So, as many of you know, vacation budgeting has been something I've given much thought to. Here is a fabulous way to have a wonderful family vacation and save big bucks! Club Getaway offers you a way to have a great vacation away with your family (single mom families too!), with loads of adventure but not loads of money. What's more, you get a $200 family discount when you mention Single Mama NYC!
It's not too late to get a family vacation in with the ones you love most and my goal is to offer you a way to do it that won't break the bank. I know how difficult times are right now for everyone - trust me, I do. Check out Club Getaway and see if this fits the bill for your vacation needs.
And have fun!
Thursday, July 30, 2009
Tuesday, July 28, 2009
I'm One Tough Single Mom
I've been through the emotional wringer these past two days. Dealing with major custody issues, scared about my Dad's health situation, trying to still be creative and write (come up with article ideas) despite an almost complete emotional drain, cooking, cleaning (or rather, failing miserably at cleaning), taking care of my baby boy with no one around the house to help me (I know you don't have to be a Single Mom to not get help around the house with the kids. Too many married women I know get little to no help from their husbands, sad to say), trying not to worry about money . . . I'm feeling all-around overwhelmed by life right now. Beat down, almost defeated, down but not necessarily out. But I keep going. Do you know why?
That's why.
That's why.
Sunday, July 26, 2009
And The Winner Is . . .
The winner of the Suze Orman book giveaway is . . .
Jenny Mac!!! (cue the stadium applause)
Jenny Mac, I will be contacting you for your shipping address so you can get your hands on your very own copy of Suze Orman's 2009 Action Plan ASAP!
Thank you to those of you who entered, and stay tuned for my next giveaway -- you're gonna love it!
(In the interest of transparency and full disclosure, how I selected the winner was that I put the names of the contest entrants on pieces of paper, tore them and folded them, put them in my son's hat, and had him draw a name. Highly ceremonious, don't you think? He will be my official Winner Picker henceforth. He's fine with that, as he gets a bag of Earth's Best organic cookies as compensation for this distinguished responsibility.)
Jenny Mac!!! (cue the stadium applause)
Jenny Mac, I will be contacting you for your shipping address so you can get your hands on your very own copy of Suze Orman's 2009 Action Plan ASAP!
Thank you to those of you who entered, and stay tuned for my next giveaway -- you're gonna love it!
(In the interest of transparency and full disclosure, how I selected the winner was that I put the names of the contest entrants on pieces of paper, tore them and folded them, put them in my son's hat, and had him draw a name. Highly ceremonious, don't you think? He will be my official Winner Picker henceforth. He's fine with that, as he gets a bag of Earth's Best organic cookies as compensation for this distinguished responsibility.)
Tuesday, July 21, 2009
The SOC Exchange
Mamas, I have found an AMAZING website for you! It's called the SOC Exchange, and it's an online community that gives sellers their own website with a unique URL that they can sell an unlimited amount of goods on for just $1 per month or $10 per year flat rate. $10 per year! No commissions and no extra charges!!!
On The SOC Exchange you can sell across as many categories as you like on your website. So, if you create certain goods to sell (like for example if you knit baby clothes and blankets), but you also want to clean out the clutter in your house and want to sell books, clothes, toys or anything else for that matter, you can do it all on your one website. They also provide you with over 150 webpage designs to choose from so that creating your website is quick and easy - and will not require you to pay a Web Designer to help you create your store!
Among the other things that are exciting about The SOC Exchange is that it gives you lots of user-friendly features like RSS feeds to your webpage, your own blog, free advertising opportunities and a customer tracking system to see how many people are visiting your store. You can also set up email alerts for your buyers who sign up for news updates.
I am super-excited about this site, because I know so many Mamas who have fabulous creations to sell but don't have the time or money (or know-how), to set up their own online stores, and Ebay and Etsy and Amazon.com charge very high commissions on what you sell, which eats away at any profits you make. The SOC Exchange costs $10 a year - that's it! Anything you sell you get the full profits from! This is truly revolutionary - and as you know, I'm a bit of a rebel, so I absolutely LOVE this!
I hope those of you who are selling through other sites go to The SOC Exchange right now and sign up. One of my goals in life is to empower families through empowering the Mothers, especially Single Mothers, since often times we are doing it all by ourselves. If you go to The SOC Exchange, you get all of the money off of what you are selling. And it can't get much more empowering than that!
On The SOC Exchange you can sell across as many categories as you like on your website. So, if you create certain goods to sell (like for example if you knit baby clothes and blankets), but you also want to clean out the clutter in your house and want to sell books, clothes, toys or anything else for that matter, you can do it all on your one website. They also provide you with over 150 webpage designs to choose from so that creating your website is quick and easy - and will not require you to pay a Web Designer to help you create your store!
