Self Employed Writer

Writing Opportunity: Technogati

2012-02-24T16:10:00.001-05:00

Technogati is a clean, streamlined internet blog about technology, WordPress related themes and plugins, and blogging. The rankings are decent, and last I checked the website had quite a bit more material than when I first found out about it some months back.

I DO NOT have an account there, nor have I written there. I am just passing along another opportunity to you.

Technogati is currently seeking new writers with high hopes of finding some new gems that will spark some interest and contribute some attention-grabbing articles. The website does include a list of topics, the needs, the rules, and the sign up is through WordPress by clicking the "Publish Your Article Here" button on the right hand side of the page.

This IS revenue sharing guest blogging and it goes a little something like this:

1. Google Adsense is the income generator so you will need your own code that will be added to all of your articles.

2. Exposure and free promotion of your own website or work.

3. Experience to add to your portfolio.

I know we are all looking for more upfront payment options, but revenue share can be quite lucrative if you find the right niche for you.

If you sign up for Technogati please come back and share your experience.

A Cold Creek Secret by RaeAnne Thayne

2012-02-23T20:06:00.001-05:00

Cold. Wet. That’s how she was when he found her.

Wet. Cold. Yippy. That’s the dog Simone.

This is not what Major Brant Western had in mind when he got back to his Idaho ranch.

All Brant did want was a home cooked meal and nice warm bed. After finishing his tour of duty, getting home was all he could thing about. The last thing he wanted to have standing before him was the town snot.

The storm brought them together, it’s best to just make the best of it.

When Brant sees Maura for the women she really is, there is no turning back.

These types of Harlequin stories are not my forte, hence the quick read and the quick review.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from Harlequin as part of their Ambassador program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commision's 16 CFR, Part 255: "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising."

#NSNation 3 Months Later and the Results are In

2012-02-21T17:58:00.002-05:00

I've lost my blogging mojo. It’s not just weight, school, stress, or losing my beloved dog Cain, related. It’s everything and it’s nothing. I want to write, I just have not wanted to blog.

At any given moment I am so overwhelmed that I have no idea what direct to go in. I thought I had things under control in life, but I have come to the conclusion that I do not. I can't focus. I feel out of control.

There is one thing that the abuse in my past put on my shoulders and that is the need to be in control. I have to be in control of my life. Where I am going. What I am doing. Right down to the very last minute of my day. God forbid if someone or something throw me of schedule. I make jokes about my different personalities, but the fact is I am bipolar and one of the ways I have learned to deal with it and my ability to disassociate is to be in constant control.

The one thing I lost control of was food. I am not sure I ever had control of it to begin with. As a young child, the abuse controlled me. I did not have any friends. I was an only child. My mother had been teased as a child for being too thin and the last thing she wanted for her daughter was to have to deal with the same. Only thing was, she did not know then I was fighting another demon. That abuse caused me to develop an eating disorder.

Insert my new friend Binge. Binge was my friend and food was my drug. I was the fat kid everyone made fun of and picked on. Until my Sophomore year in college when my mom took me to Nutrisystem (back when they were in strip malls!) and I lost 80lbs.

Binge came back every now and then but Control was much more dominating and by this point in life I was in therapy for the abuse. I like to think the food issues were under control somewhat.

Life carried on and so did the weight.

While working at the bank we were offered Weight Watcher At-Work meetings. I signed up. After that the 16 week program was over, I started to attend meetings at the college. One year into the program I was down to my goal weight (making Lifetime) and running 6-8 miles a day. I had lost over 50lbs.

Life carried on again. Depression came back. Control was visiting in a different form. Binge was beating down my door nightly and Purge started to join him. I then battled an addiction to laxatives, which I now deal with the aftermath of that battle on a daily basis.

I’ve developed so other painful issues, disk disease and arthritis, both degenerative. Some mornings the pain is so bad I can’t get out of bed.

I just keep pushing forward.

Doctors. Chiropractors. Pain management. Therapy (physical and mental).

But, it’s stressful all on its own. It’s hard to blog when it feels like it’s the same painful story over and over again.

It makes me sad. I was so excited to start Nutrisystem again after my first tour of the Bloggers Nation. I thought this time would be different. This time I had insurance and I was starting to get help for my troubles. This time I was not taking 9 classes to graduate in the spring. Instead, I am now taking one Masters class at a time. I thought this time with Matt’s help I would be able to push through my weight loss problems. That became a whole other issue which was not pleasant and needs a blog all of its own.

This time just wore me out. I got bored eating the same meals over and over.

I LIKE COOKING!!!!!!!!!!

This time my weight did the same thing. Up, down, down, up, up, down, up down. I started at 240 and saw some pretty crazy numbers and at one point was at 245. (Who gains weight when trying to lose?) Thought I was pregnant, tests said no. The only thing the Dr. could come up with (because I was following the program and she has my journals) was that I was just someone with some food allergies and it could be something in the Nutrisystem meals. Sodium. The processing to keep it shelf stable. Anything. (Truth is we have no idea what it could really be & won’t without a bunch of tests).

I wanted it to work. I did not want to have weight loss surgery. It terrifies me.

I love Meredith and all the great bloggers I have met, along with the awesome girls at the Nutrisystem Forums and the Nutrisystem Group on Sparkepeople but I’m just not cut out for this type of program. I have NOTHING bad to say about it. I love the foods that I love, but I can’t continue to eat the same 5 meals. I have tried getting creative, but that’s just not working for me. It is convenient, the price is affordable and it DOES work (for millions!)!! It’s just not working out for me.

