Nix9to5

The Work at Home Reality

// August 27th, 2010 // No Comments » // Balance, Time Management, Work at Home

My dedicated readers have noticed that, once again, I have been missing in action.  My husband returned to work two weeks ago when teachers reported for the beginning of school.  Since that time, the reality of being a work at home mom has set in.  I am so happy to stay home with my Bear all day, and I don’t regret my decision for a second.  I went up to my old school yesterday to have lunch with a friend, and while it was good seeing them, and I miss my friends, being there for even the short time I was there just really helped solidify that I made the best decision for myself and my family.

However, the reality of being a WAHM is more difficult than I anticipated.  I told myself that I knew that I would be every bit as busy as a WAHM as I was as a mother who worked outside the home.  I told myself that, but I am not sure I fully grasped it.

Here is the reality: (more…)

WAHM Tip #4: Keep the Little Ones Entertained

// August 3rd, 2010 // 2 Comments » // Children and Babies, Time Management, Work at Home

The Bear has moved to a big boy bed, which means that when he wakes up from his nap, he just gets out of bed and comes to find me.  Before he figured out how to climb out of the crib, he would wake up from a nap and just play, buying me an extra 15 minutes or so to work.  Also, in the crib, he would wake up, realize he couldn’t go anywhere, and fall back asleep.  Now, the minute he wakes up, he’s ready to “Get down play!”  Unfortunately, this occurs before Mommy thinks it should.  Naps have gone from two or two and a half hours to an hour and a half–if I’m lucky.  That makes it much harder for me to accomplish all of my work at home tasks.

I’ve been wondering how I can keep the Bear entertained while I work, and my fantastic sister sent me a couple of links that might help.  (more…)

More on Time Management

// July 27th, 2010 // 2 Comments » // Balance, Organization, Time Management, Work at Home

When my All You magazine came this month, I was pleased to see that, in addition to a bunch of coupons, it had reader tips called “Organize Your Life for Free (or Close to It!).”  Here are some of the tips that I liked:

• Maintain a family schedule online: “We use cozi.com, a free site, to keep our schedule in order.  It also has a shopping list tool, which is great because I can jot down products as I think of them.  It links directly to my husband’s work calendar, so we can be sure our appointments don’t conflict.” — Kristin Strobe, 35, Avon Lake, OH (I haven’t checked out this site yet, but since I spend so much time on the computer, it seems like it might be a good way to keep up.) (more…)

WAHM Tip #3, continued: Organization

// July 26th, 2010 // 2 Comments » // Balance, Life in General, Organization, Time Management, Work at Home

About a month ago, I asked for your suggestions on getting organized and effectively managing time–things that I have definitely been struggling with as I make the transition from working mom to work at home mom.  I got two responses, which lets me know that one of the following is true:

1. You are struggling just as much as I am.
2. You know enough about time management to list “Don’t Waste Time Commenting on Blogs and Piddling around on the Internet” as one of your top time management strategies. (Note to self:  Stop piddling around on the internet.)

I’m just going to hope it is #1 so that I don’t feel so lonely as I fumble along trying to make this work (plus, if you aren’t wasting time on the internet, then you aren’t reading Nix9to5).  Since I’m working on the assumption that balancing it all is hard for you, too, I’m going to give you the two bits of advice that came from Nix9to5 readers.  Tomorrow, I’ll follow it up with some tips from the August issue of All You magazine.  (If you don’t subscribe to All You magazine already, consider it.  It has great ideas for saving money and time and comes loaded with coupons.) (more…)

Shame on me!

// July 22nd, 2010 // No Comments » // Balance, Life in General, Time Management, Work at Home

I was mildly chastised today for my failure to keep this site updated.  Those of you following me on Facebook know that I recently got a new project from one of my clients, and while I thought I was almost actually ahead on work, that one project has now put me thoroughly behind.  Never fear, though.  I got a lot done tonight and I’m planning on hitting it furiously over the weekend.  With any luck, I’ll be back on track with Nix9to5 by Monday.

Oh, and Mom?  I got some new pictures up  on the Totsite, too.

