As the summer holidays are a busy time for all us mums we decided not schedule a Mum’s The Boss meeting for August. Instead we arranged an evening social event at a local pottery painting studio. We had wine, soft drinks and nibbles and spent an incredibly relaxing evening painting and chatting about our families, our businesses and life in general. And in the picture on the left are some (but not all) of the fruits of our labours! I feel a little ‘cottage-industry’ coming on……..what about Mum’s The Mug?!!

Popularity: 4% [?]

Let’s face it, we ALL have bad days. Sometimes it’s a Bad Parenting Day, when your children are testing you to the limits or you know you handled a situation badly. Or it might be as simple as a Bad Image Day, when you hate the way you look, none of your clothes fit and you can’t do a thing with your hair! Added to this, if you run your own business, then you are bound to have days when it all gets on top of you – maybe you lose a pitch, your supplier lets you down, your internet connection is flaky, your cashflow is dire, or you simply don’t have the energy or the enthusiam to carry on.

Efficiency Coach Heather Townsend recently wrote an excellent post on her blog entitled How Do You Bounce Back Every Time about being resilient in business and learning to bounce back after rejection. Her tips are helpful in any situation where you might find the enthusiasm for your business waning. 

But as well as having good strategies for coping with set-backs, it started me thinking about the things you definitely shouldn’t do when you’re having a bad day:

1.  DON’T let on to your customers
One misguided word or comment when you’re having an off day could end up having lasting repurcussions. Business is all about reputation. You only want people talking about how fabulous you are – not how moody, grumpy, offhand or downright rude you are. Even if a customer or supplier is being awkward and you’re just not in the mood for it, take a deep breath and smile (through gritted teeth if you have to).

2.  DON”T bottle it all up
On the flipside, don’t bottle things up completely either. Hopefully you have family, friends or understanding peers (online or off) who you can open up to. If not, it often helps to write things down, just to get them out of your head. If you’re angry with a colleague or supplier, write them a letter about how you feel, then rip it up. Or alternatively write down 5 good things about your day (in good health, sun shining, kids playing nicely, that sort of thing).  When you’re knee deep in a bad day sometimes a change of perspective, an outlet for your frustration or just a good moan can really help wonders.  

3.  DON’T comfort eat or drink
It may seem like a quick fix to reach for the chocolate or the wine to cheer yourself up but in the long run it really doesn’t solve anything and can lead to problems of it’s own (the least of which is not being able to fit into your jeans, causing a Bad Image Day all of it’s own!). If you can, try and address the issue, not mask it with food or drink.

4.  DON’T think that you are alone
Economic times are difficult at the moment and you are weathering this storm with every other entrepreneur and business owner in the country. Take advantage of all the great free business advice available on the internet and on business forums. And if you aren’t already, look to become part of a business network, where you can support each other and pass each other referrals and leads, the cheapest and the best way to promote yourself in the current economic climate.

5.  DON’T give up
Don’t ever make a life changing decision when you are having a bad day – and that goes for anything. Wait until you are feeling more balanced and can look at your situation objectively. And as Heather says in Point 5 of her article – Sleep on it. Things never seem quite so bad after a good night’s sleep (provided your children didn’t keep you up all night, leaving you feeling even worse, that is!). And remember, you wouldn’t have started this business if you didn’t think it was a brilliant idea – so chances are, it is brilliant, and so are you!

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When you work from home around a family, time is always against you. There are never enough hours in the day to please your kids, your partner and your customers – not forgetting yourself! So when you need answers or inspiration you don’t want to spend ages trawling the internet looking for it For this reason we have put together 10 of the best web resources for business mums, where you should be able to find the practical business advice, the inspiration and the support from your peers that you need.

 Pure Business Advice

1.  www.startupdonut.co.uk
If you’re thinking of starting up your business then Start Up Donut is a great place to begin. Bright, fun and easy to navigate this site covers all aspects of running a business including You and Your Idea, Formation, Finance, Law, Business Planning, Sales & Marketing, Premises, Employment and IT. There is a forum where you can chat to other business owners, a search facility to find a local business expert and a series of useful templates to help with your planning, including templates for your Business Plan, Start-Up Costs Calculator and Cashflow Calculator.

