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How to File Taxes as a Freelancer
Thank you TaxSlayer for sponsoring this post. Get simple pricing with no surprises when you e-file with TaxSlayer this tax season!
The life of a freelancer is one of excitement. Seriously, you never know from one week to the next what your income will be for that day, week, month or even year. You can set goals but sometimes you exceed them and others, you fall short.
Some people might call that nerve wrecking. I call it hustle motivation. I’ve never done anything the easy way. I like forging my own path but let’s not get silly, I don’t like making things harder than they need to be. Though I’ll admit, figuring out how to file taxes as a freelancer was difficult in the beginning.
For me, freelancing was an answer to the dilemma of how to be in two places at once; at work and with my children. After giving birth to our first daughter, I knew I wanted to be a stay-at-home mom. I knew that I wanted to be very hands-on and, lucky for us, we could survive on one income as a 3-person family. That worked for a minute until we got pregnant again and suddenly, we needed that extra income. Babies aren’t free, ya’ll.
I learned real fast that babies burn through money at an alarming rate and when there are two, they go through it twice as fast. I took a job tutoring college students in English and editing college research papers online. It really was perfect but it reminded me how much I truly loved writing myself, and my daughters provided more material than I could have possibly imagined. It seemed like they were always getting into one thing or another so after a couple years of blogging on the side, I was able to quit my tutoring job and focus on freelance writing exclusively.
This gave me the freedom to work from home while staying home with my girls. I had the best of both worlds. I never had to miss a recital, match, meet or dance. I didn’t get much sleep in those days because work-from-home mom is code for most exhausted woman on the planet but we were all so happy, I didn’t care.
That’s where I am still today, blissfully exhausted doing what I love while getting to spend time with the people that I love. Being a freelance writer is a dream come true in most aspects but it can be a little trying at tax time because when you’re a freelancer, taxes are not withheld from your check. I used to joke with my husband that it was “free money”, you know, like in college when they were handing out credit cards in the quad with t-shirts to anyone willing to take them? Credit card money isn’t real money, right? WRONG!
It’s awesome getting your entire paycheck until you actually do your taxes and realize that you need to come up with thousands of dollars in a short amount of time because you owe the government. Then it’s not so awesome not having taxes withheld. Freelancing is an act of restraint. For me, it took a few times for the lesson to take. I’ve finally learned.
Here are a few easy, practical tips that I’ve learned over the years to make doing taxes as painless as possible so that you can enjoy your life with the people you love;
Receipts: Keep your business receipts in a safe place. Don’t crumple them up in jacket pockets and in car consoles. Have a designated place for those receipts and if you are really thinking ahead, I like to write exactly what I used it for (which post) because believe me on April 14th, they all look the same. If possible, I highly recommend digitally scanning all receipts in ASAP.
Know Your Deductions: As a freelancer, you really need those deductions to off set the amount you will owe, especially with all that “free money” floating around. Remember, you can deduct things like your home office up to 300 feet at $5 per SQ foot, domain and web hosting, telephone and internet expenses, legal and professional services to maintain your website, education (all those online courses that you bought to improve your SEO), office supplies and equipment and even a percentage of business meals and so many more. Oh and don’t forget about these Top 5 overlooked deductions.
Put money in a designated business banking account: My personal suggestion is to have business savings and checking accounts. All that “free money” that should be withheld in taxes, be smart, put it in that savings account and let it gain some interest. Take the rest and put it into your business checking account. Then, not only do you have your business earned money readily available to you, you will have a digital trail of what you spent. You might need that for reference later.
We normally do our own taxes at home. TaxSlayer helps me to navigate my complex freelance tax issues and allows me to file my taxes from the comfort of my own home. With TaxSlayer, you choose your level of service, everything else is included. TaxSlayer offers free live phone and e-mail support to all customers. It’s simple and affordable. TaxSlayer has over 50 years of tax preparation experience. It is the total package. File now at TaxSlayer.com
I was selected for this opportunity as a member of CLEVER and the content and opinions about how to file your taxes as a freelancer expressed here are all my own.
2017/01/24
Wedding Ring Tattoos as the Ultimate Symbol of Devotion
I never expected it. In fact, I was dead set against it. In theory. For other people. It’s not really couple tattoos or wedding ring tattoos specifically but the whole putting someone’s name on your body. It seems so permanent in a world where almost nothing is guaranteed. I remember the day I saw my sister-in-law’s name tattooed on my brother’s arm and I thought to myself, “Well, that wasn’t smart.” I guess in the end I’m a cynic.
