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How to Work from Home and Stay Happy!

I am self-employed and I work from home. It’s both a blessing and a curse. I think most people who’ve never worked from home think it’s great (I know I did). And the truth is, most days I love it. I like the freedom, flexibility and independence.

But there are a lot of challenges as well. It can be socially isolating and it requires a lot of willpower (there are a lot of distractions at home… mainly my cozy bed and the TV). I think in order to work from home effectively and happily, you need to set some perimeters. Otherwise, you might find you’re lonely, inefficient and longing for the office life. I don’t actually follow all of these rules… but I strive to.

Get ready EVERY day

It’s really easy to just crawl out of bed, shovel some food into your mouth and sit down at your computer for the day. Next thing you know your husband is home, there’s a half-eaten cake by the computer and you haven’t showered (again). If you don’t get ready, you will start to feel bad. When I first started working from home I was militant about this rule and the truth is… I’ve been sliding. That’s why it’s number 1.

BEFORE

(ok, an exaggerated before… I brushed my hair for effect)

AFTER

Fail to plan and you plan to fail

I have several clients that I work for in a day, so for me it’s really important to break my day into sections and stick to that allotted time. It gets too confusing to track your time (or to keep your concentration) if you’re hopping from project to project. If I’m writing, I close my email and ignore the phone. If I’m available, I login to Skype so people know they can reach me. Of course, there are always urgent situations, and rules are made to be broken. This is also important with your evenings. I find it hard not to work in the evenings. Try to limit your hours to feel like a workday (it doesn’t have to be 9-5… but maybe it’s 6-11am and then 8-10pm). Otherwise, it feels like you’re always working.

Anti-social hermit, anyone?

If you have the opportunity, make a phone call instead of sending an email. Or, arrange to have a lunch date instead of a video call. Human interaction is very important. If you know someone else who works from home, you can meet up and work somewhere together. Even a few video calls in a day help make it feel like you’ve interacted with someone. If you’re starting to feel stir crazy (“I haven’t left my house in 3 days”) go work from a coffee shop or meet up with a friend.

* I google image searched “photo of anti social hermit”, and it just came back with a bunch of normal looking people.

A Place to call your own

Sadly, I don’t have this luxury because I live in a one-bedroom apartment. So, during the day I work at my kitchen table and in the evening (once my husband is home), I work from my bedroom. If you can create a space for yourself, do it. Right now… I’m writing this post from the couch. I will regret it later when I have sore shoulders.

My “Home Office”

(aka The Kitchen Table) Example of what NOT to do

There are some shared workspaces popping up in cities for an alternative to the home office (Halifax has a place called The Hub that looks pretty dandy). But, I think if you follow these rules most of the time, you’ll find working from home to be very satisfying. Do you work from home? What are your tips and tricks for making it work?

Avoiding Second Child Syndrome in Your Second Child, the Easy Way

Thinking about a second baby, perhaps? Or a sixth? Truth is, you don’t tend to need a whole lot the second time around, provided your kids are relatively close in age and you still have non-expired carseats and cribs and whatnot.

But there’s still one investment families adding a new baby may want consider.

It offers years of enjoyment to the whole family, and is an opportunity to develop a whole new set of skills. More, it may save you years of “you didn’t love me as much!” from the younger child(ren).

You can avoid the terrible, horrible trauma of dreaded Second Child Syndrome with one very important purchase: a good camera.
***

I was unpacking box number oh, twelve hundred of the hundredy-million we seem to have moved with.

My children were “helping,” which, with preschoolers tends to translate into romping gleefully in whatever mess we might be trying to organize. They bring enthusiasm to their work, I’ll give them that.

Suddenly, though, the box had their rapt attention. We’d happened on two identical red photo books, plus a matching storybook. My son, almost six, greeted them like long-lost friends: the storybook had been a favourite of his a few years back. Half his life ago, yet he remembered it.

Image credit: author Debra Frasier’s website.

And anything he thinks is cool, his little sister is willing to try.

They pounced on the photobooks. They’re versions of the storybook, but with a condensed narrative and room for personalization: names, info, photos to be inserted. Oscar marvelled over the sight of his tiny footprints, his first look at the world.

Josephine opened hers, and frowned. A clipping from the newspaper announcing her arrival. Her full name, printed in my most careful handwriting, in the front.

Not another thing.

No footprints. No first snuggle with mama.

I remembered buying it, seeking it out to make sure they had a matched set. I’d checked all over town for a copy to match Oscar’s, and finally it ordered from Amazon. I remembered most distinctly my feeling of deep satisfaction when it came in the mail.

