Work-from-Home Wednesdays--Getting Organized as a WAHM

Why is it that I forget I need to create a banner for my Work-from-Home Wednesdays until it's dangerously close to being Thursday?

I guess that leads me to my topic for today. (I'll give you another week to answer all those questions about your own at-home business, okay?) My life is currently a multitasking nightmare--or is it a dream? Anyhow, I'm currently going into overdrive to get my freelance writing business started, in addition to taking a related online class and--of course--being a wife and mom and friend and all of that!

In the class I'm taking, one of the first suggestions was to establish a "writing routine." This concept can apply to any at-home business. Basically, the idea is that I need to set aside blocks of uninterrupted time in which to focus on the main event--in my case, writing. For you, it might be creating new designs or painting plaques. The point is that the other aspects of your business--and mine!--can be worked in randomly throughout your day. You can reply to client e-mails, do some marketing, or blog about your latest gig just about anytime, from anywhere. But the major part deserves some good priority time.

That concept alone has helped me a lot, this week. So have the following tools:

1. Tick Tock Timer This can provide great motivation and a competitive aspect to any item in your to-do list, whether it's racing to see how much tidying you can get done in 15 minutes or aiming to get an article done in less than an hour.

2. Remember the Milk To-Do List I love this thing! Not only is it available across various platforms as an iPhone or iPad app (I'd love to have an iPad someday!), but it allows you to list work, school, and personal items separately, while still allowing you to view items for today as a single list. LOVE IT!

3. Online Fax Service Freebies This is a listing of various fax services you can use to send and receive faxes without a fax machine. I signed up for eXtreme Fax, and I used it for the first time today. (You'll want to use the link embedded in the list I linked above, to get your 30-day free trial, though; normally, they offer only 7 days for free.)

I had to sign and fax a couple W-9 forms this week for new clients. Basically, they need that kind of paperwork on independent contractors who earn more than $500 through them, and some companies like to get it out of the way when you first start earning with them. I also had to sign a non-compete agreement for one firm.

Seriously, with these tools, I would be way ahead on all my deadlines, if I hadn't agreed to make dozens of cookies for one friend and bring a meal to another one, besides creating bridal shower invites and . . . well, you get the idea!

I hope thse tips help you (and me!) to get a little better organized, this week, whether you're starting your own business or simply trying to be an effective home manager.

This is a wired but tired

reminding you that the days may be long, but they're longer if you stay up late and get up early!


P.S. In lieu of my missing out on posting a Mommy Moment this past Monday, perhaps you'll appreciate this eloquently written piece by a friend of mine. Somebody pinch me, too! :)

5 Fabulous Baby Products

If you're expecting a little one and want ideas for budget-friendly, versatile baby gear to help you care for your bundle of joy, I hope you'll find this vlog helpful:

Since that video ended up a bit longer than I'd anticipated, here's a summary:

1. Boppy pillow

• Tammy Mommy's recommended uses:
• counter pressure after surgical birth
• comfortable seating after an episiotomy
• arm support for mom during nursing or bottle-feeding
• infant upport for tummy time
• fall protection for supported sitters
• Pros: versatility, popularity (easy to find used, on Craigslist)
• Cons: originally designed to help supported sitters, not to aid in nursing; allows small new babies to roll toward you, especially if you have a small build
• Tammy Mommy's Suggestion: Get a "bare naked" pillow and at least two covers (find one to suit your unique taste here), or--for a product exclusively suited for nursing--try My Breast Friend, instead.

2. Moby-style Baby Wrap

• Pros: 
• more stylish and more comfortable than backpack-style carriers
• more conducive to movement and more comfortable, for mommy and baby, than pocket-style carriers or slings--particularly as baby gets bigger & more mobile
• versatile, with several ways to position baby
• easily transportable, washable, and "makeable" (I think I just made up that word!)
• Cons:
• a bit pricey, if you get the name-brand model
• slightly challenging to wrap, the first few times
• Tammy Mommy's Suggestion: Buy some fabric, and make your own or buy a homemade knock-off! Also be sure to check out these videos (& more on YouTube) that show you how to wrap it.

