Memoirs of a Manic Mom: January 2008

Thursday, January 31, 2008

Simply Vintage

I am addicted to vintage pictures on flickr.com These are a few that I have found recently.

Wednesday, January 30, 2008

Beauty is in the eye of the beholder

When I was younger I wore glasses but only for reading. My eyes would not focus on one word, they would skip around. Eventually, my eyes got stronger as I matured and I quit wearing them. Well, now my eyes are gradually getting worse. I think it has a lot to do with all of the writing that I do. I can still see, but everything is starting to get kinda fuzzy. I have always loved driving at night, but last night I had a really hard time seeing. I have a partial lazy eye that I was born with and that is the eye that is weak. It is not noticeable unless you really look closely. The other eye is strong.

Either way, I need to get my eyes checked. Glasses can be expensive, even with vision insurance. If you already know what prescription that you need then you can go to ZenniOptical. They have very stylish frames that start at only $8. They have regular frames, sunsensor lenses, tinted sunglasses, bifocal and progressive lenses. They are able to sell their products so cheap because they sell directly to the consumer, with no other companies being involved.

Zenni Optical: Sell Rx Glasses $8 with case!

Monday, January 28, 2008

MaNiC MoNDay

It seems that I have neglected my blog lately. However, I can honestly say that things have been pretty boring around here. Last week I ended having the stomach thing for about a week and we came to the conclusion that I had the flu. Other than that charming experience everything has been pretty quiet. I have been working like a mad woman for STM Writing Solutions the past couple of weeks. I. Love. It. My mom watches Jay and then I go into my "office" where no one is allowed to bother me, hehe. There is one thing that never gets boring and that is Manic Monday...

Samples from GLAD (supposedly if you sign up as a member you will receive free samples...it's worth a try)

Rebuilding New York pin

Take a sample from TIDE and receive a free sample

Smart Memo board sample

Voucher for Yoplait Kids Yogurt

Download free Valentine's Day cards (these are adorable)

13-Moon Pocket Calendar

Dove and Globe Peace Pin

Monday, January 21, 2008

MaNiC mONdaY

Hey Everybody,
I do not have a picture for manic monday this time. I am writing to you from my bed so I'm not able to take a picture this time(I did get some cool stuff). There has been a nasty stomach bug going around. My father-in-law had it last week, and then my husband, and now I have it. I was up most of the night worshiping the toilet. Every time I am out of the bed I feel like I am going to throw up again. Sorry for the nasty detail. Anyways, here is manic monday...

Life's a dog bumper sticker

Biore' Product Samples

Huggies diaper from Sams Club

Dog de-wormer from Safeguard

Geek Flirt Lip Gloss

DMC Cross Stitch Mentor Kit (I have been told by others that this freebie does come and it is an awesome kit)

Quaker Granola Bar

Members Mark Infant Formula

Guitar Lessons DVD

Wednesday, January 16, 2008

Writing Job

I have been searching for a work-at-home job for months. Even before I had baby Jay I was looking. I love to type, I basically type in my sleep and I also live for writing. I started writing on this blog and then I started doing reviews for money through PayPerPost. After signing up with Helium and getting somewhat of a portfolio together on their site, I signed up on GetAFreelancer. At first I was really bummed that you had to bid on jobs. I'm not too great with self confidence and I have not been writing articles for long so I never thought that I would get picked for a job.

Then I came upon an offer from STM Writing Solutions. The owner offered me a position and I have been with them ever since. My boss is super sweet and is such an easy person to work with. She is a refreshing alternative to the people that I have worked for in the past. I love that I can be at home with Jay and still make a decent living. Jake and I are hoping to get our own place sometime but we could not do it just on his salary alone. I have made more working for STM in just 3 days time, than I ever did working in retail.

