This has been such a great experience!  I love learning more about our members and I hope you all are enjoying it as well.  Without further ado, let me introduce Rochelle/rocky291!

Real name: Rochelle

HCTS id: rocky291

eBay id: 291rocky

eBay store: Toodles and Oodles

Hi, I’m Rochelle! I’ve been a member of HCTS for close to a year now  – and I love it! My family thinks I’m crazy that I’m so addicted to this site – but I know I would have given up on eBay long ago without all my stork friends’ help!

My friends would probably describe me as smart, slightly nerdy, and a reliable friend (I hope!) My family is extremely important to me. I am very close with my three siblings and I speak to all of them – and my mom and dad – everyday.

I have a degree in graphic design from Pratt Institute and have been working in the field for more than six years.  A little over a year ago the company I was working for – since I graduated college – closed down.

Honestly, it was the best thing that ever happened to me. I was driving more than an hour each way to get to work, and the job was extremely high pressured. I decided to take a little break before looking for a job and I got to stay home with my son the past year.

That’s when I started dabbling in eBay. And here I am today – an official addict! I love going shopping, so this was the perfect job for me. My son is now in school and I am still home. Between eBay and my freelancing, I am keeping quite busy.

How did you hear about us? Someone’s About Me page

What was your most profitable sale? My friend had bought a Marc Jacobs purse on some crazy deal she found. It was then sold-out in stores. I put it up for her at $0.99 and it sold for close to $500!!! It went for quite a bit over retail. I didn’t get to keep all the money but she gave me a nice cut.

Where are you from? I grew up in Houston, Texas and have been living in Queens, New York for the past 8 years. And I hate it! After growing up in the south everything and everyone here is too busy, noisy, and rude (sorry Julieanne – not you!) I moved up here to go to college and met my husband (a native Queenser) and have been stuck here ever since.

Who’s in your family? I’ve been married to my dh for 5 1/2 years and we have a 3-year-old son.

If you hadn’t married your spouse, where would you be right now? I would probably be working a 60-hour week at some big-wig advertising agency in Manhatten…and hating my life.

What’s in my purse? Tissues and tissues and more tissues – I have constant allergies so I never go anywhere unprepared. My stash of coupons. I’m one of those that gets nasty looks at the grocery store because I buy everything with coupons. – and you know how they never scan correctly, so I’m always holding up the line. Purell – I’m a little bit of a germy. Crayons – for emergency toddler crying sessions. I hate a messy purse, so I really try to clean it out every few days.

Are you tidy or messy? I’m a very organized mess. I have piles of things all over my house that should be put away…but at least they’re all organized! [Me too Rochelle!]

A spender or a saver? I used to think I was a saver, but then I married my husband! I have to beg him to buy new shoes, pants, socks!!! I still know that I’m not a big spender, but I have no problem buying things I need and treating myself occasionally – especially when it’s from the TS.

What would we be surprised to learn about you? I only knew my husband for 4 months before we got married. But our families actually knew each other from forever ago. My dad and my father-in-law were study partners in school more than 30 years ago. It was just meant to be!

I got a 5 on my AP US History test in high school (that’s a mark only 2% of the students that take the test receive). There was actually a point in my life where I wanted to be a history teacher, but then I decided it’d be too boring.

I have a very funny accent (or so I’m told). My parents both grew up in the Northeast and I grew up in the south, so I guess between all of that, I developed some strange accent. I am constantly being asked what country I’m from!

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Thank you so much for sharing Rochelle!

If you’re a HCTS member, we’d love to learn more about you, too!  Just grab the questionnaire, fill it out, and return to me via PM.  Not a member yet? Join today!

Filed under: Saturday Spotlight by BellaBuggy
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I hope you all had a great Thanksgiving!  I know many of you traveled to be with family over the holidays, so in case you weren’t around, here are a few things you may have missed on the HCTS forums this week.

