I have a young son (“The Professor”) who loves to use the computer. As you can see from the photo above, taken a few years ago, he feels completely comfortable with technology. It amazes me how quickly kids pick up technology. However, that is why it is so important to do everything we can as parents to keep our children safe online.

The computer is not the babysitter.

I know how tempting it can be to put my child in front of a video game on the computer for a few minutes of wonderful, uninterrupted peace and quiet. However, once harmful images are seen online, they cannot be “unseen”. Once a child has been bullied online, the scars remain forever. Once a child gives out private information unknowingly trusting a stranger, the damage has already been done.

It’s a sobering thought that I could compromise my child’s safety and innocence to make myself more comfortable for only a few short minutes…

I’m partnering today with the Boys and Girls Clubs of America to raise awareness of the need to keep our children “Cyber Safe” this summer. Many of our children will spend hours this summer online, and we must do all we can to protect them.

Here are some tips to keep your child safe online this summer:

• Be specific about what’s appropriate to share online and what should be kept private. What you think is personal and what your child thinks is personal may be very different. Ask your child what kinds of things he thinks are okay to share online.
• Model good online behaviors for your child and talk about what you like to do online. Discuss a time you had to make a decision about what to share online and how you decided what to do.
• Spend time with your child online. Ask her to show you her favorite sites. Play her favorite online game with her. By spending time with her, you can share your values and let her know what she should and should not share via the Internet.
• Tell your child to never share her passwords with anyone. It’s becoming more common today, especially among pre-teens who are exploring how to talk with the opposite sex. Many teens believe sharing passwords is a way of building trust with their friends.
• Tell your child to ask an adult he trusts if he has a question about something he wants to share online.
• Invest in internet filtering (like “Covenant Eyes” which I highly, highly, highly recommend) so that your child sees only websites that you would want them to see

To learn more ways to keep your family safe, check out the Boys and Girls Clubs of America and their “Cyber Safe” website. There are several videos and great tips for keeping your family safe online.

Covenant Eyes also has a great downloadable guide to keeping your family safe online. Download it here: Protecting-Your-Family-Online

Stay vigilent, Mama! This matters!

Disclosure: I participated in a campaign on behalf of Mom Central Consulting for Boys & Girls Clubs of America. I received a promotional item as a thank you for participating.

Keep Your Children #CyberSafe This Summer! {#sponsored} is a post from: Only A Breath



Shop online at my NEW Pampered Chef online store!

For inspirational gifts and home decor, check out my online Blessings Unlimited store!

Here’s the really cool thing — Mick’s concept was to make all Kringle Candles white, no matter the fragrance, so as to make them décor-neutral and fit in well with any interior setting. (Thank you, Mick!!! Finally!) Kringle Candles use white wax which glow brightly and release the maximum amount of light, and they also burn cleaner, as there’s no conventional dye to clog the wick. Kringle Candles has a variety of fantastic scents including botanicals, foods, fruits, holiday favorites, and new fragrances for summer 2013! New scents for 2013 include Citrus and Sage, Peony, Sunflower Sunrise, Tranquil Waters, Soothing Cinnamon, and Royal Cherries.

I was very fortunate to get a sneak peek at these gorgeous candles! They are absolutely beautiful and designed to go in any room. The scents are not at all over-powering, and smell very fresh and clean. Also, they burn forever! Their “Daylights” candle is small, but burn approximately 12 hours long! Kringle Candle also offers beautiful Classic Apothecary Jar candles (their most popular candle), two-wick Crystal Pillar candles, Wax Potpourri, and even car Air Fresheners!

Also, a cool little tip is that all of the Kringle Candle jars are reusable!!  At their restaurant, The Farm Table, they use our Apothecary Jars as drinking glasses and the lids of the jars (once the plastic is removed from the lip) as a butter or dipping dish! LOVE this!

If you are looking for a quick home pick-me-up, check out Kringle Candle! These candles are perfect in any home and would make unique and treasured gifts! To learn more, check out the Kringle Candle website or visit them on Facebook (please tell them you are visiting from “Only a Breath” when you “Like” their Facebook page!).