It can be very scary to commit yourself to a job on the internet. There are so many scams out there and you have to super careful. I have never understood the concept of paying to do a job. It sounds ridiculous. There are no fees to join STM. You do need to have some kind of writing skills and a strong drive for deadlines. However, I have found that my writing skills have been improving since working for this company. The owner is working on the site right now so excuse it's construction. If you live for writing as much as I do, then head on over to STM Writing Solutions and fill out an application. You will not be disappointed!

Bad Credit Loans

Do you have bad credit? There is not too many out there who does not have the credit companies harassing them from dawn to dusk. At (www.badcreditoffers.com) you can do many things to improve your credit. They have accessible reports of your credit history, lists of companies that will hurt your credit, and advisors that can help build your credit into a good standing condition. They also list the companies that will approve a home loan or car loan with bad credit, and credit card companies that accept those with bad credit. If you want to get the creditors off of your back right now then you can apply for bad credit loans.

Tuesday, January 15, 2008

6 months

Baby Jay is going to kill me for that picture one day. But that's OK. It is too darn cute to pass up a photo opportunity. The outfit is actually his Uncle Nathan's Halloween costume that he wore when he was younger or when he was "little" as Nathan says. :)

We went to the doctor today. He is now 27 inches long, and 16 pounds. They were a little concerned about his weight because when looking at him you would never think he's that little. But his Dad hides his weight well(don't all men?!) and the doc also said that he might have a high metabolism or he might just end up being a small kid. He eats like a pig and fusses when I don't get it in his mouth quick enough so I have no idea where he puts it....oh wait now I know where all of the diapers are coming from. I had to answer this big questionnaire with stuff like "is your baby screaming out loud". Yes yes and yes again. He is such a little loud mouth. He makes sure that you know he's in that room. The weird thing is he is so in tune. Sometimes he'll copycat some music playing and he is definitely not tune deaf(thank goodness). The rest of the questionnaire was stuff like "is he picking things up with his hands", or "with both hands", is he "rolling over", "does he recognize everyday objects". He was pretty much yes to all of them and the doc said that he's above average as far as motor skills go. Which I knew was true. I've been telling everyone what a little genius he is! :) He came out of me looking like a toddler with his big mop of hair so of course he's going to act like one. His dad and I have been joking around saying "well usually two negatives make a positive".

Jay's been sleeping a lot today. And just so you know he go daffy duck band aids this time. He spit up all over his blanket while we were waiting so his dad gave him his jacket to wrap around him. I can't believe that I did not bring another one, nor did I bring a burp cloth. I also ran out of wipes because there was only one in the container. I was so unprepared! Usually I bring my whole house with me when I go somewhere....

Prime Dating Reviews

Have you guys seen those dating commercials? There’s one from harmony.com that comes on one of the local stations a lot. There’s these couples that go on there and say how they found their significant other on this specific site. There was even this one couple on there that was from a town near me. I was a little weary of the dating sites until my Mom met my Step-dad on one of them. I was always convinced that it was nothing but a bunch of weirdo guys trying to get a bunch of dates. I was wrong. If you are looking for a site that has actual reviews then you need to check out this Dating site. The website has reviews from pretty much every dating site out there, such as Yahoo Personals or Perfect Match.

My favorite review was for Perfect Match. When meeting someone new it can be hard to figure out how to “break the ice” so to speak. Even if you are perfectly compatible, you still need a push in the right direction. Perfect Match has taken care of this with questions that will help you get your conversation off to the right start, instead of just a boring “hello”. When applying you also take a personality test that has questions such as what is your favorite TV show and how you deal with stressful issues. The people at Perfect Match then list others who are compatible according to your personality answers.

I’m married so obviously I’m not looking for a mate, nor have I registered on one of these sites. I found out all of this info from the reviews on the Prime Dating website. If your still dateless in 2008 then you might want to head on over there.

