Still Alive :)

I'm still alive! Things have been super hectic around here, between regular work and training for a new non-writing client, blogging has been pushed to the background. Now I have some serious catching up to do! As always, I have a lot to say, but with only a few days left to say it, I don't think I will complete the challenges. :(

Easter was fun around here although I neglected to take more than a few pictures this year. We had way to many places to be and not enough time to be at all of them, so we chose to spend the day before with my husbands brother and mom. My brother in law is in the Army, and he is being deployed once again. :( He and his wife are expecting a baby any day now, and after his birth he will be sent back to Afghanistan. While I am very proud of him, and I do support our troops 100 percent, I am so saddened that he will miss so much of his son's life. It just doesn't seem right to me, is all this war and fighting more important than fathers being with their children? Or mothers, for that matter. Families should be together, especially during the first year of a child's life. My sister in law is a much stronger woman than I am, I don't think I could handle it.

We spent Easter day with the other side of my husbands family and had a great time hunting eggs and just enjoying the day, I adore my in laws on this side of the family, they are such laid back, easy to love people. There is always plenty of joking around and good cooking, and we always leave full of food and exhausted! It was a truly wonderful day.

I will be trying to post several times a day from now on. It won't help me to complete the challenges, but it will give me an outlet for all these ideas floating around in my head! That is if the storms that have hit us today will calm down a bit, my internet service is in and out which is making doing anything difficult!

Marketing Yourself, Continued

Essentially, you are a business. You may be only one person in a small office set up in a corner of your home, but you are still a business. Businesses need to be advertised in order to get their name out their for people to see.

This means different things for different freelancers. For me, at the moment, this blog is my main focus. Which is why I am putting the facebook and twitter associated with it to better use. Being more active on both will put this blog in front of people. On that note, feel free to follow me on both facebook and twitter. ;)

To other freelancers, this may mean gaining more private clients by advertising in newspapers, trade publications or online. This will enable them to broaden their horizons and keep a steady amount of work coming in at all times.

Word of mouth is also very important to any business. Websites such as Freelance Writing and Freelance Writing Gigs are a great place to find potential clients. If these clients are happy with your work, they will tell other clients and bring you more work.

So what are your goals for the business that you are? How do you plan to accomplish these goals?

What Do You Struggle With?

One of the hardest parts of being a freelance writer, for me anyways, is the need to market myself in order to make money. I am a shy person in general, and a very shy writer. I went years without showing anyone anything that I wrote. One day, in a fit of temper because my husbands volunteer fire department needed equipment they couldn't afford because of the lack of community support, I wrote a short piece about volunteer firefighters. I made the mistake of letting him read it and the next thing I know, every person in his department had read it and it kept spreading. I got emails from other departments asking permission to use it. People stopped me in the grocery store to tell me how good it was. My confidence in my writing ability soared, and my writing career began at that point.

But even now, I still have lapses of confidence in my writing. I don't let friends or family members read my blog, except for few exceptions. I swear every time I send a writing sample to a potential client that it is the worst thing I have ever written. I am my own worst critic, so I don't like to take the risk of putting myself out there for others to criticize.

But, if I don't market myself I won't have much of a career, will I? So I do it anyway despite my fears. Because writing is what I do. It's all I want to do. No other career would fulfill me like writing does.

What is your biggest struggle in your freelancing career?

Working Exercise Into Your Day

Do you take the time to work exercise into your daily routine? If you are like me, a good part of your day is spent sitting at a desk, and meals are often just to keep you going. I don't often watch what I eat, even though I make sure the kids get balanced meals.

For a short period of time last year I made a commitment to exercising twice a day, and the results were wonderful! I had more energy, my clothes were getting looser and I just felt better all the way around. Then I got sick, and I stopped. It's past time to get back on track and get healthy! I know, you don't have time to exercise. That's what I said too. But you do have time. A good friend of mine is very dedicated to working out, and has in fact lost a ton of weight because of her commitment. And she is one of the busiest people I know! She is always going, and always has time in her day to do one more thing when you need her. If I had half of her energy, I believe I could accomplish it all with time left over!

The best advice she ever gave me was to start slow, just commit to 5 minutes twice a day. So that's what I did, and before I knew it, I was doing 15 minutes twice a day. Then I started getting on the stationary bike twice a day for 15 minutes plus using the cardio fit once a day as well. And you don't need equipment to get started. There are many sites with free exercise videos available and if you have a service like netflix, they have videos on instant view that cover every type of work out.

