A fellow eHow writer and blogger is running a contest on her website, HealingWithJuices.com.    Michele is one of the first writers that I met when I first started writing for eHow.   Her blog is about raw juices and raw diet.  Her diet is almost 100% raw, and her complexion and shiny healthy hair are a testament to just how good such a diet is for the human body.

For her latest give-away, Michele is giving away over $200 worth of Aphanizomenon flos-aquae products.   Read about it on her blog.

Of all the things in the world that I could do for a living, I chose to be a freelance writer.  And here’s why:

1. My family.  I am a freelance writer and blogger to help support my family.  I am married to my high school sweetheart, and we have three kids.   My writing enables us to enjoy the better things in life.  Last summer, we took a two week vacation to Southern California.  A majority of the trip was paid for by earnings from one of my blogs.
2. I am location independent, baby!   This career of mine allows me to work from where ever in the world I can turn on my laptop.  I can get my assignments done whether I’m at home or 5000 miles from home.  There’s something very empowering about that.
3. I am my own boss.   Well, kind of.  There will always be editors who might ask for a revision on a piece I write.  But even so, I have the power to decide which assignments I will take. I can also decide to take a week-long vacation without having to submit a request to anyone.
4. The money is relatively easy.  Relatively.  I work pretty freakin’ hard most days.   But considering that I can walk away from my desk to take an hour-long walk to clear my head whenever I feel like it, I think my job is scads easier than … oh, say, a trauma nurse or high school teacher.
5. Very short commute. My best friend spends at least an hour in her car each day, getting to and from work.  My commute is about ten seconds from bed to home office.
6. The money is as good as I want it to be.  If I bust my butt to get in as many assignments and articles written as I can, I can make quite a nice chunk of cash.  If I decide to slack for a while, I still get residual income on hundreds of articles that I’ve written in the past.  No matter what, I make money every day.
7. My kids. (Yes, I know I mentioned my family already.)   Writing from home means that I get to spend a great deal of time with my kids. (Though I’ll have to admit that on a bad day, I would word that, “…i HAVE to spend a great deal of time with my kids.”)    I was home every single day of my kids’ lives, and I have had the distinct honor and pleasure of seeing them grow into amazing little humans.  I drive them to and from school.  And if they get sick, I don’t have to ask a boss if I can go pick up my sick kid.  I just shut my laptop and go get them.
8. I have wanted to be a writer since I was very young.   My most prized gift ever was a used typewriter that Santa brought me when I was 7 years old.
9. I love interacting with other writers online.  I live in a very small town, and it’s nice to be able to log on to my computer and vent my frustrations or share my writing successes with other writers that I’ve met at eHow.
10. The title.  Yes, I’ll admit it.   When people ask, “What do you do?” I like that I can say, “I’m a writer.”  

My name is Cyn.  I write for money (hence the name of this website) .   A few years ago, I found myself with a working husband, two school-aged kids, and an infant at home.  The economy started to take a nosedive, and my husband’s income was cut about 40%.   I knew I needed to earn money.  And I knew I couldn’t get a traditional job, because I refused to put my children in day care or after-school care. Read the rest of this entry »

I just got a package in the mail from Remi at one of the eHow.com sister sites.   I knew it was on its way, but I didn’t know that a simple shirt with a single word on it would make me smile so broadly.    Read the rest of this entry »

I got my prizes in the mail today.  Two reusable shopping bags from eHow.   I was so excited when I saw the envelopes.  Reminded myself of the “major award” winning father in “A Christmas Story.”

They arrived in Read the rest of this entry »