Mommy Has to Work

10 Great Reasons to Go into Nursing

April 29, 2017 By Anne

There are many reasons people consider becoming a nurse. While nursing can be difficult, stressful, emotional, and exhausting, it can also be wonderfully rewarding and uplifting. If you are interested in becoming a nurse and enjoying all of these benefits, start by applying for an online nursing degree from Arizona State University.
Here are just 10 of the fantastic reasons you should pursue a career in nursing.

1. To Help Others

Being a nurse gives you a brilliant opportunity to help those in need. While this work can be tough, you’ll get to go home every day knowing you made a huge difference not just to patients but also to their family and friends.

2. Fulfilment

There will be bad days and you will have to face difficult situations. But, you’ll also get to see the difference you make to people. You’ll get to watch as patients become more comfortable and get better. You’ll get to see the families learn and grow. Being around such hope and joy can be very fulfilling.

3. Future Prospects

Once you are a qualified nurse there are many future career prospects open to you. You could become a nurse practitioner, nurse manager, research nurse, practice manager, or even a teacher.

4. Range of Specialities

As a nurse, there are many specialist fields open to you. You could work with children, the elderly, in mental health care, midwifery, or oncology. If you don’t want to be around patients every day you could work as a lab technician or research nurse, and if you don’t want to work in a hospital setting you could find work in schools, old people’s homes, or health care practices. There are an extensive amount of possibilities out there, and this list showing types of nursing specialties will give you a better idea of the educational requirements and the salary range for twenty of the fastest growing specializations.

5. Earnings

Senior nurses or those with specialist knowledge are very well paid for their time and can have great pensions, as well as the option to retire early.

6. It’s a Growth Industry

There is a huge nursing shortage across the country so your skills would be valued and you’d never need to worry about finding work. As the population continues to age and immigration levels rise, the need for nursing staff will continue to grow.

7. Flexibility

While working as a nurse practitioner in a hospital can mean long or unsociable hours there are other options. For those seeking more flexible work and especially those with young children, working as a practice nurse could be a great option. Healthcare practices are often open 9-5 and there could even be the option to work part-time or job share. Nurses looking for a flexible career should consider in-home senior care as an excellent path. Nurses can create customized schedules, helping to balance both their work lives and personal lives more easily. As nurses provide care in the comfort of a senior’s own home, they can develop meaningful relationships. Platforms like Care.com also provide invaluable opportunities for connecting with clients and families, with Care.com reviews revealing the positive experience professionals and families had using it. Not only can this career path provide flexible work hours, but it can also make an invaluable difference in seniors’ lives.

8. Patient Time

Being a nurse often allows you to spend more time with patients than doctors can. You have the chance to get to know your patients and their families, offering them emotional support when they need it most.

9. Learning

As a nurse, there is always the chance to learn. You could take an online RN to BSN degree or go on a course to learn new skills in your chosen specialty. Nursing is great for those who are always keen to learn and get bored without a challenge.

10. It’s a Great Second Career

Many people go into nursing in later life, bringing invaluable life experience and knowledge to the role. The profession is willing to accept people of any age from all walks of life.
Nursing is a great career. Are you a nurse? Let us know in the comments.

Anne

I'm a mother of 2 who likes to get involved in too much! Besides writing here I started a non-profit, I'm on the PTO board, very active in my community and volunteer in the school. I enjoy music, reading, cooking, traveling and spending time with my family. We just adopted our 3rd cat and love them all!

Sugar Sisters Body Scrubs – Review

April 26, 2017 By Anne

Body Butter ~ Lip Scrubs ~ Body Butter ~ Body Mists and More

Let me introduce you to the Sugar Sisters. The Women behind these products – Michel, Rachel, Leah and Lauren have over 30 years of experience in the cosmetic and beauty products industry. The Sugar sisters offer all natural scrubs, body butters, body mists, lip scrub balms, organic body washes and room deodorizers. The scrubs are paraben, phthalate, formaldehyde and nitrate musk free. They never use petroleum or fillers of any sort in their handcrafted products. The products are not tested on animals, are safe on sensitive skin, environmentally safe and maintain a shelf life of 1-2 years.

I tried Sugar Sisters scrub in Bare Truth. Their website describes this scent as honeydew, strawberries, with a hint of coconut. It’s bright and fresh and tropical to my nose. This scrub gave off the most heavenly scent in the shower. I did have to mix it around a little with my finger to distribute the oils, but the scrub exfoliated my tough shins with just the right amount of scrub and left my skin truly feeling soft and not sticky at all. Unlike other scrubs I’ve used in the past, this kept my skin feeling soft all day. The scrub is 6.7 oz. and retails for $26.00.

Sugar Sisters Sugar Scrub Contains:

Grape Seed Oil – boosts skin’s regenerative properties
Coconut Oil – allows skin to maintain moisture naturally
Sweet Almond Oil – rich in omegas, Vitamin E and nutrient rich lipids
Meadowfoam Seed Oil – repairs and hydrates the skin naturally

I chose to review the Body Butter in Pink Teddy, a soft feminine sweet raspberry inspired scent. The body butter smelled good enough to eat! Oh my goodness I loved this! It was a pleasure to use, making my skin felt, soft, smooth and moisturized and glowing. The scent lasted a good long while, so you may want to keep that in mind if you were planning to wear perfume on the same day. Sugar Sisters Body Butter is 6.7 oz. and retails for $24.

