Here’s a great idea as an add-on to your current home-based business if you like spreading Holiday joy and the mere thought of making a child smile and their eyes light up with a personalized Santa letter then this could be the perfect business for you. And what a fun one at that! A Santa Letter Business can be something that you do only around the Holidays to bring a little extra cash in or it can be a year round business. Whether you decide to do it only around the Holidays or year round it can be profitable if you know what you are doing.
(more…)

Private Label Rights (PLR) articles and ghost-written articles are both options when you need web content. Each is unique in its qualities and each has its drawbacks. As my business has grown busier, I’ve been finding it difficult to maintain a personal regular blogging schedule. You know how it is–  the client’s blogs are current while my own suffers from neglect What’s a busy homeschooling mompreneur to do?  Hit Google and start researching what PLR is of course!

So, when you need content  (and are too busy to write your own) which should you choose? Let’s analyze both options to find out which option is right for you. (more…)

One thing that I have found to be very helpful (even though I was a BIG skeptic when this process was brought to my attention) is having a vision board. The premise of a vision board is that humans are visual learners and what we see works through to our subconscious and can motivate us to accomplish our stated goals because it helps us to imagine ourselves in the photos — a bigger office, a big house, cool vacation, eating healthier, etc. It sounds hokey, but it has really helped me with my focus.

You can create physical vision boards that you hang up on the wall of your office full of pictures, plans, etc. BA company named OrangePeel Systems created a beautiful computer based version of this process that I love. I have pictures of my family, vacations I want to take, business goals and health goals. I have different themes setup complete with my favorite music and animations.  It’s really cool!

They have just released a time-limited FREE version of their highly acclaimed vision board software, allowing you to experience firsthand the amazing results that can be achieved through visualization – at absolutely no cost to you!

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The only thing you have to lose is the life you are no longer happy with or make a happy life even fuller.

And now we’ll hear about how Marta’s business impacts her homeschooling and lessons that she’s learned on her journey as an entrepreneurial homeschooler:

The most challenging thing about homeschooling; for me, is keeping everything organized and have all those notes written in. Since my son is older now, I want to keep better records. And, of course the doubt that sets in sometimes, “am I doing all that I am supposed to do?” Then, after I hear some of the stories of what is going on in the schools, I bring myself back to reality and continue doing what we can do — our best, with love and the best interest at heart.

I also love the fact that we do not have to be in a rat race in the mornings. Or deal with the annoying stuff that goes on in schools today. Being able to see my son mature into the strong, caring young man is very heartwarming. We enjoy the warmth and relaxed atmosphere in which we learn.  We also have, well, FREEDOM to do nothing one day if we feel like it. Or change course. Freedom to take school outdoors, or in bed. Freedom to make appointments at whatever time works for us.

I work from home. I own my business. I started taking piano lessons inCuba at the age of 7, and continued in Florida with a very accomplished piano teacher. I love the arts and have always been involved in drama, dancing, and performing. I started teaching piano at the age of 17. I have also done some public relations work and do translations (Spanish/English and English/Spanish).  My biggest challenge right now is keeping up to date with advertising and having enough classes to be profitable. I am divorced, so I have had to be more “Business” focused. But, God is good and he keeps me busy.

Since I have been teaching piano since I was 17 years old, it has become a part of ME.  I stopped teaching for a few years when I first had my first son, then got back into it. When I moved from Florida to Michigan, I did not teach for a few years. Then something drew me back into it.  I find it exciting! I love the kids, the shows and sharing my love of music with young people – helping them create a lifelong love of music for themselves. And, my youngest son, turned out to be a very talented pianist! I find that it can’t replace working outside for someone else. It is a lot of work; I have 40 students at the moment, so I do have a full schedule. But I am home, and if Sam needs me to check up on him I am a few steps away. Also, if something comes up, I have the flexibility to re-schedule.

Since Sam plays the piano also, he helps me out with the Recitals — planning, setting up, dealing with the show, etc. Also, he keeps an eye on my website. He likes all the technology stuff. LOL and is better by far than I am. By running my own business I have created a desire for him to be so creative in looking for means and ways to have his own businesses. My business has prompted him to be an entrepreneur. He loves business and dealing with buying and selling and making money. Sam runs his own pet sitting business with has established clients.

