Scentsy Candle Founding Consultant: Guest Post

Meet My Friend

Direct Selling Consultant

I’d like to introduce my readers to Meet My Friend, Jodi Albertini, whom I’ve met through blogging and  invited to Guest Post on Moomette’s Magnificents.

Jodi immediately wowed me as a work-at-home mom who is dedicated to helping other moms succeed in attaining their goals.  She has been a WAHM for the last 4 years; is a social worker by education; an interior decorator by business affiliation and a direct sales professional by choice.

Jodi has built a team of over 1,200 consultants in two years – which she is responsible for mentoring, and has achieved the highest title in this fabulous company.  Additionally, she has spoken at several Scentsy engagements and conventions, as well as participated in training and informational videos for Scentsy.  Jodi has also made several media appearances to speak to her success as a WAHM,  and has recently began writing as an author on www.buzzle.com

With 2 years experience in Direct Sales and a current team of 1,200 consultants, I am frequently asked the “secrets” to my success.   Of course, I could go on with what is required to build a business, elaborating on all the basic motions of growing a successful Direct Sales franchise.  However, I truly believe that there are not too many true “secrets” to building a strong team and a GREAT business.  Rather, I believe that success involves a series of personal choices that differentiate those GOOD consultants from the GREAT ones:

1. Catch a Vision – Develop a vision for your business.  Imagine what it will be like when you have achieved your goals, and then strive to make that vision a reality.  No business is built overnight and big business does not come easy.  However, having an internal perspective of where you want your business to land someday will drive your daily actions that will move you toward success.
2. Share Your Enthusiasm – If you LOVE what you do (and you should), then express your passion for your business on a regular basis.  Passion creates enthusiasm and enthusiasm is contagious.  When engaged in your business, people should see the joy on your face.  Soon those who are watching will want what you have!
3. Be Bold – We often pass up business opportunities due to our own fears or insecurities.  Achieving what we desire often requires taking a chance.  Being bold does not mean that you lack fear.  Rather, it means that you are making choices for the good of your business despite fear.

This list could go on and on.  My perspective is that GREATNESS is not developed completely by what you do, but rather how you do it.  What are some personal choices that you can make to move your business from GOOD to GREAT?

Follow on Twitter: @JJANT

Visit Jodi at: Safe Candle

Jodi Albertini is a SuperStar Director with the Direct Sales Company Scentsy – a wickless, smokeless, flameless and safe candle product (www.safecandle.net).  Jodi has developed a team of 1200 Scentsy consultants in just over two years. She is a Stay-at-Home-Mom, turned Work-at-Home-Mom, with 2 fabulous children and one incredible husband of almost 15 years. Jodi’s formal education is in Social Work and Counseling.  She has learned to take a Psychological approach to sales, recruiting, and mentoring.

If you have a topic of interest that you’d like to share and be a Guest Blogger on Moomette’s Magnificents, please contact me (see Contact tab above).

Copyright 2010 Moomette’s Magnificents – All Rights Reserved

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Connie Roberts of Brain Foggles: Guest Post

Meet My Friend

I’d like to introduce my readers to Meet My Friend, Connie Roberts, whom I’ve invited to Guest Post on Moomette’s Magnificents.  Connie is also known around the blogosphere as “Connie Foggles.”

Connie and I met, if I recall correctly, through Twitter.  We shared some common interests – we were both eBay sellers; moms; were somewhat the same age; and were both bloggers.  As time went on we found ourselves connecting through social media forums, and eventually began a friendship emailing each other sharing blogging tips and talking about being mother-of-the bride at our daughters’ weddings. Recently I learned Connie’s a native New Yorker, even though she now lives in Florida!

Connie Foggles

I’m not sure why I’ve put off writing a guest post for Cindi. It may be because I have to write about myself, which I find a bit difficult.

Now if someone asks me questions, I have something to focus on and don’t feel like I’m tooting my own horn, but just writing without a “script” isn’t easy. Now that I ask bloggers who write product reviews to answer interview questions for my new writing gig with MurrayNewlands.com, I know how frustrating it can be to seek out people that you are actually willing to promote and have them turn you down. So I’m biting the bullet and giving this a go.

I’ve been a WAHM for a long time. I began working from home 11 years ago when my youngest was a few months old. Since I didn’t want to leave her in daycare, I answered an ad that I really thought was a scam. It turned out to be one of the best jobs I’ve ever had. I was a customer service representative for Huffy Bicycles. My hours were flexible and I was even able to work part time as a home health Social Worker once in a while.

But, my life came to a hault suddenly almost 7 years ago, when I was diagnosed with Myasthenia Gravis, a rare neuro-muscular disease.

Soon after that, I was diagnosed with other chronic illnesses and was pretty much bed-bound and unable to work. I went into a deep depression but stuck with my doctor’s treatments. When I was told that I needed to seek help for depression, I did fight a bit, but finally gave in and am so happy that I did.

A few months after I began treatment I recognized that I was able to try to do get back into doing some kind of work, but it had to be at home with a very flexible schedule since I still am sick and have frequent flare ups. I became a member of DOUA – Disabled Online Users Association which helped me learn how to sell on eBay. My husband helped me a great deal with this as packing and shipping was too hard for me to do. The main thing though, was I was doing something! I felt more confident and happier.

After a few years of eBay, I learned about blogging. I began to write to cope with all I was going through. It was like therapy for me.

