It’s My Party and I’ll Do What I Want To

I’ll Do What I Want To

It seems everything in life comes full circle, at one point or another.

What’s old becomes new again, or what’s new becomes old.

High school yearbooks have changed over the years, but underneath my picture there used to be quotes, or sayings.  Some kids chose their own, other times the yearbook committee staff did the choosing.  I can’t remember where mine came from, but it was:

Chatter, Chatter As I Go

and I Go On Forever

As a teenager in high school, and again when I was in college – I didn’t belong to one particular group – my friends were very diverse.  I consider my best friend, one I share the most common ground with – is a gal I went to kindergarten with and still keep in touch with.  I was sort of the “social butterfly” – hanging out with whatever group or cause held my interest at the moment.  I made a lot of friends, but none that remained close.

I’ve always been a reader and writer.  Well, I’ve been blogging for almost 2 full years now, and I’ve done enough chattering on this blog, as well as 3 others that I’ve had at one point or another.

I’ve joined forums, nings, Twitter, Facebook, Yahoo Groups, you name it.

As a multi-generational blogger, I hang with many different folks, both my age, and those who are probably the same age as my daughters.  I hold many interests – remember, I’m the “reference librarian“ wannabe – and enjoy discussing different topics – food, crafts, fashion, kids, lifestyle, travel.  You know, ‘different strokes for different folks.’ That sort of thing.

I thought I had finally found a ‘home’ where I could be comfortable with, let my hair down.  Everything was going OK, and then the walls came tumbling down.

When the walls came tumbling down

When the walls came tumbling down

When the walls came tumbling down

everybody ran as they screamed at the sound

…. Def Leppard

This whole mommy blogger thing is just too much and getting on my nerves. Since I’m a Baby Boomer, I’m way too savvy for drama, and when is everybody going to realize who really gives a rats *ss about it?  In the end, does it really matter?  Although I like to make some income on my blog, in the end-all, it’s not my bread and butter.

• “She’s picking on me”

• “She’s calling me names”

• “She Drinks”

• “She Doesn’t Drink”
  

The conversations reminded me of when we had to get a mini-van for the kids and sit one in the back, and one in the way-back because “she’s looking out my window.”

waa waa waa…. who needs the drama?  I’m no drama queen and I have better ways to spend my time than listening to gossip, following like a lemming off a cliff or trying to make a constructive comment in a forum, and then being one-upped.  I don’t need one-upmanship.  Or one-upwomanship.

Although I did make several wonderful new friendships and will miss the daily bantering with those few, I know I will continue to visit their blogs and enjoy their tweets.

But see, I left on my own volition, before I got burned at the stake – it wouldn’t be the first time I would have gotten kicked out of a forum, even though it would have been through no fault of my own.  I’m keeping track with gum on the bedpost.

I’m so outta there.

So, my blog may lose traffic, I may lose followers, but you know what?

I don’t care.

I blog for me, not traffic, and not stats.  Umm um, no more. Been there done that.

If you like my writing, fine.  Visit, comment, or subscribe to my blog.

If you don’t….then move on. (It’s even stated in my About  Me disclaimer … trust me on that one)

I’ll write what I want to anyway.

For those who are sticking around – thanks.  Mwah :kissing:

photo credit: Jim, the Photographer

Copyright 2010 Moomette’s Magnificents – All Rights Reserved

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Web 2.0 ~ Off Roading From Social Networking Forums That Are Stuck in a Time Warp

I’m going to make a few interesting observations on Social Networking Forums and Web 2.0 here.

While I don’t purport to be an expert, I have seen a change in direction from when I first started blogging.

Recently I’ve received several e-mails from some of the forums I belong to asking me to stop back & show my face.  Since I’ve been online, I’ve joined countless WAHM and Business forums.  While I still belong to all of the original ones I’ve joined, (outside of the ones I’ve gotten kicked out of, including Facebook ~ read about it here too) I only actually keep up with just a few.

Here’s where I’m going with this.

The newer forums I’ve joined, such as Mom Bloggers Club, Posh Momma, Hip Mama’s Place, MomDot, Moms United in Business, Cafe Mom and others, have all the bells & whistles where you can add your own “About Me” pages; put up your banner logos; website information; links to your blogs; article bases, Wow!  You can comment on other peoples pages ~ join groups, start discussions and more! There is just sooo much social interaction, it’s mind boggling!  There’s Twitter Groups; Entrecard groups; Digg Groups; Regional Groups; and on and on.

