Workerette

Mothering Magazine Wins TWO Maggie Awards!

Wed, 14 May 2008 17:37:19 -0700

Many congratulations to the staff over at Mothering magazine for their achievements - including the recent announcement of winning two more Maggie awards for their kudos case. The Maggies are pretty big in the magazine publishing world. Can you say OSCAR level? Chuh!

And the fine folks over at Mothering definitely deserve the honor, let me tell you. If you're tired of being spoon-fed the mainstream parenting articles and want to be able to ask questions and make informed decisions, Mothering is where it's at. Personally I've always made it very clear to my friends and acquaintances that while I may not always agree with the individual authors or the editorial stance on an issue, the content provided in the publication always - ALWAYS - gives me something to think about. As a homeschooling momma, I have always appreciated their support of homeschooling; when I began investigating vaccinations with my second child, Mothering was the first place I turned when I felt our new pediatrician was giving us the brush-off.

Anywho: read on for the press release about the honors awarded to Mothering this year. And don't forget to check out their website for more information (and a subscription, of course)!

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BlackBerry Bold: Is It Worth It?

Tue, 13 May 2008 08:51:20 -0700

Research in Motion (TSE: RIM; NASDAQ: RIMM) has announced their newest smartphone: the BlackBerry Bold, or BlackBerry 9000. With twice the screen resolution of the current Curve model, the Bold is set to compete resolution-wise with the Apple iPhone - though not in actual screen size. Though RIM didn't announce an initial price point or any carrier agreements, AT&T stated Monday that it will be the "exclusive carrier" in the USA for the Bold. (Interestingly the RIM announcement states that the phone will be available through various carriers this summer. One wonders about that whole "exclusive" thing. Is that like an "open relationship" where one partner thinks it's exclusive? Hmmm. But I digress.)

The Bold remains somewhat similar to the BlackBerry Curve looks-wise, but amps up the internal memory and Wi-Fi capability, as well as offering an exchangable back plate so you can choose your color for the day (or week, or outfit - whatever).

When it's all said and done, the new BlackBerry Bold is expected to compete head-to-head (or would that be toe-to-toe?) with the iPhone and other smartphones, such as the LG Voyager. The question I ask is this: even without knowing the actual monetary value of the new Bold; is it really worth the price one would pay to own it?

I'm not talking about the dollars and cents used to buy the thing or the service contract to keep it up and running. What I'm wondering about is the abuse of the technology - or the overuse or addiction to - things like smartphones. We've actually got people in our society complaining of problems in the boardroom and the bedroom because they can't keep themselves from their BlackBerry habits. We've got a generation of children growing up thinking they are entitled to iPods, iPhones, and iDogs, or being emotionally neglected by corporate climber parents who are addicted to their smartphones. And let's not even get started on the number of people who say that technology, while useful, invades their personal lives and "forces" them to bring work home.

Then there's that whole issue in the news about people not being able to afford both their mortgage or rent and their groceries - and gas. So who, exactly, is going to buy the BlackBerry Bold?

Maybe they'll buy it with their stimulus checks - if there's anything left after a trip to the gas station.

I love a new toy as much as the rest of the world, but I can't help wondering what price consumers truly pay when they jump on new technology time after time after time. What do you think: is it worth it?

Menu Plan Monday: 12 May 2008

Mon, 12 May 2008 16:39:02 -0700

Every Workerette knows how important it is to plan ahead and try to streamline things like grocery shopping, meal preparation, and kitchen storage in order to (hopefully!) add a few more minutes to the day.

Hopefully with Menu Plan Monday you'll be able to get some ideas for things to put on your own future menus - or maybe you'll become inspired to streamline things around your own house with menu plans.

Remember, this isn't just for work-at-home moms like me! You can be single with no kids, retired with your spouse, or working nights with both your kids and your parents to care for - planning ahead for your personal situation with a little bit of wiggle room for longer than expected shifts, school events, and business travel still puts you ahead of the game!

Here's what's on the plan at my house this week:

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REVIEW: California "WE Prepare" Program

Sat, 10 May 2008 17:06:31 -0700

As you know, I recently hosted a contest here on Workerette that hits pretty close to my heart: it's a way for folks to get their families prepared for the worst, while hoping for the best.

