Staples Invention Quest

Today’s blog entry is for all of you stay-at-home, working moms and mom inventors: Amy Sanderson, a mom from NH and a mother of three — entered her “Stash and Store File Folder” in the Staples Invention Quest. And guess what? She was named one of the top five finalists in this nationwide contest! To see the finalists and cast your vote for another ingenious mom, go to:

www.staples.com/iq.

You can vote once per day now until April 20th. GOOD LUCK AMY!

Today’s Baby O’Blog Quote: “To invent, you need a good imagination and a pile of junk.” Thomas A. Edison (1847-1931).

24-hour Day Care

I saw something this week (either on the news or online) about these 24-day care centers that are popping up.  I guess they are primarily for working parents who work outside the home, but I thought it was an interesting concept as they mentioned that many parents (especially moms) are now working “non-traditional” hours.

I don’t see myself dropping Owen off at a day care center at say, 8pm, so I can sleep and get some work done…but I found the whole idea of an industry popping up around non-traditional work hours an interesting one.

I’m actually considering some “in house” day care when the new year starts.  Someone just to help me with Owen while I’m here at home working a few hours each week.  That way I sort of have “oversight” but I can hole up in my office and not have to worry that he’s tearing the house apart unsupervised.  I think for me (and maybe for a lot of work-at-home moms) the key may be an extra hand a few hours a week (if you can swing it) combined with the non-traditional hours (for me its 3:30-6:00am most mornings.)

On another (but related topic) — I know some folks are probably interested in how the product development/invention side of things is going as well, so I promise to devote some blog time to that in the next few weeks too.  I’ll get to it, say, around 3:30 am one morning….

In the meantime, Happy Thanksgiving!  And thanks for reading!

Today’s Baby O’Blog Quote: “As we express our gratitude, we must never forget that the highest appreciation is not to utter words, but to live by them.”  ~John Fitzgerald Kennedy

The Great TV debate

For those of us that are home the majority of the week with the kids, the TV can be a blessing and curse.  Its easy to get sucked into the “TV trap,” especially if you have toddlers in the 2-3 year old range.  For them, TV can be like a drug.

There was an interesting article out this week that talks about the love-hate relationship that moms, especially, have with the TV.

http://www.cnn.com/2006/HEALTH/11/10/par.moms.tv/index.html

My own personal view on the great TV debate is sort of like my view on every other debate — I’m somewhere in the middle.  I’m not a die-hard “no TV at all” mom, but you’re not going to find me on Dr. Phil either, asking for help because my kid is watching 8-10 hours of tube a day and I don’t know what to do about it.

For me, its “everything in moderation.”  Owen likes to watch the WIGGLES, and sometimes when he wakes up he’ll ask for them, “Wig-gles…wig-gles…”  But other mornings he could care less.   At 8am Curious George comes on (“George!”) and most mornings he’ll watch that (1/2 hour.)   After that, the TV goes off, but sometimes if he’s interested I’ll let him watch Sesame Street (usually I’ll ask him if he wants to watch it or not…he’s usually pretty honest and doesn’t have much interest except for Elmo and the occasional letter of the day, especially if its X.)

On mornings when we go to playgroup (Tues/Thurs) he usually just watches George (1/2 hour) and then we come home for lunch and a nap.  Very rarely is the TV on in the afternoon.  At 5pm he’ll start asking for the news (seriously) which I sometimes turn on.  Around here George is on again at 5pm, so if he asks I’ll let him watch it.  And right before bed he gets to watch 5-10 minutes of his beloved Bob the Builder.

The TV can be a great relief when you’re working at home or (late in the day) trying to get dinner started.  I sort of feel like if I’m too militant about any one thing (TV included) its going to backfire on me somehow.  There are days when he watches no TV, and there have been days that he’s “lost” his TV privileges (ie: no Bob before bed) for acting up.