In addition to everything else we do, I sponsor two children from Compassion International. My son and I do some “Operation Christmas Child” Shoe Boxes every Christmas. We also donated to St. Jude, and I do help Concerned Women for America with the Abortion Fund Campaign, andAmerican Cancer Society Campaign Fund.

To relax, I take my coffee after dinner and go watch the only Spanish TV Show that I get here. I like to read when I can. I love arts and crafts. Decoupage is one of my favorite things to do.  I also like painting and trying new projects, sewing, and gardening.

My advice to anyone going into business for yourself, find something that gives you joy. When you are doing something you like, the Blessings start to come. Do not be embarrassed about asking questions. Seek the advice of others who have done it before. Read, read, read. Do research and don’t jump in too soon. And if it sounds too good to be true, most likely is not a good thing. VistaPrint is a great resource for brochures, business cards, etc. Write motivational sayings, proverbs, and surround yourself with Dream Makers not Dream Breakers. Before all, pray. God does have a plan for each of us, a plan to prosper us not to harm us. Most of all – Enjoy the Journey.

The time spent with your family is precious. It is worth all the headaches and pains that come with it at times. Spending time with your kids can’t be replaced. RELAX. Follow your heart…take time to enjoy the time with your child. Do not hurry, eventually, you’ll get there. Not that I did not enjoy the time, but I could have slowed down a bit; trying to do too much, too soon.

The bonds that you create are powerful. The examples you can set for them will teach them valuable lessons. They see you dealing with different types of people, react to situations. Handle money, learn about finances. You have the time and closeness to better get to know your children.  And for me the most important thing is the time that I can spend talking, learning and sharing with my son about ultimately the most important thing of all, getting to know God intimately and lovingly. The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge.

All the best,

Marta Soto

http://adventures-in-music.com

Thanks Marta for sharing your story with the rest of us!

photo credit: Jon… in 3D

As you know, I like to feature other homeschoolers who are working from home. This week, it is my privilege to introduce Ms. Marta Soto of Adventures In Music to you. She’s a single, homeschooling mother with a thriving business and family life.  I’ll let Marta tell you how she accomplishes all that she does in her own words.

My name is Marta E. Soto. I was born in Cuba in 1956. My parents took me and my brother out of Cuba in 1967 to get away from the Communist regime of Fidel Castro. I went to school in Miami, Florida. I graduated from high school in 1974 from Miami Senior High. I attended a four year college to study music.

I grew up pretty traditionally. There was nothing in upbringing that led to my choice of homeschooling of my youngest son Sam. I have 2 sons — Ricky, 31 and Sam, 14. My main motivation for homeschooling was God given to me.  There was nothing in my upbringing that led to my choice of homeschooling. I had never even heard of homeschooling, and to be totally honest, I don’t remember when and what prompted it.

That’s why I say that God’s hand and direction is in this. I do remember that before Sam was born I was reading everything I could find about homeschooling. And it was not even an issue of if to put him in pre-school or not. It was a definite 100% decision no regrets, no doubts – this was the thing to do. I wanted to teach my son good moral behavior, I want him to learn from a Biblical Worldview and be strong in his faith. I don’t want the garbage that pollutes our young kids to be a part of his schooling. But, the main reason has to be the desire to teach my son to love Jesus Christ and follow his teachings.

We do traditional homeschooling. We like following an established curriculum and curve here and there.  My son likes ABeka a lot. We use different books for different subjects. Sometimes I go online and come up with something totally new, or different from what we are doing. Sam also likes to read a lot. I like the book The Well-Trained Mind. It gives a lot of information and ideas. I also look at various Christian College reading lists and read from their lists. We incorporate field trips, not as many as when he was younger – we try to be more selective now.

I don’t get asked  silly questions about homeschooling. I try to avoid the narrow minded individuals. Actually, I have had more people telling me,”Good for you that you homeschool. I bet your son learns a lot more that in public school.” I find that to be interesting.

What a twisted view some people have about socialization. Who came up with the idea that having kids of the same age group in an enclosed environment for six or seven hours five days a week is the proper way to”Socialize”? My son is involved in sports (karate and baseball) He plays in a Baseball Travel team. He has been taking Taekwondo for 4 years now and getting ready to test for Black Belt. He attends a Homeschool Coop one day a week, where he takes four classes. He is involved with 4-H, Archery Club, Art Classes, has friends over and goes over to friends to hang out and play. He also attends his friend’s sports events. Obviously he’s socially deprived — LOL!

