October 16, 2019

How Alexa Runs My Mornings

I don’t know where I would be without Amazon’s Alexa. For those that don’t know, Alexa is Amazon’s virtual assistant and she is amazing.

You can access Alexa on a variety of Amazon devices such as the Amazon Echo, Echo Show, and Amazon FireTV. They even have an Echo Dot exclusively for kids. Amazon has even launched a Alexa powered device for your car and an Input device to turn any speaker into an Alexa-enabled device. Long story short, Alexa is taking over the world and I am here for it.

Alexa makes my life easier. Especially during our hectic school day mornings.

So how exactly do I use Amazon’s Alexa in the morning?

Alarm

Alexa serves as my alarm clock. I have an Amazon Echo in my master bathroom and through the Alexa app I set a weekday alarm for 5:45am. Without her I would sleep my life away (not really, my three and five year old would eventually drag me out of bed).

Additionally, I have Echo Dots in both of my children’s bedrooms so I set an alarm for each of them. The alarms are necessary because Monday-Friday are the only days that my kids like to sleep in which is super convenient. Also, its is important to note that Alexa is a much more effective alarm than my screaming from the kitchen.

Calendar

Alexa gives you the ability to link your calendar. Currently, Alexa supports Google, Microsoft, Apple, and Microsoft Exchange (so pretty much most calendars). Once you link your calendar, you can ask Alexa to tell you what is on your calendar. You can check your calendar while you are chasing your daughter around trying to brush her hair. Win-win.

Announcements

When you have multiple Alexa enabled devices in your home, you can utilize them as your own personal PA system. If I am in the kitchen kitchen finishing breakfast, I can just tell Alexa to make an announcement that breakfast is done and it will broadcast to all of the devices online. It sure beats having to scream through the house or run upstairs to let them know

News

Every morning as I am getting breakfast, 2nd breakfast, and the before school snack ready for my kids, I ask Alexa to play my “flash briefing”. The Flash Briefing is a collection of news curated specifically for me. You have the ability to customize which news outlets you want to hear from. For me, some of my favorites include NPR, The Daily Skimm, The Wall Street Journal, and the local weather. It’s a great way to stay caught up with what is going in the world pretty effortlessly.

Reminders

Probably my very favorite way that we use Alexa in the mornings is by using Alexa to keep us on pace for getting ready. Here is how that works, I set reminders at designated times during the morning. At 7:30am Alexa announces that it is time for the kids to get dressed, at 7:45am she reminds my children to get their shoes on, and at 8:00am she reminds us to start walking to the bus stop. This has been a lifesaver! It is so easy to lose track of time as you are trying to get everyone ready and out the door. Having these reminders keeps us on pace with time and prevents us from being late. We are always the first one to the bus stop and Alexa deserves all of the credit.

Music

If we happen to have a few minutes before we need to leave for the bus stop, I ask Alexa to play us some music for an impromptu dance party. It’s a fun and easy way to kill some time and try to get some energy out of the kids before they go to school. I created a Before School Playlist just for this purpose.

Amazon’s Alexa is seriously my favorite gadget (even though it’s not necessarily one gadget). Not only do I love her, she is an awesome co-parent. My kids seem to listen to her more than myself most mornings. No shame here, I will take all the help I can get.

Have you used Alexa in the mornings? What skills do you utilize? I would love to hear! Leave a comment below.

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October 11, 2019

How I Read 100 Books in a Year

How I Read 100 Books In a Year

I read 100 books last year. How and why did I do this?

Every year I set out a personal development goal, a big over-arching goal for the year to make me a better person.

So why reading 100 books in a year? I love reading. A perfect Saturday night would be curled up on my couch reading a book and drinking coffee (ps. when did I get so old)? So when I was setting my personal development goal last year, I knew that I wanted to center it around reading.

The next step was determining what my reading goal should be for the year. I was already reading an average fo 1-2 books per month so I knew that I needed a stretch goal. I am always in awe when I hear about executives reading 200 or 300 books a year. If a busy Fortune 500 CEO can read 300 books in a year, I could surely read 100, right? 100 books in a year it was.

