How to make money while staying at home- Stork Brokers

I want to start a few weekly posts that will fall under categories that are important to mothers and my the first category is making money while staying at home.

<img src="http://img.bzzagent.com/image/storkbrokers.jpg?Type=activity&Activity=5027979613&Campaign=6128081502&Uid=1137528&token=c0f7cad4b0ca13e4b90f7f56c1414bba" alt=""/>


I don't know about you, but for me most of my extra money somehow always ends up being spent on things for my kids and I never get anything in return. Well, I found a great way to get something in return for all the money spent...easily reselling the items for a great profit. My kiddos hardly ever play with a toy until is worn out and rarely do the stay small enough to wear out clothing so instead of letting these items take up space I plan to sell them. In comes Stork Brokers, a website with an easy setup for selling used belongings. You sign up for an account and then list the items you want to sell. Even mothers who are not computer savvy will be able to easily post items and track interest in the item and know when the item sells. Also, if you do not have anything you want to sell yet, but are in need of some items they have some great things and they are at great prices. Be sure to sign up today and your first three sales will be commission free!

I heard about Stork Brokers through BzzAgent, but was not paid or bribed for my blogpost:)

Beezag.com

I joined Beezag for something to do while the boys play and to maybe earn some spending money to go towards my Etsy addiction, but instead I earned money and won a great sweepstakes! Last week I cashed out $12 and even though that may sound like a small amount once you see how easy it is to earn it will seem like more. Beezag is an advertising site that rewards you with points and sweepstakes entries for watching short commercials, music videos, and movie trailers. It takes very little time and sometimes you even find out about a movie or a product that interests you.

Honestly I was starting to think that nobody ever won the sweepstakes, but sure enough they do and I was one of the winners. I won a pair of Beats by Dr Dre headphones and even though I am not sure the exact model I am  certain that these are top quality headphones.

Join me in earning some "fun money" and maybe even a big prize- Beezag

"Winner, winner....chicken dinner!"

Several of my friends have teased me for entering so many contests, but it does pay off. Our budget is tight so it is a great thrill to be able to win something instead of having to pay out of pocket for it. So far my wins have been rather small, but today I received a phone call letting me know that I had won a new Samsung T.V.
Go out and win something today and let me know in the comments:)

Sweeties Sweeps
Daily Sweeps by Freebies 4 Mom

"High of 75"

Today I am reminded of one of my favorite songs which is done by one of my favorite bands, "High of 75" by Relient K. Yesterday we had an amazing day spent with family at the zoo while soaking in the sun and the 80 degree weather it provided for us. I had been stressed, but the  minute I was out in the sun with the people I love the most I was giddy and at peace. Today is a whole different story.  As I look outside the window at the snow I am overwhelmed and feeling a tad bit like Eeyore. The weather is a lot like the changing seasons of our life and they both effect us the same. These past few years have been filled with great moments of joy, but also many moments of hardship. Some days have been sunny, but many have been dark and gloomy. I need to remember that as a mother things are not always sunny and perfect, but I am blessed and I am a child of God and He will never ever leave me in the darkness. The sun may not be out, but the Son is truly alive and well!

"High Of 75"

We were talking together

I said, "what's up with this weather?"

Don't know whether or not

How sad I just got

Was of my own volition.

Or if I'm just missing the sun

And tomorrow, I know,

Will be rainy at best.

And the forecast, I know,

Is that I'll be depressed.

But I'll wait outside

Hoping that I'll catch sight of the sun.

[Chorus:]

Because on and off,

The clouds have fought

Their control over the sky

And lately the weather

Has been so Bi-polar

And Consequently so have I

And now I'm sunny with a High

of 75

Since You took my heavy heart

And made it light

And its funny how you find

You enjoy your life

When you're happy to be alive

[Chorus]

And the temperature is freezing

And then, after dark,

There is a cold frost sweeping

In over my heart

And we might break up

If I don't wake up to the sun

[Chorus]

Sunny with a High of 75

Since You took my heavy heart

And made it light (made it light)

And its funny how you find

You enjoy your life

When you're happy to be...

Alive 

Getting Crafty

I absolutely love doing craft projects, but it seems I am known for starting something and never finishing it and I want that to change. The Christmas before last I purchased a sewing machine with gift cards I had received and I love it but so far I have really only finished one item. The sewing machine is currently in our basement which is hard for me to get to with both the boys and it seems my love for cute fabrics is getting pricey. Why  am I telling you all of this? I am sharing all this with you to let you know that I am going to finally finish a project and I want your help! Crocheting seems to be the answer to my unfinished project issue. It is fairly inexpensive to do and it does not require much space which means I can do it will still paying attention to my kiddos. So, this is where you guys come in and help me, if we can get to 50 followers on Google Friend Connect before I finish a project then I will do a giveaway! Depending on how my crocheting adventure goes the giveaway could be for an item hand made my yours truly or my crocheting could be horrible and you may just end up with something I buy or find laying around my house( you will like it though). So the challenge has been set before us all!

