Today I didn't exactly work from my home. Actually, I didn't do much work at all. I was the designated driver for my mom today. Ok, not designated driver as in "Let momma get sloshed to the gills on Tequila Sunrises , drive her home & pour her into bed" designated driver. My mom had cataract surgery today, so I got to play chauffer- in her new car!

So, I packed up my laptop, my leads, flyers that still needed to be cut-out, business cards, and a self-improvement book. Mom had to be in the city by 7:15. I had to go to her house to meet her(about 20 minutes or so away) and then we went to the surgery center (about 20 minutes or so away) so you can imagine what time I left my house this morning. They have you come into the surgery center like 2 hours ahead of time.

So we get to the center and mom checks in and we wait for 1/2 hour or so. I pull out the old laptop and Ta-Da! Wait! No wireless connection???? Pooh!

It actually turned out to be a blessing as I got a bunch of files cleaned out, cleaned out "my pictures", and also the emails in my outlook express (personal email).

They called mom in to get her in a gown and all that jazz. I continue with my computer stuff until they call me to come sit with her and wait for another 1/2 hour or more. The doc comes in and talks with us a little. I ask how long the actual surgery is. He says about 20 minutes. He leaves.

Someone else comes in. Questions. "What is your date of birth?" "What eye will the doctor be working on today?" Even though there is a lavendar X or something over her right eye so they don't goof. Just double checking.

I am not criticizing the fact that they mark you. I was quite delighted when I had surgery 3 yrs ago that someone thought to put a big old X over my left kidney. I am a pretty mellow person, but....take out the wrong kidney and I might fuss just a little.

Anyway, someone else comes in, Questions. "What is your date of birth?" "What eye will the doctor be working on today?" Even though there is a lavendar X or something over her right eye so they don't goof. Just double checking.

Finally, they wisk her away. I take a few minutes to run down to the cafe for a bite to eat. I rush back with in 25 minutes. And wait...and wait....I figure no ones come out with any bad news, so it must be all good news.

Finally the doc came out. I walk over to him and he says, "Why don't we step in here." An office. No big deal.

He says, "We had a little problem." Then all kinds of things run through my head like, "What happened? What have you done to my mother?"

It turns out he had a hard time getting the cataract out or something. He put in the lense and for some reason it wasn't working (already forgot how he explained it), so they used the old-fashioned kind of lense. He had to cut a little speck more of the eye to fit the other one in. So now, my momma looks like a one - eyed monster!

Ok, all joking aside my momma is doing fine- just talked to her a short while ago. Tomorrow, I take her back for a check-up. In 3 weeks, she has the other one done.

So me and my one-eyed mommy will be spending a bit-o-mommy-daughter-time together. And that's always good.

Side note: The nurse was telling Mom that I should have gotten a connection as they have wireless. I didn't see it on my list of available connections.

So anyway my dear bloggy friend's, if I'm not around for a day or two it's for a good reason! Later!

P.S. Oh yeah, I got to drive that new car home! I didn't think I liked big cars, but that is pretty plush. Lots of bells and whistles. I was scared to touch any buttons :-)

I know I have been fooling around with wordless Wednesday the last few weeks, but today I just had to share! Most of you know I work at home with AmeriPlan selling affordable dental and health plans. I am always sharing why I think they are a great company. Well, here's another reason why:


I can win an all expenses paid trip to sunny Las Vegas! Sure could use the sun now :-)

Usually, only so many people can win these trips (usually 2 trips/yr.)- say the top 50 producers, or the top 100. This time, anyone is eligible- they just need to get 1,250 points. I'm not sure yet how many points each enrollment is, but hey, I'm going for it!

And....in April, the points are doubled!!!!! Yeee-haw!

So dear friend's, I know I'm being "businessey" today, but if you know anyone looking to work at home, send them here and if you know anyone that is in need of affordable benefits, please send them here .
Tell them to mention your name & web address or email so I can thank-you and I will return the favor to you somehow (advertising on my webpage, refer someone or something)

Thanks guys!

And for being such great friend's, here's a little treat! Ummm...can you tell I just figured out the whole video thing?

Ok, back on my February 26th post, I asked the burning question " Are you raising a young entrepreneur ? " For all those folks who work at home, I can almost guarantee there is a good possibility of it. And it even stretches across generations........check this out!



