Loss of a child

I know people say that you're supposed to live your life and enjoy people and time while you have them, but how is it possible when people are droppin like flies? Moreso, children are passing on every day and I cant help but worry and live in fear. The people that are strongest to me are the parents who have lost their children, especially as babies. I pray that I never experience this, but I always wonder how do they go on? I totally understand why it's important to have more children because not only are ou gving your child a companion, but if you have more kids, your heart will still beat. You still have a reason to live. I pray and I pray that I will never lose my son. I must die before him because when his heart stops, so will mine...

I know everyone beliefs that their son is the sweetest thing in the world and that theyre a genius, etc.... And I believe you guys, but trust me when i say that MY son is the best person in the world! He's a better person than me for sure! And he's so loving! He's now giving kisses (open mouthed), and when I tell him to give me a kiss, he grabs my face and just opens his mouth over my lips! And he hugs my face! It's the absolute best feeling in the world!!!!

Just an update...

So I reviewed the Department of Labor's website and found out that there IS unemployment benefits available for individuals seeking self-employment but it's optional. Meaning each state doesn't have to offer that program. And of course this damn place I call home doesn't offer. I've been looking for a number to call so I can get some info on exactly why my government, that I pay taxes at, refused to opt for funds that would benefit our island. It's already bad enough that the cost of living is ridiculously high, but there is nobody lobbying to appropriate the funds that can help boost employment rates! I loooove my island, I'm a proud Virgin Islander, and an even protrude St. Thomian, but moving back to the states is sounding pretty damn good right now....

Recipe: Sticky BBQ Chicken wings

Today my mouth was sauced up for two things: potatoes and creamed spinach. I initially wanted roasted, garlic potatoes, but there weren't enough potatoes. Before I could come up with an alternative, my eyes scanned my cabinet and found two boxes of Betty Crocker Au gratin potatoes.   Before I post the recipe, please note that I rarely do any measuring so I can't give exact measurements for everything. Here's what you'll need for the meal:

 

• Chicken wings - clean them and season to your liking but do not season heavily. You can cut the tips if you want but I like to keep mine on
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• Betty Crocker Au gratin. As many as you need. I made two boxes for two people but I expect it to last at least until Wednesday.
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• Two boxes of frozen chopped spinach, defrosted. You can use one but you'll wish you made more
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• 1 package of grated Parmesan
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• Butter
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• Onion
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• Clove of Garlic
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• Red pepper flakes
• Sour cream
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• Evaporated milk. Can also use heavy cream but I didn't have any today
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• Nutmeg
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• French's fried onions
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• Salt and Pepper to taste

 

 

Preheat oven to 400•F. Follow the instructions on the Au gratin box(remember to duplicate ingredient amounts if using more than one box). Put Au gratin in oven.
Arrange seasoned chicken wings in aluminum pan and cover with foil. Place in oven.
Melt butter in saucepan. Add onions, red pepper flakes, and garlic and sauté for about 3 minutes. Add milk or heavy cream, nutmeg and Parmesan cheese. Stir often until cheese whims to melt. When sauce turns creamy and starts to bubble, add spinach and sour cream. Turn off heat. Mix everything together then pour spinach into a buttered baking dish.

 I learned this trick from Sunny Anderson on The Food Network's Cooking For Real: top spinach with French's fried onions.

Place in oven. I swear, you're gonna wanna eat the whole thing!

Remove Au Gratin after 25 minutes, spinach after about 10(don't let onions burn), and remove cover from wings after about 25 minutes. Continue baking until a caramel color appears after about 15 minutes. Turn wings over and let other side brown for another 10 minutes. I drizzled a little semi-homeade BBQ sauce I whipped together on the stove. Just mix some existing BBQ sauce, tomato sauce, parsley, salt and black pepper, a little water and some browning in the saucepan with the cream sauce for a few minutes. Hope you try this recipe and enjoy it like we did!

Why Are Robots #winning Operation: Unemployment?

As the unemployment rate continues to decline, why are there still so many automated services? I understand it is more cost effective to the company to use machines and not incur the cost of training, payroll, and all other fees associated with hiring just one person; not to mention the risks. But at some point, these companies are going to have to realize 3 very important things:

1. Unless people can afford your service, you won't make any money. People can't afford your service because they don't have jobs.

2. People don't have jobs because you, major corporation that could open atleast 100 slots, would rather leave an automated service to run your company. Now, I know that it is easier in certain situations to use an automated service, but the MAJORITY of stuff should now be returned to humans. Because guess what>

3. I AM ANNOYED WITH AUTOMATED SERVICES! Most consumers generally are. It is less time consuming for the consumer to say what the problem is to a human, than to wait for a machine to say your option, and then give you an option within an option.

