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How to Organize a Desk

Lolli — Thu, 05 May 2016 15:20:28 +0000

If there is something I’ve enjoyed doing a lot of lately, it is organizing. It seems as though this is my year to get down with my bad self in the organizing department. The kids may think I’m crazy, but it really is a good thing to get organized. One area that I got tired of looking at in my house is my desk. It’s so full of clutter and disarray. So, you can guess that this week, this is what I tackled.

Note: I’ve linked to some helpful resources on Amazon. The links to the products are affiliate links and I can earn a small commission if you choose to buy anything, but the price for you will not be effected.

Are you like me and need help organizing your desk? Do you work at home? Or maybe you’re a student and use your desk for studying. Whatever your routine, an organized desk will help you stay focused on your to-do list. Stop letting yourself get distracted by the mess! Here’s where you can get started:

How to Organize a Desk

Ditch the paper stacks: On my desk, you will find tons of paper stacks. Sometimes they aren’t even stacks – they’re just lots and lots of papers that never got thrown away. Between the kids, mail, and my paperwork, you really never know what you’ll find. For this reason alone, I’ve been trying to make everything as paperless as I can. Makes more sense and it’s less work for me in the long run.

Make your desk functional: Sometimes, I put way too much stuff on my desk and it really makes no sense at all. This week I focused on making my desk more functional. I removed anything that I was no longer using and I put things away that don’t go on the top of my desk. You would be surprised at the amount of stuff I found on my desk that didn’t even belong there.

Ditch the junk drawer: I probably have a junk drawer in every room of my home. I ditched my desk junk drawer this week. There were so many random items in there. It’s really a good feeling to get rid of the items we don’t use and obviously don’t need. Plus, the sooner I get rid of those items, the less likely they will end up back on my desk.

Invest in a few desktop organizers: One of my favorite things about an organized desk it having room for real desktop organizers. You can find these super cheap almost anywhere you go, or you can just use organizers you have on hand. If you are feeling feisty, you can even use drawer organizers to keep everything in its place.

Below are just two examples:

Assign a place for everything: One of my biggest challenges has always been not knowing where to put all of the “things” I collect through the course of a day-week-month. When I don’t know where to put something, it usually ends up in a messy pile on my desk or in the junk drawer where it’s forgotten. My greatest long-term organizing successes come when I create a place to put each item. Note: that “place” is more than often NOT on or in my desk!

While organizing my home hasn’t always been the easiest task, I realized that I just need to take it one step at a time…and this week it was to organize the desk. Gone are the days where I let “things” and “stuff” overwhelm me. Are you ready to jump on the organizational train?

Empowering Women Together #EmpowerWomen

Lolli — Sat, 23 Mar 2013 19:00:06 +0000

I never pictured myself as a business owner. I never imagined that I would feel such pride in creating a beautiful family portrait or sending in an article I’ve written for a national brand.

Being a full time blogger along with running a small photography business keeps my creative juices flowing…and I love it! I love feeling empowered as I deposit checks and help pay the family bills. Although my work is certainly time consuming and requires a constant flow of creative brain power (not always an easy thing for a mom to maintain!), I have been overwhelmed at how easily this business of mine has been for me to grow. I have so many opportunities, and as each year progresses, I am blown away by all of the doors that are opened to me.

I’ve got it so easy compared to so many other women throughout the world – women who are talented and creative and powerful – but don’t have the resources and the opportunities that I do.

I vividly recall the beautiful Mexican women selling stunning belts, blankets, bags and jewelry at small tables or tarps laid out on the ground when I spent a summer in Mexico, pre-kids. Their handiwork was incredible, but only those lucky enough to walk down their particular street ever saw what they produced or had the chance to buy from them.

This month, Walmart launched Empowering Women Together, an online destination as part of the Walmart website that gives small women-owned businesses around the world the opportunity to sell their products beyond their neighborhood. Empowering Women Together is part of Walmart’s commitment to empower women worldwide to build better lives for themselves and their families.

Not only does Empower Women Together give women around the world a place to display and sell their products, but it offers the rest of us the opportunity to see the beauty that other women, sometimes half a world away and sometimes only a state away, have created. And it gives us the chance to support each other in our efforts to improve our lives and the lives of women around the world.

When women-owned businesses flourish and grow, they are able to give create more jobs, thus empowering even more women with the opportunity to support their families as well.

When Empowering Women Together launched this month, they offered more than 200 items from 19 businesses in nine countries. Products include jewelry from Peru, Rwanda, Kenya and the U.S.; home accessories from Rwanda and Haiti; paper mache from Haiti, apparel and accessories from Rwanda; iPad and laptop cases from Cambodia and Nepal; coffee and tea sets sourced globally and made in America; and specialty foods made in America and Canada. These women include business owners, farmers, bakers, seamstresses, weavers, textile workers and jewelry makers.

