Oh three AM wake up time and two pots of coffee later.......

Hello all,
I am writing a very tired blog today. I have been up since 3 Am, thought those days were over when little man started sleeping all night. Nope. I was in denial. He was up and that meant I needed to be up too. He was up and down all night so, I figured a bottle and he would go back to sleep. By 3:30 he was done and was snoozing away. I put little man back to bed and staggered my way back to mine. 1 hour later he was back up. And now he is back to sleep again. Poor little guy, I wish he would let me look and see if there is a new tooth in that mouth, but alas he wont let me. Oh the joys and happiness that is teething. It is tough being little and it is tough being the mama.
So, what did I do this time after getting him to sleep? Work on Chippey's Shoppe, my eBay store and watch "Extreme Christmas Trees" on Netflix. I had my Christmas cup full of coffee and was watching away. Then I figured I have the time and aloneness to list some stuff. So, here I am blogging away and going to list some things to my store. #joysofebay. I am also listening to Bing Crosby on Pandora. #dontjudge
Then it dawned on me, I have no clue where the rest of my holiday mugs are. Or where all my lights are for that matter. I love moving, because it is a treasure hunt to find things 8 months later when you are settled in. Ugh, so that means next week I am going to have to go into the attic and get them. If they are there. I like being prepared. I plan on starting a page of Christmas house decor. There are some homes around here in Fl ready for it. That or I may do Crazy Christmas trees. I am not sure what or how I will do it. But it will be cools.This is something I have been wanting to do since I started blogging and never did. So this year! If you have any you want posted let me know. #crazyforchristmas

Today, is not a bad day. My little man is cutting another tooth or two. I swear he cut a tooth last night but the little booger wont let me check his mouth. And today he is not wanting to eat. Great. I also had to call his doctor over his eczema issues. His eczema hasn't gone away, and he is itching himself to bleeding. I think it is one of the reason's why he gets so crabby. I mean wouldn't you? It makes me hurt for him, poor baby. He had allergy testing and he isn't allergic to any foods. I have also tried so many home remedies that I am exhausted. I keep him moisturized and still it comes right back in an hour. So, right now I am waiting for his doctor to call me back. YAY. He also tried to walk again. Did he make it? No. He face planted on the floor. He didn't cry, instead he growled at the floor. The lad also has an obsession with the Xbox 360. He wants to touch it so bad. And you can never tell if he is going for the Xbox or just standing. Usually he is going after the Xbox. So, he is now learning what NO is. It is a fun thing trying to teach a little 8 month old what NO is. He is worse about it when daddy is home. He typically leaves the Xbox alone after I tell him no sir. When dad is home, HA. He is testing daddy. And somehow mommy is the one that looses.
My store is doing good, and I listed a Pink Coach Signature bag, something I was battling doing. Why? It was the first Coach bag I ever got and my hubby gave it to me. But, he gave me a new one after my son was born. So, I feel I can let it go and someone else can love it just as much as I did and do.
The thing about eBay is that you have to keep track of quite a bit. What is selling and what isn't. Also, how to market your items so people will see them.The one thing that iritates me most is people not paying and then after you message them., they never respond.But, eventually I get to relist the item. I know eBay has helped a lot of mom's earn something while being at home with the little ones,even if it is just enough for getting their nails done. Some ladies have turned it into a million dollar enterprise. I know I may never get there but, as I have said in other posts I am going to try, eventually my hard work will pay off, right? Right? Oh, I hope so!

Coffee and eBay, this is my morning. Coffee and a Thought.

Happy Sunday all. This morning I am drinking my Barnies Santa's White Christmas coffee and playing with my eBay store, Chippey's Shoppe. I am finishing up listing the Yankee candle that I found unopened. I can not burn a cookie scented candle, it makes me too hungry all the time. My boy was up at 5 AM today so I havc been up for a bit. I need more coffee. I also got to finish listing some stuff for eBay. Lemax Christmas and baby clothes. I am not sure how to go about listing a baby bath, bassinet, or car seat. I have all three needing to be sold and am worried about shipping. Other sellers list the items and car seat shipping was $75. I mean it is heavy it comes with 2 bases. Local pick up perhaps? Maybe Craig's list. Thoughts?
My store has become my job definitely and I have the cutest Vice president of sales ever! He is the happiest worker ever, even if he just gets in the way. He loves having his pic taken, so he is always in the way of pictures for listing. It is one of the reasons it takes me forever and a day to list, but I love it. Wouldn't you?
The smiles and baby babble make it the reason's I work so hard, and forgive that he is trying to eat the product. Right now he is grouching on the floor with his bottle, I guess it made him mad.
 Yesterday, I over did it, I scrubbed the floors by hand and am feeling it today. so I didn't get much eBay done. What do you think Pajama day? Do any of you feel like a lazy couch potato if you lounge in pj's for a day? I end up getting dressed anyway and cleaning. I have this new obsession, I am constantly feeling like my house isn't clean enough. I guess this came about when I first moved into my home. It was a disaster, and I am still not done cleaning from that. The renters had destroyed it. The carpet was an animal litter box, and I found hedgehog needles, different cat fuzz,dog fuzz, different bird feathers, bunny poops; these people had a zoo. The kitchen looked like it was never cleaned. The bathrooms were in the same state. SO, I obsessively clean. Wouldn't you? I told my mom and dad about all that, and they told me all the stuff they found when they renovated our house in St Louis. I am amazed by what people do.
So, yeah, instead of relaxing I will probably clean, again. Last night I was washing clothes and hanging dry because our dryer broke and my oven wont SHUT OFF! What in the world is going on?! All I know is it sucks.When it rains it pours and I feel like I have been stuck in a never ending Monsoon. Just got to stay strong and keep the faith, right? Yup.

