Being a Mom While Being a Boss

Being a mom is a full time job, right? It’s something we used to believe in quite strongly. However, more and more moms are starting up their own businesses and running it in the hours their kids don’t need them. It’s a shift we’re quite happy to see! 

Yet, it’s still a struggle to fit it all in. If you’re currently thinking of balancing being a mom with being the boss, you’re facing an immense challenge right now. So, what can you do to save time, be present, and focus your attention when both work tasks and your kids need it? Here are the tips that might clinch the deal for you. 

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Schedule Both Sides of Life

You don’t have to be strict about the schedule, but you are going to need a schedule in both areas. Start from the time you wake up until the time the kids go to bed at night. Once they’ve brushed their teeth and been tucked into bed, that time is free and can be used however you like. 

And remember, no one would ask you to work beyond 9pm at night, so don’t ask yourself to do so either! Have a schedule until the moment it doesn’t matter anymore; this way your days will remain structured without ever being overwhelming. Remember, this takes some practice to get right. 

Don’t Be Afraid to Say No

Saying no is one of the best things you can do as a business owner. It’s true! Things are going to come into your inbox and sound like great opportunities, but when you look a little closely, the pay isn’t quite right or the client is a little on the demanding side. 

Don’t say yes to them just because you think you should. Say no, get back to the tasks that matter, and even reap the reward of a couple extra hours to yourself on the weekend! 

Clock Off at the End of the Day

You should have a hard line on when the work day ends. This means you can close down the computer, shut your work phone off (and yes, you should have one of those!), and get back to being a mom. You don’t want to be helping the kids with their homework while your mind is solely preoccupied with the best way to answer emails from prospective clients! 

So, when do you want to clock off? Maybe when it’s time to get the kids from school? Or maybe when it’s time to get dinner ready? Pick the best time for you, but make sure you pick a time! 

Have Workplace Policies From Day One

Workplace policies keep things running smoothly without need for shift-long oversight. From a clearly defined work attendance policy to nominating a proper workplace culture, think of it as setting ground rules. When people are told how they need to behave on day one, being the boss becomes far more intuitive. 

Plus, workplace policies aren’t just for employees, whether you’ve got just one or more than ten. They work to your benefit as well. Indeed, they help you to lead by example and ensure you’re not being a hypocrite about what you want from your team. That'll make you a much better boss in the long run! 

Don’t Convince Yourself You’re Not Good Enough

Even supermoms aren’t capable of everything. And when you’re trying to raise children as well as be the best boss on the market, you’re going to drop the ball here and there. You’re going to lose focus, and make mistakes; neither of these things make you bad at either end of the scale. 

You’re human, and you’re doing things very well considering how much of a workload you’ve got to deal with! So give yourself a break, and don’t convince yourself you’re not good enough. You’re trying to do two of the hardest things in the modern world, and you might even be crazy enough to be taking on them alone too! 

Being a mom and a boss of your own business at the same time can leave little to no time in the day. But does that mean none of it is worth it? Absolutely not! You can manage both, and while it might be a struggle, it’s something you can adapt to when you care about it. Keep the above ideas in mind for those days when you feel like nothing is quite going right and you’re not up to the task.

Staying Fit During the Winter

Exercising during the winter is hard. It’s cold outside, you don’t want to get out there for a morning run, and you're worried about the amount of food you’re going to eat over Christmas. All in all, exercise routines tend to take a backseat at this time of year - but should they? After all, the cold weather can have some unique effects on working up a sweat. Instead of only working out indoors or dialing back until next spring, here are some ways to stay safe during a workout when it’s cold out. 

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Don’t Be Outside as Long

The cold weather can be hard on the body, and that can be good. It means your system is going to work harder to feel the same effects, while also spending more energy than you’re used to. This means you don’t need to be outside on a run for as long as you’re used to. That’s all good, right? Well, it’s only good if you’ve wrapped up warm and you know the signs for hypothermia. Get back inside as soon as you’re able to. 

