My man's YouTube Minecraft channel.

My husband and his friend are always playing Minecraft. I on the other hand do not understand it. Are they building things? What are creepers? My kids grew out of it and do not play it anymore. This is his channel: Minecraft YouTube channel  hit that like button and subscribe if ya don't mind

Denver traffic got me like....

Whoa.... Since they legalized marijuana in Colorado, we've had a population boost. I can no longer get to point A and B like I used to. The traffic is horrific. I'm not used to this since I grew up here. Lol 😂 The lines in the grocery store, doctor's office and everywhere in general are loooong. There is some good and some bad that has come out of this. My kids school is well funded by the pot money. They have more support and programs for learning and a new playground. Denver is growing and developing. The children's museum is awesome. We cannot afford to enjoy any of these amenities. Groceries are way too expensive. Thank God we own our own house, because rent has skyrocketed. My friends pay almost triple for an apartment compared to what I pay for my 3 bedroom two bathroom townhouse. Homelessness is rampant. It's not the same but I still love it, believe it or not. Hiking is still free. But oh the traffic. I takes me 25 minutes to get to work, vs 15 minutes 5 years ago. People cannot drive, stay in their lane. It drives me nuts. I wonder if they are high or drunk some of the time. I'm worried about my daughter who will be learning to drive soon.

Halloween already?

Time flies! I cannot believe it is this close to the holiday season. I'm a procrastinator. I wait last minute to buy Halloween costumes and do my Christmas shopping. Maybe I should be more organized, and shop ahead of time? 😂 I'm sure I would be less stressed. The pumpkin patch at the local farm will be opening soon. The kids and I can pick out our own pumpkins, carve it, and bake the brains of the pumpkin lol jk. The kids love the bouncy castle. My favorite is the petting zoo. I love animals. When the kids were little, they got to ride the ponies. Then comes the trick-or-treating. We try to go to as many houses as we can and get tons of candy. Of course I find their chocolate stash when they're in school. The weather in Colorado can either be perfect, too hot or snowy on our night out of getting our treats. Depends on the year. Growing up, I wasn't allowed to celebrate Halloween, so I go all out. I used to take my kids to a lot of Halloween festivities. The children's museum, haunted houses, and we have a zombie crawl out here. One of my daughter's is a Tom-boy, so she likes to dress up as a dinosaur or as a superhero. My other daughter is a girly-girl, so she is either a princess or something cute. I makes it fun. I like to dress up as a cat or a hippie. I'm not sure what I am going to dress up as, are you? I'm going to dress up as a tired Mom, a Mommy zombie 😂😂😂 That is how I feel most days.

Go Broncos!! I'm a Colorado native. I grew up when John Elway was quarterback. I don't think the Broncos will win the Superbowl this year. I remember how excited I was when, they did win, when I was a little girl. So, who do you think will win the Superbowl this year?  

That time I had bed bugs and how I got rid of them.

