I walked into my mom’s yesterday and walked past the TV and heard something like ”Riverview High School has been locked down because of a report of a gun…”. I don’t remember the words, but I remember the panic. The complete and absolute dread I felt that overtook everything. Everyday my son gets out of my car and walks away. Everyday I make it a point to watch him cross the street and I wonder if that is the last time…

I left my 4 year old at my moms after I saw the news and I shouldn’t have. She was tired. I just left and rushed to the school to see officers blocking the roads to my son’s school. Some with rifles, others with vests holding an assortment of guns. I asked if I could go in and get him. I knew the answer. They told me to go to a local vocational school and wait. Well, I didn’t. I went to the closest corner strip mall and waited.

There were helicopters and cops and parents everywhere and it was not real. There were parents all around me getting phone calls from their kids and text messages. I couldn’t get my son. He wouldn’t text back and he wouldn’t call and he wouldn’t answer my call. I was hoping it was a reception issue. I prayed it was a reception issue and every horrible thing you could imagine went through my head. It was my son’s 16th birthday the day before. It was just bad.

I waited and walked and waited and walked and watched the parents that were laughing and happy because SWAT had already been to their kids’ classes and they were fine. They knew because their kids were contacting them. I didn’t know. Kids were texting all kinds of things to parents around me and elsewhere. There was a text that their was shooting and that someone had been killed. That hit every parent I knew and every parent I saw like a ton of bricks. It was like a wave of panic, but it wasn’t true. It didn’t matter. The damage was done.

We finally got word that the entire school had been searched and we could go get our kids or wait for school to be over, which was like in 30 minutes. I just went to get him. Hoping to find him. I did. A teacher had taken his phone away which really pisses me off, but I feel like I shouldn’t be pissed at anyone. I should just feel greatful that he is ok, but the truth is I am still not breathing right. Sometimes I have to remind myself to breath. I am fine one minute and then crying the next. It really was every parent’s worst nightmare. They haven’t caught this person yet. We will wait and see what happens.

I have to say that raising a teenager is not easy. In fact, it is really, really hard and they are all about themselves, but this was a great wake up call that in the grand scheme of things the irritating things they do just don’t really matter. All that matters is that they are here and ok and we don’t know how long things will remain that way, so we should just enjoy everyday we have with them. My son finds it a bit irritating that I won’t go to bed until I can kiss him goodnight. This is why.

Every parent has a tough road. We live for our babies and we can never forget that it could end so quickly. I don’t think you can really understand until you are a parent how much worry there is. I thought I had to worry more when they were little because they are more defenseless, but the truth is the worry increases drastically when they hit the teen years. It is amazing how much my life has changed.

We have a holiday season coming and I am just recommending that instead of worrying about all the little stupid crap we should just be happy that our kids and families are here to share it with us. I am hoping to create the Griswold house with lights and make a ton of cookies. I am just going to look at my son and be so happy that I can look at him and his beautiful face.

On Another Note

I really loved this blog and I loved the people I met through this blog. I felt really good about it and I want to feel like I did, but the truth is I am really tired. I have been sick, really sick, for over a month and just can’t get better. I am trying to. I am trying to feel well. I haven’t been able to work much either. I need to. I need the money like everyone else does, but this situation makes me question my priorities. I need to find a balance between work and family and enjoyment of life. I am working on getting back here and writing about my ideas, but I have to be honest and say I think I am going to focus on the holidays and enjoy family for awhile.

Hug your kids and cherish their smiles. Happy Holidays.

