The Haley Family

oDesk Success Story

2011-08-24T19:57:00.000-05:00

A month or so ago, I was invited to interview with oDesk to talk to them about my experiences with oDesk for media nuggets. Had a phone interview with an individual that works with oDesk's PR, and was able to share my story of success and words of wisdom. Recently, I was featured as one of their success stories, offering up helpful information on how to get started with oDesk and make your mark. I feel so honored to be highlighted in their newsletter! Here is the clip published below:

Not gonna lie to you. That's pretty awesome. :) Between jobs on oDesk and some of my other clients, I have definitely been keeping busy between work and hanging out with my kiddo. I love what I do--love that I can work from home and spend time with my daughter. I'm not making millions by any means, but I'm doing what I love and love what I'm doing, and wouldn't trade it for the world!

Been living vicariously through my parents as well in their new endeavors. With my dad being laid off from his job of 13 years (a year from retirement), they have been trying to find creative ways to bring in some money, as my mom has always been a homemaker. The two of them have gotten into storage unit auctions, thanks to Storage Wars. You should see these two--they crack me up! I remember Mom texting me that they got a unit, and I went over the next day to see their treasures. My mom was standing in the middle of the garage surrounded with goodies, hands on her hips, looking around and nodding her head. She goes, "yup, I'm ready for another one." LOL Dad has fun posting all the little treasures on eBay and learning about the stuff, while my mom and her OCD take care of unpacking and organizing the goodies. They make a good team. Dad hasn't had much luck finding work, but I think--regardless--they may have found their niche.

Have had such a fun summer this year, it's been a blast! Been hanging out with April a lot, made a trip early summer to Arizona for two weeks to visit a friend. Had to work while I was there, which was fine, since my friend had to still work her job as well and couldn't get the time off, but when she got off work, we did lots of fun things like hiking and visiting local landmarks. I made a trip to Minnesota to celebrate my Grandma's surprise 80th birthday, and then have had a variety of friends come to visit in town over the last few months. Other than dealing with putting my cat down last month, this summer has been by far one of the best summers I've had in a long time! April is starting back up with her speech therapy, and is progressing by leaps and bounds--they are so impressed at how she is doing, and said the fact that I am home with her all day makes a huge difference. Her teacher said they do not see this kind of progress with kids that are in daycares, so that says a lot about being a stay-at-home mom and the ability your child has to learn.

I'm on the home stretch of making my house a home. It's been a year since I've moved in and I just got the final piece of furniture I needed for my apartment--a computer desk!!! Haha! Was a little sick of camping out and working at the kitchen table. Money has been tight so I have been having to scrimp and save in order to get the things I've been needing, but that makes it so much more rewarding when you finally reach your goal! Have I mentioned how much I love my apartment complex? I talked to the landlord about hooking me up with some paint so I could paint my apartment (was supposed to get khaki walls and white trim/doors when I moved in, but they had to get me in in a rush and they didn't have time to do it). Instead of handing me some paint and paintbrushes, they actually scheduled painters to come in and do it all for me. They scheduled two days of painting (one painter for walls, one for trim and doors) and I just used those two days to go out and have fun with April. My apartment looks amazing, and I couldn't thank them enough for doing that for me. I made sure to send down a gift card for them to enjoy some lunch on me, since I know it cost them several hundred to hire someone in to do that all for me. I have a feeling I'll be living here for a long time! :)

Well, my break is over. Was working on updating some things on my website, and since April is down for the night, it's time to tackle a few articles before I turn in for the evening. Wish my arm didn't hurt--got my tetanus shot yesterday (thanks to an incident with a rusty truck) and I feel as if someone slugged my arm really hard. Ugh. Anywho, happy Wednesday, all! :) I will leave you with a funny video of April showing off with her Dora guitar...and experiencing an epic fail. LOL

To my cat...

2011-07-10T10:05:00.000-05:00

I got Kibbles shortly after I graduated and moved out on my own. Went with my friend Katie out to the pet store in Plattsmouth, and instantly fell in love with this rambunctious, cuddly gray tabby cat. He was gray and white, with a white stripe down his nose and a personality that you couldn't help but fall in love with. I ended up taking him home.

Kibbles was a playful kitten, and loved people. For being a cat, he was awfully socialized with friends and family and greeted you at the door like a dog. Whenever anyone came over and sat on my couch, he instantly hopped on their lap and made his presence known. He'd snuggle with anyone that was willing to sit and pet him for hours on end. You could cradle him like a baby in your arms and he would totally eat it up and stay there forever if you let him. I had numerous friends that fell in love with him and always threatened to smuggle him out of my house to take him home.

And that purr...it was one of the loudest purrs. You could hear him purring from a room away, no doubt about it. That purr and his instinct to cuddle got me through a lot of rough times. In the last ten years, that cat was definitely my "rock." Sadly, he was the only "man" in my life that I could ever really count on, regardless of what happened in any of my relationships. At the end of the day, he would be there to cuddle with me and purr and suddenly the world was a better place. I remember when I was pregnant with April, he took to my belly right away. He would lay across my stomach, even as I got ungodly huge, and would purr so loud, I bet April could hear him. After she was born, he would cuddle next to her, almost like her security blanket. That cat, when it was all said and done, was not just a cat to me. We had a bond that probably a lot of "non-pet lovers" just didn't get.

After thinking he had a simple UTI, I had started him on antibiotics per the vet's instructions last week. Instead of getting better, he got worse. I caught him peeing on my rug, but he wasn't peeing--he was crouched down in pain and dribbled out a few spots of pure blood. Something wasn't right, so I had to take him in for further blood work and tests.

While he was at the vet overnight, I kept thinking the worst. I knew that if the bill was any more than $600, I wouldn't be able to swing it. And that was spreading out and maxing out my three credit cards just to get that $600 together. Anything more and I knew I wouldn't be able to help him. I was hoping it was something simple and fixable.

It turns out it was fixable, but not simple. He was in the process of passing a bladder stone (which is why he was in pain), and had another huge one that was going to require surgery to remove. Doctor said he wasn't sure how he got the bladder stone, could have been a number of different reasons, but he couldn't guarantee that this would be the first and last issue. I asked him how much the surgery cost. On top of him being boarded at the vet and the tests that they had already completed, it was going to be about another $800. I couldn't say anything. The vet told me to think it over and call him back when I made a decision as to what I wanted to do. I hung up the phone and bawled my eyes out. I knew I was going to have to make a judgment call that I didn't want to have to make. I called the vet back, said I would be in to put Kibbles down. I called my mom to come get me and come with me, and we went down to see Kibbles one more time.

Kibbles was so happy to see me when they brought him into the room. This was the last time I would see those gorgeous green eyes, hear that amazingly loud purr, and snuggle with my ten-year-old lug of a cat. They already had him prepped for the euthanasia. I signed some papers, and they left me in the room with him for a little bit before they were coming back in. All I could do was cry and keep telling him I was so sorry. If I had all the money in the world, I could have fixed him, and maybe had him around for another five years or so. But the vet told me I was doing the right thing. He said cats this age typically don't have this problem just once after they've started. He said he has seen cats that have to come in about once a year to have bladder stones removed surgically. And with his arthritis, this was just the beginning of a lot of medical bills and vet visits for this cat. He had a good ten years behind him. He was happy, healthy, and loved, everything a pet should be. I couldn't be selfish and go into debt trying to prolong his life if it meant him not being happy, just to make myself happy and not have to deal with the heartache of missing him. This was inevitable. This was one of the hardest decisions in my life.

I got to hold him as they put him down. But I couldn't let a complete stranger hold him as they put him down, I couldn't do that to him. It might not have hurt him at all, but it hurt me. It was just like he went to sleep, but there was no loud purr, no snuggling, just dead weight and silence. I know I did the right thing, but it hurts. Time will pass and life will go on, I know that, but it sucks.

The last few days I see little reminders of him. The catnip on the counter that he loved, and that Kirby doesn't even react to. The can of wet cat food I got him as a treat, gone uneaten. I threw the medicine away that I was giving him. I cleaned up the spot on the rug with the spot cleaner. I keep walking into the living room thinking he's going to be stretched out on the rug sunbathing, but he's not there. I keep thinking of picking him up and bringing him into bed to cuddle with me at night, but he's not there. It's the little things that I miss. Just his presence in the apartment was reassuring and comforting.

Now I'm down to two: Dakota and Kirby. Kirby is a lot less social and cuddly than Kibbles was, but Dakota is picking up the slack by becoming overly needy. It's like she knows something's not right, like there's a void she needs to fill, and right now, that's comforting. Kirby walks around looking a little lost and confused, and keeps sniffing Kibble's favorite spots. I think they know. And for anyone who is sitting there thinking, "it's just a cat," you're wrong. For years, he was my "kid," my baby.

When you are at the pet store looking at a kitten or puppy, the last thing you think about is all their vet appointments, how to take care of them when they get sick, and the day that they will no longer be your companion. But it's so important to think of all the joy that they give you, and understand that that was exactly why they were in your life in the first place.

Kibbles

3/2001 - 7/8/2011

Today's National Recognition :)

2011-05-11T14:30:00.000-05:00

So I'm feeling pretty special today. I was interviewed and highlighted on the AOL website about work-at-home moms. :) Here is the article, complete with a picture of the munchkin and me from Easter. Not only is it way cool, it's also some nice PR for me and for what I do.

Freelancing has it's ups and downs. Upside: staying at home. Downside: budgeting. Upside: saving on daycare costs. Downside: unsteady work. But considering everything, pros and cons, it's gotten me by. Sure, money is tight, but what family isn't struggling paycheck to paycheck these days? Things have been pretty crazy on the freelancing front, but lots of positives with some side projects I've been doing.

I've even worked with a few companies as a contributing writer to help get my name out there more as a freelance writer. I started out working from home doing audio transcriptions and some desktop publishing work, but about 90% of my work now is writing, which is my true passion.

And I've been asked to be a contributing writer for several sites. I write a monthly column for I Got Mom Power, writing from the angle of being a single mother. I love the atmosphere on that site, lots of fun and conversational moms to talk to! In addition to writing iPhone app reviews for my own site, HappyApping.com, I am also a contributing reviewer for Tech on the Go, which has been a fun little side gig, too. Last but not least, I've also started writing for ParenteSource, which is an awesome new website that has great growth potential.

Of course, I'm still managing my other sites, including Omaha-Moms.com which has gotten quite the readership lately, and am juggling my own little projects here and there. Also redesigned my portfolio site, which already needs some updating with some of my newest work. eHow just recently decided to ditch their Writer's Compensation Program, which really bites because that was dependable residual income from articles I wrote years ago. Kinda makes me sad, as that was money I knew I could budget every month as income. Not anymore. :(

I recently got a job offer for a local print company, but had to turn it down. I mulled over the offer for a while, but when it came down to it, it wasn't enough pay for how much I was expected to write. At this point in my life, I have established myself as a quality writer, even if I *am* ghostwriting and not getting bylines. Taking that job and investing that kind of time and energy into print publishing would have cut me short on time for my more higher-paying writing gigs, which would have put me in a financial pickle altogether. A girl has to pay the bills, but getting that offer out of the blue was a nice and uplifting surprise!

Over the last few months, I have lost a few of my more regular clients due to dips in workload, not enough work to keep me busy, or changes in their business game plans, so I've been doing a lot more smaller jobs to get by. But that's okay--it keeps me on my toes, and keeps me motivated to find a variety of fun and fabulous clients to work for! I'm always writing about something different--it's like lifelong learning! :) It just goes to show, however, that you can't rely on just one client to pay your bills, so by spreading myself over a number of more regular clients, I at least keep busy if anything else!

To all my clients, old and new, I thank you for all the work you send my way! Many of you know how much you mean to me, but it's also nice to be recognized for the fact that you help me pay for the roof over our heads and the clothes on our backs. I don't know what I'd do without my amazing clients!

(PS--for an update on my marathon, check out this article over at I Got Mom Power that I wrote afterwards. And yes, my knee is fine! I went back to yoga class yeseterday for the first time since the run--spent the week icing, heating, and babying my knee!--and warrior pose showed it who's boss! LOL Gotta get back in the groove, as I have a Memorial Day run to do, and a half-marathon in September!)

Marathon Time!

2011-04-30T13:56:00.000-05:00

So three years ago, I made an extensive New Year's Resolution--to run a 10K in 2009, a half-marathon in 2010, and a full marathon in 2011. This came from someone who wasn't even running at the time. In 2009, I did my first 10K. In 2010, I did my first half-marathon. And tomorrow at 7am, I will be running my very first marathon in Lincoln!

I'm excited. I'm scared. I'm wondering if I'll even make it the whole way. But it's all about trying. I am entirely aware that I am under-trained. Compared to what other websites say I should be running mileage-wise at this point, I have not done enough work. A recent newspaper article in the Omaha World Herald compared training for a marathon as extensive as a part-time job. They were right. And I really don't have time for a part-time job between everything else going on.

Between runs on the treadmill at the gym 6 times a week, long walks and power walks with April outside, and "bootcamp" yoga classes twice a week (and a lot of hiking and activity while I was in Arizona for two weeks!), I feel I have done the best I can, considering I'm maneuvering around the schedule of a three-year-old. The Lincoln Marathon group forums have been so helpful, and I have learned so much from other runners in the metro area.

So tomorrow morning, around 5am, I will be out the door with my shin splint wraps, MP3 player, Pearl Izumis and a whole lotta courage! I have no time goals. My only hope is that I make it across the finish line upright and alive. And I'm sure the runner's high will be absolutely amazing!

On an end note, here is a hilarious little video about running a marathon. Ingeniously funny! :) My favorite lines: "You run on purpose?" "So the first person to do this died?" "Your legs cramp up very badly and you can not walk in a straight line for days. You should try it." LMAO!

2011 Easter Egg Hunts in Omaha, Nebraska Area

2011-04-05T14:00:00.000-05:00

Spring is finally here!

Just got back from the park with my daughter, enjoying a healthy dose of Vitamin D from the sunshine and some fresh air! Last night I was up pretty late, but I got working on my obligatory Easter Egg Hunt list that I do every year for my Omaha-Moms.com website. And it's done! It is still a little early, and more Easter Egg Hunts could pop up, but I did as much research online as I could to figure out when all the 2011 egg hunts were happening in the Omaha metro area.

I sorted them into three sections: one is for special needs (such as the blind, autistic children, etc.), the second is religious affiliation egg hunts, and the third are other community and retail Easter egg hunts going on in Omaha. I added the dates, as well as made the egg hunt post a clickable link to the site or location online in which I found the information.

I will be out of town during Easter this year, but will be enjoying some community Easter egg hunts in Arizona this year with my daughter! Have a safe and "hoppy" Easter!

http://www.examiner.com/stay-at-home-moms-in-omaha/extensive-list-of-omaha-metro-area-easter-egg-hunts-for-2011-churches-communi

Wow. Just...Wow.

2010-09-22T13:19:00.002-05:00

Can't help but share this. Amazing outlook on the future and the future of electronics and the internet. Not enough words to explain how powerful technology has become! Enjoy!

The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly on my Afternoon Run

2010-07-11T17:39:00.003-05:00

So I did my third session of the P90x workout today. It was the Shoulders and Arms, 60 minutes, along with 15 minutes of the Ab Ripper. Oddly, even with being sore in certain parts of my body since starting the program, I felt it wasn't workout enough adn wanted to go for a run. I guess when it comes to a workout, I have to sweat like crazy, be panting like a dog, and have my heart beating a million miles a minute to boot. So I went for a short 2.5 mile run on the trail here in the neighborhood, in which I encountered the good, the bad, and the ungly, all in one trip.

The Good

An older lady was walking her dog along the trail, and like any dog lover, I had to stop to pet the dog. The lady ended up picking up her dog for me to pet her, she said she was a barker but wouldn't hurt a fly. I said hi to the dog, it licked me, super cute dog, not sure what kind. But anyway, I noticed the lady had on a Susan Komen Race for the Cure shirt. I asked if she participated, and she said she had, with a friend who is a breast cancer survivor. I asked her if she ran it or walked it, and she goes, "Fuck no, I don't run ANYWHERE!" This line cracked me up for a few reasons. First, she said it so seriously without a smile on her face, which made it even funnier (like a comedian that can keep a straight face during a funny joke) and then the fact that this 60 something year old lady said the word fuck. It made me laugh a whole nother mile down the road!

The Bad

While I was running along a sidewalk lined with trees, I encountered a baby robin trying out their wings. From watching the baby birds on my mom's porch grow, I'd say it was on the verge of going out alone. It was along the sidewalk and saw me, then started hopping/attempting to fly to get away from me, pooping along the way out of fright. I was pretty close to it, since it wasn't flying away, and all of a sudden I got divebombed by two robins which I can only assume were the legal guardians. They both tweeted at me while they flew to protect the baby robin. I'm just glad they didn't peck my eyes out or anything. On the other hand, a little ways ahead there was a dead baby robin on the sidewalk, maybe about 4 days younger than the one I just encountered, which may have been from the same family. I guess if my baby died trying to fly, I'd protect it 'til it could care for itself, too! I was glad to run out of that scenario. It could have been bad.

The Ugly

The ugly...the ugly was how sweaty, tired, and exhausted I was when I got back. Post workout, pre-shower. Now THAT'S ugly! LOL

Our Fourth of July (mis)Adventures!

