Productivity @ Home

Are You a Workaholic?

My name is Lisa, and I'm starting to think that I may be a...workaholic...

In truth, almost twenty years ago when I decided to step away from my career in Human Resources at the birth of my first son, it was largely because I realized my workaholic tendencies. I loved my job, but I loved my son more, and I wasn't sure about how to balance the giving of myself 100% to both of these competing interests. Our situation at the time enabled me to choose to be home full time, a decision I've never regretted for our family. I do know many moms though -- my sisters among them -- who work at amazing careers, making a true difference in our world and all the while giving the very best of themselves to their families.

Casual Friday: Slack or Shine?

It's hot in my office these days, so hot that I sometimes retreat to cooler parts of the home I also call "work" in search of a more bearable temperature to combat the heat put off by the laptop that is my most productive co-worker. This summer I've worked at the kitchen table, in the living room, on the couch and in the backyard.

While I've been galavanting around the house in search of cool, my home office has been falling into a pit of disrepair. It's been easy to put up with the stacks since I haven't been here this much, preferring instead to smash work into compact chunks and instead go play with my family. Summer's slightly slower pace has afforded me the luxury of cutting back a bit on work hours, and since I'm my own boss it's a blessing I've taken for granted. I find that those I communicate with in my work are also a bit more casual during summer, and that the pace of things is generally slower. Today, I'm thinking about how to best maximize upon that less frenetic tone of summer, and just how to take advantage of the roughly six weeks my calendar holds before things begin to get crazy again in late August. I have a few options:

1. Continue the way things have been going. Work enough to get by, but preserve the bulk of my time for family and fun.
2. Take advantage of the quieter pace to get organized and get ahead. Plan now for those crazy Fall months I know lie ahead of me. Get my office organized, get ahead on some financial records that need straightening, and stockpile some projects up front so that my pace will be more bearable in September.

I'm still pondering my answer, but I would love to hear your thoughts on the subject. Does your work or family life slow down during summer months, or are things as crazy in July as they feel in April? Is this a productive time for you, or would you prefer to go curl up on the beach with a novel? And do you find yourself struggling to balance family life and work this summer?

Amazon Mom: The Diaper Fairy

When my kids were little, I often wished for a "diaper fairy" who would appear with fresh reserves when our store of disposable diapers ran low at those most inconvenient of moments.

Well Moms and Dads, I'm happy to share with you that the diaper fairy has become a reality: check out Amazon Mom - with this great service, you receive the following benefits:

Amazon Mom members receive exclusive discounts on a variety of products and categories. Discounts and promotions will be e-mailed to your Amazon.com e-mail account or made available on the Amazon Mom membership page at www.amazon.com/mom. Benefits include:

• 30% off select diapers and wipes: As an Amazon Mom, you receive an additional 15% discount on top of the standard 15% discount on Subscribe & Save when you sign up for Subscribe & Save delivery. Subscribe & Save shipping is always free, and you can change your delivery schedule or cancel at any time. No fees, no risks, no obligations.

• FREE 2-day shipping with Amazon Prime: When you join Amazon Mom, you will receive FREE Two-Day Shipping with Amazon Prime for the first 3 months of your membership. For each $25 you spend within a single order in the Baby store, we’ll grant you an additional month of Amazon Prime shipping benefits. You can earn up to one year from the date you joined Amazon Mom.

What are you waiting for? Join Amazon Mom today and see the Diaper Fairy at your door by the end of the week!

Tending the Family Tree

Last week, I had occasion to spend a great deal of time with my extended family following my grandfather's death and at the events surrounding his funeral. My father is the eldest of seven, and each of the children traveled to Indiana for the funeral, along with many of the next two generations. 

Watching my own father with his siblings and interacting with my cousins reminded me of the blessings of family. In laying Grandpa to rest, so many gathered to pay tribute to a man who always put his family and his faith above all else. This was a successful businessman, whose story involved going from being an orphan to a small business owner to the head of the Better Business Bureau. And yet what people remarked upon was not his business acumen or the career heights he attained, but rather the way in which he conducted himself and his adoration for his family.  