I’m not going to lie, reading 100 books in a given year was a challenge. However, I gained a ton of knowledge during this process and expanded my literary horizons (you can only ready so many professional development books so it forced me to check out some other genres). It’s a challenge I would whiole-heartedly recommend to anyone who likes to read or is looking to increase their knowledge.

Here are a few tips and suggestions for how to read 100 books in a year.

Goodreads

Goodreads is a must have for any. book lover. For one, you are able to set a reading challenge and easily track your progress quickly and easily. If you can also challenge friends and other people on the app if you are the competitive type. Goodreads is also a great way to explore other books to read. Goodreads will provide recommendations based on your prior reading and ratings. I’ve found several books that I otherwise would never have found,

Rotate Book Genres

I went to school for 20 of the first 25 years of my life. Reading a book solely for pleasure is still rather a novelty for me, kind of like being able to buy whatever cereal you want at the grocery store. It still feels strange to me. To help me get through my goal of reading 100 books, I rotated a fun book and then an educational one. This rotation helped ease my guilt of being unproductive and motivated me to push through some of the more dull books knowing that I would get to a fun one soon.

Use Your Phone

I have kids and a job so I’m not able to dedicate hours upon hours to uninterrupted reading time. To hit my goal, I had to fit reading in wherever I could. My local library offers the Libby app where you can borrow ebooks using your library card right on your phone or table. I was able to squeeze in a few minutes of reading here and there which adds up quickly. Check with our local library to see if they offer Libby or a similar app to download free books on your phone.

Keep a Book Near You

Similarly to the phone, I would keep a book near me at all times. When I had a few minutes of downtime while the kids were playing or watching TV, I could get some reading in. I try to read hard copy. books as much as possible because I feel less guilty about reading in front of them versus looking at my phone (#momguilt). Plus, there is nothing better than the smell of books (#nerd).

Make a Goal

If you are going to set a reading goal it is important for you to know how many books you need to read each week/month. If you want to read 100 books in a year, you will need to read roughly 2 books per week. Knowing this helped me pace my reading through the week to stay on top of my goal. If you use the Goodreads app and set up a challenge, it will do this for you automatically.

Take Breaks

Reading 100 books in a year was pretty aggressive. There were times where I just didn’t want to read anymore, and during those times I gave myself permission to take a step back. It’s not that serious and you don’t want a silly thing like a self-induced reading challenge take away your love of reading. Take a break and come back to it when you are ready.

Audiobooks

So I’m of the belief that audiobooks count as real books. You are still capturing and pondering information just as you would a hardcopy book. So go ahead and incorporate audiobooks into your routine. For me, I would listen to audiobooks anytime I was in the car or walking. I was able to squeeze in a few books this way and I really enjoyed them differently than hardcopy books. Audible is a great app to listen to audiobooks. Libby also offers audiobooks so I never had to pay for them!

would you ever complete a reading challenge? How many books would you read in a year? leave a comment below

August 12, 2019

Must Have Back to School Items for Working Moms

Back to school time is crazy, especially for working moms. Trying to juggle all the back to school tasks with your job can be crazy. Here are a few items that have helped me during back to school time.

Echo Dot

Back to school time means getting the kids (and yourself) back into a routine. The echo dot and Alexa can help! Using the Alexa app, you can create morning and night time routines. In the morning, Echo can serve as an alarm, remind your kids to brush their teeth, and get out of the door on time. In the evening, you Alexa to set a bedtime reminder and play relaxing music.

For example, on school mornings our Echo wakes us up and then sets a reminder about 30 minutes before we have to get out of the door. Mornings are frantic so this keeps me on track with time. In the evenings, a bedtime warning goes off about 30 minutes before bath time and starts playing lullabies. The Echo dot also announces when is bath time and bedtime. I swear I do some actual parenting on my own. 🙂

Buy an Echo Dot Here

Meal Prep Containers

I’n a big fan of meal prepping during the school year. Before your kids go back to school sit down and create a back to school meal plan. Create a list of lunches and load them into your Cozi meal planner. Every Sunday check out the week’s menu and meal prep for the week’s lunches. I hate packing lunches so spending an hour or two once a week versus spending time doing it every day is a no-brainer. These containers are reusable and surprisingly durable. I love that they are sturdy but you won’t be too upset if your kiddo loses one.