2010-07-05T15:31:00.001-05:00

So on Saturday, I had had a long day. Ran the garage sale with my sister-in-law, got in a blowout with my brother, and came home feeling a little down. I texted Jackie to see if she wanted to go head down to the Old Market and chill by the fountains down there and yak since that’s what we do best. I needed someone to kind of talk to, poor Eric didn’t know exactly what to say about it all, and I just needed to chill after three days of running the sale. Jackie met me down by 10th and Douglas and we walked and talked, April in her stroller enjoying the ride.

Jackie had to head out for a party, which was fine, I knew she had places to go anyway, and we split up down by Rick’s Boatyard, which was having a pride festival going on. I told her I was gonna walk around, thought maybe I’d check out the pedestrian bridge since I hadn’t been on it since it opened. I wasn’t quite ready to go home and was enjoying the walk with April. Ended up walking down to the bridge and hearing lots of people talk about the Rosenblatt fireworks, and it sounded like a lot of the people on the bridge were waiting for them to start at ten. It was nice out, nice breeze, beautiful weather, and April was having fun, so I figured we’d wait on the bridge until 10 for the fireworks to start and watch them while we were there anyway. It was a beautiful view from the bridge—amazing fireworks, April loved them (I taught her to say “oooooh!” and “aaaaah!” whenever they went off! LOL) and it was a nice way to just relax after a rough week. After the show, walked back to the car, and realized there were a TON of people walking around! That’s when I realized that the Justin Beiber concert was getting out, which explained all the little girls…hahaha! Between that, the pride festival, Rosenblatt and the regular Old Market traffic on a weekend, it was crazy, and I didn’t get home until about 11:30—April konked in the car ont eh way home, of course.

I got to thinking that the bridge had an excellent view of Harrah’s casino, which I realized had a fireworks show going on the next night. I didn’t know if Eric was going to want to go anywhere, but had it in my mind. So yesterday (July 4th), Jackie texted me late afternoon asking if I wanted to meet her again at the Old Market to catch the Harrah’s fireworks. This was my sign—I was destined to go. I told her to meet me here, and Eric jumped in the shower and we all got ready to go—the initial plan was to just sit on the balcony and watch other people blow up their hard-earned cash. But this sounded better.

We headed out, and I told them how the pedestrian bridge was probably an awesome view for the fireworks, and Eric and Jackie had never been there, so that was the plan. As we were standing on the bridge waiting for the fireworks, I told Jackie we should go for pie afterwards at Village Inn. This was because, back in the day, we used to go down to the fountains at the old market and yak for hours, and then go to VI for strawberry pie afterwards when we were in high school. Oh, the good ol’ days…

Eric didn’t want pie, and I said that’s fine, I’ll drop you and April off at home and Jackie and I will go get a bite to eat. Watched the fireworks (which were blocked by a horrible cloud of smoke due to no wind and the humidity) and then headed back to the car. On the way there, Eric said he would go to Village Inn, but he was getting steak. LOL April was more than ready to eat, since she hadn’t eaten since lunch and it was going on 11.

We head out of the Old Market and Eric mentioned going to IHOP instead, since it is right across the street from our place. “They have pie there, too, and steak!” he said, so we thought, what the heck? Well, driving in that humid air with firework smoke everywhere was HORRIBLE! Oh Lord, you could not see ten feet in front of you. Driving in that was so nerve-wracking—I was scooted up to the steering wheel and driving under the speed limit just so I could see. We headed down Parkview Boulevard to get to the IHOP on 84th, and almost hit a guy that was out on the road lighting fireworks. Scared the piss out of me, but the fog and smoke was so bad, he came out of nowhere! Our windows were down, and Eric yelled out as we passed, “NOT a good idea, dude!” LOL

By the time we got to IHOP, I was stressed and ready to eat. We unloaded out of the car, got settled, and noticed that there were absolutely no pies on their menu. No biggie, we thought, we’ll get something else, since they had quite the selection. The waiter comes by to take our order, and Eric starts, and the waiter goes, “We’re out of steak. Actually, we’re out of a lot of things today—we’re out of…” and then the guy rattles off this list of every other ingredient you could think of. Short of eggs and pancake batter, it sounded like there was nothing left in the kitchen area! They were even out of cheese. CHEESE! So that ruled out omelets or anything to that effect. We all kind of looked at each other, the guy apologized up and down, and Eric said, “Maybe we should go down to Village Inn…” I pointed to the drinks we already had, and the waiter said, “no worries, it’s on us, I probably should have told you we were out of that stuff before you ordered.” We dropped a few ones on the table anyway, and then headed out the door to go to VI down the street. April was so excited to eat, I thought she would pitch a fit that we were leaving, but she seemed to accept that we were going elsewhere.

We drive down to Village Inn (along the dangerous, foggy streets) and pull up. It’s 11:50. Their sign says they are open until midnight. Ten minutes?! We go in, they mention that the kitchen will be closing in ten minutes, we said that’s fine, we kind of all knew what we wanted anyway. They seat us, we get our drinks, and are surprised that they have a “limited” menu this time of night. Which didn’t include anything we wanted, except for Eric’s steak and eggs. So Jackie and I just decide we’ll order the strawberry pie as originally planned, and April would munch off all of us.

The waitress comes up, we go to order, and she says they don’t have any strawberry pie. WHAT?!?! She said they had it for, like, four days in April and that was it. Jackie and I look at each other, stressed and appalled at this point, and I go, “well, then, I’m not getting anything.” Jackie didn’t want anything else either, and now Eric was left holding the menu feeling bad. LOL He didn’t want to be the only one sitting and eating while we watched, but at the same time, April had to be fed. The waitress apologized, and Eric said to send the check for the drinks and we’d head out. The lady said not to worry about it. So we ended up leaving Village Inn with hungry, tired April with us, only to sit in the car and be pissed about the fact that no one seemed to have decent food tonight.

“How about we go to Denny’s?” Eric asked. NO. At that point, it wasn’t worth risking our lives to go feed ourselves. Hell, at that point, I wasn’t even hungry anymore, I just wanted to go home! If it wasn’t horrible driving and if we didn’t have April, I probably would have said to go to Denny’s, but it just didn’t seem worth it anymore.

So we came home. Tired, hungry, and wanting food. So Eric and April had some Eggo Twists from the freezer to eat, and I didn’t eat anything because I wasn’t even hungry anymore. After that, we all went to bed. And that was our Fourth.

Exciting, huh? LOL

Asphyxiation Concerns Rise with Infantino and Wendy Bellissimo Baby Sling Recall

2010-03-24T12:06:00.004-05:00

For anyone who is a new mom and uses baby slings, listen up! Infantino is recalling their SlingRider baby slings due to three baby deaths that happened recently--all three were under the age of 3 months old. The babies can suffocate due to the baby slings. For more information, check out this article by Omaha-Moms.com!

http://www.examiner.com/x-12285-Omaha-StayatHome-Moms-Examiner~y2010m3d24-Three-infant-deaths-cause-Infantino-SlingRider-and-Wendy-Bellissimo-baby-slings-to-be-recalled

Looking for Omaha Easter Egg Hunts? Here's Your List!

2010-03-20T10:59:00.003-05:00

(If you are out looking for 2011 Easter egg hunts in the Omaha area, click here to see the current list of egg hunts!)

Good morning, everyone! Although today is "supposedly" the first day of Spring, it sure doesn't feel like it outside after all that snow we got yesterday that covered the ground--again. To think the day before we were outside without jackets going to the park and playing, and then the next day, we're bundled up and scraping ice and snow off our cars!

Either way, no matter what the weather is like, it's still that time of the year for Easter Egg Hunts! If you're trying to "hunt down" some Easter Egg Hunts in the Omaha area, I have the list for you! On my Omaha-Moms.com site, I have compiled an extensive list of Omaha metro area Easter Egg Hunts. I broke them out into church/religious Easter Egg Hunts, Special Needs Easter Egg Hunts, and other Easter Egg Hunts that are for communities or the general public.

http://www.examiner.com/x-12285-Omaha-StayatHome-Moms-Examiner~y2010m3d20-Extensive-list-of-Omaha-Metro-area-Easter-Egg-Hunts-for-2010--Churches-Community-Special-Needs

Enjoy! -Sara

The Great Easter Dress Debate

2010-03-15T21:01:00.007-05:00

Okay, so I was putsing in April's clothes closet today and ran across some spring dresses I had set aside for Easter. Which is great, considering I got them on clearance last spring, but even with three of them, I still can't decide which one to dress her in on Easter Sunday. So here are the three options--I had her try them on so I could see how they looked on her. Oh, and the pink-sleeved cardigan was actually originally paired with the white flower dress, but I figured it would be a good idea to use it in case it's chilly on Easter Sunday. Plus, it pretty much went with all three dresses anyways.

Okay, okay, I'll shut up. And I'll do this Academy Awards style--and the nominees for Best Easter Dress are...

Dress Number One: "Flower Child"

Dress Number Two: "Spring Greens"...

And Dress Number Three, "Pretty in Pink."

They are ALL cute on her, but it's so hard to choose! Of course, she will be wearing cute pigtails, white tights and adorable little shoes, but it's the dress I can't decide on! And the voting beings...NOW!

LOL Limewire Pirate Song -- Who Originally Sang the "You are a Pirate" song?

2010-03-06T17:21:00.002-06:00

Want to know where the "You are a pirate" song came from? The one that is used in the cute pirate dance that created the LOL Limewire internet fad? Here is your answer: LazyTown.

Find out more here--what's sad is I knew the song! LOL

Graco Stroller Recall Affects 1.5 Million Strollers - 2010

2010-01-20T14:31:00.001-06:00

If you're looking for model numbers and more information on the Graco stroller recall, visit the Omaha-Moms.com site for the specific model numbers that are under speculation for a faulty hinge cover.

My Races

2009-12-04T16:48:00.007-06:00

So as most of you know, I took up the hobby of running this year. Have done a 5K and two 10Ks, and am working to do a marathon in 2011. :) That's my goal. So anyways, I needed a place to organize my stats, so here ya go. I'll update this as I go!

UPCOMING RACES I'M INTERESTED IN ATTENDING

MAY 2010
5/2/10: Lincoln Marathon - Lincoln, Nebraska
5/9/10: Race for the Cure - Sioux City, Iowa (COMPLETED)
5/16/10: Papillion Half Marathon - Papillion, Nebraska (COMPLETED)
5/23/10: Council Bluffs Half Marathon - Council Bluffs, Iowa (injured, did not run)
5/31/10: Boys Town Memorial Day Run - Omaha, Nebraska (COMPLETED)

JUNE 2010
6/5/10: Dam to Dam - Polk County, Iowa
6/5/10: Bellevue Barnburner 10K - Bellevue, Nebraska
6/12/10: The Nebraska Five 10K - Omaha, Nebraska

6/20/10: Father's Day Run for Prostate Cancer - Omaha, Nebraska

6/27/10: Antler Stampede Run/Walk 5K - Omaha, Nebraska
6/27/10: Siena Francis House Run 5K/10K - Omaha, Nebraska

JULY 2010
7/31/10: Mighty Mo Half Marathon and 8K - South Sioux City, Nebraska

AUGUST 2010
8/7/10: Fast Forward's Race Against MS 5K - Omaha, Nebraska
8/28/10: Ted E. Bear Hollow 5K/10K - Omaha, Nebraska

SEPTEMBER 2010
9/4/10: Make-A-Wish Run 5K/10K - Omaha, Nebraska
9/11/10: Peak to Peak 10 Mile - Omaha, Nebraska
9/26/10: Omaha Marathon - Omaha, Nebraska

OCTOBER 2010
10/10/10: Race for the Cure - Omaha, Nebraska
10/16/10: Siouxland Lewis and Clark Marathon - Sioux City, Iowa
10/17/10: Des Moines Marathon - Des Moines, Iowa
10/17/10: Zoo 5 Mile Run - Omaha, Nebraska
10/23/10: Free to Breath Lung Cancer 5K - Omaha, Nebraska

NOVEMBER 2010
11/6/10: Coca Cola Classic 10K - Sioux City, Iowa

PAST RACES STATS

STATS:

Total Number of Races: 6

Number of 5 Mile Races: 1
Best 5 Mile Time: 58:02
Worst 5 Mile Time: 58:02

Number of 5K Races: 2

Best 5K Time: 29:41
Worst 5K Time: 33:02

Number of 10K Races: 2
Best 10K Time: 1:02:40
Worst 10K Time: 1:11:36

Number of Half Marathons: 1
Best 1/2 Marathon Time: 2:28:38
Worst 1/2 Marathon Time: 2:28:38

Number of Marathons: 0
Best Marathon Time: N/A
Worst Marathon Time: N/A

PAST RACES (MOST RECENT FIRST)

Boys Town Memorial Day Run

5 Mile Run
Omaha, NE

May 31, 2010

Results:

Overall Place: 1237/1673

Division Place: 94/149

Goal: 10 minute mile

Final Time: 58:02

Pace: 11:36 mile

Link to Results Page

Papillion Half Marathon
Half-Marathon
Papillion, NE

May 16, 2010

Results:
Overall Place: 321/369
Division Place (Female): 153/192

Goal: To make it across the finish line alive :)

Final Time: 2:28:38

Pace: 11:21 mile

Link to Results Page

Susan Komen Race for the Cure
5K Race
Sioux City, IA
May 9, 2010

Results: 151/216
Goal: 30:00 or under
Final Time: 29:41
Pace: 9:33 mile
Link to Results Page

Coca Cola Classic
5K Race
Sioux City, Iowa
November 7, 2009

Results: 134/158
Goal: 30:00 or under
Final Time: 33:02
Link to Results Page

Omaha Marathon
10K Race
Omaha, Nebraska
September 27, 2009

Results:
Overall Place: 321/637
Division Place: 42/100
Final Time: 1:02:40
Pace: 10:06
Link to Results Page

Papillion Half Marathon
10K Race
Papillion, Nebraska
May 17, 2009

Results:
Overall Place: 115/142
Division Place: 24/25
Final Time: 1:11:36
Link to Results Page

How to Make a Wall-E Halloween Costume

2009-10-26T11:38:00.004-05:00

For Halloween this year, Chris decided he wanted to be Wall-E. It created a little challenge for me, but honestly, I think I did pretty good. :)

Of course, I started with a cardboard box. I spongepainted red, brown and black all around the edges to give it that rusted, dirty look. I made sure to make a hole big enough for his head to get through and holes for his arms, and I cut them closer to the front of the box so he could still maneauver with his Halloween bag and whatnot.

For his eyes, I took some gray foam and cut it to size, highlighted it with permanent marker, and stapled it to a basic eye mask piece from Hobby Lobby. And wah-lah--instant Wall-E! :)

He looked so cute--and won Most Original at the apartment complex's Halloween party. His sister, April, was Wubbzy, and her costume turned out so cute too!

How to Make a Wow! Wow! Wubbzy! Halloween Costume

2009-10-26T11:28:00.005-05:00

I don't know about your toddler, but mine is addicted to Wow! Wow! Wubbzy on Noggin (well, Nick Jr. now, I suppose). So of course, for Halloween, I couldn't help but make a Wubbzy costume. Took a little creativity, but I was able to make it. It turned out frickin' adorable, if I do say so myself. :)

I started with a yellow sweatsuit that I got from FleeceFarm.com. I was able to order bright yellow in her exact size, so it fits her perfectly!

Then I drew Wubbzy's face on the shirt with pencil and outlined with black fabric paint. For her kooky tail, I found the perfect item--it was basically a jumbo yellow pipe cleaner I found at Hobby Lobby. I wrapped it around her, twisted it to hold it and wah-lah, perfect tail!

Then, for her ears, I used a yellow headband and some yellow foam to make ears, and then hot glued the Wubbzy ears onto the headband. These held up extremely well, I was so glad! I was worried I'd be having to glue or re-tape the things all day, but nope!

I also made a Wall-E costume for my son, that's in another blog post. Turned out way cute! Both kids won prizes at the apartment complex's Halloween party--Chris was most original and April won cutest! :)

oDesk eBook: How to Make Money on oDesk: Getting Started as a Freelance Writer

2009-10-26T11:20:00.005-05:00

So I'm proud to announce the release of my SECOND eBook! A lot of time and hard work went into this (not that time and hard work didn't go into the last one, but anyways...) and I think it will be an excellent resource for anyone looking to break into the oDesk marketplace. Here's the description:

If you've been confused and perplexed by the growing number of freelancing websites promising work from home opportunities, you're not the only one. From GetAFreelancer.com to Guru.com to ELance.com, the aspect of job hunting on these sites can be daunting.

But for $19.99, you will quickly learn what makes oDesk amazingly easy and why freelancers find the best success with this company's website. With guaranteed payments to providers and security options for buyers, it's a win-win situation in a world full of doubts.

This comprehensive eBook will teach you what makes oDesk WORK. In this eBook showcasing the unlimited exposure to job opportunities online with oDesk, you will find tips and tricks on:

How to build a strong portfolio to showcase your talents
How to create your oDesk.com account and a noteworthy profile
How oDesk works: The ins and outs of oCommerce
How to make the first steps to employment
How to get work: mastering the interview and getting hired
How to move onward on oDesk after successfully completing your first oDesk assignment

In addition to all this, you will get the inside scoop on how to succeed in the oDesk marketplace from a seasoned professional whose "been there, done that." Take your freelance writing career to the next level and invest some money in your future.

