Actually, I have been a housewife and stay-at-home-mother for the majority of the past fifteen years. I have ventured online in the past few years, in an effort to make a living online. I have learned quite a bit, but, there really is so much about the business world about which I have no clue. I think if some of the things were just explained to me in more simple terms, as opposed to what I like to call, business ‘brochure language’, I could better understand it. You know what I mean – take company mission statements, for example. Oooh boy! They really lay it on thick there!

A lot of the business stuff that I find confusing is financial in nature, like financial consolidation software. I really have no clue what that is – my only guess relates to personal finances, and I think I am totally on the wrong track with that one.

I remember, back when I was a suit, sliding quite easily into that business ‘brochure language’, but, having been removed from it for so long, I am at a loss with a lot of it.

GO READ A BOOK!

I have been having so much fun blogging the last few months – and a big part of it is because I discovered that you can get paid to blog! How amazingly cool is that? I loved blogging already, and then – to find out that I can supplement my family’s income doing it – that just totally rocks! I absolutely love sending letters to children telling them all about how wonderful it is to read! That is a mission of love for me, one which I am very passionate about, but, I am so excited to find another way to bring money into my household, that I am equally passionate about! I have met so many wonderful people since I’ve been on this paid blogging journey. And I have learned so much. My two main blogs are a year old, as of last month – but, the bulk of my learning has been since coming across paid blogging. I am so glad that I found it and so grateful for getting paid to blog!

GO READ A BOOK!

She took me to New York City a few years ago – we went in October 2000. Wow – it doesn’t seem like that long ago, really. We had so much fun – it was a total blast of a mother-daughter weekend! She took me because – get this – it was a dream trip of mine – and she just wanted to fulfill that dream for me! How amazingly cool is that?

And to think – we didn’t check out any of the libraries there – I bet they have some incredible ones! Well, it was a short weekend – there were quite a few places we didn’t have time to see. We had really wanted to see the New York ASPCA – they have a really great facility there. I especially wanted to see the cat habitat – from the pictures it looks so cool – it is a kitty cat playroom heaven!

We stayed at this really neat, old hotel that used to be a women’s hotel for young ladies just leaving home and going off to the city to work. They would go and live in these buildings with room mothers, and everything, just to make sure they were safe, and more importantly, behaving themselves. Can you imagine that today – telling your 20 year old daughter she can move out, but, she’ll have to live under constant supervision from some other woman? Funny!

Our room was so small that the two twin beds just barely fit in there – and yet, it was so expensive! It was crazy! We had researched all the different options for hotels and such before we left. We even thought about staying at a hostel, and working for some of our stay. Treehuggers that we are, I’m sure we would have loved that!

One thing I don’t think we looked into, though, was a New York Bed and Breakfast. In fact, I am surprised to find out that there are any – I picture B & B’s as out in the country. That would have been really neat to stay in one of those, too!

GO READ A BOOK!

Yep, it’s true – Mrs. Lisa needs to lose some weight. And I’ve been working pretty hard on developing some consistency, because, I think consistency is far more important to me and my body long-term than any ‘lose weight fast’ gimmick. I have taken diet supplements in the past, and I do enjoy them for the energy they give and also for the appetite suppressant. It seems, though, that as I develop this consistency, by taking baby steps, a lot of the energy and suppressed appetite seems to come naturally. I might buy some diet supplements again sometime, but, right now, slow and steady is winning the race.

GO READ A BOOK!

I just love this video – a hungry bookworm and big band music – it doesn’t get any better!

I just LOVE what it says at the end!

GO READ A BOOK!

Here is the bookmark for National Library Week:

Isn’t it cute? I know our principal said that our kids will be getting bookmarks, but, I don’t know if it will look like that one or not – I sure hope so!

GO READ A BOOK!

The library has just got to be one of my most favorite places on earth, that and the woods. Oooh, a library in the woods… That sounds nice, but, getting back on topic, in order to celebrate libraries, librarians, and all of our wonderful library workers – we are going to have a weeklong library celebration! It’s called ‘National Library Week’ and it runs from April 15-21! A celebration of libraries – sounds perfect to me! This is a great time to emphasize reading and to promote library use!

The principal’s newsletter from our elementary school had some great ideas to help our kids become skilled readers:

Read to them. Reading to your children is the most important think you can do to help children develop a love of books and reading.

Have plenty of material. Books are not the only items children can read. Posters, maps, magazines, recipes, and newspapers are great reading materials.

Listen to them read. From the day your children begin sounding out letters, concentrate on how they are doing. Try to also include some “read aloud” time.

Model good reading habits and limit TV. Your children need to see that reading is a lifelong skill and a form of entertainment. When you take them to the library to choose books, select some for yourself, too.

Let them choose. Within reason, allow your children to choose their own reading material. If they choose what to read, they will be more likely to actually spend time reading.

Ask the teacher. Your child’s teacher may suggest areas in which he or she may need some extra help. Also, make sure you let the teacher know if you hve noticed any reading problems at home.

Any time is a great time for a visit to the library, but, next week will be a very special time for all of us to help celebrate our libraries and appreciate our librarians and library workers!
You can read more about National Library Week at the American Library Association website.

GO READ A BOOK!

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Doesn’t the lady, Sharon, in this video look GREAT?? I cannot wait until the day that I have had that much success with my weight loss! It will be a fine day, indeed!

My groovy friend, Cass, added me and my Bookworm blog to this content-centric, parenting sites blogroll. What a cool thing – and how cool of her to include me! I’ve been insufferably slow keeping the thing moving, but, I’m working hard trying to get myself caught up today! Now – if you would like to get involved, just copy everything below and change it up a little to add in your own picks of parenting blogs, then write an intro. paragraph – and presto! That’s all there is to it! Thanks a lot for including me, Cass!

1. Write a short paragraph at the beginning of your post and link back to the blog that put you on the list in the paragraph. This isn’t a suggestion. You need to break up the duplicate content string. Someone took the time to add you so the least you can do is give them an extra linkback.
2. Copy the list of originals below COMPLETELY and add it to your blog. If you would like a different keyword for your blog then change it when you do your post and it should pass to most blogs with that keyword.

3. Take the adds from the blog that added you and place them in the “Originals” list.
4. Add no more than 5 new parenting or (Mommy/Daddy) blogs to the list in the “My Adds” section.

My Adds:

The Adventures of Super-Mommy and Spit Up Boy!
A Readable Feast
EternaLearning Academy
Parenting Advice
Little Fun; Little Learning

The Originals:
Lala Girl
The Bookworm Broadcast
Parenting Sites 411

Cass Knits
Geni Desu YoNo Average Mom
Notes From The Trenches
Busy Mom.net

Groovy Mom
Coffee Time
My Thoughts, Ideas, and Ramblings
Toil
The Ridiculously Mundane and the Oh so Humdrum…

My Single Mom Life
Tips From The Money Goddess
Army Mom: New Jersey

Melissa’s Place

GO READ A BOOK!