2.  www.businesslink.gov.uk
Business Link is a free business advice and support service, available online and through local advisers. It is developed in partnership with subject experts within government and relevant business-support organisations to help you comply with regulations and improve your performance. If you are thinking of starting your own business or are in the early stages, then you would be well advised to contact Business Link and arrange a free session with one of their business advisors. The website really is a one-stop-shop for people new to business and has a number of very useful resources such as the Business Start-up Organiser where you create a personalised list of tasks to assist you when setting up your business, and the Grants and Support Directory to pinpoint potential sources of help. However it also deals with an extended range of topics, beyond that of just Start-Ups, so when you are ready to grow your business, employ people, trade internationally or eventually sell your business then the Business Link site is definitely one to remember.

Information about Home Working

3.  www.enterprisenation.com
Enterprise Nation is the UK’s largest website for people starting and growing a business from home. Its founder, Emma Jones, runs the Home Business Awards, produces the annual Home Business Report and advises Government on the topic, so has an excellent pedigree to be advising on the subject. The site is split into 3 main sections, Business, Lifestyle & Technology and is an excellent resource for keeping bang up to date with what’s currently affecting home business owners, and the newsletter is also well worth signing up for. If you need any reassurance that working from home is the lifestyle choice for you then this is the website you need!

4.  www.funkyangel.co.uk
Funky Angel is a fabulous site containing a wealth of articles and advice aimed directly at Work at Home Mums. The founder, Claire Burdett, started this website long before WAHMs were fashionable and now is considered an expert in the field, offering business coaching as The Business Midwife, as well as running the Funky Agency which offers online marketing and communications support to business owners. And, if you are a single mum wanting to set up a business, Claire tries where she can to coach single mums free of charge, just because she knows how hard it is doing everything yourself!

Online networking & cost-effective promotion 

5. www.mumsclub.co.uk
Mumsclub is THE business club for mumpreneurs! Inspired and created by mum Jane Hopkins, MumsClub provides everything from home business opportunities, business tips & information, a thriving community forum. It provides an online place for mums to meet, network and discuss the daily issues faced when juggling business and family life. Mumsclub also runs a Mumpreneur Directory where business owners can advertise at extremely reasonable rates. They also produce The Business Mum’s Journal, a quarterly magazine for mums in business, which includes an inbuilt directory of mum-owned businesses, and is distributed through Mothercare stores.

6.  www.netmums.com
In my mind Netmums is a must have resource for any mum, and if you want to work for yourself they have a good overview section in their Work & Money section about all the different work-at-home options available. The Working For Yourself section of their Coffeehouse chat forum is particular good if you want to talk to other mums in business and is particularly popular with those mums involved in Direct Selling. And if the target audience for your business is mums too, you should take advantage of the free business listings and cheap advertising to their massive online audience of mums.

7. www.everywoman.com
Everywoman is the UK’s leading provider of training, resources and support services for women in business. They work to increase the number of women in the UK economy and raise their status, using their experience and expertise to help women achieve their aspirations and realise their business ambitions. The website is free to join and allows you to promote your business and network with other businesswomen online.  It offers a range of business advice as well as a database of local networking groups and organisations who support women. 

Informative Blogs

8. www.familyfriendlyworking.co.uk/acatalog/blog/ & http://www.acpr.co.uk/pr-blog/
With Antonia Chitty you get 2 for the price of 1! Antonia has written a number of books about being your own boss including Family Friendly Working and Commercial Writing – How to Earn a Living as a Business Writer, and has another book being launched on 1st September called The Mumpreneur Guide. She also runs her own PR company ACPR providing DIY PR tools for business owners. Both Antonia’s blogs are always bang up to date with practical tips and articles on business and family, as well as motivating mumpreneur profiles. If you subscribe to Antonia’s blogs you will never be without a daily dose of information or inspiration!

