Cabin Fever

This winter is hard on everyone, but our cat, Lex, is having a particularly hard time. Which trickles down (up?) to my having a hard time, because he is very verbal and very set on having his own way. He would like to go in and out repeatedly for long periods of time, and yells encouragement in my ear when I try to ignore him.

The other day, as I set up my workspace/Wii room, we attempted a compromise.

Wouldn't have been for me, but it seemed to make Lex happy.

New Year, New Start

The holidays are over, although my tree is still up, because it is just too pretty to take down yet.

But the first Monday of the year should be extra productive, ideally.

Instead of blogging, I should be writing a list. I have a training module to do, that should have been done last Wednesday or Thursday. I have 2 items that sold on eBay to mail, some items to list for sale, and a kitchen floor that needs washing. My car needs oil, and a good clear out, and if I don't get upstairs to my new Wii Fit, well, that seems wrong.

Stay tuned to see if this is my year to be productive and efficient.

Gardening Season Is Far From Over

Especially here, where I never did get a handle on the torn up mess in the backyard. (Septic work.) I tried a few things, including a pumpkin patch which thrived for quite awhile. The squirrels tore some of the plants up, but left others. In my front patch, they destroyed most seedlings. But here they left a bunch of plants, which covered the mess pretty well, along with the herbs and tomatoes that popped up here and there.

But now the growing season is over, and the vines need to be pulled out. The real problem, besides the squirrels, is the soil. Being lawn, I never supplemented it, as I did with the garden areas. It is fill, and lots of rocks. What it needs is compost, loads of it and as soon as possible. I removed as many rocks as I could, over the months, but they never, ever stop coming. I set them aside for the finished area. I am now covering the bare spot with newspaper, 4 sheets thick. I put some rocks on them, so they won't blow away. Then chopped up leaves 3 or 4 inches deep.  The weeds and grass seeds will die over the winter, the leaves and newspaper will break down, and I'll have a new garden, lined by plenty of rocks. To help this brand new bed get a jump start to better soil, I also plan to empty most of my containers over the leaves. I just wish I didn't make it so big. I always to that to myself, but as time goes on I've learned that setting it up right in the first place makes it as low maintenance as you're realisticly going to get. Now I need to plan an anti squirrel strategy for next season.

Make Holiday Cash Right Now

The holidays are on their way, both the most expensive of times and the most lucrative. The time of year when people want to show their love with "stuff" is an opportunity for anyone who would like to make some quick money right from home.

One way to get started quickly and without cost is to become an Amazon seller and/or associate. You can sign up right on their site, and they are very supportive with tutorials, live chat and just generally getting you started. Unlike eBay, who charge a listing fee, you don't pay Amazon until your item sells. They are an excellent place to sell books and movies, new or used.

If you have some books, say, that you'd like to sell, take some time to look them up on Amazon. See what the price range is,and condition of your competition. Check out the shipping options, remember the item has to be well packed, and weigh all the costs, including your time, when setting the price. 

If you don't have anything to sell, you can sign up as an associate and sell stuff for Amazon, for a small commission. This is good if you have a list, a blog or website, an e mail signature, or other way to market. The benefit is, you are just a middle man. You don't send sold merchandice or collect money. It's worth looking into, but the main thing is to take some action. It is easy to sit and think of ways to make some money, but if you never try anything, you'll never make a dime. Get started in your home based business today, there will never be a better time. 

As always, there is help available, to help you succeed even faster.

Sell Used Books on eBay, Amazon.com and the Internet for Profit

Happy Halloween!

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