Having lived across the Southeastern US and in several parts of Germany, as well as the Northwest and now California, I think I can truthfully say I've run the gamut when it comes to potential disasters to be ready for! When we were down south, it was hurricanes; in Germany (then West Germany) during the Cold War era, it was bomb threats and terrorist activity; in the Northwest it was winter storms and earthquakes - and of course here in California, there's plenty to be concerned about.

In the past I've even written articles about emergency preparedness, both for the general population and for small business owners. With everything going on in the world lately, I've been meaning to update our emergency kits (aka BOBs - Bug Out Bags - or "oh sh*t kits", as my Ma calls 'em). My recent comment on my other blog about working on an emergency prep piece for the summer edition of Seasons at Home led to an interesting offer: the opportunity to blog about the WE Prepare program sponsored by the CaliforniaVolunteers organization. I was even offered one of the disaster preparedness kits being offered up in the contests. YEEHAW. Count me in!

So the first thing I did was check out the family plan and children's book being offered on the CaliforniaVolunteers website.
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Sales Tax Holiday in Louisiana for Hurricane Preparedness Items

Fri, 09 May 2008 22:57:32 -0700

Louisiana has declared a sales tax reprieve on May 24th and 25th in order to help shoppers stock up on supplies needed to prepare for hurricane season. If you're in need of some items to get your home ready for the weather to come and you're a Louisiana resident, be sure to take advantage of this savings - it applies to the first $1,500 of such purchases. Might be a good way to spend some of that economic stimulus rebate, eh?

Here are the full details:

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Considering a Direct Sales Business?

Wed, 07 May 2008 23:36:19 -0700

When I was young, my mom participated in a variety of direct sales programs, from Tupperware to toy parties to craft products. I think the only thing she didn't get on board with at one time or another was any of the health and beauty or candle companies. Personally I always noticed that just as much of her sales seemed to be in orders for herself, but it worked out well since my mom is *beyond* crafty and she was looking for the socialization and discounts or free products just as much as she was a "business opportunity" or "unlimited income potential".

During my adult years I became acquainted with folks who were involved in the makeup programs and others that sell everything right down to the kitchen sink (or at least water filtration systems for it). I've noticed that direct sales normally draws two types of people: the folks in it because they love the product or hobby supported by the company, and the folks who are drawn to the idea of being their own boss and having the aforementioned unlimited earning possibilities. One friend demanded a lot of her husband who was supposedly the head of household and "the business", but it always appeared she was the one more interested in "building the business".

These are all things that ramble through my mind when folks talk to me about working from home and ask me what I think of this multi-level marketing program or that independent sales consultant opportunity or the like. Since I've pretty much avoided them all (thanks to plenty of days in commission sales which I hated), I've not really had a lot of valid advice to pass along; all I could share until now were the reasons that such businesses aren't a good fit for my personality.

A few minutes ago I came across an article about choosing the right direct sale company for yourself and it hit me that this is exactly the sort of thing I'd like to direct people to: a list of questions and some good commentary about how to choose the right company - instead of how to get out of choosing one. *chuckle* Read on....may it help you on your journey if you are trying to decide not whether direct sales is right for you, but which company to go with!

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National Nurses Week

Mon, 05 May 2008 16:28:25 -0700

Did you know that this week is National Nurses Week? That's right - Nurses Week runs from today, May 5th, until Sunday, May 11th. And if you're a nurse, Cinnabon has a special treat for you, in cooperation with The DAISY Foundation.

Participating Cinnabon bakeries across the USA are offering a free Cinnabon Classic Roll to each nurse who shows her (or his) healthcare ID! Yummmmm.

To learn more about The DAISY Foundation, go to www.DAISYFoundation.org. Then head to the local Cinnabon for your freebie - and if you're not a nurse, grab any friends who are and take them so they can enjoy a little something, as well as a bunch of thanks from those who have been well cared for in the past thanks to nurses!

(Bonnet tip to Crystal Paine of Money Saving Mom for this one!)

Menu Plan Monday: 5 May 2008

Mon, 05 May 2008 16:10:21 -0700

Here's what's on the plan at my house this week:

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Email: Could You Give It Up for a Day?

Thu, 01 May 2008 09:27:17 -0700

I have always admitted that I love to hate technology. As fascinating and alluring as I find the Internet, and as helpful as it is considering it allows me to work from home, I find the 'Net and my computer to big time wasters. Okay - not just big; HUGE!

That's why Yvonne Russell's post over at SmallBizMentor today caught my eye. She asks "can you give up email for one day?" My response is a heartfelt YES!!!!!