Some of the original forums ~ the ones that are sending emails saying “Please come back ~ visit us again ~ we’ve added new Contests to get you to come back ~ they just.don’t.get.it.

The format is older ~ just a list of topics, and you get to add a verrrrry limited siggy.  That’s it.  It’s so hard to keep in contact.   One particular forum, the bloggers mentioned they don’t use Entrecard (now, if you have a Blog, Entrecard is really a “Must-Have” for traffic.)  See my previous post HERE.

Also, hardly anyone knows about, much less uses Twitter.  I can’t even begin to tell you how much traffic I’m now receiving since I started “Twittering.” For those of you who don’t Twitter ~ it’s considered a form of micro-blogging, and there is definiately an audience for it that you need to capture.

Now what’s ironic about my observations, is all this is coming from me, a Baby Boomer Gram.  I’ve made light of the fact in the past how as a Boomer I’m struggling (well, not really, I’m a Geek at heart) to keep up with technology, and always have to stay one step ahead of the curve & my kiddos.  (Read THIS POST.) Now I’m not fresh out of High School, College or anywhere even close.

The difference between the new Web 2.0 forums and older forums is like night and day; analog and digital; VHS & DVD; Tape Decks and CDs.

Forum Administrators have to keep ahead of technology if you’re going to retain your membership.  Members are going to flock to where there are bells, whistles & graphics nowadays.

We are all spread so thin today and only have a limited amount of time to spend online, and obviously want to maximize that time to our fullest potential.

Why does it take Gram here to point this out?  What do you think?

Do you find yourself drawn to the newer forums?  Are you still frequenting the older ones?  Hmmm?

Copyright 2010 Moomette’s Magnificents – All Rights Reserved

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Caution – If You’re a WAHM Affiliate Rep – Pay Attention to the Yahoo Group Company Boards

Well, after my diatribe the other night about Yahoo Group Swap, Trade, Barter and Shopping groups, I feel it’s necessary to bring to the forefront my experiences so far in Affiliate Marketing. Read on. This is important stuff I’m going to tell all you WAHMs.

Back in February I posted a very good article concerning the advantages of signing up to be an Affiliate Marketer ~ here. The article made some excellent points. While I still believe there are benefits to being an Affiliate Rep, I am now adding a proviso to my previous comments.

I’m specifically referring to the section concerning..

Remember that not all affiliate programs are good. Many of them only offer products that you would not want to give away for free to your mother-in-law. Furthermore, the support program and training offered is not always top quality.

As you can see from my blog header, yes, I am an affiliate for a number of companies. However, not all the companies I started out with have their banners on my site any more. Let me explain why.

I thought I carefully researched each company I wanted to represent. If you’re considering joining as an affiliate for supplemental income, just don’t make your decision based on the the fact that the company has a “pretty banner” (I didn’t). The point in the article is to believe in the product you will be representing.

What the article doesn’t say…and mark my words…is ~ here I go again, pay attention to what’s going on in the Yahoo Membership Groups that you’re required to join. Pay attention to the chit-chat and bantering between the reps. It’s almost like being in a room at a party – you have to be in tune with the “body language” of people ~ or in this case, “virtual body language” ~ the nuances of the conversations going on.

Case in point. One of the affiliate companies I belonged to, I noticed that reps were constantly asking “I ordered, but my product hasn’t been sent out yet.” Red flag. I hadn’t had an order (yet), so not to worry for me. As time went on, I noticed the owner kept making excuses (not exactly exaggerating here) ~ there were: floods; tornadoes; ice storms; the electricity was out; family emergency out-of-state; doesn’t work on Sundays; someone broke into her house ~ you get the picture. And this was when she did bother to show up and answer any rep questions on her own site. Sometimes she had a friend post on her behalf. Click, “delete the banner” ~ I’m outta there.

Two recent examples ~ I was an affiliate rep for a company where the Yahoo Group posts from the company owner included “Please donate to my 18-year old daughter who’s in a family way, and make a virtual shower purchase from Walmart (here we go again) and have it sent to Walmart Store # xxx.” Nice photo of the kiddo.

