About: The Mommy Circle
- Website
- http://www.PremiumVA.com
- Bio
- Nanette is a work at home mom of two beautiful kids - a boy and a girl and is married to the man of her dreams, her soul mate and best friend. She runs her own virtual assistant business, Premium Virtual Assistance and loves sharing her views of parenting and being a mom with others.
Author's Posts
How Can You Join these Successful Online Businesswomen?
November 18, 2008 | 1 Comment
Working from home is the dream of many working moms or moms who are faced with the need to go back to work and leave their little ones behind. If you’ve wondered what it takes to be a Full Time WAHM (work at home mom), this post includes a resource to help you in that very direction.
Running an online business from your home takes careful planning, discipline and energy. When you work outside the home, it’s easy to separate work and family life. But when you bring the two together, chaos can erupt and there can be a big learning curve to getting it right. But it can be done.
You can beat that learning curve!
One way to do it is to learn from other moms who have been there and have successfully done it. Learn from example! Luckily Just Add Sweat’s “Full Time WAHM Success Blueprint” brings you the success stories of 22 moms all earning a full time income from home.
You’ll learn exactly how they make money, the top 3 techniques they use to grow their business, their biggest mistakes (so you can avoid them!) and what finally brought them to a full time income.
Learn about these 22 amazing ladies and get your copy at: FullTime WAHM
Not only will their stories inspire you, but they’ll give you the practical advice you need to become a Full Time WAHM yourself.
Marketing Your Craft Business Online
November 17, 2008 | Leave a Comment
Are you gaining the benefits of marketing your craft business online? If you have a craft business, you may have taken a traditional route in your marketing efforts, such as selling your items at craft shows. If you haven’t tried marketing your craft business online, you should give it some thought.
The following are just a few of the benefits to marketing your craft business over the internet:
First and foremost, marketing your craft business online will allow you to reach new customers, from all around the globe. If you’ve been marketing your business in a traditional manner, your customers may be limited to our own location.
In order to reach new customers traditionally, a craft business owner would participate in the craft fair circuit, sometimes traveling hundreds or even thousands of miles away.
Marketing your crafts over the internet will allow you to get your business in front of many new people, all from the comfort of your own home. Even if you happen to enjoy traveling to various craft shows, you can still use the internet to market your crafts between events.
When you sell your crafts online through your own website or through an online marketplace such as www.Etsy.com, you can receive orders anytime, day or night. You can literally wake up in the morning to find that you received several new orders while you slept. This creates an almost passive income element to your craft business.
Many people who market their business through craft shows enjoy meeting their customers and the other craft vendors and establishing relationships with them. While nothing may beat that actual face to face interaction, the internet offers the second best thing with social networking sites.
Social networking sites, which include websites such as MySpace.com, Facebook.com, and Twitter.com allow you to meet and interact with others. These sites can help you find new customers but more importantly, it can help you meet other business owners.
Forming relationships with other business owners can lead to advertising swaps, blog swaps, joint venture projects and more.
Marketing a craft business online helps bring many new opportunities. This doesn’t mean you have to give up craft fairs or other traditional routes of selling your crafts. Combining online and offline marketing will help you cover all of your bases and insure you are making the most of your business.
In fact, I’ve got a little freebie for you here too: http://www.indiebizchicks.com/craft-biz-marketing-report.pdf
For more tips on marketing a craft business online, join in on a special seminar this Thursday, November 20 at 9pm Eastern. For more info, visit: Special Teleseminar: Learn How To Market Your Craft Business Online…. Without Going Broke!
Reduce Mealtime Stress
November 15, 2008 | Leave a Comment
Mealtimes should be a time for the entire family to sit, relax and enjoy some family time together at the end of the day but this isn’t usually the case is it? Kids are hiding their unwanted veggies in a napkin or feeding most of their unwanted main course to the dog. Not exactly what you had in mind while slaving over the hot stove after a long day of work or a day of totting the kids around huh?
