Travelling this summer? Holiday tips for mums to stay sane
Posted inChildren & Relationships Family life Staying sane

Travelling this summer? Holiday tips for mums to stay sane

The holidays can be stressful – especially the summer holidays. The longest on the school calendar, there’s a lot of pressure to keep boredom at bay, and to stay on top of your finances, too.

After the first few weeks, you and your children may well wish school was open, but you still have t battle it out until the first week of September. Going away somewhere can lessen the stress (a bit), but you still have – here are a few ideas to help you keep your sanity this holiday season:

How to manage office politics
Posted inHow to cope with problems at work

How to manage office politics

In every organisation, there is usually one or more people who either do not want to be there, hate their job or career, or just can’t stop gossiping (and sh*t stirring) about other people…no, that is not a typo).

One way to avoid it is to leave, the department or organisation altogether, but like I said, in every organisation, there will be one or more of these…so you’ll soon find yourself around such a person again.

How to overcome your fear of going back to school (yep…studying again)
Posted inMore than just a mum

How to overcome your fear of going back to school (yep…studying again)

If you’re anything like me, you swore after your first degree and the years of study that preceded it that you would not study again! If you’re still anything like me, you’ve been to more courses than you could shake a stick at, and have realised that studying never actually stops.

But roll forward a few years (or decades) and you soon realise that sometimes in life if you want to change something, you have to face your fears. If you need that final push to help you really go back to studying then keep reading…

Don’t tell me to cheer up! And other things you shouldn’t say to colleagues
Posted inChildren & Relationships How to cope with problems at work

Don’t tell me to cheer up! And other things you shouldn’t say to colleagues

Let’s face it – there are some people who love to have a good old moan. And the last thing they need – or want – is someone trying to stop them raining on their own parade.

Say you have a colleague who is really upset about an argument with another colleague, their spouse, or their mortgage falling through.

Mums are throwing in the towel and going freelance…find out how you could, too
Posted inBusiness building

Mums are throwing in the towel and going freelance…find out how you could, too

The number of mothers ditching the corporate ladder going freelance or self employed has rises by 24% in the past two years. And the reasons cited for this change is for more flexibility (69%).

Flexibility and work-life balance are words that have been batting around for years. But for many mums, office politics and a long-hours culture in the workplace can make this unachievable.

If you’re thinking about dipping your toe into the world of freelance, here are some things to consider:

30% of parents are worried about keeping children safe during breakfast time…are you?
Posted inChildren & Relationships Parenting tips What's in the news?

30% of parents are worried about keeping children safe during breakfast time…are you?

Even the most organised mums can find themselves rushing around in the morning, trying to make sure everything is packed, and that children are sent off to school or nursery on time (ish).

So it’s little wonder that the breakfast time rush has been found to put children in danger, according to a survey of UK parents by Child Accident Prevention Trust (CAPT).

Six reasons why you should become your own boss
Posted inChildren & Relationships Work and money

Six reasons why you should become your own boss

Arrgh! Another pointless meeting request! Tired of having pointless meetings about meetings, staying later at work because everyone else kicks up a fuss if someone actually leaves on time…or any of the nuisance things that tend to happen when you’re not your own boss?

Keep reading and you’ll find even more reasons why you should become your own boss:

Football widows take note: tips on surviving the World Cup
Posted inChildren & Relationships Staying sane

Football widows take note: tips on surviving the World Cup

Not a glamorous sounding as a WAG, football widows across the world know that the next four weeks will mean being ignored by their spouses or boyfriends, or just not seeing them for the next few weeks. It’s a true test for any relationship.

How to really enjoy working for yourself… without the guilt
Posted inWork from home tips and advice

How to really enjoy working for yourself… without the guilt

Being your own boss has its pros and cons, but one sure positive is that the buck stops with you. You have the final say on everything you do, how you do it and when. So f you’re not happy about something, change it. If you’re not enjoying the grind of being your own boss, change something – here are some tips to help you:

What to wear when you work from home
Posted inChildren & Relationships Get the Look

What to wear when you work from home

Working from home has an untrue image of slouching around in pyjamas doing hardly any work at all…but for those of us who work from home, we know that couldn’t be further from the truth (most days, anyway).