1. This time of year, the hottest forum on the boards is Toys.  The Toy Forum is rockin’ and we’d love to have you join the conversation!
2. Do you sell on Amazon?  Do you use Fulfillment By Amazon (FBA) services? Several of our members are having a problem with FBA inventory and they are discussing it now. We’d welcome your thoughts or experiences as well!
3. How do you handle your inventory?  Do you purchase then list, or do you sometimes list for sale items that you haven’t purchased yet?  The General Selling Forum has a conversation that might shed some light on this practice for you.
4. A lot of us are doing Christmas shopping right now, and since we all love a good bargain… Many of our members have posted fantastic deals they have found.  Too many to mention, but if you’re looking for gifts at a great price, visit our Sales, Deals, and Coupons section to see what others have posted (and maybe share your own finds!)
5. The reason for the season! It’s nice to remember everything that is wonderful about this time of year, amidst the hustle and bustle of shopping, parties, and preparations.  We’re sharing our Holiday Happiness and we’d like to hear from you, too!

Have you still not joined HCTS?  Click the button below to get started today – you don’t want to miss out on all of the hot holiday sales!

Filed under: Forum Friday Five by Rebecca
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Today we’re learning all about Anna!  I’m so glad we were finally able to work this out, too, because Anna and I had some real communication problems getting the Q & A done!  It was worth the wait, though, and I’m including every detail because I enjoyed reading it so much that I know you will, too!

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25 Things about Anna

1. I was born in Barcelona, Spain
2. I have lived in the USA since 1988
3. My entire family (besides DH and kids) is still in Spain
4. My fav color is red
5. I love spaghetti
6. I love to run. Started running 6 years ago
7. I am very competitive. I don’t like to lose
8. I am a person of routine. I like to do things in order and on a schedule
9. I like to take naps and sleep in when I can
10. I am a hard worker. Always go the extra mile. I can’t do anything half way
11. I get jealous of what other people has
12. I would like to be rich and live in a big house and not worry about money
13. I love to cook. I would loved to have gone to cooking school
14. I don’t like chocolate ice cream or shakes. Strawberry is my favorite
15. I eat fruit for dessert after my meals. At least 2 a day
16. I can multitask like nobody can
17. I throw up if I eat hamburger or meat balls. This has happened since I was 5
18. I get very stressed out when things don’t go the right way
19. I only wash my hair every other day
20. I used to smoke when I was in Spain (started at 16)
21. I love to sing aloud but can’t carry a tune. I usually sing in my car by myself
22. I drink red wine and spiced rum/diet
23. I like being by myself
24. I am funny
25. I hate cold weather

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What’s in my purse?

wallet full of credit cards – of course you have to have them all!

No cash – if I have it, I spend it

A small notebook full of reminders, hot items to look for, phone numbers…

Chapstick and lipstick

Cell. Car keys. Gum. Pencil. Pen.

Ibuprofen for when I can’t take it anymore

eBay checkbook. Personal checkbook. Daily planner full of kids activities.

Envelope full of eBay/Amazon receipts for the month.

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Real name: Anna

Stork id: lucy4girls

How long have you been a member of HCTS? Since May 2008

How did you hear about us? Saw it on somebody’s About Me page. Can’t remember who but I wish I did now.

What was the first thing you ever sold online? Creative Memories stuff
What was your most profitable sale? Got a Care Bear plate for .10, sold for $25 on auction. Not the most profitable but the craziest.
What’s the worst thing you ever sold? A huge lot of Rescue Heroes. Shipping was a PIA and it was expensive. Plus it wasn’t even mine. I sold it for a friend.
Fess up – Most embarrassing shopping moment! I love to shop. I don’t like it when the clerk at TRU asksme about the 2 carts full of toys. You must have a lot of kids? What are you going to do with all those toys?
Toy sellers – crazy people or ‘hey why are you calling me crazy?’ I never understood the toy selling people but once I got hooked into it I totally get it.  It is so thrilling to find ‘the one’. I have only been selling toys for a couple years and I am not even a veteran but I can totally tell from year to year how much more I learn and how much more I make.
Where are you from? Barcelona, Spain
Tell us about your family My husband Tom of 17 years, my oldest daughter Ariana – 13, my youngest daughter Alexandra (Ali) – 10. Bella and Lucy (dogs), Crash and Oreo (cats), Milkdud and Skittles (bunnies).
What kind of car do you drive? Jeep Liberty

What’s your go-to last minute dinner? Subway
Are you tidy or messy? I like organization but lately I am not very good at it

A spender or a saver? Definitely a spender. Isn’t every woman?

