Work At Home Musings

Managing home and family while working at home!

Archive for the ‘Household Tips’


Free Sample: Don’t Distrub Me!

I often wake up in the morning with dark circles under my eyes because I did not get a good night’s sleep. I have found some good products that help with the dark circles, but I thought I might try this too:

Don’t Disturb Me is offering a free sample of their all natural sleeping aid product. I like the fact that it is natural, so I think I will give it a try!

Procter & Gamble $100 Coupon Book

p g coupon book You can receive a Procter & Gamble $100 Coupon Book with tons of great coupons inside. Spend $50 worth of P&G products between February 1, 2010 and April 14,2010 (before coupons and tax). Mail in your receipts to get a $100 P&G coupon booklet. Circle the P&G products and their prices on your original cash register receipt(s), and mail it your completed form with the original, dated sales receipt(s), with item descriptions and product purchase prices circled, in a stamped envelope to:

P&G Year of Savings
Dept. T PO Box 460643
El Paso, TX 88546-0643

Requests must be postmarked by April 30, 2010.

Feeling Fatigued?

I have been feeling a little tired this winter and wondered if there was something that I could do about it. I recently read that it could be caused by a Vitamin D deficiency. In the winter we are often shut up in our homes and even though we may open the window blinds, we do not get enough sunshine in our lives. Sun exposure is one way to get Vitamin D into our systems and in the winter, we tend to avoid prolonged periods outside or the sun doesn’t even show its face!

About 65% of Americans are Vitamin D deficient. If you are feeling fatigued or have other symptoms, check with your doctor for a simple blood test. The recommended daily allowance for Vitamin D is 200 IU for women up to age 50 and then it increases to 400 IU to age 70 and then 600 IU for age 71 plus.

Too Many Programs!

I am always trying out new programs on my computer. Some work great, others not so well. Unfortunately, I do not always delete them right away and with all the programs I have, I should upgrade to an industrial computer!

Instead, I have decided to slowly go through my old programs and carefully remove the ones that I no longer use. Also, when I download a new program, I put a reminder on my calendar 30 days from now to re-evaluate the program and decide at that time if I should remove it or keep it. This way, my computer will not be bogged down with so many different programs that I do not use.

Diagnosis

A few months ago, my Dad visited the doctor with symptoms of weak legs and dizziness. They ran a few tests and could not find out what the problem was. He had been taking an antibiotic for a UTI, but that seemed to be coming back as well. A friend of mine was having similar problems and could not find an answer either. Although we trust doctors and think that they know all the answers, sometimes a solution just isn’t found right away.

Fortunately, I have never had an issue with a doctor to the point where I would need a Bronx medical malpractice lawyer, but I often do my own research on the symptoms and diagnosis to make sure that I know everything there is to know. The internet is filled with medical help sites, but be careful before doing something on your own before consulting your medical doctor.

And, if you don’t feel that you are getting the answers you need, don’t be afraid to seek additional medical advice from a different doctor. That is what my Dad did and now he has some better knowledge and hopefully will be back to his old self again soon.

Homework Center

homework centerThe latest issue of Family Fun magazine, has a homework center project that I just completed with my children. We found the supplies we needed at Office Depot and Wal-Mart. I took one of my long fold up tables and put the stations for my high school student and 5th grader on the table. Now, they have a place to do their homework that can be taken down and folded away when needed.

My younger son is only in 1st grade, so I didn’t make one for him, instead I am looking at preschool furniture that will be more his size. He only needs a small table and chair to be able to do the homework that he has every night. This will be much better than trying to sit him at a big table.

preschool furn

Saying Goodbye!

We have had numerous friends move from New Jersey to other parts around the country. Unfortunately, New Jersey is just a very expensive place to live. Most of our friends have opted to use long distance moving companies to move them to a different state, but we have had a few friends, that have decided to move themselves.
moving boxes
After seeing the hassle involved in moving yourself, I think I will opt for a company when I move. Finding the right size boxes, packing everything up and then driving a truck across country are not my ideas of a great time.

We won’t be moving for at least another three years, so hopefully I will have been able to clean out some of the unused junk in our house by that time. Hopefully, that will make the move a little easier!

Inappropriate Web Pages

If you have a child and you don’t want them to access certain web pages you can block them from your web browser. However, sometimes this does not always work. Instead, if you have a router (such as a Linksys router) installed in your home, you can actually block the page there.

To do this, you will need to login to your router to block the page. If you have more than one computer connecting to your router, you may be able to choose only certain computers that you want to block. Check your router’s user manual to get the full details on how to do this.

Free Download! 89 Money Saving Tips!

Are you looking for more ways to save money this year? Download this free Word document that lists 89 Money Saving Tips. The document will give you great hints and helps on how to save money throughout the year. Just click on the button to download.

Create A Central Command Center

If you home is overflowing with papers, maybe a central command center would help tame the paper tiger. The Container Store has Wall Pockets that hook onto one another. They come in packs of two - make sure you buy enough for each family member.
wall pockets
The Wall Pockets can be used to:

  1. Deliver phone and mail messages.
  2. School notices to be signed and items to be completed.
  3. Items that are referred to regularly, such as school menus or schedules.

When mail comes in the house, sort and put in the boxes and then toss the rest! Plan a day for each person to go through their box and complete any necessary items and toss unneeded items.