Then I learned that I could earn money by blogging and my journey began. I monetized Brain Foggles first through paid posts and then through affiliate marketing. When I learned about product reviews I was so excited! I enjoyed sharing my views on products, running giveways and connecting with advertisers. I even was paid for some of my product reviews.

I enjoy paying it forward by helping out other bloggers, volunteering online and in real life and sharing about ways to help non-profits on my blogs. I am an avid reader, am a DisneyFanatic and love spending time with my family. My daughters are 12 years apart so I have the best of both worlds! I recently became a mother of the bride and had a blast planning and attending the wedding. So far I’ve been to Affiliate Summit East 2009 in New York City and IzeaFest 2009 in Orlando. More blogging events are definitely in my future.

I currently publish and author 3 blogs -Brain Foggles, my mom blog where I share about my family and write product reviews, as well as provide information about blogging.

Connie’s View, my parenting blog where I also write some product reviews I have a page devoted to sharing giveaway links.

My Chronic Life – my health blog, where I write about coping with living with chronic illness, disability and provide information on all typed of health issues.

I’m known as @ConnieFoggles on Twitter almost everywhere on the internet. I’m addicted to the internet and have been known to lose sleep staying up too late visiting blogs and hanging out on Twitter and Facebook.

Thanks Cindi for the opportunity to share some information about myself. You have been an inspiration to me with the knowledge you have and continue to learn.

If you have a topic of interest that you’d like to share and be a Guest Blogger on Moomette’s Magnificents, please contact me (see Contact tab above).

Copyright 2010 Moomette’s Magnificents – All Rights Reserved

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@Moomettes

WAHM Shelly Hill – Tupperware Direct Sales Consultant – Guest Post

Meet My Friend

Tupperware – Shelly Hill

I’d like you to Meet My Friend -Shelly Hill. I met Shelly through several of the work-at-home forums that I belonged to.  We met up again when I joined Ryze, where Shelly was the forum moderator for Chic & Classy, which had a huge, huge following.  Our paths have crossed many times over as I joined forces at one point at Affordable Mineral Makeup, and again through social media sites on Twitter and Facebook.

Shelly is one busy work-at-home mom and we  share several common interests – long-marrieds, kids, grandkids, work-at-home businesses as well as an interest in cooking.  Shelly is a Tupperware Manager and was kind enough to share with me one of the latest items from her Tupperware product line.

I received the medium long container in Azure from the FridgeSmart® line.  We’ve been doing quite a bit of camping this summer (you have to read my mosquito post) and this is just perfect for packing our produce, vegetables  and other food items that need protection.

Size-wise it’s 8 ½-cup (2 L) capacity—6″W x 12″L x 3 ½”H (15 x 30 x 8.5 cm) and fits quite nicely in the cooler.  You can regulate the airflow within the container by way of a unique venting system.  Of course, Tupperware virtually sells itself!  I’ve been a fan since I was first married, and that’s 35 years!

Follow Shelly on Twitter @Ravish30

In the past, I’ve touched on topics about tapping into your interests and hidden talent, and parlaying them into a career where you turn your interests into a business. Many readers or their families have become victims of the current recession, and are actively seeking gainful employment. Some, like me, are considering either retiring, or trying to determine a move to another career that will spark our interest – whether it be something entirely different from what we’ve been doing in the past, or entirely new venture.

Perhaps you are off-ramping from corporate life to take time out to raise your children.

I have been inviting bloggers and writers to Guest Blog on my Meet My Friend meme to share their ideas and experiences with my readers who are interested in becoming a mompreneur.

If you have a WAHM or Momepreneur topic of interest that you’d like to share and be a Guest Blogger on Moomette’s Magnificents, please contact me (see Contact tab above).

Thank you Cindi for allowing me to do a guest blog post here on your fantastic blog.

My name is Shelly Hill and I am a 42 year old wahm and wife living in South Central Pennsylvania. I have been happily married to my high school sweetheart Sam for over 24 years. We have a beautiful daughter who is 24 years old who just gave birth to our first grandchild (a little girl) 10 1/2 weeks ago.

Back in 1986, I decided I wanted to supplement my income by trying my hand with Direct Sales, at the time I was working for a local hospital and hated working every other weekend. The first Direct Sales company that I represented was called House of Lloyd and I stayed with that company until they folded in the early 90’s. I then decided to try my hand at Avon since I love Avon products and I stayed with Avon for 5 years until I left as door to door sales were not my cup of tea (although I did well with the business).

I then joined Tupperware back in February 2003 just for the personal discount as we were remodeling our kitchen and pantry. After a few months, I decided to work Tupperware as a home business and I have been with them since.

Over the years, Tupperware has continued to impress me with both their products and their business model. We sell some unique kitchen items that save you time and money but yet allow you to prepare healthy meals from home.

Our business model rewards those who work hard at their business in regards to both sales and team building. This company truly gives back to their sales force members.

In addition to running my Direct Sales business, I have been managing an online group of Direct Sales professionals for 6+ years. I am also an article writer and ghost writer and mainly write about food and recipes along with Direct Sales topics.

I feel very blessed to have met so many great women in my life who continue to strive for greater heights within their businesses. When it comes to Direct Sales, it’s not about who you know…it’s about what you know and about working your business consistently.

Bio: Shelly Hill – Tupperware Manager;  Shak’in & Bak’in in the Kitchen with Shelly; Affordable Mineral Makeup.

