Nix9to5

Baby Steps

// September 9th, 2011 // No Comments » // Organization, Time Management, Work at Home

Yesterday Bear finally started back to Mothers’ Day Out.  I was a little nervous taking him, even though he went last year.  As the summer wore on and we spent so much time together, I was he was starting to get a little bit clingy, and I was afraid I he might get a little upset when I dropped him off.  He is definitely a big talker and can narrate his entire day when he’s with me, but when he’s in groups, like Sunday School or Mothers’ Day Out, he tends to get shy and quiet.  I was worried that I was sending my little vocabu-monster into a world where he becomes a silent observer.  Fortunately, when I dropped him off, he gave me a huge, cuddly hug, then turned around and looked at his teacher with a big grin on his face, and just went be-bopping through the classroom door before I could even finish saying good-bye.

Guess I didn’t need to worry.  When I picked him up, his teacher used words like “so good,” and “angel,” and “perfect,” to describe my little Bear, and all I could think was, “How well she knows him already.”  I swear, that boy is going to make  his poor mama’s heart just burst with pride and love.

Now that Bear is back in Mothers’ Day Out a couple of days a week, I’m ready to get myself back into a routine. I’ve been doing a much better job of budgeting time for work and been doing a lot less procrastinating.  On the other hand, I have nothing in the freezer, haven’t worked out since I got pregnant (well, maybe once or twice), and my house is a cluttered mess.  I also have a lot of housecleaning projects I’d like to get taken care of in addition to the normal stuff.

My plan is to try do find a way to schedule a little bit each day, reserving MDO days for big work days.  I’m  not sure how I’m going to make that all work, yet, but I guess it will just be trial and error.

We did get a new gym membership, and while that may seem a little silly considering my old gym membership has not yet expired (not that I’ve been going anyway), the new one is practically across the street.  Saving about 40 minutes of total drive time from heading to the gym should really help by eliminating an excuse.  Plus, who’s got an extra 40 minutes to waste in the car?  Not me, that’s who.

For my work organization, I’ve been scheduling my projects on a monthly calendar, then breaking them down by daily tasks.  I’m able to see at a glance when my standing deadlines are each week, and my evolving projects I can break down by day into manageable tasks.  I haven’t perfected this yet–I still  have a tendency to overschedule and underproduce on many days–but it’s getting closer and I am getting more accomplished.

As for housekeeping, I still haven’t found a schedule or  that I like for cleaning the house, and I haven’t been crazy about any of the ones that I have come up with.  I tried the FlyLady routine, but my heavens, that woman is out of control.  It was too much for me to think about, and even her baby steps wore me out (Seriously?  Shoes every day?  No.  I don’t think so.).  I’d like something that gives me one or two tasks a day with a day off for random projects, and I’d like something efficient.  I mean, is it better to do all the floors one day, dust another, clean windowsills another, or is it better to do a whole room each time?  Room-by-room, or job-by-job?  What do you think?  Have you come up with–or found–a routine or schedule you like?  If so, I’d love to hear it.

Things I’m Trying to Accomplish This Week:

// June 13th, 2011 // No Comments » // Balance, Children and Babies, Life in General, Organization, Time Management, Work at Home

1. Potty Training
2. Clean House
3. Start Working Out Again
4. Eat Healthier
5. Reorganize Drawers, Closets, Pantry, etc.
6. Write Many, Many Articles, Blog Posts, Web Pages, and Product Descriptions
7. Do Some Fun Summertime Stuff

Score for Two Days:

1. Three potty stickers Sunday, three so far Monday, and several pair of wet underwear
2. Two and a half loads of laundry (getting the last load out of the dryer in just a minute)
3. Two “Couch to 5K” runs, one “Jillian Michaels 30 Day Shred” workout
4. Grilled veggies, fresh strawberries and pineapples, egg whites, lowfat cottage cheese, turkey bacon . . . so far so good
5. Four of my clothing drawers organized, two of Bear’s clothing drawers organized, and some progress made on Bear’s closet
6. Two blog posts (three if you count this one) and three product descriptions written (still woefully behind)
7. Pool inflated and filled, but not yet played in

Well, I thought I wasn’t getting anything accomplished, but looking at this list makes me feel a little better.  Even though I am woefully behind, I am making progress, I guess.