Coupon Code for Free Shipping at KringleCandle.com:

Use code “KringleReview58” for free ground shipping on www.KringleCandle.com which will give you a $5.99 credit towards that value if you live in the United States.  I believe ground shipping costs more to ship to Canada but it will still deduct the $5.99 credit!

Disclosure: I received a Kringle Candle review package but was in no way compensated to provide a positive review. All opinions expressed here are my own.

Kringle Candle Review (and Coupon Code for Free Shipping!) is a post from: Only A Breath



Shop online at my NEW Pampered Chef online store!

For inspirational gifts and home decor, check out my online Blessings Unlimited store!

The Top 10 Must Have Essential Oils for Families

By Stacy Williams

I’m so thankful to Melanie for the opportunity to share a bit of my story with all of you today in the hopes that I can help others find greater health and wellness in their own lives. Melanie’s quest for improved health over this year is a journey I believe each of us need to focus on for our own well-being and that of our families.

Health has always been a bit elusive for me. At 30 years old, I have spent 19 years dealing with severe, widespread, chronic, debilitating nerve pain-eventually diagnosed as fibromyalgia. I spent many, many years trying every medication under the sun as well as alternative treatments such as chiropractic care, elimination diets, acupuncture, and water and message therapy. In the end, I spent thousands of dollars and my pain only got worse until 14 months ago when my life changed forever. I was introduced to Young Living essential oils and supplements and the concept of natural healing options. I never really understood what essential oils were before. I assumed like candles or perfumes, that people just used them for their aroma. I was shocked to learn that essential oils have been used for thousands of years and are even mentioned in the Bible for their healing properties. I began to use these products to treat my chronic pain and 14 months later, I am off all my fibromyalgia medications and am feeling better than I have felt in 10 years.

As a Christian, it only makes sense to me that God would choose to bring about my healing through these all natural products that He created. As I have learned more about essential oils, I’ve also been amazed that not only are they healing my chronic health condition, but they can also be used in place over the counter medications and as a means of preventing illness. Today I want to share with you a few essential oils that you can use as a first aid kit of sorts for everything from bug bites and cuts to tummy aches and headaches. And the best part is by using essential oils over traditional over the counter medications you are protecting your family from the side effects of medications.

These are my top 10 must have essential oils for families:

1. Peppermint - Use topically for headaches & stomachaches, to stay alert, to trigger the sensation of fullness & orally for acid reflux (Young Living brand only).
2. Lavender - Use topically for sleep, relaxation, minor cuts, bruises, burns, toenail fungus and seasonal allergies.
3. Panaway - Great oil blend for topical pain relief. Perfect for aches, pains and sports injuries. Rub on teeth & gums & it works like Oragel.
4. Lemon - Great daily detox in a glass of water, can promote weight loss and illness prevention.
5. Purification - Use with a diffuser to purify air, soothes bug bites, cuts and scrapes
6. Frankincense - Great all-purpose oil. Used to elevate mood, for wrinkles and even documented cases of shrinking tumors. When it doubt, use this oil!
7. Valor - This oil supports alignment in the body & is known as the “chiropractor in a bottle”
8. Peace & Calming - This oil blend is great for promoting relaxation and calming overactive children. Diffuse it in your home to promote a peaceful environment.
9. Thieves - 99.96% effective against airborne bacteria. Diffuse, use topically or take orally to stop and prevent illness.
10. Ningxia Red - While not exactly an essential oil this high anti-oxidant drink is made with Ningxia wolfberries and essential oils. This drink is great for energy, detox and preventing illness.

All of the above oils are sold together with some Ningxia Red samples in the Start Living with Everyday Oils Kit. Not only does purchasing a kit allow you to try each of these products but it also allows you to buy any other Young Living products at wholesale cost (24% of retail).

For more information about this kit, how to purchase, essential oils for chronic health conditions or general health and wellness click here or feel free to email me at purposeinthepain (at) gmail (dot) com. I am happy to make recommendations for your particular situation.

Have you ever used essential oils before? What was your experience?

