It is definitely not easy being a mom. Whether you are a stay at home mom, work from home mom or in the office mom, you know the stress of try to get it all done. One of the ways of beating that overwhelming feeling is to make some daily habits for taking care of your family and household. You may need different habits depending on your family, but these habits listed below will get you to thinking.

5 daily habits for moms

1. Wake up early. Boo… I know this one stinks. But it is the best way to get a jump on the things you need to do that day. That way you can control your day, your day will not control you!

2. Going to bed earlier.  This one goes hand and hand with habit #1. You can’t have one without the other (or can you?). I know that the day doesn’t seem long enough as it is. But the better rested you are the more productive you will be. So go ahead and turn in early, give yourself a break.

3. Evening preparations. Anything that can be prepared the night before, do it! Such as: lunches, clothes laid out, back packs by the door, showers… This is a great habit the start with your kids as soon as possible.

4. Institute meal-planning. This one is a biggie in our family. The last thing that you want to do at the end of the day is “find” something to cook. Maybe you make a meal chart of nightly dinners or you have 6 meals you can chose from each night. It is always better to plan! I love to look at Pinterest for new meal ideas.

5. Do one complete load of laundry a day. Uh, laundry is a bad word in our home. I feel like the piles overtake us! Here is a great habit to start and even get the kids involved. Every night after baths or at bedtime, gather all the clothes and throw them in the washer. Before you go to bed preform the great switcheroo (washer to the dryer) or you can wait till morning to make the magic happen. Then take a few minutes to fold, hang and put clothes away. Wha-lah you have one less laundry pile to worry about.

Maintaining your home and sanity is difficult, but with these 5 habits maybe it will be easier.

About the Author:  Larah Shelton is a blogger for Smith Monitoring, an alarm monitoring Houston company. She enjoys time with her husband and 2 kids. She enjoys blogging, talking and planning for vacations!

I don’t write a lot of my thoughts down, but lately the whole bad economy thing has really gotten me down.  I usually try and validate my thoughts and ideas by bouncing them off of friends and family.  I’m use to looking at a lot of blank stares, I don’t know if it is because my thoughts are so amazing that people are just dumbstruck, or if my ideas are just so far out in left field that people don’t think the same way that I do, probably the latter.

Anyway, the bad economy has finally forced me to put these thoughts down on paper and put it out in front of a group of my peers, because if we all start to realize that as individuals we control our own destiny,  then the sooner the bad economy can turn into a good economy.

Do you ask people “How’s Business”?  I do, on a daily basis, and here are the most common responses over the past 4 or 5 years.

Bad, Not Good, Slow, Steady, Up and Down, Not Consistent

And to be honest that is probably the truth, and that starts from the top of most businesses and trickles all the way down to the lowest level employee.  So everybody on every level of the business goes home to their family and friends and spreads the same news to everybody.  And guess what they tell the same thing to all their friends and family, and so on and so on.

So, it shouldn’t be a surprise that everybody is tight with their money.  They aren’t going to buy a new car this year, they will keep the old one for another year.  They aren’t going to travel for vacation this year, they are going camping.  They are not going to buy a new flatscreen TV, the 36″ still works fine.  They are not going to look for a higher paying job because they are afraid they will get laid off after they make the move.  It effects every aspect of our economy, in ways that are to numerous to list or even comprehend.

What if all the business leaders and owners just finally said the hell with this, and started telling everybody, “Hey, things are looking up this year.”  or “Tons of quotes in the pipeline, things are going to get better soon.”  or “I’m optimistic this year, the economy is coming back.” Eventually this will trickle down and before you know it the economy will be better.

The best example of an industry that knows this and has it down pact is by far the Real Estate Industry.  When is the last time you asked a real estate broker how things are?  They are tough as nails, they must teach it in real estate school or something, but they don’t even flinch.  They will always tell you everything is great, couldn’t be better, closing on 3 houses this week.  Why, because they are always waiting for you to say I want to sell my house, so they can get your listing.

