Clear your throat before you pick up the phone

Eh-hem.

I work from my home office. I don't have co-workers to chat with, and I communicate through email, IM and text most of the time. Not a lot of vocalizing happening here, and it shows. If I make a call, or answer a call, my voice is rough.

What with it being cold and flu season, I thought I'd share some tricks to keep voices sounding positive and happy.

• Clear your throat before you pick up the phone
• Take a deep breath
• Always have water available nearby (to wet your mouth and avoid "tongue clicks")
• Sing or hum during the day to keep vocal chords loosened up (even if you don't consider yourself a singer)
• Smile when you say hello (people can hear it)

What do you do to sound good over the phone?

Back in the game!

My New Year's resolution is to get focused and get back in the game of Freelance Writing. I veered off course as soon as the kids went on Summer Break last year and it was all downhill from there.

But...

I have submitted a gardening tip to a major mag and it's under consideration. I sent a query to a regional gardening magazine regarding a reprint. And, I've spent a lot of time the last couple of days jotting down ideas and researching publications to query.

I've also come to the realization that I've been much too isolated and I NEED to get out and socialize, and participate in life if I want to have a hope in hell of generating interesting ideas. So, one other goal for 2009 is to do things I've never done before. Nothing radical or bone breaking, but do some of the things I keep saying I'd like to do - like spend a weekend camping up North in Minnesota, visit the places in the Laura Ingalls Wilder books, and go hunting next Fall.

That's my plan for the year. What's yours?

First day of the school year - 2008

All around the United States, stay-at-home and work-at-home Moms are breathing a sigh of relief right about now. Summer is fun, but it's really nice to send the kids off to school to fill their brains with knowledge, and get back to some semblance of normalcy.

I've already taken a shower (in a blissfully empty house), started a load of laundry and washed a sink full of dishes. I will be using the rest of my quiet time to straighten up and organize my office, finish reading Shadow of Colossus by T. L. Higley and quite possibly write a query letter or two. Blog Stop took what little time I had over the summer, so I REALLY want to get back to a bit of freelance writing.

Busier than a one-armed paper hanger.

Lots of stuff going on here. Last night was my 6th grader's open house. Tonight was my 1st grader's. Between last minute shopping for school supplies, marking names on everything and filling out paperwork for the kids to take to school with them on Tuesday, I'm not sure if I'm coming, going or upside down.

Add to that housework, cooking, my work and trying to get some sleep. Whewwwww!

I have some things I'd like to say about the Democratic National Convention, but that will wait until tomorrow. For now, I will check email one more time and then crawl into bed with a book. I may get one page read before my eyes slam shut.

For a lazy summer day, it's sure been busy.

So far today...

- typed up and emailed answers to interview questions
- run to the grocery store with the youngest boy
- fed the kids lunch - waffles, yummmmm
- grabbed something to eat for myself
- baked lemon bars, mostly because it's cool today
- started reading a book for review
- glanced through the new issue of The Writer magazine
- washed dishes
- done laundry

I still have more to get done, but I'm thinking it's been a productive day so far.

Two months down, one month to go...

Running a business from home is a challenge, especially when you're raising kids along with growing your business. I've been lucky enough to be sharing "kid care" with 3 other moms this summer. Our children are all around the same age, and there's been a variation on a theme of musical chairs along the lines of "who's house will the kids be at today?"

I will be sorry to see the summer end, but happy when September 2nd arrives.

All that being said, let me guess... you've been dying to know what book will be touring in August, right? Not so much? Well, I'm going to tell you anyway.


The Smart One by Ellen Meister is touring with Blog Stop Book Tours in August! Information is posted at the Authors On Tour page, and there's an interview with Ellen at the Author 10 Q&A page. Ellen will also be participating in Author Talks! toward the end of the month. So if you want to join in the discussion, go get the book!

The first Blog Stop for The Smart One is tomorrow.

Dealing with loose ends.