Among the other things that are exciting about The SOC Exchange is that it gives you lots of user-friendly features like RSS feeds to your webpage, your own blog, free advertising opportunities and a customer tracking system to see how many people are visiting your store. You can also set up email alerts for your buyers who sign up for news updates.
I am super-excited about this site, because I know so many Mamas who have fabulous creations to sell but don't have the time or money (or know-how), to set up their own online stores, and Ebay and Etsy and Amazon.com charge very high commissions on what you sell, which eats away at any profits you make. The SOC Exchange costs $10 a year - that's it! Anything you sell you get the full profits from! This is truly revolutionary - and as you know, I'm a bit of a rebel, so I absolutely LOVE this!
I hope those of you who are selling through other sites go to The SOC Exchange right now and sign up. One of my goals in life is to empower families through empowering the Mothers, especially Single Mothers, since often times we are doing it all by ourselves. If you go to The SOC Exchange, you get all of the money off of what you are selling. And it can't get much more empowering than that!
Tuesday, July 14, 2009
Multi-tasking Stinks
I would never have made it in the circus.
Despite all of the child-like dreams of "running away and joining the circus", I would never have made it. I stink at juggling. Multi-tasking just makes me feel scatter-brained at times.
Trying to balance my work as a Mom, Writer, and well, just being ME, seems to be just a tad bit overwhelming. Like yesterday, when I was busy trying to pack up all the things needed for a day out with my son, a friend and her daughter, while getting my son to put his hat on and get in the stroller, and I called someone I needed to meet because he had some papers to give me. I then set the phone down as I noticed a huge wet spot on the futon, and rushed over to investigate it and forgot all about the fact that I had called him. So here I am, having this whole conversation with my friend about this guy, not realizing that the call had gone through and he was siting there listening to every word we were saying about him! Good thing what I was saying was only MINIMALLY embarrassing because I then had to walk over and meet him 10 minutes later! Ugh. Lol.
I need a personal assistant. Let her multi-task.
(Soon, Issa. Soon.)
Despite all of the child-like dreams of "running away and joining the circus", I would never have made it. I stink at juggling. Multi-tasking just makes me feel scatter-brained at times.
Trying to balance my work as a Mom, Writer, and well, just being ME, seems to be just a tad bit overwhelming. Like yesterday, when I was busy trying to pack up all the things needed for a day out with my son, a friend and her daughter, while getting my son to put his hat on and get in the stroller, and I called someone I needed to meet because he had some papers to give me. I then set the phone down as I noticed a huge wet spot on the futon, and rushed over to investigate it and forgot all about the fact that I had called him. So here I am, having this whole conversation with my friend about this guy, not realizing that the call had gone through and he was siting there listening to every word we were saying about him! Good thing what I was saying was only MINIMALLY embarrassing because I then had to walk over and meet him 10 minutes later! Ugh. Lol.
I need a personal assistant. Let her multi-task.
(Soon, Issa. Soon.)
Thursday, July 9, 2009
Your Chance To Win A Copy of Suze Orman’s Latest Book!
Leave a comment about why a copy of Suze Orman's book would be valuable to you.
We all know that Suze Orman is a financial genius who has committed to sharing her knowledge, most especially with women and families, to ensure that Americans protect our financial futures. Suze Orman's latest book, Suze Orman's 2009 Action Plan, answers questions and helps you create a plan of action concerning credit, retirement, savings and spending, real estate, paying for college and protecting your family. What if I told you that you could win a copy of the book? You want to know how, don't you? Well, I'll tell ya!
- Leave a comment below stating why winning a copy of Suze Orman's book would be valuable to you.
- For an additional entry, write up a quick post about why winning a copy of Suze Orman's book would be valuable to you, and include a link to this post. Make sure you leave a comment here including a link to your post in which you wrote about this giveaway.
That's it! All entries submitted by July 21st will be eligible to win.
Good luck, Everybody!!!
Tuesday, July 7, 2009
Vacation Budgeting Can Be More Important Than Ever Now
I don't think I can go away on vacation this summer, and I'm kind of bummed out about that. There may still be time to make a vacation happen before the end of the year though, and with a little vacation planning and budgeting I decided that I might actually be able to get away from home for a few days before 2010. Credit Counseling actually has an area on their website that offers great tips to help you with your vacation budgeting. I'm a pretty seasoned traveler, and here's a tip that I only just now learned from them:
"One way to find cheaper airlines is to go to the website of the airport you plan to depart from and look at their list of airlines to see if there are other discount airlines that may offer a better deal."
That never occurred to me!
They also offer other helpful suggestions on air travel, as well as suggestions regarding lodging, rental cars, credit card usage overseas, and lots more. They suggest for you to consider doing things like skipping a summer vacation and going away in the Fall instead, when prices drop to Off-Peak prices. They even let you download a .pdf file of a Vacation Planner Chart so that you can budget everything from air travel to the cost of sightseeing excursions all on one page. So, if you're like me and you think you might not be able to afford a vacation this year, who knows, with proper vacation planning and budgeting, we just might get away after all!
