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Surviving a Job Loss

Posted by html404 on December 27, 2011
in Blog Stuff, Business, Family Stuff, Farm Stuff

As many of you know, these days I wear many hats. Not only am I a wife and homeschooling mother to eight, but I also run two businesses, with a fledgling farm waiting to burst forth from the side lines.

It’s obvious that being a wife and homeschooling mother to eight is a full-time job in and of itself. Then why would I want to add a business…or two…or three…or four to that mix? It happened out of necessity nearly four years ago on January 3rd or 4th when my husband came home to say that he lost his job of 25+ years. What a shock that was!? It came out of no where even though we had been on shaky ground from the end of 2004 when my husband learned his boss of 24 years was selling the business. At that time we had no idea if we would even have a job once the sale of the business occurred and felt we had to do something as a back up plan… just in case.

Rewind a Few Years

I am going to let you in on a little secret, when I had three children three and under, I had a yearning to have a home business and have my husband home more to help out. Ha! It was hard work keeping up with my three little girls and all their needs! But by the end of 2004 we had 5 children and I had just experienced a pregnancy loss at nearly 20 weeks along. I wanted, needed something to help me survive the grief I felt. That is truly when we discovered that I was the “Idea Lady”. There was something inside of me that went into survival mode to keep our family afloat to survive the job loss. So we started an online Christian bookstore in early 2005, but obviously we were not the up to competing with the online giant, Amazon. We did keep at it for the fun and love of our treasured books, but finally close down shop in 2010 due to its lack luster sales and needing more time to grow our other businesses.

The Beginning of Unemployment

By 2008, we were expecting our seventh child when the layoff occurred. We had six months of unemployment and an extension. With the help and grace of God we embarked on starting our second business mid-2008 that would include both of us and use more of our skills and experience as Virtual Assistants. As you all know it takes time to build a business and while our little VA business did not bring in much to start, we were thankful for whatever work did come our way. Most of which came to me, not my husband. He picked up a few odd jobs here and there but nothing every panned out for very long. I also cleaned houses for a couple families to help offset our slow start.

Personal and Professional Growth

We both grew a lot, both personally, spiritually and professionally, while waiting for God to increase our income upon losing a good paying job that provided well for our family’s needs. But to be honest, by late 2009 we were very concerned, unemployment had run out, no jobs in sight and a family member was faithfully assisting us. So when my husband was offered his old position back, with less pay, for a new owner (the third one, if you aren’t keeping track) we felt we had to take it.

Recovering

We are still recovering from that nearly 2 year long period of being without a job, which is why I continue to work. Recovering from a job loss doesn’t magically happen overnight once a person does get a job. It has been an uphill battle. One we are still overcoming, by the grace and strength of God.

Business Today

Thankfully today between VA Clients, blogging and our essential oils business we are beginning to see the light at the end of the tunnel. If you were a fly on the wall in our home you would see me online much of the day, emailing clients, writing, checking website statistics almost daily because not only are these stats important to our livelihood but that of my clients. Whether we are bloggers or other business owners, we all like to know how much traffic is coming to our website. There are companies like Omniture (Omniture.com) provide online businesses with website optimization tools necessary to make online marketing a success, which is very helpful.

We are grateful for the slow, but steady growth of our little online enterprises and the part they have had in helping us survive a job loss and slowly gain back the income we have lost.

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Homeschooling and Astronauts

Posted by html404 on December 26, 2011
in Family Stuff, Food and Treats, School

For awhile my kids were really into space and astronauts. This was when they were much younger, but even today my husband and children love to watch the stars and one night this winter they even stayed out in the freezing air waiting for a comet that never appeared. Think we got the wrong time or missed it completely. 🙁

Since they were so interested space I decided to put together a unit study for them. Even today my kids have fond memories of doing that unit study! (It was my older daughter’s idea to do this post!) We went to the library and checked out tons of books on space and then we all sat around and read them throughout the course of a few weeks. We watched a couple movies on space, did complimenting projects and assignments. The children really enjoyed that unit study.