Copyright 2010 Moomette’s Magnificents – All Rights Reserved

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@Moomettes

Sew Fierce – Meet My Friend Stephanie – WAHM Guest Post

Meet My Friend

Sew Fierce Couture Clothing

I’d like you to Meet My Friend – Stephanie, from Sew Fierce Couture Clothing I met Stephanie on twitter when I won a gorgeous prize that she had created.

Stephanie is one busy work-at-home mom, and always a pleasure to tweet with – quick to say hello in the morning and always at-the-ready with helpful chat and advice.  You’ll want to read how Steph became an online boutique mompreneur, blogger and manages to keep base camp running smoothly!

Stop by her Etsy boutique and also

Follow Stephanie on Twitter @SewFierce

In the past, I’ve touched on topics about tapping into your interests and hidden talent, and parlaying them into a career where you turn your interests into a business. Many readers or their families have become victims of the current recession, and are actively seeking gainful employment. Some, like me, are considering either retiring, or trying to determine a move to another career that will spark our interest – whether it be something entirely different from what we’ve been doing in the past, or entirely new venture.

Perhaps you are off-ramping from corporate life to take time out to raise your children.

I have been inviting bloggers and writers to Guest Blog on my Meet My Friend meme to share their ideas and experiences with my readers who are interested in becoming a mompreneur.

If you have a WAHM or Momepreneur topic of interest that you’d like to share and be a Guest Blogger on Moomette’s Magnificents, please contact me (see Contact tab above).

Hello everyone from Sunny San Diego. Thank you Cindi for asking me to do a guest post on your wonderful blog, it is an honor.  My name is Stephanie I am a mother to two amazing toddler girls and wife to a wonderful, supportive man whom serves our country in the United States Marine Corps.

Isn’t it funny how we cannot tell people who we are without stating we are a mother and or wife? Sometimes it’s like our former identity has disappeared and now all we are is a mother to someone and or a wife to someone else. As much as I love my family I am more and when days are hard we need to remind ourselves of this.

So while half of me is a wife and mother, my alter ego is an online shop owner and blogger. I have a infant and toddler boutique called Sew Fierce that I started a year ago.

I remember watching my mom when I was very young making clothes for my Barbie’s and matching outfits for myself. I loved every little outfit because it was something special she did just for me. While my sewing adventure started with hemming curtains for my room, I soon moved on to making my first queen size quilt when I realized I was going to need a hobby while on bed rest after my second knee surgery.

After recovery my life became busy and I stopped sewing. A few years later I married my now husband and after a few months of trying and failing, we were pregnant with our first baby girl. It wasn’t until my second pregnancy, also a baby girl, that I finally got back into sewing. I saw some adorable outfits my girlfriends where making for their daughters and decided to try my hand at clothing for my then two year old toddler. At the same time I was cloth diapering my newborn baby girl and thought making my own All In One diapers would be fun. I soon realized I was having so much fun making clothing for my toddler as well as bibs, burps and blankets for my infant that this was a great hobby.

With much encouragement from my close friends and family I decided to open an online shop.

My main focus was to offer my handmade products at a great price. I would see so many beautiful and awe inspiring outfits and accessories for infants and toddlers at boutiques both in town and online, but as a now stay at home mom and military wife it just was not in my budget to spend $100 on a one of a kind outfit. So I thought if I could offer similar products for a great price “that any mommy on any budget could afford”, I would be happy.

Soon after opening my store my girlfriend Sharon suggested I open a blog – Get my name out there and let people get to know me as a mother, wife and business owner. Meet the person behind the Sew Fierce name and feel good knowing that if you buy from me you get top quality and someone who prides themselves in only giving my customers the best of what I have to offer. My blog, A Pocket Full Of Buttons has turned out to be more than I ever would have thought. It has been great therapy for me and I have so many wonderful ladies and new friends like Cindi because of it.

While my online business started with making bibs, burps and crayon Rollie Pollies, I soon added the clothing line. I have to say the clothing is my biggest joy. Seeing each piece finished is a thrill and when someone buys an outfit or a dress and tells me how much they love it, I then know that this is what I am meant to do.

And how awesome is it that I can do this from home with my girls by my side!

Stephanie has generously offered Moomette’s Magnificents  to host a Giveaway Contest! For a chance to win, there will be one (1) winner of a $25.00 Gift Certificate to Sew Fierce to be used on any products
custom or ready to ship.

Please include a way of contacting you. Should you be the contest winner, this information may be shared with the contest sponsor in order to send your prize.

Main Rule:   (remember if this rule is not followed then no others will count)
a) Sign up for my free Newsletter Updates to my blog through my e-mail Feedblitz link (on the top of my right column or let me know if you already are, in a separate comment) AND

b) Visit Sew Fierce and leave a comment about one of their products you’d like to try and why.

This contest will run until August 20 at 11:00 pm. EDT

For Additional Entries, check out my Contest Entry Rules.

Copyright 2010 Moomette’s Magnificents – All Rights Reserved

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@Moomettes

Life in Dysfunction Junction: Part 3 Guest Post By The Cat

Celebrity Guest Post

Life in Dysfunction Junction

My mom is on vacation this week taking a much need break, and I’ve been asked to guest post.

The theme this week is to give a little insight into family life here in Dysfunction Junction, Connecticut.

Little did she know that she has finally given me an opportunity after all these years to vent and  finally let everybody know exactly how I feel.

About Me

I am The Cat. I’m 12 years old and I arrived on the scene when DD26 was in 8th grade.  What happened exactly was that when DD was in 3rd grade and asked what she could get if she ever made straight A’s in school, the ‘rents erroneously said “anything.” So the kid made straight A’s in 8th grade for both terms, and the rest is history.