9. www.selfemployedmum.co.uk
Self Employed Mum is a great blog if you want sensible business advice, in bitesize pieces. Set up by two mums juggling various business activities, Alison & Natalie wanted to provide “opinions, advice, and solutions in quick, easy to digest short posts” which is exactly what busy work-at-home mums need. Alison runs 3 businesses – a SEO Company, Tribal Mash, which provides SEO services for small businesses -  Arabella Miller – manufacturing organic baby clothes – and a baby bedding retail website. Natalie is a prolific blogger, writing Baggage Reclaim, Bambino Goodies ,Nest Goodies and Style Bambino. So between them they have the experience and the pedigree to write a blog that’s well worth reading!

10. www.mumstheblog.co.uk
Well, a little self-promotion never did anyone any harm, did it!

So, there are our 10 Top Web Resources for Work at Home Mums. If we’ve missed any good ones then please leave a comment – we’d love to hear about them!

Popularity: 8% [?]

Ever since I became a mum I have practically lived in jeans - jeans and t-shirt in the summer, jeans and jumper in the winter, and on a (rare) night out, jeans with a slightly posher top and some extra lipgloss! In no way do I think I am unique – in fact quite the reverse. Practically every other mum I know lives in her jeans, to such an extent that they have almost become a uniform. They are the easy, ‘no-think’ option for every mum who spends the least amount of time on herself getting ready each morning. Admittedly the heavy duty denim does a good job of holding in the jelly belly but unless you have a really nice, well-fitting pair of jeans, they often don’t do an awful lot else for your figure. So, I’m on a mission to wean myself off the jeans!

Over the summer I have been trying to wear – wait for it – a SKIRT every now and then, and actually it hasn’t been too bad! Putting on an A-line cotton skirt with a t-shirt and some flip flops actually feels like I’ve made an effort! But with the autumn approaching I need a warmer alternative, and to that end I have been out and bought some LEGGINGS! Now I’m no Kate Moss, and like many mums my weight has crept up and up since having my kids. So the thought of leaving the house in something as skin tight as leggings is making me nervous. But, to hell with it, I’m gonna give it a go (albeit with very LONG tops I might add)!

To kickstart my new ‘look’ I am going to go cold turkey and try to go 7 days without wearing my jeans at all. On Monday I will officially start my No Jeans Challenge. Yes, it means I’m going to have to shave my legs and maybe dig out my Magic Knickers for some moral ’support’ but at the end of it I hope I will have learnt to be a bit more creative about what I wear and a little bit braver.

So, ladies – are you wih me?

(Note to self: Challenge will ony work provided I actually leave the house over the next 7 days, otherwise I might just as well stay in my pyjamas!)

Popularity: 3% [?]

I was thinking recently about Friday nights, and realised that how I used to spend them compared to how I spend them now, is a pretty good indication of how my life has changed over the last 18 years.

Before I had my children my Friday feeling was always very positive. There was something thrilling about the end of the working week, and the anticipation of knowing you could have a lie in, then spend the next two days doing fun and interesting things. Friday nights held a wide range of possibilities - a casual night down the pub with friends; full hair & make up and a big night in town; working behind the bar myself; or if I was really tired (and/or skint) a purposefully chosen quiet night in.

Once I had my children though Friday nights just merged into the rest of the week and weren’t really any different to any other night. Staying at home meant that the ‘weekend’ had been lost to me and was no longer special.  Yes, my husband was home so I wasn’t on my own, but we were still home based and with the children. And added to this, we were usually too tired and too poor to go out.

So what does Friday night mean now? As the children have reached pre-school and school age, and I now go out to work (opposed to working at home) on a Friday, I have noticed a few subtle changes. Having been out of the house all day it is nice to come home and do the tea, telly, bath & bedtime routine before I collapse on sofa at 7.30pm, trying desperately to stay awake until the news at 10!