Check out the meal prep containers here.

Closet Organizer

Another back to school item you need is a closet organizer. Each week I get the kids outfits planned and put in the organizer. It makes morning run so much more smoothly. If your kids like to pick their own outfits, have them do this task each Sunday. I include everything in the organizer including the outfit, underwear, socks, and any accessories. No more scurrying around trying to find something when you are 10 minutes late.

Check out the closet organizer here.

Hall Tree

Another back to school item that will save you hours of time is a family “landing zone”. This super affordable hall tree is a great option. Have everyone leave their backpacks, coats, and shoes in one spot (instead of all over the house). Try to put it as close to the door as possible to make it more effective.

Check out the hall tree here.

Car Organizer

Back to school time also means you will likely spend much more time in your car. Dropping off kids at school, going to work, picking kids up, taking them to their activities, grabbing dinner, going home. Repeat. Take some time before all that craziness starts to organizer your car. I love having a trunk organizer to store all of our random things that we need to keep handy. I always keep baby wipes, a change of clothes, extra shoes, blanket, snacks, bottled water, a first-aid kit, sunscreen, and bug spray. It makes life so much easier having these items (and keep them from rolling around in our trunk).

There you have it. 5 must-have back to school items for working moms.

What do you have that you can’t live without? What brings some ease to your crazy life? Leave a comment below!

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August 5, 2019

Why Every Working Mom Should Use Cozi

This post may contain affiliate links and I may receive commissions for purchases made through links in this post, at no cost to you.

There are a few apps that I just couldn’t live without. Cozi is hands down in the top three. Since my family has started to use the Cozi app, my life seems much more organized and manageable. It could just be a placebo effect, but I’m pretty sure this app is life-changing.

What is Cozi?

Cozi is a family organizer app. It has a shared family calendar, shared grocery list, to-do list, a meal planner, contact list, birthday list, and more. You an access Cozi on the app or on your desktop which makes it very accessible for your whole family.

How much is Cozi?

Cozi has a free version and a subscription version. The free version is really good and includes most of the available features like the shared family calendar, grocery lists, and to-do lists. The free version is supported by ads, which are not too intrusive to your experience. There is also a subscription version of Cozi, which I quickly upgraded to.

The paid version includes all of the features of the free along with a monthly calendar view (which is the reason I upgraded), access to more notifications and reminders, shared contacts, and the birthday tracker. The paid version is also ad-free if that is important to you. The cost of the subscription is fairly inexpensive, I paid $29 for the whole family for the year.

What is so great about Cozi?

Shared Calendar

My husband and I both work and travel pretty regularly for our jobs. When we do get to see each other we are typically trying to keep our kids from eating batteries or something (my daughter literally just had a battery in her mouth, the joys) so we don’t have a lot of time to debrief on our schedules. Now, we just put our work commitments, travel schedule, and kids activities in there. You can set up notifications, so if my husband adds something in there I receive notification and vice versa. I also love that you can set up multiple reminders. For things I have to get to, I set up a reminder a few weeks out, a couple days before, and the morning of. Seems excessive, but I need all the help I can get.

You can also have other family members and caretakers use the app. My mother-in-law watches my kids most days so we added her to our family calendar. She has access to all of the kids activities and our work schedules. My kids aren’t super involved in sports or activities yet but I can see this being a super helpful feature once they are. Grandparents and other family members can see all of the kids games and other activities. You can color coordinate your calendar and also automatically send a daily or weekly agenda to people.

Shopping List

Another feature of Cozi that I absolutely love the shopping list feature! It’s a centralized list so everyone in the house can add items to the shopping list. Nothing is more annoying than going to the grocery store and someone not telling you that you ran out of something. This makes it easy for everyone to add items to one list that you always have access to. You can even sync your Cozi app with Alexa!

To-Do List

With Cozi, you can pretty much create a list for anything. We have a family to-do list for items that need to be done around the house. I add things like “buying a birthday gift for Susie” and “get oil changed” to the list so that everyone can see and pick up the slack (hopefully!). The opportunities are endless with lists.

