How To Get Through Your Work Day When You Have Chronic Pain

March 2, 2017 by 21 Comments

Disclosure: This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. All opinions are mine alone. #StopPainNow #CollectiveBias

It’s hard for me to remember a time when I wasn’t in daily pain. I often joke that I’m in the body of someone double my age but, in reality, my situation is really not funny. Soon after I turned 30, I started to experience chronic joint and muscle pain. Sometimes the arthritic pain is just a dull ache I push through while I work. Other times I suffer from a throbbing pain that affects my movement as I go about my daily activities. I’ve even had a short period of time where the inflammation in my body was so bad that I said I’d rather go through childbirth again than deal with the debilitating pain I was suffering from.

I try not to let my pain keep me from living my life. During the past few years I have managed to work full-time from home while raising two very active and busy boys. I’ve had to learn to work through the pain, and I’ve done so, but wouldn’t it be great if there was something to help you overcome that pain?

There is! I recently learned about Curamin® Stop Pain Now, a dietary supplement that provides award winning pain relief. The key to Curamin® is that it doesn’t just mask occasional pain, it gets to the source and stops it.

Curamin® is available at fine health food stores (check the store locator to find a retailer near you). I found mine at Health Nutz in Mokena, IL. Surprisingly, as I walked into the store I overheard the owner talking with a customer about it. When I mentioned that’s what I was there for as well the customer raved about it saying it worked so well for her which was encouraging to me.

There were a variety of Curamin® products on the shelf but I chose to get the Curamin® Extra Strength 60 count. The owner told me more about the product as she rang it up and she also gave me some informational sheets and a magazine.

What I like about Curamin® is that it’s a safe choice for pain relief and it’s effective while being non-addictive. It’s herbal formula is different from over-the-counter pain meds and prescription drugs that can sometimes have negative side effects. This is important to me because I’ve used other medicines before to manage my pain and, while they worked, they had side effects I didn’t like, such as weight gain and not being able to drive while taking them.

Other than using this Curamin® product to help with pain relief, here are some other things I do to deal with my chronic pain and get through my work day:

On the really bad pain days, decide what’s most important and get that done first. There are days where the pain is going to be so bad that you aren’t going to be able to get much done and that is okay. Make a to-do list and mark the three biggest priorities. Get those done first and then work on the rest of the list. If you only get a few things done at least you’ve gotten the most important items crossed off your list.

Every hour stop working and walk around for a couple minutes to reduce stiffness. When I get working I tend to do so without stopping but I’ve noticed that if I sit in one position for too long my muscles get really sore. To reduce this soreness it helps me to walk around a bit every hour or two. Take a lap around your office, walk to the bathroom, or walk around your home.

Drink more water. I learned recently that dehydration can make muscle soreness worse so I’ve been trying to drink more water. If you have a hard time drinking as much water as you should be drinking you can try flavoring it with some fresh fruit. That’s my favorite way to drink it!

Do some gentle stretching. Stretching increases blood flow to the muscles to relieve stiffness. I do some simple stretches while I’m working if I feel muscles starting to tense up.

Give yourself permission to take a break when you need one. Living with chronic pain is difficult so give yourself permission to take breaks. Enjoy a leisurely lunch, head outside for a little fresh air and take a walk, or just sit quietly and meditate.

How do you get through your work day with chronic pain? I’d love to hear your tips!

 

Filed Under: Chronic Pain, Health, Working Moms

Opening A Supercuts Franchise

December 9, 2013 by 1 Comment

(Disclosure: This is a compensated post. Thoughts are my own.)

Last month I talked about how I thought Franchising was an interesting option for those looking to start their own businesses. Today, I wanted to share more about the Supercuts franchise in particular. I learned a lot of interesting things.

Here are five reasons a Supercuts franchise is a good choice if you are looking to open a franchise:

First, the hair care industry is stable. It is a need based business, not a want based business. Even those who are unemployed will need a hair cut to look presentable for their job interview.

Second, cutting hair cannot be made technologically obsolete. A lot of jobs go the way of technology but this is one job that won’t. Think about it…do you want a robot with scissors around your head. I sure wouldn’t!