Body Butter contains:

Jojoba Oil – non-greasy, quick absorbing oil that hydrates the skin naturally
Hemp Oil – allows skin to retain moisture, glow and naturally shine.
Borage Seed Oil – restores moisture and smoothness to dry and damaged skin

I also tried Sugar Sisters Organic Body Wash in Daydreaming, a warm vanilla and pure lavender scent enriched with aloe. The website claims this is a low sudsing body wash, and I would agree with that. I wasn’t as wowed with this product and I was with the scrub and body butter. My personal preference is a body wash with more sudsing action. Yes, it did get me clean, but I didn’t find it to be very moisturizing on my skin. The bottle I received also had a packaging flaw that made using the body wash a frustrating experience. The cap was mis-aligned making it difficult to dispense the product. I’ve included a picture below. Overall, this wasn’t my favorite Sugar Sisters product. The body wash is 8 oz. and retails for $16.

I enjoyed trying Sugar Sister’s products! Find them at https://www.sugarsisters.me

After all, life’s a little sweeter with sugar in it!” – The Sugar Sisters

Always full disclosure here! Although some items are sent for review, compensation of any kind is never accepted in exchange for a positive review. All opinions expressed are my own and not edited by any companies mentioned.

Anne

Hard Candy Blooming Lip Oil Review

April 26, 2017 By Merrilee Kaminski

HARD CANDY BLOOMING LIP OIL REVIEW

Color changing products are extremely popular right now, so when I was given the opportunity to review Hard Candy’s new Blooming Lip Oils, I said “Bring it on!”

The lip oils are packed with 10+ essential oils and are one of those magical color changing lip products that react with the PH of your lips to produce a hue that is unique to you. The lip gloss is easy to apply due to its doe foot applicator.

Available in three colors:

Black Rose – transforms from black to a bright pink tint

Calming Peach – transforms from clear to coral

Zen Strawberry – transforms from clear to rosy pink

The first color I tried was Black Rose. To be honest, I was horrified at my black lips…for about 20 seconds. Right before my eyes, the scary black color morphed into the loveliest shade of pink. Black Rose was the only color I received to review, but I was so impressed with it, I went to Walmart and purchased the other two colors so I could do a proper, more in depth review.

These lip oils are silky and smooth. The gloss stays around for about 3 hours, but what you are left with is beautifully hydrated lips and a gentle stain. This stuff really lives up to the claims of hydrating for up to 8 hours.

Lips without any color:

Lips with Calming Peach:

Lips with Zen Strawberry:

Lips with Black Rose:

Final Stain Left on the lips:

Here is what Hard Candy has to say about their product:

Blooming Lip Oil is a hydrating oil-gel lip treatment that quenches and hydrates dry, chapped lips for up to 8 hours. This formula instantly melts onto the lips, coating them in a blend of hydrating oils. The result is an extremely shiny finish in a shade that adjusts to your body chemistry. By interacting with your body’s pH levels, you will see a uniquely adjusted shade every time. The shades adjust to translucent and natural hues that tint lips for hours so you never need to re-apply. This lip oil-gel formula is fully packed with more than 10 essential oils that penetrate deep beneath the surface to nourish your lips. The oils repair and heal dry, parched lips and protect them from chapping.

If you’re a lip gloss lover, it really is worth checking these out! Available for $6 exclusively at Wal-Mart.

Always full disclosure here! Although some items are sent for review, compensation of any kind is never accepted in exchange for a positive review. All opinions expressed are always my own and not edited by any companies mentioned.

Merrilee Kaminski

3 Business Ideas for Busy Moms

April 26, 2017 By Anne

It isn’t easy being a mother and we all know that it’s a full-time job. However, once those initial years are gone, you may just find a little more time on your hands than you are used to by now. If you are thinking about going back to your job but worried at the same time about restarting your career after such a long break, then know that you may not really have to go through those grueling hours ever again. Instead, you can start a business from home to work according to your own convenience, while never really being away from your family. It would help though if you had a bit more knowledge about business and marketing in general, and you can do that from the convenience of your home too. Just get an online MSM degree from the highly praised New England College and at the end of the course, you should be able to turn any venture into a profitable business in no time.

Blogging

It is a somewhat saturated field but nevertheless, blogging continues to be one of the prime sources of income for stay-at-home moms. Choose a topic that you have both knowledge and interest in and post content to your blog regularly. Once the blog begins to pick up, your earnings will come via affiliate marketing, advertisements, and product promotions primarily. However, in order for it to pick up in an extremely competitive market, SEO optimization, social media marketing, guest posting and other forms of content marketing might be necessary.

