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WELCOME TO
HOMEBODIES
October 17, 2006
Volume 7, Issue
40
Weekly
encouragement and empowerment e-zine
for stay-at-home
parents and working parents
considering the
at-home lifestyle
Your Hostess -
Cheryl Gochnauer, author of
"Stay-at-Home
Handbook", "So You Want to Be a
Stay-at-Home
Mom", "Mom to Mom" and founder of
http://www.homebodies.org
To subscribe,
mailto:
To ***,
mailto:
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address,
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THIS WEEK'S
ARTICLES:
"Making
Working From Home Work", by Homebodies founder Cheryl Gochnauer
"Discovering
Bonus Storage Space Right in Your Own Home" by Homebodies columnist Lois
Breneman, editor of Heart to Heart Newsletter
"
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MAKING WORKING
FROM HOME WORK
Homebodies
By Cheryl
Gochnauer
Copyright 2006
“Working from home allowed me to start my business without
the overhead expense of an office,” says Don Bishop, a Lee’s Summit,
Mo. commercial and industrial concrete contractor who struck out on his own a
couple of years ago after 20-plus years in the field. Bishop figures he’s
saving between $1000 and $2000 a month by not renting office space.
Still, there are challenges in laboring on the home front. First,
you need to make sure the timing is right. It’s much easier to jumpstart
a home business once the kids have started school. While they’re doing
their thing, you can be doing yours. Plus, working at home provides a lot more
flexibility than a regular job, which is great when a child becomes ill or
there’s a special program at school.
Once you’ve got the kids settled, consider these tips for conducting
business from home:
Carve out your own space
·
Ideally, you should have a separate room dedicated to business
activities. Set regular office hours and when the workday ends, shut the door.
“If I’m at the kitchen table waiting on dinner and there are files
sitting out, it’s too easy to pick them up and work until it’s time
to eat,” Bishop says.
Be well equipped
·
Upgrade your computer and subscribe to cable or DSL Internet
access to ease downloads and Net surfing.
·
Buy a comfortable chair and install a business phone/fax line.
·
If you don’t have a cell phone, get one. “Since my
business number is my cell phone number, I’m fielding calls whether
I’m in or out of the office,” Bishop says.
·
Choose a multi-functional office machine that will handle
printing, faxing and copying.
Project a professional image
·
Get up, get showered and get dressed.
·
Set up a polished Web site with easy functionality. Use Net
meetings to interact with clients or give presentations online.
·
Instead of weaving strangers through your living room, meet
customers at their place of business or in restaurants.
·
If you’re an employee working at home, maintain a presence
at the main office. “Report in often and let your boss know you are alive
and productive,” advises Bradley Richardson of Monster.Com.
·
Using a post office box as your business address serves two
purposes: It keeps your business and personal mail separate, plus it sounds
better than “
Keep it real
- Most people choose this job style because they
want more flexibility, less stress and expanded time with family and
friends. Don’t let workaholism steal away the very rewards that led
you home.
*****
READERS: If you
enjoyed my Stay-at-Home Handbook: Advice on Parenting, Finances, Career,
Surviving Each Day & More (InterVarsity Press, 2002), here's a way you can
help get it into the hands of other present and prospective at-home parents.
The next time you
visit your local library, check to see if Stay-at-Home Handbook is on the
shelves. If not, simply ask the librarian to order a copy. Librarians love
buying books their patrons like, and there are lots of moms who can't afford to
buy their own copy, but who would appreciate being able to check it out. It's a
win-win situation for everyone.
Here's the ISBN,
or order number, the librarian will need:
0-8308-2336-0.
Got other favorite parenting books you'd like
to see on the
shelves? Bring those to your librarian's attention, too!
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DISCOVERING BONUS
STORAGE SPACE
RIGHT IN YOUR OWN
HOME
Heart to Heart
By Lois Breneman
Copyright 2006
All of us have probably said how we need more storage space
in our homes. First of all, getting rid of all those things we really
don't need will cut way down on the needed storage space. Then how about
investigating every available space in your home and putting it to good use if
you are still in need of more storage space? In many cases it is
available and just waiting to be found! Here are some clues as
to where you can discover extra bonus space right in your own home!
Hang a clear vinyl pocket organizer inside the linen closet to
hold bandaids, small tubes of medications, a thermometer, ball syringes,
etc. Everything will be easy to see and locate quickly when needed.
Hang another clear vinyl pocket organizer inside the coat closet
for sunglasses, gloves, scarves, fold up umbrellas, etc.
Hang more clear vinyl pocket organizers inside your children's
closet doors, unless the doors are louvered. I'm sure you will agree that
small things stored in these pockets are so much better than scattered all
around their rooms! And everything will all be visible through the clear
vinyl!
