she works hard for the money

I made it through my first week as a working mama! To bring you up to speed, I recently took a job for an internet marketing firm and I'm loving it! I've actually worked with the owner of the company before, so the job is not completely new, but it is a young company growing quickly, and everything is very exciting!

I was lucky enough to find a fabulous nanny, my friend Myriah who is a stay-at-home mom with an adorable 1 year old daughter named Avery. I feel very fortunate. The kids had a great week and we all seem to be doing well with the new schedule. Plus I'm just working part-time so I still have plenty of time to play with my two favorite munchkins.

Hoping to catch up on my websites and blogging more next week. Working on some exciting changes so stay tuned!

working mom

I'm on a job hunt. I've decided it's time to find part-time work to help our family out financially. Yes, I know I JUST posted about wanting to start my own business, and I still do, and still plan to on the side. I'm supermom, I can do everything, right? :)

I've already started applying to a few places and am starting to line up interviews. Hopefully I can find the perfect situation for me that works for our family too.

Now it's just time for some serious life organization. If I'm going to make this all work, I better get to it. Look for updates soon!

Oh, and if any local readers know of a fabulous part-time position for an admin/marketing superstar like myself, keep me in mind!

All items pictured above available at www.SeeJaneWork.com

most amazing woman on the web! or atleast, one of them.

Today I got a "tweet" (that would be a message on twitter) that I was chosen as one of Stiletto Woman Magazine's "Top 50 Most Amazing Women on the Web" I was super excited, to say the least, and honored to be included in such an incredible list of women.

This good news came at a great time, as I've been having a rough few days. I had all four wisdom teeth yanked a couple of days ago, and let's just say it's been a less than pleasant experience. A combination of pain + pain killers has put me in a constant foggy state, in fact, I'd be surprised if this post makes any sense at all.

Hoping normal life to resume soon!

Inspiration

The intent of starting The Novice Mom was to document my journey of being a stay-at-home mom and budding entrepreneur. My road to being an entrepreneur has been a slow one, but I'm still on it nonetheless! It's been over two years since I started Peekaboo Picks and next week I will be launching my latest project, Rain or Shine Finds. Rain or Shine Finds will be a trend-spotting site just like Peekaboo but will feature only local (Pacific Northwest) companies. I am beyond excited about it!
I'm thinking of this as the next step on my path to becoming an entrepreneur. I have the vision, it's just a matter of time. As many of you know, I have a real passion for the mom/baby/maternity world and have enjoyed getting to know so many inspirational moms who have started their own businesses. One being the fabulous Shelly from Plein de Vie. I'm hoping the launch of Rain or Shine Finds will connect me with even more cool local entrepreneurs.



I recently found this inspirational video and thought I would share. I love it! Here's to remembering the kid in me and pursuing my dreams!

10-10-10

My resolution for 2009 is to simplify my life. I'm trying to go "back to basics" in all aspects of my life. From the time I spend with my family, to my health and fitness, to Peekaboo Picks. I believe that extraordinary things can come from living a simple life.

My crave for simplicity is perhaps what drew me to 10-10-10, a new book by Suzy Welch. The name Suzy Welch might ring a bell for some of you, she is a regular contributor to O Magazine. Having lived a very busy life herself as an author, commentator and business journalist (not to mention MOM to 4 kids ages 14-19!) Suzy dishes up some simple advice for dealing with life's more difficult decisions.

The 10-10-10 concept is basically a way to think through the consequences of your decisions in a 10 minute, 10 month, 10 year time frame. This thought process can be applied to any decision you have to make, whether it be about love, work, family or anything else life might throw at you. How simple! How smart!

I will admit, I tuned out some of the chapters and stories shared in 10-10-10 that didn't really apply to me...at this point in my life. Instead, I focused on the chapters in the book about parenting and career decisions, things I deal with every day.

While I have chosen to be a stay-at-home mom for the time being, it wasn't an easy decision for me to make. It would have been so helpful to have used 10-10-10 to guide me through my thought process. Now that I'm focused on building a career from home, I will continue to use the 10-10-10 concept as I strive to find balance between having a successful career and raising my family with the values that are important to me.

