Pearls & Peridots

So I mentioned in my last post that I am looking for a new job.  For those who aren’t already in the loop – I’m currently on leave from my current position and I am supposed to be returning this month.  It’s not a secret that I love a lot of things about my job. But it is also a very high stress job and, as a contract/commission worker, doesn’t include any of the regular perks of employment like EI, benefits, predictable paychecks, etc.

When I returned to work, my youngest was just starting kindergarten and while my job gave me a great deal of flexibility to work around their schedules, it still meant a lot of time away and a very tired mom in the evenings.  The stress levels haven’t been great for family life either.   Anyway – Dave and I are also currently working on plans to add to our family  – which makes the lack of benefits and EI (aka Maternity Leave) that much more important.

So – here is what I am currently looking for:

• A job that will allow me to work only 3-4 days per week with hours that can accommodate Dave’s work and the kids’ school schedules, pays hourly and offers the opportunity to qualify for mat. leave/parental leave when the time comes.

Yeah – that’s about it lol.   In the mean time, I am also working on a few other at home projects that will allow me to suppliment my income so that I don’t need to work full time.

Okay – I know I have a lot of family and friends who read this blog and aren’t into the online world much so before I share my news – here is a little info I should explain:

What is an eBook? – An eBook is a book that is purchased online and delivered in digital format. It’s usually cheaper then a traditional book, and you can print it off or just read it from your computer. You can get eBook is just about every genre.

What is a report? – A “report” in the sense that I am talking about is similar to an eBook, just shorter – and generally non-fiction and useful in some way.

eBooks and reports are examples of “information products” you can purchase on the internet.

SO – last weekend I finished my first information product – a 22 page report! I am SO excited about it! My report is written for online business owners and bloggers who earn money blogging. The report dispells the myth that offline marketing needs to be expensive, and shows online marketers and business owners WHY expanding their marketing strategies offline is important. The report offers a great selection of cheap and even free offline promotion options that every online business owner should consider.

Check out it out!

Not my job. Of course, with ad deadline less then a week away, there is some stress but it’s Dave’s job that I am writing about today. At least he still has a job though. In the past two weeks, another 150 people were laid off bringing the total layoffs over 500 so far! Today a good friend was let go, bringing his department down to only 2 people! Being a small department in the first place, they were a pretty close group to start off with and seeing one after the other let go has been very stressful for the rest.

I’m a Stephan Harper fan most of the time, but his “More jobs created then lost” bit is ticking me off. Yes, lots of jobs have been created. That’s small comfort to all of the families out there who have lost their jobs in manufacturing this year and are not qualified for the industries that are hiring.

So this weekend I joined Marc and the ladies promoting Canadian Homestead and Your Wedding… Imagine at the Ultimate Women’s Show and had a blast! I got to check out the other booth’s as well and so I thought I would share a few of my favorite finds:)

Poco Beads: Gorgeous jewelry, and they offer classes to learn how to make your own stuff to! We definitely need to plan a girls night and go take one of their classes soon! They three girls who own Poco are wonderful, and they have teamed up with us for an upcoming project in the magazine as well! I can’t wait to get to work with them!

All About Chocolate: A totally chic chocolate company that also does home parties. I meet the owner, a wonderful young lady, and got to try her amazing chocolate. I also bought a chocolate peppermint lip balm which has Shea Butter in it and feels amazing. The smell makes me hungry lol. I definitely think a chocolate party may be in the near future:) Oh – did I mention – TOTALLY affordable to? LOVE IT!

Tomboy Tools: This one was fun. They have tools made for women which are slimmer, easier to handle, better suited for female hands, etc. Oh – and they come in PINK! SWEET!!

Tutor Doctor: I will be having a meeting with this lady. She is a teacher, and provides one-on-one tutoring for students who need assistance. She is going to spend some time with Kahlan. I think it may be exactly what he needs:)

Total She: Another party company, another MUST DO party, lol. They have a lot of items, my favorite being the customizable jewelry:) Gorgeous (and not over priced). They also have great customizable engraved photo frames.