How do you do it?

While talking with a friend about the differences in our schedules, she simply responded with “How do you do it? How do you do it and not absolutely lose your mind or your sanity?” To that I responded, there is just no other choice. Here is my schedule and then I’ll explain my thoughts and reasoning behind what I said.

Eleven years ago (as of November 2011), I moved to the lovely state of Nebraska. Back when I had moved here, I really had no idea what I was getting myself into. See, my entire family lives outside of Nebraska in either Connecticut (which is where I was raised) or Puerto Rico. What brought me here you ask? The United States Air Force. I filled out my “Dream Sheet” and asked them to send me overseas and they thought, well, that Nebraska was that overseas traveling I wanted to do. Which at the time was not entirely incorrect because I truly had no idea where Omaha, Nebraska was. After leaving the Air Force and encountering some life hiccups along the way, I knew that it was time for me to buckle down and get some sort of progress under my belt.

See, at the time, I had personally seen the fact that I was a single mother as one of the most challenging aspects of my life. Despite having spent several years in the Air Force, due to my career I was not able to attend school as I had earlier planned so I was trying to accomplish it all without the degree. The one biggest thing I learned as a result of this? The simple fact that despite how hard and impossible it would get at times, the fact that I chose to stay in Nebraska without my family support system and make it on my own for  my two wonderful children was one of the single best decisions I could of made. Now I insert the fine print…just because I did not have my family does not mean that I was completely on my own without anyone to turn to. I had some of the best friends that anyone could ask for who are still a big part of our lives and for them I will be eternally grateful.

Now you may be asking what the point of all that was. Simply really, a little bit of background. Flash forward. I now have the best job anyone could ask for with a company that just has it going on (for lack of a better way to put it). And the kicker? They gave me the opportunity that many, many others would not. Despite not wanting to admit this, I still do not have my degree but I now have the ammunition and experience under my belt. Now just because I say that they gave me the opportunity does not mean that I stopped there. As mentioned before, I am in school and I am busting my behind to get my degree and probably won’t stop at just that.

So here now we can pull back the conversation. My schedule:

Alarm goes off – 5 AM CST*
Head out the door to drop the boys off – 6:15-20*
Head to work – 6:30-6:45
Work – 7 AM – 4 PM CST
Get the kids from daycare – 4-4:30 PM CST
Quality time/dinner –  4:30-5:30 PM CST (On School Nights of Course)
School – 6 PM – 8:15 PM CST
Back home to tuck them in 8:30-9 PM CST

Enter in some homework and work in the process and add an * or two because sometimes my body just doesn’t want to hear the alarm and there you have a typical day. In addition to the family life when I do not have school during the week, I also handle a good portion of the marketing for a local Tattoo shop that is here in Omaha. Although recently I haven’t had the time to be there, I also try to include it in my day. Knowledge is power but so is having your family.

So again, how do you do it? I just do. There is no other option because when things fall apart, it is only me that has to answer to why things did not work out or why I cannot provide for my family. Although I know that others may have their different interpretations and would love to hear about them. And one very important note to add as well. I am able to do it much easier now because of the wonderful man in my life and his family. He truly has been the very essence and definition of what a rock is for someone. So although if you were to ask him, he would say that i do it on my own and it has been my drive, he is just as much involved in my persistence. For every time I wanted to give up, he was right at my ear telling me now and quitting is/was never an option.

Enough for now. As always thank you for reading my ramblings!

Let me help you get rid of your “junk”

Here it is, almost mid June and the one season that I’ve been waiting for has started:

Garage Sales!

It wasn’t until a few years ago that I truly realized what fun and what hidden wonders have been creeping around in peoples houses. Now I was always raised with the mentality that you should never, ever spend more than $20 on a pair of jeans (unless of course they dance for you or do magical things) and I still do that to this day. Now that I am a single mother of two boys, I truly cannot fathom why people would ever want to spend $20-40 on a single pair of jeans for their infant or toddlers. It is absolutely beyond me and such a waste of money.

The first time I went garage saling, it was when my youngest son was probably a year or two old. Clothes were not too expensive but still overpriced in my eyes for the short amount of time that he would be in them. I was hesitant walking up to my first garage sale only to quickly realize that I had been missing out.

