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An Organized Life: Really?

Being a mom of three kids (ages 2, 5 & 6) as well as a start-up entrepreneur, organizing my days can be a challenge.

Keeping the kids on a schedule (school work, personal care, feeding, etc.) is a total full-time job. I’m constantly worried whether their meals are healthy, if they’ve taken their vitamins and if they’ve had enough water for the day.

Keeping them entertained and making sure their school work is done, refereeing any sibling rivalries and making sure they all have some good “mom time” takes plenty of planning. Add in a cold or other ailment and my job just gets a lot harder.

Then, on the other hand, building a website and adding content that will hopefully change lives is no easy task. It takes research, time and patience. It’s a balancing act that requires thinking outside of the box and comes with a bunch of uncertainty.

So what’s a girl to do?

1. Exercise

I’ve created a morning ritual that involves some cardio, weight lifting and abdominal work (3-4 times a week). I’ve setup our basement into a play-land / exercise area. I get to watch the kids as I work-out, with my i-pod blaring in my ears to keep me motivated. It’s now become such a habit that I sincerely look forward to the time and seeing the results on my body are an excellent bonus.

My mind is clearer and I simply feel better once the work-out is done. I make sure that when I’m working-out, I’m not thinking about my to-do’s or worrying about what I’m making for supper. My mind is focused on the moment… on my breathing and my body.

2. Work Schedule

I try to stick to a schedule when it comes to working on my website. I get almost two hours in the afternoon when my little guy takes a nap and my girls are at school. I’ve purposefully carved out my day and prioritize my kids above everything else (I feel better when I do this and they are the reason I quit my corporate career after all). I also get some time in the evening after they’ve gone to bed.

Keeping a daily planner and organizing my week ahead of time is a life saver. It takes a little time and thought, but the week runs so much more smoothly.

Creating the perfect plan requires some flexibility and trial and error… but you soon find out what works best through this process.

3. Faith

I’ve been a part of an incredible bible study group for several months now and my personal faith and belief has been strengthened enormously.

One major thing I learned… rather than waiting on an event or for success, I simply sit back and wait on God. He will strengthen you in the meantime and bring you more than you’ve ever dreamed.

Don’t spend your time depleting your energy waiting for “the thing.” Enjoy your time now; be present and take a lot of conscious, deep breaths.

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Hoping Santa Brings Me a Berbie Dreamhouse

No matter which holiday you celebrate, the season often evokes fond (and maybe not so fond) memories of how you celebrated as a child. Growing up in middle-class suburban Detroit, my brother and I never needed a thing–we were lucky to live the American dream and had, dare I say, pretty much the perfect childhood.  Again, we were lucky.

My parent’s childhoods were not as fortunate as mine.  While both remember having happy childhoods, my parents grew up without money.  In fact the term “dirt” poor comes to mind as my mom recalls eating cereal and water for days on end as her widowed mother put herself through college while working several jobs.  My father, on the other hand, while not living high on the hog, came from Italian immigrant parents who believed that less is more.  To this day, I can see him recalling his favorite Christmas when he received three tin soldiers. In fact, I think a tear may even come to his eye remembering those soldiers…good times.

As a result, my parents wanted to give us the childhood that they never had.  We were never overindulged, but my parents saw to it that we went to the best schools, had numerous scholastic opportunities and never went without.  Of course, Christmas was part of the package.  Luckily for us, we came from a “theatrical” mother who loved to tell stories, was big on the dramatic entrance and exit, and made you think that Santa really was coming. In fact, I wonder where that guy is these days as I could really use some help.

I can’t really put my finger on it, but Christmas in my house growing up was truly magical. TV was not allowed from Christmas Eve until Christmas night, Christmas music permeated every room of our home and we always had all the neighbors over to our house on Christmas Eve.  Like many families, my brother and I could open one gift on Christmas Eve–somehow it was always the socks and underwear gift we would manage to choose, but we were happy to get to open something.

Then, Christmas morning, the rule was that you could play with whatever Santa brought to you (always unwrapped) and then we would spend the entire day slowly opening gifts.  Each family member had to watch as one person would open a present.  We’d do a few rounds and then take a break to appreciate the gifts.  It was absolutely spectacular–now, the wild animals that I’ve raised, race down the stairs, rip everything open and then sit there with their mouths hanging open, wondering what happened.