Two of my brothers are tattoo artists. They warn against putting significant other names on your body. It hurts to have wedding ring tattoos removed unlike taking off engagement rings. I’ve joked a lot how the only names I would ever put on my body are my children’s. I’m not good with permanency. I’m really not good with hanging my happiness on others and I might have some trust issues if we’re being honest. Not that the Big Guy has ever done anything to warrant losing my trust. I was just raised waiting for the other foot to drop.
This morning, the Big Guy said he was going to swing by “the shop” (my brothers’ tattoo shop) and discuss the final details of a new tattoo, A Call of Duty Juggernaut. I don’t quite get it but if it has meaning to him, it’s his body. Before I left, I jokingly said, “Make sure you have my brother sneak in my name. It can be like a hidden Mickey. You don’t even have to use my first name. It’ll be our little secret.” He left. I continued Marie Kondo-ing my house that’s looked like a hurricane hit since I started organizing way back in January 2019. Yep, that year-long month.
READ ALSO: When a Tattoo Heals Your Heart
An hour or so later he returned. I asked if my brother had stenciled his calf and if I could see this “juggernaut.” Sure, he bellowed. He’s a big guy, he sometimes bellows. He bounds up the stairs and I’m waiting for him to show me his calf. But he’s just standing there and I was so confused.
“Let me see it.” I was anxious to see what they had come up with and if he had, in fact, had my middle name hidden in the stencil. But he just smiled with an outstretched left hand and there it was, “Deborah” “5/15/99” and “Always” on his ring finger, where his wedding ring sits. I was speechless. I’m never speechless. If you know me, you know that I am a talker and never without words. Yet, there I was with no words.
As Bella says, I.Was. Shook! But I shouldn’t have been. This is just who he is. He jumps all in with his whole heart where I’ve always been cautiously optimistic. There was a time when I would have jumped blindly into matters of the heart. I loved love but then I got burned a couple times, more like set on fire by the frogs I kissed. By the time I met the Big Guy in college, I just expected things to be hard.
I was never one of those girls who felt like I needed to get married and have kids. I wanted all of that, eventually and I knew it would happen but it wasn’t anything I was losing sleep over. I had dated a few guys, been naively all in, written all the sappy letters and did all the silly things people do when they are teenagers/the early twenties and I was left with a lot of relationship “buyers remorse.”
READ ALSO: How Scrambled Eggs Made my Marriage Sexy
Then I met the Big Guy, 4 days after a break up with a guy I’d been dating for some time. We broke up for the last time on my birthday because he forgot my birthday… after almost 3 years of dating. Let’s be brutally honest, he didn’t forget so much as chose not to acknowledge it. Lucky me.
The really honest truth is that the Big Guy and I never should have met, logically speaking. I wasn’t supposed to be there. I was supposed to be in Boston. I was supposed to have already graduated. And on the night we met, I was supposed to have a boyfriend and I was supposed to be home studying for an astronomy exam.
But fate intervened or maybe destiny was in control the entire time because, under normal circumstances, he and I should have never met. Yet, here we are 22 Valentine’s Days later about to celebrate our 20^th wedding anniversary this spring. And they thought we wouldn’t make it?
I met this guy, who ended up being everything I never knew, I always wanted. This giant, loud, humble, sweet, smart, cute man who knew from about week 4 that he loved me. The same guy who told me that very thing. He wasn’t a game player. The certainty with which he loved me scared me a little bit because I’d never had s relationship like that before. The man who after meeting me that September, told my mom and sisters at Thanksgiving he was going to ask me to marry him on Valentine’s Day. (No one told me.)
READ ALSO: The Proposal Do-Over
The gentle giant who jumped the gun from nerves and asked me to marry him in the middle of the dance floor at our favorite college bar with no ring and no speech. He caught me off guard and still takes my breath away on the regular. I guess it’s kind of his thing. He re-proposed to me on our 11^th anniversary, on bended knee.
I guess I shouldn’t have been shocked when he showed up this past Saturday morning with my name tattooed on his finger. Nothing should ever surprise me about this incredible, generous and loving man. He can do anything. He’s more romantic today than he was on the day we got married. He lives through actions and not just words.
When he proposed he told me that I was his “soul mate.” I’m not even sure that I believed in the concept before him. He makes me want to be a better human being. His love changed me for the better. When you have someone as kind and thoughtful as the Big Guy loving you, you feel like you can do almost anything.
READ ALSO: I Love You Man
It’s not about what you have or don’t have. It’s about who you have. We fell in love through conversations under the stars. We fell in love in a bar on campus. We fell in love watching a Salma Hayek Rom Com. We fell in love sitting on the roof of his college house drinking beer and looking up at the moon. We fell in love staring into one another’s souls over the head of our newborn baby. We fell in love in the rain in New Orleans. We fell in love watching our oldest meet her sister for the first time. We even fell in love when we lost our third. We fell in love living in separate states. We fell in love poor. We fell in love rich. We’ve fallen in love a million times over the past 22 years and I fell in love all over again Saturday morning when I saw that tattoo.