What I love about Suzy's writing is that she offers her readers a tool (10-10-10) that doesn't frame things in black and white. It's an individual's values that will guide them through the 10-10-10 process, meaning results will be as different as people are. So even though staying at home with my children might be the right decision for me, it isn't the right decision for every parent. She even jokes about the ongoing "mommy wars" which we all know is a battle that will never be won! Using 10-10-10 can free you from guilt and any insecurities you might feel about your decision; something I think ANY mom could use!

I would definitely recommend this book to my fellow novice moms. It's a quick read and will leave you thinking more clearly about your life. You can read more about the book on Suzy's website: www.suzywelch101010.com

The Year of Change

We heard the word over and over this election season: change. Change we can believe in. Change we need. Yes we can [change]! Now that the election is over, and the economy has gone down the toilet, I for one am ready for change! A little more change in my pocket would be nice too.

And while I'm confident President (Elect) Obama truly will be the change this country needs, I'm also thinking about the changes I will be making personally in 2009.

As mentioned in a previous post, I'm hoping to change my perspective in 2009 when in comes to being a SAHM. I never thought I would be asking my hubby (er, I mean Santa) for a sewing machine for Christmas, become a regular at bunko nights, or be this excited about going to story time at the brand new library. But what can I say, things change.

Next year I'll be making some changes to Peekaboo Picks in hopes of remaining relevant in the oversaturated baby industry, to bring more of my personal influence to the magazine, and well, simply to keep it fresh and fun as I have a tendency to get bored with it.

I'm also launching a new site in January! I've been toying with the concept for a couple of months now, and I've decided it's time to make it happen! I'm in planning mode now, working on the site design and ironing out the details. So stay tuned...

And then of course, there is The Novice Mom. This is where all of these changes will be documented on an (almost) daily basis. Yes, 2009 will be the year of change and I'm looking forward to the journey! I hope you'll join me.

Design on the Mind

I've always loved design but lately I've been really obsessing about it. I've been reading lots of blogs and getting super inspired! So I've made a few resolutions for 2009...


1. Learn how to sew. I'm yearning to make drapes, duvet covers, and throw pillows from vintage fabrics. I want to sew Ireland little dresses and make monster dolls for Aiden. So step one, learn how to sew. (image via www.prettylittlethings.typepad.com)



2. Start shopping thrift stores and flea markets for furniture and decor. Our house has such charm and whimsy - I don't want to fill it up with Ikea! I'm craving mid-century modern mixed with vintage. Classic pieces with a modern twist. Pops of color in funky accessories. Time to get shopping! (image via www.mycakies.blogspot.com)



3. Create a space just for me. I need an office in our house, somewhere I can go to feel creative. I'm thinking something like this. (image via www.droozstudio.blogspot.com)



4. Learn photography! I probably should have listed this as number one since this is my number one resolution for 2009. I'm hoping 2009 will bring a camera and some photography classes. (image via www.shannonsewell.com - one of my favorite photographers and such an inspiration!)


5. Bake. Okay, so this doesn't have a whole lot to do with design, but I'm considering it part of my 2009 creative makeover. I'm not much of a cook, and probably never will be. But I do enjoy baking and who couldn't use a few more cupcakes in their life, right? (image via www.bakerella.com)

6. Share. I'm hoping to share my design journey here on The Novice Mom through my words and lots and lots of photos! I'm so excited, aren't you?!

Where are you going with this?

My mind is a constant mosh pit of ideas. Running an online magazine and being so wrapped up in the whole mom entrepreneur world, I'm constantly thinking up business ideas, marketing concepts, and plans to take over the world. Okay, maybe not the world. But seriously, despite having the occasional mommy brain, it seems my mind is generally set to overdrive. I truly wish I could just be content with where I'm at now and focus on the task at hand. And in someways, I've come to that conclusion. I've decided that instead of investing my time in thinking up all these new ideas, I just need to focus on what I've started. To improve upon and take advantage of the amazing opportunities my life has afforded me so far.

So here's where I'm going with all of this. I've scrapped other goals to focus on my online magazine and attempt to make it profitable. The point now is to establish myself in the "mom" industry and then, when my kids have grown a bit, perhaps once they're both in school, I will actually have the time and resources to pursue some of these other goals.

For now, my number one priority is raising my two beautiful children. I love being able to stay home with my kids, even if it means giving up other luxuries. As everyone knows, being a mom is a full time job. And though pursuing my career goals excites me, I'm not sure I'm ready to take on the overtime.