Yahoo Group chit chat included details of the birth, blah blah. Then the posts started showing that the owner was having financial troubles, and conducting all her business from the local library, because her electricity was shut off. Reps wanted to know why their customer orders were taking so long. The final straw for me again ~ some “friendly, loyal reps were starting a “fund” to help the owner with her financial troubles. Click, “delete,” banner gone from my site.

In the second example, the owner of the company posted on her Yahoo Group board, whining that no one was contributing to her “fund” to send her two kiddos to Girl Scout Camp. Apparently they didn’t qualify for a scholarship this year. She had a fund set up with some internet-based group called “Chipin” where you get to donate money to whoever the whiner of the day is. My take on this was, which I posted before I hit the “delete my banner & remove me from this group” key (again), was ~my DH & I worked hard at our own FT jobs to send our own two DDs to summer camp when they were younger without asking the extended fam, much less strangers to contribute. Should you be in a philanthropic mood you might rather consider contributing to (and at least get a legitimate tax deduction)  the Paul Newman’s Whole In the Wall Gang Camp, or to the Petit Family Charity Fund. Get a life.

My point with this blog is, if you sign up to be an affiliate rep, try to make informed decisions. Do your research. And just don’t sign up for Yahoo Group notifications from the site administrator. Pay attention to what the posts are saying. You may not need daily emails, but check in at least once or twice a week on your own ~ read the posts, see what’s going on.

Again, most of it’s not pretty. There are some excellent companies out there, but then again, not.

If the banner’s still up on my site ~ so far, so good. Believe me, my eyes are watching.

Copyright 2010 Moomette’s Magnificents – All Rights Reserved

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YAHOO GROUPS ~ Trade, Barter, Swap & Shopping Groups ~ Think Twice Before You Join

Back in January or so, I did a couple of blog entries here and here praising the benefits of joining Yahoo Swap, Barter & Trade Groups, as well as Yahoo Shopping Groups, as a means of shedding excess eBay inventory and meeting quota for the various companies I’m an affiliate rep for.

Well, I’m eating humble pie now, and am here as a hard-working WAHM to tell you, whoa nelly, slow down before you do anything like that and make the same mistakes I did.

I’m so much wiser for it now, and I’d like to tell you why. If I had come across any blogs telling it like it is before I joined, I would have thought twice.

I played by all the rules. One rep per company, listed my items, tried to join in the conversations, promoted my specials, yada yada yada.

But it’s not pretty. On the swap groups, I got taken for a ride. I’ve withdrawn from all I ever joined. I listed pretty good inventory from my eBay store – NWT (New, With Tag) kids Baby Gap PJs, Webkinz, etc. I sent my items with Delivery Confirmation when the vultures snapped them up. Any time I went online (which was really, really often) to try to “grab” an item – nothing was listed. What was on there? Pacifiers (used?)…. I’m not kidding here; coasters, probably just junk that was lying around the house.

All the gals were begging for “Walmart” gift certificates, and grabbed anything they could get their hands on, leaving nothing else. What really was the last straw for me on one group was that someone was offering to “burn DVD’s” to swap. Now, anyone with an ounce of ethics knows that it’s illegal to do that. As a paralegal, I protested and said I didn’t want to be any part of that ~ guess what ~ the group owner decided to hold a “vote” to see what the group thought about burning the DVDs. Well, I was outta there – and withdrew faster than you could hit “enter.” And I left behind probably several hundred dollars in “points to spend” and figure the Walmart gals could use them more than I need them.

My latest rant today is about the “Shopping Groups” that promote one rep per company, and you get to be Consultant-of-the-Month (COTM.) I belonged to two groups. Each month, I faithfully placed my order, and waited my turn to be COTM.

There’s supposed to be two COTM per month. As a COTM, everyone is supposed to place an order with you, and theoretically, you can get 4-5 orders, which would allow you to meet quota. Well, the other rep got all the orders, and I only got one.

I got an email from one group member in response to my withdrawal, who had this to say about me: …. maybe no one wanted what i had to offer that month?

At this point, I’ve had enough of these cliquey, greedy groups. When I withdrew from one other shopping group today, one nice gal e-mailed me and said she was in agreement with me and ‘right behind me on her way out.’ Fortunately, there are some nice, honorable people that I met on these groups, but they’re  few & far between.