One good thing: I have a list of all the places we tend to eat out at and I now have a healthy option at each of them. THAT I am proud of. Casey, my other Boxer, and I have been taking daily walks (when its not snowing) and playing out in the yard. It is not much, but it's a start.

My chiropractor and my therapist (not mental) are in the same office. The center has the same core values and beliefs I do about health, wellness and man-made medicines. The girls are getting together to support each other with weight loss and wellness, no matter what program anyone follows and my chiro wanted me to come. She knows that my primary care doctor (and her) need me to lose weight in order for me to get my pain under control. Neither wants me to have to resort to surgery.

I can’t say that I blame them.

As the saying goes, “when one door closes, another one opens.” Although Purge hasn’t visited me in many years, Binge still knocks on the door every now and then. I’ve been to Overeaters Anonymous before, through online meetings. It might be good for me to start doing that again, or checking out the web meetings the groups have on Sparkpeople.

Feeling overwhelmed seems to be the trigger.

I lost it once. I lost it twice. I have to lose it a third.

My three month net loss for round 2 : -3.2

You can see my progress on my stats page: here
Matt started at 234.6 and he ended at 237. 5. He netted a gain of 3.1. Ouch.

Love Inspired: His Country Girl by Jillian Hart

2012-02-21T15:07:00.002-05:00

Sierra Baker was a small town girl who grew up with famous rodeo star, Tucker Granger. When her husband walks away, leaving her to care for her sick son Owen, the last thing she wants to deal with is a hot-shot.

Owen, having met Tucker once when he was a small boy, decides that his one last wish should he not make it out of the next morning’s surgery is to meet Tucker Granger, one more time.

Just like all Herlequin books, they are a fun, short read. One thing that was a little different with this one (aside from the cowboy genre I don’t read) was that I really needed to have a few tissues handy.

Owen is such a good son. It’s hard being a sick boy, fatherless, and having so much love for your mother you just want to see her happy, even if it means she falls in love with your rodeo star.

This one is sure to pull at your heart, leave you in tears, but show you yet another happy ending.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from Harlequin as part of their Book Ambassador program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commision's 16 CFR, Part 255: "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising."

Writing Opportunity: Sumo Content

2012-02-21T10:14:00.002-05:00

NOTE: I have not worked with this website yet and I am not affiliated with ContentSumo.com.

The site does require you to create your account with a Facebook login. I am not a fan of that as I have too many apps "allowed" on my Facebook network and I am working to clear some of that out before I add any more.

In the last few weeks I have noticed many members of WorkPlaceLikeHome.com and WAHM.com talking about the lack of work available for freelancer writers. Here is one that is NOT residual income. I am not sure what the pay is, but with HowToHint and TextBroker.com the most talked about, I am sure the rates are going to come close.

Sure, the Panda let lose by Google stirred up a lot of unwanted drama and left many content sites jumping ship, but there are still a lot of great places to write content online.

I like to look at residual sites as my "savers" account. Since I am not going to get upfront money I have to schedule my time writing residual around other up-front paying clients.

I'm not one of those residual folks who spends a lot of time researching keywords ( I should) and make residual my full-time job (maybe I should do that, too) so I don't have some magic fairy dust to sprinkle your way on how to make residual sites work for you. Some come by it naturally and can easily churn out content to have an extra $1000 a month passive income from residual sites. That's not me, I just can't seem to stay on track and be consistent with it.

You might be different. I have always told others that you should give these types of sites a trial run with one piece of content. Most of them pay the same, but they all have a different audience and feel to the website. The trick is to not only find one with traffic for your particular niche, but to also be a good fit for you, style wise.

A few things about Sumo Content:

Facebook login
Currently for US only
Payment via PayPal
No minimum cash out limit

If you take the time to sign up and complete some articles, be sure to drop me a comment and let me know how it works out for you.

Writing Opportunities: Factoidz

2012-02-20T22:33:00.002-05:00

Is your head full of useful (or useless) knowledge?

Were you a Demand Studios eHow writer and need a new adventure for residual income?

Check out Factoidz.

NOTE: I do have an account there. I have not posted anything so I don't have much
research to pass your way other than I do know some girls who are writing there
and seem to like it quite well and are paid without problems. The traffic is decent, but not the rate
compared to top performers like HubPages and Squidoo.

Everyone has their own reason why they do or don't like a particular residual site.

I can't say I have one for this site other than I just don't have time to write for all of them,
but that does not prevent me from passing this information to someone (you!) who might be in need of it.

From the site:

Self -publish easily right form the dashboard.
No waiting for approvals.
More content features with Product Reviews and Comparison Reports.

(These will earn you "bonus" upfront money.)

SEO capabilities

Might be worth a try. Website looks clean and simple (a huge plus for me) and I
did not have any problems with navigation. I know that is a problem for some at places like Helium.

Find Factoidz on Facebook: here

Head Trip : One Case of Super Twins by Jack Eadon

2012-02-20T21:59:00.002-05:00

Head Trip is Book One in the American Drama Series based on the 7 Deadly Sins. Head Trip is based on Envy.

I am not a scientific person by nature. I can appreciate the miracle of creation, even from a Sci-Fi perspective; it was hard for me to get through the first chapter where the author writes about the embryos, how they developed, and how the “super twins” came to be. Won’t be a problem for most, but for me it made for a slow start getting in to the book.