Today my challenge to you, and to myself, is to commit to just a few minutes a day. Get up, get your heart rate up and work up a sweat. It will be tough in the beginning, but soon the benefits will ensure that you want to continue exercising each day!

Consumer Love

Consumer Love is a blog owned by a fellow writer, and is a definite must read for anyone who is interested in ways to save money and live more frugally. In today's economy, that is pretty much everyone unless you are one of the lucky few who has a million dollars languishing in your bank account!

As a freelancer, your income may vary widely from month to month, making it necessary at times to pinch pennies to make it through. This is where Consumer Love comes in handy. There are tips available for saving money on food, services and cleaning your home frugally. Check it out, you won't regret it!

Makeover time!

For this blog that is, although the owner of this blog seriously needs one as well!

I have high hopes for Freelancing Parents, but I have been neglecting it really badly. I want this blog to be a place where parents like me, who balance working from home in whatever capacity and raising children, can gain ideas and support. I want the kind of blog where readers comment with their insight and we all work together to achieve our goals. I would love to have a whole freelancing community so that we can share any and every thing.

In order to do that, I have to quit neglecting my blog! Yes, I am taking all the blame, I'm a parent, so I'm used to it! ;)

So today is makeover day. From now on, I will be a more active blogger. I will do more book reviews, write more about the parenting aspect of this blog and think up a good idea for a regular contest. Maybe I can even bring in a guest blogger from time to time to liven things up.

As far as my monthly goal goes, I am still right on target. I have made $660 so far with Demand Studios so I am pretty sure I will hit $1200 by the end of the month. It has been hard to adjust to not having help with the kids. Starting this week, they have started staying with a family member on Mondays while hubby is in school. That gives me the whole day to write. It worked out perfect this week and I am hoping it will be the same next week. I also catch up on Fridays when hubby is home.

The rest of the week I hang out with the kids and have started a major decluttering around here. I fit in writing when ever the munchkins are occupied playing or in the evenings. It's working out pretty good so far. And I really am enjoying doing more with the kids and doing things around the house. Except the dishes....I hate dishes. :(

Distractions!!

In ways, working at home is much easier than leaving the house to go to work each day. Your schedule is your own, and can be adjusted when it needs to be, without having to consult a boss or find someone to cover for you. It's much easier to be there for your children and spouse when you are needed because you are at home.

But in many ways working at home is so much harder. The same children and spouse that you work from home to be nearer to often do not understand that you are in the middle of a project and think that you can just drop anything to do what they need. The ability to set your own schedule is often a bad thing since there are so many other things you want to do besides working, and often working falls into last place.

Then there is the Internet. Social networking sites like facebook are time drainers and logging in just to see what everyone is up to can easily turn into an hour of wasted time playing games or chatting. This is one I am guilty of myself. I definitely have an addiction to facebook, mainly because of games! If I spent the time writing that I spend farming on facebook, I could buy my own farm!

I am striving to limit my own distractions since I will be starting a new monthly goal in just a few day. What are your distractions? What are some ways you have found to limit them and be more productive in your own freelance career? I want to hear from my readers on this, not only to help myself but also to help other readers who are dealing with distractions of their own.

Goals are a good thing!

Setting this goal for April has already shown quite a few benefits, even after only 9 days. I can't wait to see what the rest of the month holds!

Both my writing partner and myself have noticed that we seem to have more time, even though we are producing more content. Because we are so focused on writing what we need each day to hit this goal, we are focused and get right to work. No more playing around on the Internet or doing things around the house until work is done. As a result, we actually have more hours in the day to do those other things.

The other day, the kids got a new movie from netflix. Normally, they would watch it while I sat at the desk and worked. This time, I was almost done with my daily goal so I was able to sit down and watch the entire movie with them. It was great to snuggle up on the couch with them and not feel like I was losing money because I chose to spend time with my munchkins!

It was stormy and icky here for most of the day yesterday. I spent most of the day battling with my Internet connection, and it won. I got two articles written yesterday and only one submitted. Before setting this goal, that would have made me feel like giving up from frustration. But because I have been pretty good about writing what needs to be written each day, it's not that big of a deal. I am back at work this morning, the sun is shining and I will be caught up in no time.