Of course, we couldn’t do a unit study without the food! And since astronauts eat foods for survival, I purchased a couple freeze dried meals for my kids to try. They liked them a lot and thought that it was the funniest thing that you could put ice cream in a bag and eat it without a spoon! 😉

I still have the pink folder with my children’s book reports in it that they did on several of our favorite books on space. In the past couple years the folder has started to fall apart, but we still have the packaging to the astronaut food and the memories are still in my four older children’s minds and hearts of the time that we did a study on space.

Considering the fact that it’s been almost six or seven years since we did that unit study I should really do it again for the sake of my four younger kids. And I’ll have to BuyEmergencyFoods to show my younger kids what astronauts eat so they can experience the fun too!

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Merry Christmas!

Posted by html404 on December 25, 2011
in Family Stuff, Holidays

Merry Christmas from Faith and Family Reviews!

Enjoy your family and all the festivities!

We are enjoying a quiet day at home as a family.

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A FREE Nativity Booklet

Posted by html404 on December 24, 2011
in Books, Ebooks, Family Stuff, Holidays

If you are observing the birth of Jesus this Christmas, you may want to check out this free Nativity booklet from Answers in Genesis:

Direct link: http://blogs.answersingenesis.org/blogs/ken-ham/files/2010/12/nativity-booklet.pdf?utm_source=AiGSuperSpecials&utm_medium=email&utm_content=FreeDownload&utm_campaign=SS12222011

Merry Christmas!

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The Crazy Things Boys Do

Posted by html404 on December 23, 2011
in Family Stuff, Safety

As you all know, we have four little boys. (well, two of them are not so little anymore!) These boys bring a lot of joy to our lives, but they also cause a lot of pain – inflicted on themselves and others, like their siblings.

Our boys seem to enjoy doing things that are dangerous. They are always wrestling and one of them inevitability ends up getting hurt. It’s unfortunate they never stop their antics. They just keep going and going and going and….you get the picture.

Our sons are currently obsessed with super heroes since allowing them to watch the animated versions of Iron Man and Spider-Man. The two older boys are both tweens and have grown out of the Thomas the Tank and Sesame Street stage (just in time for my little boys to grow into it them!) and are constantly asking to watch super hero cartoons. If they aren’t playing Spider-Man, Thor, and Hulk then they are trying to find a way to re-enact their favorite cartoons. Those re-enactments usually involve using whatever dangerous stunt their favorite super hero pulled.

Our wild boys are open to jumping on conveyors, climbing tall of trees, climbing out their bedroom window, making bows and arrows and shooting them at one another, and my personal favorite – sharpening sticks and hitting/poking one another with them, while I am saying, “Don’t do that someone is going to get hurt!”

Thankfully with all the pharmacy automation it’s easy to purchase the products that we need to fix up our sons from one of their latest escapades. When they get hurt we handle them with much care, much like you would handle a material handling system.

You’d think they’d learn…..I swear they have nine lives instead of just one. We do try to stop them from pulling these stunts. But some days they just do stuff without my knowledge and I find out after the fact from another siblings or when they come running asking for a bandage. You know that old saying…..boys will be boys…..is very true!

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A Special Trip Down Memory Lane: Our Engagement Story

Posted by html404 on December 22, 2011
in Family Stuff, Holidays, Jewelry

The anniversary of when my husband asked me to marry him is coming up very soon. It’s ironic because the date he asked me to marry him and our oldest daughter’s birth date is within a day of each other. Neat, eh? My husband can be very romantic and the way he asked me to marry him proves that very much.

My husband and I had a long distance relationship for two years. So nearly 18 years ago my husband was visiting from Chicago in my hometown. We had not seen each other over Christmas that year so this was our holiday visit. We had looked at rings on my previous trip to see him, so thinking like a female I wondered if he was going to pop the question on this visit. On the night before he was to return home, which was a chilly winter evening, my husband (or love interest then) asked me if I would like to take a walk, I, of course, said yes! I lived in a small town with very little traffic and there were street lights for most of our walk through town, up and down a few little hills and across an arched bridge. After the bridge it was pretty much pitch black, except for the millions of stars shining down on us. I looped my arm through his and that is when I discovered the answer to my “wondering” for I felt a little square box in his pocket! I was pretty much over the moon at that moment, as I anticipated the question. We walked up what is called the “hospital hill” leaned against the guard rail under a starry sky snuggling close and he asked, “Theresa (and my last name), will you marry me?” I said yes and we kissed! 😉

My ring is a beautiful solitaire. Too bad I don’t have a camera that takes decent up close photos or I would take a picture of it….soon the camera situation will change though and yes we did find our camera….on a shelf in our walk-in-closet!?

