Is it Ever Ok to Bribe your Kids?

How do you get your children to do what you want them to? What do you do to encourage them to do certain things and to refrain from doing other things? Many parents have, at least sometimes, resorted to bribing their children. Is that necessarily a bad thing? Is it ever ok to bribe your kids? New findings reveal some interesting answers to these questions. First, it would be helpful to figure out what a bribe is (and what it isn’t). Author Ellen Perry points out that there is a continuum to be aware of. Motivation is one one end, … Continue reading

Preparing For Labor

Like all good things, each pregnancy will come to an end. What awaits at the end of pregnancy? Labor and delivery. While I am a firm believer in not telling labor stories to anyone who is pregnant, I am also a firm believer in being prepared for the experience of labor. Preparedness for labor is less about which childbirth class you take or which technique you plan to use than it is about having made a plan for how you would like to proceed. At its most basic, preparing for labor includes talking to your health care provider and getting … Continue reading

Small Changes That Could Boost Your Productivity

If you have been working from home for a while, it is likely that you have settled into a comfortable work routine. Perhaps you start each “shift” in the same way, or you have a pattern of doing tasks in a certain order. Routines can be wonderful and they can help to keep you on track. Sometimes, though, you can find ways to adjust your routine in order to become even more productive. A couple of ideas for adjustments that you could make to your work day fall under the general topic of doing less and accomplishing more. I know … Continue reading

Another Great Thing About Working From Home

Last week, my colleague Stephanie Romero wrote an excellent post about working from home while sick. I wholeheartedly agree that there is so much to appreciate about working from home when you are not feeling well. Home-based professionals can get the rest that they need when they need it, make themselves comfortable, and get things done during their sick days as they are able to. Additionally, we do not have to worry about getting other people at the office sick if what we are sick with is something contagious like a flu or stomach bug. Home-based professionals are also able … Continue reading

Planning Ahead For Busy Times

Everyone knows the old saying, “when it rains, it pours”. When you have a home-based business, rain is a good thing. As the owner and operator of your home based business, you are also the one responsible for attracting clients and customers. This is known in the business world as being a rainmaker. Sometimes, your rainmaking activities produce a deluge of work. That is a beautiful thing – if you have a plan in place for handling a sudden increase in interest in your products or services. Here are a few tips for making sure that you do not get … Continue reading

A Notch On My Championship Parenting Belt

I am having a flashback to a conversation I had on my daughter’s last day of middle school. I was talking to her 2nd grade teacher and we were laughing about moments he had experienced with her. He was her very first teacher because I had homeschooled her through 1st grade. She was extremely shy and quiet, hardly ever talked. She has been that way through most of her time at that school. We were both reflecting on how fast time had flown by with her now entering high school. Then he remarked how his daughter (who is now grown) … Continue reading

Squeezing in Exercise When You Sit All Day

Sitting all day long is not good for your health. So if you work in an office or any type of job where you are sitting for long periods of time, you will need to get creative. Since I work from home, spending several hours most days of the week writing, it can be very easy to get comfortable and stay comfortable. I used to workout before I started my assignments. I figured it was better to get it out of the way but now I have changed things up. I try to get in 30 to 40 minutes of … Continue reading

Showing Appreciation to Your Spouse

Sometimes life can get in the way of appreciating your spouse. You go through each day doing basically the same thing. It isn’t until something different happens, that we sometimes realize how blessed we are to be married. That came to me this past weekend when I went away for three days to a writer’s conference in North Carolina. I have never been out of state, away from my husband. It was a little uncomfortable to be on my own figuring out flights and what gate I needed to be at. I have always relied on my husband for this. … Continue reading

How to Keep Pets Off Furniture

I decided I liked everyone on the sofa more than off We might love our pets but that doesn’t mean we want to let them go anywhere they want in the house. For example, both my cat and my dog aren’t allowed upstairs because I’m a light sleeper and they tend to keep me up by making a lot of noise in my bedroom. Far more common, however, is the practice of keeping your pets off of your furniture. Unless you’re willing to spend either the time or money to properly groom your pet or have a professional do it … Continue reading

Fitness in Your 40’s

Well, we have looked at fitness in your 20’s and 30’s and now we are on to my personally favorite decade, the 40’s. I don’t exactly know what it was about turning 40 but it felt great. For me, this is the decade where I began to get much more serious about fitness. I realize it would have been beneficial to get an earlier start but what I am learning about this decade is that it’s never too late. I have found yoga to especially be beneficial, which has helped in improving my posture and gaining flexibility. But in your … Continue reading