How Pinterest is Driving Moms Crazy?

Temper tantrums? Easy. Work-life balance? Handled. No, the enemy of mothers today is much more insidious and terrifying: Pinterest.

A survey of 7,000 moms by the “Today” show found that 42% say they suffer from “Pinterest stress.” That’s the feeling you get when you realize that every other mother is more artsy and craftsy than you are.

Pinterest is a photo sharing site popular for showcasing home projects, food dishes and hobbies.

A quick perusal reveals thousands of clever and adorable ideas for filling your children’s lunchboxes, decorating their rooms and accessorizing their backpacks. Why give them ordinary graham crackers when you can attach them together to look like a fire truck?

Well, here’s one reason — there are only 24 hours in a day.

A few years ago an acquaintance of mine with an Ivy League degree and a JD from a prestigious law school decided to quit her job at a high-powered firm in Washington. She was not getting to spend enough time with her children.

Even on a reduced-hour schedule, it just wasn’t working. But shortly after she made this transition, I started to notice that her online feed was filled not only with more cute photos of the boys but also an extensive list of the vegetables she was now growing, the sauces she was making from them and the delicious new dishes she was trying out.

Modal TriggerOn the one hand, I thought, “Boy it would be nice to have all those hours to spend with my kids and not worry about when to fit in writing and editing.” On the other hand, I have never had any particular aspirations to be a gourmet chef or a master gardener.

Similarly, there is nothing about motherhood that would make me more inclined to know what to do with a gluestick. I wasn’t a very artistic child, and I’m not a very artistic adult. If my children want me to read a book with them or play outside I’m happy to oblige, but I’m not about to become Martha Stewart.

When did being a good parent mean becoming a master hobbyist?

Studies show that working moms today often spend more hours with their children than stay-at-home moms did in a previous generation.

Back then, there were more children in each family, children were allowed to spend more time on their own and stay-at-home mothers needed to spend a lot of time washing dishes and clothes.

Yet there are plenty of mothers who think that although they are playing with their kids, feeding them, taking them to the park and reading them stories, they are still underperforming.

IF MY CHILDREN WANT ME TO READ A BOOK WITH THEM OR PLAY OUTSIDE I’M HAPPY TO OBLIGE, BUT I’M NOT ABOUT TO BECOME MARTHA STEWART.

Online, these moms see birthday cupcakes that look like nail-polish bottles or fruit snacks with mustaches. They see meals that have taken days of forethought and hours of preparation. They get the idea that being handy with construction paper is part of a mother’s job description now.

It’s one thing for working parents to stress over whether they get to spend enough time with their children. But it’s quite another for them to stress about whether they are producing enough lunchbox crafts to make their children’s classmates’ jealous.

For her new book, “I Know How She Does It: How Successful Women Make the Most of Their Time,” Laura Vanderkam looked at time diaries of women who managed to juggle demanding jobs and young families.

She found that “women who made peace with their time tended to focus on the things that mattered to them, and for everything else, borrowed the theme song from ‘Frozen’ and ‘let it go’ ” — even if that meant not keeping up with the other moms.

Pinterest, Vanderkam says, “is for adults, not children.”

There’s nothing wrong with being crafty or domestic and many of the powerful women she interviewed enjoyed knitting too. But they were doing it for themselves.

She concludes: “If you’re going to make graham cracker fire trucks with your kids as a fun project, that’s great. If you’re shooing them out of the room because you’re worried they’ll nibble on the graham crackers and keep you from getting Pinterest-worthy photos — that’s a problem.”

http://nypost.com/2015/05/31/how-pinterest-is-driving-moms-crazy/

Dr Black gives great tips for Stay at home mums on how to make money online

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Got an internet connection and a laptop/smartphone? Then you can make money

Ask Dr Black is a new weekly column in which computer scientist Dr Sue Black answers your tech-related questions - whether you're worried about your kids online or want to protect yourself against online identity fraud.

Great question! The world of work is going through a quiet revolution. There are so many ways now to make money online. With just a laptop or smartphone and an internet connection you have access to myriad opportunities.

Here are 7 ways of making money from home:

1. Freelance

We all have skills that others don't have. Think about all the things that you can do that someone might pay for, from office skills like admin or being a virtual assistant to social media or web design. Elance is a well known freelance portal.

2. Human intelligence tasks

You can make money answering questionnaires, watching videos, searching for information or tagging images through sites like Swagbucks and Qmee andMechanical Turk.

3. Flog your gear

Do you have lots of books or clothes that someone else might be interested in buying? You could post your stuff up for sale on a website like eBay, Gumtree orCraigslist. If you have lots to sell you could also sell through Amazon.

4. Make stuff

Traditional handmade goods are very popular at the moment, perhaps there is something you can make and sell online? Crafts are sold online through specialist websites like Etsy or more general sites like eBay. You can set up your own online store using Shopify or design products like T-shirts and mobile phone cases and sell them through CafePress.