Why let meals be another stress when you can have someone else take care of all the planning for you? Yes, you can have someone else plan out your families meals making one less task you need to stress about. I’m talking about menu planning services. Not only do you get your meals planned out but you also get your grocery lists prepared for you so you only get what you need which saves you from having to run around the grocery store trying to figure out what you need for the week or even month. With your grocery list already prepared you can check out the deals and look for some coupons and save. Some services also offer tips to keep your organized for meal preparation time which makes life much easier for you when it comes to dinner time. One such services is www.MenuPlanningCentral.com Make sure you check it out.
Another option would be to pull out that crock pot and begin using it to your advantage. Crock pot cooking can be a tremendous time saver. Simply add all your ingredients in the morning, set it to low and off you go. By the time you get back from work or just in time for dinner your meal is already and waiting. Even better you only have one pot to clean. Woohoo! Who doesn’t love fewer dishes to wash?
Why not make it a fun thing? Grab a couple of girlfriends, set aside a day to get together and bulk cook. Work together, make larger than normal size batches of your favorite meals and then split the portions up. Everyone will get to take some meals home, and you’ve gotten a little girl talk in with some friends at the same time. Doing this, will give you some “girl time”, save you some money and save you some time as well as get you some great meals.
Try freezer meals too. Prepare large quantities of foods your family likes, divide them into meal size portions and place them in the freezer for easy preparation later. All you’ll need to do is pull themout of the freezer, heat and serve.
With a little preparation and a little help you can make dinnertime pleasant for your family and for you.
What to Look for When Choosing Pots & Pans
November 13, 2008 | Leave a Comment
Just as any good carpenter requires the exact tools to get the job done, so does a cook require the right tools - in this case pots and pans. We don’t realize it, but pots and pans have a lot to do with the type of foods we cook and the quality and ease of creating such meals. If you are seeking to maximize your meals and cooking experience, here are some tips on the precise pots and pans to use.
Every Family Can Benefit from a High Quality Pot and Pan Set
Today’s pots and pans can easily last numerous years even with constant use, so it is definitely worth the extra dough to buy a high quality pot and pan set that won’t give you issues for several years, instead of a set that can save a couple of hundred dollars at this moment in time but will lose their value in half the time. While you don’t need a signature pot and pan set, do your homework and comparison shop. You will be pleasantly at how affordable a high quality pot and pan set can be.
Essential Pots and Pans
You don’t have to be a master chef to use a wide variety of pots and pans in your home. Whether you are an occasional chef or cook meals each day, a wide variety of pots and pans is a great idea. Every good set should have a minimum of two types of sauce pans, usually 1 quart or 1.5/2 quart with lids, two varieties of skillets and baking casserole dishes. While each pot and pan set can vary, choose the one that most closely fits your cooking style.
Non-Stick is a Time Saver
Definitely, one of the greatest inventions in cooking has been the non stick pan and while there are a couple varieties of non stick surface types, they all are often great at saving you time and energy cleaning off the mess. One of the ways to maximize your cooking surface, especially if it is a non stick pot or pan is to use plastic or soft edged wooden utensils. Never scratch the non stick surface and never use any kind of metal to scrape at the pot or pan. This will significantly decrease the life and effectiveness of the non stick pot or pan.
Add Some Style to Your Kitchen
One of the best reasons to buy a new set of pots and pans is if you are redesigning your kitchen. There are so many varieties for pots and pans and with so many types of colors, finishes, materials and designs available, you can simply accent your kitchen with a beautiful set of pots and pans.
While usually neglected, pots and pans are one of the most crucial tools in your house. Whether you cook a one day a week or several, the better the tools of the trade, the higher quality and easy your meals will be to create.
Dine Without Whine is a great menu planning service for active families. Go to http://www.dinewithoutwhine.com to discover even more rewards to menu planning.
Don’t Let the Holiday Season Put You in the Supermom Trap
November 5, 2008 | Leave a Comment
The holidays are creeping upon us…and fast. Just look at the calendar it’s already November and the days are passing quickly. :-(
Although it’s a great family time of year, for most of us moms it means having to kick life into overdrive (as if we aren’t already) trying to get everything done. You’ve done this time and time again and you know just how overwhelming it can all be.
