Random Friday Frustrations

Instead of one topic I thought I would cover several today... I'm just in a random mood lately...

Well one of the financial issues is resolved.... the balance of Adrian's pay was deposited today. Still no sign of the Cricket refund though.

I was supposed to take Sarah and her boyfriend to run an errand today... but Adrian's car wouldn't start so he had to drive my van to work... now Sarah is pissed. I feel like crap about it... but it's not my fault that his car wouldn't start. It's Mercury... wake up Mercury!!!.... You are NOT retrograde... so stop acting like it!!!

By the way... my son's truck is in the shop too... more Mercury crap...

Steffie threw a "Sarah fit" last night... she didn't get her way so she went into her room and trashed it... throwing toys everywhere. Sooo... when she refused to help pick them up I picked them up myself... I put them into bags and put the bags into my van. Now she will have to earn them back by picking up her other toys after she is finished playing with them and by using the potty instead of her panties. Hopefully this will teach her A) To pick up her toys B) Not to throw fits and C) Don't mess with Mom!

It's becoming more and more obvious that I'm going to have to cut back my time online. Especially with school starting back... I'm feeling like I need to be spending time with Steffie.... working on her education. Yea... she's only 3... she'll be 4 in October.... but she is soooo smart... she already knows what most kindergartners know and I don't want to keep her at a stand still. I want her to continue to progress. I feel like I need to be teaching her to read and write. And I'm not pushing it.... she is just ready for it and I don't need to delay it out of selfishness. I need to schedule some time each day to spend teaching her. After all.... I am homeschooling her... so we need to actually do some schooling.... not long periods of time... but at least some.

My house is also neglected.... it looks horrible... so I've gotta set aside some more time each day to get it into shape. I've just got to make myself some sort of schedule.... and have some self-discipline with my online time. It sucks.... but I can't just sit here all day everyday typing and clicking while my child is playing alone and learning nothing and my house is getting worse and worse. There is just not enough hours in the day to get everything done that I need to do and/or want to do. So I would love to know how other homeschooling blogging Moms are finding the time to drop 300 EC's a day... educate their child... post to their blog... clean their house... cook dinner... get baths done.... deal with other family issues... answer e-mails.... etc etc etc

It isn't helping that I've gotten the following message several times today from Google while doing my drops :

" We're sorry...

... but your computer or network may be sending automated queries. To protect our users, we can't process your request right now."

What is that??? It's never happened before...

A Lil Enchanted,

~LaShan~

Some Random Thoughts For Thursday

Well since I missed Random Tuesday Thoughts and the last couple of Friday Frustrations I thought I would just do some random Thursday thoughts for today.... mainly since I've been so busy and haven't had a chance to post a lot of personal happenings....

So let's go with yesterday... Adrian wanted me to update my Mozilla Firefox to the new version 3.5... so I did... can you say mistake??? If you're using Firefox (which I highly recommend) and the EC Toolbar (which I also highly recommend if you do EC)..... DO NOT upgrade because the EC Toolbar does not work with Mozilla Firefox 3.5. So I had to go back and reinstall the older version of Firefox.... can you say pain in the butt?! Ok... so I'm all fixed back now.... but this was in the middle of rushing around to get my EC drops in... which I did not make the 300... again... it's been a real struggle this past week to get them all in... so I apologize to all my usuals and those who dropped on my EC if I didn't drop on you this past week.

