I love this tip for small businesses who receive frequent requests for donations for silent auctions:

"Hunt uses auction donations to boost business. Instead of a gift card, she donates a private party for the auction winner and 40 friends. Party attendees enjoy a complimentary dessert and drink – and get 20 percent off any purchases they make that night."

It's brilliant! Get them into the store along with their friends to experience your shop personally!

This quote comes from an article in the Dallas Morning News about how "Locally owned shops innovate to compete with online stores." You can read it here.

This article also said if you don't want vacant retail strips, shop the local stores! Good reminder.

You know you're a WAHM...

You know you're a WAHM when you can take sticks of butter and cream cheese out of the refrigerator at 3 a.m. to have them softened and ready for baking by 8 a.m. when the kiddos are awake.

Merry Christmas to all the other WAHMs!

Do you have a You know you're a WAHM story to share? Send it to me for consideration lori at lbpublicrelations dot com.

The End of ‘Social Media’

I love how this article says,

"Ten years ago, almost no one had heard of Google, there was no online video and consumer ratings were unknown.

A friend who runs an auto dealership tells me that customers today typically know more about the cars they want to buy than his own salespeople do. Some now come into the showroom knowing precisely what other people have paid for cars at his dealership within the last couple of months. Think of how that changes his business. And what’s happening in auto sales will happen in every single industry."

The End of ‘Social Media’

You know you're a WAHM...

Thank you God for blessing me with a home-based business so that I can capture photos like these.

You know you're a WAHM...

You know you're a WAHM when the AC tune up guy arrives at the same time the "Release the newsletter" email arrives from the client.

Of course the entrance to the attic is RIGHT above my desk. I had to maneuver around the ladder while holding the 1-year old to schedule the newsletter.

You know you're a WAHM...

You know you're a WAHM when your 3-year old tells your husband, "Mommy eats a lot of chocolate while she's working."

Ha!

Don't worry, hubs. I'm not sitting here chowing down on Bon Bons. It's 16 chocolate almonds (I counted) I guess that would be a lot to a 3 year old.

You know you're a WAHM...

You know you're a WAHM when your 1-year old takes an epic three-hour nap.

Not only did I get my afternoon work done, I also got random things around the house done. Things that most stay-at-home moms get to do every time their kids nap.

Clean the kitchen, pick up toys, etc.

You know you're a WAHM...

You know you are a WAHM when you are sitting at Starbucks nursing your baby in one arm and emailing and jotting notes with the other.

Hannah Holthus' Reasoner
Natural Birth Advocate
Read her blog here.

Do you have a "You know you're a WAHM..." story to share? Send it to me for consideration. lori at lbpublicrelations dot com.

Why are you working?

As you may remember, I recently partnered up with Making Work at Home Work as a blogger.

By Mary M. Byers

Believe it or not, there are a lot of people who don't know why they are working. Most assume that they are working for money. But when I talk to people about the topic, I hear a lot of different reasons for work. Some work for the mental stimulation. Some to keep their skills up to date. Other work to support their scrapbooking habit or to be able to purchase cosmetics at a discount.

There's a big difference between working to put food on the table vs.working for the "extras" such as summer camp or a vacation. Both are legitimate but it's essential to be honest about your motivation. Knowing what drives you will help you keep your priorities in order. When my children were young, I worked for the extras. However, instead of stopping when I earned enough to help with vacation costs I kept right on going, becoming a workaholic in the process. It didn't serve me or my family. When I recognized my error, I was able to cut back on work in order to create a healthier balance. Now that my children are school-age and I'm working to help cover orthodontia, tuition and retirement, I've increased my hours accordingly.

Understanding why you are working makes it easier to make tough work-related decisions. Will you work on the weekends? Stay up late to get it all done? If you're working to put food on the table, the answer will more likely be yes. But if you're working for the fun of it, you may choose not to compromise family time by late night or weekend work. When you know why you are working, it gets easier to decide what kind of boundaries you'll adhere to.

~~

Mary Byers is the author of Making Work at Home Work: Successfully Growing a Business and a Family Under One Roof. You can learn more about making work at home work by subscribing to Mary’s free blog at http://www.makingworkathomework.com/. Interested in more articles like this? Join the blog ring here.

Crush It by Gary Vaynerchuk

Crush It by Gary Vaynerchuk

A client suggested this marketing book, so I figured I'd better read it.
It's been well over a year since I've read any marketing books. Since I work by myself from home, I don't get to learn from other professionals as often as I would if I worked in an office setting. I always appreciate reading good, inspirational marketing books.