This blog post contains affiliate links from Amazon.com. I get a small commission through qualifying purchase made through this site. A friend at work asked me if I wanted a queen size bed. I thought to myself, why not? Free is free. I could give it to my daughter. I ignorantly agreed and I trusted my friend, she is a hard worker, and she is a friend after all. Her and her husband dropped the bed off at my house, and I was happy that I provided my daughter with a new bed. I mean, this was very nice of her, or so I thought... Fast forward two weeks later, I was so wrong. My poor daughter was covered in red bug bites that looked like mosquito bites. I told my husband, "I think we have bed bugs". My husband said "No, it's just mosquito bites". I believe him, but looking back it's embarrassing to admit that I didn't put two and two together. Seriously? Anyway, I started getting the bites, and so did my other daughter. I was so itchy, it was worse than mosquito bites. Still didn't catch on, but soon I would. One day my daughter beings a black bug to me, with a circular body, she asks, "Mommy, what kind of bug is this". Terrified, I finally had the revelation, WE HAVE BED BUGS. I cannot explain how repulsed I felt. I felt invaded in my own home, like these little intruders that are stealing my blood in exchange for itchy welts, that are driving me crazy. I felt attacked, like "How could this have happen to me and my family"? I clean the house every week. Then I thought to myself "Why, Michelle, would you except a used bed? I felt so bad for my kids, I felt like a bad Mom, but I just made a mistake that I learned from. I had good intentions by getting a "nice" bed for my first born. Never ever again! Enough rambling, let's get to the point. How I saved thousands, and got rid of them by myself, without paying an exterminator. I am embarrassing myself by sharing this experience to help someone that may have an infestation of bed bugs. I got on the web for hours and researched. First off some facts about these horrifying invaders. They come out at night for a meal to feed on you. They like to live wherever you sleep. I found them in the curtains, couch and in the beds. So what did I do first? I just started washing everyone's bedding, and clothes. I also washing the bed bug infested curtains in hot water, and saw them try to escape for their life. You don't have to do this but I got rid of everyone's beds and got new one's. You can save money by getting a Bed Bug Matress Protector these darn critters will get stuck and have no where to go. Then I bought a Fabric Steamer. I used this about every other day on my new beds, curtains and I don't recommend it, but I was a little OCD and used it on the carpet. After all I was having nightmares at night about these God forsaken creatures. Then I went around the baseboards. Might not be good for the wall, but I obviously didn't care. Bed bugs hate the smell of cinnamon, so I bought a Essential Oil Diffuser, and a ton of Essential Oil. I used more than just cinnamon. I ran it all the time. Then I bombed the house. I mean who wants to live in a bed bug infested house? I used Bed Bug Bomber. Word of caution. Read all the instructions or you can actually bomb your house! Unplug the refrigerator, washer, dryer, I unplugged everything. My husband blew out the pilot light in the furnace and the water heater. The next day I just vacuumed, and then I let the chemicals sit so I wasn't mixing anything, but keep the essential oils going. A week later I sprayed the beds, curtains, baseboards, pretty much everything. Harris Bed Bug Killer. It's odorless, which is good because I have asthma and doesn't leave stains. Wear a respirator mask, gloves and long sleeves!!!! Then I sprayed Diatomaceous Earth on and around the baseboards, put it under the bed, in the bed and on the couch. Finally something natural that isn't full of chemicals. You still need a mask, DE is pretty dusty. I read DE is very effective in getting rid of insects. DE is fosilized powder that cuts the insects exoskeleton, and they dehydrate and die as a result, thank goodness. Also, rubbing alcohol 91% kills bed bugs and their eggs. It dehydrates them as well. It is supposly flammable, so be careful. I sprayed Rubbing Alcohol 91% on the beds, including the matress, and box spring. I sprayed the curtains and carpet as well. I also used Bed Bug Aerosol weekly. I repeated the process after vacuuming up the DE monthly for six months. I don't know about mixing all these chemicals, but we're fine and like I mentioned, I have asthma. It took about a month and I was bed bug free!!! I hope I have helped someone that is stuck with these blood sucking creatures. I truly hate them..... Then the next summer, I got cockroaches. 😭 To be continued...

Oh my aching back! Taking full care of the frail elderly for a decade, is taking a toll on my body.

