I’ve been doing great proofreading and tweaking as things go. It’s awesome to have some initial testers that will give me honest feedback.  It’s made it much easier to come up with workpages and lists for the clients to return to me.

However, my personal blogs haven’t seen the love.  The blogs that should be the easiest right? I mean this blog here has no structure at all. So why is it the 12th and I’m only getting my 3rd post up?

Over thinking!  That’s the only link that makes since. I do so much better when I just get on here and throw up.  Just puke up my thoughts randomly.  Great visual huh?

I’ve been fighting starting a new site even with my Selby Media finally getting a real launch and my coaching program launching at Internet Marketing Cleanup. Battling ideas is a constant thing. When I started online it went pretty quickly into the niche marketing craze. So I battle tossing up niche sites for a new idea when they could actually fit into and build up a current site. I mean, it’s all about SEO and I can write the posts for that.  Many times they fit in here quite well. But that’s just not how I was trained to do it, so I have to think hard and put blocks in place to make me not start new stuff like I used to.

But, that also means it keeps me away from here which isn’t helpful either. So I need to figure out the balance. I need to write up my ideas for that new site and then transfer how that will work to bring it here.  It will work easily.

Hoping to see much more of you in the next week.

One project that is a larger project is my master bath. It had/has carpet. We put a new toilet in and still haven’t finished the floor. It’s time to rip out the carpet and put tile in. Something I have no idea how to do, but honestly, I have the internet so I can learn anything right? I’m not starting with this project though cause that’s just jumping in over my head. I think I’ll start with our little laundry room that just needs paint, reorganizing and some shelving.

We’ve lived here for 13 years now which means quite a few things are in need of upgrading. We were never supposed to live here this long so there are quite a few things that were never personalized. It’s definitely time to look like we live here. We got new furniture a little over a year ago and I painted the main living area. However, I still haven’t gotten things put back on the walls and I’ve had some decor items to put up for years but I was always waiting to paint. Now I can get these things up on the wall.

When I go to the gym the show House Hunters always seems to be on. Either the US one or the International. lol  Kind of odd, but it definitely hasn’t started my little addiction. I got to the point I wasn’t listening to music anymore but had my headphones plugged into the elliptical so I could listen to the show. Hmm, so not very like me. I like my tunes when working out.

Now I know quite a few of the shows I’m watching are just crazy, but you never know where you’ll get ideas from. There are a lot of things you can pull from million dollar homes and put in your little kitchen. Then there are quite a few things I look at and think “what a waste”! Heated drawers for plates and coffee cups? Really? OIY, the thought of that electrical bill hurts my head.

My family is used to my shows taking up the entire DVR but now I have new shows in it.  Here are some of the one’s I’ve recently started recording.

House Hunters
Selling LA – I haven’t watched it yet, the commercials just looked good so we’ll see if this keeps getting recorded.
Selling Spelling Manor – Really enjoying this one. What an emotional roller coaster for Candy Spelling.
Love It or List It – This show is pretty brutal. I like watching it, but no one is very nice to each other and the husband and wife sure seem to end up fighting a lot.

So those are just some new one’s I’m recording. I know there are some others as hubby was laughing at me for going through pretty much all of Monday on the guide and hitting record.

I’m hoping that watching these shows is going to get me motivated to work on my project list.

Yeah, day late, dollar short, whutevah. I’m happy to be able to report that for the most part I actually took time off. Yes, it was only for the most part.  I just couldn’t help myself and set up a new coaching program that went live today for one of my testers and will go out in beta on January 16. If you want to be notified when the sign up starts you can check out Internet Marketing Cleanup.

So today is Monday and it’s time to start getting into the grind a little. Not fully, but I really have to ease myself back into a routine. Putting Christmas away will be high on the to do list for the day even though I really don’t like doing it. It seems like I just put everything out.

Now for resolutions. Do you make them?

I can’t remember the last time I did. Probably over 10 years ago because I always set biz goals instead of personal resolutions. However, this year I’m going to set one. I resolve to take better care of myself. No other stipulations, just to take better care of me and to put myself first. Sounds selfish doesn’t it? Believe me, it’s just the opposite.

Putting myself first will mean a lot of things. Eating a little better, working out a little bit more, drinking a little bit less, getting more massages and definitely getting together with girlfriends more.  Yep, even typing those things out it still looks selfish to many Moms I’m sure. But, a happy Mom is a happy family and I know this for fact. I’ve put myself first before and the house was all the better for it.  I was taking trips with my girlfriends and enjoying more hobbies. It’s time to get back to that.

