Support Creative Virtual Office in the 2009 StartupNation Home-Based Business Competition

Support Creative Virtual Office in the 2009 StartupNation Home-Based Business Competition

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Blog is Moving!

Good evening everyone! I wanted to let you know that my blog has a new temporary home while I do some exciting changes to my business. My new blogsite is http://www.socialmediamommy.wordpress.com

I hope to see you there!

Rebecca

Don't Miss this Fabulous Teleseminar Opportunity!

The Mom Entrepreneur announces their June teleseminar topic: The 3 Sheet Strategy To Dramatic Business Growth (Especially in A Down Economy) with Mike Michalowicz of The Toilet Paper Entrepreneur on Wednesday, June 17th from 1:00pm – 2:15pm EST. Early bird pricing is $50 if purchased on or before June 3^rd. For more information, visit http://www.themomentrepreneur.com/events.html#june.

Love and Blessings...

I was lucky enough to have a small story about my son featured (along with other fabulous mommies) on LoveBlessings website. This website is wonderful for so many reasons! For Mother's day they started a new section on their website of fun, inspirational stories from mommies everywhere; that is where you can find my story.

The owner of Love & Blessings, LLC is Victoria Loveland-Coen. She created this site and store after the birth of her twins. She believes in the wonderful bond that children and their mothers share and has a wide variety of gifts on her site that focus on bonding and enhancing well-being of mothers. There are so many other great things about this site, check it out for yourself!

I would love to share more about this site, but seeing my little story posted about my cutie-pie Zachary, is making me need to cuddle on the sofa with him for a bit...what a gift I have:)

Virtual Job Fair for Stay at Home Moms

Good morning everyone! I have something very exciting in the works that I would like to share with all of you. I'm in the process of developing an opportunity that will hopefully allow moms stay home with their children longer and earn some money while doing it.

When I was on bedrest last year, the economy continued to get worse and our bills began to pile up. My husband and I were extremely stressed about what we were going to do to bring some additional money in. He told me that after the birth of the baby, I may have to go back to work. Well, there was no way! I gave up a great job to stay at home with my son; but it was the best decision I ever made and was not going back down that road again. Anyway, this was May, the baby wasn't due until August and I, of course wasn't even trying to look for a job until 6 weeks after I had the baby. So, I did some research and discovered how to start my own business at home as a Virtual Assistant.

Now, a virtual assistance business is definitely a viable idea for work at home moms, but there are also lots of other things that can be done virtually also. And maybe you don't want to start your own business, but you would be more than happy to join a team of other virtual workers or partner up with someone who already owns a business. Then this might be a great opportunity for you!

My goal is to create a bi-monthly job fair that will be available to stay at home moms. I want to create a balance of "hire-ers" and "hire-ees" so that there is a measurable success rate for the moms. For instance, I would like to hold two job fairs a month. There will be twenty spots for moms to sign up and twenty-five spots for people to hire the moms to sign up for both dates. My idea is to have a site where moms and potential employers can sign up and create an information page about themselves. From there, both parties need to sign up for the next virtual job fair slot that is available. On the day of the Virtual Job Fair, I would like the format to be similar to speed dating. Everyone signed up that day gets to spend at least 20 minutes with each other before moving on to the next potential employer. If the potential employer is interested in a mom, they will contact them after the job fair.

I'm really excited about this opportunity and hope that I can get it up and running by the second week of May, but I need your help! Spread the word! If you are a mom who is interested, a mom who could use some additional assistance and would like to hire a mom or an employer looking for additional virtual assistance, please email at rbuscemi@creativevirtualoffice.net

I look forward to working with everyone:)

A Dose of Cuteness

Last night was a tough night to be a mommy of a three year old. "Z" had the case of the "I don't want to listens" all day long. This isn't uncommon in our house; he is three of course! But it ended badly tonight with "Z" under the dog, pulling the dog's hair, the dog crying and trying to get away and "Z" with a badly scratched face. Then the baby started to cry because she was freaked out by the whole thing and all the noise.

So, I told him that was enough, we are going to bed! Needless to say, he was not happy. But once we got upstairs and he realized the we were still following the same bed time routine (just much more abruptly), he calmed down and went with the flow.

