Something we as parents don’t like to face is the possibility that our child is overweight. Maybe we struggled with being overweight as a child and we just don’t think it’s that big of a deal.

Maybe your child isn’t classified as obese, but you want to find out if being a little overweight is causing them to be teased at school. You may have also noticed that they’re starting to exhibit a few health issues that could be related. You should bring all your concerns to your pediatrician, but I have a few tips to help you out.

The first thing your doctor might do is a BMI test on your child. BMI stands for Body Mass Index. It’s a calculation that measures height and weight to determine how much of a person’s body is fat. The child’s age is considered as well. There are many free online calculators so you can do the test at home before visiting the doctor. You can find a great one over at kidshealth.org.

If your child is in the 85th percentile or higher, he or she is overweight and you should be concerned. If they are in the 95 percentile range then it is more serious than you thought.

Why Should You Be Concerned?

There are many health issues that can crop up not just for obese children but for overweight kids as well. There is a much increased risk of heart disease, diabetes, high blood pressure and – one of the worst in my opinion – low self-esteem.

Most of those health concerns sound like they’re reserved for older people, but that’s just not the case anymore. Even if your child never experiences these diseases in their early years, they are more prone to getting them as adults.

What Can You Do?

I recently read in a forum where a father was asking for help. The dad realized his 11-year-old son was way overweight for his height and age after the doctor said something. He confessed that he and his wife ate badly at home and away from the home. He was desperate for help because he didn’t want his son picked on in junior high.

I think the dad sort of answered his own question. Food is a huge problem today, especially the Western diet. You’ve got to have a plan and buy many more healthy foods.  Make a plan today and gradually change the whole family’s diet.

There are so many things you can eliminate from your diet that will help the whole family lose a bit of fat in just a few weeks. I know because I’ve done it! The one thing the man didn’t consider at all was exercise. Seems elementary to us, but we just don’t do enough of it.

The trick for getting kids to exercise is making it fun. If exercises are boring, watered down adult versions, or are hard to do, kids will be turned off.

If you think your child is overweight, then take the measurements yourself, consult your doctor and make necessary changes as soon as possible.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR: My Family Exercise founder Jeff Wise has created a line of ebooks and a Kids Health Club membership site to help children and parents decrease stress and improve physical fitness in a fun way.  Jeff has authored over 200 articles around kids’ health and is the parent of two children.  For more information, visit his kids health and fitness blog and for daily advice follow Jeff on Twitter.

One of the most common goals my clients tell me about is that they want more time.

If you can relate, I have good news for you – if you put just one of these tips into practice, you will save hours every week:

1. Learn to Say No

Saying no helps you set strong boundaries.

What do you have to say no to so that you can say yes to your goals this year?

2. Play to Your Strengths

With everything in life, I believe you should play to your strengths.

If you’re terrible at cleaning your house, hire a cleaning lady. If you’re not great at organizing, hire a professional organizer.

3. Learn to Prioritize

When you know how to prioritize, even if you only get one or two things done daily, they will always be the right things and not just busy work.

4. Set up Systems

Systems save you space, time, energy, money and stress.

Meal planning is a system for organizing and preparing meals. Regular computer back-up is another system to keep your computer running smoothly.

What kinds of systems can you put in place today that will save you time down the line?

5. Work Smarter

Group tasks so that you only do preparation once. Make your client calls all at the same time. You’ll be on a roll, get through them a lot faster and save energy because you don’t have to get into phone mode more than once.

Make your work do double duty. If you type a certain type of email often, make an auto text entry and save the template. If you write a long comment on a blog, expand that same comment and write a blog post of your own.

Don’t get overwhelmed – work on just one of these tips consistently until it becomes a habit and keep adding another until you have it all mastered.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Marcia Francois is a time management coach and speaker who inspires busy women to break out of overwhelm, make the most of their time and take purposeful and focused action so they have the time and freedom to live life to the full. Visit  http://purposefultimemanagement.com  for your free Time Management Purpose Pack.

One thing I have learned since I have been in internet marketing is that you have to “brand yourself” in order to become successful.  Branding yourself means to make yourself stand out from the rest.  Be the one people remember and go to when they need your products and/or services.  Build your reputation as the go to person in your field. 

Branding yourself will take work, time and commitment but it is essential for your business success.  Below are some things you can start doing to start the branding process.