He’s getting pretty savvy about the TV and the particular shows he likes.  He loves Thomas the Train too and will sometimes ask for “train, train.”  Don’t try to put Percy in when he’s asked for James, though — that’s when the trouble begins.  But generally I’ll gauge what kind of day he’s having, if he’s watched any morning shows and whether I think he’ll benefit from the program he’s asking for.

Again, I try not to get myself too worked up about it.  I have more important things to worry about.

Today’s Baby O’Blog Quote: They say that ninety percent of TV is junk.  But, ninety percent of everything is junk.  ~Gene Roddenberry

My Household Standards

Awhile ago I posted an entry about “loving the mess.”  I haven’t really learned to “love” our mess so much as embrace and accept it.  When you have a toddler running around the house, it really is a given that the place is going to look like a hurricane hit it about 99.9% of the time.

I have the same take on housework.  We go for the “illusion” of clean around here.  Could the house be cleaner?  Sure.  Am I going to stress out about it?  No way.

I wouldn’t say its about lowering my standards so much as it is about making choices.  I’ve got a kid to keep healthy and happy and work to do while I’m at home.  Housework is running a distant third at this point.  I do what I can every day (usually I’ll run the dishwasher and washing machine at least once a day) but I can’t remember the last time the kitchen floor saw the underside of a mop. 

Oh, and I’m fairly certain the Easy-Off under the sink has expired.

I try to do a few chores each day so I don’t get overwhelmed, but its more about maintenance than anything else.  And I figure a few germs are good for Owen.  (There IS such a thing as TOO clean….at least, that’s what I like to tell myself!)  The house is kept-up, but not spotless, and everyone has clean sheets, towels, clothes and dishes. 

The rest can wait.

If the mess is really driving you crazy try enlisting some help (mom-in-law, hubby, etc.) and spend a Saturday going full throttle at it.  When Owen was about 6 months old I had a Saturday like that…just me, the mop, the vaccuum cleaner and roll of paper towels for 4 hours straight. 

I think that was probably the last time I dusted.

Today’s Baby O’Blog Quote: “Cleaning your house while your kids are still growing is like shoveling the walk before it stops snowing.”  ~Phyllis Diller, Phyllis Diller’s Housekeeping Hints, 1966

Flex Time

My time at home is constantly “flex time.”  What I mean is that I’m not only working flexible hours (also known as: in the middle of the night or 5:00am) but that my day — and schedule – are always shifting.  Hence the need to be flexible.

I hear from a lot of moms on the email about how they make it all work.  I think its hard to find what works for you and your family without at least a little trial and error.  A schedule is definitely something to strive for, but its important to not be TOO rigid either.  Some days Owen doesn’t cooperate (mostly on a day that I REALLY need him to take a nap, when I’ve scheduled a conference call for instance.)  But there have been countless days where he HAS cooperated — a nap right on cue at 11:15 just in time for that 11:30 call — that I really can’t complain.

We have a schedule, more or less, for the week which includes 1) work time for me 2) play time for Owen 3) housework and occasionally 4) dinner for my husband.  I think being flexible with the schedule (both when it comes to work, and with Owen) has helped keep me sane. 

I also have learned to be more flexible with the day-to-day household stuff.  Like cleaning the bathroom for example.  I was a die-hard-once-a-week-on-Sundays bathroom cleaner up until 2 1/2 years ago.  But my husband works every other Sunday and so we’ve adapted.  Now I’m a once-every-other-week-when-my-husband-is-off-to-watch-Owen bathroom cleaner.

It works for us.

For me the key to getting (and staying!) organized was a schedule that worked for us, that changes when circumstances dictate.  I’ve learned to roll with the punches.  I think if you’re a working, stay-at-home mom, you have to!

Here’s a quote about Yoga that I thought was relevant for today!  Thanks for reading!