Here is a link to the awesome blog that has the instructions for the project I am trying to complete. Feel free to try your hand at crocheting and send me pictures of your completed project for a special crafty mommy post.
And Sew it is

Mommy needs a date night!

I am sitting here surrounded by laundry and various toys dreaming of a night off with my hubby where somebody else will cook for me and then clean up my mess, but my lovely daydream is quickly replaced with thoughts of who would watch the kids, and the typical calculations of the budget. I am sure many of you are also in need of a date night so I thought a post about cheap dates and also dates where kids are without a sitter would be helpful.

First off is cheap dates for those of us who can find a babysitter-
1) Use coupons from a daily deal site to enjoy a meal or activity at a lower price. Groupon, Living Social, and Restaurant.com are good sites to try.
2) Go to Costco or Sam's club for an adventure. Both of these places provide stuff to look at, enough samples of food products to be considered a meal, and also cheap snack bars.
3) Geocaching. My hubby and I just started geocaching a few years ago and it is a great way to build teamwork in a marriage and force yourself to get out and enjoy the great outdoors. For those of you who have no idea what I am talking about, geocaching is like high tech hide and seek using a GPS to find a certain location where a box is hidden that may contain prizes or who knows what. For more information click here.
4) Dress up as though you are going to a five star restaurant but instead dine at a fast food joint.
5) Click take a pic( sorry my two year is on a Dora and Diego kick)! Grab a camera and your hubby and go click crazy. Take pictures of everything you see including places, people, things and of course each other. When the roll or the memory card is full print them and then sit down for coffee and enjoy the memories made.
6) Be a kid again. Go to an arcade and play video games with one another or even go to a park and take turn pushing each other on the swings.
7) Movie night. If you have a laptop with a dvd drive or a portable dvd player find a nice secluded area to park your car under the stars and enjoy a modern take on a drive-in movie.


Dates for parents who cannot find a babysitter
1) Buy the ingredients to make your favorite restaurant meal at home.  Cooking together can be fun and you also end up with a great meal to feed yourselves and your kids
2) Purchase popcorn from your local theater and grab a Redbox movie to enjoy at home after the kids have gone to bed
3) Play a board game or a card game with one another ( make it interesting and more adult oriented by making any game a stripping game)
4) Play video games on your computer or gaming console. Make sure you play games that both of you enjoy and can fully participate in

How do they know?

I would really like to know how my children, mainly my youngest, know what nights end in mornings where we need to be up and someplace at an early time. It seems that the days that just involve us staying home are the ones where they sleep in and sleep the whole night before, but heaven forbid the ones where we have plans should be the same. Today, was a morning where we had plans and sure enough my youngest (10 months) was up at 11ish acting as if I had never fed him in his life, again up at  3 wanting to be fed and then up yet again at 4 for reasons that I may never know but those reasons kept us awake until my hubby's alarm went off at 5:30. I currently can barely function as a human being so I am not sure how my little night owl's expect me to function as a parent. Well, I must conquer this day with my sleep deprived brain and thank God for the creation of Netflix streaming, my Keurig coffee maker and food that does not need my involvement to me consumed by children under three.

He may get the sucker, but I feel like the sucker.

This past week we have been potty training our two year old and he is doing so well that he has managed to out smart us. We decided that bribery would be best when teaching our son how to use the potty( don't judge. Trust me it works) so he gets a sucker every time he pees. I suppose we should have tried to set some rules because I am convinced that this kid has managed to control his bladder long enough to pee every time he is done with one sucker. I will admit that although I am a bit worried about his first dentist visit I am super proud of him for being such a big boy.

Tips on how to potty train from a mommy who has no clue!
- try to keep the child in underwear as much as possible. Pull ups are handy, but most kids are unable to really tell the difference from a diaper.
-Use a reward system. It can be stickers, candy, or whatever you know your kid will want enough to convince him/her to get on the potty.
-Reward him/her when they stay dry or when they use the potty, but also remember to still show you are proud of them despite any accidents.
-Keep cleaning wipes handy in the bathroom ( Clorox or Lysol pre-moistened wipes are great). Learners are not always the most sanitary!
-Mom and Dad may need a reward as well so make sure the coffee pot is always ready to go

Do you have any great tips to add to the list? I will add more as they come!