The age old saying is that one person’s trash is another man’s treasure and this is often the case in garage sales. I have found clothes that are brand new with tags, antiques, valuables, and so many other trinkets that most people were not even aware that they had. Through the years we have gotten much better at our technique and bartering skills when it comes to garage saling, the only thing that hasn’t changed are the people who are hosting them.

So this is my best advice to those people who are thinking of having a garage sale from a someone who does enjoy the art of being “cheap” (as my son would say) and finding your garage sale.

1. Timing is everything. Typically garage sales start as early as Thursday and runs from 9 AM – 4 PM through the entire weekend. Make sure you are planning for this. Personally, we are early birds. We get our Starbucks and our bagel and we are out to make our way to garage sales and there are many others like us. Make sure you are “open” within hours that people will want to come and understand that not everyone wakes up early and there will be stragglers that want to get their foot into your driveway at 3:59:40 PM.

2. Advertise your garage sale beyond the sign. Most serious garage salers will check out sites like Craigslist or even Facebook before heading out. In most cases, you can get together with other subdivision neighbors to have a neighborhood garage sale. Not too bad of an idea. Their traffic can also be your traffic!

If you live in a big subdivision or even just a relatively good sized division and you used pen ink, show me the way. While I personally will do my homework on garage sale locations and have a gps on hand, most are not too keen on the idea and would love to follow your yellow brick road. I would recommend using like colored signs so that people will know it is your garage sale they are being directed to. If it takes too long to find your garage sale; we just won’t come and therein lies the problem. Don’t be afraid to go all out. It will get you noticed in the good kind of way. I’ve had friends use flags and balloons to attract people.

3. Finding your garage sale. Use signs that are legible.  Although you can read the pen and crayon you used on your sign when you stuck  it into the grass or taped it on the post, I can’t and I don’t think the cars behind me will appreciate me driving Ms.Daisy while I try to decipher which way your arrow is pointing and what the address to your home is.

4. Preparation. Separate your items and clearly mark them with prices. I should be able to drive by and get a general idea of the items that you have to offer and whether it is worth it for both of us for me to pull over. Depending on the total number of items that you have and the overall interest, it can save you and me a lot of time and heartache if I can come to you prepared with a counteroffer or the money you are asking for. It also keeps you available to answer any questions on specific items instead of having to tell people how much each specific item is.

5. Have change handy. Although those people going garage saling should come prepared with smaller bills and even coins; it doesn’t always happens. If you are pricing items from .10-$20 just make sure to have change. You will have people who will carry bigger bills and if you really want to sell that old picture or those old socks, you’ll just have to be prepared.

6. Remember; you are having a garage sale not an auction. Expectations when it comes to what people are willing to pay at a garage sale are different. People will expect lower prices and expect you to be willing to haggle. Most people are not going to pay regular price for an item at a garage sale and they will come with a counteroffer. Do not get offended. We are cheap; yes, but to an extent.

7. Customer Service sells every time. I’m not looking to become your best friend but I am interested in what goodies you have to offer that you think is trash. Throw a simple hello my way and maybe even ask how my day is. Believe it or not, it can influence people into buying those items that you just don’t want anymore.

I look forward to garage saling each weekend and I can honestly say that I have met some of the most interesting people in doing it. Just as much as you would like to get rid of the stuff that has been collecting dust in boxes and your attics, we want to buy them from you. Its pretty simple really.

Now off to the sales I go!

A Big Mistake turned Positive

A friend of mine on LinkedIn posted a interesting quesiton on our Answers page the other day that I found interesting:

“Tell Me About a Mistake You Made that Turned Out Positive in the End”

Oddly enough, I just finished out a semester that involved Business Foundations and Research Writing. Below was my response in a private message to him (will explain the thought behind this in a moment):

“As you know, I’m currently in school and just finished taking Business Foundations. During the start of our class our instructor asked for a 10-12 page power point presentation on the evolutions of business. I was hesitant and didn’t think that I had enough knowledge to complete it; so I didn’t. Missing that assignment dropped my grade a great deal so I stepped up and took responsibility for my actions and made sure to ask more questions and give 150% to my work. The happy ending? We had another assignment to give a PowerPoint presentation that was 5-7 slides on IT and again I thought that I did not know enough information, except this time I did my homework and came out with 100%. Lastly, our final project was another PowerPoint presentation that was based on a made-up business showcasing all that we learned and I received 250 out of 250 points.

