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August 3, 2020

Back-to School Tips to Help Parents Survive and Thrive this Fall

As summer sizzles toward the end and the calendar turns to August, many parents start to think about the start of the school year. Starting school always brings new blessings and opportunities along with new routines and new challenges. With the ongoing pandemic, the start of this school year is different than years past–very different.

With many schools opening virtually or partially, home learning will be a key fixture of the fall term. And, with many offices still closed, more parents will work from home than in years past. This means parents and children all sharing the same work areas for the foreseeable future. While this autumn holds the potential for challenges, it also holds prospects for new blessings and discoveries about ourselves and our children. 

A plan to get through the day-to-day challenges can go a long way to making the situation more successful for you and your family.  After years of working at home, here are our best tips for thriving this fall–including a back-to-school to-do list that will help you prepare for the new learning environment.

 

Communicate Early & Often

This will be a fall like no other. So, the usual back-to-school chores need to be updated to reflect our current circumstances. Before we tackle the list, the first step is a series of frank discussions about how to best manage school and work as a family. These discussions are more valuable if they happen early and often, as communication is the key to success.

 

Plan it Out

The first conversation is adults only. Sit down with your spouse and discuss your likely workloads for the next few weeks. This can (and will) change each week, but having a sense of how much work each of you faces in the near-term is important. 

For example, if your spouse knows that you have a capstone project due in October, it’s easier to make day-to-day plans that allow for success. Likewise, if one of you is less busy right now, it may make sense for that person to serve as the primary parent as school starts. If you are single, map out how your workload looks in the near term to give you a better sense of what’s on the horizon. While it’s impossible to predict everything that may come up, talking about likely scenarios will help you prepare for the weeks and months ahead.

Once you have a good handle on your work obligations, share them with your children. Depending on their age, some kids may not realize that mom and dad have work obligations that must be met. Spelling these out in an age appropriate way is important for setting expectations.

 

Consider School Expectations

Once you have a handle on your own work and that of your spouse, turn to school expectations. Knowing how the school schedule will work and the obligations of each student are important first steps. Many schools are sharing specific objectives for home-learning days. For example, some require a minimum number of contact hours each day or a certain amount of online assignments turned in each week. 

 

Set Family Goals

Armed with knowledge about what the school expects, add your own expectations for the fall, and ask your children what they’d like to achieve. As a family, discuss goals for the fall semester, including personal, school and family goals. For example:

  • Meet all school-issued objectives.
  • Start school work by 8 each morning.
  • Complete school work without being reminded.
  • Do chores in a timely manner.
  • Learn three new skills outside of class work.
  • Limit time on phones, video games and other devices to X hours per day/week. (See section below for more on this.)
  • Set aside designated family time each week.

 

Back-To-School To Do List

Your normal back-to-school to-do list likely includes buying school supplies, finding the right backpack and picking up a back-to-school wardrobe. While some of those tasks may be on hold, here are a few things that can help make the back to school transition easier and more productive under these extraordinary circumstances.

  • Set ground rules for school days. When school was unexpectedly moved online last spring, it took families by surprise. This made it difficult to set ground rules. This fall, having rules in place will help make remote work easier and more productive for everyone. You don’t want to spend a good portion of your work day negotiating screen time with your kids. Decide on your ground rules early and make sure that all family members understand them.

 

  • Establish a policy for use of electronic devices. One area where many parents struggle is with the use of electronic devices. This is tricky on a number of levels. A lot of school work is completed online. But, as many parents found in the spring, a child who is sitting at his computer and looks engaged may be playing video games instead of completing online assignments. In addition, text messages and social media notifications can easily divert the attention of the most well-intentioned students.  Before the first day of school, agree upon rules as to when/how electronic devices can be used. One option is to follow the same rules that your local school uses with respect to phone and technology use. Make sure you, your spouse, and your children are all on the same page for device use during the school day.

