Waves and concerns

I seem to be blogging in waves at the moment. There's lots of ideas zooming around my head but sitting down at the computer screen and typing seems to only happen in short sharp bursts.

I'm also fretting a bit. I've had some health issues which have temporally abated but my medication runs out tomorrow and the GP warned it could all start again. I've had two appointments at the hospital for the 'abnormality' the optician spotted and now have to be referred to another consultant who's at a hospital 40 minutes drive away (the usual time spent at the hospital is 2 hours to see the Dr for 10 mins - and you can't take a book to read because they put scary drops in your eyes).

My OH has been working some awful shift patterns so has been absent from childcare duties and then when he did get a few days of the decided he needed a break and went fishing (though I still refuse to take it up as a hobby so that I can have a break). We should finally find out about the redundancy decision on Tuesday but in the meantime things are a little tense.

Plus I feel a little bit of a failure - after nearly 4 years freelancing I've let my OH persuade me to apply for a part-time job. Though I have a lot of work to do in the next 10 days I have nothing in the pipeline and no money coming in for at least a month. My usual clients have gone silent and after prodding some have admitted that they 'aren't currently sending anything out of house'.

I'm not completely disappearing from the freelance scene - and I don't know if I have the job yet - but I am looking for a bit more security. There are only so many things you can sell on eBay and my son needs a school uniform for January.

Hmm after that moan perhaps I should have kept the blog silence a little longer ....

Feast or Famine?

I'm lucky as I'm just about staving off hunger - the project I was waiting for that was going to take the whole of August has arrived and one of my clients who doesn't pay very much but who pays quickly answered my last plea for work. But some colleagues are not so lucky and I seem to be hearing daily of publishing houses making their staff (my contacts) redundant and others tell me they're 'not sending any work out at the moment'.



Then I hear of more Internet sites starting up where editors bid for work, which works for some but I'm not sure it's for me, and some where they project manage the production of a book for a percentage of the royalties (eek!).



Others are reporting that they are too busy and are having trouble deciding between projects to take on - naturally I'm taking account of the areas they work in ;-) I'm also looking at the part-time jobs section in the local paper, keeping my secretarial skills honed and returning to my crafty side.

As many freelancers know - it is usually feast or famine and I'm still hoping for the 'Back to School' rush to kick in.

Need a pep-talk?

Just a quick post - I came across this yesterday and have vowed that when I can get back into our back bedroom (aka the office) again I will print it out and put it on the wall. Failing that I will try to read it at least once a week, or whenever I need a pep-talk. Pay particular attention to point 7.

The M word :-@

The Berry/Brewer girls over at Freelance Parent want us to talk about that dirty word - Money. As in how much do freelancers really earn.

I touched on this here back in May but it's time to spill the beans - bearing in mind I am currently very, very, part time the figure that I expect my accountant to come up with at our meeting next week is around £10,000 - which works out to £833 a month (and seeing as I recently worked out I need £800 a month to pay my share of the bills that's just about right).

Since May I have been making positive efforts to increase my work load and my pay rate so I'm hoping for an increase next year - especially as I will be less part-time in 2009.

So, no, I won't earn my fortune freelancing (at least not in publishing) but being my own boss is priceless ...

Deadlines

Cartoon by Dave Walker. Find more cartoons you can freely re-use on your blog at We Blog Cartoons.

It's an old joke - 'I love the sound of deadlines as they whoosh by ...'

I've got one project that has been doomed before it started.

Tuesday - message from client: I've got a copy edit, usual rate, deadline 3-4 weeks.

My reply: I'm a bit busy for the next couple of weeks so 4 weeks would be better, say 23rd June?

Client: great, I'll get it into the post.

Wednesday: message from client: just heard that the typesetter will be going away on 23rd June for 5 weeks. Could you forward the chapters as and when you complete them?

My reply: I don't like doing things in bits like this but I will have a look when I get the project. I expect that if he is going away for 5 weeks he will be very busy and it might be best to wait rather than to rush it and make mistakes. I won't be able to look at this closely for a few days anyway as I am quite busy at the moment.

Thursday: message from client: I appreciate what you are saying but please do try if you can. By the way I am going away on 9th June for 2 weeks so I won't be able to forward anything to him after that date.

Me (to the cat, obviously): huh? so my 4 week deadline has been reduced to 2 without having even received the project.

