This week has been a business struggle

I've been so tired this week. It all started with a late night on Saturday. Then we woke up relatively early on Sunday morning (7:30). I did get to take a nap that afternoon, but I was still very tired when we woke up at 4:45 on Monday morning to start DH's new exercise rountine.

I haven't gotten up that early in a long, long time. So needless to say, I was tired on Monday and didn't get a whole lot of work done. Then on Monday night we found out about my youngest daughter's audition with Disney on Sunday. She has to memorize a short monologue by then. It's about 8 sentences long. I was busy yesterday preparing for her audition (filling out agent comment form and prepping her "resume"). We worked on her monologue last night. Hopefully if we work on it every day, she'll have it down by Sunday. I just hope I don't stress her out because she sort of already has most of it, but when she starts thinking too much because she's worried about saying the wrong thing, she ends up with big pauses. Anyway, that's a whole different subject.

Last night, I went to a slow pitch softball game. It was at 6:45 and it gave me some good exercise. This morning, DH and I woke up at 4:45 for our morning workout. I so did not want to get up. But I'm glad I did because it was a good session. Wednesday is usually not a very productive day because it's my short day. The kids are only in school until 1:15, but my son usually doesn't end up falling asleep for his nap until about 12:30-12:45, so that doesn't give me a whole lot of uninterrupted work time. On other days, he'll go down at 11:30-11:45, but for some reason that never seems to happen on a Wednesday. I just may have to change my "day off" from Friday to Wednesday. We'll see.

Though this has been a "slow" work week for me, thanks to my auto-responder, it's still been a good week. I got a lot of response from the message I sent out yesterday. There's not a lot of sales in it, but it got a lot of people back to the site. My AdSense this week is pretty good. The message that was sent out also introduced my new talk radio show which got some sign-ups, some people subscribing to the feed, etc. so that's cool. I love automation!

1st thing in the morning

Well, I've heard that it's a great idea to exercise first thing in the morning because then you get it over with and have the rest of the day to go about your business. I supposed there's also less time during the day with which you can make excuses as to why you won't exercise that day.

So after hearing that, I finally gave in to my husbands plea and woke up with him at 4:45 this morning so that he could go run. I rode my bike along side of him. :) Hey, I'm totally fine with exercising in the afternoon. I really don't want to wake up super early in the morning, so the compromise was that I get to ride instead of run. Plus, I'm going out to the track 3 times a week with my softball girls anyway, so I'll probably still exercise in the afternoon some days.

I don't know if I'm going to be able to keep up with this early morning routine though. Maybe after a while it'll become a habit. Maybe it'll be easier if I just stop resisting it in my mind. I know DH will be happier if he continues a regular workout routine and I'll be happier if he quits grumbling about gaining weight. Unfortunately, he's not quite self motivated enough to do it on his own which is why he asked me to wake up with him and give him the kick in the butt he needs each morning. So, I'm willing to give it a try and see how it goes. One day down...

Wasp Sting - Ouch!

My poor babies! Thankfully, I haven't been stung or bitten by anything more harmful than a mosquito (knock on wood). My kids, on the other hand, are a different story.

My oldest was bitten by a centipede.
My second daughter was stung by a bee.

And within the last month, my youngest daughter was stung by Portuguese Man-O-War and just yesterday she was stung twice by a wasp! Ouch. Poor baby, she was screaming. It doesn't look like she's had any type of allergic reaction so that's good. She got stung at the park and we immediately came home to look up wasp sting treatment on the computer. Basically, we put some vinegar on it. That seemed to help pretty quickly. Then we washed the sting sites with soap and water and applied an antibiotic ointment. She also had some ice from the athletic trainer which she used as well. Thank goodness she was feeling better shortly after applying to vinegar because right after it the sting, she was yelling like I haven't heard her yell for a long time.

I better let the school know what happened - she got stung in the bleachers at the softball field at the local high school where we live. I think there may be a wasp problem there as last season there was a nest growing on one of the dugouts.