 

  • Share your expectations with your family. Based on your family’s goals, outline the expectations you have for your children to get their school work done in a timely manner. Be clear about the work you expect your child to do on his/her own and how and when to ask for help during the work day. Share the specifics of your schedule with your children (based on their age) so they understand when a parent is available for help. Consider a sign for your office door (or back of your computer) that lets your children know if you are available or not.

 

  • Outline a typical day. Routines help make days go more smoothly by adding automaticity. To get into a daily routine more quickly, consider how you’d like a typical school day to look this fall. Maybe you like to rise early and start working during the quiet morning hours. If so, perhaps  you’d like your kids to serve themselves breakfast and read until a certain time. If your kids are older, they may have their own schedule preferences. There’s no right or wrong day. The important thing is to have a shared sense of how the days look. Talking about how typical days might unfold can get you there sooner.

 

  • Divide the house work. Acknowledge the extra work created by having more people in the house each day. Discuss a plan for kitchen clean up, laundry and cooking with an eye toward ways to share the work across the family. Sharing chores can be a wonderful learning opportunity for kids. Consider assigning tasks to lighten the load on everyone.

 

  • Establish feedback channels. Regular family meetings about school work progress and expectations are an important tool for success. Share feedback with your kids and ask them to share feedback with you about how things are going. Prepare to be flexible as you learn what works and what doesn’t. We are all learning as we go and some things are bound to work better than others. Keeping the lines of communication open makes it easier to focus on the positive and correct things that aren’t working.

 

  • Take a Deep Breath. This experience is a foundational life experience for you and your children. As we embark upon a school year like no other, let’s remember we are all learning new things this year. It’s an opportunity for you to get more involved with your child’s education and to watch them learn new skills–like time management–in real time. But learning can be difficult, so extending  extra grace to our kids, our co-workers, our spouses, our teachers, our communities, and ourselves can help us thrive during these times.

 

Drop us a line to share your experiences, ideas, successes and struggles. And if you are seeking work from home options, be sure to check out some of our recent job posts. 

 

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May 18, 2020

Healthy at Home: Our Immune System is our Best Defense Against Illnesses

Almost three-quarters of a million people die each year because of an unhealthy diet. We are currently at about 10% of that death rate for COVID. And while COVID is a deadly virus, the numbers in New York show that 90% of those that died had underlying health issues like high blood pressure, diabetes and obesity.

According to the Center for Science in the Public Interest, an “unhealthy diet contributes to approximately 678,000 deaths each year in the U.S., due to nutrition- and obesity-related diseases, such as heart disease, cancer, and type 2 diabetes. In the last 30 years, obesity rates have doubled in adults, tripled in children, and quadrupled in adolescents.”

While I know not everyone who has those health issues is a result of unhealthy diet, the numbers are still staggering. I wonder how much money is spent on prescription drugs and hospitalizations due to illnesses that are diet-related.

 

Would Coronavirus and other illnesses be less of an issue and cause less fear if we had stronger immune systems?  I believe the answer is yes and here’s why…

 

My Better Health Journey

My better health journey began in 2013 when my 18-year-old daughter was diagnosed with Grave’s disease. It was the summer before her freshman year in college and she began experiencing all kinds of strange health issues from full body rashes to hallucinations to a dangerously rapid heartbeat. The infirmary at her school called me to get her to the ER or an endocrinologist immediately. After evaluating her, the endocrinologist wanted to put her on prescription drugs for her thyroid “probably for the rest of her life” as well as heart medications and possibly remove her thyroid.

I could not accept that diagnosis for my then 18-year-old so I began researching other options. That road led me to a holistic / wellness doctor and taking a closer look at the causes of her poor health.

It did not happen overnight, but I am happy to say my daughter no longer takes any prescription drugs, still has her thyroid and is leading a healthy life by eating whole healthy foods, taking natural supplements and taking care of her body the natural way — the way God intended.

