Cookie's Domain

Bye Bye Blogger

2009-02-11T08:33:00.002-06:00

Well, it is official. This blog can now be found at CookiesDomain.com. The whole process really wasn't as difficult as a thought it would be.

The new site is a work in progress. But join me there and make sure to bookmark the new address for future reference.

My Own Domain Names

2009-02-05T22:11:00.002-06:00

Well, I finally decided to take my blogging more seriously. I have been doing some research and it seems to be a fact that most bloggers that seek to earn passive income get a domain name. So, I have purchased 2, one for this blog and one for my "writing for residuals blog." I also paid for a month of service for an affordable hosting site where you can host unlimited domain names.

Once I actually have everything set up I will give out my new addresses. That may not be for awhile because I'm sure it will take me time to learn how to transfer my domain names and set up my new sites.

But I am actually excited about it. Having internet real estate seems like it will be fun.

More of Me to Love

2009-01-28T19:09:00.002-06:00

Here I write mainly about three topics: personal day to day life, natural hair, and freelance writing. So, Ive decided to make these topics separate.

Now in addition to Cookie's Domain you can also find me at Cookie's Natural Hair and Writing 4 Residuals.

Of course the issue that I am dealing with is will I actually update them all regularly. Umm, probably not. But it is worth a try.

I Ordered It

2008-12-29T13:39:00.001-06:00

I ordered the Kinky Curly products. I must say that I am impressed. My hair looked 100% better when I applied the curly custard.

Now I'm looking for a good product to apply to my dry scalp (not grease) and a gentle shampoo for my hair.

Contemplating Kinky-Curly Hair Products

2008-12-15T20:30:00.004-06:00

OK. Here is the absolute truth. I really dislike spending a lot of money on myself for beauty products. I have always been like that. I always find the cheapest alternative when it comes to hair care products and makeup. I just can not justify spending a lot of money on products that have to be replaced constantly.

Which brings me to my dilemma. My natural hair needs help in a BAD way. I used to be able to keep my curl definition when my hair dried but not anymore. And I'm having a tough time keeping it moisturized. I prefer wash & go's because they are quick and cute. Or at least they were until I started having these issues with my hair. So I have reached the point of not caring if I have to pay to get pleasing results. Having healthy, decent looking hair is important to me.

So, I started doing some research on Nappturality.com and You Tube and came across many good testimonials on Kinky-Curly. I even watched some You Tube videos of how to apply the product and some before and afters.

It definitely looks like something that will work for my hair. But beauty does not come cheap. The Kinky-Curly curling custard is $26 and the Knot Today, a leave in conditioner needed to go with the custard, is $12 - plus shipping and handling. I have never spent that much money in my life on jut 2 hair care products.

I told my husband about the price but he just wants me to be happy about my hair. So, he is fine with the purchase. That should be the end of it for me, I know. But I still did days and days more of research trying to find a cheaper alternative. I found a homemade pudding recipe on Nappturality. But if I buy the ingredients for that and it does not work then I will still have to shell out the $38 + s&h for the KC products.

What is a cheap, I mean frugal, person to do? Well, in my many hours of research I did find out that it is best to buy the products from CurlMart.com. The price is the same but I can use coupon code iVillage to get 20% off.

Anyway, I will make my final decision on Wednesday. That way I have plenty of time to weigh all of my options.

Christmas Time is Here

2008-12-15T20:12:00.001-06:00

DH, the children, and I went Christmas shopping last night. Let's just say that brief outing made us more resolute than ever that from now on we will do the majority of our shopping online. If we purchase items from Amazon.com we get:

free shipping on orders over $25 (believe me, this minimum is easy for me to reach)
no standing in line
no chance that the price will be different when I get to the checkout counter (that just happened to us at Best Buy)
no taxes - this is a huge savings for us
no dealing with rude sales people

Those are more than enough reasons right there.