"I speak from experience. I've been around the block when it comes to freelancing, and I can tell you: oDesk.com is one of the best freelancing sites around. Among the mix of others, such as Guru.com, GetAFreelancer.com, and other outsourcing sites, I can vouch for oDesk as being the one that gets both buyer and providers the best results and the best security to ensure payment and thus encouraging hard-working providers." -Author, Sara Haley

The world of freelancing online can be difficult to understand, but this eBook will teach you the ropes in 33 pages. From taking oDesk tests to prove your skills to getting started on your first assignment, Sara Haley takes you on a quick yet thorough tour of the oDesk community and the tips and tricks she''s learned during her time working on the site.

If you feel like you're outnumbered by providers that want to work for next to nothing, remember this: "Outsourcing work has become increasingly popular, and although some of it is going overseas for cheap help, smart buyers know that the real talent is here in the United States, and they're willing to pay for quality help...Remember, you may be competing for others working for beans, but as long as you have a strong profile, long work history and a portfolio that showcases your best work, you'll always have the upper edge against your competitors. Work hard, go above and beyond and you will have a long line of happy clients, and in most cases, regular, steady freelance work."

Don't hesitate- -your future as a freelance writer is about to take off! For $19.99, you can't go wrong- -knowledge is power.

If you're interested, you can purchase this oDesk ebook here: http://store.payloadz.com/detail_html.asp?Id=757469

Oops, they did it again...

2009-09-13T15:40:00.002-05:00

So they're contracting new transcriptionists and they haven't learned their lesson...

http://www.newwebmag.com/2009/09/13/has-anyone-had-a-positive-experience-with-the-transcription-company-mrt-services

And the beat goes on...

2009-08-13T15:59:00.005-05:00

So I have a judgement against MRT Services and of course, have not been paid. But I did get a lovely email from their lawyer stating they are going to be filing a temporary restraining order. ??? Uh, okay? So I called their lawyer up to ask what it was about. Apparently the company is upset that I have made such an impact on the internet with my blogs and Facebook groups, and as much as I wanted to put my two cents in about what they have done, I had no idea I would cause quite this much of a stir on the internet community. The lawyer said I "breached the contract." Yeah, well, so did they, because it said I would get paid. And they breached it first if we want to get all old-school and point fingers at who was to blame and who made the first wrong. LOL

Now mind you, my intention is not to make their life a living hell. BUT, I am doing the simple right of any American citizen to tell the TRUTH about what has happened to me. It's called freedom of speech. The lawyer can call it slander, libel, defamation, whatnot, but that is only if the information I am stating is NOT TRUE. If I am making FALSE accusations and LYING about their company, making things up, say, "I found a unicorn in my fast food salad the other day," then yes, that would wrong. But I am doing NOTHING but posting factual information, and even looked back on all my blogs just to make sure--yup, not a thing was said that WASN'T TRUE. And the reason I have been posting this information is because as a transcriptionist, I know that we like to look into companies first to find out if they are a company we'd want to work for. We do our research. Check MTStars.com--they have an entire forum where people ask about certain companies and other transcriptionists opinions about them. This is no different.

Also, defamation can be defended if there is proof that the company or person that is filing the lawsuit has had a sketchy past and a poor reputation before any supporting facts were made. Well, I can tell you right now, and if you look through my blogs, read RipOffReport.com, etc, you will find I am NOT the only one that has had a problem with them. In fact, there was a post on RipOffReport.com that dates back to October of 2007 regarding their company. They did write a rebuttal to the report, but there are reports that follow that one that have not been defended by them. Either way, I did NOT experience the problems the person posted in the original 2007 statement on RipOffReport.com, so I went ahead and contracted with them only to find out that this was a disturbing hint of what was to come with their company...

The only information on my blogs that could be consider "non-factual" would be the reprints of emails I have received from other past (and present) transcriptionists that have found my blog after trying to research the company after the "pending bankruptcy" that was supposed to happen. But of course, I state when the information I have received is from a secondary source, and I also have quoted emails I have received, stating that they are from other people. These emails, of course, may be THEIR opinions, and not mine, and this is clearly set forth in my blogs. (If the court really wants to make sure I didn't make those up, I will gladly send them copies of the emails to show them that I received them from others.)

Regardless, the company has created this reputation for themselves. I have done nothing but worked for them with the understanding I would get paid, like any other person trying to make ends meet. My husband and I have been through living hell with finances lately, and our family really, truly depends on the extra income I can make from home, no matter how small it may be. That being said, $2300 (more, now that court costs are involved) is a lot of money that could really help us out right now. Heck, would have been useful months ago when it should have been paid...

So until court tells me I can't continue what I'm doing (which is nothing wrong, really), I'm going to continue to tell my story. THE TRUE STORY. THE FACTUAL STORY. Just like I've been doing all this time. If I do in fact receive a restraining order, I will be taking my story to the local news channels (it's already been done in Georgia!) which will only draw more negative attention to the company and their shady practices. I'm doing nothing wrong--I just want my money. The money I earned. I have a legal document that states I am entitled to my money. LEGAL. And I'd put money on the fact that the company owners have probably spent more than $2300 to the lawyer to go through all this hassle when they could have just written me my check and called it a day. (Just to make it clear, this is a speculation, not a fact.)

Also, people talk about other companies all the time. In fact, there are websites and forums for transcriptionists that work from home where they ask "what do you guys know about (so and so a company?" and people tell them their stories. Why do you think Scams.com and RipOffReports.com are so popular? It's the internet--people are going to talk about the good and the bad, whether companies like it or not. Which should be better incentive for them to treat their customers (and employees, contracted workers, etcetera) fairly.

So regarding all those lovely emails I get from people (I have a whole folder in my inbox dedicated to emails I have received from people regarding MRT), it's been a while since I've posted some quotes from others. Of course, as always, I am keeping these posts anonymous, and for all the "lawyers" out there, let me add my small print: these are the writings of other people, not me, and are not MY opinions or statements. Okay, so let's proceed...

Here are some quotes from emails I have received:

"I worked for MRT also. I contacted their newest lawyer, [name removed], this morning and he said for me to settle for $0.25 on the dollar. Is that all I can get or should I try to take them to court?...I ended up contacting [the lawyer] and he said that if I didn't sign the settlement papers that I wouldn't get anything."

"I also worked for MRT for 2 1/2 years and they owe me over $6,000.00."

"What is being said in my circle is that they [MRT] filed bankrupcty and offered to settle and that all the girls [transcriptionists that had cases against them] had to really or get nothing. This is just purely for my own knowledge, I have known them for years and there is so much gossip going on that I just don't know what is true and what is not. One other thing being said is that part of the settlement, no one can't post anything negative about MRT or the Sossas'."

"As you have probably seen, MRT is no longer. They sold it (or had another outsource company whom they owed and could not pay, I suspect, take over.) This is just a suspicion...This company did not, however, take over their debts, so they still are on the line for those. I wish everyone luck on their court date coming up and wish I could be of more help. Everyone has been real closed about things going on, so I haven't heard much. I did hear about Henry calling the girls and trying to intimidate you to all take a settlement. Intimidation is Henry's favorite weapon. Although they are still telling their 'friends' that they have been wrongly accused and are 'victims,' ...they are very concerned with their reputations and people in their church finding out...they were religious and wonder what their church elders would think of them cheating people out of money they owe. I am not sure any of their church friends are aware of all of this, but I am hopeful they will be outed there."

"You girls have not been their only victims. They have told lies about many people in this area and have defrauded others and we are hoping that they will reap what they have sowed very soon. Laurie and Henry Sossa are the king and queen of spinning a story to suit their agenda. They start with the facts so it sounds like truth, add their lies and spread the story with their new spin on it. Be careful. They have gotten away with this for a long time."

"I hope you don’t mind me contacting you. I too have been ripped off by MRT and have been fighting for my money I earned from them for several months now. They owe me more than $2600.00. I’m tired of their run around, but I don’t know what to do...I’m in Utah , so having to physically go to court there would cost me more than I am owed. I am so ticked off at them."

"I just found out about all of this myself. I have been trying to get in touch with MRT for a week now to "check up" on unpaid invoices. My last invoice with them is over 6 months old. I am owed over $1000 in unpaid invoices. I am glad, in a way, that I have been unable to do anything for them due to MAJOR medical problems that have kept me in and out of the hospital and having very frequent outpatient procedures. I finally got someone on the phone today and all they told me was that an attorney was handling MRT now. She, [name removed] I think, gave me an email address for L. Sossa to try to get information and perhaps speed things along. I never got a letter or anything saying that such things were going on. I need that money badly!"

"I have heard three times this week from different people that they have sold MRT. When asked, these people admitted the word "sold" was not used, but they were given the impression that Laurie and Henry were out of MRT and assumed that they meant they sold. As far as I know, they are still owners. They are trying to distance themselves from anything MRT so they could claim ignorance. Since Laurie's father still goes in almost every day, I am sure that is not the case."

"I'm a fellow transcriptionist that was duped by MRT. I appreciate your blog and reporting on that company...They didn't get me for as much as you, but it still hurts that I put so much time in for them for free."

"[Client name removed] would always want verbatim transcripts and apparently one of the transcriptionists left out about 20 minutes of text. Of course, they sent an email to all of the transcriptionists blasting us and told us that [client] was threatening to hire a third party because they didn't trust MRT's transcripts. I sent somebody at MRT an email telling them that they better watch out, that when you don't pay people, there's no incentive to do a good job and that basically, you get what you pay for. Of course, they thanked me for the insight and things never changed. Shocker. I think [client] eventually stopped using MRT and they were a HUGE client."

"Clients can purchase "minutes" every year and MRT always got paid in April (fiscal year) and that's usually when they would catch us up, but it was mostly from the last three months. That was the only time that we were ever "paid in full" and totally caught up. That did not happen the last two years."

"I can tell you that working for MRT turned me into a person that I had never seen before. I can count on two hands how many times I turned into a raving lunatic... one time literally screaming at the top of my lungs over the phone at [name removed]...numerous times I hung up on the person I was talking to. I've always been such a mild mannered, happy go lucky person and they changed me. People have even commented on how much happier I've been since no longer work with them. "

"I used to work for MRT & quit about a year ago when they wanted me to sign that horrific contract that took away all my rights. I was fighting for my checks on a weekly basis - going in and standing there until they wrote them. I heard from another transcriptionist (through one of the employees) that their habit was to call out to each other, "Who did a lot of work for us this week?" "Oh, so-and-so." "All right, write her a check." I could see the handwriting on the wall, but I never dreamed they'd owe so many so much. So sorry about your plight and kudos for sticking up for your hard work. I found 3 other companies that send me regular work, communicate with me (including encouraging me when the client likes the work) and pay me regularly (I mean within 1-2 weeks!) Those businesses are out there."

"I've been meaning to email you and let you know that Channel Two ran the same exact story on MRT on Sunday. My mom saw it and called me. She said it was almost exactly the same story with no new information. I'm thinking a slow day in Atlanta that morning or maybe it was a week ending recap. I'm really disappointed they haven't taken the ball to run with this story!"

"I've been working for them since August 2007 and while they've definitely had their highs and lows with paying it's never been this bad, not that that makes this situation any better. I just wondered if we combined efforts, us typists, then maybe we could get farther ahead. I've been writing [name removed] back and forth on email because she won't return phone calls but wondered if you knew of any other typists or what can/is being done collectively as a group."

"I just received an email from a friend of mine about MRT being in the news and possibly filing for bankruptcy. This was the first I had heard of any problems. They haven't paid me in about 6-7 months, for work I did last summer and fall but since they always paid slow I figured it was the normal deal. I felt like others that although they paid slow, at least they did pay but now I am wondering if I will ever receive my money. I did a search on Google today, looking for additional information and that is when I found you blog...Like you though, I'm not going to let this go away like it is nothing. They currently owe me $1,200.00...This is very unfair and we deserve our paychecks!"

Oh, there are so many more...it's amazing the response I got after I posted my initial blog. Oh, and just to point out, I started by NOT posting the company's name to allow them to make the situation right, but right after my blog published, there was a story on the news about it, so the cat was already out of the bag.

But I will say, for all of you that have been emailing me and helping me out, I sincerely appreciate all of your efforts and generosity. I am amazed at the power of the internet, and the kindness of people--pure strangers, in fact--that are willing to step in and offer some help to others in similar situations. I'm just a random stay-at-home mom that posted her story to vent and has found some great people all over the US that have joined in my fight against this company. Even if I haven't replied to your email yet, as I do get quite a few of them, I appreciate all the support pouring in from everyone and hearing that I'm not the only one that has experienced difficulties with MRT. All of these emails are invaluable when it comes to court. And if the company didn't want this information to be made public, they should have done the right thing and paid their transcriptionists--instead, they've made a mountain out of a molehill by treating their workers the way they have.

The reason I have been posting this information is so that other transcriptionists looking to work for them know what has gone on in the past and take caution if continuing with the company. It's a sort of "pay it forward" kind of thing, I suppose. Let others know what happened to you, sharing your story, and then let the person make a decision based off the information laid out to them. I'm just one person with one story--and I know from all the emails that I am not alone when it comes to being left empty-handed by this company.

Thank you all for your support. Keep the emails coming--this isn't over til everyone gets paid!

3 shot in Roslyn Heights neighborhood murder-suicide

2009-08-07T17:44:00.004-05:00

I was browsing Google Trends this afternoon, as I always do, keeping an eye out for relevant stories for my Omaha-Moms.com and HappyApping.com sites, and came across a Roslyn Heights shooting topic. Of course, curiousity got the best of me and I found that just recently, there was a murder-suicide in Long Island. Apparently some guy came in and shot at his estranged wife and other relatives that were in the home, youngest being 17 and oldest being 65, according to recent news reports. Since this news is pretty breaking, I wasn't able to find much information, but here is the article from FOX News. Sounds like someone was having a hard time dealing with a pending divorce...

Bebe Gloton: Spanish Breastfeeding Baby Doll

2009-08-06T16:11:00.004-05:00

Wow.

So I was recently notified of a new baby doll on the market by a Spanish company called Berjuan. It's called Bebe Gloton, or "Baby Glutton" in English. What's so special about it?

It's a breastfeeding doll.

No, really. And it comes with a halter top for the little girl to wear with nipples and whatnot, and you feed the baby.

I think I have officially seen it all.

Read more about the breastfeeding baby here: Bebe Gloton

Sign up for my Examiner newsletters!

2009-07-15T10:02:00.002-05:00

iPod Apps Examiner

Omaha Stay-at-Home Moms Examiner

Jillian Michael's 30 Day Shred Program - From Start to Finish

2009-07-13T09:18:00.004-05:00

Okay, as most of you know, I've been battling a few pounds lately. Yeah, I know, I have kids, it's expected, but I'm also losing the weight battle to my prescription meds which are making it even harder. I did The Daily Plate for two months before my vow renewal last year and lost ten pounds, but I wasn't doing any major exercise routine or anything, just diet, mainly. It got easier as I went on, and after the vow renewal I went back to not counting calories (it gets old after a while people!). Then I've recently gotten into running. Did my first 10K in May, and am signed up to do another the end of September. Funny thing is, with all this running, I haven't budged a pound. Then again, I am not combining it with The Daily Plate, either, just watching what I eat...in my head. LOL In addition to this, having to make a filling meal for the family every night keeps me from eating just a salad or heating up a Healthy Choice meal.

This month, Christopher is with his mom, so I've got 30 days where I don't have to make a family meal every night--April eats on her own clock and my husband is very capable of making mac and cheese and frozen pizzas. LOL Soooooooo, here's the plan: 20 pounds in 30 days. That's how much weight I want to lose. And it looks like the Jillian Michael's 30 Day Shred DVD is the way to go. This, in conjunction with The Daily Plate and my 10K training should produce outstanding results in thirty days. That's the plan, anyway.

So, here we are, Day 1. I'll keep you posted on my results as I go. :)

A little behind the times...

2009-07-13T09:08:00.003-05:00

Oh my gosh, has it really been a few weeks since I last made a post on here? Well, I guess that's a pretty good indication of how crazy life has been recently.

Lots going on, but good things, I suppose. Good and not so good, rather, but either way, things are falling into place. Been super busy lately since not only did I get the Examiner position for the Omaha Stay-at-Home Examiner page, but I also got hired to do the National iPhone Apps Examiner page too, so between the two, both promoti ng and writing, I've been uber-busy.

Oh, and I've got two twitter accounts. Ugh. I hate twitter. No, really, I do, that was the one social networking site I was purposely trying to avoid. And now I have two accounts. Still trying to get the hang of it, using it for my Examiner promotions, and find a few things a little annoying, but hey, it's been helping with the promotion of my Examiner site so I guess it's okay. I'm not on it as much as my husband though...feel free to follow me on Twitter: @omahaexaminer and @iphoneexaminer. Yay me.

April is growing more and more all the time. She's 19 months old now, and I got photos of her and her brother at Sears last week. Too adorable! She's got a mouthful of teeth and a smile full of personality. She's like her big brother in so many ways, it's scary.

Well, gotta go check in on my Twitter account, while I'm thinking about it. Feel free to see both my Examiner pages and subscribe to be updated when new posts are written (about 4-5 times a week). Thanks for your support, guys!

Yippee!

