Moms Network

Over the years I have noticed that the holidays can be a difficult time for moms who work out of their homes to stay focused and stick to their regular work routine. While working out of your home does give you flexibility, you still do have a business to run and people counting on you to deliver your product or service. So, while it may be tempting to "ditch" work more than normal to run holiday errands, bake cookies, decorate and take more breaks than usual, I caution you to be careful to not go overboard. Plan accordingly, just as when you worked out of the home.   When work needed to be done, you couldn’t decide to simply not show up for work or leave during the work day because you wanted to have fun, instead of being in the office. Granted, all people get vacation time and you need to, in essence, schedule your own vacation time from the business you do out of your home. Being your own employer takes discipline, and requires that you make sound and professional decisions. You need to remind yourself that even though the holidays are here, you do have a business that still needs to run and be taken care of. Depending on your business, and whether you own that business or work for someone else, you need to make a plan that will carry you through the holiday season while still creating the time you want away from work. By playing hooky too much, you will fall behind in all you had hoped to accomplish, and be complaining about it when January hits, and even worse, not bring in as much money as you need each month. Remember, real businesses in the real world don’t stop when the holidays hit. They need to go on as they always do throughout the entire year. This holiday season, be sure to make a plan, take some extra time off to enjoy family and festivities, but at the same time, making it a priority to continue with your work and business in a professional and responsible manner. —- Cyndi Webb is the Founder and President of Moms Network – an organization dedicated to the promotion and success of Moms in business. Since 1997 she has promoted and worked with thousands of work at home moms in coaching and guiding them in how to help grow their businesses. Over the years Moms Network has evolved to include more than 20 websites offering free resources to moms from all walks of life.  Cyndi makes her home in Minnesota with her husband and two children.

If Andy Andrews parents were alive today, they’d honestly be amazed at what he remembers. They might say he has a mind like a sponge.

He actually remembers the very best things his parents and other mom’s and dad’s said. He even wrote them down and memorized them!

And with the holidays coming up, winter break means that kids will be spending a lot more time than usual with parents nearby, at least for a while.

And that means of course that normal kid-like behavior will surely trigger some of the most important communications that parents are capable of coming up with.

So parents, to help make your winter holiday with the kids easier than ever before, Andy is presenting you with his Fifty Famous Parental Sayings!

Go ahead – use ‘em on your kids these next few weeks!

And maybe someday, they’ll pass these priceless words of wisdom on to their kids as well.

Here they are:

1. You’d better change your tune pretty quick or you’re out of here.

2. I mean it.

3. Is that understood?

4. Don’t shake your head at me.

5. I can’t hear your head rattle.

6. Don’t mumble.

7. You act like the world owes you a living.

8. You’ve got a chip on your shoulder.

9. You’re not going anywhere looking like that.

10. You’re crazy if you think you are.

11. If you think you are, just try me.

12. I don’t know what’s wrong with you.

13. Other kids don’t pull stuff like that.

14. I wasn’t like that.

15. What kind of an example do you think you are for you brothers and sisters?

16. Stand up straight.

17. Don’t slouch.

18. Would you like a spanking?

19. If you would like a spanking, just tell me now and we’ll get this thing over with.

20. You’re cruising for a bruising.

21. I’m your father and as long as you live in my house you’ll do as I say.

22. Do you think the rules don’t apply to you?

23. I’m here to tell you that they do.

24. Are you blind?

25. Watch what you’re doing!

26. You walk around like you’re in a daze.

27. Something better change and change fast.

28. You’re driving you mother to an early grave.

29. This is a family vacation.

30. You’re going to have fun whether you like it or not.

31. Take some responsibility.

32. Pull your own weight.

33. Don’t expect other people to pick up after you and don’t ask me for money.

34. What do you think I’m made of money?

35. Do you think I have a tree that grows money?

36. You’d better wake up and I don’t mean maybe.

37. Do you act like this when you’re away from us?

38. We’ve given everything we possibly could.

39. Food on the table.

40. A roof over your head, things we never had when we were your age.

41. You treat us like we don’t exist.

42. That’s no excuse.

43. If he jumped off a cliff would you jump off a cliff too?

44. You’re grounded.

45. I’m not going to put up with this for another minute.

46. You’re crazy if you think I am.

47. If you think I am just try me.

48. Don’t look at me that way.

49. Look at me when I’m talking to you.

50. Don’t make me say this again.

Andy says, “I bet I heard every one of these when I grew up.”

And you probably did too.

Andy Andrews is the NY Times bestselling author of The Traveler’s Gift and The Noticer (published by Thomas Nelson). His newest books are Return from Sawyerton Springs (Hay House) and the brand new book titled The Butterfly Effect How your Life Matters (Simple Truths).

For more information www.andyandrews.com

For years now, as more and more people are looking at different ways to work from home, I keep witnessing some of these future business owners saying things like "that’s a scam", "stay away from that company, they are scamming people", or "be careful, I know someone who was scammed by that company". The word scam seems to be tossed around more than Italian greens and oil before dinner. But are these businesses really "scams"? We’ve all seen ads for working at home. Ads promising freedom, telling you the amount of money you can earn, and the ability to be home with your kids. Are these ads scams?   Let’s look at the dictionary definition – SCAM: A fraudulent business scheme; a swindle. So, what this boils down to is that a scam is a business, knowingly committing fraud on individuals. They are set up to specifically swindle money away and in essence, are not offering any sort of job or business opportunity at all. Believe me, there are many businesses that are set up to do just this. They have no intention of ever truly hiring anyone or don’t offer a legitimate, real business opportunity. Many of these types of companies have complaints with the Better Business Bureau and have a large number of victims that have fallen prey to their claims and tactics. But, what I have seen is people calling ANY sort of business opportunity or job that "they" didn’t see success in, as a scam. If you fall into this thought process, be careful what you say. To use the word "scam" against a company is a very serious accusation. If you joined a business opportunity, they can take a lot of work to see results. If you gave up, or didn’t put in the amount of time or money needed, you cannot call that business a scam, due to your lack of effort. This goes back to the thought process of the fast food society, wanting results quick, with the least amount of effort. Now, if you joined some sort of pyramid scheme, which is illegal, that WOULD be a scam. If you sent away for information, only to NOT receive anything, or NOT receive what was promised you, THAT is a scam. But to label a company a scam due to your own error in judgment, dislike of what you received, or not working as you have been advised or trained – you are only wanting to blame someone other than yourself for a decision that you have come to regret. So, be careful what you call a scam. Step back and think honestly if you were really scammed by a business, or whether it is you, who is having buyer’s remorse.