After an episode of Dragon Tales and two library books were read the lights went out. He was laying on his bed, looking out the window and said to me, "Oh mommy, look at that star it is so pretty." I said, "You are right. It is very pretty. Now stop talking and go to sleep." And he said, "I need to find a ladder first. A very tall ladder, so I can climb up to the sky and give you that star. It's so pretty."

Don't you wish you can bottle these moments up and open them when you are feeling sad? Whoever can figure out how to do that, I think I would love forever:)

Let's talk about mommy guilt

We have all felt it...mommy guilt. It really is one of the worst feelings in the world I think. I had a huge dose of it this summer when I was put on bed rest at 25 weeks with the pregnancy of my daughter. My poor son (at that time two) had absolutely no idea why his usually semi-energetic mommy was suddenly in forever time out on the couch. He would ask me to do the simplest things like go get him a drink or help him with the potty and I had to tell him that I couldn't because I wasn't able to get up. He was so confused and distressed over the whole situation. After the birth of our daughter, if we would go out somewhere, my son would ask me, "Are you coming too mommy?" He would do this to me for months, he was so used to going places without me.

On Friday, I thought that me and the kids had a great day! We went to Starbucks for coffee and milk and shared fruit and yogurt for breakfast and then we headed to the new library so my son could get his first library card and spend some time reading and playing. I got home slightly behind schedule and started working as soon as I walked in the door.This is another area of huge mommy guilt for me, choosing to work from home. My son, in general, has adapted well to me and my decision to not give him all my attention all day long. But of course there are days when he can't understand why I can't put that track back together right at that moment or why he can't talk to me for 30 minutes because I'm making phone calls for a client...it stinks.

So, mommy guilt. Do you ever have it because you really want some time all to yourself? I think that type of mommy guilt should have it's own category. Like, Friday night, I wanted to take a bath...all by myself. I had to sneak upstairs and hope that no one knew I was missing. WRONG! I just got in the tub, stretched out, got my book when I heard, "Can I get in the bath with you?" Sheesh! How did he find me so quick?! I found myself pleading with my son to leave me alone just I can be myself. How do you effectively explain this to a three year old? He finally said, "Okay mommy, I will. I will go back down to daddy." But not before he gave me his dolphin and a boat from his bathtub. So, he did leave, but I wasn't left feeling happy about my time alone, I felt horrible! Once more, guilt ridden. I felt so bad that I asked him to leave me alone just so I could get a bath. All he wanted to do was spend time with me and play in the bathtub and I shooed him away. What's wrong with me?

Then I realized, I'm a work at home mom, that's wrong with me. I constantly surround myself with my children (by choice) so that I can work at home and I can watch them grow with me. I shouldn't feel guilty for wanting some peace and quiet to myself; all parents deserve that time! So, what I learned is what I need to learn to deal with is the feeling of guilt. It's a natural feeling and very deal-able. The problem with guilt is it's an unsettling, almost achy feeling and it's hard to shake, but as parents we need to learn to shake it. In the end, the majority of things that we feel guilty about are good for the whole family. It may not feel good initially, but it probably has good intentions behind it. For instance, my bath: 1.) I needed a few moments to myself to de-stress and wind down from the day which creates harmony in me, 2.) It gave the kids a chance to hang with daddy for a bit and 3.) I was clean again!

Now you tell me, when was the last time you felt mommy guilt?

The Circus is Coming!

I am so excited! The circus is coming! I'm even more excited to share this fun event with my three year old. My husband and I decided that this was the year that he was old enough to enjoy the circus and we are circus bound next Thursday! But here is the funny thing...

Have you ever tried to explain the circus to a three year old? I told him there were animals there and he asked, "Like the zoo?" "No...it's the circus, not the zoo. There are clowns there too!" He then asks me, "Why is it someone's birthday?" Me: "No...Well, it might be someone's birthday. Never mind, that's not the point." He really makes me doubt myself as a past educator:)

Finally, I broke down and we got on the Internet and checked out The Ringling Brothers and Barnum & Bailey Circus's Blue Tour which is what we are going to see!

