I have worked from home for nearly 15 years now, around bringing up my son and caring for my late husband, first as a freelancer and then for my own business. Both my parents have also always worked from home, so it is second nature to me. With the second UK lockdown in place many will be returning to their kitchen table with laptops again wondering how to get through it. I hope some of things that help me be productive will also help you and maybe WFH (working from home) will become more enjoyable for you too? Computer Having some kind of computer goes without saying for most people these days, but if this situation looks like it could become more of a long term one I would suggest getting a desktop machine rather than a laptop (if your budget allows). They are so much easier to use and you then avoid patchy Wi-Fi problems and running out of power during important web meetings. But if you are only likely to do basic admin on it then save your money. Wi-Fi Extender During the summer I invested in a Wi-Fi extender which meant I could sit in the garden and work on my laptop. It was such a good investment and made real difference to my well-being being out in fresh air and sunshine. It may be that you can get your employer to pay for things like this if it will help you to get work done or look at the government’s tax relief scheme. Dairy/planner Organisation is key when working from home and I always use a day per page diary to plan out what I need to be working on. It can be easy to get distracted at home but if you have ticked off everything on your work to-do list then why not chill out a bit? It’s also handy to jot down all those work contact emails and details so you have them quickly to hand. Workspace I am lucky enough to have a (tiny) spare room that I use as my office/studio space. It means I can shut the door on it at the end of the day which psychologically helps to switch off from work. If you don’t have a spare room then maybe set up a specific area or even if you using the kitchen table clearing it away at the end of the day will help you to separate work from your home life. Chair If you are sat in one place for eight hours or more a day a hard dining chair is not going to do you any good. If you can invest in anything it must be this. Choose one that is comfy and gives you good back support. At the very least get a cushion to put on whatever chair you have to use. I have learnt this one the hard way. Headphones If you and your partner are both at home some noise reducing headphones might help to concentrate or a use a PC headset for web meetings or just to shut out the noise of kids when they get home from school. I work on my own so haven’t needed these but my son’s noise has made me consider it! Podcasts One thing I have really started to enjoy while I am working is listening to podcasts. I am fairly new to podcasts but if you can work and listen to something at the same time I highly recommend Serial and The Teacher's Pet, if you like true crime, Can He Do That? and Gaslit Nation if you are into politics and The Missing Cryptoqueen, Wardrobe Crisis and The Guilty Feminist are also a good listen. Coffee It is just as important to take a break from your work at home as it is in the office. Having a short break actually helps you to be more productive and focused and breaks up the day too. Maybe you are missing the coffee you normally grab on the way in to work, so make some at home. My feeling is that whatever makes life better, especially right now, is definitely OK (so why not have a biscuit or too as well!) Trainers Now you are working from home you are likely to be far more sedentary than when you were going into the office as you may only have to roll out of bed to your desk (or maybe not even that). Scheduling in some exercise each day will help keep you sane while spending long hours in the same four walls. Putting on your trainers and going for a run is a cheap and easy way to stay fit and blow away those cobwebs. Sweat Pants Some people advise getting dressed up as if you are going to work to get into that mind-set and be professional. I say wear whatever makes you happy and is warm and comfy. If I have a web meeting I might put on a smarter top and still be wearing my tracky pants, and who is going to know or quite frankly care? These are trying times, let’s be kind to ourselves :-) Hope you enjoy these tips and they help you to be WFH masters! Ismay x Related Posts 7 Scandi Tips for a Covid Winter How to Survive Lockdown with Kids Sign up to the newsletter to get the best of the blog delivered to your inbox every month https://www.howlifeunfolds.com/personal-productivity/tips-successfully-work-home?&utm_medium=cpc&utm_source=bing&utm_campaign=Covid+19+Campaign+-+Phrase&utm_keyword=work+from+home+tips&msclkid=eb16f280e9d011a27e2ead24c5af721f&utm_term=work%20from%20home%20tips&utm_content=Work%20From%20Home%20Tips
