Living in Harmony » job

Shameless Self-Promotion

AttachedMama — Fri, 15 Oct 2010 16:29:07 +0000

With the talk of maybe actually for real buying a property this time (so a second source of income would be handy), coupled with the fact that Christmas is coming and I’ve actually had people ask me if I’m still selling books, I’ve decided to start selling Usborne books again. I’m actually really excited about it. I love these books, and they’re pretty easy to sell once people actually see them up close because they are such high quality and really well done. Kids love them because they have vivid illustrations and interesting information. Last time I was selling them I didn’t actually make any money at all because I spent my whole commission on more books, and likely it will be similar this time, but at least it could provide a small source of income if needed.

I have a Facebook fan page now as well as a website. I’m holding a giveaway to try and increase exposure a little bit. I’m actually going to be holding two. The first is just over this weekend (though so far there are no entries so I may have to extend it!). Just become a fan of my Facebook page and then post about the contest on your wall (tagging my page so I see it). You can have a second chance to win by posting a review or a picture of you and your kids reading an Usborne book together on my Facebook page, or leaving a comment with which of the books you’d be interested in. The first one I’m offering the winner’s choice of one of the Usborne Beginners series. Next week I’ll be hosting another giveaway (that won’t be just Facebook) for a really awesome book that I’m actually going to be sad to depart with now that I’ve seen it. Will definitely get a copy of it for myself. It’s the Usborne Science Encyclopedia. Watch my Usborne website for more details on that next week.

Anyway, if any readers out there would like to order some books, just let me know. Or use the wish list feature on the website and I’ll make sure you get the best deals and specials.

Pictures

AttachedMama — Thu, 01 Oct 2009 17:42:31 +0000

I have always loved photography, since I was a little girl. I got a camera at a young age and I’ve rarely been without one at any event or gathering ever since. It’s only been recently though that I’ve delved into the DSLR world.

I’m really wanting to get more practice, and taking pictures of my own daughter only gets me so far. She’s gotten to the point that she’s almost too easy, and will sit still and smile when she sees the camera. I also really want to do more maternity shoots. I’ve only done one and I’d only had my camera less than a month, and I think I’ve come a long way since then.

I’ve decided to try and see if I can pick up a couple of photography clients. Not a lot, especially to start with. A couple a month maybe. I guess we’ll see how much interest I get. I plan to charge really low prices to start because the main point would be for me to build up my portfolio. I’ve been working on a website, but I’m not going to share it yet because it’s still a major work in progress. But I thought I’d share some of my pictures here. When and if I get any clients, I’ll likely start a photography blog, but for now this will have to do. Click on the pictures to see bigger ones.

Rambling

AttachedMama — Tue, 12 Aug 2008 17:45:22 +0000

I have so much I could write about that I keep putting off writing anything.

I could write about the barbecue we had on Saturday for Meredith’s birthday. It was a lot of fun, some of my favorite family from Vancouver showed up as well as some friends and one of Kris’ coworkers. Meredith had a blast and my cousin (who works with young children) and her boyfriend spent a lot of time playing with her, which meant I could sit and relax and chat with people without worrying. That was nice too. I wish that particular cousin (or any of my cousins from that family really) lived on the island, because I’d definitely be comfortable with her as a babysitter eventually.

Or about going to Nanaimo yesterday to visit with Annie, Paxye, and another friend of ours. It was the first time I’d ever met Paxye in real life and it was so neat to actually be able to meet her and her boys and husband and talk with them. Meredith was full of beans and kept wandering outside when everyone else was in or inside when everyone else was out but she seemed to be having fun. We went to a great park with a scary slide, and later to a lake, though Meredith was too sleepy to enjoy the beach much.

Or maybe I should talk about the job offer Kris got, and then declined. Turns out, his current company is a lot more competitive than we thought they were. While the job offer did involve a raise, it wasn’t substantial and their RRSP contributions are far less than the current job, meaning overall only about a 3% raise. Since Kris is expecting a 5-10% raise in November (based on a recent review) from his current job, moving would actually mean a decrease in pay.