Work time is limited

I don't know about you, but my work time as a work-at-home-mom is limited. I've recently been saving the majority of my work time for my son's nap time. I don't like working when he's awake because then he's left to amuse himself and he wants my attention. So I'm trying to get my "work time" in when he's sleeping and there are no distractions. This forces me to have to be much more organized - I have to know exactly what I want to get done during the 2 hours I have. If I can get in a solid 2 hours of productive time each day, I should be okay. We'll see if I can manage with this format or not. The other option which I'm seriously considering is to wake up earlier in the morning. That may give me another hour of uninterupted work. So if this is not enough, I may try that.

Another option would be a mother's helper. My MIL just told me that my SIL (now a senior) only has a couple classes a day and she wanted her to come by my house after school to help out if she's not working. So maybe I'll put her to use as my mother's helper when she can come by and get more work done that way.

What tips do you have to get the most out of your day?

Cheerios are the best

I love Cheerios and so do my kids. That's great because it's a good healthy snack for them to eat. I guess it's a good snack for me as well - better than eating ice cream all the time anyway. But have you ever tried eating cheerios and cheetos together? Maybe not at the exact same time, but take a handful of cheerios, then eat some cheetos and go back and forth? For some reason I enjoy that combination. Kinda weird huh?

I also like chips, cheese, and salsa which DH tells me doesn't go together. I like chili with no beans and I'll eat eggs if they are over easy (with rice and shoyu) or if they are in an egg salad sandwich. I will not eat them scrambled, but I do like a ham and cheese omelette with ketchup. Go figure. I also love pancakes or waffles with peanut butter and coconut syrup...yum! What about you, what funky food tastes do you have?

Today is a holiday in Hawaii

The third Friday in August is observed as a Hawaii state holiday each year. It recognizes the anniversary of Hawaii's statehood. For some reason whenever I hear Admissions Day I think of school (school admissions). But in this situation it refers to Hawaii's admission into the union. It's always a school holiday so the kids are happy to have the day off today. Because of the fact that school is not in session to day for most schools tournament my daughter is in runs all day. Last night I heard that some private schools are in session today. My husband's job also recognizes this day as a holiday so he is getting paid double time and a half today.

Despite these nice perks of the holiday, not everyone feels "celebratory" about admissions day. Here are a couple of articles discuss some reasons for this:
http://www.moolelo.com/admissions-day-race.html
http://www.hartford-hwp.com/archives/24/154.html

Acckkk - I'm going to do it!

I've been debating for while over whether to jump into the audio craze. I think it would be so fun and something so different for the fastpitch community. So.....because of the WAHM challenge we've recently had at Mom Masterminds - I'm going to do it!

I've even got the domain name www.FastpitchTalkRadio.com registered. I worked on the concept for the show for most of the day yesterday. I did a lot of brainstorming on topics to discuss, possible guests, possible contributors, etc. I also did a bunch of work on the site itself! Today I took the plunge and signed up for Audio Acrobat. At first I was very scared about making the commitment to pay for Audio Acrobat every month and I was worried about being able to get sponsors for the show. But the way I look at it, it's simply $20 per month that I'm paying to advertise me and my current softball websites/products, etc. Heck I pay more to Google AdWords every month as it is for one of my campaigns, so I think it'll work out just fine!

Anyway - wish me luck! I'm so excited about doing this. How fun!

Thinking about Audio Acrobat

I think adding audio to my business would be so much fun! Talking about softball topics all the time - how fun would that be? But I guess my hesitation is trying to figure out how to best begin. Do I do teleseminars? Do I do podcasts? Should I do a Fastpitch Talk Radio?

I know I can talk about softball all day long, but would it be something my visitors are interested in? Of course, eventually I want to create paid audio products probably through teleseminars, but I think the best way to do that is to get help from recognized softball experts out there. Have them contribute and put something together. But then I have to figure out what's in it for them so that it can be an offer they can't refuse. I'm just so uncreative when it comes to this sort of thing. I also don't want to burden myself too much with timelines and having to do something all the time right off the bat KWIM? If I do a podcast or Talk Radio, it should be a regular thing. I don't know if I'm up for that. That's why I figured teleseminar would be cool, but then I would need to get others to help in order to do that which is not always easy. Which is why I went back to just doing audios on my own - then it's just up to me right? But that leans more toward Talk Radio and Podcast than it does teleseminar.