We had to wait until our next visit when I traveled to Chicago to purchase wedding bands. If the internet had of been as big as it is now, shopping at Men’s Tungsten Online might have been an option for us, but alas neither of us even had a computer back then! My engagement ring was part of a set, so we really only had to get my rings sized and purchase his wedding band, a simple band with a comfort fit. Much like the look of the curved sides of these tungsten bands, only in gold. (P.S. MensTungstenOnline.com has some pretty neat looking stuff!)

It was fun looking at rings and having that purchase checked off our “to do” list.

I am grateful that my husband gave us such a wonderful memory of our engagement. What a special trip down memory lane!

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REVIEW ~ THE POCKET BIBLE DOODLE BOOK

Posted by Professor on December 12, 2011
in Books, Education, Family Stuff, Gift Ideas, Uncategorized

Faith and Family Reviews received the following product in exchange for writing a review. While we consider it a privilege to receive free products to review, our reviews are our honest opinion and thoughts of the product.

Young readers create versions of their favorite bible stories with the Pocket-Sized Doodle Book!

Youngsters can put their imaginations to work ~ in an outside the lines ~ with the delightful new addition to the Zonderkiz library. The Pocket Bible Doodle Book! In this new edition, children can draw, color, and doodle their way through the Bible stories in their very own pocket sized book.

The first of its kind, The Pocket Bible doodle Book allows kids to interact with Bible stories in a unique way rather than simply reading them. Unfinished drawings and fun prompts encourage creativity while simple and humorous text relates key Bible stories. Available with two covers (a bright spring blue and an eye-catching green) both include classic stories like the Creation, Noah’s Ark, the Last Supper, and more than 100 Bible pictures for kids to complete.

Click to see a larger image of The Pocket Bible Doodle Book by ZonderKidz

The Pocket Bible Doodle Book is a must-have for traveling, waiting rooms, restaurants, and families on the go, offering hours of creative learning for kids four and older (and their parents.

OUR REVIEW:

We were very excited to have the opportunity to review THE POCKET BIBLE DOODLE BOOK! We received one in each color, which made me very happy, as there would be no fighting as to who got to draw in what when! My daughter picked the green book and my son picked the blue book! My children LOVE to doodle in the books! They were very excited to start drawing in the books! My son (5) was excited to finish the pictures and would frequently as “mom what does this say”…since he is just a beginning reader. However, my daughter (7) was self- sufficient reading the directions and stories …and completed her pages with ease! This has been a great product for us on car rides…this children LOVE to have their Doodle Book on hand to color and create at will! This Book has also proven a wonderful in house activity as well…providing hours of entertainment and learning for my children. As a mother I love that the children are having fun while learning about the Bible and that the Doodle book reinforces key stories that we have taught our children!

There is honestly nothing bad I can say about this product…the only thing I wish is that it came in a third color so that my 3 year old could have her own book too! But I am grateful she is content to share with her sister!

Thank you ZONDERKIDZ for another great product! Look for THE POCKET BIBLE DOODLE BOOK January 2012!

To find The Pocket Bible Doodle Book or peruse other collections and items available from Zonderkidz please visit this link.

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Roofers!?

Posted by html404 on December 12, 2011
in Family Stuff, Home

This picture says it all and makes a statement of how our week is starting out. And no this was NOT part of their roofing project. They stood on this little dormer roof and it fell off.

My husband is just heading over there to “deal” with it. Honestly, what next? 🙁

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Non-Oven Meals

Posted by html404 on December 6, 2011
in Appliances, Family Stuff, Food and Treats

Ok, unless I get grocery shopping on Thursday, my non-oven recipe supply is drying out fast after two weeks without an oven. Tammy’s comment made me wonder how on earth I would go a year without an oven when I rely on it to toast bread, bagels, English muffins etc. since we do not have a toaster. We haven’t since ours broke. We can fit more in the oven anyways as we had no room for a commercial size toaster at the townhouse or budget for it either. And no my oven is not as clean as the photo to above left!