"One way to find cheaper airlines is to go to the website of the airport you plan to depart from and look at their list of airlines to see if there are other discount airlines that may offer a better deal."
That never occurred to me!
They also offer other helpful suggestions on air travel, as well as suggestions regarding lodging, rental cars, credit card usage overseas, and lots more. They suggest for you to consider doing things like skipping a summer vacation and going away in the Fall instead, when prices drop to Off-Peak prices. They even let you download a .pdf file of a Vacation Planner Chart so that you can budget everything from air travel to the cost of sightseeing excursions all on one page. So, if you're like me and you think you might not be able to afford a vacation this year, who knows, with proper vacation planning and budgeting, we just might get away after all!
Sunday, July 5, 2009
Saturday, July 4, 2009
The Absolute WORST Thing About Being A Single Mom
There's a mouse in the kitchen and I'm too terrified to go back in there to turn off the dripping faucet. The LOUDLY dripping faucet. I f*#king HATE mice! And there's no one here to handle it. It's shit like this that really pisses me off about being alone. Otherwise, I actually love being a single mom. I really do. But getting punked out by a mouse in my own damn apartment just sucks. I wish all mice would just DIE! DIE!!!
Bastards.
Bastards.
Friday, July 3, 2009
I Knew I Had Some Charm Left In Me Somewhere
I've been running myself so ragged recently that I don't really feel anything near charming. Mostly all I ever feel is overwhelmed, tired, and hungry. Thankfully, my friend, Unknown Mami, is there to remind me that yes, I am still charming too. On top of overwhelmed, tired and hungry. I'm truly grateful for this award, and I accept it with the utmost humility. And hunger. And yeah, I'm still overwhelmed and tired too.
The body of this great award reads:
"This award is bestowed to blogs that are exceedingly charming. These kind bloggers aim to find and be friends. They are not interested in self-aggrandizement. Our hope is that when the ribbons of these prizes are cut, even more friendships are propagated. Please give more attention to these writers. Deliver this award to eight bloggers who must choose eight more and include this cleverly-written text into the body of their award."
Now, I've always been a rebel at heart (something I know Unknown Mami can appreciate being a bit of a Rebel Mama herself), so I'm not going to list 8 bloggers. I'm actually going to list only five:
Unknown Mami, of course. I knew she was charming the minute I found out we shared a birthday.
4 Nuts in a Nutshell. Cat, or Mama Nut as we like to call her, is funny, a great mom, and a wonderful friend to boot. Despite the distance between Utah and New York, she always manages to be there when you need her.
Feeding Five For Fifty. She's Scottish and she gives recipes. I'm a bit of an Anglophile and I can't cook to spare my life. Enough said.
Circling the Square Table. Tooj is a Hott Mama with attitude to spare, but with a very kind heart in there too. Okay, so she reminds me of me, so what?
Choice Mom Choosing. She is brave, honest and super down-to-earth. My kinda Mama.
So thank you again, Unknown Mami, for reminding me that I am charming. Now I'm gonna go eat something and then pass out on my bed with crumbs on my face.
The body of this great award reads:
"This award is bestowed to blogs that are exceedingly charming. These kind bloggers aim to find and be friends. They are not interested in self-aggrandizement. Our hope is that when the ribbons of these prizes are cut, even more friendships are propagated. Please give more attention to these writers. Deliver this award to eight bloggers who must choose eight more and include this cleverly-written text into the body of their award."
Now, I've always been a rebel at heart (something I know Unknown Mami can appreciate being a bit of a Rebel Mama herself), so I'm not going to list 8 bloggers. I'm actually going to list only five:
Unknown Mami, of course. I knew she was charming the minute I found out we shared a birthday.
4 Nuts in a Nutshell. Cat, or Mama Nut as we like to call her, is funny, a great mom, and a wonderful friend to boot. Despite the distance between Utah and New York, she always manages to be there when you need her.
Feeding Five For Fifty. She's Scottish and she gives recipes. I'm a bit of an Anglophile and I can't cook to spare my life. Enough said.
Circling the Square Table. Tooj is a Hott Mama with attitude to spare, but with a very kind heart in there too. Okay, so she reminds me of me, so what?
Choice Mom Choosing. She is brave, honest and super down-to-earth. My kinda Mama.
So thank you again, Unknown Mami, for reminding me that I am charming. Now I'm gonna go eat something and then pass out on my bed with crumbs on my face.
Wednesday, July 1, 2009
Outback Steakhouse Has A Brand New Fan
Me!