Some other helpful lists I have seen are a kids chore list, vacation packing list, holiday gift list, and a back to school shopping list, In fact, Cozi has a whole library of pre-made checklists that you can start using. The lists help you distribute the workload and keep everyone organized.

Meal Planner

I absolutely hate meal planning. I never know what to cook so I pretty much end up cooking the same three things (cooking is not my zone of genius). Each week, figuring out what we would eat would take up so much mental capacity. It was silly. Cozi has a meal planning feature that allows you to set your meals ahead of time. It is so amazing. One night I was watching tv and decided to plan our dinners for the next three months. It took me minutes (seriously, 20 minutes, tops) and has probably saved me hours of time and anguish. This simple act has also saved me a ton of time in grocery shopping. I just go in each week to see what’s on the menu and I order accordingly. I just use it for dinners right now but will definitely use it once fall comes around for school lunches.

Recipe Box

Cozi also has a Recipe Box feature which is pretty awesome. You can save recipes to the box which are then accessible to everyone and anytime. There has been a few times I have been at the grocery store and referenced the recipes to make sure that we had all the ingredients. The app even has a dim-free feature which prevents your screen from blacking out while you are cooking. Literally, Cozi has thought of everything.

I am such a fan of this app. It is clearly designed with busy families in mind (it would even be great for busy couples) and it just keeps getting better. If anyone has any questions about the app or has any tips to share, leave a comment below! I would love to hear how others use it!

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July 29, 2019

Affirmations for Stressful Days

Stress is all too common in our lives. According to the Harvard Heath Blog, Over time, chronic work stress can lead to a psychological syndrome known as burnout. Warning signs of burnout are overwhelming exhaustion, cynicism, and a sense of inefficacy. Been. There. A helpful tool for dealing with a stressful day is to use affirmations. Repeating one (or some) of these affirmations on a particularly stressful day will help you ground yourself and focus your mindset.

Affirmations for Stressful Days

I am relaxed and calm.

I am capable of handling whatever the day brings my way.

I will look for the good in the day and be grateful for opportunities for growth.

Today I am getting stronger. I will learn from this and grow.

I am approaching this situation from a place of calm and positivity.

I am calm headed and focused on the actions that I can take.

I am not worried about things that are outside of my control.

I see stressful situations as growth opportunities and I will seize them.

I will not give others power over me.

I (and only I) control my destiny. No person or situation has control over that.

Today’s challenges are creating tomorrow’s opportunities.

You are stronger and fully capable of this challenge.

I have the opportunity to exit this situation.

This is just a stressful day in a life filled with beautiful ones. I am grateful.

Nothing is permanent. This too shall pass.

There you have it. A list of affirmations for stressful days. Always remember a bad day is not a bad life. <3

What affirmations do you use for stressful days? What else do you do to help you get through stressful days? Leave a comment below.

June 20, 2019

Workout Gear for Busy Moms

I just recently started working out as a busy mom. Pre-kids, I used to leisurely stroll into the gym and take my time through each workout. Post-kids, I literally run into the gym, try to cram as much exercise as possible into a 45 minute window, and then run back out the door. Working out as a busy mom is anything but leisurely. I have learned that having the right equipment is key to getting your workouts in. Here is the workout gear that any busy working mom needs.

Yoga Mat

If you have’t done yoga before, you need to stop what you are doing and sign up for a class right now. Yoga is a game-changer for your mind and body. I am addicted to how I feel after a good session. I feel flexible, peaceful, and grounded. I highly recommend this yoga mat. It’s a solid mat, includes a carrying strap, and is incredibly affordable!

Amazon Essentials Yoga Capris

I wear these pants a little more than I would like to admit. In fact, I have at least pairs that are in heavy rotation for working out, lounging around, and running errands. I love them because they are comfortable, affordable, and made very well. They hold up well (again, I wear them ALL THE TIME) and are not see through. These rank up there with other expensive yoga pants at a fraction of the price.

Stainless Steel Water Bottle

A list of workout gear for busy moms is incomplete without a water bottle. And let me tell you, I’m very particular with my water bottles. I recently went through one of our cabinets and purged a ton of water bottles who just didn’t cut it. But these water bottles? They sparked some joy. Not only are they adorable but they are durable and keep beverages cold for a while. For the gym, I would recommend that you get the 22 ounce size so it will fit in the equipment cup holders.