Connect with #EmpowerWomen

Empowering Women Together on Walmart.com
Facebook Page facebook.com/walmart https://on.fb.me/YPAGby
Twitter @Walmart
Be inspired by Empowering Women Together’s Pinterest Board

Disclaimer: I am part of the Mom It Forward blogger network. Mom It Forward and Walmart partnered in support of this campaign. Walmart compensated me for participation in this campaign. However, all thoughts and opinions are my own.

Five Tips for Working at Home, Successfully

Lolli — Wed, 07 Mar 2012 22:51:42 +0000

Working at home can be rewarding but also very challenging. My friend, Kate Canterbury, from The Guavalicious Life has some fabulous tips for making the home business a success.

Last year I started working at home part time. And by that I mean I added on a professional job to my full time work at home job of cleaning, cooking, and being my kids’ indentured servant. Since my girls had finally gotten a regular preschool and therapy schedule, I thought it would be a breeze. After all, I was already maintaining a successful local blog and a somewhat regular personal blog.

Boy was I wrong. 12 months in, the disaster of my home, the ten pounds I had gained, and my gray roots proved it. Something had to change. So in January, I stopped all personal blogging, finished up my current contracts, and concentrated on getting my house and life organized.

What a difference! Now that my house is in order and my schedule organized, I have a clear mind (and space!) to work in.

Define Your Hours:

When you work from home, the temptation is to put things off to take care of the “emergencies” that crop up. That’s how I ended up working until two in the morning every night. Now my family, friends, and the girls’ school know that I am just not sitting at home eating bonbons, I am working from 9-12 and 1-4 and cannot be disturbed during those times.

Keep a Separate Work Space:

My home has always had a lovely home office waiting for me. But for some reason I had decided it would be better filled with everything I didn’t know where to put. I am not going to lie, those things got moved to the guest room instead of disappearing. But now I have a defined space, with a door that shuts. This not only pleases my accountant (hello write off) and me (hello clear mind) but is a clear signal to my family that on Saturday morning I am doing paperwork, not finding their lost stuff.

Learn to Say No:

Stand in front of a mirror and say this ten times out loud: “Unfortunately I am going to have to say no; I just don’t have the time in my schedule.” I’ve learned that if I don’t preface it with “I’m sorry” or “I wish I could” people don’t try to guilt me into it.

Outsource, Outsource, Outsource:

A lot of the work I do is also done by agencies and firms in town. To compete with them I have stepped up my game. Sure I don’t have in house printing like they do, but I do have an amazing online print firm that allows me to upload my custom design. Now I have high quality booklets for an incredibly low price. And I can produce anything from notepads to catalogs for my customers.

Constantly Network:

The temptation when you can work in sweatpants is to just stay behind the screen. And while I do do a lot of networking on Twitter and Linked In what has brought me the most business is getting out of the house and talking to people. Look into organizations like Social Media Club. Call your local news outlets and let them know you are a resource in your area of expertise. And never stop talking! I met one client in line at the grocery store.
I would love to hear what your tips are for keeping sane while working at home. Networking with my fellow work at home warriors is what keeps ME sane!

About the author

Kate Canterbury is a branding and marketing consultant. She maintains a home office but admits to Skyping from bed. You can read more about how she is doing it all (some of it well) on her personal blog The Guavalicious Life.

Tales of the Snake Family and Kids Who Don’t Want to Clean

Lolli — Mon, 03 Oct 2011 14:57:23 +0000

My 6 year old son is a story-teller. Here’s the 1st paragraph of his latest book:

“Once upon a time there lived a snake family. And all they did was watch movies. And sit around. When their parents told them to clean they would not listen….”

After some hysterical laughing, my husband and I looked at each other. The snake family sounded a little too familiar to us.

Gathering our kids together, we read AJ’s story aloud. I asked AJ where he came up with the idea for the snake family. “Is it, perhaps, based on your own life?” I wondered.

“I used my imagination,” he said.

Well, imagination or not, I’ve noticed that the more hours I work, the less my kids are interested in doing their normal chores. It’s like the classic “Mommy’s on the phone. Let’s get into trouble” scenario. Apparently, the more distracted I am with work, the more willing my kids are to ignore me. I try to take the afternoons off so that I can focus my attention on my kids after school. But some days are busier than others, and sometimes I get tired of telling the kids what they should do all the time.

My kids know how to clean. I’ve trained them well. They are good students who do their homework every night. I don’t mind if they watch some Netflix after homework is done or play a few games after chores. But I’m not willing to let them slip by and be lazy while I work.