I’m going to go and get one of my own because I realized that he’s already tattooed on my heart and he always will be. The imprint is already there. It probably has been since we met that night in 1997. I’m the only one who didn’t see it because I was afraid to let myself believe that I deserved to be loved like that. I’ve felt it every day since we met.
Have you ever considered getting wedding ring tattoos? If you were going to get couple tattoos what would you get?
2019/02/04
Be the Change
“Mommy, why is that man with no legs asking you for money?”
My daughter asked me this when she was 3-years-old. We were downtown Chicago for the Christmas lighting ceremony one holiday season and he was the first person who was homeless that she had ever seen.
I saw the man’s sign and I explained to her that he was a veteran of the military who had lost his legs while serving our country. I explained that he had fallen on hard times and now was homeless and had no job. I explained that it is very difficult for someone to get a job when they don’t have an address to put on an application.
I could see it in her face, she wanted to know why someone who did so much to protect us wasn’t being taken care of by the collective “us.” She’s right. Why don’t we take care of our people when they are in need?
She asked us to give the man some money and, of course, we stopped and gave him some money. My husband then bought him something to eat and gave it to him. This is something the Big Guy is known to do quite frequently when he sees someone in need. It’s one of the things I love most about him.
Anyway, it all makes for a great teachable moment but I was a little taken aback by the situation because you don’t expect your preschooler to notice these things and you certainly don’t expect them to ask for an explanation. In all honesty, I think we hope that our children are so tightly encased in their protective bubble that they never have to know. Or maybe we just wish the situation didn’t exist in the first place.
We spend our parental lifetime doing our best to make sure that our children have all that they need so that they don’t have to know that want or need. But the reality is that there are some people who run into problems in life and end up homeless for a multitude of reasons.
Homelessness is an issue plaguing cities and neighborhoods across the country. At some point, most of our children will see a person who is homeless or asking for money and ask us about the situation like my daughter did, all those years ago. How you handle it will certainly shape the way your child reacts to future similar situations.
Here are some suggestions on how to answer your child’s questions and what you can do to make a positive impact not only on the life of people who are homeless but in your child’s life by teaching them compassion, empathy, kindness and love for their fellow man. After all, isn’t that what we want? To raise good human beings?
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– Answer the child’s questions honestly. Show empathy and compassion for the person
who is homeless. Answers should be person-centered (the man who is homeless rather
than the homeless man). Using this type of language reinforces empathy and compassion for people.
– Answers should be short and speak to the child’s question. Don’t elaborate if not needed.
– Talk about what it means to be homeless: a person has no place to sleep, to eat, to shower and keep clean, or to keep their belongings.
– Speak about social problems that can cause homelessness.
o A person doesn’t have money to maintain a home – a home costs money.
o A person may not be connected to family/friends to help them.
o A person may have mental illness. Mental illness is when a person’s brain is not working the way it is supposed to.
– Talk about reasons why some people do not have money to maintain a home.
– Don’t attempt to use a person who is homeless as an example of what could happen if the child doesn’t stay in school, go to college, doesn’t get a good job or uses drugs.
– If the child wants to do something to improve the situation, you can:
o Talk about the many different ways to make a difference for people in need, such as making a donation to a local charity, volunteering, organizing a collection effort like a coat drive, food drive or toy drive.
o You can also include a bus pass or some small bills for transportation.
o create homeless hygiene kits to distribute to those in need. Using a large resealable plastic bag, include items and snacks such as granola bars, graham crackers, or fruit snacks; bottled water; socks; hats, scarves; deodorant; toothbrush and toothpaste; band aids; hand sanitizer; Kleenex; hand lotion; shaving cream and disposable razors; toilet paper; chap stick; hand lotion; and shampoo and conditioner.
o Include notes of encouragement or favorite bible verses, or a child’s drawing.
– You can purchase pre-made kits at www.salvationarmystore.com/comfort-pouch-kit.html.
– Or visit https://centralusa.salvationarmy.org/metro/homeless_hygiene_kits for a list of items to include and a downloadable sheet of notecards.
I love the idea of keeping pre-made kits in your car to hand out when you see a person who is homeless and in need. It’s a great way to get the children involved and be proactive. If you are like me, I seldom have cash on me but if you already have kits made with a few dollars in them for a meal, you don’t have to worry about that. Not to mention, you can make the kits a few at a time and give them out as you see the need. It’s a wonderful example to set for your child and it allows them to do something positive to change the situation, rather than just feeling helpless. We need to encourage them to be kind to those in need and give those who need it a hand up.
