Moms With Vision — For Healthy Kids & Inspired Moms

How to Get Your Own Website or Blog Up Simply and Quickly

April 29, 2010

jumpforjoy There are three main ways you can get a website up quickly and easily without hiring someone to do it for you. If you have a business of any kind, you need a web presence where you can send potential customers. If you’re a mom who needs an outlet, it’s good too.

1. You can use a free platform like Blogger.com or WordPress.com, or Weebly. Free sites are easy to set up and are a fun, personal way to express yourself. However…they are worth exactly what you pay for them and if you are a business owner, there are a couple of drawbacks to the free platforms that you may want to consider:

Free sites do not have any customer service so if your site is down, too bad.

Free sites don’t look professional and have minimal credibility as they can’t even afford $.7.95/month to host their own site.

Free hosts will sometimes place banners on your site in exchange for the space you are using, which detracts from your business.

Free sites are generally slower which can be frustrating to customers and cost you sales.

Free sites do not offer the basic features you need to run a business online such as shopping carts.

2. Use a Site Builder Package such as Ken Envoy’s Site Build It! which gives you all the website building necessities in a neatly package bundle. Although the initial cost may seem steep ($30/month or $300/year), it includes domain name, hosting, and search engine optimization so that people can find you easily when they search for what you have. They give you tools and training as well as an action guide that will teach you everything you need to know that is a couple hundred pages. Knowledge is power when it comes to the internet and what you learn will eventually show in your sales. The general idea is to build it right the first time.

There is a video tour with more details HERE.

3. Do-it-Yourself Blog (my preference)

Blogging is a great way to get your business online and allow visitors to get to know you. There is not much more work involved than with the free platforms once you’re set up.

There are 3 things you will need to do to get your site up and running. The first is to download WordPress.org. It is free and takes about 5 minutes to download.

Then you need to register a domain name. You can register do that at GoDaddy for approximately $10/year. Keep in mind that .com is the best type and short simple names are easier for people to remember. GoDaddy has fantastic customer service and are easy to contact when you need help.

You also need hosting for your blog (approx $60/year). There are many hosts including GoDaddy, HostGator, and HostPapa. Compare and decide which suits you best. My personal preference is HostGator.

Optional but recommended if you run a business:

Adding an autoresponder (approx $18/month) is very good way to keep in touch with your customers and build relationships with people on a regular basis. An autoresponder allows you to put a ‘form’ on your website where people can sign up to receive your newsletters and specials. You can set up a series of automatic emails that go out on a specific schedule like once a week or every 3 days, or you can send ‘broadcast’ emails whenever you want. Having a autoresponder allows you to build your list and keep in touch with everyone simply and effectively. It is a very powerful business tool and all the profession internet marketers use them.

Two of the most popular autoresponder services or Aweber and Get Response. I use and love Aweber. They offer your first month for $1 so you can try them out.

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Free Trial to Online Movie Rental

April 27, 2010

With all the crap that’s on TV these days, I hate to even let my kids turn it on.

I remember watching shows like Gillian’s Island, the Brady Bunch, Love Boat, and Mary Tyler Moore…all very innocent and entertaining.

But these days TV is full of violence, sex, and murder–and it’s disturbing to think that today’s children are being subjected to so much of it. Shows like CSI, Law and Order, reality shows where people are coniving and mean are real inappropriate for most viewers. What has the world come to?

So last weekend when I went to visit my mom, I was happy to discover a source of quality shows and DVDs.

She lives one of the livliest parts of Toronto (Greek town). It’s so fun to browse the hip and healthy Danforth Ave and enjoy greek food and an organic veggie juice every few weeks–and also just to get away for a night.

Anyway, we spent an evening together watching an Emmy award winning British television series called ”Upstairs Downstairs”, that she ordered from a company called Zip (the Canadian version of Netflix). It was about the lives of the servants “downstairs” and their masters “upstairs” in the early 20th century England. Each episode is full of drama (like when the son gets the maid pregnant and is sent of to India) and historical events (like when the king dies).

My mom learned about Zip.ca from my cousin who was raving about the service. She orders unlimited movies every month that are shipped to her (free of charge) for under $10/month. When she’s done with one DVD, she just needs to go online and let them know the old DVD is in the mail and they send out the next ones on her list.

The thing she likes the most about the service is the diverse selection of DVDs they offer and the convenience of ordering. Not only do the have the popular movies, but a huge number of foreign films and BBC series as well.

The US version called Netflix has a free trial that has no strings attached.

Another recommendation is ‘The House of Elliott’ (there are 33 episodes). It was not only my mom’s favourite , but also my sisters, aunts, and many many friends. It’s about two penniless women in the 1920′s who start a fashion house. Apparently, it’s addictive once you start.

Happy movie watching!

