Now that we’re officially enjoying a gorgeous fall in Connecticut, one must keep in mind that we’re coming into the cold and flu season.

The crisp New England mornings, frost-on-the-pumpkin and sounds of the heating furnace reminds us that the windows are officially shuttered for the season. One of the things I like best about fall is that first smell of wood-burning stoves waifing through the air.

One of our family members is a fat, lazy, spoiled 11-year old house cat. Occasionally he tries to escape (why, I don’t know ~ he has it so good here.) He became a member of the household when my daughter, now 25, got straight-A’s in 8th grade. We previously had a purebred Black Lab that lived to be 12, and then we were fur-free for awhile. It soon became evident that darling daughter….might be allergic to cats.

I’m pleased to have the opportunity to review Clorox® Anywhere® Anti-Allergen Fabric Spray.

Clorox® Anywhere® Anti-Allergen Fabric Spray helps to reduce common indoor allergens such as cat dander, dog dander and dust mite matter up to 90 percent. This is important to our family since I now have two grandchildren whom I’m fortunate to see almost on a daily basis! Lil Moomette just turned 2, and Slugger, my new grandson, is 2 months old.

When darling daughter was younger she was the typical teenager ~ and we all know how most teenagers are always on the go, and we constantly have to remind them to pick up their rooms. My, how times change. After living away at college, she actually became a changed person! Not to mention that my Charming Son-In-Law has some wonderful qualities in the housekeeping department!

If the pacifer gets dropped on the carpet ~ it’s immediately boiled for 5 minutes!

Now I can use Clorox® Anywhere® Anti-Allergen Fabric Spray for any soft fabric surfaces around the home where indoor allergens can thrive: cushions; upholstered fabrics; curtains; carpets; bedding; stuffed animals and pet bedding. When used as directed, it’s safe to use on virtually all fabric surfaces, and gentle enough to use around the kids and pets ~ it’s dye and fragrance free. When sprayed there were no harsh fumes.

Clorox® Anywhere® Anti-Allergen Fabric Spray has a fine mist trigger that won’t leave behind any harmful residue on fabrics, which is great since ‘Lil Moomette climbs all over, and the kitty likes to get comfy in the winter.

Clorox® Anywhere® Anti-Allergen Fabric Spray retails for approximately $2.99 and is available in home care iaisles of major retailers, or online at www.clorox.com. For further information, you can also call 1-800-277-1860.

Continuing in my chronicles of trying to develop a work-at-home lifestyle in preparation for retirement, I’m going to address the issue of “getting your family on-board” and used to the idea that the dining room table is no longer for dining.  It has now become my “staging area.”

Years ago when we were young, childless and full of energy, I used to entertain quite frequently (and quite elegantly, I might add.)  Those days are over, and I now need my dining room for my eBay Store shipping area, as well as for all the items for my product reviews.  Convincing the family that I am indeed, quite serious about this venture, has been to say the least, challenging.

Taking on a home business venture is difficult enough. Getting your family to support you may be the difference between your business success and failure. From your family’s point of view, this working at home thing has both it’s good and bad points.

Your “too young for school” age children love having you at home because they like doing things with you, whether it’s baking cookies or playing in the sandbox.

Your school age children find it pretty handy having mom at home to drive them to their soccer games or have their friends over to play. They even like having you come to school to volunteer in their classroom.

Teenagers are a harder sell. They like that you can drive them to the mall or bring them to work. They however may not be really fond of the fact that you always seem to be around.

If, like me, you might be a Baby Boomer Grandma, working at home might seem like an open invitation to drop the grandkiddos off at a moment’s notice when a babysitter is needed.

Now your husband probably sees both sides. He loves that his wife is home taking care of the house and the kids and making a nice supper each evening. He’s even proud of what and says he supports you in what you are doing and may even be amazed at how you manage to pull it all off and make it seem easy.

He’s not as keen on the fact that your income has dropped if you used to have a “real” job and are not making the same amount of money as a WAHM. He probably is not too crazy about the idea of having to pitch in more in the evenings so that you can get some work done. You’re busier when he wants some attention and he has trouble understanding why, when you’re home all day, you need to work in the evening.

The hardest person to get on-board may be your husband. He may not be convinced that you’ll actually make any money with your venture.

So how do you overcome your family’s objections to your working at home and get them on your side? Holding a family conference to discuss the issue is probably a good first step. During this conversation it’s important for everyone to have their say and to share their feelings. By hearing what your children and husband think and how they perceive your home business venture, you’ll know how best to explain your ideas.

Try to elicit a promise of your spouse’s support for at least a period of several months, so you will have some time to get up and running. If he is very much opposed to your venture at least try to arrive at a compromise with him. Perhaps suggest that if you’re not showing an income after a specified period of time, you’ll give it up, put it on hold for awhile, or go back to work.

