Summer is one of the most difficult seasons for entrepreneur moms. Juggling work with kids who need extra attention and outside playtime can make for some stressful days. You want to have fun, but you also know that the demands of business require your attention. Here are a few tips that will help you get through the summer and stay sane in the process.

1. Look For Ways To Add Passive Income.  Spend the time to create that ebook or program that runs without you.  Another way to create passive income is to get more involved in affiliate programs. Find programs that fit your audience and then offer these great products to them. They’ll thank you for it and you’ll make a little extra cash.

2. Enjoy Your Freedom.  In this day and age you can work almost anywhere. So, this summer don’t stay inside – hit the park and bring your laptop.  Head to the beach and write or proof documents there. Be sure to keep a running list of documents that you’ll need access to or take advantage of an online document service such as Google Docs so that your files can be reached from wherever you are.

3. Keep Marketing. The summertime can make you want to kick your feet up and relax, but don’t get lazy – and don’t believe the hype.  Yes, it can be slower in the summer, but it doesn’t have to be.  You can be out there marketing and growing your business while others lose ground.

4. Prepare for Summer Storms. Make sure you have back-ups of everything.  Consider an online back-up system such as Carbonite or Mozy in addition to flash drives.  If you live in a state that is prone to storms (such as Florida), consider a generator in case you are without power. Make sure you print out important contact information such as client information, passwords, etc.

5. Balance Your Schedule And Rely On Your To-do List.  Prioritize the work that needs to be done.  Keep in mind as many work-at-home moms, your kids will be around more and even if they are older kids, this can difficult and you can lose your focus.  But proper planning can help. So, start the summer off right by scheduling out your days – allowing some flexibility – and getting things done.

6. Treat Yourself To Training.  Summer is a great time to get the jump on extra training or attending networking events to grow your business.  Since many businesses do slow down in the summer, many offer incentives and discounts. Find a program that fits your budget and schedule and go for it!

These tips will help you enjoy your summer and get things done.

ABOUT THE AUTHORS:
Jill Hart and Diana Ennen are the co-authors of So You Want To Be a Work-at-Home Mom. Jill is the founder of Christian Work at Home Moms www.CWAHM.com and loves to help women find success from home. Diana Ennen is the President of Virtual Word Publishing, www.virtualwordpublishing.com. Diana has worked from home for over 25 years and is passionate about PR, Publicity and Marketing & helping others start their own virtual assistant business. Article is free to be reprinted as long as bio remains.

Working from home is a unique (and not always easy) way to make a living. You can spend all day talking to clients on the telephone, clinching a series of important business deals, and not one of them knows you’re still wearing your pajamas and fuzzy bunny slippers.

While you might not look as professional as your clients might think you are, your marketing materials still have to look as professional. After all, just because you can work from the confines of your bedroom doesn’t mean that you should advertise that to the whole world!

Some of the most successful people who work from home give clients the impression that they’re talking to them from a sleek office on the 23rd floor of a gleaming skyscraper. Part of this “illusion” means having marketing materials that reflect a professional persona, from business cards to flyers, brochures and custom letterheads. Printed marketing materials say a lot about your business – and you. Marketing materials that look homemade or slapped together just don’t cut it in today’s competitive business world.

You should professionally print your marketing collateral. Only design your own if you can make it look 100% professional. Nothing will put off a client more than a poorly designed website or homemade business card. You might think your three-year-old’s drawings are cute, but your clients probably won’t.

It’s estimated that more than half of all small businesses produce at least some of their own marketing materials. Yes, it cuts the cost of overhead, but homemade marketing materials can harm your image more than you think.

If you’re serious about your business’ success, get on the right track from the outset. Build your corporate identity now to showcase a professional image that will help distinguish you and your business from competitors.

Business cards say more about you and your business than anything else. Your business card is often the first thing a potential client sees, and first impressions count. Simple software packages such as Publisher can help you print basic business cards and newsletters, but for anything more complicated, like envelopes, it’s recommended to hire a professional designer. While you may balk at the initial cost, a good designer will help you set up templates that can be easily used later. Once you decide on a graphic together, take it to a professional printer to add to your stationery, business cards, envelopes, and letterheads.

Furthermore, as a work at home mother, the bulk of your correspondence is probably sent electronically. Many forget to “brand” their email with their logos, company names and addresses. And, many online tutorials will give you step-by-step instructions on converting your custom letterhead to a Word document.

More Tips for Looking Professional

Professional marketing materials are just one way to project a professional image when you work from home. Here are some more ideas:

• Get a separate phone line. Nothing can make you lose credibility more than having your six-year-old pick up the phone when you’re in the middle of clinching a big deal.
• Learn how to lock your computer – and your office. This will help you avoid embarrassment if all your files are “accidentally” deleted by a child, or if you show up to give a big presentation to find all your business trend slides have been replaced by Hello Kitty pictures.
• Set up important conference calls when the baby is napping and the kids are at school. If that’s not possible, try to have another adult around to take over in case a crisis happens.
• Schedule meetings outside your house. Even if you are meeting up with a potential client for a quick cup of coffee, resist the temptation to invite him/her over – at least until the deal is done.

Working from home can be a difficult, not to mention having to juggle your family with your schedule. Having professional marketing materials, from custom letterheads to professionally designed business cards, flyers and brochures, can make all the difference to the professional image you project, and your client response.

About the Author:  Jessica Wiener is a specialist in custom letterhead and online printing. When she is not writing for Print360.com, you can find her cooking up a storm in her kitchen.

Being part of this organization makes you really smart? Why? Because the world is changing although our God isn’t!

Jill Hart is a leader ahead of her time.  When CWAHM was founded our economy was booming, well kind of.  Job security wasn’t the oxymoron it has become now.  These two words “job security” are now in contradiction with each other.  Some of you will know that I am a British export!  I came to America to live, just three years ago, and since that time the economy has plunged but that isn’t all.