If you are in the process of building or remodeling your home, you
may want to consider adding one built-in locker for each family member - near
the door, all in a row. I have seen this plan carried out in the home of
a friend and the mother raved how they all loved the convenience of keeping
each person's coat, boots, gloves, school books, backpack, etc. right by the
door. The mother also loved how each person was responsible for his or
her own personal locker! A great idea!
If you have a deep closet or pantry where things seem to get lost,
store items on trays that can be pulled out, so you have full access to
everything and are able to find what you need.
Small round wooden tables that can be purchased for as little
as $5 (on sale) can provide lovely hidden storage! With a round
tablecloth draped down to the floor, no one will ever know what you have
hidden there and it provides a nice decorative touch to a bedroom, living room,
family room, great room, dining room or sunroom. A round piece of
glass can be purchased to set on top of the tablecloth for protection from
spills. A large round lacy doily or a smaller square piece of contrasting
fabric placed over the tablecloth can change the whole appearance.
Use empty decorative ceramic containers for storage, as well as
decoration. Examples: Pretty ginger jars, covered ceramic dishes,
vases or teapots. Painted milk cans can hold umbrellas.
In the bathroom install shelves to set on or above the tank
of the commode for additional space. Every bathroom can use more storage
and this is an excellent space to use.
Use a hanging shelf that slips over the shower head to hold shampoo,
conditioner and razors.
A shallow overhead shelf or two up high at the end of the
bathtub is another possibility.
Slide under-the-bed boxes -- where else but under the beds!
I'm sure you can think of something to store in those (gifts, out-of-season
shoes or clothing, etc.).
Have you thought of storing things under sofas and chairs with
skirts? Yes, even there!
A shallow cabinet (about one or two inches deep) would be
sufficient to hold necklaces and bracelets with cup hooks or even push pins to
hold them. Hang it behind a bedroom door where it would be protected by a
rubber door stop. A beautiful painting could even be attached to the
front. Or use the space in the back of your bedroom closet to hang
necklaces and bracelets. Many closets have wooden strips around the wall
for the shelves. Insert push pins into the wood to hang necklaces and
bracelets. This works great and keeps them out of sight.
Hang bookshelves along the wall above a desk or computer to make
good use of that unused space.
In many homes it would work to enclose the area under the stairs
for storage, with a door. It's amazing how much can be stored there.
Inside a closet door, attach lightweight plastic-covered wire
shelves designed to slip over the back of a door or fastened onto the inside of
the door. This will hold so much and keep all the contents right at
your fingertips.
If a closet has too much empty space between the shelves, add
another shelf or two for more
organized storage and better use of the space.
Look carefully at each closet and find a way to use all the
available space. By using baskets, square plastic tubs or plastic shoe
boxes (with lids) on closet shelves, they can be stacked to maximize the
available space. Be sure to label all containers to make it easy to
locate various items.
Under-the-shelf storage can be purchased in plastic-coated wire to
be slipped on a shelf to make use of that unused space under the shelf.
Building shelves directly above your washer and dryer is a great
idea, because that is normally wasted space. Use either open shelves or
enclosed cabinets for laundry supplies and many other items.
Stacking makes use of extra space. At least three six drawer
organizers (without the wheels attached, of course) can be stacked to provide
organized storage for papers, audio tapes, office supplies, scrapbooking
supplies, rubber stamping supplies, sewing supplies, crafts, etc.
Add an extra shelf to the floor of a closet, simply raising
the shelf up with two bricks on each end. This will provide extra storage
space for shoes. Use a board that you stained, painted to match the
room or covered with matching contact paper.
In a child's room, stuffed animals could be stored and displayed
in mesh, hanging from the ceiling in a corner of the room. You can find
fish netting in stores for this purpose.
Shelves built around one or more walls about 12 to 18 inches below
the ceiling of a child or teen's room provide not only storage, but
decoration as well. The personality and interests of your child can be
displayed for your enjoyment and theirs.
Continue looking for unused space in your home. Hopefully
these ideas of finding bonus storage space in your home will help us all to be
more organized.
*****
Columnist Lois
Breneman offers godly and practical encouragement regarding homemaking, marriage,
children and much more. To contact Lois or sign up for her Heart to Heart
newsletter, write jhbreneman@juno.com.
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
Proverbs 31 Woman
By Lysa TerKeurst
Copyright 2006
Okay, confession
time ladies.
I was thrilled to have found this unexpected surprise, I eagerly opened it and
found it was a gift certificate to
I guess when I got the gift certificate, I filed it away with good intentions
to use it when my taste buds died, my body shrunk, and muscles suddenly appeared
in all the right places. So, when had I gotten this little gift? Upon closer
investigation, I doubled over in laughter as I realized the certificate was
over 10 years old! My husband came over to see what was so funny and I handed
him the paper. He found no humor in the situation and offered to take it off my
hands and use it to buy me a gift. I just smiled at him and requested that he
remember two things on his shopping trip: warmth and comfort! Does
Whether it is because of changes in our bodies, sleep deprivation, time
constraints, financial pressures, or a myriad other things, marriage changes
after kids. But it doesn't have to be for the worse. We must still make our
marriage a priority and watch it grow stronger through the kid-years. After
all, one of the greatest gifts parents can give their children is the security
of a solid love relationship between Mom and Dad.
