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The Electronic Notebook: A Must Have
I am one of those people that not only have to write things down to remember, but I enjoy writing. I love the process of writing down my thoughts or listening to podcasts or videos and taking notes. Making little doodles as I am learning. This actually helps me remember seeing the note in my mind and I recall the note immediately.
In an effort to go greener and purely by mistake, I found an amazing electronic notebook- The Rocketbook. I must say that my son told me about it awhile back, but I didn’t full understand how to use it until I bought one for myself. I thought it was for the younger generation and nothing I would enjoy but let me tell you it is so easy to use that even I was able to organize my notes within minutes. When you purchase your Rocketbook, the cloud connected notebook, it comes with the notebook, an erasable Frixion pen, and a microfiber cloth.
Let me tell you it helps me in every way. The first one I bought on Amazon, The Rocketbook Fusion https://amzn.to/3NivzRl came with blank pages where you can write any way and anything you like. When you have your notes or drawings done, you simply take a snapshot of your page with the Rocketbook application on your phone (install from the App Store). The scan is sent where ever you have previously chosen to send it checking one of the five barely visible icons at the bottom of the page. For example when I make a list of blog ideas, one of my icons sends scans to a blog folder in my google docs. I can easily refer to this folder to review subjects I want to write about.
When you are writing and scanning, you simply mist the page with water and gently wipe if off and suddenly you have a brand new page again and again your notes appear in google or your email. The Rocketbook comes with one Black fusion pilot as the erasable Clickable Frixion pens are the only pens that erase with the electronic notebook. I found out quickly that I wanted colors to play with and Amazon offered many packs to choose from whether you just want a few of these wonderful erasable pens or you want a large rainbow pack of pens. I have included a link so you can see for yourself. https://amzn.to/3OJnWEN
After I bought some pens to play with in my Rocketbook, I found out that my daughter used the same pens in High School because she loves the ability to erase with the pens eraser and I have to say that these erase fantastically when I want to rewrite something i have done in error. You know those words that you couldnt think of and so forth.
A couple of things I have found out about my beloved Rocketbook notebook. Don’t leave your Rocketbook in the hot sun such as a car in Florida or the ink will disappear. If you write on a page and leave it for a month or so, when you erase it, you may still see a little remnant of the old verbiage or picture you had previously drawn. It’s best to write and erase in a timely manner.
All and all I love my Rocketbook Fusion. The only thing I would ask for it a case to carry it in as it is flexable and you don’t want your Rocketbook to bend.
I know I have found the perfect way to be able to keep my notes sending them to my email or google docs, organizing them as I scan for review at a later date while being green and not wasting so much paper as I had before.
If you are a writer and love the feel of a pen and paper. This is for you. Please feel free to check out my links above. They will take you to Amazon where you can browse and buy for the same price you would if went straight to Amazon, however if you do use my link to go to Amazon, I will be given a small commission and will be grateful to you for helping support my small business.
Do yourself a favor and check out this fantastic device. The smart notebook that eliminates the wasted paper syndrome.
Spring Cleaning & Your Medicine Cabinet
It’s that Anticipated Time… Spring Cleaning! Every year we are quick to get out the cleaning supplies and go to work “Spring Cleaning” various areas in our house and surroundings. Tackling jobs that perhaps we have put off during regular house cleaning lists during the year. Every year we are excited and content after reviewing our accomplishments and checking off our “To Do” list.
But one area usually tends to go forgotten: the medicine cabinet. This might not be an area that you normally think of however, it is an important one that I would urge you to add to your To Do List, right next to changing those batteries in the smoke detectors.
If you are like me and take several daily medications, you might have prescriptions and over the counter drugs that are out of date and need to be discarded of properly. Don’t Wait-This is the Time!
Maybe you think you don’t have that many medications around that house. Maybe you wonder how people even find themselves having to spring clean the medicine cabinet.
Here is my story so that you can understand a reality for a lot of people. For many years, my doctors have gone back and forth prescribing different medications and different doses for Chronic conditions. All of my doctors are in communication with each other and I always use one pharmacy to fill my prescriptions for safety reasons.