Yesterday, Little Man stopped over. Dad had some errands to run, so I was the lucky recipient of an adorable little tyke who always keeps us in stitches! For those of you who are new readers, Little Man is our 16 mo. old grandson. He LOVES coming to Grandma & Grandpa's. So much in fact, he called me the other day. My phone rings and I see on the caller ID that it's David, my stepson. I answer and all I here is Little Man screaming and David saying, "Give me the phone." Little Man is shreeeeeching! All he wants is to talk to grandma! I mean geez, doesn't dad know anything?



So back to my story. David drops little man off. My laptop was on the kitchen table - I was using the office chair at the table. Little man runs over to the closet where we keep his toys, grabs his toy laptop and sets it on the table next to mine. He grabs the office chair, hops onto it, and gets to work! The funny thing is, he even remembered to wear his work uniform, Jammies! Check it out!










Not only is Little Man jumping on the bandwagon, but the other day, my 11 yr.old daughter said she can't wait to be 18. I said, "Why, so you can do whatever you want?" Her answer:

"No, so I can start my own business!"

BTW, we are going to the Future Millionaire's class that the Girl Scouts is holding tomorrow. I can't wait to see what I learn!

Anyway, must go and be a good example to the young entrepreneurs & build my business!

Later, friends!

Don't Quit
When things go wrong as they sometimes will
When the road you're trudging seems all uphill
When the funds are low and debts are high
And you want to smile but you have to sigh
When care is pressing you down a bit...
Rest if you must-but don't you quit.

Life is queer with its twists and turns
As every one of us sometimes learns
And many a failure turns about
When he might have won if he'd stuck it out
Don't give up, though the pace seems slow
You may succeed with another blow.

Often the goal is nearer thanIt seems to a faint and faltering man;
Often the struggler has given upWhen he might have captured the victor's cup
And he learned too late, when the night slipped down
How close he was to the golden crown.

Success is failure turned inside out
The silver tint of the clouds of doubt
And you never can tell how close you are
It may be near when it seems afar
So stick to the fight when you're hardest hit
It's when things go wrong
That you mustn't quit.

Author Unknown

I'm so glad I work at home now. Otherwise, I would have been spending Saturday morning working at the library where I used to work. Great job, but not as great as being my own boss.

The day started out with my 11 yr. old daughter, 17 yr. old son & I making Valentine's cookies.

While that was going on...........

While the kids started cutting out the cookies, I decided to clean out the refigerator.

It's not like I set out to punish myself, but this particular recipe called for cooling the dough for ease in handling. There was barley room in the fridge to accomodate even the small bowl that I had the dough in. I guess time got away from me. Business, doctor appts., home, family and Girl Scouts all kept me from getting to that fridge (ok, I know, more excuses!)

Once the dough cooled, there was only thing to do - dig in and take care of the mess! I figured I had an hour or so until my grandson came over.

I started heaving out bowls of stuff that I can only describe as...........well, indescribable! Leftover mashed potatoes had an orange tinge to them, while the accompanying bowl of gravy sported some white fuzzy stuff. A clump of cheese had green splotches that resembled warts. I happened to remember reading somewhere that white fuzzy stuff and clumpy, lumpy green stuff is what pharmaceutical companies use to make pennicillin.

Thinking back to all those trips to the doctors with the kids for strep throat and earaches, a light bulb went off in my head! Hmmm....maybe I could keep the white matter and little green wart-like things. Maybe I could try my hand at homeopathic medicine. Anyone up for a little white and green lumpy & clumpy tea? Not sure where to begin with that little project, I pushed it aside for another day. I threw out the stuff. I'm sure I'll have more again one day!

I continued on with my duties. I unearthed a plate that yielded a piece of dried, cracked mystery meat. I was just ready to throw it in the garbage, when an idea struck. Having heard about dehydrated food (add water and presto-chango- it's instantly hydrated). I decided to experiment. My dog was to be the proverbial guinea pig. Supposedly, they won't eat bad food. I put the hunk of meat in a bowl, and proceeded to add water. I expected the meat to soak the water up like a dried out sponge, miracuously transforming into a juicy filet mignon. The water simply rolled off. I wrapped the whole mess in plastic wrap and threw it in the microwave. Several minutes later, it still resembled shoe leather. The dog turned his nose up at it, so I tossed it out!

I really needed to get to work! The kids were ready to bake their cookies and I was still cleaning! I reached my hand in and pulled out a pound of hamburg I had taken out of the freezer days ago to make hamburger helper. A wave of guilt rushed through me. I was so busy that day that even hamburger helper couldn't help me! (I know what you're thinking. "She not only doesn't make a homemade meal, she doesn't even make a prepared meal!") Oh, well............I'm sure the kids ate SOMETHING...they're still breathing.

