Search Results for: blog the curse of the calendar

The Curse of the Calendar

I really like to keep things real. So although I have a lot of positive things to say about working from home, I have to confess there are some definite cons to it. I had just finished filling in only half of the calendar for August and I couldn’t believe it. How did this happen? When at one time I would see lots of white space, I was now seeing nothing but black. It was one thing after another written in…football, driver’s education, orthodontic appointments, hair appointments and meetings. Ugh, the curse of the calendar. I have always been a … Continue reading →

Tackling Time-Wasters and Distractions – Part 1

Today I am starting a three part series on time, with today looking at how we can tackle time-wasters and distractions. Let’s face it, sometimes time is just not on our side. But it can also be that we haven’t been making the best use of it. There is nothing I hate worse (but am guilty of indulging in) than things that waste my time and distract me. Not only does it make me ineffective but it causes me to become stressed. That’s because I fall behind on things and then in an effort to make it all up, find … Continue reading →

Taking a Mental Health Day

If you’re like me, you don’t get regularly scheduled days off from work. I can request time off from my editor if I know well in advance of an upcoming vacation or something. But I don’t schedule myself regular time off. For instance, my husband automatically gets four weeks of vacation each year. I also find myself working on a lot of holidays. And while that may be my choice, it is also part of what can happen when you work from home. Many people have this misconception that working from home means excess free time. But I have actually … Continue reading →

Challenges in Working from Home with Teenagers

Many people who operate home businesses are parents. In fact, this is oftentimes the main reason a person decides to work from home, so they can be available to their children. I didn’t get my start in working from home until my children were older, so I have never had to deal with running a home business with small children. I completely understand that the dynamics to that type of setup will be very different. Many a blog has been written on the challenges of working from home with small children. So it might be assumed that if your children … Continue reading →

Benefits of a Self-Evaluation

One of the things I always dreaded doing when I was in the workforce outside of my home was a self-evaluation. Many employers now require that not only do they give an appraisal of your work but you give one of yourself. My last job outside of the home was as a preschool teacher. I remember being handed a four-page self-evaluation form to fill out and inside, groaning. You find yourself in a real struggle. If you give yourself a higher rating it may sound like you are being prideful. If you give yourself a lower rating it may sound … Continue reading →

Using Social Media to Boost Your Business

If you want a surefire way to boost your business then take advantage of the numerous opportunities available with social media. Social media has become the way to promote and service your product, whether it is a tangible item or a writing project. Opportunities abound with blogging, You Tube, Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn. Depending on the type of work you do and the audience you are trying to reach, these may be just the tools you need to boost your business. Facebook is probably the social media source that I use the most. It took some time to establish my … Continue reading →

Setting Up Your Workspace

No matter what type of home business you are running, it is a good idea to have workspace. This is space that is specifically set aside for the particular type of work that you do. I do realize that it is not always possible to have this. It wasn’t until my husband finished a room in our basement that I finally got my workspace. Even then, the room isn’t strictly limited to my work. It doubles as a TV room. However it does contain my desk in one corner and no one is allowed in the room while I am … Continue reading →

Jilted “Bachelor” Chick Does “Dancing with the Stars”

Melissa Rycroft may think Jason “The Bachelor” Mesnick is a jerk, but if he hadn’t dumped her on national TV, I highly doubt she would have been given the chance to kick it on “Dancing with the Stars.” It’s just a RUMOR… right now, but sources tell PEOPLE magazine that 25-year-old Rycroft is in fact taking the celebrity contestant slot vacated by Access Hollywood host Nancy O’Dell. According to PEOPLE, the busty brunette has had only a few days to rehearse with pro partner Tony Dovolani. However, she is expected to perform on tomorrow night’s season premiere. Shocked? I am. … Continue reading →

What is Purim?

It seems like everybody loves this holiday, although it wasn’t long ago that it was considered to be one of the “minor” Jewish holidays. How could a holiday that stresses joy and is so filled with mitzvos (commandments) and activity be considered minor? I’m not sure, except that it is a day when cooking and driving are permitted, but nonetheless, there are plenty of observances and things to do. The story of Purim is described in the book of Esther. In an nutshell, Esther, a Jewish girl who lived in Persia, was forced to marry a King Ahashverosh, who ruled … Continue reading →