3. By-Your-Side Infant Seat

• Pros:
• Higher than most infant seats, providing greater safety (especially with animals and other children) and convenience (particularly after having a surgical birth)
• Longer than many similar seats, accommodating babies who are long
• Neutral colors, storage shelf, and soothing music
• Cons:
• A little pricey, compared to traditional bouncer seats
• Hard plastic and pathetic pillow
• Cover that's difficult to remove
• Takes up a lot of room, similar to a small swing
• Tammy Mommy's Recommendation: If you buy this  or a similar seat, be sure to use a protective pad, and use this seat for sleeping, but only when baby is congested and uncomfortable lying flat, and  only with baby secured in 5-point harnass.
• Side note: It's currently very hard to find, brand new; I'm not sure why, but I'll try to contact Bright Starts and find out. I am selling mine, soon, though, so if you live in Wisconsin, I know where you can buy one!

4. Piddle Pad

• Pros: inexpensive & time-saving
• Cons: NONE
• Tammy Mommy's Recommendation: Buy one of these to protect each item that has stainable, hard-to-remove fabric covers (car seats, infant swings, bouncy seats, etc.).

5. Diaper Champ

• Pros: Easier to use and less expensive than the Diaper Genie; helpful for those who use cloth diapers
• Cons: NONE
• Tammy Mommy's Recommendation: This is my #1 "must-have" nursery item! Make sure to be consisten with the "default position" so you eliminate icky odors as much as possible.

Wow! That took a lot longer than I hoped it would, this Friday afternoon! I hope it's helpful to Stephanie and other mommmies-to-be. If any of you other "seasoned" moms have suggestions for them, please comment below!

This is

reminding you that the days may at times be long, but the years--especially that first half year!--is really way too short!

Work-from-Home Wednesdays--Getting Focused as a WAHM

I still don't have a banner for this series yet, but I'm very proud of myself for keeping up with these themed posts for the past couple weeks, now. Why? Well, I've taking in more writing gigs this past week than I did all last month, for starters! Add to that the fact that my dishwasher has decided to retire, and you can understand my pride.

Anyhow, I'm still very new to this whole work-at-home-mom stuff. I'm sure you can find more seasoned professionals out there, but here you'll learn with me, a rookie Work-at-Home Mom (or WHAM), as green as green can be!

Maybe I'll make the banner green--to symbolize my newness at this as well as what we all hope to earn! What do you think?

If you're considering starting your own small business or otherwise earning money from home, I have a few key questions for you to consider. Answering them will help you get focused so you can succeed, with the minimal amount of disruption to your family life, possible. This is not a test: No answer is "wrong." The point is to help you evaluate your reasons for and goals in working from home. Next week, I'll give you some tips based on your answers.


1. Why do you want (or need) to work?

• I just want to fill my time, beccause I'm bored and/or lonely at home.
• I feel feel unfulfilled or embarrassed being "just a mom."
• I want to help save for college or other long-term hopes.
• I desire to afford some extra luxuries, like manicures, vacations, and "toys."
• I need to make money to help make ends meet, pay for basics like gas and groceries, and keep (or get) my family out of debt.

2. If you chose the last option above, why have you decided to stay home instead of pursuing outside employment?

• The cost of daycare and other work-related expenses would make outside employment financially unwise.
• I want to  better prioritize my family and home.
• Flexibility with scheduling is important to me, or necessary for my situation.
• I think I might be able to make more money or "easy money" from home than I could in the work force.

3. Do you have specific goals regarding your home-based career?

• Yes, I have a specific amount of money I need to make each week or month, right now.
• Yes, I have an amount in mind I'd like to eventually earn each week or month or year.
• No, I don't have a goal in mind, but I need to make as much money as I possibly can.
• No, I don't have a monetary goal, because I'm more interested in pursuing career goals or building my own brand or reputation with something I like to do.

Well, if you are an aspiring or struggling to get focussed as a WAHM, I think considering your answers to the questions above can be a help. (My husband and I have been discussing these issues and fine-tuning the goals we have for our family.) Like many other freelance writers I've "met" lately, I'm discovering that there's more work out there than I can take in with the time I have. (If you lack writing training but think you might want to give it a try, check out this post of mine.)

Well, nap time is never long enough, so I must bid you adieu. I hope your Mother's Day is a little more relaxing than mine was, last Sunday, but either way, this is

reminding you that the days are very long, but the years are oh-so-short! (But not as short as nap time, so bye-bye!)