Besides the turnaround I made, I found out that I was one of the only students to ever get 100% on any of my instructors assignments.

This was a harsh mistake for me to make but an outstanding life lesson!”

Shortly after sending him my private answer he responded and asked me why I would hide such an excellent answer. My response to him was simple: its embarassing. I thought about it after awhile and realized he was right. Though embarassing and not one of my prouder moments it was a mistake that was turned around and as he put it “employers are not concerned about the mistake as they are about how one corrects the mistake.”

So thank you to him for providing the feedback and the lesson learned in the most extreme fashion!

Manners and such

Think about the last time you went to the grocery store to pick up a few things or to simply restock your house.  What was the experience like? 9 times out of 10 I can say my experience was disappointing at best. Like a few others, I prefer to shop in the middle of the night (around 2-3) in the morning when most people are sleeping. Why? Because I’d rather not deal with the negativity and grouchers that seem to head to the grocery store in daylight. See, between 2-3 am in the morning, there are a lot of silly people out and about and the actual employees who hate their jobs and forget the meaning of customer service are typically behind the scenes which makes for a much more plesant experience. Now this doesn’t mean that everyone is crabby during the day, it just means that I’ve had my fair share of negative vibes thrown at me by the everyday shopper and the cashier and stay clear from it.

Look around you, negativity is everywhere but it certainly doesn’t mean you have to join the bandwagon. Negativity is exhausting and quite draining.

I’ve been raised to always use my manners, addressing others with “yes, ma’am/sir” and most of all to take in a deep breath when everything just seems to be falling because it is not everyone elses fault. Quite frankly, life is too short to be angry and worry about things that you cannot change and have raised my kids to be the same way. So now I will share my tips for helping others see the positive side of things, even if they don’t want to:

1. Smile. Smile. Smile. You never know how much that can help when someone is really down and out. It can change the entire outcome of a conversation, however small.

2. Be genuine and courteous. It goes a long way.

3. When someone asks you how your day is going. Be honest but try to have some humor. Humor is the best kind of medicine and will help liven up the most comfortable situations.

4. You are in control of your own destiny. If you hate your job, fix it. If there is something that has upset you, figure out a way to resolve it or ask for help.

5. Say hi to someone randomly. I know it sounds silly but it is truly little things that can mean the world to someone.

6. If negativity surrounds you, build a wall and keep on pushing through. Sooner or later those negative influences will disappear.

I’m not saying this is easy because even I struggle with it at times but it is certainly possible. As long as you have the “can do” attitude you have the power to do just about anything.

” A pessimist sees the difficulty in every opportunity; an optimist sees the opportunity in every difficulty.” – Winston Churchill

Tips from a Procrastinator

For those of you who are like me and starting school after years of being out in the “grown up” world, time management and organizational skills are absolutely necessary. I have successfully completed my first semester and am just about to finish my second. During this time, I have learned the unfortunately hard way that dedicating time to assignments and reading is absolutely crucial. Missing assignments due to an overlooked syllabus is not an excuse that any teacher wants to hear (trust me on that one). So then, in my very first blog, I will share my tips that have seemed to help me manage work, life, kids and school.

1. Look over all your assignments before the class actually starts and familiarize yourself with what is to come.
2. VERY important: Get a planner and enter in all your assignments. If you work an 8+ hour day, set yourself an outlook reminder as well (this is very handy)
3. When you are ready to start an assignment, turn off the tv, wait until the kids are asleep and focus. Limit the distractions, this can be very hard at times but it is possible!
4. Even if you don’t want to do it, do it. Your grade will thank you later.
5. Save everything multiple times. Not just to your computer but on a transportable device.
6. My final piece of advice, ASK QUESTIONS! Depending on your confidence level (mine sometimes being at a higher level, some may even call it cockiness), breaking down to ask an Instructor a question can make you feel as if you aren’t as smart as you thought you were but trust me when I say, it helps!

The tips provided above seem easy enough to follow but can be very hard to actually stick to if you don’t put your all into it. Time management is everything and with a little bit of rearranging it is possible!