Gym Bag

One of the best ways to make it to the gym is to have everything ready to go. I keep a gym bag packed and ready to go by my entry way. I pack it with essentials like workout clothes, extra socks, shoes, hair ties, and deodorant. I love this particular bag because it has a separate shoe compartment and an area to stash wet clothes/towels.

Padlock

Most gyms do not provide locks for the lockers. This is a super easy and affordable lock to throw in your gym bag so your stuff is safe while you work out. What I love most is that you can set your own combination so you don’t have to worry about remembering a random combination or carrying a key.

Fitbit Alta

I’ve had a few Fitbits and even a few Apple watches. The Fitbit Alta has been my favorite fitness tracker so far. While some of the more expense Fitbits and Apple watches have more bells and whistles, this is low maintenance and durable. It is small so it is comfortable to wear. It holds a charge pretty well so you don’t have to plug it in EVERY single night (ahem, Apple Watch). I also find the Fitbit more motivating for some reason. I like that you can compete with your friends and coworkers on the Fitbit app and it tracks other important health measures. Fitness trackers do really help get you more motivated.

What workout gear can you not live without? Anything else that you would add to the list?

June 10, 2019

Why Working Moms Need to Exercise

I always loved(ish) working out before I had kids. I was never a die-hard “gym head” but I went a solid 2-3 times a week. It was something that I enjoyed doing and it made me feel good.

Then I got pregnant. Morning sickness hit me like a Mac truck so I stopped working out completely. Fast forward five years (and two kids) later and here I was completely out of shape and forty pounds heavier. My active five-year-old and four-year-old left me completely exhausted on most days. I was always tired and just didn’t feel like myself. I knew something had to give.

On a whim, I signed up for a gym membership and started working out 3-4 days a week. And you know what? I felt better almost immediately. I have more energy, get more accomplished, and am generally happier than I was just a few months ago. My only regret is not doing this much sooner.

Being a working mom is incredibly hard. Finding time for anything is insanely difficult, let alone something “for yourself.” But in fact, investing time to workout is actually one of the greatest gifts you can give not only yourself but everyone around here.

Here is why all working moms should find time for exercise.

Energy

After working all day and then coming home to household responsibilities, I didn’t have much energy left for anything else. What killed me most is not having the energy to keep up with my kids. I always wanted to be an active mom and one that played a lot with my kids. I found that was becoming increasingly difficult to do.

Once I started working out more, I found myself naturally having more energy. I was able to keep up with them much more easily. I didn’t dread going on walks with them after work, but now I look forward to it. In addition, I’m finding it much easier to keep up with housework and have more energy for work.

The Old Me

Mothers are selfless creatures and we give so much of ourselves to everyone else. Sooooo much of ourselves. You give so much that sometimes you feel that you don’t even know who you are anymore. For me, working out is an activity that reminds me of my old self. It reminds me that I was a person before I had my children and I will be a person after they don’t need me anymore.

Mental Well-Being

I’m fortunate to be a pretty even-keel person. Even so, I have noticed a marked improvement in my overall mood since working out more regularly. I am generally more happy, relaxed, rested, and stress-free. The link between exercise and mood is strong. In fact, you get an increase in mood from just five minutes of moderate exercise! Regular exercise also improves long-term depression and anxiety. This is yet another way that exercise not only benefits you but those around you.

Healthy You & Healthy Family

It is pretty obvious that regular exercise is healthy for you. Exercise improves cardiovascular health, reduces the risk of diabetes, improves muscle mass and bone density, lowers the risk of chronic disease. So the benefits to you are pretty obvious. However, working moms who work out also improve the health of your family. Your kids adore you and want to be just like you. Do you want them to exercise and make healthy choices? Start by exercising and making healthy choices yourself. They will start to see that taking care of yourself and working out is just what you do. You can also find ways to stay active and workout as a family.

Daddy Time.