I listened to the BBC news today and heard that British experts are forecasting that the job market is going to decline even further.  Government is slimming down and shedding jobs and the private sector is not anticipating hiring up.  I think most companies are trying to maintain or increase their profitability whilst holding down staff costs.  I don’t think the situation is any different here in America.

What does this mean for us?  It means that the home based entrepreneur looks a lot smarter today than they did 5 years ago.  If you are a home-based business owner stand tall, breath deeply, and rejoice in the goodness of God leading you to take charge of your own affairs and being smart about it.

Did you know that the world’s leading poll company, Gallup, has just brought out research to say that the economic recovery won’t come from central government but from the ability of cities to encourage new entrepreneurs to be entrepreneurial.

So what can you and I do?  We can look for ways to create business solutions that meet genuine needs in our community.  That may mean you simple expand your business to allow others to participate or you seek God’s help in taking your business to the next level.  God is the master builder and He can inspire you and I to dream dreams in our mind, then to create a plan for the implementation of those dreams.  Someone has said “A goal is a dream with a deadline.”  I agree.  Dreams need to be earthed in the soil of planning, activity, review and consistency.

Today, be proud of the fact that you are an entrepreneur and making a difference in our world.  Work is a holy pursuit and I think I just heard God whisper in my ear “Congratulations.”  Maybe today He is saying that to you, too.  Be encouraged and, like me, thank God for CWAHM!

ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Jonathan Booth is the National Coach of the School of Entrepreneurship.  He is formerly the CEO of CARE for the Family in the UK, a sister organization to Focus on the Family.  Jonathan has led three Christian organizations and worked in over 50 countries.  He lives in Oregon with his wife, Karleen and an Aussie exchange student plus two dogs and has children and grandchildren in Indiana and London.

To Read This Week: Exodus 3 & Isaiah 6

Challenge: What do you need to trust God with this week? What step of faith do you need to take?

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I love email. I know it’s silly, but I truly love receiving emails – especially from women who are a part of my ministry, Christian Work at Home Moms. I love hearing what God is doing in their lives and how He is creating businesses out of the very fabric of who they are and the things that they love to do.

I received an email not long ago, however, that wasn’t nearly so encouraging. The woman was upset. She had been hurt by people during her work-at-home journey, she felt used and abused. She took that anger out on me. I was heartbroken as I read that email and felt this woman’s pain. My heart ached not just for the anger that she expressed, but at seeing the pain behind her words.

Words give us power. They allow us to communicate what God is teaching us. They give us the ability to share the joys and triumphs of life.

And yet, words can be used to wield another sort of power as well – the power to injure. We can so easily hurt others with the words that write and speak. I can think of countless times that I have spoken something without thinking – with no intention of hurting someone – and injured the person on the receiving end.

James 3:3 -6 tells us:

“Take ships as an example. Although they are so large and are driven by strong winds, they are steered by a very small rudder wherever the pilot wants to go. Likewise the tongue is a small part of the body, but it makes great boasts.
Consider what a great forest is set on fire by a small spark. The tongue also is a fire, a world of evil among the parts of the body. It corrupts the whole person, sets the whole course of his life on fire, and is itself set on fire by hell.”

What a powerful statement that last line is. Read it again: “It [the tongue] corrupts the whole person, sets the whole course of his life on fire, and is itself set on fire by hell.” The words we speak can corrupt us if we choose to speak words that belittle others, hurt others or tear others down.

On the flip side, in Proverbs 31:26 we find out how a godly woman uses her words:
“She speaks wise words and teaches others to be kind.”

A woman who fears the Lord chooses her words carefully. She is calm and patient and thinks before she speaks, therefore she speaks “wise words.”

This is of such importance both as mothers and as businesswomen. We have the power to use our words to build up those who work for us, to make things right when a customer is dissatisfied, and to encourage and equip our children to live godly lives. The flip-side is true as well. We have the power to tear our children down, to complain about colleagues or customers, and to speak words that will do much more harm than good.

If I were to ask your family or friends if you are woman who speaks wise words or words that corrupt, how would they answer?

Let’s take some time today to evaluate the things that are coming out of our mouths. Let’s slow down and think before we speak. Let’s choose words that show our children our love for them even in the midst of frustration. Let’s reach out to our co-workers and colleagues and tell them that we appreciate them.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

I started my adventure in online work that could be done from home several years ago. But unfortunately, I didn’t get serious about it until this year. I started with survey sites and weeded my away through around 80 before I found several legit ones that truly pay. I am sure there are many more but I now don’t have the patience or time to do surveys for all of them.

Along the way I’ve found paid to click sites, paid to view videos, paid to do tasks and paid to “Like” pages on Facebook or post tweets on twitter sites.  There’s an entire world out there for micro-workers, as I like to call myself.  If you are in the market to be a contractor and have no real employer but yourself and work hard you can make a living working from home online. I must also say, I’ve met some really great people in this business and made friends, have great support and mentors. I would also recommend you get a PayPal account as well as an Alert Pay account. (You can always find me for help anytime on my blog – DreamzComeTrue.)

Terminology for online mircroworkers

• Micro-workers: Private Task Contractors/Virtual Office Assistants
• VOT – Virtual Office Assistant
• PTC – Paid to Click
• Affiliate Marketer / Affiliate – When you advertise approved ad’s for companies that pay you to do so
• Sweeper – When you do sweepstakes
• C.O.L.– Cash Out Limit
• Referral Specialist – Someone that works VERY hard to make money by referring people to sites under them so they make a profit off of the work of the person they referred.

