Dreaming of Financial Freedom...

Ever since I can remember, I have dreamed of financial freedom.  I have dreamed that I could not work and have residual income.  Residual income.  The American dream.  It's a far cry from the American dream of the past.  Where one worked a job from 9-5 and made a decent wage to support one's family.  With the invention of computers and technology wow.  How far we've come.

Here's where reality sets in.  I do love my day job.  I absolutely LOVE LOVE LOVE what I do.  I love it and can't express that enough. I love the company I work for.  The people are amazing.  Fun.  Funny.  Open. 

But that doesn't mean that I still don't have a dream in my mind.  A person can dream right?  Oh yeah.  We sure can.  But that does not mean that one just quits their job to follow a dream.  We have families to support.  We have others that count on us at reputable companies.

So what is this post about?  It's about reality.  The reality is that we can dream.  We can have those dreams and we can follow them to an extent.  But economic realities and other realities need to set us all back to Earth.  Is it possible to make a residual income enough to support our families?  Sure.  It's possible.  But let's face it - a small portion of the population actually succeeds.  And is it really residual income?  Hmmmm... more than likely not.  It may be residual at first, but then... at some point.... one must work hard, harder in most cases, to ensure that the income keeps coming!  Self employment is a dream for many - most probably - but it's possible to have an EXTRA income that comes in addition to the day job. 

That's a practical dream.  Additional income.  Nice. 

I'm by nature an entrepreneur.  I've ALWAYS had an extra income going.  For as long as I can remember I've always sold on eBay or started a line of crafts or something. 

So what I am saying is that there is always a possibility to support your family with an extra income.  But unless you have a huge savings (8-12 months worth of expenses) it's not practical to just give up your steady eddie income.  Reality is there and I'm the most optimistic person that you will meet.  But also very realistic.  The day job pays my bills.  Ensures that there is food on the table.  Ensures that we have reliable vehicles.  The additional income ensures that we have clothing.  And the extras that we may want in life (you know, like bikes, Christmas Presents, etc).  Use that money wisely and ye shall go far!

Love what you do during the day.  Dream at night.  Work hard to achieve your dreams.  Work harder to make your love a reality and stay grounded.  Hard work and dedication is what will take you far.

I give KUDOS to those that have made a living being able to stay at home and support their families!  You are amazing men and women and I give EXTRA props to those women who have done it.  I know what it's like to work 2-3 jobs at once to give myself and my family a better life.  I do it daily on top of being a wife and mother.  Whew.  That's a hard job, but the strength and perserverence of the women in this world make it all possible....

Love you all.  Make sure you stay focused.  Grounded.  And real. 

Peace out for now lovies!

SediluGreen News!

It's been a tough few months!  Working the day job, dreaming of quitting daily (but alas - those darn bills won't stop coming!) so we've been slowing down a little bit - well - trying to at least!  But the orders keep coming so thank you to my lovely clients.  We truly do appreciate each and every one of you!

The next step for us is to get a DECENTLY designed webstore.  I'm about SICK of my host and they're charging WAY too much for something that doesn't work.  EVER.  So I'll never do a webstore with Intuit again.  Ever.

At first I thought it was user error, but it's not.  It's them.  They stink.  The cart never works.  So I'm switching. I'm crashing my site and shutting it down for a couple of months.  It's ridiculous to pay $25/month for something that never ever works.  Right?  Yeah.  That's what I thought too. 

So for now I'm just going to operate on etsy.  Good old trusty etsy.

By August you'll see an all new store with actual items able to be listed in it!  OMG!  AND you'll be able to ACTUALLY PURCHASE the things!  Holy cow.  It's going to be amazing.

So keep a look out!  New things coming.  But they take time.  Patience is virtue young Jedi. 

Earth Love my lovies!

It's nearly summer here in Louisiana - Tips on AC Consumption!

Oh my GOSH it's hot.  I live in Louisiana and wow.  It's amazingly hot here already - and it's only MAY!  We've been in the pool for the past couple of months because it's been hitting the high 80's since April (I swear even the end of February it was sweltering). 

How is it in other parts of the country?  

So in light of the extreme heat here, I've decided to do a little piece on saving money on your AC.  And yes, it's a bit more in detail than just "use fans!"  Although our ceiling fans run 24/7 during the summer!

Here you go lovies!

http://www.webmd.com/health-ehome-9/green-home-cooling-tips

Green Tips for a Cool Summer

A green guide for keeping your home cool this summer, from simple steps to bigger projects.

 

By Camille Peri

Keeping our houses cool with air conditioners costs Americans about $11 billion a year. And those air conditioners release about 100 million tons of carbon dioxide into the air annually -- two tons for each home that has one.

With the demand for home air-conditioning systems in the U.S. at an all-time high, summer’s toll on the environment is probably going to get worse.