Third, services must be performed by a licensed professional so you won’t ever be cutting hair, you will be in charge of running the business instead. This is great to know that you don’t have to be a hairstylist to open up your own franchise. The owner has one job to do and can focus on that.

Next, it’s simple to own a Supercuts. You don’t have a high amount of staff, inventory costs are low and hours are especially reasonable compared to other franchise industries. Many business owners work long hours and have a lot of costs so it’s nice to know that’s not the case with Supercuts.

The last reason is that the Supercuts brand is widely recognized. It’s also backed by national advertising, web and mobile presence so a lot of marketing is done for you without money coming from your pocket.

All great reasons! What interests you must about the Supercuts franchise?

Filed Under: Working Moms Tagged With: ,

Get It Done With Microsoft Office {Giveaway}

November 17, 2013 by

(Disclosure:  I participated in the Microsoft Office 365 campaign on behalf of One2One Network. All opinions stated are my own.)

You never know how much you take something for granted until you don’t have it. I never realized how much I used Microsoft Office products until I didn’t have them on my computer. I couldn’t edit Word documents people sent me, I couldn’t easily create invoices, and I had a lot of trouble opening attachments I was sent that were written in Word.

One thing I really wanted to do was create some sort of spreadsheet to track my blog income better. I had been relying on email and a sheet of scrap paper to keep track of things but that was a horrible system. Once I got Microsoft Office back I immediately created a spreadsheet using excel.

Using a spreadsheet has made it a lot easier to see when projects have been completed and when I should expect to be paid. I also created a blog expenses sheet and a sheet to keep track of where I have promoted posts on social media. All of these spreadsheets have made me much more efficient.

One other bonus of using Microsoft Office is that it can be accessed anywhere I go. The 9 to 5 has blurred and today people need modern technology to find balance. From the home to the office, and especially on the go, people all around the world are working differently than the past. I work from home full-time and, though I’m mostly at my computer, I need to be able to get work done even when I’m not home.

Show Microsoft how you #GetItDone and you and a friend could win a trip to some of the most happening events anywhere. Get it done alongside the most accomplished athletes, filmmakers and musicians around—on a trip to NYC, a journey to Park City, Utah, or a musical voyage to Austin, Texas. Visit http://bit.ly/GetItDoneContest to share and enter to win:

  • A February trip to NYC, America’s most get it done city—with enough cash to buy tickets to the big football showdown, or catch your favorite Broadway show.
  • Slap on your skis and head to Utah this January, where you can get it done in between indie flicks in Park City.
  • Fly to Austin in March, where you’ll enjoy a boot-scootin’ week of living history, live music and interactive in the heart of Texas.

Enter to win here at Making Time For Mommy, too! One reader will win a one-year subscription (US $99.99 value) of Office 365 Home Premium.

HOW TO ENTER:

{Do any or all of the following, leave a separate comment for each you do}

1) Leave a comment telling me how you’d use Microsoft Office on the go

2) Share this giveaway on a social network.

3) Follow @Office on Twitter

4) Follow @aliciamarie112 on Twitter

5) Comment on another one of my blog posts

Giveaway ends November 24, 2013 at 11:59pm Central time. Must be a US resident and 18 years or older to enter.

Filed Under: blogging, Giveaways, Working Moms Tagged With: ,

Owning Your Own Business With A Franchise

November 8, 2013 by 1 Comment

As a blogger I love owning my own business. It’s a lot of long hours and hard work but it’s amazing knowing that I can help support my family. Today I am working with Supercuts to share about a different business model: Franchising.

Until recently I didn’t know much about franchising but, as I’ve learned more, it seems like a great way to start a business. I like that it’s an established brand that is already known. While you still have to advertise and promote your business, franchisees don’t have to start “from scratch”. It’s hard to get your name out there and establish it. It took over a year before I was being contacted by brands who had found me. Before then I had a tiny readership that consisted mostly of my family and friends. I’m still working on getting my “brand” known and I’ve been at this for over 5 years so starting a business with a brand name already established would have saved me hours and hours of time.

