Tag Archives: 101

Aug20

Early Holiday Shopping 101

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Early Holiday Shopping 101

Hello!!! I absolutely adore the winter holiday season and want to be able to revel in it stress free. Of course, like many, that stress comes from the gift department which is why I like to get a very early jump on my Christmas shopping. I have a big family and that makes for a pretty extensive shopping list! Rather than scramble last minute and pray that the prezzies arrive on time, I avoid that completely by starting my purchasing right about now. This is never a chore but something really fun because your girl loves to shop even if it is for other people! As I prepare to get my holiday shopping out of the way, there are a few things that I always keep in mind. Let’s get started:

Consider Your Budget:

Holiday shopping should not break your bank and it is so important to consider your budget to prevent that from happening. The simplest way that I keep my budget in check is by placing a firm amount on what I am willing to spend and sticking to it. Sure, you can leave a bit of wiggle room. However, be wary of wiggling too much because that’s when you can get into trouble. Around now is when I like to pick up a few extra shifts at work and designate that cash for strictly holiday purposes. This is a great way to ease stress later on. Once again, I would much rather do more work now as opposed to waiting into the winter. And, yes, that is because I hate driving in the snow SO. Much. lol!

Consider Your Time:

Considering your time doesn’t exactly apply to online and in store purchases now. But, if you are going the handmade or custom made gift route, it is absolutely something to think about. Custom orders can take a decent amount of time to get done and it might take longer as the holiday season approaches. It is best to get these out of the way ASAP to avoid that. Homemade gifts are an amazing and most loved way to go and completing them in a rush could be very frazzling, to say the least. Chip away at your homemade goods when you can so you can more fully enjoy the craftsmanship and skill involved. Then, your gift will be made with love instead of hair being teared out. 😀

Sales & Deals:

Early holiday shopping is all about knowing what should be purchased at the current moment and what can wait until later. If you see an item for your giftee at an awesome price, then go for it now! Chances are you will not find it at a better price later if it is already a total steal. The same goes for clearance or seasonal products, get them now or they will be gone. It is also helpful to think about where you like to buy holiday gifts at. Do they run sales often? Do they have a big Black Friday or winter Semi-Annual Sale? If that is the case, it might be a good idea to wait until the prezzies you have your eye on are on promotion. This is a-okay, but you will want to be cautious because other people might be scoping them out too!

Alternate Options:

There are so many different ways to do holiday presents so talk to your family and friends and see about switching things up! Perhaps you will have a White Elephant party? Maybe everyone will have one specific giftee to shop for? Or how about everyone pitches in for an experience style gift all together? This can be a really fun way to make new family traditions while keeping stress at a minimum. There is no right way to do the holidays so get creative and go for it. Whatever it is will be perfect for your nearest and dearest. ❤

With that, I am ready to get my shop on and am already looking forward to holiday memories with my loved ones!

Are you an early or last minute holiday shopper? What is one of the holiday traditions in your family? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Aug18

Decision Making 101

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Decision Making 101

Howdy!! I don’t know about all of you, but I have a very difficult time making decisions. I stress, ruminate, and let anxiety build up until I just keep doing the same thing without making any changes. It’s understandable – any kind of change can be scary and I find a lot of comfort in the same old, same old. This past week, however, I had to make some really big work related decisions and it sucked lol. I am pleased to report that I made it through on the other side. I’d be a liar if I said I wasn’t still feeling some residual stress about it, but I know that I will feel much better in time. These are some of the things that helped me as I made choices and maybe they will help you too:

Deep Breaths:

If you’re like me and simply the thought of major changes puts you into a tailspin, then first and foremost, you need to chill. Sound decisions can’t be made when you are in distress so try and relax. Take deep breaths, sip a cup of tea, or have a hot shower. Whatever you need to do to put you in a calmer state of mind. Then, you can revisit the decision that needs made when you are feeling less frazzled.

