Practice Makes Perfect

Hey Scholars,

In usual autodidact fashion, I've been teaching myself a new program in the quest to become a better blogger and expand my career opportunities.

I was recently introduced to a design program called Inkscape. It's similar to Adobe Illustrator, but it's free and can be customized for your needs (Open Source). It can be downloaded here.

I had a lot of trouble reading the manual for the program. There were too many words and pictures and it was overwhelming. I opted for flying by the seat of my pants and just playing with the tools and options until I figured it out. This took me a little over 4 hours to do before I finished my second creation. The first was never saved and the program crashed mid-design.

I am impressed with the result after a few hours of messing around and I definitely plan on using this program more in the coming weeks.

I hope you enjoyed this short post!

Until Next Time Friends,

♥ Domonique ♥

Sanity Savers #1: What Planners Can Do for You

Hello Scholars,
Welcome to part one of Sanity Savers! I know I've been promising to do this series for months now and I finally feel like I have enough tried and true tips to share that have actually worked for me long-term. I'm going to be posting a lot of tips and giving advice in this series that will help even the most disorganized person become a little more disciplined in their everyday life.
Today's post is going to involve planners and how I use them to keep track of the many commitments in my life. For those of you who don't like reading longer posts, you may want to click away now and wait for my YouTube video to go up on this topic in the near future.

Let's Get Down to Business

Hey Scholars,

Some of you may not know this, but earlier this year, along with registering this domain name, I also became self-employed. Yup! I am a small business owner and have the pleasure of filing quarterly and annual taxes. *so much sarcasm* It was a huge financial and personal decision for me, but I have always dreamed of being my own boss and now I am finally living that dream!

My Ideal Work Space
Being a busy Mom and having another little guy due in May, I feel the crunch to find a work schedule that works best for my family dynamic and fits my personal needs. Here are my needs for a successful working environment:

• Convenience - I can begin working as soon as I enter the space; No set up is required. Also, no travel required since I do not drive.
  
• Flexibility - A schedule that can accommodate standing commitments and appointments for my children and myself. I also need the ability to work late at night when I am the most alert and creative.
  
• ADD Friendly - No distracting colors or other stimuli.
  
• Child Friendly - Nothing in the space poses an immediate threat to my children.
  
• Scalability - I can expand my setup to accommodate new technologies, equipment, or furnishings.
  
• Multifunctionalism - Can be used as a home office, business office, and personal retreat.

I do require a lot of special requirements to be able to work, which is why I decided in part that working independently is the best option for myself and my family's needs. I would also like to be the person who makes decisions about my future, not an employer or corporation. I wanted to increase my earning potential by being in control of my workload and which business opportunities I pursue.


What Does This Mean for The Lazy Scholar Blog?

This blog is a labor of love and I put a lot of thought into each post and design concept. I've even taken up learning graphic design and HTML to tweak the layouts and learn how to build new ones! Here is what you can expect in the future from me and this blog:

• More Consistent Posts - I'm working on a set schedule for posting and my goal is to stick to it.
  
• Better Content - Currently, I'm working on becoming a better writer so I can express myself more thoroughly through my posts. I've been taking freelance jobs to gain more experience and I've also been writing in greater quantities a lot more often.
  
• Varied Content - Including more photos in my posts and filming videos for the YouTube channel created especially for this blog are among my top priorities this year. I think videos and photos will help my readers relate to me and also cater to people who like to do more than just read.
  
• eCommerce - This year, I hope to have either an eCommerce page on this site or an ETSY shop fully operational. I want to provide my freelancing services and handmade products. I've been thinking about this for about a year, but I finally feel confident enough to attempt it this year!
  
• Enhanced Layouts - I have been studying HTML and other languages to how to customize this blog. If you've been visiting over the last few months, you'll see that I've changed quite a few things from adding the tabs and social media buttons to creating seasonal layouts. I'd like to continue that and learn even more to add other amazing features to the site. I think slideshows and embedded videos are next on the list!
  
• Building Community - I am guilty of being a hermit in real life and also on the internet. This year, I want to be more involved in social media. Every account associated with this blog deserves attention from me and I just haven't been doing that. I lurk around other blogs, but rarely comment. This year, that stops. I want mt readers to know that my blog is a safe place to have discussions and that I'll also return the favor and join in sometimes.
  
• Blogging Conferences - I'm not new to attending conferences, having been tech support, a presenter, and an attendee before. I do want to attend a conference or two in the next year related to blogging so I can meet others like myself. Traveling is also awesome and I'd like to take my boys with me.

I have a lot of goals and aspirations for this blog and I know I won't reach them just talking/writing about them. I also know it won't be cheap, but I'm a hard worker and when I'm determined, I can do anything.

Please continue to support The Lazy Scholar Blog and stick around to watch it evolve into something awesome!

~ Until Next Time Friends ~

♥Domonique ♥

Little Eli Guy #6: Months 18 - 23

Hey Scholars,
Today marks the last day of Eli's 2nd year of life and it has been an amazing journey to witness so far. Eli has become his own person and I'm blessed to have been able to watch him grow thus far.
 Some of the highlights of Eli's life the last 6 months have been:

• Speaking in full sentences
• Running
• Recognizing letters and repeating them
• Interest in playing the guitar (and singing)
• Interest in reading books
• Grooming himself (brushing and combing his hair, washing his face and hands, putting on and taking off his clothes, etc.)
• Potty Training!

Eli has become such smart little boy. He's very tech savvy for a toddler. He can navigate Android interfaces better than even I can. He'll watch you do something and can usually mimic it very closely. I really enjoy watching him go about his day as I work from home.
 Even though Eli has been developing amazingly the past six months, things have not been perfect. Eli had a slight run in with his G6PD a few months ago. It left his legs scarred and his body covered in rashes and hives. We visited the ER and he was given steroids that cleared up his condition within the first 48 hours. Since then, I've been a lot more conscious about what I feed him. No beans whatsoever, I give him as much fresh fruit and veggies as possible, and I read the ingredients on EVERYTHING. I have also limited or completely cut out most soy products and I make a lot of his meals myself instead of buying them prepackaged. Eli has had very little breakouts since I've started following these rules. I'd like to keep it that way.
 Goals I have for the next six months:

• Document Eli's life more often through writing and pictures
• Teaching him to count to 10
• Teach Eli the first 10 letters of the alphabet and have him recognize the letters
• Let Eli explore nature more often
• Have Eli play with other children more often

 Picture Time!

Potty Training Time!

~ Until next time friends ~
 ♥ Domonique & Eli ♥

Good Morning

It's nearing the end of the week and I still haven't posted yet, luckily, the week isn't over yet and you'll have new content to read this weekend!

Thank you for sticking with me!

<3 Domonique

Updates

Hi There!

It's been a few weeks since I posted anything and I just wanted to let my readers know that I haven't forgotten about the blog.

Tomorrow there will be a new post up and then later this week, I'll finally be posting part 3 of my mental health awareness series. So look forward to new content!

In a more formal post, you can expect an actual explanation and an apology for my absence.

Please look out for more information on the Official Lazy Scholar Blog Facebook Fan Page.

Until next time friends,

Domonique