So let’s start off with survey sites:

You need to know that survey sites are free. You should never have to pay to join and do a survey. They pay you. Most surveys sites also have paid tasks, videos, coupons and offers. When you do the coupons they pay you to use the coupons of your choice that you print out. Can’t beat that!  With survey sites you need to be patient as most companies have cash out limits. You will not always qualify for a survey and this all depends on the day, time and the type of survey etc., so you just never know. There is no guarantee you’ll qualify on a daily basis. Because of this I suggest using several sites to help stay busy and build money up in all of them. If on one site you don’t qualify you might on the next. With Sites like Swagbucks and Inbox I also have downloaded a tool bar that these companies will pay you to do your searches on. So instead of using maybe the Google toolbar you use Inboxes and they pay you for it. But each company has specifications on that as well. Most company’s offer referral rewards as well.  Be prepared for a ton of spam in this line of work as well. But maybe make a dedicated email just for work as if you would at any workplace. I go through my emails so many times a day that I just use one, but not recommended. It is time consuming and confusing.

Valid sites I use:

• Inbox Dollars: COL $30 and takes a month to get first check.
• Send Earnings (Inbox Dollars sister site): COL $30 and takes a month to get first check.
• Opinions Outpost : COL $30 paid by check within a few weeks of Cash Out.
• Talkback Surveys:  COL $25.00 paid to PayPal but you can also turn your money in for other offers such as donations and gift cards.
• Swagbucks: They pay with points that at some point will total as money. After 700 points I always cash out for $5.00 to be paid to my PayPal account.

Paid to click sites are very hard to find legitimate ones. I am still in the experiment process with these companies’s and already invested some money just to have the company shut down and disappear. Most paid to click sites you have to invest in order to make money worth your time. There is no company that will pay 1.00 or more to click on an ad for twenty seconds so don’t believe the hype. There are plenty of sites that have reviews and many sites that only do paid to click reviews. I wouldn’t trust any sites reviews as I have seen many pay people to post reviews. So definitely find a good trust worthy source outside of the actual site in question to research.  I personally use the method of entering the name of the company in the address bar and a ton of sites pop up usually many are reviews.

Virtual Office Assistants:  This line of business is awesome and booming if you have a home office set up. Most include phone (landline), head set, high-speed cable (not wifi), printer, fax, scanner, a computer and of course a quiet environment to be a virtual assistant. Most companies will list their specific requirements before you apply. There are data entry jobs that don’t require so much but are very hard to find legitimate companies. I have also found many bogus companies claiming to help you find the perfect job from home. I have personally applied for hundreds over the last year and no response at all but scam’s and spam. So as always read carefully and be safe on the net.

Here’s a site I recommend for legitimate online work from home jobs plus great support from other’s like us trying to make a living from home:  www. Cwahm.com

Paid Task Sites:  When it comes to paid task sites you can most def. use the survey sites to complete the tasks they offer. I prefer to use other sites that are just for paid tasks. These sites offer tasks by random employers and people who pay to have other’s complete tasks for them. Examples are posting an ad to Craigslist or voting on a picture in a contest. There can be Google tasks, twitter tasks, facebook tasks, sign up type tasks and the list goes on and on.

MicroWorkers – this one is my favorite so far. I use them hourly and try to complete ten tasks or more a day. I am paid weekly on the dot via Alert Pay. COL is $9.00 I think. I usually wait until I am over $10.00 because they do take a small percentage when you cash out.

Last, but not least, let me explain about affiliate working. I am fairly new to this but there is plenty of work out there for this line of business. Many companies, at the bottoms of their sites, list the word “AFFILIATES.” Here you can sign up and, if approved, they will pay you to advertise for them. Every site is a little different how they pay and what they expect.  Some sites, like BestBuy, have great benefits to being an affiliate with them.  I also use Adsense on my blog and as people click on ad’s and view them, they pay me. Some, like Bestbuy, pay commissions off of the sales made from your advertisement. So the limit of income is great if you are good at advertising. I would keep in mind that to go big with this there will be investments needed.

About the Author:  Sandra is single mother of three, two teenagers and a one year old. She graduated in 2011 with her AOSCJ and is currently pursuing her Bachelor’s Degree in Criminal Justice with Human Services. Sandra is a stay at home mom working from home online which has been her dream come true. She loves being home with her kids, being her own boss and working her own hours. Part of her passion is helping others and working from home she has been able to help others do the same. She enjoys the new people she meets in this line of business and learning something new every day. Sandra just started as a consultant with Scentsy and is excited about adding a new work from home opportunity to her list of many. On an average day she is being Mom, working, studying and if given the time she loves to shop!! For more on Sandra’s dream come true, please visit her blog.

An old year is fading and a new year is upon us again. Each year I go kicking and screaming into the New Year, and not because I am against change. My pants pocket is full of change.

I simply cannot remember to change the year on the checks I write until May. By the time, I remember the correct year I have forgotten to make deposits into my checking account. I need a reality check, which with any luck will not bounce as high as my checkbook.

That is not the only reason I hesitate going into a new year. The biggest reason has to do with the mistakes I made during the old year.

Looking back over the old year, I worry that my blunders were not as bad as they could have been. Did I make all the gaffes I possibly could? Did I fill my quota? What is my quota, anyway? Read the rest of this entry »

‘Tis the season for many parties and celebrations! As I prepare for several of my own events with family and friends, I wonder just how far to go. Maybe one more appetizer here; we might need party favors there. Entertaining is fun and worthwhile when we fellowship with family and friends. Yet hosting these get-togethers can also become pretty expensive. Unless a large portion of our budgets are dedicated to entertaining – and the hidden costs that go along with it – this can really do a number on our bank accounts.

There are ways to host gatherings and enjoy guests without breaking the bank. People will remember how welcome they feel in our home or office, not how much money goes into the production. It’s important to be real with ourselves about what we can afford.

Here are a few ways I have found to entertain without blowing my budget:

1. Basket dinners: Make the meal potluck and ask everyone to contribute. I tell them the items I am preparing and ask them to fill in. Sometimes I choose a theme (Italian, Mexican, etc.) and ask everyone to bring their favorite dish to complement that theme. It is fun to see the variety of dishes everyone brings.