1.  Have a Motto – Choose a motto to live by personally and professionally.  This will stick in people’s minds and help you focus as well.  My motto is to treat others as I would want them to treat me.  I try to live everyday by the Golden Rule!

2. Connect with People – Don’t just get through meetings, calls, appointments, etc.  Take the time to really connect with the people you are talking to.  Be open and listen intently to what others say.  Make the time with you memorable and satisfactory so people will be sure to return.

3.  Personalize – Anytime you send emails, postcards, letters or anything, make it personal.  Use the person’s name to show them they are not just another number or sale to you.  Send birthday and/or holiday greetings.  People need to feel like people and not just a dollar sign!

4.  Professional Networking – Join some good networking sites, groups and clubs.  Make yourself available for advice, help, and guidance.  Be sure to participate often.

5.  Always Be Honest and Upfront – Be honest with people.  Don’t use deceptive lines and tricks to get people to buy from you.  Let people know, honestly, what you can do for them.  If you cannot meet their needs, point them to someone who can.  They will remember your willingness to help and come back to you when you can meet their needs.

6.  Body Language – Using body language effectively can have a real impact on how people perceive you.  Always make direct eye contact. Let your eyes show friendliness and interest.  Use your eyebrows to show openness and understanding.  Don’t scrunch them disapprovingly.  Keep your brow relaxed.  Smile and don’t purse your lips or tighten your mouth.  Keep your arms unfolded and sit in a relaxed manner with good posture.  Don’t slouch or fidget.  The art of using proper body language is quite real so do some research and learn all you can.

7.  Go the Extra Mile – Help people whenever you can even if you don’t see a sale happening.  By offering extra help and support you are sending a message about what type of person you are and what kind of business you run.

8.  Believe in Yourself – If you don’t believe in yourself, how can you expect others to.  Always be positive in mind, spirit and attitude.  Be professional, and always create a positive image as well.  This will be a factor in what people think of you.

9.  Email and Phone Etiquette – Write your emails with proper spelling and grammar.  Be courteous, friendly and helpful.  Do not use offensive words or phrases.  This goes for talking on the phone as well.  Using vulgar, offensive or unprofessional language will definitely be something people will not forget!

10.  Be Yourself – Don’t try to put on a façade.  Relax and let the person know how unique and authentic you are.

Branding yourself will help build your business success but it will help you in other ways as well.  You will form lasting and beneficial relationships with others – both personally and professionally.  You will learn more from the experiences of others and you will also learn more about yourself and how special and unique you really are.  And that, my friend, could be the biggest reward of all!

©Terri Seymour

About the Author:  Don’t be one of the 95% of people who fail at their online business.  Terri Seymour can help you make money online.  Find out how to increase your traffic and sales with her popular “How to Build Your Online Business” ebook for FREE at:  ==> http://www.SeymourProducts.com.

“Blessed is she who has believed that the Lord would fulfill his promises to her!”

Luke 1:45 (NIV)

Writing & Editing Jobs
Ghostwriter- Power of Repentance
eBook Publishing
Creative Writer- Company Branding
Ghostwriter- Fiction Novel

Administrative Assistant Jobs
Virtual Assistant- Hubzone
Administrative Assistant- Realty Group
Virtual Assistant- Website Creation
Administrative Assistant- Website Updates

Sales & Marketing Jobs
Keyword Research
PR Expert
E-mail Marketing
Backlink Building/SEO

One of the key ingredients in any business is strategic partnering. In fact, Steven K. Scott (one of our favorite guests on CWAHM radio – and the author of The Richest Man Who Ever Lived: King Solomon’s Secrets to Success, Wealth and Happiness) recently said that the best advice he could give anyone in business is strategic partnering.  Joining with the right partner can make or break business ventures in a heartbeat and today’s active social media environment is ripe with opportunities to connect. I love that! Opening up the internet in this manner has really broadened my personal and professional contacts and given me some fantastic opportunities.