Last year The Salvation Army provided shelter to 628 men, women and children at the Evangeline Booth Lodge family shelter in Chicago. The Booth Lodge is one of Chicago’s only shelters that keeps families together.
The Salvation Army mobile feeding and outreach program makes 32 stops daily throughout Chicago to provide hot meals and support services to people who are homeless.
I think it’s our duty as parents to teach our children to have compassion for people in need and if they can, do something to help. We have to lead by example and be that change we want to see in the world. If we don’t, how will our children ever learn to care, to fight for what’s right, to stand up against what’s wrong and to be the change this world needs? It all begins with us showing them how to get involved and to choose to do good rather than do nothing. Homelessness is not just someone else’s problem, it is everyone’s problem.
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2016/11/14
Easy Recipe for Chicken Tacos with Avocado Cream Sauce
This recipe for chicken tacos with avocado cream sauce is part of a sponsored campaign with DiMe Media and Hass Avocado Board. However, all opinions expressed are my own.
Did you know that in the United States, Latinos are twice as likely as non-Latino people to develop type 2 diabetes? That’s a scary statistic that I’ve been acutely aware of for a very long time. I lost someone very important to me, my favorite Great Uncle, to type 2 diabetes when I was 15-years-old and it was horrible. The worst part is that it could have been prevented with a few simple changes in his diet and a little education about eating healthy.
Cardiometabolic abnormalities, a cluster of risk factors for both cardiovascular disease and type 2 diabetes such as abdominal obesity, high blood pressure, high cholesterol and triglycerides and high blood glucose levels are higher in the Latino population overall than among non-Hispanic whites.
We can help prevent ourselves from developing type 2 diabetes. One of the most important and effective things we can do to lower our risk for type 2 diabetes is to eat well to maintain a healthy weight. This can be done in many ways and one of the easier ways is to take some of our favorite Latino recipes and reconfigure them to be healthier.
One of our favorite recipes in my house is beef tacos. We love tacos. We can eat them every day of the week. Literally. We could eat anything in a tortilla but tortillas are not the best things for us to eat, especially since our favorite is flour tortillas filled with sour cream, cheese and ground beef. But with a few simple tweaks we can make tacos less hazardous to our health.
Here is my recipe for Chicken Tacos with Avocado Cream Sauce:
Ingredients
Tortillas (or you can go the healthier route and eat as a bowl on a bed of lettuce)
Olive Oil
Taco Meat
3 Chicken Breasts
1 Garlic Clove, diced
3 lemons juiced
1 onion, diced
Salt/ Pepper to taste
Directions:
1. Boil the 3 chicken breasts for 45 minutes to an hour.
2. Shred chicken.
3. Heat a frying pan on medium heat until water sizzles when splashed on pan.
4. Heat 3 tablespoons of olive oil.
5. Add onion and garlic to hot oil, sauté until golden brown.
6. Add shredded chicken, stirring thoroughly until slightly golden.
7. Add lemon from three lemons.
8. Salt and pepper to taste.
9. When thoroughly heated, turn heat down and start working on Avocado cream sauce.
Avocado Cream Sauce
Ingredients
2 Hass avocados
1 lemon, juiced
1 large clove garlic, pasted or grated
A small handful fresh cilantro leaves, optional
About 1/3 cup light sour cream
Directions
Place the Hass avocados in a food processor. Add the lemon juice, garlic, cilantro, if desired, and sour cream and process until very smooth and mayo-like in consistency.
Avocados are virtually the only fruit that contains monounsaturated fat, and they are sodium, cholesterol and trans-fat free. How can something that tastes so good be so good for you?
Toppings
Salsa
Shredded Quesadilla Cheese
Refried beans with Sazon seasoning
Tomato, diced
Shredded Lettuce
Next, heat your tortillas up on a comal (ten seconds, flip, five seconds, flip, five more seconds and then remove) or in the microwave, 35 seconds for a pack of ten. I’ll be honest they taste better heated up on the comal (griddle) and if you want to go healthier eat on a bed of lettuce.
Then spread your warm refried beans with Sazon seasoning (about 1 tablespoon), next add your quesadilla cheese (about ½ a teaspoon), top with sautéed chicken breasts.
Top your chicken tacos with avocado cream sauce, salsa and diced tomatoes. For extra crunch, shredded lettuce will do the job.
If you really want an authentic meal, make elote casserole or Mexican rice (recipe coming soon) to accompany the meal.