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My Crazy Vitamin Shelf

April 15, 2010

vitaminman

A little while ago, as I was getting the kids out the door, I passed my ‘basket’ full of supplements and thought “Oh…I forgot again!”

That being said, I do remember to give the KIDS their supplements–but I normally forget myself. Not good. Especially when it is more important to take supplements when you are busy, like a mom ususally is.

I took a quick survey of what my ‘basket’ holds and here is a partial inventory of what I found….(no kidding): vitamin D, vitamin C, vitamin E, a vitamin/mineral complex, resveratrol (the stuff in red wine), calcium (from egg shells), wholefood gummies,evening primrose oil, cayenne capsules, garlic capsules, omega 3 with tumeric, and my personal favourite to pronounce… aphanizomenon flos aquae.

Then I took stock of my refrigerator and some of the finding there were…kids greens +, yummy bears, oregano oil, fish oil, super silver, vitagreens, and a range of homepathics.

Holy moly…no wonder I forget. Not to mention the questions that loom in my head every time I throw some of these things back: Do I really need all this? Wouldn’t it be better just to eat a balanced diet? Are these things even getting absorbed? (and if they are why is my pee bright yellow an hour later…) Is it all a waste of money? How much?

I DO think people need supplements because of our depleted soils and all that but… I also think that most people get confused and overwhelmed by the huge amount of health information that is thrown at them (me included) and we end up buying irrationally.

But it is confusing to pick a good supplement so here is a quick checklist based on good old common sense:

1. Stick to wholefoods over pills and capsules. I prefer powdered forms because I don’t like taking pills or capsules in general. I always wonder what happens in your stomach to the coating on some of those things over time.

2. Read labels.This is common sense stuff really. If Mother Nature makes it, it’s good. If humans make it, it’s bad. Do a quick scan for any chemicals, sugar, coloring, ‘flavor’, or artificial sweeteners like aspartame or splenda. Xylitol and Stevia are natural sweeters which are good. Most of the others are chemically made. Maple syrup or honey would be the next best choice.

3. Go organic if you can. Again, non-organic foods have usually been chemically treated or sprayed and it’s best not to ingest that stuff.

The Garden Trio from Aim International is one of the wholefood supplements that I like. It has pure barley juice powder grown in pesticide field of Alberta Canada, pure beet juice powder, and pure carrot powder in the three pack of wholefood powders. Within those three products, all your nutritional needs are covered.

My kids like it too. I mix it with a little apple juice as there is no sweeteners at all in them:-)

In any case, I am now looking forward to a more simplifyed supplement routine, as well as to freeing up a large space in my kitchen that used to be the home of one overloaded vitamin collection.

PS That’s not my husband Doug in the photo… but I thought it might catch your attention.

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How to Clean Your Home Simply & Naturally

April 9, 2010

In an effort to eliminate as many chemicals from your life as possible, here are a few simple ideas for TRULY Natural Cleaning Products

White vinegar (not malt vinegar) is mildly acidic and has disinfecting properties. It is also a potent grease and stain remover. It will clean hard surfaces like countertops and glass just as well as any store bought products.

For surfaces: add ½ cup white vinegar to 1 gallon of water.

As a fabric softener: add ¼ cup to the final rinse.

As a dusting spray: Put 1 tsp olive oil and ½ cup white vinegar into a spray bottle Apply to cloth.

Pure Soap, such as Castille, contains no scents, colours or additives. It is great for basic light cleaning. You can add a few drops of essential oil to make a natural air freshener.

Lemon juice is a great grease cutter. Add it to your dish water with a pure soap such as Castille.

Mixture: ½ cup Casille, 1 gallon hot water, ¼ cup lemon juice.

Salt is a great basic scrub for extra cleaning power. It is great for tea stains in cups and cleaning out your coffee pot.

Here’s How: just fill your coffee pot with ice and sale and swirl it around.

Baking soda is also an effective scrub but is a gentler alternative to salt. Open a box in your fridge or freezer to help eliminate odours.

For the kitchen sink: put equal amounts salt and baking soda to make a scrub for your kitchen sink.

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Working From Home: A Closer Look At Network Marketing

April 8, 2010

mh.onpeak2

These days, many mothers are looking to home-based businesses as a viable way to earn a living without leaving the comfort of their home.

The lure of zero commuting time, optimum time management and flexibility, the ability to stay home with young children, a variety of tax benefits, and low start up costs are all very appealing… and make the goal of owning a business attainable for anyone with a good idea and a little know-how.

I have researched high and low for the various ways a mom can make money from home–either online or off, and have narrowed it down to five main methods:

1. Service oriented jobs like childcare, landscaping, doula or handyman services
2. Producing your own product-either by hand or professionally
3. Hourly computer based jobs such as surveys or call-centre type work
4.Network Marketing
5. Affiliate Marketing

In this article, I am going to take a closer look at the most misunderstood of the five, yet fastest growing home based business model: Network Marketing. It is a business model that most people generally steer away from because they really don’t understand what it is, but given it’s huge popularity over the last few years, I thought it worth talking about. The main benefit of a home-based business within the network marketing industry is the residual income people can create with it.