2. Ground beef vs. T-bones: I choose the meat carefully with my budget in mind. I buy meat on sale ahead of time and store it in the freezer, then plan menus accordingly. Less expensive types of meat can still be pretty tasty with a little creativity. I like to surf cooking websites for ideas.

3. Pinch those pennies: Stretch steak or chicken by cutting into strips instead of one large piece per person. Then add it to a pasta, rice, or potato dish. I also like to buy less expensive cuts of chicken in bulk, cook it with a big pot of veggies, and make my own chicken stock. After it cools I freeze the de-boned, chopped chicken and the broth in freezer bags. Then it’s ready to go when I need a quick home-cooked meal.

4. Timing is everything: Consider hosting a brunch instead of dinner. There are a lot of easy and economical make-ahead brunch recipes. This way the meal doesn’t require a high dollar meat or the last-minute rush of mashed potatoes and gravy.

5. Keep it bite-sized: Have a party where everyone brings their favorite finger food. Another fun option is to ask them to bring copies of the recipe to share. I provide the flatware, beverages, and venue.

6. After hours: Host get-togethers after mealtime and offer snacks or dessert, lemonade, and hot chocolate. Do something fun like an ice cream sundae bar. I provide vanilla ice cream and cups; everyone brings their favorite toppings. The same idea can work for sugar cookies and decorations, hot chocolate and add-ins, or plain cheesecake and garnishes.

7. Smart shopper: I browse post-season clearances for items like holiday paper plates, napkins, and tablecloths. These can be up to ninety percent off the original price. I store them in one place and make a habit of checking my holiday storage box before shopping for the next season’s party.

There are many variations on these ideas. The bottom line depends on your situation, the occasion, and the length of your guests’ stay. It’s not about the money you spend – it’s about making the memories.

What tips have you found helpful for entertaining on a budget?

ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Teresa Huff is a Development Consultant with a Master’s in Education. She works with schools and non-profit organizations to create a sustainable future for our community’s programs. Her services include grant writing and evaluation, strategic planning, curriculum development, and staff training. Stay tuned in 2012 for her upcoming book,Taking the Mystery out of Grant Writing. You can learn more at www.teresahuff.com

 The following is the preface from Daily in His Presence by Andrew Murray with Bruce Wilkinson:

“Why are so many Christians reluctant to spend time in prayer? If, on the human level, spending time in the company of a parent is normally something quite natural and enjoyable for a child, what is it that hinders God’s children from doing the same with their heavenly Father?

One answer could be that we are too focused on our human limitations, on our own meekness and sinfulness, and not enough on God’s greatness, holiness, love, and omnipotence. The thoughts and feelings that fill our hearts and minds influence our prayers. If we dwell upon our own needs and desires, our own efforts, and our own faith, we shall soon find that there is no real power in our prayers.

It is essential that we see prayer in the light of God: the deep interest He takes in us, the great love with which He desires to answer prayer, the omnipotence of His power, and the magnitude of His strengthening grace.

As with all else, in prayer God must be first. Prayer, to be effective, needs to first be approached in the light of heaven and the infinite glory of the living God. It is when, by this marvelous grace, we have been lifted up into His fellowship and love that He bestows upon us the blessings we need. The first thing, then, must be to bow in lowly reverence before God, offering Him our adoration and worship.

We need to take time to adore God and to secure some sense of His presence. Give God time to reveal Himself to you. Then adore Him. God is in the temple: Let all who appear before Him do so in awe. Prostrate yourself before Him with deepest reverence. Own Him alone as your God and Savior, and praise His name forever.”

Excerpted from Daily in His Presence by Andrew Murray with Bruce Wilkinson Copyright © 2011 by Andrew Murray with Bruce Wilkinson. Excerpted by permission of Multnomah Books, a division of Random House, Inc. All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher. 

 “When the night is the darkest, the stars shine the brightest.”

This simple proverb was shared with me in the midst of the darkest period of my life. Making one poor choice after another had me in a deep, deep hole. I dug that deep hole with my own disobedience, though I failed to see it that way. In my own warped view I was not to blame for the world crumbling down all around me.

My nights were so dark and my heart so hardened that rather than crying out to God for help I blamed him for “allowing” such terrible things to happen to me. At the time I failed to see that what I saw as obstacles in my path were really opportunities for positive choices.

With so much going wrong in my life I failed to see what was going right and what I had to be thankful for. Though I was wandering through the desert of disobedience God still had His hand on my life.

“When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and when you pass through the rivers, they will not sweep over you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned; the flames will not set you ablaze.” (Isaiah 43:2)

Hmmm…Even through the darkest nights, God?

“For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” (Jeremiah 29:11)

Seriously, God?!! What about all this stuff going wrong in my life?! How am I supposed to respond with everything going wrong in my life?!

“Give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.” (1 Thessalonians 5:18)

What about the tough times, God?

“Give thanks in all circumstances…”

What about in the times I hurt the most, God?

“Give thanks in all circumstances…”

You see, “all” is one of those comprehensive words. It is not a selective word. We are not to give thanks for what we deem as “thankable” in our lives. We are to thank God even when the word crumbles with bitterness as we speak it.

Through my darkest nights he taught me to be thankful and in my thankfulness I was able to finally look up and see the beauty of the brightest stars shining in the sky of my darkest night. He was there with me through it all. It is not for us to know why different things, good and bad, happen in our lives. Whether we know the purpose or not, whether things are good or bad, we are called to give thanks to God in ALL circumstances.

Now that I am walking in a wonderful relationship with our savior does not mean I have life figured out nor does it mean ‘bad things’ no longer happen. It does mean, though, that through it all I have learned to be thankful.

