...

2011-07-27T14:42:00.000-05:00

Soul-Flower Blog: Hometown Tourist: Cutting Floor Hippie Dress Revie...: "Hey Buds! Making the best of this wonderful sunshine? So I got a little piece of the islands with me for the past couple weeks. My friend ..."

This dress is so pretty! Go check it out - I love it!!

Website Hosts Ratings And Reviews

2011-07-07T20:28:00.002-05:00

It's really important once you get online to get website hosting and have your own self-hosted blog or website. It will give you more control over your own content. I, personally, really love blogger so I am still over here blogging on several blogs while I also have hosted sites. I know I should probably give Blogger up, but, I just can't seem to completely walk away. Silly, I know.

I know some people buy their domains and still use Blogger as their CMS. I don't really know, though, if that really puts you in the driver seat or not. I suppose if you are making regular backups, you would still be safe. But owning the whole site, kit and caboodle, is the best way to go.

For my hosted sites, I actually have three different hosts. My favorite website host, though, is HostGator. You can read all about them, along with some reviews, at that link.

It can be so hard when you are going into something new, so it really helps to have a ratings and review site, where you can get stats on the different companies and impressions from real people on their experiences.

Fourth Of July Crafts

2011-06-30T18:41:00.000-05:00

I've been seeing some really cute July 4th crafts being talked about and demonstrated online so I thought I would share a few with you. It's always fun to get the kids involved in the decorating. It's even cooler when the decorating is an activity in itself - like a craft project!

4th of July Uncle Sam Hat

This looks really cute and pretty easy to do, as well. So I think kids of all ages can participate. The littler ones may have to just help out with the decorating, but, it is definitely not a craft that completely leaves them out. I like that.

Statue of Liberty Crown

For this one, the kids will definitely need some help, but, it is so cute that it is totally worth it! I think they'll love it!

Fourth of July Centerpiece Decoration

I love the sand centerpiece in this video, but, I'm not really a fan of the second one that is shown. I just don't think it looks all that pretty.

And if you'd like a way easier centerpiece that is still really cute - and inexpensive - check out this post at Wooden Spoon: DIY 4th of July Table Centerpiece for $8 I really want to make that one! I love how the ribbon looks in the jar!

Long Hot Summer In The Sauna Van

2011-06-30T12:05:00.000-05:00

The kids and I are hardly going anywhere these days. And it's summertime. And one of them has his license. And their dad is giving them each $20 every week for allowance. You would think they'd be blowin' and goin', right?

Well, if it comes down to using our van (instead of being picked up by friends) they opt to stay home more than go out. The air conditioning is out - again. And let me tell you, that van gets HOT!

And the really horrible thing is that the driver side window cannot be rolled down. Oh it will roll down. But if you do roll it down, it might not roll back up. There is a little plastic tab, inside the door, that holds the window in its track, that is broken off. So when you are the driver, it is so unbelievably miserable in there.

And a lot of times, I'll be driving them around, and the person in the passenger seat - you know, the one with the window ROLLED DOWN - starts complaining. It is at that point one has to demonstrate the ultimate restraint to not reach over and smack the crap out of them!

My poor Nissan Quest - I really do love her, though. The kids complain about her all the time, but, really, she's been very good to us over the years. I think she's a '97 and we might have gotten her in '01 or '02. She's my third Nissan - I love Nissans. My 'dream Nissan' is a four-door Frontier, which I'll get one day when I don't have to lug multiple teenagers along with their instruments around.

Funny thing is, though, I'm going to go in and ask for a really old one. They came out with the four-door, or Crew Cab, in around '99 or '00 and after a few years - like just 2 or 3, I think, they changed the looks of it so much that I didn't really like it. Now, who knows, maybe by the time I'm wanting to not be 'Minivan Mom' anymore, I'll be head over heels for some other truck! Whatever it is - it will probably be a Nissan, though!

Possibility Thinking

2011-05-11T13:42:00.000-05:00

I just went over to LadyPens to browse around and there on the front page was this awesome article that really spoke to me! I just loved it and had to share it with you!

Smart Women in a Wild, Wacky World

With everything that’s going on in the world right now, I hesitated to write this article. However, I felt called to share my reflections with you. There has been so much despair and devastation in the world lately that when something happens to us personally, we can try to shrug it off because “compared to what’s going on in the world, this is minor.” (This has been my “mantra” over the past week.) Although I believe this to be true, when something happens to you personally, it feels real and challenging. It can paralyze you and keep you from moving forward. It’s essential that you acknowledge what’s happening and find solutions to manage the madness of life.

In the past week, I’ve had major technology glitches, vendor/supplier challenges as well as a leak in our home from all the rainy weather. (Yes, it’s been one of those weeks.) Being an entrepreneur will test you in every way imaginable. The universe has a way of “checking in” periodically to see how serious you are about your intentions, your dreams, and your purpose. It will throw you curve balls to see how you respond. When these situations arise, you always have two choices: Run for cover (like jumping in your bed and pulling the covers over your head, hoping that this will all go away quickly–not very effective I might add from personal experience) or step into a place of possibility thinking and find solutions (which works beautifully every time).