Pros & Cons:

The most common way to make choices is to weigh the pros and cons and there is a reason for it – it is always effective. Grab a pen and paper, pull up a notepad on your phone, or type on the computer and start thinking about the good and bad that could come with each option. It will be so helpful to see your thoughts right in front of you rather than let them swirl around your head. Your initial pros and cons might be subject to change so don’t make a split decision immediately. Give it a day or two, revisit it, and see if anything or nothing needs reevaluated.

Think About You:

There is a high chance that whatever you are struggling to decide might effect other people. This can throw a huge monkey wrench in the process because, of course, we don’t want choices to negatively impact others. This is where I have the most difficult time and often just resort to doing the same thing. However, you need to think about yourself. Sometimes, what’s best for you isn’t best for the people that it might effect and that’s okay. Yes, you read that right: It’s okay. Doing for you isn’t always easy, but it’s necessary if you want to keep moving forward in a positive trajectory.

Go With Your Gut:

Maybe you have weighed your pros and cons and are still nowhere closer to a decision. If that is the case, think about your gut, heart, and mind. This is what it ultimately boiled down to as I made my work related choice. I knew exactly what I wanted and I had a hard time working up the nerve to just do it. Listen to yourself and what your body is telling you. The answers you need are all there so don’t swamp yourself down with the “what ifs” or you might end up getting stuck. I admit that I was stuck for over a month until I was able to do what I needed to do for me. All it did was cause me more stress as the situation festered in my head and that could have been easily avoided. Changes take time, though, and if you need extra time that is totally fine but it might make making the choice even harder if you drag it out.

I feel good about the decision I made because I know it will be good for me, even if it doesn’t feel that way right now. I also feel like I have a better grasp on making choices for the next time a situation arises – hopefully!

How do you make decisions? What is something you struggle with? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

May13

Interviewing 101

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Interviewing 101

Hello!! One thing that I have always enjoyed doing is conducting interviews with people. In fact, my very first job when working with the special needs community was leading family interviews. I truly believe that I have been given the gift of gab and I love that my new job as Tim Misny’s social media manager allows me to do interviews a lot. Over time, I have developed some surefire techniques to ensure that my interviews go without a hitch. Let’s check them out so you can use them too!

Research:

When I know that I have an interview scheduled, I immediately begin the research phase. Who am I interviewing? What is the subject of said interview? How am I going to incorporate my findings into the conversation? Prior to meeting Tim Misny for the first time, I researched current cases he’s working on, his merch line, and the Cleveland City Mission which his merch line benefits. I was surprised when he gave me the time to chat with him further and thanks to my prior planning, he said it was one of the best interviews he ever had. That was the kickstart of a beautiful friendship!

Key Points:

One of the most exciting things about interviewing is that you can never know for sure which way the conversation will go. A majority of the interviews I do are just winging it, yes, but I do like to plan for a few key talking points too. Chances are if you are doing an interview, there will be some things you have to talk about. However, it is SO easy for those questions to go right out the window once the interview starts. To prevent this, I always make sure I memorize the must talk about subjects, find good ways to incorporate them into the chat, and knock them out early on in the interview so I don’t forget them lol.

Listen Up:

To be a good interviewer, you have to be an excellent listener. Interviewing is simply responding to what the other person is saying so if you aren’t fully grasping it, you aren’t going to have an effective interview. When the interviewee is speaking, I take it all in. Then, as the answer starts wrapping up, I use what I learned to ask the next question. It’s natural to want to interject when the interviewee is answering you so try to avoid that at all costs! It’s just going to make both of you stumble. And, remember, you are more than likely not conducting live interviews. If you need clarification on something, take a pause, ask your questions, and resume when you are ready.

Just So You Know:

The whole point of an interview is not to make yourself look good. Read that again because it is important! An interview is for the interviewee to look good and it is your job to make that happen. That is why it is crucial to do your research, create talking points, and put your listening ears on. When you are doing everything you can to make your interviewee shine, you are going to look great by default. I also find that when I am not focusing on myself, I tend to interview even better because it eliminates any pressure. Shift your focus and both of you will enjoy the process of interviewing more!