What are you thankful for today? Can you see the valleys God has brought you through as times to be thankful for? Can you see that our thanksgiving should not be reserved only for the mountain-top experiences in our lives? Thank God for ALL things.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:  Pebbles Jacobo loves a good adventure. Her time in Africa as a missionary is just one of the many adventures she has experienced. From her adventures, Pebbles found her love for challenges. Of course, in our ever-changing world challenges freely abound. After starting her own business working from home as a virtual assistant, Pebbles found herself thoroughly intrigued and fascinated with the world of social media. Her love of of social media has grown over the years and she now offers social media marketing to her clients. What better way to feed her need as a Facebook junkie and get paid for it! Connect with Pebbles on Facebook or on Twitter.

Do you feel like a success? As work-at-home moms it’s easy to get caught up in the “look what she has accomplished” mindset and fail to see all that God has done in our own lives and businesses. We need to shift our perspectives from  “what I want to accomplish” to “WOW! Look what God has done!”

Thanksgiving is upon us and this seems like the perfect time of year to think about how God sees you and your success. Do you believe that He wants you to succeed?

May he give you the desire of your heart and make all your plans succeed.

Believe it or not, the sentence above is a quote directly from Scripture – Psalm 20:4. If our hearts are right with God, we are on track for success in life. Now, this may not mean that each of us can be a millionaire, but it does mean that God wants to lead us down the path to success.

This proverb (see Proverbs 2:7) is a powerful reminder that our God is a God of justice. He “holds success” for the upright. Does that mean wicked people can’t be successful? No. We must look at the sentence following and be reminded that God is our shield – if we trust in Jesus. Only by trusting in the person and power of Jesus can we be seen as “blameless in God’s sight.” (1 Corinthians 1:8)

You see, God looks at us much differently than we look at ourselves. We see our sins, failures and shortcomings. However, when we believe in Jesus as our salvation, God sees us as blameless. What freedom there is in that truth!

There are other areas of life where we need a perspective change as well. You see, many of us, especially Americans see ourselves as poor.  We makes comments like, “I’m so broke.”  I’ve been guilty of this more times than I can count. But I recently had a wake-up call as to how God sees my financial status.

In his book Weird, pastor and author Craig Groeschel shares:

If you earn $37,000 a year, you are in the top 4 percent of all wage earners alive today – certifiably rich by anyone’s definition. If you make $45,000 a year or more, you are in the top 1 percent of wage earners in the world.

How many of us can say our family income is $37,000 or more a year? Many of us easily fit into even the TOP 1 PERCENT of wage earners worldwide. That is a staggering truth. That makes us not poor, but RICH in the world’s eyes….and in God’s eyes. Sadly, we believe we are poor because we do not manage our finances responsibly, nor do we share much of what we have with those in true need.

Anyone who has been stealing must steal no longer, but must work, doing something useful with their own hands, that they may have something to share with those in need.

Ephesians 4:28 reminds us that have a God-given responsibility to share. This Thanksgiving, let’s change our perspective. Let’s see ourselves for who we truly are – children of the King, co-heirs with Christ (Romans 8:17), people who have been given much and who need to look outside of ourselves and see the need that exists around us.

Let’s make this Thanksgiving a time of not only thanking God for what He’s given us, but going a step further and changing our lives to reflect our gratefulness.

When our beautiful newborn boy was transferred to a regional hospital, my husband and I felt lost at sea. A few hours later, we learned that our baby required immediate surgery at a university hospital 750 miles away. Without it, he would die. That news threw us overboard. We longed for someone who could come alongside and pull us out of the water. A book to chart a map through unfamiliar waters and assure us of God’s presence.

But our son was born in 1982 when pediatric medicine was a relatively new field. Families like ours were hard to find. Parenting books hadn’t been written. The internet didn’t exist. Over the next twenty years, even after the surgeries and medical procedures that corrected our son’s condition were over, my search for parenting resources yielded scant results. Eventually, I sensed God nudging me to come alongside young parents lost at sea like we had been, to create a map they could follow.

Different Dream Parenting: A Practical Guide to Raising a Child with Special Needs is that map. It’s a map for parents of kids living with medical special needs as well as conditions like Down Syndrome, juvenile diabetes, developmental delays, and autism, and those facing a terminal diagnosis. It guides parents by providing tools and resources they need to become effective advocates for their kids.

The book features interviews, advice, and resources from more than fifty families and two dozen professionals. With their help, the book addresses the situations parents face every day. Things I wish someone had told me, like:

• Asking questions after diagnosis.
• Dealing with insurance companies.
• Preparing a child for a hospital stay.
• Accessing financial resources and government monies.
• Accessing special education services.
• Determining optimum level of care.
• Mobilizing volunteers at home.
• Supporting the sibs.
• Preparing a child for death.
• Planning a funeral.
• Participating in community and church events.
• Creating a special needs trust for adult children with special needs.

In addition to practical advice, Different Dream Parenting tackles spiritual questions families are often afraid to ask. Questions about:

• God’s sovereignty
• Parental guilt
• Setting and maintaining spiritual priorities
• Grieving for children living with special needs
• Grieving the death of a child
• Passing faith on to children with special needs

Thirty day prayer guides in the appendices are for parents too exhausted to form their own prayers.

I remember what it’s like to be lost at sea, thrown overboard by an unexpected diagnosis, and drowning under a flood of caregiving demands. My goal is to put Different Dream Parenting into the hands of floundering parents so they have a map and know they’re not alone. To order the book, visit www.DifferentDream.com and click on the “buy the book” tab.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:  Jolene Philo has been a teacher for 25 years and has published numerous articles on parenting a special needs child and preparing children for a hospital stay. She is a regular contributor to a regional monthly women’s magazine, has spoken to MOPS groups, and is a commentator for Iowa Public Radio’s ‘Iowa Voices.’ She and her husband have two children and live in Boone, Iowa.

As a work at home mom, you are always juggling priorities. Sometimes it seems that there’s not enough time in the day to get everything done–but you must. You’ve got to juggle job responsibilities with raising your kids right and you also want to give enough time to your faith. How do you do it? Maybe these tips will help.