5. Teach

Do you have expert knowledge in a specialist area? You could be an online tutor with TutorHub teaching subjects as diverse at maths, art, law, flute and psychology as well as different languages.

6. Write

What book could you write? Perhaps you have always wanted to publish short stories for young adults? There's money to be made writing ebooks especially if you can get generate a large readership.

7. Affiliate marketing

If you have your own website you can become an associate with companies such as Amazon and eBay and earn up to 10% on the products sold through your site.

There are now roughly 1.5 billion English speakers in the world, that's plenty of people to sell to, or work for. Once you have identified what will work best for you get out there into the global marketplace, the world is your oyster.

GettyGot an internet connection and a laptop/smartphone? Then you can make money Ask Dr Black is a new weekly column in which computer scientist Dr Sue Black answers your tech-related questions - whether you're worried about your kids online or want to protect yourself against online identity fraud. Great question! The world of work is going through a quiet revolution. There are so many ways now to make money online. With just a laptop or smartphone and an internet connection you have access to myriad opportunities. Here are 7 ways of making money from home: 1. Freelance We all have skills that others don't have. Think about all the things that you can do that someone might pay for, from office skills like admin or being a virtual assistant to social media or web design. Elance is a well known freelance portal. 2. Human intelligence tasks You can make money answering questionnaires, watching videos, searching for information or tagging images through sites like Swagbucks and Qmee and Mechanical Turk. 3. Flog your gear Do you have lots of books or clothes that someone else might be interested in buying? You could post your stuff up for sale on a website like eBay, Gumtree or Craigslist. If you have lots to sell you could also sell through Amazon. 4. Make stuff Traditional handmade goods are very popular at the moment, perhaps there is something you can make and sell online? Crafts are sold online through specialist websites like Etsy or more general sites like eBay. You can set up your own online store using Shopify or design products like T-shirts and mobile phone cases and sell them through CafePress. 5. Teach Do you have expert knowledge in a specialist area? You could be an online tutor with TutorHub teaching subjects as diverse at maths, art, law, flute and psychology as well as different languages. 6. Write What book could you write? Perhaps you have always wanted to publish short stories for young adults? There's money to be made writing ebooks especially if you can get generate a large readership. 7. Affiliate marketing If you have your own website you can become an associate with companies such as Amazon and eBay and earn up to 10% on the products sold through your site. There are now roughly 1.5 billion English speakers in the world, that's plenty of people to sell to, or work for. Once you have identified what will work best for you get out there into the global marketplace, the world is your oyster.

How to make Money from your Hobby ?

Whether you want to make a bit of money out of a hobby, or you hope to launch your own retail business, reaching would-be buyers on your own can be tricky. However, by joining an existing website you can find a ready-made audience of consumers. Alongside some of the biggest online names are specialist websites which might suit you better if you’re selling handcrafted goods. Here’s a look at how much some of the main players cost to use and what you get for your money.

Etsy

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If you can limit your set-up costs while you build your confidence and test the water, so much the better. Etsy is fantastic for this as listing an item costs just 20 US cents (roughly 13p) for four months or until it sells, plus commission of 3.5% (plus VAT) on each purchase. If you are selling a quantity of the same product, these fees apply to each item sold. The item price is converted into dollars by Etsy before the fees are applied.

Other websites offer much more by way of marketing, but that comes at a cost.

The US-based website’s greatest strength is its vast scale – it has 30 million registered shoppers – but this can also be a disadvantage as you are among many rivals. It is open to anyone to use, which helps if you do not have a track record of selling or if your products don’t fit in with the style of other, more selective websites, but it also means there is no quality control. Indeed, Etsy’s craft disasters – from Sex Burger, a less-than-erotic painting of a naked couple embracing in a sesame bun, to a clock made from a cheese grater – earned themselves such a reputation that was celebrated on the now sadly defunct website Regretsy.com.

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Etsy allows factory manufactured products for sellers who have outgrown the capacity to handmake all their products, but some feel this betrays the website’s crafty roots. It also allows the sale of vintage items, but stipulates they must be at least 20 years old.

Simmi Duffin, 35, from the Forest of Dean, sells felt creations and sewing patterns under her brand Grace’s Favours. “It is incredibly straightforward to use and there are very helpful guides that show you how to set up a shop and what categories to list under,” she says. “You can get sales from all over the world but also choose where you want to make your items available, right down to individual products if they are difficult to send abroad.” Duffin says one of her biggest selling products is a Cuddly Campervan because it is unusual and comes up in searches both on Etsy itself and when enthusiasts are hunting for memorabilia on Google. “Jewellers, on the other hand, complain that it is very hard to be found because there are thousands of other sellers,” she says.

