Wordless Wednesday- Are you serious??

in , by Linda A Kinsman, Wednesday, September 21, 2011
I've always loved looking at and commenting on the Wordless Wednesday posts I've come across in my bloggy travels.  I've said countless times, " this looks like fun, I should do it".
On Monday I was going through the ba-zillon photos I've got stored on the family computer, when I happened upon this gem.



WW are you serious?


Now, I've just gotta say, I have no idea what I was saying or to whom. I know this was taken on Christmas day at my sis-in laws, so I know I was in complete control of all of my faculties, if you know what I mean.

There was no imbibing or adult type merry making, just a typical family holiday with a hostess who likes to stay on schedule.  ( Okay, I'm not pointing fingers, or judging, but for those without kids from those with kids, these events can't be rushed, you need to allot more time than you think; just a friendly F.Y.I.).   


Maybe I was reacting to the " Hey, who's ready to eat" question I seem to remember. ( Smile) We were still knee deep in unopened gifts at the time... just a thought, what do you think?


Have a wonderful, full of happiness and sunshine, over the hump day!
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Offline is fine

in , , , by Linda A Kinsman, Tuesday, September 20, 2011
                            


Oh, no! It's raining! That was my first thought when I woke up this morning. Not that I'm anti-rain, I usually love the rain ( just not big, nasty storms, thank you). I didn't want it to rain for entirely personal reasons.

I was meeting a dear friend for coffee, something we vowed we'd do over the summer, but never quite managed with our busy lives. I was hoping we could sit outside at the coffee shop, but in the end, inside was just fine! I got to meet my dear friend at a new place and meet new people in my neighborhood.

 I was networking, without even thinking about it that way. Sometimes we have to get off our computers my friends! I know, I hear you, social media is on every ones lips these days ( even mine as I pick up consulting jobs in social media), but read on and you'll see why offline is fine too! 

There is a great article about this over at:  Wahm.com.

It's a worthy read. I'd love for you to share with me your tips on how you balance networking on and offline.


Oh, and the sugar free almond latte was almost as good as catching up with my friend!



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Don't Copy Me

in , , , , by Linda A Kinsman, Tuesday, September 13, 2011



As I sat down to my laptop this morning, I had every intention of finishing up the post I'd been working on over the weekend. After visiting so many wonderful blogs over the last few weeks ( many of whom stopped by here first, thank you), I decided that I needed to post here more often AND that it was perfectly okay for me to talk more about family stuff to boot! Afterall, I am a work at home Mom; home is in my title.
So, I was writing a piece all heartwarming and domestic-ey, when I decided to take a break and see how my lil' blog that could was doing this fine morning.

Imagine my surprise when I saw that I've had a boat load of visitors this morning, but only a handful were reading my latest post ( yes, I was looking at my stats) and there were no new comments... so super sleuth that I am followed the yellow brick road of clicks to this post: http://mywahmplan.blogspot.com/2011/07/honey-nut-cheerios-freebie.html

Okay people, there could only be a couple of reasons you are visiting this old post. And I have a sneaking suspicion that getting the freebie wasn't the lure. IF you are doing a review for this brand or IF you are offering this Freebie too, kindly do your own leg work, find your own pictures ( like I did) and write your own review. Don't copy me. Thank you!

Thanks to Miranda over at Moms Book Shelf for having a Copyright Free button on her blog.
I've placed one on my blog now, so I feel somewhat protected.

I'd love to hear from you on this topic. Has your work been used without your knowledge or consent?
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Monday and my Plan

in , , , , , by Linda A Kinsman, Monday, August 29, 2011
Family work balance


It has been a while since I shared my plan for the week. What with the new school year starting, my social media manager position for Kinsman's Carpentry & Custom Cabinets
taking off, and the blessed relief from the heat, I was loathe to sit at the computer last night and type up my plan of action. 


 However, today is the last Monday of the month, so without further ado:

My plan for the week:


Home:


Bake banana bread
Go to Ms. T's schools open house tonight
start packing away some summer clothes
re-organize the front closet
move rocking chair project higher up on my list (since it didn't get done last week)
proof read Ms. M's school website and report findings to teacher
harvest basil to make pesto
take old magazines to library for share counter
clean out frig and freezer
continue company checks on security alerts for mother-in-law
update and sync all calendars with upcoming important school/family/church dates
start a new coupon binder/organizing system
stop everything and be grateful when each of my family members arrive home safely,
look into their eyes and be present and available.