Try a Hot Workout

If you’re missing summer days and the way the temperature boosted your workout, you might want to try a hot workout sometime soon. Heading off to a HOTWORX studio for a sauna supported workout will mean you can make use of infrared light. This creates heat that boosts the amount you sweat without making you too hot; you don’t have to get into an actual sauna here, so don’t worry! You can go for half the time and twice the impact, and all without having to get outside and freeze your fingers and toes off. 

Have Plenty of Water Breaks

You might think summer is the most thirsty season. Nope - that would be winter! You’re going to get just as thirsty as you would when working out in the heat, but you’re likely to not notice it as quickly, or even at all. That’s why you need to take plenty of (and more frequent) water breaks when it’s the cold season. Make sure you take a full bottle whenever you go for a jog or step outside the gym to workout. When you’re inside, set a timer for water breaks every 10 minutes. 

Change Your Usual Athletic Wear

Like we said earlier, you’re going to need to wrap up warm. Just like in the picture above as well, you’ll notice one of the exercise-es is wearing a coat - make sure you do the same! You’re going to need a few extra layers on your body when the temperature is dropping below freezing. It’s no good wearing the usual crop top, sports bra, and yoga pants combo. You need to have something more heavy duty on. And make sure you don’t forget your gloves!

If you want to stay fit during winter, understand how the temperature is going to impact you. While it doesn’t necessarily mean less impact, it’s still dangerous.

Careers for People Who Love Beauty

According to a recent study, almost 60% of employees in the US are planning to switch careers in 2024, with many intending to start their own business when doing so. After all, this will not only provide them with financial freedom and a better work-life balance but also the chance to pursue a career they are truly passionate about. 

Beauty lovers will be pleased to hear that there are many different career avenues to explore within the sector, all of which are surprisingly fun and profitable. After all, the “global beauty industry is a $532 billion business.”

Photo by rashid khreiss on Unsplash

With that in mind, here are four career options for beauty lovers.

NAIL TECHNICIAN. 

Working as a nail technician can be a lot of fun, especially when you get to experiment with different forms of nail art. Furthermore, as there’s always a demand for this kind of service, it's easy to build up a loyal customer base who will stop by each time they need a new manicure or pedicure. 

However, you’ll need to complete some training ahead of time, such as a gel nail training course. This will further refine your skills and add to the list of services you can offer to your clients. It also ensures that you appear more professional. 

DERMATOLOGIST. 

If you’re a skincare lover, and your friends are always asking for tips on how to achieve your youthful glow, you may want to consider working as a dermatologist. While this is an incredibly rewarding career and one that can help you become more financially stable, it also requires a significant investment of your time and energy. This is because it requires you to study medicine and earn the relevant qualifications, which typically takes around four years (and a lot of studying).

BLOGGER.

If you’re a lover of beauty who wants to share makeup, skincare, and style tips with others without needing to take on any further qualifications, consider starting your own blog. This way, you can build your own platform designed around your interests and focus on topics that you are really passionate about.

However, this is not a career choice through which you’ll see an immediate return on investment. While you can earn money for blogging, this is only once you’ve established your readership and gained a suitable amount of online traction. 

MAKE-UP ARTIST. 

Working as a make-up artist is another excellent career choice for beauty lovers. Again, you’ll need to complete some training ahead of time to ensure you are fully qualified and prepared for the industry, but once you’ve obtained these qualifications, there are many different avenues to pursue. For example, you may want to focus on a specialty, such as bridal or special occasion make-up, or even pursue work in the film and TV industry by working with special effects make-up.

Either way, this is the perfect opportunity to turn your love of beauty and the hours you’ve spent in front of the mirror perfecting your smokey eye into a profitable and fulfilling career! 