To see a list of all the top companies check out the Direct Selling Organization website. Once you find a business that suits you, and you commit to using the products on a monthly basis, you have the power to grow an incredible residual check from home.

In a nutshell…

You commit to a company you love and over a period of 2-5 years you introduce it to others who are also looking for a way to work from home. A reasonable goal would be to find one person per month who thinks the same way and sees network marketing as a way to achieve more out of life than their current ‘job’.

If you do find one per month and teach others to do the same, at the end of one year, you would have over 4000 people on your team….even though you personally only introduced it to 12. Do the math if that sounds unbelievable…

month 1: you +1=2
month 2: 2+2=4
month 3: 4+4=8….. 16, 32, 64, 128, 256, 512, 1024, 2048, 4096….

It’s like the ‘penny a day doubled’ theory. (would you rather have a million dollars or a penny a day doubled for 30 days?) There is obviously a lot of power in leveraging yourself.

However, the reality of any network marketing company is that many distributors will decide it’s too hard. Many will forget why they are doing it to begin with. Many will get tired of always looking for people to join them. Until they actually see results, it is hard for people to be passionate about this kind of business model, but once they start to see positive changes in their life because of it, their passion spreads like wildfire.

So back to the reality of it. You try hard, you talk about the opportunity, and you persevere despite half your team quitting along the way.

Statistics state that network marketers who stick with it for 5-10 years, are among the wealthiest self made millionaires in the world.

Statistics also state that over 95% of network marketers fail. They do. But not because the business model doesn’t work…it’s because less than 5% of people who start a business have the willingness to persevere. (usually within their first 3 months)

Is Network Marketing something that would suit you? Only you know that. It’s not the only answer but it is a good one for anyone who wants to create long term residual income. You need determination, perseverance and a strong reason to succeed.

Another point to note… it is important to find a company whose payplan is going to be fair to you (not all of them are). Read the policies and procedures thoroughly before you start–it will be worth it in the long run.

What do YOU want your life to look like in 10 years?
What will it look like if you continue what you are doing now?

If you are looking for a ‘plan B’, as well as a way to achieve that residual check, then network marketing might be something to take a closer look at.

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Improve Your Public Speaking with Toastmasters

March 30, 2010

Most people (especially busy mamas!) do not spend enough time or money on growing and improving themselves. You are your (and your family’s) most valuable asset and you will see amazing results by investing in your own personal development.

Isn’t it true that if Momma’s happy then everyone’s happy?

Toastmasters is a fantastic organization that helps people develop their public speaking, self-confidence, and leadership skills. They have clubs all over the world and they are always a positive and supportive group of people who want to see you develop yourself. Check the website to find a local meeting near you. www.toastmaster.org

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Should Kids Have Cell Phones?

March 4, 2010

This is a funny video… but in regards to kids having cell phones… research shows that the later in life a person starts using one, the less risk of it doing you harm in the long run.

About 6 months ago, my son started having strange sensations with his eyesight and hearing. It ususally happened at bedtime and involved his senses being distorted. He said the window and door were getting bigger and my voice sounded really loud to him. He would say “mom, the funny brain thing is happening again”. It would ususally last for about 10 minutes.

The incidents became more frequent and I worried about what was going on. At the same time, he seemed to be very distracted at school and found it hard to concentrate.

I have always known that cell phones are not healthy to use for long periods because of the radiation they emit, but I hadn’t realized to what extent wifi in our society is affecting us until recently. When I learned some of the facts last week, I had my modem changed so that our home is now wireless, and I changed our digital phone service to a land line. It just so happened that our wireless modem had been directly under my son’s bedroom.

Since then, my son’s ‘disorted perceptions’ have completely stopped, and his teacher has remarked to me that he is a changed boy. He has gotten a ’yellow slip’ (if not 2 or 3) for being good, every day at school since last Wednesday. When I asked him “Why are you all of a sudden getting yellow slips?” he replied “I don’t know… I can just focus better now.”

I feel very strongly that eliminating the wifi from our house has had a huge impact on my son and his future health.

Unfortunately, unlike in Japan and Europe, where wifi is not allowed in schools, Canada and the US are not quite there. So I want to urge North Americans to do their research and make their own choices as to whether or not you will choose wireless or cable in your home, and whether or not to make your cell calls as brief as possible. And to get informed enough to have an impact on eliminating wifi from our schools in the near future. GQ published an article on the microwave effects of Wifi and cell phones last month.

We live in a quickly changing world–one where technology cetainly has it’s place. Just not in my house….