https://uk.pcmag.com/speech-recognition/62410/20-tips-for-working-from-home https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/screen-time/202003/tips-working-home-young-children https://lovebelfast.co.uk/12-top-tips-for-working-from-home-with-children/ https://www.hellomagazine.com/healthandbeauty/mother-and-baby/2020032386754/louise-pentland-tips-working-from-home-with-kids/ https://www.johnlewis.com/2019-apple-imac-27-mrqy2b-a-all-in-one-intel-core-i5-8gb-ram-1tb-fusion-drive-radeon-pro-570x-27-5k-silver/p4071147 https://ninetypercent.com/collections/bottoms/products/organic-cotton-two-tone-sweatpants https://www.tp-link.com/uk/home-networking/range-extender https://www.etsy.com/uk/listing/744372906/weekly-planner-eco-friendly-recycled https://www.made.com/thelma-office-chair-white https://www.argos.co.uk/product/4506696 https://www.johnlewis.com/apple-homepod-mini/space-grey/p5178102 https://www.johnlewis.com/orla-kiely-flower-stackable-mug-300ml/green/p4601032 https://www.veja-store.com/en_uk/condor-mesh-light-grey-jaune-fluo-cd012431.html https://ninetypercent.com/collections/bottoms/products/organic-cotton-two-tone-sweatpants #workingfromhome #lockdown2 #toolkit My son said to me the other day that his favourite time of year is Halloween, even over Christmas! So, he is upset to miss out this year on our usual trip of trick or treating around the neighbourhood. I have reassured him that he can still have a sweetie overload and get dressed up but it is not the same. So, I have been trying to think of different things we can do safely at home to make up for it. I do want to add here to not put too much pressure on yourself to create an extravaganza (unless you want to). This could be a good time to reset and move away from the rampant consumerism of Halloween that we have inherited from the US. But in any case some ideas below may appeal to your kids too. Party During the first national lockdown we had a weekly zoom disco with my cousins and their kids, sometimes with themes and dressing up. We all chose a tune each and had a good old dance. It was a great way to connect with my family regularly and escape from covid worries. You could have a dressing up, face painting or dancing competition and give a grand prize. Here are some music suggestions: https://www.goodhousekeeping.com/holidays/halloween-ideas/g27955468/best-halloween-songs-for-kids/ https://open.spotify.com/playlist/2qPNGgprU8yCg8JJOTqkOs https://www.timeout.com/new-york-kids/things-to-do/best-halloween-songs-for-kids Decorate your house with pumpkins and hand crafted decorations made with the kids. Check out my Pinterest board here for ideas. Get the kids making some spooky snacks, here are some ideas on my Pinterest board. You could also play some games like apple bobbing or hiding sweets around the house with clues along the way or set up a pumpkin carving competition with your neighbours. Here are some more suggestions: https://www.thespruce.com/halloween-party-games-kids-1357658 https://www.onecrazyhouse.com/halloween-party-games/ https://www.countryliving.com/diy-crafts/g3476/halloween-party-games Online Halloween quizzes https://www.instagram.com/boywonder_brand/ https://icebreakerideas.com/halloween-trivia/ Halloween Kids Films Why not set up a Halloween movie night with friends using Netflix Party? Then you can all watch the same film at the same time and chat about it in a messaging app or just just do it manually and text each other? Here are some suggestions of films for different ages and where to stream them: https://www.goodhousekeeping.com/holidays/halloween-ideas/g2661/halloween-movies/ https://www.purewow.com/family/halloween-movies-for-kids https://editorial.rottentomatoes.com/guide/essential-scary-movies-for-kids/ Halloween Kids Books https://theladybirdsadventures.co.uk/halloween-books-for-young-children/ https://www.goodtoknow.co.uk/family/best-halloween-books-kids-514182 https://www.thechildrensbookreview.com/2020/10/the-best-new-kids-books-for-halloween-2020 I hope you all manage to have a fun and safe Halloween Ismay x Related Posts 7 Scandi Tips for a Covid Winter How to survive Lockdown with Kids Window Games for Lockdown How to have a Green Halloween Sign up to the newsletter to get the best of the blog delivered to your inbox every month Resources and references
https://familyedventures.com/fun-halloween-lockdown/ https://www.glamourmagazine.co.uk/article/how-to-celebrate-halloween-in-lockdown https://www.frukmagazine.com/lockdown-halloween-inspiration-2020/ #lockdownhalloween #covidhalloween #halloweenideas So, it looks like we are in for a long, hard winter with local or even national lockdowns looking quite likely. During the spring and summer months this didn't feel as daunting as now, facing dark months separated from family and friends with a virtual Christmas being little to celebrate. The Scandinavians have much to teach us on how to cope with a long winter, so I have put them together with some of my own thoughts on how I have coped as a widow during difficult times and developed some resilience. 1. Hygge & Koselig The Danish and Norwegian concepts of 'hygge' and 'koselig' can offer some much needed comfort. Getting snuggly and cosy with warm blankets, roaring fires, candles and low lighting sets the tone. These concepts also extend to hearty or comforting food too, so take it as an excuse to have a little of what you like - we all need a bit of extra insulation during the winter anyway! 