I will definitely be setting a goal next month as well! Did I mention that it is Spring break at my house? And yet I am still doing what needs to be done with a houseful of kids, because I am focused.

Here is my slightly behind ticker for the day.



Hopefully it will be a lot higher by tonight so that I can take a few hours off tomorrow and go watch trucks play in the mud...the boys in my life are dragging me to a mud bog. Some days I really wonder how a girl who grew up in the city fell in love with a country boy and ended up living in the woods, driving a pickup and going to mud bogs. Life is funny sometimes.

Motivation Partners

We all have goals in life, some monetary, others based more on dreams and wishes. These goals give us the drive to go after what we want, to do everything possible to make that goal a reality. Sometimes we are lucky enough to have a person, or persons, who help to motivate us in reaching that goal. They may be a loved one who wants you to achieve your dreams because your happiness is important to them. Or it may be someone who shares your goal. The two of you become a team of sorts, both working towards a similar goal and helping to encourage and motivate the other. This kind of person is a partner in your motivation, as you are in theirs.

I have such a person in my life, a new friend, but one I treasure already. Through several emails each day, we cheer each other on, complain when things go wrong, and compare ideas and strategies. Our lifestyles are different, and we both have different challenges to face every day to attain what we strive for. But despite our differences, we continue to encourage each other daily. I don't think I would have even set this goal, or continued this blog, if it weren't for her. I think every freelancer would benefit from such a motivation partner, someone who truly understands what you are doing and why.

I am still getting used to this whole blogging thing, and sometimes things don't work the way I want them to on here. I tried right before this post to delete 2 comments because for some reason one comment posted 3 times. Instead, I managed to delete them all! The comment was a kind one, from the writer of the Moxie Gardener, an excellent blog that focuses on urban gardening, but is useful no matter what type of garden you may have. This time of year, it is a blog we all need to read. Check it out, you won't regret it.

As for my goal, I managed one more article after last nights posting, and 6 more today. That brings my grand total to $180 if I am adding correctly. Math is my weak point, so I could be wrong. ;)

Tomorrow will be a tough one, as will Sunday. We have an early Easter dinner and egg hunt at the home of dear friends who I am closer to than my own family. On Easter day, we have my mother in laws in the morning and the other side of the in laws in the afternoon. I am looking forward to two of these weekend gatherings, one I could do without! But I will find time, somehow, to write a few articles and update this blog at least once. And to add pictures...I am the crazy person at every family gathering who is seen with a camera permanently attached to their face.

Here's the ticker for today:




I hope everyone has a great Easter!! Don't eat to many eggs :)

Todays Progress

Today I wrote 20 articles for Demand Studios, leaving me with only $1700 left to make for the month. At this rate I will be done in 6 days.....





You do know what the date is, right??
Sorry, I have not managed to fool anybody yet today, so I had to get someone. :)

In reality, thanks to glitches with Demand today, combined with sunshine flowing in the window and causing me to spend precious time gazing out, I have written 5. Of course the day isn't officially over for me yet, but I wanted to post on here before I was completely drained of energy. Whatever else I write tonight will be added in tomorrow. So here's my ticker:




Not all that impressive, but it's only day one. And I do intend to knock out a few more tonight, once I let the frustration wear off a little bit. I have no patience for tech glitches.

My first article was accepted at Examiner, and is actually doing quite well. I thought it might, because Savannah has a lot of dog enthusiasts, but it did better than I expected. Especially since I didn't think it was very good. I am my own worst critic though, so I try not to listen to myself. I would love opinions on it though, it is the Savannah American Amstaff Examiner. I want to interview some shelters as well as some owners of rescued Am Staffs sometime in the near future.

For now, I am off to write some more for Demand Studios. I still have a lot of money to make this month!

Break Studios

Break Studios is fairly new to the writing scene, but they seem to know what they are doing...so far. When I first heard about them, I decided to give them a try. You can never have to many places to write for, in my opinion. That way, when one is slow or just plain getting on your nerves, you have something to fall back on.