Am I whining? Yes, in a way, I admit it. But the only positive experience that I feel has come of this, is that I’m brazen enough to post it here and try to warn anyone who’s thinking that this is the next best thing since sliced bread, to think twice. You don’t want to end up with a bad taste in your mouth.

Copyright 2010 Moomette’s Magnificents – All Rights Reserved

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HA ~ You Young’ns have Nothing on Me ~One Step Ahead of the Curve!

Ok. I haven’t done any musings in awhile because I’ve been too dang busy maintaining my eBay Power Seller status and putting all my ducks in order building my new website & consolidating my eBay store and affiliate shops under one roof ~ Moomette’s Magnificents Olde Towne Shoppes.

I know, after seeing all those terrific WAHM sites on various traffic exchanges that all you sweet young things have built, it’s probably a piece of cake for you. You probably took all that HTML stuff in elementary school, high school & beyond.

Well, gram here has been learning it all on her own. At 2, 3 & 4 am in the morning when DH is sleeping, and the house is finally peaceful. You see, I’m still working at my FT cubicle job. Then, of course, there’s ‘lil Moomette whom I pick up after I get out of work until DD or charming SIL come to get her.

Well, I’m taking a break right now at 2 am from all that Photobucket & listing stuff, finding a new web host for my site, and working on the new blog template (don’t you love it? Thanks Shera, from
Sweet N Simple Design…more on Shera to come. I met Shera through Mom Pack ~ she’s such a delight!

Anyway. Where was I? Oh ya. You young gals. Well, let me tell you. After having 2 DDs, and doing the middle school, high school & college thing with them ~ Moms will find out they always have to be ahead of the curve. Want to stay in touch? The cell phone that you pay for gets put on mute. Then what? Learn to text message. They’ll think it’s their friends.

Still ignoring you? Learn to instant message. When something pops up ~ they’ll think it’s their friends and guess what ~ it’s Mom~ Here’s my AIM avatar:

My girls had to look at that on AIM while they were in college everytime they “talked” to me ~ which was only when they usually ran out of funds. And my screen name…let’s just say it started with the word “Money”! Hmpf.I digress…DD #2, took Spanish all through high school. So knowing I’d be online, she once put up her “Away Message” in Spanish after telling me she was going to a friend’s house. The “Away Message” said she was “at the beach”. Guess what? I took Spanish in High School. So I played her game and text messaged her cell phone ~In Spanish ~ that I knew where she was! That floored her & her friends. Again, one step ahead of the curve. And don’t anyone call me out for reading her Away Message.

Back to you have nothing on me. So, I’ve learned to text, instant message, and now HTML, FTP, Pop Server, SSB, Ping, Stumble ~ what-ever. There’s still a lot of learning to do, but don’t worry, I’m a Boomer & one of ours invented the Internet. Gram here is ahead of the curve, and when I finish building my site, they will come.

It’s almost 2:30 am. I know I ‘talk’ via the forums with many of you at this time of night. But I’m taking out my dentures, putting them in a glass, (thanks Suzanne) & turning off the lights now. (JK on the denture part, K?)

Copyright 2010 Moomette’s Magnificents – All Rights Reserved

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YAHOO GROUPS ~ Trade Forums & Swap Groups are a Worthless Way to Shed Excess Inventory for eBay Store Owners or Meet Quota for Direct Sales Reps!

Do you have excess inventory in your eBay Store that you’d like to shed & make room for New Inventory?

Are you a Direct Sales Rep for a company & need to meet quota each month?

Trade Forums & Swap Groups are are not wonderful ways to move inventory & introduce your shops to new customers, while at the same time, aiding the economy in an ages-old method of “shopping.”

Here are some great groups that I recently joined to move some of my inventory from Moomette’s Magnificents on eBay and some of the companies I rep for to meet quota!

They’re all run by friendly WAHMs like us, and the members are a lively clicky bunch! There’s plenty more of these types of groups on YAHOO if you do a search!

Check them out & tell them I sent you!

Click to join Momsshop ~ Tell them Cindi sent you
Click to join ShopaholicsRUS ~ Tell them Cindi Sent You

Click to join coolshopping ~ Tell them Cindi Sent You



Click to join COTMshoppinggroup ~ Tell them Cindi Sent You

Copyright 2010 Moomette’s Magnificents – All Rights Reserved

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New Years Resolutions 2008, Stuff and DUMPSTER ENVY ~ What I Really Want for my Birthday!