My Kitty Pictures

The ‘rents were originally dog people.  At least Dad was.  See, I replaced Dog #1

Dog #1

But he died of epilepsy when he was 18 months old.  Wonder what caused it.

Then, Dog #2 arrived, pre and post-kids, and lasted 12 years.  After that, they were fur-free for awhile, until I came along.

Dog #2

So they really had to have a professional picture of this mutt taken?  Geez.

But Mom is a cat person.  I really should have been an outdoor cat, but they turned me into this house cat, and the most fresh air I get is occasionally sitting on the open windowsill.  Once in awhile I manage to sneak out.  I actually caught a mouse – once – in the house.  See, I earn my keep.

Here’s a few of my favorite things to do.

Hide and Go Seek

Sunbathe

Every now and then they like to humiliate me.

Is My Dinner Ready Yet?

Life was good, until the Grand Dog came along.   That dog is over here way too much.  The kid got married, and brings the mutt over, and I got stuffed in a cage.

We have to learn to get along

At least I’m not the only one who gets humiliated.  Anyway, I think I look better in antlers than the Mutt does in that dumb Santa hat and bunny ears.

Just Trying to Wrap Presents

Mutt at Christmas

Easter Bunny Mutt

See, I can give it back to the Mutt, just like the Mutt  gave it to me when she first arrived on the scene.  Want a cookie *sshat?

Want a dog cookie *sshat?

Just try to get your dog bone back *sshat

Some of my favorite things to do is aggravate Mom now that she spends waaay too much time blogging instead of giving me the attention I rightfully deserve.

I like to crawl into the printer drawer when she’s printing things out.  Wow, you should hear the words that come out of her mouth – #$%&*#@.  But it works – I get coaxed out with Turkey.

Another thing I like to do is this.

I am more important than that screen

>

This really frosts my mom.  That way, she’s paying attention to me instead of whatever it is she’s looking at on that screen.

She’ll be back tomorrow, as she’s busy working on her Recipe Blog.

If I get enough comments on this post, maybe she’ll let me Guest Post again.

Further Reading:

Woodstock: Part I – Talking About My Generation

Post Woodstock: Part 2 – The 1970s And Still Kid-Free

If I Could Turn Back Time: Part 4 – The Kids Arrive

Copyright 2010 Moomette’s Magnificents – All Rights Reserved

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@Moomettes

WAHM – ElyOrganics – Miessence Products – Guest Post

Meet My Friend

ElyOrganics – Miessence Organics

Certified Organic Skin and Body Care, Baby Care, Cosmetics & Nutritional Products

I’d like you to Meet My Friend -  Erin Ely, from Ely Organics. I met Erin on twitter and we’ve kept connecting through the various social networking sites that we both seem to meet up on.

I’ve done several posts on organic products in the past and Erin was kind enough to send me a full-sized container of the Miessence Sunflower Body Wash to try.

I use it on a loufa in the shower and like the fact that it is Gluten-Free and moisturizes with a vitamin-rich organic sunflower oil.  I just love the refreshing scent, which contains orange peel, lemon peel and lime peel oils.

You can follow Erin on Twitter @erinely

In the past, I’ve touched on topics about tapping into your interests and hidden talent, and parlaying them into a career where you turn your interests into  a business.  Many readers or their families have become  victims of the current recession, and are actively seeking gainful employment.  Some, like me, are considering either retiring, or trying to determine a move to another career that will spark our interest – whether it  be something entirely different from what we’ve been doing in the past, or entirely new venture.

Perhaps you are off-ramping from corporate life to take time out to raise your children.

I have been inviting bloggers and writers to Guest Blog on my Meet My Friend meme to share their ideas and experiences with my readers who are interested in becoming a mompreneur.

If you have a WAHM or Momepreneur topic of interest that you’d like to share and be a Guest Blogger on Moomette’s Magnificents, please contact me (see Contact tab above).

It all started one night in March of 2005, when I was surfing the internet for information, educating myself on chemicals in body care products when I discovered  miessence® products and the ONEgroup business opportunity.  I had been eating organic food for about 10 years previous and in 2005, I began to understand more about the whole issue of chemicals in body care products.

You skin is your largest organic and most of what you put on your skin goes directly into your blood stream, which in a sense is more critical than when you eat something with chemicals.  When you eat something, it passes through your digestive tract and is broken down, this does not happen with the things you put on your skin.  The patches for birth control and nicotine, etc are a prime example of this, what you put on your skin passes directly into your blood stream.  Over the years I have become more and more concerned about chemical pollution in general, not just in body care products.

I have to admit,I was not remotely interested in a network marketing type of business opportunity, as a matter of fact I have never seen a network marketing product that I would buy or use.  When I found ONEgroup website and the miessence® products, I read everything I could about the company and the products. Something that really captured my attention was that the complete ingredients list were displayed on every product page.  At this time, they were one of the only companies that displayed their complete ingredients lists and they were the only company with an extensive line of food standard certified organic skin and body care products. miessence® have been food standard certified organic since 2001, making them the world’s first extensive range of certified organic skin & body care products.

I am a total organic nut and a fanatic when it comes to reading ingredients lists. I would never purchase a product without seeing the full ingredients list.  When I read the miessence® ingredients lists, there were only names of things I could understand, all plants, no long chemical names.  I knew right then, that I had to try them.