Crush It by Gary Vaynerchuk was very inspirational!

I've already suggested the book to many of my clients.

He basically explains how to build your brand using the power of social media.

He has emphasized a concept I've tried suggesting to my clients in the past. While I'm the "social media editor" (cool term he used to describe folks like me) for my clients, and my industry articles and perspectives are important and beneficial, they can only go so far. It's even more beneficial for clients to get into their social media accounts and post inside information as well.

Here's how Vaynerchuk explains this point:

"My business already has a Twitter account and a Facebook page, we’re set in the social media department.

This is the equivalent of claiming twenty years ago that just because your business bought a TV spot and a few ads in the newspaper, you didn’t need to pay attention to your advertising department. Social media isn’t about joining in, it’s about being involved."

Share your surgery schedule, share birthday photos of staff members, share what your diet coordinator is eating for lunch, share what your dental staff gives out at Halloween, share the exercise techniques of your cosmetic surgery staff, share your experiences during a hair training class.

A cool point about blogs from the book, "A website is for communicating logistics and facilitating sales; your blog is for communicating the essence of your brand. It allows you to expand your topic in ways that a static website simply can't.

Vaynerchuk gives a step-by-step marketing strategy that is easy to follow and will help readers "Crush It."

From the Amazon link:

Learn: Why social media has evened the playing field, destroying the “gate-keepers” who had previously dictated the distribution of content.

Learn: How to beat unemployment and create wealth-building opportunities by building and maintaining a personal brand.

Learn: Why storytelling is the most important business concept in the current marketplace.

Learn: How you can build an online business around your passion without quitting your day job.

Learn: Why Twitter and Facebook are just tools and not a social media strategy.

Learn: How to take advantage of the half-billion dollars in advertising that are moving to the internet.

Learn: Why transparency and being true to yourself are now winning marketing formulas.

Learn: How to build and maintain an online community around your passion and brand.

Learn: Strategies for turning attention into money.

Learn: Why the legacy element of the internet era is so underrated.

Babywearing at Work!

Working mother cradles her baby in sling as she casts her vote at EU Parliament


My friend sent me this news story.

"It's probably one of the few occasions when sleeping on the job would be positively encouraged.

Afterall, if Licia Ronzulli's baby did wake up, she would prove something of a distraction to other members of the European Parliament."

"Mrs Ronzulli, an MEP from Italy, took her tiny daughter Victoria to a vote at Strasbourg. She kept her baby carefully cradled against her in a sling and occasionally leant to kiss her on the forehead."

So sweet!

I have been known to wear my baby at work too!


Read the full story here.

You know you're a WAHM

You know you are a work-from-home-mom when your work "day" is interrupted at 4:30 a.m. by a 16 month old who needs a diaper change, some milk and wants to be read, "Good Night Moon."

Luckily she goes back to sleep so that I can go back to work!

Do you have a "You know you are a WAHM" story to share? I'd love to read it. Send your story for consideration. Photos are also welcome.

lori at lbpublicrelations dot com.

7 Facebook Marketing Tips From World’s Top Pros

Some good tips here!
7 Facebook Marketing Tips From World’s Top Pros

9 Ways to Use Social Media to Inspire Your Writing

Whether you’re a personal blogger, business blogger, article marketer, copywriter, novelist, poet, student writing an essay or any other form of writer, social networks provide a vast array of ways to get inspired to write.

This can be considered one of the best ways to beat a case of old-fashioned writer’s block. You just need to know where to look and set up some channels to provide at-your-fingertips-access when you need it.

Here are nine ways to use social media to find writing inspiration.

Originally posted on the Social Media Examiner.

13 fun, easy ways to find content for your blog

13 fun, easy ways to find content for your blog

7 ways blogging makes you and your employees smarter

7 ways blogging makes you and your employees smarter

Book Bloggers

Here is a long list of book bloggers that the Publicity Hound included in her recent newsletter. It was found in the Publisher's Weekly ezine.

Some of them discuss books. Many write book reviews.

The timing couldn't be better, as more newspapers and magazines are eliminating book review sections.

Check them out if you need to promote a book.

Reprinted from "The Publicity Hound's Tips of the Week," an ezine featuring tips, tricks and tools for generating free publicity. Subscribe at http://www.publicityhound.com/ and receive by email the handy cheat sheet "89 Reasons to Send a Press Release."