What she really should have said: I'm going on holiday (ha, lucky me) so I'd really appreciate it if you could magically have all of this done in a week (approx. 60 hours) so I can get it to the typesetter and it will be finished when I get back. Cheers.

Ten tips for freelancers to stay motivated, sane and productive

The Freelance Switch blog has another one of their top tips up this week. All very sound advice.

I'm not very good at number 4 - I have a guilt complex and 'faking' feels akin to lying in my book.

I should definitely do number 5 - though I have trouble saying 'no'.

I thought long and hard about number 6 at the 2006 SfEP conference. I've used my 'elevator pitch' numerous times to some success - though strangers at dinner parties tend to switch off when they learn that I don't edit fiction.

I definitely fail on number 10 - my receipts for 2007/2008 are still in the highly (not) organised file in the study (behind all the furniture we've just moved out of the spare room).

I like these little 'top tips' - they serve as great reminders of what to do (and what not to do) and you can often learn from others mistakes and successes.

Working hours

I enjoy being freelance - being my own boss, keeping my own hours, being able to take time off if needed (well that's the theory). What I don't enjoy is the view by some clients that as a freelance you are available to work for them 24/7 (even hang around for 10 months just waiting for them to call) and the view of my nearest and dearest that I'm at their disposal 24/7 too.

I always describe myself as being a part-time freelancer. Mainly because my son is under 5 and though I do have childcare for him on some days it is not all day everyday (the cost of childcare was one of the deciding factors for my not going back to work in-house in the first place). Some of my childcare arrangements are quite fluid - grandparents have him for the odd afternoon and nursery is only open term time. Therefore I am always open and honest about my situation in dealing with clients and let them know my main work days. I try to check my email throughout the day and have my mobile on hand if I am out of the house. I have missed jobs in the past simply because I haven't answered a general email shout out in time.

I've taken steps in the past to ensure that I also manage some family time and get to talk to my husband once in a while but all this has become increasingly difficult at the moment.

There are several factors to this - relatives who think they can drop by for a visit at a moment's notice (and even stay for a few days); friends who think I can babysit their kids at a moment's notice (as I'm at home anyway); my OH thinking I can sort out that lengthily phone call with our gas/electric/tv provider or pop into the bank for a lengthily discussion about the mortgage - whilst still keeping up with the washing, drying, cleaning etc; my OH thinking that because he has a day off we can spend half the day in Ikea (twice in the last few weeks); being on watering plants/feeding cats duty for those off on holiday; the leader of the mum's group I belong to thinking I can take over from her because SHE is GOING BACK TO WORK; and clients who are a bit economical with the truth about how much work is involved in a project.

I am considering having a sign printed with my various 'functions' and times available to wear around my nearest and dearest to guilt them into giving me space

5-7am alarm clock (at set intervals - normally involves physical violence and paired with 'will you switch that b***** thing off?' or 'If you are only going to get up with the LAST alarm bell why do you have so many?'
7-8am wardrobe assistant (to 3 yr old)
8-8.30 taxi to nursery
9-11 Work (Mondays and Thursdays this is extended to 1pm)
11.30-1 Taxi to Grandad's (Tuesdays) (Thursdays - at 1pm)
1pm -5pm Work (Tuesdays and Thursdays)
1pm-5pm entertainments officer (for 3 year old)
6pm dinner followed by 7pm bath time
8-12pm Work (when OH is absent - 2-3 times a week- work starts when 3 year old asleep - latest 10.30pm)

I average about 20 hours work a week but when you throw in other 'responsibilities' that have been put on me of late you can see why I struggle. I think there is a secret conspiracy to get me back to 'going out to work' - though I'm not convinced that less would be expected from me if I left the home to work maybe I would be less inclined to do it).

Maybe installing a soundproof glass box and screening my calls would help. How much are conservatories going for nowadays? ... scrap that - I'd have to go and 'discuss' the mortgage again to fund it.

I've seen lots of similar moans on forums and Facebook really so I know I'm not alone. So should freelancers work the same hours as their clients? Personally I'm not giving up my current arrangement (though OH has been given a serious talking to) and will be reviewing it again next year when my son will be at school full-time.

Facebook and LinkedIn

I'm up to my eyes at the moment (great after the recent dry spell). The reason - because I've had some work from unexpected sources, namely Facebook and LinkedIn.