So....as you can see, I really need to think this thing out. I should probably start with askin my visitors and subscribers what they think and get ideas from them.

YeeHaw! I'm an MM Graduate

Wow, I can't believe it's been a year already! I am now officially a Mom Masterminds Graduate! I still feel like I'm learning every day and that will probably never stop. When I look back to when I first joined Mom Masterminds, my business was very, very different than what it is today. I only had one website. Now if you go to www.StacieMahoe.com you'll see how much I've grown. From not even having a mailing list to having 1227 subscribers as of today; from not understanding article marketing to making it a regular part of my business; from earning $100 through AdSense in 4-5 months to earning 3 times that much every single month; from making 0 affiliate sales ever to having affiliate commissions coming in the door each and every month - these are the things that have happened since I joined Mom Masterminds.

So it is with great honor and pride that I share with you my graduation certificate!


And one of the best parts of being a graduate - lifetime use of all MM resources at no additional charge. That's right, from here on out, my MM membership is FREE! You can't beat that.

Busy week ahead

Well, I stuck to my schedule of very limited work over the weekend (just checking e-mail and replying to more urgent ones). However, now that the week is here I have a lot going on. The first thing is the teleseminar I have tonight. I have to secure a sitter for my son! Once I have that set, I'll be fine. Then this week we have softball practice today and tomorrow, Wednesday off, and a tournament Thurs-Sun. So that will take up a lot of time and energy. I must make sure that I rearrange my work load accordingly so that I have everything taken care of before the tournament starts. It's great that I have the Blackberry though. That will allow me to relax at the field all day on Friday (usually a slow day anyway) and check up on things as the day goes on so that nothing slips.

I'm looking forward to this softball tournament (my daughters 10U team), but I don't think we'll win any games. We won our first two games for this summer season on Saturday, but those teams will not be in the tournament. Plus all summer, we've been playing with a run cap per inning. The tournament is regular softball rules (bat 9, play 9). In a way that's good, but it's also pressure as a coach because all parents want to see their child play and it may not happen. But then again, if we're getting beat up, then there's no reason to keep players on the bench and keep the best ones in. We can let everyone play. But then that's another thing - then the parents will be disappointed because their daughter is on a crappy team. *sigh* - it's all part of coaching that I have to get used to. It's so great though that I don't work a "day job" - I can make sure my work is taken care of and focus everything on the girls I coach! I don't need to worry about asking to leave work early. I don't need to worry about the fact that since Friday is Admissions Day the games will run during the day. I know I can be there and not worry about what my boss has to say - I love it!

I think I could get used to this

I have to say, I never thought I'd ever get a Blackberry. I really didn't think I'd use the features all that much. But now that I have it, I can get used to this. I love always being up to date with what's going on with my business online. I don't have to wait until I get home then rush to the computer to address everything that happened when I was out. Of course there may come a time when I really don't want to know every time I get an e-mail, but only certain accounts are set up, so it's not too bad. Plus, I know it's for my convenience, so if I can't check it right now I don't. I also usually wait to respond, but at least when I get home, I already know what I need to do and what the work load will be like. I can plan on whether or not I can take care of that first, or if I need to address home issues first, I know that my business stuff can wait because I already know there's not some urgent e-mail message waiting for me in my inbox. KWIM?

So I think it's pretty cool. I'm starting to learn the ins and outs of it and figured out some shortcuts as well as how to rearrange the icons on my home screen. Anyway, if any of you out there have ever considered getting something like this because you think you might be able to benefit from it, you probably will. I didn't even think it would be that big a deal to have, but now I think it's great. If you're already thinking of getting it and ways to use it, I say go for it! Plus some phone providers will let you try it out for 30 days (the phone and the service) and if it's not something that works for you, you can do an exchange and change or cancel your media/internet service.