Would you like to see the circus too? Check out this great opportunity and for more information about Ringling Brothers and Barnum & Bailey Circus including when they are coming to your area, please visit http://www.ringling.com/.

Special Offers!

Offer #1: Get 4 tickets for just $44 by entering the code "MOM" at select ticketing channels**. Offer good on all performances, minimum purchase of 4 tickets required; additional tickets above 4 can be purchased for $11 each. Offer not valid at Gold Circle Seating, Circus Celebrity Seating, Front Row and VIP seating or combinable with other offers. Other Restrictions May Apply.

The tickets can be purchased from www.ticketmaster.com and by entering the MOM code in the "MC promotional box" when purchasing tickets.

Offer #2: A select amount of Front Row and VIP seats have been reserved for you to buy before they go on sale to the public - just enter the code "MOM" when purchasing those seats.

If you live in the Baltimore/DC/Virginia area, the dates are as follows for your performances! Hope to see you there!

Baltimore show dates: March 25 through April 5 Baltimore location: 1st Mariner Arena http://www.baltimorearena.com/ Washington D.C. Show dates: March 19 through March 22 Washington D.C. location: http://www.verizoncenter.com/

Fairfax, VA Show dates: April 8 through April 19
Fairfax, VA location: http://www.patriotcenter.com/

How I met my Hubby!

Hey there ladies! I'm writing this little post because my crazy microphone on my computer is not working! This is apart of the Date this Mom contest and I'm excited to be apart of it!

Well, I met my husband Justin in high school. I was two years ahead of him in school. I realllly liked him! He was just so darn cute! Now I have to find a picture to post of him so you all can see how cute he is:He's a cutie, isn't he? Well, when he was in high school, he had hair down to his shoulders...hard to believe now! This police officer has to keep his hair extra short!

I had a MAJOR crush on Justin, even though he was two years younger than me, I didn't care! In high school, we had Sadie Hawkins dance where the girl asked the guy. I was super shy, so I decided to write Justin a little note that went something like this: "Dear Justin, I like you. I think you are cute. Will you go to the dance with me? Check O yes or O no. luv ya, Becky"

How funny was that??!!

Well, I never heard anything back from him and as you can imagine, I was slightly heartbroken. Fast forward a week or two later and one of my "friends" informed that SHE was going to the dance with him. Once again, heartbroken...and not overly happy with my friend either!

Fast forward again to the year 1997 and I was in a not so healthy relationship. It was homecoming and I really wanted to go. It was the first homecoming since I had graduated from high school and I was so excited to go and see old friends. I had to tell a fib to my current boyfriend because I didn't want him tagging along and ruining my fun. Well, at the game, I ran into Justin. We flirted a bit...it was cute but that was that.

Fast forward again...I broke up with my boyfriend (silent cheer) and was working at a sporting goods store. I became interested in a guy that worked there and worked up the nerve to invite to a pool hall with the gang one night. He accepted and I was so excited! That same night, Justin walks into the store and he just hangs out...it was kind of weird...lol. I asked him when his mom was going to pick him up and he told me that she dropped him off (again weird). So, I asked him if he wanted to go to the pool hall also and he said yes!

At the pool hall, we just clicked. I totally forgot the other guy was there! We bonded over music and he laughed at how bad I cheated at pool because I suck so bad at it! The song "The Freshman" by the Verve Pipe came and we both said at the same time, "I love this song." That song comes on and we still smile!

It hasn't been an easy road. My husband and I were teenagers when we met, so we had to grow up together and we learn more about each other everyday! We often times revert back to our petty fights and ways because it's hard to be a grown up some times! But we make the best of it because we are in it for the long haul!
Oh, and here is a great ending to that story: We are cleaning out/moving out of his bedroom when we bought our house in 2002 and he comes across this letter...from a girl in high school whose name was Becky and she asked him to Sadie Hawkins. He never read it!!! What a pain in the butt...