Meet “twins” Marcus and Roger. Marcus, the preemie, conceived second, but born first. Then there’s Rodger, the one born last, but conceived first. Marcus was pushed out of the womb, five minutes later Roger showed up. Superfetatoin, or Super Twins are extremely rare. Not wanting their sons to grow up feeling any differently than any other set of twins, the parents Loretta and John told them they were just fraternal.

Loretta and John had hoped for a normal life for their sons, but they were anything but. Roger, always jealous of Marcus and so full of hatred spent his life trying to manipulate his parents for attention. No matter what he did, what he tried to do to get the attention away from Marcus it would always backfire giving Marcus more. Marcus did not purposely set out to seek attention from others. He was sort of a loner and spent a lot of time just trying to do things for the sake of doing them. To their parents it looked as if he was the perfect son, despite things in his past. To Roger, he looked like an over achiever who was always trying to show him up.

The book left me wondering where the father was all the time. Apparently, the mother questions it about midway through and I wonder if he’s sort of just hanging in the sidelines ready for those stories to come out later in the series.

No matter what life had to throw at Marcus, even when he was forced to undergo brain surgery, he always found a way to persevere. The final blow to Roger was when he had intercourse with the girl Marcus has fallen in love with WHILE he was recovering from brain surgery. When she still spoke to Marcus when he returned home, Roger felt he was never going to win her heart completely and the only thing to do was kill his brother.

Nothing ever good comes from being evil or jealous.

It will be interesting to see what happens to Marcus as he follows the path down the seven deadly sins.

The only thing that I did not like about the book was its choppiness. There are a lot of parts where it runs along smooth, then BAM, without warning you are thrust into another storyline with such force you are left wondering what new adventure awaits. In some ways, this is good when you have more in a series, but when you venture off the path too many times, it can actually hinder the authors ability to real in a reader for the entire length of the series for fear all the novels will be written in the same manner. Other than that, I am glad I gave it a go after getting through that first chapter. While some of Rogers’s mannerisms got a bit annoying, you can see their purpose. I’ll been sticking my head in from time to time to catch the next book when it’s available. There’s something about Marcus that sucks you and and doesn’t want to let you go.

When you reach the last page you will be sitting there, craving more.

Contest: One lucky winner can win their very own copy of Head Case! The rules are simple. I will select one random person on March 17. All I ask is that you "like" Self Employed Writer on Facebook, follow me on Twitter @ChrystalMahan and leave me a comment. That's it!

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book for free from the publisher. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commision's 16 CFR, Part 255: "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising."

Wipe Out

2012-02-15T14:00:00.000-05:00

Wipe Out

Guest post written by my buddy Fidel Hernandez

My husband and I are really into competition shows, you know, like reality TV? I know that’s silly but we love that there are so many ways for us to compete with each other and we just got sick of watching Jeopardy so this is the best thing since sliced bread! We got a DIRECT TV Choice Extra Package not too long ago to see about getting some extra channels for new shows and our new fave has to be Wipe Out. It actually just comes on ABC but I think it’s so hilarious the way the people are always falling all over each other and totally eating it on the rubberized course. I think it’s amazing the way people put themselves on TV to do the dumbest things – I would never embarrass myself like that – but you know, anything for a few thousand bucks I guess! I love TV and watching game shows with my husband…now if I could just talk him into being on one!

RIP Cain : It's So Hard to Say Good-Bye

2012-02-07T11:18:00.001-05:00

This morning I had to say good-by of my beloved Furkid - my Boxer - Cain. He was 8 years old. He's been my baby since he was 6 months old. This photo was taken right before the vet came in to administer the sedative and go to sleep medicine.

He had his own blog and you can read the story on Cains Tales.

Recovering The Self: A Journal of Hope and Healing (Vol. IV. No. 1) -- Focus on Abuse Recovery

2012-02-06T19:41:00.002-05:00

I have always been open regarding my past childhood sexual abuse, which started at such a young age that I don’t even remember, until I was 12. I remember that last day like it was yesterday. Forever etched in my mind. Here I am at the age of 36 and it’s so vivid that I can remember what was on TV (The Beverly Hillbillies) what time of day it was (somewhere after 4:30pm on a weekday during the school year), and the exact the words I used and my behavior after. (I screamed, yelled, said my peace, ran up the stairs, and locked myself in my room until my mother came home.)

In 2005 I went public online regarding my past. Since then I try to keep my story out there with the hopes that it will at least help one person. Over the years I know I have done just that. There is more on my other website :Chrystal Mahan

When I saw there was request for bloggers to read and review Recovering The Self: A Journal of Hope and Healing (Vol. IV. No. 1) -- Focus on Abuse Recovery, I knew I needed to step up to the plate once again and let my voice be heard.

I imagine it goes a little something like this, “Hello, my name is Chrystal Mahan and I am an adult survivor of childhood sexual abuse.”

It should be noted that this is not actually a book but rather a quarterly magazine with personal stories, poems, essays, and education on health related topics, with this issue's focus on Abuse Recovery issues. It is also not entirely about sexual abuse. Other topics include children, violence, mental illness, traumatic brain injuries, safety, cybercrime, disaster recovery, abuse of all types, relationships, grieving, and so much more.

More information can be found on Amazon:

What I liked best about this read is each passage is short. When reading a novel about subjects like sexual abuse it can become sad, depressing, and/or overwhelming to try and get through all 300 plus pages. With this being a little over 100 pages it was easy to keep my attention. I read a passage or two a night, spreading it out so it would give me time to think about it. I found it so powerful that I even wrote in my journal about a few of the articles. There are even a few key sentences/paragraphs highlighted that I plan to share with my husband.