Favorite vacation spot? I live in the midwest so anywhere warm and of course I LOVE Spain!

What holiday traditions do you have? We have a ‘tapas’ dinner Christmas Eve just the kids and DH and I. When we go to Spain we do ‘tio, tio’ which in short is just a decorated log with a blanket, the kids are supposed to be nice and take care of it in December and on Christmas Eve they hit it with a stick and sing a song and they get small presents under the blanket.

Christmas cookies – homemade or store bought? Always homemade but sometimes I do buy the dough (shhhh)

Favorite book - Once a Runner

The one TV show you never miss – Survivor and The Amazing Race

Hobbies: don’t have a lot of time. Reading and Running.

What would we be surprised to learn about you? I failed my sophmore year HS (Spain) because I never went to class-had to do it over. Then my Dad told me that he was very disappointed in me and I failed him.  I was a straight A student after that.

What song is guaranteed to make you get up and dance? If I have had a couple drinks, just about any song!

If you could only wear one outfit for the rest of your life, what would it be? At home would be jeans and a comfy sweatshirt. In public jeans and a t-shirt.

If you were doing a ‘favorite things’ giveaway (a la Oprah), what would you include? A family vacation for 7 days to an all-inclusive resort

If you hadn’t married your spouse, where would you be right now? I always wanted a husband so probably with somebody else.

If your life story were made into a movie, who would play you? Angelina Jolie? Just kidding. Maybe Meg Ryan.

If you could talk to John Donahoe (CEO of eBay), what would you like to discuss/say to him? Please make buyers aware of how hard sellers work. Help them understand the rules of not paying, giving undeserving low stars, and making them understand the power of good communication. Good sellers with good customer service will try to work with an unsatisfied buyer.

Filed under: Saturday Spotlight by BellaBuggy
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This week we’re getting to know…Brandi!
Stork ID: katyco379

Store links/user IDs/websites ebay: littlesproutrepeats

How long have you been a member of HCTS? just this year, cant remember when I joined.
How did you hear about us? from ebay, someone selling gymbo mentioned it to me.
What was the first thing you ever sold online? A college txtbook
What was your most profitable sale? nothing I am too proud of just yet.
What’s the worst thing you ever sold? that stupid college text book.  i really hurt myself on shipping that darn thing.
Fess up – Most embarrassing shopping moment! my son telling the cashier “I say bad words SEE… OH DAMMIT! OH DAMMIT!”  then saying OH NO MY PEE IS GOING TO COME OUT!  MOMMA I HAVE TO PEE! this was all in one shopping trip.  I was so proud!
Toy sellers – crazy people or ‘hey why are you calling me crazy?’ Definitely not crazy people, I am envious
Where are you from? Good ol’ Tennessee
Tell us about your family 3 kids, no pets
What kind of car do you drive? MiniVan, that I HATE… I am an SUV type of girl, but it broke, and now here I am in this stupid VAN!  Hubby hears about it all the time!
What’s your go-to last minute dinner? Spaghetti
Are you tidy or messy? Tidy, but my kids keep it messy

A spender or a saver? Saver

Favorite vacation spot? anywhere at this point, but I love the gulf coast

What holiday traditions do you have? Santa visits EVERYONE at my house, not just the kids.

Christmas cookies – homemade or store bought? No cookies, PIE – homemade

Favorite book - there are TOO MANY TO SAY

The one TV show you never miss – Forensics (that guy who hosts that show, could read the phone book to me.  I love to hear him talk!)

Hobbies: ebay, coupons, photos of my kids… not scrapbooking. UGH! oh and remodeling my house.

What song is guaranteed to make you get up and dance? that new Sugarland Song, Stuck like Glue.  LOVE LOVE LOVE IT.