Don't get me wrong, I'm annoyed with horrible customer service as well, especially in my community, but I would much rather see the employment rate increase and get this economy as close to where it should be as possible. Why are we paying taxes? Here's something to ponder:

America is our nation right? We are charged for EVERYTHING. We can't just wake up in the morning and go about our day and just pay for what we use. No, we pay taxes for everything we buy(sales tax), we pay taxes just for having a job(income tax), plus other witholdings from our earnings. Who do we pay these taxes to? The government. Why do they claim we're paying these taxes? Basically to keep America running. So, basically, we are paying to keep America running, right? And the government is who we're paying this money to? And the Federal Reserve bank is who fronts the bill? So, if the government gets money from the Federal Reserve bank to pay for America's upkeep, and then they charge us taxes to make the money needed to pay back to the Federal Reserve, is it safe to say that the government has mismanaged our funds? How is it that NASA can spend $100M for each project (and they have alot of projects both failed and successful)? Is the government funding NASA or did they skip the middle man and go straight to the Bank?

I'll close with this: A few months ago I applied for unemplyment benefits. I was in no violation of any policy that would 1. cause termination or 2. get declined for unemployment benefits. When you apply for unemplyment benefits, you're asked if you are willing and available to seeking employment. Basically, you have to seem like you're willing to go back to work and not sit on your butt and contribute to the failing economy. I explained that I am willing and available, but I am now heading in the direction of self employment. I had just given birth and decided that after the situation with my employer, self emplyment was my only option. I was denied benefits. Now, I have an HR background and I know how unemployment works. There was over $8,000.00 that I was eligible to receive. Money, I would have used toward my business. A business that would create jobs. No, I refuse to believe this is what I get for slaving away for employers and paying my taxes for over 10 years of my 29 years of life. Even though I've found a successful home based business, I could still use that money AND it's the principle..... Readers, I'll keep you pposted, but I can't just TAKE this one.....

Why should I pay to get an online job?

Have you ever tried looking for a work from home job online? So, you're tired too then huh? Why is every work at home opportunity you find asking YOU to pay THEM to LEARN how to start making money? Not even to start making money right away, but to LEARN how? Just a bunch of metadata (data about data). And they all basically say the same thing and they never have anything that you're looking for. For example, I initially started looking for something along the lines of data entry; just doing the typing tasks people were too lazy to do. Something that I was qualified or over qualified to do from the comfort of my home during the hours my son sleeps.

But instead, I keep getting vague information about exactly what it is a company is claiming to do. Then you take a chance and spend your little bit of money, keeping your fingers crossed that you're about to be directed to a site with available jobs and clear verbiage about how you get paid. But instead, you have to watch a vague video about how much money you can make working from home. At the end of that video you think you're now about to get some info, but instead, ANOTHER VIDEO! and another and another and ANOTHEEERR!!! gggrrrrrrrrrr!!!!

So because if this, I'm about to share with you the work at home opportunity that I found, that is definitely straight to the point. You don't have to pay me a dime, you won't pay for information, you won't spend any extra money than what you already spend and you can receive MONTHLY checks as soon as next month. Excuse my french, but NO BULLSHIT!

The first thing you should know is that there is a small fee involved but it's not what you're thinking. Hear me out. I've partnered with a wellness company that specializes in enhancing lives and helping families achieve financial freedom. The fee goes to them. YOU WILL NEVER EVER EVER PAY ME A DIME. All I am doing is introducing you to them. Why? Because they don't advertise and unless you were introduced to them by a member you most likely haven't heard of them. I know I hadn't either.

Here are the few steps that you will take. Everything I say is exactly what I did that helped me to start receiving a guaranteed monthly check:

1. I was introduced to the company via  webcast and conference call that lasted about 30 minutes. The webcast is very informative and I highly recommend contacting me so I can email you the link but in a nutshell... The company manufactures over 350 products that we use everyday. But it's not the regular store bought brands. It's the natural version to the chemically induced ones found in stores. And trust me when I tell you, they're better quality and faaaaar less expensive than store brands. Everytime I shop, I save 40-60% of the money I would have spent in stores. I'll get back to this....

2. I reviewed the link to the company's website and selected the products that I needed. I bought a laundry pack that contained 6x concentrated detergent, color guard, dryer sheets, and stain remover; I bought 2 childrens body wash and 1 hair wash; lotion; hand soap; a dental pack that contained whitening tooth polish, mouth wash, dental floss and breath spray; and a 4x concentrated cleaning product. Now remember, everything I bought contains nooooo harsh chemicals and all liquid items are concentrated. For that first order including shipping, I only paid about $60. Had I driven to the store, I would have had to get my son ready, make his bottles, strap him in his car seat, drive cautiously, get to the store, find parking, unload my son, walk into the store, find each item individually, head to the rude cashier and pay close to or over $180 for chemicals in addition to items not on my list. Instead, I clicked away and received a package by mail a few days later. Moving on...

3. The person who introduced me to the company did a 3 way call and connected me to the company so I could give them my information to create my membership and place my order. This is where the fee comes in.

4. The first fee you will pay is your membership fee. I paid $1 because it was a special promotion that month. Unless there is a promotion for a membership discount, the regular membership fee is $29.00 for your first year and then $12.00 every year after. (NOTE: AS OF TODAY, DECEMBER 1, 2011, THE MEMBERSHIP FEE IS $14.50 FOR YOUR FIRST YEAR. THATS A 50% DISCOUNT UNTIL 12/15/11. For any other date, shoot me a message for the current promotion)

5. The second fee I paid was the $60.00 for my products. Let me take this opportunity to say that the money I spent on these products would have been spent anyway. Meaning, had I not found these amazing, natural substitutions for what I would have bought in the stores, I would not have saved over $100 and I would have wasted money on products that were only contributing to toxins in my home and around my newborn. By simply redirecting my money to a better and cost effective store and changing the way I shop for household items....I WIN!