An Article Series on Saving Money

2008-12-12T07:59:00.002-06:00

My second article has been published on Bright Hub. This one is about how to save money on gas. It is actually part of a series on practical money saving tips. You can get to the other parts in the series from any article in the series. I like how Bright Hub set that up.

Anyway, my plan is to have the series completed by the end of next week. Originally, the plan was to write one article a day for 4 days. But my life really is about my family. So writing is not a priority for me. It is more like a hobby that pays.

Excited About eHow

2008-12-11T21:55:00.003-06:00

I am soooo excited about eHow. I found out about the Writer's Compensation program from WAHM.com. I signed up a month ago today and I am confident that I will make more than the $10 needed to get paid next month.

I read several testimonials about writers making several hundred dollars each month of passive income from eHow. I decided to do a little experiment to see if that was a reality. And I now believe that those testimonials are true.

Once I reach my monthly goal for eHow I will share my own testimonial and show a snapshot of my earnings. That is assuming I have figured out how to take a screen shot by then.

My First Bright Hub Article

2008-12-10T21:19:00.005-06:00

I am thrilled to report that my first Bright Hub article has been posted. It's all about how to save money on groceries. Considering how food prices are sky rocketing, this is a timely article.

It feels wonderful to be writing again. I really enjoy sharing with others. And I am enjoying writing again now that I am not putting any unrealistic expectations on myself. I do have some goals, but they are very simple ones. On Bright Hub I want to write personal finance articles that truly help others get a handle on their money. And it is amazing to me that I am getting paid to do something I do all the time for free. I am constantly giving budgeting and finance advice to other Family Managers.

So, I am over writing for money. DH is the bread winner - and a good one at that. So that frees me up to write out my desire to help others.

So Much for Menu Monday

2008-12-10T21:17:00.002-06:00

Seeing as it is Wednesday night, it's obviously too late to post my menu for this week. But the good news is that I did actually write a menu for this week. It's in my kitchen and I have been following it diligently. Anyway, I'll try again next week.

Back to Posting Menus

2008-12-04T12:38:00.000-06:00

My goal is to start participating in Menu Plan Monday again, starting next week. I have been making meals on the fly lately. This really hasn't been working out that well. I often find it being meal time and I don't have any idea what I'm going to fix.

I'm not sure how or why I stopped planning menus. But it is a necessity so I will be back on track next week.

I'm Writing Again

2008-12-02T14:15:00.004-06:00

After awhile, the writing bug will bite me again. It did again last month. That's why I haven't blogged much lately. I've been writing articles for eHow. There is no upfront payment; but, you get passive income from ads that are clicked on.

I also got accepted to write for the Personal Finance channel on Bright Hub. I have not actually written yet. But I have to submit an article by the end of December. So I will have my first article there soon.

I also have 2 blogs at Today.com. They pay $1 per 100 word post. They only pay for 1 post per day per blog. So that is an easy $60 a month. You can even write your articles all at once and post date them. That's what I do. My blogs are: Frugal Tips and Housecleaning.

I have not really set a goal for how much money I would like to make yet. I'm thinking that an extra $100 a month would be cool. I praise God that my husband is the breadwinner. So anything I make would be personal money for myself.

Update: 12/10/08 I found out a few days ago that Today.com has changed their payment structure. If you have a blog with low ad clicks then your pay rate is only $2 for every 1000 page views.

Wish I'd know that before putting up over 60 posts between the 2 blogs :(

Prairie Muffin

2008-10-08T13:13:00.004-05:00

I came across the Prairie Muffin Manifesto last night. I was surprised to learn that over the years I have become a Prairie Muffin without being aware of it.

It's beautiful to know that many other women choose to live their lives solely for the Lord and their family, without regard for how the world feels about it.

Making Curtains

2008-10-07T13:23:00.005-05:00

I've been so lazy about curtains. There are tons of free curtain designs online but I never made curtains when we lived in an apartment (for over 4 years).

Now, We've been in our new home since April of this year. And have I looked for curtain patterns yet? Well, I have looked but that's not the same as actually making the curtains.