I ordered the products and began my business all within about a 2 to 4 day period.  In January 2008, I created my website: ElyOrganics – Your Source for Miessence products. I had been a stay at home mom for 15 years when I discovered miessence®.  While I was not looking for a business opportunity I had been thinking about going back to work.   Being home, doing my own thing for 15 years, made it very challenging for me to want to work for someone.  I had grown way to independent minded for that I felt.

At the time, I was a homebirthing, attachment parenting, extended breastfeeding, homeschooling mom and I was not interested in working outside the home.  After using the products and identifying with the values of the ONEgroup, selling miessence® just seemed to make sense for me. The miessence® products are something I can get behind and can feel good about offering to others and I can run my business from home. This has allowed me the flexibility to be available for my kids when they need me and the resources and time to travel when it is convenient. I get to focus on the things in life that are important to me; my family, volunteering in my community and supporting non-profit organizations. I buy carbon offsets for my home office and the ONEgroup also purchases carbon offsets for all their manufacturing and shipping of miessence® products.  A percentage of all enrollment fees go to support the David Suzuki foundation.

You can read more about this on my website: ElyOrganics.com

Erin has generously offer to host a Giveaway Contest for readers of Moomette’s Magnificents!  For a chance to win, there will be one (1) winner of  one (1) Miessence Sunflower Body Wash.

Please include a way of contacting you. Should you be the contest winner, this information may be shared with the contest sponsor in order to send your prize.

Main Rule:   (remember if this rule is not followed then no others will count)
a) Sign up for my free Newsletter Updates to my blog through my e-mail Feedblitz link (on the top of my right column or let me know if you already are, in a separate comment) AND

b) Visit ElyOrganics and leave a comment about another fact that wasn’t mentioned in this post and another product you’d like to try.

This contest will run until August 18 at 11:00 pm. EDT

For Additional Entries, check out my Contest Entry Rules.

Copyright 2010 Moomette’s Magnificents – All Rights Reserved

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@Moomettes

Big Sky Country – Real Country Living – WAHM Guest Post

Meet My Friend

Real Country Living

Long before I became a blogger, I was a Power Seller on eBay.  Although I no longer have a store, I still continue to sell on the auction site. I was also a Moderator on an eBay forum, where I met many wonderful people. Most of the members of the forum had eBay stores, so we shared a commonality.

If you’ve ever spent any amount of time on forums, you’ll know that sometimes you just “click” and hit it off with certain members.

In the past, I’ve touched on topics about tapping into your interests and hidden talent, and parlaying them into a career where you turn your interests into  a business.  Many readers or their families have become  victims of the current recession, and are actively seeking gainful employment.  Some, like me, are considering either retiring, or trying to determine a move to another career that will spark our interest – whether it  be something entirely different from what we’ve been doing in the past, or entirely new venture.

Perhaps you are off-ramping from corporate life to take time out to raise your children.

I have been inviting bloggers and writers on my Meet My Friend meme to share their ideas and experiences with my readers who are interested in becoming a mompreneur.

If you have a WAHM or Momepreneur topic of interest that you’d like to share and be a Guest Blogger on Moomette’s Magnificents, please contact me (see Contact tab above).

I’d like you to Meet My Friend -  Deena, from Real Country Living,  a work-at-home mom of 5 – although I no longer have an Ebay store, we still keep in contact, and both have become avid bloggers!

What amazed me about Deena is that she spoke so candidly of living out yonder in Montana – Big Sky Country! I like to think that I’m the City Mouse, and Deena is the Country Mouse!

On the forum, we discussed how easily it was for us “city folks” to find inventory, and Deena would speak as to how she would have to drive for miles on end and make a whole day excursion to locate inventory for her store!

I’ve never been farther west than Chicago, and just marvel at the photos that Deena shares of her lifestyle and beautiful part of the country!  You just have to go visit and see for yourself!  Follow Deena on Twitter @RealCountryGal

Thanks Deena for sharing with my readers

Hello and thank you to Cindi for inviting me to do a guest post here on the fabulous Moomette’s Magnificents!

My name is Deena and I am happily married to Wade, my husband and partner of almost 27 years now. We are blessed with five children; three boys and two girls.

After growing up in a number of cities throughout most of my childhood, I met and married my cowboy husband here in the heart of Montana. Wade was raised on the cattle ranch that we now own and operate.

Morphing from city girl into a country gal has been such an interesting and exciting journey. Being a mother and homemaker has been the most important and fulfilling job I could have asked for. I am also the Financial Specialist for the ranch and of these titles come with a ‘room and board’ salary!

Over the years I have searched for ways to contribute financially to our family and the ranch, but living 60 miles from town makes employment outside the home impractical and surely not profitable.

In my effort to earn money I’ve sold hand-crafted knitted and sewn items, taught piano lessons for 16 years and recently opened an eBay store, Mudder’s Little Spudders.  My passion though, is my website, Real Country Living, where we share the reality of our way of life to the world. RCL is very much an infant and has not quite reached its first birthday. There is much to do and more content to add, so this project will keep me very busy and happy for a long time!

I stumbled onto the idea of becoming a webmaster quite by accident and had no idea that l’il old me could pull this off with no training whatsoever. I love to tell about how I built my website, so pop on over if you’d like to hear more. Not only do I get to share my love of country living to anyone who wants to take part, but this website has also become an additional income source for my family. Doing something I adore, from my own home…sometimes in my PJ’s…is a dream come true!

Our eBay store is soon to be a standalone shop which branches from  RCL, so because of the impending transition, Mudder’s isn’t very stocked at the moment. The new e-store is in the works and will specialize in western wear old and new~ natural decorating elements like real Montana pine cones and wheat~along with a plethora of other country goodies.

