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the working mother’s best friend: bountiful baskets

By Nicole

Wednesday, April 27th, 2011

Last November I discovered Bountiful Baskets, a produce co-op. Have you heard of it?

Photo credit: InspiredRD.com

Here’s how it works.

You place an order the first part of the week, depending on your state’s deadline, and pick up your order on the following Saturday. You can order the typical “basket” or upgrade to an all organic offering. They also offer non-produce as well as in season “extras”. The Nine Grain Bread is addicting, by the way.

The value is unbeatable. For $16.50 (plus $3 for your first order to reserve your basket), you get two laundry baskets full of fruits and vegetables.

Now I’m a total Costco girl, and to use the words of my father, I’m usually of the opinion that “if its not at Costco, its not worth getting”. But, when it comes to produce, I still think I get a better value with Bountiful Baskets…plus I’m not eating apples for 35 days and then some.

Here’s why I think Bountiful Baskets qualifies as a WMBF…

Its a great value
If you plan your menu around what you get in your basket, you dont have to wonder if you have fresh produce for your recipes
You get to try things you may not otherwise…like mangos, butternut squash and kale, to name a few
It forces you to get creative with your meals and break out of the same boring chicken dish you make 4 times a week
You’re supporting local/semi-local growers

Some things to keep in mind if you plan on trying Bountiful Baskets…

You’ll need to think ahead a few days, which can be hard if you’re like me and cant think past tomorrow.
You’ll need to be able to pick up your basket in the 20 minute window they give you (but you can always have a friend pick up your order)
You’ll want to read up on storage and freezing tips
You may want to check out inspiredRD, who does a fabulous job each week of giving you recipe suggestions based on that weeks’ offerings

So as a happy Bountiful Basketer, I’d wholehearted recommend it for any busy mom wanting to give her family a healthy serving of fresh, local produce each week. Check out the locations page to see if there is a co-op site near you.

The Working Mother’s Best Friend: Spongables {Giveaway}

By Nicole

Thursday, March 3rd, 2011

UPDATE: This giveaway is closed! The winner is #37, Shannon!

Moms often put themselves last. So for this first installment of The Working Mother’s Best Friend I’m starting with the last…first.

Spongeables is a fun and innovative product that combines the soap and the sponge in one little package. Lasting up to 20 washes, Spongeables releases just enough sudsy goodness each time you use it.

Offering dozens of different shapes, sizes purposes and scents, there is something for everyone in the family…even the dog. My family used a couple of different products and I was pleased with the interesting smells and how it actually worked. One thing to keep in mind is that because it is filled with soap between washings, it does “leak” and can leave a white residue in your shower. I would recommend a soap dish or leaving it over the drain.

Spongeables have plenty of options to help you take a few minutes out for yourself…whether with the Pedi-Scrub or the Hearth Shaped Shower Gel. The cute Ducky Duo would be a great thing to stock up on as gifts for new moms. Check out all the fun things they have at their website, spongeables.com. And, you can follow them on Twitter.

WIN IT! Enter to win 5 Spongeables to pamper yourself (and one for the man in your life…). One winner will receive:

Peony Passion Heart Shape Shower Gel in a Sponge
Citron-Eucalyptus Pedi-Scrub Foot Buffer
Olive Oil, Prickly Pear Extract & Shea Butter Clean Power for Men
Grapefruit Zest, Pink Pepper Anti-Cellulite Body Wash
Lavender Nectar Ultimate Spa in a Shower

To earn an entry do any or all of the following:

Comment on this post telling me which Spongeable you would love to try
Follow Spongeable on Twitter
Post about this giveaway on your Facebook page
Like Spongeables on Facebook
Like The Pixel Boutique on Facebook
Tweet about this giveaway using the hash tag #Spongeables up to once a day

Giveaway ends Monday, March 21 at midnight. Good luck moms (…and go treat yourself to something special)!

The Working Mother’s Best Friend: Intro

By Nicole · Comments (2)

Tuesday, February 8th, 2011

So its been an entire week since I last posted. Funny how freezing temps, burst water mains, no heat, and canceled schools for the same reasons will get in the way of a girl’s posting plans.

But all is mostly back to normal and last week’s events just reminded me how much flexibility us moms must posses in order to stay sane. (…and it also made me realize how dependent we are on water). The line between work and family often blurs while one inevitably effects the other.

I’ve been wanting to start this series, that I will call “The Working Mother’s Best Friend”, where I share personal recommendations of products and services, tips and resources (and oft times giveaways!) that make my life a little bit easier (or more relaxed, or efficient…you get the idea). If you’re a WAHM, WM, PTWM or even a SAHM, you might find something helpful or interesting. I’ve got some fun things lined up for you.

So stay tuned, moms…and stay flexible!

Comments (2)

Self Employment and Office Hours

By Nicole · Comments (4)

Tuesday, February 1st, 2011

Self employment is a unique animal. I’ve said many many times that I love my job and all the benies…like working in my jammies and taking a day off for a school field trip and the flexibility.

That last one there? Yeah, that’s a double edged sword. Working for yourself also means meeting a deadline even when its dinner time or 2 a.m. There have been many football practices and wrestling matches with the laptop in tow.

But as hard as I try to do what I say Im going to do and meet every deadline, I’ve made it a rule of late to take weekends off. As much as I want to peek at my email or create just one teeny tiny Twitter button, I refrain because before I know it, 2 hours will go by as one little fire needing to be put out leads to another.