You know you're a WAHM

You know you are a WAHM when you can take your daughter to swim lessons in the morning and coordinate an interview for your client on FoxNews.com later in the same day.

Do you have a "You Know You're a WAHM" story to share? Send it to me for consideration to lori @ lbpublicrelations dot com.

Dallas Morning News Features Story About "Haul Videos"

Teens and young women share their purchases in homemade videos.

Many of them have huge amounts of followers.

"Haul videos are an offshoot of beauty and style tutorials ..."

"It's easy to show off a $2,000 Versace shirt, but these women are finding fashion on a budget and finding style on their own and sharing what they love with others who feel the same way."

Don't look for the trend to slow down anytime soon. Quinn predicts social media sponsorships will increase 24 percent this year to $56.8 million.

"Ad agencies are pulling their hair out trying to figure out how to reach the youth audience," he said.

Click here to read the full article.

How can your company create "Haul Videos?"

Can you ask some customers to provide video diaries? Maybe invest in some video equipment to film them right then and there in your place of business?

As you may remember, I recently partnered up with Making Work at Home Work as a blogger.

Expanding and Contracting: Managing Your Stress Level
By Mary M. Byers
My work is seasonal. I make about 30% of my income for the entire year in one month! That's
the good news. The bad news is that it can be stressful getting through such a busy time. That's
where the concept of "Expanding and Contracting" comes in.
Expanding and contracting requires making a conscious decision regarding how big your life
view is going to be at any given time. For example, I once had a speaking engagement in my
home town. Since my mother lived there, I decided to take my children along so they could
spend some time with grandma.
Several weeks before the engagement, my world view was still large. I could look at the
calendar for the entire month, make plans for later in the summer, and keep an active “To
Do” list for the week. As the engagement approached, however, I narrowed my focus to
getting my presentation ready and getting myself and the kids packed. The day before our
departure, getting out the door and to Grandma’s house was ALL I focused on. As soon as my
presentation was over, however, I was able to expand my focus again and begin planning for
our next trip—a family vacation.
You’ve probably used these concepts of expanding and contracting without even knowing
it. Think about the last time you had friends over for dinner. When you called to extend the
invitation, your life view was still large. As you approached the day of the meal, your view
contracted as you began to plan the menu and make your grocery list. The day of the event,
your view likely contracted even more, to the point of being focused on straightening the house
and getting the food prepared. After your guests arrived, your view could begin to expand again
and by the time they left, you were probably already thinking ahead to what the next day would
bring.
Expanding and contracting your view is extremely useful in staving off stress. As I view my
calendar some days and an overwhelmed feeling starts creeping over me, I simply take a
deep breathe (or two, or three, or ten, depending on the situation!) and ask myself, “How can
I contract my focus?” Doing so keeps me from being paralyzed and gives me a focal point
toward which to direct my energy. It's an extremely effective means of staying sane when you're
running a home and a business under one roof. Having a laser focus is necessary sometimes
just to get you through the day.
What techniques do you use to help you get through your work-related busy times?
E-mail me at mbyers@marybyers.com and I'll share your tricks in my next post. Until then,
now that I'm done traveling for awhile, I'm expanding my focus again and it feels good!
______________________
Mary Byers is the author of Making Work at Home Work: Successfully Growing a Business and
a Family Under One Roof. You can learn more about making work at home work by subscribing
to Mary’s free blog at www.makingworkathomework.com.

How Much Is a Facebook Fan Really Worth?

I recently read this article on Gigaom.com.

Lots of companies — more every day, it seems — want to have Facebook “fan” pages, where customers or would-be customers can connect with them and become part of their online community. But what are those fans actually worth to a company?

Click here to keep reading.

Think Social Media is a Fad? I Dare You to Watch This Video

I saw this video and blog post on the Publicity Hound Blog.

By Joan Stewart
The Publicity Hound

If you work for a company, and the boss won’t let you participate in social media on company time “because it’s just a fad,” here’s a powerful video that will prove the boss wrong.

Or maybe YOU’RE the one who needs convincing. If you own a business and you already wear a dozen different hats, you don’t want one more to worry about.

Before you totally discount social media, please watch this video, think about the social media statistics you see here, and then decide.

How to Catch CNN's Attention

I read this in the recent issue of The Publicity Hound Newsletter.

If you've been pitching CNN and you're getting nowhere, take matters into your own hands.