Next we’ll hear how Marta’s business has proven to be an asset (in more than one way) for her family.

photo credit: Ernst Vikne

In this installment, Sandy discusses the top five tax myths that he has encountered over the years of working with the IRS and as a tax attorney:

I just had a tax seminar where we had 30 participants out of 30,000 mailings. Considering that I usually save people $5.000-$20,000 in new deductions, this low turnout was all the more perplexing. I decided to call up some people who did not attend and find out what was the problem. Astonishingly, there are a number of widespread tax myths that seem to impoverish most people and make the IRS more money than would be ordinarily due them. This article is a summation of some of the bigger, more widespread of these myths.

1. “If I don’t take every deduction, I will reduce my chance of an audit.” This is absolutely untrue. If you were to ask any former IRS agent they would tell you that you have only given some extra money to you “Uncle Sam” and won’t even get a thank you. If you really want to do this, make it a charitable contribution and take a deduction.
2. “I didn’t make a lot of money this year so I didn’t feel that I needed to attend a tax seminar.” This is also a big mistake. If knowledge of some unknown deductions creates a loss because the deductions exceeded your limited income from your endeavor, you may use the loss against any form of income that you have such as wages, dividends, interest, pensions and rents. If the loss exceeds your personal income, you can use it against a spouse’s earnings if you file jointly. Thus, you will never get divorced!  If the loss exceeds the income that both you and your spouse have earned, you can carry back all business losses two years and offset the last two years of tax that you paid into the IRS or to most states.

   Moreover, if that doesn’t cover all your losses, you can carryover all business losses twenty years and offset up to the next twenty years of earnings. Thus, even if you didn’t make a lot of money, tax knowledge will always pay you back. In fact, if your earnings were limited this year, it becomes even more vital since you can use the subsidy that you would get from the increase in your deductions even more than those that already have more money than they can spend.

3. “My accountant takes care of my taxes” or “My spouse takes care of my taxes.” This may be the single biggest myth and wealth killer in the US. It certainly makes the IRS more money than any other myth. I equate this with “my doctor takes care of my body.” Wouldn’t it be great if we could eat all the fattening foods that we want and never exercise, yet, once a year go to a doctor and get a form of “Roto Rooter” job? If you don’t know what to tell your accountant by December 31 or if your documentation isn’t right, there is very little that they can do for you.

   Sadly, accountants also have a conflict of interest when preparing our returns. They are subject to both a high standard for taking a deduction and are subject to high civil penalties. Thus, as many accountants have informed me, “they would rather not tell a client about a deduction that may be questioned if it results in any risk to the accountant.”

4. “Keeping good records isn’t worth the time or expense.” This is also a major mistake. I estimate that most people can be audit proof by keeping records that would take no longer than 3 minutes a week. This is about 150 minutes a year, which is about 21/2 hours a year. This may, at first, seem like a lot of time, but this would save approximately $4,000-15,000 in taxes. Even using the low-end figure, this averages to be about $1,333 per hour and it is tax free. I bet that you don’t earn this in an hour!
5. “I heard that I had to have a profit or had to have a profit three out of the last five years.” This is only partially true. The tax law provides that if you run your business like a business and not like a hobby, you can use the losses as discussed above. If you are deemed to be hobby, your losses from your endeavor are limited to the income from the endeavor with no carry back or carry over. There is a presumption that if you have a profit three out of the past five years, you have a business profit motive. However, the important point about this widespread myth is that this is a presumption that can be rebutted. I have a whole chapter in my series “Tax Strategies for Business Professionals” and “Tax Strategies For Home Based Business” where I discuss this.

However, basically you need:

- A five year projection of income and expenses, which will project an eventual profit

- A marketing plan

- A good tax organizer and good documentation

- Working your business at least 45 minutes a day, four to five days a week

- Attendance at training

- Consultation with experts

- Changing the way an activity is marketed from year to year especially if no profit is shown.

Thus, this presumption can be overcome with proper knowledge and some simple planning.

In short, tax knowledge can and will benefit anyone at any income. One seminar participant summed it up very well by saying,” The more you know, the less you’ll owe!” I couldn’t agree more.