I’m not putting any stipulations on how I have to take better care of myself. I’m just going to resolve to do something daily that’s better for me. I do think that it’s time for me to schedule one weekend away with the girls so I’ll set that as a goal.  I’m sure I can get some girls to do that. lol

This year are you setting any resolutions or goals for yourself?

Photo credit: buzzybee

It’s amazing to think that busymomma.com started in 2004 on a silly little blogger blog. I needed a place to vent and everyone was using blogger so I figured why not. A monster was born there but not perfected.

See around the net since 1999 I’ve always been busymomma. It was easy to come up with my personal blog domain name because that was always what I was signing as. lol It was and may be more my signature still, rather than my actual name. I think facebook has changed that some but my twitter account is still much larger and I’m Busy Momma Val there.

Whatever the case, Busy Momma is who I am more now than ever. I can look back and say that in 2004 I only thought I was busy. However, I was crazy busy and not enjoying it then. Now I am happily, crazy busy and loving it.

7 years? Seriously, 7 years? While I know I haven’t been fully active here in that time, it’s still 7 years. I only wish I could get the posts back that were lost in a technical issue that came up. But I’m thankful it was only a few months posts in my lesson learned about backing up.

What will the next year bring? Well truly I can’t pinpoint that. It’s the blessing and curse of this being my personal blog. I’m not working on SEO here and it’s definitely not focused. But then again, is that a focus? Possibly my unfocus is a focused effort to be something? Oh shit, someone stop my thinking.

Here’s how I wish I’d spent my blogiversary:

Sadly those jammies are buried in the wash (they are fleecy wonderfulness to this aging woman. The oldest had a wrestling tournament (she took 3rd). Hubby had to work and then son wanted to spend time with his good friend that is in town for a few days. Long story, but ugly divorce. My kids are lifelong friends with two kids and their mom was a nasty, cheating bitch. Sadly she took the kids with her to Minnesota to live with her and the now, new hubby. So much more to this story but thanks to social media my kids are still lifelong friends with them. We know immediately when they are back in town to visit & I don’t see my kids much over Christmas break because they want to be over there. It’s pretty heartwarming and we love their Dad.

Wow, that got off topic. I spent tonight watching a great chick flick because I just needed a good cry. Tis the season I guess.

Happy 7 year blogiversary to me. 2012 is going to be quite huge for Busy Momma so come along for the ride!

Halloween is quiet at my house. I’ve had two trick-or-treaters and it’s 8:40pm. I don’t think the hordes are going to arrive any time soon. I’m glad we didn’t buy too much candy and really not any of my favorites. I snagged a bag of tootsie roll pops but those things can be stored for years as long as it’s a dry environment. Yes, I know this for fact

Kids are at parties/trick-or-treating with friends younger siblings. Hubby is at work and I’m hoping he has a really quiet night. No one likes going on kid calls and of course this is a big night for those. I hope everyone is being extra careful while driving and looking out for the goofball kids.

Every year I say we’re going to have a party but I won’t say that this year. lol I’m growing accustom to my quiet Halloween night and I kind of like it. Next year hubby isn’t scheduled to work so he’ll be stuck watching horror movies with me. He doesn’t have a choice, it’s a tradition now that won’t be denied. Sadly the tradition is to watch cheesy, dumb scary movies tonight. UGH.  I’ll put a classic in after I go pick up the youngest from his party. But I wanted to get this post out first.

Hope you had a wonderful Halloween. Did anyone go to a fun party tonight or over the weekend?

I’ll be going through posts and setting some of the really personal posts to private. Not something most of you will notice I’m sure.

The biggest thing that will change is it’s use. It will be used again. I’ve sold off or deleted many sites and blogs in the last few months. I’ve been focusing more and it’s been so productive. I’ve learned a lot over the years. The last 4 years have been a constant roller coaster as family dynamics and jobs changed our lives immensely. But I’ve had tremendous clarity in the last 6 months and it shows in the growth of my businesses.

Busy Momma is who I am known to many online and off. It’s my username for every social media outlet and that’s been well before FB and twitter. It seems appropriate to repurpose how this site gets used.

Work in progress for sure. I’m not looking to change the whole feel of this site in a few weeks. It’ll definitely take the summer to get more organized. I’ll try to use some asterisks when I swear, and we’ll see if I can break out of it like I did when the kids were little. But honestly if you and I were sitting on my couch having a discussion as friends swear words would flow so why should I treat you any different here?

I get a lot of interaction on my main twitter account @busymommaval. I’m looking to make this an extension of that. Incorporating business with the personal. Is that a tight niche and focused enough? Nope, probably not and not the best idea for any of you starting out. But, I have those niche sites already so I don’t have to stick to any rules with this site.