DH is just happy that I'm actually making use of it, otherwise no sense in having it right? Even though I have the option I doubt I'm going to be exchanging this phone. I love not being "stuck" to the computer or constantly going back to the computer to see if any interesting or important e-mail has arrived. If there's any e-mail, my phone lets me know right away. It's great!

My First Teleseminar Coming Up

Well, I'm not giving the teleseminar, but I am hosting it. It's going to happen on Monday and I'm really looking forward to it. With so many mom businesses utilizing audio, I've been contemplating ways to use it in my business as well. Podcasts and teleseminars come to mind, but I don't have experience with producing either. This teleseminar opportunity just sort of fell in my lap when another softball business contacting me about doing it together. It's great because they are doing all the work: securing the lines, creating the opt-in and thank you pages, scripting the autoresponder messages, etc. I love it!

This will be the first time I am on a call for softball related purposes. It also the first time I'm in a host type position in a teleseminar. We are recording this call and will make it available for download after it's done. I'm just excited to be able to "get my feet wet" with this type of endeavor.

Wish me luck!

Aaahhhh - Got a Blackberry!

I lost my phone on Sunday. I went in to the bank to deposit checks to two different accounts. I must have put the phone down on the counter where I filled out the deposit slips and envelopes and forgot to pick it up - grrrr. It was gone pretty quick. We tried to call it - it was already off. We tried to go back, it was gone. Of course, this phone was uninsurable - so I had to buy a new one at regular retail. That stinks.

Yesterday my husband goes, just buy the Blackberry. I told him I had been thinking about it. He said to just do it. So okay, I went to the store today and was trying to decide between the Blackberry and another phone. The other phone had a camera, the Blackberry I was looking at didn't. The Blackberry costs more per month for unlimited internet access. At first the guy told me $45/month. Then he did some looking around and found out is was only $29.99/month. Just $10 more than the other phone. But the other phone had a camera......*sigh* I decided to just go with the Blackberry because the other phone just had a regular keypad which would probably get frustrating. The sales guy said I have 30 days to try it out. If I feel the Blackberry is "too much" for me, I can come back and get the other phone (same price, but less per month for unlimited media access). So now I have a new goal to earn an extra $30.00 per month as this "media bundle" I added to my service plan is going to be a business expense.

Oh, the Blackberry is also uninsurable, but they said I can insure it through my homeowners insurance since it's a pda. That reminds me, I need to call the insurance company.

So - I just may be blogging from my phone one day...

Butterfly Marketing - Leaked Chapter

I just opted to get the Leaked Chapter from Mike Filsaime's Butterfly Marketing Manuscript. Supposedly this manuscript will give you ideas on little changes you can make to increase traffic, increase subscriber numbers, and increase business overall. This manuscript comes highly recommended by Rich Schefren as well who saw it in action and instantly saw how he could make improvements to his business. He even calls it a "must read" for internet marketers.

I was thinking about buying it at it's limited time $97 price, but held off. Right now my budget is a bit tight and that's the only reason I hestitate. I'm sure it's worth the money, but first I'm going to check out this "leaked" chapter. You can check it out too for free - Click Here to download the "leaked" chapter for yourself.

Let me know what you think of it or of the whole Butterfly Marketing Manuscript product. Would you buy it?

Must be Monday

I'm sitting here at my computer with time to work and nothing is coming to mind. I think that's because I stayed up last night taking care of the things that I had scheduled for today. I already finished taking care of e-mail. My blogging is done for the day. I updated my sites yesterday because I couldn't wait for today, so I don't know what else to do. I suppose I could do some article marketing, but right now I don't feel like writing so I know I won't do my best work. I suppose if work is more or less taken care of, I should go do something to be productive around the house. Goodness knows there's quite a bit that can be done there. :)

So, until my son takes his nap, I will stay away from the computer and tend to other things. Quite a different routine for a Monday. But as business owners, we must learn to adjust! So off to laundry I go and maybe while I do my housework, I'll come up with some new business ideas to begin. I do have tasks set up in my Outlook program, but all those tasks are reminders for future.

