Earning Money As a Keeper at Home

Over the past several years, God has impressed my heart with Titus 2:4-5:

"That they may teach the young women to be sober, to love their husbands, to love their children,
To be discreet, chaste, keepers at home, good, obedient to their own husbands, that the word of God be not blasphemed."
My conviction is that I ought to remain within the realm of home, if I desire to supplement our family income. Thankfully, there are a plethora of ways to earn money at home, especially with the help of the internet.

The following are a few ways that I have earned some money from home:

1. E- book writer- I wrote an e-book called Super Saving Strategies. Lulu will host your e-book for free, but takes a small fee for each book sold. The terrific thing about writing e-books is that there is no up-front cost for you. The only commodity that you give is your time. You do not have to be a professional to write an e-book. Think of a topic of something that interests you, or that you are passionate about, and start out with a small book on the subject. Perhaps you can show others how to do something, such as how to knit a scarf (in words and pictures) or how to decorate wedding cakes.

2. Affiliate Programs- Being an affiliate is an easy way to make money through your blog. I am an affiliate with Vision Forum, Nurtured Family, and The Old Schoolhouse. If someone purchases a product from a company that you are an affiliate with, you get a percentage of the sale. (Generally anywhere from 5%-8%).

3. Wedding Planner/ Consultant- I am an organizing aficionado. When it came time for the Christmas gift exchange with my husband's family, I was the nerd person who was making a spreadsheet of gift suggestions for everyone. So when my sister-in-law announced her engagement, I promptly whipped up a tabbed binder for her, with organizational sheets. She asked me to be her wedding consultant and very generously gives me some money, each month as I help her and her fiancee to sift through wedding planning details. (I would have gladly done it for free.)

4.Consignment Sales- This year was the first time that I participated in consignment sales. Consignment sales are a terrific way to earn money on extra stuff that you just don't need, and to get your children what they do need.

5. Surveys- A survey company contacted me this year, to record my household's radio listening habits for a week. It took about a total of 20 minutes to fill everything out, and I made a little over $30 for that. So far, that has been the most lucrative survey that I have done, but I do try to do other surveys, such as Surveyspot.

6. Yard Sales- Yard Saling in my neighborhood isn't very effective, but I did make a little money. We had a huge community yard sale, but we still didn't attract too much of a crowd, since we are out in the country, a bit. I really feel like location is so critical for successful yard sales.

Things I am interested in Pursuing from Home in the Future:

1. Teaching Childbirth classes- Birthing is my passion and I would love to encourage other women as they prepare to birth.

2. Selling baked goods to coffee shops/businesses.

3. Writing articles for select publications and/or websites.

4. Finding great deals at yard sales and Craigslist, to sell at Consignment sales.

5. Becoming a Notary Public- By taking a simple class at my local community college (for two evenings), I could become a certified notary public. (It does require one to pass a state test.) Once certified, I could place a sign up in my front yard, and if anyone needed anything notarized, they could just drop in. I had something notarized, yesterday, and it cost $5 for 2 minutes of the lady's time. It would be terrific to make money here and there, just for witnessing someone signing a document.

6. Medical Transcription-When I was expecting my firstborn, I took a few classes at the local community college to become a Medical Transcriptionist, in case we needed the extra income. Being a mother of three (soon to be four) little ones, I don't think I have the 2-3 hours a day, at this time, to devote to medical transcription. Perhaps, further down the road, it might not be a bad prospect for me. There are quite a few companies that allow you to do this job completely from home, while earning a nice income. (One lady I knew, was a transcriptionist for 2-3 hours a day, and earned $40,000 a year. She would transcribe while her granddaughter took her afternoon nap.)

Earning money from home can be challenging, at times, but can be successfully done, when you combine your passion with creativity. Find a niche and fill it!

I would love to hear some ways that you have found, to make money at home. Many blessings!

My new nephew!

My precious little nephew, Alexander, was born October 28, 2009. I cannot wait to see this little snugglebug. My sister and her family will be moving to Switzerland, at the end of December. I am hoping that we can visit them very soon, as they live 4 hours away. It is still hard for me to believe that my baby sister (20 years old) is a mother. I remember holding her, and snuggling her, when she was that size!

Grandbaby Duggar

I was thrilled when I heard, a couple of weeks ago, that Grandbaby Duggar arrived. We don't have cable, so I was so excited to see this video of their homebirth. It is so nice to see homebirth to be portrayed in a positive light, in this video! Many blessings!

Under the Weather

This week, my three children and I have been battling the flu. It is definitely challenging cleaning up throw up, when you are sick and pregnant, yourself. I am very thankful that we are starting to see some light at the end of the tunnel, though we are still battling some symptoms. I so appreciate your prayers. One joyful thing occurred during this illness is that my sister gave birth to a darling baby boy, Alexander, this past Wednesday.I cannot wait to see my precious nephew, but definitely need to quarantine myself for a while. Blessings!