Another thing I like about franchising is that you are working with a company that knows the business. They know what works and what doesn’t. As a business owner my biggest fear would be to fail. It would be awesome not to have to go through the trials because someone has already done it for you.

Over the next couple months I will share more about franchising and Supercuts franchises in general but I’m interested to hear your thoughts. Do any of you own a franchise? What do you like (or dislike) about it? Have any questions about owning a franchise?

(Disclosure: This is a compensated post but all thoughts are my own.)

Filed Under: Small Business, Working Moms Tagged With: ,

Creating A Home Office With ClosetMaid & Staples {Giveaway}

October 15, 2013 by

(Disclosure: I received products from Staples but all thoughts are my own.)

Working at home is a dream come true for me but it does not come without challenges. I often find myself working into the wee hours of the night because it’s hard to stop working when you are at the office 24/7. While trying to find balance I think it’s also important to have a dedicated space to work so that’s why I’m really excited to be partnering with Staples to offer one work-at-home parent the chance to win part of this amazing set along with a Staples gift card!

While I’m blessed to have a loft in my small home that is dedicated as an office space that doesn’t mean you have to have a room that’s simply dedicated to working. Be creative with the space you have. You can always create a mini-office nook in a closet or corner of a room. The ClosetMaid® Shelftrack Elite Home Office Kit sold at Staples is perfect for those who have limited space! Check out the image below for three different ideas.

This line is made up of seven different products and whether you use all of them or an assortment of them, ShelfTrack Elite creates a perfect home office (or study area). The pieces are made of chocolate laminate finish with Satin Nickel hardware. The set includes the following:

  • A Home Office Kit – with desk and 4 shelves
  • A 3-Drawer Mobile File Cabinet
  • A Bookshelf Kit – including 3 shelves
  • Fabric trays (in brown and light brown)
  • Fabric bins (in brown and light brown)

GIVEAWAY:

One winner would receive a Bookshelf Kit along and a $50 Staples Gift Card

HOW TO ENTER:

{Do any or all of the following, leave a separate comment for each you do}

1) Tell me why you want to win

2) Share this giveaway on a social network

3) Comment on another one of my posts

4) Follow ClosetMaid on Twitter

5) Follow Staples on Twitter

6) Follow me on Twitter

Giveaway ends November 8, 2013 at 11:59pm Central time. Must be a US resident, age 18 or over to win.

(Disclosure: As stated above I received the ClosetMaid® Shelftrack Elite Home Office Kit line.)

 

 

Filed Under: Home, Organizing, Working Moms Tagged With: , , , , ,

Tips To Make Working From Home Work For You

March 5, 2012 by 3 Comments

Women's Money Week 2012 Participant

This post is a part of Women’s Money Week 2012. For more posts about entrepreneurship and making money , see womensmoneyweek.com.

Working from home sounds like a great idea to many because it is a flexible job where one can be their own boss but it does require a lot of time, effort and self-discipline. I spend about 60-80 hours a week working from home between my business, my blog, and my part-time job, along with being a mom to two little boys which is my most important job of all. I wanted to share 6 tips on how I {try} to make it work in hopes that it will help some of you who are considering working from home.

Keep a to-do list and a calendar: Whether kept electronically or written down on paper and pen, keeping yourself scheduled and your tasks written down is probably the biggest thing that you can do to keep yourself sane and get anything accomplished. There are so many methods on how to keep a calendar and to-do list that you really just have to test different ones out and figure out what works for you. Personally, I like to use two different items. I have my planner where I keep all of my meetings, appointments, and events and also keep track of all my children’s school activities, therapies, and playdates. I then have a separate to-do notebook where I have one sheet for every two days to keep track of what needs to be done when. This is where I list phone calls I need to make, posts I need to write, emails I need to send, and the like.

Schedule your “work” time: Along the lines of the first tip, it’s important to schedule yourself and then stick to your schedule {as best you can with children and other last minute things that come up}. When you work from home it’s so easy to accept invitations from friends or lengthy phone calls but if you are scheduled to work you need to tell that person that you are working and find another time to go out to lunch or call your friend to chit-chat for an hour. When I make my schedule I don’t do it down to the minute, but instead have hour chunks of time that I focus on tasks. My suggestion is to try and switch tasks frequently so you are more productive and attentive to the task you are working on.