Maybe you aren’t going to conduct interviews. That doesn’t mean these tips aren’t handy for other things too. Could you imagine how awesome a job interview would go if you tried the above beforehand?!

Have you ever interviewed someone before? How did it go? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

May9

Content Creating 101

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Content Creating 101

Hello!! This past week, I shared my pro tips for working from home and self employment that were very well received. So, I decided to do one more 101 post with a focus on content creating. For almost four years, I have been creating daily content for lifewithlilred and I am very determined to continue this streak for as long as humanly possible! These are some of the tips that help me stay motivated and creative and maybe they’ll be helpful for you too:

Patience is a virtue:

Over the past several years, influencers and content creators have made a big splash online and I’m sure we all have a favorite personality with millions of viewers. It might be easy to think that you can immediately start publishing content and hit it big but that is far from the case more often than not. Every popular influencer started off with minimal views and they worked hard to increase them. As a content creator, it is important to be patient and continue posting even if you think no one is seeing it. At the end of the day, this is what you have to do to boost your visibility so stick with it and don’t compare yourselves to other people – nothing good ever comes out of that!

Content is everywhere:

Chances are, you are not going to stumble upon instantly viral content and if you have, then you are SO lucky! Although you might not come across million view worthy things when you are out and about, there is still content everywhere. Sometimes, it helps to think small instead of big in terms of content, especially when you are feeling uninspired. Then, you can appreciate all of the little things that are just as post worthy too. This always helps me! Take a walk and post about how you felt in nature, write about your favorite knick knack at home; if you think that it is worth writing about, then it is. Simple as that. 🙂

Never stop learning:

There is, truly, a lot more to content creating than meets the eye and the online world is changing constantly. There are always going to be new social media platforms, trends, and techniques to learn and it’s important to stay up to date with them. Myself, for example, didn’t get an Instagram until the end of 2021 and I regret that because it’s literally the easiest platform ever and I just said “hard no” lol. Educate yourself by learning about SEO, analytics, trending topics, and ways to increase your visibility and incorporate it into your content. There are so many tools out there to help you, but they’re only going to help if you familiarize yourself with it first.

Have fun:

At the end of the day, I genuinely think that content creating is fun. I love to write, take pictures, explore, and I enjoy being on social media. If you are not feeling the joy of creating something, then it might be a good time to reevaluate what you are currently doing and see where you can improve. It’s okay to take breaks and give your mind a chance to refresh so you can get back to creating and having a blast while doing so.

Stay organized:

I cannot recommend a publishing schedule enough, especially when you are first starting out. This helps your viewers know when to expect your posts, look forward to them, and keep checking in. When I first began lifewithlilred, I was posting willy nilly with no set schedule and I quickly learned the benefits of establishing one. I went from twice a week content to every other day to every day in the near decade of my page’s existence. Having this set in stone schedule definitely assisted my page’s visibility. Create a schedule that works well for you and commit to it. Content is being created every second of every day all over the world. Random postings are very easy to get lost among the crowd!

When it comes to content creating, be patient with the process of it, stay motivated, and have fun. Whether you are getting one view or a million, you created something you were proud of and that’s the best thing of all!

What is your favorite social media platform? What are some of your content creating pro tips? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

May6

Self Employment 101

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Self Employment 101

Hello! In a recent post, I shared my pro tips for Working From Home 101 and I thought I would share my thoughts on self employment as well. For close to a decade, I have been working under the best boss in the world – myself! At times, it is stressful and difficult, but it is also so rewarding and I truly couldn’t imagine working under someone else ever again. I love what I do as an Independent Provider for people with special needs and as a Content Creator and I have had years to perfect my method. All of the following works for me and maybe it will be helpful for you too:

Organization is ESSENTIAL:

When you are self employed, it is up to you to handle everything and if you struggle with organization, it can be a struggle. Thankfully, I live to organize and thrive with a fairly strict schedule, making this aspect of self employment one of my favorite things. Sticking to a schedule and staying on top of things eliminates any surprises from interfering with your work flow. To keep myself in check, I follow these steps:

Paperwork: Getting behind on your paperwork is one of the absolute worst things that you can do. This is why I refuse to end a day without completing all of my forms both tangible and online. I also set aside time at the end of every month to complete my mileage log for my taxes. I am very meticulous about my paperwork and keep everything organized in a filing cabinet in my office. It just makes things easier to have everything I might ever need at the ready and even if it is annoying sometimes, my businesses wouldn’t thrive otherwise.