Sandy Botkin is a CPA, attorney and former trainer of IRS attorneys nationwide. He lectures all over the nation on tax planning for self-employed and corporate taxpayers and can be seen in the big events with Donald Trump, Anthony Robbins and many others. He has been written up in Newsweek and in many other magazines. He is also a syndicated writer and noted author of this famed tape series “Tax Strategies for Business Professionals” and “Tax and Financial Strategies for Residential Real Estate.” To find out more about Sandy and his products, check out his terrific small business web site at: www.taxreductioninstitute.com or by calling his office at 301-972-3600 in Maryland.

photo credit: atadesigner

I must admit that we’re just getting our taxes to our accountant (okay we’ll be delivering it to him next week). Usually we try to get everything done by February, but with all the work that’s been coming through lately my husband and I haven’t had a chance to sit down and get all the receipts and paperwork together. Even if you have completed your taxes and gotten your returns, now’s the time to start planning for next year’s taxes, especially if you work from home.

These tax reduction articles and books are a quick and easy way to get a handle on the tax benefits and challenges available for home-based businesses/work-at-home jobs. I’ve listed two of my favorites books below. And in later posts I’ll be sharing some articles that I’ve gotten permission to reprint from Sandy Botkin, CPA, Esq. that I hope will be as helpful to you as they have been for me.

The Books

• There are many books that explain the tax benefits available for work-at-home businesses and independent contractors. I’ve read a couple of them and my favorite book is Lower Your Taxes – Big Time! 2009-2010 Edition (Lower Your Taxes Big Time) by Sandy Botkin CPA, Esq. It’s divided into logical segments that make it easy to read and digest. (If you’ve ever read IRS tax documentation, you’ll know how important that is!) I also appreciated the information that was available at The Tax Reduction Institute which is run by the author, Sandy Botkin. He even has a Tax IQ test that you might like to take. I sure learned a lot about just how much I still don’t know!
• Although I haven’t read this book in its entirety yet, Working for Yourself: Law & Taxes for Independent Contractors, Freelancers & Consultants is also written in an easy to understand way. It also addresses issues such as protecting your business name, trademarks and the like. It looks like a good second choice.

Knowledge is power (and money!) especially when it comes to dealing with the IRS.

photo credit: Muffet

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The Mom Pack™ is a cooperative, volunteer group of working moms dedicated to promoting each others’ businesses online and offline in a variety of ways, including link swaps, goal meeting, advertisement sharing, individual Mom Pack filler exchanges and information packet sharing.  The list of mom businesses is long, but you’ll get lots of good ideas if you need some ideas for your own work -at-home employment.

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Alexa’s Treasure Photo Contest
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A Love of Coffee
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AmeriPlan Dental®
Discount dental plan for families and individuals. Great for self employed.

Babes N Tot Shop
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Bagz n Jewelry
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Barefoot Bella
Children’s boutique specializing in unique items for boys and girls. Clothing sizes infant to 14, shoes, accessories, personalized products, and great gift ideas for a baby shower.

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Busy Fingers Crafts
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Captive Moments
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Casting Keepsakes
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Christian Site Solutions
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Cloth Diapers & Diaper Covers – Jardine Diapers
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Country Meadow Creations
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Creations In Bloom Shopping Cart Covers
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CT River Candles
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The Dammit Doll Store
Home of the Dammit Doll collection! The perfect gift for the person who has everything. Need to relieve some stress? A Dammit Doll is what you need! FREE SHIPPING on US orders over $35

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The Diaper Lady
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Doodlebuckets Mother & Baby Store
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We are a group of Work From Home Ladies & Men who are dedicated to helping families in need. Everything listed on this page will have a percentage of all sales go directly to families who are unable to provide for some of even the most basic needs for their children.

FeltSmart – Story Time Felts Consultant
We have the highest quality felt story boards, felt books, and felt dress up dolls on the market! Our vibrant felt products are attractive to children of ALL ages- parents, too! Check us out!

Flickering Lights
Start your own home-based business today by making one simple phone call! If you are serious about taking charge of your life, reaching for the stars, and achieving your goals to become a successful entrepreneur, I can teach you how. There is no better time than now!

Fritzer Designs
Fritzer Designs provides affordable web and graphic design to small business owners and work at home moms. We specialize in chic, girly, fun, hip and clean designs. Also specializing in Clothing label design, logo design and much more!

Fuzzi Bunz
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Little Hands Boutique
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Lucy’s Letters
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Magic Wardrobe Kids
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Mia Bella Gourmet Candles
Join the Candle of the Month Club and see why so many moms AND dads
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Michele Does Avon
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Free download of My Shopping Genie, which searches for items on Ebay faster by integrating with Google or any search engine.