Go to the network's IReport page where you're invited to write your own story, be heard and shape what CNN covers.

"One of the goals of CNN IReport is to expand the current definition of news. Please share the stories you think are newsworthy and participate in discussions you think are interesting. CNN's producers will check out the most compelling, important and urgent stories, so we can verify the information and add them to CNN's coverage."

The stories in this section are not edited, fact-checked or screened before they post. Only ones marked "CNN IReport" have been vetted by CNN.

But if you can pique the network's interest here, where you KNOW they're paying attention, you might end up on the televised news. Be sure to stop by the assignment desk so you know exactly what kinds of sources they're seeking. Your IReport article doesn't have to tie into one of the assignments, but it helps to know what they need.

You Know You're a WAHM

You know you are a WAHM when you set up a carpet picnic for your 11 month old so that mom can participate in a conference call.

You know you're a WAHM

You know you're a WAHM when you eat breakfast at 4:45 a.m.

I'm like my dad when he says, "I do more work before 9 a.m. than many people do all day."

Have a "You know you're a WAHM" story to share?

Email it to me at lori at lbpublicrelations dot com.

Encouragement

I saw this on Our Daily Bread and it encouraged me today.

Is your schedule demanding?

Follow the example of Jesus and set aside a specific time for prayer.

Then depend upon God’s power to help you meet each day’s demands.

The many tasks we face each day
Can burden and oppress,
But spending time with God each day
Can bring relief from stress. —Sper

To keep your life in balance, lean on the Lord.

Dallas developer devotes staffer full time to blog and tweet | News for Dallas, Texas | Dallas Morning News | Dallas Business News

Here's a great story about Kendall Shiffler, who spends hours each day on blogs, Facebook and Twitter.

It's her job as social media maven for Lower Oak Lawn, a new residential and retail development in Dallas' Design District between the Trinity River and Interstate 35 East.

I do similar work for my clients and am their "voice" on social media pages.

Quoted from the article, "Small businesses have lagged in using social media because they don't have the staff or time," said Janet Wagner, director of the University of Maryland's Center for Excellence in Service. That's changing: A study by the center found the use of social media by small firms doubled to 24 percent last year in the U.S.

Reporter Sheryl Jean shares these tips for small businesses:
1. Know your target audience or customer.

2. Develop a social media marketing strategy.

3. Make sure your website or blog has the best search engine optimization.

4. Find the right voice for your business.

5. Join Facebook, Twitter and YouTube.

6. Join Linkedin and other professional networking sites.

7. Start a company or personal blog.

8. Integrate social media into your traditional marketing.

9. Research what your competitors are doing.

10. Address negative feedback immediately. Don't ignore it.

Dallas developer devotes staffer full time to blog and tweet | News for Dallas, Texas | Dallas Morning News | Dallas Business News

Posted using ShareThis

You Know You're a WAHM

You know you're a WAHM when your afternoon "sound track" is your 3 year old reading her books in her room during "rest time."

I sure will miss hearing her when she goes to Kindergarten.

Have a "You know you're a WAHM" story to share?

Email it to me at lori at lbpublicrelations dot com.

You Know You're a WAHM

You know you're a WAHM when going to the tax man is a family event.

We left the 3 year old with a friend but took the 10-month old because she's still nursing and is unpredictable about taking a bottle.

Hubby and I took turns entertaining baby. She thankfully fell asleep in the baby carrier for a good while.

Tax man talks numbers with my hubby because he gets a blank stare when he discusses them with me.

Brilliant Publicity Event

I just read about Henry's Homemade Ice Cream parlor in the Plano Insider.

They have an annual tradition that is just brilliant.

They coordinated an event around current news (Girl Scout Cookies) and paired it with a charity event.

The company celebrates all the hard work of Girl Scouts by buying two boxes of Girl Scout cookies from any scout, wearing their uniform who comes inside. The owner guesses he has purchased from about 200 scouts. As you can imagine, the boxes of cookies add up! (30 cases this year!)

He then makes the cookies into ice cream flavors. Uh, I'd love to try some Thin Mint ice cream!

The company has been doing this for 17 years!

They also employ celebrity scoopers including the former Mayor of Plano. I would suggest that this company invite the food reporters from the Dallas Morning News as well as news reporters to be scoopers.

Congratulations to Henry's Homemade Ice Cream Parlor on such a brilliant event.

You can click here to read the full story.