We know this with our heads, but the realities of life make it easy for
marriages to slip into what I call "business-partner mode." You are
doing life together and sharing responsibilities, but your relationship is void
of the romantic spark that keeps a marriage exciting and thriving. Finding that
10-year-old certificate was a wake-up call for me to take an honest assessment
of where the romance barometer was registering in my marriage. And to be
honest, we were found lacking.
Somewhere between two hectic schedules we'd stopped getting intentional with
our love life. Soccer games, gymnastics meets, school projects, serving in
ministry, home repair projects, yard work, running a business, paying the bills
are all important things, but they had crowded out time for Art and me to just
be together.
So, instead of hoping things will magically reignite and get better, I've
decided to actively pursue a richer relationship with my husband. It will be a
matter of choice, not chance. Here are some of my newly resolved choices:
1. Seduce him.
Oh, gasp! Is that allowed in a Christian magazine? Absolutely! I know when my
husband has been left wanting for too many days in a row, he gets cranky! So, I
thought about what makes me just as cranky. The answer is food, or the lack
thereof. When I'm really hungry and can't get some food, my perception of
everything gets skewed and my mood sours. This is true for most women, so to
continue this analogy, imagine for a minute that your husband was your only
source for food. But, every time you went to him to get this nourishment you
not only want but need, he responded, "Not now. I'm too tired. I have a
headache." It would be quite irritating.
When I think about this scenario, it breaks my heart to think of how often my
husband comes to me for the intimate nourishment that he not only wants but
needs, and I don't respond. So I'm challenging myself to make the intimate
needs of my husband a priority. God says that sex inside marriage is a gift and
through it He blesses the husband and the wife. Most husbands would love it if
their wives were a little more intentional about initiating intimate
connections, so seduce him!
2. Serve him.
Oh, I can feel eyes rolling on this one. However, I've discovered that my
husband sees me serving all kinds of people … our kids, the women at
Proverbs 31 Ministries, friends and neighbors. But when is the last time I
really looked for something he wanted and did it for him? Sometimes the thing
we least want to do in our marriages might be the very thing that could help
our relationships most.
A friend of mine doesn't like to cook, but a homemade meal means the world to
her husband. Recently, I encouraged her instead of trying to convince him his
expectations are unrealistic, to make it a priority to make him feel respected
and loved by cooking for him. It was what she least wanted to do, but after she
cooked her husband a delicious meal, the smile on his face and the pep in his
attitude gave her the motivation to pull out her cookbooks more often. Instead
of getting offended the next time your spouse asks if you can do something to
better meet his expectations, why not see it as an opportunity to invest in
your marriage? It's worked wonders for my friend's marriage and it just might
work wonders for yours as well.
3. Simply be sweet to him.
Why is it that I can be so kind to strangers and then - just seconds later -
impatient and unkind to those I love most? Unfortunately that old saying is
true, "Familiarity breeds contempt." I don't want short fuses, quick
tempers and rushed conversations to be the legacy I build with my husband. The
Bible tells us to be "quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become
angry" (James 1:19 NIV). I have to not only desire to be kind to the ones
I love, but I have to choose to do so each moment, reaction by reaction. I have
to think about my words before I speak and ask myself, "Am I being quick
to listen, slow to speak, and slow to become angry?" If this is what I
really want for all my interactions with my husband, then I've got to make the
choice to swallow my quick wit and cutting remarks, and simply be sweet!
So, my little hidden gift certificate actually has served me well. It was a
sign that I need to make some adjustments and investments. I think I'll ask Art
if I can accompany him to the mall. And no, I won't be in search of flannel.
Maybe I'm starting to clue in to
*****
Lysa TerKeurst is
a wife, mother of 5 and president of Proverbs 31 Ministries. She is also
the best selling author of 10 books and a national speaker. To find out
more about Lysa or her ministry, log on to www.Proverbs31.org.
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
PUBLICATION
INFORMATION
Copyright 2006
Cheryl Gochnauer. All rights reserved. For permission to reprint an article,
please write
All articles are
printed with the author's prior consent. It is assumed that any questions, tips
or replies to questions may be reprinted. All letters become the property of
Cheryl Gochnauer.
Cheryl Gochnauer
does not assume responsibility for advice given. All advice should be weighed
against your own abilities and circumstances and applied accordingly. It is up
to the reader to determine if advice is safe and suitable for their own
situation.
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