Work-at-home Mom and Living: is it possible?
This is supposed to be my year of ACTION. A new year in which I accomplish my goals. I just have not been able to set them yet.
I am having such a hard time figuring out what to do with this blog. I named it “Mom on the Rise” because of the Maya Angelou poem “Still I Rise.” My mom thought that having a child (even after married and in my late 20s) was the end of my life. But I always felt that it was the beginning of a new one. I am a Mom, and still I rise. I completed my Master’s Degree and started a business.
But then I got tired.
I thought about letting it go and then about writing in more of a focused niche. And yet, neither has has sat well with me. I love this blog. The design. Some of the posts that I have written in the past. I’m not sure what the heck is keeping me from writing. Maybe it’s because I have WAY too many blogs. Or maybe it’s the web designing, consulting and running We of Hue….
Obviously, I tend to spread myself too thin. I have a problem saying “no” to people and focusing on what I want to do. In some ways, I think that I prevent myself from focusing because I don’t want to commit 100% and then fail. Or maybe it’s because I keep trying to live out the definition of “mom blogger” as set by others. Truthfully, I have been making decisions based on what I SHOULD be doing (as dictated by others) as opposed to what I want to do for a long time. It’s the result of coming from a very overbearing mom who really did not… Continue reading
Finding the Time
When I decided to shift to my niche, I asked readers to leave a question for me to answer in a blog post. It’s my way of encouraging a discussion and exchange of ideas and tips. The first question/comment comes from Jeanine aka NaturalMomma. Here is what she had to say:
Hi Kristina!
I have a question. How do you find enough time in your day for homeschooling and writing and meals and …?
I am making a bit of a switch, myself, in that I am wanting to write more, work one-on-one with clients less all in an effort to (1)live my purpose and (2)take my biz to the next level.
But as I have begun to spend more time writing mini-books and blog posts and reports and email follow-up messages, my son has begun to hate my computer!
Jeanine
My immediate response to Jeanine was a short reply which read, “You are not alone”. I stand by that still. You are not alone Jeanine no matter how it feels. Before becoming a work-at-home mom, I worked full time as an English teacher (9th grade) and for my daughter’s first year, I was also finishing grad school. I was a wreck. I left the house at 7:30 am and returned home most nights after 9:00 pm. On the nights that I was home earlier she was in bed by 5:30-6:00 EVERY NIGHT! I kid you not. I barely saw her and I was miserable.
After making the transition to WAHM I thought that life would get easier. I thought that I would have more time for her, but when you work from home it is even harder to draw boundaries at times. I was working 40-50 hour weeks trying to build a… Continue reading
Blogging Against Hunger
Back in August of last year I joined ShopRite and General Mills in their Partner’s in Caring program. In recognition, General Mills has included my face, along with the many other bloggers who also participated in the program, on the back of a special edition of Honey Nut Cheerios. The box features the title “Blogging Against Hunger” on the front and on the back includes a mosiac of our faces. It went on sale Sunday, January 24 and is only available at ShopRite.
Tackle it Whenever
Yes, this is my living room. Well, it was. I know, it looks like a tornado hit. Well it did. My daughter. In fact that is her nickname: The Tornado. and while this is not entirely her fault, she helped. So when my mom offered to give us a beautiful three piece entetainment center and she hired the movers to bring it in less than 24 hours, I decided that it was time to tackle this massive mess.
I worked long and hard in between tweets and surfing the net. Then, my husband helped when he got home from work at 1:00 am. And then we moved some stuff in the morning. Still, it wasn’t until after 9:30 PM that night that the living room actually started to take shape. Of course much of this had to do with the fact that I had a EXQUISITE piece of furniture to work around. And so, without further ado, I introduce my new living room.
Isn’t it beautiful?! I love it and so does my daughter. She likes to open and close the cabinet and roll around on the rug. It’s a good quality rug too- soft and thick.
It’s funny how one really expensive and beautiful piece of furniture can change your mood. I was geting kind of bummed because my apartment lacked character and style, but not any more. It is beautiful. It almost makes the big whole in my wall left by the movers worth it- ok, not quite.
Next, my dining room table. 
This is what happens when a mom is trying to start her own business and a husband is working very hard to pick up the slack. Hey you think this is bad? You should see my bedroom. I have a lot to do before… Continue reading