1. Put God First
Putting God first doesn’t mean neglecting your other responsibilities. It’s about recognizing the importance of your faith to getting the rest of your life under control. If you attend worship regularly and socialize with other Christians, you’ll be a happier and more balanced person, which will make it easier to manage everything else you need to do. Putting God first is also about making sure that your schedule allows time for faith based activities and letting everyone in your family know that these are fixed in your schedule – everything else has to flow around them, most of the time at least. Once you’ve established that, you can move on the next aspect of getting organized.

2. Set a Family Schedule
Efficient scheduling is the cornerstone of good work-life balance. You can schedule practically everything, though you don’t have to make it all public. Have a family calendar in a prominent place and include time for church, time for work and time for the kids’ extra-curricular activities. You can even include things like a weekly family meeting or movie night. That way, everyone will know what to expect.

You can also keep a private schedule for yourself. Many WAHMs struggle to find time to do the little things that keep family and social life ticking over smoothly - they’re too busy trying to earn enough money to feed the family, manage current bank accounts and pay off your credit cards. On your private schedule you can include items like ‘have a girls’ day with my daughter’, ‘call mom’, ‘treat son to an outing’. That way you’ll be sure not to forget anything.

3. Set Client Expectations
The whole point of working for yourself is being able to set your own hours. In the current always-connected environment, it might seem that the people you work for want 24/7 access to you. Newsflash! Just because that’s what they want, it doesn’t mean that’s what you need to provide. Decide in advance what hours a week you’ll be working and let your clients know. It’s that simple. Many WAHM’s make a full time income working part-time hours. It’s all about those expectations.

4. Set Income Targets
You’ll know better than anyone how much money you need to earn to fund the basics, and how much more you will need for the occasional extra. Add those up, along with money for tax and health insurance and you will know how much you need to earn overall. Once you have that target, you can set about achieving it. It’s always better to know what your goal is and you can plan the steps to get the income you need. And don’t forget about the power of prayer–perhaps yours will be answered with guidance on a new direction for your work at home business or a new client you’ve been trying to land.

5. Remember Why You’re Doing This
We’ve talked about managing work life, your schedule and your faith, but there’s one area we should still look at. The reason why you’re knocking yourself out to do it all is probably your kids. They need your time too, not just for supervising homework, but for cheering them on at activities, playing, listening and teaching them your approach to faith and living a good life. Remember, it never hurts to schedule in some one-on-one time with each of your kids so you can find out what’s really on their mind and help them deal with the issues they face as they grow.

Follow these tips and you will soon achieve the perfect balance of God, work and children–and you’ll be much happier for it.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:  Dee Mason is a freelance writer and a proud mother of two.  She re-located from New York to London quite recently and is now trying to re-adjust her work – life balance again!

The key to success with children is teaching them good values that they can take with them for the rest of their lives. Values that will help them excel more at school and even work later in life. And in today’s fast-paced lifestyle one of the most valuable lessons for them to learn is the value of patience and self-control. Showing your children how to wait for things and not get everything “NOW” can go a long way for teaching them life lessons. A great example of this can be found in Dr. David Schapira’s book, Fetus to Fifth Grade. In the book he recounts an experiment done at Stanford University by psychologist Walter Mischel.

Mischel published a study on children at the preschool on the Stanford University campus. He sat them down with a marshmallow. They were told that the research assistant had to leave for a few minutes (approximately 20 minutes) but if they did not eat the marshmallow during that time they would be rewarded with another marshmallow. Some of the children ate the marshmallow, but some did not and forced themselves to wait by thinking of other distractions, talking to themselves, playing games with their hands or trying to fall asleep. He then followed all of the children for a long period of time afterwards.

When evaluated later as teenagers, those children who resisted eating the marshmallow and exhibited delayed gratification were:
1. Still much better able to wait for rewards
2. Higher achievers and self-assertive and competent
3. Better socially adjusted and emotionally adjusted
4. Got into much less trouble
5. Happier and better able to cope with the frustrations of life
6. Less likely to go to pieces under stress
7. Performed much better academically and scored higher on their SAT exams

Those children who were the quickest to grab the marshmallows (one-third of all the children) scored an average 524 on the verbal section and 528 on the mathematics section of the SAT for a total of 1052. The third of the children who waited the longest scored 610 on the verbal section and 652 on the mathematics section for a total of 1262.

When evaluated later in life, the third of the children who were the quickest to grab the marshmallow were found to:
1. Shy away from social contacts
2. Be stubborn and indecisive
3. Be easily upset by frustrations
4. Think of themselves as  bad or unworthy
5. Prone to jealousy and envy
6. Overreact with a short temper leading to fights

Mischel’s experiment dramatically illustrates the differences in outcome in life for children that have internal structure and have learned how to delay gratification. These important character traits make the difference between having a successful, satisfying life or not.

Additionally, two studies from universities in Pennsylvania show that self-discipline, the ability to self-regulate, are more important than I.Q. or intelligence for early academic success for 3 to 5 years old and for eighth graders.

Psychologist Clancy Blair from Pennsylvania State University studied 3 – 5 year-old preschoolers and discovered that the best predictor of performance in math and reading in kindergarten was the child’s capacity for self-control.

A child’s ability to monitor their thinking and behavior develops rapidly during preschool. Activities at school and at home that decrease impulsiveness and instant gratification and promote attention and awareness of one’s own and other’s thoughts and feelings (empathy) are needed. It is also important to realize that as children get older, self-control is still more important than I.Q.

Psychologists Angela Duckworth at the University of Pennsylvania and Martin Seligman evaluated 300 eighth graders. They gave the students, their teachers and their parents a questionnaire about the student’s ability to control impulses and follow rules.

Use “time-outs” for misbehavior. A “time-out” slows everything down, giving your infant or toddler time to regulate themselves through self-talk before acting on emotion or irrationally. A reasonable period of time is a minute for every year of age. Most importantly, talk to your child after the time out. Discuss what was going on, what the child was feeling and why the misbehavior happened.y also gave the children a questionnaire and behavior test to assess their willingness to delay gratification. Self-control was a stronger predictor of final grades, school attendance and work habits than IQ was.

