By Holly Reisem Hanna

I remember when I was pregnant with my daughter; I was at a Chinese restaurant waiting for my take-out, when I observed this woman furiously texting away while her young son tugged on her sleeve trying to get her attention. Over and over again he tugged and asked her to look at something, but all she said was “in a minute”. I remember thinking to myself, “I’m never going to be that mom who is totally consumed by her smart-phone that she’s too busy to pay attention to her child”.

Fast forward 6 years…

Just the other day I was taking a nature walk with my daughter and for safety purposes I always bring my cell phone with me. However, as we walked I keep checking my email, Twitter stream and Facebook profile to view the new messages that were coming in – when my daughter said, “Mom, no checking your phone”. Right then and there I realized I had become “that mom”. (more…)

By Alicia Pike

If you are a mom who wakes up in the morning to get the kids ready and then leave the house in order to go to work, staying at home to work may seem pretty inviting. The fact is, it takes excellent time management skills in order to be a work at home mom.

Sure, you are able to start the day in your pajamas, with your hair in curlers and no makeup on, but learning how to work every part of your schedule into each day is not as easy as one may think.

Below are some of the best time management tips I have used, based on my own work at home experiences. (more…)

By Milissa Harding

When you think of “balance”, what generally comes to mind? If you’re like most people, balance conjures thoughts of giving equal attention to every aspect of your life, like the pieces of a pie. This way of thinking leads people (especially busy work at home moms!) to feel quite pressured, as they struggle to give everything a “little bit” of their time. It can be difficult to feel successful when we’re being pulled in so many different directions at once.

As a Health Coach, I teach my clients to view the concept of balance differently. I ask my clients to think about their level of satisfaction in various areas of their lives. When they think about this, they quickly realize that their idea of balance is different than another person’s, and that this is completely okay. (more…)

By Laura Backes

You’ve got lots of things to do and only a short time to do them in. On top of all this, you know you should be spending time with your kids. But how do you get your errands done and still have time for your children? Well, here are six ways to accomplish this most difficult task.

Grocery Shopping:

You’ve got to pick up something to cook for dinner, but why not take this opportunity to teach your children? A grocery store is a great learning environment. Younger kids can go over their colors and names of fruit, older kids can weigh vegetables and decide what sale items are a good deal. And while they’re learning, you are having quality time. (more…)

By Nellie Akalp

Working from home can be a wonderful way to escape the 9-5 grind…there are no mazes of cubicles, no long commutes, and no awful break room coffee. And for many women, a home-based business offers a smarter balance between work and family. But with its many perks, working from home can be challenging. It’s not always easy to stay productive and focused in the face of countless distractions (from the TV to a sink of dirty dishes or your children).

On top of this, if you’re working from home, you’re most likely a small business owner, freelancer, or consultant. This means your paycheck is directly tied to how much you get done. For the self-employed, wasting time means wasting money. (more…)