2. Friluftsliv In Sweden the concept of outdoor living is expressed in the term 'friluftsliv' - literally translated as 'free air life'. This extends far past the idea of outdoor cafe culture to families with children happily playing in a playground covered in snow and ice during a snowstorm (I have witnessed this myself!) So, adopting some of their hardiness could help prevent us getting cabin fever and get the vitamin D and fresh air that will do us all good during this difficult time. We should embrace the Scandinavian saying that 'there is no such thing as bad weather, just bad clothing' and invest in good thermals, cosy knitwear and waterproofs. If meeting other households is permitted, then setting up an inviting, outdoor place could provide a little haven to continue being social with others. Utilising a BBQ or fire-pit to provide warmth along with some cosy blankets and hot drinks. 3. Jolabokaflod On Christmas Eve Icelanders give books and chocolate to their loved ones and then all go to bed early to read and eat their treats. It's no wonder that Iceland is known to be the most literary country in the world. I loved this idea so much that we have adopted it the tradition with my son getting family members second-hand books and yummy choccies each year. Disappearing into a good book is a great way to while away the long winter nights and we will need a bit of escapism in the coming months. 4. Fredagsmys This is the Swedish version of 'Friday night in' which we all be having many of our own of this winter. So stock up on tasty snacks, some steaming mulled wine and snuggle up in front of a fire or with a blanket to enjoy that box-set that you been meaning to watch. It's even better if you fall asleep and miss the end! If you use Netflix Party you can watch things at the same time as your friends and chat to them about the film as well. Plan it ahead so you have something to look forward to and use it to mark the weekends. 5. Fika Between 10 and 11am every day Swedes stop whatever they are doing and have coffee often with a tasty pastry such as kanelbullar (Cinnamon buns). It's a great way to take a bit of time out of a busy day and would normally involve chatting with friends or work colleagues. So, why not use it as a chance to text, phone or video call a friend and see how they are getting on? 6. Scandi Mindset Scandinavians don't dread the winter, in fact they love it! Their positive mindset helps them to cope with the short hours of daylight and they look forward to the snow so they can do their favourite winter sports. They cherish the unique beauty and stillness that winter brings. I love the changing of the seasons too and try to capture it with a camera. What can you do during this season that you wouldn't in spring or summer? Why not take up a new past-time like knitting or cross-stitch that you wouldn't do otherwise? 7. Self Care One of the most important things I did when my husband died was to take care of myself, so that I could be strong enough to take care of my son. I instinctively knew that I needed to eat regularly and healthily, exercise often and sleep as much as I could. Realising it's ok too to not be ok, to not have to do everything and not be perfect was important too. Be kind to yourself and enjoy a treat and some special treatment now and then as well as taking this opportunity to slow down, recharge and relax. All these tips are great if you are lucky enough to be in a relationship, but I think they are even more important If you are on your own as I have been. I hope this helps you through this crazy time and come out of the other end. I would love to know if you take up some of these tips or if you have any of your own. Ismay x Related Posts How to Survive Lockdown with Kids Sign up to the newsletter to get the best of the blog delivered to your inbox every month References & Resources
https://www.theguardian.com/science/2020/sep/26/dreading-a-dark-winter-lockdown-think-like-a-norwegian https://www.theguardian.com/world/2016/sep/04/hunting-for-hygge-a-new-ingredient-in-denmarks-recipe-for-happiness https://www.babbel.com/en/magazine/top-5-winter-survival-secrets-from-scandinavia https://www.scandikitchen.co.uk/6-tips-to-winter-like-a-scandi/ https://www.stylist.co.uk/long-reads/seasonal-affective-disorder-sad-winter-blues-dark-mornings-cold-weather-happiness-advice-scandinavia/316720 #scandiliving #covid19 #toptips While we all think of ways to keep the kids amused as well as stay in contact with the outside world how about trying to combine the two? After seeing the drawings of rainbows done by Italian children during lockdown I was inspired to think of creative ways to use these spaces in our communities. So here are a few ideas that are as yet untested, but could maybe work with a few adjustments depending on the layout of your street & type of housing. If your household has binoculars these could come in useful or otherwise look at your neighbours windows when you take some daily exercise. For most of these ideas you would need to set up some sort of street communication through WhatsApp, Facebook, Next-door or similar to play together.