Disorganized Mess is Me

A lot of things have improved for me and my family since I made the decision that I wanted to start my own business from home. We have extra cash coming into our home and I'm happier because I'm accomplishing something that I never thought I would. But there is something that is causing much turmoil in our home...our house is a disaster! My husband just can't understand how my life is so much different now then before and why I can't keep it clean. Oh, I don't know honey, before I had an extra 8-10 hours a day to do WHATEVER I wanted...now that 8-10 hours a day is dedicated to what my clients want.

I just can't get a head and I'm not sure how to start. I'm losing out on nights out with my hubby because I'm embarrassed for a babysitter to come into out house. So I made an executive decision today (because I can do that; I am the CEO of this household, right?) to look into hiring a house keeper/home organizer.

I'm not sure how much this going to cost me yet...we'll see. But here is my dilemma: I don't just need someone to dust and mop the floor, I can do that, I need someone to pick up all the stuff that has accumulated all over this house! Are there people out there that actually picks stuff up, will wash and put away your clothes, and wash dishes? If I have to clean beforehand, in order for someone to clean for me, I might as well save my money.

So I have interviews with some housecleaning services tomorrow and my new home organizer comes to check the damage next Tuesday morning.

If you have any house cleaning or home organizer stories to tell, please comment! I would love to hear from you!

We all have our secrets...talk to someone!

My husband jokes around with me that I'm the neighborhood spy. I have a huge window in my office and a large bay window that is right next to the sofa in our great room. I love to watch out the window and see the world below me; what neighbor talks to what neighbor, whose dog just ran away and the children romping around. But tonight I saw something that made me extremely sad.

I saw a tow truck drive down our street. It got to the end of our street, turned around at the end and slowly crept back down the street with it's head lights off. I said to my husband, "I think one of our neighbors is about to get repo'd." I in no way found enjoyment in this thought, but at the same time I couldn't stop watching. I watched this man get out of the passenger side of the truck, walk down to a neighbor's house (who I'm close to) and get into their vehicle. (Did you know that repo men can make keys to drive your car away??!! How creepy is that?) The vehicle was backed up with no headlights on and the man sped away with the tow truck speeding down the street behind him.

I turned to my husband, shocked and told him what happened. I couldn't believe it! I thought this family was so well off! They were one of the last families to purchase their house at a decent price before the housing market fell off the cliff. My husband was just as confused...how could that happen to "them"?

We have had our fair share of money problems in this house, especially when I decided to leave my job to become a stay at home mom. That was half the reason I decided to become a Virtual Assistant over the summer...to bring in more money. My husband is extremely embarrassed when we have to say "no" to an invitation because we don't have extra cash to spare. It's hard on me to; especially since I have a serious shoe and handbag addiction!

What a sad sight to see tonight...I'm still struggling with the sadness. I said to my husband, "What do we do? It's not even 10:00 pm and this family is already in bed. They have no idea what just happened. Should be we call them?" My husband looked at me and said, "Do you think they really want us to know their personal business? We should just pretend we never saw it happen."

How sad...that we have to live in a world that we have to put on a show or pretend that we aren't having money problems when we are. As horrible as it felt, I listened to my husband. When things were at their worst in our home when it came to money, I was unable to tell anyone. I was embarrassed and I still am. But I wish that I could tell my friends and family.

My hope is that we are able to bring down our walls of fear of embarrassment and open up to those around us. Too many people are losing their cars, homes and personal belongings because we are afraid to ask for help. If you are in this position, please talk to friends and families, you never know who may be able to help you!

How Do Your Present Yourself?

As I rushed my children back into the house this morning after a quick run to Starbucks I thought how silly I must look to some of my neighbors. My son in Halloween pajamas underneath his jacket and me in a green shirt, blue yoga pants and brown and orange flip-flops. The baby, the only normal dressed one of out of all of us, was in her carrier desperately trying to gnaw on my purse that is covered in sequins and boldly states, "happy hour."

I get everyone settled inside and remember that I still need to run back out to the car and grab my two Venti coffees (I'm not playing around this morning.) Still feeling silly, I grab my eye-glasses and put them on. In my mind as I open the front door and walk outside, I'm suddenly transformed into "Rebecca Buscemi, Business Owner" and no longer dirty mommy who really needs a shower.