This book came at a perfect time. I have seen a psychiatrist for my sexual abuse. I have not seen her in 4 years because I lost my insurance in my divorce, not only that, I moved 1000 miles away. Since last fall I have been seeing a relationship therapist with my husband. At the time we were not married so it was the only way for me to get my foot in the door. My state could not help me since I was not suicidal. Now that we are married and have insurance she will see me separately and I will see her for talk therapy and the in house psychiatrist for medications. It is a bit nerve wracking to have to start all over with my story, but I know it is the only way I am going to recover from my relapse and get well again.

I highlighted many paragraphs with the hopes that my husband would read them, maybe help him to understand a little better what is going on with me mentally.

On page 5, the opening line states, “Recovery from abuse is never an easy road, but a necessary road to health and healing.” It is a hard road, but one I am must drive down. I knew with that opening line these pages were going to speak to me. There was a story about forgiveness, something I am having an extremely hard time doing. Forgiving. For many it can be easy, for me, I tried once, and it was ruined.

Leaving me feeling angrier than when I first started. Forgiving is almost as hard as the road to recovery.

What I liked is that this little magazine was packed full of so much useful information. I took something away from every article that was published. I also learned that there are many forms of abuse and many stages and types of recovery. My favorite part was the poetry section. I was so inspired by this little gem that I am thinking about submitting some of my own words.

I found this to be something close to my heart and I can honestly give it 5 out of 5 stars and recommend it to anyone who has been abused, seen trauma, been a victim, is a survivor, and just needs to connect with others, no matter what your story; here is a wonderful, creative outlet to turn to. You are sure to get lost in its pages and hopefully understand that no matter what you past, what your experience, there is a hope and healing in your future.

You can find more information on Recovering Self’s Website.

I highly recommend this publication.

Done Being Friends by Trisha Grace

2012-01-31T15:38:00.002-05:00

Back in November I posted a review about this book, Done Being Friends by Teresa Grace.

I felt bad giving the review that I did. The book was so wonderful, but the author was so excited to get her work published (who can blame her?) that she missed one important step; having an editor proof the copy before sending it to Amazon. It happens to the best of us, we are human and we all make mistakes. I can relate to that. Having self-published a few of my own books I know how hard it can be to try to catch your own mistakes. Your eyes tend to read what you know it is supposed to say.

You can head over to a great site like Fivers World where tasks are available for $5 and find someone to proof, format, and even edit your book.

Recently I was contacted by the author with some stellar news; it had been edited. Would I like to re-review it for her? Sure!

It should also be noted that the author does use a pen name, which she has changed from Teresa, to Trisha. I like them both. But just wanted to let my readers know that was not a typo.

Just to give a recap of my review:

The story of two men in love with the same woman and the best friend in love with one of the men never gets old. Each person puts their own romantic twist on the tale. So, while the story and plot itself may ring true to so many other great novels out there, the characters and storyline are different. At least, that is what you hope for when running across something that’s similar to what you have already read.

In this tale we are given four friends, Faith, Zac, Dylan and Jessica. In this novel we have a typical case of lifelong friend who are blind to the obvious. Faith, the homely boring girl who thinks no one wants her. Jessica is in love with the friend in love with Faith. Zac and Dylan are both in love with Faith and she only seems to have eyes for Zac. All would appear to be spoiled rich kids, until they prove you wrong. Aside from already knowing that about Faith early on, the rest might surprise you.

When tragedy strikes in Faiths life, she learns the hard way how to run her father’s company, and who she can trust. Faith learns she can look within and actually trust herself. She is strong, she is smart, she is beautiful and loved, and she can accomplish anything in life. What I loved most about Faith was that she is not your typical rich girl. Faith uses her fortune for the greater good of the less fortunate.

A story like that will touch the hearts of everyone.

New notes:

The author has 100% redeemed herself. A story like this never gets old no matter how many times and ways you tell it. In the first draft there were a lot of words that should have been capitalized. There were also a lot of words that were not misspelled, but were not the correct word. Spell check would not fix those since it does not know any better. I should note that in my second passing I did not reread the story, but rather took it on from an editor standpoint and did proofing. In doing so, I found myself rereading my favorite parts. I love the story of Zac and Faith. Every woman should be like Faith, and every Faith should have a best friend, lover, and partner in a man like Zac. Sometimes love is blind. Sometimes it’s right under your nose. You don’t have to be a believer in God or religion to get the message that is conveyed within these pages. I raise my previous 2.5 stars to 5 out of 5 stars. The book has a purpose.

The characters are full of life and full of meaning. I could not ask for a more heartfelt story.

The Shadow of Your Smile by Susan May Warren

2012-01-30T21:36:00.001-05:00

This was one of those books where you are not sure what the author is going to do with you. When I read the description of the book, I had it played out in my mind just how the story would go. Sometimes I am right, this time, I wasn’t. That’s a good thing because the journey that Susan May Warren took me on was nothing short of a wonderful family story.

What do you do when the one you love has amnesia and can’t remember who you are? I could never imagine being in a situation like that. The way Warren writes this book puts you right there with the Hueston family. Their emotions become your own. These are the types of stories I like to read. Descriptive. Heart-felt. A story where you feel a part of the words formed together on the page.