Buying Used Cars

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When it comes to looking for a car, there are so many different options. Every single person is different and we all have different situations. You have to make sure you stick to a budget and do things that align with your goals. Buying a car through Edmunds or elsewhere is a big responsibility and you have to make sure you pick the right thing. There have been many instances in the past in which people have immediately regretted the purchase due to the lack of oversight. Fortunately, picking the right car doesn’t have to be too difficult and it’s just a case of taking a few fundamental things into account. 

In this post, we are going to be talking about used cars and how they can be extremely beneficial for somebody looking for a new ride. When you initially think of a used car, typically think of something that isn’t exactly the most fancy thing in the world. This couldn’t be further from the truth, however, because used cars can be just as valuable. For now, here are a few benefits of going through with this kind of idea: 

Depreciation Awareness And Cost-Efficiency 

It sounds like a very boring topic and something that you probably don’t want to deal with in the present, but you do have to think about the resale value. A car may depreciate in terms of its value and its functionality very quickly if you’re not careful. Getting a used car is something that can help you with this. Of course, it may drop off sooner than some new cars, but you’ll know exactly what you’ll be getting for it and how reliable it has been in the past. 

More Extensive Model And A Larger Array 

If you only look at new cars, you will only be able to see so much. There are more used cars around and this gives you more of an array of options. The kind of car you are looking for may not be available if you are exclusively looking for newer models. A used car will obviously have been around for a lot longer, but it might be the one you were looking for. You shouldn’t ever close off the idea of getting a used car. You can head to sites like edmunds and get all kinds of amazing deals on pre-owned vehicles. This kind of thing is a very good idea as there is a wide range of options for you. 

You’ll Get To See The History And Reliability

Of course, there may be a few details that you are being kept in the dark about, but you’ll get to see what the car has been through and what it can typically handle. This is because the car has quite literally been on the road and displayed what it is capable of. Somebody will have used it extensively in the past and viewed it as a reliable transportation source. This should tell you enough about how good it is and how well it will operate for you. 

Lower Insurance And More Sustainable Choices

A used car may not typically seem like a more sustainable choice, there are so many ways in which it is so. In terms of insurance, your premium will not be through the roof like it would with a new car. This has to be taken into account because insurance premiums can really sting you if you’re not careful. A lot of people pay them - thinking that they aren’t that much of a big deal -  when they could’ve done so much better themselves elsewhere. 

Freelance Business

I have spent my whole career working for a non-profit. I will likely spend many more years there. It is a great job and a great company. I have never created a formal business, but I have from time to time done some freelance or private work to make a little extra money. 

Having a freelance career can be really rewarding and even exciting at times, and one of those times is when you are actually in the position of being able to grow it into a fully-fledged business. If you are indeed keen to grow your freelance business in this way, then there are a few things that you might need to know in order to make a success of it. As long as you are aware of these, you should find that it is a lot easier to make it work for you, so let’s take a look right

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Hiring Help

For one thing, you might find that you get to appoint where you actually need to have someone helping you. If you think that this might be the case, then you are going to need to learn how to hire people, and what to do to make this work for you and your business as well as possible. In particular, it is going to be important for you to know what you are looking for in an employee, so that you can start to really find the right people, and then you need to develop a recruitment process that is going to work.

Setting Up Online

You may well be thinking about getting set up online too, and if so then this is something that you are going to need to think about in order to ensure you can do it right. Setting up online means having a website that people can come to, and through which you can hopefully do the bulk of your business. You should look into using online payment processing services from this website and make sure that you are trying to get your site promoted as well. If you do all that, you should find it really helps.

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Having A Plan

It’s also really important that you have some kind of plan about where you intend to go and how you intend to get there. This is the kind of thing that can prove very important and which is going to help you to know how you are actually going to approach your business, so it’s vital that you do this as well as you can. As a necessary part of that plan, you should make sure that you have a particular vision of what you want to ultimately achieve, so certainly make sure that you are doing that too.