His own children dwelt upon the small memories -- not major trips or big purchases -- but the way he held them accountable around the house, small family traditions, and those unique memories that had nothing to do with money and everything to do with love.

I love the work I do, but my grandfather's passing has reminded me not to let it define me as a person. When I am gone, my children will not remember how many books I sold or how many hits my blog had, but rather the type of mom I was -- the love I gave and the memories we made together. I don't want their memories to be of a woman who always had her nose stuck in a laptop...

Does your family tree need tending? Have you focused too much on work lately and not enough on those who count on you for love and attention? What steps can you take this week to reset your priorites on what matters most?

App Spotlight: TWiT

One of the hazards of working @ home is the tendancy to get a bit lonely.  Without office mates, you may find yourself going a bit stir crazy.  I initially downloaded the TWiT app (see links below) because I'm turning into a bigger geek every day and I really enjoy the programming provided by Leo Laporte and friends.  Whether they are discussing technology, the law, current events, science, or photography, the conversations are insightful, fresh, funny and always chock full of wonderful information.  I frequently listen at my desk while working, but have found the app wonderful for using on my mobile appliances, especially while doing mundane housework chores.

One of the unexpected benefits of the TWiT apps is the sense of community afforded by the apps.  The official app provides access to the chat features.  Enter it and you'll find fun commentary, ready answers, and a sense of humor that's unique to geeks and those who love them.

I've used both the official TWiT apps and the ones by Mediafly.  For the iPad, I'll admit to preferring the Mediafly app, since the app is not yet optimized for iPad.  The Mediafly apps do not offer access to the chat features.  Both provide not only live programming access, but also archived programming in both audio and video formats.

App Links:

• TWiT for iPhone - ShiftKeySoftware
• TWiT for iPad - ShiftKeySoftware
• TWiT Netcast Network - Mediafly
• TWiT Netcast Network - Mediafly

Topic Updates

With my second manuscript in the editing phase -- and thus off my desk and onto my editor's -- I have a bit more time to spend here at P@H.  I'm going to slightly update our agenda here and will be focusing on the following daily topics:

• Monday - Working Issues
• Tuesday - Family Life Issues
• Wednesday  - App Spotlights
• Thursday - Finance and Learning Issues
• Friday - Entertainment Topics and Fitness Solutions

Is there a topic you'd like to see discussed here?  Sound off in the comments below!

Be a Busy Body

The kids are back in school, we're almost mid-way through January, and it's time to get busy on those resolutions - or even just back on track after the busy holiday season.  If you're looking for the perfect calendar to help you keep it all together, please check out my favorite planner:  the Busy Body Book. 

I'm an iPhone and Google Calendar girl, but I also can't do without my Busy Body Book - I've been using it for the past several years to keep my personal life, my faith life, and my professional responsibilities in order all in one place.  I love the BBB's multiple columns, which help me track my daily food log, my prayer intentions, my "to do" list, the 100+ contributors to CatholicMom.com, my travel schedule and much, much more.

If you're looking for a great planner, please visit www.BusyBodyBook.com and take a look at the varying options.  They also currently have some great specials, as well as free printable home organization pages.  

Know Your Health Care Options

Yesterday, I went on a “mom field trip” to visit my new friend Genevieve who has the enviable job of “Social Media Coordinator” at our regional children’s hospital, Children’s Hospital of Central California.  In her newly created position, Genevieve is using social media sites like Facebook and Twitter to better educate the families of the Central Valley about her hospital, but more importantly about health care in general.  This is one cool lady, doing a fantastic job that will impact lots of families living in our valley.

During our tour of the NICU, Genevieve and I spent some time talking about how we wished we had been more educated about our health care options during our pregnancies.  I must admit that I gave absolutely no consideration to that horrible “what if” question and would have been completely unprepared had my boys needed neonatal intensive care services.  I thought about strollers, clothing, and a car seat, but not about what I would have done if one of my babies needed immediate treatment following his birth.  One of the things that is great about Genevieve’s new job is that she will have a voice to help new and first time moms think about these types of things before they actually might need to make a decision.