WAHM,SAHM, making money at home.

I was looking around WAHM today, which is a great site for ladies who are SAHM or WAHMs trying to find work or work at home. I was there looking for something that I could do, while taking care of my baby. He is a full time job after all, but I was hoping there was something I could do while he was around. I did the whole customer service thing with Express Scripts. It was a WAHM job, but the job itself was so stressful it made my heart condition worse. I was home but my baby could not be. Hard to deal with. But, here I am and looking to see what was out there.There are a lot, and I mean A LOT of scams.Now,WAHM does state that while they filter most of them out; they can not do it all. I can totally understand that. There are some links that take you to those GET RICH NOW and GET PAID DAILY garbage. Which some can be real, but others are just that, a scam. Tread carefully.Trust that gut feeling and know that sometimes the BBB is WRONG.There is also a great community on Babycenter for WAHMS. Research everything, and join the forum. It does help. I love the eBay forum. I haven't posted much their because for whatever reason I always forget my login info. Go ME!  And by the way there are some good survey sites, if you wanted to do that. Instead of cash they do gift cards, it is free to join. eRewards.com is it and while sometimes it takes a while to get anything in your gift card bank it is fun to do. I do mostly baby related surveys but they are fun!
Now, I love being a SAHM, but who wouldn't want a little extra spending money? Especially for the holidays. I do have my eBay shop; Chippey's Shoppe. Which is doing OK, and I am so proud of myself for actually getting it started. Feels good to be my own boss. I want to continue to do well and keep my store going.  It is something that I feel will help me out in the long run, just like my blogs. My blogs and eBay store will not fire me, or lay me off. Unless I lay myself off for being tardy to my own business and that would just be silly. For an eBay store, start with some stuff around your house. Then move up to more direct shipping stuff. OR you could go that handmade way, but research that first too and check out Etsy. Try different things out, and see what works best. Remember to market well and you can do fine. IT TAKES TIME! Egypt didn't build the pyramids in a day(took almost 30years), your eBay store will not be an over night success. Things take time to sell, and I have had to relist some stuff over and over again. It was a slow season,kinda.
Then there is the thing they always talk about on sites like WAHM and other blogging sites for SAHM or bloggers wanting to earn. Affiliate Marketing. I am not an expert of SEO or AM but, I do get the basic concepts of it. It also helps that hubby is an expert, however, he has me learn a lot on my own. THANKS.
There are some good AM sites. Look in to those as well. I am not going to go into AM or SEO, because I feel I have too much to learn myself. So, there is a forum post in WAHM for affiliate marketing. The ladies and gents there are super helpful.

My morning walk and an epiphany

Such a peaceful walk.

While I was on my morning walk this morning, I was taking in the beauty of my ruralesque neighborhood, I came to the realization; Black ops Ghosts came out, and I can not get it. It isn't for me, it is for my hubby.
I know that Christmas is around the corner, but I also know how much he wanted it. There are many sacrifices that we have had to make since I went from being a WAHM to a SAHM. I do not think I should even call it a WAHM job, what I had. It was more like working at home but no kid home with me. That, ladies and gents made my post partum so much worse. How tortuous going on break and seeing his room. Seeing his room empty and no baby bear in there. I was lonely, miserable, and soooo bored. The job was too stressful and my health went poop.
So, the company I worked for decided to get rid of accepting doctors notes. And thusly my behind got fired. I found out 3 weeks after being let go that they started to accept doctors notes again. SERIOUSLY?! Oh well, I am enjoying being a SAHM.
But, back to what I was originally talking about. MY epiphany. I realized that I needed to make a change, I had already opened my very own eBay store. My pride and new found joy, this store offers gently used baby stuff,handbags,women's clothing, odds and ends, holiday stuff, and tech. It is a lot of work, but I know it will pay off. Just like my blogs. I have to be smart about it and understand there is competition.
But, I needed something more and the question was to myself; "Do I go and get a night job?"
Most people in my life would yell no! I do after all have a now 8 month old to take care of during the day. So, what else do I do?
I write in my blogs a lot and am trying to join in Blogher's NaPloMo's November thing. I want to get writing more often and better. I frequent WAHM and am trying to find something that would allow me to be home with little man and work. This is proving to be quite the challenge. I know what I need and we need the financial help. That is one of the reasons I opened my eBay store was to help us. It actually has helped us. But, I need more.
So, I found on WAHM a writting opportunity. Now, I have not had anything published. All I ask for is the chance to succeed. A chance to do something I do enjoy and I enjoy writing in my blogs. This one I tend to fall on more than the fashion blog. I think I see Gofashiondeals and know it could be more. The issue is trying to make it more. I got to get to work. So, I shall continue to look and see what the status is and I hope the editors will give me a chance.