I congratulate myself on the fact we have managed to get through another impossibly hectic week in one piece, having (if I’m lucky) achieved around half the things on my to-do list!

And despite it not being my turn for a lie-in the next morning, and the possibility that I may have to get up at silly o’clock with the boys, I am just grateful that I don’t have to do the breakfast/reading book/ packed lunch/teeth brushed/getting dressed/finding a parking space and delivering 2 children to 2 different locations before 9.15am ‘time challenge’ which shapes my weekday mornings!  

And of course another major highlight is that wine o’clock normally starts that little bit earlier on Fridays!!!!

Still get a Friday feeling? What does you Friday night feel like for you and how does it differ to your ‘pre-mummy’ Fridays – do share!

Popularity: 1% [?]

As we come towards the end of the holiday a small shadow is encroaching on my holiday bliss; my youngest son, my baby, is starting school. A year ago I went through the emotional roller coaster of my eldest son starting school. Just as I had been warned since the day he was born – the time had just flown. Now I have to face it all over again, but somehow this time seems more of a milestone – because once my baby is at school, what do I do?

When I went on maternity leave I knew I wasn’t going back, for me it just wasn’t ever in question, and luckily I had a really supportive family to make this easier.  The past few years of being full-time mummy have been hard, but also very rewarding and I wouldn’t have swapped it for anything. Now, as my youngest pulls on his uniform, I feel that it really is the end of that chapter. Although I have worked part-time and been involved in numerous things, I was predominantly a mummy. Now, with both children at school, my daily purpose and routine will be left gapingly empty, and I feel I can no longer call myself a stay-at-home-mummy.

Between the hours of 9 and 3.30 I will have no responsibility for my children; their care, their happiness and learning all lie with somebody else, and being very honest I feel like I am’ losing’ a part of them.  For me this is the start of their real development as individuals and the gradual influence of others as I am slowly being replaced in certain elements of their life. Their teacher will be raised up on a pedestal, and I will be reminded by them how important she is.

However, all this is good, natural and exciting. As with all endings, they signal new beginnings, and for me it is time for me to shift the focus back to myself and where I go from here, and what I do to fill those ‘school hours’.  Because I have now lost those daytime hours it makes me even more determined to be around for the remaining hours before and after school each day.

Once I have emerged from behind my dark glasses and box of tissues on the first few days of term I am sure I will quickly learn to adapt and enjoy the peace and quiet and freedom that working within school hours will bring, and maybe the gap left by my real babies will be replaced by my ‘3^rd baby’ – Mum’s The Boss.

Anyone else about to wave a small person off to school for the first time this term? What are your plans and how will you be spening those hours between 9.00 and 3.00?

Popularity: 2% [?]

We recently posted a blog post, “From Mummy to Yummy in half the time!”, in which Tanith Carey, the author of “How to be an Amazing Mum…” shared some quick tips on how to look your best when the clock is ticking.  Having read the whole of Tanith’s fabulous book of time-saving tips from cover to cover, we can now give you a few more reasons why this book may be just what you have been searching for to help you find a few more hours in each day! 

Tanith’s book deals with the most common cry from mothers everywhere of ‘I just haven’t got time…….’ and focuses on 10 of the most common time hungry tasks we have to juggle as working mums. The book is written in a very friendly and straight forward manner, but also manages to remain light hearted and humorous. There is a distinct feel that all the suggestions have been implemented personally by the author, and with success! However there is not a one size fits all attitude as Tanith explains in her introduction, ‘Some ideas will apply to your life and other won’t. Dip in and out and try a few at a time. ‘

Part 1 looks at how to keep your home & children under control. Like many great books there is nothing radical and nothing complicated – just lots of practical and straightforward ideas. I like the style of this book because it is similar to talking to my friends; it is like hearing how other people manage things, and being given ‘permission’ almost to cut corners, make things simple and just to focus on the important things. There is a good mixture of advice – some is simple and straight forward and will have instant results, while other ideas are about changing your perspective on ‘the bigger picture’, and implementing ‘systems’ that in the long run will pay dividends.