This site contains affiliate links. I make a small commission on purchases made through my links. How to help your back pain. I work as an caregiver in assisted living. It provides "enhanced care", for the elderly. What I mean by this is, roughly a third of our 70 residents are either totally dependant on us, or need a lot of help to stand or be transferred. We use hoyer lifts and sit to stands. We take care of residents that have had strokes that paralyze on side of their body, M.S., Parkinson's, Alzheimer's, or they are elderly and frail. We assist or completely transfer them to bed, bathroom, and shower. Change them in bed. Don't get me wrong. I love my job. I am just trying to explain what I do for a living. I'm not complaining or anything. I have been a caregiver for a decade. It is my calling. Caring for those who cannot care for themselves, brightening up someone's day, being there for someone during their darkest time, holding someone's hand while they take their last breath, because their family isn't present. Keeping them nourished, preventing falls. Making their last days count, and improving their lives. I used to be an activity director. The bond I make with them, I feel like they are my second family. I will never quit, regardless of back pain. Improper body mechanics. This is one reason why my back hurts. That and you are lifting a human being and they move when you're doing a transfer. Seriously though, when lifting anything, save your back! Lift like you are doing a squat in the gym. Make sure you keep your back straight. Keep your legs shoulder width apart or whatever you feel is best. Use proper body mechanics, especially if you have a physically demanding job! Or just in general, because you only have one back. I also buss the dining room, as in lift heavy trays. My back is killing me today. I go home with back pain, soreness and fatigued. I get burning sensations in my arms and so on. So, what do I do to keep going? For example, my back hurt so bad today, I had to lay in massage chair today before work. My caregiver friends come over and use my massage chair. I'm happy to help. Stretching, yoga and pilates! Do stretches such as, laying on the floor on your back and stretch out your arms and legs. Put your foot on your knee, take your knee to the floor, and your opposite hand, and upper body to the opposite side. Stand up and reach above your head. Put your hands on your hips and stretch your back backwards, and to the side. Also, go to the gym and use weight machines to get your back stronger. If you have heart problems or in general consult your doctor about exercises and so on. I rarely have time for the gym. I'm a working Mom. I feel like I have no time. Exercising and eating healthy helps, but I don't want to sound hypocritical because working five days a week, and being blessed with two daughters, I just can't find time. I get massages every chance I get. Deep tissue massage. It helps so much. It's such a stress and anxiety reliever. I feel human again, after getting a massage. I invested in a massage chair. Best investment I've made. I didn't care how much or if I had the money or not. I also use tiger balm and Mary Jane slave from the dispensary. I am worried about how much pain I will have when I am older. I see first hand how much pain the older population is in pain. Hopefully, I can stay in shape as I age, but easier said than done. My parents tell me that it is heart healthy to have a physically demanding job vs sitting all day. My Mom read an article about how having a sit down job is as bad as smoking. I wonder how true that is. We all gotta do what we gotta do to make money. My job is wearing me out. Maybe I can find a sit down job, and work on day a week as a caregiver. Thanks for reading. If you have back pain or any type of pain, I sympathize. I feel what you are going through.

How I opened an Etsy shop and was successful.