I think that Mercury thinks it is retrograde.... if you notice on my right sidebar I added the dates of this year's Mercury retrogrades so it will be easier to know in advance when this dreaded event occurs. Why do I think Mercury thinks it is retrograde?.... because several things have happened that usually happen when Mercury is retrograde (communication and transportation issues)..... Sarah even asked me if Mercury was retrograde... so it's not just me!
Yesterday's issue with Firefox was one... but also on Monday Adrian got his pay stub (his check is direct deposit to the bank).... he did not get paid for the week he was in Nashville... so they have to fix the mistake (hopefully today). This was his 4th paycheck from this new company and out of the 4 this is the 2nd time they messed up his paycheck..... grrrr.
Also on Monday.... I went online to pay our Cricket phone bill... I clicked submit and got an error notice... so I immediately checked my bank account to see if the payment went through... it did.... TWICE... I only had enough money in my account to pay one payment which meant that I would be charged an overdraft fee. I immediately caledl Cricket... they say I have to call my bank even though it was Cricket's mistake... not my bank's. So I call my bank and they say one payment should drop off over night. It didn't... so I call them back yesterday and they say I have to call Cricket to get the payment refunded and that they will not remove the overdraft fee even though it was not my fault. I don't know about you... but $34 is a lot to me and I sure could use it for something other than donating it to my bank! So Cricket agrees to credit my account for the overpayment and the overdraft fee... I really don't think they will credit the $34... but we'll see.... it will take a couple of days is what they say. So I'm still dealing with both messes.
My computer was making strange noises the other day.... it's old... about 5 or 6 years old now... so I'm worried about how much longer it's going to last. We replaced the power supply about a year ago.... so we thought the fan was going the other day... but it seems to be fine for now and the noise stopped. So cross your fingers and toes that it holds out at least another year... I can't afford a new one and if it craps out I'm just SOL. Not to mention all of my files that are on here that I will lose. I've got to figure out how to save my bookmarks and passwords and my saved e-mails to my storage drive so they can be transferred to another computer at some point.

And that's all of the thinking I can do for now.... I'm sure I had other thoughts that I wanted to put here... but they just flew out the window of my brain.... gotta get showered... today is library day again.... already.... and for the record... Mercury is not retrograde.... so what's up????

A Lil Enchanted,
~LaShan~

Win $75 from Adgitize!!!

I know I just posted about Adgitize a few days ago but I didn't realize at the time that this awesome contest was going on.... so I just had to tell everyone. If you are not already a member of Adgitize now is the best time to become one because they are giving away some great cash prizes at the end of this month. So not only will you be advertising your blog and increasing your traffic... and earning the regular amounts just for doing that... you can also win even more cash! And who can't use some more cash????

Here are the prizes:

1st Prize $75 USD
2nd Prize $50 USD
3rd Prize $25 USD
4th Prize 1 Month Ad on the Adgitize Network
5th Prize 14 Day Ad on the Adgitize Network
6th Prize 7 Day Ad on the Adgitize Network

And here is how you earn your entries:

"Like all the processes at Adgitize we want you to grow your blog. So, you win by doing the things that normally grow a blog. You will receive entries into this contest 4 different ways."

* 1 Entry for Each Day in August that you have an Adgitize Ad Group on your Blog
* 1 Entry for each day in August you have an ad running on the Adgitize Ad Network
* 1 Entry for each day in August you write an article on your blog
* 1 Entry for each day in August you score at least 10 Adgitize Click Points

The contest runs from August 1st, 2009 to August 31st, 2009. Prizes will be awarded on September 2nd, 2009. Adgitize will randomly choose the 6 winners from all available entries at that time. Member has to be an Active Adgitize Publisher to win.

So you can earn several entries per day just by doing what you do everyday anyway. So what are you waiting for??? Get on over there and give Adgitize a try this month... now it's even more worth it... and every day that you put it off is less chances of winning that cash!

A Lil Enchanted,
~LaShan~

I'm So Honored To Get New Awards!

My new friend PJ at PJ's Prose designed this beautiful award for her Top Commenters.... and I'm so proud to be one :). She really makes it easy to be a top commenter on her blog though because she is so open and so easy to get to know. If you haven't visited her blog you should hop on over there and and see for yourself. You'll be glad that you did!

Thank you so much PJ!!!

I'm passing this award on to my own Top Commenters.... which also means I'm passing it back to PJ because she happens to my #1 lol... Please visit these awesome blogs... they also happen to be some of my favorites! Here is my list:

1. PJ at PJ's Prose (34)
2. Storm at The Psychotic Housewife (11)
3. Grampy at Grampy and You(10)
4. Jodi at Bargain Central(8)
5. Maria at Conversations with Moms (7)
6. Sherri at Luv a Bargain (5)
7. Stacey at All Stace, All The Time (5)
8. Metz at Empty Streets (5)
9. Dorothy at Women's Self Esteem (4)
10. Stacie at Super Mommy To The Rescue (4)

Thanks to all of you for visiting my blog and for leaving your awesome comments! It just wouldn't be any fun to blog if I didn't hear from you all or from anyone else who visits either. So everyone keep coming to visit and let me know you dropped in by leaving me your comments :)




I also received this lovely award from Stace over at All Stace, All The Time . I love her blog... it's one that is on the top of my list to visit everyday. She is another person that is just very genuinely friendly and easy to get to know. So run on over there and give Stace a visit... I'll bet she will make it to the top of your daily list too!

