Listen and Learn

So I constantly get irritated with my fiance because he just doesn't help me out..with anything. It gets me to the point where I just want to scream. I get so irritated and mad and then he has the audacity to say "what's wrong with you" or he will give some other smart ass comment back to me. Do you know how many times I have told him all I would like is a little help? COUNTLESS! I'm not talking spot clean the entire house with bleach...I'm just saying hey can you pick up after yourself, maybe take the over flowing laundry basket to the laundry room for me..something...anything! But apparently that is too much for him. So then I go through the cycle over and over again. Well the last time I flat out told him he is selfish and doesn't listen to me. If he did listen to me he would very well know why I'm irritated (because it's always the same reason) and he would do something to fix it. But he is so selfish that he will only do things that benefit him.


So I ask....Why don't you listen????????????????

You are Never Too Young (or Old)

I learned something from my 3-year-old son this past weekend...you can do anything no matter what your age. He just turned 3 in February and on Saturday he learned to ride his bike without training wheels in a matter of 20 seconds and then on Sunday he was trying to pop a wheelie! He actually got the front tire off the ground a little too! I mean for goodness sakes the kid is THREE!

So that really had me thinking...what is age? I mean are you ever too old or too young to try something? To do some event or activity? If you ask my son, I bet he would say no!

That's not to say that you should try to wear that mini skirt at the age of 75! There are obviously things that are age appropriate, but you should never not try something new because you think you are too young or too old. I know it's a cliche but life really is short. You should want to experience every possible thing you can in your lifetime. You don't want to wait until the end and then regret all the things you didn't do. As long as these things are harmful to yourself or to others or are illegal in any way, you should try it!

On my 27th birthday, my fiance and I went skydiving. We always wanted to and I will tell you I was pretty scared thinking about it, but then I saw this like 70-year-old grandma jump out of the plane and I was like there is no way in hell I can't do this! And I'm so glad I did because it was the absolute best experience I have ever had!

So Try....Experience...Enjoy! Live life to the fullest! :)

Alternative Ways To Earn Some Extra Cash $$

As I have previously stated everyone seems to be in a state of financial hardship. We are all looking for ways to earn some extra money. Unfortunately, not all of us are able to work overtime at their current full time job and sometimes it's difficult to find a part time job that is actually worth the extra hours being worked. For an instance, a part time job working 20 hours a week making $8 an hour is only $160...take out taxes and you are looking at a little over $100. Yes that's like $400 extra a month but that's also 20 hours extra a week that is taking up your time. Now if you have a family, that leaves you little time to spend with them and that is a very important thing. Your kids are only little once...just remember that!

So here is a list of ideas you can try to make some extra cash. Some may take some effort though:

• Create a blog - You can start a blog writing about things you enjoy or have lots of knowledge about and add Google Adsense to it (you know those little ads that pop up on the sides). Every time someone clicks on one of those adds you get money! It's not a lot, but it all adds up.You can also become an affiliate of a company that is related to your blog. Adding links back to their website can generate commission to you if orders are made. Google "Affiliate Marketing" for more information. 
• Become a user tester - Companies who have websites, especially retail websites, are always trying to figure out what users actually think of their site. This site (www.usertesting.com) will pay you $10 for every site you test. It's really simple to join and do, however I do not know how often they will call on you to test a website.
• Have a garage sale - You know your house is full of tons of stuff that you never use anymore, clothes that don't fit, toys your kids have outgrown, and just stuff you don't need. Instead of stockpiling it looking like you might become a hoarder, have a garage sale and earn some extra cash while de-cluttering your house at the same time. 
• Sell stuff on eBay - Some things may have a little more value on eBay than they would at a garage sale. List things on the famous auction site and earn some quick extra cash. 
• Do freelance work - Are you an excellent writer, have knowledge of web design, or some other useful talent? Offer your services on Guru.com. You can post your profile so people can find you or you can bid on jobs that companies or individuals need done. And most of them you can do from the comfort of your very own home!
• Sell your photos - If you love taking pictures or creating graphics, try selling your photos or artwork to stock photo agencies like www.shutterstock.com or www.istockphoto.com.

This is just the start. I'm sure I will have more great ideas to come! What are some ways you earned extra cash?

Money Isn't Everything...Or Is it?

So there are tons of sayings and quotes about money:

• Money isn't everything
• The love of money is the root of all evil - Bible
• Life shouldn't be printed on dollar bills. - Clifford Odets

We have all heard them and if you notice it's only those who have money that say money isn't everything! Here's an idea, why don't you try to live your normal (not beyond your means) life with less money and see what your thoughts are afterwards. 

It's too a point where everyone I know is in the same situation...financially unstable. We're not trying to live beyond our means, we are just trying to pay for the roof over our heads, food on the table, and clothes on our backs, yet it seems almost impossible. I look at the bills each month in disgust, I can go from a great mood to a very bad mood in a matter of a second when I notice that my paycheck is gone as soon as I get it and I still have tons of bills unpaid. I have cut corners everywhere, cable, phone, food, etc. I work overtime and try to earn extra cash elsewhere. I just don't know what to do anymore. 

I see these dumb articles posted on Yahoo on saving money and how this family paid off all of their bills in one year because they didn't do a damn thing all year. That's not living. Sorry.

I am going to have to agree with a Mr. George Bernard Shaw, a playwright, critic and Nobel Prize winner, when he said: 

"Lack of money is the root of all evil."

This is when all hell breaks loose and people will try just about anything to survive. If you have any ideas or experiences that worked on getting the bills paid and still living life...please let me know! I need to know that there is a silver lining because right now, I got nothing (literally). 

Bucket...Life...Same Difference

I think a bucket is the perfect depiction of what a life is....it's this big container that can be filled with just about anything: love, happiness, joy, sadness, sorrow, fun, laughter, memories, money, and even nothing. Sometimes the bucket gets knocked over and all the happiness is spilled out and sometimes it gets filled with lots joy. You just never really know. There are no restrictions on what can be put in a bucket. Most people know buckets to be used on the beach and be filled with sand, but kids love to put anything and everything in a bucket...toys, cars, money, shoes, the cat, you name it! Buckets can be filled to the top, even overflowing, can be half full or can be completely empty. This is why a bucket can perfectly describe life.

What is your bucket filled with? What do you prefer to be in your bucket?

Check out my bucket list page for a list of things that I would like to in my life. Memories I would like to fill my bucket with!

Artwork from The Seattle Times