My husband put shades up when we first moved in. But I know curtains will give the house a more "homey" feel. So I'm looking a simple design that I will actually make.

I found very clear instructions in this free curtain design. And this page gives step by step instructions with photos for each step.

Now, what color fabric will I use for the kitchen windows? Choices, choices . . .

Pogo Promo Code

2008-10-07T09:00:00.004-05:00

Yes, I admit it. Sometimes I waste time playing games on Pogo.com. Over the years I've searched for Pogo promo codes because there are a lot of good premium games that I like to play. After exhausting all Pogo promo codes my husband bought a year long Club Pogo membership.

Well, my subscription expired awhile ago and I'm too cheap (I mean frugal) to buy my own. So I was happy when I googled and came across another Pogo promo code, a free month pass with no credit card required.

Pogo promo code: Club Pogo Free 1 Month Guest Pass.

It expires 01/06/09.

Menu Plan Monday

2008-10-06T08:29:00.004-05:00

Breakfast: See left sidebar

Lunch (served with canned fruit or vegetables):
Homemade pizza
Ramen noodles, sausage, and peas
PBJ
Bean and cheese tacos
Spaghetti
Leftovers x2

Dinner:
Chicken fajitas, sweet corn, rice
Chicken fried steak, greens, rice
Tuna sandwiches, chips
Bbq chicken, TX toast, green beans
Pork chops, rolls, cream style corn
Oven baked burgers w/ cheese, pork & beans
Leftovers

These meals are in no particular order. I usually just try make sure that I don't serve the same type of meat two days in a row for dinner. Other than that, I usually decide which meals I'm going to make the night before.

Facebook

2008-08-27T12:42:00.002-05:00

First of all, MySpace friends please don't be too shocked. I have been spending some time on Facebook.

It actually started out quite accidentally. I think that originally I got a Facebook account so that I could comment on one of my favorite blogs. That was probably over a year ago. Then about a month ago I got a Facebook friend request email. It was from a dear friend from Canada. I didn't even remember having a Facebook account until then.

Well, after that I decided to check it out. Honestly, I'm not really sold on it. I prefer MySpace. But I did find an old friend on Facebook that I used to babysit for. So that was cool.

I linked my MySpace page to the account. And as soon as I figure out how to I'll link my blog posts. But I doubt I'll spend much time there.

Online Art Lessons

2008-02-22T21:22:00.002-06:00

My oldest is an artist, he draws comics. Actually, he's a scholar and an artist. But anyway, his uncle bought him a drawing book which he enjoys. But today dh told me that he'd like to learn other elements of art as well.

Of course that gave me a great reason to Google away, which is a favorite pastime of mine. And I found a page with a few great links for the budding artist.

Online Educational Games

2008-02-21T10:00:00.002-06:00

I was going to list a few sites that I use with my children for homeschool. But I just found a "master list" - if you will - of online educational games. I present to you [angelic soprano voices singing "aaaaaahhhhhh"]: Gamequarium.

Just click on the link and you'll see why I didn't bother to post my pitiful list. (Hey, I'm a realist.)

Revamping Preschool

2008-02-21T09:29:00.003-06:00

Of course I'm a bit biased here but all of my children are extremely bright. This is becoming increasing evident in my 3 year old who is soaking up the alphabet and letter sounds in record time. Now what I was doing in homeschool isn't working. 3 yr old is getting bored easily.

So, I'm stepping up the fun in our preschool. I'm going to set up a schedule where the children have more computer time playing online educatonal games. I'll sit next to 3 yr old during his time and help him as needed. And I'll put 2 yr old on my lap and let her tell me the answers. Then I'll click on them for her.

Right now I'm in the process of compiling a list of websites that have free educational games, like Funschool.

A Morbid Thought

2008-01-21T13:10:00.000-06:00

The other day I was reading Richard Pryor's official online biography at RichardPryor.com. (No warning needed here about the language at this site.) I don't know what got me thinking about Richard Pryor but I've always thought about the fact that although he was wildly successful his life was so sad. But despite his many hardships and substance abuse problems he put his all out there for the world to see and the world loved him. Unfortunately he got MS and that very quickly ended his career.