I would pick up a prescription from my local pharmacy and begin to take it only to end up with a side effect or the medication wouldn’t be as effective as originally believed. I would put that bottle in my medicine cabinet with the thought that I might need it again, and then I would forget it was there over time. My doctors and I would try different medications and different doses so while I had the same medication, I might have it in 3 different doses that I would keep as well. Why pay for costly medications when I could just keep them until the day came when I would need them again?
My prescriptions were not kept in one place. They were in different places depending on the type of medication and the time of day I was supposed to be taking it. For example, evening medications were kept in my night stand. Morning prescriptions were kept in my bathroom (now I am told that decreased effectiveness so move your medications if you keep them here). Midday prescriptions were kept in another place. It was only when a critical, almost devastating circumstance with my teenager made me take inventory and “Spring Clean” my medication.
I have created a medication log that you can download from my Etsy store for easy inventory of your prescriptions.
https://www.etsy.com/listing/985163820/medication-list?ref=listing_published_alert
Important items to know for you and a health care professional. I also keep a smaller version in my wallet as well in case of an emergency. I suffer from Chronic Migraines and I have had to present my list when I was not able to speak or think of my current prescriptions and doses.
I have compiled the following questions:
- Your prescription Name
- What is the condition it is prescribed for?
- Who is the prescription for? Which member of your family takes this?
- What is the dosage and frequency of this medication?
- What is the expiration date of this medication?
- Do you have any notes pertaining to your medication, such as take with food; Do not take with Grapefruit, etc.
Now that you have gone through all of your medications and are ready to dispose of them, what next?
DO NOT THROW PRESCRIPTIONS MEDICATIONS IN THE TOILET OR DISGARD PRESCRIPTION MEDICATIONS DOWN THE SINK.
This has known to contaminate water even with the current water filtering. Call your pharmacy and see how they want you to discard your medications. Many will take them and discard of them for you. Cities usually have set times during the year that they take back medications and dispose of them properly, so please check with your city for times.
When I had to take inventory, I didn’t realize how many medications I had and sadly most expired and I shouldn’t have even had them. Unnecessary medications whether new or old, not in use do not need to be around your house if you live with children, unless you have them in a locked space just as you would a firearm or any other deadly item.
I would love to hear from you about your “Spring Cleaning”. How did it go? Did you find that you had many items you were surprised with? Don’t you feel much safer and confident knowing that you have tackled one more space in your house and made everyone safer?
If you find value in this subject, please forward this to friends and family. This topic is so important and needs to be a discussion in your house.
Please contact me on social media at dramafree_mama or comment below and let me and other readers know your thoughts. I would love to connect with you and get to know you.
Code Red /Emergency Preparedness
It’s another work day, nothing unusual until I get the text, “Mom, there is a Code Red. I am locked in the main building in a closet.
Immediately anxiety begins to swell inside me. I knew this wasn’t a drill because drills are always announced due to the nature of the drill and the anxiety that everyone still feels as we have just passed the anniversary of the MSD shooting in Parkland. Plus, the school had just had a code red drill several days prior.
For those of you not familiar with a code red, it means that someone in on campus with a weapon or a threat of that nature. Police are called in and the school is in complete lockdown.
But now my daughter and fellow students and teacher were locked up in a space with chairs and tables blocking the door. This is normal procedure until the code is placed into a yellow before normal activities can resume.
I had not received and email or a phone call from the school explaining what was going on which is the normal process as well but my daughter was giving me updates as to what was happening and what they believed was going on.
Then she turned off her phone. Yes, then I went into panic mode. In her mind, because we have gone through this situation for many hours in the past, she didn’t want to take the chance of her cell phone dying when she did need to reach me. To tell me she was safe and the code was over.
