Staying Home and Making Money

Since I have been a "stay at home mom", I have still wanted to make my own money.  My husband takes very good care of us, and I know I have value, I like the cash!  So, how do I make money with no official job?  Well, it seems these days, I have 5 jobs!  But, I LOVE it!!!!!

• Most recently, I started working for a local drop-in day care.  My kids love it.  I make an hourly wage, and I get a huge discount on child care when I do drop the kids off to play.  And, they have a GREAT preschool!
• I also train from time to time for the local community college and computer learning center.  If you have a talent, contact the colleges to see if they need teachers.  This is a great way to teach in the evenings and even weekends.
• I have also been putting my IT skills to use with Elance and Guru.  These are websites for freelance professionals.  These sites are not only for IT professionals, but illustrators, voice over actors, designers, writers...you name it!
• Finally, I sell specialty clothing (unique, vintage, plus size clothes and shoes for men and women) on ebay.  So, if you have anything you would like to sell, it is a great way to earn some extra cash.

There you have it.  I feel like I have a full-time job for sure.  Those are the ways I make some cash while cooking, cleaning, and taking care of the fam!

Please share your great ideas as well....How do you make money from home?

About Religion...

I am a member of the Unitarian Universalist Church of Chattanooga (www.uuc.org). There...I said it for all the world to know! When I joined a year ago, I was almost ashamed to tell people around here where I went to church. I would say something about church on Sunday and let them make their assumptions. Well, in the past few months, I have started telling people where I go. This has opened my eyes to the fact that not many people know what happens in that "church you can see from the interstate".

The beauty of the UUC is that there are no judgments (well...human nature is to judge a bit)...but, for the most part, no judgments. You aren't judged by the clothes you wear, what you believe, what you have done in the past, what you will do in the future, who you live with, who you are married to...It is a wonderful place to be. Each person's religious beliefs are personal. We have Christians, Buddhists, Atheists, Pagans, Agnostics and so on. Here, we are all in it together. Folks can freely discuss religion without agendas. I know I could say this all so much more eloquently, but there is it.

We have 7 Principles:

• The inherent worth and dignity of every person.
• Justice, equity, and compassion in human relations.
• Acceptance of one another and encouragement to spiritual growth in our congregations.
• A free and responsible search for truth and meaning.
• The right of conscience and the use of the democratic process within our congregations, and in society at large.
• The goal of world community with peace, liberty, and justice for all.
• Respect for the interdependent web of all existence of which we are a part.

When I started telling people that I belong to the UU church, I started getting interesting opinions of what "goes on there". I have been asked, "Oh, that is like Unity Christ, right?"; "That is the place where they worship the stars?"; "We went there before and it was full of pagans!"; "It is the place where if you can't ration it out, then you don't believe it". And, I promise you, I have heard all of these things.

So, I am thinking, more folks need to know what we do, what we believe, and we just might have more folks who feel the same way join the UU church.

Have you ever used beliefnet (www.beliefnet.com)? It is the website that allows you to answer some questions and then tells you what religion would be best for you. Interesting, huh? Well, seems I rank highest as a Quaker then a Unitarian Universalist.

So, I have found my home. I am not ashamed.

Italian "Honeymoon is Over" Soup

Thanks to my hubby for this awesome recipe title!

Italian Honeymoon is Over Soup

This is a lazy version of Italian Wedding Soup. It is so easy and so yummy!

Ingredients:
1 pound lean ground beef
1 envelope mushroom gravy mix
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1/2 package of egg noodles (2 cups)
1/2 package of frozen spinach (2 cups)
1 Tbs garlic powder or 1 clove fresh garlic
1 cup of water (more if you want it more soup-like)
Parmesan Cheese
Salt and Pepper to taste

Brown and drain ground beef.
Mix together cream of mushroom soup, gravy mix and water.
Combine ground beef and gravy mixture
Add cooked egg noodles, spinach, spices.
Mix well and simmer for approximately 20 minutes.

Serve with shredded Parmesan cheese.

One thing at a time!

So, I have about 20 more minutes of silence here at the house. My mind has been racing lately with ideas. I mean all kinds of ideas...business...crafts...selling...work...home...family....