Still there are those who would take advantage of this medium and only connect with you just to say that they did. Inevitably at some point they’ll be telling people that they know you (even though they only tweeted with you or wrote on your Facebook wall once) and they’ll be using that relationship in order to get further ahead. This can end up being detrimental to you and to your reputation. How? These people have no problem stealing your ideas and claiming them as their own, using your connections to get ahead or pushing you out of the way in order to get them into a better career position.This is not Christian and it’s very much not according to Biblical principles. God will promote those He chooses to promote and if you are destroying or hurting someone in order to get ahead, you need to re-evaluate your methods. And if someone is reaching out to you for a partnership or a networking relationship, you need to consider who you will work with wisely.

Partnering with someone gives an inherent endorsement of what they believe in or stand for as well. Because I’m working with CWAHM and my blog appears here, you know that I wholeheartedly endorse the organization because I put my name (and my business name!)  on it. Thankfully through my partnership with Jill on CWAHM radio and Radiant Lit, she has also been faithful in giving her approval and recommendation of Beyond the Buzz Marketing.

When someone approaches you about partnership or networking together, make sure that you have thoroughly checked out not only their business but their personal reputation too. Don’t be afraid to go online and do a search of what people have to say about the company and look for everything you can find.  If anything doesn’t line up with your values, don’t be afraid to ask them about it. Find out why it’s there or what they believe before you attach your name to what they’re doing.

Also, make sure that you’ve got a good solid understanding of not only what they want from you (which they are almost always eager to tell you!) but also what they will give you. If it’s not something that lines up with your business or that will sync up well, then don’t do it. Don’t be afraid to stand by your business direction – no matter who it is.

Trust me, once you’re in a partnership and you have linked yourself to another group or business it’s very hard to extricate yourself. It’s a relationship similar to getting married. Your names are linked and once that happens, it’s tough to remove yourself from that situation. So be wise BEFORE you get into it.  Next time, more tips for how to make sure your strategic partnership is the best one for your business.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:  Lori Twichell is the owner of Beyond the Buzz Marketing, Jill Hart’s partner at both CWAHM radio and Radiant Lit.  Visit her websites at www.beyondthebuzzmarketing.com and www.radiantlit.com.

Have you ever had one of those moments where you are feeling so powerful that you become aware that it is making those around you uncomfortable?

When you open up to and release the full greatness of Jesus that is within you, it should make people uncomfortable. It should stir up their greatness and leave them looking at you like you know something that they do not yet know. It is the very thing that they see in you that they desire, but don’t know how to access.

I was talking to a friend of mine today who was calling to get some advice on whether or not she should take a full-time job or work her business. I told her that she had a decision to make. The decision was not whether or not she should take a job for the temporary comfort of a steady paycheck, the real decision she had to make is whether or not she was going to step into her greatness. I reminded her of her brilliant business mind and said one phrase that catapulted her back into a place of remembering who she really is, “Maria, you are a millionaire! Why would you take a job and be someone else’s employee.” I then reminded her of how her mind works and that if she really applied herself, she could dwarf what a job could ever pay her. Then, I shared that she will never get that time back. She got it.

I often use the analogy of baseball because I played softball most of my life. I was the home run hitter. It trained me well for business because it taught me how to carry the pressure of being the one the entire team was counting on to hit them home. It went far beyond my ability to connect the bat in my hand with the pitcher’s fast pitch. It was about being cool under pressure and willing to truly own my greatness. Not in an arrogant way, just in a way that left me certain and fully believing all that I am capable of.

This is your time to let it rip! You’re up and the bases are loaded. The team is counting on you to truly release your greatness and manifest it powerfully in your business and life. This is the time we as business women stand like we never have before to deliver on all the Lord has set aside for his daughters.

This is not the time to shrink or play small. This is the time to boldly share what you have to offer with others. Here are a few steps to help you consistently walk in your greatness:

1. Ask the Lord who He created you to be before He placed you in your mother’s womb. This may take some time sitting in His presence and meditating on His Word.
2. Believe who the Lord says you are. If you work on believing God at the highest level, everything else you need to believe Him for will easily move into place.
3. Speak to your fear and command it to leave, in Jesus’ name. Stand in your dominion, power and authority through Christ Jesus and apply the power of death and life that lives in your tongue to cast out fear.
4. Shift your actions to come into alignment with what you really desire.
5. Don’t hold back.

Remember that your greatness frees others to be great. Consciously carry your greatness all while realizing that it is your emptying out and carrying more of Jesus that yields greatness. Enjoy the process and make the connection with your greatest self. And know that it is absolutely possible to say goodbye to fear forever!