And this is where my morbid thought comes in? What if I died before doing the things that I believe God has put in me to do? How sad would that be? What if Richard Pryor had said, "One day I'll try my hand at stand up." And then he got sick and died and the world was never blessed by his comic genius? What if Luther Vandross had decided to pursue a music career one day after he was financially stable but then he died of a stroke without ever realizing his full potential? You get my point.

Because of what God had done for me through His son Jesus I don't fear dying. But I am seriously concerned about taking full advantage of the time and talents that God has afforded me for an undisclosed amount of time.

I've said all of that to say that very shortly I will be taking on a project that I've always wanted to do. I'm just waiting for software to arrive that my husband ordered for me. My husband dreams big and is has no problem taking risks. So he is very happy and supportive of my new endeavor.

I've found that the internet can be a huge distraction for me. So I won't be blogging or checking my Myspace account much until I'm finished. So if you think you might want to contact me then message me within the next few days for my email address. I check my email daily regardless of whatever.

I don't mean to sound all mysterious about what I'll be doing. But I believe that there are 2 types of people. People who do and people who just talk about what they're going to do. So as not to fall in the second catagory I will report back once I have actually "done" what I've set out to to.

Much love.

Puppet Mania

2008-01-15T20:47:00.000-06:00

Why haven't I been posting lately? Well, because I've gotten slightly addicted to making puppets. It started out innocently enough. I needed a puppet for a bible lesson. I made one and was instantly interested in making more. So, I immediately begin my google searches and found a few great patterns. It's a lot of fun and to build puppets much more productive than watching television, which I'd been doing too much of lately.

Anyway, here are my creations with the links for the patterns.

I got this cute puppy design from Danielle's Place. I took a look at the link that she listed for the canvas puppets at Oriental Trading. I studied the pic for awhile and then designed my own out of felt instead. Quick and easy.

I got this pattern from the Project Puppet blog. My son wanted me to use green felt and try to make Kermit. He set the bar way too high considering this was my first attempt at an open mouth puppet. So I tried to keep it simple and make it resemble the one in the article.

Super Simple Puppet Pattern

Another Danielle's Place inspiration. I was actually trying to make Larry the Lizard but I realized that the puppet could be a snake if I added a forked tongue. This was perfect since the upcoming letter of the week was "Ssssssssssssss." Sorry couldn't resist.

I purchased the pattern for this puppet from BiblePuppet.com. I am the Queen of free online patterns. But I really wanted to make a good sized moving mouth puppet but couldn't find a good free pattern. And I'm so glad that I spent the $9.95. This pattern challenged me the most. But I'm also inspired to modify the pattern and to keep improving my new craft.

I think that once I get better at the construction that I may move on to using foam instead of stuffing. However, I have yet to find foam at a low enough price for me. I know that hobbies can be money guzzlers. So I try my best to stick to making things that only need inexpensive supplies. So the foam idea is probably just wishful thinking for now.

Menu Plan Monday - 1/7/08

2008-01-07T07:52:00.001-06:00

I'll try to update this post later with links to some of the dishes.

Breakfast - served w/ fruit
sausage biscuits
PB muffins
cold cereal
oatmeal
french toast

Lunch - served w/ fruit or veggie
tuna tortillas
hot dog muffins
bean and cheese tacos
PB sandwiches
leftovers

Snack
pear crisp
jello
bread pudding

Dinner served w/ veggie and bread
spicy chicken fingers
baked potato w/ bacon bits
fajita chicken
bbq ribs
bbq chicken

Sew Saturday - Making Curtains

2008-01-05T08:29:00.000-06:00

I am currently getting together instructions for making curtains. Here are instructions for sewing curtains and a valance that I will definitely use.

Website Wednesday

2008-01-02T12:33:00.000-06:00

DonnaYoung.org has lots of great free printables. I especially like her planner pages found in the household section.