Monday, January 14, 2008

Neglect

After posting my Manic Monday I realized that I had not posted anything on here in a week! I apologize. Many of you are probably wondering how Jay is and he is doing great(but still teething). Tomorrow we go for his 6 month shots. His Daddy is going with me this time so it will be nice to have some help. The last time we went I felt so guilty on the way there because he was so happy acting and then he smiled and cooed at the nurse and then she felt bad for having to give him the shots. I have finally gotten into a routine with him. In the mornings we get up and eat breakfast and then I do some freelance writing and he takes a nap. Then we get up, drink apple juice, and take a walk in the stroller if it's not too cold(which lately it has been) and then play in the jumper and go back to sleep for little while.

I've been doing a lot of freelance writing this week for one company in particular so it has taken up most of my time that I usually spend blogging. But it's nice knowing that I'm able to make money and be at home with Jay. Things are going pretty well right now. Jake and I both have our nerves straightened out so we are doing good. Jake is like a totally different person now in a good way since he switched meds.(Jake hun don't freak out that I'm writing about you, it's only good stuff). We're still separated but we are kinda dating if that's what you want to call it. I'll post back about the doctor experience tomorrow!

MaNic mONdaY

Lipton Tea Samples To Go

Cycling Training DVD

Flu Survival Sample Kit

Amsoil Oil

South Beach Granola Bars

Poise (repeat but you can sign up multiple times)

Head and Shoulders Shampoo (also a repeat)

Cesar dog food

Free Cap

Tuesday, January 8, 2008

Belated MaNIc MonDaY

I am very sorry about being so late with this. I hope your Monday was not too Manic without it. I guess you could say that I had a pretty Manic Monday. Jayden cried terribly most of the day so I never found time to post. The orajel worked for about 15 minutes and then he was tired from crying so he cried somemore. He did better today and he stayed with Nana most of the day but she said he was much better than yesterday. Jake called and asked me to go on a short little road trip with him to another town. When a man is offerring Chick Fil A and Oldnavy I do not turn him down. Anyways, here's Manic Monday!

Request up to 10 blank greeting cards from Hallmark (Click on the card you want, then click on "request sample" icon listed in the pricing box.

American Heart Association Pin

U.S. Byways Map

Wildlife Keychain (email)

Bratz Keychain

Sore no More

Poise from Walmart

Get organized with the Click Fastener

Kotex from Walgreens

Breast Self-exam Shower Card

Extra::

From February Issue of Seventeen MagazineNo Purchase Necessary. Starting January 8, 2008, bring a copy of the February 2008 cover of Seventeen or a PRINTOUT of the seventeen.com home page to any participating JCPenney store to receive one (1) Flirtitude panty (approximate retail value: $7.50 each). Ten thousand (10,000) will be given away. While supplies last.

Patience

I just wanted to write a quick note and let everyone know that "Manic Monday" will be up later tonight. Sorry about the delay! :)

Saturday, January 5, 2008

Newest Read

I often go through phases where I will not read a book for a while, and then all of a sudden I will just have the urge. This week was one of those urges. Mom had a book that I had surprisingly not read called Fortune's Rocks by Anita Shreve. I loved it. The plot was based back in the early 1900's but it was written in the form that Pride and Prejudice was. I guess you could say that the words are more advanced than your basic modern day novel. Either way, it kept me hanging until the very end. I stayed up until 2am one morning just so I could find out what happens. You have to check this book out.

Wednesday, January 2, 2008

Happy New Year

Happy 2008! I really feel like this year is going to be much better for everyone. Hopefully, it is not a coincidence that it rhymes with “great”. The number eight is also my favorite number. I quit making resolutions a long time ago but I do have a list of things that I would like to do this year.
1. clean out my car and vacuum it
2. get my oil changed (it’s going on 2 years)
3. get my hair cut professionally instead of doing it myself
4. eat more vegetables
5. Get my eyes examined
6. Get a tattoo
7. Consider going back to school
8. Finish my scrapbook
9. Get rid of some of my junk
10. Finish Jay’s blanket
11. Laugh more
12. Go to sleep earlier
Do you have a New Year’s Resolution?