In the chapters dealing with ‘child management’ there is a lovely balance of sound parenting advice, discipline and also knowing when to relax a little, for the sake of your children and your sanity! It recognises how tough consistent parenting can be, and ‘The Seven Most Likely Sins of Harassed Parents’ is very accurate. It talks about some of the most common adult reactions to children’s behaviour but then explains why that isn’t the best approach and offers a Time saving solution

I love the fact that part 2 is devoted to you – the mummy. Often the last on our own to-do lists we tend to always be the last to eat, get dressed, sleep, relax, go out ….and so the list goes on!  This section of the book looks at 4 of the most common areas we neglect – beauty, clothes, body image and time for you and your partner. In the clothes section there are no niceties about ‘jelly belly’ just ways to deal with & disguise it!

More than anything else, when life is sweeping you off your feet, your to-do list is getting longer and you can’t see up from down I think it is really worth reminding yourself what is important: your children. ‘There is no perfectly prepared meal, no freshly ironed outfit or spotless kitchen floor that can replace the hours and minutes you spend with them.’  

I have a feeling this may be a very popular addition to our Business Book Library!

Popularity: 5% [?]

When the weather is good, getting out in the garden is one of summers pleasures. I am sure that most of you, like me, have a garden littered with an array of brightly coloured plastic toys, balls, bats, bikes, scooters, slides etc. However children often tire of their toys and are quick to announce “I’m bored……..”.  So to make the most of the good days we have in the garden here are some other ideas to amuse those bored with their toys!

1.  Water painting – an absolute favourite as it’s cheap and quick to get ready and has no lasting effects! Simply get an empty container of water and an old paint brush and set them off painting patterns, writing names or even a whole picture.

2.  Open Air Art gallery – works in a very similar way but using chalks. Allocate the children some paving slabs each do draw their works of art on then they can give you a guided tour. Washes away easily with water or the next rainy day.

3.  Be pirates – hide ‘treasure’ in a sand pit or patch of soil that is free for digging. The treasure can be anything from pegs to silver foil or sweets to real 1p coins. Award prizes for the pirate with most treasure.

4.  Go on a bug hunt – this activity is great for walking slowly and quietly round the garden. See how many creepy crawlies you can find hiding under leaves and stones. A variation on this is to go into the garden straight after some rain and see how many worms you can find!

5.  Fill it up – this is a game I remember playing at Brownies many years ago! Give each child a small container (a washed out yoghurt pot or similar) and see who can collect the most different things that fit in it within 5/10/20 minutes. A good game for older children to play in teams with younger children.

6.  Play camping – set up a ‘tent’ using an old blanket or sheet draped over a clothes airier, chairs or some canes.  A great place to have a picnic as well. Collect sticks for a pretend campfire.

7.  A big box – most children have fantastic imaginations and just need some help to get it started. Have a look in the garage or loft to see if you have a spare box, otherwise you may manage to find one at your local shop (supermarkets tend to flatten everything these days), and the bigger the better. It can become anything – a boat, a car, a space rocket, a shop, a castle – the variations are endless!

8.  Sports day – this can be as simple or as complicated as you want. Start with some simple running races, and then you can try a sack race (a decent bin bag will suffice), an obstacle course, skipping or even an egg (hard boiled) and spoon race.

9.  Target – again a nice simple one. Simply draw a series of targets or shapes on a wall away from windows and get children to aim at them with a ball. If you are feeling adventurous you could let them use a wet sponge or water balloon.

10.  Natural art – allow the children to collect leaves, grass, twigs, pebbles, feathers  and anything else they can find and then use to create a collage picture, pattern or sculpture – can be done individually or all together. Take a photo as a reminder of their hard work.

Once they have been introduced to something, children will often play it over and over again, so these ideas should ensure a busy and happy summer in the garden! And if you have ideas of your own please leave a comment and share the fun!