Virtual Assistant

The job of a VA is to provide assistance to businesses primarily in terms of marketing, technical support and running administration. This is one of those jobs where you will get the best opportunities if you complete an online master of science in marketing management and put it on your CV. The advantage of being a VA is that instead of being tied down to a full-time job for just one person or company, you will have the opportunity to work for multiple companies and get paid for every hour that you provide them with your services; not to mention, you will be doing all that from the comfort of your home and your own laptop.

Food Business

This one requires a lot more funding than the two ideas above and getting a food license for operating a food business from home can be a tricky affair. However, once you acquaint yourself well with the rules and regulations that govern the prerequisites of getting the license and manage to invest some money into your business, a bakery or something similar can be a very profitable business, especially if you are good at cooking. Of course, great packaging is extremely important, and can really help to sell your goods. For instance, The Packaging Lab offers custom candy packaging and printed candy bags that not only safely store your food but look attractive and will grab your customer’s attention too! Then, when the business starts to see some profits, you can hire someone to help you so that you can get even more time for yourself.

In case you would like some more options, don’t worry because there are plenty! You could be opening up a child day care facility if you have sufficient spare space in your house. If creativity is your forte, then you could use your artistic skills to make and sell unique gift items or art online.

Anne

Children and Jewelry: Avoid Making These Health Mistakes

April 25, 2017 By Anne

Ear piercing has become an unspoken global rite of passage for girls. In some cultures, the practice of ear piercing is performed during infancy. In the U.K., the average age for ear piercing is seven, while in the U.S. the most popular time for piercing varies but usually hits during the impressionable pre-teen years.

My first ear piercing was in kindergarten…I was five, and I’m actually still donning those original studs (faux opals!). In kindergarten, all my friends were getting their ears pierced. Many sported tiny gold hearts and stars. I still remember going to the jewelry store, picking out my first pair of earrings and having two ladies (one on each ear) shooting those studs in my ear. I honestly don’t remember the pain, but I know I cried. I can say that the stress of piercing was much worse for my second set of holes…in my adult years!

In an article for Vogue, writer Patricia Garcia discussed the pressure she felt in having her infant daughter’s ears pierced. In Latina culture, Garcia said that the tradition is to pierce the ears in early infancy, and the piercing usually happens in the hospital. Garcia’s own piercing was performed during her first days of life, and her family expected the same for Garcia’s daughter (who also received many gifts of earrings!). Garcia’s interviews within the article reveal that infant ear piercing also is a cultural norm in the Sephardic Jewish tradition. And, sometimes, infant piercing has nothing to do with culture, but, rather parents’ personal preference.

Ear piercing during infancy and toddlerhood, however, means that the piercing care falls to the parents—not the child. Piercings require daily care—especially as the holes are healing. For many parents, the care isn’t an issue. And the care of the piercing seems to pale in comparison to the thought of their child remembering the pain of the piercing.

Caring for jewelry and piercing holes must be a priority for those who elect to have ears (or any body part) pierced. Dirty jewelry creates a breeding ground for bacteria and increasing the risk of infection. For parents opting for early piercings for their little ones, or for parents whose kids love their jewelry, follow these guidelines to ensure good hygiene, proper care and to help lower the risk of infections and skin sensitivities or irritation.

Opt for Surgical Steel

Many people have sensitivities to certain metals, and, unfortunately, discovering those sensitivities is through trial and error. Ear piercings should first be performed using surgical steel posts. This type of metal is typically hypoallergenic and safe for sensitive ears.

Keep All Earrings Spotless

Earrings end up with smelly mucky gunk when they are worn for too long and not cleaned. New piercings cannot be removed for a designated period to ensure the holes don’t close, so be sure kids disinfect around the piercing and wipe off the earrings! Use rubbing alcohol or witch hazel. When ears are healed, remove earrings and clean them thoroughly…scrub out all the gunk from the backs, too. Never allow kids to sleep in hoops or other larger earrings…they will irritate the holes!

Rings

A child’s jewelry collection isn’t limited to earrings! Keep rings clean, too. And be sure to opt for natural metals…like sterling silver. Plated metals can leave a green residue on the finger. To clean rings, soak in mild dish detergent and then scrub gently with a toothbrush. Make sure to get all the debris out of nooks and crannies. Any residues from soaps, lotions and even dirt and dust can irritate the skin and cause itching and discomfort.

Necklaces & Bracelets

Most kids usually don’t have many issues with their necklaces or bracelets, but you should help kids keep them clean in order to avoid skin irritants from building up on metals. Again, soak in a mild dish soap and use a soft toothbrush to wipe away any build-up and grime.

For many young ladies, pierced ears are not only a rite of passage but also a cultural tradition. Piercings must be kept clean to keep bacteria away and decrease infection risk. But while earrings and piercing sites must be sanitized, don’t forget the rest of the jewelry box! Skin irritation and infection isn’t just limited to piercings but anywhere that comes into contact with jewelry. Parents should help kids wipe and disinfect all jewelry to preserve the life of metals and protect sensitive skin.

“Megan Scott is a writer and mother of two beautiful twins. She wants to use her knowledge and expertise to help others lead a better life. Her hobbies include writing, long distance running and travelling with her beloved family. Follow her on twitter as @meganscotts!”