Work At Home Musings

I used to work for a University and was in charge of helping put together various grant proposals. The grant proposals were often very large and I had to work with several different departments within the University to collect text, bios and financial data. Unfortunately, each department did things differently. I would have to take the data, reformat it, and then make sure it all fit together seamlessly. If the grant proposal was not put together well, the University might not get funded. If the University did not get funded, people could lose their jobs. Too bad I didn’t know that there was such a thing as consolidation software which helps take differently formatted financial data and consolidates it into a readable and usable package.

I just finished reading the book Gifted Hands: The Ben Carson Story, which is a very interesting story. Dr. Carson tells the story of how he grew up and how his mother made sure that he and his brother were successful. He came from a poor family, his parents divorced when he was young and he didn’t see him dad much after that. His mother also had mental health problems, but always made sure that her two boys were on the right track.

The last part of the book is about his philosophy which I thought was very interesting. He uses the acronym Think Big. Here is the first letter - T.

T - T is for Talent and Time. You need to find and recognize your God given talents. Everyone has different talents, finding and developing your own talents will get you far in life. Learn how to manage your time and always try to be on time! I think one of the most annoying things is people who are always late! Learning how to manage time is a difficult task but also will help you succeed.

Look for future posts with the remaining letters!

I am often trying to manage many things at one time. Sometimes I don’t think that my time management skills are very good! Fortunately, I found a great resource that can help with time management. Time Thoughts provides a useful set of time management tips that can help any small business owner or multi-tasking mom! Their complimentary time management mini-course provides 16 practical principles for time management.

The common sense tips are things that I sometimes forget to do to keep myself on track, such as WRITE IT DOWN and prioritize my list. There are links to other short articles including effective to-do-lists and effective filing. I recommend this site for anyone who needs help with time management!

How many times do I say to my son each day “Hold on a minute” or “I’ll be right there”? It seemed I wasn’t getting anything done! I finally realized that this was due not to my son’s constant interruptions, but my lack of time management and my trying to do all tasks at once. Here are some tips that I have learned over time:

1. Set office hours. This is very difficult, even more so if you have very young children at home. A big block of time might not be feasible. Instead, take an hour here and an hour there. I try and do email first thing it the am and then 1 hour for embroidery time. Then again check buisness stuff in the afternoon. I try and pick times when I know my son will be less likely to interrupt.
2. Limiting Web Time. It is so easy to start using the internet and find that all you time has been wasted away. Check email twice a day and limit your time. This will help. Also schedule a short period on the internet for web page revisions, product research, etc.
3. Don’t Answer the Phone. It is tempting to answer every call, but sometimes you need to complete a project. Screen your calls. If it is important call back the same day. Set a time when you will answer and return calls.

You have an important phone call, and a noisy toddler! Here are some tips to keep your toddler happy and quiet.

• Quiet Box - Make a quiet box that you keep under your desk, or other convenient location. Tell your child that the box is for special, quiet times. Fill the box with quiet toys and items such as:
• Quiet Books - Find ones that are age appropriate and that won’t frustrate your child.
• Flannel Sets - There are plenty of flannel sets now available for children. They come with a flannel background and lots of theme appropriate items to place on the background.
• Action Figures - Is your son into Dinosaurs (mine can’t get enough of them, or do you have a daughter that loves Polly Pocket? Buy some extra special items and throw them in the box.
• Picture Book - Make your own picture book from a 4×6 Photo Album and pictures of family and friends.
• Playdough or Clay - If you have room at your kitchen table, let them play with ooey gooey things such as playdough or clay.
• Special Video - Find a video that your child will enjoy and sit through that is at least 20 - 30 minutes. Let them only watch it when you need quiet time.
• Special Snack - Let them have that extra special snack when you need quiet time. Let’s hope they are hungry!

This WAHM Tip is by Rosalie from Four Point Moms:

The only way I am able to manage working outside of the home, working my Four Point Moms business and home is by scheduling. I cannot stress that enough. In my planner I schedule my family time, outside job and my home business. Now you have to be a little flexible. Some times I have time for home business scheduled but my infant needs something. So I just move a few things around and I continue on. The schedule works best when I first schedule in my outside job M-F 6am-3pm. Second, I schedule in family time such as making dinner, eating dinner (reflection of day with husband), and bed time story with my daughter. Third, I schedule in my home business.

Weekends always are different. I schedule in family time first then home business second. This way I make sure that my family is a priority.