Popularity: 11% [?]

In days gone by, as soon as you had kids, you could stop bothering about the way you looked. By the time you were thirty-five, it was fine to look middle-aged, let the weight pile on and get a Mrs Merton perm. These days, however, we mums are expected be every bit as glamorous as we were before we had the kids – but without the luxury of hours in the day to do it. Not surprisingly, in a recent survey of mums, more than 70% said they felt their appearance had suffered as a result of having children. But making yourself feel good can also make you a happier, better mother. So here are author Tanith Carey’s rules to looking just as good as you did before kids came along – but in half the time!

The Fast Mum’s Face:  The Rules

Go for shades as close as possible to your natural colours: When you are trying to look good in the minimum time, don’t experiment. Bright tones will only underline the fact that you could do with some more sleep or a facial. Applying a statement shade of deep scarlet lipstick is going to take an awful lot more time and concentration than a subtle lip gloss close to your own lip colour. Steer clear of orange or toffee- coloured lipsticks too, which can be ageing.

Buy make-up that does more than one job: Look for products that do two, or even three, things at the same time. For example, buy mascara that both curls and lengthens to avoid having to fiddle around with an eyelash curler. Or try gels that double as lip glosses, and combined foundation and powder compacts.

Cut out the middleman: Once upon a time, you probably had a vast array of make-up brushes for 136 every conceivable job. Now you don’t have the time to find them, let alone wash them. So choose make-up with built-in applicators like lip gloss and concealer pens. Or easier still, plump for make-up you can put on with your fingers, like tinted moisturizers and gel blushes, which are more natural looking anyway.

Use a make-up primer: It may sound strange to add one extra step before you’ve even started, but use a primer. It’s quick, fills in surface imperfections like large pores and lines, and you can apply it without looking in the mirror (always a good test of a mummy-friendly make-up technique). Primers also help make-up to last longer – so you will have fewer of those depressing ‘God, I look a state, don’t I?’ moments later in the day.

If in doubt, chuck it out: Life is so much simpler when you edit out the stuff you don’t need. It doesn’t matter what make it is, having make-up you don’t use hanging around is a waste of space. Apply the wardrobe rule: if you haven’t worn it for a year, bin it.

Keep two sets of make-up – and never, ever mix them up: Put one set in your handbag in a clear bag so you can see what’s in there and get to it fast. Then leave it there – never to be removed. At the very least, make sure you keep a combination rouge/lip gloss in your wallet to revive you in times of need.

Do your make-up on the move: Get a professional make-up artist’s make-up box to help keep it all beautifully organized. Take it wherever your kids are. If they are happy playing with blocks in the playroom, take your kit there too – and you may get to mascara a few extra lashes.

Save the bigger grooming jobs for night time: The mornings are hectic enough, so just use them for putting on make-up. When the kids have gone to bed, take time to bleach your moustache, paint your nails or pluck your eyebrows. Or take advantage of bath time with the kids and put on a mud mask for a Shrek impersonation.

Buy make-up that looks after itself: Wind-up pencil applicators aren’t great value for money, because there’s not much product in there. But there is nothing more irritating than not being able to find a liner with a sharp tip at the bottom of your make-up bag. So on this occasion, take convenience over price!

Think about packaging: When you are looking for moisturizers and foundations, search out products that are easily dispensable, either by pumps or aerosols rather than jars or tubes. That way, it won’t be quite such a disaster if you can’t find the top, and they are less likely to dry up or spill.

Choose a tinted moisturizer over foundation: Tinted moisturizer is another of those beauty aids that passes the big test of mummy-friendly make-up. It does three things at once: gives coverage, moisturizes and offers sun protection. Look for a product with light-defusing particles to brighten up your skin.

Keep it tidy: To keep your dressing table functioning as efficiently as possible, stick a large magnet on the wall to hold must-haves like tweezers, nail scissors and safety pins, plus a needle and thread for emergency clothes repairs. Keep a bin close too for old Q-tips, packaging and make-up wipes.