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:  Ericka D. Jackson, Evangelist, Author and Kingdom Trainer, teaches and guides Christians in building thriving businesses and ministries that make a positive impact in the world. She is the author of five books including Beyond Fearless: How to Remove Every Hindrance From Your Life. You can get more information on her life’s work at http://www.erickajackson.com and receive your free gift.

©2012 Ericka D. Jackson

Most professionals realize the unique skill set of the VA in today’s market are invaluable in promoting, marketing and enhancing their business ventures. Today’s  Coaches, Authors, speakers and other businesses are recognizing the value of VA support. Sending out articles, press releases, and branching out into media campaigns is just one of the ways clients are utilizing a virtual assistant and this can be exciting as well as rewarding for both parties. If you aren’t adding article marketing to your list of services you provide as a virtual assistant, you should.

These tips will help you master article marketing:

Research

One of the most important items to remember is do your research. A VA will have researched some of the following in advance:

• Your client’s product/service. Is there something different, relevant is it uniquely marketable?
• Your target audience, their needs including solutions, enabling their business to run better/smoother?
• What are cost effective, specific avenues for releasing articles, press releases, PR Campaigns generating exposure?
• Ranking, your clients Google Status including their Amazon Page Ranking for the articles you are submitting for them.

Writing

The success of any PR Campaign is in highly relevant, fresh, insightful content. Know and collaborate with your client. Ensure that your writing is:

• Thought provoking, ask questions, peak your readers curiosity.
• Includes how/why this product/service is a valuable asset.
• Valuable information – what are the benefits of the products or services they are giving and how can you connect that with the target audience.

Keywords

Inserting keywords into your articles further promotes success, generating additional exposure and publicity. Incorporate the content below before you send out that release:

• Correct keywords. Do a keyword search and analysis.
• An SEO search including Google, Adwords, Word Tracker, etc.
• Add keywords to image links when possible.

See why you should be adding article marketing to your services as a VA.  You benefit, the clients benefit, and most importantly you are getting valuable information out there on topics of interest.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Diana Ennen is the President of Virtual Word Publishing, http://www.virtualwordpublishing.com and co-author of So You Want To Be a Work-At-Home Mom: A Christian’s Guide to Starting a Home-Based Business with Jill Hart and also VA the Series: Become a Highly Successful Sought After VA (Kelly Poelker).  Follow her on Twitter @dianaennen

No one wins a race without crossing the finish line.  But, you have to know where the finish line is so that you can work towards the goal.

The same is true with your direct sales business.

If you want to be successful, you have to establish goals that you can track and measure.  Your goals can and will change over time, but you need to start somewhere to establish a good business routine.

For example, my overall goals to market my business and sponsor new consultants is the following:

• 3 contacts per day:  Giving out mini-catalogs, calling previous customers and hostesses
• 2 parties per week: Based on my schedule, I aim for 2 parties per week, which usually includes one in home party and one catalog party.  When I don’t reach this goal, I call more people and pass out more mini-catalogs and talk to more people about the benefits of hosting
• 1 new consultant per month: I am constantly looking for new people to add to my team so that I have a steady flow of new consultants.  This keeps the team “fresh” with new ideas and enthusiasm, but it also allows for attrition.

Let’s say your goal was to add one new team member per week.  How would you prioritize your activity to reach this goal?

• 3 contacts per day:  Contacting people specifically about the business opportunity.  You will need to find a way to consistently attract new people who might be interested in the business opportunity to be able to make these 3 calls per day.
• 2 business opportunity presentations per week:  Find a local restaurant with a private dining area or other public place that will let you host opportunity meetings for free.  Hotel rooms and conference centers can be expensive.  Use free and inexpensive resources to host your business opportunity presentations – the more people you talk to, the greater your chance to find a new team member.
• 1 public event per month: Keep looking for potential new team members by participating in public events.  You’ll have the opportunity to meet a great number of people and be able to tell them a little about your product and invite them to your next business opportunity meeting.  Don’t try to sign up a new team member on the spot, this rarely (if ever) happens.  Be prepared with mini-catalogs and general business opportunity handouts to give people information.  The key to making this a success is to collect contact information for everyone who expresses an interest so that you can follow-up!  Call to thank them for visiting your table, taking some information and reminding them of the next business opportunity meeting.  The more you follow-up, the greater your chances of them showing up to one of your meetings.  Plus, these are now great contacts for your product too – many loyal customers become your next team members!

