Work from Home, How to find legit jobs

I know a lot of people are very leery when they hear about work from home jobs because, there are a lot of scams out there. There are also some legit work from home jobs that you can apply for, with regular pay and benefits. I often get asked questions about work at home opportunities so I thought I'd share a little of what I know.

These are my own opinions and suggestions and all jobs will have their own set of guidelines.

There are two different categories you will find most often when looking for a telecommuting job, an independent contractor or an employee.


Here is a video that will explain that much better than I could!



I am going to talk about job where you will be hired as an employee.


Requirements:

A quiet office space: It's important that you have a quiet area of your home set aside for working at home. Ideally this would be a private room with a locking door. Employers will not tolerate noise in the background from barking dogs, crying babies, children playing or other household noise. You may even want to hang a sign on the door asking people not to knock or ring the doorbell during working hours.


Childcare: I know it seems like a work from home job would be a great way to stay home with your children however, in most jobs this is not the case. If you are working on the phone for example, in customer service, you cannot step away from the phone to care for children. As I previously mentioned, you cannot have any noise in the background either. You will want to make arrangements for someone else to be watching your little ones while you are on the phone. Older children and teens will need to know not to bother you when you are working.

High Speed Internet: most jobs will require high speed internet. The lowest requirement I have seen is a 1mbps upload speed but many jobs require a 3mbps or 5mbps or faster. It may be necessary to upgrade your service or even to change companies all together to achieve this. For most jobs satellite internet will not be acceptable.

A Computer: Sometimes jobs will provide you with a computer once you start training but often you will still need a computer during the initial stages. The jobs where you are required to use your own computer generally want you to have a computer that is less that 4-6 years old. Some have pretty strict requirements as far as monitor size and speed so you may have to purchase a new computer. If funds are very tight you may be able to rent an acceptable computer until you have been working for a little bit and can afford to buy one. This is pricey in the long run but in a pinch it is an option to help you get into that job you desire.


Avoiding Scams:

Even is you are applying for a job as an employee, there are times when you have to pay for your own background check. Normally, this is not the case. A legit job will usually only require you to pay for a background check if you are almost certain to get the job. asking you for money while applying, or directly after submitting your resume is a sign that this may be a scam.
Here is an example: I applied for the staffing agency online. The job sounded great, they pay was great. I submitted my resume and application and within minutes I received and e-mail stating that I was being considered for a job and needed to pay $45 for a background check. There was no way in two minutes the company had time to review my resume. I left it on the back burner and started applying to other jobs. In the next few days I got several e-mails asking me to submit my payment so I decided to do some research. I Googled this company and could not find one person who had actually been hired by this company. I did find a lot of people who had paid the $45 however. I cannot say for certain that it was a scam but my scam alert definitely went off!

Do your research! Always do your research, especially before submitting any kind of payment. Search Google and YouTube. There are many websites dedicated to educating the public about scams. You can check the Better Business Bureau bbb.org or Scambusters along with a whole bunch of other websites.

Use reputable resources: When looking for a work at home job it's a good idea to check legit work at home job boards such as RatRaceRebellion. I suggest starting in the "Call Center and Customer Service" section and if you are looking to be an employee of the company and not an independent contractor look for the letters "EM" in front of the job posting. Workers On Board also posts some good work at home jobs. Both sites have YouTube pages for additional assistance and explanation.

Most of all realize, if it sounds to good to be true, it probably is! If anyone could make $3,000 a week sitting at home, I am sure most of us would be doing it! Unfortunately, there people out there wanting to prey on other people.


If you would like me to cover any other topics related to working at home please let me know!


If you have any questions or comments, please leave them in the comment section below!

Yoga at ANY size

As a plus sized woman or BBW  (big beautiful woman) I have found myself scared to approach yoga. I bought books and would watch these thinner women online doing poses and didn't think I could possibly do that. I found this awesome video on Amazon called "Heavy Weight Yoga: Yoga for the body you have today" This video really is amazing, she explains how to do a pose, shows you how to do it, then she explains ways to make the pose work for you according to your ability. She even shows how to do the moves from a seat if you are unable to get onto the floor. It just feels welcoming and peaceful. I would suggest if you are a BBW or a SSBBW or someone with mobility issues that you check out this video.

click the picture to check it out!