Enjoy this easy recipe for chicken tacos and avocado cream sauce with your family knowing you are serving them a meal that you made with love and is good for them.
For more information about type 2 diabetes visit saboreaunohoy.com/aguacatesydiabetes. Share your favorite avocado recipe and follow the #SaboreaUnoHoy 10-day photo challenge for a chance to win prizes.
My favorite recipe for Hass Avocados is Chicken tacos with avocado cream sauce, what’s yours?
2019/01/29
World Series Game 7 Go Cubs Go
Well, I never thought I’d be writing a world series post on my blog about the Chicago Cubs. But here we are and I say to hell with the curse! I’m a lifelong Chicago Cubs fan and, well, to be honest, it just never seemed plausible. The Cubbies are an underdog and when you grow up in Chicago you know that when you root for the Cubs, you are not just rooting for a baseball team, you are rooting for a way of life. You are rooting for the impossible. You are dreaming the impossible dream and that makes it endearing.
I’ve spent my life thinking “this is the year” but knowing that it probably wasn’t. I remember growing up and walking in the door every afternoon after school during the spring and the television being tuned into WGN and the Cubs playing. I remember wearing our Cubbie t-shirts and rooting for the win, even in the face of a shut out. That’s the unbreakable spirit of Cubs fans.
I remember field trips as a child to see a game at Wrigley field. I remember going with a group of friends as a teenager; eating hot dogs and laughing and then, as an adult, taking in a game with friends or that special someone. It didn’t matter who you were, your walk of life or what suburb you grew up in when you were at Wrigley Field on a warm day…we were all Cubs fans and being a part of something so huge was magical. I’m pretty sure this is how all Cubs fans feel. It’s been 108 years and it’s been too long. It’s happening!
I haven’t lived in Chicago for many years now but it’s still where I call home. It’s still where my parents live and where I spent my childhood and all of my formidable years. Chicago is home because Chicago is where my heart is and the Cubs symbolize the underdog spirit of the city I love.
It’s about more than winning a game. It’s about all the people we love or have loved that have loved the Cubs; parents, grandparents, friends and family alike who aren’t alive to see this. This is for them. This is everything. If you are a Cubs fan, you know what I’m talking about! I’m thrilled to have the memories and to be sharing this world series with my girls and the next generation of Cubs fans.
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Anyways, my chest if puffed up just a little bit because my heart is bursting with pride. We’ve got this Cubbies! Rizzo, Chapman, Bryant and all the boys… We’ve waited a lifetime and we deserve this. Let’s get that W!
This is gonna change everything. I can feel it!

Let’s Go Cubbies!!! Go Cubs Go!
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2016/11/02
New National Geographic Kids Channel & Bonus ROKU
Update: The winner of the Roku Streaming Stick is Jessica Escobar. Thanks to everyone for entering.
As many of you know, I’m an ambassador for National Geographic Kids. For a second consecutive term I have been named a Nat Geo Kids Insider! Woohoo for me! Well, tonight that means woohoo for you too!
You already know that National Geographic is an amazing non-profit organization that provides awesome educational books, magazines and toys with amazing photos for our children. My girls truly love and enjoy their National Geographic magazine and books. Well, great news, recently National Geographic launched a channel on Roku, featuring a ton of exciting NGK videos that are perfect for your curious kids.
The new National Geographic channel is a video channel for curious kids and families featuring fun facts, animals and adventure. The subscription channel includes award-winning animated series like Mama Mirabelle, Iggy Arbuckle, Toot and Puddle and humorous, live action programming like Amazing Animals and Making Stuff. My girls think it’s awesome and the photography mesmerizes them.
National Geographic Kids’ mission is to inspire kids of all ages to learn about the world and provide quality video programming that sparks a child’s curiosity. With a focus on nature, animals, science, global cultures, exploration and adventure, NG Kids wants to keep the whole family engaged with videos even mom & dad like to watch! Then, continue to learn together by getting outdoors and exploring the great, big world around you.
The Roku Streaming Stick makes it easy to enjoy the best selection of streaming entertainment on TV like Netflix and the National Geographic channel as well as many more. With its compact design, the Roku Streaming Stick plugs discreetly into the HDMI port for a streamlined look that’s ideal for wall-mounted TVs like mine.
Once plugged in, the Roku Streaming Stick lets consumers start streaming from more than 1,500 channels of movies, TV episodes, music, news, sports, kids’ shows and free programming – more channels and genres than any other TV streaming device – and all in up to 1080p HD video.
And in celebration of National Geographic’s new channel, the great people at Roku are providing one Roku Streaming Stick for me to giveaway. So, this is a flash giveaway. It will last from now until Monday, July 14, 2014 at 8 pm EST on Monday night. To enter all you have to do is follow me on Pinterest at https://www.pinterest.com/DeborahCruz/ and leave a comment below telling me your favorite show and the Pinterest account you followed me from.
