Mommy Has to Work

Home Office Safety Tips, 2019 Edition

February 12, 2019 By Anne

Thanks to the proliferation of some pretty amazing technology, more and more employees are working from home. As FlexJobs.com notes, 3.9 employees in the U.S. work from home at least half of the time, and 43 percent now work remotely at least occasionally.

As more people work remotely, often from home offices, it is important to know how to keep yourself and your work environment as safe as possible. While brick-and-mortar companies often have safety and security plans in place, freelancers and others should take their own steps to keep office tech and themselves safe.

In order to boost the safety of the home office, consider the following actionable tips:

Install a home security system with remote connectivity

Your home office likely contains some expensive technology, including a laptop or desktop PC, printer and smartphone. You may also have supplies in your home office. For instance, if you are a freelance photographer, you probably have a state-of-the-art camera, tripod and other equipment kept in your home. In order to keep these investments as safe as possible, consider buying and installing a security camera system. For instance, Lorex Technology offers a wide selection of security camera systems that are ideal for any home; their eight-channel system with four wireless security cameras means that you do not have to run any video cables through your house. Also, thanks to the Lorex Cloud remote connectivity feature, the wireless systems use a DV900 Series DVR, which will let you see what your cameras or the recorded playback is capturing from anywhere in the world. If you are meeting with clients at a remote location, you can check out the camera footage with the app and also get push notifications for any motion activity caught by the cameras while you were away.

Keep your home office as clutter-free and ergonomically safe as you can

At-home offices should be designed with safety in mind. Since your boss won’t be checking out your desk, floors and file cabinets to make sure everything is trip- and hazard-free — like she would in the brick-and-mortar office, the onus is on you to maintain a safe working space. Looking for a good place to buy office supplies? Check out https://www.officemonster.co.uk/

Telework.gov posted a helpful list of tips to help keep your home workspace as safe as possible; they include:

· Making sure your home office floor is clear and free from hazards like piles of materials or boxes

· Your file drawers are not top heavy

· Any cords are not stretched across the floor to the outlets

· Your chair is adjustable and provides adequate support

· That you have enough lighting to see your computer and other materials

Protect your data

The same amazing tech that lets us work from home does come with a downside: an increased risk of unsecured files and servers. While your friends who work in a regular office building are under the umbrella of an IT department, your home office is probably not set up that way. As SkySite.com notes, to keep your data safe in your home office, start by protecting your files with complex passwords. Next, be vigilant about installing updates so you can always have the latest version of your malware and/or virus program, and whenever possible use two-step verification for your accounts.

Working from home can be enjoyable, productive and safe

There are a number of benefits to working remotely — everything from setting your own hours to avoiding a long commute. Thanks to the tips above, your home office can not only be a place to earn an income, it can also be a safe and secure environment that will help you to perform at your best every day.

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!

Trendy and Affordable Valentine’s Day Gifts from Bullsitoy

February 2, 2019 By Marijean

Valentine’s Day is right around the corner. Looking for something for your children or for your children to give to friends/classmates other than the traditional cards and chocolate? Look no further, bullsitoy has some of the most popular items available just in time for Valentine’s Day! Check out these fun gifts!

Cutie Beans Gudetama

Have you met Gudetama? He’s a grumpy egg, cracked too early on the wrong side of the shell! He might live by the moto of “I can’t,” but you can collect all 9 bean-filled, mini plush figures in their blind clip cases and gift them to your special someone this Valentine’s Day!

MSRP: $5.99

At first, I has no idea what “Gudetama” was. My daughter talked about this fun “egg” all the time. Now I can see why, these are adorable! Your child will love collecting them all and trading with friends!

Cutie Beans Hello Kitty

Show your Valentine how much you care by gifting them with Cutie Beans from Hello Kitty! Each adorable plush friend comes with its own clip case. Attach to your keyring, purse, backpack, and more! There are 9 assorted Hello Kitty & Friends mini collectible bean filled plush clip on toys to collect. Kids will want to collect them all!

MSRP: $5.99

Who doesn’t love Hello Kitty?! These plush collectibles are so colorful and fun, they would make the perfect Valentine!

LOL Mini Bows

Two times the surprises equal double the fun with LOL Mini Bows! With 24 bows to collect, the packs are divided in two – one bow for you and one bow to share with your BFF! Now you and your bestie will have the hottest hairdos this Valentine’s Day!

MSRP: $4.99

LOL Surprise Dolls are the most popular of toys it now seems! With so many surprise dolls and pets, these mini bow blind bags are different and sure to be a hit!