2009-06-22T11:55:00.001-05:00

Laurie Sossa was a no-show! (Duh, of course!) I win! Hehehe, default judgement against MRT Services! TIME TO CELEBRATE!!! LOL

Court Date is Finally Here!

2009-06-22T08:28:00.002-05:00

Ah, I'm so happy--court is this morning. I have all my crap together (used about a ream of paper to print everything up!) and am so ready to get this done and over with. Sure, if Laurie Sossa doesn't show, I get an automatic judgement, but then I still have to fight to get my money even with that. Either way, I'm gonna whoop some butt. ;) Wish me luck--I'll post an update when I get it! :)

Countdown to Court...

2009-06-17T14:41:00.001-05:00

Less than a week! :)

Vote for my cute, adorable daughter!

2009-06-06T22:57:00.004-05:00

I just submitted photos of April for the Parents.com Magazine Cover Contest! Please, take a peek at her pics and rate how cute she is out of five stars! (Five, of course! But maybe I'm just biased...)

I submitted her photos last year for the BabyGap photo contest, but she wasn't selected. Even so, I have high hopes for our adorable daughter to have a possible modeling career--I mean, heck, she looks just like her daddy!

The link to view her contest photo submission gallery is down below. Click, view, rate and recommend my photos to the judges!

Vote for April, guys!

http://www.parents.com/photos/photo-contests-1/cover-kid/853200035/

Great Job Getting the Word Out on MRT Services, Inc.

2009-06-03T12:22:00.005-05:00

Wow, guys, I must say, I'm really impressed at what you guys have been doing to expose Laurie Sossa's company, MRT Services, Inc. in Loganville, Georgia. I have a Google Alert set up for new searches for things like "MRT Services," "Laurie Sossa," etcetera to keep track of new information and findings, and found out that numerous people have posted negative ratings for MRT on JobVent.com! Way to go, guys! Keep it up! Forward this link (http://www.jobvent.com/companyBrowse.php?CompanyID=12801) to everyone you know that has had contact with MRT Services, Laurie Sossa, or Henry Sossa and get them to tell their story on JobVent!

Also, I have a traffic feed set up so that I know where my traffic is coming from, finding out what people are searching for in Google and other search engines to know how people are getting here. It's amazing the amount of searches for MRT Servies, Laurie Sossa, Bankruptcy, Georgia, transcription, etcetera that I am getting. My biggest concern? I just recently had a search the other day, "work for MRT Services." YIKES! That means they might be recruiting more transcriptionists, and I hope whoever did that search read my blog and decided against it. That's EXACTLY why I am fighting and getting the word out like I am--I do not want anyone else to fall victim to Laurie Sossa's scamming business, and any of her other business ventures that she has taken on recently.

Also, keep up the contact! I have gotten tons of supporting emails from other transcriptionists that have worked for MRT Services in the past, and it's been such a positive experience for me, with everyone working together to fight together. And I'm amazed at how many other people have had such negative experiences with the company both recently and in the past, and how much some people have in terms of "inside information" about Mrs. Sossa and her business ventures. Keep sending me contact information, and if you want something posted, let me know and I can keep your posts anonymous.

Also, I will keep your email address on file so I can contact you on when additional information arrives. BTW, for those of you that have sent me emails with information, I will be printing them up and using them in court against MRT. My court date is near the end of June, so if you have any information that may be supportive of my case, please email them over! I'm fighting against MRT Services to get the money I damn well deserve--and EARNED!

Thanks guys, keep up the great work spreading the news!

Can I get a wow wow?

2009-06-01T20:21:00.002-05:00

This makes me giggle. Wubbzy rocks my socks!

If you're going to do it, do it right. ;)

2009-06-01T13:26:00.003-05:00

This cracks me up--a guy in Lincoln, Nebraska robbed a store with a beer box on his head. Gosh, I keep telling my husband that he has GOT to stop doing that in public...

Nooooooooooooo!

2009-06-01T09:39:00.004-05:00

Not this again! Octomom is back in the spotlight after signing a deal to create her own reality show, thus banking on her 14 children with the media. Read more:

She's baaaaaaaack! Octomom the next Jon & Kate Plus...14?

Scary.

Bring in June with a Great Timewaster!

2009-06-01T09:08:00.003-05:00

Gotta love someone with way too much time on their hands...

Proud of Myself!

2009-05-30T12:42:00.006-05:00

I know, it's been a while since I updated (over a week, GASP! LOL) but I've been super busy. Doing what, you ask?

WRITING! Yeah, I know, that's nothing unusual, but the big news is I got hired at Examiner.com as the Omaha Stay-at-Home Moms Examiner. I'm so stoked! I get to write about things going on in Omaha, reviews, events, recipes, and other topics affecting us stay-at-home mommies. I couldn't be more excited--I have been trying to apply for About.com's Stay-at-Home Moms topic, but have been rejected once. I just want something that will help bring in extra income and be something that I can do in my spare time and truly enjoy!

My page finally went live yesterday, so I present to you, my Examiner.com page!

http://www.examiner.com/x-12285-Omaha-StayatHome-Moms-Examiner

Yeah, I'm pretty proud of myself. ;) Become a fan on my Facebook page that I created and you will be updated on new articles and events! Thanks for your support guys, I'm super stoked about being chosen to write for this website!

Great Choice of Attorney, MRT

2009-05-22T19:59:00.002-05:00

A little bird passed an email over to me with the following link.

http://www.wsbtv.com/news/16316862/detail.html

It's a recent article about the attorney MRT Services hired to field their calls and emails. Gotta love a good scandal...

PMSing Committee Member Takes It Out on Me

2009-05-22T19:35:00.003-05:00

Wow.

I couldn't help but laugh the other day while on the phone with this one lady.

Let me start from the beginning, shall I?

Eric and I signed up for this parenting seminar that was on a Saturday in March. It was almost an all day thing, and when you signed up, you got breakfast, the seminar, free child care, blah blah blah, for $25. It was focusing on bullying, which is a big issue we have been dealing with with Christopher's classmates and whatnot, so we decided it would be a good idea to sign up. I wrote a check to the organization for $25 and mailed it in with my form. It said child care was limited, may not be available, such-n-such.

Well, I never heard anything back. I noticed a few days before the seminar that my check still hadn't cleared, and I hadn't received any kind of confirmation saying, yeah, you're signed up, yes, bring your kids, you got a spot for child care, nothing. And without my check clearing, I figured they just didn't get my mail. It wasn't worth putting a stop on the check since that's, well, $25, so whatever.

We ended up not going then, obviously, since I assumed we weren't signed up. Then the next week, our check clears. On the sheet I had about the seminar, there was no phone number, so I went online and looked up the organization. Found their website, found some contact emails and sent an email out asking for my refund.

Three email addresses and no response from ANYONE.

So I send another. Asking if they received my last email, just want a refund, yadda yadda. Still no answer. So then I send another email saying if I didn't hear from someone, I would contact the BBB. Nothing big, just said, hey, are my emails getting through? Anyone there? Finally went back to the website and got a hold of someone else. She replied right away with names and phone numbers of people to contact. I ended up leaving phone messages for these people, and of course, got voicemail and left messages with no calls returned.

So now I'm getting frustrated, and I contact the lady again to let her know I wasn't getting a response from anyone. She says she'll forward off the info and I should hear back within 24 hours on my refund.

I get a call Tuesday morning while I'm at my mom's house dropping off April. It was a lady (the name didn't match anyone I had been trying to contact) that said she was from the organization and she received the information about the requested refund.

"We don't normally do refunds, and it does say on the sheet, no refunds."

Of course, it doesn't, not on the part I have. Maybe it was on the portion that I had to cut off and mail in, but it sure wasn't on the sheet I had sitting on my desk at home.

"If you wanted to have this situation resolved, you should have contacted me. I'm the treasurer and my name, email address, and phone number were on the seminar sheet and all over the website."

Wrong. I even came home and looked up her name, and nothing. Have no clue what she's talking about, but her name is NOT on the website or my seminar sheet.

"We don't normally do refunds, but considering the issue you've been having, I will get a $25 check out for you."

With this, she confirmed my mailing address while she had a very upset, screaming child in the background. The conversation seemed a little 'rushed,' and this probably had something to do with it. She also had that 'you're wasting my time' kind of voice, like, you've been a pain, lets get this over with.

I digress. So she confirms my mailing address, and then goes, "okay, I will have a $25 check sent out in the mail today for you. Oh, and you can stop sending the harassing emails. Thanks, have a nice day."

WOAH WOAH WOAH! What?!? "Excuse me, ma'am?"

"Yes?"

"Um...what harassing emails?"

"You know, the ones you sent about contacting the Better Business Bureau." (Here's that snotty voice again...)

"Yeah, I sent that because after three emails to three different officers, I wasn't getting any responses. And it was not harassing by any means. It just clearly stated that if this wasn't going to be resolved, I would contact the Better Business Bureau."

"And you can contact the Better Business Bureau if you want, but I'm giving you your $25 back so there is no longer an issue."

"I agree. That's all I wanted was a refund. I was in no way being mean and nasty and 'harassing' you at all."

"Well, I think this has been taking care of. Goodbye."

Click.

Wow.

Seriously? Talk about some major PMS...

I looked back on my emails, and yeah, there was only ONE "mean" line in my email, and that was in the one where I asked for a response or I would have this resolved with the BBB. That's it. Nothing more was written that could have been in any way, shape, or form considered harassing.

I don't know what her problem was. I mean, really, who pooped in her oatmeal this morning?

25 Reasons I Owe My Mother

2009-05-20T09:10:00.004-05:00

My dad sent me this in an email, and it made me laugh. How true! (Personally, I'm a big fan of teaching logic and irony...)

25 REASONS I OWE MY MOTHER

1. My mother taught me TO APPRECIATE A JOB WELL DONE .

'If you're going to kill each other, do it outside. I just finished cleaning.'

2.. My mother taught me RELIGION .

'You better pray that will come out of the carpet.'

3. My mother taught me about TIME TRAVEL .
'If you don't straighten up, I'm going to knock you into the middle of next week!'

4. My mother taught me LOGIC .

' Because I said so, that's why.'

5. My mother taught me MORE LOGIC .

'If you fall out of that swing and break your neck, you're not going to the store with me.'

6. My mother taught me FORESIGHT .

'Make sure you wear clean underwear, in case you're in an accident.'

7. My mother taught me IRONY .

'Keep crying, and I'll give you something to cry about.'

8. My mother taught me about the science of OSMOSIS .

'Shut your mouth and eat your supper.'

9. My mother taught me about CONTORTIONISM .

'Will you look at that dirt on the back of your neck!'

10. My mother taught me about STAMINA .

'You'll sit there until all that spinach is gone.'

11. My mother taught me about WEATHER .

'This room of yours looks as if a tornado went through it.'

12. My mother taught me about HYPOCRISY .

'If I told you once, I've told you a million times. Don't exaggerate!'

13. My mother taught me the CIRCLE OF LIFE .

'I brought you into this world, and I can take you out.'

14. My mother taught me about BEHAVIOR MODIFICATION .

'Stop acting like your father!'

15. My mother taught me about ENVY .

'There are millions of less fortunate children in this world who don't have wonderful parents like you do.'

16. My mother taught me about ANTICIPATION .

'Just wait until we get home.'

17. My mother taught me about RECEIVING .

'You are going to get it when you get home!'

18. My mother taught me MEDICAL SCIENCE .

'If you don't stop crossing your eyes, they are going to freeze that way.'

19. My mother taught me ESP .

'Put your sweater on; don't you think I know when you are cold?'

20. My mother taught me HUMOR .

'When that lawn mower cuts off your toes, don't come running to me.'

21. My mother taught me HOW TO BECOME AN ADULT .

'If you don't eat your vegetables, you'll never grow up.'

22. My mother taught me GENETICS.

'You're just like your father.'

23. My mother taught me about my ROOTS .

'Shut that door behind you. Do you think you were born in a barn?'

24. My mother taught me WISDOM .

'When you get to be my age, you'll understand.'

25. And my favorite: My mother taught me about JUSTICE.

'One day you'll have kids, and I hope they turn out just like you.'

The World's Best Excuse

2009-05-19T18:50:00.003-05:00

Isn't it wonderful when one excuse works for everything? I find everyone pointing to the economy for their own little problems.

"I'm sorry, sir, I didn't make my car payment on time. You know how it is, money is so tight with the economy..."

"I apologize for not buying a nicer baby shower gift. The economy is so crappy these days..."

"I would have bought you flowers for our anniversary, honey, but I figured with the economy the way it is, I shouldn't be buying stuff for you that will die in a week..."

"Sorry, kids, no summer vacation this year. You know how it is with a failing economy..."

"I'm sorry my dog ran out of our yard and mauled your child--with the economy being so bad right now, I just couldn't fork over the money to fence in our pit bull..."

"The economy has been so bad, I've been using wads of toilet paper instead of buying sanitary pads for my period each month..."

"I apologize for selling our kids on eBay, honey, but some extra cash was just the ticket with this horrid economy..."

"I'm sorry for selling the house, but I figured we could live just as well in a tent in my mom's backyard..."

"I'm going to have to pass on sex tonight, hon. This economy has me really down..."

And, same goes for reasons to "stimulate the economy."

"I just had to buy these stillettos, honey--I'm doing my part to stimulate the economy."

"Buying a round of beers for my friends was a great idea to help stimulate the economy."

"Hey honey, I'm feeling horny. How about we 'stimulate the economy?'"

Ah, yes, it's so versatile...

I. Can't. Move. Ow.

2009-05-17T20:05:00.005-05:00

10K this morning. I thought I did pretty good...115/142. I got 24/25 in my age group, but that's okay--this was my first run and it felt good. Well, not right now. I hurt like a mo-fo. I think IcyHot should make bubble bath so I can just lay in it. LOL

Waiting for the photos to be uploaded to the site, but in the meantime, we have (drumroll please!) the results:

http://www.onlineraceresults.com/race/view_plain_text.php?race_id=10701

Oh, and the best news? I BEAT MOM!!! (Mind you, she runs half-marathons and marathons, so that felt pretty good!)

More tomorrow, today, I just want to go back to bed now...

Bed Head

2009-05-16T08:47:00.001-05:00

Gotta love Saturday morning bed head! :)

Ready, Set, Run!

2009-05-16T07:32:00.002-05:00

I'm up early today so that I'm not so tired tomorrow when I have to get up at the butt-crack of dawn. The 10K is tomorrow! Yay!

I'm excited, but at the same time, worried. My legs have been bothering me (Jackie told me I probably have shin splints) and so I haven't run for about a week and a half so that I can try and give it a little rest and allow them to recover. But at the same time, I'm hoping that doesn't ruin my ability to run a long distance. *sigh*

I can't wait until tomorrow morning! I've never done anything like this before, so it's all new. And having the moral support of my mother-in-law is great, too! And, if all goes well, I plan on doing the 10K in September, as well.

I've never thought of myself as much of a runner kind of person, but I've really enjoyed it. Especially since I can have Eric watch the kiddos while I go run and listen to the iPod and be a world away, just by myself. I don't get that opportunity very often. So that's nice...

So since I'm up, maybe I should get away from the computer and go do something worthwhile...like a load of dishes or vaccuming. ;)

But Wait! There's More!

2009-05-15T20:30:00.003-05:00

Curiosity got the best of me, and I was trying to figure out if MRT Services, Inc. in Georgia was taking any new clients. I mean, if you were bogged with past clients and seeing red on your financials, chances are, you'd be careful about taking on some new work, right?

I went to their website and did a bid request. Made up a random focus group I was having with four people, length of audio, etcetera etcetera, sent from a secondary email address of mine (not previously linked with my working email, of course!). I really didn't expect a response back.

But low and behold, within 24 hours, I sure did get a response! They wanted to know what the subject matter was, how many people and whatnot, so I replied back with some random, general information. They then sent me the pricing per minute (and oh Lordy, they were BANKING off of us transcriptionists!!! Talk about profit, holy shit! Can't remotely figure out how they're in such a bad financial situation...). Then, at the end of this pricing quote, he wrote:

At the moment we're 'swamped' with business that's pushed our turn around time back to seven days.

If this is an okay fit for you simply contact me asap.

HAHAHAHAHA! "Swamped." I love how they put it in the little quotes, too...so then I wrote this email back:

Thanks! I heard something recently on the Atlanta, Georgia news (WSB) regarding your company, something about not paying your transcriptionists because you're possibly filing for bankruptcy? Is this true? Is that why you have a slow turnaround time? Just curious, as I want to make sure I'm not providing future business for a company that will not be around next week...

I was dying to find out their response to this. Instead of an explanation, I get this:

I'm trying to set up a file for you. Please forward your business address including your business telephone number. (Without these we can't move forward with your project)

Thanx again for the opportunity to work with you!

Um, yeah, that didn't answer my question, dude. (And "thanx?" Wow, for being a business, they sure don't understand the concept of proper email techniques...) I wasn't letting this go without a clear answer. So I wrote back:

Before I get too far, I want to know what is going on with your company. I'm not going to move forward myself if there's no guarantee your company is going to be around in a week. Please don't walk around the question and let me know the situation. Thank you.

Figured that would do it.

Instead of a quick "within 24 hours" response back, I got nothing but dead air. I could hear the crickets outside. No response. Wow, way to defend yourself.