One item that I have found very helpful as a plus sized woman doing yoga is this 8 foot, extended stretch Yoga Strap. When I cannot hold the correct place on my body or when I cannot hold a pose for very long, the yoga strap is a tremendous help. This strap is extra long, which is awesome for larger bodies. I am using the Limm Yoga Strap pictured below (which I happened to get at a discount in exchange for my honest review on Amazon)

click the picture to check it out!

I am just feeling so much better and so much more flexible since starting Yoga. I have found that I feel less pain on the days I have a nice gentle yoga session and end with meditation. I am just learning but I love it already!

Here are a few Youtube channels for plus sized Yoga that are worth checking out!

Curvesome Yoga

Body Positive Yoga

Rainbeau Curves

I found this video INSPIRATIONAL!!!

FramedArt.com Holiday Review

I recently ordered this Christmas themed piece of art from FramedArt.com, called “Christmas by the fireplace.” This piece, from the Cozy Christmas collection, reminds me so much of Christmases growing up in Maine. We had a brick fireplace and always put the Christmas tree near the fireplace, a safe distance away of course. I loved sitting in front of the fireplace and watching the lights on the Christmas tree, feeling the warmth of the fireplace, sipping hot cocoa. When I saw this picture, I was brought right back to that feeling of warmth and comfort and I knew exactly what piece needed to be hanging in my living room!

Once I selected what print I wanted I then had the option of selecting framing. I selected “Rustic weathered Chocolate brown with antique silver accent” which I think looks awesome with my picture. I also chose Plexiglas because with two teens in the house, lots of roughhousing and such, I thought Plexiglas was the safest way to go.

Framed Art packs each piece really well. My artwork came in a large cardboard box, wrapped in plastic, held with thick plastic straps and secured with more cardboard. There was no way the picture was moving and inch. It was delivered by UPS in perfect condition.

I like the picture even more in real life than I did on the website. I think it goes perfectly with the brick colored walls in my living room. I have never had a holiday themed piece of art before so I am excited to have my first! Because it has Plexiglas it will also be easy to store away when the holiday season is over! I love it!

Do you have any art work that you specifically hang during the Holidays? Please leave a comment below and tell me about it! Which piece would you choose from the Cozy Christmas Collection?






I was provided this piece of art for free for the purpose of review. I selected and ordered this piece and all opinions are my own.

Philosophy Living Grace Review

I received this package in the mail today from a very sweet friend! It came from QVC and was wrapped so beautifully I almost didn't want to open it. 

The snowflake on the front is actually a Christmas tree Ornament. 

Inside was an 8 piece collection from Philosophy called

 "Living Grace"

The Set Includes:

16-fl oz shampoo, bath, and shower gel
16-fl oz olive oil body scrub
8-fl oz whipped body creme
2-fl oz edt spray fragrance
2-fl oz shampoo, bath, and shower gel
2-fl oz olive oil scrub
1-fl oz whipped body creme
0.5-fl oz edt spray fragrance

I love that each large size product comes with a mini version, it makes a perfect Mother-Daughter set for someone with a teen daughter. 

Philosophy describes the Living Grace Scent as:

"living grace spray fragrance was formulated to help center a woman's mood, is deeply sensuous, multi-sensory and truly a heavenly inspiration. living grace is an ethereal, clean fragrance of fresh neroli to create uplifting feelings of vibrancy, soft, clean lily of the valley brings a sense of gratitude and sensuous, warm musk embraces you to the beauty of living in the present moment each day."

It just smells so fresh and clean to me. I tend to love smells like cotton, fresh linen, fresh breeze type scents. If you like that type, you will love Living Grace!

Shampoo, Bath and Shower Gel:

This three-in-one product lathers so well. I use it in a bath puff and cleanse my body with it and I always run a cap full under the faucet for a tub full of fluffy bubbles. 