 

From Multiple Health Issues to Virtually None

I am not the only one who has learned the benefits of a natural approach to health. Shonna found herself on her own path to wellness. She was struggling with a variety of issues including an autoimmune disease Hashimoto’s Thyroiditis and a son who had social and academic struggles.

She decided to make some changes and take a more holistic approach to foods, personal products and household products. As a result, in time her son went from non-social with somewhat uncontrollable emotions (Aspergers), multiple learning diagnosis, sleep and bronchitis issues to a healthy young man who did all dual credit his senior year and just finished his freshman year with a 3.75 GPA.

She and her family are another vibrate example of how healthy whole foods are medicine for your body. It has become such a passion of Shonna’s that she now coaches others. You can read more about her story here.

 

Strengthening our Immune System

Through all of this, I recall my wellness doctor telling me we needed to strengthen our immune system. Probably something the majority of America needs to do. When illnesses like COVID come, having a healthy immune system is your best defense for staying healthy.

Dr. Hotze, an outspoken Holistic doctor, shares, “the typical American diet consists of packaged and processed foods that are depleted of most of their vitamins and minerals. Vitamins and minerals provide the nutritional foundation for a healthy immune system; yet, most of us do not get what we need from the foods we eat.”

 

Here are a few tips on strengthening your immune system:

  • Eat healthy whole foods, not processed foods,
  • Take high-quality natural supplements including vitamin D and vitamin C,
  • Get good sleep,
  • Don’t fear or panic as stress weakens your immunity,
  • Walk and get outdoors for some exercise,
  • Reduce or eliminate white sugar. It increases risks for diseases,
  • Get some sun which offers natural vitamin D,
  • Have faith; it helps with not fearing / panicking.

I would add to make sure you drink lots of clean water for overall health. Some health professionals recommend half of your weight in ounces. And while you may not be able to make every change in a day, you can start somewhere and clean up your diet so that healthy, whole foods can become medicine to your body.

 

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April 5, 2020

The Resources You Need to Get Through Coronavirus

No matter who you are, where you live or what you do, we all share COVID-19 in common now. We are all  living history, and not the kind of history we hoped to be living. It feels more like a Hollywood movie we’d all like to see end soon and end with a happy ending. 

One of our daughters is a recent graduate in nursing. She began her nursing career in February, and in March, she began treating COVID patients. She is one of our front line heroes. For the rest of us, we’re at home like most of you. I have worked from home for 24 years so that part is second nature to me. Having my spouse and two of my kids at home with me while I work is not nor is being in isolation from the rest of the world. 

So as we journey through this Corona season, I’ve compiled some great resources for mental health, faith, hope, fun, finances, kids, fitness and more that I hope bring hope, help and fun to you all.

 

Business & Finances

 

Mental Health / Sanity

 

Faith & Hope

Kids

 

Fun

 

Fitness / Health

 

Good News

 

So we take this one day at a time, looking for ways to bring hope and encouragement to others. For our family, our hope and encouragement comes from our faith in God. We know that God is our protector, our provider, our hope and our peace. He is our sovereign, powerful, faithful and trustworthy Father. No matter what hard times we go through, we know that in all things He works for the good of those who are called according to His purpose. (Romans 8:28)

If you have other resources to suggest, have questions or need prayer, please feel free to contact me. 

 

 

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March 19, 2020

How to Work from Home & Maintain Sanity in Difficult Times

Many of us are working from home as we normally do while others may be transitioning to working from home. On top of that, most of us are working with kids or other family members at home now. So how do you work AND maintain your sanity during difficult times.

Here are six tips and some resources to help…

1. Find your peace and calm. For me that is time in God’s Word and in prayer to start my day. For others it may be meditation, a walk in nature, soothing music or taking a relaxing bath.

2. Spread hope not fear. So much of what people are posting and seeing on social media and the news is exacerbating fear and panic. How can we spread good news, hope, encouragement and focus on some of the positives right now (more rest, finish projects, family time, etc).