Perks of Being a WAHM: Flexible Schedule

// May 19th, 2011 // No Comments » // Balance, Children and Babies, Life in General, Organization, Time Management, Work at Home

Being a work at home mom definitely has its challenges.  One of the drawbacks I’ve discovered is a difficulty in compartmentalizing tasks.  When I worked outside the home, “work work” was done between the hours of 7:30-3:30 or so; “house work” was done in the evenings and on weekends.  Of course, there was always “work work” that I could bring home if I wanted to/had to/needed to, but no one ever–EVER–expected me to vacuum the living room or do the laundry from 7:30-3:30 Monday through Friday.  Now, however, all of the work tasks and home tasks collide in one giant, messy, behind-schedule explosion that leaves a noxious cloud of stress that hovers over me like this:
Fortunately, this difficulty in compartmentalizing tasks is really a problem that can be fairly easily remedied.  My plan is to create a schedule for my day and work tasks are to be completed during their scheduled times, and housekeeping/bill paying/laundry folding tasks are to be completed during their scheduled times.  Having a structured schedule like this is really antithetical to the way I typically like to do things, but something’s gotta give.

Of course, the unstructured work day of a work at home mom is one of the blessings of being able to work from home.  If I want to wake up early and finish my work before 8:00 and play the rest of the day, I can! (Okay–that will NEVER happen).  If I want to procrastinate all day long and then work into the wee hours to catch up, I can! (Much more likely.)

Yesterday, Bear and I had nothing planned for the day.  I had some work that needed to be done, and I had some laundry that needed to be washed, and a plethora of any other tasks with which any other mom anywhere else is beleaguered.  As Bear ate breakfast, though, I thought, “Eh.  Let’s go to the zoo instead.”

So we did.

I love being a work at home mom.

Transitioning to Working from Home

// May 10th, 2011 // No Comments » // Opportunities, Organization, Time Management, Work at Home

In yesterday’s post about the resources available at WAHM.com, I mentioned the difficulty of the transition period between working outside the home and working from home.  Later in the day, I came across an article on Money Saving Mom about that exact topic:  “How to Transition to Working at Home.”

The article was a guest post written by Heather of Work at Home Market, a WAHM resource with which I was unfamiliar until this article, but which I will be checking out in more detail soon.

In “How to Transition to Working at Home,” Heather writes of how, when she got married, she and her husband decided she would quit working outside the home after six months.   Heather’s experience is different from mine in several ways–the most important of which, in my opinion, is that Heather made the transition before she had children.  When I finally decided enough was enough and that I could no longer leave my Bear every day, I had to overlap my “outside job” and my new work at home jobs while caring for an infant (whom I was still nursing!) in the hours between the end of the regular work day and the baby’s bedtime.

For any moms looking to make this change, know this before you start:  It.  Is.  Exhausting. (more…)

WAHM Resource – WAHM.com

// May 9th, 2011 // No Comments » // Opportunities, Organization, Time Management, Work at Home

The other day after Mother’s Day Out, Bear and I stopped by a little playground to enjoy the nice weather and sunshine.  While there, I spent a little time talking to the mother of one of Bear’s classmates.  She is a former teacher who quit work to become a SAHM, but was very interested when I said I work from home.  I think a lot of people are intrigued by the thought of working from home, considering it the best of both worlds–the ability to stay home with your children while still earning a paycheck.

Being a WAHM has a unique set of challenges–just like being a stay at home mom has it’s own benefits and drawbacks, and just like working outside the home has pros and cons.  I do think that, for our family, my being a work at home mom is the best possible solution. We simply can not afford to live on one paycheck, and working outside the home was killing me–I couldn’t stand not being home with my Bear!

For most people–including me–it is difficult to figure out how to find legitimate work you can do from home, or how to find work that pays well enough.  There are, however, several options available, depending on your education and skills.  Not everyone can be a copywriter, not everyone can be an online tutor, not everyone has the magic eBay touch . . . but there is a wealth of opportunity if you are committed to thinking creatively, willing to try new things, and dedicated to the hard work necessary during the transition.