We usually do not buy packaged baked goods, we bake them ourselves or got them at the food co-op we participated in, which we no longer have. So we have been satisfying our sweet tooth with hot cocoa. I mix my own hot cocoa mix by using dry cocoa from Aldi and organic cane sugar so we do not have to eat any extra additives, preservatives or chemicals.

We have had beans and rice many times over this past week. I have made baked beans, lentils and pinto beans in the crock pot as I only have one pot to cook with on the stove besides my cast iron pans. Long story short: in our townhouse we had limited cupboard space so I learned to cook with just one pot, plus any casserole dishes that would fit in the oven. Now we have more storage space and I have two crock pots, with plans of buying more pots in the future!

I have not used the crock pot much for cooking meats like chicken, beef or the like, but that’s idea for the chicken in my freezer and something I can use to prepare a few new meals.

I avoid using the microwave for cooking, but will use it to heat up water, tea and a few other things. Yes, I am paranoid and trying to avoid any extra radiation exposure and changes a microwave can make to our food.

We do not buy a lot of boxed cereals, but depend on hot breakfasts like oatmeal (I soak regular organic rolled oats overnight and cook it in the morning). We make muffins, banana and apple breads etc., which all require the oven. We can still have eggs and toast, thankfully!

We even usually bake our family French toast in the oven. At least we haven’t forgotten how to fry it in a pan! Ha!

Thinking pancakes are fast and easy for tomorrow night’s supper since I have to be out and tonight’s dinner planned: Kale Potato Soup. No homemade bread though, will have to ask my husband to stop and get some on his way home from work.

So all that to say that I would love some fresh non-oven meal ideas that are healthy! Gotta run and get the soup on…..

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Whew! Made it Through!

Posted by html404 on December 5, 2011
in Business, Family Stuff, Holidays, Money & Finances, Shopping

Business

It was a busy four days and I only ended up working 3 of those 4 days due to my compassionate husband working the holiday craft fair for me yesterday! It was in my favor that he knew our 15 month old was really missing me too.

There was a Chicago Bears game yesterday so let’s just say the fair was not as busy as Friday or Saturday. I had as relaxing a day as I could with five children under nine (insert rolling eyes here ;-))

The business networking event and the weekend proved to be very beneficial and we met some interesting people. We are excited and grateful for the opportunities presented.

Appliance Woes Almost Fixed

We are still without an oven, at least for another week the repair man said, as he has to order the part. Hopefully it will arrive early and they can fit in an appointment earlier. How can I host a Cookie Exchange if I can’t bake cookies? I can’t, I know.

Christmas!

We are getting into the Christmas spirit around here and eager to decorate and get our tree! Just not sure how we are going to accomplish that since my mil’s car will not accommodate a tree. We took the children to cut down a live tree last year and it was such a memory making day that everyone is gung-ho to do it again this year. It was a neat family tree farm that offered fun activities for the children: candle making, wood carving, hot chocolate and more.

A Vehicle

A friend found a vehicle, we just have to decide if it is what we are looking for….beggars can’t be choosers but it is hard for us. Take on a car payment or not to take on a car payment? Buy an older car and have lots of repairs? Ugh….decisions like these are just not easy. Besides we have not even contacted our insurance to see what insurance will cost on the type of vehicle we are interested in getting. Everything costs money….

Home Life

Other than that same old same old. We cleaned the house today and did school. I worked. The girls and I are gearing up for a sewing spree hopefully starting on Friday. I have to wrap up some weekend stuff and have a couple of meetings this week before we can really get going on making some new skirts for the four girls.

Oh and if you are the praying kind, pray we find our camera. Odd request, I know but we think some little hands got a hold of it and left it in some obscure place in the house…hopefully still in tact. We need that for blogging and capturing every day moments of life so the children can look back in wonder and perhaps a little embarrassment too…..I can’t believe how many photos my oldest is embarrassed about when I was simply capturing a “moment”. Ah well, it was not my original intent to embarrass her, nor is it my intent with the rest either.

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