You know you're a WAHM

Dusty Reid
Co-owner & Designer, BB&G
Baby Bouquets and Gifts
Flowers That Bloom Into Babywear

Check out this photo. It's made with one of my favorite baby products: Baby Legs! (baby leg warmers)

Dusty sent this to share:

You know you are a WAHM...
"I'm a WAHM, we all are, I know, but I also run my business from home. This is a new thing, it's only been a few months so we are still having friends over that we drag downstairs and proudly show 'the biz' to.

I make flower bouquets with silk flowers and baby clothes rolled into flowers so there are all these lovely arrangements everywhere.

Our friends dutifully ooo and ahhh over them as I excitedly pull them all out for show and tell.

Inevitably, with a 7 yr. old daughter in the house, there are many bouquets on display that SHE has made and (you know this is coming :) inevitably, our friends will point to one of HER bouquets and exclaim with feverish excitement "OOHHH, that one's gorgeous! I REALLY like that one"!!

I strongly oppose child labor but am seriously beginning to wonder if I should be increasing my daughter's allowance in return for some design work?

Maybe I should just be proud!!"


Check out the Baby Bouquet website here.

Have a You know you are a WAHM... story to share?

Email me your story for consideration. lori at lbpublicrelations dot com.

You know you're a WAHM

You know you're a WAHM when you go into your baby's room after her nap and she's standing in her crib!!

I'm so thankful to be able to work from home and experience these thrilling milestones.

My little one has since perfected the standing technique and has been pulling herself up on everything.

Do you have a "You know you're a WAHM" story to share? Email it to me for consideration

lori at lbpublicrelations dot com.

You know you're a WAHM

You know you're a WAHM when your 3 year old uses her play cell phone to call Dr. Caruth and Von Anthony Salon. (Two of my current clients.)

Do you have a "You know you're a WAHM" story to share? Email it to me for consideration:

lori at lbpublicrelations dot com.

Container Store co-founder shares secret shopping encounters

"How are you doing today?" and "Can I help you find anything?"

Along with Garrett Boone, co-founder of the Container Store, I find these questions VAPID! And CRINGE WORTHY!

Cheryl Hall of the Dallas Morning News wrote about Boone's "mystery shopping spree."

Any business owner who services customers can learn from his experiment.

He spent time looking carefully at items that interested me. He gave sales associates "every opportunity to connect."

Only two clerks connected with him and that is where he spent the most money.

The others used the VAPID, "How are you doing today sir?"

This is also from the article:
"Garrett Boone went mystery shopping, he called himself "Inspector MID." That's Container Store code for "Man in the Desert" selling.

Here's how Boone explains MID:

"A man lost in the desert for weeks stumbles across an oasis and is offered a glass of water. But if you stop to think, you probably realize he also needs food, a place to sleep, a phone to call his family, a pair of shoes and a hat and umbrella to screen the sun's rays.

"When a customer comes looking for shoe storage, most retailers help her find a shoe rack – that glass of water. We know she needs a complete solution for her entire closet.

"Man in the Desert selling teaches our salespeople to become so immersed in the customer's needs that we complete their solution instinctively."

Besides water, what else do your customers need?

Engage your customers in conversation. Read the full article to learn how.

Working With a Coach

As you may remember, I recently partnered up with Making Work at Home Work as a blogger.

Working with a Coach

By Mary M. Byers

I took the plunge and hired a coach late last year. She’s been a fabulous addition to my team and is worth every penny. Here’s how I’m benefiting:

Accountability: At the end of each session, we identify 3-5 activities for me to complete by our next session. I don’t want to disappointment my coach or embarrass myself so I find I’m highly motivated to get my “homework” done each month.

Advice: I’m able to outline my thoughts and then ask for her advice. Though she doesn’t always say, “This is what I think you should do...” she is always able to ask pertinent questions to help me come to a decision I’m comfortable with.

Expertise: My coach has small business acumen and more importantly to me, is an expert in online marketing, something that intimidates me. I have a lot of questions about how to implement my online marketing ideas and she’s a great resource for getting the answers I need. When I’m stuck, she reminds me that I don’t have to know how to do everything and that between us, we can find the resources to implement even the craziest ideas.

Companionship: Let’s face it, being a solo-preneur can be a lonely endeavor. My coach gives me someone to bounce ideas off of as well as the comfort of having someone along on the journey with me. Knowing someone else is rooting for me encourages me to continue to strive for excellence.