One of the best resources I found for job listings, employment ideas, and even daily living resources for work at home moms (or those striving to become work at home moms) is WAHM.com.  A lot of the resources and articles on this site are good for all mothers,  not just those working from home.  With recipes, parenting tips, job advice, and more, WAHM.com is an excellent resource for time-starved mommies.  Check them out and let me know what you think.

Chalupas and other Saturday Morning Cooking

// May 7th, 2011 // No Comments » // Cooking, Life in General, Time Management

I’m trying to eat from the freezer/pantry for the next few weeks, because April was a low billing month for me.  I had a pork roast in the freezer from Crest’s meat sale, and I decided to make that.  My first thought was to make pulled pork sandwiches out of it, but instead, I decided to stretch the meal by making Chalupas.

Now, I don’t know what a “chalupa” is supposed to be, but it seems like it is used to name everything from nachos to tacos to tostadas to taco salad.

Chalupa #1:

Chalupa #2:

Chalupa #3:

Chalupa #4:

This recipe is closest to Chalupa #4 — shredded pork and beans over corn chips or tortilla chips with shredded lettuce, diced tomatoes, shredded cheese . . . whatever kind of fixin’ you like.  My brother-in-law likes to eat his on a tortilla and squeeze lime juice on it, so whatever floats your boat will probably work here.  I use the thick tortilla chips, but not Frito’s style corn chips.

I’ll give you the recipe as I got it from my mom, but I don’t cook it according to directions.  Instead, I’ve made it a crockpot recipe.  I just dump everything in and cook it on low 8 hours or all day.  Shred the meat and stir it up.  It is soupier this way, so I serve it with a slotted spoon; today, I’m eliminating a cup of water to see how that works.

Bean Chalupas

• 1 lb. dried pinto beans
• 3 lb. pork roast
• 7 c. water
• 1/2 c. chopped onion*
• 2 cloves minced garlic
• 4 oz. chopped green chiles
• 1 T. salt
• 2 T. chili powder
• 1 T. cumin
• 1 t. oregano
• 2 oz. diced pimiento

*I just sprinkle dried minced onion in the pot, because if Hot Husband knows there is an onion in any way involved in the recipe, he won’t touch it.

Place all ingredients in a kettle or dutch oven.  Cover and simmer about 5 hours until roast is fork tender.  Break up roast with fork and return to pot.  Cook uncovered about 30  minutes or until thickened.

This makes a TON–definitely enough to feed a crowd or to make 2-3 freezer meals out of (each with leftovers).

While this is cooking, I’m making a batch of Low-Fat Whole Wheat Pancakes for the freezer.  Bear loves pancakes for breakfast, and I love how easy it is to just pull one out of the freezer and pop it in the microwave for 20 seconds or so.  I’m tweaking the recipe this time by using half whole wheat flour and half white flour, and I’m replacing half the skim milk with almond milk because I’m low on regular milk.

I’m simultaneously blogging and making pancakes, so that last set was a little less golden and a little more dark brown.

Bear just walked up while I was cooking and said, “Is that a pancake?  Can I have a bite?  Can I hold it?  I LUFF pancakes!”  Guess that’s the seal of approval!

Yes, I’m still here.

// May 6th, 2011 // No Comments » // Cooking, Couponing, Family, Life in General, Time Management, Work at Home

Earlier, I questioned whether or not to keep this blog running or let it lapse.  Though my complete lack of posting and even an absence from the Nix9to5 Facebook page have made it appear that I decided to vanish into cyberspace–or rather, out of cyberspace–in reality, I’ve just been trying to get things In The Real World organized and pulled together.  Since my last post a hundred years ago, I’ve been not only working on existing client projects, but have also started new projects, including (gulp) launching a new business.  Time that would have been devoted to writing this blog has now been spent researching social media marketing strategies, SEO content writing, and other details related to the upcoming launch.

That’s not to say it has been all work and no play around here.   The Hot Husband and I spent last weekend at the Ozark Mountains Rat Raid, a four-day motorcycle rally geared toward Triumph enthusiasts, even though HH and I rode a gorgeous Suzuki V-Strom.

