Are you looking for more traffic to your Blog, online e-Store or eBay Store?  Have you jumped on the Twitter bandwagon yet? If not, read on!

I signed up just recently and I’m having so much fun! Not only have I met new friends, but I find that it’s the perfect medium to stay on top of things. It’s also really easy to communicate with my fellow bloggers that I’ve met through Entrecard.  Hey ~ even this Baby Boomer tries to stay ahead of the curve on all the latest technology!  Here’s why I think it’s great for WAHMs to use to promote your online businesses, blogs or eBay business.

Whether you are just getting started with an online business or you have been around for a while and looking for a new way to network, have a look at Twitter. Part chat program and part tiny blog, you will find that the Twitter interface is one that can change the way you interact with your current customers and potential customers worldwide.

Here’s 5 reasons why Twitter’s a powerful marketing tool for online WAHM business owners like you.

1. It’s Short, Sweet & To the Point
Have you ever heard the phrase, less is more? You’ll find that one of the best things about Twitter is that it keeps all messages very short and sweet. You’ll have to give your customers and clients the gist of what is going on in short tweets (messages similar to instant messages) that allow their interest to be piqued in such a way as to make them investigate further. You won’t bother them with long-winded messages that make them yawn and move on. Instead, you’ll be able to catch their attention quickly and make them want to know more.

2. Immediacy
Much like a blog or an RSS feed, you can get access to the people that use Twitter regularly. In some ways, this is like making sure that you can reach them no matter where they are, and you’ll find that this is very important when you want to make marketing one of your biggest priorities. You’re making sure that they have all of the latest updates to what you are doing and what’s going on by simply sending a tweet their way.

3. Everyone’s Doing It
In many ways, Twitter is a social program more than it is a marketing one, and you’ll find that using Twitter can help you feel a great deal closer to your client base and other’s in your online community. If you are looking to make sure that they see you as a person rather than as simply a company or service, you’ll find that Twitter encourages them to think of you as someone they can get to know. This can be very important when it comes to establishing a customer base and customer loyalty.

4. You Get to Hear a Lot
Remember that it goes both ways; you can put information out on Twitter and you can also learn a lot too. By following other’s Twitter accounts, especially if it looks like they have a lot to offer, you can keep in the know about various products, services, and other happenings online. This can be a great way to keep an eye on what is going on in order to keep yourself in the know of your industry.

5. Make Them Laugh
You can also use Twitter to tease people a little bit, in a fun way, of course! When you use Twitter, you have to keep your messages short, and in many ways, a little mysterious. Pique their interest, joke around, and you’ll find that you gain a lot more followers and hopefully website traffic and customers as a result.

Be warned, just as with any other social networking site, Twitter can quickly become addicting if you let it. Don’t go overboard and get so involved in all the tweeting that it takes away from your intended purpose. Used wisely Twitter can be a great and powerful marketing tool to help create online business success.

Sign up for my Newsletter for more updates about Twitter.

Want to know what I’m doing now?  Just read my Twitter Box on my right-hand sidebar!  Follow Me!

It’s been a week now since the 3-day Wedding of the Season took place. I’ve put away the (so I thought) sexy little black Red-Carpet Runway dress that I wore. You know how you look forward to special events, and then after they take place, it’s like such a letdown that the big event is now behind you?

My youngest daughter, the college student, looked stunning in her boutique Jessica McClintock dress, and got many compliments. She’s turned into a real stunner. But I have to mention that we spent many long hours in the waiting room of dermatologist offices when she was in High School. She had tried every over-the -counter acne products and prescription medicines to try to clear up her skin.

Are you planning a wedding soon?  Perhaps you’ll be a bridesmaid this summer.

Oftentimes acne problems aren’t limited to just teenagers, and can manifest during pregnancy and even mid-life. If you find yourself looking for a solution, check out Get Acne Treatments.

Get Acne Treatments is dedicated to exhaustive and comprehensive research on all the best acne treatments. They systematically categorize products based upon the following criteria:

* Safety
* Efficacy
* Value
* Quality
* Company
* Customer Feedback

Their reviews are constantly updated, and their list of Top Acne Treatments changes frequently.

Awhile back I wrote about how Baby Boomer Gram is trying to keep up with technology and the times.  You can read my post here.

As a mom of then teenagers, and now young adults, I’ve had to learn to use AIM Instant Messenger to keep in constant contact; then I had to learn how to text message on my cell if I wanted to know if the kiddos were still alive, and it goes on and on.