When I’m around my kids, I am it. I am the one they come to, I am the one that they crawl on, I am the one that they cry too and hug on. My husband gets lost in the mix. However, taking that time to myself and going to the gym causes him to step up and spend more one-on-one time with the kids. When I first starting leaving for the gym, my kids would sob hysterically. Now, after a few months they actually look forward to having “dad time”. I love seeing them bond and make special memories, which would otherwise not be possible if I were home. Spending time away gives your kids a chance to bond with their father/mother/caregiver/etc.

Self Esteem

Let’s face it, growing tiny humans in your body, birthing tiny humans, feeding tiny humans, and nurturing tiny humans takes a toll on your body. Things can get pretty rough and you can easily feel pretty bad about yourself. Especially when you see celebrities in bikinis 3 days after popping out a baby. Every body is beautiful , especially a body that brought life into this world. That doesn’t mean that sometimes you feel a little insecure. Working out can help you gain more confidence and improve your self-esteem, which is never a bad thing.

Finding time to exercise is not selfish. You are not taking time away from your kids and family. In fact, you are actually creating a better, healthier, and more energetic you to give.

Every time you exercise, you are giving a gift to you and your loved ones. You are making an investment in yourself and your family and you will see the returns on that investment for years to come.

What are your reasons for working out? What are your obstacles and challenges from getting exercise? what other benefits have you experienced? leave a comment!

January 27, 2019

Maximize Productivity When You Work from Home

8 Tips to Maximize Productivity When You Work From Home

Working from home has its advantages. You couldn’t ask for a better commute, you don’t have to worry about packing a lunch, you can get housework done between conference calls, and you save money on commute related expenses.

While working from home is proving itself to be the optimal working arrangement for employees and employers, it does pose challenges. It can be difficult to stay focused when you have distractions so close by.

{ Check out how to work from home when with kids! }

Here are 8 tips to maximize your productivity when you work from home.

Start Early

It can be really challenging to get your day started when you work from home. The best thing you can do is get your day started as early as possible. The time spent working before others are up and running is invaluable. That distraction-free time is sacred and should be taken advantage of. It also helps you get motivated and started with your day rather than laying in bed a little too long.

Shower & Get Dressed

I always laugh when people say that they get dressed in full business attire when they work from home. My first thought is always, “Sure you do, Brenda”. I know I am not about to put on a dress and hose to sit at my kitchen table all day. Nope. However, there are some real benefits from getting up, showering, and putting yourself together a bit before starting your day (even if it is just putting on your dress sweat pants rather than your sleep sweatpants). Getting yourself ready shifts your mindset, improves your confidence, and provides motivation for the day.

Have a Plan

Everyone regardless of where they work should spend the first twenty minutes planning their day and prioritizing what needs to get done. This is especially true if you are working from home. It is too easy to get distracted so it is essential that you have a solid and detailed plan for the day.

For me, I have to write things down with a pen and paper. Every morning, the very first thing I do is look at my calendar and write down what tasks I must get done ranked in priority. I then block time out on my calendar to complete those items. Having a plan and sticking to it will keep you productive while working from home.

Identify a Dedicated Workspace

It’s important that you have a dedicated space for work. This space should be comfortable, distraction-free If you have a home office, great. If you don’t have a home office you may need to get creative. Guest rooms work great, dens, dining rooms, or even the basement. I have even had coworkers set up their office space in their garage. It doesn’t matter where the workspace is as long as it is comfortable for you and limits distractions.

Eliminate Distractions

Speaking of distractions, eliminate them as much as possible. There is nothing worse than sitting on a conference call and the doorbell rings that set off mass chaos inside your home with doorbells ringing, dogs barking, kids running to the door. We have all been there. If you are going to be important phone calls, put a note on the doorbell to not ring it. Train your dogs and kids to be as silent as possible when you are working. If noises are inevitable invest in a white noise machine or noise-canceling headphones for your office. It provides some background noise and will hopefully drown out the sounds of your kids screaming at each other in the other room.

Eat Healthy

Working from home provides endless opportunities to snack. For some, it is easier to eat healthy at home because they have fresh fruits and veggies available. For me, it is too easy to eat those fresh fruits and veggies along with a tub of hummus and pita bread. You will have to be disciplined when it comes to snacking. Try keeping a set “lunch” time that you eat and prepare your meals as you would if you were going into the office. Limit your time in the kitchen and minimize unhealthy snacks in the home.

