End of term!.... Juggling working from home & holidays well

I can't believe it's the end of the school year already! My, how quickly has that flown by. Now it's summer holidays time, well, for my children anyway.

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Juggling work and school holidays is never very easy so here's my advice on managing both well.


1. Plan your time well. If you are self employed like me, you can't always give much time to work during long school holidays so you have to plan your time well. I find, organising the 6 week stretch into distinctive weeks really helpful and making sure my 3 children know what's going on even more so.

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2. Balance work & play. I know each job is very different and has different requirements but I find splitting up each week so that I have given the right amounts of time to the needs of my business and of my children is imperative. There are some jobs I can get done before the end of this week, so I'm busily trying to accomplish as much as possible before the holidays actually start, but there are also plenty of things which need to happen week in week out. Use everything at your disposal to get as much done as possible before you have your children at home- scheduling your tweets, website updates and blogs helps and try to switch off completely on some days if you can!

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3. Plan play dates in advance. Set up play dates so your children are out at the same time as one another on certain days then return the favour on a day where you have less to do. Get those dates in the diary NOW! Last minute never works well if you have more than one child you need to plan for. Involve your kids in who they would like to see; their ownership of the process will stop them feeling 'pushed out' so that you can 'get on'.

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4. Decide as a family what 'events' or 'activities' you'd all like to do (if you having a staycation) and plan those in first, then plan work around them so everyone knows you have prioritised family times and then make sure they actually happen- that may mean ordering tickets now; sorting travel arrangements or paying for stuff upfront so whatever you all decide, just make sure it happens. We use a big roll of lining paper and literally write out every day so everyone knows just what's going on when.

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5. Enjoy it! Children grow up fast. In the immortal words of Ferris Beuller "If you don't stop and look around once in a while, you could miss it".

Have a great summer whatever you are up to!.....
                             x

Three Confessions of a Happy Housewife!

We all need a bit of encouragement, inspiration and motivation so here are my top three happy housewife confessions!....

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1. I confess, I don't iron! Scandalous but true. Try washing on the lowest spin cycle then removing anything you would usually iron immediately after the spin cycle has finished and hang it on a padded hanger. You can then set the rest of the load to spin again on a higher rpm. That's why I don't iron. (that, and consciously purchasing clothing with elastane or synthetic fibres, less than 100% cotton content and lots of fabric conditioner!!!)

2. I confess, I don't cook every night. Welcome to the Ready Meal Revolution! Yes, I know, it's hard to believe but at least twice I week Mr. Redressing heats up a ready meal for the 2 of us and it's delicious! Look out for offers on readies (M&S Meals are some of the best) and budget accordingly on your weekly shopping funds. Removes hassle, is speedy and fortunately the options have moved on from Shepherds Pie or Lasagna! If cooking is a housewifely bug-bear let yourself off with a pre-prepared meal once in a while (if you don't already!)

3. I confess, I don't drink instant coffee. Yes, I am a coffee snob! I have found, 3 children later, that I am in need of a rather large and rather good quality cup of coffee to start my day. I take some time with this particular cup of coffee as it's the first real chance I get to look at my 'to do list'; assess the days requirements and determine realistically just how much of the said list will in fact get done! If this is the time in my day to plan strategically, be decisive, effective and efficient then I am sure as heck not going to do that over a cup of instant coffee! I also adore the smell of fresh coffee; have a clever little machine which keeps the pot hot for a couple of hours and also have low blood pressure so can take the caffeine induced palpitations hit!!!! In line with a well known hair care brand, I do feel that I am 'worth it' and therefore my coffee reflects my values. Nectar.

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The best housewifely tip I can pass on is to value yourself and by doing so, validate what you do. Remeber dolls, you are gorgeous, inside and out!
               xXx

The Re-Script Workshop. C is for....

Hello lovelies- it's been great to have you in the re-script journey so far! Today's encouragement towards inner strength and outer gorgeousness is all about connectivity. Who are your primary connections in life and just how much do you value them?

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There is a saying among my community that we are 'not brilliant, but connected'. In other words, there are many things we cannot do on our own but because we are part of a wider network we can access the strength and resources of one another. This is true when it comes to inner strength; you have to know that we are not designed to operate alone; we are designed to be part of community and to benefit from this, this is part of what enables us to have inner strength and for many of us, that's our best friends.