My daughter did return home safe but upset. From that point on, I insisted that she carry a portable charger just for this reason. Not to spend more time on her phone while in study hall but to keep it for an emergency situation. One thing that makes me so good at my corporate job is that I can forsee situations and pivot always having a plan B. This was my plan B: a portable charger in case it was needed to charge a phone.
We have always portable chargers that we purchased off of Amazon after a hurricane several years ago. A medium sized one that can be charged by either solar power or a usb. It also has a compass on the back as well. This is the size of a wallet. We have used this when we go camping or during storms just to ensure that if we ever have a situation, we are prepared. You can find this by clicking the following link to go to Amazon-https://amzn.to/3Niupp2
My daughter also has a smaller one that would fit in a purse and is about 3” x 1”. https://amzn.to/3nhJkFc
If you or your child were in an emergency situation, is your cell phone accessible and ready?
Have you had this discussion with your family to determine and create a plan B?
Unfortunately, this is a discussion that everyone needs to have.
What is your backup plan?
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CNA Positions-A Job For You?
My first professional job as a young adult was working as a CNA, a Certified Nursing Assistant at Nursing Home near my home which eventually led to a job at a large hospital in Ocala, Florida for many years. I loved my job. I loved helping patients and later assisting doctors when I was given the opportunity to attend special classes at the hospital, becoming a specialized technician able to perform other procedures not given to the assistants right out of school. It was the best job for me as a single mom because I was able to attend school for a short amount of time to obtain a great career, putting my two young boys in daycare nearby and then as they became a little older, I would pick them up after school and have them stay in the nurses lounge while I finished my shift.
At the hospital, I was able to work Neurology, Med Surge, Hospice, and the ER department. It is hard to say what my favorite area was. I loved the rush of the ER department because you had to be on your toes and be ready to pivot to something new immediatley, but I also loved working hospice because the patients there became like family to me. It was my job to keep them comfortable during their last moments. I learned so much from these patients because they had a different outlook on life as it was coming to an end for them. They were at peace and didn’t worry about past regrets or grievances that they might have had. They were just enjoying the people around them.
Maybe this is a job that you have thought about. While I don’t endorse any companies, I was contacted by the following company regarding scholarships that they have for people who are interested in this path. This doesnt have to be a career choice, it could be a new beginning or it could be a segway into something else. Check out the following class information and scholarships that might just be what you are looking for.
· https://cnafreetraining.com/about-us/cna-free-training-scholarship/
· https://cnaclassesnearme.com/cna-scholarship/
The amount awarded for the above scholarships is $500 each.
“CNA Free Training” provides free training materials for those preparing to take the CNA exam, which is a requirement in order to become a licensed CNA. They have free practice tests for each section of the CNA exam, as well as supplemental training materials that can be used while taking CNA classes – all of which are free.
“CNA Classes Near Me” helps those interested in becoming a Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA) find training programs. Many of these programs are free as they are funded by the U.S. Department of Labor or state equivalent agencies. The site has state by state pages that list out all training locations in a given state as well as their contact information.
While I have since chosen a different path, the teaching and the moments I shared as a CNA will never leave me and I would encourage everyone to take a course even if it is just to teach yourself about caring for a family member.
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Have a great day and stay “Drama Free”.
Balance
Finally its 2021 and in January and it is traditional that we make goals or resolutions-
Right?
Well, this year my goal is different from years past of dieting and exercising daily. Don’t get me wrong, those are great goals but they need to have action plans-something I never did before.
This year my goals are related to my small business and my personal life because they tend to blend into each other. This year my goal is all about BALANCE.
This past year I restarted my online small business and with everyone being stuck at home, I found that the business took over my personal life. I still went to my Corporate Job every day, but the moment I got home, it was all about my reselling business. That was all I did, all I talked about. Before I started the business again, I did have a talk with my teenage daughter and she motivated me to do what I loved, but as the months continued, I was either sourcing, or listing, tracking inventory and on and on. All of my inventory was in my bedroom so I was constantly reminded of it. Sometimes even waking up in the middle of the night, checking email and packaging items to get them out with the morning’s mail.