Suddenly, we heard a rather loud truck in the driveway. David was here with the baby. They always seem to come 1/2 hr-45 minutes earlier than they say. How could I forget? Yikes! I grabbed a dish rag and quickly wiped out the now empty fridge. I looked around at the million of dishes on the counters from the fridge. And said, " Oh well.....maybe later." Grabbed the baby, kissed him and got right down to teaching him how to cut out cookies with the little bit of dough we had saved for him.

We baked up the cookies and planned on frosting them later........For once, they turned out perfect! Every cookie seemed to have the perfect thickness. They were cooked perfectly. We were planning on frosting them & writing cute sayings on them. We had hearts, lips, bells,etc... Thought we could write things like , "Kiss me" on the lips, "You can ring my bell" on the bells, etc... with frosting.

Grandpa came home from work, Grandma (me, of course) gave him a cup of coffee and recommended he get a cookie (non-frosted) b-4 they are gone. We went to bed with one (unfrosted) cookie left. I gave Ron his card & an empty cookie tin :)

We had the babe until about 9 p.m. The dishes got done, the fridge was clean. We had no cookies for midnight snack, but it was a good day all and all.

Grandma Aggies Butter Cookie's

1 c. (2 sticks) butter
1 c. Sugar
1 egg
1 tbl. milk
1 tsp vanilla
2 3/4 flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
Cream butter; gradually adding sugar. Beat until light & fluffy.Beat in egg, milk & vanilla.
Combine dry ingredients. Gradually add to creamed mixture.
Cool for ease in handling.
Cut with floured cookie cutters.
Bake at 350 for 8-10 minutes.
Decorate as desired

I had been busy working the home business all day- trying to catch up on blogs, emails & phone calls. My 17 yr old son came home from school. He said he & his friend were going to the store. A light bulb went off in my head!








HE could grab the stuff I needed for Pizza Soup.


I gave him $10.00 and told him I needed milk, pizza sauce, and pepperoni. He comes back with milk and spaghetti sauce and no pepperoni. He said he looked everywhere and there was no pizza sauce or pepperoni. Being a little redneck convenience store, I could believe it. He left and I decided I might as well make goulash or something. I was left without the pizza sauce, the pepperoni and ...hey..wait a minute! No change! If there was any! Will have to ask him when he gets back.



After about 1/2 hr I get thinking about that Pizza Soup - I was really planning on it. It keeps pestering at me until I decide to change out of my jammie bottoms and get dressed. I go to the redneck convenience store a few miles in the other direction. I get pizza sauce, pepperoni, cat food ( forgot earlier) and mozzarella cheese (another item I forgot I needed and was over $4.00!) I decide hell, I could use a beer- so I grab a 6-pack of Budwieser. Then my daughter wants a pack of gum. Totall bill: $22. and some change.

And that's how I my danged Pizza Soup ended up costing me $32.00! It had better be good!

I'll let you know!

The recipe:

PIZZA SOUP
1 lb. Italian sausage (skin removed)
1/2 c. chopped onion
1/2 c. chopped green pepper
2 tbsp. oregano
1 tsp. garlic powder
30 oz. pizza sauce
2 c. canned tomatoes, diced
1 1/2 qts. water
3 tbsp. beef base
12 pieces French bread
12 slices Mozzarella cheese or shredded Mozzarella cheese

Cook sausage, onion, green pepper, oregano and garlic powder until sausage is brown. Add pizza sauce, tomatoes, water and base.
Simmer 1 hour. Place 1 slice toasted French bread in bottom of soup bowl. Add soup; top with cheese.
Broil 5 to 10 minutes or until cheese is lightly browned. Makes 12 servings.

Wow, my work at home site is growing ! As of now, 9:24 p.m., I had 28 unique visitors; and 5 new members! I am so excited!

Today, I added a post: How do you keep your kids entertained while you work [at home]? I look forward to seeing some of the different ideas.

Yesterday I asked: What do you dream about. What is your "why", why you do work at home, or why you want to work at home

Read the forum to see my long-term whys!

Got to go post my ads for the last time tonight!

Carolee Sperry
Regional Sales Director
AmeriPlan
CSperry@ameriplan.net
www.mybenefitsplus.com/sperry
www.freedomathometeam.com/sperry
yahoo instant messenger ID: carolee_sperry
1-800-918-5154

We like to see you smile!

So I was hanging out today , working at home in my jammies. I started slamming out ads with the sunrise. I checked emails, fed the animals, and fed myself. Placed more ads, worked on my online groups, made some phone calls. Had some lunch, yadda-yadda. Very motivated today.