If you could only wear one outfit for the rest of your life, what would it be? Hoodie and Jeans with my Nikes.

If you were doing a ‘favorite things’ giveaway (a la Oprah), what would you include? Laptop

If you hadn’t married your spouse, where would you be right now? Married to his friend!  lol  Really.  But I cant imagine where I would be without him really really.  I would be a lost puppy!

If your life story were made into a movie, who would play you? Reese Witherspoon as a brunette… because I am as COUNTRY AS MUD! 

If you could talk to John Donahoe (CEO of eBay), what would you like to discuss/say to him? Loan me some money!  Just kidding.  I don’t have a clue what I would say to him.

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25 things about Brandi “katyco379″

my hcts username is made up of my 3 kids first 2 letters of their first names and the year they were born POST 2000.

i am a PEPSI addict, those things are TERRIBLE FOR YOU

speaking of which, I HATE COFFEE

i have never gotten a speeding TICKET, but I have wrecked my car once – which put me into labor on my daughters DUE DATE lol  we were both fine.

my DH is my high school sweetheart, first love, and we eloped.

if i werent married to him, I would be married to his best friend.  They both new me at different times before they new each other… lol  so I didnt do anything i shouldnt have done! 

I love the Theatre. LIVE and ON SCREEN.

I am a rollercoaster junkie.

I have never been outside of the USA

I would like to travel outside of the USA, Poland sounds AMAZING

I almost drowned when I was 11 yrs old, and am still scared of water OVER my head today at age 30

We burn WOOD heat in our house, because I LIKE THE SMELL IN THE WINTER – It smells like christmas at home (my childhood home)

I am a diabetic.  Unfortunately it runs in my family like blood.

I cant skate, I never learned how.

My sister is my best friend.

I LOVE living in TN, but would like to move to Nashville, where there are more people and more opportunities

I am starting school in January to get my teachers certification.

I have to be asked to get off of the computer because I could actually SPEND HOURS on here without it even phasing me! *drives the DH nuts!*

The day after Halloween is my GO to start decorating the inside of my house for Christmas.

I am remodeling my home, I will NEVER LIVE in another house, while raising kids, and remodel ALL at the same time, ITS BEEN TRAUMATIC!  lol

I LOVE being thrifty. Coupons, ReUSE things, Store brands, the whole nine yards.

I love to watch HOARDERS on A&E, it inspires me to clean!

My favorite color is BLUE

I am very patriotic! Even before I married the Army.

I love to learn New Things.

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Brandi, thank you for playing along this week!  It’s really nice to get to know our members better!

Haven’t joined yet?  Clicked the banner below!

Filed under: Saturday Spotlight by BellaBuggy
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Here’s a glimpse of what’s been happening on the HCTS forums this week:

1) Are you a Black Friday shopper?  One of our members shared a website with tons of options for that perfect Black Friday attire.  Check it out!

2) Many of our members think outside the box when it comes to inventory shopping.  See the unusual store where many people have found profitable inventory for a low, low price!

3) Our Amazon sellers are feeling frustrated that the FBA warehouses are full and not accepting any more oversize items at this time.  Do you have the same concern?  Read this thread for the latest information and timelines – and get ready to ship next week!

4) Just for fun, our members are discussing what is on their own Christmas wish lists.

5) Do you sell toys?  Do you require immediate payment over the holidays? Join our members as they weigh the pros and cons of this selling option, and weigh in with your own thoughts – as a seller or a buyer!

Not a member yet? Don’t delay – join today! Click the banner below to make this holiday season fun and profitable!

Filed under: Forum Friday Five by Rebecca
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This week we’re getting to know Susan!  She is a new-ish member of HCTS, having joined in July of this year.  I can tell you from her siggy picture in the forums that she’s beautiful, but I neglected to ask her if I could post that picture here so I’d better wait for permission first.  (Hint – if you’re a member, you can look her up yourself!)

Update: She let me snag the pic!

So without further ado:

Real name: Susan

Stork id: essbee

eBay user id: robebe1 (Look at those fabulous DSRs! And she’s a top-rated seller! Woo-hoo!)