Take It Easy

That being said, it is very common for people to rush into this sort of thing, and the result of that is often that they end up disappointed or stressed out. You should instead try to remember the importance of keeping it slow and taking it fairly easy, because that is something that is going to help a lot with keeping on with it as best as you can. As long as you are doing that, you should find it helps a great deal.

Recent Empties

I have been slowly working my way through my products. I haven’t been trying as many new things lately. I have mostly been trying to use up what I have and only buy more when I run out. A few of these are tried and true products and some are newer. 

With the recent lawsuit involving aerosol dry shampoo I am looking to eliminate some of my old favorite brands. The plan is to use up what I have and replace them with cleaner options. 

Kate Somerville cleanser-I got this in my FabFitFun box. I liked it fine but not enough to switch permanently. 

Lancôme cleanser-My face didn’t really love this cleanser. It is not harsh, but it felt a little harsh on my face. I didn’t care for the smell either. 

Kristin Ess dry shampoo-I have used this line quite a few times and liked it. I know there are some cleaner options so I will probably look into those. 

Not Your Mother’s Clean Freak dry shampoo-I didn’t really love this and will not buy it again. 

Equate dry shampoo-This was fine, but I am going to switch to cleaner brands. 

Batiste dry shampoo-I have used and liked this brand a lot. I don’t plan to buy it again right now. 

Bath and Body Works body spray-I like to keep a spray on hand for before or after the gym or on days when I am only going to the grocery store. 

Tarte lights camera lashes mascara-This is a favorite mascara and one I will buy again and again. 

Just Ingredients serum-I love this serum. I buy the vanilla mint scent and it smells so good. It feels great on my face, and I love how clean it is. 

Ouai scalp and body scrub-With all of the products I use, it is really nice to use a scalp scrub. I have also tried the clarifying shampoo. This has so much grit and texture. I will probably buy the shampoo again in the future. 

Events

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It’s perfectly reasonable to be nervous about an event that you’re unsure of, that might be out of your usual wheelhouse, or that expects you to perform in some way. All of those avenues can combine into one when referring to your prom. After all, a large-scale celebration filled with members of your peer group dressing their best and arriving in style doesn’t always feel like something we have experience in, especially at a younger age.

Nerves are absolutely normal. But remember that you’re about to have a wonderful time, and you get to do so on your own terms. Moreover, if the nerves turn into chronic anxiety, you can always reach out for help, while some turn to certain helpers like herbal supplements such as valerian root for the management of mild anxiety symptoms, at least for one evening. However, make certain to speak with your physician before taking actions like this.

In this post, we’d prefer to give you advice for reducing that sense of worry and nervousness through practical and helpful tips you can follow. Let’s get started then:

You Define Who You Go With

Proms are often tied to the idea of a date, most often from your peer group of course. Now, a prom date doesn’t have to be someone you’re actually romantically involved with, it can be a friend, an acquaintance, or someone you appreciate. Moreover, you don’t even have to go on a date if you’d prefer to go alone or go in with a whole friend group.

Proms can sometimes seem too bound to the conventional social hierarchy of who might be connected to whom, but there’s no need to limit yourself to that, nor will everyone follow it. In fact, if this is a primary source of your nerves, remember that you get to define who you attend with, and who you spend your time near. You have nothing to prove to anyone, just enjoy yourself with the fun time ahead of you. It can make a great deal of difference to how you approach the event.

You Get To Express Your Best Style

You’ll also find that many proms are a fantastic excuse to dress up and have fun. Having your outfit selected from a range of prom dresses and coats beforehand means you don’t have to worry about how you look. You can also plan out having your hair and nails done, or perhaps makeup worked on by a private service, helping you feel your best and nail the kind of style you’d like to show.

Remember that schools or colleges rarely have hard and fast rules as long as you wear formal dress. So for example, if you’d prefer to wear a cultural dress more authentic to your ethnicity, that can add a wonderful sense of diversity to the occasion, and many others will be doing the same thing. The prom is a fun justification to express yourself, so don’t feel like you have to ask for permission to do so.