On the home front though, I do have quite a bit to do: go to the bank, buy laundry soap, wash lots of clothes, call the dr.'s office to refill a prescription, check on the dogs we are trying to breed, and probably a few other things I can't think of off the top of my head. I guess I better get going!

I know nothing about planting grass

So, in an effort to revive my back yard and actually turn it into a yard rather than dirt with patches of grass, I went to Home Depot to buy grass seeds and/or trays of grass. Well, DH and I have never had to put in a yard before and really don't know anything about it. Since the grass trays were only $6.98 each, I bought 2 of them. I also bought a can of grass seeds. I was actually able to find the same type of seed as the grass in the trays I bought.

Anyway, there were 3 different types of grasses they were selling in the trays. One said tough and good for dogs (which appealed to me because we have dogs). Another said, tough and versatile along with smothers weeds if mowed low. The only thing was that it's more likely to "thatch" than the other type of grass. I'm not even sure what that means, but one natural fertilizer thing I bought says that it reduces thatching, so I can only guess that thatching is not a good thing. The people at Home Depot couldn't even tell me what it meant. The 3rd type of grass was more expensive than the first two and since I'm on a budget, I eliminated that choice.

So anyway - I really have no grass planting tools. Just a pick, a hoe, and a rake. So in the past few days I've done a lot of weed removal and tilling of dirt. Boy is that hard work! I hope I never have to plant grass again. It's good motivation to take care of the grass we will have.

I don't know how well the seeds will work considering I saw some birds in our yard yesterday trying to eat them. I just hope our dogs don't dig up the new grass plugs that are planted. I wonder if I can get DH to plant the other tray......I did one. It's only fair that he does the other right?

Maybe I should take a before picture of my yard, then when the grass starts to grow in (which will probably be in 3 months since the type I choose grows more slowly than other types), I can show you a before and after shot.

The Cool Guy, The Rascal, and The Angel

Here is the picture of my "Cool Guy." My son used to always put on his Dad's Oakley's, so we bought him a pair of shades that were more his size. Doesn't he look "so cute." But don't let that fool you. A few minutes later he turned into......















The Rascal!


Look at that face! Goodness - what a troublemaker he looks like huh? Oh, but wait! It's not over. Next thing you know he transforms once more.

Awww - that's his "I'm an Angel" look (with some ice cream smudged on his chin). :)

Yes! A rainy day

Ahhhh - this feels so nice! A rainy day in the middle of a hot summer. It's great to be able to sit at home without sweating. :) See, I'm not so difficult to please. Give me a little rain and I'm smiling. This also means I don't have to water my yard today. However, I do have one request. Stop raining early enough so that the field is still playable come 5:00 for my daughter's softball practice.

We will probably go visit our puppy this afternoon if DH gets off work early. He's at the animal quarantine since he came in from California. I can't wait until he gets out, but he has to stay there until the end of November.

In WAHM news:

• I got the header for my new site done.
• I just got off the best clickbank month I've ever had.
• I announced my new speed training e-course and coaching report to my list and am getting quite a few sign-ups so that's cool
• I launched my Resident Expert Column at my Fastpitch Softball Site
• and I set some goals for August!

So things are going well. I feel like I have some direction again and my creative juices are flowing nicely. Because of that, I feel the need even more, to become efficient and outsource more so that I can get everything done well and in a timely manner because working on these new ideas sort of stems the flow of new ones KWIM? I need to know these ideas are taken care of before I allow myself to come up with more and evaluate them. If I'm trying to do everything myself and I go from idea to idea, nothing gets completed. If I don't go from idea to idea because I'm focusing only on the current idea, my creative flow stops and I feel stuck. I'm sure many of you can relate. So as I continue to grow and grow, I'm finding that yes, outsourcing is necessary if I'm going to get things done well and continue growth at the pace I want.