Homeworking blog carnival - the results

My breakfast of choice: half dulce de leche (basically spreadable toffee sauce) and half peanut butter. Goes well with my builder's tea (two brown sugars or one and a half white). Send me pics of your work food! Read about my own experience of home working by clicking here.

 

This is ‘the army’ of homeworkers who sent their stories and links after I spread the word about my homeworking post on British Mummy Bloggers, Mumsnet and media/PR forums Fleetstreet, journalism.co.uk and UK Press.

All quiet on the home front? 

Not likely if you have a young child trying to get attention by switching off your computer, tugging at your phone cord and banging a drum when you are speaking to a client. Even if you have childcare, your child is bound to be around for a few of your working hours unless you get up really early in the morning and work after they have gone to bed.

Writers, PRs, techies, even an online retailer, life coach and an artist - here are some inspirational stories about homeworking today... If you’d like to tell your story, feel free to leave a comment with a link (optional) below.

Themes:

• Career change and homeworking
• Working and family life
• Running an online retail business from home
• Build your own office

If you can’t have office banter, create a virtual watercooler (and reinvent yourself)!

Rebecca is a work-at-home parent who had a taste of the home front even when she was in full-time employment. She says: “Unfortunately the end of my contract came just as the recession was picking up speed and as I was in a niche job, it became obvious that I wouldn't find another one.” She retrained as a coach and set up The Mummy Grapevine. She confesses: “I sometimes yearn after the kudos of being an academic, but the stress is not missed.” Check out http://www.themummygrapevineblog.com.

Emily is a freelance writer who does some social media PR for parenting websites. She works at her dining table so she can keep an eye on her three children: a four year old, a two year old and a 10- month-old baby! She says, “Life is manic but never boring”, and tries hard to do it all! Find out more at http://babyrambles.blogspot.com/2010/11/its-harder-being-at-home-with-children.html

Ellen's immaculate office - check out that patterned cushion!

Ellen works from home most of the time, although she does occasional shifts inhouse. She used to work for tabloids and do some PR, but she now writes for “people who pay me”. She has three boys so she is a master of the juggle jive (any Strictly scout out there?).

Ellen misses ‘human’ contact but finds Twitter and Facebook of some help, although they “can be a dashed good way of avoiding nasty jobs”. Learn her dance routine at http://bundance.blogspot.com/

Amelia is an artist who has recently decided to work from home. She took her art teaching experience into the digital word by setting up experimental art e-courses and workshops. She also does the occasional CV work. She took a huge financial risk as she is a single income household but it has been worthwhile in term of personal happiness and wellbeing. She says: “Working from home has also freed up time to start my MA in Fine Art, which I love as working at home can be isolating.”

Her youngest child has a disability, which was also a factor in her decision to work for herself - illness and hospital appointments were affecting her job and juggling it all was stressful. Amelia’s workspace is under the stairs and on her dining table. See her pictorial blog at http://www.101birdtales.blogspot.com/.

Lynn has a home office, as well as a store-room-cum-spare-bedroom. Her maternity retail business is also taking over the garage. 

She can be found at the kitchen table during the day when her four years old is at home and her sister at school. Read about her home/work life balance at http://www.more4mums.co.uk/blog/.

Helen runs Business Plus Baby, which is all about mumpreneurs – visit http://businessplusbaby.com/about to find out more. She writes ebooks, offers advice and "blogs away".

She has two children, who were born close to each other. Her “excuse”? Like many of us, she couldn’t face going back to work after maternity leave. She says: “I love reading stories of how mums start out in self-employment after having babies, so if you’d like to tell your story on Business Plus Baby, visit http://businessplusbaby.com/2010/04/07/did-you-start-a-business-with-a-baby-or-a-toddler.”

Last of not least, we have two Dads. As my partner went self-employed around the time our daughter was born and has been striving to work from home (not always succeeding as corporate culture often requires inhouse presence), I really enjoyed reading their stories. Hope you do, too.

Peter at his power station - great working space!

 

Peter started to work from home out of necessity - "it was purely a location thing". Family obligations meant giving up an international city career - and life - for a bucolic idyll. 

He says: “Karma intervened when our market town became one of the first to get broadband, so squirting a 10MB file to Asia was no biggie wherever I was.”

He admits that life has been a roller-coaster. “Professionally, you don't get to network without a two-hour drive each way. Personally, I have as a father enjoyed every moment of my sons' 14 years like no other. It has also meant that now I am able to devote invaluable time to a dementia-stricken parent during the twilight of her years, beside her bed with a lappy and MiFi. I am writing a book about the experiences - good, bad, and worth sharing - for others in this situation.”