But wait! I DO get an email back--just not from him. Some other person. And IT says:

Should this be an order you are still interesting in sending MRT, you may contact me direct at (number removed). Please press zero to locate me, as I am filling in for Frank while he is out. Any specific questions you have about MRT's ability to complete your order would certainly be best handled by a phone call. I look forward to hearing from you today.

So, since she was sooooo looking forward to hearing from me THAT DAY, I wrote back.

As you can see from the previous conversation, I would just like to know more about the news story I heard on TV. I do not want to be starting work with a company that will not be around in a week...

Again, silence. Crickets. Dead air.

A week went by. No response back. So I just sent the following:

I am going to assume that from your lack of response regarding the bankruptcy and withholding pay from your workers, you do not plan on being around long enough to service me and my organization now or in the future.

Again, no response. 'Nuf said.

The Saga Continues

2009-05-15T20:14:00.004-05:00

Wednesday I put in the paperwork for my small claims filing against MRT Services, Inc. Of course, two days later, nothing new or exciting has happened. Well, a few things, maybe.

I got in contact with one of the companies that does a lot of work with MRT Services, Inc. there in Georgia (I have not disclosed names, emails, or the company's information). Here is a conversation I had with one of the people there:

Representative: Hello, how may we help you today?

Sara: Yes, I was curious to know if you guys are still offering services through MRT Services?

Representative: Yes we are.

Sara: Have you done any work with them within the last week?

Representative: Not that I am aware of.

Sara: I recently heard they were not paying their transcriptionists and were planning on filing bankruptcy--had you heard anything about that?

Representative: I heard that they are facing Bankruptcy however they have partnered with another company

Sara: Oh really? What company are they partnering with?

Representative: That I have not been told as of yet however (name removed) would be able to answer your questions in depth he can be reached at (email removed).

Sara: Okay, great. Thanks for your help!

So, of course, immediately after getting this information, I emailed the guy I was directed to. And here is a copy of THAT email conversation:

"I was chatting with (name removed) earlier today and I am trying to get
some information on the MRT Services, Inc. that you work with. I was
told they are going to be merging with another company. I'm curious to
know what company they are merging with--I have not been able to get a
hold of Laurie Sossa. Please provide me any information you may have.
Thank you!"

Email response:

"Sara--

I don't know any details about a possible merger. I know that they have
worked with one or more companies in the past to assist with spillover
business, but I have no idea who those companies are and Laurie has not
contacted me about any specifics on their plans moving forward. I just
heard on the news last night about a possible bankruptcy myself.

Sorry, wish I had more info. I do know that they are still handling all
of our transcripts and we are not making contingency plans until we hear
something more from MRT.

Feel free to check in with me in the next few weeks--there may be more
news then."

Over a week goes by, so I sent him an email asking if he has heard anything new. The response I receive?

"Nothing but silence. Sorry. I think they are going to let me know something in early June."

So, looks like it will be a few weeks before I know much else. But I'm interested in this so-called "merger." I mean, if they "merge" with another company, does that mean they will all of a sudden pay the transcriptionists that they owe? Probably not. I'm not holding my breath on that one. I mean, really, if they are in such bad shape that they're contemplating filing bankruptcy, no one is going to want to merge with them. Especially if they are seriously in debt with numerous transcriptionists that have done work for them. Am I right?

When Mommy Says No...

2009-05-15T20:10:00.002-05:00

She means no. Otherwise, you'll end up with your head dangling off like this:

Yeah, found that in Target this morning in the toy aisles. Poor thing, never had a chance even out of the box...LOL But really, this isn't near as funny as a toy some friends and I took pictures of way back when in high school. (This was when we had the disposable film cameras, and so God knows where the photos went.) We were in the toy area of some store and found a Britney Spears doll. It was labeled "Oops I did it again" and the doll was in the box, intact, (sealed, no evidence of tampering) and the doll's pants were down to her ankles. I mean, really, you can't make that stuff up. LOL But yes, I wish I knew where that photo was...Marcie, have you seen it? :)

Time To Get Serious

2009-05-13T20:21:00.002-05:00

Alright, so I gave MRT Services an email right after the whole email/bankruptcy/we-won't-ever-pay-you thing came on the scene giving them 2 weeks to pay me or I would take legal action.

Yeah, I haven't seen a check in the mail.

THEREFOR, it was time to show them that I mean business. I went into the courthouse today to file my small claims suit against them AND the president of the company. Oh, and she won't only get served by mail, she will get served by SHERIFF, too.

There's no hiding from me.

Funny thing is, with Nebraska small claims, she needs to appear in court to defend herself or it's an automatic judgement. So really, she can save herself the trip and just send me my money. Whatever. I'm not dropping it, so either way...

This is my first time "sueing" anyone. And oddly, instead of guilt or regret, I feel good. I feel like I have taken that first step to say, hey, I mean business. I'm not going to drop this, and I'm not going to be screwed out of the money that I EARNED. Damn right, I'm taking it to court!

So now it's just a matter of waiting. Waiting for her to be served. Waiting to see if she decides to resolve this outside of court. Waiting for the court date. Waiting to see if she really does show up. Waiting to see the judge laugh in her face for being stupid enough not to pay me. Yeah, that'll be funny.

You know what else would be funny?

Some laid off humor:

When it Comes to Daddy...

2009-05-13T20:18:00.004-05:00

April has some awfully big shoes to fill. ;)

Farts Make Me Giggle Like A Grade-School Child

2009-05-12T17:35:00.003-05:00

I will never outgrow the crude humor of farts. Heck, I'm a Jamison at heart, what do you expect?

So when I ran across this video, I couldn't help but shed a few tears of laughter. Farts will ALWAYS be funny.

Wild Gunman Reported in Mall of the Bluffs Shopping Mall (Council Bluffs, Iowa)

2009-05-12T13:32:00.007-05:00

Eric had some doctor's appointments today and I had to drive him (since he was being sedated). So there I am, sitting in the waiting room with April, and on the TV there were your typical afternoon soap operas on. Well, was. On came "breaking news" for Omaha--Gunman at Mall of the Bluffs.

Mind you, Mall of the Bluffs is across the border in Council Bluffs, Iowa, but it's still, well, close enough. Most of us, even those who don't live here in Omaha, recall the Westroads Mall/Von Maur shooting in 2007 (more memorable to me, I suppose, since I was in the hospital having April watching all of it unfold on the news in my room). Stupid kid shot down random people before shooting himself, making it one of the biggest news stories for Omaha in years.

Well, here on the news, there was a report of a man "running through the mall with a gun." No one was shot, the mall was put under lockdown after it was evacuated, and the police and news reporters seemed to be just standing around doing not much of anything. Then they report that they "lost the suspect." Like he left the mall. Nowhere to be found. So, oh well, let's just open the mall back up. So they let everyone back in while all the hubbub wound down.

So I'm thinking, well, gee, maybe the guys hiding somewhere, in some stockroom or something, or gosh, I don't know, plans on coming back?

Either way, I figured there should have been something more done. And then I find out WHY nothing more was done--apparently, the gun that was referred to? Just a frickin' black umbrella. And the "mad gunman?" Just a gentleman minding his own business.

Wow. Seriously. That's got to be the funniest thing I've heard all day!

I mean, come on. This, my friend, is a black umbrella:

This is a gun:

Any questions?

For the full, entriguing story, here's a link to an article posted this afternoon: http://www.wowt.com/home/headlines/44802227.html

For Transcriptionists Out of Jobs

2009-05-10T12:33:00.003-05:00

It's funny how things work out sometimes.

A few months ago, I had worked on compiling a list of transcription companies that hire, finding about 450+ transcription companies and gathering information about them and who they hire, and IF they're hiring.

I never thought I'd be needing to use my own eBook in the near future after this whole MRT Services, Inc. situation! Here is some information about my eBook, "The Ultimate Transcription Jobs eBook":

Stay a step ahead of your competition!

This comprehensive eBook is the trade secret to achieving the results you want when searching and applying for work at home transcription positions.

With over 450 transcription companies, this eBook is filled with respectable, quality transcription companies looking to hire ambitious, first-rate transcriptionists. Included in this abundant list are the following information:

• Company name
• Legal Name (if registered)
• Website address that links directly to the company's employment page
• Mailing Addresses
• Phone Number
• Fax Number
• Email address and a direct contact
• What kind of transcriptions they handle
• If they're hiring
• Minimum qualifications, experience and work requirements

In addition to giving you all the information you want in this simple but powerful reference eBook, we also checked every company for a Better Business Bureau rating and did a search to make sure none of the opportunities listed in this book are scams or fraudulent companies. You can be assured that every company in this list is a legit, work-from-home transcription company. What other site can guarantee that?

This is the most up-to-date, to the point compilation of transcription companies on the web—the best kept secret to all those fighting for these handpicked company positions. Find the jobs everyone else is looking to find.

See for yourself.

See the results you can achieve by utilizing this unrivaled reference to the hottest (and lesser-known) transcription careers available.

It’s time you achieve your goals. It’s time to secure your future as a telecommuting transcriptionist. Be one step ahead of your competition in this growing workforce. Attain a new level of success and score big with this reference eBook.

What you can do with this eBook—

• Quickly find companies that are hiring people with your qualifications and have your preferred schedule in mind.

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Skillfully negotiate your way to an abundant, prosperous career today!

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I know, I know, shameless plug. But hey--I've found it useful myself--I'm already working on transcriptions for another company--one that PAYS. So I guess you can't beat the own author saying how awesome her own book is...by using it herself! Oh, and just for the record, MRT Services, Inc. was NOT included in this list. I figured that due to the delays in payment and some posts online mentioning it as a possible scam, I used my best judgement and did not include them. I'm pretty happy to say I caught that one a while back! :)

Kite Flying At The Park

2009-05-09T10:11:00.007-05:00

Yesterday was a nice, blustery day here in Omaha, and since it was nice out and a Friday, I figured I would take the kids to the park after Chris got out of school and have Chris fly his kite and take advantage of the wind. It was fun--unfortunately, the wind was a little finicky, so it was hit and miss getting the kite up, and then after a big gust, the string broke. :( I retied it, but by the time I was done fixing it, Chris had already run over to the playground and was already preoccupied. I let April play with the kite for a while and then she joined her brother in the sand. Got some really cute photos of the kiddos, too, and you can see them by clicking on the photo below. Enjoy!

Scattegories at the Haley Household

2009-05-08T21:33:00.003-05:00

Have you ever played Scattegories?

If not, it's a simple game where you're given a list of items and someone rolls the dice and you have to write an answer that corresponds to the list that starts with that letter. So if someone rolls an "S," then you have to write all answers that start with "S."

So anyway, we played that tonight with Chris. April had gone to bed early after playing hard at the park (pics to come--they're STILL uploading on Flickr so it might not be til tomorrow when I post them up) so me and the boys had some time to play a board game. Chris chose Scattegories (becuase it's alot like his favorite game, Picture Picture) and I explained the rules to Eric before we played, as he had never played it before.

Let me just say, some of our answers were a little silly, yet highly amusing!

"Reasons for being late" with the letter A.

I put "April." LOL She's a good excuse, right?

"Historical Figure" with the letter M.

"Mrs. B." She's historical in Omaha, anyway...

"Things that Jump or Bounce" with the letter A.

"Alot of things." Strategically answered by Christopher. (LMAO!)

"Award/Ceremonies" with the letter L.

"Loser of the Year Award" answered by Eric. For some reason, I let him have a point for this...

"Terms of Endearment" with the letter P.

Eric wrote, "Pig-face." Uh...yeah. LOL I wrote Patootie. If he EVER calls me Pig-Face out of love, I'll smack him.

It was a highly amusing night, but all in all, lots of fun. :)

Monopoly And The Recession

2009-05-08T13:58:00.004-05:00

So you thought the recession sucked? Well, think about how Rich Uncle Pennybags feels when his properties are getting foreclosed..hahaha!

Actually, his name is Stanley Monopoly, or Mr. Monopoly. No, really, his name is Stanley. Don't believe me? Google that shit. Or, do what I did and check out Wikipedia.

See? Told you so.

ANYWHO...back to the original topic. And here it is folks--Monopoly: The Recession Edition! (Click on it to open the larger image.)

(Original Blog)

A Break From The Chaos

2009-05-08T09:12:00.004-05:00

Yeah, yeah, I know, I've been a big whiner lately. Well, you would be too if you were jipped out of $2300 worth of paychecks!

Anywho, figured I'd lighten up the mood a little with a humorous video. I'm not sure where exactly it came from, since it got emailed to me by, of all people, my father...HAHAHA! I present to you, the Shii!

Company Reviews: Spreading the Love

2009-05-07T18:44:00.011-05:00

Or the hate, whichever.

I have found out (through an unnamed source) that MRT Services, Inc. is STILL TAKING JOBS. They are STILL IN BUSINESS. Which means, you guessed it, that they stiffed their transcriptionist and are probably on the prowl finding new ones. New ones that don't know about their company. Naive transcriptionists that aren't presented with enough information regarding this company. Well, folks, I'm going to make sure my voice is heard, and if you'd like to join me, feel free! I am posting company reviews on various websites to alert transcriptionists to stay away from this company--they're bringing their reputation down themselves by treating former workers this way, and I would hate for someone new in the transcription field to be hired by MRT Services, Inc. and be treated the way we were--left without pay we EARNED.

I found some good company review sites, so feel free to check them out and add your two cents as well--the more, the merrier!

JobVent.com

www.jobvent.com

The first place I found was JobVent.com. This is where you, as a current or former employee of a company, can spill your guts on the inside scoop of that business. There were no previous listings for MRT Services, Inc. so I made sure to make one. ;)

Link To MRT Services, Inc. JobVent.com Review

This is the direct link to my review. I hope the rest of you all find it fitting...

Glassdoor.com

www.glassdoor.com

A fascinating and informative little website that I am glad I stumbled across. I submitted my review, but it has to go through approval, so once that happens, I'll post the direct link to my review. MRT Services, Inc. was, of course, not on this site either. My hope is that Google indexes these sites and when someone searches for information about MRT Services, Inc., they find this information out before considering employment.

Scam.com

www.scam.com

Now this is a forum that's used to notify others of scams. And technically, that's what I'm doing, right?

Link to Scam.com Thread Post on MRT Services, Inc.

RipOffReport.com

www.ripoffreport.com

Yeah, I know, there are already some reports on this site for MRT Services, Inc. But heck, what's one more? LOL

RipOffReport.com Letter Regarding MRT Services, Inc. Scam

A little side note on RipOffReport.com, it appears that MRT Services, Inc. employees tend to reply to reports that end up here. I'm assuming they either get contacted when there is a post about their business, or they take these reports very seriously. If that's the case, I would expect a response from them soon regarding this issue--and trust me--it better be good!

MerchantCircle.com

www.merchantcircle.com

This is another company review site, but it's more for anyone, not just employees and such. Either way, I made sure to post a tidbit of my horrific story on there, and it posted immediately. You can see it here:

MRT Services, Inc. Review on MerchantCircle.com

They were actually already listed on there as a company, but there were no reviews or anything. Well, there is one now!

If any of you know of anymore I should add, please let me know! Thanks for all your guys' support and interest!

(For those of you who are totally out of the loop, or Googled "MRT Services, Inc." and came across this page, please view this blog post for the full story--or at least, the beginning of it.)

An Ex-Employee of MRT Services Speaks Out

2009-05-06T14:09:00.010-05:00

This afternoon, yet another transcriptionist--well, EX-transcriptionist--for MRT Services sent me an email after finding my blog. Here is what she had to say:

Hi Sara,

I just read your blog about MRT Services, Inc.

I've been gone from MRT Services for about a year now. My mom saw the story on WSB and called me. Needless to say, if my mother's calling me about it, the wounds still run very deep.

I would like to remain anonymous, but I have some interesting points that you can make available on your blog.

As far as we know, MRT isl very respected in the marketing community and their name is mud in the transcription community. I wonder if these clients know that MRT is slinging their loyal clients name in the mud, by blaming them for their transcriptionists not getting paid using the montra, "You get paid when we get paid."
The President of MRT Services, Inc. had a Facebook page with a profile picture of her and her family in front of the Eiffel Tower. I checked today and her whole Facebook page has been removed. Her husband is the VP of MRT, so it's not like they're jetting off to Paris with his money... he makes his money from MRT too.
Beware of them blaming their downfall on the economy... as far I know, the work has been steadily coming in, right?
They were/are basically running a sweatshop.
Who's doing their transcriptions now? My guess is their subcontracting it out to another company so they don't lose face with their clients.
Had transcriptionists sign a contractor agreement protecting MRT from themselves.

Kudos to you for taking a stand. Again, I would appreciate remaining anonymous.

I've been gone a year. Thank heavens I was paid in full, but only after I pitched a fit. I tried to leave gracefully and with some dignity and tried to focus on the positive. Unfortunately, I had to send them a scathing email a month later demanding that my last invoice be paid.

I laughed when you said you were getting alot of hits and I had read all of those stories on RipoffReport.com as well.

Good points. Thanks for your email! Yes, up until about a week or so ago, they were "so busy" and had so much work to hand out--why a company with so much work and great turnaround is about to fail is beyond me, but I'm glad to know I'm not the only one that has spent a lot of my time for late paychecks--if any!

DIGG These Links About MRT Services To Get The Word Out!