Scheduling: One of the benefits of self employment is making your own schedule. This freedom can be utterly intoxicating if you are used to waiting around for a schedule from a previous job. However, don’t enjoy it too much! Falling into the trap of “I’ll do it tomorrow” or “I have plenty of time to get it done” sets you up for failure. Creating a schedule that works for you and that you know you can commit to is only going to help you!

Taxes: Filing your taxes is going to be different than usual when you’re self employed and I cannot recommend getting familiar with this process enough. All year, my “tax” file in my cabinet gets a lot of use and by the time tax season rolls around, I have nothing left to do but schedule an appointment. When you learn what things can be “written off”, you can not only save money but step up your record keeping game. It’s a win/win and, of course, if you have any questions along the way, call the person who does your taxes!

Stay Cool:

When you are self employed, you are making the plunge from “employee” to “business owner”. It is very easy to get overwhelmed by this and the best thing that you can do is to keep a level head. Staying cool, calm, and collected allows you to make rational decisions for your business and it’s never good to make these calls when you’re stressed. As the owner of two businesses, I know firsthand that juggling so many different things can be intense. Whenever I notice that I’m feeling the pressure of this, I allow myself to take a break, clear my head, and start fresh.

Keep Learning:

Even if you are your own boss, you should never stop trying to learn new things to improve your business. Find a mentor, take classes, do your own research, and ask questions. You don’t want your business to plateau, but grow! My mentor has helped me SO much in skill development, educating myself, and mastering new things. Finding someone to take you under their wing or at least brainstorm with can boost your business in ways that you might not have even considered. Be curious, ambitious, and willing to learn – it will take you far!

Enjoy Yourself:

Being self employed is something that not everyone has the luxury of doing and it’s something that I feel very lucky for. I remember this often and even on crazy busy days, I am still happy that I am doing it all by myself. Shifting your mindset from “this is too much” to “this is pretty awesome” will make your days so much more enjoyable, even under stress. On rollercoaster days, just put your hands up and enjoy the ride because you never know where your business will take you!

My businesses have thrived from being highly organized and highly motivated and I feel so proud of that. These tips help me out every day and gives me the drive to keep going forward in my own self employment!

What are some of your self employment pro tips? What is your dream job? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

May1

Working From Home 101

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Working From Home 101

Hello! One of my goals for 2023 was to gain more opportunities to work from home. On January 3rd, this was answered through a partnership with a tech entrepreneur and I have been his in house writer ever since! It is the absolute best and now I spend my mornings working from home doing what I do best: Content creating and social media. At first, this new job was a bit stressful on top of my work schedule as an Independent Provider for people with special needs. However, I have gotten my work from home flow down pat and these simple adjustments keep my days running like a fine tuned machine:

Sticking to a schedule:

This seems like a no brainer, but a solid schedule is how I achieved optimum success. Once I learned that my mornings were going to be different, I immediately formed a schedule and a new wake up time based on how long it takes me to complete everything else I need to do. Unfortunately, this meant starting to get up at five AM every morning and that was really hard at first! However, after about a week, my body adjusted to the “early bird” BS and I am so thankful for that lol. I was able to work out to the minute how long it would take me to take care of Mel and Pen, shower, write for lifewithlilred, eat breakfast, and start WFH while still making it to all of my afternoon clients on time. In writing, it seems like a lot but this schedule sets my day up to run smoothly and I would be lost without it!