Today’s Baby O’Blog Quote:  Blessed are the flexible, for they shall not be bent out of shape.  ~Author Unknown

Working at Home: The Constant Struggle

Someone sent me an email “forward” about a week ago…it started out looking like it might be a joke (as in “ha-ha funny”) but it ended up being of those “ain’t that the truth!?” type emails. 

The wife/mother says to her husband that she’s tired and going to bed…on her way she picks up the toys and clothes off the floor, sees a button is off a sweater, pulls out a needle and thread, sews it on, etc.  The husband says, “I thought you were going to bed…”  She says, “I am…”  but then on her way she stops in the kitchen, empties the dishwasher, cleans the counter, etc. etc. 

This goes on for awhile…you get the idea.

At the end of the email is a note, something like, “send this to 10 women who do it all and then some every day…”

The constant struggle for me (for all of us, really!) is being CEO of the household on top of working at home.  Making it all work day-to-day can seem overwhelming at times.  My secret: I take help where I can get it (and if someone offers to do something for you – I suggest you TAKE THEM UP ON IT!) Its the little things like my husband asking me if I want him to go to the grocery store or being invited over to my sister’s for dinner.  Every little bit helps.

If you don’t have anyone nearby that you can call on for help from time to time, try looking for a Mommy & Me or playgroup at your local library.  Ask around.  If you attend Church, look at the bulletins and see if there is anywhere you can begin to meet people with kids about the same age, and socialize. 

If you can start to build a network, the struggle just may become that much less constant.

Today’s Baby O’Blog Quote:“I do the very best I know how – the very best I can; and I mean to keep on doing so until the end.” Abraham Lincoln

My Pick for Website Stats: Google Analytics

Lots of us that work at home have a website of some sort — for many its a “professional” site (related to what we do while working at home); still others maintain a “personal” site with photos, blogs, pictures of the family, etc. 

Either way, chances are you like to have a sense of “hits” to your site – when folks are visiting, how they found your site in the first place, etc.  My number one pick for stats: Google Analytics.  http://www.google.com/analytics/

I should tell you that it took me something like three or four months to get a password to sign up — Google Analytics was (and still is) extremely popular, and the Google folks were scrambling to keep up with the demand (believe it or not, its FREE!)  I’m not sure what the waiting period is now, but I can tell you it was well worth it.

Now that I’m “in”, every day I get a report of the activity on the website.  I see, for example, what Google terms people have used to find my site.  (Just as an example, this past week I noticed “lorraine warner ny.”)  In this example I was able to backtrack through to see what IP/Network this search term originated from.  Sometimes the data is available, and sometimes it isn’t.  In general I like to see what networks or servers have accessed the site, as it gives me a sense of who might be on, and when, and from what part of the country the “hits” are coming from.

Other useful reports include how many visits per “network” (or location) and how long visitors stayed on the site – it helps to know if I’m capturing people’s attention!  I’m still trying to analyze the wealth of data Google Analytics provides, but so far I’ve been pretty happy with the results.

Every day I keep track of the hits, as well as where they originated from, and who the possible visitors are (I can usually tell friends, family and acquaintances from the location and network used.)  Referring source is also helpful (like any hits through the Jobs For Moms website, where I have two published articles.)

The only down side are the hits from “undesirables…”  That is, folks you don’t want viewing your site.  Just as an example, there are people that comb the web looking for sites that have email addresses listed prominently.  They compile these email addresses (which are “good, workable” addresses) for spammers.  I’ve seen my spam email increase ten-fold in the last month or so. 

At least Google Analytics helps me to identify these possible “undesirables.”  I need to look into whether I can block my site from those I don’t want viewing it.  (If employers can block which sites employees view at work, can’t I do the same in reverse?)

I’ll have to tackle that one in all my free time.  In the meantime, though, Google Analytics has been extremely helpful so far.  I look forward to using it for a long time to come!

Today’s Baby O’Blog Quote:  “Computers are useless. They can only give you answers.” Pablo Picasso.