Rules? Hmm online rules of how to work online only matter if they are working for you. So if it’s working for me I’ll just keep following my own rules.

The one thing that won’t change here is IT’S ME. I may offend but I’m not looking to be mean. But if you are asking for an opinion then you need to be able to take some constructive criticism without taking it personally. That was one of the biggest lessons I learned ages ago from some incredible women making big bucks online now. You can’t grow if you’re going to take it personal.

But it’s spring and all that will be changing. Daughters in track and football starts in a couple weeks for the boy. I’m blogging from the car line waiting to pick him up for appt. The busier the family gets, the more I get discouraged about time wasted waiting.

This app is going to be awesome for camping where there is no wi-fi. (The nerve). You know, like all the forests we could be enjoying here in Washington lol. Or camping at the dunes instead of paying to hook up to all the ammenities.  I’m a poor camper aren’t i?

I made it 5 out of 7 days so far on my workouts.  I still have Sunday, but honestly it’s not looking like I’ll have time to workout Sunday.  Have some plans with my in-laws that I’m looking forward to.  Considering I only needed to workout 3 days this week, I’m already at a great number

By my own high standards?  Not even close.  My workouts were what they were set to be.  Get there and get it done.  I never went there to kick it this week, just getting there was a miracle.

I’ll keep that miracle running into next week.

This blog is my personal blog.  It’s all me and it’s my place to share things that don’t belong on my biz sites and things I keep to myself too much.  Things that I wish I had others to talk to about who are in the same boat.  Which means that there is someone else out there that may give a damn about hearing how I’ve coped with things.  Or there may no one that cares and either way I don’t give a fuck.

I may not post here as much as I should, but I don’t care.  I’m not building this site for the traffic stats or even for the comments (weird to say that).  I’m not posting here to be pc, talk about the latest topic or otherwise worry if I offend you.

It’s me bitches and that’s it.  It may be ugly at times, but I promise it’ll be beautiful and fun to balance it out.  When I don’t post here, I need to know that this blog is here for me to post when I’m ready.  That no matter what I can always come back here.  It’s my safe zone and no one can take it away from me.  No one can tell me my opinions don’t matter or that they are ridiculous (like I don’t know) or that I’m whining about my health too much.  No one has actually said this, but I know they are tired of it.  Yes, I have a new food that is causing me problems and I felt like a shit for even bringing it up.  I won’t again, I’ll keep it here and deal with it like I do all the other food issues I have.

This is my space and feel free to kiss my ass and click away.  I’m tired of “whining” to my family about my health and I’m over it.  I’m moving ahead, but that doesn’t mean I don’t deal with my chronic health issues every single day.  It just means I plan on venting and moving on and this is my place I can.

So here’s my ucky picture from last October and if you read this far then you are definitely a masochist.  Welcome to my little world, mwahahaha

Today I actually felt good at the gym.  I had hubby buy the family membership right before Christmas so we can all go.  I’ve been working at it and I’m getting better about going.  I really prefer going to the new gym because no one knows me and I hate how fat I’ve gotten.  This 20 pounds is not pretty and it does embarrass me.  But obviously it hasn’t been embarrassing enough to fix it previously.

As I said, today the gym felt good.  I was pushing through my cardio just fine and was well on my way to jogging for over 20 minutes straight.  I am so thankful that my cardio comes back, but I really let it go farther than ever this time.  A lady was getting a first session with a trainer and I found myself missing that.  Missing that first contact.  Even missing those first discussions when everything you tell them goes out the other ear.  The time that you have to prove to them you know what you are talking about and let them see the results from them doing what you tell them.  The moment that they first start seeing results and they are so happy for all the work they’ve put in.  Yep, it’s the first time I’ve missed any of that.

This is such a good thing.  I’m still paying off my school loans from my degree damnit.  It was only a few months ago that I finally let go that if I don’t use this degree ever again it is ok .  It was worth the money and I’m better for having that piece of paper.  I’m proud of myself for graduating with that 3.82 while working 30 hours a week, working online and raising younger kids.  I’m not angry at paying that bill each month any longer.  Possibly that has helped this all come to light?  I know letting go of guilt has been very therapeutic in other areas of my life and with each “moment” I feel a little more wonderful.

Right now, I know I will be back to training.  I will continue to enjoy this time driving the kids around to all their things and getting my own butt back in shape.  I will go grab a new national cert and then when the time comes, I will train again.  I’m sure I will know when it’s time, life has a way of telling me as long as I’m listening.

photo credit: superwebdeveloper