If you need a little help:
- Learning how to say no WITHOUT the guilt
- Getting organized, so you can get plenty done without losing your mind
- Getting just a little healthier for increased energy and reduced stress
…you have to pick up a copy of Aurelia William’s “Real Life Guidance to Getting Out of the Supermom Trap”. She’ll show you just how to do all that and inspire you with stories of other moms who dug themselves out of the supermom trap too.
Aurelia is a Certified Life Coach who specializes in helping women find balance and satisfaction in their lives and her advice is always right on target. Instead of going crazy this time around, grab her guide and start making changes before the holiday frenzy starts.
You can learn more about the guide and get yours here: “Real Life Guidance to Getting Out of the Supermom Trap”
The guide and all the accompanying goodies (check them out at the link above) are available for instant download. So there is no need to wait for snail mail to get out of that SuperMom Trap once and for all! You’ll be glad you did and you’ll have a great holiday season with a lot less stress.
Healthful Snacks For Kids
November 5, 2008 | Leave a Comment
Now days, more than ever children should be eating healthier. For millions of children in America consuming junk food and increased inactivity has led to obesity and an increasing number of children being above ideal weight. Not only is it important to teach your child which snacks they should eat, but educating them during the early, formidable years may help them sidestep obesity and becoming overweight in the future when they are adults. Here are some tricks on tasty healthy snacks for children.
One way for your children to eat healthy snacks is to get them started on naturally sweet foods. Since most kids crave sweets for snacks, naturally sweet foods such as fruits are ideal. Encourage them to enjoy a banana, orange, apple, cherries, strawberries and other berries whenever they have a sweet tooth. You can mix in yogurt or even make a fruit smoothie for them with some milk and a drop of chocolate or other natural flavors.
Another great way for your little ones to enjoy healthy snacks is to give them fresh nuts. Kids love peanuts, walnuts, sunflower seeds, almonds, etc. One of the things to recognize about children is that if they try enough types of natural and healthy snacks, they will find one that they love. The problem is that many times parents give up trying to find the snacks that their kids enjoy and settle for popular junk foods instead.
When deciding on a healthy snack, what you want to avoid are products with boatloads of sugars, unwanted preservatives and empty calories. While most kids will fight you tooth and nail if they have to eat wheat germ and tofu, most children will be more than happy to eat snacks if they have a sweet taste and are presented in the right way.
Other healthy snacks that many children like are dry cereals. For example, there are many breakfast cereals that are derived from corn, wheat, bran and include nuts and honey. These cereals when consumed at breakfast usually include milk; however, you can easily serve them without milk to your children. One of the most popular dry cereals which are healthy and nutritious for your little one at almost any age is Cheerios. Cheerios are lightly sweetened and tasty either moistened with milk or dry. If your little one craves a delicious snack for lunch or to take along for camp or little league, dry cereal is not only nutritious, but delicious.
For those children that are terribly picky and only want junk food, one strategy to use in order to get your child to eat nutritious snacks is to buy premade natural snacks. Today, there are tons of prepackaged snacks that might look like junk food, but are actually healthy and nutritious for your little one. They include certain fruit roll ups, string cheese and granola bars. Many of these snacks look like junk food, but are actually made from natural ingredients and include relatively little sugar and empty calories. If you are looking for a great way for your child to remain healthy, check out the above mentioned tricks on healthy snacks for little ones.
Dine Without Whine is a great menu planning service for active families. Go to http://www.dinewithoutwhine.com to discover even more rewards to menu planning.
Not Again! I’m Out Of… Cooking Substitutions To Help In a Bind
October 30, 2008 | Leave a Comment
For a lot of cooks, there are times when we don’t have the appropriate ingredients in the pantry to make our desired recipe. If you find yourself in this situation, don’t despair, you probably have a suitable substitution on hand, saving the cook a trip to the grocery store. Here are a few.
Milk
Many recipes call for milk. If you find you are out of milk or short on the amount necessary to finish a specific recipe, make sure you have a supply of evaporated milk on hand. Evaporated milk or reconstituted milk can be kept for long periods of time and once mixed with water and usually a drop of butter, can easily taste as fresh and delicious as regular milk.