One Size Fuzzi Bunz Rewards Program

There is a terrific sales reward program for One Size Fuzzi Bunz diapers. If you interested in starting to cloth diaper, or need some in one size, this would be the perfect time to replenish your stash. This one size can be used from birth through potty training. The rewards program ends Oct 31, 2009.

Buy any 9 One Size FuzziBunz diapers and earn $40 in Free FuzziBunz Product.

Illustration: 9 FuzziBunz with volume discount = $166.50 - $40.00 in free product = $14.05 per diaper!!!!

Great way to get your friends pooled together to make a purchase and get hooked – share the Bonus Rewards amongst friends.

How it works:

Buy 9 FuzziBunz One Size Diapers

Return to FuzziBunz.com and fill out the “Redeem Rewards” form and choose your Product Rewards.

Print out form and mail in to FuzziBunz Rewards Program with your proof of purchase (must have proof of purchase dated between 9/10/2009 and 10/30/2009. Rewards forms can be turned in up to 12/15/2009.

Product Rewards Products: Extra packs of inserts, changing pads, diaper totes, nursing pads, Daisy Print diapers, XS Diapers, Hanging Diaper Pails and other accessory items made by FuzziBunz.

Simply return to your favorite retailer, purchase 9 FuzziBunz One Size Diapers and follow the instructions on the FuzziBunz website to redeem.

All 9 FuzziBunz do not have to be purchased from the same retailer – only purchased within the given dates. Retailer need not be “participating” in the Bonus Rewards program to qualify for the Rewards – only a proof of purchase from that retailer provided by you. Keep your Receipt!

If you try these diapers, I would love to hear how they work for you! Many blessings!

Kids Eat Free at Boston Market

Now, through Oct 31, for every adult meal (minimum $6 purchase) that you purchase at Boston Market, you can receive two free kid's meals. You must bring the children into the restaurant to get this deal.

NC Fair

Anastasia was content to be snuggled up to her Daddy. She was happy in the Ergo for several hours.
I love the garden section where there are various plots of land decorated according to different themes. This was a princess garden.
We walked 8.5 miles, last Sat.. It was a lot of fun. Have a blessed weekend!

Emotional and Physical Effects of C-sections upon Women

I found this recent article, detailing the emotional impact of c-sections upon a woman, to be very informative. Though I have never had a c-section, I can relate to a lot of the emotional effects, since I have had two medicalized births, laden with nearly every intervention possible. Too often one's caregiver intervenes and causes complications in the birth, requiring further intervention. If a mother feels less than satisfied with her birth experience, everyone simply tells her to be grateful, after all, she has a healthy baby, now. I wholeheartedly agree that a healthy baby is fundamental, but the mother's experience and her well-being is important, as well. Often, after my medicalized births, I just laid in the hospital bed, wondering what had happened to me. Giving birth was the last thing that I felt like I did; I truly didn't feel like an active participant. Birth ought to be a beautiful experience, both for the mother and the baby. (Please note- I am referring to unnecessary c-sections due to unnecessary causes and interventions. A true emergency, such as placenta previa or a cord prolapse are true medical emergencies and necessitate a c-section. )

If, for a true medical emergency, such as the ones detailed above, one requires a c-section, it is wise to ask for a double layer suture repair. According to Heart and Hands, most doctors have been performing single layer suture repair for quite a while now. Single layer suture repair quadruples the chance of future utering rupture.

This sign in a doctor's office is most disturbing to me. It states: "We will not participate in a birth contract, a doulah assisted or a Bradley method delivery." Wow! I could not endure receiving pre-natal care from such a place. I am so grateful that there are options of pro-natural birth doctors and midwives.

I have read a plethora of books on the topic of birth. One particular book was so well written, and engaging, that I could not put it down, until I read the last chapter. The author's conclusion was that if one is for choice regarding birth, one must be for abortion, as well. I find this to be, not only extremely faulty logic, but that this advocate of "informed consent" (disclosure by the doctor to the patient of possible adverse effects of various pills, procedures, etc.) was not revealing the truth, herself. (Unless she was completely ignorant, which may also be the case.) The author of this book frequently quotes the adverse effects of c-sections on women and future pregnancies, but she neglects to share the plenitude of negative effects of abortion on a woman's uterus.Recent studies have found that abortion scars the uterus and can cause severe complications, even involving future pregnancies. It is inconsistent to belabor the negative effects of c-sections without also examining the horrible effects of abortion, upon a woman's body. I abhor abortion with every fiber of my being. Every woman should be permitted to bring forth life in whatever setting she is most comfortable with.