Come to some mutual agreement that you can both live with. This is how it becomes a win/win situation. You’ll work even harder to prove you can do it and he’ll be happy knowing that there will be a resolution.

Your family needs to realize the benefits of you working at home rather than outside the home. Point out how much extra help you’d need and the extra chores they’d have to do if you weren’t working at home. This is usually a pretty persuasive argument when it comes to the kids and maybe even your husband too.

Talk about your feelings regarding having your own home business, whether you are considering a career as a real estate agent, eBay entrepreneur, boutique online store owner, or Etsy owner.  Discuss how important it is to you that they support you. The guilt card, when used properly, can be very effective.

Involve everyone in the decision about your venture. Listen to each and every family member and take their feelings into consideration and ask that they do the same for yours. You can even try offering rewards for their support. They don’t have to be monetary awards either, spending time together and showing them how readily available you can be to them when they need you will help you be on the way to getting and keeping your family squarely on your side.

For all my new readers ~ I’d like to point out that I’m from New England ~ Connecticut specifically.  Connecticut is known as “The Land of Steady Habits.” What that means is, we Yankees pretty much don’t like a change in routine.

For example, I still live in the same town I grew up in and; live in the one and only house I’ve ever owned.  If my husband ever moves, they’re going to have to carry him out feet first.

Now I live in an historic town in Connecticut, and my house is a colonial.  The Colonial has all sorts of neat features ~ crown moldings, 6-panel wood doors & beautiful hardwood floors.  But you can’t see those beautiful hardwood floors, because they’re covered up with wall-to-wall carpeting.

I know, Martha would have a trauma if she knew that.  But you see, my husband is a bit of a curmudgeon.  He doesn’t like change.  I’m on about my third change of wall-to-wall carpeting, and as long as I stay married (going on 35 years), I’ll never see those hardwood floors in my living and dining room.

We’ve raised two grown daughters in this house, and now are blessed with two grandchildren.  Can you imagine the traffic my carpets have seen?

I ‘m delighted to have the opportunity therefore, to review Spot Shot Instant Carpet Stain Remover.

Spot Shot Instant Carpet Stain Remover instantly eliminates the toughest carpet stains-even OLD stains! Spot Shot works great on pet stains, coffee, spaghetti sauce, grease and oil, marker, wine and more!

Just spray on Spot Shot and blot the stain away. No need for rubbing or scrubbing. It’s that simple.

This product is everything it claims to be, and then some!  My daughter uses it in her house as she has the two kids, a Black Lab and a cat.  Occasionally the Grand Dog comes to my house to visit or stay over, and, let’s just say she’s a New England dog too.  Although she adapts pretty well when we doggie sit, sometimes her tummy gets a tad upset.

Spot Shot instantly eliminates the toughest pet stains – and their equally tough odors. Specially formulated to get out the worst stains – including cat urine, dog feces and the always-popular dirty or greasy paw prints – while still being gentle to your carpet’s fibers.  Spot Shot’s NEW Non-Toxic Pet formula was created specifically for pet problems, and is safe to use around your pets when used as directed.

I just spray the Spot Shot on to whatever damage the grandkids or Fido has done, and my carpets are clean again!  We are certainly not lacking in carpet in this house to try the product on!  What I really like about this product is that it’s Non-Toxic, safe for children and environmentally friendly!  Plus ~ it has a Money Back Guarantee ~ now how many products come with that incentive to try!

Thanks Spot Shot, guess I’ll never see those hardwood floors as long as my carpets come out so clean using this product!  Check out Spot Shot at http://www.spotshot.com/

I must tell you what a great group they have going over there at CAFE MOM! This is a super group for any WAHMs to network, or any SAHMs looking to make new friendships & share similar ideas. You can find Moms by geographical locations, or similar interests.

There’s many, MANY groups to join - I belong to several ~ I Want to Work at Home ~ Beauty Advice - Tips, Trends, and Techniques ~ Advertise your Ebay Items ~ Awsome Ebaying Women ~ eBay Moms & Grandmas ~ eBay Sellers ~ Cafe Mom Online Cookbook & a whole lot more! The eBaY groups are especially active.

Here’s a little background:

CafeMom is an online community created especially for moms. Thousands of moms have come together online to swap stories and advice on a huge range of topics, share photos, and connect with friends. CafeMom users each get their own homepage which they can customize to show off their personality. Plus, they can start public or private groups with other moms about common interests. Moms of all ages and beliefs are now meeting, conversing, and having fun at CafeMom.

Since CafeMom’s beta launch in November 2006, we have been outpacing a half dozen other competitors in the race to dominate the social networking space for moms and parents. We are the largest and fastest growing—get in on the action.

So stop on by at CAFE MOMS if you’re looking for some excitement & someplace new!