Noelle Hueston was in an accident that caused her to hit her head. No longer remember her husband, her children, or the child they lost, she is forced to live with people who have suddenly become strangers. What follows is a story of love between family members and memories that must be dealt with.

How does one go on when so much has been lost? The oldest son watching everything unfold. Wanting to help, not sure how. How do you help someone who thinks you are a stranger? Watching your father sleep on the couch because your mother has become so depressed she can’t imagine life without the daughter they lost. Why remind your mother of that when she has a way out of the pain now?

What would you do?

Sometimes love requires a little forgetting ... Come back to Deep Haven and find out what's been happening in your favorite quaint hamlet. If you're new to the Deep Haven series - this is the perfect book to start with - each book in the series is a stand alone story.

Susan is celebrating the release of The Shadow of Your Smile by giving away a prize pack worth over $200 from 1/9-1/28.

One grand prize winner will receive:

A $200 Visa Gift Card (Use that to rekindle a little romance, treat yourself to a spa day, snap up those shoes you’ve been eyeing, or purchase a few great books!)

The entire set of Deep Haven Books

The winner will be announced on 1/30/12 on Susan’s blog, Scribbles! Just click one of the icons below to enter and tell your friends about Susan's giveaway on FACEBOOK or TWITTER and increase your chances of winning.

About the book: The Shadow of Your Smile

A beautiful blanket of snow may cover the quaint town of Deep Haven each winter, but it can’t quite hide the wreckage of Noelle and Eli Hueston’s marriage.

After twenty-five years, they’re contemplating divorce . . . just as soon as their youngest son graduates from high school. But then an accident erases part of Noelle's memory. Though her other injuries are minor, she doesn’t remember Eli, their children, or the tragedy that has ripped their family apart. What’s more, Noelle is shocked that her life has turned out nothing like she dreamed it would. As she tries to regain her memory and slowly steps into her role as a wife and mother, Eli helps her readjust to daily life with sometimes-hilarious, sometimes-heartwarming results. But can she fall in love again with a man she can’t remember?

Will their secrets destroy them . . . or has erasing the past given them a chance for a future? Read the story behind the story here: http://www.susanmaywarren.com/books/the-shadow-of-your-smile.

About Susan: Susan May Warren is an award-winning, best-selling author of over twenty-five novels, many of which have won the Inspirational Readers Choice Award, the ACFW Book of the Year award, the Rita Award, and have been Christy finalists. After serving as a missionary for eight years in Russia, Susan returned home to a small town on Minnesota’s beautiful Lake Superior shore where she, her four children, and her husband are active in their local church.

Susan's larger than life characters and layered plots have won her acclaim with readers and reviewers alike. A seasoned women’s events and retreats speaker, she’s a popular writing teacher at conferences around the nation and the author of the beginning writer’s workbook: From the Inside-Out: discover, create and publish the novel in you!. She is also the founder ofwww.MyBookTherapy.com, a story-crafting service that helps authors discover their voice.

Susan makes her home in northern Minnesota, where she is busy cheering on her two sons in football, and her daughter in local theater productions (and desperately missing her college-age son!)

A full listing of her titles, reviews and awards can be found at:www.susanmaywarren.com.

Read more of the book reviews on the blog tour: here!

#NSNation What Goes Up Must Come Down

2012-01-19T16:57:00.001-05:00

Drum roll please……

I am happy to say that my little bits of exercise here and there paid off. I am down 2.8 lbs this week. Big M on the other hand has gone up 5 lbs this week. He was doing so well, always a lost or at least staying the same. I feel bad for him because I know his job makes it hard on him. At least we keep trying.

A lot of my weight loss was water weight so I am not looking for a loss this new week. Not that I am giving up, but I know how my body is and since I waited two months for Aunt Flow to arrive and then when she did, the loss was pretty significant.

The snow finally came, which put a damper on my walking around the property. I have been exhausted with countless doctors’ appointments these last few weeks that my exercise has been minimal. I am enjoying my glider, I am trying to work my way up to 15min. So far the closest I have gotten is 13. I try to do it after lunch while I watch some tv. I even dusted off my Leslie Sansone Walk Away the Pounds videos. I used to do them every morning for years and years. It was nice to see an old friend again.

This week has been incredibly busy with a school project so I have not been diligent about working out. It does not help when my body hurts and when I take meds to combat that the first thing I want to do is lay down and sleep. Pretty counterproductive it seems. I do try to exercise on the pain-free days which are far and few in-between.

I am getting ready to start a new Nustrisystem journey. I have been following the Advanced program for the last 2 months, and my new order will contain the new Success program which I am extremely excited to start. I did well with another program in the past, prior to either of my NSNation programs. They had a protein shake implemented in the program. I think it helps a great deal so I am really looking forward to see what the new program has in store for me.

One of my favorite things on Nutrisystem is the pizza. I like it plain and I don’t add anything to it. The other night I was a little extra hungry and I had some leftover spinach, so I tossed that fresh, raw spinach on there, then put the sauce and cheese. It was really yummy. I was pretty proud of my creation. I tend to eat a lot of the same things on Nutrisystem. I know what I like and I stick to it. I have learned over time some of the nifty things you can do to spruce things up. I find that the Flame Broiled Beef Patty, Pizza, and the Grilled Chicken are the largest staples in my order because I can do so much more with those. I also do not have a problem with eating the same things often.

I am going to keep pushing forward. Hopefully I will break this up/down yo-yo weight cycle sooner than later.

Until next week…..