2009-05-06T12:26:00.009-05:00

Yeah, by now you know I've gotten screwed by MRT Services, Inc. in Loganville, GA, and I've noticed from my traffic feed that a lot of people are searching, and finding me, through Google. Apparently, searching for MRT Services has become all the rage, considering they have left all their transcriptionists without pay, yet continue to function, even after threatening bankruptcy.

For all of those that have been affected, join the Facebook Group, DIGG the articles below, and let's get the word out that all of us transcriptionists are not going down without a fight for the money we rightfully deserve! Even if you haven't been affected but want to help support us, please DIGG the articles below:

MRT Services Bails on Transcriptionists:

http://digg.com/business_finance/MRT_Services_Bails_on_Transcriptionists

MRT Services, Inc. in GA Not Paying Their Workers:

http://digg.com/business_finance/MRT_Services_Inc_in_GA_not_paying_their_workers

FaceBook Group Started for those Affected by MRT Services:

http://digg.com/business_finance/FaceBook_Group_started_for_those_affected_by_MRT_Services

DIGG THIS! MRT Services, Inc. Transcriptionist Needs Help!

http://digg.com/business_finance/DIGG_THIS_MRT_Services_Inc_Transcriptionist_Needs_Help

MRT Services Scam Revealed on RipOffReport.com!
http://digg.com/business_finance/MRT_Services_Scam_Revealed_on_RipOffReport_com

MRT Services, Inc. Scam Reported on RipOffReport.com!

http://digg.com/business_finance/MRT_Services_Inc_Scam_Reported_on_RipOffReport_com

WSBTV.com Reveals Georgia Company Scamming Transcriptionists
http://digg.com/business_finance/WSBTV_com_Reveals_Georgia_Company_Scamming_Transcriptionists

RipOffReport.com Scam Revealed--MRT Services Doesn't Pay!

http://digg.com/business_finance/RipOffReport_com_Scam_Revealed_MRT_Services_Doesn_t_Pay

UPDATED LINKS 5/7/09

JobVent.com Review of MRT Services, Inc. in Loganville, GA
http://digg.com/business_finance/JobVent_com_Review_of_MRT_Services_Inc_in_Loganville_GA

MRT Services, Inc. Does NOT Pay Their Workers!

http://digg.com/business_finance/MRT_Services_Inc_Does_NOT_Pay_Their_Workers

RipOff Report - MRT Services, Inc. - Market Research

http://digg.com/business_finance/Rip_off_Report_MRT_Services_Inc_Market_Research

I'll be continuing to add to this list, but we need to spread the word and work TOGETHER to get paid! Thanks guys for all your interest and support!

A Day With Third Graders

2009-05-05T12:36:00.010-05:00

So today Christopher and the entire third grade of his school went to the Dodge House in Council Bluffs, Iowa. Of course, as with any field trip, I tagged along. :)

Now, mind you, the servant tour we took was neat--showed how things were done back in the 1800's, and put the kids in the shoes of housekeepers. Which was, might I add, interesting, especially when they were holding a bar of lye soap in the laundry room and the tour guide told them lye was animal fat. I haven't seen kids drop anything so fast. LOL

Of course, when you go anywhere with twenty-something 8- and 9-year-olds, you're bound to hear some interesting things. On the bus, during the tour, while eating lunch out in the courtyard. Here are some amusing comments that I heard throughout the day:

On the bus

Classmate: "Swine flu came from Mexican people."

Christopher: "Well, then the Mexican people need to go back to Mexico."

Christopher: "Mom, is the world really going to end in 2012 from swine flu?" (LMAO)

Classmate: "I want a snake. No, actually, I want either a red pickup truck or a snake."

"Pickle pie!" which later turned into a conversation on how to make "Pickle-sicles" (Pickle Popsicles...)

Classmate: "Is this the White House?"

Classmate: "I'm going to polish up this silver real good for Barack Obama." (said while they were learning how to polish silver...)

Christopher: "Why is there a bear trap in the basement?" (referring to an artifact that they had on display)

Classmate: "You're fired!" (Said from one child to another when the tour guide explained that if one servant broke something, the head of housekeeping would be responsible for their actions. In which, of course, the "head of housekeeping" fired the servant...LOL)

Classmate: "I'm gonna tell my mom I know how to polish silver."

Me: "You do that--she'll love to hear that."

Classmate: "Look, I found a really old coin!"

Me: (I look at it, it's a dime from 1989.)

Classmate: "I bet I could trade it in for 100 million dollars!"

Me: "Or perhaps another dime." (LOL)

Yeah. It was fun. :) And the laughs made the morning well-worth the time away from home!

Guess The Cats Outta the Bag...

2009-05-04T20:46:00.004-05:00

I'm not the only one pissed about not getting paid--some women in Georgia made the news for their complaints against the company "MRT Services, Inc." Yup, I'm saying their name. Guess if it's on the news, the cats already out of the bag...

http://www.wsbtv.com/video/19366593/index.html

(For those of you just seeing this post and not knowing what I'm talking about, check out this post.)

It's like my own personal hell...

Fake Cleaning 101

2009-05-04T14:32:00.005-05:00

I love having friends over. I don't mind having company. What I do mind is when, on short notice, they will be making an appearance and the house looks like a tornado ripped through it. Now mind you, my house is nowhere near neat and tidy, but it's also not a pig-sty either. It's "lived in." And generally, I have organizational projects in progress around the house. But either way, everyone loves a nice clean house. But when you're pressed for time, what do you do?

Fake clean!

Yeah, I didn't know there was such a thing, either. But Real Simple has an article that tells you exactly how to "fake clean" your house. But you have to remember to go back and "real clean" your house later...

How To Fake a Clean House from Real Simple

My Look Has Changed!

2009-05-02T12:17:00.001-05:00

For all of you who visit regularly, yes, I have changed up my site a little. ;)

Pretty snazzy, eh? Still making some changes, so if it's missing things or things don't work, don't freak out. It's a work in progress.

Gotta make a mess to clean a mess, right?

Business Owes Me Big-Time!

2009-05-01T13:54:00.000-05:00

I'm so mad.

No, not mad. Livid.

See, I've been doing transcription for this one company for quite some time, I think as far back as September of 2008. They would contact me all the time for transcript work and I busted my tail for them. In fact, work continued to grow, they said they were swamped, and in March, I made way more than I ever did at my full-time job just doing their stuff part-time.

Now, for the sake of giving the company the chance to make things right, I am not going to state the business name (yet). But I got an email from their financial person today, after waiting for an email for a week or so regarding a paycheck, and here they talk about how they're in a financial crunch and are facing either bankruptcy or an investor bailout. Okay, I'm sorry, but they owe me some $2300 for the work I've done (some dating months back) and I am not going to let them just shove me to the side and forget about me.

Damn straight, I'm going to make them make this right. I had to email them and bug them time and time again to make sure they were sending me checks. I wasn't getting paid for work that I did until months later, after the fact. Although I thought that was a little screwy to begin with, I went with it, because either way, I WAS eventually getting paid and I WAS making good money with them. I checked them out, and they've been in business for 15 years. I had no reason otherwise to suspect anything.

But, well, there I go thinking all positive. And now, it looks as though it may be a long road to recover the money I rightfully earned. I'm taking this to the BBB, Georgia Small Claims court, and also notifying the other affiliations they have regarding their business. Oh, and I can do some MAJOR damage here online--I have quite the web presence and can make life miserable for them if they do not pay me. I'm sorry, but $2300 is a little too much to just shrug and say, "no biggie."

I will have to keep you all updated on this situation, but believe you me, I WILL get paid.

Ah, the Swine Flu!

2009-04-29T16:39:00.001-05:00

Apparently, according to the news, there's a guy from California that is on vacation here in Nebraska that, you guessed it, has the swine flu.

I know this whole swine flu thing should be taken seriously, considering it may become a national pandemic if we can't figure out how to kick it in the butt. And now that someone in the US (a toddler, unfortunately) died of it already, people are going to start holing up in their houses and apartment buildings and homeschooling their children to avoid any kind of social interaction with other kids who may (or may not) be carrying this lovely little virus. They'll ENCOURAGE their child to hop on MySpace to send a message before they would ever imagine sending their kid to the neighboring kid's home, ESPECIALLY if he's of hispanic descent and is named Jorge and just might have some connection to friends and family in Mexico who just might have sent him a birthday package with swine flu air contained inside that just might contaminate him and his family and the swine flu air just might float down the street and just might smother your child in a big green cloud of swine flu air and just might kill him.

Now, instead of running for cover and donning my snazzy blue face mask, I think I'll just enjoy this photo my dad sent me and down some high-end tequila.

James Blunt Makes His Own Parody?

2009-04-26T17:01:00.000-05:00

I was at my mom's and had April and we had Sesame Street on, and here comes James Blunt on the screen. I'm like, dude, I know him! Then I was like, what's he doing on Sesame Street? The song "Beautiful" starts up, but what comes out of his mouth is way funny! LOL (I apologize for the bad YouTube video, but hey, you get the point. If you want to go finding a better video, have at it.)

"This shape is brilliant, this shape is pure, I saw three angles, of that I'm sure..." LOL I was laughing my butt off at this. Who thinks this stuff up?! LOL

eHow Article Bonanza!

2009-04-26T16:37:00.000-05:00

I've been putting in some more time and effort into eHow lately. I know that the more I write, the more I earn and the less I have to do every month to make money. LOL What's nice is, with the 70 or so articles I had up, I was making about $30 a month, growing monthly, without doing anything else. So it's good residual income. And, obviously, if I want to make $100 a month or $200 a month for doing something once and never again, I need to step up my game. So I've been working on some articles. Here are some of my latest ones. Take a peek, rate, review, comment, whatever--just enjoy them, for all I care. Appreciate them for what they are--great How-To's. :)

How to Use Your XBox Live Account to Watch Netflix Movies
With the growing popularity of Netflix, the online movie company that allows you to rent and return DVDs through the mail, it only makes sense that Netflix has a partnership with XBox 360's XBox Live environment to allow you to download and watch instant streaming video through your XBox console. But how do you combine these two powerful forces? Here's how!

How to Send a Text Message for Free to an AT&T Customer's Phone
There's nothing more annoying than getting charged every time you send a text message to another AT&T customer. Well, not anymore! Here is how you can send a text message to another AT&T customer's cellular phone FOR FREE!

How to Change Your MySpace URL
When you open a MySpace account on MySpace.com, you create a URL, or a direct link, to your MySpace page. You could have www.myspace.com/ (whatever). Of course, if you created your page when you were dating Daryl, you might not want "saralovesdaryl" as your URL anymore. There are many reasons why one would want to change their URL (or their ID name), but every now and then, it's nice to change it up. But how, you ask? Here's how!

How to Use Your XBox 360 Controller on Your Computer
Have some video games on your computer that you would love to use a good ol' classic controller for? Look no further than your XBox 360 console! Yes folks, that's right--you can use your XBox 360 controller ON YOUR PC!!! How cool is that? This is how to set up your controller on your PC running Windows.

How to Answer Job Interview Question - What Will You Bring To Our Company
We all know how stressful job interviews can be. And we HATE those questions with elusive answers. Sometimes your mind can draw a total blank when asked a simple question. But here is how you can be prepared to answer your interview questions like a pro!

How to Clean A Spill From An Alkaline Battery
It happens to all of us--we go to change the batteries on what we thought was a dead electronic only to find a leaky component. Many of us are at a loss with what to do (and what NOT to do!) when trying to clean the corrosion and salvage the device itself. Here are some tips to help clean up the mess left behind, as well as give the device the batteries were in some tender loving care!

How to Contact Clark Howard, CNN's Money Advisor Expert
Clark Howard is one of the (in MY opinion!) most intelligent and logical money advisor experts in the business. He has smart, simple strategies for making it out of this recession alive and well! If you have been interested in contacting Clark Howard, here's how!

How to Delete Your Usage History Tracking (Internet Explorer)
Want to block what you've been looking at online? There may be numerous reasons to do so (and most I probably don't want to know!) but sometimes it is necessary--by removing cookies and temporary data files from your computer, it can help speed up your internet speed. Here is how you can quickly and easily delete those unwanted files that can slow down your computer!

For a listing of all my eHow articles (all 130 of them, which is what I am at to date!), click here! Be a great supporter--your support will help feed my children and house our family. Hahaha! Thanks guys for your readership!

The Big Oh-Nine!

2009-04-26T16:29:00.000-05:00

I can't believe Christopher is nine already!!! Oh my gosh, how time flies!

Had a busy weekend, really. Friday morning I spent the morning with Christopher's class. Took in some powdered and chocolate donuts to share with his classmates after their bellwork, and then April and I stuck around for the morning until little Miss April began getting cranky because of her bedtime. I said goodbye to his class (they were heading out for recess) and headed home to put April down for her much-needed nap. The kids had so much fun playing with her and they didn't want us to leave. LOL I guess I'll have to make an appearance in his class more often...LOL

Got home, put April down and got started on Christopher's cakes for his party. I made two star cakes, each one to resemble the Mario Star in the Nintendo games. A strawberry one and a chocolate one. Painted some creamy vanilla frosting on them, used spray food coloring to color them yellow, added edible yellow glitter and framed it with black frosting. YUM! I'm surprised the cakes even made it to the party okay, without a big half missing from a snack attack. LOL

It was then time to get Chris from school. Came home, he did his chores, and then I took the kids to the park. April decided she wanted to pour sand all over her, and was a complete mess by the time we left! Thank God for bathwater! Came home, made dinner, ate with Eric when he got back from work, and then I dunked the youngest in the tub--she was so dirty and had sand in places where, well, she shouldn't have had sand. Hahahaha!

Saturday morning I had to register Chris for swim lessons this summer, then came home, got everyone ready and headed to Family Fun Center to set up for Christopher's birthday party. One o'clock came by and all the chaos began! He had a bunch of his classmates come, and lots of family, and it was a great time had by all! The party went longer than 2 hours as everyone was still down in the arcade spending their tokens--everyone had fun, Chris made a haul in the gift department, and me? I was so tired by the end of the afternoon.

But yes, our "little boy" is nine now. Eric says it makes him feel old. As it should. ;)

The Best Invention EVER -- DAPPER SNAPPERS!

2009-04-20T09:14:00.001-05:00

A common problem I have to deal with with April (and Chris, really, but his pants are adjustable) is the fact that she's tall AND skinny. In other words, there are no pants that fit her. They either fit her butt and are way too short or are the perfect length and fall right off her butt. I just can't win.

So I did some hunting on the internet, was trying to Google anything along the line of "baby belts" or "toddler pants fit" or something along that line, and one oft he first thing that popped up was "Dapper Snappers." Dapper Snappers? Sounded interesting.

They are more than interesting. They are frickin' amazing! Why didn't I think of this?! They are a little strip of elastic fabric that you weave through the kids' belt loops on their pants, and then snap them to adjust the size. So simple, yet a mother's miracle in disguise.

It's been great, because now she can actually wear her 18 months pants before summer comes along and it will be too warm. It's like she has a whole new wardrobe now that I went through her tote of oversized pants. They fit! Woo hoo!

And the company was really cool about a whole coupon code mixup I had. I ordered a three pack because I had found a coupon code on a blog review about the Dapper Snappers, and apparently the coupon code expired but the blog owner didn't say there was an expiration date. It was for 20% off, so it was pretty decent. I sent a message to the company explaining that I had the code but it wasn't accepting it during checkout, and they ended up giving me another free Dapper Snapper since the charge was already made to my card. How cool is that? So I got pink, black, navy blue and khaki. So cool!

I'll have to post some pictures of my daughter sporting her Dapper Snappers. They are the coolest things...wish I would have thought of that!

Toyota Yaris Crash Rating

2009-04-17T09:04:00.000-05:00

Not what it's all cracked up to be?

My mom drives a Toyota Yaris, and so does my dad. YIKES!

New eHow Articles!

2009-04-15T08:50:00.000-05:00

Was feeling somewhat motivated the other day and posted some new eHow How-To articles. Here are the new ones to check out!

How to Keep Children Busy During Long Trips
You have a long car ride ahead of you for vacation, or a boring flight with unexhaustable children. What to do? Here are some tips to make that family vacation road trip a little more enjoyable--for everyone involved!

How to Use Vinegar for Cleaning, Health and Cooking
The more I read and educate myself about cleaning, cooking and general health, the more I learn about the mysterious benefits of vinegar. Read on for NUMEROUS ways to use vinegar--you'll find yourself hoarding this "hot commodity" in your household and using it on a very regular basis before you know it!

How to Find Out Your IP Address
An IP address, or Internet Protocol, are numbers assigned to internet service providers. By using the IP address, one can figure out the general location. That's how certain internet sites know where you are located and can adjust their advertising to the area you live in. Here's a quick way to find out what your IP address is--since you are already connected to the internet, we'll help you use a popular online website to identify your internet protocol. It's so easy, you'll wonder why you didn't know how to do it before!

How to Prepare for a 10K Run
This spring, I am running my first 10K, which is a little over 6 miles, for all of you non-metric people. After learning a lot for myself, I am going to share my knowledge with my eHow friends!

How to Determine Your Bra Size
Most women are not wearing the correct bra size. Why? Sometimes we just go with what feels comfortable, but a lot of times, that won't do the "job." Here is how you can figure out your bra and cup size quickly and easily.