In fact, this is one of the steps I've tried to take over the past few months. You may have noticed that I rarely post on the weekends now. I started popping into my email via my cell phone, just to check for any urgent issues (and there haven't been any yet!). That leaves my laptop turned OFF, for the most part. And now I'm weaning myself down to not even checking email that way on the weekends.

The only problem I've run into so far is feeling overwhelmed with email and e-zines and sale announcements and spam and, well, you get the point, on Mondays. So during the month of April I decided to take my purge a step further: when I go into my inbox I immediately search out any spam headers that made it past my filter, and I mark them and transfer them to the spam file. Then I mark any e-zines and other automated emails I've signed up for and just delete them. Unless the subject line is absolutely enthralling, I don't even skim them any more. I skim what's left and a lot of *that* gets deleted too. I've even stopped responding to any email from a friend or colleague that is just a brief thank you or better yet, a you're welcome. If I've thanked you, and you've said you're welcome - we're done chatting for the time being. It cuts down on my wasted time and yours too. (So now some of you might have a better idea of why I've responded less. No, I'm not mad at you. I just realized I have things to do - and so do you!)

As time goes on, I plan to pop into one or two of those automated emails a day and unsubscribe from them. That should help matters in the end, but at first I was just trying to stop wasting so much time reading email! Slowly but surely I'm working my way to spending my work time writing, not reading.

Shocking, that.

So, here's the question: could you give up email for just one day a week? Would you need to start with one day a month? Or have you already implemented this at home or at work?

Has your company started doing an internal "no email day" promotion? What about no work email on weekends?

We all have a lot on our plates and something has to give. As much fun as emailing and social media sites can be (don't even get me started on THOSE - I think I'm the last of about 50 hold-outs who don't twitter, FaceBook, MySpace, or whatever else has come out lately), I've given up on a lot of it. I join Yahoo Groups of interest, and I delete them as I lose interest or when they are too slow - or too busy - for me to pay attention to. Funny how that was my method of learning and networking almost a decade ago - and it still is Old Faithful for me today.

Now - shut down your email program and get back to work. (Me, not you! Well - you too, if need be!)

Preparing Resumes for Non-Profit Positions

Wed, 30 Apr 2008 15:16:17 -0700

With all the job hunting some folks are doing now, it's good to touch back on resumes now and then. I came across this article today about crafting your resume for non-profits, and I found it enlightening. Having always worked in retail or consumer focused positions, I'd not thought about how one would have to make changes to a resume in order to stand out to someone hiring for a non-profit.

Read on - maybe it will be of use to you in future job-hunting hours as well!

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Surfin' the Net: Posts Worth Reading

Wed, 30 Apr 2008 15:02:21 -0700

Okay, let's forget about money and interest rates and stimulus checks and all that stuff for a few minutes. Let's do some SURFING! *grin*

As always, the blogosphere is chock full of thought-provoking articles and rib-tickling posts. And since this is me typing, let's not forget the free stuff. *chuckle*

Read on for some quick linky-love that will get you thinking, giggling, or ordering free goodies. Don't forget to leave me a comment if there's a post you read today that you think I should add to the list!

Now for the fun stuff:

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Fed Cuts Key Interest Rate - Will It Help?

Wed, 30 Apr 2008 14:43:32 -0700

With economic stimulus checks just starting to arrive in US accounts, the crunch still feels like it's on. Just half an hour ago the Federal Reserve cut a key interest rate by another quarter of a point, bringing the federal funds rate down to 2 percent - the lowest it's been since 2004.

This should mean lower interest rates on loans as banks lower their prime lending rate, which is what influences millions of loans for both businesses and consumers. It looks like this may be the last cut for the time being, but it remains to be seen how many Americans use this opportunity for good purposes. At a time like this, it's vital that we focus both our business and personal funds on eliminating as much debt as possible. Anyone with a loan or credit card affected by lower interest rates is now going to be able to make payments - especially extra principal payments - stretch much further. So if you've been discussing paying down that mortgage or credit card or vehicle balance, NOW is the time to really do it, rather than just talking about it.

With folks making the news because they have to sell off their Versace jeans and Dooney & Bourke purses, it's pretty obvious that Americans are facing the downside of this shockingly consumer-based society: wrapping your money up in things that are not easily turned into cash, with money that wasn't really in your pocket in the first place, leads to disaster. Mind you, I truly feel for the people who've lost their jobs and had good heads on their shoulders to begin with. But let the folks who "invested" everything in grown-up toys and fancy frocks be a lesson to the rest of us: pay cash, up front, because the rainy day may come sooner than you think. Some folks have been trying to cut costs, pay off debt, and live as good stewards of their money for months, years, or decades. All of us would benefit from such lifestyles now.