Peter misses the social aspects and “buzz” of corporate life, but this is the hand dealt and “a not too shabby one”. His commute is about 30 seconds tops – “two minutes if it's down the shed to make a new design up”. Meet Peter at http://junkk.blogspot.com.

Phil is a hands-on homeworker with Grand Design aspirations. He actually built his own office in his back garden (see http://pthane.co.uk/?page_id=159).

Phil is a virtual ‘colleague/friend’, we have had chats through various media forums on a variety of subjects. He writes about techie stuff, is an online copywriter and has turned his lifetime’s experience of DIY into income by writing articles and books.

That’s it, folks. Thanks for your submissions... Leave a comment below if you wish. If you want a say on Twitter, find #homeworkerchat and leave your comments with that tag.

How I became a home worker

When I started maternity leave in January 2007 I planned to take a year off and resume my career as inhouse freelance subeditor. I had been doing it for over a decade, so it seemed like the easy option - I had lots of contacts in the industry and knew there would be work for me provided I could find reliable childcare for my child. Mind you, I envied freelancers who could work from home but knew that in my sector opportunities were rare, plus you needed expensive equipment and software. Despite using MACs at work, I had a modest PC at home and no fancy design software.

I soon realised I was missing work so jumped at the chance of using my skills for the NCT, which is the leading parenting charity in the UK. I had become a member before doing their antenatal classes and heard that they were looking for a volunteer to help the newsletter editor at the East London branch. I ended up coediting various newsletters, churning out articles and designing my half with zero budget (we had only money for printing costs). I was lucky to secure a free copy of QuarkXpress by buying a PC magazine so I could use the professional software I was accustomed to. I did enjoy both the writing and the design side. One year later, I was not ready to go back to work. I was enjoying a busy life as charity volunteer, doing some editing work from home (not much though) and training as a breastfeeding helper with the Breastfeeding Network. I started to volunteer for this second charity by assisting my tutor who ran a breastfeeding drop-in in East London. In summer 2008, just before the credit crunch hit the country, I moved to Rugby, where I became involved with the NCT, became newsletter designer and editor of the local newsletter and got involved with the Rugby Breastfeeding Cafe as a volunteer.

Not being in London meant a longer commute if I wanted to resume my career as subeditor. The recession also meant less freelance work so although I had set up my writing and editing business (and created a website to plug it), I was mostly giving Italian lessons and even taught an evening class at a local institute. Then I heard of a new parenting website that needed product testers and I sent my CV. I started writing product reviews, while running two blogs (this one about parenting and one about eco-friendly thrifting) and volunteering for my charities.

In November 2009 we moved to Cambridge, where I joined the local NCT branch and became involved with the newsletter and started volunteering at breastfeeding drop-ins. Soon after our move I got an email from an advertising agency who wanted me to write breastfeeding and baby care copy. It turned out to be a big project so I left tutoring behind and became a fully-fledged online copywriter, contributing to parenting websites whenever I could. I have recently started indexing academic journals, which is regular work and makes me feel that my degree in Political Sciences is of some use.

So far I have produced several NCT newsletters for various branches and learnt a lot about design, commissioning, advertising and the printing process. As a subeditor for major national magazines I was part of a big team, so I was only involved in editing, rewriting, writing the odd feature, fact-checking and perhaps a bit of design but didn’t have to concern myself with production processes, distribution, overall costs and advertising revenue. I kept in touch with the media industry through moderating a group called subsuk (from 2006 till practically yesterday) but have given this up as I am now a copywriter more than a journalist. I’m not the only one, most people I know from journo forums have moved into PR, advertising, corporate writing and more lucrative fields. Aside writing and indexing I volunteer for my two charities and have started to get involved in my daughter’s preschool activities.

So this is the story so far. The picture at the top is my office, basically an antique kitchen table (there is nice wooden top under the plastic cloth) full of useful junk. Below it’s my filing unit, which is a pine dresser my father made bespoke for the kitchen of my previous house. Inside there are backup DVDs and office supplies, on the shelves you can see my reference library and various odds and ends belonging to my child, including her red book and craft materials. More stationery is parked on top of the blue chest of drawers, one of my ‘revamp junk furniture’ projects.

There is a spare room upstairs which has been kitted out as an office but it’s not practical as I need to keep an eye on my daughter when she is at home. She goes to preschool three hours every afternoon and unless my partner is at home, she is around while I toil away. If I need total silence I work after she has gone to bed or wake up really early in the morning.