Baking Powder
If you don’t have baking powder readily available, use baking soda and a drop of buttermilk. For a tablespoon of double acting baking powder, substitute 1/4 teaspoon of baking soda and a 1/2 cup of buttermilk.
Self Rising Flour
Self rising flour is convenient to create at home, just combine one cup of all purpose flour with 1/4 teaspoon of baking soda, 1/4 teaspoon of salt and 1 teaspoon of baking powder.
Butter Milk
Out of butter milk? You can easily prepare your own. You can substitute 1 cup of butter milk with 1 cup whole milk and a tablespoon of vinegar. You can also substitute 1 cup of butter milk with 2/3 cup of plain yogurt and 1/3 cup whole milk.
Garlic
Need garlic, but don’t have any? Replace it with garlic powder instead. About 1 clove of garlic equals 1/8 of a teaspoon of garlic powder.
Honey
You can simply replace honey with sugar and water. 1 cup of honey is equal to about 1 and 1/4 cup of sugar and a 1/4 cup of water.
Substituting Sugar
If you are short on sugar on hand or would like to replace it because of health concerns, here are some hints to substitute sugar:
Sugar can be exchanged with maple syrup, corn syrup, brown sugar, honey, Stevia, and molasses. However, some recipes will call for sugar or a granular sweetener instead of syrup due to baking and texture requirements.
If you would like to reduce the amount of sugar you eat because of health issues, consider the many sweeteners, sometimes called sugar alternatives at the supermarket. They include, Sweet and Low, Splenda, Equal, and plant derived Stevia.
Dine Without Whine is a great menu planning service for active families. Go to http://www.dinewithoutwhine.com to discover even more rewards to menu planning.
Halloween Party Recipes Kids Will Love
October 25, 2008 | Leave a Comment
Throw some candy corn into a dish and set out a bowl of apples and you’re all set for a Halloween party. Right? It could be that easy, but why not add some creativity this Halloween with the following fun kids Halloween recipes.
Halloween parties are a great excuse to be creative and make some scary but tasty treats. There will be plenty of candy floating around; so you can balance things a bit with some healthy snacks.
Kids young and old get a kick out of eating Eyeballs. Slice some cherry tomatoes, followed by a dollop of cream cheese and top with a sliced black olive for a delicious one eyed snack!
How about making Brain Dip?
Mix:
3 cups low-fat yogurt
1 cup mayonnaise
1/2 cup peach jam
1 tbsp. orange juice
1/2 tsp. to 1 tbsp. mild curry powder
1/2 tsp. white pepper
Serve with raw vegetables or crackers.
Of course you’ll need some Bug Juice to wash down your ghoulish munchies.
Mix:
2 10-oz. pkgs. frozen strawberries, defrosted
1 6-oz. can lemonade concentrate, thawed
1 quart ginger ale
2 cups raisins
6 gummy worms
1. Mix the strawberries and lemonade concentrate in a blender until smooth and thick.
2. Gradually add ginger ale.
3. Transfer the beverage to a punch bowl. Stir in any remaining ginger ale and the raisins. Place the gummy worms on the rim of the bowl for a swampy effect. Makes 10 creepy servings.
Some may like the gummy worms, but how many will ask for more Worms on a Bun?
You’ll need: Hot dogs, Hamburger buns and some Ketchup.
Cut the hot dogs into thin slices and score the edges (about three cuts per slice). Boil or microwave until the slices curl like wiggly worms. Serve three or four worms to a bun. For an extra-icky touch, add a few squiggles of ketchup. Ewwww!
If that’s not gory enough for you then make some Creepy Witches’ Fingers. This recipe for these creepy cookies makes approximately 60 fingers!
1 cup softened butter
1 cup sugar
1 egg
1 tsp Almond extract
1 tsp Vanilla
2 2/3 cups wheat flour
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
3/4 cup almonds, whole blanched
1 Tube red decorator gel
Cream together butter, sugar, egg, almond extract and vanilla. Mix in sifted flour, baking soda, and salt. Cover and refrigerate 30 minutes. Working with one quarter of the dough at a time and keeping remainder refrigerated, roll heaping teaspoonful of dough into finger shape for each cookie. Press almond firmly into 1 end for nail. Squeeze in the center of the finger to create knuckle shape; you can also puff it out rather than squeeze it in for the knuckle effect. Using paring knife, make slashes in several places to form knuckle. Use your own hand as a guide.
