Archive for the ‘Home Business Profiles’ Category

In the Shadow of Being a Mom….Is My Lonely Former Self

Saturday, June 13th, 2009

being-a-momI know the title of this post seems like a downer. It’s not meant to be. Not really anyway.

I just want to touch on the topic of being a mom and how it kinda forces us to *let go* of who we were pre-kids.

Now before you scream….”Hey….having kids has made me a better person!” And “My life would have no meaning with out my kids….”

Yes – yes – of course. I feel the same way.

But in recent discussions and emails – I have come to find out that many of us, secretly….miss our BK (before kid) selves. Maybe it was the hips without stretch marks we miss. Maybe that sounds trivial, but damn….those were nice, flawless hips. YES – I got a baby out of it. YES….I grew a person inside of me and witnessed the miracle of birth…..
But – seriously…..FLAWLESS – no stretch-marked hips, tummies, boobs?? Doesn’t that deserve at least an “Amen”?

AMEN.

Alrighty then…

For some of us….it might not be the physical attributes we miss…..maybe it’s the time we used to have to ourselves. That doesn’t make us selfish. EVERYONE needs time to themselves. It’s not a crime.

Maybe it was the peace and quiet we miss?

Maybe it was the ability to just walk out the door at a moments notice to catch a movie with a friend. Or even take a weekend trip.

None of these longings for the BK days makes any of us a bad person. We’re human.

I love my kids. No…wait….I LOVE my kids. But with summer break upon me….and the kids out of school and already breathing down my neck….I feel ok with saying…..”I miss me.” Just ever so quietly I whisper…..”I miss you Kelly…..the before you were married and had kids Kelly. You were funny, you were spontaneous, you were young, you were pretty….”

Now…I typed that and then I sat back in my chair….
I read it. And re-read it. I thought….do I sound bitter? Melancholy?

No. I sound like a woman that’s living her life. Looking forward to tomorrow, but reflecting on the past. Isn’t that what makes us the person we are? Isn’t that the JOURNEY of life?

My life is good. I don’t want to be 16 again. I wouldn’t change my past. Not a minute of it. Because you know what….I’m still funny, spontaneous, young and pretty. That person is still
a part of me. She’s the one that laughed until she cried on the couch today with her two kids watching “Adventures in Babysitting” and having a popcorn fight and being farted on by our huge Labrador that wanted in on the fun! She’s the one that decided to hop in the car tonight and go get some ice cream. She’s the one that is ONLY 42, in the prime of her life. She’s the one with wrinkles and some gray hair – but still sees the “beauty” in her uniqueness and her contribution to the world when she looks at her children.

It dawns on me…
These kids…
These very people that take, take, take so much of us – wow…..what they give back, and what they replace in us….
It’s magical. It’s nourishing. It’s fulfilling.

So I guess… what I meant by the title of this post was….our “former selves” are meant to be lonely. It’s ok. We don’t really want to be that person again. That person doesn’t hold a candle to who we are now. But it’s ok to stop a moment and say hello to that “former you” in the shadows of who YOU are today. That person is meant to be missed and acknowledged. How do we learn, grow and discover if we don’t say hello to that person and all they’ve shown us through the years?

And those kids? The ones breathing down our necks this summer??

In their eyes….. and in their memories….the little timeless, ageless snippets of their childhood that they will hold on to forever…..we will always be pretty, young, spontaneous and funny.

Be sure to share this post or your comments below! I want to know what you’re thinking RIGHT now! – Kelly :-)

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One Last Snow…..Just Like One More Good Cry

Monday, April 6th, 2009

snow-hbbm1It’s snowing…..again.
I’m not a ’snow hater’….not at all….after all….I was born and raised in Indiana!

But come on – it’s April. It’s April 6th…..or 7th….hell, I don’t know what time it is…or what day it is…..but I do know it’s April….as in “April showers…..blah blah blah….”

Snow makes me sleepy. It makes me feel woozy with thoughts of slumber…..long, restful, vacation like slumbers. Deep REM sleeps. Coma.

When it snows….I go into “lay on the couch and watch stupid tv and eat  junk food” mode.

Hmmmmmm…..

Maybe I needed one more snow day. That one last blast of winter. One more day of laziness. Snuggling on the couch with fleece blankets and fluffy  kittens piled on top. And how about a big “whoohooo” for an excuse to drink coffee all damn day. It’s friggin’ cold outside, eh?!

So like one last cry over a long, lost lover…..there is one last snow. (Better be the last damn snow until December!) I’ll not be a bitchy wannbe sandal wearer….I’ll be the chick on the couch…..fireplace a goin’……celebrity gossip magazines strewn everywhere…..coffee mug steaming…..woolly socks so soft and warm….

