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Workouts for a Work from Home Mom

May 19, 2017 By Cathy

WORKING OUT AS A WORK FROM HOME MOM

One reason self-employment sounds so attractive is the flexibility to take care of all.of.the.things! Or…the flexibility to work all day while wearing yoga pants. I’m mean, work out at home while wearing yoga pants ;) With that, I’ve finally started to figure out a work and life rhythm that includes a fitness routine!

As I mentioned in my last post, waking up before the kids is no bueno because once my feet hit the floor, at least one of them will sense it and also wake up. Just this morning, Alex thought 4:30 was an appropriate time to start his day. So that means I’m hitting the gym or going for a run after they’ve left for school. I’ve even blocked off the time on my calendar so I have no excuses. However, this wasn’t an overnight revelation. It took me about 6 months to get here.

When it comes to motivation (be it around fitness or money goals) I love tracking my progress and seeing improvement over time. And yes, sometimes I need an external push to get moving. So I asked for a Fitbit for Christmas to measure my current activity and then track my improvement over time.

As for my actual workouts, sometimes they’re as simple as a walk around our neighborhood (with or without kiddos) or a run in the forest preserve. Sure, that’s the easiest way to hit the magical goal of 10,000 steps, but I started to crave a little more variety and more challenging workouts. The class schedule at the gym isn’t always conducive to my personal schedule, so it was time to get creative. And while I know my way around the free weights and other machines, I didn’t want to be bothered by putting together a workout.

Enter my new favorite tool in my work from home fitness tool belt: Aaptiv.

WORKING OUT WITH AAPTIV

I love the concept of a personal trainer or coach, but I’m still a little frugal. I love that Aaptiv has a wide variety of “classes” between yoga, strength training, running, stretching, abs/core, cycling, meditation, racing training programs, and more for only $9.99 per month. And within each genre, there are several levels of workouts – from beginner to advanced.

And I totally wish their most recent additions were around about 2 years ago: maternity and stroller workouts. Right now there are maternity workouts for the first trimester with ones for the second and third trimesters rolling out this summer.

While on maternity leave with Alex, I attended some local Stroller Strides classes. I loved the routine of getting out of the house and meeting fellow moms while also getting in a little exercise. Now that both kids are at daycare, I’d feel strange going to a mom and baby/kid workout without my toddler. Yes, FIT4MOM also offers Body Back and maternity workouts, but I don’t love the scheduled times.

So back to my new friend Aaptiv…it’s kind of amazing. I just choose a workout, grab my dumbbells, and then pop in my headphones. Upbeat music plays in the background while a coach guides you through the workouts. Which is one thing I’m still figuring out. Since the workouts are all audio, I’m not always sure if I’m doing the stretches or exercises correctly. As of now, there are no pictures or videos to go along with the instructions.

That being said, the workouts are working because I’ve been SORE after some of the strength training ones. And I wish I knew about Aaptiv during tax season because there are quick 7 minute or less workouts that would be perfect to squeeze in between tax returns.

Who Do I Recommend Aaptiv to?

  • Anybody looking to add variety to their current fitness routine
  • Individuals who travel for business or pleasure on a regular basis and want to maintain or improve their fitness
  • Busy moms and dads who want to sneak in a quick workout at home during naptime
  • Expectant moms looking for workouts designed specifically for their changing bodies
  • Moms and dads who want to exercise with their kids

Who Isn’t the Best Fit for Aaptiv?

  • Someone who needs the in person accountability of a personal trainer
  • Someone who needs more guidance about how to properly perform the exercises

Thanks to Aaptiv for letting me try the app for 2 weeks. These opinions are all my own and I’ve decided to continue my membership.

 

Musings about 6 Months of Self-Employment

May 3, 2017 By Cathy

Musings about self-employment

Friday April 21 marked my 6 month “leave-iversary” from my 9-5 corporate job. So that means Monday April 24 was my 6 month “self-employ-iversary” with Brightwater Accounting and Brightwater Financial. How did I celebrate?

Considering April 18 was the end of tax season, except for a few clients on extension, I treated myself to a massage. And on that Monday, I just got down to work. And did a few loads of laundry. I later enjoyed the freedom to shut my laptop during the middle of the day to go out for a few runs. And then I caught up with a biz bestie over coffee to discuss our businesses and strategy. So while I may not have had a celebratory drink or cupcake, I’m starting to create a more balanced life.

Monday was my birthday and I planned on taking the day off. I met up for coffee and nails in the morning, looked at bridesmaid dresses at Nordstrom’s, and then hoped to have a business strategy session with myself to level-set for the rest of the year.

Well, Monica stayed home from school after complaining that her knee hurt and couldn’t walk. And then she woke up from her nap with a massive bloody nose.

So if nothing else, being self-employed and a mom has taught me the importance of flexibility. To be flexible with my schedule as well as my expectations.