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Today's challenge is to write to your best friends. Tell them why they are invaluable to you and your pursuit of inner strength. Encourage them as to why their presence in your world helps keep you strong and that they are truly valued. It's their friendship and honesty that enables you to look gorgeous and not commit some fashion faux-pas! It's the knowledge that they are and will always be there for you that gives you the strength when you most need it. I know they will appreciate it.
Do let us know how you get on. Remember, we are not brilliant, but connected!
Have a great week.
            x

The Re-Script Workshop. B is for....

B is for balance.
Thank you to those of you who have already signed up for the Re-Script workshop! It's wonderful to have you on board and I hope that some of my own journey will be of benefit to you and that you can share how you're progressing with the various challenges..

Most of today's workshop comes out of a post I wrote a little while ago when I was trying to find some balance in my life.

Being a woman can be hard. Add in being a worker, Mother, Sister, Wife, Daughter, it can get harder. Being 'Superwoman' is frankly not achievable nor is it desirable. As women we are built to carry a lot and we tend to carry things emotionally from a deep place inside. You could almost say we carry things 'hysterically'; meaning from the Uterus; deep deep down, from that safe place of strength, life and nurture. (Not from a place of emotional instability!) Carrying these things is often not really the problem, it's what the weight of them does to us and knowing how to handle that weight and then put them down successfully.
Finding balance is all about knowing what we are authorised to carry and knowing when to put some of these weights down.

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Today's interactive challenge is to simply write down the things in your life which you feel you carry as weights. This might be your family; your job; your need to be needed; elderly parents; your fears for your children's future. Have a good look at the list. Are there things there which you simply don't need to carry anymore? If so, strike them off! For the other things, what needs to happen in order for you to have balance in these things? Remember, your world is unique and different to every single other woman so no comparisons allowed!
For some people, like I found, building a more obvious structure into my week helped move some of that feeling of being overwhelmed when I thought of all the 'weights' in my world. This might work for you. Or you might need something else. Take some time in the next few weeks to name your weights; only then will you know the right way to carry them so that they don't have the opportunity to crush you.

If you'd like to join the Re-Script workshop you can add your name here. Simply scroll to the bottom of the page and click the 'you're next' linky and add your name- no further details required (unless you want to!)

Let us know how you got on if you'd like to
                     X

Can dressing up stop you feeling down? Introducing 'The Re-Script Workshop- an A-Z to being inwardly strong and outwardly gorgeous.'.

People often ask me if I'm going out somewhere nice, am I off to a party or perhaps a 40s theme night?! More often than not I'm going to pick up my kids, run to the supermarket, bank cheques from work or other slightly less exciting errands! I have made a decision to dress everyday as if I am 'going out' because, quite simply, why shouldn't I look my best and feel good about myself everyday?

 It's not as though I don't go out but I don't save certain clothes for when I do go out. I dress the same way pretty much everyday no matter what's on the agenda.
I've chosen to do this for several reasons. The first one being because I want to. I love getting dressed up, I enjoy choosing vintage inspired outfits to put together; recreating a look of yesteryear and feeling that I am worth bothering about quite frankly. My decision to dress up is because I see no reason not to. OK, it's a little easier for me as my children are all now school age so I'm not crawling around on my hands and knees anymore but even when I was I simply refused to become a 'Frumpy-Mummy'.

Rebeccah Jolley

Personally I place far more value on what is inside of a person than their external or outward appearance, yet within this I firmly believe what you wear on the outside really does say something about your internal value system. In fact I think I would go as far as to say that dressing up can stop you feeling down as taking pride in your appearance, making the very best of what you've got, dressing for yourself first yet outwardly displaying inner values really can make you feel good. I also believe, like Audrey that the prettiest girls are the happiest girls, and know that taking pride in yourself certainly makes you happy in a way that pulling on a pair of yesterdays jeans and any old top and leaving the house in a rush only to bump into someone you would have rather bumped into wearing something slightly more thought through, may not!

Audrey Hepburn- Gorgeous and Glamorous

Being Gorgeous and Glamorous is most definitely possible. If I can manage it with a husband, 3 kids, my own business, a women's mentoring group, a house to run and a whole host of other time commitments, then we all can! It's more about a change in attitude than anything else. It's about placing value on yourself because you know that this places value on everything else you touch and all will benefit.