So, why the hell are we walking around like lemmings telling people that business is slow, the economy sucks, we might be shutting down.  Is that really the best way to market your business?  Does that make your employees more productive?

I know that the housing and financial crash were real elements that really did hurt the economy, but enough is enough, it’s been 5 years, it’s over.  It’s time to suck it up and start spreading the word.  It doesn’t matter if you are the CEO of a fortune 500 company or the Janitor, start talking positive about your company and the business outlook.

When you move out prospecting for leads to develop your business, whether or not your home business is reliant on cold calls, referrals, instant messenger contacts and e-mails, it�s always pleasant to recognize the significance of correctly qualifying prospects. You’ll need to understand about your person and their wishes and difficulties to ensure that you are able to work out how it is possible to come across the answer they are seeking. Qualifying the individual is most important, so you really should ask questions to discover more about them.

What’s a qualified lead and where on earth do you locate them?
A qualified individual is a person (or business) that needs or wants your offer for the reason that it satisfies a need or solves some dilemma they have.
How will your individual comprehend if what you’re providing is going to help? They’ve never heard of you or your offer until you connected with them. They’re going to understand since you’ve done your research ahead of connecting with them and know what will enhance their home business.
That is where good quality solid Internet research comes in handy. Knowing your TARGET market is vital. Then it is easy to work on getting these targets to your proposal and urge them to grant you their information. When you have their info, you can consider getting to know your person, or in other words, you start creating relationships.
Over time communicating with them, you’ll get a clear illustration about them and their wishes, and you will understand if you would like to work with them on your Team.

REMEMBER:
Your services and products and how you offer it and conduct business IS YOUR BUSINESS and you really want people who WANT to work with you.

� A lot will tell you straight away they aren’t interested.
� Some will call you names.
� Some merely don’t understand how you can possibly assist them, until you begin educating them.

And here is a little you should recognize and work WITH, not against.
A lot of prospects for your Team will declare themselves out with their questions to you.
For example: How intensely do I have to work to receive any money? How fast can I bring in money? With more experience, you will recognize instantly your work at home business isn’t for them. Why?

Because they won’t be as committed to make the home business succeed for them or for you.

And you’re not in business to lose business or potential consumers. Don’t waste many hours attempting to convince individuals to work with you. In truth, do not be scared to say NO to some people if you suspect they are not entirely committed. They either will wish to because they acknowledge the significance of the opportunity or they don’t want to and hounding them isn’t going to make any difference.

Should you work more online, you might qualify lots of people BEFORE you telephone them. When you get their information (Name and email) and they sign up to your subscriber list, you can send them to a short personal presentation WITHOUT telling them your company name and advise them you have a method and plan so they can begin to earn some money fast, which is what MOST people are in search of.
Next in the process is to send them to a short survey that asks straightforward questions like:

� How many hours a week are you able to work?
� How much are you willing to invest? (give the options if there’s greater than one and the rate to commit)
� When Prospecting For Leads Make Sure You Undergo The Qualifying Procedure are you all set to start?
� While Prospecting For Leads Make Certain You Undergo The Qualifying Process is a convenient time to telephone?

The remainder is up to you.
These straightforward points to qualify individuals you meet ensure prospecting for leads will help to develop more success in your home based business building efforts.

Barrie Evans is an Internet And Network Marketer who is fully commited to helping you attain success in your business and increasing your online poise and brand. Find out more about Network Marketing Prospecting Tricks on his website.

For those among us who fear the degradation of our eyesight or are seeking alternative solutions to our current eye correction struggles, keep an eye out for this emerging technique called hyperopic orthokeratology (or Ortho-K). Users of this technique do not have to wear any corrective lenses, be it eyeglasses or contact lenses, during the day because they are fitted with special nighttime lenses that mould the cornea while they sleep. The custom-made, stiff lenses have been compared to retainers used in orthodontics to keep to teeth from moving and becoming more displaced during the night.