No-Chem Bed Solutions
Stop sleeping on a bed that is making you sick! If you have noticed allergies, asthma, or other symptoms with your new mattress, we have the solution for you. Stop by today!

Noodleloo
Stylish and fun gear for Mom and Baby: Nursing covers, Travel changing pads, Blankets & bibs, Gift baskets & Wearable’s

Norwex Healthy Cleaning
Clean without chemicals! Norwex Enviro Products is all about eco-friendly green cleaning and personal care.

Norwex Online Shopping
Chemical FREE Cleaning Products and Organic Personal Care. Secure Online Shopping – Visa or Master Card. Low Cost Direct Shipping Canada or United States

Norwex Products Online
Chemical FREE Cleaning Products and Organic Personal Care. Secure Online Shopping – Visa, MC or Paypal. Low Cost Direct Shipping Canada & United States. Immediate business opportunities available.

Oh My Baby
Personalized Baby Blankets, Bibs, Lovies, Burp Cloths, Towels, Picture Frames and more. Large selection of Gift Baskets, TAGGIES™, and GUND®.

Olde Village Depot
A primitive marketplace, where you will find primitive home decor, candles, dolls, quilts, and much more…

Omnitrition – Healthy Living For Life
All natural nutritional supplements for the entire family! LIQUID vitamins, weight loss, energy, sleep and much more! I lost 27 pounds and 3 sizes in only 4.5 months…What do YOU have to lose? Check OMNI out today!

On Fairy Wings Gifts
Find one of a kind items for that special someone. Create an account and subscribe to our newsletters for free gifts, special discounts, and subscriber only contests. Free business opportunities.

Only Child Option
because having multiple children isn’t the only choice.

Pampered Diva Gifts
At Pampered Diva Gifts,we bring you the best of all available women’s products in one advantageous website with prices to fit your budget! Step into our online shopping mall and find: Highly Scented Soy Candles *Indulgent Mineral Makeup and Cosmetics *Relaxing Aromatherapy Bath & Body/Spa Products *And Much More!

Pamper Me Place
Bath & Body, Soy Candles, Aromatherapy, Cosmetics, Health & Wellness Products as well as things for Kids and Babies, Accessories and Fun, Unique Items, The Sample Cake

Papers Prints & Pixels
Personalized products with personalized service – social stationery, invitations, announcements, notecards, webgraphics, web templates, hosting, and engraved and embroidered gifts.

Pastiche Family Portal
Family friendly articles, crafts, coloring books, clip art and paper craft printables – free for personal use.

Photo Bug Baby
A natural online photo contest for children 0-13 years old. Win CASH and great prizes! Check out our great products for kids and articles for parents! We also have a pet contest!

Prevent SIDS
For the truth about SIDS prevention and what you can do about it, stop by today. You might be surprised by what you don’t know!

Ready Banner
Providing free, ready-to-use banners to help WAHMs promote their direct sales businesses. Also featuring affordable banner and logo design services.

Rhona’s Creations
Custom and Costume jewelry. We custom design one of a kind Swarovski jewelry in crystals, hearts and butterflies in stones, evil eyes in glass beads and many other metal components in necklaces, bracelets, earrings, anklets, eyeglass holders and watches in all colors and sizes.

Royal Baby Boutique
We offer the finest luxury designer couture baby clothing, diaper bags, christening apparel and accessories for Your Little Prince or Princess. Royalty begins with tiny little baby steps.

Sabrina’s Village
An online gift shop to pamper your mind body and spirit. We offer a gift for everyone in your life. Bath and body, mineral makeup, tutus, baby couture and much much more.

Sales MOMS
Sales MOMS is dedicated to helping people understand the direct sales industry. We offer a network of websites that help in all aspects of products, business opportunity & sales.

Sara’s Pixel Studio
eCommerce sites, eBay Tools, WAHMShoppes, logos, banners, digi frames, Flash animation, designs for print (business cards, hang tags, stationary, etc), custom logo/trademark graphics and MORE!

Sara the WAHM
Come shop with me! Get great deals and specials on your favorite products from: Creative ScentSations, Beautiful Diva Mineral Makeup, Pink Alligator Designs and Stuff-N-Snuggle!