It’s time for some hand-holding.

Except snakes don’t have hands.

I might be in for a slippery ride…

Photo by autodidact on stock.xchng

The Challenges of Working at Home and Taking a Day Off

Lolli — Thu, 29 Sep 2011 11:00:44 +0000

I am convinced that there is nothing quite like working at home. As much as I love what I do – I write all day long, I get to interact with amazing people all over social media and my business trips feel more like extended girl’s nights out – I have a tendency to work myself to the bone. Because I don’t have an office to drive to or set hours I need to clock in for, I end up at my computer most of the day.

A friend of mine, from the blog Nice Girl Notes, wrote a post called The Work From Home Dilemma yesterday in which she asked a few of her social media friends about the Pros and Cons of their jobs online.

Here are some of my Pros and Cons of working at home:

PROS:

I am home when the kids get home from school every day.
I don’t have to spend any time or money on a commute.
I can wear whatever I want to work.
I love what I’m doing and I don’t have to move to find a good job.
My schedule is flexible – if I need to volunteer at school or pick up a sick kids or watch my neighbor’s son for a little while, I can.
Great perks!
I can take a day off whenever I need to.
I can exercise right in the middle of my work day.
My husband works at home, too, so although we are both work-a-holics right now, at least we see each other and help each other out.

CONS:

I have a tendency to stay in the clothes that I slept in.
I don’t have any benefits, although I have plenty of PERKS.
Because I don’t have a standard 8 hour work day, I end up working all the time, with breaks here and there.
Not everyone understands that I really do have a job.
Taxes.
I rarely make time for a day off.

For me, the Pros outweigh the Cons, particularly the fact that I can be earning money right now (which I really need to be doing) but still be home with my kids. However, I’ve been working more than usual the last few weeks and I am wearing myself down. Today the kids are home from school and I have decided to take the day off. It’s not something that I do very often, and it’s rather sad that I have to plan it. But I think a day off and especially a day spent with my kids is exactly what I need.

I love my job. But love my kids more.

Do you work at home? What are some of your work-related pros and cons?

I am excited to be a Blogalicious Ambassador and to have the chance to spread the word about this upcoming amazing conference opportunity. To prepare for Blogalicious Weekend on October 21-23, I will be sharing weekly blogging, writing, and conference-related tips. I would love to hear your questions and suggestions of topics that you would love to have covered!

Tips for a Positive Work-at-Home Summer with Kids

Lolli — Thu, 28 Jul 2011 16:49:58 +0000

Summer as a work-at-home mom

Summer time can be hard for two work at home parents, but I have been pleased with all that we’ve been able to fit in as a family. Camping trips, visits to and from family, and lots of afternoons at the pool…

Yesterday, I packed the kids up in the car once again to drive 2 hours away to my sister’s house, where KitKat (my oldest) has been staying and helping out with her little ones for the last week.

(Personally, I think Andrea just wanted to have KitKat here to model for photos. Forget the free babysitting…Can you believe my daughter?!)

Andrea and I love to have adventures with the kids, and definitely pushed our luck last night when we took 6 kids to Friendly’s at 8:00pm, followed by a very late visit to Hershey Park, where we got in free for the last 30 minutes. Each kid got to ride 2 rides, and we escaped with only one child sobbing.

I was thinking this morning, after spending the night on an Aerobed with Mimi the cat about some of the things that have helped us not only survive the summer, but really enjoy it, too.

Tips for work-at-home moms to enjoy summer time with kids

Set limits – my kids know that I have to work in the mornings and again at night, and they need to find things to do around the house while I work.
Stick with a schedule – schedule fun activities, like swimming at the pool or checking out books at the library, so that the kids have something regular to look forward to.
Relax the rules a little – typically, my kids don’t play many games or watch a ton of tv, but we relax the rules during the summer.
Get together with friends – I’ve always loved inviting a few kids over to play. It keeps my kids entertained without having to go anywhere.
Schedule in some day-time NO WORK hours – I realized early on this summer that I wouldn’t be able to get away with not working at all during the day, but I can make certain hours of the day time to devote to the kids.
Keep meals simple – To maximize time with my kids, I am spending less time in the kitchen in the evenings. Yes, that means that we aren’t having quite as fancy meals, but no one seems to mind coming home from the pool and throwing a quick meal together.
Plan day trips – we are loving taking vacation time close to home. Rather than traveling somewhere extravagant for vacation, we are seeing sights around home.
Keep things varied – if I have a busy day on the computer, I will try to make more time for the kids the next day.

What are your tips to make the most out of the summer time?