The application process was fairly simple. They want a resume and two writing samples. I applied on a Sunday evening and got an approval email the next day. The main site that writers for Break Studios supply content for is Made Man which is basically an online mans magazine that covers everything from cooking to cars to sex. Of course, sex. What else are men interested in, after all? :)

The guidelines are pretty easy to grasp, and the editors that I have encountered so far have been wonderful. And the best part...there is room for creativity. You can inject a little humor here and there, and let your "voice" shine through. That is pretty unique when it comes to writing website content, for the most part.

So, if you are a new writer looking to get started, or an established writer looking to spread your wings a little, give Break Studios a try.

Believe it or not, that is all I have to say today! My pillow is calling me, loudly. :)

Time drainers

You only get so many hours in a day to accomplish what you need to. A lot of these hours are spent earning money, whether you are a freelancer or work outside the home as an employee. When I worked outside the home, it was easier to focus on work because my home life stayed at home. Now, my home and my work lives are intertwined and it's often hard to separate the two. There are several things competing for my attention at any given moment and that makes it easy to find myself at the end of the day having worked for 8 hours to accomplish the work I could easily do in 3 if I had an office.

I know my fellow freelancers know exactly what I am talking about. If you don't, this example should explain it all! :) I woke up this morning at 3 am because our foster puppies were making a racket that you would never expect from such small creatures. When they want food, they mean now! So I drug myself from my nice comfy bed and made bottles, fed the little monsters and changed their bedding. I then made a pot of coffee and played on facebook until I was awake enough to focus. I wrote one article and then it was time to get kids up. Now the kids morning routine is my hubbys job, since I normally write late at night. But since I was already up, I let him sleep in. We live in the middle of 5 acres, and our driveway is looonnnggg :) Normally I would have enjoyed the stroll to the road with my 5 year old chattering away next to me. But at 6:30 am it is dark in the middle of the woods...and I do mean dark! I don't like dark, or rather I don't like what could be in the dark. That was the first time in years that I have wished we lived in town!

Once I get back to the house my little guy was awake, so I made him breakfast and got some kisses. He still has those fat little baby cheeks at 3 years old, so his kisses are extra sweet! Sat down to write another article, but the pups decided they didn't get enough to eat the last time. Back to making bottles and feeding squirmy little furballs. Once I got that done, my hubby made his appearance, so I was ready to get to work....

Yeah, right. Little man has a lot to say this morning, and he only wants to say it to mommy. Try writing a factual, well researched article while pondering the questions that a 3 year old can come up with. I dare you. My second article sits there with only the first few words written.

By the time I remember that I promised to fix my friends computer and bake a cake for my 5 year old and actually accomplish both, it is 3 pm. I have been up for 12 hours and have only finished two articles. I am actually amazed that I got that much done! Now I have an hour before the school bus stops at the end of the driveway and the noise level around here hits headache inducing levels.

This is why it is 1 am, I have been up for forever and I just finally finished all my work 30 minutes ago. I am capable of writing at lightening speeds when I find quiet with no distractions. The problem is, I only find that about once a year. And I am tired. Days like today make me want to go get a job somewhere that isn't here. Or at the very least to rent an office somewhere to do my writing in. What a nice dream that is. I think I will go find my pillow and dream about that....right after I feed the puppies.

Todays Ramblings

I feel like I ramble a lot on this blog, just typing in whatever thoughts may be floating around in my head at any given moment. That may not make for the best blog, but I find it amazingly therapeutic. This is the one place where I can just let loose and say what I want to say without fear of editors and guidelines.

Our puppies are 2 weeks old today, and doing really well. They are growing fast and finally have all their eyes open. They are also more active, which means more lost sleep for me! But they are so adorable that I am incapable of holding it against them.

I have read several forum posts and blogs in various places that are based on personal challenges and it has caused me to think about doing one of my own. As a freelancer, the amount of money that I bring in each month varies widely. Some months I end up with an impressive amount, while others seem like I hardly worked at all. This month is halfway over, and will be one of the bad ones. So, I was thinking about setting a personal challenge to earn a certain amount of money in the month of April and sharing my journey on this blog. Not only will it be inspirational for me, but it may also inspire someone else. I am just not sure what amount of money I want to go for. If I choose an amount that is to low then it will not be much of a challenge. On the other hand, if I set my goal to high then I will be faced with public failure. I figure I have a week or so to decide, since I won't be starting until the 1rst.

I have written mainly cooking articles today, and now I am starving, so I will end this now and go raid the kitchen. :)