Folksy

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Folksy is the UK equivalent of Etsy, but much smaller. It insists on products being handcrafted, with no mass-manufactured or vintage products allowed. It turned over around £1m in sales in the year to September and has around 300,000 visitors a month. Sellers have two options: the basic account costs 15p per item you list and 6% commission (plus VAT) on every sale . Alternatively, you can list as a Folksy Plus seller with the same commission charge on every sale, but unlimited listings for £45 per year (including VAT). Users say it is very simple to set up.

Clare Freemantle, 34, from Newcastle runs Serious Stamp, creating custom-made ink stamps for use on wedding invitations and loyalty cards among other things. She uses several channels including Etsy, Folksy, Dawanda and Not On The High Street. “Folksy is my quietest platform. It is still a bit small, but they don’t charge a lot for what you get,” she says.

Given the low set-up costs, it makes sense to list with both Etsy and Folksy if you can to maximise your chances of reaching buyers. With both sites, the more you can do to drive traffic to your store, the better, so build up your social media profile.

Not On The High Street

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The barriers to entry are considerably higher, but many traders say it is worth the extra effort and cost. It has 2 million unique visitors per month, which doubles at Christmas. It costs £199 (£238.80 including VAT) to join and you pay 25% commission (plus VAT) on each sale. The website is highly selective about which products it features.You can apply via a form on the website and you should get a response within seven working days.

Freemantle has had a great experience selling her stamps on the website. “I’ve found Not on The High Street to be the best,” she says. “You have to adhere to its terms and conditions, such as the fact you are not allowed to tell customers from the website about any of your other online stores. It has quite high standards of entry for products and photography but what you get is their marketing might, which is quite substantial. There have been TV adverts, gift guides and press.”

Amazon Marketplace and eBay

You can use these websites to sell homemade creations, although it’s harder to get noticed. “I have used eBay to sell my sewing patterns, but the downside is that people tend to shop there when they are looking to get something cheaply,” says Duffin. “Amazon Marketplace is good if you can do a quick turnaround, such as with printed clothes or cards, as shoppers tend to use it for last minute buys, but it is not suitable for me.”

On Amazon Marketplace, sellers pay a “per-item” fee of 75p for every single item sold, plus a “referral fee” of between 7% and 25% (plus VAT), depending on the category of what is being sold.“Pro merchants” can pay a £25 monthly fee instead of the 75p-per-item fees.

On eBay, as a private seller you can list 20 items for free and after that you pay 35p for each. You can choose to list your items for auction or with a “buy it now” option. Various listing upgrades are available for an extra fee, including larger photographs, multiple categories and subtitles. You also pay a final value fee that is 10% of the total transaction including postage. An extra fee of 3.4% plus 20p is due if your buyer uses PayPal. Alternatively, you can set up a “basic shop” for £19.99 per month with 100 free listings and 8% final value fees. There are further subscription options for businesses selling higher volumes with fees of between £17.38 and £217.38 depending on scale.

Build your own website 

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Some traders love the freedom of having their own website, whether it is their main online store or an adjunct to shops on other platforms. Nat Rigby, 38, from Cornwall, makes jewellery from recycled skateboards under her brand Thrashion. She has an Etsy store, but now finds most of her sales come directly from her own website. She says: “Social media has been great. I upload a picture every day to Instagram and that drives people to my website, particularly as it’s a site that’s used a lot by the skate industry.” Rigby used Create.net to build her website and shop, which costs between £5 and £36 per month depending on the functionality you choose, but it is free of listing fees and commission on sales. She says: “It has been amazing. You get an account manager you can talk to when you have issues and it was just as easy as setting up on Etsy.”

http://www.theguardian.com/money/2015/feb/05/make-money-from-hobby

Work at home mom makes $8,795 month working part-time from home

How can Stay At Home Mums Make Money Online ?

After getting  a few requests from “Stayathomemums “  I thought it will be a good idea to list some points which helped My wife generate an income as a stay at home mum:

1. Find your Niche 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XaCd65BFl5s

2.  Register to A Blogging Service  such as wordpress or Blogger .  (there are some nice  turitorals on Youtube)  and start blogging .  Make your blogging skills clean, simple, and precise. No need to show off your high vocabulary skills which makes people consult the dictionary or check other references.

Stick to your unique style in blogging to stand out from other bloggers . Building authority in the online industry is one of the most important aspects for effective blogging.  Try and post on a frequent/regular basis .

3.  Create A LinkedIn Account :  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gE7GYoZFSIU

4. Create A Facebook account .

5. Create A Pinterest Account :  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l-1tH-Dts1Y

6. Create A Twitter Account 

7. Share your posts on Social media  as well as Leveraging Pulse on the LinkedIn network.

 For More Tips : http://www.tipshowtomakemoney.com  or just contact me for free tips at :

eddie@tipshowtomakemoney.com