working mother

Productive

Yesterday, we applied for passports. Tim already has his, but mine is long-expired and the girls needed theirs. We took, cropped, and printed out our own photos at home. It took a LONG time to get everything exactly right. Afterward, we went downtown to the courthouse where we had to put up our right hands [...]

where to find the brightest minds & best leaders in your community {check the playground}

I am a stay-at-home mom. Wait. Don’t let those stereotypes sink in. The image is appearing in your mind: a woman in jeans and a ponytail, singing the ABCs, making peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, and changing diapers. Oh, wait – that IS me. But – that’s not ALL of me. Not even close. The [...]

Working at home is…

Working at home is… staying up really, really, REALLY late. having a to-do list that is a mile long and an ocean deep. returning e-mails instead of watching TV. having laundry on the couch, unfolded. doodles and sketches and ideas on notebooks all over the house. dreaming about building my business, about being a better [...]

Does anyone else have a little bit of spring fever?

I sit down to work and then…I look out my window. I see the green grass. I hear the lovely pitter-patter of spring showers. Every spare moment, I seek new adventures with my family. Hiking. Running. Picking Wildflowers. Playing at the Park. Dilly-dallying in the backyard. Anything but my e-mail inbox (forgive me if you’re [...]

8 Things I Love About Working From Home

I’ve worked from home since May of 2007…and I’ve loved every minute of it. Sure, I’ve had to hide in the closet for phone conversations and I’ve spent one-too-many-nights up waaayyyy past my bedtime, but – I don’t really mind the chaos. I wouldn’t trade this scenario for anything. Here are 8 things that I [...]

Products for People Who Work at Home: QuickBooks

Owning a small business is no cakewalk. It requires risk-taking, hard work, long hours, creativity, and organization. Tim and I actually make the perfect team when it comes to entrepreneurship because I am all about the big ideas and he keeps me grounded in reality. I am all about the relationships…and he reminds me that [...]

Products for People Who Work at Home: Erin Condren

Quick Question for you: Do you use an online calendar to manage your schedule…? Or do you use an old-fashioned planner with pen and ink? I use a “hybrid” organization strategy. I keep track of birthdays via Facebook and an Excel spreadsheet, but I like to jot down my daily to-dos, short and long-term goals, [...]

Products for People Who Work at Home: Board Dudes

I may be a Tech-Savvy Girl, but I’m also a very visual person…and I like having bulletin boards handy for posting clippings from magazines, party invitations, and pretty pictures that our 3-year-old paints. We have one in our makeshift office space in our master bedroom and one in the laundry room. Right now, the one [...]

Products to Promote Your Business: DPS Banners

When I was filming the promotional video for my ebook several months ago, I had to do a few takes (okay, a lot of takes…). As a result of those practice sessions, our 3-year-old took to saying, “MetropolitanMama.net” out of the blue…which is pretty much the cutest thing ever. In fact, I joked to Tim [...]

Products to Promote Your Business: Post-Up Stand & Ghirardelli

Sometimes you have to spend a little money to make a little money…whether your blogging or starting an Etsy shop or launching a coonsulting biz. For example, if you plan to exhibit or speak on a local or national level, it would behoove you to purchase a few promotional pieces that you can use again [...]

How to Promote Your Business at a Trade Show or Expo

I live in a small town with over a million people. That is the best way to describe Tucson, AZ. We have lots of people and lots of wide open spaces and lots of communities within the larger community, but…few freeways, no real public transportation system to speak of, and no hoppin’ downtown environment. I [...]

Paging Dr. Stephanie

When I was a little girl, I often played “Doctor” with my little sisters. I set up my clinic in the bathroom and carefully examined my patients. My favorite diagnosis was a broken arm because I could then ever-so-carefully create a cast out of water and toilet paper – wrapping it gently ’round and ’round [...]