Place on lightly greased baking sheets; bake in 325* oven for 20-25 minutes or until pale golden. Let cool for 3 minutes. Lift up almond; squeeze red decorator gel onto nail bed and press almond back in place, so gel oozes out from underneath. You can also make slashes in the finger and fill them with “blood.” Now that’s gross!
For kids Halloween Parties it seems the more disgusting the better! Use your imagination and have fun with these kids Halloween recipes.
For more recipes your kids are sure to enjoy, try www.dinewithoutwhine.com/services - family friendly weekly meal planning that even picky eaters love.
Stress Reduction Tips For The Entire Family
October 18, 2008 | Leave a Comment
Busy family lifestyles lead to stressed out families. Stressed out families can often lead to more problems and issues. Learning to deal with family stress before the stress becomes a huge problem is a good idea. If you already have problems, then learning to deal with the issues that are causing you stress is essential in helping you to overcome these difficulties.
One of the largest contributors to stress is over commitment. Families are pulled in multiple directions by varying activities. The more children there are the more activities there are, the more refined the balancing act becomes.
Think about the list of activities that you and your children are involved in. Why are they involved in each activity? Is it because they have a passion for it or is it because they needed to have a more rounded activity schedule? Let your child choose a few activities that they feel drawn to. Let them explore their passions, but don’t sign them up for every activity there is. Teach them to pick and choose their priorities when choosing activities. Doing one thing and doing it well is different from doing several things that there isn’t a passion for.
The same that applies for your children and their activities should apply to yours as well. Learn to say no. If you are already committed to several activities and are stressed for time, do you really need to participate in one more activity? Learning to say no and to weed through the activities you already do will help cut down on your stress.
A less stressed parent makes a less stressed child. Our moods and behaviors are often reflected in our children. Leading by example is a wonderful motto to live by. Our children see how we deal with stress and emulate it. Wading
through our activities and learning to say no are only two activities. Another one would be to learn to slow down and enjoy family time.
When is the last time you had a sit down meal with everyone gathered around the table? A meal where there was no rush to get somewhere or to go and pick someone up. Having a meal together is a family bonding time. It is an excellent opportunity for children and parents to be together. They can discuss what is on their minds, what goals they have or even what is bothering them, to cause stress. Just this simple act of sitting down and sharing a meal can lower stress in a family.
Have a family movie or game night. These are activities that everyone can enjoy together. Have the children and parents take turns picking out movies or games to play. There may be old family favorites or you may find new ones
that become your family’s games.
Whatever you choose, do it together. The more a family shares, at meals, movies or over games, the closer they become. A closer a family is the more they are inclined to talk and discuss things. This is a great combat against family stress.
Reduce your family’s stress with Real Life Solutions from Aurelia Williams.
Would your child love a letter from Santa?
October 17, 2008 | 2 Comments
With the way the economy is so many moms I know are looking for a way to make extra money. But they also don’t want to overcommit themselves to some sort of full-time position or even a business that will force them to work 80 hours a week.
I think one of the coolest businesses I’ve seen that can really give a mom a jump start to making some extra money is starting a Santa Letter Business and now is the perfect time to get started.
It’s basically an online business that, for a fee, allows people to order Letters From Santa for their kids. The business owner creates the letter based on a questionnaire, throws in some special extras and mails the letter to the child.
Even though it’s a business that is focused on Christmas, it’s also a business that can be expanded to other times of the year and childhood milestones, like Birthdays, losing teeth, new baby, etc.
The gals at Just Add Sweat just released a complete ‘how-to’ guide to starting a Santa Letter Business and for the $20 that they charge for it, it’s a neat way to dip your toe in the swimming pool of online business. They offer a guarantee so it’s a pretty good deal.
Just think, how many kids would love a personalized letter from Santa. Here take a peek at the how-to guide to starting a Santa Letter Business