When you have this planned out and are confident in your choice, the nerves surrounding the event can fall away more easily.

Enjoy The Itinerary

It’s also worth enjoying the itinerary of the event itself. Luckily, your school and prom committee will have organized the entire event for you, and all you have to do is attend and enjoy yourself.

That might involve selecting from a pre-arranged catered meal, dancing in a specific area and hall, and spending time talking in the informal areas. There may be speeches, awards, and other segments on the schedule, and knowing which room to be in at what time can be helpful. 

When you’re nervous about an event, it often means you’re unsure what to expect. In this context, you know exactly how the event will go, and for that reason, you can just follow whatever is set out to soothe those nerves more easily.

Prepare & Self-Care In Advance

Self-care is a wonderful practice before a big event. A week before the event, you can focus on going to bed at the same time and getting good sleep, so that the night before nerves won’t keep you up as easily. Feeling fully rested the next day can do wonders for your emotional health.

In addition, you may take a long soak in the bath before getting dressed for the event, exercise to help deal with your nerves through physical expression, and perhaps meditate a little. These practices, put together, will work wonders for your sense of comfort.

With this advice, we’re sure that you’ll soothe those nerves before prom, and enjoy a fantastic event to cap off your college or school year.

*collaborative post 

Being Kind to Yourself

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Overcoming mental health issues, working through their symptoms, and finding the help you may need will usually take more than a week to sort out. This is important to recognize, because many people feel as though the “timeline of mental recovery” should be quick, easy and provide solid closure, but that’s not always the case.

It’s important to recognize this, because it’s very easy to place artificial limits on our recovery and healing journey which can only cause us to feel even worse than we did before. Mental health rarely plays by the convenient rules of day-to-day life, and it’s important to be aware of that.

The secret? Being kinder and gentler with yourself, and also carrying that attitude to how you treat others, as well. But how might you achieve such an approach? In this post, we’ll discuss a few measures you can take to be kinder to yourself, the utility of doing that, and what such an approach can look like in the long run. Being kind to myself is something I am constantly working on. It is easier to extend grace to others, but it is not always as easy with myself. These tips are things I can do to help myself and I hope they help you too.

Write Your Honest Thoughts In Your Journal

It’s important to mind your self-talk, but it can also be wise to know exactly what the harsh thoughts you have might be outside of your mind. If you have a faulty impression like this, write it down. When you can look at the words in front of you instead of floating around in your mind, you may realize, on a tangible level, just how unkind they are. Sometimes, to be aware of bad habits, you have to bring them into the light.

Treat Yourself Without Having “Earned It”

In life, we tend to grade our comforts on how well we might have earned them. In some cases, that can be healthy. For instance, you might not head for that tasty morning coffee layed with cream and sugar unless you’ve had a good couple of workouts that week. But sometimes, it’s healthy to treat yourself despite not having “earned it.” Putting a smile on your face can be a lovely use of your time. Buying a book and reading it with a warm mug of tea, purchasing a vinyl of zen music and letting it play throughout your home, these little things are what give us joy. You deserve that kind of joy.

Focus On Wellbeing, One Day At A Time

Self-care is self-love, although it’s important to note that self-care can be different for different people. For some, it might involve supplementing fish oil in their diet or CBD oil to help with anxiety, or perhaps switch out their sugar for sweetener substitutes for a healthier habit.

Perhaps you’ll just go on morning walks that feel comforting and relaxing to you. It’s most often these little things that help us grow and feel more like ourselves, giving us the permission to grow and feel better about ourselves. 

With this advice, you’re sure to be kinder to yourself through a soft, gentle and welcoming set of methods. Never let anyone tell you that this is indulgent or inappropriate. After all, if you can’t be kind to yourself, who can you be kind to?

*collaborative post