Ortho-K overnight lenses are considered a non-surgical alternative to LASIK without the threat of permanent scarring, as the treatment is completely reversible, and are, thus, very appealing to young patients ineligible for surgery and those who are not interested in exploring surgical options. For patients in a recent Australian study (the FDA has conducted similar clinical studies), their near vision improved significantly after only one night of lens wear and increased further in a few days. After examination and further testing, the patients stopped wearing the Ortho-K lenses and their vision returned to the previous state with a week. Recent improvements in rigid contact lens materials have made this highly results-focused approach more comfortable and accessible to interested patients.

Benefits

These lenses can be worn by both children and adults, though much testing has been done among children because of the potential to prevent vision worsening year by year. So if you catch your moderate nearsightedness before it starts to seriously degrade, these lenses can be a safe and effective preventative medicine measure.

Some user reviews have pointed to the treatment’s cost-effectiveness when compared to the cost of daily contact lens use. However, this depends entirely on how much you typically spend on contacts, as others have reported Ortho-K to be quite costly, as the process requires significantly more frequent visits to the optometrist.

One seemingly insignificant, although certainly notable to all of us who suffer from dry eyes, benefit of Ortho-K is that wearers are free from the dry or dusty eyes often associated with wearing contacts during the day. And since dry eyes are even a common symptom of LASIK surgeries, it seems that the Ortho-K solution might be the best alternative for chronic suffers of eye dryness.

Disadvantages

As with most recently emerging technologies, there are still a few downsides to Ortho-K overnight lenses. Depending on the severity of your myopia (nearsightedness), there might be a period in between when your eyesight is not strong enough in the day to see clearly and yet your day-time eyeglasses will be too strong to meet your changing eyesight. This phenomenon does not usually last more than a day or two, but it can be difficult for some users.

Furthermore, diligent cleaning is required if you want the lenses to stay clean for the 12 months (or more) that they are intended to last, including particular care not to break them, as they are hard and fragile lenses.

Bottom-line

Since the process is fully reversible, Ortho-K is likely worth the risk if you are looking for alternative vision solutions. However, as with all contact lenses, you should discuss your particular needs and desires thoroughly with your eye care practitioner before committing your time and resources to this solution. Non-surgical corneal reshaping, Ortho-k overnight lenses, might just be the future for vision patients seeking convenience and concerned about preventative approaches.

Kate Simmons is a freelance writer and occasional blogger. In her writing, she focuses on health topics, and new & non-invasive medical procedures.

Most people have a favorite color. They incorporate that color into their wardrobes as much as possible, and they might even use it to paint their walls. Unfortunately, lots of people also use their favorite colors for their <a href=”http://themefuse.com”> Premium WordPress themes </a>. Instead of just going with your favorite color, though, you need to take some time to learn what each color represents. Then, you will know which colors will work best for your business.

Blue

If you want to build some loyalty with your blog’s visitors, blue is the perfect color. This color puts people at ease and makes them trust others. Since blogs are a great place to build trust, blue is really popular with bloggers.

Red

Red is a bold choice. It incites passion. If you want to hit the market with a bang, consider adding some red to your website. It will help you get a big response.

Purple

Purple is somewhere in between blue and red. It can help build trust like blue can, and yet it’s still bold like red. This is a good choice for people who want to make a big statement.

Black

This is the perfect option if you want to add a little mystery to your page. It is also used to target high-end buyers. Thus, if you’re trying to sell Rolex watches, black would be a good color. However, if you’re marketing bracelets that cost $5, black is probably the wrong color for you.

White

White signals cleanliness and purity. White is a great color for people who sell medical supplies, since it gives off a sterile vibe.

Yellow

If you want to make people feel relaxed, yellow is the perfect color. This color also makes people feel happy. Thus, you can really boost people’s moods with yellow.