Disclosure: Nutrisystem is providing their Nutrisystem Women’s Plan to me free of charge in exchange for writing about my experience as part of the Nutrisystem Nation Blogger Program. All opinions are 100% mine. My opinions and results may differ from others.

Would you like to lose weight and get healthy on Nutrisystem too? Visit Nutrisystem today or call 888-853-4689.

Sports Fan

2012-01-17T13:59:00.002-05:00

Sports Fan

Contribution by Kennith Griffin

I love having so many different sports interests and I think it’s really fun that I get to share them with my kids. They’re all really into sports and especially baseball which is what I played in college so it’s nice to be able to get outside with them and hit the ball around and not think twice about it. I love that there are so many fields around here and that we have internet at home so we can order the right equipment online. I know if it were up to me I would want to be outside playing ball at any given chance but my kids have other hobbies that they like to spend time on so I try not to harass them when it comes to being good at it. They both play for school which is enough for me in the long run – it keeps them busy and exercising which is all I really want for them at the end of the day!

Like father like sons…

#blogboost Day 10 & 11 It's A Quote Sort of Day

2012-01-11T10:41:00.000-05:00

Email #10 did not make it to my box yesterday. It seems to be a reoccurring problem, every other email. *laughs* Oh well. Today is a two for one. Not really. It's only about one topic. (sorry)

Business Blogging:
Be inspired by a great quote! You could share a quote from someone famous or someone less-than-famous (like your kid, spouse, neighbor, or friend). Quote inspired posts can be inspirational and motivational, funny or sarcastic.

Here is My Quote:

Thoughts?

I'm Breaking Up With Fiverr

2012-01-10T21:33:00.001-05:00

Fiverr Is No Longer My Friend

I know a lot of you enjoy Fiverr, and that’s great. I enjoyed my time there too. But, on the other hand, I also think I should share my experience so everyone knows that they aren’t perfect. Just like any other company, they have issues. I hope that by sharing my experience no one has to go through what I am going through with them now.

Having dealt with a $5000 scam and a $7000 one not more than 6 months ago, I will not give up on this even if it is $80. Thankfully I was able to find help and make sure the scammer did not get far with that money.

You can read about that horrible event here, and here.

(I have since moved all of my business to Fivers World. I will be placing gigs on other micro sites soon. That is, the ones I don't already have gigs on. I am also going to be expanding my offers.)

I did around $80 worth of these jobs. When I tried to withdraw my money (the $40 plus that was available), I was told it was not a valid PayPal address. I gave them every single email I owned. Had that PayPal email gone to my email listed on Fiverr I would have gotten it. Duh. It’s obvious my account was compromised and that the PayPal address listed on my account is not mine.

Maybe you should not allow Facebook as a login/create an account option.

I tried to explain this to them. We have been back and forth for 2 weeks now. I have talked to 3 different customer service folks who keep giving me the run around. I have had to submit the same documentation 4 times. I even gave them screenshots of all of my emails all of which are listed on PayPal as verified.

When I gave Fiverr all the documentation (personal information and ID) they requested, they locked me out of my account and have no intention of letting me back in or giving me my money. I had about $50 to deposit, about $20 waiting for verification and I was in the middle of 2 gigs.

They requested I send them a PayPal deposit as verification too. I did that. Still not enough proof for them.

I started to search reviews online, sure enough; there are a whole lot of people like me who have been locked out of their accounts for one reason or another.

I think it is unfair that they will not help me get my account reinstated. It was compromised and I have given proof and documentation that it’s me. Still not enough for them.

So, I turned them in to all of the business agencies I could think of. I don't take too kindly to someone keeping my money.

So I turned them in to:

The Better Business Bureau is where I started, but since Fiverr is actually an international company, I was sent to another site to file a complaint and then I just went forward complaining some more.

econsumer.gov. (Thank you. Your reference # is 34398473.)
FBI through the Internet Crime Complaint Center
Federal Trade Commission (reference # 34402978)
National Consumers League’s Fraud Center
Freelancers Union

Judging from the complaints all over the internet, I am not the only one they are keeping money from.

Complaints Board: Fiver Complaints

First Board

Second Board

Business Opportunity Review (website) Owner had issues with Fiverr ,too.

Rip Off Report: Fiverr

Gripe Vines: Consumer Complaint Forum

And this list could really go on and on.

Yes, it is unfortunate that I must break-up with Fiverr. But at this time it is a must.

Information should you ever need it:

Fiverr International Ltd.

info@fiverr.com

Business Contact Information

Customer Service Email: feedback@fiverr.com

Customer Service Phone: +972 972 544 843988

Country Code 972 is Israel

#NSNation Just A Little Ditty

2012-01-10T18:20:00.001-05:00

I heard back from the doctor I mentioned in the post Week 7 and Doctor Updates. My blood work came back just fine. Nothing alarming there. That is good. Last year when I had things tested, my levels were a little high in my liver and the Doc. was concerned about that. It was due to all the Tylenol I was taking to help manage the pain. She did say my cholesterol was 157. She said it was good.

Her report on the Xrays was that the degenerative disk disease was there (duh) and that I now have degenerative arthritis which would explain the pain. This doc does not have copies of my back Xrays from when I was first diagnosed in 2006. She really has nothing to compare it to.

I took a copy of the Xrays to my chiropractor, who has seen the results from the old Xrays. I also had to give her the Xrays so she could measure the hip placement to see exactly how many inches my shoe insert should be. I would like to get her opinion on those Xrays so I will talk to her when I pick up my spiffy new shoe addition.