Also the higher the level of self-control the students exhibited, the better the outcomes. Following are some tips to help teach your children more self-control: Activities for preschoolers that promote self-control involve taking turns, paying attention for sustained periods of time and giving incentives for thoughtful responses.

The more you talk to your child the sooner he will learn to talk and the more extensive his vocabulary will be. Boys lag behind girls in verbal skills and self-talking, which is important for impulse control. Problems with self-control, impulsive behavior and attention deficit are much more common in boys.

You can see how easy it can be to teach your children how to excel.

For additional assistance, check out Fetus to Fifth Grade for all your pregnancy and parenting advice needs.

About the author: Fetus to Fifth Grade  takes you from pregnancy to those critical first few years. The author, Dr. Schapira, is an internationally recognized physician and researcher and has been featured in the New York Times, Los Angeles Times, USA Today, CNN, NBC Nightly News and The Today Show.

Working from home may come with a lot of benefits, from skipping the daily commute to setting your own hours to spending more time with the kids, but one thing it doesn’t offer is motivation to look your best.  At first you might continue with your regular office routine, rising early to shower, dress, and get made up.  But over time you will no doubt find yourself starting to slip, until one day you’re out the door to pick up the kids from school in the same pajamas you slept in last night.  This is not only bad for your own self-esteem, it can also cause problems in other areas of your life, reducing your work efficiency and leading to problems with interpersonal relationships (your partner may love you, but do you really want to test his resolve by wearing the same sweats all week?).  In short, there are many reasons why you should continue to dress like a person who might have to enter the outside world at any moment.  And here are just a few ways to keep up your looks.

For starters, you should remember that Rome wasn’t built in a day, and you’ll have to take the same tack with your new wardrobe.  If you think that jumping back into your stuffy office attire is the ticket, you should stop and think again.  Clearly you don’t need to dress like you’re going to a corporate office because you aren’t.  But you also don’t want to get schlumpy and frumpy with sweats and pajamas every day.  Instead, you need to find a middle ground with clothing that is comfortable, yet good-looking and that meets the requirements of a stylish, modern mom on the go.

Activewear is a great place to begin.  Although you may think that this category of clothing applies only to sportswear, this is a common misconception.  Sportswear is specifically engineered with exercise in mind.  Activewear, on the other hand, includes items of clothing that are both functional and fashionable.  While you’ll certainly find garments that will suit various activities, with fitted shorts, pants, leggings, and tops in soft, stretchy fabrics, you’ll also discover hoodies, jackets, and cargo pants that are fitted and flattering.  These are clothes that you can live your life in while feeling and looking good.

From there you may want to add a few pairs of jeans and some casual blouses, just to step it up a notch if you’re going to run errands or have lunch with the girls.  Flats are a must (you can skip the pointy-toed heels) to complete your look with less stress on your tootsies, and you should consider adding a few key accessories like a stylish, oversized tote (to carry all your mom stuff or double as a briefcase for meetings with clients) and one or two items of jewelry.  And for those days when you’ve got to step it up, get yourself a fantastic two-piece suit with a blazer and slacks.  Since you’ll probably have this item for a while, make sure you purchase a high-end sample and spend a few extra bucks to take it to an alterations shop and have it perfectly tailored.  You don’t have to spend a lot to look great, and even a minor effort will result in a better looking wardrobe that puts the spring back in your step.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:  Carol Montrose writes for BluWiki. Aside from finding discounts on activewear, you can also find American Eagle Outfitters Coupons and Fantastic Sams Coupons.

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Finding clients when working as a home based business is usually the number one challenge that these companies face. Finding an economical way to advertise or get the word out about their product or services is sometimes overwhelming.

Many entrepreneurs do not know how to find effective methods of marketing so they frequent farmers markets or trade shows and approach their friends and families to purchase their products. As attending these venues can become costly in money and time, finding another way to promote their operation becomes a top priority.

Traditional methods of advertising can also be costly and limits the area that the message is reaching. So how can they get this information out to their target markets? Working with a Virtual Assistant is a cost effective method to put successful marketing in place. Here’s how:

1. A virtual assistant will work with the client to learn about their business, why they started it, how long they have been established, and what products or services they have to offer. Then the virtual assistant will write an article about this business and distribute it to the appropriate outlets.
2.  A virtual assistant will help businesses with their marketing campaigns. They will work to put an effective article together to draw in the target market’s attention to the products and services that are being offered. The virtual assistant will then submit this on line so a larger audience will be able to find it.
3. When a new product comes on line or changes come into effect, articles can be a great way to get the public’s interest. By using key words and product specific phrases, finding out about the line of items will be easy when people look for them on the internet.
4. Having a virtual assistant write articles about a business will help to establish the owner as an expert in their field. By submitting these on a regular basis, clients will look for these tips, especially if they are useful and applicable.
5. A virtual assistant could also help write content for the client if they want to place a combination ad and article in their local newspaper. This would provide coverage for a specific area so they could target the market within that distribution area.
6. A virtual assistant can help build an Adwords campaign for the home based business that will be effective without costing an exorbitant amount. This will help to draw clients to their web sites and help to promote their business.
7. Using press releases about upcoming events or the introduction of a new product can also be a very useful method of marketing that a virtual assistant will help the business put in place. These can be alternated with articles so clients will look for information that will be helpful to them and possibly result in sales for the business.
8. The client’s contact information will be included in the press release and article’s bio so customers who are interested in the product line can easily find the business.
9. Once the article has been put on line, it will always be available for future reference.

Working with a publicity virtual assistant to plan and implement this kind of marketing campaign is very easy. A quick search on the internet will produce listings of virtual assistants who are experienced in this type of work. Call one today and get started.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:  Carol Eigner is a Publicity Virtual Assistant and president of CEVA Services. She has successfully written and distributed press releases and articles. For more information, contact her at carol@cevaservices.ca.