Charades Each day a different household could draw a picture to represent either a film, book or song for the other side of the street to guess and put it up in their window. Take it in turns and alternate between each side of the street each day. The drawing can have the theme written at the top, but should not otherwise have any letters, numbers or symbols. At the end of the week or allowed time, the side of the street with the most pictures guessed right wins. Hangman Each household takes turns to choose a word and draw the hangman that they out in their window. Maybe start one end of the street and alternate between sides each day. The chosen word is represented with dashes for each letter. Anyone on the street who can see the household drawing can suggest letters for the mystery word. If the letter is correct the drawing household puts it into the space it appears. If it is wrong the first part of the hangman is drawn. The others on the street must guess the word before the hangman is fully drawn because of wrong letters guessed. Chinese Whispers This one has to be done from the confines of your house rather than when passing by outside for it to work better. A house at one end of the street (no. 1) chooses a phrase and writes large enough to read and places in a visible window. The house opposite (no. 2) has to write what they think they can read and write that on paper and place in their window. The next house opposite them (no. 3) then does the same. By the time it gets to the end of street it will hopefully be beyond recognition to the starting phrase and hilariously funny. Anagrams Take a word, scramble it up and write it out in large letters to put up in a window. The first neighbour to guess what it is wins. Take it in turns and increase the length of the words to increase the difficulty. Boggle Take in turns to draw up a 4 x 4 grid of randomly chosen letters. You could pick these out of a bag of scrabble letters or from a real boggle game if that helps. Put up the grid in a window and make sure it is large enough for all to read it. Set a time period for people to view it from 10 minutes to an hour or more if necessary. Houses that can see the boggle grid must come up with as many words from the grid as they can. The letters must connect to form the word and not repeat and no plurals, abbreviation or slang allowed. To simplify the point scoring award a point for each letter each word contains. The household with the highest scores wins the round. Take turns and alternate the side of the street so that different houses get the chance to see the boggle grid. Art Competition Choose a daily theme and get the kids to set their imaginations free! Encourage use of different media; paints, pastels, collage etc. and the bigger the better. Place them proudly in upstairs windows for all to see. Then each household on the street could vote on a winner and a chocolate prize could be awarded. I'm sure there are hundreds of other well known games or activities that could be adapted in a similar way so let me know if you think of any more. I hope you will all try some and get playing with your neighbours to help strengthen your community and get through these hard times. Ismay x #lockdowngames #coronvirus #covid19 Related Posts How to Survive Lockdown with Kids Hello dear readers,
As my son and I go into self isolation due to my son's medical risk, I thought it might be useful to share with others my ideas on how to cope with it. As a widow and a home worker I am used to spending long periods on my own, so am maybe more well equipped than others to cope, and some of these strategies have been key to me surviving the dark times after my husband's death. Keeping the kids amused in different ways rather than just the telly should help maintain a happy (isolated) household (although TV is still definitely essential!) Self Care This is so important, because as parents we put our kids needs before our own, but if we burn out we will be no good to anyone. Make sure you have some space & time to yourself each day doing something that helps you to unwind, switch off or escape. Having a relaxing bath, doing some meditation, getting lots of sleep, reading a good book, and maybe putting ear plugs in to block out everything else for a few minutes will go a long way in keeping you sane. Dads may want to escape to their 'man cave' or shed perhaps for a bit of time out. Books, magazines & comics. You can access your library online and download e-books, e-magazines, e-comics and digital audiobooks onto phones and tablets. E-books can also be downloaded from Amazon onto Kindles. Download digital audiobooks onto your phone or an old handset and kids will happily listen with headphones giving you precious peace and quiet! Films & TV Why not have a movie night? Dig out an old favourite DVD, stream or download one from the internet or order for delivery online. Get out the popcorn out and cuddle up - bliss! You could even host a watch party with Netflix or do your own by choosing to watch a film simultaneously with someone else you know. Parents can look forward to an