Moms: The Chief Energy Officers

Every mom out there, whether you are a stay-at-home, work-at-home, or working mom deserves the title “Chief Energy Officer.”  I kind of like that title….the CEO’s of Fortune 500 companies got nuthin’ on us.

People often ask me how I get everything done…some days I’m really not sure.  I’ve said before — scheduling is key.  (Housework and sleep are, of course, optional.) 

But on those days when you can no longer avoid the necessary housework try squeezing in a few chores (one or two a day) during times when the kids are otherwise occupied.  Lunchtime? Load the dishwasher.  Watching Sesame Street?  Throw in some laundry.  Coloring? Playing with blocks?  Think about starting dinner.

You get the idea.

Almost without exception I save “naptime” and “bedtime” for “work time.”  Occasionally I’ll do some laundry or another quick chore but I really find that I’m most productive (work/writing-wise) when I can have 1-3 blocks of uninterrupted time to, well, work at home.

Being Chief Energy Officer is a lot of work, but its worth it!  And I’ll continue to share my tips for “getting it all done” as long as folks are interested.  Thanks for reading!

Today’s Baby O’Blog Quote:  “A mother is a person who seeing there are only four pieces of pie for five people, promptly announces she never did care for pie.” – Tenneva Jordan

Working at home IS working!

I don’t think a lot of people really realize that when I’m home, I’m working. My husband got a call not too long ago from a work colleague who said to me when I answered the phone, “…so, off today?” To which I replied, “No…I’m working!”

Every day is a constant struggle, but its one I’m slowly winning.

Each day I carve out my 4-6 hours of work time (early morning, naptime, or after bed) and stick to my list as to what needs to get done. If there are some grant writing deadlines coming up, I focus on those first. And of course I always spend a good part of my day on several high-level tasks and power decisions for The Baby Owen Company.

And I make sure to constantly remind anyone that will listen that, “yes…I AM working while I’m at home!”

Of course, some things do suffer. Mine isn’t the cleanest house (I’d call it “clean-ish.”) Back when I used to watch TV I saw an episode of Roseanne where her husband Dan was in charge of rounding up the kids to clean. “Remember,” he said, “we’re going for the illusion of clean.”

Yup. I hear ‘ya Dan.

Today’s Baby O’Blog Quote: “The phrase “working mother ” is redundant.” -Jane Sellman-

The Two Things I Can’t Live Without…

…besides the love of my husband and son, of course, are my LAPTOP and my CELL PHONE.

Often I’ll get asked for “tips” that I can pass along to other moms that work from home.  My advice — invest in a laptop with wireless internet connection, and use your cell phone as a “work” number.

Having these two things has increased my productivity ten-fold.  I can make and receive client or business calls wherever I am with Owen — in the car, in the yard, at the playground.  (Provided its not too loud, that is.)  I make sure to always have pants or shorts with pockets — I keep my cell phone in one pocket and a piece of paper and pen in the other.  That way I can take notes while on a call or jot down messages if I need to return the call later.  And don’t forget that headset!  Its a great help while pushing the stroller around and makes talking on the phone much easier, especially if you have to take notes.

My other “can’t live without” item is my laptop.  We invested in a moderately priced Dell notebook; I also purchased a router, and wireless mouse.  We had the high-speed (cable) internet already, so it was just a matter of hooking everything up.  My office computer acts as my “server,” so I can access work documents as long as I’m in range.  I don’t HAVE to be in the office.

Together my laptop and cell phone have given me (literally) hours of extra work time at home.  I can check and return email without having to bring Owen into the office with me, and I can even work on small projects.  Several times a week I’ll make and receive phone calls on my cell, as long as its relatively quiet.  And instead of waiting for naptime to roll around, I can get a few things done and save naptime for the “real” work of research and writing.

Today’s Baby O’Blog Tip: If you can afford it, let technology help you be a more productive “working, stay-at-home” mom!