However, as an adult looking back I now appreciate my parent’s tricks and strategies, only now realizing that old habits die hard.  Exhibits:

A)  Santa always left price tags on gifts.  Perhaps Santa wanted my brother and I to appreciate the value of a dollar OR comment on how Santa was able to “make” (why we never questioned it is beyond me) something for such a reasonable deal.

B) Santa liked the off-brand.  While my neighbor Janice was enjoying her Barbie Dreamhouse, complete with hot tub (and probably a stripper pole), I got the “Berbie” Dreamhouse (or something like that). Instead of Barbie pink, somehow the off-brand folks went with a pallid orange and substituted the sexy winding staircase for a freight elevator.

C) Santa liked you to learn a language.  Keeping in line with the “off brand,” sometimes Santa’s toys weren’t in our native language.  So, once again, while Janice enjoyed the futuristic 1976 Barbie talking oven, Gina’s Berbie oven told her the roasted goat was done in Creole.

Of course because my mother was so smart, she would probably deliver some line about how, “Santa wants us to learn a language” (of course she was a Spanish teacher).  And…of course, I passive aggressively “rebelled” against authority and didn’t learn that language.  Who’s the big dummy now?

The great thing about my off brand Christmas is that I’m finding others who experienced the same thing.  One of my good friend’s husband told me all of his toys and clothes were always discounted or off brand.

So while I was playing with my Berbie Creole Urban “Dreamhouse,” he was rolling his Tunka trucks and learning Japanese.  We both don’t speak a second language, but we sure know the value of a dollar.

Happy Holidays!

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Setting Goals that Will Stick for 2012

Writing down my goals is something I’ve been doing since I was a kid. The feeling of planning and preparing myself for the future is something that gives me comfort. For me, goal setting is fun.

Simply writing down my goals gets my mind “in the mood.” I find myself devising plans and thinking of different steps to help me get closer to accomplishing my written goals. While I’m in the shower, getting ready for the day, doing the dishes, whenever… my mind is ticking with creativity.

We’ve heard it time and again… if you don’t write down your goals, they’re not as likely to be achieved.

This year, my focus is to pay off all our debt. I also want to create some momentum with my website by offering some products to my readers. Of course, with both these goals, it’s going to take a ton of time and effort. I’m going to have to have my head screwed on straight and commit to the plan I create.

Do you have goals set or a plan for the new year?

Here a some tips to keep in mind if you’re the go getter type and are creating a set of goals for 2012:

1. Make up your mind. Don’t just haphazardly write down things you’d like or want. Really prepare yourself and dig deep to discover what you truly want or need in your life. This will help you stick to them and actually achieve them.

2. Write them down. Place your goals in a place you’ll see them everyday. This will serve as a good reminder.

3. Make a plan. Decide on your course of action. Put together a few steps that will get you to your goal.

4. Be flexible. Sometimes we change our minds (um, a lot of times). If you feel your goal no longer is of importance, chuck it. If you think there are some additional steps you need to do, add them to the plan and getter’ done.

Looking ahead to 2012 and creating goals is a smart move. Have fun and have a happy new year!

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6 Ways to Stay Motivated When Working from Home

If you work from home and are your own boss, you don’t have anyone telling you what to do and what not to do. You don’t have your boss standing there telling you “you can’t watch TV while you work;” there is no one to answer to when you just took a break and are already going for another! Although it sounds great on the surface, when you work from home, there are so many challenges to consider for staying motivated. Unlike a normal 9 to 5 job, there is no schedule to keep you in a straight line.

I, like most other work at home people, struggle with staying motivated. It can get especially difficult for individuals diagnosed with depression, which coincides with a limited motivated drive. Yet I, having been diagnosed with depression, have done a bit of research, and have learned and applied a few techniques that have helped me significantly. I’ve found these 6 tactics to be really helpful in keeping me motivated in getting my work done.

Perk Yourself up By Socializing with Like-Minded People

We are social beings. We need that to constantly remind ourselves of who we are, and in this case, socializing with like minded people is a great way to stay motivated. Join a few online forums or join a network of people who also work from home. Hearing from their success can motivate you to work even harder to achieve your goals. When you are feeling unmotivated and unfocused, talking to people who understand you and your situation can help you get through it much easier than if you go at it alone.

Create a Real Working Environment

The most important thing you can do to separate your work time from play time is to have separate places where you do for each. By separating your office space form other spaces, it makes it easier for you to get into the working mindset when you walk into the room. Remove any distraction from your work space, especially things that remind you are still at home, such as TV. If a task can be done offline, then don’t get online to do it. Simply get it done offline, and then upload it to your site. This will save you lots of time that you might have lost otherwise by getting distracted while you were online.