I started thinking about how I DO present myself to others. I have only been a business owner for seven short months and learn more about myself everyday. I never knew that I had the desire and drive to do something this big in my life. Me, a business owner, wow! Sometimes, I sit back and think to myself that I'm kind of a big deal because I'm doing something great for my family that I love, doesn't stress me out (too much) and I'm helping others while doing it.

So, if I feel this way on the inside, why when I meet people and they ask me what I do for a living do I tell them that I'm a stay at home mom. Of course, this isn't a lie, I am a stay at home mom, but I'm also a work at home mom. Sometimes people ask me if I'm back at work and I'll tell them that I'm working out of the house at the moment. Which again is true, but I'm so much more than that. Very rarely am I able to say that I'm a business owner of a virtual assistance business. I'm not sure it's because I'm humble, I think it's because I'm shy.

Have you ever had this feeling as a new business owner? Are you able to tell anyone and everyone that you are proud of yourself and your success? Leave a comment and let me know!

I decided today, that whether I wear my eye glasses or not, I'm going to start to make a real effort to start to tell people who I really am. I'm Rebecca, a work at home mom who owns her own virtual assistance business, who are you?

Wii Get Fit Together

My husband and I bought the Wii-Fit the day after Christmas and it was the best gift they could give our family. Like most families, my husband and I are very busy people with hectic schedules. I'm a stay at home mom and run my own virtual assistance company and my husband is a detective. When my husband is home, I maybe busy doing work for a client and may not be free.

Since purchasing the Wii-Fit, we have set aside time everyday to work out together. It has become a family event and in some ways has brought a fun competitive side to our relationship that wasn't there before.

But my favorite part of working out on the Wii, is my three year old son. He is the best audience to work out with! He is our cheerleader, our commentator, and sometimes our work-out partner. Towards the end of the evening, if we haven't worked out yet, he will ask, "When are we going to exercise?" It's wonderful to have a little personal reminder like that! Then my husband and I will take turns working out while the other one takes care of our daughter. You can be sure that our son is right there alongside of us, working out also (and he can do a mean tree pose, let me tell you!) When we do push-ups, he loves to crawl underneath of us as we raise up and he also is always very concerned about the mental state of my Mii. I'm not the most coordinated person in the world, so there are some exercises that I'm not very good at. When I attempt and fail miserably at beating my husband's scores, my Mii always takes it very hard. My son will ask, "Mommy, why is she always so sad?" My husband always finds this to be extremely funny.

One thing I love about posting every Friday with the other mom's on Wii-Fit Mommies, is not only hearing of the weight that is being lost and the transformations that have begun, but also to hear the stories of how something as silly as a "video game" has made a difference in their life. I know it's made a difference in mine!

Sometimes Mommies Get Tired...and Don't Get Fit

Well, I missed my second posting of Fitness Friday's with the Wii Fit Mommies! I couldn't believe it! I had a super busy week and decided to take a day off...that was Wednesday. Boy, did I pay for it the next few days! I'm not someone who has ever had a regular fitness routine so I was not sure what the repercussions would be if I chose not to work out. My husband on the other hand, has always had a very strict workout regimen for himself. If he is not able to work out because he is injured or he gets too busy with work, the whole world pays. I supported him and his "habit," but I never understood it. When he is unable to work out, he is an absolute bear to be around! He gets so grumpy!

Well, I decided that I had too much to do to work out and was going to take a break for a day or two. I learned a few things from this short experience:

1.) Even a day or two break can do major damage to your momentum and motivation. I had the worst time getting back into the work-out routine again.

2.) I was so exhausted from not working out! I could not believe how tired I was! I literally had to lay my head on the desk and take a 10 minute nap. I hadn't had to do that since I was pregnant.

3.) I was grumpier. If my children were older they would agree.

So, I'm getting back into my routine, but it's taking me longer to do it. No more breaks from working out for this Wii-Fit mommy; the whole family suffers!

How Work at Home Moms Play With Their Kids

As some of you know, I never meant to be a working from home mom...it just sort of happened. So, finding the delicate balance between my work, my kids, my husband and keeping a clean house, is well, a challenge to say the least. But I continue to stumble my way through it. As I'm stumbling, I am discovering some tidbits that I would like to share.