Yesterday morning I had a pity party. I wanted to go for a walk. I wanted to exercise. I made it a whopping 10 minutes on the elliptical before my right leg started to collapse and the hip was nagging me.

Ok. Tomorrow is new day.

I wanted to walk this morning. Big M had a headache. I had a migraine at 3am that was starting to go away. I still wanted to walk. Fine. I put my shoes on and dragged him to walk outside with me along our property line. I took my dogs. They need exercise too. Our property is almost 2 acres. It took me five minutes to walk around the outside.

I had a thought.

If I did this a few times during the day, walked the dogs, it would not seem like such a huge chunk of time to take me away from work and school.

Brilliant. I don't have to go far. My restless dogs get to walk. Since I work from home it's good for me to step away from the computer monitor. I can do 5 minutes.

After the walk I tried the elliptical again. I made it 13 minutes.

Today I went out 4 times. That is 20 minutes worth of walking time. So I made 33 minutes of total exercise today.

I feel ok. A little uncomfortable. Same really.

I noticed the dogs did not seem to pace around so much. Good.

I guess I am just going to keep trying. I have to get the weight down and I am going to have to find a way to exercise that is not going to cause me so much pain and take a large portion of my day away from me. I have school and I have to work.

Short bursts add up, right?

I guess thats my nonscale victory for this week. Hopefully I have more coming.

Disclosure: Nutrisystem is providing their Nutrisystem Women’s Plan to me free of charge in exchange for writing about my experience as part of the Nutrisystem Nation Blogger Program. All opinions are 100% mine. My opinions and results may differ from others.

Would you like to lose weight and get healthy on Nutrisystem too? Visit Nutrisystem today or call 888-853-4689.

The Keeper by Suzanne Woods Fisher

2012-01-10T11:48:00.012-05:00

My thoughts:

I am thankful for the book review program in which I belong. Without it I would not have discovered Suzanne as an author. But then again, in time, I may have since I love the Amish books! I was so excited to read and review the newest book, The Keeper. I knew it would not disappoint, and I was right!

Roman Troyer is the roaming Bee Man. Full of secrets and a life he left behind. Fern was hired by the Lapp family to take care of the children while Amos tends to his ailing heart. Fern and Roman are connected by the past. A past that does not come to surface until the book almost comes to a close.

In the beginning I had a hard time getting into the book. For a brief moment I was panicked that I would not be able to get to the end. It was building, and it was a little slow to build at first, but it picked right up. So, if this is you, keep reading. If this makes you leery of purchase, don’t let it. It is very well worth it and once you get through the first few chapters it is easy to see why Suzanne wrote the novel the way she did.

Julia Lapp, eldest daughter, is madly in love with Paul Fisher. Paul has postponed the wedding, again. Julia just can’t seem to understand why. She feels it is her path to marry Paul, but something pulls her off balance.

The other children are Menno, Sadie and Mary Kate (M.K.). Uncle Hank also appears and enlightens us with his charm. One of the things I enjoyed most about this book was that even though most of the focus was on Julia, there was a lot of attention devoted in the book to the other characters as well. I felt this gave the story more depth and as the series moves forward, we have a good base to start with the other characters.

The tale of The Keeper is one of family, faith, love, support, loss, coming to terms, and growing up.

About the book:

Julia Lapp has planned on marrying Paul Fisher since she was a girl. Now twenty-one, she looks forward to their wedding with giddy anticipation. When Paul tells her he wants to postpone the wedding--again--she knows who is to blame. Perpetual bachelor and spreader of cold feet, Roman Troyer, the Bee Man.

Roamin' Roman travels through the Amish communities of Ohio and Pennsylvania with his hives full of bees, renting them out to farmers in need of pollinators. He relishes his nomadic life, which keeps him from thinking about all he has lost. He especially enjoys bringing his bees to Stoney Ridge each year. But with Julia on a mission to punish him for inspiring Paul's cold feet, the Lapp farm is looking decidedly less pleasant.

Can Julia secure the future she's always dreamed of? Or does God have something else in mind?

About Suzanne:

Her interest in the Amish began with her grandfather, W.D. Benedict, who was raised Plain. She has many, many Plain relatives living in Franklin County, Pennsylvania, and travels back to Pennsylvania, as well as to Ohio, a couple of times each year for research.

Suzanne has a great admiration for the Plain people and believes they provide wonderful examples to the world. In both her fiction and non-fiction books, she has an underlying theme: You don't have to "go Amish" to incorporate many of their principles--simplicity, living with less, appreciating nature, forgiving others more readily-- into your life.

When Suzanne isn't writing or bragging to her friends about her first new grandbaby (!), she is raising puppies for Guide Dogs for the Blind. To Suzanne's way of thinking, you just can't take life too seriously when a puppy is tearing through your house with someone's underwear in its mouth.

Suzanne can be found on-line at: www.suzannewoodsfisher.com.

Blog Tour Schedule: http://litfusegroup.com/blogtours/text/13447903

It's a "honey of a giveaway"!

Enter to win an iPad2 from Suzanne and connect with her on January 17th at The Keeper Facebook Party!

During the giveaway one Grand Prize winner will receive a Prize Pack valued at $600:

A brand new 16 KB iPad 2 with Wi-Fi

A $25 gift certificate to iTunes

A copy of The Keeper

But wait there's more! Just click one of the links below to enter, then on 1/17 join Suzanne for The Keeper Facebook Party! During the party Suzanne will announce the winner of the "Honey" of an iPad Giveaway and host a fun book chat and give away some fun "honey" inspired prizes - It'll be 'sweet"!