Our new store name is the Montana Mercantile. Maybe Cindi will post an update when it is functional so you all can visit!

I’d love to hear from you, so use the ‘contact us’ form on Real Country Living to ask me questions or just let me know where you call home and what you’re doing! May my website provide pieces of country living that can be arranged into your own version of bliss!

And again, thank you, Cindi! You are an inspiration to all of us who are working hard to fulfill our dreams!

Copyright 2010 Moomette’s Magnificents – All Rights Reserved

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Meet My Friend: Candy of Lil’ Baby Cakes – Guest Post

Meet My Friend

Lil’ Baby Cakes

I’d like to have you Meet My Friend Candy, a very special mom that I met through the social networking site, Twitter.  Candy, a/k/a @lilbabycakes is a  mom and the Owner/Proprietor of Lil’ Baby Cakes.   I invited Candy to be a Guest Blogger and share with you how she started her business.

In the past, I’ve touched on topics about tapping into your interests and hidden talent, and parlaying them into a career where you turn your interests into  a business.  Many readers or their families have become  victims of the current recession, and are actively seeking gainful employment.  Some, like me, are considering either retiring, or trying to determine a move to another career that will spark our interest – whether it  be something entirely different from what we’ve been doing in the past, or entirely new venture.

Perhaps you are off-ramping from corporate life to take time out to raise your children.

I have been inviting bloggers and writers on my Meet My Friend meme to share their ideas and experiences with my readers who are interested in becoming a mompreneur.

If you have a WAHM topic of interest that you’d like to share and be a Guest Blogger on Moomette’s Magnificents, please contact me (see Contact tab above).

Here Candy shares her story about how she became the Proprietor of Lil’ Baby Cakes – Unique Baby Gifts that new moms adore – The Diaper Cake

Making the decision to leave corporate America after 21 years was one of the most difficult decisions in my life.  Along the way I had daily reminders that I was really not in control of my destiny.  Work pressures weighed on me heavily as I did conference calls late into the evening sitting in bed next to my husband.  I missed many of my kids activities at school as well.  Something had to change and after many weeks if not months of soul searching I started my search to find my next career.

I have always enjoyed making things as a little girl and have always had a knack for decorating and doing crafts.  My next steps were going to take me in that direction.  I made an offer on a business and began the transition after resigning from my corporate job in April 2007.  So far, so good.

Unfortunately, the deal fell through and low and behold I now had nothing!  Believe me I sat up at night questioning myself over and over again.  But with the support of my husband I hung in there and continued to search.  In September 2007 I found Lil’ Baby Cakes and knew I found my “baby“.  We closed in December 2007.

I felt relief and just a sense of calmness knowing I got off the corporate treadmill.  I had time to be with the kids, my husband, and friends.  I felt great about Lil’ Baby Cakes and my start as a small business owner began.  Being the creative type I truly love the opportunity to design new diaper cakes and work with my customers.  I operate the business with a small team of ladies out of a leased office space, as it’s not practical to run from a home.  I’ve spent a lot of time nurturing Lil’ Baby Cakes into a professional shopping experience for our customers including our website, blog, phone support, and naturally our diaper cakes.  I really strive to offer an upscale product that any new mom would be thrilled to receive.

I believe you can break the mold of working a corporate job that takes time away from family and the responsibilities of being a mom to follow one’s true passions. I can now participate in our kid’s activities, and can honestly say I am doing what I love.

My biggest lessons in my journey so far is that I wear many hats and my job is never done.  However, I have freedom to pick and choose how to spend my time.  It’s never a straight path to reach your goals.  I found that out very quickly!  I’m still reaching for the stars and encourage other moms reading this to pursue their dreams.  Don’t get discouraged by the setbacks as I believe they are inevitable.  Besides it makes the “wins” that much sweeter.

Courtesy of Lil’ Baby Cakes, Moomette’s Magnificents  is hosting a Giveaway Contest!

Planning a baby shower?  Or maybe you just had a baby yourself or has a friend that would enjoy winning a baby shower diaper cake from Lil’ Baby Cakes.

Lil Baby Cakes’ diaper cakes are not only adorable but make a great practical gift because one thing the new mom will definitely need is diapers.  Whether used for a baby shower centerpiece or given as a gift I can guarantee you this is a gift that will be used.

We are featuring the Monkey Giraffe Diaper Cake.  This adorable diaper cake features a zoo themed design and is a gender neutral design. Value $73

Here’s what’s included:

* Approximately 40 Pampers Swaddler Size 1     Diapers
* Plush Monkey
* Plush Giraffe
* Johnson & Johnson travel items (shampoo, lotion, wash, powder)
* Palm tree and monkey embellishments
* Luxury ribbon and Jungle Vines to set the stage

There will be one (1) Lucky Winner!

Please include a way of contacting you. Should you be the contest winner, this information may be shared with the contest sponsor in order to send your prize.

Main Rule:   (remember if this rule is not followed then no others will count)
a) Sign up for my free Newsletter Updates to my blog through my e-mail Feedblitz link (on the top of my right column or let me know if you already are, in a separate comment) AND

b) Visit Lil’ Baby Cakes and leave a comment about another fact that wasn’t mentioned in this post, what you like best about this design and WHY you’d like to win this adorable diaper cake.

