June, so far...
It's been a long month, and although I started strong, I have accomplished virtually nothing this month. Here are my stats so far, with just a week to go:
Hotel site= $315
Website and blog advertisement= $60
One survey= $10
Editor's stipend for local newsletter= $25
Total=$410
That's a far cry from my $1200 goal, so I am going to get into speed and see if I can catch up in this last week. I doubt I'll make it, but I at least can close the gap a bit.
Monday, June 23, 2008
Wednesday, June 11, 2008
Life Goes On
Think your life is impossible? Everyone does. Right now, I do.
When I left for a board meeting and planning session last night, my twelve month old had a low grade fever and had thrown up once. I blamed both on teething. I came home a few hours later to find her passed out on my bed with a raging fever of 104.5 degrees. Why don't men ever take children's temperatures? My husband won't even give them Tylenol or cough syrup; I have to be the one to make these decisions, and if I am not around he figures it can wait. This is a difference caused by upbringing--he grew up in a comfortable Italian-American family with access to health care, while I grew up with relatives from the third world who freaked out about fevers because they have seen too many infants die for lack of Tylenol and routine immunizations.
I tend to freak out about illnesses, and this is complicated by the fact that it takes several weeks of dogged calling to get an appointment with my doctor. I'm not one to run to the doctor, but I like having the option should the need arise. Thanks to some interesting scheduling policies at Central Washington Family Medicine, I need to decide on Monday morning if my child will need to see a doctor *next week* and even then, they may just tell me to call back next Monday after I have spent the whole twenty minutes of Elmo's World (my only time to get anything done) on hold. But I digress.
I can't just go to sleep when my children are ill, after all they aren't going to cease to be ill at night (and I've heard too many stories about that little cousin who went to bed with a teething fever and never woke up... thanks, family). So, I slept in my clothes, if you can call it sleeping, both of us on top of the covers because I didn't want to fall totally and comfortably asleep, and she didn't need any extra warmth. Thanks to Tylenol and cold, wet cloths on her head and neck, she never went over 104, although she never went under 102 either.
Today I will be cleaning all day because I have in-laws about to converge upon my household, plus I have writing to do. At some point I need to tweak the CAPE homeschooling website like I have been promising to do for months, and I have a newsletter to put out as well. Oh, and there's sick baby to be dealt with, and doctor's office drama to be scripted should I decide to go that route, although right now all signs point to NO.
Happy writing!
When I left for a board meeting and planning session last night, my twelve month old had a low grade fever and had thrown up once. I blamed both on teething. I came home a few hours later to find her passed out on my bed with a raging fever of 104.5 degrees. Why don't men ever take children's temperatures? My husband won't even give them Tylenol or cough syrup; I have to be the one to make these decisions, and if I am not around he figures it can wait. This is a difference caused by upbringing--he grew up in a comfortable Italian-American family with access to health care, while I grew up with relatives from the third world who freaked out about fevers because they have seen too many infants die for lack of Tylenol and routine immunizations.
I tend to freak out about illnesses, and this is complicated by the fact that it takes several weeks of dogged calling to get an appointment with my doctor. I'm not one to run to the doctor, but I like having the option should the need arise. Thanks to some interesting scheduling policies at Central Washington Family Medicine, I need to decide on Monday morning if my child will need to see a doctor *next week* and even then, they may just tell me to call back next Monday after I have spent the whole twenty minutes of Elmo's World (my only time to get anything done) on hold. But I digress.
I can't just go to sleep when my children are ill, after all they aren't going to cease to be ill at night (and I've heard too many stories about that little cousin who went to bed with a teething fever and never woke up... thanks, family). So, I slept in my clothes, if you can call it sleeping, both of us on top of the covers because I didn't want to fall totally and comfortably asleep, and she didn't need any extra warmth. Thanks to Tylenol and cold, wet cloths on her head and neck, she never went over 104, although she never went under 102 either.
Today I will be cleaning all day because I have in-laws about to converge upon my household, plus I have writing to do. At some point I need to tweak the CAPE homeschooling website like I have been promising to do for months, and I have a newsletter to put out as well. Oh, and there's sick baby to be dealt with, and doctor's office drama to be scripted should I decide to go that route, although right now all signs point to NO.