Squish’Ums Poo Pets

What’s better than giving the gift of chocolate on Valentine’s Day 😊 Put a twist on the old tradition with these all new chocolate scented Squish’Ums Poo Pets! Crack your friends up with these 16 super soft, slow-rising squishies and keep your eye out for the rare magical unicorns – bombs away!

MSRP: $4.99

“Squishy” type toys are the rage right now, my daughter must have a million of them! These blind bag ones are awesome since you don’t know which ones you are going to get. Plus, they are chocolate scented! These would make an excellent Valentine’s gift!

JoJo Sequin Pillow Keychains

JoJo Siwa Sequin Pillow Keychains are the best way to add extra Siwanator flare your personal style! They are crazy cute and reversible so it’s like getting 2 keychains in one! Clip it to your keyring, purse, backpack or hang it in your room! Give the gift of style this Valentine’s Day <3

MSRP: $5.99

Flip sequin keychains? Yes please! These would look great on your child’s backpack. They are fluffy and super sparkly! Perfect to give your BFF for Valentine’s Day!

At affordable prices, these would make great Valentine’s gifts!

All of these adorable gifts are available to purchase at your local Target store!

Connect with bullsitoy

Instagram: @bullsitoy

Facebook: @bullsitoy

Twitter: @bullsitoy

*I received the mentioned products in exchange for this review. All opinions are my own.

Marijean

My name is MJ. I have two wonderful children and work part time as well as volunteer at my children's school.

3 Ways to Make Working from Home Easier to Manage

January 24, 2019 By Anne

Work-from-home moms are superheroes. They carry the responsibilities of their children, home, and work all in one base location.Despite common impressions, working from home often isn’t any easier than holding a more traditional job position. At times, it involves the stresses and drudgeries of typical day jobs. Working from home even presents additional challenges, especially if you are your own boss.

Ensuring clients, employees, and family members are taken care of can be exhausting. Here are three ways to make your work-from-home life simpler so you can successfully fulfill your role as a mom and devote the attention to your family that they deserve!

1) Set Up a Place and Time for Work (And Stick to It!)

Whether you are a freelance writer, virtual assistant, or personal trainer, set up a place at home for you to conduct your work. Only complete work in the specific place you decide on.

Let everyone in your family, including the younger ones, know your schedule. Announce when you need quiet time and when you’re free. This way, you won’t be trying to simultaneously complete paperwork and compete in Scrabble competitions with your kids in the family living room.

By following this guideline, you will have time set aside for complete devotion to one task, which will result in an increase in work productivity and more quality, wholesome family time.

To keep your personal and professional life separate further, it may also be beneficial to look into how to set up redirection of mail to ensure your personal and business mail stays completely separate. This can help you maintain professionalism by keeping your business correspondence organised and preventing important business documents from getting lost among personal items. Redirection is particularly useful if you’re moving or simply want to create a clear divide between your home and business activities.

If the nature of your business demands in-person contact, only meet with clients during certain predesignated times. Establishing these restrictions ahead of time will help you maintain a clear divide between your work and family life.

2) Invest in the Equipment You Need

The most up-to-date equipment in your industry will help you increase productivity and free up your schedule for family time. Invest in the proper equipment, whether it be baking ware for your homemade cookie business or high-speed Wi-Fi to help you in your social media manager position. In the long run, you will be thankful for these vital equipment investments.

Even if your business isn’t based online, technology will be helpful in making sure your operation is conducted smoothly. Project manager and messenger apps will help you keep in contact with remote workers and track the completion of work.

Apps are especially useful to those looking for convenient ways to manage the financial and technical sides of conducting business. For example, the GlossGenius app helps hair stylists process payments, build an online presence, and book appointments with clients. Even if you run a business, apps like this make it easier to work from home. There are thousands of apps and software available for your specific business niche to help you connect with customers and manage finances without having to sit in a desk all day.

Investing in these various types of equipment will let you conduct business more efficiently and make more profit! You can spend quality time with your family and be productive at the same time.

3) Give Yourself Breaks

Sticking to certain work hours is important, but so is taking proper breaks! Rushing through work will get it done, but it can leave you feeling drained. You don’t want to use up all of your energy completing work, leaving none available for your family.

Hydrate, eat properly and get the proper amount of sleep you need. Step outside for some sunlight after long sessions at the computer. These are all easy steps you can follow to take care of yourself. You should even consider taking some time to casually browse the Internet or read a book to help you relax. Your physical and mental well-being will ensure that your family can rely on mom to fulfill the many roles needed of you.