I could mention the doctor’s appointment. I actually never intended to do well-baby checks, and haven’t done as many as most people do, but when her first doctor tried to bully me into having her checked by a pediatrician (they only look after sick babies here) because Meredith has a small head for her age, I left that doctor. I wasn’t really worried about whether we even had a doctor or not since there’s always the walk-in clinics, but then I heard of a holistic MD accepting patients and made an appointment. Having a doctor who supports us not vaccinating, extended breastfeeding, delaying solids, cosleeping, etc, is actually kind of a relief. I like knowing that if something were to come up, there is someone in the medical profession who won’t spend her time trying to bully me into vaccines (like I’ve heard happens to other parents) rather than dealing with the real issue at hand. This doctor actually works full time as an instructor in the yoga studio she owns; being a doctor is just a part time thing she does on the side. She’s also fully supportive of my not coming back in for any more well-baby checks and just making appointments if I have concerns.

I’m tired today though. I think instead of talking about any of those, I’ll just go have a nap with my baby.

New Job

AttachedMama — Thu, 24 Jul 2008 17:30:52 +0000

Back in March Kris applied for a job at another company. He really loves the company he works for now, and they love him, but they’re a small company and, unfortunately, just can’t compete with larger ones. Kris has been working on a project as the lead (and the sole) developer for over 2 years now. He basically rewrote the entire program from scratch in a new language. In March he was almost done this project, and we had heard this other company was hiring from a friend, so he applied. He went to two interviews and they were very eager to set up more, but then Kris realized his project was going to take longer than he expected and he didn’t want to leave his present company in a lurch, so he withdrew his application. His current company has been too good to him to leave them in a bad spot.

Out of the blue the other day, the guy who had interviewed him sent him an e-mail saying they’re hiring again and asking if Kris is still interested. After some thought (Kris doesn’t do great with change and loves his current company), he replied that he is interested. His project is pretty much done now so it’s a better time, though he’s still a bit stressed over it. It’s funny, he really wants and needs a change, but when an opportunity presents itself he finds himself wanting to just stay with the status quo. Anyway, the interviewer doesn’t want to redo the first two interviews that he already did, and wants to schedule the last two ones asap on the same day. (The last one being an HR interview that basically just discusses salary, benefits, etc and the interviewer told him back in March that you’re pretty much hired if you’re offered that one…)

I’m pretty excited for him. I know he is going to be stressed for the next little while, doing the finishing touches on his current project and also having to tell work he’s leaving. They really love him and they go out of their way to do things for him. It’s hard to contemplate him not being there. They are very family-oriented, the president of the company knows me and Meredith by name, and they’re all really great people. He’s not actively seeking another job, but there isn’t a lot of room for advancement or change at his current place unless he wants to go into management (which he doesn’t).

This new company has so much to offer, over and above just more money (which, in the scheme of things, is pretty minor compared to things like work environment and Kris’ happiness). They have been in the top 20 employers in BC, and top 500 in Canada, as well as the Fortune Global 500. The benefits are fantastic, they have subsidies and programs to encourage employees to participate in outside activities (like climbing, yoga, sailing, etc.) during work hours, the bus pass is paid for, RRSP matching, etc. It’s closer to where we live so he might be able to start biking to work again. Because they’re global, they have offices all over the world. They told him if he was interested in working in another country temporarily (or permanently), that could probably be arranged relatively easily.

They also have a lot of ways to progress. If he wants to continue programming, he could progress pretty much indefinitely and keep developing. He could go into a management or a team lead tree, he could move sideways and take on new projects. The company prides itself on being willing to work with its employees as their interests and abilities change in order to keep the job challenging and rewarding. They also allow for telecommuting, one thing that D2 likes to be able to do occasionally with his current position.

And of course, the money is a draw. It’s a senior position (even though he doesn’t have quite the level of experience usually associated with a senior position). With my mat leave ending (or maybe ended already, we’re not entirely sure), we need to make up the difference somehow. This new job would do that. Kris is very supportive of my not going back to work (and is as adamant as I am that daycare isn’t an option for us), but that doesn’t necessarily mean we can afford it. I have a business plan in the works, but it may take a while to get it off the ground.

You can probably tell, I’m pretty excited about the opportunity and really hoping he ends up getting it. I think the fact that they sought him out again and are going right to the HR interview is a great sign.Kris is more stressed about it than anything right now, but I’m hoping it will end up being the change he has been wanting and needing recently. He’s been discussing going back to school and getting out of computers completely, but this may help him enjoy computers again. And even if not, at least it’s something different until he can go back to school.