I did not mean to go there, but it can also develop a problem with your feet swelling. All of this comes with sitting a lot and not getting up and moving around enough.

Let’s get back to the back pain. It can be caused by bad posture. Sitting up straight and walking tall do more for you than making you look good; it can also affect how well your muscles and joints perform. Posture and health go hand-in-hand in keeping you from getting back pain.

Poor posture can be caused by a number of factors. Obesity, pregnancy, weak muscles, high-heeled shoes, poor working environment, and laziness are a few contributing factors to poor posture. Sometimes slumping over and just not holding yourself straight is just a bad habit that you have developed. So it stands to reason that it is a habit you have to break if you want to avoid the back pain.

Maintaining a good posture takes a conscious effort, much like any other habit. If you do something often enough, even standing or sitting straight with your stomach sucked in, it will become second nature and you won’t have to think about it.

Besides getting rid of back pain, having proper posture can also affect the other joints in our bodies. If you slouch while seated, your back, knees, and neck may hurt. If you let your posture go while driving, it could actually be a contributing factor to an accident because you won’t be able to see properly out the rearview or side mirrors.

I won’t recommend that you go to see a doctor unless the back pain is chronic and you can not get rid of it by getting up and moving around. Sometimes after I have sat for a number of hours, I find that if I just get up and do stretching exercises, my back will noticeably feel better.

Remember when you work at home, you may have to force yourself to take breaks, so be sure and get in the habit of taking them. In an office situation, other people will interfere with you and call you away from your desk which gives you an enforced break. Think about it; how many times did someone stick their head into your office and say, “let’s have lunch!”? At home, unless you have smaller children running around, you may not have the same interruptions. Sure, occasionally, someone might come to the door.

O.K. here is the important lesson, I want you to learn. Take time to be aware of how you stand, walk, sit, and lift. If you relax too much you may get lazy and begin slouching instead of keeping your spine straight and stomach pulled in. Keeping your posture intact helps strengthen the muscles along the spine and can help reduce or eliminate back pain.

Learn exercises that will strengthen your back muscles as well as those in your stomach. You’ll have an easier time maintaining good posture if your muscles are in shape. Strengthening the abdominal muscles, particularly, can aide your back as well.

Make a conscious effort to take care of yourself. Working at home is not an excuse to let yourself develop unhealthy habits. We want to keep you at your peak of performance and that includes maintaining good health.

Bookkeeping

The demand for good bookkeepers is at an all time high as more people make the leap into self-employment each year. Most small business owners don’t have backgrounds in bookkeeping. They need the expertise only a skilled and qualified bookkeeper can provide. That’s where you come in.

As an experienced bookkeeper you know that bookkeeping is one of the most challenging, rewarding and necessary functions of operating a business. If “the books” are not in order a company can quickly go out of business. Keeping track of revenue and expenses is the key to a successful business.

There is a wonderful guide available to help you understand how to start a bookkeeping business and I would like to recommend it to you.

Bookkeeping Business

Daycare

In this business, you will be caring for children of your clients. This includes playing with them, keeping
them safe, and sometimes offering some education, too. This business can be very successful if you love children and are passionate about caring for them.

There are some very strict laws in place regarding this type of business, so you will need to do some additional local research before getting started. Most cities and states do monitor in home day care facilities to ensure the children are being cared for properly and that one adult is not watching too many children. These numbers change widely based on local laws. In addition to this, the state may wish to inspect your home to ensure that you can provide a quality home that is safe and secure for the children you watch.

Is this the right business for you? You have to love children and have lots of patience for them. You also need to have a home that can accommodate the children in a safe way. Having an outdoor, fenced in yard can also be helpful. If you have experience working with children, such as in a school setting, you may be a great fit for this business. Keep in mind that you are likely to need to show others that you are capable of providing quality service for their children.

A home based day care is a big undertaking. You can work the hours you want but of course you have to accommodate the needs of your clients. You will need to market your services locally. If you are willing to take on children with special needs, such as learning disabilities or handicaps, you may have a bigger pool of children but you may also need specialized training. This is a rewarding home business. For many, it is the best way to truly give back to the community, too.

There are two guides available that can provide you with a great deal of information about the specifics of starting a daycare. These guides also give a great many details about the decisions you have to organize the business to make it run smoothly. Please check out the following for more details.

DayCare

Daycare

Jack o'Lantern

Halloween is such a fun holiday filled with spooky fun. Kids love to select their costumes and getting together with their friends to go “trick or treating” to collect bags full of candy. It is the ideal holiday to throw a great party!

All ages including adults and teenages have a great time attending Halloween parties. They are great for kids too. In fact the whole family can participate. If you would prefer that the kids not go house to house, then a party is a fun answer. Organizing a Halloween party provides a way for moms and dads to get together with the kids to have fun too!

How to Organize a Great Halloween Party

Select invitations that reflect the theme of your party, whether it’s a general Halloween theme or a specific theme such as pirates or movie characters. Most party supply stores carry a variety of Halloween party invitations. Another alternative is to make your own using a computer program or scrapbooking supplies. Be sure to give your friends time to prepare for the party–select their Halloween costumes, etc–by sending them out about two weeks prior to the party.

Of course your Halloween party will be a costume party! Many guests will assume that it’s a costume party, but be sure to specify on the invitations so that there is no confusion. Encourage both adults and children to dress up so the parties is fun for everyone. You could even have a costume contest with prizes. You could also have some Halloween-themed games such as wrap the mummy, bobbing for apples, pumpkin bowling or pin the nose on the jack o’lantern.

Decorating your house is always important for a great Halloween party. Fake spider webs and sheets covering the furniture are great for creating a creepy atmosphere without too much expense. You could carve up some jack o’lanterns and sit them around the house. Be sure to use a CD featuring some scary songs and sound effects to add to the atmosphere. Create fog by using a fog machine or the old tried and true method of using dry ice that you can buy from an Ice Company. Lighting is important to create the scary effect you want and black lights work well.

Don’t forget to serve scary food. Who doesn’t love to eat eye balls and worms and drink blood!

Halloween

Popcorn

Spiced Popcorn

Ingredients:
1 tsp onion salt
1 tsp dried thyme
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1/2 cup popping corn
1 tsp dried oregano
2 tsp sweet paprika

Method
In a little bowl, mix paprika, thyme, oregano, onion salt and half the vegetable oil.

Heat other half of oil in saucepan. When oil is very hot, add popping corn and cover with tight fitting lid. When the corn starts popping, give the pan a shake. When the corn stops popping, take pan off heat.

Place popcorn into a serving bowl, discarding any unpopped corn. Add the spice mixture and toss.

Great addition to any lunchbox.