Now I mentioned earlier that every goal, must have an action. So here is what I did.
January 2nd, I moved all of my listed inventory to a storage unit, only leaving items that needed to be reviewed. That still gave me a lot of inventory at the house, but I was able to easily sort these into donate to Goodwill, donate to a local charity, items to list and items to test before listing.
Taking the inventory away was a difficult task for me because I loved being able to pull and ship inventory at any time, but my home life was suffering because I had no balance.
I immediately felt a sense of peace once the items were removed from my bedroom.
I encourage everyone who wants to start a small business to begin with what you have and spend no extra money, however with this said, when you begin to grown and feel stress in your life, you have to take a good look at your business and personal life and decide what is important you your true self.
If you enjoy content like this, please subscribe to my social media dramafree_mama and drop me a note.
Good Grief Charlie Brown
Where has Charlie Brown gone? It’s only days before Halloween and I find out that after 54 consecutive years, the Charlie Brown Halloween special has been taken off the air as well as the rest of the rest of the Charlie Brown movies created by Charles M. Schultz.
I remember as a small child looking forward to watching, “It’s the Great Pumpkin Charlie Brown”.
The whole family would grab some popcorn and sit down together as a family to watch this classic movie. Poor Charlie Brown just could never get a break, but his trusted dog Snoopy was always there by his side.
We laughed at the teacher that was never meant to be understood by her language but you always knew what she was saying by the way Charlie Brown reacted.
While ABC has owned the rights since the 1960’s (I was born in 1966), Apple bought the rights in 2018.
Apple TV+ announced it will be offering it free on their streaming subscription service from October 19th until October 30th.
What will be do without our classics that even our grown kids and teens alike enjoy watching? It is a holiday tradition in our house.
I feel that family traditions are becoming a thing of the past. I make sure we try to keep a few traditions such as eating dinner together every night and talking about our day to our special Christmas countdown tree where behind every numbered door you will find a Hershey Kiss. One year, I put a different kind of small candy behind each door and on day one, I was told that’s not how we do it, it has to be a Kiss. I immediately ran to the store to keep our tradition alive and never strayed again.
How do you feel about the Charlie Brown series being taken off of public TV? Does your family enjoy sitting down to watch them too? What are some things that you do as a family? I would love to hear about it. If you enjoy my blog please subscribe to it and tell your friends. If you have topics you are interested in email me at info@dramafreemama.com.
Cow Cuddling
Cow cuddling you exclaim? Oh yes, this is a real thing. Not a petting zoo type of atmosphere, but a therapeutic session with mental health benefits. Since the pandemic has begun, we have lost the ability to touch and hug each other leaving us isolated and stressed out. I don’t know about you, but I for one have been stressed during these times just watching the daily news to see the pandemic situation or the current election drama.
Cow cuddling is believed to promote positivity and reduce stress by boosting oxytocin in humans, the hormone released in social bonding. The calming effects of curling up with a pet or emotional support animal, it seems, are elevated when cuddling with larger mammals
Cows have a higher body temperature than humans and their heart rate is slower, both qualities that help people relax.
Now this Bodine therapy is not recommended in place of mental health therapy, however, it is a good supplement.
What will your cost run for one of these Cow cuddling sessions? 75.00 an hour and the cows are free to get up and walk around at their leisure. They are not restricted in any way. They prefer to lay down to digest their food which makes them the perfect animal to cuddle to.
Will this cow cuddling trend continue? Is this a practice that you would be open to? I would love to hear from you either by commenting below or contacting me at info@dramafreemama.com.
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I’m off to look for a Cow farm near me….
The New Normal -Covid 19
What will be the new normal after Covid 19? We all are aware now of the illness that took over in 2019, and grew into a worldwide pandemic in 2020. The Corona Virus took the lives of many people and seemed to target elderly people and people with pre-existing conditions.
Many people lost thier jobs due to the shutdown of large companies because of manadory state shutdowns to quarentine and social distancing guidelines. It has been a rough beginning to 2020, a year that everyone was looking forward to and expecting this to be thier year of productivity, balance, and economic fortune.