Keep Track of Your Progress

Make sure to keep a report of your progress, even if it is as simple as writing down every goal you achieve, every task you get done or every new accomplishment. A visual representation of your progress is like a reward for your brain. It shows you how far you have come and prepares you for the challenges ahead.

Set Goals and Aim to Achieve those Goals

Setting goals can be a great way to keep yourself in line. Of course, there are long term goals and short term goals. Use short term goals to keep yourself motivated and working to achieve the long term goals. It’s much easier and quicker to achieve small goals. And that provides you the boost you need to keep going for another hour, day, week, month or year.

Work out for a Few Minutes

It may sound cheesy, but a quick work out can be a great stimulant. It doesn’t have to be an hour long work out. A few push-ups, or even a bit of stretching and jumping jacks, can get your heart rate going and give you the energy you need to keep going.

Reward Yourself When You Accomplish Goals

No matter how much you love what you do, you will still need some kind of reward once in a while to keep yourself motivated. Set a goal and set a specific reward for achieving it. Then when you do achieve that goal, enjoy the reward. However, if you do not achieve your goal, think about that reward and how much you would have enjoyed it. That will make you want to work even harder to achieve the goal as soon as possible.

The above 6 methods have helped me tremendously and I truly hope it will help you guys as well. You can always add your own twist and come up with ways to keep yourself motivated. No one knows you better than you, yourself and you know what works for you. So, don’t be shy to experiment with different techniques.

Do you have a hard time keeping focused and staying motivated knowing you can work anytime you like? How do you keep yourself motivated and going?

–

Guest Writer: Satrap writes at BlogStash about different ways to make money. Visit BlogStash to learn more and read his most popular post, how to make money on eBay.

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Avoid Murky Mind Syndrome this Holiday Season

This time of year has a tendency to cloud our judgment. With big red sales signs and 40%+ off posters, you might feel like if you don’t buy, and buy NOW, you’re going to miss out on the deal of the century. With all the flyers and newspaper inserts crowding our kitchen tables, our minds are murky. Sound an alarm, impulse purchases are on high alert.

Keeping a close eye on our spending can be easily skirted with irresponsible rationalizations when all we think about are the discounts… “Yeah, but I saved $57 dollars!” or “Holy cow, this thing is only 17 bucks right now!”

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All I Want for Christmas…

My mom always made a big deal out of Christmas. Our tradition was to open one gift on Christmas Eve and Santa would come overnight and leave gifts for us girls.

We would wait at the top of the stairs, holding hands, waiting for our mom’s queue. We’d feast our eyes on all the thoughtful gifts Santa brought when we finally made it to the living room (usually around 5am).

It seemed no matter what financial situation our parents were in, Christmas was never effected. My mom would shop all year long and find the best bargains and discounts.

We were never indulged like this in other areas, like say when the school year began. We wouldn’t go on a shopping spree for clothes. We didn’t travel - not outside a few hours to our Grandma’s place, and we certainly weren’t pampered with haircuts and salon visits (my mom gave us our perms in the kitchen).

Was the REAL reason for Christmas completely missed growing up?

I don’t think so. Her love shined in the pride and preparation she did for this joyous holiday. The beautiful meal and carefully placed decorations - it was a feeling she created. And I still feel that “homey,” warm, loving feeling when the Christmas season arrives each year.

So, this year, along with a little indulging, we will have a warm, thoughtful meal. We’ll hit mass on Christmas Eve and try our hardest to reflect the REAL reason for Christmas, like my mom did.

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Shop, Wrap, Work–Collapse!

If you are like most working moms, the holidays mean one thing–anxiety! If you aren’t already stressed from working your regular job and running kids to and fro, throw in some holiday shopping and you end up with an extremely frazzled mom.

Although we tell ourselves every year we aren’t going to get caught up in holiday drama, we end up in the same place each year-passed out on the couch at 9pm under a bunch of ribbon and wrapping paper.

I have no shocking advice on how to avoid the holiday crunch, but this is what works for me:

* Have a list.  Have a distinct list of everyone who should receive a gift.  If possible, write down what you would like to get each person and then cross off the item as you purchase it.

* Distinguish a time during the day to shop. Typically it’s easier to get more done on weekdays, during school hours. Schedule your work around shopping time–for example, set aside some work to do in the evening or possibly on the weekend to accommodate shopping.