I need to focus! How do I do that?! I need to start one thing, finish it and see where it takes me. I am all over the place. Luckily, my husband just says, "that is a good idea" a lot. :) He is supportive even though I can be a NUT case!

I have an online resell boutique. I have clothes in a pile waiting to post. I sell Celadon Road products (www.myceladonroad.com/scpolen). I need to dedicate time to that. I want to get my MCT (Microsoft Certified Trainer) certificate....

Our house is chaotically unorganized. It is getting better, but it is still a MESS! Time management has NEVER been one of my strong suits. Anyway, I just needed to get it out there that I'm struggling! Sitting here on the computer isn't helping! But, it feels good to purge a bit even if it is from my mind and not from my piles of stuff!

Stay tuned for the next great idea! :)

We are lucky enough to have natural grocery stores cose by making shopping easier when trying to avoid certain ingredients. But, not everyone is! Today, i purchased several items at dollar tree that meet our criteria (no artificial colors, flavors or high fructose corn syrup)...hydrogenated oils are on the list as well. Now, that is thelist...you may have other criteria...all organic, for example. We are starting with this and moving from there. So what did i buy?
h.k.anderson peanut butter filled pretzel nuggets
minute maid juice boxes
luna nutz over chocolate bars
not too shabby for $6! Bought 2 of each!

"Cleaner" Food!

For 2012, one of our "resolutions" if you want to call it that is no artificial colors, flavors and no high fructose corn syrup! WE can do this. WE have done it before. Here is the challenge. For those of you without an "Earth Fare", "Whole Foods" or "Greenlife" close to you, how do you do this? And, I keep hearing, "It is too expensive to eat like that"! It is so not!!!! So, what for the things I find on a budget that fit into our food budget for the month. You can find items anywhere! I even found snacks that meet our criteria at Dollar General!!!!!

So, stay tuned!

New Year Coming

I can't believe 2012 will be here in just 2 days! And, it seems it will be over on December 21, 2012. So, I guess I need to make the best of this coming year. :)

My mother has found out some news that will affect her health and the coming year/years. Knowing this, has made me think about my own mortality. What have I done with my life? What do I want to do with my life? I'm thinking about a bucket list....Yes....I am OLD! I guess when you hit 40 and start realizing you won't live forever, you think about these things.

This past year has been very trying...But, it has made me and my family stronger. What will I do differently in 2012? I will only control myself and support those who need my support. That is my main goal!

Anyway, look for my bucket list. It will be some silly things and some grandiose things! But, I will start working on me and what I need to do to be the best me, wife and mother I can be!

Pot Roast with German-Style Gravy

I just made something so wonderful that I have to share!!!!

I cooked a London Broil in the crockpot like I always do:
place in crockpot, cover with water.
Press 1-2 garlic cloves onto the roast, place 4 bay leaves in the water
Salt and pepper to taste
Cook on high for 4-5 hours.

Well, I thought since I had some Spaeztle mix, I would add a German-Style Gravy. It is so flippin' good!

I mixed about 1 cup of the broth from the roast with cream of mushroom soup, added in a 1/2 Tbs of yellow mustard
probably about 1/2 Tbs of dill weed (I just love saying Dill Weed)
Salt and Pepper to taste
Mixed it well....and voila!!!! Awesome German-Style Gravy for the Roast!

Next time I'll in some baby Portabella Mushrooms!

So, it smells like a German restaurant today! I love it!!!!!!

Who do I want to be?

So, who do I want to be? I want to be me...That sounds just so flippin' cheesy! But, it is true! I want to wear flowy dresses, have bright red hair, laugh too loudly, be whomever I want to be! But, who am I now. I'm a mom to 2 great boys, a wife to my BEST friend, a caretaker, a housekeeper, a trainer, an employee....But, who am I? Can anyone really answer that? What makes me happy? What can I do to become happier, less stressed? I think honesty is the answer! My husband and I have been talking a lot about this. Even if it is scary, life is too short not to be honest with yourself. So, that is where I am. As scary as it is, I am not Wonder Woman! I am not all things to all people, and I'm going to screw up royally....a lot!