*Disclaimer from Stacy: I am not a doctor simply a person with chronic pain who has found relief through Young Living essential oils and supplements. The recommendations I make are based on my experiences and the testimonials of others who use Young Living products. No statements made have been evaluated by the FDA and as such cannot legally claim to diagnose, cure, treat or prevent disease. If you rely on any data or information presented you do so at your own risk.

Thank you, Stacy!

Stacy lives in Central Ohio. She loves Jesus, traveling, the ocean, ice cream, seeing God answer prayer and encouraging others! She has a Bachelor’s degree in sociology and a Master’s degree in journalism and communications. She briefly worked in public relations before a chronic health condition since childhood forced her to change her plans and yield to God’s plan. She is the Creator of Finding Purpose in the Pain. Check her out on Twitter and Facebook!  Check out her ebook devotional 21 Days to Finding Purpose in Pain!

Top 10 Must Have Essential Oils for Families is a post from: Only A Breath



Shop online at my NEW Pampered Chef online store!

For inspirational gifts and home decor, check out my online Blessings Unlimited store!

Does Father’s Day sting a little this morning? A day of celebrating fathers may sting a little if you have been abandoned, unloved, or have never met your father. Why celebrate today?

… because God is a father to the fatherless.

I think each of us are born with an inner longing for closeness with our earthly father, the one God chose to escort us into this world. We dream of rides on his strong shoulders, years of fatherly advice, and tears as he sees his little girl in her white wedding gown. But what if this isn’t the reality? What if our father abandons us, passes away, abuses, lies, cheats, is unknown, or is physically or emotionally unavailable in our lives?

God understands our need for a loving father. In fact, He chose to send the Messiah in this type of Father-Son relationship. Why? I’m not a Bible scholar, but I think God did this so that we could understand His love for us. As we know, Jesus spoke in parables while he was living on earth. He did this so that the people listening would have a point of reference and better understand His teaching.

I have realized that I do this with my own children. If I am trying to teach them or reinforce a lesson, I will create an example so that they can better understand and make connections to learn.

God knows our need for a father. Out of all of the important relationships in life, He chose the Father-Son one to send Jesus and to show how heart-breaking the death of Christ was for the Father. Fathers are created with the intent to love their children, protect them at all costs, and since God sent His own son to die on the cross for our sins, despite His vast love for Him…. we can then understand how much He loves us.

“For God loved the world so much that he gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life.” ~ John 3:16

We can’t choose our fathers’ actions. We can’t control sickness or even death that may have taken our fathers away. We can’t hold on to anger, or bitterness, or grief today on this Father’s Day.

If Father’s Day stings a bit for you today, and if raw nerves deep down awaken with the disappointment and grief of being fatherless, please know that you are loved.

You belong to God, your Father, and He loves you with an unfailing love…

If Father’s Day Stings a Little {God is a father to the fatherless} is a post from: Only A Breath



Shop online at my NEW Pampered Chef online store!

For inspirational gifts and home decor, check out my online Blessings Unlimited store!

We are half-way through the year!!! How in the world did that happen?!

If you remember last month, you know I was frustrated. I was not making progress and was just feeling like giving up. However, this month, I am happy to say that I have made PROGRESS! I am so excited! First, before I start this post, let me just saw that if you have not felt happy with the progress you are making or if you can barely remember your “One Word”, don’t give up! The six month mark is a great place for a fresh start!

Don’t give up! Start new today!

So……. I tend to not treat my body very nicely. I eat junk, don’t exercise, and then wonder why I get sick all the time. I have tried the apps that let you keep up with your eating, but honestly, it just didn’t work for me. If I ate a doughnut, I would just write down that I ate a doughnut — no one else would see it — and then I would feel bad because my calorie limit was blown out of the water.

But what should I be eating?

Should I count calories?

What types of exercise should I try?

I realized that I needed help and another person to hold me accountable for my eating choices. This person was certainly not going to be my husband or best friend — bless their hearts, that would just be odd. You know? So, I thought maybe I need a personal trainer.

Now, before you start picturing me being Miss Fancy Pants with a personal trainer, you should know a couple things First, I am a tightwad. I was not going to pay a lot of money for a trainer. Next, I don’t like to be yelled at. That type of “motivation” sends me back to the doughnut shop.

