x10 Home Automation - Control Lights, Irrigation, Appliances

Working At Home While Caring For A Loved One

I often sit and wonder "where did the day go?" I know there are 24 hours in the day, 8 of which I spend sleeping. So that still leaves me 16 hours to get my daily activities done. Funny, how 16 hours sure does seem like 6.

But after going through a month of not knowing if I was coming or going and swearing I got cheated some hours from my day, because well, I didn't know where they had gone. I decided to sit down and make a plan. This way I would be more organized. I have always been pretty detail oriented, until I was faced with having to take care of my husband who is ill. Something I was not prepared to do at age 37. But I guess this is how is was suppose to be, so instead of becoming depressed I decided, I would just accept my fate and make the best of it.

Although my husband is very dependent on me, I have found ways for him to depend more on himself. I have done this by making everything easier and more accessible for him. Making him feel like he could still do things for himself so that he wouldn't feel helpless. And of course easier on me. Taking care of a sick loved one can be very demanding and can easily drain all your energy. But I have come up with my own plan of attack, so that we both can benefit from it.

So this is my plan that I came up with to make my life a little easier and so that I would still have time to pursue my Home Based Business.

Anyone caring for a loved one, can benefit from some of these ideas, so please use them to your advantage.

Make sure any and all doctor appointments are scheduled as early as possible, this way you have the rest of the day to do other things. I find that afternoon doctor appointments take up most of your day and leaves you feeling like you lost time somewhere.

My favorite thing to do so that I don't feel pressed for time, is to cook meals ahead of time. I pick Sundays as my day to cook all my meals for the week. I buy my groceries on Saturday night, then Sunday morning I get up and start cooking, I cook about 8 different meals on this day. I let them all cool down, then I put a serving amount in a ziploc baggy and freeze it. This way during the week, when my family is hungry, they can get out a pack of the entree they choose and microwave it, and presto dinner is served. No mess, no hassle, and keeps you out of the kitchen.

Also another time saver I do for my husband is, I have five sets of clothes folded all together and set up for him in a special shelf in the bathroom. It has his underwear, pants, shirt and socks. All folded together. This way when he goes to shower, he has everything he needs there. No calling out to me, that he forgot something, or can't find this or that. This keeps me from having to run around getting his clothes together. Works very well

On his side of the bed, I have put both night stands there, on one he has all his meds, creams and lotions. On the other night table I invested in a mini fridge, I keep bottled water and a few snacks. This in itself is a big help, because him being a diabetic he is always thirsty, so I was always having to go fill his glass with water. Now he reaches over and gets his own bottled water. (I love those people that invented the mini fridge.)

I also keep his cane, his crutches and his wheelchair close by the bed. We never know what kind of day it will be for him. Some days, he can get by with just the cane, other days he needs the crutches and some days its the wheelchair. But with them being close by, he has access to them on his own, and doesn't have the need to wake me up as often.

Now with all these short cuts I have taken not only have I helped him to help himself, but I have cut my workload in half. This way I can now spend more time on my home based business. My home based business is now more important to me than ever, with him not working I know our future will depend on my success in my business. I have confidence that I will succeed, just as anyone else who starts their own home business will, as long as they are as determined as I am to succeed.

If you find yourself in the same situation as mine, having to care for a loved one while starting your own business then please follow all or some of my advice, it has worked for me and know it will work for you.

Also, if you are not caring for a loved one, but find yourself pressed for time, then I do recommend my tip of precooking your meals this alone will save you time in the kitchen. You will be grateful you did that when your family asks, "what's for dinner".

About The Author

This article was written by Debbie Reyes, you can visit my website at http://www.extra-income-work-at-home-mom.com

dreyes36@aol.com

MORE ARTICLES:

SmartLabs Introduces HouseLinc 2 - INSTEON Desktop Software w/ USB Interface: Easy INSTEON and X10 Home Automation Control and Management from a PC
SmartLabs, Inc. announces the release of HouseLinc 2, the next generation of the award-winning the HouseLinc - INSTEON Desktop Software. Building on the original software designed for the management of INSTEON-compatible devices in the home, HouseLinc 2 includes new features like background link management, enhanced product support and an all new look. It is available as a kit for first time users or as a free upgrade kit for original HouseLinc owners. Each kit comes with a required HouseLinc 2-enabled INSTEON PowerLinc Modem.