Now over to you! If you work from home, feel free to link up relevant blog posts and leave comments. I confess I do miss social interaction but not the commuting to different workplaces every week (unless I got a long-term gig) nor the office politics, from which an inhouse freelancer is not totally immune.

Breastfeeding information in the UK

This year I didn't blog about Breast Cancer Month. If you want specific information, I will have to redirect you to older posts (the information is still valid):

• Information for cancer patients
• Breastfeeding and cancer.

This post is all about trusted and knowledgeable websites about breastfeeding. I have been volunteering as a Breastfeeding Helper (kind like peer supporter but longer training) for over two and a half years and these are the sites I might recommend (order is random):

• The Breastfeeding Network (obviously since they trained me)
• La Leche League International
• Kellymom (American site but among those recommended by my BF tutors)
• NCT info centre.

Here are some more I have chanced upon...

• Jane's Breastfeeding Resources
• NHS Breastfeeding Guide.

Hope it helps. Some of these sites are international, but the info is still evidence based. For information on extended breastfeeding, which means breastfeeding toddlers, I recommend La Leche League International.

Top christmas toys 2010

This year’s Dream Dozen, in alphabetical order:
City Airport, Lego UK (£84.99)
Fireman Sam Deluxe Fire Station Playset, Character Options (£29.99)
FurReal Go Go Walking Pup, Hasbro (£59.99)
Jet Pack Buzz Lightyear, Mattel UK (£39.99)
Kidizoom VideoCam, VTech (£59.99)
Monopoly Revolution, Hasbro (£29.99)
Moon Dough Barn, Spinmaster Toys UK (£19.99)
Nerf N Strike Stampede ECS, Hasbro (£54.99)
Paper Jamz Guitar, Wow Wee Europe (£24.99)
‘Pumpaloons’ – action game, Drumond Park (£19.99)
Sylvanian Families Motorcycle and Sidecar, Flair Leisure (£24.99)
ZhuZhu Grooming Salon, Character Options (£22.99)

The Toy Retailers Association's Dream Dozen made the headlines yesterday in all newspapers. The top toy costs nearly 100 pounds, which is a cheerless thought but, luckily, most of the others are wallet friendly. Strangely most toys are ‘boy toys’. Yes Michela could play happily with Fireman Sam toys but she is at that stage where she is starting to like pink plastic, fluffy things and dolls. Mind you, at playgroups I see plenty of little boys playing with toy kitchens and dolls.

Unsurprisingly, I recognise most of the toys - they have been massively advertised on Milkshake and other commercial children's channels. But the other day I was startled by Michela complaining that she didn’t want to watch Mama’s TV. I glanced away from my laptop and realised that there was an ‘adult’ ad advertising insurance. Obviously, marketeers have realised that parents are ‘watching’ children’s TV and have pounced on it, but let me tell you, it doesn’t go well with my daughter. She’d rather watch an advert showing children playing with dough so she made me change to CBeebies.

Today has been a day all about toys. I got my prize from the Supersavvyme’s Twitter Party hosted by British Mummy Bloggers, which will delight my little girl. I haven’t opened the box yet as we had a charity shop spree and found lots of little things that took her fancy, including a brand new cassette and book for her Leapfrog pad and Dora the Explorer Fuzzy Felt board.

Talking about charity, I got a press release from Oxfam, here is the gist:

In response to today’s announcement [Dream Dozen], Oxfam Unwrapped is launching the ethical alternative with its new kids’ range of charity gifts that can transform the lives of some of the poorest people in the world. Oxfam Unwrapped is aiming to encourage children in the UK to think about children around the world who are less fortunate than themselves, and to understand how they can benefit from a gift this Christmas.

The gifts available for kids vary from the very simple, such as a desk and chair at £21 (equivalent to ‘Pumpaloons’ action game at £19.99 on the TRA list) through to the most essential, such as care for a vulnerable child (which includes activities and support for children who are suffering as a result of HIV/AIDS). The Playtime gift, which provides health education to kids in emergency camps via play (£7), comes with an activity book for the child in the UK. The total cost of the Dream Dozen is £472.88 – if the equivalent was spent on Oxfam Unwrapped gifts it would fund the education of 15 children, or 22 desk and chair sets.

Dr. Linda Papadopoulos, a psychologist and mother, comments on the launch of the kids’ range: “The Oxfam Unwrapped kids’ range is a great idea – it will mean that in amongst the craziness that is Christmas today there will be a point at which the kids can stop and think about what their practical, original gifts will mean to the child who receives it, thousands of miles away.”

So parents, grandparents or friends can choose an Oxfam Unwrapped gift for a child, who receives a gift card on Christmas Day that tells them more about the present they have received.  And thousands of miles away a child either in an emergency camp or village will be given the playtime, the care or the desk and chair they need. 