Finding a good nanny is no easy task. When you invite someone into your home to watch your children while you’re gone you have to have a strong trust that the person is going to spend their time doing the right thing and not teaching your children things that don’t jive with your own morals and standards, and that they’ll be honest and respectful of your home and family in your absence. It’s a rather large responsibility, placing an individual in your home like that. So how do you determine who makes the cut and who doesn’t?

1.      Define your parameters
Before you even start looking for a nanny you have to determine what it is you want out of hiring one. Do you want someone who is going to watch your kids and clean the house? Do you want to provide strict instructions for them or let them do their own thing? Do you want them to take on tasks that fall outside the regular nanny duties? Defining what you want will help you choose someone who fits well into your household.

2.      Ask around
See if anyone you know has good recommendations for someone to help you out or if they know of any places that you can check out. Since you’re asking trusted sources you should be able to get honest feedback on how someone was in their home or how a particular job board or staffing agency worked out for them, which will help you begin the process of selecting someone.

3.      Do your homework
While it may seem like it’s one of those nagging tasks, taking the time to get a background check on the person is well worth it. So is calling up their references and getting their opinions on how the nanny is as a professional. You want to make sure that you’re letting someone in your home that comes highly recommended, not someone who has a history of theft or low morals.

4.      Ask about their disciplinary actions
When you’re interviewing potential candidates, ask how they go about disciplining children without telling them your own thoughts about it (otherwise they could tailor their answer to fit your own beliefs, and it’d be better to get a raw, honest answer). Making sure you see eye to eye on that is of the utmost importance.

5.      Get their certifications
Having certifications to deal with emergency situations (such as first aid certifications) is a great asset for your potential nanny to possess and can leave you assured that your child will be in good hands even if an emergency may happen to arise. Knowing that they took the time to get certified can also attest to the fact that they take their job seriously.

Hiring a nanny is a very individualized experience. Take the time to thoroughly check people out so that when you leave home you can rest easy knowing that your children are in good hands.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR Nancy Parker was a professional nanny and she loves to write about wide range of subjects like health, parenting, child care, babysitting, nanny background check tips etc. You can reach her at nancy.parker015@gmail.com.

Holly Reisem Hanna is the founder and publisher of The Work At Home Woman. I recently had the privilege to interview Holly and here’s what Holly shared:

How did you get started working from home?
Since the day my daughter was born, I’ve been a stay at home mom. But after 9 months of play dates, mommy and me classes and a dwindling bank account, I felt the urge to make some money and exercise my brain. I looked online for different work at home opportunities, but the majority of my time was spent weeding through scams and sifting through various website to find all of the information that I was looking for – I was left feeling exhausted and defeated.

I had always enjoyed writing and dabbled with the idea of writing the next comedic novel; however I never considered blogging as a career option. I continued to look online for the perfect work at home opportunity when it dawned on me, “I need to create a comprehensive resource where women can find all of the information they need to work at home” and hence The Work at Home Woman was born.

How long have you been working from home?To fund this endeavor I started working part-time from home for a small publishing company managing their social media campaigns. During this time I researched and created content for my site. I hired a graphic designer to create a custom design for me and in March of 2009, I officially launched The Work at Home Woman.

I’ve been working at home since December of 2007 – almost 4 years.

Describe your website in 15 words or less.
The Work at Home Woman is a business resource for women who work at home.

If your business were ice-cream, what flavor would it be and why?
I’d have to say Ben & Jerry’s, Chunky Money – banana ice cream with chocolate chunks and nuts. Due to the fact that The Work at Home Woman covers all the nuts and bolts of working at home and running a business. The site has something that is going to appeal to everyone.

How has blogging helped your business?
I’ve been blogging for 2 ½ years and I absolutely love it! It has given me freedom, flexibility and financial stability and it has launched the business that I had only dreamt about. Beside the perks of being able to stay at home with my daughter, blogging has introduced me to opportunities and people that I would have never met else wise – and for that reason alone having a blog business is worth its weight in gold.

If you could do anything (other than your current business) what would it be?
I love to travel and I also love social media, so perhaps I’d work for a company in the travel industry, managing their blog and social media campaigns. Or perhaps I’d be a travel writer/blogger.

How has working from home changed your life?
Overall it has made me a happier person. I don’t dread Monday mornings or having to wake up for work. I love that I have flexibility to schedule my work around my life, not the other way around. And most importantly, I love that I can be with my daughter and watch her grow as I build a business.

Do you have a favorite place to work?
I do have a separate office space with my desk and printer, but I never work there. Because of wireless technology, I’m able to work in the dining room where I get lots of natural sunlight and I can look out at nature. Here I’m also able to keep an eye on my daughter while she plays during the day.

How do you spread the word about your business?
Social media has been a wonderful tool for helping me to spread the word and cultivate relationships. But I’d say that networking and collaborating with other mompreneurs has been my most successful method of getting the word out. The wonderful thing about being in the mompreneur realm is that everyone is so supportive of each other and they truly want to see each other succeed.

What do you want the CWAHM readers to know about you?
My current business has nothing to do with my background experience or education. I graduated from the University of Texas with a Bachelor’s Degree in Cultural Anthropology and a few years later I obtained my Associate Degree in Nursing. I tell you this because I want you to keep pursuing your dreams and your passions – you don’t have to settle for an unfulfilling mediocre job.

Any final words of wisdom?
Surround yourself with positive like minded individuals. When you’re stuck in a job that you don’t like, it’s so easy to get caught up in the negative energy. Find yourself a support group or network where you can nurture your entrepreneurial spirit and start to get the creative juices flowing. Eventually you’ll be able to make the leap and follow your dreams.

How to contact Holly:  
The Work At Home Woman website
Twitter and Facebook