At which point I apparently shoved it on a shelf. I’d never printed a single photo for it.

I gaped at my beloved second child, mortified. She gazed back at me. I could see it in her eyes: the uncertainty, the seeds of a complex Dr. Freud would trace directly back to me someday.

Second Child Syndrome in the making. I cringed.

And I then laughed out loud and gathered her in my arms and said, Honey, I think you’re big enough now to make your special baby book with me.

We did that, this week. It’s beautiful. She loved it, and gloried in it.

Baby has a book, now. Every child deserves a book.

Saved. We hope.
***

I am the only child of an only child.

When I was a little girl, I remember being baffled by the ease with which my friends’ families acknowledged the disparity that comes with birth order. Older children won in the attention economy, younger children in the freedoms department. Handmedowns were par for their course, but they seemed to get more candy.

What they didn’t get was display. Photo albums. Baby books.

Oh, Jodi? I remember a friend’s mom saying, when I mistook a framed photo montage of said friend’s elder sister as her. Jodi’s the third kid. She’s lucky we have any photos of her at all.

I was horrified, mostly on Jodi’s behalf. I swore to myself that when I became a mother – to seven beautiful daughters, or so went the plan, back in fourth grade – I’d treat all my children with perfect equity. They would know they were loved by the care lavished on their representational selves.

Yes, you can laugh at me now.

By the standards of my ten-year-old self, I am a total parenting FAIL.
***

Truth is, though, when I became the proud parent of a second child, I didn’t entirely forget my own childhood sympathy for younger kids.

Dave & I did one smart thing when Josephine was born. We did it right before the sleep deprivation really kicked in and rendered us senseless for the year or two following. Okay, three.

(Okay, she’s three-and-a-half, and I still hadn’t printed photos. Mea culpa. But it’s the digital age, folks: her Flickr account is extraordinary).

And that’s the thing. We HAVE photos to fill that baby book, and ten more. Gorgeous ones, in fact.

Because the month that she was born, we stumbled on the realization that all parents of multiple children should be gently prodded towards. We thought, Hey. We already have all the baby stuff. What does a second child actually need? Well, love. And maybe a few pictures of herself to look back on in the fullness of time and know that she was a wonder in herself, never ever second fiddle.

They should seriously hand this advice out in the hospital, for anybody having a second, or third, or seventeenth baby.

Don’t want to make your precious child feel less special than the first one you took a zillion pictures of?

NOW IS THE TIME TO BUY A DECENT CAMERA, FOLKS.

When Josephine was a week or so old, still wee and fuzzy, we found a DSLR camera on sale. It took photos so crisp, you could see the downy baby fluff on her arms. It caught moments that the point-and-shoot we’d had when Oscar was a baby would never have captured. And being able to catch the magic of her tiny-bird self was almost as captivating as she was, so I took literally hundreds of shots. We have more – unprinted, admittedly, but more – of Josephine than we actually ever had of her brother.

The spring after she was born, for Mother’s Day, Dave got me the “nifty fifty”: a 50mm portrait lens that absolutely anybody and their cat can take decent pictures with. All you need is light. And practice. Luckily babies are patient. And cute.

YOU SHOULD GET ONE OF THOSE TOO, PEOPLE. IT TAKE PICTURES LIKE THIS. PRACTICALLY BY ITSELF.

The nice thing about DSLRs is that lots of people learn to use them so well, they actually upgrade. Now, I will never need to upgrade, as I still don’t know how to utilize half the capacity my camera came with, but some people are more diligent than I. (Or talented. Whatever. They probably also put their children’s baby pictures in albums before they’re three.)

But when they upgrade, they often sell their cameras. There are good – even new – DSLR cameras for sale on almost every regional used site, at almost any time. Usually for about half the store price, or not much more than the cost of a, say, new stroller system, or crib, or any of the other things many families already have by the time baby #2 rolls around.

Think about it. Isn’t it worth saving all the expense of therapy for Second Child Syndrome, later?

Just my type

Sure, technology is great. I’m not a total techno-nut, but I admit it has its advantages. The on-demand, right-here, right-now environment we inhabit certainly is convenient, but sometimes it’s no replacement for good, old-fashioned craftsmanship. I was reminded of this a few weeks ago when I attended Letterpress Love – a letterpress seminar put on by Articulate Ink and hosted by The Graphic Designers of Canada Saskatchewan South chapter at Regina’s Creative City Centre.