Do I wake up excited to start working in and on my business? Not every day.

Do I wake up before my kids to work out or get some work done? Heck no! Alex already thinks 5:15am is a reasonable time to start the day.

Do I dread battling Chicago traffic to go work in a cube? Not any more!

How are things going?

As the title hints, this will be a bit of a brain dump and ramble-fest.

First, self-employment is tough, but definitely doable. I talked about doing this for SO long. I still have moments of overwhelm and self-doubt, but I’m feeling a bit more balanced and confident as a business owner. Yes, tax season was still a little crazy, but I made it!

Just start. It’s never going to be perfect. My service offerings, descriptions, and the way I communicate my value to clients have evolved over the past 6 months. The best analogy I heard recently is that big tech companies like Apple and Microsoft are always coming out with product updates. If they’re not perfect right out the gate, why do I think I have to be? And while I don’t know everything about taxes, I know more than I give myself credit for.

When it comes to starting a business, go where the fish are and play to your strengths. The timing of my self-employ-iversary worked out well because people were starting to think about their taxes, especially entrepreneurs. When I first starting my accounting career, I didn’t feel like I was making much of a difference. After receiving some heartfelt thanks from clients, I now feel like I’m helping people. Business owners and individuals want that peace of mind when it comes to their taxes and finances. I’m able alleviate some of their stress when it comes to tax prep. I’m taking the extra time to answer their questions. And I’m finding them ways to save money on taxes.

Feel confident with your pricing. Not everybody is going to be your ideal client. Instead of being a churn and burn tax mill, I’m creating a boutique accounting and financial planning business. And yes, my pricing reflects that. I’m taking the extra time to build long-term relationships with my clients. I patiently answer their questions, provide background information, and hopefully over deliver. This business model seems to be working out since clients are already referring new business to me.

I can project any sort of income or expense figures I want, but it’s another thing to put in the work and make it happen. Seeing my business bank accounts grow is so rewarding! I EARNED this money! This is from MY effort!

Some people have the guts to start a new venture on a wing and a prayer, but we’re a bit more risk adverse. Regardless, it’s so important to have an emergency fund and safety net. To help us feel more comfortable with my decision to leap, I picked up some part-time accounting work..

Additionally, gather a strong support network. John supported me in this career decision and agrees that things are going well 6 months in. There were a few tough conversations in the beginning, but now that I’m putting in the work and seeing positive results, it validates our decision.

In addition to support at home, get a support network of others in your industry and life. I chat with other moms, bosses, accountants, and different combinations of the three to get new ideas for my business, vent, share referrals, and bounce questions off each each other when overwhelmed by Google search results.

Personally, I’m doing better with setting limits. I’m taking more time for self care (I’m in a wedding in 4 months…eeek!) I’ve blocked off time to go to work out so that I won’t be surprised by a client call and tempted to skip a workout. Sure there are nights that I fire up the laptop once the kids are in bed (if I haven’t crashed myself) to catch up on client work.

More recently, I’ve taken Fridays off my booking pages. I might make a special exception, but now I have some breathing room to focus on my work and catch up on things. And I won’t feel guilty if I bug out early on a Friday afternoon ;)

To clear up a little brain space, I recently met with some other Chicago boss moms to learn about bullet journaling. Fancy notebooks! Stickers! (affiliate links!) I’m feeling a bit more organized when it comes to managing our personal life, two businesses, and part time work.

Sometimes I wonder if I had some degree of postpartum anxiety. Or maybe this is just me being a perfectionist putting too much pressure on myself. I’m doing better by getting more sleep, drinking plenty of water, having enough protein in my diet, and trying to exercise. My Fitbit helps and I just downloaded the fitness app Aaptiv.

So that’s where things are. I’m looking forward to getting outside more and growing my businesses this summer.

 

 

Hello, 2017!

January 4, 2017 By Cathy

fiscallychic-best-nine-2016

@fiscallychic best nine from 2016

2016 was quite a year personally (Alex’s platelets are back to normal!) and professionally (self-employment!) and I’m pretty excited for a fresh start in 2017. Yes, I know I can start over at any time, but there’s something about the untapped potential of a new calendar year. And there’s also something to be said about the collective effort in everyone declaring their New Year’s resolutions. Without further ado, and in no particular order, I’m getting back into blogging by putting my goals out in the universe for all to see:

You’re going to see my smiling face around here more often :) Apparently my summer sabbatical turned into an extended blogging vacation and I started to miss this creative outlet.