I’m a National Geographic Kids Insider and was provided a Roku streaming stick to give to one of you.
2014/07/14
Losing Our Saffaron Still Breaks Our Hearts
As a family, we love animals. The first thing the Big Guy and I did together as a married couple was adopt a gorgeous brindle boxer puppy. We named her Saffaron and she was our first little girl; our first dip in the parenthood pond. We were young and in love and we adored this runt of the litter with the giant personality. She stole our hearts from the moment we picked her up to play with her. It was love at first sight.
Over time, she grew from the tiny puppy who could get lost amongst the blades of grass into a rambunctious, if not compact, version of her parents. Always loving and loyal, she would fiercely defend us if anyone even hinted that they might hurt us. She was doted on constantly and anywhere we went, so did our Saffaron.
I remember in those first years of marriage when finances were tight and we were moving frequently to places nowhere near anyone we knew, those trying first years full of the growing pains of married life, on those nights I’d find myself crying over the uncertainty, Saffaron would jump in the bed and lay her head on my shoulder and gently kiss my face, as to reassure me that it would all be alright. She made me smile.
On September 11th, while I sat alone in our small apartment in Greensboro, North Carolina, watching the footage play on a constant loop, trying to make sense of the world falling down around me, out of my mind with worry because my husband was working in Allentown, Pennsylvania and having no way to reach him because all the phone lines were tied up. There our Saffaron sat, always at my feet, my constant companion.
When we had our first child, Saffaron was aware of the shift in the hierarchy that inevitably comes when pet parents become parents to a tiny human for the first time. But Saffaron never let on that it bothered her at all, as I am sure that she noticed the drop in one on one time she got with us. She welcomed both of our girls home, each time, as if it were the Big Guy or I.
She loved them fiercely and in a big way. They learned to crawl by chasing her. They learned to cruise by grabbing hold of her back. They pulled her ears, chewed on her face and slapped her away and started her on the regular but she did not care in the least. She never showed her teeth, nipped or even barked at either of our girls, even when they were laying on her like a pillow or hurling baby dolls at her. She took it all and loved us unconditionally. She taught us how to care for little people and love with our everything. She taught us to be vulnerable and open and when the time came, because of her, we were better parents.
In 2012, 2 days before she turned 13, the week after our youngest started Kindergarten, 2 months after I suffered my miscarriage and again there she was at my side as I wailed and cried in the most primal way. She was not afraid. She got us through with her unwavering love and devotion.
On August 17th, our Saffaron died of complications due to pancreatitis. We had taken her to the vet and we knew that she had developed pancreatitis but she was fine and then one day, she was very ill. We lost her very quickly. It was heartbreakingly devastating for all of us. She was our first “daughter” and to lose her was one of the worst things to watch happen and to have to helplessly watch your children experience that loss was more painful than words can describe.
I thought I would never want another dog because the pain was so enormous but our girls, felt the loss and needed to feel that void of companionship and love that only a dog can provide. A few months later, our girls fell in love with a Victorian Bulldog puppy. I remembered that same feeling when first laid eyes on Saffaron. She made our lives better just by being in it. I could see it in their eyes, they were smitten and by that point there wasn’t anything I wouldn’t do to take away the pain in their face each time anyone said Saffaron’s name. That was the Christmas we brought Lola home.
The love is deep and real between our girls and Lola. She’s still a puppy and not as docile and low-key as Saffaron was but she will get there and I love watching the relationship form between the three of them and slowly, I can see the hole left by Saffaron’s passing being filled with Lola’s love. Dogs are not just man’s best friend, they are unconditional love in fur so please cherish your pets and keep them up to date on their vaccinations and well-visits.
The bond between you and your dog is a special one, and you’ll go to great lengths to keep your furry family member safe and healthy. K9 Advantix® II is a once-a-month topical application for dogs and puppies that REPELS and kills ticks, fleas, and mosquitoes. Visit https://petparents.com/products to learn more.
This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of K9 Advantix® II. The opinions and text are all mine.
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2014/08/11
Walmart Savings Catcher Works
I have partnered with Walmart to bring you this sponsored post and information about this awesome new program Savings Catcher ; as always, all opinions are my own.
A couple of weeks ago, I wrote about trying out this new Savings Catcher program at WalMart. There is a WalMart just a stones throw away from my house, so I go there often for the staples like paper products and hygiene products. I won’t lie, I spend a lot of money there.