How to Find Your Chinese Zodiac Animal Sign
Most of us already know our astrology sign--whether we're a Virgo or a Pisces, or a Fire sign or a Water sign. But there's a whole nother way to get an insight into your personality. By using the year you were born, you can learn more about yourself and your inner "workings." Using your Chinese Zodiac Animal Sign, you can find out who you're compatible with and what you're happiest doing. Here's how you can figure it out!

How to Rename Your Computer on a PC Running Windows
If you have numerous computers in your household, it can be hard to know which one is which, especially when you have a network running through your house and you're trying to access one particular computer. You can name your computer by it's location, primary user or anything else you'd like. Here is how you can quickly and easily rename your computer. So if you really want to call it "Peter the Computer," you can!

How to Make a Memorable (and Usable) Wedding Favor
When planning a wedding, there's so much to remember and figure out. One of those things is the wedding favors. Sure, you can do little bags of candy and spend hours putting them together, knowing the next day, most people wouldn't be able to even tell you what the wedding favor was. Why not make something memorable? The best gift? A wedding music CD.

Grant Lookalike

2009-04-09T14:11:00.000-05:00

Okay, so does anyone watch Mythbusters? The guy, Grant Imahara, one of the builder/science people on that show has a cartoon lookalike--Stingy from LazyTown!

Am I right about this or just smokin' something? Seriously though, first time I saw LazyTown I was like, dude, that kid looks like someone else...then I put two and two together one day and got, well, Grant Imahara lookalike! :) Okay, I'm going to go do something productive now...

(Un)Happy Easter!

2009-04-09T08:44:00.000-05:00

Took April to see the Easter Bunny yesterday morning. Wow, she was NOT happy! LOL She must take after her mother--every picture I have of me with Santa, I'm screaming my head off. Of all the things she could get from me, it had to be this!

Yeah, April, don't look TOO happy now...LOL

Yikes!

2009-04-06T15:52:00.000-05:00

Jack Black on Yo Gabba Gabba...just got done watching it on TV, and must say I am a little bit disturbed. Don't get me wrong, Jack Black is mildly entertaining, but his Yo Gabba Gabba appearance, well...let's just say you DON'T have to be high or drunk to find it amusing. You all know I'm not really a huge fan of this show, considering I find it just a little odd and some of the things on it, you're like WTF?! I grew up on Sesame Street, which was really quite lame when you sit and think about it, but I honestly have no clue how Yo Gabba Gabba (on Nick Junior, Nickelodeon and Noggin) can be educational for kids. Kind of goes along the same line as the Teletubbies--almost entirely pointless and a waste of airtime on the TV. In any case, this episode with Jack Black just made Yo Gabba Gabba that much weirder--but at least a little funny. And by the way, Jack, if you're reading this, the orange onepiece? SOOOOO not a good look on you! LOL

The Case Against Breastfeeding -- You're Kidding Me, Right?

2009-04-06T11:05:00.001-05:00

I'm appalled that someone would even THINK this article was the least bit educational.

http://www.theatlantic.com/doc/200904/case-against-breastfeeding

Wow.

A Great Inspiration For Parents of ADD Children

2009-04-06T10:39:00.001-05:00

"Help me to focus."
Please teach me through my sense of touch. I need hands-on and body movement.

"I need to know what comes next."
Please give me a structured environment where there is a dependable routine. Give me an advanced warning if there will be changes.

"Wait for me, I'm still thinking."
Please allow me to go at my own pace. If I rush, I get confused and upset.

"I'm stuck! I can't do it!"
Please offer me options for problem-solving. I need to know the detours when the road is blocked.

"Is it right? I need to know NOW!"
Please give me rich and immediate feedback on how I'm doing.

"I didn't know I WASN'T in my seat!"
Please remind me to stop, think and act.

"Am I almost done now?"
Please give me short work periods with short-term goals.

"What? Please don't say, I already told you that."
Tell me again in different words. Give me a signal. Draw me a symbol.

"I know, it's ALL wrong, isn't it?"
Please give me praise for partial success. Reward me for self-improvement, not just for perfection.

"But why do I always get yelled at?"
Please catch me doing something right and praise me for my specific positive behavior. Remind me (and yourself) about my good points when I'm having a bad day.

"I may be hard to live with, and have ADD, but I still have feelings
and would have never chosen to behave like I do sometimes."

He Loves His Little Sister!

2009-04-05T10:36:00.001-05:00

Photo was taken last month after a beautiful snow.

New eHow Articles

2009-04-05T10:08:00.000-05:00

As most of you already know, I write articles for eHow.com. It brings in some nice extra cash for those nasty spending habits of mine, like scrapbooking. ;) Here are the newest articles I have written:

How to Find an Instruction Manual for a Car
Ever purchase a used car that doesn't have the manual? As insignificant as a car manual may seem, there are times when it does come in handy. Here are some ideas on how to get a hold of a car manual.

How to Keep Your House Clean
Ever wonder how to keep your house from getting cluttered on a regular basis? Are you sick of frantically cleaning house when you know someone is coming over or being embarassed when someone drops by when your home is less than perfect? Here are some ways to keep your home organized and ready for ANY unexpected guests!

How to Organize Your Medicine Cabinet
All of us get frustrated with the medicine cabinet. When you need something fast, it's hard to find in the jumble of containers and medicine bottles. After years of being annoyed by an overflowing medicine cabinet, I finally figured out exactly how to keep the medicine cabinet tidy, organized, and how to make everything accessible and easy to find.

How to Encourage a Budding Child Artist
Have a little one who shows some artistic promise? Help encourage their creative side with these simple tips!

How to Make Your Own Greeting Cards and Notecards
Sick of buying unimaginative notecards from the department store? Want to add your own personal touch to your correspondence? Here are some great ways to make creative notecards and greeting cards that show your personal style and flair!

Or, you can view ALL my articles by clicking here! :) Enjoy, and don't forget to click on the ads on the eHow pages--that's how I get paid. :)

A Lazy Sunday

2009-04-05T10:03:00.000-05:00

I'm so glad I have no plans today.

The slushy, sloppy snow is falling outside and I get to sit at my kitchen table with my daughter while she eats graham crackers and I sip my coffee. The house is warm, and outside, it looks so cold! I snuggle up inside my soft robe and sigh. Life is good.

And all I can think is how happy I am that I have nowhere to go, nothing to do and no plans for the day.

I Can't Believe My Child Watches This

2009-04-05T09:58:00.000-05:00

So Noggin is on the TV in the playroom all day, every day. WonderPets, Wubbzy, Pinky Dinky Doo, all those shows are cute and amusing. But Yo Gabba Gabba? I don't know, I've had a hard time really getting a liking to this show. Unfortunately, my children think it's great, but I'm not quite convinced. I AM convinced, however, that being on the show is a career-killer. Case in point: Elijah Wood's The Puppet Master Dancey-Dance. Enjoy. :)

Yo Gabba Gabba (elijah wood)

And she's off!

2009-03-28T09:54:00.000-05:00

April is now "officially" walking. Well, she's been walking, or trying to walk anyway, for quite a while. BUT, to me, "officially walking" is when the kid uses it as their main mode of transportation. And, well, that's her. Walk, walk, walk, walk, walk.

She's going to be 16 months old in April (the month, silly, not her LOL)and I can't believe how fast she's growing and how quickly she's learning things. And for being a girl, she's awfully interested in cars. When she's in the playroom, the first thing she goes for is Christopher's tub of Hot Wheels cars. It's cute. And she knows how to "race" them by pushing them side by side. She's also taking a liking to Duplos, which makes all of us happy. :) She'll be a Lego nut like the rest of us.

She jabbers a lot too, but the only word she clearly know and can point out is "doggie." Of course, she calls the cats doggies too, so pretty much anything that is small and walks on four legs is automatically a doggie. But whatever. She's so smart in other ways--she amazes me sometimes at the stuff she can do. Like she knows how to turn on and unlock Eric's iPod touch. She knows how to use a controller to "play" a video game. She's too smart for her own good sometimes.

Let's hope that sticks. ;)

Training for the 10K

2009-03-28T09:51:00.000-05:00

I've been wanting some incentive to exercise, and I've found it--running a 10K in May.

Yup, little Sara is going to be training for a 10K (a little over 6 miles for you non-metric people) that she's going to run with her mother-in-law. My MIL runs marathons and whatnot, so I think she'll be a good influence for me. :)

I can run a consecutive mile without stopping, but I know I still have a ways to go to be able to do it for six. I thought my feet would be bothering me while I was training, with the screws and stuff in my feet, but it's actually my knees that are a little sore. I just need to make sure to slowly work my way up and not push myself too hard--last thing I need is a knee injury of some sort.

I will have to keep you all posted on my training--I'll let you know if I lost a little weight, too, while I'm at it. ;)

Constant Content -- Constant Paycheck?

2009-03-12T10:30:00.000-05:00

Most of you know how much I like to write. And most of you know that instead of doing my first passion, I end up working doing transcriptions.

But there's a balance. And so I have found Constant-Content.com.

You sign up, post articles, and people (mostly companies looking for SEO articles or content for their blogs/websites) can purchase your work, either to use with your byline or to pay for full-rights to the article.

I did some research on some other sites, like Associated Content, AP, Helium, and DailyArticles.com, but this one seemed the most promising. First off, it is well-known in the writing community, therefor I feel that I may get more hits/views. Also, I can just post articles as I write them, put them up for sale, and if they sell, great, if not, no biggie. :) I still get to write, showcase my work, and in the meantime, maybe make a buck or two.

BUT, the main downside is their cut--35%. But, hey, you can't win 'em all.

The Mommy Survey -- Kid-Style!

2009-03-12T10:27:00.000-05:00

Answers by Christopher, age 8 (almost 9!)

1. What is something mom always says to you?
I love you

2. What makes mom happy?
Really really good days and really good presents

3. What makes mom sad?
Barely anything.

4. How does your mom make you laugh?
Spanking dad's butt.

5. What was your mom like as a child?
She had a dog and she was cute.

6. How old is your mom?
26 (wow, good guess kiddo!)

7. How tall is your mom?
Tall.

8. What is her favorite thing to do?
Play monopoly.

9. What does your mom do when you're not around?
Work. work. work.

10. If your mom becomes famous, what will it be for?
Working every second.

11. What is your mom really good at?
Being funny and building legos.

12. What is your mom not very good at?
Barely anything.

13. What does your mom do for a job?
Stuff. Laptop stuff.

14.What is your mom's favorite food?
Enchiladas--after she was pregnant.

15.What makes you proud of your mom?
She helps me play Monopoly.

16. If your mom were a cartoon character, who would she be?
Widget (From Wubbzy)

17. What do you and your mom do together?
Play Picture-Picture and Monopoly, build legos, have snowball fights, and go to the mall play places

18. How are you and your mom the same?
We're in the same family and we love legos

19. How are you and your mom different?
Different genders

20. How do you know your mom loves you?
Because we spend a lot of time together.

21. What does your mom like most about your dad?
Spanking each others' butts.

22. Where is your mom's favorite place to go?
Olive Garden.

Bump Its

2009-03-12T10:14:00.000-05:00

One word: wow.

http://www.bumpits.com

I'm sure my husband would love it, running his hands through my hair--oh wait, he can't, because there's a HUGE PIECE OF PLASTIC IN IT--along with ten tons of hairspray.

Yeah, this is totally not cool.

Hey lady, you have something in your hair. ;)

25 Random Things About Me (And THen Some)

2009-03-07T20:22:00.001-06:00

1) Let's start with the typical. I was born in the country of Turkey in Adana. (Not Madonna, Adana.) This was because my dad was in the Air Force, and we had been stationed there. The funny thing was that I was born right around Thanksgiving. :) Turkey, Thanksgiving, get it? ;) I was also born on my due date (and am uber-punctual to this day), and weighed six pounds, eight ounces. Which, ironically, is the same weight Eric was when he was born, and was ultimately the weight of April when SHE was born. Weird, I know.

2) For a few years, I worked for the Manheimm Steamroller concerts. I dressed up as an elf and walked around greeting little kids with a big gingerbread man or snowman. It was about 45 minutes worth of work for three nights, and I got paid $300 cash at the end of the third night. That was so cool...felt like I was gonna get mugged on the way out...

3) I love shopping, but not at your typical stores. I love a good garage sale or, during the winter months when they are obviously not as abundant, I don't mind checking out the thrift stores around Omaha. I enjoy getting a great deal, and refuse to pay anything over two dollars for a t-shirt or five bucks for a pair of jeans for Chris. My children have crazy-huge wardrobes with brand names and tons of cute clothes (or handsome, in Christopher's case) but God knows I didn't pay much for them!

4) I have had surgery on both of my feet, due to bunions. Yes, I am young for having had to have surgery on my feet, but that's what happens when you go with the trends and wear clunky platforms or crazy high heeled shoes--they screw up your feet. The first surgery really sucked, as I was on crutches for 4 or 5 months and then needed them to help "learn to walk" again for another few months--almost a year of recovery. The other foot wasn't nearly as bad, but the funny thing is I now have metal screws in my feet. And no, I don't beep going through metal detectors--even though that would be kind of cool.

5) Number five...makes me think of "where do you expect yourself to be in five years?" My answer to that? Eric and I plan on buying a house within the next two years, and then once settled, we plan on procreating again and adding one more to the Haley clan. Scary, I know. ;)

6) I absolutely cannot stand people that lack common sense. I mean, really, let's get rid of them and clean out the gene pool. Please?

7) When I fix myself (or anyone, for that matter) a bowl of cereal, I always pour my milk in the bowl first before I pour in my cereal. Not sure why I do this, not like I know anyone that does or grew up watching someone do it. I have just always done it. Not sure why.

8) I strongly believe Eric and I are lifers. No divorce for us. Anyone that knows us knows that we couldn't be more perfect for each other. We're like peanut butter and jelly. And all the things we've been through together in the last few years, a lot of that would tear most couples a part, but for us, it made us a stronger couple. I couldn't have made a more perfect husband in my head if I tried.

9) I had braces on my teeth for over seven years of my childhood and teenage years. Yeah, brace face, metal mouth, whatever. And because my bottom teeth shifted just over a period of twelve hours every day, they had to put a permanent retainer on the back of my bottom teeth to keep them from moving. My parents added it up, and they've spent over $10,000 on my mouth, fixing my horrid Jamison teeth. I have two words for that: THANK GOD!

10) All my life, my dad had a nickname for me. He called me "brat." Not in a bad way, just like, "hey brat, come here!" LOL The funny thing is that in school one day, we were talking about nicknames, and I told the teacher that my dad called me brat. The school ended up calling my parents in for a meeting over it. LOL I call my daughter "Goober" and my son "Crazyboy." I don't think either of these names will cause a disruption in school. LOL

11) Speaking of Chris, I'd step in front of a bus for that kid. No joke. Even though he's not my own flesh and blood, I have never looked at him that way. To me, he's my child. Actually, now that I think about it, I jumped in front of flying fireworks (while pregnant, mind you!) to protect him one fourth of July when a fountain firework tipped over and started shooting sparks the direction of our little audience.

12) I can sit down with a jar of Vlasic hamburger dill chip pickles and a fork and be satisfied for an entire evening.

13) Me and red wine no longer get along. The reason? It involves me, Eric and Jackie and three bottles of wine--all consumed in one night. I think I had most of it. Got really drunk, fell asleep at 9 in the evening, and then ended up crawling to the bathroom later to vomit. Yeah, red wine BURNS coming up...LOL Eric even held my hair back. What a husband...LOL Took me about a year after this evening to even drink ANY wine, and now I'm back into my chardonnay, but I had a little red wine at a wine tasting a while ago and wanted to gag...I think it will be a while...chardonnay, when available, is one of my faults.

14) Speaking of faults, I don't think I have any. Haha, just kidding--I'm a very impatient person. Getting better though, now that I have kids. Eric has a lot more patience than me and has been a good role model. ;)

15) My cell phone is either set on silent, lost somewhere around the house, or uncharged. If you call me, I might get back to you within the next month. Maybe.

16) Jackie is my bestest friend. We've known each other since junior high, and she has been there for me through a lot of shit. Eric's a best friend too, but I can't talk to him about him. LOL Doesn't work as well...

17) I met Eric online. Yup, online dating site. And look, I hit gold!

18) I'm embarassed to say, I taught my daughter to shake her butt and dance when I tell her to "shake her booty." I think that might involve a call from school when she's being educated by someone other than me. So I guess the nickname game won't trigger the parent-teacher meeting--this will. LOL

19) Eric and I fought for full custody of Christopher a few years ago. We won. It was worth every penny we paid the lawyer.

20) When I sleep, I like to be nice and warm, but will generally lose the socks and sleep with my feet outside the covers. Or sometimes I sleep with half my body under covers and not the other half. It's kind of weird. Oh, and I drool. Nothing beats waking up to a soggy pillow. All of us Jamison kids drool. LOL

21) I make my own coffee. I'm talking real coffee--espresso, steamed milk, vanilla and caramel flavoring...YUM! Sadly, I like my coffee better than any barista in town. I get really pissed when I spend five dollars on a cafe latte with an extra shot at Starbucks and it tastes like complete ass.

22) I never ask Eric to do anything around the house. It's my territory. Plus, if I asked him to do laundry, he wouldn't do it anyway. LOL Household chores are what I took on when he went to work to support the family, but the irony of it is, I like doing housework. (Generally. Yeah, I have my days.) And, Chris does his chores and that always helps out a little too. :)

23) I make sure I tell Eric that I love him every day. It makes me feel a little better, knowing if something happened to him, he'd always know that. Sappy, but true. Either way, he knows I love him times infinity and beyond.