If you’ve had some challenges lately in your business or personal life, and feel like you need some solutions to help you move into possibility thinking, here are a few tips that I personally use to move me out from under the covers and into being an energized solution seeker:

1. Walk it out – Grab a cup of coffee or bottle of water and hit the pavement. I find that going on a long walk, breathing in some fresh air and taking in some nature helps me refocus and reframe the situation in a more positive light.

2. Dive In - Going inward and allowing my internal voice (also referred to as your “instincts”) to be heard calmly and clearly helps a great deal. Meditation is a wonderful tool in these times. If you have never done meditation before, that’s fine. Just sit quietly, close your eyes and find your breath. Focus on breathing in and out for a few minutes. You’ll be amazed at how much calmer and more focused you feel within 5 minutes of doing this. Solitude is smart practice and one that I engage in regularly.

3. Find your Champions – This is the time to reach out to the people in your life who champion you. These are people who think you hung the moon. Avoid toxic naysayers. You know you’ve got a challenge. The last thing you need is someone to tell you that. Engage with people who have a positive attitude who truly want to see you succeed and provide resourceful contributions to your situation.

4. Take note – Take a good look at what went wrong in the situation. Ask yourself a few questions: What part did I play in this? How can I keep this from happening in the future? Become proactive and set up systems to avoid these types of situations in the future.

There’s an old saying that I’m sure you’ve heard before: ”Life happens on your way to making plans.” This is true especially for women. We wear so many hats and play so many roles for others. There are certain challenges in life that we won’t be able to avoid because life does happen. However, Smart Women set themselves up to survive and more importantly thrive in this wild, wacky world.

Anything is possible. Everything is waiting for you.

*****

WANT TO USE THIS ARTICLE IN YOUR E-ZINE OR WEB SITE? You can, as long as you include this complete blurb with it: Joy Chudacoff, ICF, PCC, is the founder of Smart Women Smart Solutions®, a Professional Certified Coach to 1000’s of women, Motivational Speaker, and Entrepreneur. She publishes a weekly buzz generating ezine, Reflections On Life and Business for Women Entrepreneurs. If you’re ready take your life and your business to the next level, get your FREE Tips, 2 FREE Reports and FREE MP3 now at Creating The Spark .

Pens And Pencils For My Sites

2011-04-26T17:03:00.000-05:00

For some odd reason, I have a strange obsession with promotional products. I just love them. And not only just for me - or my sites - or my business. I like picking up pens, magnets and whatever from the pharmacy, the doctor's office, etc. Or even better yet, at industry conferences. You can get some really cool stuff there!

I used to go to a lot of PTA functions and even went to a 3-day seminar for PTA once and we would get all kinds of cool stuff. And being the president of the PTA, I got all kinds of catalogs from promotional materials companies. I used to love looking through those! (Maybe I'm in the wrong line of work....? ha!)

Now instead of catalogs, I just look online - and I can spend eons of time on sites that sell promo stuff. Today I'm looking at Amsterdam printing and I could really, really get lost on that site! They have just about every promo item under the sun!

I really haven't had a whole lot of my own promo items. I am drinking my coffee out of my Hippie Spelunker cup and I do absolutely love it! But - there is only one of them and it was really from CafePress, which isn't totally promo stuff. I mean, you can do promo things there for your business, but, you can also just do fun, whatever stuff. Like maybe you want to make all kinds of elephant picture t-shirts and sell them. I meant to start a My Very Own Mail section in my seller account there, so people could buy 'Bookworm Gear', but, I just haven't done it yet.

And one time I bought My Very Own Mail pens. They were so darn cute! And they went really fast, too! I would love to have some more, definitely!

At the Amsterdam site, you can get pens with any engraving you want on them. And they have seventy gabillion pens from which to pick! There are some really cool ones in there, too.

They also have personalized pencils there. Oddly, I had never even thought of that. Though, for My Very Own Mail, that would actually rock! I could hand them out to school kids, you know? That's a really good idea! I'm glad I saw that section on there. I'm going to definitely keep that in mind.

I would really like to get some Hippie Spelunker stuff, too, though. I kind of see Hippie Spelunker as my 'home' online, even though My Very Own Mail came first. I guess I could get Hippie Spelunker pens and My Very Own Mail pencils. That would be cool.

Do you have promo materials for your sites/businesses?

Science Is Really So Cool

2011-03-18T14:32:00.001-05:00

This is such a cool little movie about cool science facts that I had to share it with you! It's called "The Wonders of Science" and it was created by Mariela Kleiner, the author of a wonderful new book I'll tell you all about after the movie!

The book is called Meet Einsteinand it looks absolutely fabulous! Here is the description from Amazon:

Meet Einstein. He is a scientist who loves to study light and gravity. Einstein helps to introduce your kids to science, and show them that they are already great scientists!
Light and gravity are concepts that preschoolers are ready to learn. Help them make the connections in everything they see and do, and teach them that science is all around them.

They also have a great website set up to go along with the book with lots of cool things for you to dig into! You can read about the author and the illustrator. You can follow 'Meet Einsteen' on Facebook and Twitter. And there are some fun PDF activity sheets available, too! Check 'em out!