Create a space for working: When working from home it’s important to have a space dedicated to business. It could be a room, a small portion of a room, or even a desk in the closet. Whatever you can find to call your “office”. I have an upstairs loft that I work in most of the time but when my family is upstairs I will sometimes sneak down to the TV room to relax on the couch while I work. Having a space for working will help you keep organized and focused on your work and will keep you from getting sidetracked on the laundry, the dirty dishes, and the rest of the household chores.

Work when you can, where you can: I’d love to work Monday through Friday during the day and relax with my family at night and on the weekends but it’s just not possible during this time of my life. My schedule varies weekly and I work many weekends. I take advantage of naptime, bedtime, and Sinisa’s days off to work. I get work done in the car while I’m sitting in the preschool pickup line, at the pool while my son is having water therapy, and while my kids are eating lunch. You just have to be creative with your time and squeeze in emails and work whenever you can.

Realize you can’t do it all: There may come a time when you can’t do everything yourself and you may need to ask for help or let something go. It’s okay. You just have to decide what is important to you and what’s not as important and what you need to do as opposed to what you can pass on to someone else. For me, my family and friends and my blog/job are the most important and I decided that my “domestic” duties weren’t as important. Many of the household jobs could be done by someone else unlike my job as mother and blogger/business owner. I realize I can’t be the perfect homemaker and that’s okay with me. Sinisa likes to cook so most of the time he is the one who makes dinner. You can also hire people to help with the aspects of business you don’t know much about or don’t have time to do. Living Your Moment, a business I co-own, was created to help support mom business owners. We grow Twitter and Facebook accounts, run blog review campaigns, and provide many other services for business owners so they can focus on running their businesses.

Make time for yourself and your family: Amidst all the working, don’t forget to take care of yourself and spend time with your family. Do something for yourself every day whether it’s taking time to read a book, pamper yourself, or exercise. If you aren’t well, your business will suffer. Making time for your family is also important. Carve out time to spend with them each day. Cuddle with your little ones on the couch while watching a movie, play a game, or spend time in the kitchen making dinner together.

I hope I have given you some ideas on how to make working from home work for you. If you work from home and have other ideas of what works for you I would love for you to leave a comment below.

Filed Under: Financial, Working Moms Tagged With: , ,

Guest Post: Easing Separation

October 28, 2010 by Leave a Comment

The following is a guest post by Jessica of I’m Not Your Everyday Average Mom!

I have recently started working out again. I figured after 18 months I can no longer say that I “just had” a baby and am carrying around baby weight. My husband wanted to get back into shape too from his “baby weight” and we decided that the best choice for our family was to join the local YMCA. They have a great work out facility, exercise classes for me, and a large adult pool plus a kiddy pool that is 10 degrees warmer than the adult pool. The kid’s pool stars off at 0 feet and slowly goes deeper so both of my kids can enjoy it without us holding them the whole time! Our kids’ favorite part of the YMCA is the gigantic water slide that we are allowed to take them down on. MY favorite part of the YMCA is the FREE childcare that is offered! They have an outdoor play area, an inside classroom area, and then a climber inside for kids to play on.

My son gets excited to go and play, but my daughter on the other hand develops superman like strength and clings onto me with a death grip. She then shakes her head back and forth and says “no, no, no, no!” I hate having to pry her off of me and hand her to the gal that works there, but I know in 5 minutes she will be laughing and running around with her brother and all of the other kids! It is just so heart wrenching to see her cry and get upset because I am leaving her there. It has gotten much better over the past 3 weeks and I feel like she is doing well because of a few things that I am doing.

I have had to remember what I learned in school about child development (I am a certified teacher birth-8th grade), and how to make transitions smoother for children.

Here are a few tips and things that I have been trying, and I find that they are working well!