24) I'm very much a morning person. An evening person, I am not. After dinner time, I'm basically shot. I'm useless. Don't ask me to do anything, it won't get done (unless it involves TV or Xbox. LOL). But first thing in the morning, I'm as sharp as a fresh pencil. ;) If I have to do anything that requires a lot of thinking or concentration, morning is when I do it. After my cup of cofee, of course. ;)

25) Speaking of mornings, every morning I wake up to Eric dropping April on me. Forget alarm clocks, I have April. Nothing says "get your ass out of bed" like a giggling baby drooling on your cheek and shoving her little finger up your nostrils or poking at your eyelids. LOL As annoying as that can be in the morning, I wouldn't want to wake up any other way.

26) My life is an open book. Ask, and I will answer. I have nothing to hold back, and I think that is part of what makes Eric and I's relationship work as well as it does--we keep nothing from each other and share everything. We've done that from day one, after both being in relationships where we walked on eggshells with our significant others.

27) I suffer from an anxiety disorder. I have had it all my life, but recently figured it all out after a lovely little bout of depression. It cannot be controlled except by meds. I could go to therapy every day and it wouldn't do me a lick of good, says my psychologist. Amen, Zoloft!

28) When I have some free time, I do freelance work. I work for a few companies that contact me when they have overflow transcription work (you know, typing out what people say in audio files--boring, yet profitable). I can make quite a bit doing it, and I hope that someday, my profits will pay for my carpal tunnel surgery. LOL

29) My cat is my rock. Seriously. I got Kibbles when I was 18 and had moved out on my own. He has been there for everything, positive and negative, and when I was having a really rough time, he was always there to cuddle with. He has gotten me through some really hard times, just by being there for me. He's eight years old, and I couldn't imagine a day going by without him.

30) One of the most memorable days of my life was my wedding day. But not for the obvious reasons. Christopher kept asking us what day we were going to get married. I asked him why he was so concerned about it, and he said "becuase I can't wait to call you mom." Awwwwwww! The minute we got married, he started calling me Mom. And he had so much fun saying "I love you, Mom and Dad!" It was so precious, and I can't tell you how much that moment meant to me.

31) Speaking of Christopher, that kid shocks me every day at how smart he is. Not only book smart, but "sneaky smart." He's always thinking one step ahead. Unfortunately, we were kids once too, and we're always two steps ahead of HIM. LOL And have I mentioned how awesome of a big brother he is? Which is why we're waiting a few years to have another kid--we like the age gaps. :)

32) I don't care what other people think of me. It took me most of my lifetime to realize this, and I'm glad I've learned this lesson while I'm still young. No matter what you do, what you say or how you behave, someone will always think less of you or be annoyed by you or hate you. Which is why I feel so lucky to have a husband that loves me for ME.

33) I moved in with Eric four months after we had initially met, and we talked about marriage for years before we actually bought the ring. The only thing that held us back was paying for the ring. Eric said that he wanted to get me a really nice ring so that I never felt the need to "upgrade" it later. I picked out the ring, and love it so much. It's over 1 carat, great quality, and my friend Kathy wonders why I had to have a diamond that you could "see from the moon." LOL (You crack me up Kathy...I just want the aliens to know I'm taken! LOL)

34) Right now, money is tight (for all of us, I know!) but one thing I could never cut out of our budget is money for scrapbooking supplies. Fortunately, I have a wonderful husband that doesn't look at my hobby as something for me. He knows that I'm taking the time and creative energy to create something for the future, for our kids, and their kids, and so on. He doesn't mind that I spend money on the hobby, knowing its more for the kids down the road.

35) Everyday, I feel luckier and luckier for having the life that I do. I hear of staggeringly high divorce rates, marriages that I thought were solid falling apart, and hearing how unhappy some people are in their lives. I feel so blessed for EVERYTHING that I have, and realize that maybe I've got it a lot better than I even deserve.

My Life in a Nutshell

2009-03-06T16:40:00.001-06:00

Such a Tragedy

2009-02-18T12:10:00.000-06:00

I just got home from a funeral. Yes, another funeral. This has been the fourth death I've had to deal with in the last four months. But this one, this one was unexpected.

Aimee Haley is Eric's cousin. She lived here in Omaha with her husband and two kids, and was about 8 months pregnant with a baby girl.

Her death was sudden. From what I heard, she said she wasn't feeling well after dinner and went upstairs to take a nap. She was found 40 minutes later, and had passed away. They delivered the baby by C-section, and she was stillborn.

After the autopsy, the found out that she died from a very rare condition. I looked it up, and it's called an Amniotic Fluid Embolism. This happens to pregnant women, when the amniotic fluid inside the womb somehow gets to the venous circulation and travels to the lungs, causing a fall in blood pressure, shock, then death.

The baby's name was Gretchen. The funeral was gorgeous, and it was a packed house with standing room only. She was a lawyer, and had quite the network of family, friends, clients, and colleagues.

The hard part was last night, at the wake and vigil service, seeing the baby. She was in a gorgeous lace gown, and was so tiny. But she looked like a baby doll. The cutust little button nose, pouty lips and chubby chin and cheeks.

It's hard to grasp things like this sometimes. Aimee was only 38. It's one thing when an elderly person passes away, but 38 is much too young. By the time you're, say, 80 or 85, you've left behind family and children and grandchildren, sometimes great-grandchildren. You're legacy lives on. But Aimee wasn't done leaving her mark on the world, and baby Gretchen never had the chance. It's such an unfortunate loss.

Hopefully things will be looking up for the family soon. The Haley family alone has dealt with five deaths in the last two years, some expected and some sudden. It makes me look at what I have and those around me and be thankful and feel so blessed for what I have, even at such a young age. But these funerals really make you think about your own mortality.

And personally, that's something I hope I don't have to face anytime soon.

Uggs and the Economy

2009-02-09T17:32:00.000-06:00

I had to laugh when I saw this article--

What Uggs Say About the Economy

MSN wrote this article about how people are going more for comfort these days than they are for style.

What's funny is, I have a pair of Uggs. Got them over two years ago, sand-colored and uber-warm, and everyone thinks they're, well, "ugg-ly." When you throw on a pair of boot-legged jeans, they look like clogs or comfy slippers. Either way, they're comfortable, roomy, and warm, and I don't regret getting them at all.

The funny part about it is that they are apparently soooo ugly that there has to be an economic crisis in order for some people to buy them. They put 'em on and say, "hey, these are so warm!" Duh. That's why some people actually bought them when the economy hadn't gone to shit yet.

Goes to show that I guess I'm quite the trendsetter afterall. ;)

It's a Heat Wave!

2009-02-05T17:07:00.000-06:00

Woo hoo! It is beautiful outside!

Got home from getting Chris and told him to do his chores so we could all take a walk down to this cookie shop I hadn't been to down on the corner on 72nd. See it all the time, just knew better than to go get a cookie and indulge. :)

Had Chris run up the hill to check with his friend and invite him along, and we all went down and got some soda and cookies. YUM!

Peanut butter is the best. Let's make sure I don't get salmonella though. ;)

Cleaning, Cleaning, and More Cleaning

2009-02-05T10:49:00.000-06:00

Since April has been in the hospital, we've all been sick and things are finally slowing down a little around here, I'm getting the chance to clean house. OMG, it has been so neglected. Yesterday I spent almost the WHOLE DAY cleaning our medicine cabinet. But it looks awesome--had been wondering for the longest time how to make it easier to find things and not as cluttered. The answer? Baby wipe containers!

I labeled them by "ailment" like "Tummy Troubles," "Cold and Flu," "Dental Care," etc and sorted all the meds into the right bin. It looks great! I'm so proud of myself. Take THAT, Martha Stewart!

My OTHER project is still trying to clean up the vomit stain April left behind in the bedroom. Curdled milk vomit does NOT agree well with black berber carpet. Ugh. I feel like I'm making it worse, but I dunno...

I dunno...done carpet cleaner, Totally Toddler cleaner, club soda, liquid detergent and water blend...I'm almost out of ideas. Let's hope the steam cleaner I am borrowing from Jackie's mom tomorrow will do the trick. Otherwise, I'm not sure what else to do!!! :(

Boy Toys are Fun, Too!

2009-02-04T15:17:00.000-06:00

I can't believe she's almost 14 months old!

Today, she was having fun crawling and standing at the play table, and she was having a hayday with Chris's hot wheels. Chris is at school, so shhhhhhhhh, don't tell him. Well, he might figure it out when he realized she slobbered all over them. LOL Here are some pics of her playing with boy toys. :)

Stupid price matching!

2009-02-02T10:49:00.000-06:00

Anyone know of someplace that price matches internet prices?

I need to get April a convertible car seat (yup, stepping up to a big-girl front facing seat!) and decided I want to get the Britax Roundabout after doing a bunch of online research. I can buy it in stores for about $230, like Target, Babies R Us, etcetera, but there's an online place that sells it, with free shipping, for $160. I'd really like to save the $70 (duh) but don't want to mess with the whole online thing.

I called some stores and no one will match an internet price...

Suggestions?

Jessica Simpson Weight Debate...really?

2009-01-31T22:31:00.000-06:00

Oh my God, I'm watching Showbiz Tonight while doing some work here on Eric's laptop (remember, mine had a nice bath of cafe latte a few weeks ago...) and here they are talking about Jessica Simpson and some weight gain.

Seriously? Who. Cares.

So what, she used to be a size zero or negative zero or whatever, and here she goes and is singing at some Chili thing, and getting all this shit for having "obviously gained some weight."

La de frickin' dah.

Okay, so she made a bad choice of wardrobe, picking out some not-so-flattering mommy jeans and a horrid gold belt. But seriously, how many people would KILL to look like her? Not before, but now?

What, celebrities aren't allowed to gain weight? I mean, hell, I've gained some weight, but you know what? Compared to the days in junior and high school when I was so scrawny and people asked if I was anorexic, and people told me I needed more meat on my bones, I L-O-V-E my curves now. It's about time I have a booty.

And I love it.

And Jessica Simpson looks pretty damn good to me!

Trit Fit

2009-01-30T20:31:00.000-06:00

Okay, for those of you who have been to Costa Rica (pretty much family only, I think), you all know what Trits are. Here's a picture (it's from someone else's blog I think. Sorry I stole it. LOL)

These are, hands down, the best ice cream sandwiches ever. No, really, seriously, I thought everyone was crazy, I was like, hey, it's just an ice cream sandwich.

Don't EVER call Trits "just an ice cream sandwich."

Ever since we went to Costa Rica a few years ago, every now and then I think about them and crave one. of course, you can't get them here. Eric and I joke around and call it my "Trit Fit."

Yeah, I'm having one now.

That photo makes me drool...

Rash Decision

2009-01-29T19:16:00.000-06:00

I thought April was getting well.

I was kinda wrong.

Tuesday was great. She was released from the hospital the night before, but was keeping some solids down over at my mom's house and was starting to smile a lot more. You know, getting back to her happy self.

Yesterday, after I dropped Christopher off at school, I had to run to Shopko. Took April with, she was fine and dandy. Shopping around while waiting for some prescriptions, and all of a sudden I hear this...well..."liquidy" sound. Yeah, you guessed it, she was vomiting.

Ugh.

It's bad when it's at home, but come on, a public place? That's downright evil. And embarassing.

So I got her back home, cleaned her up in the tub, and when I dried her off, put some lotion on her since she had some dry skin spots still from the hospital stay. She smelled good (no longer smelled of soy formula and Pedialyte vomit...yeah, that is a smell I can do without) and I topped her off with some Pedialyte and put her down for her nap. She was a little quieter than normal the rest of the day, but nothing out of character for a child recovering from a lovely flu virus.

Well, this morning she woke up and had a rash all over her body. It was really blotchy and red, and I instantly knew what it was--the lotion. I hadn't used the lotion before, it was some lavendar scented stuff from Jefferson and Jefferson (just kidding, Johnson and Johnson, just seeing if you guys were awake) and I knew right off the bat that had to be it.

My mom had brought over some Subway for lunch to give me a break from some of the freelance work I was doing this afternoon, and I showed her the rash, explaining how it was the lotion. She didn't believe me. She pointed out that April had the rash really bad on her back, and I hadn't put any lotion on her back--just her arms, legs, etc. Hmm. Mom made me call her doctor to ask about it (yes, literally, MADE me) and I made an appointment for later in the afternoon.

Come to find out, it's from her being sick. Something about a rash that is triggered with the virus and whatnot. Scared me since it was getting worse throughout the day, but they said it will probably be worse tomorrow and then start clearing up.

I tell ya, this kid just needs to get better. It's been the week from hell. Between her getting sick, me getting sick, and some personal stuff Eric and I are dealing with this week, I just want to vomit.

But if I do vomit, I want someone else to clean it up this time. I've cleaned up more vomit than an elementary school janitor during flu season.

(Maybe...I don't know the statistics on that.)

If April keeps up with this, I'm just gonna have to put her in a bubble.

Big City Slider Station

2009-01-26T21:31:00.000-06:00

Okay, sorry, but this commercial makes me laugh my ass off every frickin' time I see it. I mean, come on, you can't see the underlying meaning of this? LOL

April's First Hospital Stay (other than being born)

2009-01-26T21:01:00.001-06:00

April has been battling a nasty little flu bug this last week. Poor kid had it coming out both ends, and I just couldn't keep up.

And her body couldn't keep up any longer. Saturday night, I was starting to worry when I couldn't even keep her Pedialyte down. I had taken her to her doctor Thursday, and he told me to keep an eye out and make sure she isn't getting dehydrated, but it was obvious when even the Pedialyte couldn't stay down long enough to help her.

So Saturday night I took her to the ER after a recommendation from the on-call nurse with her pediatrician, and she was miserable beyond believe. Apparently she was pretty dehydrated. They had a lot of problems getting an IV in her veins, becuase not only are they small because she's a baby, but they were smaller since she was so dehydrated. They decided to admit her and keep an eye on her, just to make sure she was getting enough liquid.

After a few hours of getting her to the pediatrics floor and admitted up there, I was finally able to crawl on the daybed in her room around 5am to go to sleep.

All weekend they pumped her full of fluids and their main concern was first getting her hydrated. It took some time, and her diarhea was making it even more difficult. When we were finally able to get her interested in drinking some Pedialyte, she took to it pretty well. She was so tired though, so lifeless. Poor thing slept and slept, and anyone that knows April knows that she doesn't like sleeping because she's always afraid she's missing something. It makes you so sad looking at your kid stuck to an IV, not willing to eat or drink (another Jamison trait she has--our appetite!) or do much of anything. We were excited when we got a simple smile out of her.

They ended up keeping her another night, hoping to try and get some solids in her the next day and see if she would keep them down. She didn't have much of an appetite but did eat some banana and bread. Everything stayed down and tonight we were able to come home.

It feels good to be home. She's definitely not 100% by any means, but she's getting there. She's smiling, giggling, and downing Pedialyte like it's going out of style. No vomiting, but still dealing with diarhea. That, though, I can handle. The vomiting--well, sometimes I just want to join her when I'm trying to clean it. LOL

So for all of you that were wondering what was going on, that's it. I have some cute pics of her on my cell phone, I'll have to pull them off and add them on this post. Poor thing looked so sad, but she's on the uphill.

Brace Face

2009-01-21T16:31:00.000-06:00

We had a consultation with an orthodontist today for Eric.

Sounds like he is going to need braces for about two years.

He's been grinding his teeth, has a really bad overbite and jaw midalignment, and so in order to fix it, the same orthodontist that did MY work is doing his! It was fun to see my old orthodontist again--it's been a while! I had a good ten years with him. He was cool, so I was happy when our dentist recommended him to Eric for orthodontic work. I mean, look at my teeth--the proof is in the pudding! :)

It'll be funny though, seeing my hubby with braces. I can then call him Brace Face, Metal Mouth, Tin Grin, Tin Teeth and Quick Silver. Yeah, that'll be fun.

It's always nice when you've been through it all and then can laugh it all off with your husband. This could be fun. ;)

April's First Thanksgiving

2009-01-19T19:28:00.000-06:00

Here are the photos from Thanksgiving weekend at Grandma and Grandpa Haley's house. Some are of her playing and practicing walking, and some are of her filling her face. ;)

View Photos at SnapFish.com

April turning one!

2009-01-19T19:24:00.000-06:00

Here are the photos from her first birthday, for those of you who missed it. Wubbzy was the theme, and it turned out to be a cute little get-together. She had so much fun with her cousin Eian, too!

View Photos at SnapFish.com

Better late than never

2009-01-19T19:11:00.000-06:00

Okay, finally doing some major uploading and copying of some digital pics. Here is batch one: CHRISTMAS PHOTOS! :) These were all taken at our house when the kids opened their gifts from Santa and from us. April really got into it this year, moreso than last! (hahaha, duh!)

View Photos at SnapFish.com

Enjoy!

True Love at it's Finest

2009-01-19T15:27:00.000-06:00

Eric and I have this little marker board on this awkward pillared-wall that is in our office, and we put it there to write reminders to ourselves. Instead, we don't use it for that and just write random things on it.

So about a week ago, I wrote Eric a message. Then, a few days later, he wrote his response:

We love each other. No, really, we do.