Four places to get free childcare during the summer

Four places to get free childcare during the summer

With just a handful of weeks left before children break up for the longest school holiday of the year, parents around the country are looking for ways to not only keep children busy, but to cover childcare while they work…you are not alone!

So, what have you got planned? Here are some ideas that start at zero cost to less than £100 per week.

Pencil… check! Filofax Notebook… check! How a pencil and paper will change your life

Pencil… check! Filofax Notebook… check! How a pencil and paper will change your life

Technology may have the world fooled, but not us! One of the most important tools in life already exists in your home: a pencil. That’s according to author Stephen Covey in his book, ‘Change Anything: The New Science of Personal Success’, and he should know. If the name doesn’t ring a bell, maybe you’ve heard of his other bestselling book, ‘7 Habits of Highly Effective People‘ one of the must-reads for anyone who is serious about making an impact in the world.

Product review: Filofax meets the cash envelope budget system #filofax

Product review: Filofax meets the cash envelope budget system #filofax

If you’re still licking your wounds from the school Easter holidays, you’re not alone. According to a recent survey, school holidays cost parents a staggering £1,500 a during the school summer holidays alone – and that excludes all the regular costs that go with raising our children when they are in school.

Four ways to plan your maternity leave so your colleagues will want you to come back to work

Four ways to plan your maternity leave so your colleagues will want you to come back to work

While you may be nursing swollen ankles, and trying to navigate the big bump your third trimester suddenly sprouts out, going on maternity leave may seem like a little way off.

However, the chances of your baby arriving on the due date are slim; according to the National Childbirth Trust, only 5% of babies arrive on their due date. This could have something to do with the fact that pregnancy is measured from the date of your last period, even though the conception could have taken place at any time in the weeks after it.

How to save £700 on your food bill by freezing your eggs (no, this is not IVF)

How to save £700 on your food bill by freezing your eggs (no, this is not IVF)

That’s £58.33 a month to spend on other essentials around the house…and it won’t cost you anything to make the saving.

According to the iFreeze, iSave initiative Brits waste hundreds of pounds wasting food every year, when it could be put into the freezer. Instead, we’re storing the strangest things in the freezer instead – do any of these items have a home in your freezer?

Three no-fuss kitchen cleaning tips you wish you knew about years ago!

Three no-fuss kitchen cleaning tips you wish you knew about years ago!

I don’t know about you,  but the school holidays spells more footfall in our kitchen. And that generally means more mess…one way or another. From crumbs to little spills here and there…not to mentions the endless stream of used cups from the children.

But I may have cracked it during the school holidays this Easter – here’s how:

Advice for single parent’s from the experts

We all know about Mother’s Day and Father’s Day, but what about Single Parent’s Day? Single Parent’s Day takes place each year on March 21, but like many others you may not have even know that they day existed.

How to not let your colleagues make you feel like a skiver

How to not let your colleagues make you feel like a skiver

There’s nothing more irritating than doing your job (really well!), working your contracted hours and being made to feel like you’re doing something wrong because you’re leaving on time.

But how do you manage that when you’re colleagues are constantly making comments that make you feel like you’re letting the side down, or aren’t doing enough?

5 ways to live (happily) on one income…

5 ways to live (happily) on one income…

No one plans to be a single parent, but the reality is true for many mums (and dads) in the UK and the world over. And likewise no one plans for the one steady income coming home (we’re talking about couples in this instance) to get cut though redundancy, companies folding, or losing big contract.

In the UK, there are 1.8 million single parent households, and 650,000 of these homes bring in no money outside of benefits. It’s clear then that if you find yourself in this situation, you really aren’t alone.

But what can you do to stay afloat and not drawn in the cost of living? Getting a job seems the obvious option, but that can take a while…here are some immediate things you can do to survive on one income (even if it is just benefits).

8 must-haves for every busy parent’s car boot

8 must-haves for every busy parent’s car boot

Look into the back of the boots of a busy um’s car and there are usually two distinct types: the super tidy and the fashionably disorganised.

Whichever type you are, here are some tips on what should be in your car boot, so you don’t have to feel guilty if yours looks bare, and to give you the comfort to declutter if yours has one of everything in it.

Monotasking for busy working parents

Monotasking for busy working parents

Yesterday, we touched on the need to strip back a little and ditch multitasking…if you missed it, you can read the article here.

I’ll go into a bit more detail today about exactly what monotasking is and how to start.

Looking for a diary that works with an app? You’ll love this one!

Looking for a diary that works with an app? You’ll love this one!

There’s an app for just about everything today – whether you own an iPhone, Android or Windows phone, there is something to distract you at some point in the day. Serious working mums will know that using a diary system of some sort is very beneficial, but life happens, and sometimes things get lost, or your leave it at home because you’ve changed your bag…or an important page gets ripped out by your toddler.

5 habits of highly organised people…and how you can become one, too

5 habits of highly organised people…and how you can become one, too

We all know someone who seems to be on top of everything in their lives – the children are ferried to and fro without any issue, they get to work early (never mind on time), they always look immaculate and they never seem to break out in a sweat.

If that description sounds like you, then hats off to you – and please send your tips into us here at Mothers Who Work Towers; but if it doesn’t read on to see how you, too, can become an organisation machine.