But comfort is key. Getting spruced up in a suit to work from the garden office is a little over the top – your neighbours will start to think that there is something seriously wrong with you…not that they thought you were normal anyway (who really “works” from home, right?).

Four things you never thought you should do to get a job
Posted inWhat's in the news?

Four things you never thought you should do to get a job

Don’t worry, we’re not going to suggest you walk around the motorway with a lanyard strapped to you, buggy in tow!

Here are some easy and realistic things you can do:

Posted inStarting and running your business

Homeworking: how we’ve become so dependant on it

Over the past decade there has been a 13% rise in the number of people working from home. The reasons vary, but it is the development of modern technology that has made it possible to work just as effectively as in the office.

Tax Credits deadlines are looming – have you renewed?
Posted inAll things tax

Tax Credits deadlines are looming – have you renewed?

HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) is sending out 5.8 million tax credits renewals packs, so if you are in receipt of tax credits, look out for your renewal pack’s arrival by 30 June.

Last year some 650,000 claimants had their money stopped because they did not renew by the 31 July deadline, don’t get caught out. This year, you can renew by post and by phone. If there have been no changes to your circumstances (i.e. salary, relationship status etc), then you can also renew online, via GOV.UK.

How to get the confidence to speak and get noticed in meetings work
Posted inWork and career tips and advice

How to get the confidence to speak and get noticed in meetings work

Whether it’s with the managing director or your juniors, meetings are a two-way process, and everyone should make a good solid input…or not be there at all.

If you shy away from speaking at meetings because you’re worried about saying something wrong, don’t want to get shut down, or just don’t have the confidence, here are some tips to help you speak up and get noticed during meetings at work:

Five ways to reduce pressure and improve productivity, increase self confidence and build better coworker relationships
Posted inCareers Coach Blog How to cope with problems at work

Five ways to reduce pressure and improve productivity, increase self confidence and build better coworker relationships

Do you find yourself having to work harder to achieve the same amount, feeling less confident about your outputs and experiencing fewer productive interactions with others at work?

Maternity leave: new mums are too scared to take maternity leave
Posted inPregnancy at work

Maternity leave: new mums are too scared to take maternity leave

New mums are entitled to 52 weeks of maternity leave and get up to 39 weeks of statutory maternity pay.Despite this, according to the National Childbirth Trust (NCT) 43 per cent of mothers on maternity leave are too afraid to take their full maternity leave.

Got a memory like a sieve? Here are some tips to help
Posted inHealth news and tips for the family Pregnancy at work

Got a memory like a sieve? Here are some tips to help

Baby brain really does exist – well according to researchers at the University of London, anyway! If you keep forgetting things, are a ‘little’ oversensitive at times and find it harder to stay focused, there may well be a valid reason for it.

Examining the brain activity of 39 pregnant women and new mothers as they looked at images of adult and baby faces making either positive or negative expressions, the University of London researchers discovered that pregnant women used the right side of their brain more than new mothers, particularly when processing positive emotions.

Four domestic goddess tips for the half term…
Posted inFamily life

Four domestic goddess tips for the half term…

Eeek…are you still finding the odd biscuit tucked away in a corner somewhere, or toys in sofa after the Easter break? Just when you thought you were on top of it all, here comes another half term break, which means one more thing…more mess.

Children will be children, but it doesn’t mean that you can’t out something in place to stop (or reduce) the mess they create. Here are some tips:

Work at home scams every mums should be wary of joining
Posted inWork from home how-tos

Work at home scams every mums should be wary of joining

Working from home part time or full time is something that appeals to many mums. Whether it’s so you can earn a little extra, or to support a growing young family, you’ll be looking for something that can fit around your family’s demands.

Unfortunately, there are many unscrupulous people out there who play on this, setting up scams using these emotional triggers to leave mums out of pocket.

Pregnancies and maternity leave: know your legal rights
Posted inPregnancy at work

Pregnancies and maternity leave: know your legal rights

If you’ve just discovered that you’re pregnant, you may be worried about how your pregnancy will affect your job. The likelihood is you will need time off for hospital appointments and check-ups, as well as a lengthy break to have your baby and nurse it through those all-important first weeks of life.