What is your direct sales goal and how do you plan to reach it?  The key to setting goals is making them achievable.  If you don’t have any parties scheduled for the month, you can’t expect $1000 in sales.  Start small and increase your goals as you improve to keep striving for better results!

The sky is the limit in direct sales – this is your business and you can take it wherever you want and need to go!

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:  Ivette Muller and her husband of 15 years have two beautiful toddler girls. She has been in the direct sales industry for 15 years with various companies and enjoys helping other moms succeed with their direct sales business. You can learn more about different opportunities to work from home on her blog, Work At Home Mom, Busy and Happy Mom.     

“The child’s father and mother marveled at what was said about him.“

Luke 2:33 (NIV)

Writing & Editing Jobs
Content Writer- Physical Therapy
Article Writer- Computer Repair
Proofreader/Editor- Novel
Article Writer- Careers
Blogger- Computers & Technology

Administrative Assistant Jobs
Virtual Assistant- Research
Virtual Assistant- Fitness Boot Camp
Software Testing
Administrative Assistant
Administrative Assistant- Dance Company

Sales & Marketing Jobs
Lead Generation
E-mail Marketing
Content Writing/SEO
Logo Creation- Real Estate
Advertisement Manager

To Read This Week: 1 Kings 17:17-24

Thinking Through It All

Today we talked about influence. I’d love to discuss the following in the comments section below:

* Who has God put in your life that you can share Christ with?

* How can we be praying for you?
(You can post prayer requests below or send your request in here)

Comment Below!

Isaiah 40:31

“But the angel said to her, ‘Do not be afraid, Mary; you have found favor with God. You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you are to call him Jesus.’”

Luke 1:30-31 (NIV)

Writing & Editing Jobs
Ghostwriter- Business Advice
Product Description Writer
Writing Assistant
Blogger/Copywriter
Career Development Blogger
Android Blogger

Administrative Assistant Jobs
Virtual Assistant- Internet Research
Virtual Assistant- Fundraising
Virtual Assistant to CEO
Virtual Assistant for Off-Broadway Show
Google Adwords Help

Sales & Marketing Jobs
1ShoppingCart Features Help
Adwords Expert
E-mail Marketing Manager
Advertisement Manager
Website Marketing

I don’t know about your May schedule, but ours is full of graduation parties and a couple of weddings. I usually joke that this is how I feed my family on the weekends- attend the cornucopia of celebrations, bring a few cards of congratulations- and sample a half-dozen or more kinds of cake. Not exactly healthy meal prep- but we’ll think about that another month.

Of course, nestled in May are the yearly Mother’s Day festivities. I’m a pretty simple girl. I don’t care for dead flowers, fattening chocolates, and if you acknowledge true affection for me- do NOT present me with a stuffed animal. Bleh. Give me something homemade and I will love, love, love. Actually, my all-time favorite Mom’s Day gift includes peaceful (read no squabbling) children, lunch that I don’t make, and a nap. My version of a little heaven on earth, this is.

As I thought about what I should jot down this month, I thought of this home school lifestyle and what it costs. Namely, it costs me a Martha Stewart Living-type home. This is especially meaningful to me right now as we are trying to sell our house. I do not have the luxury of shuffling my children away from the house for six or more hours a day to clean. And, if I’m honest- I don’t enjoy cleaning like some home school moms I know. My house is clean enough for us not to be considered gross by most (I think). I’m a firm believer in the kids doing chores, so of course we clean dishes and clothes and bathrooms. But for example, it’s been clinically proven that I’m allergic to dust. I think it’s important to leave that stuff lay, so as not to aggravate my allergies. Or, I’m not sure how it happens, but papers multiply like bunnies at my house. And these bunnies rival the dust kind that hide in corners and crannies around my living areas. I think, “I might need this paper!”- and “What if the home school police come, and I don’t have these worksheets?” Let’s just say that I have a wee bit of a paper clutter issue. I’m apparently also allergic to a functional filing system (achoo!).