Regina’s home business is Four Point Moms. Four Points Moms is partnered up with a 21 year old Wellness Company. She loves this job because of the continuous support, celebrations and training that she has received. Not to mention the amazing men and women she interact with daily. Four Point Moms has a great promotion the month of September 2006. Enrolling is only $14.50 ($29 regular) and the ability to earn a laptop computer. This is not a raffle but if you hit the goal you earn it.

A LITTLE ABOUT ME AND MY BUSINESS
My name is Michele G. I am a wife, a stay-at-home mom to 7 children, and I home school them all!! My business is called Blue Moon Artistry and can be found at http://www.bluemoonartistry.com.

I started my business because with a large family and only one income, I was having a hard time budgeting money to spend on all the creative things I like to do. I decided that selling some of what I make would provide an outlet for my creativity as well as a source of funds. Everything I sell is hand-crafted by me. I make unique, beaded hair sticks, jewelry, and items that are crocheted and knitted. I also do custom, made-to-order work.

Juggling a business and a family can be a real challenge! Everyone has to do what is right for themselves, but I am happy to share with you a little of what I have learned along the way. Let me start by saying that I am very blessed to have a husband who puts a high value on what a wife and mommy does. He has said multiple times that he could never pay anyone to do what I do. He constantly reminds me that my time is extremely valuable and that being mommy is the most important job in the world! I know that I am very fortunate to have someone so appreciative and supportive.

DOWN TO THE NITTY GRITTY
There are a few things that help me to keep my very busy household and my business running smoothly. I do not think that I have all the answers. I am struggling along, just like everybody else, but in my years of wife and mother to multitudes, I have learned some helpful “domestic engineering” tools:

TIME MANAGEMENT
–Keep a calendar in a public place (like the refrigerator) and write everything on it! Music lessons, part-time work schedules for teenagers, sporting events, Dr.’s appointments, repairmen scheduled. Everything! This helps the whole family to know what is going on and not have conflicts.
–Schedule dates with your husband, and even your children. Set aside time to just spend with them doing something fun and relaxing.
–Keep some special toys or videos tucked away. Don’t let them be for every day use. Save them for when an emergency comes along and you really need a block of time where your children can happily entertain themselves.

CHORES
–Two simple words: Delegate and Schedule. You may be a wife and/or a mother. You are not a slave. If they are big enough to take it out, dirty it, or eat it, then they are big enough to learn how to put it away, clean it, or load a dish in the dishwasher. Remember what your grandmother used to say, “Many hands make light work!”
–I am a firm believer in child labor. On our refrigerator next to the calendar are chore charts. The rule is, “chores and school come first.” If I have a child asking for a privilege, I can refer them to the chore chart. They can look at their name and see listed all their responsibilities for that day. This prevents (for the most part) lots of rants and ravings by me. I can smile sweetly, and say, “You know the rule, dear. Chores and school come first. You may do that when your work is done.”

In our household, meals and laundry are the two areas that have the largest potential for disruption. Here are some hints to keep them under control:

MEALS
–Don’t wait until 4:00 or 5:00 in the afternoon to decide what is going to be for dinner! Think about it in the morning, or even better, the night before.
–Plan a menu for the week (or two). Plan a grocery list based on the menu. Shop one day and get everything you need.
–Keep healthy, “convenience” food on hand — fruits, granola bars, cut up veggies, etc.
–Keep an “emergency meal kit” in your cupboard. You know, everything you need to make a meal quickly for unexpected company. Pasta, a few jars of sauce, and a box of brownie mix for dessert is what one lady I know always has on hand.
–Use your crock pot.
–Cook in big batches and freeze the extra. Don’t just make one casserole. Make two or three and put them in the freezer. Sometimes I will brown several pounds of ground beef at one time and freeze it in meal-sized portions. Then, when we want pasta, chili, tacos or a casserole that has ground beef in it, I am that much closer to having dinner on the table, plus, no greasy pan to clean!
–Keep the phone number for Domino’s Pizza on hand and remember that the 5-5-5 deal is great when you are really in a pinch!

