The working mum’s guide on getting Olympic abs like Team GB’s Jessica Ennis and co!
Posted inGet the Look

The working mum’s guide on getting Olympic abs like Team GB’s Jessica Ennis and co!

Watching the 2012 Olympics got the nation going – the fact that it was right here on British soil was one thing, but you won’t be alone if you we’re amazed by the bodies on show either…and we’re not just talking about the male athletes.

The likes of Jessica Ennis and her Team GB counterparts showing off not only flat stomachs but their toned abs really got a lot of women talking, not least yummy mummies.

Are you stressing your kids out with too many activities outside school?
Posted inChildren & Relationships Parenting tips

Are you stressing your kids out with too many activities outside school?

We all know at least one mum who gets a thrill out of sharing the number of activities her children are involved in. Ballet, piano lessons, ballroom dancing, pottery…it’s a wonder their child has time for school. But how do you get the balance right?

It is important to engage children in a variety of activities to stimulate their mind and body, but it’s also important to avoid over-scheduling them with too many activities in their daily lives. So just how do you get that all-important balance?

I am more than a mother: tips on having a life while being a successful a working (and a good!) mum
Posted inA mix Editor's word Family life

I am more than a mother: tips on having a life while being a successful a working (and a good!) mum

When you’re a busy working mum, it can be easy to get so engrossed in motherhood that your other relationships begin to suffer. It’s not intentional, but you barely even have enough time in your busy day to take a minute for yourself, let alone return phone calls or make friendly visits that aren’t child-centred or important family occasions.

Divorce and the family business: what the law says about family businesses and what happens after break up
Posted inChildren & Relationships Family life Relationships tips and advice

Divorce and the family business: what the law says about family businesses and what happens after break up

Michelle Mone seemingly has it all — founder of the successful Ultimo bra company, married with three children and living a jet-set lifestyle which takes her all over the world to promote her business, which is worth an estimated £50m.

So the news earlier this year that Mone was to split from her long term husband and business partner Michael came as a major shock. In interviews in February Mone described how her hectic schedule had effectively left her and her husband as only business partners, and how their split had left them living in separate wings of their substantial family home.

Fight dark circles: The best our favourite eye serums for busy mums
Posted inBeauty tips for working mums

Fight dark circles: The best our favourite eye serums for busy mums

Being a mum tends to mean that you don’t often get an uninterrupted nights’ sleep, being a working mum can also mean having to work late and get up early to fit everything in. This is the perfect combination of stress and tiredness to create dark under eye circles.

You may not be able to easily change your child’s sleeping pattern or your working hours, but what you can change is your skincare regime and include one of the following under eye serums to help combat those dark circles.

About automatic enrolment pensions: what you need to know if you employ staff
Posted inA mix All things tax

About automatic enrolment pensions: what you need to know if you employ staff

If you run a business in the UK you’ll likely to be aware of the term Now Pensions auto enrolment, as this is the main plank in the government’s controversial changes to workplace pension legislation, which is due to begin properly this year.

Business tips for single mums and lone parents
Posted inStarting and running your business

Business tips for single mums and lone parents

There are few — if any — roles in life harder than being a single mother. Looking after and caring for a child is hard enough, let alone doing so with the added burden of having to earn to make ends meet. Then there’s the fact that for many single mothers, these roles have to be done individually.

The working mum’s guide to organising a children’s party…stress free and on a budget
Posted inFamily life

The working mum’s guide to organising a children’s party…stress free and on a budget

If you have school-age children (or nursery age children, for that matter!), the chances are your child has been invited to a party or two. And once they get a taste for it, they’ll likely want one, too.

Planning a children’s party seems like a doddle, right? Remember those pre-baby days when you used to host every good dinner or night out going…this should be a breeze, right?

Are you a hairdresser or salon owner? Chair rentals will not be VAT exempt from Oct 1st
Posted inAll things tax Money - how to keep it and how to make it

Are you a hairdresser or salon owner? Chair rentals will not be VAT exempt from Oct 1st

Hair salons are being reminded that renting chairs to a hairdresser will not be VAT exempt as of October 1st 2012 under measures announced by HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC).

Pregnant at between 28-38 weeks pregnant? Get the whooping cough jab now
Posted inHealth news and tips for the family Pregnancy at work

Pregnant at between 28-38 weeks pregnant? Get the whooping cough jab now

Pregnant women between 28-38 weeks pregnant are being asked to get vaccinated against whooping cough (pertussis). This is due to a sharp rise in the number of whooping cough cases in the UK, and eight babies dying from whooping cough recently.

Sponsored video: How to keep you business finances in check
Posted inWhat's in the news?

Sponsored video: How to keep you business finances in check

Not many people can hold their hands up when asked if they enjoy keeping their financial records in order – and that’s why bookkeepers and accountants charge a lot of money to take the task off our hands.

6 ways to distribute your business leaflets, flyers and brochures and their success rates
Posted inHow to promote your business Starting and running your business

6 ways to distribute your business leaflets, flyers and brochures and their success rates

Offline marketing methods are still important to small businesses. Even with all the hoo ha about social media, if you’re trying to target a local audience, then things like flyers, brochures, business cards etc still work!

However, the best-produced brochure on the planet is going to be useless unless it is distributed effectively. So what is the key to effective distribution?

6 ways to make reading fun for kids when time is limited
Posted inParenting tips

6 ways to make reading fun for kids when time is limited

Learning to read can be a challenging adventure for some children. All the pressure and expectations from the teachers and parents can sometimes put a dampener on the excitement for your child. This loss of excitement can make children lose the desire to read at all.

Help! How can I start an online business with no technical skills or knowledge?
Posted inA mix Starting and running your business

Help! How can I start an online business with no technical skills or knowledge?

If I had a pound for every mum who thinks her lack or technical understanding, skill or knowledge means she cannot start an online business, I’d be writing this from a beach I own somewhere on an island only I knew existed.

If that’s what you’ve been telling yourself, get ready for a complete transformation of your thinking!

5 job interview no-nos that will get you sacked before you’ve even started the job
Posted inCareers Coach Blog How to look for a job Work and career tips and advice

5 job interview no-nos that will get you sacked before you’ve even started the job

Whether you’re preparing for a job interview after a redundancy, just looking to change your job for one that pays more, or are returning to work after a break looking after the kids, getting the basics right on your CV is only the first step to you getting your next job.

5 ways to keep your children from getting sick
Posted inA mix Family life Parenting tips

5 ways to keep your children from getting sick

Juggling work and childcare can be quite a challenge at the best of times, but add the never-ending need to take a day off because your child is sick…again!…and even the most understanding and flexible of employers will start to raise an eyebrow.

What would you do if you were made redundant from your job today?
Posted inCareers Coach Blog Work and career tips and advice

What would you do if you were made redundant from your job today?

It used to be the case that people could get a job and expect to stay there for as long as they wished. But with the current economic climate, the job for life is no longer guaranteed…but that’s not necessarily a bad thing. It just means that you have to be prepared for the possibility of a redundancy so that it doesn’t have a compete negative impact, should it happen to you.