Pomodoro It Up

Pomodoro is a time management technique developed by Francesco Cirillo in the late 1980s. The technique uses a timer to break down work into 25-minute intervals. In between, you take a short five-minute break. This technique works wonders for me. I am so focused because I know I only have 25 minutes to complete a task. I find myself busting ass during these intervals. Afterward, I am able to take a quick break and throw a load of laundry in, take a quick walk, or just sit on my couch completely guilt-free. Read more about the Pomodoro technique here.

Hold Regular Hours

It can be tempting when you work from home to blend work hours and home hours. I know when I am working from home it easy to keep your computer up and running throughout the night. This is not a good idea because it can lead to burning out pretty quickly. Setting and adhering to standard work hours helps you avoid this. Try to stick to the same work schedule and respect those boundaries. Limit work during personal time and limit personal time during your work hours.

Working from home is a fantastic solution for many people. You just have to be strategic and intentional to maximize your effectiveness. What is your work from home strategy? What techniques have you found that help you be more productive when you work from home? Leave a comment below!

Like this post? Check out Darling CEO’s Work from Home Pinterest page for more relevant tips and tricks.

How to Request a Flexible Working Arrangement

One silver lining from the Covid-19 pandemic is that it has shown us that many of us can do our jobs from home. And we can do our work more effectively, efficiently, and with a better work-life balance. We have learned that working from home allows to balance more of our personal and professional obligations that we face as working mothers. Now that that companies are asking employees to come back into the office, don’t feel pigeon-holed into your old work structure. Follows these tips on how to request a flexible working arrangement.

Research Your Flexible Working Arrangement Options

Start by researching your company’s policy on flexible working arrangements. Find out what your company may already have in place and what the request process entails. If your company does not have a policy on the books currently, research other companies in your industry’s policies.

You should also talk to people that already have flexible working arrangements. Ask them what they like/dislike about their working arrangement and how they presented the arrangement to their boss.

Have a Written Proposal Prepared

Have a formal proposal written out and ready when you make the request. This helps you think through your request and shows your employer that you are prepared and serious about your request. Make sure that your plan is focused on how your employer will benefit because that is what they are most concerned with. Benefits to your employer could include increased work hours due to elimination of a commute, increased efficiency, and improved engagement due to your ability to focus on family obligations more.

If you focus on how it will help them, you are more likely to keep their attention and interest when you are requesting a flexible working arrangement.

Stay Flexible and Have a Plan B

With any negotiation, come prepared with an ideal state but have a more realistic plan B at the ready. For example, your ideal state would be working from home full-time. However, you would settle for 2 days in the office if necessary of coming in for certain meetings.

Knowing exactly what you are comfortable with will help you when requesting a flexible working arrangement.

Arrange a Meeting

When you are requesting a flexible working arrangement, schedule a meeting with your boss and make sure it is on their calendar. You want to give them a heads up on what you plan on covering in this meeting so they are not caught off guard. However, don’t dive into too much detail in the invite because you don’t want to start the conversation via email or over the phone.

Try saying something like “I would like to discuss some ideas I have for my working arrangement.” If your boss tries to open the conversation right away reply by saying “I have some ideas that I would like to discuss but I really want to ensure that we have enough time. Can I get an hour on your calendar?”

Having a dedicated time for the request will give it the space and attention the request requires.

Be Persistent

Chances are that your boss is not going to be overly excited about your request for a flexible working arrangement. Go into the conversation expecting a less than positive response. As mentioned earlier, demonstrate flexibility and have a healthy conversation about any reservations that they may have.

If they still have reservations after talking it through, see if they will give it your flexible working arrangement a trial run. Try the schedule out for 3-4 weeks. Your leadership may be more receptive to trying it out if they know it’s only temporary. Chances are it will work out (and you will have documented your productivity/effectiveness) and they will keep up the arrangement after the trial ends.