Thanks Stace!!!!

Now I am going to pass it on. Here are the Rules:

• This award is bestowed on to blogs that are exceedingly charming.


• These kind bloggers aim to find and be friends.


• They are not interested in self-aggrandizement.


• Our hope is that when the ribbons of these prizes are cut, even more friendships are propagated.


• Please give more attention to these writers.


• Deliver this award to six bloggers who must choose six more and include this cleverly-written text into the body of their award.


• I will pass this award to some of my bloggy friends that I find exceedingly charming...

So here are my choices of the exceedingly charming blogs:

1. PJ at PJ's Prose
2. Grampy at Grampy and You
3. Storm at The Psychotic Housewife
4. Dorothy at Women's Self Esteem
5. Kat at Candles, Crafts and Whatnot
6. Becki at Harmony In Motion

I hope you get a chance to visit these awesome blogs... you'll see why I like them so much and why they deserve this lovely award :)

A Lil Enchanted,
~LaShan~

Music Monday - Gold and Braid by Stevie Nicks

It's Music Monday again....

This week I want to share another of my favorites from the HBO Special (Stevie Nicks Live)... I wish I could have found video footage that is more clear than this but this was the only clip available on YouTube. This song soooo rocks!.... my favorite part is the end.... another one that makes me cry....

Stevie.... rocking it out with Gold and Braid




Lyrics | Stevie Nicks lyrics - Gold And Braid (Live Version) lyrics

Come join Music Monday and share your songs with us. One simple rule, leave ONLY the actual post link here. You can grab this code at LJL Please note these links are STRICTLY for Music Monday participants only. All others will be deleted without prejudice.







A LilEnchanted,
~LaShan~

Lughnasadh Blessings

Once again the wheel has turned and it is time for the first harvest celebration.... Lughnasadh (Loo-NAHS-ah) which is named for the Celtic Sun God, Lugh. We celebrate because we are beginning to reap the fruits of our labor. The seeds that we planted in the spring have grown and are now beginning to produce vegetables.... the berries are ripening... and the fruit trees are bearing fruit.... the grains in the fields are ready to harvest. The body of the Mother Earth is full and abundant.... and will become even more so as the seeds within her continue to grow.

Lughnasadh falls midway between the Summer Solstice and the Autumn Equinox therefore it is a cross-quarter holiday. While the hottest part of the summer is still to come.... have you noticed yet that it's getting dark just a tiny bit earlier each day? The days are already getting shorter and the nights longer... but just a lil bit at this time. But it will become more and more noticeable as the dark time gets nearer.

Lughnasadh is primarily a grain harvest (corn, wheat, barley).... and is known as the celebration of bread. Bread was one of the main staples of our ancestors and the ripening of the grain was cause for great celebration.... it meant that there would be food to eat for the coming winter months. The threshing of precious grain was once seen as a sacred act. Fruits, vegetables and berries which ripen in late summer are also a part of the traditional feast.

Lughnasadh is also a time of personal reflection and a harvest of our own actions and deeds. It's a time to reflect on events and experiences and the lessons that we have learned from them. Maybe you've reaped trial, tribulation and loss..... or joy, love and abundance. Remember that the seeds that we plant are the seeds that will grow.... thoughts are seeds... just as deeds are seeds.

You can celebrate this harvest by baking fresh bread. Take your lil ones berry picking.... have the fresh berries with your bread or put them in your bread. Show your lil ones how to make a corn dolly. Take your lil ones into the garden and show them how to pick the vegetables growing there.... and then share your abundance with someone else who may be in need.

I plan to celebrate Lughnasadh on the hill that I love with my spiritual family... honoring the Mother and Father.... singing and dancing... laughing and crying... and sharing a wonderful feast :)

Lughnasadh Blessings To All....