I've been a fan of Facebook for a while - but a lot of people aren't. There's a lot of discussion out there about whether it is a distraction from work rather than a source of work (and even support). As a freelancer it has been a lifeline as I hook up with other freelancers and we post (talk) about anything and everything but it has also put me in touch with prospective and past work contacts. Equally if I ever need to pass work on it is highly likely I will recommend one of my Facebook contacts because I know more about them.

I've recently signed up to LinkedIn and pop in every now and again to answer some of the questions that people post up. This has led to me linking with more people and some exciting work opportunities. Though there isn't really the social side of Facebook it is a useful tool.

So from my point of view it is worth a try!

Spring cleaning

I've been suffering from blogger's block.

Mainly because I've not had much on. I've moaned a lot about the lack of work about over many of my posts in the past so I'm not going to harp on about the fact that the only pings in my inbox are from Facebook and Freecycle (but if you do have any work going spare please send it my way - OH is starting to read out night shift jobs in the local paper!).

As I've had a bit of time on my hands I've been doing some Spring cleaning. Last week I updated my CV - always a good thing to do every 6 months or so - and I felt a lot better after adding all the 'great job' comments I've had over the last few months. I then trawled the Internet for publishing companies who stated on their websites that they were looking for freelancers and sent them my newly honed CV. In this search I was surprised by how many websites there are out there that profess to advertise freelancers to those looking for freelancers and at how high the fee was - I think at that price I'd rather start my own website (one of those things I really must do but keep running out of time and finances to get around to it!).

Then came the physical cleaning as, for reasons known only to ourselves, the OH and I have decided to move our bedrooms around which involved completely emptying the study and getting rid of my desk. I think I need to take Heather Boerner's advice and scan and shred!

Thanks to Wordsmith for the link to 'What punctuation are you?' I'm a semi-colon - which just about sums me up really.

Bullying in the workplace

Does it happen? Of course it does, I've even experienced it in my voluntary work, and it is unacceptable in every case.

One of the key factors about turning freelance when my son was born was that I knew that I didn't have the energy to play the political games needed for a quiet life at work - I knew that I was quite likely to speak my mind and walk out (a reason for limiting my consumption of alcohol over recent years as I seem to spend a lot of time in my personal life biting my tongue!).

So being freelance seemed ideal. I could work my own hours, have the radio on if I wanted to and not worry about who I would meet in the kitchen when it was my turn to do the tea run.

But being freelance can be a bit lonely and, lets face it, we all need a little bit of reassurance from time to time - no matter how experienced we are (and it is nice to pass on our experienced wisdom too). So I joined a few forums which were set up for this reason. But it seems there is no escape from the bullies even when you are working from home.

One forum in particular has become a bit like a soap opera and I skim through the daily digest to see the same names are arguing over the same points just for the sake of arguing and proving they are better than everyone else. As I press delete I sadly reflect that if I did have a problem I would be reluctant to ask about it. The last time I did I was pointedly told to 'search the archive' when it was obvious from my original message that I already had ... Well it was to me, but I suppose that is part of the problem - so much can be read into an email or forum post that wasn't intended. Unfortunately I have heard from colleagues that what appears on the forum is only half of it and that they have had horrendous messages offline. The result is that what was once a useful resource is now failing miserably as members decide enough is enough and leave.

So am I just an oversensitive soul (as an HR manager once labelled me) or are others finding the same thing? How do/did you deal with the bullies in your life?

Late payments, a worrying trend

I am supposed to be on holiday - but it seems I can still get frustrated by what is happening at home from the other side of the World.

It seems that every single client I've had over the last 6 months has messed me about over payment. EVERY SINGLE ONE. My reserves have been eaten up in overdraft fees and I often wonder if stacking shelves in a supermarket would be a better option - I've done it before and it was mind numbing but at least I had a regular pay check.

A couple of days ago I found out that a new client I'd worked for on a massive project over Christmas - getting in extra childcare and working right over the Christmas break - has not only failed to pay me on time but, on querying when the payment would arrive, I was told that it wouldn't be until the beginning of March. In what other profession than those who are freelance would this delay be acceptable? Because I can only work part-time at the moment this amounted to a months work - so my mortgage and other payments are all affected. Am I just unlucky with clients or is this a general trend that us freelancers should be aware of?

The client I've been ranting about for several posts is still emailing me over 'where I am' with the project that I finished 3 weeks ago. As I've actually spoken to the person I know he has been getting my emails so I am now regarding them as humorous rather than irritating - but really if they can't be professional with their freelancers how are they with their clients?

Now to workout a months interest for my late payer ....