Naomi Lewis, an Oxfam Unwrapped customer, comments on the impact an Oxfam Unwrapped gift had on her son: “I often buy presents from Unwrapped and last year "Santa" bought my five-year old son some school equipment for a child in Africa.  He was proud to tell his family that he had let Santa give one of his presents to someone who wasn't going to get anything.”

My first reaction was, WOW! Then I thought, "Will a child really like this kind of present?" Don’t get me wrong, I have been volunteering for parenting charities for years, we buy and donate stuff to charity shops and I limit Michela’s toy loot at Christmas by requesting practical gifts, but I’m not sure if she would be pleased by this kind of gift. Charity gifts require a selfless attitude and as she is busy trying to assert her identity ‘against’ us, it’s a bit early for that. I think we will be supporting Oxfam by visiting the charity shop as usual. They have lovely new gifts too.

Technorati, here I come again!

4SEKEQ7HNFA3

Twinkle, twinkle, little star: Next baby & tot competition

After the success of its children's competition last year, Next has launched a new modelling competition aimed at babies and tots up to the age of 36 months. So if you fancy seeing your baby like the next supermodel with a 12-month modelling contract with Urban Angels and win £500 of Next vouchers, just visit the competition's page on Facebook! Winners will also participate in a photo-shoot for NEXT and Prima Baby magazine.

The competition opened yesterday morning and closes at noon on 16 November (see rules on poster, below), so if you haven't got a good pic of your little one, shoot away now! You will also need to rally your troops - ask all your relations, friends, work colleagues and anybody you know to vote for your little star.

Good luck and spread the word!

Rules & Regulations

Testing, testing... Hasbro toys - In the Night Garden Tea Party

In the Night Garden Tea set

Thanks to Mummy Bloggers, I was invited to test some Hasbro toys. The choice was mouthwatering (I love toys and I do envy Tom Hank's job in Big) but as I have a daughter who is three and into role play, I went for In the Night Garden Tea Party (pictured above). 

This is such a treat, we usually test children's equipment for Made for Mums but they don't do toys. Still, these reviews are useful to parents who are overwhelmed by the mountain of products available in shops. If you are interested in reading our reviews, click here and scroll down to reviews.

This In the Night Garden tea set was a test of Michela's affections as she used to love In The Night Garden (and I did too, I did a lot of writing work with the programme in the background) but although she still plays with her talking Makka Pakka (a present for her 2nd birthday alongside the Upsy Daisy trike, all pictured at the bottom of this blog), she doesn't want to watch the programme anymore.

Try this, Igglepiggle

This is yummy, Upsy Daisy

More tea, vicar... erm Igglepiggle? (Sorry, couldn't resist)

Michela watching the DVD with her friends

How did it go? The pictures speak for themselves, but here are few notes from me. I wished the characters were designed to sit down as I did have to prop them up. We could have used Michela's litte chairs but then it would have taken half of our cramped little room and blocked the passage to the kitchen - a no-no with a permanently hungry toddler. That said, later on Igglepiggle was taken for a ride in Michela's buggy and put to sleep, so the position worked for 'bedtime'. 

The game is suitable from 2 years+, which is a correct assessment in my opinion, at three she is still keen on it, although the included DVD wasn't watched in its entirety. She is a bit bored by the fact the characters don't say much - which is fitting as she is a chatterbox. The price, £29.99, is fair value as if you buy the individual toys in that size and some accessories and a DVD you'd spend more.


The theme is great, any toddler, boy or girl loves a picnic. My daughter goes to preschool and all the children love playing with plastic plates, pans, etc. As you can see in pics, Michela added some plastic food and other accessories to the tea set, plus a red napkin used a picnic rug. One last comment from Mummy: can the headband be adjustable? Michela loved wearing it but it was on the small side.

Michela still enjoys her Upsy Daisy trike

Michela after her 2nd birthday (clutching Makka Pakka)

Who's afraid of the Half Term?

On Tuesday I 'went' to my first Twitter party, organised by British Mummy Bloggers to brainstorm activities that will keep our children amused at home or away. I tweeted a few suggestions:

• Collect twigs, berry and leaves to make an autumn picture on a rainy day (just add glue and paper)
• Make fluffy magic wands and fishing rods using twigs, string, feathers and sequins...
• Use walkit.com to map local walks (only some cities are on the site, though)
• Go to an Apple Day event - find events in England by clicking here.
• If in Cambridge, check out the University of Cambridge What's On website and Local Secrets' events section.