Amen.

// July 16th, 2010 // No Comments » // Balance, Children and Babies, Life in General, Time Management, Work at Home

I borrowed this from the Facebook page of a Nix9to5 reader:

WAHM Tip #3: Get Organized

// June 30th, 2010 // 2 Comments » // Balance, Life in General, Time Management, Work at Home

This has been a big week for Nix9to5, but you wouldn’t know it from the blog.  That’s because I just haven’t had time to keep the site updated.  Between scheduled tutoring shifts, copywriting deadlines, and squeezing in a mini-vacation, I’m behind on just about everything.   I also managed to get a new writing assignment for one client, and I added a new client altogether!  That’s great, because the closer I get to losing my school paycheck, the closer I am to a full-on panic attack that we’ll never be able to afford my being a WAHM.

It’s really too bad that the blog has been neglected, because just this week, I got a TON of new readers from south of the border (that’s Texas, too all of you who don’t live in Oklahoma), and they are probably wondering why they should read a blog that never has anything new to say.

So WAHM Tip #3 is to make sure you get your time organized.   The problem is that I’m not quite sure how to do that.  Readers, how do you manage to get everything (or at least some things) done?  I’d love to hear your tips for time management, whether you are a work at home mom, stay at home mom, or working mom.  Post your comments below or send me a note through the Nix9to5 contact form.  I’ll compile your tips and put them in a post that gives your great ideas for budgeting time.

For now, I have a little Bear pulling on my shirt saying, “Mommy read it,” so I’d better go have a little story time.  Have a great day!

Here We Go Again . . .

// May 24th, 2010 // No Comments » // Balance, Life in General, Time Management

I’ve become quite busy with work again, and so I’m getting a little behind.  Once again, the blog that doesn’t pay me is having to take a backseat to the writing that does pay me.  Also, we have company this week, as Bear’s grandma and grandpa are in town looking for a house.  Poor Grandma and Grandpa are being ignored while I work, but I’m really not the draw around here, anyway.

Anyway, stay with me.  I’ve only got a week and a half left at my “day job,” and then–theoretically–I should have a little more time to spend on Nix9to5.  In the meantime, I’ll soon be posting a pic of my latest pile of free groceries and relating the little story of my cashier, Nicky, who is completely unworthy of that name, and not just because she spells it all wrong.

Bear with me, please.

// May 6th, 2010 // No Comments » // Life in General, Time Management

I have really had to neglect the Nix9to5 blog lately, and I hate that.  There is a short span of time here where I have to overlap my full time job with my new work-at-home jobs, and it is leaving little time for anything else.  Keep hanging in here with me.  We’ve got big things ahead as the school year winds down and I get ready to start the next leg of my work at home journey on June 4.

I do want to share one thing that made me smile today.  After Bear’s 18-month checkup, I had to schedule his 2-year appointment.  When the receptionist asked me if 10:45 would work, I had to smile, because any time works now.  I won’t have to take sick leave or personal leave or try to schedule for after work or anything else.  I’m so ready to begin this next chapter!

Tales from the Freezer

// April 28th, 2010 // 2 Comments » // Cooking, Time Management, Work at Home

Before Sunday, I have to:

• Work two more days at my “real” job
• Complete roughly 13 more hours of scoring
• Write two articles
• Complete 3 hours of online tutoring
• Complete at least 1/3 of my training for the next scoring administration
• Begin writing copy for another new project

Yikes.

That makes me so sad that my stash of freezer meals is almost completely depleted.  I have one  lonely casserole in there that I’m going to have to defrost if we want to eat something other than Frosted Mini-Wheats in the next few days.  I’m going to need to restock my freezer soon, if I can just figure out a time to cook.

In the meantime, my good friend over at Charla’s Confessions has added a freezer recipe section to her blog.  Head on over and check out the sausage biscuit recipe she posted today.  It looks yummilicious.  I’ve got some sausage in the freezer that I got for free a while back, and this will be the perfect use for it.

Now?  Back to work–which is a totally uncool thing to have to say at 10:30 p.m.