evening treat of a boxset binge after the kids are in bed. Games Board games and card games area great way to bring the family together for a bit of fun. There are also some online table games you can play with friends. Video games with online multi-player options are great for older kids so they can still play with their friends. Sticking to a screen time limit is good and this may be helped by pre-arranging a 'digital playtime' with their friends, which you may need to help with unless they have their own phones. Boredom Combating boredom while being stuck inside for long periods of time will help reduce tensions. We use a family time jar with different activities in to be picked out a random when the dreaded words 'I'm bored' get uttered. There are so many things you could put in here from treasure hunts, hide and seek, colouring, jigsaws and crafting. Setting aside a regular time slot for playing with your kids, perhaps when you would usually home after work, will help give a structure to the days. There are more ideas here. Outside World Phone or video calling friends and family regularly and not relying on just social media will help us feel connected to the real world. Kids might want to chat to friends too or maybe email each other like pen-pals. If you live close enough to your neighbours to see their windows your kids could create a game involving poster messages or similar putting their inventiveness to the test. For people's birthdays you could make cards together and photo, scan or post them (in a remote post box) or even sing a song and video it to send to them instead. Outdoors If you have a garden, getting outside as much as you can will help boost vitamin D levels and prevent cabin fever. If the weather is good try a lawn picnic, camping, den building or an assault course. Get the kids involved with planting spring bulbs and watching them grow will give you joy during the hard times in the coming months. A walk in a remote or un-busy place should be fairly safe too, if you keep your distance from other people or go out at night. A drive just to escape the house could also help and cycling and jogging would be low risk too if you avoid contact. Take the time to appreciate the peace and quiet on our streets, less pollution and listen to the birds sing. Remember to get everyone to wash hands their hands when they are back inside though as the virus can stay on hard surfaces for some time. Virtual Reality Why not take a virtual tour of a museum from the safety of self isolation? 12 famous museums have virtual tours including the British Museum, the Guggenheim and Musee D'Orsay and they are free too! Exercise Getting regular exercise will really help you not only stay well and fight off any infection, but keep your spirits up due to the endorphins released. Yoga can be particularly beneficial as it is also calming. I highly recommend Yoga with Adrienne which is available free to watch on YouTube. Here are some other online suggestions. Keep the kids active too to burn off all the pent up energy from being stuck inside with 'PE with Joe' on YouTube. Food & drink Frozen and tinned fruit and veg will provide you with you with much needed nutrients if you can't get out to stock up on fresh food. Eating healthily and avoiding too much alcohol will keep your immune system strong, but a glass or two of wine at the weekend could be a good way to mark time and have something to look forward to. Why not try baking bread or cakes with the kids too? If you have to go out for supplies try to use small local businesses as many of these will struggle to stay afloat and there will most likely be less people in them than the big supermarkets, but use masks and gloves where possible and wash or sanitize hands as soon as you get home. Chores If you end up doing everything for everyone resentment and tension will soon build up, so it might be an idea to divide up the chores and work as a family team. Kids learn good life skills and responsibility too from doing chores, so get them involved with clearing away meals, cooking, laundry and looking after pets. Work This is an emergency situation, so although it's tempting try not to bury your head in work. It will be important for kids to know that you are there for them and you will get through it together. They will need to be able to spend time with you so they can express their worries and feel reassured. It's a good opportunity to slow down, rethink your priorities and consider your work/life balance. Setting specific times to work, in a separate room if possible, will let kids know when they can have family time and when to leave you alone. Learning Schools may well at some point set up online classrooms or homework, but there are also other ways to keep them learning. Some schools have subscriptions to apps like Times Table Rockstars and Reading Eggs and there are many maths websites, free scholastic and Twinkl learning resources and educational TV programmes like Horrible Histories and Number Jacks. Why not also engage in some other skills by teaching or learning together things like knitting or cooking? You