  • Don’t sneak out…I know that it is hard not to, because you won’t have to see the melt down, but tell your child goodbye and that you will be back to pick them up soon! That way you are not disappearing, but telling your child what is going on.
  • Know the person’s name that is going to be looking after you child. I have been saying to my daughter “Look, it’s Amy! Remember her? She is going to play with you while mommy is in the gym!”
  • Let your child bring their blanket, stuffed animal, or other comfort item with them. I have been letting my daughter bring in her blanket. She usually ditches it within the first 10 min, but it helps her to have something of comfort when I leave.
  • Give them some extra cuddle and love time when you get back!

I know that things will get easier and she will soon LOVE to go and play! It is just going to take time!

What tips and tricks do you use when dropping off your child at a day care, or when leaving them with a sitter to make things easier?

To read more from Jessica visit her blog!
Create your own banner at mybannermaker.com!

Filed Under: Guest Posts, Parenting, Working Moms Tagged With: ,

Career Chaos: How to Raise a Family While Climbing the Corporate Ladder

February 18, 2010 by Leave a Comment

The following is a guest post from Candi Wingate, President of Care4Hire.com.

It’s a struggle that many of us face: running a household while running off to work.  Sometimes the sheer volume of “stuff” that we have to accomplish – from leading a staff meeting to leading the Cub Scout troop – is just staggering.

Here are some tips to help you feel more in control:

  • Empower your children to be independent.  Let them choose their own healthy snacks, outfits and so forth.  You won’t be sweating the small stuff, and they’ll be delighted with the “power’ that you’ve given them.
  • Embrace your imperfections.  So you didn’t serve a home-cooked meal tonight.  Who cares?  Serve your frozen lasagna with a smile.
  • Focus on work while you’re at work and on home when you’re at home.  Don’t worry about your emails, to do lists and pending meetings while you’re spending time with your kids.  Likewise, don’t worry about your kids while you’re at work. You’ve left them in capable, loving care, so focus on your work and get it done so you can get home to them.
  • Force yourself to disconnect.  In today’s age of laptops, iPhones and Blackberries, you’re always accessible and “on the clock.”  Learn that it’s OK to shut down all of your electronics to play board games (or help with homework, or go for a walk) with your kids.
  • “Hire” your child as your assistant.  Occasionally, I need to work while I’m home with my kids.  They used to pout about it until I hired them to help me.  I give them special projects, like filling the paper tray on my printer, sharpening my pencils and even (supervised) paper shredding.  They also enjoy doing “paperwork” (coloring or workbooks) at their desks, while I work at mine.

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________

Care4hire.com is an online database for families and caregivers to search babysitters, housekeepers, tutors, elder/companion care, pet sitters and other miscellaneous service.   A free preview of available caregivers is available to families. Whether you need a caregiver for a few hours to a few days, you will find it at Care4hire.com. Once you are a registered member, you will be given immediate access to caregiver through email and phone.

Candi has offered to giveaway 1 Gift Certificate for a free membership ($34.99 retail value) to Care4hire.com; which gives you 1 month to login and contact caregivers. I recommend this service to others since before my children I was actually a nanny on this site. Please note that I have received no compensation in any form for doing this post. I just think that every mom occasionally needs some time to rediscover the woman she was before she had children and some quiet time or time out can help her do this :)

Also, remember this website not only offers caregivers for children but pet sitters, elder care, tutors, housekeepers, and more!

To enter the giveaway:

1) Mandatory entry– Leave a comment below with what you would do if you had a day to yourself.

Additional Entries (make sure to leave a separate comment below with each entry):

2) Become a friend of Care4Hire on Twitter

3) Become a friend of Alicia (Making Time For Mommy) on Twitter

4) Subscribe to the Care4Hire blog

5) Subscribe to the Making Time For Mommy blog

6) Tweet the following: “Free month of services at Care4Hire.com from @aliciamarie112 & @Care4Hire at www.makingtimeformommy.com #giveaway”

7) Become a fan of Care4Hire on Facebook

8) Become a fan of Making Time For Mommy on Facebook

This giveaway will end on March 4, 2010 at 11:59pm Central Time. The winner will be contacted via email so be sure to leave an email address.

Filed Under: Giveaways, Guest Posts, Working Moms Tagged With: ,