Of course there’s the standard, eat healthier, try to keep the house clean, and work out more. To help stay motivated on the exercise front, I asked for a Fitbit Alta for Christmas. I love tracking and analyzing my stats, but I still need to do better about consistently hitting 10K steps. Seeing how little I move when I’m parked in front of a computer all day is pretty depressing. At least my Fitbit reminds me to move every hour. And let’s not even discuss my paltry sleep. As Jim Gaffigan says, “bedtime is a crisis” and our kids are taking shifts waking up in the middle of the night.

brightwaterfin-best-nine-2016

@brightwaterfin best nine from 2016

When it comes to self-employment, my BHAG (big hairy audacious goal) is to replace my corporate salary with that from Brightwater Financial, Brightwater Accounting, and this blog. I’m still formalizing my plans for the year, but things are already humming along with Brightwater Accounting (it is tax season, after all!). I’m also considering offering some online products like spreadsheets and workbooks in addition to the services offered.

And interestingly enough, I earned more income from Fiscally Chic (including on Instagram) in 2016 than I did in 2015. Yes, some of that was in products, which doesn’t exactly pay the bills, but it’s still something.

For example, the Mane Message sparkly bobby pin pictured in my @fiscallychic best nine is from the December PopSugar Must Have Box. It’s a box filled with full-sized surprises valued at over $100 for only $39.95 per month, shipping included. You can receive $5 off your first box using the code SHOP5.

In previous months I received a Kendra Scott bracelet (similar), a Stowaway Cosmetics eye palette, the CHEERS bottle opener, and so many other great things.

Finally, I’m trying to be more “balanced.” I worked a traditional 9 to 5 job for almost 10 years, so I’m still figuring out my newfound flexibility and routine. I need to take advantage of the fact that I now work from home. I need to give myself a little grace and try not to feel guilty when I need to stay home with a sick kid. And yes, I need to actually go to the gym. It felt nice going for a walk during lunch this week. Now if only it wasn’t so darn cold!

 

A Fresh Start: A Peek at Brightwater Financial 2.0

Note: This post was initially published on October 31, 2016 on the Brightwater Financial blog. Since this is such a huge turning point in my life, I wanted to share the announcement with my Fiscally Chic readers as well. Friday October 21, 2016 was my last day working at my comfortable corporate job. After 9…

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Life Lately: Summer Sabbatical

Hi, friends! How was your summer? This post has been sitting in draft mode since the beginning of June. And a whole lot of stuff has happened between my post about nursing bras and now. Our hands and hearts are full over here with a three year old and an eleven month old. Once both…

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My New Favorite Nursing Bra

Anybody out there love their current bra? I don’t know about you, but bra shopping, just like buying new jeans, seems to be a necessary evil. Sure, finding the perfect bra or pair of jeans can help you look and feel better, but sometimes I don’t have the patience to try on dozens of options. So…

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DIY Blackout Pom Pom Curtains

When I was pregnant with Monica, the nesting instinct hit pretty hard. We decorated her nursery, cleaned, and washed all of her clothes ahead of time. I also made an adjustable crib skirt and sheets for the pack and play. This time around, I didn’t have as much time and energy to work on baby projects. While…

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10 Tips for Making the Morning Rush Easier

Now that I’m back at work, getting everyone out the door in the morning is sometimes a challenge. It’s definitely a tag team effort as one parent helps or plays with one kiddo while the other one is getting ready. Some mornings are easier than others, but they’re not usually the ones when one of…

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Parenting: As Explained by “Frozen”

Last Christmas, Monica was the happy recipient of the “Frozen” DVD. Not to mention the singing Elsa doll pictured above and a “Frozen” suitcase, pajamas, bathrobe, and pair of slippers…but I digress. After watching the movie in 20 to 30 minute increments for the past year, I find myself quoting it more than I care…

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Freshly Picked Moccasins Review + Giveaway

Full Disclosure: I was provided with an item from Freshly Picked to review. As always, all thoughts and opinions are my own. Thank you for supporting brands that support Fiscally Chic. While pregnant with Alex, we read Monica a couple books to help her get ready to become a big sister. One was Waiting for…

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Pariday TendHers Review + Giveaway

Full Disclosure: I was provided with an item from Pariday to review. As always, all thoughts and opinions are my own. Thank you for supporting brands that support Fiscally Chic. Happy Tuesday! This post is for the ladies, so Dad, you might want to skip this one. As you might remember, there were quite a…

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Apple Crisp

I’ve been meaning to share this recipe since I don’t know when. It was just a matter of baking an apple crisp and snapping a few pictures. When my mom came to visit last weekend and offered to bake an apple crisp for us, I knew it was time! And thank goodness she did…this mama’s…

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Stitch Fix Review: Pre- and Post-Baby

It’s time for another peek at what was inside my most recent Stitch Fixes (affiliate link!)! This time, it’s a double dose since I received a box about one month before Alex was born and another one month after he was born. Back in late-August, I forgot that I had my Fixes set to be delivered…

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Hi! I'm Cathy, an accountant and lover of cupcakes, running, nesting, and my family. This blog was born out of my Midwest sensibilities, the thrill of a good bargain, and helping others. More…

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