* Go for online shopping. If you can multi-task, shop online while you are in a phone meeting or even early in the morning before everyone wakes up.  Shop only secure sites and reputable merchants so you don’t get ripped off.

* Take time for yourself.  If it’s possible to go to the gym or a get a manicure to release some stress, go for it. You will need to take a breather in order to regroup and reorganize before you go back at it again.

* Above all, don’t become harried or upset if you don’t purchase every single gift before the holiday strikes. Try to keep in mind the spirit of the season and embrace your blessings.

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‘Tis the Season to Stay Out of Debt

Thankfully, I’ve had enough education in the school of hard knocks to plan for this holiday season. Too many memories of Christmas past where credit cards were swiped and buyers remorse lurked for months.

Giving just isn’t as much fun when you’re cringing at your credit card bill in January.

Here are a few insider tricks for making it through the holidays stress free - as it pertains to your wallet.

Tip #1

Try cash only! If you leave the house with only a predetermined amount of cash, you’ll be forced to stay within budget. There is no reason to go into debt. I NEVER rely on a credit card for purchases (anymore). Matter of fact, I haven’t had a credit card swiped in years.

If you have to pay for it with a credit card, you can’t afford it. Don’t make a joyous, peaceful, loving time of the year turn into a time full of stressful money issues.

Tip #2

Creating a list is crucial. When you make a list with the intention of only purchasing what is on the list, the process becomes a success. Even having a general idea scratched down on paper is better than heading to the mall without a plan.

Impulse purchases and buyers remorse weigh too heavy without a list. Don’t leave home without one!

Tip #3

Create a “gift closet.” Throughout the year, I stash gifts and save them for special occasions.

My current residence doesn’t allow for an entire closet to be utilized just for this sake, but I have a nice big box in the back of my closet where I store gifts. So, when holidays or birthdays arrive, I’ve got a few things to offer already paid for - in cash.

Enjoy the holidays. Put away your credit cards, set aside an amount of cash for the gifts you plan to give and stick to your spending plan!

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Happy Barfgiving

Been there, done that… the holidays may be a time for merriment and togetherness, but they are also a prime time for catching the flu. Kids typically time it just right too, getting the flu on the eve or “day of” a highly anticipated holiday.

This year, it was my 10 year-old daughter’s turn to get stomach flu the day before Thanksgiving. Despite her mature age, somehow did not realize that we have three bathrooms, any of which she could deposit her illness in.  Instead, it was the wild and unleashed version of the stomach flu at my house. When the carnage was over, I had two carpeted rooms, two beds and one toilet that needed some major attention.

All I can say is that my steam carpet cleaner is the best little tool a mom could own–especially when one of my children feels free to vomit all over my carpet.  So, a-cleaning-I-went this Thanksgiving holiday. Luckily all the evidence was removed well before our turkey reluctantly emerged from the oven.

My daughter’s response, “Can’t we have barbecue for Thanksgiving?”

Photo credit: Tom Harpel

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Saving Money With Coupons and Budgeting

My mom used to be a huge bargain buyer. She could get amazing deals on everything from food to clothing to household appliances. I never really appreciated the skill it took until recently.

Clipping coupons, shopping sales… all this takes time - and sometimes patience. There is a whole other lingo associated with couponing. Store policies, understanding what a coupon actually says and deciphering what actually is a good deal takes an education in couponing.

Sometimes the time alone required in saving a buck is enough to turn you off from searching out a good deal. Especially when your time is already thin given the load on your plate. But, I do know, you can save a ton of money if you put in a little time, a little effort and show some restraint on your spending.

Is it worth it to you?

I read that in terms of your psyche, you could be inflicting harm by associating a sense of lack to your bargain shopping. That because your mind is so focused on saving a buck, the Universe will bring you less. Somewhat deep, but very much in line with the popular book, The Secret.

I try to find harmony in my spending habits and my wants versus my needs. I know some women make a living finding the latest deals like The Krazy Coupon Lady, The Coupon Mom and others like them. I just don’t have the time to devote to it - nor would I ever hop on the stock piling band wagon.

I only shop for clothes and necessities when they are on sale. I look for coupons online, I subscribe to the Sunday newspaper and I am known to hit a super awesome deal now and again. I budget my spending tightly and I know exactly what I can spend on groceries each week. I don’t buy an excess of processed food (the bad kind) like you see on Extreme Shopping either.

Keeping an eagle eye on my spending allows me to purchase what I need and I save for things I want. How do you keep your family on track financially?

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