3. Get Creative. If your business has been impacted, try to diversify and think of other products or services you can offer. Share updates on social media and email lists to let your audience know of new offerings or changes being made.

4. Reduce Distractions. Turn your personal phone to do not disturb and add any work related contacts you need to hear from to your “favorites” so they can get through. Set group texts to “do not disturb” from friends and family during focused work time. Log out of social media so notifications do not distract you. Turn off the news and check in once a day for any updates.

5. Find your space. Make your designated home work environment as disruption free as possible so that you can stay focused. Of course, with kids at home, this may be much more challenging. It may mean working while they sleep or swapping kid duty with your spouse or other family members. Screen-time rules may have to be bent but there are filters and apps to help with this. It’s time to get creative and find some things for them to do!

6. Batch your work so that you can focus on one task at a time and up your productivity. Set clear objectives and deadlines, block off time to complete tasks where you do not allow outside disruptions.

Most of all take care of yourself and your family. View this time as a time of reconnecting with family, enjoying simple everyday things that we are usually too busy to notice. I know the times seem uncertain, but we’re all in this together. Reach out and let us know how we, as a community, can help one another.

 

For our Mom Community, click here to join our Mom Professionals FB Community.

Small Business owners, you may join our Small Business owners FB community here.

 

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January 6, 2020

5 Ways Online Groups Can Help You Succeed Working From Home

Working from home offers many benefits but, at times there can be some small drawbacks as well.

Unlike an office environment, remote work at home often involves minimal daily interaction with others. There’s also a lack of support, and it’s up to you to create a good workflow, be disciplined enough to follow through with it and to be able to tap into the right resources when you’re presented with a challenge.

This is where having a solid “tribe” or community comes into play.

Your community can be your most precious commodity. Having a place to turn to (especially one with like-minded people) can be the difference between liking work at home and loving it!

So, where can you find a work from home “tribe” to call your own?

For some, it could be in the form of a local networking group. Networking groups often meet in person on a weekly basis and may require a membership fee in order to join. They actively support each other’s businesses by getting to know the products and services each member offers and by providing referrals to each other’s companies. 

Because remote workers can perform their job anywhere and are considered more self-employed, restricting yourself to just local business interaction might not be the best choice.

This is where Facebook and other online communities can come in handy. Online support groups are often free to join and can be accessed virtually 24/7.

 

Here are 5 benefits to joining a Community Group that supports remote work from home individuals:

 

1. Job Leads

Depending on the group you decide to join, others may post their job leads or requests within the community. This allows you to have access to leads that may not be posted elsewhere on the internet. 

You can also share job leads and others can share the ones they have found with you. This creates a place to find quality job postings without turning to mega job sites that expect more for less (we share more about that in our article “Why Moms Looking To Work at Home Should Avoid Free Job Sites“).

 

2. Tips & Pointers

Your community group can be a great place to learn and grow. Are you looking for the best ways to keep your home office organized? How about being able to manage your routine tasks more efficiently?

When you have access to a group of other workers who, just like you, face and overcome the same obstacles, they are more than eager to share their experiences, life lessons, and wisdom.

What better way to learn how to grow and sustain your remote business than through the minds of others who can offer their insight and expertise.

 

3. Valuable Resources

When it comes to living and working in a digital world, there are many benefits however, the drawback can be all of that “digital noise” we get flooded with on a day to day basis. When you’re subjected to hundreds of posts, photos and ads daily, it’s easy to feel overwhelmed and confused. 

You can also lose precious time having to sort and navigate through the “junk” to get to the information you want and not get distracted.

If you choose to be a part of a community support group, you’ll find many helpful articles, information on upcoming events that might benefit you and more.

 

4. Inspiration

Let’s face it, we all need some inspiration from time to time. When we are inspired, we feel motivated, creative, and action-oriented.