Here is an action shot I tried to take of the two of us while riding the twisty roads of the Ozark mountains.  Note the smattering of bugs smeared across the visor of my helmet.  Nice:

Here’s another action shot, sans bug-gut view, from the same ride:

Here we are, all cleaned up and looking beautiful, seated in front of the 2000 Triumph Sprint raffle bike, which we did. not. win.

And finally, the group shot of all the Triumph bikes involved in the Ozark Mountain Rat Raid (non-Triumphs weren’t allowed in the pic) and all riders at the Raid, Triumph owners or not:

So that’s what I’ve been up to when I haven’t been:

• Writing copy for various clients
• Launching a business
• Researching Social Media Marketing
• Pondering the fate of the Nix9to5 blog
• Testing a product so I can write a review for a fellow blogger
• Playing with my little Bear
• Considering potty training and deciding I don’t have the energy to undertake it until summer
• Clipping coupons and trying to score free groceries whenever possible
• Being inordinately excited about the box of products I received from the General Mills Groupon deal
• Baking a huge freezer batch of banana muffins to prevent the waste of a big bunch of bananas that turned black in a hurry once Bear decided, “NO!  I don’t LIKE bananas,” a sentiment which changed immediately upon the absence of said bananas
• Bemoaning the state of my messy house, but not finding the time to do anything about it
• Finding new ways to cook chicken in a crock pot (And here. And here.)
• Wasting time on Facebook and thinking, “You know, I should really be doing something productive.”
• (Insert any number of other things here)

In the meantime, I have decided to keep Nix9to5 up and running.  Well, at least up.  The running part may continue to be hit or miss for a while until I figure out how to integrate it into my schedule with some semblance of consistency.  Once I get back to regular posting, I hope some of you are still around to read it.

In case I don’t get back to you before, I want to wish you all a very happy Mothers’ Day.  May you be allowed to use the bathroom in peace at least once.

Should I Stay or Should I Go?

// April 13th, 2011 // 2 Comments » // Balance, Life in General, Time Management

These lyrics from The Clash have been spinning around in my head a lot lately.  I have just  not been able to give Nix9to5 the kind of focus or attention it needs or deserves, and I’ve been really considering just letting it go.

Once I finally decided to get on here to write my farewell post, I had second thoughts.  First of all, the domains Nix9to5.com and Nics9to5.com (did you know you could find me that way, too?) are paid up through next February–and you KNOW I don’t want that money to go to wasted.  Second, I keep thinking, “But I’ll eventually get caught up”–or at least close enough to caught up–to put some energy into this blog.

So, despite the fact that my posts have been unfocused, sporadic, and at times virtually nonexistent, I am still here.  I have not forgotten the blog, or its tens of loyal readers.

I’m going to do some soul searching in the next few days (or, let’s be honest–weeks), and decide what to do with the blog.  Should I let it lapse?  Should I find a new focus for the site?  Should I continue with my random mishmash mayhem of coupon/wahm/cooking/mommy blog?

“This indecision’s bugging me . . . Should I cool it or Should I blow? . . . Should I stay or should I go?”

Moolala: 6 Months at E-Mealz.com for only $12

// March 23rd, 2011 // 2 Comments » // Budget, Cooking, Deals, Life in General, Money Matters, Organization, Time Management

I’ve heard about E-Mealz before (endorsed by Dave Ramsey, for all you Financial Peace graduates), but I’ve always been hesitant to pay for a subscription.  I mean, sure it gives you cost-effective meal plans to help you save money and give you dining ideas, but . . . well, I just wanted to see if I could cut costs on my own.  I will say that saving money on groceries has been more time consuming than I expected, and when push comes to shove, sometimes the coupons just don’t get clipped.   Today’s Daily Deal from Moolala is going to give me the chance to try E-Mealz at an attractive price.

Right now through Moolala, you can get a six month subscription to E-Mealz for only $12–60% off the standard price of $30.  Here’s what Moolala has to say about E-Mealz:

Until the advent of fast food, Americans deferred to the wisdom of the Meal Planning Committee, a congressional caucus tasked with handling such conundrums as ‘fish or chicken?’ Tap into some old-school wisdom with today’s Moolala deal: for $12, receive a six-month subscription to E-Mealz.com, a meal planning resource for busy families (a $30 value).