Oatmeal for lunch and Xmas music....my life.

It is lunchtime and instead of having a sammich(no jelly or meats) or a tasty soup(out) I am having the cold weather breakfast of champions. Oatmeal. Oatmeal with a pad of butter and brown sugar, no milk. Sounds yummy right? It is, but not what I was hoping for.

I am right now sitting in my office listening to Xmas music while my Little Man sleeps away. Yesterday he got his 6 month series of shots at his 6 month check up. Not fun and addition to those he got the flu shot. Something his mama here can not have, due to allergies. Yay. He has the battle wounds to show for it and the fever to prove it. He is such a poor grouchy child. He just wants his mama, or grammy, but I can't hold this booger all day long. While trying to clean carpets he was ok, as long as he was not in the jail(packnplay).
But, then that didn't last. So into the office we went and the Xmas music went on. He calmed right down after our morning dance around the office. I made the mistake of turning it off and all hell broke loose. Lesson learned. DO NOT TURN OFF LITTLE MAN'S MUSIC! Mama got the message now.
Wont happen again Little Man, mama promises.

So, the eBay store is going well. I just listed some great stuff. Like a diaper bag gift set, I never used the bag. It comes with a blankie, huggies,J&J stuff, onesies, bottles and a surprise. I also listed a Dooney and Bourke bag and Givenchy Sunglasses. Unfortunately, I lost their certificates of Authenticity. Craptastic. I have looked everywhere for those darn things. But, the store is doing great and I can not wait to start the next chapter of the store. Once that is up and running more, I will blog more about it on my Gofashiondeals blog.

You know, I say loosing my job may at the moment be awful and seem like the worse thing that could happen, but my friends and family say it may have been the best thing for me and the best thing to happen right now! You know, if I hadn't lost it I would still be stuck in misery. I would still be missing my son every moment of the day and my PPD would still be horrendous. But, loosing that job has lit a fire under my ass to get up and do something! And you know what? I did! I started my store. I am my own boss, my own worse critic, I have to use my brain, and I get to learn new things. I am excited. When one door closes another opens.
Now, off to enjoy my now cold oatmeal and cold coffee. When will I ever get hot stuff?!

Sahm, what to do next.

First of all HAPPY FRIDAY! TGIF!
I have been a SAHM(stay at home mom) for a couple of months now. At first not really by choice and now by choice. One thing I noticed about it now that the ahhh I get to stay home with my baby joy has worn off. I am still excited I get to be home with him every day, don't get me wrong. But that initial response of YAY, I get to be with him has changed into "Yay I get to be with little man everyday! But, Um money?" Yup I am in that doldrums, of financial crunch. We don't go out, not that we did anyways; that was like pulling teeth before when there were 2 checks coming in. We cut back, I coupon for groceries. OK, wait, I would coupon better if my printer worked. Many of the coupons I get in the news paper are not products I use. I wish I was a better couponer, like my sister. SHe can coupon her way into the store paying her money!

So, earning while being at home. My doctors did not want me working a normal job. The only reason they let me go back once was because of the fact I worked from home. But, with the amount of doctor appointments I had and no PTO(paid time off), oh and the fact they wouldn't approve any anyways; I had to go back on Medical leave. And then they let me go. I didn't qualify for FLMA nor unemployment. I have to think of something to do to earn something. Every little bit helps right? I was thinking of doing a Melaleuca business, but as I am discovering with that no one is interested in getting a membership or to make an appointment with me, and these are my friends. No one seems to understand, the people I know just don't want to be bothered. I got to keep strong and carry on. The products do work, I like them.

That is when I noticed my son's box of clothes that no longer fit. His Gymboree and The Children's Place clothes. They are just sitting there not doing anything. I also have tons of unopened Lemax Village Items. For Halloween and for Christmas, to eBay with them! I have opened my store. I am happy and excited! I don't feel like it is work and it doesn't stress me out. Already I feel a weight has been lifted. I have to be successful. I am trying hard to be.  So, we shall see and I will definitly blog about my eBay adventures!
Stay tuned!