The next thing I know, it's 4 p.m. I needed to leave by 4:45 or so to meet the cookie coordinator for Girl Scouts. It's that time again! Yum-Yum!

Obviously, I needed to get out of my jammies and put on some real clothes. I trudge into the bathroom, look into the mirror and stifle a scream.

My hair was sticking up all over the place. I looked like I was some kind of science fiction character- 1/2 human, 1/2 chicken. I wonder ......Who the heck is that rooster in the mirror? Yikes! That's me! I couldn't help but wonder, how did it come to this?

The pajamas I could understand. I have sleepwear, and I have my working pajamas. So I do change everyday (yes, and shower,too!), I just like being comfortable. I detest high heels and business suits.

But the hair.....uggggh! I have visions of my favorite Federal Express guy coming to deliver my Vista Print order. I come to the door and ahhhhhh..... he runs away in horror.

And it got me to thinking about how easy it is to let yourself go when you don't have to face the public everyday.

And I made a resolution......for the next week, I am going to wake up and get dressed as if I were going to work.

I'll put on the accessories, and style my hair. Put on make-up. Wear a bra (giggle, giggle!) Sashay around the house in my finery.

I looked through my closet - since my surgery 2 years ago (had to remove kidney & spleen due to a tumor) I had gained around 35 lbs. Most of my nice "work" clothes no long fit. You don't realize just how bad it's getting when you are hanging out in pajamas and sweatpants the majority of the time.

And so I started looking at my "modern-day work clothes." I did have a pretty pair of pajama bottoms - could that be counted as dressing up? How about that t-shirt that doesn't have a single coffee stain (can that be mine?) And my new fuzzy slippers, wouldn't they just complete the look ? Hm.... brush the hair - there may be hope yet.

And then, like most resolutions, it flew right out of my head. Who cares if I wear pajamas, bunny slippers & I have messy hair? The important thing is I am home, where I am happy. And that is sooooo much more than what most people have.

So I look like a rooster sometimes. I can think of worse......so many people strive to look perfect so that they can go out and be miserable. I look, well... less than perfect. But I'm perfectly happy, working at home.

Carolee Sperry
The Blogging Biz Mom (edited)

How many home business opportunities have you tried and "failed" at before you found "the one" ? 3? 4? More? Or haven't you found it yet? That was a question I asked the members of my group , " The Pajama Momma's" the other day. I have tried so many in the past 20 years, I think I forgot one or two when I did that post.



So, was I a failure, or did I fail to plan? I think the longest I worked any of these businesses was about 3 months. Then I threw in the proverbial towel and proclaimed the company and it's products "impossible to sell."



For gosh sakes, I've been here 6 weeks and haven't made a dime!



I just knew I would never succeed. Another company out to get my money!



About a year or so ago, I ran into a woman who was my upline in another company about 8 years ago. She was driving a VERY nice car. Dressed to the nines. Great hair. Great face ( hmmm...those beauty products that were part of our inventory?) I asked her if she was still with that particular company. I was floored when she smiled and said, "Yes, I am." All I could think as I drove home is "that could have been me!"



So that got me to thinking. Why do some home business owner's flourish in business, while others wither away?



I was about a year into my AmeriPlan business and was growing, but pretty slow. Giving up wasn't an option. I believed in the service, believed in the opportunity and I was so thrilled that there was no product to sell, store and ship. So I decided to get a little old fashioned education. I listened to motivational speakers on CD's - those people that had what I wanted. I read inspirational books. Read about famous people and what they have accomplished, and the time it took them to succeed. I almost hung my head in shame! Compared to some of these people , I hadn't even STARTED the process needed to be successful.



Check out these facts:



We all know this one! Look how long it took God to create the world, and he's GOD! C'mon, I'm just me. How long did I try before I gave up?



Thomas Edison's teachers proclaimed him "too stupid to learn anything." It took Edison 1,000 unsuccessful attempts at inventing the light bulb. Edison 's attitude was this : I didn’t fail 1,000 times. The light bulb was an invention with 1,000 steps.



Henry Ford failed and went broke five times before he succeeded



Dr. Suess's first book , And to think I saw it on Mulberry Street, was rejected by 27 publishers. Vanguard Press eventually picked it up. It went on to sell 6 million copies. Since that time, well....it's all history.



The list goes on and on. In fact, some of the most successful people had tried and been unsuccessful at least a few times. Which gave me a new resolve- I was going to look at the successful people in my company and do what they did. All they did was keep on keeping on! I did, too. I made Regional Sales Director soon after. Now I help participate in training calls to help other's reach RSD.