If you’re looking to help your business reach new heights in 2010, consider hiring a coach. Doing so is a great way to stretch yourself and grow your business.

Mary Byers is the author of Making Work at Home Work: Successfully Growing a Business and a Family Under One Roof. You can learn more about making work at home work by subscribing to Mary’s free blog at www.makingworkathomework.com. Interested in more articles like this? Join the blog ring here.

A Day in the Life of a WAHM

A Day in the Life of A WAHM

Kids ages 3 and 7.5 months.

2 a.m. - Hear baby humming in her sleep. at 7.5 months, she still not sleeping through the night. The humming never amounts to anything and she goes back to sleep. So do I.

3:15. "Sleepy humming" starts again. Big sigh. It would b nice to get my remaining 15 minutes of sleep before my alarm goes off.

Get up. Change baby. Nurse. She goes off to blissful "La La" land. I go start my computer.

3:30 - Eat banana with peanut butter. Take vitamins. Drink water and clear some clutter off the kitchen counter.

3:40 - Read a chapter in "Power of a Praying Wife" and indulge for a few minutes in some of my favorite blogs.

3:45 - Internet goes down. Since I work from home, I'm my own IT person. One reset of the router, and I'm back up. Finish reading blogs, check email and start work. This includes adding to a press release, blogging for my clients, respond to emails, finish listening to an interview with a client that I recorded a few days prior.

6 a.m. - Wake up hubby. Chat for a few minutes before our day goes in separate ways. Go down stairs and make oatmeal with raisins and almonds. I also eat some chocolate covered raisins. I read somewhere that it's best to eat your junk food in the morning so that you burn off the calories. This makes me feel OK to eat chocolate at 6 in the morning.

6:38 - Baby is awake. Daddy brings her down stairs.

Say bye bye to Daddy.

Finish oatmeal while baby nurses and scan the health section of the paper. Baby is done nursing and starts clawing at the paper.

7 a.m. Put her down to play. Load some dishes and brew some tea. Finish scanning the paper.

Baby gives me some smiles. Makes it worth getting up at 3 in the morning so that I can be with her during the day.

7:10 - Baby wants to be held so we play. Baby seems to be fussy and has a bit of a runny nose. Catch the weather report while nursing. It's going to be really cold. I mentally adjust my schedule for the week and decide to go grocery shopping tomorrow before the cold sets in.

7:30 Sister awake. Sister picks out her ballet outfit for the day. I put her hair in a pony tail. She brings down a bag of books. She makes her breakfast TV time selection and has a hard time deciding between "Little Bear" or her Barbie movie of the day, "Rapunzel." I get her drink while she decides. Barbie wins.

I feed Kate her oatmeal myself. It's the easiest way for me to get whole grains and veggies into her.

8 a.m. Baby need to go down. Grab trash out of baby's room and send a quick email.
Back to feeding the 3 year old.

Take advantage of the TV and water the cat, take out the trash, get spinach out of the freezer for dinner, get shoes, pack a snack and get 3 year old warm clothes.

Baby is fighting her nap and today it's a good thing because we have ballet. I go and put her in the carrier.


I realize our library books may be due. A quick check on my receipt confirms. I make Kate clear out the books she's dropped behind her bed. Get her dressed.

Search for the keys. Warm up the car. Kate complaining that she wants to go to ballet. When it's time to go, she complains that she wants to read. Sigh. Life with a 3 year old.

9 a.m. Kate enjoys ballet class.

10 a.m. Talk Kate into getting her coat back on to head to the library.

10:20 - Pass the post office on the way to the library and realize I forgot a package I wanted to mail.

10:30 - Kate cuddles in my lap while we enjoy story time.

11 a.m. - Head for home. Lauren still hasn't taken her morning nap and she's desperate for one.

11:30 - Baby down. Make lunch for me and Kate. Kate said she wanted PB&J. I make grilled cheese for me. When it's time to eat, Kate insists that she wanted grilled cheese. We compromise by splitting our sandwiches.

I read Kate two books and start her new book on tape that she got at the library.
12 Noon - Back at my desk. Check email. Schedule a hair cut appointment.

1 p.m. Baby awake. But I'm in the middle of trying to work with the web designer to get photos for client's newsletter. Play with baby while I wait for web designer's email.

2 p.m. Kate awake. Feed her veggies while she watches TV.

2:30 Images arrive! Talk with client. Finalize newsletter and distribute. Get ready for a walk.