LAUNDRY
–Schedule your laundry. I am going to repeat that. Schedule your laundry! This has been the biggest life-saving tip that I can give. I have a system I will share with you. If my system can keep a family of 9 from having laundry pile up, then it can certainly work for you too!
–There are three basic principles to my system.
1) Keep the dirty laundry pre-sorted.
2) Teach everyone in the family who is big enough to reach the machine how to properly do laundry. (All my kids help load, unload, and fold. At about age eight or nine, I will trust them to actually run the machine.)
3) Designate days of the weeks for different “zones” to do laundry.
–As an example, here is how it works in my household: The “zones” around here are GIRLS, BOYS and PARENTS. Each zone contains at least two dirty clothes hampers — one is for lights/whites and one is for darks/colors. In the boys zone, there is also a hamper for towels/linens. Even the youngest person in my house knows that their dirty clothes go into the proper hamper. We no longer spend time sorting laundry. It is pre-sorted for washing!
–My laundry schedule runs like this: On Monday and Thursday, the girls must do all the laundry in their zone. That means wash, dry and fold and put away! They are also required to change their bed linens on one of those days. On Tuesday and Friday, the boys must completely do all the laundry in their zone. They also must do their bed linens. I do laundry on Wednesday and Saturday.

KEEPING IT IN PERSPECTIVE
In this season of my life when all my children are home, I try to keep everything in perspective and my priorities straight. For me, that means that family must always come first. When a day or two rolls by and I realize that I have not had time to snuggle and read to my 4-year-old, I know that things are getting out of balance and it is time to set my business on the back burner a bit. The business can wait, but my children will be grown and gone so quickly! I know how easy it is to get consumed with your business. I know, believe me, I know how hard it can be to make ends meet and money is important. But remember, the greatest gift you can give your family is you.

You can find the author’s unique, hand-crafted creations at The Petticoat Pirate in uptown Greenville, NC. and at http://www.bluemoonartistry.com. For a special 10% off discount, enter this voucher code in the appropriate box at check out: 12471221. You can also view the author’s blog at http://busyhsmom.blogspot.com

I apologize for my blatant borrowing from Hamlet, but everyday I wake up and realize that I have so much to do, and so little time! Trying to remember everything in my head just does not seem to work. I have struggled with trying to find a good to-do list on the internet, so I came up with my own system.

1. I purchased a pad of weekly calendar sheets from the local craft store. This pad also has magnets on the back. At the beginning of each week I write all the appointments and school assignments and activities for my daughters on the pad and hang it on the front door. This works for me because I see it every time I go out. Good thing we have a metal door!
2. I developed with own to-do list. This list is on an 8 1/2″ x 11″ sheet of paper and is divided into three columns so that it can easily be folded. Categories include: Things to Get (store and shopping lists); Places to Go (appointments and other activities); Phone Calls; To Do - Home; To Do - Work; and, Today I Am Going To… (a small task that I want to tackle for the day, i.e. clean under the bed or organize the DVDs). I try to reevaluate each night. I will use the same list until it gets full. The back is blank and I use it to jot down ideas or reminders if needed.

You can download a free copy of my To Do List here if you think it can help you organize your time better!

When you work at home you wear many different hats during the day – chef, chauffer, tutor, maid, webmaster, entrepreneur and mommy! Is it possible to do everything you need to in one day? I often find myself running out of time each day and wondering where all the hours went.

One of the first things you can do to manage your time more effectively is to try and create a schedule. This will work well some days, but not others. However, if you have it written down it is much easier to get back on track the following day. Start your schedule by first listing the fixed items. For example, if you have school age children, you have definite drop off and pick up times. Next block off times for general tasks (i.e. cleaning, web design, cooking, phone calls, etc.). I find this easier then trying to be really specific. I used to start with one task and let it take over the whole day, now I limit my time for each task. Yes, the house is not 100% clean every day, but at least a portion gets cleaned everyday. Sometimes I am like Veruca Salt from Charlie and the Chocolate Factory – I WANT IT NOW! I want my website to be finished. I want the kitchen painted and the living room curtains hung. I want all the laundry washed, dried and put away (in my dreams). But now I have learned that working on each area a little each day makes the week go a lot smoother and more gets accomplished.

I love when my kids get out of school for the summer. I also hate when my kids get out of school for the summer. Since I work at home, having three kids at home instead of just one puts a little kink in my schedule. I want to be able to do fun things with them, but still get work done. How do I do that? First, I let my kids (11, 5 and 2 1/2) sleep in late if possible. I get up a little earlier and work on the computer for about one hour. If they do get up too soon, they get to watch the dreaded TV for a little while. Second, I assign them one cleaning job for the day. This must be done before we leave the house for a fun activity. This usually will get them motivated. The jobs are not hard or complicated, but it helps keep the house from becoming a total disaster area. If it is a nice day, I have them play outside in the afternoon for about one hour while I check my email and catch up on other business items. Lastly, if I must, I work again in the evening after they are in bed.

I certainly don’t get as much done when they are home, but we do get to have fun!! Of course, I did sign the two oldest up for a couple weeks of summer camp. I think I will get some work done then.