Seriously, I had NO idea that Outback Steakhouse used such high-quality ingredients while being so unbelievably affordable. Last night I had the luxury of going to an Outback Steakhouse Tasting Event and let me just say that I was blown away. Tim Gannon himself (Outback Steakhouse's Co-Founder), was there to introduce key items on the menu, and then let us sample everything he introduced. Bliss! His commitment to using the highest quality materials in Outback Steakhouse's dishes (only the finest cuts of meats, Maine lobster, Vanilla Beans from Madagascar, etc.), was evident in the flavor of each dish I sampled. I mean, they were voted #1 Steak in the 2009 Zagat National Restaurant Chain Survey, so you know they're doing things right. This is serious stuff. As a New Yorker, I know what food from 5-Star Michelin rated restaurants taste like because they're fairly ubiquitous around here -- and the ingredients and methods of preparation/cooking at Outback Steakhouse are right on par. That in itself isn't really the surprising part; the surprising part is the unbelievable affordability they offer. First of all, they offer 15 meals at just $15 -- meals like steak and Maine lobster tail! Their basic steak meal starts at $9.95. $9.95 for a quality cut of beef plus sides! And their portions are customizable -- you can get the exact ounces of steak to correlate to the exact size of your hunger. No more having to spend big bucks on a huge hunk of meat when you're only going to eat half of it anyway. Right now, with the economy having drained many of us of the ability to dine out like we used to, Outback Steakhouse lets you have a delicious meal without breaking the bank, and they give you premium foods without the pretentious atmosphere. And for those of us with families, affordability and kid-friendlyness is very important.
Today I went with my son, a friend, and her son to the Bronx Zoo for a fun day out. I was so impressed with Outback Steakhouse that I used the Gift Card that Tim Gannon so graciously gave all of the Tasting Event attendees and treated my friend and her son to dinner there after the Zoo. I loved my dinner, but my favorite part of the experience was that I was able to order a very healthy meal for my Theo -- grilled chicken with a baked sweet potato. Too many restaurants' kid's menus are filled with super-greasy, unhealthy options. Outback Steakhouse allowed me to make a yummy but healthy meal decision for my kid and that is extremely important to this Mama.
All in all, I sincerely recommend Outback Steakhouse to you all. Especially to my fellow Mamas. Extremely high-quality foods, super-affordable, and kid-friendly? You just can't beat that.
Beth Feldman (Role Mommy), Tim Gannon (Co-Founder, Outback Steakhouse), et Moi!
Seriously, I had NO idea that Outback Steakhouse used such high-quality ingredients while being so unbelievably affordable. Last night I had the luxury of going to an Outback Steakhouse Tasting Event and let me just say that I was blown away. Tim Gannon himself (Outback Steakhouse's Co-Founder), was there to introduce key items on the menu, and then let us sample everything he introduced. Bliss! His commitment to using the highest quality materials in Outback Steakhouse's dishes (only the finest cuts of meats, Maine lobster, Vanilla Beans from Madagascar, etc.), was evident in the flavor of each dish I sampled. I mean, they were voted #1 Steak in the 2009 Zagat National Restaurant Chain Survey, so you know they're doing things right. This is serious stuff. As a New Yorker, I know what food from 5-Star Michelin rated restaurants taste like because they're fairly ubiquitous around here -- and the ingredients and methods of preparation/cooking at Outback Steakhouse are right on par. That in itself isn't really the surprising part; the surprising part is the unbelievable affordability they offer. First of all, they offer 15 meals at just $15 -- meals like steak and Maine lobster tail! Their basic steak meal starts at $9.95. $9.95 for a quality cut of beef plus sides! And their portions are customizable -- you can get the exact ounces of steak to correlate to the exact size of your hunger. No more having to spend big bucks on a huge hunk of meat when you're only going to eat half of it anyway. Right now, with the economy having drained many of us of the ability to dine out like we used to, Outback Steakhouse lets you have a delicious meal without breaking the bank, and they give you premium foods without the pretentious atmosphere. And for those of us with families, affordability and kid-friendlyness is very important.
Today I went with my son, a friend, and her son to the Bronx Zoo for a fun day out. I was so impressed with Outback Steakhouse that I used the Gift Card that Tim Gannon so graciously gave all of the Tasting Event attendees and treated my friend and her son to dinner there after the Zoo. I loved my dinner, but my favorite part of the experience was that I was able to order a very healthy meal for my Theo -- grilled chicken with a baked sweet potato. Too many restaurants' kid's menus are filled with super-greasy, unhealthy options. Outback Steakhouse allowed me to make a yummy but healthy meal decision for my kid and that is extremely important to this Mama.
All in all, I sincerely recommend Outback Steakhouse to you all. Especially to my fellow Mamas. Extremely high-quality foods, super-affordable, and kid-friendly? You just can't beat that.
Beth Feldman (Role Mommy), Tim Gannon (Co-Founder, Outback Steakhouse), et Moi!
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