Now for extra entries (each task will get you 1 extra entry):

~One Extra Entry: Add my banner button to your sidebar or add me to your blogroll, and come back here and leave the link (I will be checking)

~ One Extra Entry: Become a Fan of Moomettesgram on Facebook and let me know your name in a separate comment.

~ One Extra Entry: Follow Me on Google Friend Connect (right sidebar) and leave your name in a separate comment.

~ One Extra Entry: Follow Me on Networked Blogs (right sidebar) and leave your name in a separate comment.

~One Extra Entry: Comment on any non-giveaway article on my blog and leave your name a separate comment letting me know which post you commented on

~ One Extra Entry: Follow Me on Twitter and let me know your Twitter name in a separate comment.

~One Extra Entry: Tweet about this contest:

Just send the following tweet:

@Moomettes is offering a Monkey Giraffee Diaper Cake Giveaway sponsored by Lil’ Baby Cakes.   Contest ends July 30, 2009 http://bit.ly/wLOGt

and come back to this post and leave the URL link to the Tweet so I can check. You may Retweet once per day until the end of the contest, but please leave a separate comment for each Retweet, along with the permalink

~One Extra Entry: Blog about the contest on your blog linking to my blog and the site

~One Extra Entry: Favorite Moomette’s Magnificents in Technorati and leave your name (I will be checking) in a separate comment  (the link is on my right sidebar).

Make sure you comment separately for each task after the required entry task so you will get credit for each one ~ and leave your e-mail where you can be contacted.

This contest will run until July 30, 2009 at approximately 11:00 pm.

Winners are chosen by Random.Org, if you want all your chances counted, make sure you leave individual comments, not all of them in one!

*Winner has 48 hours to contact me or another name will be chosen.

*Include your email if it’s not enabled.
*Anyone can enter, however, the diaper cake can only be shipped within the 48 contiguous states.
*Rules for each entry must be followed to be valid.

Copyright 2010 Moomette’s Magnificents – All Rights Reserved

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WAHM Baby Boomer Grandma Caregiver: Meet My Friend Kaye from SandwichINK – Guest Post

Today I’d like to introduce you to my friend and fellow Baby Boomer,  Kaye, one of my Twitter friends/followers. Kaye is a Christian, a mom, a grandma, a widow, member of the Sandwich Generation, a multi-generational caregiver, a writer, a blogger, a tweeter at Twitter, a bit of a computer geek, a real estate investor, and a bookworm, among about a zillion other things. Follow Kaye on Twitter @SandwichINK

I have been inviting bloggers and writers on my Meet My Friend meme to share their ideas and experiences with my readers who are interested in Working from Home.

If you have a WAHM topic of interest that you’d like to share and be a Guest Blogger on Moomettesgram’s Musings, please contact me (see Contact tab above).

Greetings from The Sandwich Generation! And a big thank you to Cindi for inviting me to do a guest post. For the past ten years I’ve been caregiving for my sweet aging parents and my adorable grandkids, as well as just plain enjoying all nine of my wonderful grandkids. As a Baby Boomer widow, I pretty much hit all the grand clichés of this season in life, including those marvelous heating opportunities called Hot Flashes.

I decided to make good use of all that I’ve learned from these widely varied experiences by starting my blog, SandwichINK My goal for SandwichINK is to provide information and encouragement for fellow Sandwich Generation caregivers, and others, sharing tips about elder care intermingled with fun crafts and projects for grandkids.

While I’ve been writing for work and pleasure for decades, I officially started this business almost a year ago, in August. Then again, my plans for this site actually started taking shape six years ago. At that time, I began doing the research and was in the process of beginning, when my dad’s Parkinson’s Disease started progressing faster and one of my daughters was put on bed rest with a difficult pregnancy. Eight grandkids, one set of twins, three special needs, one NICU, one hospice, and many new lessons later, I finally began. I’ve discovered blog technology has gotten much easier in the last five years which makes me quite happy. Still, there’s been a lot to learn, even for a geek grandma who has been using computers since the early 80’s.

I thought I’d share some of the resources that helped me most when starting. Hopefully there will be useful information here for everyone – both the newbies and those with plenty of experience under their belts.

My three favorite resource sites, in addition to Cindi’s, include:

1. Problogger – This site is extremely informative and very encouraging. I especially recommend going over his series, 31 Days To Building A Better Blog, which he’s done three times. Each series is different and full of extremely valuable information for building and improving your blog, as well as promoting it. If you go to the 31 days archives,  it seems to have all the different series intermixed. When I began, I would print out a few and take them with me to read while standing in line, babysitting grandkids, or waiting in the doctors’ offices. It’s a wealth of information, including many of the comments as well. In addition, Problogger’s Darren Rowse has also written an excellent book aptly titled, Problogger. I highly recommend it as well.

2. Copyblogger – Brian Clark’s site is another valuable resource with an emphasis on the art of writing and promoting your blog. I especially appreciate his series on headlines, including Magnetic Headlines. At the bottom of this article, you will find the links to the rest of the series, such as 10 Sure-Fire Headlines that Work and 7 More Sure-Fire Headline Templates That Work.

3. DoshDosh – Maki’s site is another that I turn to weekly if not more often. He saved my blog big time when I decided to change my permalinks from “site name/date/category/post name” to the simpler and easier to remember “site name/post name.” It’s great for SEO and easier for people to remember. Unfortunately, by changing the names of existing articles, I created massive 404 page headaches for myself. DoshDosh came to the rescue with his article, How to Survive a Category and Permalink Overhaul on your Wordpress Blog.  I had to add one software plugin he didn’t mention, and since then things have been fine. In addition, by having these tools in place, I have saved myself headaches many times since when I’ve had other 404 page errors I might never have known about, thanks to one of the plugins he recommended.