A Lil Enchanted,
~LaShan~

Win Rachel Ray Cookware!

I could really use some new cookware and this looks like an awesome set! And it has to be good cookware of it's from Rachel Ray right?! My cookware is beat up and scratched up.... the non-stick sticks... and the pots are warped... so winning this would be awesome. You can enter to win too... just hop on over to Nanny Goats In Panties and get your own entries in.


A Lil Enchanted,
~LaShan~

Want Free Advertising For Your Blog???

At the end of June I decided to try Adgitize to see if I could earn some free ads for my blog... It only costs $14 a month if you pay to have your ads on there... and then you can earn your money back and usually a lil extra in addition just by clicking on their ads (kinda like dropping an Entrecard... and I do this while I drop my EC's) but me... being the bargain hunter and freebie lover that I am didn't want to scrape the bottom of my purse for the $14... I want to earn my ads by participating in the program. Turns out that paid advertisers are able to earn more points and thus accumulate earnings quicker than just non-paying members and are therefore able to earn back their $14 and usually a lil more in addition to that by the end of the month. So after a few days at the end of June and all of July I've accumulated almost $5. If I stick with it another couple of months I will have enough for my ad and from there I'll be able to earn enough each month to continue getting my ad for free!

So if you are like me and you want free advertising... and you have the patience to earn it... you might wanna give Adgitize a try. I've actually gotten more traffic to my blog even though I don't have a paid ad on there yet.... and I've found some great blogs that are not listed on EC as well (most of the blogs do both EC and Adgitize).

You earn money based on points.... and you earn points by doing exactly what you do everyday anyway like....

Posting To Your Blog
Any Visits To Your Blog (or Web Site)
Reading Other Blogs
Placing Their Ads On Your Site

So it's really easy... just click your Adgitize ads at the same time you drop your EC's.... and 'kill two birds with one stone'

Oh you can also earn by referring others to join Adgitize ;).... so click on over and help me out... and help yourself out as well... if you decide it's not for you... you can always just leave.

A Lil Enchanted,
~LaShan~

Thank You To My July Top Droppers!

Another month has flown by.... it's time to say a big

To my July Top Droppers!

Dropper	# of drops
PJ's Prose	31
Bloody Computer!	30
Momspective Reviews	30
Momspective	30
Whatever Comes To My Mind	30
Positive men	29
Legal Cat-asthrope	29
Hip to be Mom	29
AsTheCrackerheadCrumbles	29
The Modern Historian	29

I appreciate all of your visits and comments :)

A Lil Enchanted,
~LaShan~

I Won A Galileoscope!!! Thank You Bob!!!

Oh Wow! I'm so excited that I won an awesome Galileoscope from Bob over at Black Holes and Astrostuff. Last month his daughter got married and he decided to celebrate the occasion by giving away 3 of these wonderful scopes. This was not a sponsored giveway... this was a very sweet, unique and generous way of celebrating a beautiful family event. I am so honored to be one of the recipients of this wonderful gift.

Our family will put this to great use for years to come. My son Jordan will be excited about this.... he used to love to go outside with his telescope and gaze into the night sky... and take photos of the moon. He used his Christmas money one year to buy a huge telescope that he used for this. I'm remembering the freezing cold winter nights when he dragged me outside with him to stand out there and freeze my fingers and toes off to look at stars and planets. And even though I about froze to death we had a great time... it was wonderful quality time and great memories for us to share. His telescope is broken now so he will be excited to have a scope again. He took some great pics through his old one so I'm sure he'll do the same with this one as well. Here are two of his pics... he took them by holding the camera up to the eye piece of the telescope... isn't that amazing that a kid did this??!! He was about 14 or 15 at the time.










It will also be put to great use as lil Steffie gets older... since we'll be homeschooling her I'm sure we'll spend many hours exploring the night sky as she begins her Astronomy and Astrology lessons... of course that's years down the road... in the mean time she can enjoy just looking for fun :)

Thank you so much Bob... for this wonderful gift! My family will put it to great use... your generosity is very much appreciated!!!

A LilEnchanted,
~LaShan~