Perform Well

Hopefully, after all of these actions, your employer approves your flexible working arrangement request. The next step is to make sure that you perform well. Your performance under a flexible working arrangement will likely be under a microscope. They will be looking for any misstep along the way. Prove them wrong! Make sure that you are holding up your end of the bargain, even if that means you are working a bit harder as you acclimate to your new working situation.

Not only will this help you and your career but it will help your employer be more open to future requests. This is a win for all working mothers!

Do you utilize a flexible working arrangement? If so, what is your arrangement and how did you request a flexible working arrangement? We would love to hear more. Leave a comment below.

January 5, 2019

Types of Flexible Working Arrangement

if you work in a corporate environment, you have undoubtedly heard the term flexible working arrangement. A flexible working arrangement (FWA) is simply an alternative working location and/or schedule. Employees love them because it allows them more flexibility to balance work and home. Whether you are a business owner considering offering a flexible working arrangement or an employee interested in requesting one, it is important to understand what is available. Here are the 6 most common types of flexible working arrangements.

Telecommuting

More companies are offering employees the option to work remotely at least part of the time. It makes total sense too. Studies show that working from home helps increase productivity, improves employee engagement, and helps employers lower overhead costs. Sounds like a win-win! Many employers/employees wonder how often you should be in the office. While there is no one size fits all answer, studies by Gallup have shown that the telecommuting schedule that offers the most productivity is when an employee comes into the office two or three days per week.

Working Remotely

Similar to telecommuting, working remotely means that an employee works exclusively from another location other than the office. This is becoming an increasingly popular option as technology permits work to happen anywhere. An employee needs to make sure that they have a suitable space free from distractions. It is also important to have very clear expectations as it relates to performance. It takes a lot of trust from an employer to offer this arrangement so you will want there to be clear accountability on each side.

Compressed Work Week

A compressed work week is just as the name suggests, compressing a 40-hour workweek into three to four days. Most commonly, a compressed workweek consists of four 10-hour days. This is not only great for the employee, but it can also help an employer keep overhead costs down. This is a great option for working parents to help them keep childcare costs down.

Flexible Working Schedule

This arrangement allows the employee to select their working hours when it works best for them. For example, a working mother can work a couple hours in the morning, four hours during the school day, and finish up her work after the kids go to bed. This also improves productivity because it allows workers the chance to select times in which they are naturally more productive.

Part Time or Reduced Schedule

Some employees prefer working a part-time schedule versus a full 40+ hour workweek. Let’s be honest, working full time does not always guarantee a full 40 hours of productivity. A ton of time is lost on “water-cooler chats” and employees shopping on Amazon during work time. Employers are finding out that they can get comparable productivity from part-time employees. This option is not for everyone though. I have had several friends that went part-time and ended up hating it. They felt that they were never giving their full self to anything. If you are an employee considering this option, try to chat with people in similar roles that have gone part-time to see how they like it and what advice they would give.

Flexible Time Off

Unlimited vacation time is an increasingly popular flexible working arrangement. Offering an employee the option to take time off when they need without the restraint of a fixed allotment helps them manage their work and home life more effectively. It also results in less unscheduled absences where you may be scrambling to fill in for that person.

Do you participate in a flexible working arrangement? If so, what does it look like? What are the pros and cons? We would love to hear, leave a comment below!

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Have you used Alexa in the mornings? What skills do you utilize? I would love to hear! Leave a comment below.

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Start Early

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Working from home is a fantastic solution for many people. You just have to be strategic and intentional to maximize your effectiveness. What is your work from home strategy? What techniques have you found that help you be more productive when you work from home? Leave a comment below!

How to Request a Flexible Working Arrangement

Research Your Flexible Working Arrangement Options

Have a Written Proposal Prepared

Stay Flexible and Have a Plan B

Arrange a Meeting

Be Persistent

Perform Well

Do you utilize a flexible working arrangement? If so, what is your arrangement and how did you request a flexible working arrangement? We would love to hear more. Leave a comment below.

Telecommuting

Working Remotely

Compressed Work Week

Flexible Working Schedule

Part Time or Reduced Schedule

Flexible Time Off

Do you participate in a flexible working arrangement? If so, what does it look like? What are the pros and cons? We would love to hear, leave a comment below!