Stupid Mommy Guilt

Until about 3 weeks ago, my baby shared my bedroom and my dresser and solely lived off sustenance provided by my body; he woke up in the night, and I would feed him and hold him and fall back asleep with his breath against my cheek. It was exhausting, in reality, but in hindsight, it sounds sweet.

As of today, none of that is any longer true. First, we transitioned him to eliminate night feedings, then we moved him in with his 2-year-old brother. He now sleeps there from 8:30 p.m. or so until 8:00 a.m., give or take. (Once, we even had to wake him up at 10:00!) My husband and I like being able to sleep all night in the same bed and having the option of talking to one another while we're there in our own room.

Last week, we bought a $30 dresser off of Craigslist, and it matches perfectly! It's solid wood (pine, I think), with freshly painted red drawers boasting brand new hardware.

Now that Josh's clothes are in his own dresser, my socks and unmentionables are finally free to mingle loosely in my dresser drawers instead of being crammed tightly together with no room to breathe. And I'm happy for them.

My baby will be 7 months old this week, and today was his for-real start on anything but breastmilk, and he loved it! The weaning process has begun. A part of me likes the idea of going to fewer feedings a day and even *gasp!* transitioning him to a bottle, at some point.

But then there's another part of me that feels guilty for being happy that my dresser is my own. I sort of miss him, and when I don't, I feel sad and think I should. The mommy-guilt is stupid, sometimes, isn't it?

I feel so guilty that I have to post another picture just to show you that I really do love my Josh-a-boo baby. Isn't he a cutie?

This is a very silly, sappy

reminding you that the days may be long, but even half a year seems oh-so-short!



5 Fabulous Wood Learning Toys for Toddlers from Melissa & Doug

Well, I figured that if I waited until a day when I had time to make both myself and my home look presentable enough for video, I'd never get around to vlogging, so here I am--no makeup, spitup on my shirt, hair in a pony tail--you know, the "mom" look! :)

Well, here it is, my first vlog (video + blog):

I seriously had already finished this vlog and was waiting for the video to upload, when I noticed that Melissa and Doug are having a Twitter party tonight, at 10 p.m. complete with GIVAWAYS! I might just have to bit the bullet and get on Twitter, people. (Do any of you Tweet?)

If you'd like to continue to see these each Friday, please let me know! (My blog isn't monetized, at least not yet, which means I'm not making any money off of it. So if I don't have any readers--or any who like seeing these, I'll seriously lack motivation for posting!)

Like I mentioned in the video, I'm not getting any "kick-backs" from Melissa and Doug, but I do really like the company. (Among other reasons I mentioned, it's a family-owned business and still offers truly personal customer service: if you call, a REAL PERSON actually answers the phone, and if one of their products is defective, they actually replace it--for free!) If you're like me and tend to shop online these days, I figure videos like this is the next best thing to trying before you buy.

Here are pics and links to the Fabulous 5 Wood Learning Toys for Toddlers that I featured in the video, plus the "bonus" one:

Here's the Magnetic Hide-and-Seek Board.

Here's the Fishing Magnetic Puzzle Game

Here's the Rainbow Stacker Wooden Favorite

Here's the Magnetic Chalkboard/Dry-erase Board.

Here's the Vehicles Mix-n-Match Peg Puzzle

Here's the Barnyard Jumbo Knob puzzle.

Please share this blog with your mommy friends, and don't forget to let me know if you liked my first vlog!

Signing off in hopes of a sunny spring weekend--in your area and mine, this is

reminding you that the days may indeed be long, but the years are oh-so-short!

P.S. This Latches Board is on my "mommy wish list," but the price is just a bit much for this momma! If anyone has a used one or sees a good price on one, could you please let me know? Thanks!

Work-from-Home Wednesdays--Getting Started as a WAHM

Okay, so I don't have a banner created for this series yet, but I did decide on a Wednesday theme, as you can see.

After a delayed deadline of last Friday and its correspondence to our first ER visit with one of our sons, I was a little relieved to have no writing jobs coming up. However, by Tuesday afternoon, I had more leads than I could realistically handle, as well as a huge new project due this Saturday. In addition, I've had seemingly constant questions from friends, old and new, about how to get started with freelancing. Especially since many of my writing leads thus far have come from Facebook friends of mine, I truly do want to share what I have learned. But it's hard to find the time.