When we are motivated we tend to do a better job and have a more positive mindset when it comes to getting the job done.

Your community support group is like your own personal cheerleading squad that can help you push through the day with a better outcome compared to doing it all alone.

 

5. Friendships

Remote work can feel very isolating so it’s important to build friendships and stay connected. 

Some of the best friendships start with common ground. Interacting with other remote workers (and Moms) just like you can make you feel like you’re not alone in this journey of self-employment.

Because an online group is primarily virtual, you can access your friendships more frequently as it fits into your schedule. You can break up your workday over a coffee and Skype chat with a fellow stay at home Mom worker as an example.

There you have it, 5 benefits you can experience firsthand from joining an online community group. 

Our Hire My Mom Facebook Support Group is full of amazing women (like you) who are passionate about their careers, their families and their HireMyMom tribe. Interested in joining? You can find a link to our group here. We would love to see you join us!

 

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December 2, 2019

Get Out of Your Own Way! Face Your Fears & Rise!

Face Your Fears and RISE!

Do you think you are the only one who deals with fears? Nope not even close. According to a study by EMC Corporation, 84% of people hold on to irrational fears, not even real fears. “Irrational fears, ranging from using the coffee machine to wearing the wrong clothes, are keeping people awake and preventing them from being successful,” according to research commissioned by Mozy® by EMC.

That last part is what I want you to see: fears are preventing you from being successful.

Is that you? Do you have some fear, real or irrational, that is keeping you from being successful?

Perhaps you have a fear of:

  • Failure?
  • Success?
  • Not being good enough?
  • Being a bad parent?
  • Not making or having enough money?

What is it you are believing about yourself?

Because these fears are causing you to have limiting beliefs about yourself and your abilities.

So what can we do about it?

 

Action Item #1: Disprove the Lies

Think about what fears or thoughts you are believing.

Maybe there are several.

Write them all down.

Now I want you to write down at least 3 things that disprove that lie.

Example: I doubt myself and my abilities.

Truth: I have overcome so much in life.  I was:

  • raised in a single parent blue collar home,
  • a first generation college student graduating with honors,
  • then awarded a full scholarship to obtain my master’s degree in Scotland, 
  • started my business at age of 29

 

So FEAR is: False Evidence Appearing Real

Once you dissect your fears and see that they are mostly if not all false, you empower yourself in huge ways!

Why?

You need to overcome your fears and believe in yourself and what you do. If you don’t believe in yourself / your services, how can you expect anyone else to?

What you believe will dictate what you think on a moment by moment basis…  which leads to my next action item.

 

Action Item: Just Do It

Whatever you’re fearing, decide today to do ONE thing that will move you in the direction of overcoming that fear.

Because action is the antidote to fear.

You need to take action every day! You are only one decision from the next big thing.

We make tiny decisions all day long that can lead us in the right direction or in the wrong direction. Make a choice which direction you will allow your thoughts to take you.

Know that you may never FEEL like doing something, DO IT ANYWAY!

Practice the 5 second rule which says “if you have an instinct to act on a goal, you must physically move within 5 seconds or your brain will kill it.

When you feel yourself hesitate before doing something, count 5-4-3-2-1-GO and move towards action.

Stop trying to wait until you’re perfect or your product or service is perfect. Start now!

Another acronym for FEAR is Face Everything and Rise.

So my challenge to you is to Face it and RISE!

There is a reason God tells us in 2 Corinthians 10:5 “we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.” We make are thoughts align with His truth.

Take action today to move away from fear and towards your goals.

You are worth it!

 

Ready to work from home? Get training to be a VA, a Bookkeeper? Post a job?

What is YOUR next step?

We’d love to help!

 

 

 

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November 19, 2019

7 Benefits of Working From Home for Moms

Are you contemplating working from home? Many of us Moms do, in fact, for our HireMyMom members – the contemplation has become a reality!