How long have you been a member of HCTS? A couple of months.

How did you hear about us? From a listing on eBay that had HCTS at the end of it. (See? Affiliate links pay off!)

What was the first thing you ever sold online? Baby gifts for my son that he never wore (NWT)

What’s the worst thing you ever sold? Used nursing bras (mine).  Couldn’t believe they sold, but they did – and with a bidding war over them, too!

Where are you from? Grew up in northern Virginia (just outside of DC)

Tell us about your family. Husband, son – 4, daughter – 2

What’s your go-to last minute dinner? Frozen pizza

Are you tidy or messy? Somewhere in between

A spender or a saver? Love to spend, try to save

Favorite vacation spot? Charleston, SC or NYC

TV shows you never miss? Glee and Grey’s Anatomy

What would we be surprised to learn about you? I used to work on Capitol Hill for a US Senator before I became a stay-at-home mom…and I’m just under 6 feet tall!

If you could only wear one outfit for the rest of your life, what would it be? Yoga pants and a sorority t-shirt

If you were doing a ‘Favorite Things’ giveaway a la Oprah, what would you include? A Dyson Animal vacuum, a spa day at Elizabeth Arden, a gift card to Tiffany and Co, and a year of specialty drinks from Starbucks. (Sign me up!)

If you hadn’t married your spouse, where would you be right now? Knee-deep in a career and very lonely.

If your life story were made into a movie, who would play you? Catherine Zeta-Jones or Nicole Kidman

If you could talk to John Donahoe (CEO of eBay), what would you like to discuss/say to him? There’s no need to let sellers leave feedback if their only option is to leave positive feedback.

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Susan, thank you so much for participating!  I really enjoyed getting to know you a little bit, and look forward to continuing that process in the forums!

Not a member yet?  Don’t wait any longer – this is the perfect time to start making some extra money from home!

Filed under: Saturday Spotlight by BellaBuggy
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1)  ‘Tis the season!  There is much discussion about Ugly Christmas Sweaters (UCS) in the General forum!  Read here and here and here – and then maybe add your own!

2)  Many of our members are celebrating their Amazon Toy Seller Approval Emails.  If you’re among the privileged, drop in and add your name to the party!

3)  Did you know that even used, non-antique magazines can be valuable?  Member Phyllis picked some up at a yard sale and turned them into a very Hot Auction!

4)  Black Friday ads are being posted!  If you plan to shop on Black Friday, stop by the Toys forum to read the ads and plan accordingly.  Toys R Us and Target have already been posted.  Know another?  Please add it and share with all of our members!

5)  Have you seen our very own moderator Jaci? She posted in Off-Topic about her weight loss journey, and the before and after pictures are amazing!  She claims to be a couch potato turned marathoner (hard to imagine!) but either way, she’s a true fitness inspiration.  Jaci, you look fantastic!

These are just a few of the things our members have been discussing this week.  You’ll need to visit the forums yourself to get the full scoop!

Not a member yet? Click the banner below to join in on the fun and profit. You won’t regret it!

Filed under: Forum Friday Five by Rebecca
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We here at Here Comes The Stork would like to offer a sincere ‘Thank You’ to our Veterans, as well as all current members of the military.  We are profoundly grateful for the sacrifices that you and your families make every day.

Godspeed and God Bless.

Filed under: The Daily Stork by Rebecca
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Ladies, please send in your questionnaires! There have been dozens of you that requested them, and now I need your responses! Pretty please?

I feel sort of weird writing all about myself, but since I don’t have any other responses in yet (ahem!) I have no alternative. I’m sorry in advance – I’m not very exciting!

I am Heather/BellaBuggy, moderator at Here Comes the Stork.  Xochilt recently celebrated her one-year ‘mod-iversary’ and she asked me how long I’ve been a mod.  I can’t even remember! 5 or 6 years?  And I’ve been a member longer than that!  I’m a HCTS dinosaur, and happy to be – it’s a wonderful place!

In addition to being a moderator here, I wear many different hats.

Most importantly, I am a stay-at-home mom to three daughters – Annabelle, Caitlin, and Lillian.