Green

Green represents nature, and it tends to make people feel safe. Depending on the shade of green that you use, it can also cause people to think about money. If you’re running a finance blog, this might be a good color for you. It will also work well if you’re running a blog about the great outdoors.

Keep in mind that you don’t have to go with a solid color scheme. You can combine these colors so you can enjoy the benefits that come with the different colors. Simply pick a theme that makes use of several different colors so you can get the right response from your readers.

Lately, I have been seeing a lot of people talking about growth hacks. These are little tricks that you discover that launch you into the mainstream by creating a surge of user accumulation in a short time. Plenty of businesses have been scrambling to hire on a growth hacker for their businesses ever since the term started to trend, and even I have been approached by some clients asking me about it where before they had never seemingly heard of it.

The problem – as I have explained to them – is that this method is actually, at the heart, an unscalable hack. But when I say this it usually causes more confusion than it alleviated, which sent me to Google to see what others had to say on the subject. I was shocked to discover only a couple of relevant article on the same concept, and at least two were bases around the technical design definition of the phrase.

The Definition of Unscalable Hacks

An unscalable hack is more or less a short term solution that may or may not yield results. It is usually a temporary solution to a problem that will only patch the original issue, or provide a momentary injection. Which is, to me, what growth hacking is in both theory and practice. It is a short term means of creating a growth surge before you move onto the next tactic.

The problem with this kind of solution in any context is that it is only beneficial if you truly do find that mystical strategy that makes it all worth it. The one that will be your ace in the hole, and boost you onto a new level where you can begin a whole new tactic for continued growth.

Now, I am not saying that unscalable hacks don’t have their place in a sound business strategy. Just look at the way Reddit used the gap created by Digg to sweep in, or Google+ leveraged invites to build hype. These are examples of short term actions that really paid off.

All I am pointing out is that an unscalable hack (or growth hack, for that matter) mean nothing if you don’t have the juice behind it to keep things running past the point where it stops being effective. Which can be a very small window of time, indeed. If you don’t see many results with that hack in the first place, it is just creating even more problems.

A Better Way To Do Things

If you manage to find that genie’s lamp, by all means, rub it.. Would LinkedIn have been successful if they hadn’t started off following a single minority elitist line within the niche? Probably not. But don’t put too much effort in thinking of wishes that you forget how many you have. The end result is going to be based on more than a good idea that launched you into the mainstream…once you get there, you have to stay there.

The best method of leveraging hacks is to apply them to already solid business and marketing models, and incorporate many sounds ideas that will work alongside your genie. Don’t put everything you have behind it’s power, because it only has so much. There’s also a great point in this article from dirjournal.

What do you think about unscalable hacks? Are they worth taking the risk for the average business or site owner? Let us know in the comments.

Michelle is the tech editor at TekSocial, the user-generated resource of reviews!

This infographic provied by: Great Business Schools

A Woman’s Paradox: The unique challenges facing women who “want it all”

Despite progress toward “having it all,” research shows that American women are less satisfied and burn out more quickly. And today’s economic realities mean fewer options when it comes to choosing between work and home.

High Aspiration, High Burnout

A growing number of young women who “want it all” are burning out at work before 30.

Men are twice as likely as women to advance at each career stage

According to experts, young women don’t relax enough and are too focused on developing a well-rounded resume

Substantial student debt means they can’t quit

Compared to women, men are:
25% more likely to take breaks at work
7% more likely to take a walk
5% more likely to go out at lunch

Despite higher levels of education and pay, American women are less satisfied overall.

In 1970, 11% of women age 25-64 held college degrees. Today that number is 36%.

Women earn the majority of professional and doctoral degrees, up from just 10% in 1961.

In 1972, women’s wages were 57.9% of men’s. In 2011, that number rose to 77%.

In the 1970s, American women were happier than men, but over the past three decades, they’ve become less happy and are now less happy than men.

Motherhood and Career

Just 71% of mothers with children under 18 were in the labor force in 2011, compared to 94% of fathers.