Most Moms make the decision to work from home because of at least one of the following:

1. To be at home more for their children,

2. To have more freedom and flexibility in their schedule,

3. To be their own boss,

4. To earn money for their family.

 

Working from home can be an amazing experience, but it does require some key qualities:

  • Self discipline,
  • Strong organizational skills,
  • Effective time management,
  • Flexibility,
  • Administrative skills

(If you don’t have a lot of administrative experience, we highly recommend our 31 Day Virtual Assistant training program.)

 

WHAT ARE THE BENEFITS OF WORKING FROM HOME?

 

  1. Flexibility – when you work from home, you have the ability to work at your own pace, set your own hours as well as the amount of hours you want to work.
  2. Control over your work environment – imagine being able to create your own unique work environment … from the paint on the walls to your office furniture, you can design the work space you want. You can also play whatever music you want, add some refreshing scents, and create a personalized atmosphere for your work environment. 
  3. Wear what you want – whether you want to work in jeans and a t-shirt, your favorite yoga pants, or even your PJ’s, your mornings are a little less stressful and more harmonious when you don’t have to worry about putting on business attire.
  4. Less disruptions and more productivity – other than the kids coming home from school, there can be a lot less distraction when you work from home. You can focus on getting your work done without office chatter and impromptu stop ins to your office.
  5. No commuting – say good-bye to the long drives and getting caught in rush hour traffic. A work from home job requires very little travelling, if at all. With no fuel costs or wear and tear on your car, you are saving both time and money.
  6. You can get chores done on your breaks – you can take a quick break from work to throw a load of laundry in the wash, start the dishwasher, or give the floor a sweep. By the end of the day, there will be less chores to do and more time for you.
  7. More time for your family – when you work from home, you’re there for your family when they need you. You can work your schedule around soccer games, dance practice and doctors appointments quite easily. Because you aren’t commuting, you get off work earlier and start family time as soon as you shut down your computer.

 

More and more companies are starting to recognize the benefits to having work from home employees. The surge in self employment has caused a demand for this type of work, especially in cases where a business is starting to grow, but they can’t afford the costs of hiring internally. 

As technology evolves, there will only be an increased demand for work from home employees, freelancers, and entrepreneurs. 

If you think working from home might be a great fit for you, our “Top 10 Work From Home Jobs” is worth the read. We cover some of the most in demand jobs based on our postings here at HireMyMom.

If you’re ready to step into a work from home role, you can sign up  on HireMyMom and gain instant access to our database of remote job postings. 

We look forward to seeing you as one of our Success Stories!

 

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June 18, 2019

5 Summer Survival Tips for Mompreneurs

Summer is a time to savor, to be joyful and present. A time to enjoy slower mornings, extra cups of coffee, a break from packing lunches and more time spent with family and friends.

For mompreneurs who run a home based business, this can also create some stress trying to adjust to a different routine and more interruptions throughout the day but it doesn’t have to. It is possible to have the best of both worlds during your summer break: time to set goals, work your business and keep the momentum going you’ve worked so hard to build as you work towards the amazing plans God is preparing you for while enjoying quality time with your family.

I hope to inspire you with this post as I share my best 5 tips for surviving the summer as mompreneur: tips to help you balance the passionate creative side of you who loves to work on purpose filled projects and the mom side of you who craves to savor and be present with those who matter most.

1. Embracing Slowness

The foundation of these summer survival tips is to embrace slowness. As a busy wife, mom and mompreneur myself, I whole-heartedly understand how easy it is to look at the word “rest” and be tempted to let out a sarcastic chuckle because slowing down can feel almost impossible most days.

There is always something that demands our time. Something to take care of, something that interrupts the flow of our attention but it’s important to remember that rest is a command God calls us to.

Rest is first mentioned in Genesis 2:2-3 where God rested on the seventh day of creation and if God felt it important to rest, shouldn’t we? When we are aware of our state of busyness and take control of where we focus our energy, we can rest in God’s presence drawing ourselves, our family and our business deeper into Him.