Etsy is a platform to buy and sell handmade, vintage, digital art and much more. If you are good with graphic art, crafts or love Vintage, I encourage you to join the Etsy community. Etsy members are very supportive about giving shop critique (constructive criticism) and help promote your shop. It is a great idea for a side hustle, and even a full time job. You can make and sell anything from jewelry, crochet, knitted items, paper-craft, felt art, sewing, card making, hair bows, paintings, digital art, such as Christmas cards, resell vintage, and much more but these are just the ideas off of the top of my head. Here is my long story, then I'll get to the how to get started with Etsy and be successful. Scroll down if you just want to know some tips for Etsy and don't want to hear my rambling. 😂😂😂😆😆😆 I was a stay at home Mom of two precious little one's, my husband was in the hospital with a leg infection and I was dependant on him for bills. He was out of work for a month. Well, us being inexperienced in life and not having savings, I was so worried. I freaked out. Live and learn. I guess we learn the hard way. Everything turned out fine, even better than we could imagine and he hasn't returned to the hospital since then. Seriously, we are doing awesome and I am happy with where we are at today. My cousin told me about Etsy. She encouraged and motivated me. She was very supportive and I probably would of never been an Etsyer if it wasn't for her. I didn't even know how to crochet, but I decided that is what I was going to do. First, I asked my Mom to show me how to crochet and my husband did to. He is a jack of all trades, and he is just incredibly intelligent. I was practicing and practicing making crochet chains in the hospital room, sitting next to my husband. Then I would watch YouTube videos online and crochet along, and that is one way I learned. Next I would try beanie hat patterns. My neighbor also encouraged me and bought items from me. I was ready to follow patterns that were free online that I found on and make beanie hats. I was having fun, and my kids were set for winter as well. I loved making beanie's with a flower on the side. Then I saw patterns on Pinterest, for animal beanie's and character beanie's like Hello Kitty, which was my best seller, Marvin the Martian, Minnie Mouse, and animal hats. I also started making and selling hair bows, crochet fingerless gloves, scarves, dish cloths, baby blankets, and diaper covers. Which is awesome because I love babies. I even sold digital art and I was not good at it. I had Adobe Photoshop, so why not? I was having fun making money then.... We got garnished for the hospital bill. Live and learn. We were still young, inexperienced and haven't been out of our parents houses long enough, I guess. We made our choices and learned from them. That's one thing about making mistakes, you learn from them. I keep it real and try to be authentic. That's why I'm telling my whole story, no details left out. One purpose of this blog is it to teach from my experiences. I had to go back to work to keep a roof over my kids head and food over their stomachs. I needed money now and fast. My job is physically, and emotionally draining. But you've got to do what you gotta do. I'm a caregiver in assisted living. I'm still there until this day. I've been there almost 7 years. I didn't have time to Etsy anymore and I was exhausted but I can't wait to go back and sell crochet. So finally let's get to the point of the blog. How can I start on Etsy and be successful? First decided what you are going to make and sell obviously. Join Etsy. Fill out your about me section, what you love to make and sell. Be enthusiastic, creative and drive people towards you. Fill out your shop policies, shipping information, and return policies. My return policy was that if they simply return the item I would give them a full refund. I didn't want any bad reviews and I didn't get any! Also, for shipping, you can buy your own weight scale and print shipping labels at home or just visit the post office, wait in a long line and have them do all the work. When you send items to your customers, I recommend sending it with pretty tissue paper, make it look pretty. Get business cards, custom address label with your shop name. You can also send them a free gift with the item they purchased. Wow your customers and keep them coming back. It is an investment but it's worth it. You can also ship world wide. That is the beauty of working for yourself and having your own business, you get make the decisions. I mean you still need to have superb customer service, and all for good reviews and to keep them coming back. Also, at the same time, do not be taken advance of and have your boundaries. Be assertive, but kind. You can also choose to do custom orders. Customers can ask you to make something specifically. Like hey I really want a Marvin the Martian beanie. I would do custom orders, why not? More sales. Next photography. When you take a picture of the items that you want to sell, make sure the picture is clear, crisp, and looking good, so that it has appeal and customers want to buy it. Be creative, put something pretty behind it, or a white paper to bring your item out. For example I put a teddy bear on the baby blanket that I made. You can use apps or programs to edit your photo. You can download canva or picmonkey or use Adobe Photoshop or even Instagram. Next description and adding tags. Tags bring in people who are on Etsy to buy, that are not on Etsy selling but they are from "the outside world" of the world wide web. When describing your item, be very descriptive and make it sound appealing. Most stuff on Etsy already is. One example instead of saying pink say mauve. Add tags, very important so that people can find you. For example, I am selling a crocheted baby hat with a flower on it. I am going to add the tags: crochet, flower, floral, beanie, hat, baby, baby shower, and gift. Then I would personally in the description say keep baby warm with this adorable handmade beanie, especially made for your little one, but that is just me and I do what I want in this regard because I am working for myself, no boss, except the customers. Then again it's better to say handmade crocheted sea blue beanie hat for baby. Acrylic yarn, and so on. Look around on Etsy and look at shops that are doing well. Which brings me to my next point, the Etsy community. Etsy is a very supportive community. Get involved in teams. You can post your items on team's and people will favor them and it will bring you exposure. You also need to be supportive and help your teammates out and favor their items. It's a what goes around comes around idea. I did a lot of favoring items for exposure, and I mean a lot, and to just make Etsy friends in general. You get to see all the pretty stuff people make on Etsy it is fun. You also get to make treasuries. Treasuries are like a product showcase. You put twelve people's product into a treasury and you pick a theme, like lovely lavender. My favorite color. Then they will do the same for you. You can also participate in BNR's which you reserve your spot by buying from someone and they will buy from you possibly. I think it stands for buy now reserve. I don't know but that's what I thought. I participated in these. Last but not least social media is very important! You need more exposure equals more sales. Pinterest, on Pinterest you may get invited to join group boards which creates more exposure. Twitter, there are people on Etsy who will retweet your product. You can make yourself a business Facebook page. You can have a blog. There is also Tumblr it. Once again social media is awesome for exposure. Look around Pinterest on tips on how to make Etsy sales. Making that first Etsy sale can be difficult but it will happen. Do not give up. I got impatient, but I will never forget how excited I was when I made that sale. You can also take online Etsy classes hI never took a class. I'm telling you the Etsy community is supportive and I like to do things my way but I'm sure I would of benefited. So there you have it that is how I started on Etsy and made 65 sales. I hope I have helped someone and I am excited for you to open your Etsy shop. This is my link to my Etsy shop: https://www.etsy.com/shop/MichelleRoseBoutique