My two favorite software resources include:

1. Thesis! I tried several other themes and kept getting so confused. I’m a great end user but have never been able to do much programming. When I bought Thesis, I was able to get my site up, running, and looking good with minimal tech “coding.” I’ve actually started learning little bits and pieces of CSS and HTML – enough to center a photo in HTML, but still not enough to get too fancy. Since I love simple designs on blogs, I’ve been fine without digging too deeply into its guts. I also love that if and when I have the time and inclination to want to do more, they have a wonderful forum with some really talented gurus to help me. There is a cost for this theme, but to me, it’s been well worth it. I have signed up to be an affiliate, as I like it so much, however this link is NOT my affiliate link

2. Windows Live Writer – It is so much easier to write my posts in Live Writer and then upload it to Wordpress. One of my biggest frustrations when working directly with Wordpress is that I could never figure out how to add photos and clipart to my posts. I discovered Windows Live Writer and somehow, when I use it to add the pictures, Wordpress accepts them. I’m sure there’s a good reason behind the issue, but with Live Writer, I can spend my time writing instead of problem-solving. On top of all that, it’s free! That’s my favorite price for anything! It’s not perfect, nor is it as easy as using Word. It’s close though and easier than anything else I’ve tried!

All in all, the past year has been a definite learning curve, but I’ve enjoyed it so much. I love computers, the internet, and writing so it’s the kind of work I really enjoy! Do pop over to visit SandwichINK and say howdy. We’d love to see you and share caregiving tips with you! And again, Cindi, thank you so much for sharing your site with me. It’s definitely another one of my favorite resources!

BIO: Kaye Swain is a work at home Grandma and caregiver. In between taking care of her mom, four of her nine grandkids, and visiting her other grandkids and extended family, she is busy at the computer, writing, researching, and writing some more.  Be sure to check out SandwichINK’s first ever contest – a lovely designer banner for a beloved’s walker or rollator (rolling walker).

Disclaimer: Guest Post opinions are strictly those of the author.

Copyright 2010 Moomette’s Magnificents – All Rights Reserved

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ExPat WAHM Mom In Brazil: Meet My Friend Linda – Guest Post

Today I’d like to introduce you to my friend Linda, one of my Twitter friends/followers.  Linda is an expat work-at-home Mom Living in Brazil.  Follow Linda on Twitter @brazilianlinda

I have been inviting bloggers and writers to share their ideas and experiences with my readers who are interested in Working from Home.

If you have a WAHM topic of interest that you’d like to share and be a Guest Blogger on Moomettesgram’s Musings, please contact me (see Contact tab above).

The Wonders of WAHM Life in Brazil

I believe that if I hadn’t moved to Brazil I would not be a WAHM. Instead I would probably be very career focused and working for some busy company in London while juggling mom life. Only that I swap my London mom life for a Brazil mom life, the best choice I’ve ever made.

There isn’t really a term for WAHMs here although many moms work from home doing something or have their own little biz where they help sustain the family.  There are many moms who are at home doing nothing at all and that is accepted in general. So when I say I work at home I have to emphasize that I really do work at home. I don’t just clean my house all day like most Brazilian “done de casa” (housewives)

That I work online makes it even more difficult for them to understand and just like my husband first was doubtful they don’t really see how anyone can make any money working online.  I love living in a sunny country and I believe that is part of what keeps me happy and less stressed. There are times though I get stressed and because my work is always so close it can be tough relaxing. To make sure my family does not get neglected I have restricted my working hours to only during the day. When my husband comes home I try not to work unless I really need to and a project cannot wait until the next day.

Being a WAHM outside of Europe or US has its downsides when it comes to getting paid. There is yet no way to transfer money from PayPal to a Brazilian bank account here so you need a backup plan if you want to work online. Thankfully I do have a UK bank account so I don’t have to worry about that, but if I hadn’t perhaps I would have resisted along the way.

I feel very blessed to be a WAHM and to live in a wonderful country like Brazil. There are many things I wish I could change here, but I love it just the same. I believe that my International view of life only helps me grow as a person and as a professional. I am a very positive person and life has taught me that nothing is impossible so let me leave you with a few positive tips that can help the everyday WAHM life go a bit smoother;

Don’t stress yourself over things you cannot change. Have a schedule for how you do things and you will be able to run your biz much easier.

Money can be a complicated issue; do remember that sometimes we need to invest in ourselves and our biz for it to grow. By being a frugal mom you can invest more in your business and as it grows so will your bank account hopefully. Extra tip: If you are an online WAHM then joining in with the moms at Mom Masterminds is well worth the monthly fee.

I believe that in order to be a fully efficient WAHM you need to be organized. Take a look at how you run your business and see what you can do to improve it today. Take the time needed to set up automated ways to run your biz.

It doesn’t matter how much you know if you don’t act. Use what you have now to prepare yourself for tomorrow.

Bio: Linda Hernestal da Silva is a Swedish Web Designer and freelance writer in Brazil who loves to help other wahms. You can find her at Berries and Cream Blog Design where she helps moms get a design they love and at A Mommy in Brazil where she writes about the adventures in Brazil and you can follow her at Twitter.

Disclaimer: Guest Post opinions are strictly those of the author.

Copyright 2010 Moomette’s Magnificents – All Rights Reserved

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@Moomettes

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