6. I opted to receive checks from the company, so I signed up as a marketing executive (NO EXTRA CHARGE OR HIDDEN FEES)

7. When I got my products in the mail, I used them immedieately so that I could test them out and make sure that the products were as high quality as claimed. Cuz the prices I paid were so unbelievable! I fell in LOVE with the products! It is such a pleasure to go on my hands and knees to scrub my tub and not have the burning stench of chlorine invade my eyes and nose. And then to have the product clean just as good as clorox was a huge plus. The best thing was switching my sons bath products. Knowing that there aren't ANY harsh chemicals in his stuff is relaxing. Now the formaldehyde in the Quanterium 15(Q15) won't have a chance to irritate my sons eyes, skin or genitals. It's one thing to put this in adult products, but the babies?? Come on J&J!

8. Once I trusted the products, I got so excited I went online and started looking for more products that I could slowly buy to transition my home into a toxin free home. I placed them in my shopping cart. You don't have to do this at this point though. The next thing I did was call a few family members to tell them about my amazing find. I showed them the webcast and introduced them to the company.

9. I set an appointment and enrolled 8 of the 13 people I approached. They bought products and switched the way they shopped. I continued and still continue to this day to tell people about the company, set appointments to direct them to the webcast and enrolled them. Another method I utilized was to do my own presentation. The presentation that's on the webcast is also available on DVD and it is included in your membership packet when you pay your membership fee. So, I invited a few friends over so they could see the DVD and I stuffed them with free food and drink. Except for 3 or 4 questions that just reiterated what was on the DVD, they all pretty much got all the info from the DVD. The next day I enrolled a couple of them.

10. I placed my next order and replaced more of my daily needs including THE WORLD'S BEST VITAMINS!! These vitamins are 10x more absorbable than average vitamins and they are awwwweessome. I wont sit here at delve into the wonderment of them, but I will say this: if you're a person like I was, who has trouble getting up in the morning, these vitamins are for you. Before, I could literally sleep all day and wake up the next day at 9am feeling like I didnt sleep a wink. These vitamins keep me so rejuvenated throughout the day, yet help me to awake at 5am every morning ready for my day! A few days after placing my 2nd order, I got my first check in the mail!! It was only $51 but I felt so accomplished! Plus I felt more at peace knowing that this wasn't a scam. I used that check to pay for my 3rd order and only had to pay for shipping. Now, my monthly checks help pay for my orders when I shop with them. Ive only been a member a few months but I am constantly approaching people about my home business.

This is the least amount of "work" you'll ever have to do to get a paycheck....LEGALLY. If you're still skeptical about starting your own wellness business, it's understandable, but it's very lucrative and very rewarding. First off, before you even make money, you save money buying the things you already NEED in your home. You eliminate the toxins and you provide a safer environment for your family. Just like you are reading this and are interested in saving money and trying out better quality products, someone else will.... I know I did, and so did the people I enroll! Here are some types of people that are interested in saving money and/or making money and/or using safer products:

Parents
First time parents
Grandparents
Eco-friendly people
People interested in improving their carbon footprint
Day care centers
Custodial companies
Homeowners
Unemployed
Recent college grads
People seeking a Plan B to their financial situation

I think you get my drift....

I hope this helps and saves you some time from other "opportunities". This one is legit and has no hidden agenda. It's not an MLM business and you won't ever lose. Now, keep in mind that in order to really benefit from this opportunity, you have to change your lifestyle....meaning, you have to want to enhance it. Here's what you should keep in mind:

1. First and foremost, you HAVE to switch stores. It won't make any sense to purchase your products from the company and still turn around and buy the chemical version from walmart. You'll be spending extra money and won't notice the savings you'd be missing out on.

2. In order to receive a check every month, you have to introduce and enroll at least one person, the same way you were enrolled (there are also 2 other ways to enroll them that involves paperwork). Once you have atleast one person, you automatically get a check EVERY MONTH. Again, excuse the french, but NO BULLSHIT!

3. You might have noticed I haven't called the company name as yet. Honestly, I don't want you to go to the site on your own. If you ask me, of course I'll tell you, but then it won't benefit me. You can always go to the site and sign up, but then it wouldn't be fair that I typed alllll this, and you don't allow me to enroll you so that you could help my checks continue to grow. (I'm just keeping it real)

4. Last but not least, the reason allowing me to enroll you will benefit you is because me and my team are your support group. I am apart of the very awesome Finding Freedom team and we offer TOTALLY FREE training to help you build your business. There is no charge for this training, and it is optional.

Ready to enroll? Want to see a product list? Want to schedule an appointment to view the webcast? Or do you just have some questions? Email me at luhenley@gmail.com You can also go to my website to leave your contact information to be directed to the webcast. My website is iWorkSmartNotHard.com.