Get some eye-whitener/red-eye drops: Trust me – after working late or a sleepless night, this is the ultimate beauty secret for the hassled mum. You will look fresh as a daisy – even before you’ve applied a scrap of make-up.

 Nail short cuts: For many manic mums, manicured and long polished nails are a distant memory. Still, if you want polished nails for a special occasion, try the new nail pens in a neutral colour. They should dry in seconds. But as with make-up, try to stick to a colour close to your natural shade, so your nails don’t look so bad when they get chipped.

Taken from “How to be An Amazing Mum – When You Just Don’t Have the Time – the Ultimate Handbook for Hassled Mother, “  by Tanith Carey, price 7.99 (5.99 on Amazon)

Popularity: 3% [?]

We feel like we have properly ‘arrived’ in the world of blogging as we have just received our very first Blog Meme!  Joanne at Parent Dish has kindly tagged us and challenged us to “describe our seven personality traits”. So to make things fair, as there are 2 of us, we have picked 3 traits each along with one trait that we both share. So  read on to find out what makes Mum’s The Boss (aka Helen & Sam) tick!

Helen
1.  Cuddly - I love to cuddle my boys – and I am lucky as they are very cuddly back! First cuddle of the morning is always my fav as they are still hot & sleepy. We also snuggle up to read books or watch TV. Unfortunately they have a habit of saying ‘Mummy’s got wobbly bits’ from Jill Murphay’s Large Family stories!

2.  Creative – this is a side of my personality that I think lay dormant for quite a few years – but there are strong creative family genes.  When I was teaching it was always one of my favourite parts of the day, and since having children it has given me an excuse to go wild with the paint and contents of the recycling bin at home!!! 

3.  Determined – I have always had a strong will and an element of stubbornness which I think gave both my parents and my teachers an interesting time when I was younger!! However I would like to think I have harnessed this in a positive way now and this aspect of my personality seems to shine through in every aspect of my life – whether it is family, friends or work – I like to succeed and achieve and I don’t give up.
 
Sam
4.  Open-Minded  - I love learning new things and am open to new ideas, new technology and new ways of doing things. I love progress and change and find the novelty of new interests exhilarating. I am also open-minded in that I am not easily shocked or offended or judgemental – which I hope makes me a good friend.

5.  Arty Farty  (but only because Helen beat me to it with ‘Creative’!) –  I love reading and writing for pleasure, both prose and poetry, and have had a few of my poems published. I have always enjoyed live theatre and, more recently, ballet – plus I’m extremely partial to a nice BBC period drama!  My former career in Marketing allowed me to be creative with words and design and now I’m a mum my creative streak permeates everything I do – be it writing for our blog, cooking cakes, gardening or getting creative with the girls, with paint, glue or Play Doh!

6.  Optimistic – I really do try and see the best in people and situations. When negative things happen I find it quite easy to draw a line and move on. I believe we get one life and it’s our responsibility to make the most of it – and ourselves. And as I approach my 40th birthday I feel as though life really is about to begin – and it’s feels brilliant!

Joint
7.  Team Members – We only met a year ago and now we share a company and a vision which just grows stronger each day. We love bringing people together and making things happen for a common good. We are very in tune with each other and have the same visions for the future. In our partnership there has been a very natural division of tasks based on our individual strengths – and in our national network Mum’s The Boss has a formidable number of skills and resources we can tap into to inform and inspire wannabe business mums. Plus our ’team’ is bound by so many other common interests – motherhood, wine, chocolate cake, Johnny Depp and bags to name but a few!!!

So now you know a bit more about the personalities behind Mum’s The Boss, it’s time for us to pass the baton on again, and we do so to some of the other work-at-home mums we have had the pleasure of meeting in person and in cyberspace – Superwomanwannabe, Business Plus Baby, Ivy House, Wise Genius and Family Friendly Working. So ladies, describe your seven personality traits if you please. Or in other words: Tag, You’re it.

Popularity: 1% [?]