can also download language and learning apps like Duolingo onto phones or laptops. You could also learn something yourself through an online short course with FutureLearn. To do There are always jobs that we never get round to as we are so busy, so why not take the opportunity and tidy that cupboard, sort out that paperwork or write that email to an old friend. It will give you a sense of much needed purpose & achievement as well as being able to tick something off that never-ending 'to do' list. Quarantine If any of you are ill then quarantine should be set up in a isolated room and the patient should use a separate bathroom and towels if possible. Keep well people out of the room and wash hands for 20 seconds whenever you have been in it to prevent spreading the virus. Use a mask, apron and gloves if you have them and get the patient to 'catch it kill it bin it' with coughs and sneezes. Use separate crockery and cutlery, keep their fluids up and use paracetamol rather than ibuprofen based medicated to bring down the fever. Once they are well and after 7 days they can come out of quarantine and you will need to do a deep clean. Wash bed linen with laundry cleanser or at a high temperature and wipe sides down with a sanitising spray or wipes containing 60% alcohol. Community Helping each other by supporting those in our communities will be how we get through this - together. Set up a Facebook or WhatsApp group for your street so people can check on elderly, vulnerable or isolated neighbours, leave provisions outside their door or just be there for a chat on the phone. Be grateful and thankful to those on the front line and doing the jobs that keep the country going, such as bin men and posties etc. Donate to homeless charities and food banks, as the most vulnerable people in our societies will be the ones most affected. Wellbeing Having been through bereavement, I know this is the most important thing of all. Talk to each other and listen to your kids. Get them to write or draw about their worries. Keep the news away from them as much as you can and switch off yourself from it too when it gets too much. If someone you know gets ill or dies, be honest about it and try not to panic. There are professional services out there with free support too. Draw pictures or write letters and photograph and email or WhatsApp them to sick friends and relatives. Give yourself to time and space to grieve, even if you don't lose loved ones, as we will all be surrounded by death and be traumatised by it to some extent. It's normal to feel angry, sad and scared. Express those feelings in a safe way while also trying to remember good things. Be silly, listen to your favourite music and have a dance with your kids. Make the most of your time together as none of us know when it could be cut short. I hope these help you all over the this difficult time. Please pass on any other ideas as I would love to hear them. Stay well everyone. Ismay x #coronavirus #selfisolation #covid19 Related Posts Window Games for Lockdown Our kids are precious, beautiful beings right? (well most of the time!) and we want them to stay that way don't we?
Well I was rather horrified after reading about Greenpeace's report on the various dangerous substances found in kids clothes. Garments from twelve major brands including Burberry, Gap and Disney were tested and found to contain high levels of nasty chemicals. 82 garments were tested in total from luxury brands down to budget fashion and all were found to contain something hazardous. A printed Primark children's t-shirt contained 11% phthalates which are known hormone distrupters. These exceeded limits on childcare products set by the European Union. Another hormone disruptor PFOA (Perflouroctonoic Acid) was found in in an Adidas swimsuit in higher levels than was permitted by its own restricted substance list. Nonylphenol Ethoxylates (NPEs) which are in widespread use within the textile industry were found in at least one article from each brand. American Apparel, Disney & C&A had significantly high levels of this particular nasty. So what's wrong with these weird toxins with unpronounceable names? Our children are especially susceptible to effects of chemicals so in my opinion they have no place in childrenswear. The workers who produce these garments are also highly exposed to any effects of such chemicals as is any wildlife that comes in to contact with these chemicals after they are released into waterways and even when we wash these toxic clothes. They effect our immune, reproductive and hormonal systems and have been known to give male fish female characteristics! Scary stuff :-( But to end on a good note, there ARE thoughtful and sustainable producers of kids clothes, of which Boy Wonder will be one and they do not use such horrible nasties. Ismay x #ToxicMonsters #Greenpeace #SustainableFashion |
Support my work
Need funding for your creative business?Sign up to our mailing list to get a handy list of sources.
Archives
November 2020
Categories
All
All Boy Wonder images and text are subject to copyright © 2019 . All Rights Reserved
|