So, I needed a nice, friendly, personal trainer that didn’t cost a lot of money. Hmm…. This starting seeming like an impossible task.

However, I just googled “online personal trainer” (thinking this would be cheaper than a trainer in ‘real life’) and found FitOrbit. This is an online personal trainer service that is inexpensive, personalized, and … amazing!!!

I was VERY skeptical at first. I answered their questionnaire and took their suggestion for Misty Davis as my personal trainer (based on my answers and preferences). I have to say that I LOVE FitOrbit now, and Misty is the best thing since sliced bread… or, um apples.

Each week, Misty sends me a complete “plan” with a grocery list, meals (breakfast, lunch, dinner, snacks), a calorie “limit” for each day, and exercises to do! Now, you know I LOVE checklists, and the plan is all online with little check-boxes that you just check off as you go (you can also use your iPhone)! Then, Misty and I email back and forth throughout the week, and she is always there if I have questions. I can also change out meals, but I use hers as a guideline for the number of calories to aim for… and their website allows you to look up and add tons of foods, even from restaurants.

So now, if I eat a doughnut, I know Misty is going to see it — and what the doughnut does to my calorie count — so I stay on the straight and narrow. Amazing!!! She has never said anything negative to me, and it always super encouraging.

The best news? I’ve already lost 7 pounds in 3 weeks!!!! I have more energy, my skin looks better, my clothes fit better, I am finding great new recipes and healthy eating ideas, and exercises I actually enjoy! FitOrbit is making a huge difference in my “One Word” — HEALTH!

By the way, this is not a sponsored post in any way– I am just really excited about FitOrbit!

How is your “One Word” going? If you haven’t made much progress, please link up a post sharing what you plan to do differently in the coming month — start fresh!

Please link up and share with us!

If you would also grab the button above, save it off to your computer, and use it in the post you are linking up, I would be most grateful.

Please be sure to link back to this post so that other friends who may feel all alone with their “one little word” might see the button and decide to hop over here and link up.

Health, FitOrbit Review, and One Word Linkup Party {june} is a post from: Only A Breath



Shop online at my NEW Pampered Chef online store!

For inspirational gifts and home decor, check out my online Blessings Unlimited store!

————-
Note — I wanted to follow-up on the “How to Make Money Blogging” post by giving you an example of a sponsored post. One of my favorite blog networks is Mom Central Consulting, so if you are a blogger, please go check it out!
————-

I actually LOVE to try new products. It’s like a scientific experiment and I’m geeky like that! Some products work great, and some are not so good. For example, this past week, I tried out a hair product called “Gorgeous Curls” (not to mention any brands, but I’m sure you could google it). This was going to be a true test because we all know I have very complicated hair (remember the time I almost burned down a European hotel and had to go au-naturel with the hair?) Yeah, so there’s that.

Anyhoo…..

The “Gorgeous Curls” product just made my hair gooey, not gorgeous. However, I still loved trying out something new!

So, today, I’m excited to share with you a product that actually WORKED like it advertised!!!

Cascase Platinum Pacs are advertised as below:

Cascade Platinum achieves a clean so powerful it helps keep the dishwasher sparkling while delivering a variety of dish care benefits.
~ Delivers Cascade’s ultimate clean for dishes
~ Scrubs away tough 24 hour stuck-on food
~ Eliminates the need to pre-wash dishes
~ Provides exceptional dishware shine
~ Contains the Grease Fighting Power of Dawn

So, I put on my little scientific experiment/lab rat coat and got to work trying out this product to see if it really worked! I made a roasted pork loin in a glass pyrex pan. (By the way, this recipe is so EASY and delicious!!! … and someone may need to stage an intervention for my pyrex addiction). The bottom of the pan was absolutely coated with stuck-on marinade from the pork loin.

I waited 24 hours to make sure it was as gross as could be…. yeah, pretty gross…

At this point I was a little worried. I usually rinse (almost wash!) my dishes before I put them in the dishwasher, and many times with my current dish-washing detergent, I notice food/spots on the dishes as I unload the dishwasher. So, now I’m wasting time pre-rinsing AND I have the extra cost of double-washing them in the dishwasher again… Very disappointing.

