Desert Pond

Author: Erica

  • From Squidoo to Your Own Site

    I first got my start making money online by posting content to a site called Squidoo. I joined in 2009 and did very well for myself until they started having issues with Google in the early part of 2013. At that time, Squidoo made significant changes to their strategy, the kinds of content they wanted, and the layout of their site. Their rules and regulations changed and they way they went about making those changes was – at the very least – annoying (and that’s being polite).

    As a result, I ended up moving all of my lenses to my own site: StonesFinds. It took awhile and I still have some to publish but it was well worth it.

    Now, I make the rules about what goes on the site and what doesn’t. I decide what I want to write about and I don’t have to worry that the format will have changed while I was off working on something else. Talk about feeling free and working for oneself!

    I’ve also added other kinds of posts to the site – content about my life, travel, my kids, and hobbies. I can write whatever I want to write about with whatever words I want to use and not worry that I’ve got to get past some secret filter.

    I have to thank Squidoo for allowing me a free place to practice but now I’m doing much better on my own and would encourage those of you who are struggling to simply start your own site.

  • Sewing Machines for Beginners

    Janome 6500P Sewing MachineWhen you’re a mother of all boys, there are some topics and items you don’t shop for much. One of those items would be sewing machines for beginners. There’s not really a whole lot of sewing going on at my house. There used to be, though. I took home ec in high school. I’ve made my share of pillows. I think I even made a dress once. (Pretty sure I never actually WORE it, however.)

    Now, there SHOULD be some sewing taking place at my house. I’m a bit, well, short. Pants aren’t easy to find. I have rolls of that stitch witchery tape so I can hem them with an iron. However, I’m always catching my heels in my hems and ripping out that darn ironing tape so actually altering the pants with a sewing machine is probably not a bad idea. In fact, I suspect that’s one of the reasons most people have a sewing machine – for alterations. What a novel concept!

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  • How I Ended Up Buying a Motorola Droid

    Motorola Droid Picture
    Motorola Droid at Amazon

    Here’s the story of how I ended up buying a Motorola Droid even though I hung up on a sales person who tried to sell me one a few months ago and told the salesperson in the Verizon store last week that I thought it was highly unattractive. Now, I wouldn’t trade it for any other phone.

    We got my oldest son (let’s call him son #1) a cell phone the Christmas he was 13 years old. The age of cell phone achievement in our household was then set. Reach 13, get a cell phone. Our youngest (son #3), who is 6, is pretty sure that’s the stupidest rule he’s ever heard. He’d like a cell phone NOW. Fortunately for him, we didn’t stick to it long. Instead of waiting until 13, we got son #2 a cell phone this past Christmas at the age of 12. At this rate, son #3 will have one by the time he’s 8. And so go the rules at our house.

    In either case, in December of this past year, I tried to order the phone for son #2 as a Christmas present through our carrier’s website (let’s leave out their name, shall we?). I love to shop online – especially at Christmas time – and I was a bit overly pleased with myself for getting my online shopping started in time to get the presents to my parents’ house where we’d be spending the holiday.

    I ventured onto my carrier’s website to order the phone and add a phone line. How hard could that be, right? There’s even a little button that says “Add a Phone Line”. Yup. That’s what I want to do! Click.

    Click….click…select….click….backup….click….what the *(#&$)(*&#!

    So much for making things simple. For the life of me, I could not add the phone line, much less order a phone.

    Oh, but there’s a cute little live-chat option. I’ll just ask someone to walk me through it. (I’ll save you the long description of that fiasco. Let’s just say that didn’t go well either.)

    Next, I call my carrier and tell them what I want to do. Sure, no problem, he says (evilly – I swear!) “The reason you’re having trouble adding the phone line is that you are up for a free upgrade on your main phone and you’ll have to use the upgrade before you can add a new line.”

    Pause.

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  • Hugging and Business – Why the Two Don’t Mix

    Hugging cat
    © Marcus in NY

    As the final day with my employer approaches, there has been a lot of reminiscing at work.  I’ve been with the same group of people for more than 10 years.  Today, we got into a discussion about hugging and business and why I think the two don’t mix.

    I know, you’re saying, “Well, it seems kind of obvious why the two shouldn’t go together.  Don’t they teach you that in workplace harrassment classes?

    Yes, but I work in an unusual, tightly knit industry.  Sometimes too tightly knit.  When the group of us involved in this particular business congregate at a conference, there’s an awful lot of hugging – as if it’s a family reunion.

    When I attended my first conference, I noticed it right off the bat.  Why are all of these people hugging each other?  This is supposed to be a professional atmosphere.  Not being the huggy type, it really struck me as a bit bizarre.

    And then, I saw one coming my way.  A business acquaintance I’d met maybe once or twice before.  He had the look of a hugger and he was walking towards me.  His arms started to outstretch.  I’m sure my eyes were the size of saucers and I did the only thing I could think of to escape the oncoming squeeze.  I stuck my hand straight out in front of me in traditional hand shake position.  He faltered for a moment, recovered, grinned and shook my hand.  “Not a hugger, huh?”, he asked.  I smiled back and shook my head.

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  • Goodbye Corporate Life

    Goodbye Corporate Life
    © Atee83 | Dreamstime

    I’m saying goodbye to the corporate life. Maybe it will turn out to be a mistake. Maybe not. I really hope not, anyway. No matter what, though, I believe my work life quality is about to change significantly for the better.

    I quit my job – a very nice, corporate job at a well-recognized and ages old organization with benefits and a corner office.

    Some will think me crazy for doing so and the intent of this post is not to ask whether or not I should have done so. It’s to explain why I did so.

    I’ve played the game. I’ve crawled my way through corporate politics. I’ve sandwiched my share of constructive criticism in between bits of positive reinforcement. I’ve been the mouse whose cheese was moved and I’ve moved my share of cheese. I know how to manage in a minute, remotely, and in the middle of the night. I know being in the red is bad. I’ve worked with empire-builders, lazy suck-ups and those who did all the work but never got enough credit.  I’ve been through more corporate fire-drills than a volunteer fireman.

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