Also in the category of what home education costs is time. Over the years, I have tried several different methods of curriculum. I balk at pre-fab boxed sets most of the time, so I resemble a cook- not a baker. A little o’ dis; a little ‘o dat… I gravitate towards unit studies that incorporate a host of subjects at once. And I guess I don’t like to follow directions well, because I’m happiest when I can tap into my creative outlets to develop and gather my own stuff. But alas, that takes volumes of time, and to face it- sometimes I just don’t have the oomph in my creativity to keep up the pace. We all have to spend some sort of our time doing lesson plans, correcting assignments, planning field trips. And- I’m not really good at assigning parent/teacher conferences and “staff development” days to hone my skills and plan the next quarter.

One last cost that comes to mind is my sanity. I shall try to put this ever-so-lightheartedly, but sometimes spending many, many valued hours with my kids can be, well, an expenditure of my emotions that I don’t enjoy paying. As much as I want to radiate godliness and spiritual maturity, I have days of selfishness, frustration, and anger. There. I said it. I know my kids have the same kind of days as well, and I wonder how much they are just reflecting what I’m displaying. I certainly recognize when I’m getting some ill-timed sarcasm. Not a well-known fact, but I may enjoy me some good sarcasm occasionally (“if occasionally” is commonly thought of as “hourly during periods of wakefulness”).

So, I came across this passage in Isaiah several years ago that brings me a whole lot of comfort when I’m feeling disorganized, time-jammed, and emotionally cooked. In Isaiah 40:11 it says, “He tends his flock like a shepherd: He gathers the lambs in his arms and carries them close to his heart; he gently leads those that have young.” (NIV) The Almighty Shepherd is never far from His sheep! He carries the young ones (like my child students) close to His very heart. He leads those that have young (that’s ME!).

I don’t know about you, but I sure need leading. I am responsible for teaching my children about God and His Word, and that is a huge calling. I often pray that in spite of my failings, God will raise my children up to be godly and hardworking adults. The academics are one thing, but the greater issue at stake is the hearts of my children. I am so thankful that in this sometimes exhausting calling, my Shepherd is ever present and never failing. So, I offer you this encouragement; remember that you are never alone and Ewe Are Loved.

About the Author: Kathy Swartzfeger is a wife to Harry and a biological mother to four children, AJ, Melody, Sierra & Isaac. She has been an avid reader since her first opening of The Velveteen Rabbit- and a noted writer since winning a short story contest in the 2nd grade. Besides being a home school mom, Kathy is a Christian, a breast cancer survivor and a foster parent to several who call her “mom.” Her interests include singing, crossword puzzles, photography, and of course, copious amounts of reading and writing.

How am I qualified to write about motherhood?  I’m not!  Except that thousands of mothers have spoken to me or written to me during my 20 years as the CEO of Focus on the Family (called Care for the Family) in the United Kingdom.

My wife is a school teacher of 1st graders.  She can tell you in a heartbeat the enormous influence a mother has on their child for both good and ill.  A child who hears 40,000 no’s before starting kindergarten will do ok but a child who hears those same 40,000 no’s but also hears 200,000 positive statements about themselves and what they do will thrive.  

Don’t ever underestimate the power of your words.  My mother is a liar!  Oh I don’t mean she is bad – she is just a liar – she believes I can do no wrong and that I can walk on water.  I know in the depths of her mind she can still remember when I lost a 10 dollar note (or the equivalent in British money I should say) when I was 5.  She can remember when I pulled Susan’s hair at a birthday party or I ran down the street ringing door bells and ran away before they came to the door.  Oh, she can remember okay, but she chooses not too!  My mother chooses to only believe what is good about me and chooses to reinforce my sense of well being on a daily basis telling the world that I was perfect (which of course I wasn’t!).

If there has been one thing above all others that has led to the little success I have had in life it is the encouragement and belief of my mother.  Of course she could have disciplined me a little more but I, now 59 years old still remember and know in my heart that my mother believed in me more than anyone else I knew.  It was literally life changing.

Now she is 83, Irish with a twinkle in her eye and not as spritely as I knew her but I call her most days in England and we talk and after I put the phone down I feel good.  My mother and God have always believed in me.

In celebration of motherhood, today who do you believe in?  What difference will it make in their lives.  What joy will it bring to their hearts.

Oh, and by the way, before I go – if you are the mother of a teenager, don’t panic – this too will pass away – you will get through it.  Fight as few battles as you can, be as available as you can (even late at night and even in your most low moments when your teenager is driving you quietly round the bend) know that your words of encouragement thrown back in your face are making a difference no matter what.