British Mummy Bloggers is also having a poll on their blog and it looks like most of us are staying at home. As you have guessed, we live in Cambridge and our preschool closes on 22 October, so there's an extra day to the usual half-term week. I will be browsing the University of Cambridge What's On site and Local Secrets' events section, plus go to a local Apple Day event. Michela is quite 'artistic', so no doubt there will be plenty of sticking, crayonning and colouring... Fingers crossed it doesn't rain all week!

Oh, and to answer the question, I'm very scared... I have work to do and a child on my hands for six days (excluding weekends, of course).

Adopt a vineyard row in Italy

I believe in giving back to the community, so I have been a volunteer for different causes for several years. Since I have become a parent, my charities of choice have been the NCT and the Breastfeeding Network. I have been involved with NCT newsletters since 2007 and with the BfN since 2008. I'm currently editing/designing the Cambridge NCT newsletter and volunteering as Breastfeeding Helper at local NHS baby clinics. But what has a picture of a vineyard got to do with all this?
   
When I visited my family in Italy in August, I heard of another good cause, which I'd like to showcase here. I grew up in a small village called Castagnole Lanze, located in Piedmont between Asti and Alba. For those of you who don't know the region, the capital city is Turin, where the 2006 Winter Olympics were held. Asti is renown for its Palio and wines (don't be fooled by dire Asti Spumante versions sold in supermarkets), Alba has a donkey Palio and a truffle fair. That's where the prestigious white truffle comes from - its nickname 'the white diamond' says it all. Piedmont wines are hearty and full of body (Barbera, the famous Barolo, Barbaresco... click Piedmont wines for more info).

Now, this initiative, which struck such a cord that it made national TV news, is championed by local residents with the support of the council. All is explained at www.lanze.it, which has an English version. All you have to do is to download a form, fill it and email it back with your payment.

The adoption contract consists of:  

• Choice of the row in your favourite vineyard
• Name and surname of the adoptee on the adopted row wooden head stake
• Instant information on the status of the adopted row by webcam on the website
• Opportunity to visit and attend the row processing, harvesting and winemaking
• A minimum of 12 bottles of 0.75 litres of high quality Barbera
• Personalised label with name and surname of the adoptee, row number and name of the vineyard
• Possibility of presenting the row to friend or loved one as a unique gift

These are the objectives of the campaign:   

• Land and wine landscape safeguard and protection, as a candidate for UNESCO World Heritage List
• Ensuring the survival of grapes producers, custodians of the land
• Search more high-quality product in the bottle
• Creation of tourist itineraries in the territory
• Encourage and reward "loyal Tourism"

Interested? Visit www.lanze.it for more info.

A row of Barbera

Dodgy internet buys

 

I'm not an ebay buff but have bought and sold stuff online through various websites.

I have never had problems until now, except the time we bought a faulty stroller from Gumtree (from a private seller). I have some dodgy purchases from high street retailers too but have complained and got results in all cases.
 
Now I can claim I have had the worst customer experience from an online retailer. I bought a child bike seat in June from a third party seller on Amazon. After two uses the attachment broke and I emailed the seller through Amazon to request replacement/repair.

The seller insisted it was my fault as I had tried to detach the seat from the bike, which (unusually as all seat are transferable) is not remarked in the instructions. I asked if they could send me a replacement as per guarantee. Amazon did some mediation but they couldn't help further as the seller didn't even want to recognise my right to a guarantee. (Amazon has a guarantee program but it doesn't apply to items that become faulty after delivery).

My partner, who fitted it was not happy about the safety of the seat as it has no safety standards and required constant readjusting (which also contributed to the fault according to local bike shop owner), so we emailed again requesting a refund. The seller didn't even reply. So I contacted Amazon again and they advised contacting the Office of Fair Trading and they said they would assist in any enquiry. Unfortunately they advised me to do what I had already done and if the seller would not oblige I could take the seller to the small claims court (which costs more than product).

I'm stuck with a useless product and I'm really annoyed. Furthermore my day job is product testing for a parenting website so the lack of any safety standards numbers (common in children's products) should have alerted me that it's not a suitable product.

I can't believe the seller's attitude. If I bought the product at any retailer they would have at least repaired, replaced it or refunded the money if I was unhappy with a product that wasn't properly presented in its description.

I might sound like a crazed consumer but I can't let go... So I have contacted Watchdog, posted on moneysavingexpert's forum, reviewed the product on Amazon (click Amazon to read the review) and are going to twitter this too!

Do leave me a comment if you had similar experiences!

Here are some useful websites if you want information on customer rights:
Watchdog
Office of Fair Trading
Consumer Direct