My latest feat is that now I am …. Twittering!  Even my kids don’t Twitter, yet  ~ so I’m ahead of the curve here!

Here’s a great tip for WAHM moms, or any online ebiz, or ebay store owner.

Would you like to earn auto-pilot commissions every time you post to your blog? And at the same time use the Power of Twitter to drive massive amounts of traffic to your blog.

I know it sounds like a fairy tale, but it just became reality, with the launch of John Merrick and Soren Jordansen’s new “Tweet My Blog“.

Just by using the powerful free plugin, you will be promoting your affiliate link on auto-pilot. In other words, you can earn commissions just for posting to your blog.

But that’s just one of the many benefits of using TweetMyBlog, visit the page to learn more - and grab your free copy today.

And… Even though they are giving this plugin away for free, you should take a close look at the special offer they have in store for you when join. I instantly grabbed my own copy, and I know it will skyrocket my marketing power when using Twitter and Wordpress.

I don’t know if they’re are going to keep this free forever, I certainly feel they could start charging big bucks for it. So, grab your copy today, while it’s still free - and start using it before you competition does!

This weekend was so busy! As many of you were aware, I attended my nieces wedding, which turned out to be a 3-day party! The weather was magnificent, and the Bride and Groom were beaming!

It was a great time to get together with extended family and friends. We had the opportunity to meet my Sister-In-Law’s “new sweetie.” My brother-in-law passed away several years ago, and we’re delighted to meet the new man in her life and see her so happy once again. This is a long-distance relationship, up and down the East Coast. New Beau is retired, but considers himself a “Handyman Contractor.” Besides being a nice guy and winning over the in-laws, it’s even better that he can make himself useful when he comes up to visit!

There’s always plenty of work needed around This Old House of mine. I’m sure many of my bloggy friends, and especially those who are single moms or mid life Baby Boomer retirees, can always use someone to do some chores and repairs that are beyond our expertise.

If you’re looking to fix up the old homestead and looking for Houston Contractors, or trying to find quality contractors in the following areas: remodeling, heating and air conditioning, roofing, electrical, general, plumbing, painting, flooring, among others ~ check out Clicksmart Certified Contractors for an expert contractor in your state!

Are you an armchair traveler?  I must say that I am.  I basically travel vicariously.  But unlike me, my niece has circumnavigated the globe like the explorer’s of yesteryear.  By the time she was 21, I think she’d had accumulated more frequent-flier miles than any Baby Boomer I know!

My niece graduated the University of Vermont, and did a study-abroad in Adelaide, Australia.  During her time there, my lucky sister-in-law and brother-in-law ventured to see her and spent some time touring the country.  The photos they brought back were spectacular!  Unfortunately, I don’t fly well, not even to Chicago!

There was a movie many years ago when I was a kid called the “Time Machine.” ~ I remember the original, 1960 version, so please don’t laugh.   That’s how I prefer to travel ~ walk me in one door,  close it ~ open the other door, and poof ~ I’m there!

I have a new friend from Australia on Mom Blogger’s Club.  Annette Piper writes Under the Loupe.  Annette lives on a cattle ranch in NSW, Australia with her husband and 3 children, and has a background in gemology.  You just have to visit her site to see the magnificent hand crafted artisan gemstone jewelry creations that she makes!  Annette’s writing style will just mesmerize you, and makes you definitely want to visit her country!

I was “tagged” by Annette with this Meme where I am supposed to list six of my quirks and then tag six other people.  Only six?  Ha ~ you my loyal readers know I have more than six quirks, as I’ve done this Meme before.  But here are my latest ones:

Here are the rules:

1. link the person(s) who tagged you
2. Mention the rules on your blog
3. Tell about 6 unspectacular quirks of yours
4. Tag 6 following bloggers by linking them. Leave a comment on each of the tagged blogger’s blogs letting them know they’ve been tagged.

1.  I long to live a simpler lifestyle.  I’m tired of ’suburbia,’ which is no longer ’suburbia’ in Connecticut.  It’s just one big metropolis and the traffic is horrendous.  Even though I try to pace myself and slow down from living in the fast-lane (i.e., work commute; dinner; online biz; some sleep; commute again) I still flip out when someone is doing 25 mph in a 40 mph zone;

2.  Why am I the only one in this household who has to bag the trash and take it to the garage?

3.  I like to cover books I’m reading with a brown paper bag when I read at lunch at the office so no-one knows what I’m reading (no, it’s not dirty, it’s just I don’t think anyone needs to know my business unless I feel like sharing it with them);

4.  I go to Dunkin Donuts for my Coffee Coolatta fix.  At the drive through, I order “Medium French Vanilla Coolatta ~ Whip Cream ~ Senior Citizen.”   I get to the order window, and I get No Whip Cream, and get charged regular price.  So I have to say it all over again ~ Medium ~ Whip Cream ~ Senior Citizen.  What’s up with the hired help these days?   They can’t even count change back without a computer to tell them what is owed.  A sign of the times in society.  Geez.

