Work at Home Moms Articles – WAHM Articles

You can imagine the looks on my kids’ faces this morning when I told them we weren’t doing math today.¬† We were watching a movie instead.

Sometimes education doesn’t have anything to do with books and lessons. This morning on 5 Minutes for Mom, I discovered the invisible children of Uganda, and the Rescue Event being held on April 25. I wanted my kids to watch the movie behind the movement, Invisible Children. Depending on the ages of your kids, I wouldn’t recommend it for family viewing, but mine are young teenagers.

It’s a movie that can change lives – yours and those of the people in the documentary. No matter who you are, at the end of the movie, you’ll be asking yourself, “What can I do?” I know I was, and I know Darian and Cassidy were.

One thing you can do is join Erica and participate in the Rescue Event on April 25.

Another thing you can do is what Darian, Cassidy and I have committed to this morning.

At the end of the movie, the filmmakers issue a challenge, which is basically, “You really want to make a difference? Use your unique talents in a creative way.”

My challenge to you is this: Find a way to use your unique talent or situation to make a difference in the world. Then do it.

It doesn’t need to be anything grand. Mine certainly isn’t.¬† It doesn’t even need to directly impact these children in Uganda. The world is full of need and worthy causes.

What you choose to do might even be so small as to take the next step in developing a talent you know you have the potential to use to help others. For example, Darian and Cassidy this morning have renewed their commitment to their education because that is a tool they can use one day to impact the world.

Or perhaps what’s in your heart to do is as big and impactful as what these three young filmmakers did when they went to Africa in search of a story.

Whatever you decide, I would love to hear about how you’re going to make a difference, or how you’re making a difference right now.

I’ll tell you what I’m doing in another post next week.

These days, most of us are thinking about ways we can make more money. But what about doing more with the money you already have?

Depending on your circumstances,¬† you might be asking, “What money?” Or perhaps you’re just wondering who I am to question your money-managing habits.

I’m just a mom, probably like you. But I do know this about money:

No matter how much money you do or do not have, it’s just a tool. An important tool, to say the least, but it’s still just a tool. And it’s a tool I have to learn how to control… or else it will control me.

One of the most important ways we have to manage that tool is with a family budget. When there’s not enough money, or things are just feeling a little tight, “budget” can be a scary word. But it really shouldn’t be…

In fact, I’ve found that having a budget can give me a lot more freedom wi th the money I already have.

For example, when you have a budget in place, you can even feel more relaxed about your money because you’ll know:

• exactly what income goals you need to set for your business. If you set specific goals, you’re more likely to reach them.
• how much you can spend on a fun night out for the kids. You won’t need to say no because you think you can’t afford it – instead you’ll know just what you can afford.
• where you can cut corners once in a while to give yourself an occasional treat too. You know you deserve it.

Mom’s Talk eBooks has a great new guide you might want to check out. It’s called¬† Guide to Family Budgeting and it’s filled with information on :

• why your family needs a budget (aside from the reasons listed above)
• analyzing your finances
• planning your budget and
• how to do more with your money.

You will also find tips that will help you show your children how to save and manage their money as well. Budgeting is a valuable life skill that it’s never too early to teach.

You can click here to learn more about family budgeting and how to get your own copy of Guide to Family Budgeting.

Thanks to the votes and comments of many work at home moms, the WAHM-Articles forum was chosen as the first runner-up in the Bizymoms’ Choice Awards!

The winners were chosen by the number of votes and comments from work at home moms, which demonstrates the chosen winning sites have truly added value to the lives of their users.

You can visit the Bizymoms award page, and see the other winners here.

Thank you to everyone who voted for us and posted their comments. It’s so appreciated. Your votes helped out all of us work at home moms, to gain some more attention for our home businesses.

And thank you especially to all you wonderful moms who make our forum such a wonderful place for moms to be! I know you bless my life everyday, and now you can see the difference you’re making for other women too.

If you haven’t been by the WAHM-Articles forum recently, I’d like to invite you to come for a visit. There have been a lot of new additions, tons of article marketing information, friendly support and helpful advice.

If you haven’t signed up yet, here’s where you can go to learn more about it. And it’s free! We’d love to have you join us.

I’ve met very few moms who were as unprepared for their new role in life as I was. I was in university, student teaching cute little grade two students, when the unexpected blessing of mommyhood was bestowed upon me.

I had no clue about babies or being a mom. I thought babies were kind of like the seven-year-olds in my class, just smaller. I believed (I mean, REALLY believed) I could pop that baby out and be back in class a couple of weeks later.

But then I held Darian in my arms for the first time. I saw that cute little dimple carved into his chin. I fell in love with the dimple, and everything attached to it.  In my heart, I let fall everything I had been holding onto and clung to this little person instead.  And that was OK because I now understood the fundamental principle of Mommyhood:

It’s all worth it.

I learned my next big mommy lesson a few hours later, from the woman who shared my hospital room with me. It was this:

Mommies need other mommies.

This parenting gig is a tough one. Thank Heaven for other mommies.

Over the weekend, I met a twitter friend, @peekabookids who knows mommies need other mommies too. She’s making a Squidoo lens of the best mommy resources to give all us moms a hand. Here’s her list of mom resources so far. I think you’ll find her list helpful on your own mommy journey. And if you know of a resource she’s missing, please help her out and tell her about it!