Because the fact of the matter is when we are overworked, tired and weary we are more vulnerable to disobeying God. Hebrews 4:11 reminds us “strive to enter that rest, so that no one may fall by the same sort of disobedience.” We can’t stop the demands of life. There will always be something pulling and tugging at you and for us moms, rest unfortunately doesn’t come naturally for most of us and that is why we have to work to intentionally embrace rest and invite God to refresh our weary spirits. It’s okay to let dishes sit in the sink a little longer and end the day without getting a load of laundry on because you chose to surrender into rest.

2. Stick To A Schedule

Summer will feel less hectic if you stay rooted in a routine. When your day runs as normal as possible versus having your days run together like a free for all, then unexpected changes or plans don’t feel so disruptive. This will also help you easily transition once summer is over and the kids are back in school.

Having a routine for the kids will create more structure and help to cut down on interruptions. Maybe you have a chore and activity chart for them in the mornings where they can earn some electronic or movie time so each morning they know what to expect and you know exactly how much time you will have to work with limited disruptions. A household is usually happier and healthier with a routine.  

3. Priorities

During the summer you may have to re-evaluate what your priorities are so you are only adding what is necessary to your calendar. This may require you to set tighter boundaries on what you say yes to. A client who wants you to tackle a large project with a tight deadline may not work with your schedule while the kids are out of school.

If it’s not in your best interest or that of your family, be honest with your client so they can find someone who can meet their expectations or see if your client can wait until the kids are back in school for the project to be completed.

Piling too much on your plate during the summer will only leave you feeling weary and resentful in the long run. Before saying yes and committing yourself take some extra time to think and pray about it before saying yes.

4. Savvy Scheduling

In order for the summer months not to stress you out and stay on top of your work while enjoying quality family time, it will require some pre-planning.

For example, if the kids want to hit the local library on Monday morning for some new books to read or one of them has an orthodontist appointment in town, plan to spend the whole day together and take care of any other errands while you are out like the grocery store, dropping off cleaning for the hubby, etc.

This allows you to focus on being productive and getting quality work done Tuesday-Friday which means you won’t feel the least bit guilty about unplugging for the day with your family.

This approach keeps you from running around all week and feeling frazzled about not having time to focus on your work. So Sunday night, plan your week out so you know what days you need to be out and take care of as much as you can. Keep your weekly schedule somewhere visible like the fridge and let your family know that on the day you will be out everyone needs to take care of their to-dos.

5. Limit The Financial Stress

Summer can not only be a time stresser but also a financial one. Look for ways you can have fun without breaking the bank. Check your local paper for free family friendly activities happening in your community, follow your favorite restaurants on social media and keep an eye out for weekly specials, visit a local state park. You don’t have to spend a lot of money over the summer to make it meaningful or memorable. There are tons of ideas on Pinterest for budget friendly family summer activities.

I hope these tips have encouraged you and helped you to feel more empowered about how to tackle summertime as a mompreneur so you can feel productive in your business and stay present as a mom.

HireMyMom is a community dedicated to helping women and moms find legitimate work from home jobs. Learn more about our community, resources and trainings.

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October 8, 2018 0 Comments

4 Tips for Meal Planning on a Budget

We hear a lot about meal planning, but how can you do it in a way that keeps to your budget? Food can be expensive, and it helps to have a few money-saving tips before going shopping.

Read along for some of our tips for meal planning on a budget.

Plan ahead

The best thing you can do to save money is to plan. Map out each night with what you plan to make, and this will keep you on track.  Purchase a wall or refrigerator calendar and simply note each meal at the beginning of the week. A bonus to this is that it can also keep you on a healthy eating schedule! When your food is planned, purchased and ready to go, you’re less likely to veer off of your plan.