Break time:

I am an on the go type of gal and one mistake that I made when I began WFH was not allowing myself a break or two. This is why I now eat breakfast almost every day and when I have spare time, I watch an episode of Assassination Classroom on CrunchyRoll. It might not seem like it, but sitting in an uncomfortable chair in front of the computer for hours on end can be really draining – especially when you have another job to go to after! Whenever I am feeling stiff or my brain needs a breather, I know it’s time to get up and stretch or tool around on Facebook for five or so minutes to get myself back in check. All work and no breaks leads to burnout and I now know that taking a ten doesn’t hurt my work flow but help it drastically.

Communication is key:

When you work from home, obviously, your boss isn’t in the next room over so you can ask questions. Therefore, communication is key to WFH success. My boss and I are essentially on the same schedule in the morning, which means that we can hop on a conference call, game plan, and I know he’s just a call away if something doesn’t make sense. Working from home does give you some free reign, but that means nothing if you didn’t do what needs to be done correctly. I used to not be the fondest person of asking questions and now I know that this is a no no and I highly encourage check ins so everyone is on the same page.

Don’t forget to end your day:

When your home is your office, it is SO easy to forget to stop working lol. The saying goes to not bring your work home but what if your work is already at home?! Believe you me, whenever I get a new email or message from clients after hours, I want nothing more to respond immediately and that’s not good! Like any other job, clocking out at the end of the day means that you are done and it is important for your own well being to respect that. Unless it is an absolutely urgent matter, I consider my work day done at five o’clock and I am so glad for it. If you struggle with not being able to turn your work mode off, I cannot recommend setting up an out of office email enough and setting limits for yourself because you are only going to end up exhausted.

I have been working from home for five months now and it took some time for me to get the hang of it. All of the above helped me out so much and I hope some of these tips work for you too!

What are some of your own WFH tips? Do you prefer going to work in person or virtually? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Feb15

Moving In 101

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Moving In 101

In terms of stress- moving into a new place is right up there with starting a new job. All the packing and unpacking, hammering nails, and setting up of bills, it’s enough to send anyone into a panic. Before chaos ensues, take a breath, and read these top tips for packing up your old place and setting up your new one:

Lists: As much as the mention of lists might cause some sighs and eye-rolls, they are an essential part of moving. Boring yes, but completely essential. Before you move out make a list of things that you need to do. This will probably include finding and hiring movers, decluttering your home, and the careful packing up of your belongings. Tick off your list as you go so you know what’s left to do. This will keep you organized and on schedule throughout the move.

Packing & Decluttering: It’s time to be ruthless. Be realistic about what you’re keeping, especially if you’re downsizing. Get the measurements of your new place and make sure that everything is going to fit. Once you’ve sorted through your belongings it’s time to pack. Try and pack your items in room by room boxes. This will make it so much easier on the other end. Pack the heaviest items first to avoid crushing any smaller items. Avoid packing heavy books or ornaments in cardboard boxes. Even with tape on the bottom, it’s best to opt for a sturdier book box (the plastic kind).

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Pixabay Image

Setting Up The Bills: This stresses a lot of people out, but it doesn’t need to! For most of us, it’s about finding the internet, phone, gas and electricity providers. There are lots of sites out there that compare different gas and electric providers for you, based on your postcode. For internet and phone providers, shop around and find a deal that suits you that’s within your budget. This can all be done before you move in. The previous tenants or homeowners might also be able to provide some good tips about which providers worked for them.

Moving In Date & Time: If your move in date is flexible, be sure to choose wisely. Choose a date when you don’t have work the next day, or request it off. Try moving in as early in the day as possible. This gives you time to at least set up your bed with linen and unpack some essential toiletries and kitchen utensils. This means that when you wake up the next day you won’t be met by lots of unorganized chaos.

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Unpacking party!

Sleep: Moving is stressful! There’s no way around it. By following these tips and tricks you should be able to at least minimize the stress. But it’s still so important to get a great night’s sleep the day before the move. This will allow you to feel your best for the physically demanding day ahead! Try not too talk to much about the move the night before. This could lead to a sleepless night of worrying. As long as everything is planned and organized beforehand, you should be worry free!

Featured Image By: Pixabay