Following these guidelines will help you create professional and family boundaries. You will be able to dedicate time to create cherished memories with your family while being able to provide for them with the successful and productive completion of work.

Anne

How To Have A Good Breakup

January 24, 2019 By Anne

It’s a fact of life that not all relationships work out. When this becomes obvious, it’s time for both parties to move on and seek out a relationship that makes them happier – or be on their own if that is what they prefer. The problem comes when someone would rather be in a loveless or reckless relationship simply because they are worried about the breakup itself. This can become an even bigger concern when there are children involved.

This is not good for anyone, but it happens often, and rather than allowing everyone to be happy with new partners, this fear makes them stick with their current partner, even if it is clear that the marriage or partnership just isn’t working.

We’ve put together some tips on how to have a good breakup so that you can move on with your life, and so can your partner, ensuring that everyone is much happier in the long term.

Keep The Kids Out Of It

A breakup should only ever be between the two people involved – no one else needs to be part of it, and that is especially true when it comes to the children. When you have come to a decision about your breakup, then you will need to inform the children, but not before – and never, ever, speak badly about your ex to them. Just because you no longer love them doesn’t mean your children don’t.

Get Advice From Professionals

Therapy and counseling are always good ideas if you are having trouble coming to terms with the idea that you need to leave your relationship, no matter what your history or the reasons for coming to that realization. Having someone professional and unbiased to go through things with can help you to put things in perspective, and make you feel calmer and more ready to talk things through.

When you are ready to make things official, again, you should turn to a professional. An expert such as a Bristol family solicitor will make the process so much easier for you, taking the worry away from you so that you can concentrate on your own life, and the children you care for.

Be Honest

One of the most important elements of a good breakup is honesty. It is essential that you are open about why you feel the relationship is no longer working, and it is just as important that you listen to what your partner has to say about things as well. They may welcome the chance to air their own feelings, and it could well be that both of you feel the same and that the breakup you had been dreading is a simple and neat one.

No matter how long you have been with your partner, they deserve to hear the truth from you. They shouldn’t have to wonder why you feel you can no longer be together, and even if they don’t agree with you, it’s crucial that they hear what you have to say.

It is also important to ensure that any talking you and your partner do is done face to face – emails and texts won’t put across the real information, and it’s far better to talk openly with one another.

Anne

Study Skills To Help Fit Your Education Around Your Family

January 24, 2019 By Anne

Taking some time to work on your career is a great thing to do, but it’s not necessarily the easiest when you’re taking care of your family too. Embarking on further study can be necessary to give you the skills you need for your job, or to switch careers altogether. You’ll soon realize, however, that juggling studying with your other commitments is much more difficult than it was when you were in high school or college. You need to work at it a lot harder in order to succeed.

While it might be difficult, it’s not impossible. Take a look at these useful tips for fitting in your education around your family so that you can look forward to a brighter future for all of you.

Image Credit: Unsplash under Creative Commons

Choose a flexible study option

We’re fortunate that today’s education offers different ways to learn and get the skills and qualifications you need. A flexible study option is ideal for moms who need to be able to drop everything and fit in childcare, etc. around their work. An online course can allow you to complete your studies in your own time, helping you pick it up when you can and being able to study from anywhere – including your own home.

If you’re unsure about the types of degree offered and whether or not they’re useful, you’ll be pleased to know that there’s a lot of choice from DNP midwifery programs to project management degrees. Explore the different options that are out there and find one that best suits you.

Get plenty of quiet time

To be able to study, you’re going to need some distraction-free time where you can sit down to concentrate without being interrupted. Whether that’s asking your partner to take the kids out for a few hours or making the most of the time they’re at school, you need to grab opportunities for some quiet time when you can. You might need to consider getting some additional childcare while you study to give you a few extra hours to settle down to work. Remember that taking some time to yourself is important, so remember to factor in some time to de-stress and relax too.

Take your time

One of the things you might find challenging about returning to study is that you’re not picking things up as quickly as you thought you would or that it’s taking you longer to make progress. There are skills you can practice, however, that will teach you to study smarter to be able to retain more, which are useful when your time is so valuable. Don’t be afraid to ask for help from your tutors, colleagues or friends if there are elements that you’re struggling with.

Re-entering education is a fantastic way to boost your career, and being a mom shouldn’t have to be an obstacle to realizing your ambitions. Making studying fit around your existing routine isn’t always easy, but it will soon slot into place. This is just short-term pain for long-term gain, and it will all be worth it secure a better future for you and your family.