Let’s celebrate motherhood – you may have heard me say before, worry comes with the placenta and never seems to leave however old your children are.  Be at peace – you are not alone and you have a high calling!

Much love to every Mom who reads this little piece from an imperfect Dad!

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 has children and grandchildren in Edmonton, Indiana and London.

Many believe that working at home makes managing the home and kids easier, but that isn’t necessarily the case. Work is work regardless where it’s done and mom needs the tools and resources any other worker needs to get the job done. While practical gifts aren’t always on a mom’s list of things she’d like to receive, she can’t help but appreciate items that can be fun and make like easier. Here are a few gift ideas for the telecommuting mom.

1. Smart phone – Every mom, even those that don’t work at home should have a smart phone. A smart phone can give a telecommuting mom the flexibility she needs to stay in touch with work, while also taking the kids to the doctor or the park, making lunch or other duties she has during the day. The zillions of apps let mom have all the tools she needs from email, tasks, calendar, notes, Skype or video chat, documents and so much more.

2. Tablet – Sometimes a smart phone is too small and a laptop is too cumbersome. The tablet is just right. Like a smart phone, a tablet can offer a variety of apps that make working on the run easy. Add the Kindle and/or Nook app (also available on smart phones) , and mom can keep up on business trends through books and magazines.

3. Professional bag to carry work in – I’ve never seen a mom without a bag or tote. But a telecommuting mom needs something that can carry her laptop, phone, planner and other work and still look professional.

4. Gourmet coffee, tea or hot coco – There’s nothing like a shot of caffeine to get mom up and working in the morning. Specialty coffee, teas and coco are a great treat.

5. Help around the home – Cleaning services, cooking help, and part-time child care can help mom get work done and feel less stressed about other “jobs” she is in charge of. Even if hired help isn’t possible, family members can make mom coupons she can use to get family help on housework and other duties.

About the Author: Leslie Truex is the author of The Work-At-Home Success Bible (Adams Media). She has been telecommuting and running home businesses for over 15 years and helping others to work at home in jobs or home businesses since 1998. Get work-at-home jobs and other resources with her free newsletter at http://www.workathomesuccess.com.

Communication is a word you’ve probably heard since you were young, but I’ll bet you can’t define it.  Some people think communication is talking, conversation, making a speech or persuading someone of something.  Others think it’s manners, etiquette or social graces.

Merriam Webster defines communication as “an act or instance of transmitting,” “information transmitted or conveyed,” “a verbal or written message,” “exchange of information,” “personal rapport,” or their most comprehensive definition, “a process by which information is exchanged between individuals through a common system of symbols, signs, or behavior.”

Wikipedia has one of the most complete definitions of communication I have ever seen:

“Communication is the activity of conveying information. Communication has been derived from the Latin word “communis”, meaning to share. Communication requires a sender, a message, and an intended recipient, although the receiver need not be present or aware of the sender’s intent to communicate at the time of communication; thus communication can occur across vast distances in time and space. Communication requires that the communicating parties share an area of communicative commonality.The communication process is complete once the receiver has understood the message of the sender.”

I know I was subtle by putting it in bold letters, but didja catch that last part?  I’d go one step further. Effective communication is complete when the receiver has understood the message of the sender, the way in which the sender had intended!

True communication, effective communication requires that the listener understands the sender’s message in the spirit it was intended or the message is skewed, misunderstood and the relationship between the sender and receiver has changed or is damaged in some way.

Everyone talks, but not everyone truly communicates. Everyone gets a message across, but not everyone has the ability to relate his message so effectively that his listener understands his message as it was intended. Anyone can lecture, but not everyone can truly teach, enlighten. Manners will only get you so far in a relationship. A speech will not endear you to your neighbor. A presentation will not help you resolve a conflict with your brother. Social graces will not persuade a nation to elect the right candidate. Etiquette cannot help you share your faith. And the communication skills required for each of these activities are different.

