New Course

I have just written and published a new course on writing eBooks. It walks the student through the process of writing, pricing, publishing and marketing eBooks. It is an affordable course which could lead to a very nice income for the right person. For those who are interested in writing, I encourage you to take the course. there are no time limits for completion, although you will want to get it finished as soon as possible so you may begin reaping the rewards.

Good luck and have a great day!

Alpacas and Saskatoons

Wow! Has it been over a month already since I posted? It is hard to believe!

I have been busy with berry picking and alpaca wrangling; our wonderful alpacas have made it a point to escape on an almost daily basis. My daughter and I converted the horse pen into an alpaca pen; which meant replacing the barbed wire with page wire. They have been in their new home for over 24 hours now and have not attempted an escape; let's hope it stays that way!

Now, for the saskatoons; they are absolutely delicious, especially with whipping cream and sugar. They aren't so bad in pies either. I have picked at least 10 ice cream pails full, and there are more to pick. This is the first year I have picked and sold any; usually I pick them for our own use and let friends and family have some too. We have eaten at least two buckets full with cream and sugar; one was made into pie filling and some were sold. I picked another two pails full today, and there are at least another five buckets full on the trees. I think the birds, bugs and bears are going to have a good feast as well, as the berries are starting to dry up.

Summer is always busy with gardening, lawn cutting and just being outside. Our winters get so bitterly cold I like to spend as much time outside in summer as possible. Speaking of which, it is time to go out and get some Swiss Chard and lettuce out of the garden. Have a great day!

Our Alpacas Have Arrived!

I picked up our alpacas on Tuesday! I am so excited to have them here! I have been busy fencing so I could bring them home; now I am fencing more so I can expand their pens. We bought five females and two males; now that they seem settled we will set up a breeding pen and make our matches. We have a variety of colors as well, so it will be interesting to see what colors of cria we get next spring.

They have not been sheared yet, so that will be another project for us in the very near future. I am looking forward to working with the fleece; I have plans to buy a spinning wheel so I can make my own yarn. I will be crocheting hats and scarves to begin with, plus mitts and socks as soon as I can find a good pattern. I will be a very busy girl this winter.

In the meantime, I will continue to post on my blogs in hopes of earning enough revenue to build an alpaca barn; or better yet purchase a farm which has suitable facilities already available. Thank you for your support and I will be posting items for sale when I have them ready.

Fabric Prices Reduced!

Just a quick note...I still have mountains of fabric left that I will never use. It is 100% cotton quilting fabric and still on the bolt. I am cutting fat quarters and am bundling up seven for the price of five. For any two or more bundles ordered, I will throw in a half meter cut of 100% cotton broadcloth. Contact me and I will invoice you through PayPal. Each bundle is $23.00 which includes shipping and handling.

I am needing to make room for my spinning wheel which I will be purchasing soon. I will have alpaca yarn and fleece available in the not too distant future. I will be bringing our alpaca herd home early next month, and will be able to start working with the fiber shortly thereafter. I will post links to my alpaca blog when I have it up and running.

Have a great day!

Alpacas & Horses

It has been several weeks since I posted on this Blog; I have some news! We are getting a small herd of alpacas in less than a month! We will be bringing them home after 4H is finished for the year. My daughter is unsure if she will be joining again next year. The alpacas will be so much easier for her and I to handle than the calves.

I let our horses out of their pen today so they could graze on the nice green grass around the yard. It was quite funny, because the one kept looking toward the corral at the calves. I don't think he could quite figure out what they were. The pens are on opposite ends of the yard, so they don't see each other much, if at all.

I will not be sad to see the calves go...well, perhaps a little. I had an argument with the pen mate today, and he almost won. Okay, he did win...I would have fought harder, but he was trying to destroy my corral. Posts should not make cracking sounds! Tomorrow a good friend comes over and we try to get a halter on...again...and see how well he can be led. Hopefully it goes well!

I cannot wait to get the alpacas home...and to start working with them and making yarn and other things out of their fleece. I will be on the lookout for a spinning wheel so I can spin my own yarn...I have watched videos on YouTube and it doesn't look difficult at all. It will be a very interesting and profitable experience.

Earn Online...It Is Possible

I have been doing a lot of searching for legitimate sites to earn money on. What I have found is the sites which allow self-publishing and social networking are, in my opinion, the best. Some do not pay phenomenal amounts, but if you contribute quality content to them it will benefit you. Some pay per number of views while others pay advertising revenues (through Adsense); some do both. There are also sites which pay for activity. I will give a brief rundown of the sites I have interacted with.