Extended break and Carbon footprints

I haven't had much to say recently with the extended break I've been having due to being honest about my holiday.

My recent client - yes that one - did send some proofs on Friday but unfortunately wasn't prepared to wait until the end of February for their return. I am still expecting them to try to send the rest and email queries to me whilst I am away - despite my having kept all 5 people involved informed and being very clear when I took the project on.



I came across this from a Canadian freelance writer courtesy of Fyrefly - which makes me feel a little less guilty about my carbon footprint. Unfortunately my OH has an hours drive to work and back in a gas guzzling car so perhaps he cancels my efforts out!



Well no work for the next 3 weeks but lots and lots of reading (I hope).

Get Organised?

Cartoon by Dave Walker. Find more cartoons you can freely re-use on your blog at We Blog Cartoons.

I found this little gem of a site whilst reading through back posts on Julie Doyles' blog and it reminded me of what I should be doing - as opposed to reading back through people's blog lists.

At the moment my office is in the smallest bedroom and is the desk bit of a cabin bed contraption that only just fits into the room. The bed part is currently filled with various items that were moved from the 'spare' room for visitors in December as well as a box of stuff I've been meaning to put on eBay for about a year. The 'spare' room is now full of 'things to pack' for our holiday - which I really, really should be doing RIGHT NOW. It also contains various large items from the loft (including a coffee table and TV unit) that were left there by our predecessors 30 months ago and which my OH retrieved 3 weeks before Christmas with a view to selling them on eBay BEFORE Christmas - unfortunately they wont fit into the eBay box. It also contains various bits of furniture that we haven't found a home for yet even though we've been living here for over 2 years.

My 'workspace' consists of a laptop and the coffee table - or for a really big project the dining table or even the living room floor. My OH recently bought his own laptop so he can join me of an evening rather than having to venture into the 'study' and resort to using a webcam to talk to me! We do venture in there on occasion - when we need to use the printer.

I'm afraid that I was no better when I was working in-house - it was a common belief that the office desk moves that happened at least once a year were purely to get me to chuck out half of the stuff hoarded on my desk. Though I've been gone for nearly 4 years and they are still desk hopping regularly!

My excuse is that what ever I am working on gets my full attention and nothing impinges on that - Facebook, household chores, organisation. That way I know I've done a good job AND my OH doesn't think that my being freelance means we don't need a cleaner (we haven't got one but I can dream).

So with a few days 'free' to do all those nagging things that are building up - this years accounts, reorganising the study so I can actually use it, listing that stuff on eBay, giving the house a good clean, packing for our trip - what am I doing? ... catching up on EastEnders and knitting a jumper!

Are clients on the same planet? ... I'm beginning to think not

I couldn't believe my eyes this morning when I opened my in box. The client from another planet had sent me yet another a message.

Now this wasn't the same as the one I'd had a few days ago asking me why I had made certain changes to the MS (because that was what was specifically requested in the brief), or to tell me they'd received my invoice and were paying by return (I can wish), or that they were offering me more work (well it was a really good rate of pay so I'd be tempted).

No, it was a message from the editorial manager asking me to report on the status of the project and when I would be likely to return it

... erm I returned it 8 days ago.

I know they received it as I've had a 'huge thank you' message from the client (and queries from the EM). I did notice that the message was sent to several people so maybe EM forgot to take me off the list, but even so.

I did notice on a forum recently that the client was advertising for a new editorial manager, I wonder ...

Exit Strategy Planning

As a freelancer you aren't supposed to take holidays or be off sick - you should be there day and night at the clients beck and call (and of course only work for them even if they only call on you once in a blue moon for an urgent project) - right?

In my first year of freelancing I didn't understand these rules ...

I booked a holiday.

(Well actually it was booked before I even thought about going freelance but the fact remains that I didn't think it would be a problem.) On top of the holiday we moved house 3 days before we were supposed to fly (obviously this wasn't the plan but that's how it ended up happening). As this was a move of 190 miles, with my OH at one end and myself and the three year old (then 1 year old) at the other, my work was somewhat disrupted but I made sure I got everything done and sent back before my 'break'. The result was that I ended up not working for about 6 weeks because I took a week to move and another 2 for a holiday and therefore wasn't available when needed.