Scentsational De’Lights
Handmade Candles, Tarts & More. Weddings, Showers, Fund Raisers, Wholesale, Retail. Have A Scentsational Day!

SittersPlace.com
A local babysitting network for parents to find quality sitters, nannies, and mommy’s helpers. All types!

Spirited Lady Boutique
A spirited boutique designed for everyone! We have information on natural products for home, health, skin & pets, self help, do it your upholstery, crafts and much, much more!

Stay a Stay at Home Mom
Are you struggling to remain a stay at home mom? Tips and tricks to Reduce Expenses, Stretch Your Dollar, and Supplement Your Income in order to stay a SAHM.

Stella & Dot Style by Stella
Women’s Fashion Jewellry at Affordable Prices. No Presentation Home Parties – Finally! Just Invite Your Friends for an evening of refreshments and trying on beautiful jewelry! Ground Floor Business Opportunity.

Stitchilicious
Custom personalized embroidery items for all occasions!

Success Promotions
Internet marketing and search engine optimization by a WAHM for WAHMs.

Taekwondo-Network
Discover the most popular martial art in the world, Taekwondo! Advice and information for all ages, styles and levels of martial artist. Men, Women and Kids TKD t-shirts, equipment, videos and more.

Timeless Legacy
We create custom digital scrapbooks, framed memory pages, brag books, photo birth announcements, graduation announcements and more…

Todays Work At Home Mom
Providing advertising, marketing, shopping, & social communities for Today’s Work at Home Mom. Great WAHM & home business resources including newsletters, classifieds, forums, & more!

TracyTrends
childrens gifts, potty training supplies, hooded towels, kids money management, christmas ornaments and more

Tropical Baby Boutique
Offering stylish diaper bags for moms and dads, baby slings, blankets, hip baby clothing, toys, shower gifts, mommy bracelets, personalized favors and more. Be sure to browse our selection of gifts under $20.

TuesdayExpos
TuesdayExpos! If it’s Tuesday THEN it’s Expos Day! Every Tuesday our Great Vendors have their Special Offers listed. From scheduled Chats to open chat times if it’s Tuesday then it’s our Expos day! All 52 Tuesday of the year!

Uplifting-Essentials
Finally…Bra Fitting…Done Right! Fantastic Business Opportunity – We Need You Today!

Usborne Books at Home in Canada Up With Reading!
Visit our website today for information on purchasing Usborne Books, Hosting an Usborne Home Party or School Book Fair or to find out how to start your own home based business as an Usborne Books Consultant.

WAH Diva Mom
Here you will find everything WAHM like low cost advertising, articles, great companies to join, a chat room for online parties, and even a plug board! If you have any suggestions on anything you would like to see added to this site, please feel free to let me know. So grab a cup of coffee, sit back and enjoy the site…

WahBizOpps.com
Wah Biz Opps~ Direct Sales and Party Plan Business Opportunities. Search our Exclusive Listings of Opportunities to find the perfect business for you!

Wahm Addicts
Supporting the WAHM Addiction for Work at Home and Stay at Home Moms. Find Freebies, Business Opportunities, Advertising and More. We have it all at Wahm Addicts.

WAHM Central
Offering home business opportunities and ideas for those wanting to work at home. Also affordable advertising for WAHMs, online break room with chat/message, games, puzzles just for fun and relaxation

The WAHM Shack
Online Resource & Networking site supporting work-at-home moms providing Free & Low Cost Advertising, Business Opportunities, Article Directory w/FREE Articles to Reprint, Forum, Link Exchange & more.

WAHM-Wish
Where your wishes of working from home can come true!

WAHShopping.com
The Place to Go to Shop with Moms at Home! Use our shopping portal for all of your online shopping needs! From A to Z, you will find what you need!

Waterwise Distillers
There is nothing healthier than pure, fresh, home distilled water from a Waterwise distiller. If you don’t understand the benefits of drinking home distilled water, let us show you today!

The Web Design Shoppe
Articles, Tips and Resources to Website Design, Graphic Design, Search Engine Optimization, Marketing your Business and more.

Web Page Editing
Let us edit your content, navigation, keywords, and articles! You only have one chance to make a first impression. Make it a positive one with a great web page!

Work From Home on the Internet.com
The Internet Income Center – Find legitimate internet business opportunities that require no or minimal start-up fees, have desirable products, and are profitable. We also provide several free and low cost services for promoting your new business.