Windows Macro - Create Macros To Automate Common Tasks
Want to automate and record mouse clicks and keystrokes? Want a program that records macros on Windows OS?

AT&T Automates Change Control Process with BMC Software Atrium Orchestrator
AT&T is recognized as the leading worldwide provider of IP-based communications services to businesses and the leading U.S. provider of wireless, high speed Internet access, local and long distance voice, and directory publishing and advertising services.

Review Of Forex Killer - Automated Forex Trading Killer Review
We are all feeling the pinch today The word is out, the economy stinks and our "leaders' don't seem to have a clue

Outdoor Motion Detectors & Motion Sensor Lights
Who goes there? In this day and age, it might not be feasible for you to hire a 24-hour watchman to guard your house or property, but we can provide you with the next best thing

Automate, Automate, Automate
The key to running a successful and efficient online business is to automate as much of your work as possible:Automate your order-taking process..

Strategic Healthcare Programs (SHP) and Thornberry Ltd Announce Automated Interface between Healthcare Software Programs
Web interface enables SHP clinician-level analysis of NDoc® clinical point of care patient data. New automated web interface speeds the transfer of data from the NDoc clinical system to Strategic Healthcare Programs (SHP) software. Web services technology transfers OASIS assessments with clinician-level detail from NDoc to the SHP database.

Autonomic Controls Announces Touch Panel Software For Home Theater and Whole-House Audio
Autonomic Controls, the leading provider of media integration software for AMX, Crestron and HAI systems has announced a new product that enables remote access to digital music and video media using UMPC's and touch panels.

Allied Home Mortgage Implements Automated Compliance Controls Across Hundreds of Branches with ComplianceEase Solutions
One of the nations largest mortgage broker networks automates its compliance risk management with state-of-the-art technology.

Control The Air Flow Of Your Home: Ceiling Fan Remote Control
If you market something that is effective but caters towards convenience then you are on a winner at the moment. People specifically buy convenient items for their household because they just want to unwind at home after a long and stressful day?s work. They do not want to be bothered with technical things anymore because their hectic lifestyle does not allow it. Take the TV remote control for example. Why get up to change the channel if you do not have to? They will pay anything for a little extra comfort, which is why the ceiling fan remote control has been such a hit!

Skylink, Leader in Wireless Automation Products, Announces INSTEON Motion Sensor
Skylink unveils the release of the Skylink INSTEON Wireless Motion Sensor, a battery powered motion detection module for indoor and outdoor applications. It reliably communicates via INSTEON radio frequency (RF) to turn INSTEON compatible devices or scenes on and off. Skylink has assigned Smarthome (www.smarthome.com) as Master Distributor.

Motion Sensor Home Security Cameras
Many security cameras do not record well in the dark. This implies that a slinky presence can get away with any deed as long as the dark provides a shield. This is where a security camera with motion sensor comes in. The motion sensor triggers an automatic response as soon as it picks up a movement in its vicinity. Some of these cameras come equipped with floodlights that power up as soon as a motion is registered, flooding the area with light and catching the culprit in the act. This is further enhanced by the fact that a security camera with motion sensor often offers a connection to a TV or computer monitor. As soon as the sensor is triggered, images of the perimeter can be captured immediately.

Automated Forex software review
For the time being automated trading in forex is the buzzword.

Automate Your Work Using Macro System Module
Every webstore owner should take online store solutions for updating hundreds and thousands of products. They has to be edited quite often, thus making your store flexible and up-to-date. Large and medium stores have a lot of products with similar descriptions, however you have to go over each product separately and edit every piece of text manually. This is how it used to be. Now, you may automate this time-consuming operation using Macro System by MagneticOne. This module allows you to change similar parts of text in product descriptions just with one click. It is especially useful if you are the owner of a large store with lots of products: the module will help you to change parts of multiple product descriptions at once.

Cyber-Rain Expands Distribution Network, Now Available Through Home Automation Retailer Smarthome
Award-winning sprinkler control system saves users 30-70% on watering bills.