More than 10% of stay-at-home moms regret giving up their career.

15% agree that they resent their partner for being the one to continue working after baby was born.

More than a third of working moms (36%) agree that sometimes they resent their partner for not making enough money for them to stay home with the baby/kids.

…And yet half of working moms agree that their overall happiness would increase if they didn’t work.

…But lately, it just isn’t economically feasible.

53% of women are breadwinners in their households.

Just 7% of households consist of married couples where only the husband is in the labor force.

“I do think women can have it all, just not at the same time.” – Madeliene Albright, former U.S. Secretary of State

Sources

http://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2012/07/why-women-still-cant-have-it-all/309020/

http://www.catalyst.org/knowledge/statistical-overview-women-workplace

http://www.catalyst.org/knowledge/women-ceos-fortune-1000

http://www.forbes.com/sites/jennagoudreau/2012/12/26/the-best-jobs-for-women-in-2013/

http://www.forbes.com/sites/larissafaw/2011/11/11/why-millennial-women-are-burning-out-at-work-by-30/

http://www.forbes.com/sites/meghancasserly/2012/09/12/forbeswoman-and-thebump-com-parenthood-and-economy-2012-survey-results/

http://blogs.wsj.com/atwork/2013/02/20/why-we-still-ask-whether-women-can-have-it-all/

http://www.boston.com/bostonglobe/ideas/articles/2008/11/23/a_talk_with_betsey_stevenson_and_justin_wolfers/?page=full

http://www.bls.gov/opub/ted/2011/ted_20111229.htm

http://nymag.com/daily/intelligencer/2013/03/madeleine-albright-women-have-it-all.html

http://payequity.org/info-time.html

Does it really cost more because you are a woman.  This info-graphic makes some interesting points that I had never thought about.  Some of the points are frustrating, while others are just the facts of life.  I think this is definitely an eye opener that is sure to stir some debate.   Check it out, I will be interested in seeing some comments.

I really like this quote from Margaret Shepard:

“Sometimes, your only available transportation is a leap of faith.”

Isn’t that the truth? So many times, we hope for and dream about a change. And we inch closer to it – changing small things here and there, but by and large, living out the same exact life as we did the day before.

A friend of mine is taking a gigantic leap of faith, moving from the west coast to the east coast, after having received a great job offer. The job offer is the catalyst for the move, but the transportation isn’t a plane or a car, it’s a leap of faith. Sometimes, in order to realize change, we have to move toward it. We have to stop dreaming, stop hoping, and just start doing.

Good to luck to everyone out there who is doing something they never thought they would do (although rehearsed over and over in the mind). Your leap of faith will get you far.

I’ve been thinking a lot about what it means to have an excellent career environment. No matter how many hypotheses I come up with, all paths lead to sunlight. Sunlight is very different than spotlights.

Sunlight is nurturing, warm, and nutrient-rich. It is much more than light. When the sun is shining, many things benefit – people, plants, and much of the life we have created here on earth. It is that way at work, too. When a career environment produces nurturing, warm, nutrient-rich sunlight, everyone benefits – the employees, the customers, the physical location, the operations, you name it.

When the sun is shining, as you are driving past a sunflower field, you can clearly see each sunflower attempting to grab a piece of the sun. And, amazingly, each gets just the sun it needs, provided it is not planted under a tree or out of the view of the sun. There is always enough sun to go around.

Spotlights are bright, but not necessarily nurturing. They can be warm – but they can be so warm, they become uncomfortable. Spotlights are great for the audience, as they show the audience where to focus. But spotlights are ostracizing – spotlights intentionally cast light on one person or thing, while simultaneously casting everything nearby into total darkness.

Sunlight encourages achievement and growth, while spotlights demand performance and encourage scrutiny. The light from the sun is essential to the formation and sustenance of life. The light from a spotlight is temporary, and changes often.

In career and in life, is it better to seek sunlight, or spotlight?

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