Work at Home Parents
Your online work at home resource. Find a business, network with other WAHPs and shop parent owned sites.

Wow Imports Personalized Jewelry & Fair Trade Gifts
Personalized silver & gold nameplate necklaces, name rings, name bracelets, name earrings; beaded animal figurines, beaded serving pieces, beaded Christmas ornaments, key chains, piggy banks and more!

Sometimes when people are contemplating working from home they wonder if they’ll get lonely. In my experience, I’ve never really had time to get lonely. Since I’m homeschooling I have the kids with me all day. My husband works during the weekends so he’s around during the week. And then I have my clients that I talk to on the telephone frequently. No, loneliness rarely comes up .

Now if you want to now if I sometimes wish to listen to music that isn’t the theme song of Zooboomafu or Sitting Ducks my answer would have to be “Oh Yeah!” And how about not being interrupted when I’m working with requests to dress dolls or have a wrestling match in the living room would also be nice some days. But overall, I am content with my life and my connections outside the home.

But for WAHMs that may have children in school and their husbands working throughout the week, being lonely can become a real issue if you let it. Being a work-at-home mom doesn’t mean that you have to be isolated. It doesn’t mean being reduced to a gibbering crazy woman who sings “Dora the Explorer” when she answers the phone. (Okay, I do answer the phone “House of Mouse” from time to time, but I digress …) Setting up lunch dates with friends or clients is one way to make sure that don’t get too out of touch with the outside world.

But if you don’t feel like stepping outside of the house every time you need a “mommy break”, the internet has made it possible to connect with people anytime you feel the need. You’ll have to do research to find the groups that suit your needs, but here are a few of my favorite networks to tap into when I’m starting to feel myself sliding too deeply into the world of Pokemon and Sailor Moon:

• Who’s That WAHM? (http://whosthatwahm.com): Who’s That WAHM is the brainchild of Darlene ‘Dee’ Bishop, writer, Christian minister and home-based business owner. It was begun as a means for work-at-home moms (WAHMs) to learn more about each other so they can support each other in their business efforts.
• Moms United In Business (http://www.momsunitedinbusiness.com): Moms United in Business is a private networking organization open to work at home moms and ALL women in business. This organization is for women only, and is not a spam and advertising network. We do offer various avenues to promote your business, however, we have a zero tolerance for spam policy. We aim to provide a safe networking environment, offering both personal and professional support to each and every member.
• Workspace The Home Business Network (http://workspace.liveops.com): Start growing your home business by connecting to our forums, blogs, groups and get your personalized homepage. This group has support groups such as Men@Home, At Home Agents, Working Moms and Graveyard Shift Workers to name a few.
• Future Executives (http://futureexecutives.org/): This group is for people who want to help young people to learn about the business world, as well as providing a place for entrepreneurs to meet and support each other.
• National Association of Entrepreneur Moms (www.NAOEM.com):  Our mission is to EMPOWER, EDUCATE and ENLIGHTE women to achieve their full potential in all areas of their life, so they can create a ilfe they love, build a thriving home-based business that enables them to do work they’re passionate about, contribute financially to their family and be home with their children.
• The Homeschool Lounge (http://www.thehomeschoollounge.com): The Homeschool Lounge is one of my favorite places to interact. There are many groups dedicated to working from home, entrepreneurial moms and a whole lot more.  A definite place to visit and make new friends who totally understand your goals.
• Mission Mommy (http://www.mission-mommy.com) Great resources for work at home moms or moms who want to start their own business at home in the WAHM community.

So what are some of your favorite internet hangouts?

photo credit: Marc_Smith

Disclaimer: http://cmp.ly/5

You can reduce your heating bill by:

• Adding a room humidifier to make the existing temperature seem warmer;
• Install a room heater;
• Use insulated glass  and make sure that walls as well as ceilings are properly insulated to a standard of R-19;
• Draw curtains, drapes, or blinds to retain heat when there is no direct sunlight;
• Plant deciduous trees outside windows for sunlight in the winter and shade in the summer;
• Carpet the home office and use 5/8 inch padding. Click here for green carpet options;
• Install skylights and arrange your work area in their light path;
• Add solar panels to capture heat from the southern and/or western walls.  And if you live in the United States you to take advantage of state and local government tax incentives and rebates.   You can check find your state energy office information by clicking here.

photo credit: Brandon Stafford