My mother-in-law is always raving about how WalMart price matches, the only problem is that you have to remember to bring in the ad and remember to tell the cashier and then you hold up the line and you become “that” person. I’m about as good at remembering the ad as I am remembering to actually bring my bags and coupons to the store. I have great intentions but I just don’t have the brain power on most days to remember those little things. It’s a great idea but I just never can remember to bring the paper, besides most of the ads I view are online anyways so Savings catcher is awesome because I don’t have to lug coupons and ad matches (though I could to get the best deal EVER!)
With Savings Catcher, I simply do my shopping and then within the week, I log on and enter my receipt number and voila…the savings catcher lets me know if I’ve actually gotten any savings that week. If anything goes on sale or gets marked down during that week, the savings catcher “catches it” and I save money. Now, I know in theory, I am putting the effort in, just like I would if I were price matching or clipping coupons. The difference is that I can do this from the comfort of my own home and not hold up any lines.
So, since I’ve started using it, I’ve earned about $10, for doing nothing other than buying what I was already going to be buy at the lowest price already so, if you ask me, it works. I like it. The holiday season is right around the corner and Walmart always has great Black Friday sales that we hit for toys and kids electronics and we all know how at that time of the year, sales are changing constantly, I will be putting my savings catcher account to work. Maybe I’ll even earn enough to buy myself something.
I’d recommend that you log into www.walmart.com/SavingsCatcher today and enter any receipts you have from the last 7 days, and let Savings catcher check to see if you’ve earned any savings. Just remember, it has to be within 7 days so do it at least once a week if you are a frequent Walmart shopped.

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2014/08/29
What Every Tech Savvy Adventurer Will Want this Holiday Season
Can you believe it’s already almost Halloween? This weekend, we’re doing the city’s zombie walk at the girl’s request (because we are the coolest parents ever) and then it’s hay rides and pumpkin carving at the neighborhood fall festival. Before too long, I’ll be hosting Thanksgiving and then Christmas. Christmas??? I’m still dreaming of beaches and water parks! Where did summer go?
Every year, I know that I am going to get lost in all of our “obligations” that I purposely focus even harder on making sure the girls remember baking cookies with grandma, making fudge with daddy, singing carols and just a general feeling of warmth rather than the chaos. I try to make each holiday season fondly memorable even if that just means the four of us preparing brunch and watching Christmas vacation together. What I inevitably forget to do every year is give my family a list of what I’d like for Christmas.
Sure, I can say that all I really want is my family to be healthy, happy and together and that is true but of course, there are things that I would like but who ever has time to make a list. It feels so unimportant amongst everything else but really, it would be nice to actually get something that I’ve wanted. The thing with moms is that we are so busy taking care of others that we often forget to take care of ourselves and while we’ll bend over backwards to make our family happy, we just never seem to take the time to do the same for ourselves.
Not this year. This year, I am not only making a list. I am making a pin board of all the stuff I’d be thrilled to have and a lot of it is tech toys like the GoPro HERO4 Black, an iPhone 6 Plus, a conference ticket or two and a few other tasty treats to kick my blog up a notch.

GoPro has unveiled its new line of action cameras at Best Buy stores, just in time for the holidays. Best Buy will also have the latest accessories and mounts to help you capture immersive footage of the moments that matter most like skiing in Aspen, ringing in the New Year some place warm or maybe spring break at Disney World.
GoPro cameras make the perfect holiday gift for everyone, my girls would love it to take action video while flipping on the trampoline. I’d love it to take stunning action photos for my blog. GoPro’s new line of cameras allow you to beautifully and authentically capture and share the experiences that bring purpose, adventure, and joy to your life.
GoPro has 3 new cameras out this holiday season:
- GoPro HERO4 Black is the most advanced GoPro ever, featuring improved image quality and a 2x more powerful processor with 2x faster video frame rates1, HERO4 Black takes award‐winning GoPro performance to a whole new level.
- GoPro HERO4 Silver is the first-ever GoPro to feature a built-in touch display. Controlling The camera, playing back footage and adjusting settings is ultra-convenient—just view, tap and swipe the screen. With 1080p60 and 720p120 video, and 12MP photos at a staggering 30 frames per second, HERO4 Silver combines powerful, pro-quality capture with the convenience of a touch display.
- GoPro HERO: Featuring high‐quality 1080p30 and 720p60 video, and 5MP photos up to 5 fps, HERO captures the same immersive footage that’s made GoPro one of the best-selling cameras in the world.
It has 12x more powerful processor with 2x faster video frame rates. This is action photography at its best. I can’t wait to get my hands on one.
Well, I’d better get back to sorting my Blogger’s Wish list Pinterest pin board
Learn more at www.bestbuy.com/GoPro or visit your local Best Buy to check out the latest cameras in person.

