A wonderful children’s coloring site was recently sent to me for reviewing  and inclusion on my “Kids Stuff” page at Work & Family at BellaOnline.com. If you have little ones I urge you all to grab TheColor.com  for a kids and have some fun.

   Do you enjoy write stories or poetry or take mind boggling photographs? If yes, you should know that Mused BelloOnline.com’s Quarterly Literary Magazine is accepting submissions.

The submission deadline for the upcoming Spring 2009 issue of Mused is Wednesday, February 4, 2009. The submission link is Mused Submissions Mused does not offer monetary compensation, but it does help you get published and noticed by a large audience and hopefully, literary powers. 

You can read Mused Winter Edition The  PDF version is stunning or you can download the HTML version.

   Moms Like Me is  a great site for mom’s who want to connect with other mom’s in their area. The talk is from babies to home business and everything else in between. They not only have a state listing, but division listings as as well. I checked out NJ, my home state, and found Central Jersey, South Jersey and Shore Jersey. Very cool. See Moms Like Me 

Work Space is a social site for home business owners or those looking for a home business. I found it while Googling my name, I do hope that everyone here at DW does that once in a while. I joined because I noticed that one of the powers had taken notice of one of my Work & Family articles titled, “Your Home Business is a Real Business”, and placed it along with a W&F link back to the site. I love that it created a little buzz. This is a good, light, biz site (they have many smiley faces) for folks who want or need another place to share information, make friends and promote their business. Very cool. See Work Space

  I read short article in the AARP Bulletin print edition with interest, Many of the nation’s 31 million women who live on their own face serious financial conditions that could worsen. While this is not new and does not neccesarily apply to all single women, it is sobering to see it in print.

Households headed by women reported about half the median income of all households, $22,592 versus $43,130, according to a study released in December by the Consumer Federation of America.  While this was more of an, “Well, duh!” moment instead of a “Ah Hah!” it reenforces the get rid of debt mindset that single women must develop or maintain. Read the full AARP article here Single Women Face Financial Challenges

   We have been hearing about the new virus that may attack computers. Fox News says, “Mysterious New Computer Virus May Be ‘Sleeper’ Agent”…”Though computer bugs have become a common affliction, Finland-based F-Secure says a virus it has been tracking for the past several weeks has surged more rapidly through corporate networks than anything they’ve seen in years. But the virus doesn’t appear to be working as its designers intended.”  That may be so, but I am happy that I recently changed my easy to remember password to something a little more complicated with numbers.  People who create these terrible viruses have quick and clever minds, I am always surprised that they don’t do something positive with their skills. Isn’t the human mind fascinating?

See the Fox News story

Some heartfelt children’s humor

Do skunks celebrate Valentine’s Day?   Sure, they’re very scent-imental!

What did one lightbulb say to the other?  “I love you a whole watt!”

Humorist Erma Bombeck once wrote a column titled “If I Had My Life to Live Over.” In it she offered such nuggets of wisdom as “I would have invited friends over to dinner even if the carpet was stained and the sofa faded” and “I would never have insisted the car windows be rolled up on a summer day because my hair had just been teased and sprayed.” If you had your life to live over, what would you do differently?

Me? I know that I would have bought the old townhouse that I fell in love with. It was on a side street that was being rehabbed, it cost $10,000 and the requirement was that you live in the house for certain number of years. Hindsight can bite you in the ***, that whole area is wonderfully renewed.

If you have never read Bombeck’s column, you can read it now. If you are familiar with it, this is a good time to read it again. http://www.kalimunro.com/If_I_Had_My_Life_To_Live_Over.html

Visit the EB museum http://www.ermamuseum.org/life/default.asp 

So, what is one thing you would do differently?

If you are unhappy with a product don’t just complain to your friends who can do nothing, tell the company why you are unhappy.  Several months ago while shopping I could not find any good yellow bell peppers so bought a bag of frozen peppers that had a combination of red and yellow peppers. I was disappointed to find 1/2 yellow pepper only. This did not put me in a good mood. I did not toss the bag immediately, instead I read the information on the bag. I also saw a telephone number, so  decided to call to let them know that I love their products but was disappointed with this particular one. The woman I spoke with was kind, she did not give excuses as to why there was only 1/2 yellow pepper among a bag of red ones. Instead she asked for the information on the back of the bag. She apologized before hanging up.
 
Imagine my surprise when I received not one but two letters along with food coupons. One from the supermarket and one from the product company.  The outcome was two apologetic letters and $7.00 worth of coupons for an excellent product that cost me $3.99. Needless to say, the supermarket and the produce company have my loyalty.
 
So, if you have a problem with a product, my advice is to let them know.

Sometimes it all comes together. It turns out my quirk is not all that quirky.

I pick up my business mail once a week, every week and I use that day as my personal me day. I often meet a friend at my favorite bake shop/cafe. Actually it is a bakery with a few tables and chairs, the great thing is they don’t toss you out when you are finished your coffee and bun.

Before I leave the house I make sure I have a book to read, a small notebook and a couple of pens. I have been known to take my laptop but for me that puts me back in the work mode.  Laura West of the Center for Joyful Business suggests that you pack a bag as if you were going on a mini-retreat, then head to a local café for some creativity time at least once a week. Here’s a list of items you could include:

Books. Bring something fun to read, something you find inspiring or relaxing.

Magazines. Bring your favorites for browsing for new ideas.

A journal. Bring whatever inspires you to write. Anything from a fancy leather-bound journal to a cheap spiral-bound tablet—whatever you’re most comfortable with.

Pens and markers in various colors. You don’t have to be an artist. The idea is to bring whatever inspires you to doodle and have fun.

Your laptop. Use it to capture the ideas you generate and then work on them later.

West can be found at http://www.joyfulbusiness.com

  Re  member when your mom told you to eat all of your food (usually something you did not like) because children in an unknown place were starving?   When “All You Can Eat Buffet”  restaurants first opened, it was great, folks were willing to stand in line to grab a plate and fill it. There was a time only diner’s served gargantuan meals with the sauce almost running of your plate.  Well, many of us are paying for that now with weight we can’t seem to loose.  What have we learned from this–beware your membership to the Clean Plate Club.

What passes for dinner at many restaurants today is a plate stacked with so much food it’s a wonder that waiters can get it to the table. Where have human-sized portions gone? And what can we do to keep from overindulging? Next time you are tempted to say yes to the super-size, just say no.

See what the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute has to say realistic food portions. We are advised to keep an eye on portion size.  Further they offer help by allowing you to download a PDF Serving Size Card.   Of interest are how much portion sizes have changed in 20 years. WOWZA!! http://hp2010.nhlbihin.net/portion/