5.  I’m a list maker.  Even at my cubicle job, all I think about is my online businesses and my blogs.  I make lists of what to put up on eBay; what to post on my blogs; links to change; emails I have to return; Memes I have to respond too!  Lists ~ Lists & More lists!  The more I cross off, the more I add!

6.  Every Saturday it’s the same routine (at least for my DH who should have a Bust of himself at the State Capitol in the Land of Steady Habits ~ breakfast at the same coffee shop; grocery shopping at the same grocery store we always go to ~ even though I can’t stand it anymore because they’ve discontinued all my favorite products and promote their own store brands which I can’t stand.

I don’t hit the ground running any more, and how about I skip breakfast on a Saturday and just putz around in my PJ’s for a change?

Ok.  And there you have it for this time around.  My Hot-Flash rantings.  And my lucky victims friends I’m tagging are:

1.  Matt ~ Meltwater.  Torrents. Meanderings. Delta.  ~ Just to see if guys are willing to fess up.

2.  April ~ That Crazy Mom (Sorry hon ~ I see you’re super busy!)

3.  Original G.R.I.T.S. ~ just because I can’t wait to see what you come up with!

4.  Dianne ~ WAHM Cafe ~ See what happens when you’re my top dropper?

5.  Nessa’s Place ~ This should be interesting!

6.  Midlife Misfit ~ hello new friend!  Let’s see what you have to add!

It’s going to be a busy weekend for me. My niece is getting married and the wedding is going to be held at one of the premier wedding facilities in Connecticut. That means that this Hot Momma Baby Boomer blogging Grandma has to get her act together.

Now that the lazy, crazy, hazy days of summer are upon us, I decided it was high time I treated myself to a pedicure. Since I’m going to be wearing some spiffy, trendy strappy toe sandals to go with my  boutique halter-back silk evening dress, my tootsies have to be up to snuff.

In addition to the spa pedicures that I get at the salon I go to, the icing on the cake is the back message that they give when your little piggies are under the dryer! The technicians must have gone to some terrific massage therapy schools to learn the trade for their careers!

Just call me “Twinkle Toes”~

VOTE FOR ME ~ KEEP ME ON TOP ~ I’M A TOP MOMMA ~

Click the Button to Keep Me On Top!

As many of you know, I’m dedicated to trying to retire from my day FT job to work at home full time and also to try to take care of the grandkiddos. I came across what I consider to be some very useful information that I’m going to share with you. I found it to be extremely helpful, and hope you do too.

5 Simple Techniques to Work at Home Forever

Copyright © 2003, Sylvie Charrier
Author of “You Can Work in Your PJs”
http://www.inyourpjs.com

If you’ve spent any time online, you will already know that there are lots of scams out there! You might have even begun to doubt that there are any work-at-home positions available for serious jobseekers. If this sounds like you, you aren’t alone!

Believe me, there are real home based jobs, but what most of the work at home sites omit in their information packages is that it takes work to get work. Finding a telecommuting job can be a full time job in itself, but if you don’t have all the facts, you will be spinning your wheels trying to get somewhere or you will probably give up within a few weeks. That would be a shame, because there aren’t enough high quality telecommuters as it is!

Look, I know you’re skeptical. So was I, a few short years ago. That was before I started implementing some very unique strategies that allowed me to generate so much work from my small home office, that I needed to hire extra staff just to keep up with it all!

The strategies I used are actually very simple, and you can duplicate these ideas to become a very successful telecommuter. In fact, I want you to copy my techniques, even if it means I create my own competition! Why? Because every time a new person starts to work from home more successfully and efficiently, that means one more employer is happy with the concept of hiring homeworkers! That means everyone gets more jobs, and more opportunities to do what we all love to do…working at home in our pyjamas!

So, let’s cover the top 5 simple techniques you can use to work at home forever, shall we?

1. Never pay for any job! There is never a good reason to pay for work, and I am amazed at how many jobseekers waste precious time and money chasing after schemes that will never pay. It wastes a lot of time you could better spend targeting your jobsearch to legitimate and valid work.