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Wildcraft! An Herbal Adventure Game

January 5, 2010

wildcraft Whenever my husband and I sit down and play a board game with our kids, they love the feeling of family unity and the fact that we are not distracted by other things like cleaning or the telephone. We have a few games that are worth mentioning but the one I want to review today is ‘Wildcraft! An Herbal Adventure Game’.

My son received Wildcraft! for his birthday and we have found that although though it says from ages 4 and up, even our adult friends who visit enjoy playing it and learn from it.

The description on the box says ‘a cooperative board game that teaches edible and medicinal plants’. It was created by the Gallagher family, who make most of their own remedies from plants they grow themselves or harvest in the wild. They created the game to introduce children and their friends to the joys of herbalism.

The object of the game is for everyone to get from Grandma’s house to the top of the mountain and back before nightfall. Along the way, players collect various herb cards, cooperation cards, and remedy cards.

There is a twist to the game which I love as a parent. Instead of competing to be the first one back to win, EVERYOME has to make it back to win, so it really inspries working together and helping each other. It is so nice to hear my son saying “come on, Tany, move up to where I am” instead of getting all riled up about being the winner or loser.

On the way up the mountain, players get various ailments like poison ivy, hunger, bug bites, and other common things. They also collect herb cards en route to cure themselves and to help others. My children now recognize quite a lot of plants from this game.

The first time we played, my four year old cried because she got a bleeding nose, the sniffles, and a sun burn all at once. But I consoled her and we found the appropriate remedies and she now understands and loves to play the game.

I recommend Wildcraft! because of the unique cooperation factor involved as opposed to the usual competiviteness of other games. It is a lovely game for children and teaches good lessons for children and adults alike.

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When You Are Not Looking

December 9, 2009

mom09andkeenanpeeking Children are watching and doing as you do, not as you say. The influence you have over them is in your tone of voice, your actions, the way you react to situations, and believe it or not–even your thoughts. The following piece was sent to me by email but it brought a tear to my eye because of the truth it contains. It is a reminder to keep myself in check, even when I think nobody is looking–something I often forget but am working on.

WHEN YOU THOUGHT I WASN’T LOOKING

When you thought I wasn’t looking I saw you hang my
first painting on the refrigerator, and I immediately
wanted to paint another one.

When you thought I wasn’t looking I saw you feed a
stray cat, and I learned that it was good to be kind
to animals.

When you thought I wasn’t looking I saw you make my
favorite cake for me, and I learned that the little
things can be the special things in life.

When you thought I wasn’t looking I heard you say a
prayer, and I knew that there is a God I could always
talk to, and I learned to trust in Him.

When you thought I wasn’t looking I saw you make a
meal and take it to a friend who was sick, and I
learned that we all have to help take care of each other.

When you thought I wasn’t looking I saw you take care
of our house and everyone in it, and I learned we have
to take care of what we are given.

When you thought I wasn’t looking I saw how you
handled your responsibilities, even when you didn’t
feel good, and I learned that I would have to be
responsible when I grow up.

When you thought I wasn’t looking I saw tears come
from your eyes, and I learned that sometimes things
hurt, but it’s all right to cry.

When you thought I wasn’t looking I saw that you
cared, and I wanted to be everything that I could be.

When you thought I wasn’t looking I learned most of
life’s lessons that I need to know to be a good and
productive person when I grow up.

When you thought I wasn’t looking I looked at you and
wanted to say,’Thanks for all the things I saw when
you thought I wasn’t looking’

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Rediscoverd Passion

November 26, 2009

dancerpainting A few months ago, I rediscoverd one of my pre-marriage passions.

The last time I painted was over 10 years ago, while I was living in Japan. Even back then, it was my favourite time of the week. There was an elderly lady name Mio, who was 79 and lived a few rice paddys away. She would come to my house on Wednesday mornings where we would paint together and chat in Japanese over cookies and coffee. It was a really special time for both of us and a time I will always cherish.

Anyway, now that my kids are in school and I have cracked open my oil paints again, I am trying to re-train my hands and eyes to co-operate with one another. They are a little rusty. The focus of my world for the last 8 years has been my children and it feels good to finally get back into something that I have always loved to do.

Like so many mothers, I have neglected myself in order to run a busy household and take care of everyone else. (Every moment worth it, mind you.) But now that my kids are in school, I have found the time to take a long awaited art class.

It’s a three hour time slot every Wednesday when I simply paint and enjoy. It is a serene and happy time, surrounded by other artists who are quietly focusing on their work too. In nice weather, the window is open and we can listen to the sounds of the streets–a wonderful sound I never appreciated before I had kids. To listen to it means you are relaxed and in the moment and it’s a very nice place to be. I am so happy to have gotten back into painting and can not believe how fast 10 years passed without picking up my brush.

I hope you too, can rediscover something that makes your heart sing. Something in your soul that is patiently waiting to resurface.

birdmanpainting