HAPPY NEW YEAR Everyone and Welcome to 2008!I’m starting off the New Year with some personal Resolutions. Don’t always keep them, but I try. So before I hit the ground running with all the neat topics I hope to cover this year, I’m going to let my hair down, and show my pitiful Boomer age.

As I’ve mentioned before, I have a DH (the D part is “most of the time”) and 2 grown DDs (again, “most of the time”). I survived Christmas & doing all the cooking over at Moomette’s house, and last nite, New Year’s Eve, in my sweats, babysat till 3 am while her parents were “Out-on-the-Town”. Just me, the cat, the dog & the kid. (See previous post about being “Out-on-the-Town”.) I had to reboot their computer 3 times, trying to work on my blog.

To make my day yesterday, Youngest DD is going to be 21, and decided to clean her room. Now we all know that I have an eBay Store, and my store room is Oldest DD’s former bedroom. I also have my “office” in a corner of my dining room, where my rolltop computer desk is. Now mind you, my house is not a McMansion, but it’s OK. We’ve been here over 30 years; this is our ’starter house’, and as far as my DH is concerned, they’ll have to carry him out of here feet first before he moves. He’s lived in this town his entire life. He’ll never know when I have him on the mantel in a warmer climate down South, where I’d prefer to live. That’s a topic of discussion for a whole ‘nother post.

To make a long story short, the College Student decided to clean out her room, (surprise!) and dragged all the stuff for me ‘to eBay’ into my dining room. Needless to say, I flipped….Oldest DD does the same thing to me ….

Rambling here…Oldest DD is the Domestic Diva who’s main goal after college & marriage was to be a Martha Stewart ‘wannabe’ and decorate the complete opposite of her untalented, decorating-challenged mother. We’re greatful that the college education that we paid for, without any loans on her part ~ has enabled her & New Hubby to own a newer, larger, more bedroomed, bigger basemented home than we do. Stuff Free.

Which brings me to the Dumpster Envy part of this Blog. Now you see, my Birthday is coming up in another week. I don’t know if any of you are old enough to remember George Carlin, the comedian. A bit crude, but he had a good routine about his “Stuff” many years ago that I still chuckle over. If you ever get a chance to listen to it ~ Do. Mental note to self this New Year ~~ sign up for Fly Lady & her organizational tips again. Her system does help, but I got away from it for awhile!

Therefore, I have painfully come to the realization that…

~ I will never own a different home. Not even a condo. This is it. Case closed.

~ The dreams I had that we would add a second full bath ~ ain’t gonna happen. Kids are grown & gone now. Don’t need it anyway.

~ We will never be able to park any one of our cars in the garage. Ain’t gonna happen. DH has too much stuff in there. And the shed. And the basement. All his, none of my stuff. Except for about 5 hand-gardening tools to plant bulbs.

~ The stuff that DD didn’t take with her when she got married – high school momentos, college Lacrosse Sticks, Soccer Shin Pads, Yearbook ~ Photos ~ they’re all still in her closet. I keep asking DD & Hubby to pack it up and take it to their stuff-free basement. But, either she or he are in their work clothes, or on their way somewhere ~ you get my drift. So one of these days I keep threatening that it’s going to land on their doorstep. And it will, as soon as the snow melts here in New England.

~I love & miss my dear MIL, but in my younger, ‘just engaged, just married days’, naively heeded her advice about how I had to have ‘all things needing to be polished & spit shined’ in order to ‘properly & graciously entertain’ ..i.e., silver ~ pewter….Totally 1970s. Guess what? eBay Inventory now (oops, I mean ‘Vintage Collectibles’.) You think my kids would want it? HA!

~ I keep telling my girls, that they too, will inherit All of This Stuff! Just as I inherited all of this STUFF when we cleaned out my late Grandmother’s, Mom’s, Mother-In-Law’s & Aunt’s homes. Their time will come. Payback.

Which brings me at last, to the DUMPSTER ENVY part. Every time I see a Dumpster or Bagster in front of someone’s house or driveway ~ I SO WANT ONE~

This is what I really want for my Birthday! Not a wallet, a facial, more clothes, None of that! I want a Dumpster- just for a little while!

Anyone else out there feel my pain?

Copyright 2010 Moomette’s Magnificents – All Rights Reserved

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