Melissa Fach- SEOAware.com

1. RetailMeNot.com has tons of coupon/promotional codes for tons of stores. VictoriasSecret.com lets you use 4 coupon codes and I have saved a lot of money this year shopping there with these codes. Right now they are offering free matching slippers for their PJs. Just use the coupon code PJSLIPPER. However, if you decide to order these for multiple people you will have to make several seperate orders. I did it and with the coupon codes I used I got free shipping and a free lip gloss for every order. Overall, the gifts I am giving are worth $72 a piece and I got them for $31.
2. Don’t just settle for codes from RetailMeNot.com; search for more and make sure you get a great deal
3. Sign up for email newsletters- you can always unsubscribe, but right now they are sending out some great deals. I have finished shopping for all the men in my family already because of the codes I receive in emails.
4. Disneyshopping.com is offering FREE SHIPPING today. You can buy personalized items, have them wrapped and send them for free. You save money overall.
5. Pay attention to the irritating ads all over blogs The ads do offer some good deals!
6. Take advantage of free shipping and free wrapping everywhere!
7. Visit the sale sections of web sites. Saks had a great sale this week on items that were already on sale- an additional 40% off. When you add a coupon code for free shipping you can’t beat the deal. Plus you are saving money on gas.
8. Do not forget to visit places like Overstock.com and SmartBargains.com. There are really good deals on each site; you just may need to search for them.
9. Use Google Product Search. You can compare stores and prices and choose the most affordable shipping options. Bizrate is another good choice.
10. Pay close attention to Cyber sales. You will save money. Walmart has some great sales this week- check out their chocolate gift baskets.
11. Bloomingdales will be having a four day sale starting on Nov. 29.
12. Arden B has a 40% of sale today only!
13. Toys R Us has special toys on sale today only!
14. Entertainment Earth ends its Black Friday sale today. They offer Hasbro toys, hard to find Star Wars toys and much more.
15. Don’t rule out Ebay. I have bought some great things through www.ebay.com this year and I am going to sell a Wii on Ebay soon.

Good luck. I will be back to writing soon!

Melissa Fach- SEOAware.com

       Emergency Charger for Apple iPod— On Sale for $5.99!

I just finished making a web site for a client. He was able to get everything he needed, including an online application, for under a $1,000. This option is available to everyone. I live in Sarasota, Florida and I have to tell you that this town is having a very hard time financially. I have 5 new realtors as clients because they cannot afford the advertising methods they used before. Some have web sites, but there is no optimization and/or marketing plan. Some are looking for additional ways to advertise and they are smart for doing so!

It Is a Rough Economic Time For Everyone- DO NOT Forgot That! This is Very Important to All Businesses Right Now

Everyone I know does the same thing. They search the net for the services they need at prices they can afford! Why is this important to you? Well, you need to give your potential clients/customers what they are looking for! If they find the information they need on your site you may have a new client/customer. Right now businesses need every client they can get…I am including myself here :-). If potential clients cannot find you on the net and/or they can’t find what they need on your site you lose.

So, What Do You Need?

• You need an ATTRACTIVE web site
• You need a site that is easy to navigate
• You need an optimized web site
• You need to find creative and effective ways to advertise!!!!!!

I have been really sick for the last month. Really sick. About a week ago I decided to check out all of the ways I can provide extremely affordable web sites to my clients. Guess what? There are a lot of ways to obtain a web site you can afford for your company. There are effective free and cheap ways to advertise and in in today’s world your business will not reach its full potential without a web site.

ALL BUSINESSES NEED AND CAN HAVE A WEB SITE!

I don’t care who you are- a mom that sells candy gift baskets you make at home, a lawn company, a carpet store, an insurance consultant or family-owned furniture store. You need a web site and you can have one! You can have an online store, you can have newsletter  software, you can take payments…you can have it all! Please just save your money and quit using advertising methods that don’t work. Invest in what does!

One of my clients has two restaurants and she was paying Verizon over $100 a month for the worst web sites I have ever seen! She had no optimization and her sites didn’t offer her clients what they needed. Within a week her new web site was all over Google, Yahoo and MSN for every search phrase she wanted.

Please, consider your options. Take the time and a small amount of money and invest in a functional, effective web site that will enhance your business and please potential clients.

 Good Luck and contact me if you have any questions. I would love to hear from you.

Melissa- SEOAware.com