So where are we now in late June of 2020? Our children were able to pivot and learn Online Learning, but what will the new school year look like in August? I would imagine it will be a half and half situation. Students alternating between being on campus and learning online with days of cleaning to keep everyone safe.
In this uncertain time, my corporate job has implemented a temperature screening checkpoint upon entry of the building. Hand sanitizers are on desks everywhere with cleaning stations set up throughout the building. Masks are required at all meetings when we cannot be 6 feet apart.
How does this affect reselling- my part time job that I enjoy more than anything? It has been a hard year for sure. Quarentine has made it nearly impossible to find product to source and many resellers had to pivot from thier normal niche to sell whatever they could get their hands on to have some type of income. I was fortunate that I had a source that continued even though my products continued to change weekly.
But lets now talk about the good things that this Pandemic brought about if you can wrap your brain around this outlook.
We are all in this together– We have been kinder to our fellow neighbors and have been on the lookout for people that cannot get the basic essentials or are in need of food.
Hand Washing– which should just be a normal aspect of hygiene has now been re-inforced. People-wash your hands regularly for 30 seconds-just sing the Happy Birthday song. This will reduce sickness in general for many illnesses that people suffer from.
Our Houses and Offices are cleaner now that we are aware of bacteria living on surfaces for days. People are finding themselves thinking of surfaces that they never thought about before. This will cut down on normal illnesses as well.
Supporting Small Business– People are having items delivered and have been supporting the small business community like never before. Lets hope this does not change in the future.
So for now, we will continue wearing out masks out in public and going through temperature checks at work places and retail stores. This has become the new normal in 2020.
Reselling: 3 Myths
For years I have run this blog -drama free mama.com. I am a single mom, working full time for the same company for 23 years and suddenly I found myself having to take on a second job on the weekends. This meant I was working 7 days a week, 8 hours a day and besides having no life with my family, my health started to decline as well. But what was I to do? I needed the extra money. Is there anyone that can relate to needing some extra income? I’m sure you are with me.
12 years ago, I ran a consignment store at out of my house on www.toygoround.net getting my products from friends at my daughters preschool and family. Consignment turned out to be a lot of work with all the paperwork and I was still working full time. I had to stop reselling after a couple of years due to life changes.
This year- in good old 2020, I started sourcing and reselling again. Great time to begin a business right? My main platform is on Ebay with Toygoroundinc.
I started out with 18.00 of sales in January but then the Pandemic hit and everyone was buying online. My part time sales went up to 1800 a month. I began streamlining many processes and still try to make at least one of my processes at least % better every week. Whether it is making my listings better. Selling off bad inventory, or just sourcing better.
That’s why I decided to begin a YouTube channel Drama Free Mama. Starting off this year, I made several mistakes when I began reselling and I want to tell you about them in an effort to help new resellers. Even with this Pandemic, there are so many platforms such as Ebay, Mercari, Boomerang, Etsy and so forth that you can sell on even part time and make some good money.
On my channel I will take you through my journey of sourcing and reselling and today I am going to tell you three myths to start you out.
- You don’t have to have capital to start out. Yes, you see the ads on YouTube saying buy my resell program, have enough Capital at all times to purchase big lots of items. But I am here to tell you that you don’t have to have capital to start off. Take a look at what you have around your house, Get donations from family members, making sure it is in good condition and list those items.
- You don’t need an Ebay Store. Don’t pay for a Store in the beginning. On Ebay you can list up to 50 items free. Sign up today.
- You Don’t need to make big investments when you start
All you need is a scale to weigh your packages, Tape, shipping packages free from the post office,labels and a printer.
- I would recommend setting up a USPS account to have items delivered to you. I’ll talk more about this in another blog.
I will be posting YouTube videos on a weekly basis, but until next time, Bring On The Day and let’s start sourcing and reselling.
if you have a question or comment, please let me know. You can reach me at below in the comments or by emailing me at info@dramafreemama.com