Happy writing!
Tuesday, June 10, 2008
Home Office
Right now, my home office is in the entry to my master bedroom. It's a desk with computer, almost entirely covered with a drift of miscellaneous papers, and there is a pile of unwanted winter clothes and shoes beside it. Clearly this is not the ideal, so I am exploring ways to make it more organized and efficient without spending money. Even so, I wonder how necessary this is. After all, the only thing necessary to my home business is the computer, and I can reach that.
Friday, June 6, 2008
Emmie's Work Week
I met all of my goals for earning, but I have a little catching up to do on sending queries and writing for Suite 101 and my website. I also have to have someone take a picture of me for Suite 101 and my blogs. Because I just know you guys are dying to see my thin hair and flabby butt.
Maybe we'll leave my butt out of the picture.
No word from About.com... fingers cramping from being crossed so long.
Maybe we'll leave my butt out of the picture.
No word from About.com... fingers cramping from being crossed so long.
Wednesday, June 4, 2008
Daily Goals--Tuesday
So, I almost met my goals yesterday. I:
Completed $100 worth of work.
Send a query to one internet publication.
Send a query to one print publication.
Worked for 1/2 hour on Suite 101 related stuff (and actually got that long neglected article published!).
Worked for 1/2 hour on website related stuff (and actually added another article, on cheap and easy organization!).
That just leaves the two queries, which I honestly forgot. Seriously, I spent the late afternoon and evening thinking, am I forgetting something?
Somebody didn't have time to make her lists yesterday. Can you tell?
Completed $100 worth of work.
Send a query to one internet publication.
Send a query to one print publication.
Worked for 1/2 hour on Suite 101 related stuff (and actually got that long neglected article published!).
Worked for 1/2 hour on website related stuff (and actually added another article, on cheap and easy organization!).
That just leaves the two queries, which I honestly forgot. Seriously, I spent the late afternoon and evening thinking, am I forgetting something?
Somebody didn't have time to make her lists yesterday. Can you tell?
Tuesday, June 3, 2008
No News...
... is good news, right? That's what I've always heard.
The last time I applied for an About.com guide position, they rejected me in hours. Hours. Like they didn't even have to think about it. I can see the HR chick reading my writing sample and shuddering.
It's been a day and a half since I turned in my app for Work at Home Moms guide, and I'm still waiting. So I'll call that a good sign!
Off to write about hotels I've never seen...
Happy writing.
The last time I applied for an About.com guide position, they rejected me in hours. Hours. Like they didn't even have to think about it. I can see the HR chick reading my writing sample and shuddering.
It's been a day and a half since I turned in my app for Work at Home Moms guide, and I'm still waiting. So I'll call that a good sign!
Off to write about hotels I've never seen...
Happy writing.
Monday, June 2, 2008
June Goals
- To earn $1200 as a writer.
- To sell an article to one internet publication.
- To sell an article to one print publication.
- To fix my neglected Suite 101 article and write two more.
- To add four new articles to my poor neglected website (which, btw, has a newly revamped Cottage Industries section and a new article on DIY cleaners).
From a practical standpoint, this means that every writing day, I will:
- Perform $100 worth of work.
- Send a query to one internet publication.
- Send a query to one print publication.
- Work for 1/2 hour on Suite 101 related stuff.
- Work for 1/2 hour on website related stuff and no, daily freebies don't count.
Meanwhile, my friends are all in Portland having a par-tay with other homeschoolers and experiencing a very cool city I haven't seen since I was five. Grrrr.
Sunday, June 1, 2008
About.com Guides
I just applied for a job as a Work at Home Moms guide at About.com. I'm at least as qualified as anyone else, after six years now of working from home in a variety of careers and circumstances. So pray for me, or send good vibes my way, or whatever your religion allows.
If you want to make a living in the www universe, being an About guide is a good place to start. It's a whole lotta work, but you'll make at least $720 a month. Wowzers! There's a list of topics they need guides for here.
If you want to make a living in the www universe, being an About guide is a good place to start. It's a whole lotta work, but you'll make at least $720 a month. Wowzers! There's a list of topics they need guides for here.
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