I'm in the process of taking an inventory of my life. What makes me happy? What do I enjoy? So, keep watching to find out how this unfolds! :)

Thanksgiving and Christmas Already...Stress Free?!

I can't believe it is already Thanksgiving...then...you know what is next...Christmas! Are you ready? What does it mean to be ready for the holidays? I'm interested to know what it means to everyone. I would LOVE to alleviate some stress this holiday season. I would love to know, honestly, what everyone does to help with this situation. I want this holiday to be as stress-free as possible! Is that possible?!

It Has Been a Long Time!

Wow! It has been a long time since I was here! So...So...So...Much has happened over the summer. I am no longer a stay at home mom who homeschools. I'm a working mom with a child in Elementary School! And, all is going well! I want to get the blog going again....Talk about my world...My life...Ideas, etc.

I have started a Facebook Group for Working Moms:
http://www.facebook.com/groups/chattworkingmoms/

Feel free to share, join...Talk about...

Looking back over the past year

2010 was a pretty good year overall. We had our trials and successes just like anyone, I guess. My brain is overflowing with ideas for 2011...now to make it happen! Hubby and I are going to start lessons for the homeschooled kids in our group and we have ideas for a summer inventor's camp!

I was looking back over the blog posts from the past year, and I see where I posted some goals that I totally did not accomplish! Why is that? They were pretty simple goals!

Thanks for following along!

New Year ~ New Goals

So, it has been almost 4 months since I posted anything here! My goal for this year, to make Twylyth's Blog a place folks want to visit! Maybe I should change the name. :)

I have so much on my mind. I don't even know where to start! 2011 will bring forth a move, a new business venture, blogging and new adventures in homeschooling! And, I am determined to be honest with myself and be who I want to be...And, it feels GREAT!

Thanks to everyone who follows my little-bitty blog and here's to more to come in 2011!!!!!!!

What the What?!

I have decided that the term, "What the What?!" fits my life perfectly! I don't want to say WTF or even WTH around the kids. So, we have all started saying, "What the What?!", and I have even been posting it on Facebook at WTW! It will catch on! I say it describes my life, because, What the What am I doing?! I really think and know I can do it all! I can be the "leader" (I don't really like that term) of the new homeschool group, I can be mom to 2 boys, I can be teacher, I can be wife, I can be a chef, I can be a soccer mom, I can do it all!!!!!!! WTW?!

So much has been going on around here! We started homeschooling full force this week! I am the coordinator of a totally, brand new Secular homeschool group. I was totally blown away by the turn out! We had over 50 kids!!!!! Thank goodness we have great coordinators! And, I can't wait to get to know everyone better! We have such a great group of children and parents!

My mind is so full of ideas! I don't even know where to begin. I really want my blog to grow. I want to create a website for our homeschool group. I want to make sure we have a great year here at our "Academy"!

I am always experimenting with recipes/ideas with food. I will keep sharing them here. I will add what I find regarding homeschooling and resources.

So, here we go!

Crowder Pea Chilli

I bought some fresh crowder peas from our local farmers' market on Saturday. I needed to do something with them. So, I created something. It is really good. Even the kids loved it.

Ingredients:
1 lb ground beef (I used Ground Chuck from EarthFare)
1 can diced tomatoes
3 slices of dried tomatoes (chopped)that I bought at the farmers' market as well. You could use sun-dried tomatoes
2 tsp dried oregano
1 pint of crowder peas (of course, you could use frozen)
1.5 cups frozen corn
3-4 cloves of garlic (peeled and chopped)
Chili powder to taste (I used probably around 4 Tbsp)
1/2 cup water
Salt to taste
1 Tbsp Zattarans Cajun Seasoning (optional)

Brown ground beef with chopped garlic until done.
If using fresh crowder peas, cook ahead of time for about 30 minutes.
Add chili powder and cajun spices.
Add the chopped dried tomatoes and oregano.
Add the can of tomatoes and 1/2 cup of water.
Add frozen corn
Mix well.
Cook on low (low boil) for about 30 minutes.
Serve hot with Mexican cheese blend sprinkled on top.