Because this is so important to me right now in a world which is, quite frankly, confused by feminism, that alongside my regular posts I'm going to devote a series of workshop style blog posts to it. Simply entitled  "The Re-script Workshop: An A-Z of being inwardly strong and outwardly gorgeous."
The whole purpose behind the Re-script Workshop is to give you the opportunity to discover for yourselves some of the things I have found and applied in order to re-script and re-discover internal strength and its external expression. I really hope that what I can share will help other women to become gorgeous and glamorous ladies, both inside and out. My hope is that this 26 part set of workshops will result in an amazing journey together with plenty of opportunities for you to join in, try out new things, share in the journey and re-script your sense of yourself. After all, we are all gorgeous inside and out! I do hope you will join us.

X

Monday, Monday!

Monday.... just the word alone conjures so many thoughts, feelings and emotions!

I love Monday. It's the beginning of things. A brand new week, a brand new opportunity to get organised, sorted out and on top of the many compartments that make up my world.

My Mondays are my 'Domestic Goddess' day when I clean, tidy and sort the weekends mess and batch cook some meals for the week ahead. (I'm fortunate I can choose the days I work and the days I devote to my many other duties!)

 I have a little Monday Challenge for you today... if you're posture towards Mondays is more Boomtown Rats* (or for those of you slightly younger than that, The Bangles*), then today's challenge is just for you- we're going to re-script Monday!

here's how it works. I'd like you to stop what you're doing and start to count off all the amazing and wonderful things in your life. Just think about it for a few minutes. It may be that you have a partner and aren't alone. Perhaps you have a family who loves you, are in good health, or have a job to go to! These don't have to be huge, enormous things, it may be that you can afford to buy that little bit of frippery you've had your eye on this month; your husband/kids/employees have been well so far this year; that you remembered your umbrella when it rained!

 We are re-scripting Monday with thankfulness. No matter what your situation there is definitely somebody somewhere far worse off than you, so when you react on Monday morning with 'Bleugh!' I challenge you to react to it with gratefulness and a thankful heart instead!
Appreciate what you have and find life in the cracks of your day; learn to love Monday!
                                               x

*Boomtown Rats 'I don't like Mondays' 1979
*The Bangles 'Just Another Manic Monday' 1986
(Apologies if you really are too young to fully appreciate these lyrical references to my youth!)

So you want to be Self-Employed?! Hints & Tips part #1

With only 1 day left to fill in your tax return if you're self employed like I am, I thought I'd share with you some of the joys and the ways of self-employment.

 Starting up your own business can be a scary thing, but it's certainly not impossible. In the words of Duncan Bannatyne, "There is a myth that starting a business costs a lot of money".* Starting a new business, in my experience, is more about acquiring new skills, learning where there's a market niche and personal development than it is about making a million (at least in the first few years!!!) It's about hard work, staying one step ahead and learning from your mistakes.
I was fortunate when I founded Redressing that there was a Government backed Agency in place specifically to help women start their own business. Due to funding cuts, this support has now gone yet the skills I have learnt thus far have not only helped my business to grow, but have proven useful to others wanting to start their own businesses.

 I have been  approached over the last year by several ladies who have wanted to make a business out of their various skills or hobbies. I am not an expert but I do possess some knowledge about what is required to set up in business. First and foremost, for me, successful business is about valuing your client.  It's no good having a great concept, great merchandise or great insight if you don't value the person receiving it!
Sometimes big businesses have forgotten the need to bond with 'the little people', and build out of relationship. This isn't as easy in every business as it is in mine, but as a value and a principle it has been key to the success of Redressing.
My dad was also self-employed and as a child I watched his business ebb and flow in the economic tides yet he always placed a value on the client and was ever aware of the bigger picture and built these relationships so they were incredibly strong. If you don't stand on anyone on the way up the ladder of success, they won't stand on you on the way down!

So that's tip #1: value people- they will make or break your business. Probably a good principle for all areas of life..... Oh, and happy tax return day for tomorrow!!!!

      x
*Duncan Bannatyne 'Wake up and change your life' 2008, Bannatyne Media Ltd.