So in this new Wednesday series, I plan to give you a few tips and/or leads each week, to help my fellow SAHMs (Stay-at-Home Moms) become increasingly successful WAHMs (Work-at-Home Moms). I'll let you know about some of my successes as I live this journey, as well as some of my pitfalls, so you can avoid them. I also plan to feature other WAHMs who have started their own businesses in areas other than freelance writing.

Well, like I said, I have a deadline looming, so I need to cut this off. I think you'll benefit from reading this this post, error-laden though it be. And it's also one of the tips I'm sharing this week! 
Some week, we'll get into what I'm learning about affiliate links and advertising (ways to make money on your blog), but for now, you can blog on that site, and even 12 "Likes" can earn you $20! (I kind of wish I'd spent my time soliciting "Likes" on there--maybe I would have made more than I did by coming in 2nd in the Momsquawk contest! Oh, well. I met some fabulous friends, and they're the ones who turned me onto this site, in the first place. 

You'll have to register to comment or "Like" my post, or to post your own. If you let me know you join, I'll add you as one of "my bloggers," so I can "Like" you up, too!

Here are a couple other helpful sites I've come across and would be great for those wanting to write or earn a few bucks in other, random ways:

http://www.wahm.com (For writers, this post and its related threads are especially helpful: http://www.wahm.com/forum/wahms-who-write-46/130-looking-work.html.)

https://www.mturk.com (I just started looking into this when other writing gigs started heating up, so I never really got started on it, but you can read this helpful, detailed review of another person's experience: http://www.thesimpledollar.com/2009/07/05/can-you-actually-earn-reasonable-money-from-mechanical-turk/.)


http://savingsteward.blogspot.com/ (Here, you can find many tips from a personal friend of mine who has been very creative in earning a decent income for her family of 2 since she doesn't have a permit to work for income where she currently lives. She turned me on to many coupon and money-saving deal-of-the-day sites earlier this year.)

http://www.yellowbrickroad.com/follow/5-steps-to-break-into-freelance-writing/ This post is by a new friend of mine, the one who won the Momsquawk contest. She obviously knows what she's doing, so her tips are probably much better than mine. ("Like" it for her, if you do! And if you comment with a question about something you read, I'm sure that she'll respond.) In a comment, she asked me to add in this link where she's found ways to get paid to blog!

By the way, we're getting really close to those 50 FB followers and a $5 gift card givaway, so tell your friends to "Like" Tammy Mommy Madness fan page on Facebook! If they post on the wall, telling me you sent them, I'll enter your name an extra time for each friend!

Once we hit that  50-fan mark, I'll have other mommy-friendly givaways for you, my lovely fans, each week!

No matter how much money you have in the bank or due on bills, and no matter how many leads or deadlines are calling your name, make sure to take some time to look at each of your precious children full in the face, and tell them you love them, today! And show them you love them with some quality time, too! (If I can find the time and energy, trust me--so can you!)

This is

reminding you that even though today may be very, very long, the years are far too short!

A Double Birthday?

Last week was my first baby's second birthday, but it was my birthday, in a way, as well. If you know me, you know my birthday is actually in December (2 days from celebrations of the most significant birthday in the history of the world!), but that's not what I mean.

The Wagner Family is having a red-wagon-themed year!

It was fun to see him blow out his own candles, this year!

Finger-lickin' good stuff!

I find myself more sentimental about my first son's birthdays than I imagine I'll be about that of my second son or any other children with whom God may (I hope!) bless me. I attribute this feeling to the same fact I blame for my obsessing over my first pregnancy, my first baby nursery, et. al. And don't we all take more pictures of that first tiny little person to make his home in our arms?


As a firstborn, myself, I still feel sympathy with those seemingly slighted later children whose parents can't seem to find five pictures from their childhood, while myriad boxes cannot contain the excess pictorial records of their older siblings' infant years. But I'm starting to understand why.


The obvious preoccupation with mommying other children may play a role, but I don't think that's the main issue at hand.


The reason is this: Not only was a baby born two years ago, but a mother was born as well.  During that first pregnancy, I wasn't just reading about my first baby's development and planning for his arrival--I was truly readying myself for becoming a mom to however many children I would have.


So with my first child's birthday, each year, I celebrate not just the birth of a child, but also the birth of a mom.


This is a very sentimental

reminding you that the days may be long, but the years (at least these first two, for me!) are really way too short!