Work: His:


Link husbands new website to all social accounts
advertise new website with ad credits received from hosting company, (Google AdWords, Bing, Yahoo, Facebook, etc)
Update his profile picture
tag all photos in his gallery prior to ad placement
send follow up letters/emails to recent clients
upload latest project photos on Facebook and website
peruse September trade publications for interesting articles to share
continue to make sure he knows daily how much he is appreciated


 Work: Mine:

visit bloggy buddies, groups, websites and engage in all social media sites
learn more about my Google + account (ie. how to add it to my blog and other social sites)
look into hosting packages for my social media manager division
make a thank you for contacting me letter for initial inquires to hire me
research fee structure for my services
remember to not take it personally when a person or business does not follow up in the same manner or time frame I would
read blogs, take an e-course, continue to learn how best to move forward with my social media manager career
thank the Lord daily that I am blessed to be a work at home mom!


So that's my plan and it's a lofty one to be sure. No matter what, (unless it's billing, cause we need to eat) I will always put family first, so it won't surprise me in the slightest if some of these tasks are back on my list next week.

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Pepsico Women's Inspiration Network

in , , , , , by Linda A Kinsman, Tuesday, August 23, 2011

It is always nice receiving feedback on a project you've particpated in. Recently I was invited to take the  PepsiCo Women & Leadership survey. This was a very in depth, thought provoking survey and I was happy to lend my voice.


Here's a recent email I received from SheSpeaks, the company who asked me to participate:




Dear Linda,

Thank you so much for taking the time to participate in our recent PepsiCo Women & Leadership survey. As always, your feedback was incredibly helpful. We had an amazing response to this survey. It shows that female leadership is a hot topic!
What you said:
•71% of women believe that a woman will not win the presidency in 2012
•Most women think the greatest challenge to achieving leadership roles is the perception that women make less effective leaders
•Hillary Clinton was most frequently cited as the most inspirational female global leader, followed by Michelle Obama and Oprah Winfrey
•The majority of women have no preference between working for a male or female boss
•Women equally rank hard work and the ability to inspire as the most-needed leadership skills, as seen in the chart below
For more information, please visit the PepsiCo WIN site.

Thanks again for participating in this survey. We truly value your feedback and insights.
We look forward to offering you more opportunities to share your voice about products, services and the topics that are most important to you.

Thanks,
The SheSpeaks Team


Do you agree with the findings? Who inspires you?
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Middle School Changes Everything

in , , , , by Linda A Kinsman, Tuesday, August 16, 2011


As of this morning, my kids have been back at school 3 and one half days.  So far all is going well.  I will stop here and do something necessary and deserved: I will pat myself on the back and proclaim to all who can hear me (the cat) “Way to go Linda”, you’ve got this new schedule down!”

Okay, enough of that, back to reality where I pray most sincerely that we all can keep up the pace needed this year to ensure everybody gets to where they need to be every morning in a calm and orderly fashion.  On  time.  With all supplies needed for the day present and accounted for.  Amen.

All women, especially Moms juggle all day every day; this is a simple fact of life. As a work at home Mom,   I pride myself on my planning and time management skills, but as the title of this post suggests: middle school changes everything!

 Ms. T is in 7th grade this year with a new start time, bus route; dismiss time, dress code, etc. Everything changed because of the dreaded re-zoning that took place last spring. Our small community fought long and hard with the powers that be to stay at our nice K through 8 school, but change came anyway.

So, I do what I always try to do: I find the good in the situation! And, thankfully there is a lot of good to be found at our new schools.

Still, I have to say, the earliness in which we all must get up now is hard to get used to! Even with planning and practicing the new schedule 2 weeks prior to school starting, we all are dragging our collective behinds by 8 p.m. or 9 p.m. ( depending on the age of the draggy)!  

Ms. T’s alarm goes off at 5:30 a.m. She immediately wakes up, turns it off and quietly comes in to see if I’m awake.  I’m smiling as I type this because my girl shows such responsibility and love in doing this. No sooner have we whispered our Good Mornings, than our alarm goes off. Hubby promptly says “ Babe” and hits the snooze.  Then I’m up and at’em with my first born.   Just my first born.

  This has been the gift in all of this. I get alone time with each girl every morning!!

