Web Worker Daily

Holiday season is just around the corner. Some of us will stay home, some will go away. Some will work every day that’s not a public holiday, or on which our presence is not required elsewhere by friends and family. Others will take days, if not weeks, of time out from work. Read the rest of this entry »

At this, the business end of the year, it can seem a bit like you’re stuck in a rut. While those in the U.S. may be happily heading for holiday season, most of the rest of us have a lot of plodding to do before any end-of-year-light appears in the work-day tunnel. Read the rest of this entry »

Labor day seems like the most ironic holiday on Earth — a day off to celebrate work. To celebrate the nine-hour day, specifically, though these days, in the U.S. at least, it’s seen as the last long weekend of summer. I know that when Labor Day comes around, I’m always happy for the break, but it seems that many aren’t so ecstatic.

Apparently, some of us won’t be making the most of the holiday because of the economic downturn. And of course, whether we’re at home or away, a large portion of us will remain connected, checking email, catching up on reading or research, or getting ahead on deadlines. Like we do every year, even though we know we’re supposed to be enjoying a well-earned rest.

If you’d like to do something different with your Labor Day, why not consider stepping back from your work, your web connection, and your professional zeal, and spend at least part of the day objectively reviewing the place work has in your life right now? Read the rest of this entry »

This weekend is the Independence Day 4th of July holiday here in the U.S., which for many people means a three-day weekend. I’ll even be taking tomorrow off, and I almost never get days off, since my boss is a complete workaholic who thinks days off are for the weak. Oh wait, that workaholic tyrant is me, since I get to set my own freelance schedule. Some of us aren’t good at taking days off, so I have a few tips for making it through the holiday.

Photo by Flickr user kcphotos used under Creative Commons

A traditional 4th of July holiday celebration includes picnics or barbecues with family and friends, which can mean that you will most likely be faced with the dreaded question: “So, what do you do?” from your less technical friends and family. I always struggle with how to answer this question, so I encourage you to go back to my December post and browse the comments to get a few innovative suggestions for dealing with this question. Read the rest of this entry »

I wish school would go year-round — then summer would be easier to handle. Alas, the kids have almost three months off, and it means finding a way to balance fun and relaxation with working.  Parents everywhere face the summer dilemma every year, so try these tips from fellow web workers with kids.

Stay with other family. The first week is going well as my younger two kids take turns visiting Grandma who lives an hour away. Having one kid at home and one at Grandma’s takes away any chances of them fighting. One gets all of Grandma’s attention and the other enjoys a calmer mom who doesn’t have to play referee. Read the rest of this entry »

Palms and crystal clear water. White powder and blue skies. Camels and rippling sand dunes. Whatever your idea of a perfect vacation, if you’re not on a permanent salary, your dream getaway can all too easily stay that way: a dream.

Just last week I was speaking to a new neighbor who runs an interstate consulting business from his barn. But when I asked if he had any vacations planned, he shook his head. “No,” he said, “when you have your own business, you don’t really get vacations.”

I know plenty of people like this guy. They have the cash for a break, but they just can’t seem to make the time to get away. It’s not surprising: If you don’t get paid leave, taking a vacation involves a number of issues. But if you can get over these hurdles, you’ll be on track to check out and kick back… Read the rest of this entry »

Editor’s note: With this post we welcome Meryl K. Evans to the WebWorkerDaily team. Meryl is the author of Brilliant Outlook Pocketbook and the co-author of Adapting to Web Standards: CSS and Ajax for Big Sites. She has written and edited for a bunch of places online and off. A native Texan, she lives a heartbeat north of Dallas in Plano, Texas with her husband and three children.

I love Spring Break… when there’s a trip involved. Alas, I haven’t taken a real vacation since Spring Break 2002. Sure, my family took a road trip from Dallas to San Antonio and Austin last year, but that was no vacation between the drive and a volleyball tournament (the real reason for the trip). If you’re one of the lucky ones taking a vacation, here are some tips for packing.

This year, one kid has driver’s ed classes for the week, another takes a test and some have a few appointments. So this Spring Break gives us an opportunity to catch up and do things that we don’t want to do during the school year. But that doesn’t mean the thought of the younger two staying home all week doesn’t stress me out. The 5-year-old and 10-year-old argue, then come growling or crying into Mom’s office.

So what can you do to manage kids during Spring Break if you stay home? Read the rest of this entry »

With this post Dawn Foster joins the WebWorkerDaily team. Dawn is a consultant, community manager, event organizer, blogger, podcaster, and technology enthusiast. By day, she is a mild-mannered consultant who helps companies build online communities and social media strategies, but by night, she is part of Legion of Tech to make the world (or at least Portland, OR) a better place for technology workers. – ED

I plan to spend a week visiting family in Ohio over the holidays. I will have hours on the plane and in airports, and I’ll have even more time in the evenings after the rest of the family is in bed and my body is still on Pacific time. I could spend it curled up and relaxing with some fiction printed on dead trees, but how productive would that be?

With any luck, you might also have a few slow days during the holidays: clients are on vacation, the family is driving you nuts, and you’re caught up on “real work.” What now?

I even have a wish list that I hope will help me turn this into a productive holiday. Read the rest of this entry »