Damn….

Now I’m really starting to miss the idea of winter.

Maybe I will honestly shed a tear for another winter gone…..another season whipping by….zooming by at a fast, frothy pace — the days do seem to clip by faster with every year older that I get.

So I’ll enjoy this wintery spell….even though my phlox, hostas and iris’s will look like boiled cabbage when it’s all over….

It’s ok. Plants are resilient. And so am I. Especially after a good cry and a long nap!


Work at Home - Money Making Mommy

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Success and Home Party Plans = Happiness

Tuesday, April 8th, 2008

Home Business HappinessI’m always fascinated when I read these home party plan success stories about women that were, at one time on the verge of losing their houses….or their cars…..lost their jobs…..whatever the crisis was in their lives – and they turned it around with a lot of hard work and perseverance – they changed their lives, their families lives – some become so successful with their home business or home party plan biz that they go on to allow their husbands to retire early, or they build a dream home. Some pay off their mortgages in full!

Those are the stories I love.

And I’m not talking about the women that start their own company – though certainly admired!!

I’m talking about the 40 year old woman with kids, debt and stress in her life. She decides to pick a direct sales company to “supplement” her income and boom – she’s a huge success!

Direct sales is and isn’t hard. For those that pick a business that they are honestly excited about – well – to me – that’s where the magic begins. But you need to be somewhat out-going to really delve into the home party plan arena. But – maybe I’m wrong? Any self proclaimed wallflowers out there can tell me different.

But out-going and the right business aren’t enough. I’m out-going…..for sure. I was an on-air personality in radio for 7 years! But when it came to home parties…..I choked. I felt judged….I even felt pity at some parties…..like some eyes on me were saying…”Wow….I’m SO glad I don’t have to do this to make money…..” or “…lets just hurry up and get this over with….”

Anyone else ever feel like that?

I did….and I needed to change my mindset or I was going to be doomed from the get-go no matter what business I chose.

I had to “get over” my own notions that home party plan businesses were for “other” women. Not women like me. I was serious about my career…..and home party plans were for dreamers. Or women that didn’t take themselves seriously. I hear…..”NO one ever “really” made money with home party plans or direct sales – it’s just a big song and dance.”

With those kind of thoughts…..you bet I was gonna suck. My brain could not wrap around the notion that if I worked hard – a direct sales company could offer more than any corporate radio job. And it didn’t mean I wasn’t ambitious – hell no…..anyone that’s successful in the direct sales or home party plan circuit is VERY ambitious. Not to mention…smart!

So I changed my brain…..my thoughts….I got over myself – because I was my biggest road block! What other people think is THEIR Baggage!!

So you snooty-snoots out there (like I used to be) — go ahead and continue the path you’re on. Get up….schlep yourself to work….be on someone else’s schedule. Have NO control over your income.

Or….get over your concept that home parties “really” don’t amount to much money for anyone.

Get “over” yourself….. Just knock that cliche of home parties out of your head. It’s so NOT lame-O.

If you feel you work hard at your job….and nothing really comes of it….
Could the energy you put into your regular job, be energy you could use to build your own business? I’m not advocating walking out on a great job with benefits….blah blah blah. Not at all….

But if you’re wishing….hoping for more money to fall from the sky – you might invest some of that energy into finding a home party plan business that “fits” your personality.
Look at the kit cost, the compensation plan, the products….
Then take baby steps. Sign up…..get your kit…..read over the training materials. Have an open house on a Saturday for friends, family and neighbors. This is a good way to wiggle your toes in the water of a home party plan business.

I’ve tried several in the past. Some I did well – and some I knew I had taken a bad turn.
Learning experiences.

But…..
I can tell you this….
I just paid off my 2006 Honda Odyssey. Yep….I did. It’s barely two years old, I bought it brand new – and I was able to just pay it off. (Honk if you see me on the street! It’s the white minivan with www.MoneyMakingMommy.com on the back window!) So….don’t knock home party plan businesses.

Which home party plan do I do?
At Home America
Heard them mentioned on Extreme Home Makeover? Yep….they’ve been a part of some of the makeovers……so you KNOW there is magic and success with this 25 year old company! I couldn’t help myself when I saw the products…..I kind of joined on a whim – but I had no idea the incredible success I was about to enjoy. And the women I’ve met…..inspiring, caring….
It’s a journey I am so thankful for.

So find your “magic”, get over yourself….
Let your journey begin! And start wiggling those toes!!

INFO: Want more information on joining At Home America and being on Kelly Land’s team? No problem……would love to have you! Just fill out the At Home America Contact Form. No obligations. Right now there are three kits to choose from and the kits are on sale!

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