Then, I popped in one of these little Cascade Platinum Pacs to see if they really worked. Any guesses?

Well, here is the “before” and “after” — see what you think!

Amazing, right?! I’m sold! The Cascade Platinum Pacs definitely cleaned stuck-on food as advertised! They are also so much easier than other types of detergents, and it’s even easy for kids to throw in the dishwasher!

After using the Cascade Platinum Pacs for several weeks, I am definitely going to continue using them. I have not had ANY dishes come out that needed to be re-washed — amazing!

To learn more about Platinum Pacs, visit the Cascade website or their Facebook page.

To learn about their partnership with Gail Simmons, visit their Facebook or YouTube page.

Now, more than ever, people eat with their eyes, and the evidence is all over sites like Facebook and Instagram. With that in mind, Top Chef judge and editor of Food+Wine magazine, Gail Simmons, has partnered with Cascade to discuss why presentation is just as important as preparation.
• From prep to plating: It’s more than just a great-tasting recipe, but also perfect presentation. Sparkling dishes, shining flatware and spot-free glasses truly let you put your best food forward with culinary creations that pop!
• Gail recommends impressing with a Platinum Presentation: “The easiest recipes pop with unexpected, gourmet presentations. Drizzle bright sauces on sparkling white plates or layer desserts in crystal-clean glassware. Keep your presentation sparkling with Cascade Platinum, which keeps dishes perfect for anytime entertaining and impromptu guests.

Be sure to enter this great contest to win a Kitchen Makeover and other great prizes!!!! The Cascade “My Platinum” contest is a four week Instagram contest encouraging fans to upload photos related to the weekly contest themes. Show off how sparkly Cascade makes all your pots, pan and plates!

What new products have you tried out lately? Did they work as advertised?

Cascade Platinum Pacs a.k.a. “Magic Pods” { #sponsored } is a post from: Only A Breath



Shop online at my NEW Pampered Chef online store!

For inspirational gifts and home decor, check out my online Blessings Unlimited store!

… this isn’t what I asked for, I grumbled as I climbed the ladder for the thousandth time.

Somewhere between painter’s tape and paint runs, I thought about God and His plan. So many times, I look at things that happen in life and think “this isn’t what life was supposed to be”. We picture in our minds what a new family, marriage, baby, home, job, friendship, church, or relationship will be like. However, in reality, life is much more messy than our picture-perfect ideal. The reality of life, just like my grayish-white wet paint, just doesn’t match the advertised paint chip.

Ever feel like that?

In the times when life just seems too messy, we just have to trust that God is still in control. That somehow, in the mess and chaos of life, that He makes beauty.

When we stop fighting for control of the details, the Creator makes a masterpiece…. from the mess.

Could we even look into the mess and see His hand at work? Even when life doesn’t look like we expected, could we find the beauty within the messy?

As my wall paint dried, the unbelievable occurred. The grayish-white paint revealed a beautiful, calm green… just like a “Soft Meadow”! Amazed, I just stared at the paint brush in my hand – still wet, and very much a depressing grayish-white – and the dried paint on the wall. Amazingly, the same paint transformed as it dried to reveal a completely different color! While the paint was drying, I hadn’t noticed the change that was occurring.

God is painting a beautiful piece of art with each piece of our lives, all expertly blended to become much more than we could imagine. We might not realize that He is at work in our lives. We might not be able to tell the finished piece of art is in progress. We might even feel like giving up because His hand at work is not obvious.

… but He is working. He is creating, and molding our lives… and our hearts.

When the painters tape came off, and the wall paint had dried, I smiled at the new beautifully, peaceful green room. It turned out better than I even imagined, and the white window trim looks so beautiful against the sage green walls. All the work and mess had been worth it after all.

We have to make the choice today to trust that when God removes His painter’s tape from our lives, that we will see the beauty He has been at work creating.

Today’s mess will be tomorrow’s masterpiece.

“being confident of this very thing, that He who has begun a good work in you will complete it… ~ Phil 1:6

When Life Seems Too Messy is a post from: Only A Breath



Shop online at my NEW Pampered Chef online store!