The good news is that by following some green tips at home this summer, you can cool off, save money, and make a sizable dent in your carbon footprint. “If we can reduce carbon emissions from homes just 5%, it’s like taking three-quarters of the cars off the road,” says Trey Muffett, building science director for Sustainable Spaces, a home performance retrofitter in San Francisco.

Your eco-cooling steps can be as big as installing insulation in your house or as little as changing some of your everyday habits. “I always encourage people to go for the low-tech solutions first because you can do those starting tomorrow,” says Aaron Pope, manager of sustainability programs for the California Academy of Sciences.

5 Tips to Reduce Body Heat

The lowest-tech ways to keep cool this summer start with your own body.

1. Wear clothes in natural fabrics. “Fabrics such as cotton, hemp, and linen ‘breathe’ better than synthetic fibers and naturally wick moisture away from the body,” says Kimberly Rider, author of The Healthy Home Workbook.
2. Eat cool. Dine on salads and sandwiches instead of large, protein-rich meals when the weather is hot, as these can warm your body up. Oven- or stove-top cooking heats up your house as well.
3. Stay hydrated. Avoid alcohol and caffeine in the heat, as these can promote dehydration. Drink more water than usual or consider an electrolyte replacement drink if you’re sweating a lot.
4. Cool off with water. Soak your feet in a tub of cold water, put on a wet bandana, or take a cool shower. Keep a spray bottle of water in the refrigerator and spritz yourself regularly throughout the day.
5. Head down and out. When your home is at its hottest, remember that the basement is the coolest place in the house. Or plan outings to air-conditioned buildings -- such as the library or a movie theater – during peak hot hours.

5 Green Tips for Inside Your Home

Try some of these low-tech practices around the house.

1.  Use windows and window coverings to your advantage. If you’re not home during the day, close all windows, curtains, and blinds to keep your house cool for as long as possible. If you’re home during the day and don’t want all the windows covered, cover them when needed. Remember that south-facing windows get a lot of sun. East-facing windows get sun in the morning and west-facing ones get the hotter and stronger sun in the afternoon and evening. Dark-colored curtains, roman shades, and even dime-store roller shades can be very effective. “Roller shades can block up to 80% of solar heat,” Muffett says. If the air cools down enough in the evening, open the windows to promote as much air circulation as possible.
2. Don’t add to the heat inside. Use appliances such as irons, washers, and dryers at night or early morning -- or eliminate the dryer altogether and use a clothesline instead. (Not running your appliances between 4 p.m. and 6 p.m. also helps avoid brownouts.“A big source of heat is your stove,” Pope says. “So if you can, cook outdoors or microwave meals.” Microwaves use two-thirds less energy than stoves. Another option is using a toaster oven for baking. Because toaster ovens are so much smaller, they don’t warm up a kitchen like a conventional oven. And, depending on the model, you’ll be cutting your energy use in half. Turn off computers and other appliances when not in use. Left running, these can also generate unnecessary heat. You can also unplug these appliances when not in use to ensure you reduce your electric bill as well, because the small amount of power these pull while plugged in can add up on your bill over time.
3. Consider changing your bulbs. Incandescent light bulbs are heat generators, so many experts suggest switching them for energy-efficient compact fluorescent light bulbs or halogen infrareds. Fluorescent “corkscrew” bulbs contain mercury, so consider the safety risks before putting them in children’s bedrooms, playrooms, or other places where they may be likely to break.
4. Use fans. When it cools down outside, place inexpensive portable fans in front of open windows to bring the cool air inside. And consider installing a ceiling fan if you don’t already have one. Attic fans also circulate cool air from outside through the house. Use ceiling or room fans even if you have an air conditioner. You can then set your thermostat higher because the air movement from the fan will help the room feel cooler.
5. Keep your refrigerator well stocked. Refrigerators that are full of food don’t warm up as quickly when the door is opened, so they require less energy to stay cool.

I got it! Personality that is!

I'm brimming over with personality.  Too much personality some may say.  I cuss sometimes.  OMG!  Yeah.  I get told about it ALL the time by my 6 year old - Lucian.  

"Mommy, we don't say that word!!"  

"What word baby? I didn't think that I said anything bad!!"

"Ass Mommy.  Ass.  We don't say Ass."

"Ok Lucian.  I get the point.  We don't say ass.  Stop saying it for crying out loud!!"

"OOOH!!  you said it again!"

*sigh*

So I have decided to start another blog that is connected to this one. But sort of gives you an idea of what SediluGreen is all about - sort of the chaos behind the scenes so to speak!  Stories of embarrassment I'm sure, family, love, luck, and plain old fashioned hard work.  Tips on business.  Tips on home biz and starting it without ruining your life. 

Probably more stories of embarrassment more than anything.  *sigh*  That happens a lot. 