2. Get your materials ready! You are going to need to be ready before you start looking for work. You will need a specialized telecommuter’s resume, an excellent cover letter template, and an online portfolio that showcases samples of your work. Without these things in place ahead of time, you will not be ready for rapid response when an employer needs to see your stuff.

3. Make sure you have all the equipment and software you’re going to need! Depending on your skill set, you’re probably going to need special software and equipment to do your job right. Don’t expect an employer to pay for these things. A prospective employer is more likely to hire the next person who is properly equipped, rather than hire you if you expect the employer to pay for what you need to do your job.

4. Know what you do for a living! This is an absolute necessity if you want to work from home. You may think that you want to do “typing at home”, but if that’s all you can think of, then you’re wasting time. Think about how your typing skills will be useful to your employer, come up with creative applications of that skill, set up samples to show what your service looks like, and plan ahead on how much you will charge for that service. Be willing to tell prospective employers exactly what you do and how much you charge for it.

5. Change your strategy! Instead of looking for jobs that have already been posted online, and have already been taken, look for companies that are well suited for your talents. Create your own work by contacting companies that have not yet posted jobs online, and eliminate the competition. But, make sure you know exactly what service you plan to offer that company, and why it is useful to them. Don’t bother contacting companies by sending vague resumes. That technique never works! Contact targeted companies with specific services in mind, and let them know you are open to alternate suggestions.

These techniques work extremely well, and using them allowed me to build my home based service company from scratch, without spending a dime on advertising. I was broke when I started working from home, and I didn’t have a computer. Using these techniques, I was able to slowly build my business and develop a client base that has consistently earned me more money than if I was working onsite. You can do it too!

This article is excerpted from “You Can Work in Your PJs”, a real world guide to telecommuting. Sylvie Charrier works from home full time and wrote this book to share her unique techniques with others. You can download your copy of “You Can Work in Your PJs” by visiting http://www.inyourpjs.com

Recently I had the opportunity to obtain a Free Sample of Skin MD Natural Face, Hand & Body Shielding Lotion.

I was sent a full-size 4 oz.  (120 mL) bottle, along with 3 sample size packets.  A 4 oz. bottle will last approximately 1-2 months, with daily use.

I was very excited and eager to try this skin care product as I’m a Baby Boomer, and my skin has been around longer than some of the readers of this blog!  Putting it politely, I have what I consider “computer elbow.”  I spend a tremendous amount of time on the Internet, and often rest my elbow on my pull-out keyboard tray.  This results in a discoloration and hard callous area on my elbow.

Although I’ve tried other natural skin care products that really haven’t sufficiently provided any results, I gave Skin MD a 2-week trial period before writing this post.

Skin MD states:

• No animal products or testing
• Dermatology tested
• Fragrance and colorant free
• Hypoallergenic
• Paraben free
• Non-comedogenic

Shielding Lotions provide the following benefits ~

“Shielding Lotions form a protective shield with the outer layer of skin and help keep out irritants and chemicals. They also allow the natural oils and moisture to remain in the skin so it can heal better. They are light and go on without a greasy mess.”

I applied the product 3-4 times daily and took the samples to my office.  Only small amounts are needed.  The lotion is extremely light, non-greasy, and virtually fragrance free.  I could immediately feel the difference as it glides on, and true-to-word, only a very slight application is needed, as the lotion spreads nicely.  It immediately eliminated the rough patches on my pesky elbow! I also applied the product to my knees, which could also stand a bit of help.  Why not, thought I?  Let’s keep a good thing going!

Although I’ve been graced with pretty good genes compliments of my Grandmother who lived to be 101, I applied it underneath my eye area after using my normal moisturizer.  I also applied it between the area of my eyebrows, known as “the 11s,” where fine lines tend to form.  Additionally, I have a pesky little area of eczema that breaks out occasionally during times of stress, and Skin MD Shielding Lotion eliminated the associated redness and puffiness considerably.

I give Skin MD Natural Shielding Lotion a Thumbs Up!

To get a Free Sample and try it yourself, visit Skin MD Natural.

Wow!  Now here’s a good tip of the day!

Walmart has a section on their website where you can get Free Samples!

You read right!  You can get Free Samples of products ~ everything from Baby Products, Health Products, Home Goods & More!  You can get Huggies diapers, Playtex tampons, Towelettes, Fiber Supplements, Food items!

Every young family and even Baby Boomers such as myself can use a little something extra to help out with the finances!

Looks like I’ll be spending a lot of time on this site!

If you know of any others, let me know too!