I have used philosophy three-in-one products in my hair before but for me I prefer to use a separate shampoo/conditioner duo. 

The product always leaves my body feeling soft, but when I usedit with the scrub and body creme...my skin will felt Amazing!

Olive Oil Scrub:

The Olive Oil scrub is new to me, I used it for the first time today and I really liked it. The scent seemed a bit stronger with the scrub than the three-in-one. It doesn't feel very rough when you are using the creamy scrub, but it does seem to do a really good job of removing dead skin cells and making the skin feel soft. I really like it!

Whipped Body Creme:

The whipped body creme glides on so smoothly. After toweling off, I apply the creme and it feels so light and smooth going on but really moisturizes my skin. I love the fact that it doesn't have a greasy feeling what so ever. I cannot stand the feeling of heavy moisturizer. The smell is present but not overpowering. My skin feels super soft and smells great after using the combination of these three products.

Of course I top it all off with a spritz of Living Grace Perfume on my wrists and neck!

This would make an Awesome Christmas Present !!

***This review was in no way sponsored, products were give to me as a gift from a friend who is in no way affiliated with QVC or Philosophy. All opinions are my own.***

Alterre Shoe Giveaway

WIN black heel starter kit (VALUE $180) From Alterre!

We are working with Alterre to bring you this awesome giveaway!

Kit Includes: 1 pair black suede mules, 1 black suede Jackie look, 1 evening sky Marilyn look, 1 travel pouch 

 2.5” Heel Genuine Leather Upper, 

Man Made Lining

Made in Brazil with Fair Labor 

Available in Sizes: 6, 7, 8, 9, 10 (see sizing guide for best fit)

See it HERE

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Alterre from Young Designers Collective on Vimeo.

https://promosimple.com/ps/87a1

Stuffed Pesto Chicken

This is just something I put together the other night and it ended up really good. 

It's low carb and delicious.

Ingredients used:

Boneless chicken breasts (I used 3 but one for each serving)

Parmesan cheese

Mozzarella shredded or sliced

Pesto

1 can of diced Italian seasoned tomatoes

Italian Seasoning

Fresh Basil

Chopped garlic

Olive Oil

Ingredients "to taste" you really can't mess this up. 

"Stuffing"

I used Shredded Mozzarella, pesto, and chopped garlic and mixed them up in a bowl.

I sliced the chicken breasts nearly in half to create a pocket to stuff. I stuffed with the above stuffing and placed the chicken in a casserole dish with a bit of olive oil to keep chicken from sticking. I sprinkled some fresh basil and Parmesan cheese on top along with Italian seasoning. 

Before Placing the chicken in the oven I poured one can of chopped tomatoes on top (drained) and covered with a piece of foil.

Cook for about 20-30 minutes on 400 degrees, depending on the thickness. 

ENJOY!

Lush "Father Christmas" Bath Bomb

As Milah and I were looking through the recent LUSH catalog, adding some yummy bath treats to our wish lists, we noticed the Father Christmas bath bomb is back this year! We really love this bath bomb and thought we would share it with you! 

Description:

Sweet presence

A festive bomb to bring Santa's presence into the bath. Once you pop this jolly bomb in your bath, you’ll be able to soak away the hours in sweet, mouthwatering waters as the blushing red of Santa's cheeks fizz away to reveal a vivid, holly green center. All we want for Christmas is this Santa, baby!

Our Experience:

MOM:

I filled the tub with very warm water and dropped Father Christmas into the tub. The tub began to fill with red and white then suddenly a nice green colors appeared. The smell was so nice! I really enjoyed the fragrance.... it's unique and very enjoyable. 

My skin still felt so soft after my bath, but not greasy at all. I also found that the bath was not slippery. It was a very enjoyable and relaxing bath experience, I plan to buy another and have a nice "Night before Christmas" soak!! Great gift idea or stocking stuffer!!!

I cannot wait to try some of this years Christmas products and share them with you this Holiday Season!

 Check them out by clicking here! 

I received this product free of charge from LUSH for the purpose of review, all opinions are my own, this is not a paid sponsorship.