The same lesson can be taught to businesses. When the Fed is giving out a $30 BILLION loan so that one bank can buy another - well, we've really got to wonder about our society. And about our banks....

Baskin-Robbins Offers 31 Cent Scoops

Wed, 30 Apr 2008 14:24:58 -0700

Tonight is 31 Cent Scoop Night at good ol' Baskin-Robbins (also known as "31 Flavors" to some of us die-hards)! In the wake of Ben & Jerry's free cone day, which occured yesterday, this may well be the week to get your dessert fix on the cheap. In the case of the Baskin-Robbins event, the deal is much more than just a company promotion. It's also an effort to get citizens into the stores and donating to help raise funds for the National Fallen Firefighters Foundation.

At the end of the promotion, Baskin-Robbins will donate $100,000 to the Foundation. At certain local stores, customers can also donate to help their local fire departments. While I see the point of Ben & Jerry's trying to make their event into a big party, it comes across as much more of a "promote our business and spread the word about us" venture than the Baskin-Robbins program does. Then again, I have personal reasons to not be a Ben & Jerry's customer - but I grew up on Baskin-Robbins. (Just thinking about their dacquiri ice gives me a residual headache from third grade....)

Whether you've got a brand preference or not, tonight's another opportunity to head out for something cold and tasty on the cheap. If you do head to Baskin-Robbins, be sure to donate a little extra for your local firefighters!

Cashing In on Economic Stimulus Rebate Checks

Tue, 29 Apr 2008 17:31:27 -0700

Whose business will you be stimulating with your rebate check over the next few weeks? Will you pay off debt, buy a new TV, put a down payment on a new car, or simply stock up on the necessities like food and gas? Or will you indulge in a few niceties that mark things off on your "want" list with this new windfall?

Many people have already figured out the amount of their stimulus rebate (we were told automatically what ours would be when we filed our taxes back in March) and have budgeted accordingly to pay off debt, fill the pantry, or get the kids' summer activities lined up and paid for well in advance. Others may not even know when their rebate will come, or how much it will be. For those who are not already committed to a budget, the retailers are calling. So far Wal-Mart seems to be at the head of the pack on the "may get some of our family's money" list thanks to their efforts to help folks stock up on basics rather than blow the whole sheebang on toys (for young and old alike). For those receiving paper checks, Wal-Mart is even cashing them for free, no purchase necessary. Handy, that.

Other options:

Sears:offering a 10% bonus if you convert your stimulus check to gift cards usable at Sears, Kmart, or Lands' End
Kroger: offering additional gift cards of $30 to $120 when shoppers load gift cards in $300, $600, or $1200 increments (corresponding with the IRS payment amounts - basically 10% of the increments).
Supervalu: will add an additional $30 to each increment of $300 put on a SUPERVALU-owned store card (including but not limited to Acme, Albertsons, and Jewel-Osco stores).

I'm wondering about the logistics of it all for any stores that are saying that they'll give percentage bonuses when you cash a Stimulus Rebate check. What if you used automatic deposit (and saved a tree) and won't receive a paper check? I'd hope they'd have something in place for those folks, rather than only focusing on paper checks. I understand there's a check-cashing market in certain areas where people don't use banking/automatic deposit, and it pertains quite highly to stores like Wal-Mart and grocers; let's just hope the customer service folks know all the options for those who don't need a cashing service.

Want to Break Free from Stress?

Tue, 29 Apr 2008 17:12:44 -0700

Let's face it: we Workerettes are busy, busy bees. Trying to find a work-life balance, trying to deal with the media maelstrom that is war, global warming, the 2008 Presidential political campaigns, product recalls, health threats around every corner, rice shortages.... well, every day it's just "lions and tigers and bears, oh my!"

As much as I'd like to ship us all off to a nice calm spa for a week or two, that just won't be happening any time soon. (Unless any of you win the Lotto or want to throw me a billion-dollar book deal?) However, I did run across this article about breaking free from stress - reprinted by permission - and I thought you might learn from it right along with me.

Now, let's go over the five steps to breaking free from stress and see how we feel, eh?

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