Why am I willing to go the long haul now? I think it really came when I saw my upline from the previous company. She had what I had wanted way back when but did not have the courage and conviction to see it through. Granted, she probably believes in the product. I admit I didn't feel comfortable selling stuff I didn't even like using! But I do believe in health benefits.

Wow, I just received this. This just proves why I believe a home-based business with AmeriPlan is such a great opportunity. With the falling economy, we can't lose! Check it out!


Ameriplan USA Review

This is a question I am often asked. I may work from home, but I am talking to people from all over the United States. And what better ice breaker is there than to talk about the weather? But of course, if you're like me, this question will literally stump you!

Don't get me wrong, I DO get out! We have goats and chicken's, so I get out at least twice a day to feed them. Throw in a trip to the mailbox - heck - I get out!

But what about those times when I am holed up in my home office answering emails, posting ads on the Internet, and "socializing" on all the forums I am a member on? When feeding the animals earlier it had been sunny, a balmy 38 degrees, with no wind at all. The weather was great when I closed the door to my sanctuary.

Fast forward an hour or so. Like I said, I'm doing my online stuff, in my own little world. I have someone I need to call in Florida. I hop on the phone and give them a call. I let them know who I am , that I am returning their call and ask how can I help them. We pass a few "how are you's" , etc.... and then they ask the question...... " Where are you calling from?' When I tell them New York, they always ask about the weather. ( The weather........ahhh, who knows?) .....

..... hurry, run to the window, look at the sky. What where did the sky go- all I can see is snow! Check the thermostat! 23 degrees? When did that happen? Woah- look at car! Where the heck did the truck go?

........" Oh, it's snowing like a son of a gun!" I say. "Must have about 6-8 inches . The temperatures' only 23!"

They are amazed! Some people I speak to have never seen snow! If they only knew.....

I tell them, "That ain't nothin', honey. A few years ago, a town a few miles north of us got 10 FEET of snow in a few days- we only got 3 feet!"

Have you ever heard that old saying If you don't like the weather in Central New York wait 5 minutes? It's true, too. We can have a raging snowstorm that will literally shut down schools across the region. A few hours later the sun is out, and the wind has died down. The picture perfect scenery with it's sparkling new- fallen snow belies the fact that you could only see 2 feet in front of you an hour ago. And it can go the other way. Great weather can turn nasty pretty quickly around these parts.

So if you happen to call me and ask about the weather...........and I seem clueless....it's not that I don't get out much, or that I have been on the computer for hours...(REALLY! I MEAN IT). It just means I haven't looked out my window in an hour or so!

Welcome to the wonderful world of working from home. No longer do I care about the weather! Just give me my computer and leave me alone!

When you work at home running your own home based business, every New Year is a new adventure. It's a time for new business partnerships, new friend's and new experiences. It is also a time to set some business as well as personal goals.

There are some great books out there that will help take you to the next level. Currently, I am eading Chicken Soup for the Soul: Unlocking the Secrets to Living Your Dreams by Jack Canfield and Mark Victor Hansen.

The book stresses how to dream, and then to turn those dreams into goals & objectives. It also touches on visualization, overcoming fears and taking action! And as always, it has some great Chicken Soup for the Soul inspirational stories.

I set my 1st goal before I even cracked open the cover. My goal was to read the WHOLE book. Usually, I get bored with some part of a book, or it contains information I already know, so I skip around. In the beginning of this book, they recommended reading it through 1st, then going through it again and do the exercises. I vowed to do just that.

So, I've almost read the whole book (have about 5 pages left). Believe it or not, I didn't get bored! I WAS itching to get to the activities and set some goals. So that is my goal for tomorrow- to do start the exercises.

This will be a first as I usually skip the exercises in these types of books, too.

But it's a new year, time for a new me.

So what about you? Whether you work at home or not, why not tell us what you are reading for the New Year that will help improve your 2009?

Carolee Sperry
Regional Sales Director
AmeriPlan
CSperry@ameriplan.net
www.mybenefitsplus.com/sperry
www.freedomathometeam.com/sperry
yahoo instant messenger ID: carolee_sperry
1-800-918-5154
We like to see you smile!

Will you be out with friend's and family, whining about how crappy 2008 was ? That's what 98% of the people will be doing. Making resolutions they know they won't keep. Complaining about the spouse, the boss, the economy. Drinking themselves into believing 2009 will be different. But when they wake up on January 1st, will anything be different?

SEE YOU AT THE TOP!