2:45 - Baby is tired and wants to go down again. Play with Kate.

3:15 - Share an apple with Kate. Put chicken in oven for dinner.

3:45 - Baby awake.

4 p.m. - Over to a neighbor's house; a sweet, sweet lady who loves my girls.
4:30 - Go home. Daddy is home! Make a deal with Kate that if she helps clean the living room, she can have chocolate milk.

4:45 - Daddy plays with girls while I work on dinner.

5:15 - Daddy goes to work out.

I wrestle baby into her pj's.

Girls play while I assemble the chicken lasagna. I'm out of mozzarella, cheddar will have to do. This seems to be how my grocery trips go. I always forget something.

5:30 Baby down. Share an orange with Kate. Look through a magazine together. I make up names of the models in the photos.

Brush Kate's teeth, wash her face and hands, give her a massage. She chooses a dress for her pj's.

6:20 - Daddy is home. He reads to Kate while I put the lasagna in the oven. I do some yoga stretches. We say prayers and Kate gets to read for a bit.

6:30 - I iron hubby's clothes while we catch up on our day. I then melt in a hot shower.
6:50 - Lights out for Kate. Head to the kitchen. Timer is dinging. Lasagna is ready.

7 - Eat dinner with hubby.

7:15 In bed. Ready to enjoy my sacred "me time" by reading.

8 p.m. Lights out for me.

9 p.m. Baby wakes up. I nurse her and go back to sleep.

More Reasons to Blog

Reprinted from "The Publicity Hound's Tips of the Week," an ezine featuring tips, tricks and tools for generating free publicity. Subscribe at http://www.publicityhound.com/ and receive by email the handy cheat sheet "89 Reasons to Send a Press Release."


--A blog establishes your credibility and expertise.

--It's like a giant magnet that pulls in traffic.

--It can impress visitors and turn them into buyers.

--Many of your competitors are blogging.

--Unlike Twitter, you can use your blog to discuss topics in-depth.

--You can engage visitors and carry on a conversation with them in the comments section.

--A blog can give you a huge online presence, even if you can't afford a website.

--It can help you gain more traction than publicity in traditional media because, unlike most media people, bloggers love to link to each other. Get in front of just one influential blogger and you can be all over the Internet within minutes.

You know you're a WAHM

Marcie Carson, Principal and Creative Director, IE Design + Communications

Author of the blog, womoments.com.

Co-Author of a future book working motherhood (http://www.womobook.com/) These girls are right on when describing the "master multitaskers" that are working moms! I'm thinking of submitting my own "mom word" for their WoMo Glossary.

I'm sure most WAHMs work when the kiddos are asleep, but sometimes, when the inspiration hits, we just gotta get to that computer and quickly bust it out. It's not always that easy to do and Marcie shares this funny, "You Know You're A WAHM" story:

"It's usually much easier to write after the wee ones are in bed, but I'm
inspired and the kiddos appear to be entertaining themselves quite well.

So, I'm going to go for itŠ ooop, well, see here we go, hold on a sec.Š (5:10)

Didn't think that would happen so fast, but no worries, they needed help
with a pen cap. (5:12)

So, I was saying, inspired, yes! I went into Pete's this morning whoops, sorry, just a minute. There's screaming. (5:18)

Alright, I'm back. 3-year old was crumpling 7-year old's masterpiece. Boy,
is he pissed.

Anyway, I was getting a coffeeŠ ARGH! What now? (5:35) OK.

Nothing alarming, older one was sitting on younger one's face. It happens
all the time.

Soooo, I forgot where I was. Oh, yes, I'm walking into Starbucks, wait, no. It was Pete¹s. I was running into Pete's and this guyŠ.

YOU HAVE GOT TO BE KIDDING ME! Back, forth, back aaaaaand forth. (6:04)

I'm back. Not a problem. I'm getting a little confused (and winded), but
they're fine.

Back to my story. Something about running late for coffee.

Can you hear that? Is that a soccer ball hitting?Š oh, uhoh, crying.

Sooooo sorry. One second. (6:30)

Yes, that was a tad longer than one second. I had to take the clothes out of the dryer.

So, as I was saying, I'm running with coffee and and there's this guy named PeteŠ oh, crapola, what time is it?

I need to go make dinner."

Thanks Marcie! I can definitely relate to this one!

Do you have a "You Know You're a Work at Home Mom" story? Email it to me for consideration! lori at lbpublicrelations dot com.