In March last year I ended up in hospital with an infection. I was only in hospital for a week and then out of action for another week because the cocktail of drugs I was prescribed wasn't conducive to sitting in front of a screen. During that week I continued with the projects that had been due whilst I was in hospital and returned them only a few days late (obviously telling the client via my OH that I was in hospital as soon as we realised I would be staying in). I wasn't expecting flowers and both clients involved were sympathetic at the time but the upshot was that I didn't have any work from them for several months. In fact it took until October to get back into a regular level of work - so, on the plus side, it did make me market myself more.

Late last year my sister in law moved to the other side of the world and I was persuaded to book a trip to see her (which I'm taking in about 10 days time). I informed all of my clients and told them that I would have my laptop with me so could do on-screen work and could probably find room in my luggage to take one manuscript.

But I sent my last project back to a client on Wednesday and nothing else is in the pipeline either before I go or lined up for when I get back. I have been asked to collate some proofs but I think the postage cost to Australia put them off :-) I'm starting to worry that being 'unavailable' may lead to another work drought.

Would I have been better NOT to tell everyone my plans and just set up an 'out of office' reply to my email for the period (though as it is web-based that wouldn't be needed as I can access them there, though the time difference could prove a problem)?

If I had been still working in-house I'd currently be doing unpaid overtime to get everything done before I left and would be expecting to do the same once I got back. I would have still been expected to churn out the same number of books as I had in previous months - despite not actually being there and would be 'stressed to the eyeballs'.

Instead I am sitting here wondering how I can get out of doing the mountain of housework that needs doing before we leave. My excuse (probably since October when work picked up) has been too much work to do. The result is similar to the one Kate Muir describes in today's Dark Ages (Times Magazine) except probably worse as reading between the lines she 'normally' does the chores she mentions wheras I avoid them at all cost.

I suppose there is still time to send round a begging email to clients on Monday - but then again there is the packing to be done.

I'd be interested to hear how others manage it - or even if they do.

Momentary euphoria turns to nagging doubt

I'm experiencing momentary euphoria due to the fact that the project I mentioned in my last post is finally 'in the post' to the designer. The client and the project manager stopped answering my emails last week so I'm now starting with the nagging doubt of whether I'll ever get paid by them and, if I do get paid, if they will give me any more work - and if so if I would accept it?

You see I've been in the position for the first few years of my freelance career of only having a couple of clients - one of which I worked for in a previous life as an in-house editor - and chugging along quite happily until 1) the work dried up and I realised it was true you can't put all your eggs in one basket and 2) little one went to nursery and I suddenly had more time on my hands - and I'd rather work than do the housework!

My first action when the work started to dry up was to advertise in a few places locally (so far to this date I've had no clients from this :-]), get on as many web forums for freelancers as I could and, of course Facebook.

The second was to chase up my advanced membership of the SfEP which had been sitting in the office for a year waiting for my previous employer to write a reference about my freelance work - which she simply 'didn't have time' to do. Thankfully as I could prove that in the year since I had made the application I had worked 100s and 100s of hours and had undertaken CPD (continuous professional development) the council granted me the status and I was able to add myself to the directory. The result has been several new clients and a very hectic workload but also some bad experiences - unintelligible briefs, contrary clients and late payment. There have been good points too - expanding my repertoire, building up a good client base and in some cases a bit better pay!

So I'm not in a position to pick and choose just yet - but it would be nice! Perhaps when he's at university :-)

Are clients on the same planet?

A regular debate on one of the facebook groups I frequent is 'Do clients speak the same language as us?' with my latest one I'm beginning to wonder if we both inhabit the same planet!

Early December got a 'would you be interested in a quick job for us' email, to which I replied a hearty 'yes' with a view to working over the Christmas period when everyone else was on holiday.

Week before Christmas
Client: 'Glad you can take on the project, will be with you hopefully before Christmas but definitely before the New Year'

2nd Jan
Client: 'Here are the series editors' corrections for the text'.
Me: 'Okay, but I don't have the text to add the corrections to'.

10th Jan
Me: 'I have just received the original but there appear to be 2 versions'.

11th Jan
Client: 'There are 2 different versions of the book one with questions and the other with the answers - here's the email with the instructions that I thought I'd sent before Christmas - can you do the checklist over the weekend and get queries to the project manager early in the week?'

Sun 13th
Me (to project manager): 'Okay I've gone through and here are my initial queries and the checklist you wanted me to fill in. Can you check that I am on the right lines and get back to me?'

Mon 14th
Project manager: 'I'm very pushed at the moment will get back to you tomorrow'.