So here is my tidbit of the day:

As a working from home mom, I'm sure it is super important to you to continue to spend time with your children and to do worthwhile activities with them; I know it is for me. So, as I have said in the past, I try to outline some art and craft and various activities to do with the kids the weekend before the work week starts, that way I'm prepared.

Well, you can't always be super prepared for everything because emergencies arise with your personal life and with your clients also. Sometimes, as sad as it is, you have to drop what you are doing with your child to send a quick email or to answer a phone call.

Here are somethings to remember for moments like this:

1.) When planning activities and games to play with your children while taking a break from work, make sure they aren't long drawn out projects and games. If you have to continue to ask your child to wait a minute while you answer the phone or to complete a data entry project you are only asking for trouble. Eventually they are going to get frustrated and in turn you will most likely snap at them also. So, a suggestion to this is to plan short games that take no more than 15 minutes to play (Go Fish, Dominoes, Lucky Ducks). Remember, even CandyLand can take forever to play sometimes. Plan short art and craft projects. Most of the time, I just give my three year old a bunch of stuff and let him glue and cut. Abstract is the way to go, because there is no time limit!

2.) If you do have to take a phone call, make sure you have something on emergency stand-by that is going to appease your child for a few minutes. Helping your child learn patience is a good virtue for them to have also, so making them wait while you finish up a phone call isn't going to kill them. But make sure you stand by your word. If you tell your child after this phone call is over you will continue to play with them, then do it! I have four or five baggies filled with emergency play options that I can hand over to my child with no explanation (which helps if you are on the phone with a client and can't explain the project to them). Some examples are: a baggie containing two pipe cleaners and some large foam beads to string, two sticker sheets, some crayons and a piece of paper, some feathers, a picture of a bird printed off the computer and a glue stick!

3.) As your child gets older, long projects may be an option for you to do with your child through the day. For instance during the holidays, you may be able to create a gingerbread house with your child or make a tree skirt out of felt. The nice things about projects like this is that there are lots of small steps that you can divide up throughout the day.

4.) A picture schedule may help your child understand his/her day while you are working! An easy way to make a picture schedule for your child is to print up pictures on the computer of activities that your child may do during the day (i.e. breakfast, watch television, play a game, build with blocks, lunch) and to laminate the pictures. To laminate the pictures, use clear contact paper. Attach velcro to the back of the pictures. Now, take a large piece of poster board, label and decorate the poster board however you like. Involve your child in this part to give him ownership of the schedule. Attach an envelope to the back of the poster board to store the icons that you printed up and laminated. On the front of the schedule, attach the other side of the velcro to store the icons. Make sure you also have a picture to represent time spent with you. You want to ensure your child that you will spend time with him/her every day! A schedule is great for children to use at the youngest of age. It helps them learn so many things, such as chronological order, time management, the days of the week and other things!

This Mommy is Getting Fit!

Well, we got the Wii-Fit for Christmas and it has been fantabulous! My husband and I have been super competitive with it! We love to see who can get a higher score than the other! I hate to say it, but in general, he is totally kicking my butt! I work out during the day while he is at work, so there is about 4 hours of the day that I'm ahead of him with scores on the Wii...then he comes home and wipes my scores out with his better scores!

The nice thing is that we are totally supportive of each other and finding time to work out on the Wii! While one of us is working out, the other one tries to keep the kids out from underfoot. I also found another great support system with my new friends at Wii-Fit Mommies! They offer so much for mom's like me! Check out their website; especially for information on their Twitter Party to be held Saturday night, 1/3 from 8-10 pm Est time.

My goal with the Wii-Fit isn't just to lose weight, but to tone up! I was on bed rest for three months of my pregnancy with my daughter this summer and my muscles (ha ha, I really never had any muscles) disappeared! I'm pretty much back to my pre-pregnancy weight but I definitely have this spare tire going on around my belly and feel like my arms have morphed into my grandmothers (gross, i know).

So, we'll see how it goes! I'm gong to try to post a small update and every Friday for Fitness Friday at Wii Fit Mommies; why don't you join me?