Everyone learns to talk. Very few learn to communicate effectively. It isn’t because it’s a set of skills only important for lawyers and politicians. It’s because society fully understands when communication is done badly, but does not understand that the reason behind the conflicts, divorce, lost job opportunities, and failed businesses is most often an inability to effectively express the vision.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:  JoJo Tabares holds a degree in Speech Communication, but it is her humorous approach to communication skills which has made her a highly sought-after Christian speaker and writer.  Her articles appear in homeschool publications, such as Homeschool Enrichment Magazine and The Old Schoolhouse Magazine, which also endorses her Say What You Mean curricula. You can also find JoJo on web sites such as Crosswalk.com and Dr.Laura.com.  For more information on communication FUNdamentals and Christian-based communication skills for the whole family, please visit http://www.ArtofEloquence.com.

Writing & Editing Jobs
Writer- Keyword Based Articles
Proofreader- Church Project
Content Writing
Copywriter for Candy Product
Freelance Writer- Home & Garden

Administrative Assistant Jobs
Virtual Assistant- Online Research
Legal Secretary/Paralegal
Virtual Assistant/Project Coordinator
Virtual Assistant- Online Research/Social Media
Virtual Assistant- Blog Posting/Social Media

Sales & Marketing Jobs
Lead Generation/SEO
Google Analytics Expert
Sales Pitch Writer
Google Adwords/PPC Expert
Social Media Marketing

I’m a price matching addict…I’ll admit it!  I know that it sounds ridiculous, but when my Wednesday shopper is tossed into my driveway on Tuesday afternoon (I LOVE that I always get it a day early-it makes planning ahead much easier!), my four year old daughter excitedly yells, “Mommy, the coupons are here!!”  My young padawan, I have trained her well!

In all seriousness, I can’t understand why someone would pay regular price for something when it is on sale elsewhere and there is a store that will price-match it!  My time is precious and with gas prices going nowhere but up, price-matching makes financial sense!  Several friends have asked me how I keep all my sales straight, so here’s my routine on Tuesday afternoons or evenings (whatever fits into my schedule that day):

1. Pull out all the local grocery store ads and any coupon inserts out of the shopper and TOSS the rest.  Paper clutter is NOT a couponer’s friend!!

2. Grab a notebook and go through each ad, writing down any item that is on sale that I want to purchase (notating any specifics like size), the sale price, and the store it is on sale at.

So now I have a list of all the items on sale that I have deemed price-worthy of purchasing, or I just know that I need to purchase it because we’re in need of it at home!  Not too tough, right!  It usually only takes me 10 minutes, tops.  Okay, on to step three…

3. Take my list over to the computer and bring up my favorite coupon database.  This can be either a service you pay for (usually they have other features for your money), like at couponsense.com or thegrocerygame.com, or a free database, like at coupon-database.com or at afullcup.com.  Either way, make sure it is a database that includes not only printable coupons, but newspaper insert coupons as well!  If you already have all your coupons cut out and in a binder, simply flip to them and pull them!  But don’t forget to search for any printable coupons that may be available!

4. Search each item that I’m planning on purchasing to see if I can maximize my savings by using a coupon on top of a great sale!!

5. Flip my “Price-Match List” over and list any coupons that are available for each item on my list.  Notate not only how much the coupon is for but where it is available at; either the online site or the insert it is available in.

NOTE: For those who are REALLY couponing beginners, coupons are found in a variety of inserts that come in either the Sunday paper, your weekly shopper, in the mail, or a combination of each.  Each of the inserts have different names and are abbreviated as follows- SS=SmartSource insert, RP=Red Plum insert, PG=Proctor and Gamble insert, GM=General Mills insert.

6. Print out or cut out any coupons that I plan on using and place them in a labeled envelope that I will use for my weekly shopping trip!  *Be sure to be well versed on your store’s price matching policy or carry a copy of it with you when you go (in your binder or your coupon envelope).

THAT’S IT!  Now, I do usually got the extra mile of planning each of my transactions, so that I know my exact out-of-pocket cost, including tax, but I save that for either later that evening or the next day!  See why I love price-matching?!  It is a quick and easy addition to my couponing adventure that saves me time AND money!!

Here’s some Price Matching Policies (both National Chains and my local area):

Walmart
NoFrillsSupermarket
Target
Pamida
ShopKo

ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Anne Bennett is a stay-at-home mom who has found couponing as a way to help stretch each dollar and make end’s meet. While not an expert, Anne IS a couponing extraordinaire who loves sharing the triumphs and pitfalls of couponing.