I’ve been compensated in the form of a Best Buy Gift Card , which I am putting towards buying myself the GoPro HERO4 Black.
2014/10/14
How to Teach Kids about Credit Card Responsibility
This post is brought to you by a compensated campaign in collaboration with Latina Bloggers Connect and WellsFargo but all thoughts and content about how to teach kids about credit card responsibility are my own.
I grew up poor. There were 6 children, my mom stayed at home and my dad worked as a forklift driver at the local glass factory. We were a 100% blue-collar family. Money was always tight but my parents did what they could, with what they had. Everything was paid in cash and if we didn’t have the cash, we just didn’t get it and we saved until we did or we decided it really wasn’t that important. I hated this way of life. Being poor is not anything anyone would choose.
In high school, I got two jobs so that I could have the things that other kids had like-named brand clothes, shoes, a television and radio in my room. I could finally afford to “hang out” with my friends and use the car because I could afford gas and admission into the movies, roller rink or at the mall.
It was difficult being 17 with 2 jobs but I learned the importance of hard work and saving. I learned the value of money, even if it was a hard lesson learned. I bought what I could afford and I learned to have very discerning taste and appreciated and took care of those things. I had a solid financial foundation.
Then I went away to university, this is where everything went horribly wrong, and suddenly there were banking institutions all over the quad offering me free t-shirts and pre-approved credit cards, or as I thought of it in my 18-year-old mind “free money”. I couldn’t help myself, I took every free t-shirt and credit card they offered me and without my parents there to remind me just how blue collar I really was, I just kept spending. Having credit felt like freedom from my blue-collar existence but I had no idea that I was trading my financial restrictions for full-on slavery.
Did I mention I was at university only by the grace of academic scholarships and financial aid? I wasn’t supposed to work in college. I was supposed to focus on my studies so that I could become something better. I had no business having any credit cards, never mind several and what kind of Bozo gives credit cards to unemployed children, anyway? Who could afford the crazy interest rates in the fine print that no one bothered to mention to me? So there I was, 18 with all the credit cards and no way to pay them back and interest building up daily. I felt like I was suffocating. I wish someone has talked to me about money.
It wasn’t like I could ask my parents for help. They never had credit cards and I was pretty sure that they’d be disappointed that I had racked up thousands of dollars in debt just trying to be cool. To be honest, I was embarrassed but I couldn’t just keep avoiding my responsibilities. I had to get a job again to pay my bills. I wish I had someone sit down with me and teach me how to use credit and explain all the responsibilities that came with it rather than handed me a credit card app while they tossed me a t-shirt. I felt duped.
Here are some credit tips from Wells Fargo that I wish I had when I was getting my first credit cards.
- Check your credit report annually
Make sure your credit report contains current and accurate information. Errors will negatively impact your credit score. Request a free copy of your credit report at least once a year from AnnualCreditReport.com or call toll-free 1-877-322-8228.
- Pay your bills on time
Your payment history is one of the biggest factors in your credit score – including things that may surprise you like on-time payment of your rent and cell phone bill.
- Pay more than the minimum
Paying more than what’s due on your personal credit cards helps you pay down debt faster and can improve your credit score.
- Keep debt at no more than 35 percent of your gross monthly income
Lenders look at the amount of debt a consumer has compared to their monthly income when making credit decisions. If you think you might be in troubled waters financially, it’s best to opt for something essential like Credit Repair Analysis to help you in your endeavors.
- Contact your lenders
If you ever have trouble paying a credit account, contact the lender rather than simply not paying.
- Think before closing accounts
Closing credit card accounts may lower your available credit and hurt your credit score.
Wells Fargo has a full list of helpful credit tips and money managing tips that are perfect to share with your teenager or anyone who might benefit from some financial guidance. Can’t we all?

Wells Fargo is committed to making financial education and in-language resources available to Latino consumers. That includes providing customers with bilingual online tools, Spanish Text Banking, Spanish account statements, Spanish-language call centers, Spanish-speaking bankers in stores across the nation and more.
As part of that commitment and in order to connect with the Hispanic community in a meaningful way, Wells Fargo recently collaborated with Telemundo for the “Conversemos de Tus Finanzas” campaign. The campaign is focused on empowering Hispanics to enhance their financial knowledge and help them to reach their financial goals. The campaign provides customized content, tools and resources around the important financial topics of money management and credit.
I wish they had this when I was 18 but I’m sure glad they have it now and these kinds of invaluable resources will be available to my girls when they get older. Plus, the silver lining, they get the benefit of learning from my credit mistakes.
2014/11/22