According to Wikipedia, letterpress printing is defined as, “relief printing of text and image using a press with a “type-high bed” printing press and movable type, in which a reversed, raised surface is inked and then pressed into a sheet of paper to obtain a positive right-reading image.” Basically, you’re pressing the image or letter into the paper, with ink. The result is so much nicer than the often flat, sterile things we can all make on our inkjet printers.

At this event we made our own Valentine cards, using two different letterpresses. The process was fascinating and the resulting pieces even more so – the Valentines had texture, character and a tactile characteristic you just don’t get with store-bought or computer-made Valentines. It’s funny that even with everyone using the same type sets, the differences you could get with finished products just by using more or less ink, stacking paper or positioning the paper differently was striking. The cards had a warmth and personality that reflected the person making it – a nice touch for something as personal as a Valentine.

The event itself was just a great opportunity to look back at the importance of craft with a bunch of great people. It’s made me want to look at other things I easily produce and how I can apply old methods to create something special that stands out among all the new “everything” out there.

Thanks to The Graphic Designers of Canada Saskatchewan South chapter, Regina Creative City Centre and Articulate Ink for an awesome evening. I look forward to more. Not in Regina? Take a look in your own community for events like this – trust me, you’ll love it.

If you want to see more about the event or the process, watch the video below:

Top Ten Things You Forgot You Had: Spring Cleaning Edition

Spring cleaning isn’t just about keeping up appearances. You might have a spotless foyer and dust-free living room, but what’s inside your closet and garage? Below are ten things you forgot you had and might want to get rid of — or maybe even turn into cash!

10) Baby Stuff

Newborn to 5T clothing haul via UsedPei

Are you still holding on to countless baby sweaters, shirts, pants, and shoes? No one is asking you to rush them out the door, but it couldn’t hurt to pick and choose the items that are particularly important to you and shed some extra weight.

9) Old Costumes

Is it unfashionable to wear the same Halloween costume two years in a row? Ask any costume snob and the answer will be a resounding “no!” Dig into the tickle-trunk and put a price tag on your Harry Potter and Twilight costumes… you won’t be needing them anymore.

8 ) Plant Pots

Various planters via UsedGatineau

Ceramic or terra cotta, plastic or cement, everyone with a green thumb has a plant pot or two that they just might need one day. Keyword: might. Think of the extra space you’ll have when you send them on their way.

7) Kids Sporting Goods

Sparring gear via @UsedNanaimo

You know that smell coming from the closet? It’s emanating from the sports equipment that your kids don’t fit into anymore. It can’t be vacuumed or washed, nor can it be Febreezed away. The only remedy is to pass it off to the arms of an up and coming athlete who doesn’t mind slipping into stinky gear.

6) Books

A couple of lovely encyclopaedias via UsedEdmonton

Aside from the gem or two that you can’t bear to part with, you’ve probably got loads of novels and novellas that absolutely must go. The underwhelming murder mysteries and the cheesy tales of romance are no exception.

5) Golf Clubs

Ladies golf clubs via UsedVictoria

Golfing is a sport for gentlemen and gentlewomen that is, unfortunately, very expensive and time consuming. It comes as no surprise then, that lots of those who try the sport aren’t ready to fully commit. If you fall into that category and you’re ready to reevaluate your decision, you may want to ditch the clubs for something for accessible.

4) Men’s Ties

7 wacky ties via UsedVictoria

Ties are often cited as a fantastic present for dads, and they are. Nevertheless, they will inevitably pile up over time, and every few years you may need to cleanse your rack of the ties that aren’t quite timeless enough to keep.

3) Unused Bicycles

Bike for sale via UsedPQB

Bikes are often one of those things that you use or you don’t. If yours is collecting dust, you may want to put it up for adoption. They always seem to be in high demand, so you’ll have no trouble getting a pretty penny for it.

2) Winter Jackets

Coveted Canada Goose jacket via UsedGatineau

Who doesn’t have five jackets in their closet they could do without? It’s not Summer yet, so pick your favorite and sell the rest before it’s too late.

1) Kids Toys

Motherload of babystuff via UsedVictoria

Have you seen the movie Gremlins? If you answered yes, then you’ll probably share my bewilderment at to why people willingly brought Furbies into their homes. If you answered no, then heed my advice and get rid of it asap. Furbies aside, kids toys are notorious for collecting dust. Your kids may think they’re out of style, but there are likely some out there that would love to get their hands on your lightly used playthings.

So, that’s a lot of stuff you can pass on to someone else and make a little coin in the process. Re-gift, donate or post it for free on your local Used Site. Win, win and win.