Strolling through the NICU and seeing the care being given to those tiny little treasures made my heart swell.  No mother wants to see her newborn preemie hooked up to equipment, but thankfully there are places like the Children’s Hospital of Central California where skilled and dedicated doctors and nurses are ready and waiting to help our children.

Do you have a local children’s hospital?  Have you—during your pregnancies or even now that you have children—given any thought to where you would go in the event of a health care emergency or crisis in your family? 

Happy New Year!

Thanks to all of those who have patiently stuck with me during what became a protracted absence from this blog - work on my new book and other writing assignments kept me from posting here regularly during the waning months of 2009.  But I look forward to having more time to commit to writing about personal productivity in our work and in our homes in the year ahead - so I'm glad to be back blogging regularly at Productivity @ Home!

Part of what has me excited for this year is the upcoming release of my first book, The Handbook for Catholic Moms: Nurturing Your Heart, Mind, Body, and Soul.  This year, in keeping with the sections of the book, I have divided my resolutions into four parts:  Heart, Mind, Body and Soul.  In the book, I have tried to encourage mothers to care for themselves in their relationships, mentally, physically and spiritually so that they can fully give themselves to the care of their families, their communities and the world around us.

Giving Thanks for Tech Tools this Thanksgiving

In the overall scheme of things I’ll be thanking God for this Thanksgiving, technology falls fairly low on the list.  Number one will always be my relationship with Him, closely followed by my abundant gratitude for my incredible family.  Also on the list this year is my successful breast cancer treatment, and thanking God for His hand in the developments related to my book, which will be released in February.  The bounty of things I have to say “Thank you” for is astounding, and tech toys feel a bit frivolous.

But there on Productivity @ Home, I feel compelled to pause and give thanks for some of the many tools that make my life so much more simple and fruitful.  So in the spirit of giving thanks, the following are my top ten tech related thank you notes this year:

10.  My Amazon Kindle – This little six-inch piece of hardware has revolutionized my reading habits this year.  It’s always tucked in my purse and ready to go.  I love the fact that I’ve downloaded dozens of Catholic classics for free or very low prices this year.

9.  Skype – Skype and I got off to a bit of a rough start, but I’ve grown to know and love it this year.  I use it for podcasting, for keeping in touch with friends around the world, and even occasionally for videoconferencing with my boys.

8.  Podcasts – These simple mp3 recorded files from SQPN.com and other content providers have entertained me, inspired me, and educated me – and all for free!

7.  YouTube – I love learning, so naturally I love YouTube.  It’s helped me out of many a pickle this year, including one “emergency” situation where we needed to learn to tie a double Windsor knot immediately.  I’ve even become a video producer myself and am now creating a series of children’s videos related to the Sunday Gospel readings.  Again, all for free!

6.  My Solar Panels – This year, after so many years of paying exorbitant electricity bills, we were able to save up enough money to purchase a small solar system for our home.  We have not been able to completely replace all of our electricity usage, but we’re making a dent!  It also just feels like the right thing to be doing…

5.  My MacBook Pro – I was able to upgrade my computer this year and have fallen in love with my new MacBook Pro.  I’m also eternally grateful to the geniuses at the Apple Store who have trained me on how to best use this amazing tool.

4.  Twitter – In 140 characters or less, I’ve vented, communicated, learned, laughed and prayed with thousands of friends around the world. 

3.  Facebook – My favorite social networking site helped me to write a book this year!  Honestly, without my Facebook friends, I would have had a very difficult time coming up with many of the rich examples that will be shared in my upcoming book.  Additionally, I love Facebook for keeping in touch with my “real world” friends who are scattered across the country.

2.  My DVR – I’m not a big television watcher, but I do love being able to watch the few shows I enjoy exactly when I want to view them, and without commercials!

1.  My iPhone – It’s so much more than just a telephone!  My iPhone is basically a computer, an entertainment system, a camera, a prayer tool, and more.  And oh yes, it makes phone calls too!

What tech tools and gadgets make your world simpler and more enjoyable?  Are there any on your “wish list” this year?