I also co-own (along with my parents) a website, Garden Party Teas, so you’ll find me more actively selling there than on eBay/Amazon.  We recently had our website redesigned and added a Tea Party Forum, and the very talented Rebecca designed that logo for us.  (Thank you again – we love it!)

I am an inaugural member of the Walt Disney World Moms Panel, helping people plan their Disney vacations.

I’m Hopelessly Flawed, and I blog about it.

In my ‘spare’ time I’ve also been known to coach youth soccer, teach Sunday School and VBS, garden, read, and run.  These days I’m doing very little of all of the above.  It seems the ‘spare time’ is few and far between, and I’m doing good just to get through the daily grind!  I’m also nursing a torn calf muscle at the moment, so physical activity is pretty limited.

So that’s my bio-in-a-nutshell, and from the questionnaire, I chose the 5 random questions:

If you could only wear one outfit for the rest of your life, what would it be?

Easy! My favorite Old Navy yoga pants (if these ever wear out I will be emotionally devastated), v-neck Wal-Mart tee, Fit Flops.

If you were doing a ‘favorite things’ giveaway (a la Oprah), what would you include?

Well I can’t afford the big stuff like Oprah, so I’d have simple pleasures.  The Glee Soundtrack, Heeltastic cream, the movie Enchanted, Steelers football tickets…and maybe a minivan.  I’m sort of in love with mini-vans.

If you hadn’t married your spouse, where would you be right now?

Well first I imagine I’d be living somewhere else.  I had planned to go back to Pennsylvania in college (before he came along), so I’d probably be there.

If your life story were made into a movie, who would play you?

Ashley Judd.

I actually have no idea.  I don’t know how people know things like that.

If you could talk to John Donahoe (CEO of eBay), what would you like to discuss/say to him?

Dude.  The feedback thing.  It needs to be adjusted.  Sellers shouldn’t be punished for 3 star ratings.  If sellers can’t leave honest feedback for buyers, then eliminate the ‘feedback for buyers’ option entirely.  It’s pointless.  And don’t weigh feedback so heavily when determining top-rated sellers.  It gives buyers too much power.

That’s all I’ve got on me this week!  Now please – send in those profiles!

Filed under: Saturday Spotlight by BellaBuggy
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The end of another week! I can’t believe it’s the end of the first week of November.  This year has flown by!  It feels like I say that every year, though.

“When your children are young, the days are long but the years are short.”

How very true.

And now on to some highlights from the forums this past week!

1) I hope you all enjoyed a great Halloween!  Many of our members shared their Halloween photos here, and we had a giveaway of a Starbucks gift card to one lucky member chosen at random.  The winner was Angie/oriskanystorey! Congratulations Angie!  Be sure to PM your mailing address to Heather/BellaBuggy to claim your prize!

2) Do you sell gently used toys?  There is a very informative discussion about My Little Pony’s going on right now in the General Selling Chit Chat forum.  Thank you to our many members who are willing to share information and help one another!

3) Did you know that we have a Sales, Deals and Coupons section of the forum?  Who doesn’t love a good bargain?!  Member Rochelle/rocky291 shared yesterday that there are great bargains to be had at Target on Olay products.  It’s not quite as simple as a ‘sale’ though – if you know the scoop, you’ll get huge money back…and possibly your whole order free!  Pop in to read about how she did it.

4) As you saw on the blog last weekend, we’ve started a new feature called the Saturday Spotlight.  Moderator Xochilt was kind enough to be our first volunteer.  Would you like to participate? Moderator Heather/BellaBuggy posted all about it, so get the info here and then remember to return your questionnaire!  Pssst! That means that those of you who have already requested one need to send them back in! *giggle*

5) In the Hot Auctions forum, member 3littlepunkins shared a big sale she had on a very common childhood toy.  You might even have one in your house!  Want the full scoop? You’ll have to be a member!

Would you like to get in on the action?  We’re always happy to have new members, and we’d love to help you with your in-home business today!  Click the banner below to join!

Filed under: Forum Friday Five, The Daily Stork by Rebecca
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