Worker, Beware

Once again, there's another article about work-from-home scams, this one in a recent Washington Times edition (http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2009/jul/13/ads-for-big-money-can-just-be-scams/). The article beings as follows:

"The ads are everywhere: in your mailbox, online or tacked to telephone poles in your neighborhood.

They all make similar promises. Earn big money! Work at home!

With unemployment at a 25-year high and even people with seemingly secure jobs feeling uneasy, it can be tempting to respond to offers to turn your computer into a cash machine or help you earn big money for doing simple tasks. There are some legitimate work-at-home opportunities, but there are also countless scams that could cost you money — and even get you into trouble."

Just a friendly reminder to thoroughly check out any job before committing to it--and especially if the company asks for upfront money!

Until next time,

Sarah

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Blogging About Life

I've begun blogging about, well, life at StageOfLife.com under Raising a Family and Home Ownership. It's a relatively new site that has some interesting info, so check it out.

Until next time,


Sarah

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Veggie Stories

This growing season, I have the opportunity to blog about my CSA (community-supported agriculture) and the bounty I receive each week for the Washington Post’s food blog. Along with others who are CSA members, we talk about that week’s produce and what we will or will not be doing with it. Check it out at http://voices.washingtonpost.com/all-we-can-eat/csa-scout/csa-scout-when-a-farm-needs-to.html.

Until next time,

Sarah

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Is Now a Good Time to be a Contract Worker?

A recent Business Week article (“Now Hiring: Contract Workers?”) seems to indicate that more firms are hiring contract workers instead of permanent employees, which can be great news for those of us who work from home. May employment data shows that businesses are keeping or hiring contract employees while staying wary of hiring full-time workers.

Something to think about if you’re looking for ideas to work from home. I’ll discuss specific ideas relating to contract work in the upcoming July “At Home News” e-newsletter, which you can sign up for free by clicking on the newsletter button at the top of the page.

Until next time,

Sarah

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On the Air, part 3

I'm on Woman to Woman radio this week and you can listen to my interview with Phyllis Wallace at http://www.womantowomanradio.com/default.asp.

Phyllis and I chatted back in February about the joys and challenges to working from home. I'd love to hear what you think!

Until next time,

Sarah

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Pain and Misery Love Company

I had a scare last week when the left side of my jaw partially dislocated with a horrendous popping sound! I moved my jaw and another popping sound indicated the jaw was back in place. Both movements causing much pain and when I went to the emergency room (of course, this occurred on a Sunday!), I discovered that I had most likely stretched the ligaments around the jawbone and socket (TMJ). In layman’s terms, that means I had to eat soft foods and pray that the internal swelling would dissipate and my jaw would realign itself.

As I’ve had a week’s worth of soups and other soft foods (let’s just say my 11-month-old is eating crunchier foods than I am—and he has no teeth!), I’ve been reflecting on how the best-laid plans can go to pieces. Now, I should add that on top of my jaw discomfort, my kids have been sick and cranky, so my household hasn’t had the best week.

But what’s even more serious than that is how quickly my attitude goes downhill along with my physical discomfort and with the increasing whininess of my children. I couldn’t accomplish hardly anything on my lengthy to-do list.

It took me a few days to slow down enough to realize that perhaps this was my work this week—the cranky kids and my sore jaw. That I needed to focus not on what I wasn’t accomplishing from my to-do list but on what I could accomplish in relation to my children and myself.

So I tried being grateful for my aching jaw and for my children’s less-than-sunny dispositions. And I did just what needed to be done in regard to my freelance work, not what I wanted to be done.

I’m happy to report that just over a week later, my jaw is doing much better, my kids are finally over their illnesses and life in our home is nearly back to normal. That is, until school gets out next week.

Until next time,

Sarah

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Jumping Into Summer

Our neighborhood pool opens tomorrow, and boy, are my kids excited! No matter that the water will be freezing, they can go swimming.

Summer might officially start June 21, but for many of us, Memorial Day heralds the beginning of summer. Summer is a wonderful time to take time to relax and let ourselves play hooky from work more often.

One of my summer goals is to plan some adventures with my children on a regular basis, remembering the adage that no one ever said they wished they had worked more. With careful planning, you can have a delightful summer and still accomplish all that you need to with your at-home business.

Until next time,

Sarah

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