Eat seasonally

Fruit and vegetables that are in season are typically less expensive, as they’re easier for the stores to get.  Grocery stores have to pay more to import items that aren’t local.

To top it all off, seasonal fruits and veggies simply taste better!

Click here for a guide to eating seasonally.

Find the right recipe

By doing a simple Google search, you can find recipes that are inexpensive to make.  Certain blogs are even dedicated to budget eating, so it’s not difficult to find those options.  Many times, these recipes will give you a price per recipe or price per serving, which really allows you to budget accurately.

These days, inexpensive doesn’t mean unhealthy either.  There are plenty of options that incorporate fruits and veggies in a budget-friendly way, such as using frozen options.  They still pack a nutritional punch while being less expensive than the fresh varieties.

Factor in everything

Even though you might schedule out your perfect week of recipes and meal planning, don’t forget about other types of eating!

You might have dinner plans with a friend, a late meeting that will provide food, or simply the desire to have takeout once in a while.  To save money, factor this in! You can eliminate a few grocery store dollars when you remember that you’ll have food elsewhere.

Additionally, determine what’s reasonable for you and/or your family. If you eat larger portions, make sure to include that. If you’re often throwing food away or simply eating for one, reduce the recipe.

It’s important to really take the time to lay out your week, meal plan around this, and choose foods that are friendly to your budget.  If you stick to a routine like this, you should see a major difference in your food spending!

 

At HireMyMom we want to help our Mom Professionals thrive in business AND at home. We often provide free online training as well as have some super work at home jobs posted by small businesses around the country. Learn more about our memberships and how you can join a supportive faith-based community of Mom Professionals!

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September 10, 2018 0 Comments

5 Ways to Stay Fit From Home

Fitness should be a crucial part of our lives – it keeps us healthy and active. When you work from home, you may not have time or want the expense of an intricate gym routine. The good news is – you don’t need to let those challenges hold you back!

Read along for some of our best, simplest tips to stay fit when you work from home.

Take breaks

One of the major benefits of working from home is that your breaks can take place in your house! You have access to house chores, possibly a family dog, a side job, and much more. While this can also make focusing a challenge, it can also hold many benefits, especially when it comes to sneaking in fitness.

Use a few of your breaks during the day to do a short workout. You can even schedule these around meals and other breaks, and they don’t need to last long at all.  It’s even better to get up and move throughout the day, as we all know how bad sitting is for our health.

Make it short

Working out for an hour is not necessary, unless you truly want to.  Choose a reasonable amount of time and don’t make it overwhelming, especially in the beginning.

If you decide to use your breaks, maybe start by dedicating three, 5-minute breaks to do some type of fitness moves.  When it’s a doable amount of time, you’re much more likely to stick to it in the long term.

Use what you have

You don’t need to run out and buy anything fancy! Chances are, you have exactly what you need, or can get a few small, inexpensive items to start.

Most of us have some kind of fitness selection of gym equipment, machines, or dumbbells.  If you don’t have these things, you can start with bodyweight strength exercises or simply use the road for running.  If you don’t know what type of moves to do, you can access tons of free fitness content on YouTube. You can search by length time, type of workout, etc. For example, 5-10-15+ minute workouts that feature High Intensity Interval Training Cardio, light weight training, Tabata intervals, and so on.

Make it social

Fitness is great to share with others.  This is a great time to get out of the house – walk with friends, join a gym or exercise class, or join a running club.

When you work out with others, you come to depend on each other, which keeps you consistent and motivated.

Keep it consistent

In the end, consistency is key with fitness. If you don’t stick with it, you won’t reap the results that come from a regular workout routine.  Start with 10 minutes per day and go from there. You can simply walk or lift some light dumbbells if you’re a beginner, or find a way to make fitness social.

Set a specific number of workouts to aim for each week and start with at least 2-3.  Once you begin to feel better, sleep better, and generally improve your health, you’ll want to stick with your new, healthy habit!

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