Thursday seems to have become my day for catching up. So far today I've scheduled dates for book reviews for August, run to the hardware store, read some of the book I'm reviewing next week, washed dishes and run a load of laundry through the wash. And, oh yeah, read a bunch of blog posts that I subscribe to through Google Reader.

I still have things to get done today. Look for a blog post tomorrow about the new thing I'm trying out this month at Blog Stop Book Tours. The name of it is Author Talks!

Reigning in... stretching out.

So... ummm... yeah, I was missing in action yesterday. I have a better excuse, though, than the dog ate my homework.

I don't know about you, but I need room to work and especially to think. With the kids home for the summer, and all the things we've needed to get done while the weather is warm, the house has not been an uncluttered, pristine expanse of comfortable space. When the clutter reaches a certain point, I start to feel as though the walls are closing in. It usually takes an interesting catalyst to kick start me into taking back my space. The catalyst showed up Sunday afternoon.

We don't have a dining room, nor do we have a kitchen nook. This means that we haven't ever had a dining table in our house. We have TV tables that we use every evening when we sit down to dinner. I've been growing ever more dissatisfied with this arrangement, especially in the last six months or so.

We decided a month ago, that if we could find a table, we'd get rid of our couch, and put a table where the couch currently sits. I found a table! The antique shop down the street had one for $25.00. It needed to be refinished, about ten hours of work between sanding and polying, but we're no strangers to hard work. It should be done by Saturday.

In order to be ready for the couch to go out, and the table to go in, I spent yesterday cleaning and re-arranging the living room. It took me most of the day, but it's done.

As of Sunday morning, I will finally have a place to have coffee with my friends. I will also be able to sit at my table to write (gasp!) longhand if I want. My kids will have space to do their homework. I'll be able to do crafts with my youngest boy. I won't have to spread the bills out on my bed when I'm doing the monthly write checks thing.

I'm so excited!

Rain

Is there anything better than the sound of a good soaking rain? There very well may be, but I can't think of anything right this second.

The mellow hiss/patter is intermittently interrupted by a crack of thunder. The lightning is keeping me from wanting to wash the dishes in the sink or load the washer (not that I ever really want to do those things anyway).

So, instead of attacking the household chores just yet, I think I'll sit down and work out my schedule for the rest of July and create a to-do list. That's productive use of a for-the-most-part-quiet summer rain, don't you think?

Time to think...

The littlest boy is off at the movies with Grandma, middle boy is with his dad and oldest boy can take care of himself. I can actually hear myself think. Woah.

I need to add books to my Shelfari bookshelf. I need to come up with ten questions for an author interview. I need to update my website. I need to build the Blog Stop page for the author on tour in July. I have four hours.

Best get to it!

Oh Lord, what a morning...

After a night of being woken up by a tossing-and-turning husband, and a small, adorable child crawling into bed with and snuggling up to me, I gave up on sleep at 6:30 this morning. I poured myself some hot coffee, fired up my laptop and leaned back in the cushy chair. As I was checking emails and catching up on blog feeds, I realized it was quiet, but for the sound of the breeze and the birds twittering outside the window. Take time to smell the roses, or listen to the birds, people. It's so worth it.

There will be a few posts today, as the reviews are posted for the books touring with Blog Stop Book Tours. The first one available today is for Xujun Eberlein's Apologies Forthcoming at Escape To Books.

Enjoy your day!

Storms

It's been storming here, off and on, all morning. The weather pattern this Spring has been just as odd as the Winter was. A couple days of gorgeous, sunny weather, and then days of rain and storms.

When the storms are severe, as they can be here in the Midwest, I shut my computer down. I can't afford to lose the information, and I can't afford to buy a new one right now. So, I protect it at all costs.

I actually need to look into business insurance. Is there such a thing for work-at-home freelancers?

I'll do some searching today and fill you in tomorrow. If anyone has any ideas, please feel free to share.

Office space vastly improved... !

I posted about my office months ago. Click here to see what it used to look like.





This is what it looked like around 1 yesterday afternoon.















This is what it looks like today!


