Instead, I’ve been spending my weekends enjoying my domestic bliss…

Making something other than cold cereal and Eggos for breakfast, such as Stuffed French Toast (ohmygoodnesssogood!)
Cleaning, straightening, putting away piles of piley things that collect over the busy week
Picking up my Bountiful Basket (much more on this later)
Plucking the eyebrows, coloring the hair, and the sort
Watching a movie or too much tv…or both…with my kids
Sleeping in
Snagging some great deals at Saturday garage sales
Working on my mad crochet skills (not really…)

So I trust you’ll understand if your email sent on the weekend isn’t answered until Monday…and I promise to make ever effort to do so.

Promise.

What about you? How do you spend your weekends? Working? Playing? Sleeping?

Comments (4)

The Act of Being A WAHM

By Nicole · Comments (2)

Thursday, October 8th, 2009

Being a work at home mom is a dream come true for me. I have been doing it for 13 years now (on and off, but mostly on), since my oldest son was born. Even though my kids are in school, I still choose to work at home, for myself, rather than entering the workforce. It is as much a commitment, though, as a privilege.

The benefits of being a WAHM are many…

I can set my own hours and work in my jammies.

I can work almost anywhere (with wi-fi).

I can take a day off and chaperon a field trip.

I can take on as much or as little work as I want.

But as much as I love my ideal situation, it is not without its challenges…

The schedule flexibility is a double edged sword. There haven’t been many vacations taken without my laptop.

Dinner and deadlines sometimes happen at the same time.

I have to be the accounting/sales/marketing/administration department all at once.

But by far the biggest challenge is finding balance. The balance between family time and work. Husband and children. Housework and health. Shopping lists and sports. The list is endless.

It is a constant challenge, this balancing act. And I am certainly no expert. But I have figured out a few strategies along the way to help me keep some sense of order…

Schedule, Schedule, Schedule - iCal is my biggest asset. In it, I have everything I do listed. I schedule walks, dinner menus, soccer practices, grocery runs, work projects…everything. Looking ahead each week means no surprises (or at least fewer ones). Getting a system established helps you keep track of all the things you have to accomplish and get into a routine.

Set Time Limits – Do you ever notice how computer time is warped. 20 minutes suddenly turns into 2 hours. When you have little ones vying for your attention, that cant be healthy. Set a timer. Work for an hour, then play a game with them for an hour. Don’t let the clock dictate you…you dictate the clock.

Say No – How many committees are you on? How many charity events do you help plan? There are so many things to be involved in…worthy things. But no one can do 100 things well. Pick a few things to be involved in, and do them well.

Don’t feel guilty to say “I would love to help, but I am already involved in X, Y and Z”. Weeknights are always busy for us and I have no problem saying “I’m sorry, we’re busy” simply because we have dinner and a tv show planned. If you have the freedom to do so, schedule your work as well. I don’t take on new projects during the weeks that my kids are on break. I am a WAHM, not an indentured slave.

Don’t Feel Guilty About Putting Yourself First On a Regular Basis – When I fail to take time to exercise, relax or just have some alone time, I fail to give my best to my family and my work. Take time…on a regular basis…for yourself.

Get Some Help – Amazingly, children can do chores. And so can husbands. (I know. You can thank me later.) Enlist the help of other family members to do housework. Or hire someone to come in to do it. Trade babysitting time with your friend or ask grandma to watch the kiddos for a few hours. Its amazing how people are willing to help if you just ask them to. Don’t be Superwoman. You don’t need to do it all alone.

When You Get Off Track, Get Back On…Quickly – Life doesn’t like to play fair sometimes. Kids get sick. You get sick. Holidays come. And everything can happen all at once. When it does, carve out a tiny bit of time to sit down and get a game plan. Instead of stressing and getting down on yourself about how behind you are, get a plan of attack. Sometimes I think we waste more time stewing about our busy lives than actually having busy lives.

How about you…are you a WAHM? What is your biggest challenge? What’s your best tip?

Comments (2)

Take A Stroll With Me

By Nicole · Comments (0)

Wednesday, July 29th, 2009

You know that commercial for bing.com, where everyone is rambling on nonsensically from one unrelated topic to another, emulating what happens when you get on the net and search a word or phrase? Im sure all of us can relate to that in some fashion. Even with my own blogroll, Twitter groups and the ever-important, specific search for “What does a tick bite look like”, its just all too much to take in.

Thank goodness for tools like StumbleUpon, Kirtsy, Tweetdeck groups. I also love when a few of my favorite bloggers post their highlights and finds on the web. It just helps to have a recommendation sometimes, doesn’t it?

That’s why today I’m starting a new series called “Stroll Around the Blogosphere”. Its my attempt to bring you helpful and interesting information that I’ve compiled for you, my readers, from around the blogosphere (and the web). So why would you want to read my recommendations, you ask? Well, if any of the following categories interest you, you’ll want to check it out:

The Basics of Blogging – Tips for the new or “still-contemplating” blogger
Every Blogger Should Know – Tips and tricks to make you a better blogger
For The Working Mother – Topics and resources for working mothers
So You Say You’re Not Artsy - Everything from photography to decorating…for the artistically challenged
You Name It – Anything else I find interesting!

So join me on Wednesdays and see if you don’t just find something new and wonderful. And if you have a blog post or stumble on a great article that you would like to have considered for my “Stroll”, please email me. I’d be happy to take a look!

Happy strolling…