 Ms. T and I talk in hushed voices for those precious 15 to 20 minutes we get every morning before hubby gets up and out of the shower. Her bus comes so early now, that her little sister is just getting up when Ms. T is getting on the bus. They don’t see each other until after school.

 Meanwhile, I’m packing  lunches , making breakfasts, feeding cats,  hugging, laughing, chatting with hubby and  Ms. M.   Simple, family “stuff” that I’m privileged to be able to do as a work at home Mom. I have several working Mom friends and I know their mornings don’t look or feel like this. 

Then, around 7:15 a.m., after hubby has left for his day,  the house gets quite again, and it’s just Ms. M and I.

 I get to spend quality time with her now.  With each daughter getting her own time and space there is no more crazy rush for the bathroom at the same time, no squabbling  putting on shoes or  bonking heads to grab backpacks at the same time, no more sibling interaction equals no more sibling grumpiness in the morning!

 Ah, blissful mornings, full of peace and happy thoughts and hugs all around!  I am blessed and thankful. And to think, I actually fought against this re-zoning! Silly Me.

Do you have school aged kids at home? If so, what time do you get up? Are you a working Woman? What time do you greet the day?
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Reviva Labs Product Reviews

in , by Linda A Kinsman, Wednesday, August 10, 2011



Company description:

Reviva Labs The One " Health Food Store" brand used in over 1200 professional skin care salons.
A natural skin-care company who has introduced more skin-care firsts in the USA ( via health food stores) than many of the cosmetic giants.


My Take:

I was first introduced to Reviva Labs through a wonderful Mom Blogger Community I'm a member of  
Mom Says Aye.  Amber, the owner has worked tirelessly to provide a blogger friendly community complete with an Opportunity page, where Reviva Labs had posted a request for product reviewers.
One quick trip to Reviva Labs website and I was signing up.
I was approved and asked to choose a product for review. Since I am a gardener and a lady who cleans without gloves a vast majority of the time, I was very interested in their hand cream and treatments. 
 When I saw that the dry hand treatment was a 3 product process, I contacted my
helpful Reviva Labs liaison to ask her which product I should choose. I was pleasantly surprised when she said,   We'll send you all three so you can do a special "hand facial". 
 2 weeks later, I received 3 full sized products, a catalog, product information pages and a very nice letter
from my company liaison who also included a step by step guide on the hand facial. It's refreshing to have a company go above and beyond what is required of them. 



The Reviews:



Product 1: Alpha Lipoic Acid, Olive Oil & DMAE Hand & Body Lotion


My Take: I love this lotion! It is non-greasy, goes on nice and smooth, drys almost instantly ( a real plus on busy mornings). It has a pleasant almost fragrance free scent and it is non-irritating. I can use it right after shaving.  In fact, I started using this with my self tanning gel and it makes application 100% easier.
Because this hand & body lotion works so well I think it is worth $ 14.00 for 8oz and I would buy this again!




Product 2: Green Papaya & Hydrogen Peroxide Mask




My Take: This product worked wonders on my hands when I did my "hand facial".  It did as promised and exfoliated, conditioned and moisturized my hands.
This product has a nice, fruity scent that isn't overpowering. It's a little greasier than I like.
When trying this as a facial mask, I could not leave it on my face for the suggested 10-15 minutes. After 7 minutes, I started feeling a slightly uncomfortable itchy-tingling all over my face and washed it off. I had a couple of small bumps on my chin the next morning which may be because of the high moisturizing
properties of this product. I wouldn't buy it and/or use it in this summer months again, but I will use this product again in the winter months to see if that makes a difference.




Product 3: Pomegranate/Lactic Acid Peptide & Botanical Exfoliant



Reviva Labs product

My Take: Any time a product says it can gently remove dead, dulling skin and impurities, I'm interested. This product is amazing! It did just what it claimed it would. Not only did my face feel super soft, but it felt really clean without feeling scrubbed to death. Oh, and this product worked wonders on my dry hands
during my "hand facial"! The only thing that could make this product any better is purely aesthetic. The color and fragrance are bland. This product is $19.00 for 2oz, so I would buy again with my hand & body lotion to save on shipping, Reviva Labs currently charges $ 8.00 postage and handling per order.


The take away:  I liked working with this company and using their products. I would re- purchase 2 of the 3 products sent me .  Visit Reviva Labs HERE for more information.



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