Little did I know that I would be treated to an amazing acoustical box effect, as well. The sound from my Bose speakers is channeled and amplified by the desktop and shelf above it. Anyone who knows me, knows that sound is incredibly important to me. I plugged in the speakers, turned on the music and just about fell on my bum. I literally cried with joy!

My husband is the best man I know.

Wow! What a week!

Yes, I know it's only Thursday, but it feels so like a Friday. This week has been an exciting, emotional roller coaster for me.

Saturday, May 31, my daughter graduated High School and moved out on her own. Monday was the first time there have been three books to promote with Blog Stop Book Tours. Tuesday was a presentation at the WAH Expo. Wednesday, more blog stops to promote, and an internet radio interview with Erika Geiss. Today is the last day of school before my other three kids start Summer break.

I'll be grateful to see the weekend, if only to decompress from this very full first week of June.

WAH Expo

Today, at 11:30 am Eastern Time, I will be talking about Blog Stop Book Tours at the WAH Expo. The WAH Expo is a three day event with speakers and exhibitors talking about what they do and how they do it. It's free to attend, so please drop in!

Whatever works for you...

I mentioned last week that my husband is building me a corner office unit. I am totally ecstatic about this, for many reasons - not the least of which is once it's installed, my work life will be much more efficient.

As my business grows, I'm spending more and more time at my desk. My desk is about five years old (a cheapy we picked up at Target), and it's beginning to be a bit wobbly. The pull out drawer for the keyboard bit it a while ago, so I have no work space for actual writing with pen and paper, because my keyboard is on the desk.

The shelves above my desk are not within easy reach. I have to stand up to retrieve anything from them. The bookcase I'll have in a week or so will allow me to have my planner and binder within grabbing reach while sitting.

My laptop computer will have a nook in the office unit, as well. As it stands, I only use the laptop sporadically, because the stand it sits on is too low for my chair. I usually go to the living room with it, and it's literally sitting on my lap.

Everyone is unique in their workspace layout preferences. Whatever works for you, works for you!

Many hats

The husband is back to work and the kids are at school. I am back to work. Although I am finding myself feeling like a Jill-of-all-trades, hence the "many hats" title.

Today, I am an editor, a website maintenance person, a blog book tour coordinator, a writer and last, but not least, a homemaker. This morning is for business, this afternoon home and family stuff.

My Mother's Day was lovely. The weather was perfect, I had time alone and with family and my husband gave me a breathtakingly beautiful rose bush for my front garden. I also had the chance to read a book - Nice To Come Home To by Rebecca Flowers. This is one of my recommended must reads for the summer. (Is anyone else reminded of Katie Holmes back in her Dawson's Creek days?)





















That's all for me today. Gotta get to it!

Home Depot

I don't usually blog this late in the day, but... the husband and I went shopping at the Home Depot today. We bought pine boards and ply for my new office unit. The desktop and shelves will be polyed birch-topped plywood, and the supports will be knotty pine, to match my existing bookshelves. I can't wait to see it finished! Then I had work I had to finish up. And now it's almost supper time. It was a good way to spend the day.

Sixty degrees of separation

I don't have any new books on my bedside table today. I'm still in the process of reading the ones from last week.

I'm getting my work cleared from my desk this morning, so that I can go play this afternoon. The projected high temp for today is 60! And sunny! I'm playing hooky this afternoon. Even if it's just running errands, I will get outside and soak up some Vitamin D.

The second stop of Susan Breen's blog book tour is today. Head on over to Blog Stop Book Tours to see where she is appearing.

Have a great day and a great weekend everybody!

Spring!

Today is the first day of Spring, and the first day of Spring break. My kids are on vacation from school until March 31st. So, things will be lively around here. Luckily, my husband has tomorrow and Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday next week off.

I have interview questions to write, an article to work on, some books to read and a book blog tour starting on April 1st. Just because kids and hubby have vacation time doesn't mean I do.

I've also been having some minor issues with my eyes. Eye exam is scheduled for Saturday morning and hopefully by Saturday afternoon, I'll have contacts again. It's been 4 years since my last visit, so I'm sure I need a new prescription.

Happy Spring!