For inspirational gifts and home decor, check out my online Blessings Unlimited store!

While we were in the <very quiet> library, my eight-year-old son saw a huge mummy display and said <loud and clear!> (and I quote): “What the F@&#?”

…I think I passed out for a minute after he said it…

Oh my… I knew he would hear it someday. I just wasn’t expecting it to be repeated in the library. We had a little chat after that…

Then, we walked out of the library and passed some rough-looking people. My son then said: “Those people look strange! They must be Canadians.”

… um, and now I apologize to all our Canadian friends…

Lesson of the day? Our children teach us humility!

We may never go back to the library again! I may return our books while wearing a disguise!

What funny things have your kids said lately?

Friday Favorites

Did you enjoy linking up last week? Did you meet new friends? I am STILL going through the links and don’t even have my “favorites” list ready yet!! Wow! You guys are awesome! I hadn’t expected so many!

Question for you — Would you rather link up every week or every other week?

If you would like to link up today, go for it below! Have fun and please visit the person before you!

What are the Rules?

The “rules” are really simple! I just ask that the following rules be followed so that we can all have a wonderful time and happy linking!

Please….

1. Enter the URL to your blog post (not your main blog page)

2. Grab the button code from the sidebar and display on your blog (sidebar, blog post, linky party page, etc)

3. You can link up more than one post, an old post, or a post that you use on a different linky party! The only thing I ask is that you visit at least TWO other links for every one link of your own that you post. For example, if you link up one blog post — please take time to visit two others on the list. Share some love!

4. Have fun and ONLY link up family-friendly blog posts and businesses — thank you!

Also, if you would tweet or share on Facebook when you link up, that would be absolutely wonderful!!!

Each week I will try to highlight some of my favorite posts from the linky the week before. I can even give out a “Featured at Friday Favorites” button to those people if you would like!

Hope you have a great weekend! I look forward to reading your posts!

Lessons in Humility and F-Bombs {Friday Favorites Link-up!} is a post from: Only A Breath



Shop online at my NEW Pampered Chef online store!

For inspirational gifts and home decor, check out my online Blessings Unlimited store!

Why Monetize?

Let me start off by saying, making money is NOT my primary motivation for my blog. Many people who don’t blog don’t realize that it actually costs me money to have this blog (website hosting fees per month, yearly domain registration, blog designs — which is why I started learning how to do it myself to save money). I love writing, especially devotions and encouraging posts, so I don’t begrudge the cost at all. However, if I can make a little extra money from my blog to cover the costs, that is a win-win situation for me.

So………. if you are a blogger, I encourage you to consider these tips for making (at least a little) money from your blog!

Affiliate Marketing

Affiliate marketing is the EASIEST way to start making money from your blog. Simply sign up with Amazon.com, ChristianBook.com, eMeals, or choose from MANY advertisers on Commission Junction. I know many of you already do book reviews on your blog (by the way, did you know you can get FREE books if you have a blog? If you want more info, comment below and I’ll write another post on that!). So, when you review a book, CD, movie, etc., just use your affiliate link from Amazon to link back to the book. If anyone purchases after clicking your link, you get a commission! Super easy!

Sell Something!

This is my favorite because if you find a product you sincerely love, it is EASY to share about it! I signed up last year to sell Blessings Unlimited (only through my blog) and earned back the $99 I spent on the kit in the FIRST month! I just share a few products I really love when I see them and link back to my online store (in fact, right now they are having their semi-annual SALE – 1000 Gifts Journal is only $6!).

I just recently started doing the same thing with Pampered Chef — LOVE! In fact, if you try ONE thing from this list, try out Pampered Chef. The products basically sell themselves because everyone know how great Pampered Chef is, and the starter kit ($150 normally — $500 value!) is FREE ONLY in June! AMAZING. I wish I had waited until June to sign up — ha! I also made back the $150 I spent on this kit in the FIRST month only by sharing on my blog (I haven’t done any home parties at all!) — and the starter kit is like CHRISTMAS. A.M.A.Z.I.N.G. Definitely check this one out. If you sign up at my link, we will be “teammates” and I’ll share all my secrets!!!