Like yesterday while I was at work I realized that my zipper had been down on my dress pants for about 2 hours.  Yeah.  I sell new homes.  Yeah.  Imagine where this is going.... 

Or that the other night I was getting ready to go to bed and I had on some shorts (probably shorter than they should be but I was in my HOUSE for crying out loud!).  I'm bending over picking pillows up off the floor and I hear a tap on the door.  I ignore it thinking it's a bug.  I keep doing what I'm doing.  Buttcheeks ALL over the place I'm sure.  I hear it again and turn around.  

What do I see?  Half of my stepson's high school baseball team standing outside on the porch.  Watching me in my shorty shorts picking up pillows and shoes and the like off the floor. 

Did I mention that our front door is glass??  Oh boy.  Fricken UNBELIEVABLE.

*sigh*  I'm now a "hot mom".  Someone help me. 

So within the next few weeks I'm going to put aside some time (LMAO!  Time?  What on Earth is that?) and make another blog.  It will be a friendly place for moms to come and learn about well...  Life!  Us.  And what makes us tick.  Oh, and we have some KICK ASS lunch bags too. 

I'm just sayin... 

The price of perfection... Moral of the story is...

Have you ever tried to be perfect?  Tried to be like the lady across the street who is ALWAYS baking?  Playing outside with her grand daughter?  Taking her kids to the movies?  Planting things in her garden seemingly all day without ever getting sunburned under her floppy hat drinking hand squeezed lemonade?

I have tried people.  Oh I have tried!  It's a facade.  A cleverly planned facade that only the outside world sees.  Of course when you step into my house with my wood floors that are cleaned quarterly (not bi-weekly as suggested) and see my pile of "to file/throw away/burn" crap next to the breakfast table.  Walk into my laundry room with a neatly folded pile of laundry that has been there for 3 days... oh the list goes on people.  GOES ON!

But here's how my life typically goes.  

Go into Taylor's room at 6:34.  Tell him to get up.  Get grunted at.  OOOOOK. 

Go into Lucian's room at 6:35.  Have to tickle, sing, jump on the bed (mommy quake)... and so forth for 10 minutes only to get grunted at... repeatedly.

Slug into the kitchen to make everyone breakfast - or shall I say "breafastS"

Fight with Lucian to get to the table. Patiently.

Ensure that Taylor has his homework done (it's not).

Lose patience with Lucian and threaten him (at least twice). 

Yell at Lucian to get his clothes on.

Run him out to the bus. 

Collapse on the couch for 10 seconds, which is about how much time I have until the next task starts. 

Work on SediluGreen for 1.15 hours.  

Rush to get in the shower to rush to my day job.  

Get to day job late.  

 Realize that you work too much at day job (6 days a week +)

Get depressed. 

Have customer walk into the model home at 4:55 (I have to leave EXACTLY at 5 to get Lucian in time from after school care). 

Get to after school care late. 

Pay late fees.

Go home and do all household wifely things.  

Get to bed about 2 am.

Repeat.  Daily.  Except Saturday and Sunday - but just cut out the school part... 

Somehow that doesn't fit the perception of perfection now does it?  Hmmm... Uhhh... No.

So I picture the lady across the street.  I imagine she's taking some sort of valium or other wonder drug that she has been prescribed by her doctor who has determined she's out of her fricken mind and she needs to be medicated.  Heavily.  I wonder if she works?  Probably only so she can have the insurance to pay for her wonder drugs.  Then.  I want wonder drugs.  Of course I'd probably take too many of the wonder drugs and sleep right through breakfast.  The bus fight.  Work. 

Hmmm... sounds pretty good actually... 

Then I realize.  My life is pretty charmed.  So what if I'm not perfect?  So what if my pants have a wrinkle in them or a button is missing?  So what if my floors need cleaned?  So what if the cats tried to kill the hermit crabs (again)?  So what if Lucian's room isn't perfect?  


Life isn't perfect!  


So the moral of the story is... take it day by day and you'll realize that you don't have it as bad as you think.  And if you think perfection is having a perfect house with a perfect lawn... you're sadly mistaken.  


Oh and by the way - the lady across the street?  I talked to her.  She's HEAVILY medicated for severe anxiety/depression.  Can't work.  Husband - that's a whole other story.  Woah.  Perfection isn't what it seems now is it??!!

Anyone else tried to be perfect and didn't too well at it? Tell me about it!   Then tell me about why your life IS perfect!!  


Why is mine perfect?  I am healthy.  I have a good paying job.  I am smart.  My family loves me UNCONDITIONALLY!!  I am therapeutic to not only my family, but my friends.  Girls night out.  Bunco.  Family that loves me (that's a SUPER important one).  Talent.  Beautiful home... And the list goes on and on.