1. HubPages

I have been submitting content here for over a year. It has not been a lot; only 31 articles since January 2010. Earnings are through Adsense and Amazon affiliations. They also offer eBay and Kontera revenue, but I do not have accounts with either of these so I only earn through the first two.

2. Helium

I have been with Helium since October 2010. The earnings here are based on views as well as quality contributions to new and existing titles. I have recently reached the minimum payment threshold of $25.00. My earnings could be much higher, but I do not devote all of my writing time and articles to Helium.

3. Triond

I have been with Triond for less than two months and have earned the minimum payment threshold of 50 cents. The earnings are based on views; it is more of a community than just a site to submit your writing to. I do stress submitting quality content though. There are several Triond members who submit articles with catchy titles to get views, but the articles are basically crap (pardon the language, but that's what it is). The majority of the members I have on my Friends list are very good about keeping within the boundaries.

4. myLot

myLot is a community based site as well. The more you interact and post comments, the more your earnings will be. In order for the posts to count as earnings, they must be informative and polite. Some people just post anything to earn money; then wonder why their posts get flagged or deleted. I have not been very active on this particular site as I am concentrating more on writing than hearing about people's problems.

5. RedGage

This is one I have recently joined, and it is community based as well. I have made a few friends already, and earning are based on ratings, content and activity. If only Facebook had the same sort of system. I have only earned a few cents so far, but have only been a part of it a matter of days. They pay via a prepaid VISA; which is sent to you upon reaching the minimum payout. It is reloaded for subsequent earnings.

I am also earning a bit of advertising revenue from Adsense when my viewers click on ads on this Blog. If you have a subject or interest you can write about, I suggest starting a Blog. It can become a lucrative endeavor all on its own if properly maintained and promoted. I have recently discovered how great Twitter can be for getting views and positive feedback on my Blogs and articles.

These are only a few of my affiliations at the moment. I have a few others as well, but need to do a little more research and compile my own results. Good luck in your online endeavors!

Silly Weather, Writing & Wii

Today is another dreary day...the clouds have rolled in and the wind has picked up again. We are supposed to get a little more snow over the course of the day. I am so looking forward to Spring! I am tired of having to bundle up just to go outside...I long for the days I can just step outside without it taking five minutes to get ready. (Update about ten minutes after I wrote this paragraph I looked outside to see a full blown snow squall...I do hope it doesn't last long.)

I have been writing and submitting articles on Triond, Helium, HubPages and Wikinut over the last few weeks. I am enjoying writing more each day, and am starting to see results of my hard work. I have also applied for a few different positions on oDesk and LiveWork. I am enjoying being at home for my family and spend the days juggling writing assignments, meals and housework. I also fit in errands and Livestock chores.

Yesterday I did something I haven't done for over five months...I pulled out my Wii Fit. It told me I gained weight (already knew that) and that I was 45 years old (so not true). Today, I stepped on it again and was told I had lost .2 pounds and I was 37 (also not true, but much better). According to it, I am five years younger than my real age. When I was diligently stepping on it every day, there were times when it told me I was in my low 30s...even high 20' a time or three. That is a good feeling! The Wii has been a good investment. I do however need to be a little more disciplined about using it. It does no good when it is not turned on.

I will try to post more regularly here and on my other Blog Crafts, Quilts & Books. I am starting to see very positive results with my Blogs and articles and anticipate earning a modest income within the next six months. This is the beginning of my plan to buy the Home Quarter of land I was raised on from my Dad. It has everything I want in a piece of land...hills, trees and water. The house is no longer inhabitable, so I will need to build. My long term goal is to be settled in by the time my daughter graduates from High School...which is three and a half years from now.

Until next time, have a great day!!!

Almost Spring?

The weather has been wonderful the last couple of days! Once again, I know it is just a teaser. It doesn't make me enjoy it any less though. It won't be long before it is really Spring, and I will be so very happy! I do have to say the warm weather has melted the snow enough so I can once again see three of my solar lights in the garden.

I am always on the lookout to find a way to earn some extra money from home. I have an Alpaca package I am trying to buy, so any extra cash is welcome. I came across myLot today and am anxious to see how it works out. It is supposed to be a good site to earn money at, just by interacting with fellow members. I will see and let you know. If I post one day all excited over my new alpacas, you'll know my writing and myLot has worked well for me.

More samples of my writing can be viewed by clicking on the Triond Widget to the right of this post. I love writing about subjects that interest me, and try to make them educational and entertaining. Please feel free to click on the widget and see for yourself.

Have a great day!

BRRRR!

It was very frosty out this morning! -30 degrees Celsius. I am so glad there was no windchill on top of that...it was cold enough doing my chores. It doesn't matter how cold or warm out it is, the animals still have to be tended to. It makes us appreciate the warmer days when we are a balmy -10C.