Super Mom!

What does it take to be a super mom?! I wish I knew the answer. This Super Mom isn't feeling so super lately. So, what am I going to do to change that? First, I'm putting it out to the Blog world that I am going to make some changes.





Here is my list:

• Track calories using SparkPeople
  
• Do at least 15 minutes of exercise
  
• Stop snacking all day long!
  
• Drink 8 8oz glasses of water
  

I feel like I eat all day long! This isn't good. I have gained 15 pounds over the past few months. And, I feel it! I feel bloated, sluggish, tired. My clothes don't fit. I'm not a vain person. I just want to feel good!

So, a Super Mom is there for her family, for herself, for her friends...She makes the best decisions she can. So, here is to feeling Super again! :)

Apple Pie Sunday!

We were at EarthFare (Natural Grocery store) yesterday. They had a FUN back to school party. Anyway, I was going to buy a pie. My 8yo said, why are we buying one when we can make one? Good question. I answered, because I don't feel like making one. His response, "but we know how to make a really good apple pie, and I'll help you". So, I have the ingredients to make apple pie...Yeah us! :) I really don't mind. I just love how he says, "Homemade is Best Made!", and he truly believes that. He says my french fries are better than McDonalds! That makes me feel so good! He also says things like, "why are we going out for icecream when we have icecream at home?" We are teaching him well! And, I'm proud of that!

Here is the apple pie we are making today:
Ingredients:
1 recipe pastry for a 9 inch double crust
deep dish pie
3/4 cup white sugar
3 tablespoons cornstarch
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon 6 cups thinly sliced apples

1 (16 ounce) package frozen whipped
topping, thawed

Directions:
1. Preheat oven and cookie sheet to 400 degrees F (205 degrees C).
2. Stir together the sugar, cornstarch and cinnamon. Toss with the apples in a mixing bowl.
3. Pour the mixture into the first unbaked pie shell Place the second pie shell over this and flute the edges. Cut slits in the top crust to allow steam to escape then place on preheated cookie sheet.
4. Bake 45-50 minutes, until golden brown. Cool for 1 hour before slicing. Top with whipped topping, if desired.

This recipe was borrowed from allrecipes.com, but I did edit it a bit. :)

Getting ready for school

We are getting geared up to start our second year of homeschooling. We are very excited about the new co-op we have joined. I hope it becomes a huge success. Regarding our year, I (the teacher) have to get everything organized! And, I have to know encorporate teaching a 2 year old (almost 3) as well as an 8 year old. I can do it, right?! I need encouragement...So, encourage away! More details to come! I'm feeling a bit overwhelmed, but I can do it....I can do it...I can do it!

Quiet time is a blessing!

Today is the first day in a long, long time I have felt like I have had time just to myself. Our oldest is at inventor's camp and the youngest is taking a nap! So far I have taken a 30 minute nap, a shower, and enjoyed some quiet time. WAIT!!!!! As I type this, quiet time is over!!!! Little one just woke up and is crying that he peed (means he leaked out of his pull-up) on my side of the bed no less! More to come...

Beans and Franks Casserole

To give credit where credit is due, I got the idea for this recipe from Rachael Ray's Franks and Beans Casserole. Here is the link: http://www.rachaelray.com/recipe.php?recipe_id=595&r=178%2C445%2C623%2C524%2C432%2C323%2C449%2C595%2C719%2C710%2C589

I am lazy, and this made way too much. So, here is what I did:

In a saucepan, I sauteed 1/2 an onion in about 1 TBS of EVOO (Yeah...I know...Just goofing around!) I added 5 hotdogs cut up into small slices. I actually had some left over from yesterday's lunch.

After the onions and hotdogs were cooked, I added a small can of baked beans (mine happened to be Full Circle Baked Beans, Maple and Onion Flavor). I added to that about 2Tbs steak sauce (think A1) and about 1/4 cup of honey barbeque sauce.

I then poured the mixture into a pie plate.

The topping is a box of Jiffy corn bread mix prepared according to the box, mix in chili powder to taste and cheddar cheese.

Bake according to the package. It took it about 30 minute to cook, but I think it was because of the cheese.