RSVP early and tell your friends!

Tell your friends on FACEBOOK or TWITTER and increase your chances of winning. Good luck and we hope to see you on the 17th at 5:00 PM PST (6:00 MST, 7:00 CST, 8:00 EST)!

I am also hosting my own giveaway. Leave me a comment and one random person will win a brand new copy of this book!

Writing Opportunity: Fivers World

2012-01-09T14:59:00.001-05:00

There really is not much to say about Fivers World. It's just one of many Fiverr style sites. I have been having some issues with Fiverr and their staff so I felt it best to seek out some of these other websites. I have had Fivers World on my list for quite some time. It was easy to set up and join. I was up and running in a matter of minutes. These little micro job sites are nice because I can do small tasks and meet potential long-term clients. In the week I have been there I have discovered that traffic is a tad slower than Fiverr, but not by much. I think it's worth it to list your writing skills for shorter pieces for $5. I can definitely see the opportunity there. If you are already on Fiverr, just copy/paste your jobs over on Fivers World. Easy as pie. Hopefully it won't take you long to get a job. I had my first one within an hour.

Be sure to check out other writing opportunities!

#blogboost Day 9 We Interrupt this Scheduled Program

2012-01-09T14:53:00.000-05:00

Did you know that today is Static Electricity Day?

Read more of this story on Chrystal Mahan

#blogboost Day 8 Mental Health Awareness

2012-01-08T11:24:00.000-05:00

I lost day 7. I thought it went to SPAM, but it was not there. *shakes head*
Sorry about the missing post.

Today's post is on ChrystalMahan and its about Mental Health Awareness.

#blogboost Day 6 : It's Hot Tea Month !

2012-01-06T16:55:00.000-05:00

Read about Hot Tea Month on my author site: Chrystal Mahan

#blogboost Day 5 Social Media

2012-01-06T16:31:00.001-05:00

Share a story or a list of social media pet peeves. I know we've all got some. I personally hate when people use social media for personal arguments or feuds. No need to air out in social networks. -Sharlene Santana – http://socialbeejunkie.com

I think this is going to be one of those topics where we are going to have to agree to disagree. Many of these social sites were not established to be networking sites for businesses. The sites were intended as social sites for people. We shared blogs, we wrote posts, we made comments, wrote funny status messages, and we shared our life. In return we met people we otherwise would never have crossed paths with.

Businesses took over. Social media became a way for businesses to communicate with people.

In my reality, my name is my business. My business is writing. In order for you to know whether you like my voice or style is to actually get to know my personality. I am very open about who I am. When something is said on my personal social site that needs to be addressed, I will. It’s my space and place and right to do so. If you don’t like it, you have the right not to read. That’s why we have a browser back button and the close X.

We don’t always have the phone number to the drama queen. Sometimes we have to socialize with her wherever she’s decided to pitch her throne for the day.

#blogboost Day 4: I'm Cheating

2012-01-04T22:05:00.000-05:00

It's after 10pm EST and I am extremely tired. It's been a long , busy and yet difficult day.
I am going to cheat on the challenge and use the post I made on my other blog the challenge for both websites. I just don't have it in me today to write two separate posts.

What I Like Least About Facebook is on ChrystalMahan.com

#NSNation Week #7 and Doctor Updates

2012-01-04T21:16:00.002-05:00

The doctor’s scale said I was 238. I forgot to compare it to mine when I got home. Mine has been saying 238, 240, 268 off and on and back off again.

I had an appointment with my new doctor to discuss these issues that I had. I wish they would give you more than an hour, especially when they make you wait in their office for over 30 minutes while they order lunch. I feel like I could have told her more, but at least I got a good start. She was so nice, kind and understanding. You know sometimes you feel like your Doc just isn’t listening to you? I did not feel that way with her.

I also found out two of my aunts are her patients. Being able to have some family history really seemed to help her.

She has ordered a 1/4in shoe insert for my right shoe and overall exam from my chiropractor. My right leg is shorter due to my hip being so out of what, and that is due to the disk disease. I go see her tomorrow afternoon.

She has ordered a new set of x-rays on my back and I will be doing that is Friday morning. She gave me a prescription for naproxen, which is Aleve basically, to help with the pain discomfort. I can’t have anything stronger because the last set of blood work I had done showed my livers to be very high, mostly due to the aspirin/pain killers so she wants to see how my new tests come out.

She has ordered a full round of blood work so we can rule out any diabetes, thyroid, things like that. That too is Friday morning. Tomorrow night I have to fast all the way until after my appt Friday morning.

She has ordered that I see our relationship therapist so she can refer me to a psychiatrist in her office since it’s obvious that in the last 4 years since I have seen one that I have relapsed and she’s worried I am no longer manic but bipolar which could explain a lot of my food and weight issues.

Dr. S (my new doc) thinks that once we get these dr. appts out of the way that the puzzle pieces will fit together and we can move forward with things. When I asked her about Nutrisystem she smiled and said YES! Stay on it, keep trying, as it’s the best thing I need right now.

So there’s the update.

I will keep on trucking.

I bought a new exercise machine. Someone had it on Craigslist for $50, its $100 on QVC. XL Glider. Supposed to be better on my joints and no impact. I was able to do 10 minutes tonight before my back really started to scream at me. But it gave me a good cardio workout and I can feel it in my muscles now as I sit here writing this.

I AM going to keep trying.