If your blog is not very big, you can also host (or have friends host) online Facebook “Parties” — which earns you commission and earns your friends FREE products! Yay!

Sell an eBook! You can either write an eBook of your own and sell it — which earns money and gets your writing out! Or, you can sign up to be an affiliate for “eBook Bundles” which are super popular right now. Recently, an eBook bundle sold which earned bloggers $14 for each bundle they linked to! That is great commission! I know that Money Saving Mom, Keeper of the Home, and Sarah Mae all offer great affiliate programs for their eBooks and bundles. When you hear of a new eBook, just go to the website and look for “affiliate” program — chances are they have one you can sign up for!

Sponsorship / Advertising

Offer sidebar ads on your site! To get started, look for blogs that are the same “size” as yours and see what they charge for sidebar advertising. Get creative! Offer only one “Premium” more expensive ad or several less expensive smaller ads! Include social media links as well to get the most value for your sponsor!

Google Adsense is also a great (EASY) tool for advertising! Google takes care of all of the work, and you just need to add some code to your site only one time!

Services

What skills do you have that you could offer to others? If you are a photographer, offer an eCourse on photography! If you are an editor, offer editing services! If you have time, virtual assistants are in high demand! If you love graphic design, start a blog design business (like me!) Take a skill you already have, and think about how you could use it to help others (and earn a little income). I’ve even thought about starting a blog consultation business to help bloggers get started or improve their blog — interested? let me know!

Networks

There are so many networks you can sign up with and get paid for doing sponsored posts, tweets, etc. These are generally very fun as well! I love MomCentral.com, CleverGirlsCollective.com, and BlogHer.com are my favorites! Each campaign can pay anywhere from $50 – 200!!!!

Questions? Ideas? Comments?

What questions do you have? Any ideas I missed? Anything you would like to add? Which ideas do you like best?

If you liked this post, PLEASE PIN OR SHARE! Thank you!

linking up with:

How to Make Money Blogging is a post from: Only A Breath



Shop online at my NEW Pampered Chef online store!

For inspirational gifts and home decor, check out my online Blessings Unlimited store!

Feet on a float in the pool…

Feel on a sandy beach overlooking the ocean…

Feet that caused my little green-eyed monster to creep up. As I was juggling work deadlines and parenting duties, I feel a little twinge of jealousy as other people celebrated topical getaways. Because everyone else seems like they have the perfect life online, right?

However, God really spoke to my heart and showed me that everyone needs time away. Whether my time away is a vacation, or a trip to the bookstore, or a nap…. or, okay truthfully just locking myself in the bathroom for 10 minutes – We all need and deserve a little time to refresh.

So….. this past weekend my family had a little getaway. As I look out at my sons playing in the pool (over my FEET!) I had an idea. Not everything we see online is the *whole* story. I took a quick snapshot, similar to so many I had seen before, and though it would be funny to share the story behind the photo.

Here is my photo:

Please don’t get me wrong. I am certainly not complaining in any way. Our family time was absolutely wonderful, but no one has a perfect life — even if it appears so online!

The story behind the scenes? Looks perfect, right? Well, what if I told you that there are some things you don’t see? May surprise you to know that behind the scenes…..

1. I was getting a pretty good sunburn — sunscreen, anyone? Yeah, I slathered up my kids and forgot my own pasty skin. Ouch!

2. My stomach was cramping like crazy — thanks, hormones! Vacation is absolutely the perfect time to show up. Grr….. pass the chocolate.

3. While I was lounging, my home was getting sprayed by a skunk — great surprise to come home to! There are no words to describe the smell. No words. I think I have gotten used to the smell. Actually, I think I have *absorbed* the smell.

4. My mind was thinking about the million things I need to do at work when I get back. Stressed, much?

5. I was yelling “Don’t run around the pool!” at least a hundred times to my youngest son.

So even though life behind the scenes of photos may be less perfect than it appears, it is the messy-beauty of it all that makes it fun, and wonderful, and precious.

… and I wouldn’t trade it for anything.

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Behind the Scenes {vacation style} is a post from: Only A Breath



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