Breadwinning may not seem like an easy task, but wait until it’s time to put those loaves into the oven. E-Mealz takes care of the groundwork: the recipe testing, menu planning, and price comparisons. This isn’t a one-size-feeds all system: E-Mealz offers a cornucopia of meal plans, including gluten-free, low-fat, and vegetarian options. Popular stores (Wal-Mart, Publix, Kroger) are covered, as well as plans for food found at smaller grocers. Additionally, E-Mealz has unveiled specialty meal plans based on both the original and new Weight Watchers point system.

Although children may insist they’d be happy eating pizza, burgers, or baba ghanoush for every meal, the pros at E-Mealz know better. The site’s extra-special recipes are seasoned within the meal plans in the perfect proportions. E-Mealz also makes wrangling with picky eaters a breeze: dropping a potentially unpopular meal is as simple as crossing off a few ingredients. The plans arrive every week – just log onto the site with your username and download the plan. Each plan is posted for an extra week, which is a pleasant aroma indeed for busy noses.

With the mealtime makeovers from E-Mealz.com, caring cooks will have access to a graduate-level Home Economics course. Whether you’re preparing meals for two or a whole tableful, E-Mealz will help you make the right choices. Buy today’s Moolala deal for yourself – or as a budget-ballasting gift for a love one – and swap stress for togetherness.

I’ll definitely be taking advantage of this deal.  Don’t forget Moolala’s excellent referral program–instead of getting credit for a referral’s first purchase, you get commission on every sale . . . and their referrals’ sales . . . and their referrals’ sales . . . and so on!  Sign up for Moolala today to take advantage of this E-Mealz deal and the Moolala PayMatrix!

Spring Break Plans

// March 14th, 2011 // No Comments » // Children and Babies, Cooking, Life in General, Time Management

Well, today is the official start of Spring Break around these parts, which means that Hot Husband is home with his Hot Wife and the Bear all week long.  In theory, that means I should be able to get a lot accomplished with my copywriting, but generally, it means I want to play with Hot Husband and the Bear instead of working.  Unfortunately, I’ve managed to get behind (again), so I really do need to work.

Luckily, I have a “new” freezer and it’s stocked with lots of good things, including an insane amount of chicken, so cooking should be fairly easy this week.  In fact, I bought a package of chicken thighs (3+ pounds) for about $0.60 pound, so we’ve got a super cheap meal coming our way today.  I’ve never actually bought chicken thighs before.  Until the Whole Chicken in a Crockpot Conversion, I think I’ve only bought chicken with bones once in my life (drumsticks super cheap–we threw free BBQ sauce on them and grilled them).  I was wondering what to do with the chicken thighs, when my sister happened across this chicken thigh crockpot recipe that just fits the bill for my cooking style:  lazy.  The only work involved thus far has been prying the packaging off the frozen chicken.  To make this recipe, just put frozen thighs in a crockpot, sprinkle with garlic salt, and cook on low all day.  Then, an hour or so before dinner, throw a cup of rice in the crockpot with all the chicken juice.  I’ll be interested to see how it turns out, and I’ll be sure to report back to you!

In addition to catching up on copywriting work, I plan to get the house clean and rearrange the office so it is a hybrid office/playroom.  That will allow us to get some of the toys out of the living room, keeping it looking neater, and it will also give Bear a place to play close by while I work, maybe letting me get a little more done when he’s around.

I’ll also be working on coming up with a schedule that will allow me to keep the house cleaner by doing just a little bit each day.  I have several ideas in the works, and I just need to tweak some of the schedules I found to fit my needs.  I’ll share that with you–as long as the model schedules–as soon as I get it figured out.

I also used to work out, believe it or not, even though I haven’t done much of anything for exercise since I got pregnant in Feb. 2008 (if I was going to get fat anyway, why bother, right?).  Well, the excessive flabbiness is starting to get to me, so I’m going to also try to figure out how to incorporate working out into my already packed schedule.

I was also thinking we’d use this week to start potty training, but after the marvelous start we’re off to in the last two hours, I’m thinking I may give up before lunch.

Finally, my favorite plan for Spring Break?  Duran Duran in concert!  Did I just tell you how old I am?  Doesn’t matter . . . I’m inordinately excited.

What are you doing for Spring Break?