I do have to say, it is nicer the sun is up for longer now, and in behind glass one can feel its' heat. When I started my van just a bit ago, the engine groaned even after being plugged in. The inside of the van however, was not bitterly cold. The sun had warmed up the interior...just a little. It won't be long now...once we are through February the frigid temperatures will be behind us until next winter. March can get cold as well, but it is usually short-lived.

I am going to do my feed run for the animals. It is stored at my Uncle's farm as I do not have a proper bin for it on my acreage. My Dad told me it was too cold, but it has to be done. I think I would rather be out there today, as tomorrow the wind will be blowing and it will feel much colder.

When I return I will get busy at my computer again and try to submit an article to either HubPages or Triond...or perhaps both. I am enjoying the writing very much, and find inspiration in the weirdest places. I do need to keep a pencil and notebook in my van though, for the times an idea strikes me.

Have a great day all!

My Writing

I have been working very hard at submitting articles to HubPages, Helium and Triond these last few weeks. I am very excited about Triond, as my work goes out to the most suitable website. I can reach a much broader audience this way, and I am optimistic it will soon produce some monetary rewards.

I write about a variety of subjects such as hobby farming, crafts, quilting, gardening, home based business and more. I have many interests and feel this gives me a broader range of subjects to write about. Oh, almost forgot about the articles I write about writing.

As the coming weeks go by, I will be adding to my portfolio. I am very excited about all of the new avenues Triond offers me. I will spend the rest of the winter writing and tweaking my articles for maximum revenue. Once it warms up outside, I will be spending more time out there. I do have the luxury of a laptop and the internet...as long as I don't stray too far from the house. Writing outside will provide new inspiration!

Happy New Year!

A new year is upon us! And shall I say...Merry Christmas Eve to all those who celebrate Ukrainian Christmas! We also celebrate, but it's much quieter...supper at my Aunt and Uncle's house. There is no need to go all out for both...a person couldn't afford it. Family time is more important to me than the gifts anyhow.

I think Mother Nature is setting us up for a fall...weather is beautiful this week! Being a true Albertan, I know how quickly it can change for the worse. And, I also know we could easily be seeing -40 temperatures by month end. These few warm days will have me outside adding bedding to the barn, fixing a fence and topping up the doghouses and cat shed with straw. It is best to get it done before the cold really sets in again.

While the winds howl outside, I will be staying warm inside trying to keep my New Year's Resolutions. Yes I have more than one, but they are not too far fetched or beyond reach. I have decided losing weight is not going to be a resolution but a change in habits. My resolutions however, will prompt me to make some changes as well.

My first and foremost is to de-clutter my world. Almost everyone who is over the age of 30 can understand what I am talking about. It is so easy in today's world to accumulate possessions, many of which we really have no use for. I have decided to take pictures of items that have sentimental value, and put them in my scrapbook. Pictures will take up a lot less space, and the actual item will be given to someone who can and will use it. There are some things which will be kept, such as my crystal collection and a few other very important material things. For the most part however, it is time to take back the space we live in. The decision comes after watching Hoarders and spending the summer months cleaning my Mom's place. As the years go on I find myself keeping all sorts of stuff...mostly because I think I may "need it one day". Truth be told that's where it starts.

Along with my resolution to de-clutter my space, I also resolve to spend more time writing. I have a list of articles I want to write, as well as a book on my son's cancer treatment. The latter will be a hard one, and I see it taking some time. I did a Hub on HubPages about it, but the book will be much more in depth. The Hub was written almost a year ago, and I foresee at least another year before the first draft is complete. I also have full intentions of being more diligent with my Blogs...this one and my new one.

I quite enjoy being home for my family, taking care of my animals and not having to answer to a grumpy boss every day. Granted the pay isn't as good at the moment, but it's not always about the monetary gain. We as a society put too much emphasis on how much money we have. I have come across many people in my 40+ years, and have found those with a lot of money to be more arrogant, selfish and conceited than those without. In most cases it is because they didn't have to work for their lifestyle, it was handed to them. There are some who have the money, but know how hard they worked to get it and treat others as they want to be treated. It is sad to think people change for the worse as soon as there is fortune to be had.

Now that I have vented, I will add I must get on with de-cluttering and cutting Jelly Rolls for quilts. I have over 100 bolts of fabric from my Mom's store to do something with, and selling on Kijiji just isn't giving me the results I was hoping for. I decided yesterday to cut and package the fabric instead and see if that makes it move a little faster. I have my crafts and fabric at a local shop, so will be selling the Jelly Rolls there as well as online. For anyone interested, a package is $40.00 which includes shipping. To order, please contact me.

Have a great day everyone!