source: Mandi Ehman

Ah, work-life balance. Such a hot topic these days, no?

One of the benefits of being a woman and mother in 2012 is that there are a million options for men and women alike, and we no longer need to make a choice between family and career.

In fact, earlier this week, Tsh at Simple Mom talked about doing what you love, sharing a pretty profound statement that Susan Wise Bauer made while we were chatting in her living room a few weeks ago that has inspired her to stop feeling guilty about pursuing her own passion.

And all of that is fine to say, but it doesn’t necessarily make the whole balance thing any easier.

Truth be told, I’m not really a fan of balance at all. In the intro to How to Have Your Cake and Eat It, Too, I say this:

To me, balance implies that we should give just a little bit of ourselves to many different things, never investing enough in any one thing to tip the scales.

If you’re trying to pursue your own passions, build a business or manage multiple obligations, that can be a very stressful and unfulfilling way to live.

Instead, I prefer to think of what I do as a work-at-home mom as juggling.

Although I’ve never been a very good juggler in real life, I really love this metaphor as it applies to my life.

If you were to take a video of someone juggling and play it in slow motion, you’d see three key parts of the process. The juggler has to throw each ball to start the momentum and catch each one to keep it from hitting the floor, but in between she lets the balls coast from one hand to the other.

Life is a lot like that.

At the end of the day, my family is my top priority. That means that we make sacrifices so that we can continue to be home together as a family every day.

It means I turn down opportunities to travel and we only have one car and our kids aren’t in a ton of activities.

But juggling these passions of mine also means that I can take a break from school or serve frozen pizza for a week (not really, but I could!) to focus on a deadline or special project.

It means my husband changes the majority of dirty diapers and volunteers to clean up my kitchen disasters so that I can make food from scratch without also having to make time to do the dishes.

In short, I’m not sure balance is possible, but that’s not necessarily a bad thing!

Giveaway

Forget Balance…Let’s Juggle Instead is a post from Life Your Way

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source: Lisa Williams

Today I’m participating in the Ultimate Blog Swap. You’ll find me posting over at Aubergine about Making Sure Your Blog Benefits Your Family, and I’m excited to welcome Martine from Dainty Mom to Life Your Way:

I’ve been working from home for a little under two years, and I love it. I suppose it’s because I’ve always been inspired by home, from the time I was still living in my mom’s well-appointed, thoughtfully-designed house, to the time I had a home of my own to appoint in the way that best fit my family.

As much as I enjoy being inspired by my home, I like being inspired by my work space. Being a mom, I need to be inspired as I work from home, five days a week. I’d like to share with you just four of these tips, which can help you get recharged and keep you motivated as you maintain that delicate balance of work, home management and family life.

1. Create an inspiring work space.

I’m a visual person.  So, it’s important to me that my work space is beautiful and motivating. Earlier this year, I bought a simple yet pretty desk, hung an inspiring print above it, and prettified the tabletop with a vase of faux berries – happiness! Having a beautiful, inspired workspace is essential to staying productive when you’re working from home, especially since it’s proven that colors greatly influence mood, and even enhance productivity.

Quality light is also essential, so position your desk where there’s lots of natural light during the day, and, if you work at night, opt for warm-colored lighting. You’ll get work done faster and more efficiently when your space is visually stimulating and pleasant to your eyes.

2. Work elsewhere, occasionally.

Just because you work from home doesn’t mean you need to stay at home every day to work. For me, as a writer, sometimes a change of scenery is necessary, especially if I’m working on creatives like ads or scripts. During these times, I like to escape to the coffee shop and do my work alone. I ask my husband or sometimes the grandparents (who are always willing to oblige!) to watch my son while I get two hours of power writing done. Afterwards, it feels incredibly rewarding to have been able to accomplish a chunk of work, and I’m excited to be reunited with my son and husband again.

3. Create relaxed spaces in your home.

Jane Austen said, “There is nothing like staying at home for real comfort.” And I totally agree. That’s why, in our little home, I make sure that work and rest areas are clearly defined so that real relaxation can happen when it’s needed. Both my husband and I work from home, so we’ve made it a rule to not take our laptops into the bedroom, for example. Furthermore, we’ve decorated our bedroom to look like a haven for relaxation, investing in pretty linens, a nice paint job, subtle lighting and light-colored furnishings.

Our living room, too, is dedicated to family time, reading, lounging, even meditating. My work space is actually in a small space between our living area and dining area, and when I’m not working on it, it doubles as part of the living-dining room décor when I remove everything utilitarian from it at the end of the day. Maintaining these relaxing spaces helps create different vibes within our home, so that we can consciously separate work from pleasure.

4. Keep focused with a work-at-home mission statement.

This is core to my being a work-at-home mom! Working from home requires the same skill set as running a small corporation, and having a mission statement to support my intention to work from home helps keep me on track, both as a worker and a family woman. Try making one for yourself, creating key points for those areas in your home and work life. (Here’s a sample of my own mission statement.) Refer back to your mission statement when work levels get toxic, or when you find yourself spending less and less time with your family.