Tues 15th
Me (to PM and client): 'I've finished going through and there appears to be a lot of text missing - changes have been made to the questions but I need matching information for the answers are there any files missing?'
Project manager: 'I have your queries sent on Sunday I'll be in touch tomorrow with an answer'.
Client: 'There aren't any more files'.
Project manager: 'Can you tell me where you are with the project and how long it is going to take you to finish it?'
Me (to PM): 'Depends on when I get the missing information unless you want me to try to write it'.

Yesterday
Project manager: 'Can you tell me where you are with the project and how long it will take you to finish it?'
Client: 'You don't appear to have sent the information we requested to be with us immediately after the weekend.'
Me (to client): 'Was sent to project manager on Sunday'.
Project manager: 'The stuff sent on Sunday is fine. Can you fill in the attached form to say where you are with the project and how many hours you think it will take?'
Me (to project manager): 'All depends on the answers to the queries.'

Today
Client: 'Can you tell me where you are with the project?'
Me: 'I am waiting for answers to queries sent on Tuesday as I am missing a lot of information.'
Client: 'Please find attached information that we have - does this help?'
Me: 'Not really as it is the same as what I have. Can you confirm what you want me to do? Should I wait for answers to the queries or should I try to rewrite the answers book to match the questions myself?'
Client: 'Oh don't wait for the answers to the queries as we won't send them off until we get proofs. Please do write the answers for the book as best you can. Can you let us know when you will be finished?'
Me: argh!!!!

And, yes, this is one of the clients in my last post about asking questions and Wordsmith was quite right in her observations that there are situations where you can ask too many questions but I dread to think what would have happened with this project if I hadn't!

Payment terms are 45 days - so my hair should have started to grow back by then :-)

OK, rant over, back to work!

Should freelancers be afraid to ask questions?

When I worked in-house we had a favourite freelancer who was initially referred to me as 'good but he needs his hand holding'. When I embarked on my freelance career I went to great lengths to avoid being called the same!

However is it always the case that if you ask too many questions you will be regarded as not up to the job? It certainly wasn't the case with the aforementioned freelancer - I'm sure he was the most used on our list, precisely because he asked questions and therefore the finished result was what we needed.

I've recently had projects from two different new clients where I have had to overcome my fear of being regarded as 'needing a hand holder'. I always worry that it isn't professional to ask lots of questions - however if I didn't ask I doubt it would have been as a professional job as the end result.

The first had lots of information to fill in and sheets of information to read before you started but it was full of jargon that was specific to the company, whom I hadn't worked for before. The end result of all my questions has ended up in a good working relationship with the editor involved who has already passed on more work.

The second was vague from the start and materials arrived haphazardly. From my initial questions I found that there was a lot of information, various checklists and instructions that I hadn't been sent and it turned out to be a much more involved job than I'd initially been led to believe. If I hadn't asked questions I dread to think what the end result might have been.

In addition lots of forums, such as the Line for SfEP members, can help out when you have a crisis of confidence about where to put a comma and they may also have other members who have worked for the same client and can shed some light on your queries.

So in conclusion, from my experience, it isn't unprofessional to ask questions - as long as you ask them in a professional way - and the end product could end up in a better working relationship, a better finished product and ultimately more work.

Take a break!

Being freelance can sometimes be lonely. You don't have the contact with others that you would have if you were employed in an office (in some cases that can be a good thing :-) ), you sometimes don't even get outside during daylight hours and even Facebook can be lonely if none of your friends are online (although it's an indispensable and addictive lifeline when they are). I only work part time, having a 3 year old at home, but with nursery closed and lots of deadlines I've been shut off from the outside world for what seems like forever!

So yesterday I tentatively took up one of my new years resolutions and headed to the gym for an hour before starting work - and realised only visiting 3 times in 2 months has really affected my fitness levels! Feeling a little braver this morning I took the plunge and ventured to the local toddler group to reconnect with people I haven't seen for weeks and give allow my 3 year old to run around (in the hope that he sleeps through tonight - still not luck on that front). Having had that break, and a chance to talk to actual people (rather than by email and instant message), I was able to concentrate on the tasks in hand this afternoon and I was a much calmer mummy.

It's made me realise that I need to add a few new years resolutions to my list - to make a few more coffee mornings with local mums, chat when I do the nursery pick up, make my local SfEP meetings (I made one last year) as meeting up with other freelance editors and proofreaders is always beneficial and most importantly to take a break every so often (with or without the chocolate bar!).