The best way to stay inspired as a work-at-home mom – more than all these tips – is simply to never forget why you’re working from home. It’s not an option that most people have or are afforded with, so be thankful every day that you can be one. Reflect on the independence you have and be grateful for it; this gratitude will actually help make you a better worker.

How do you find inspiration while you’re working from home?

Martine de Luna is a wife, mom, and freelance writer. She’s the owner and editor of Dainty Mom, a tips and inspiration blog for work-at-home moms, which recently won the 2011 Philippine Blog Awards for Best Home and Parenting Blog. When she’s not making words awesome for her clients, Martine loves to cook, decorate the house, and spend days out of the house with her husband and toddler son. She lives in Manila, the Philippines.

4 Tips to Staying Inspired While You Work from Home is a post from Life Your Way

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The following post is from Lisa of Working Naked:

source: Thomas Good

No one wants to think about being in a hurricane, tornado, or fire, but bad things happen. While you may not know when a natural disaster is going to hit your home office (if ever), it’s important to be prepared to handle whatever comes your way.

Get it on film.

Videotape everything in your home office and the rest of your home. As you walk through your home, describe in detail everything you see. Start on one side of the room and work clockwise to make sure you film the entire room. Take the time to back up the video online.

Organize receipts.

Store receipts and warranty information from large purchases in a hanging file folder labeled “Purchases.” Within the folder, label interior folders (they’re cut lower than manila folders) “office equipment” and any other general category of purchases. Before you file a receipt, staple it to the warranty booklet for that item. In case an item is damaged, you’ll know where to find the receipt.

Back up, back up, back up

Back up your data often (at least weekly) and keep at least two copies. Actually, three copies is ideal. Store one copy in your office and two off-site. Some people put off backing up data, but finally take the time to do so after a disaster hits. Remember that your computer is easy to replace, while data is difficult and time-consuming to recreate.

Don’t let it burn.

Store important business and personal documents in your safe deposit box or in a fireproof file cabinet. Information ranging from insurance policies to investment information can be time-consuming to replace. You may not need to refer to the information often, but when you need it, you know it will be safe.

Protect important info.

Start a file labeled “Emergency Information” and keep it in a nearby file drawer. Inside it keep copies of your insurance papers, credit card numbers and other vital information that you would need easy access to in case of an emergency. It’s a good idea to store a duplicate file off-site in your safe deposit box.

Have enough coverage.

Don’t assume that your homeowner’s insurance covers your home office equipment. Many policies don’t, so you may need to purchase additional coverage. The time to find out whether or not you have enough insurance is before you need it.

Natural disasters from tornadoes to fires to hurricanes can be devastating both personally and professionally. Although you can’t control disasters, you can take steps to prepare for the unexpected.

How have you prepared your home office for a natural disaster?

	Home office expert Lisa Kanarek is the founder of WorkingNaked.com and the author of five books about working from home, including Organize Your Home Office For Success. Lisa works with entrepreneurs and home-based employees through seminars and individual consultations, to create functional home offices that meet each individual’s working style.

How to Prepare Your Home Business for a Natural Disaster is a post from Life Your Way

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This giveaway is now closed! The winner is Ashlee (angashlee@…)!

I have a bit of a business card problem. As an entrepreneur, I regularly start new websites and businesses, and not all of those make it!

Whenever I attend a blogging conference or event, I end up ordering new business cards that reflect my current business interests, which means I choose the cheapest option available so that I’m not wasting money (just, er, paper).

I’d love to get beautiful, high-quality, unique business cards, though, and recently I’ve thought about getting generic business cards for my company, Purple Martin Press, LLC, without listing my individual sites.

UPrinting die-cut business cards come in a variety of specialty shapes (like those seen above), to give you a business card that really stands out.

Choose from:

• 2 x 3.5″ Rounded Corners
• 2×2″ Rounded Corners
• 1.75×3.5″ Rounded Corners
• 2×3.5″ Leaf
• 2×3.5″ Rounded one corner
• 2×3.5″ Half Circle Side
• 2×3.5″ Oval
• 2.5″ Circle

And choose high-quality 14 pt. cardstock in gloss, matte or high gloss (UV) or 13 pt. uncoated cardstock.

The die cut business cards start at just $46.53.

For a variety of business tips and news, be sure to follow Uprinting on your favorite social media network:

• Like UPrinting on Facebook
• Follow @uprinting on Twitter
• Add UPrinting to your Google+ circles

Enter to Win

This week, Uprinting is giving one lucky Life Your Way reader 250 custom die cut business cards!

To enter, fill out the form below:

This giveaway ends at 11:59 p.m. ET on Wednesday, 5/16. The winner will be selected randomly and notified by email, and this post will be updated with their name as well! Open to U.S. residents 18 years old and above. Winners of a Uprinting giveaway during the past six months are not eligible to win.

Giveaway: 250 Custom Die Cut Business Cards is a post from Life Your Way

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