Okay – so I still have vacation on the brain.  I’ll be leaving on Monday for Cape Cod for the week.  While I’m excited for swimming with the kids in the ocean (I’m a fierce boogie boarder!), hanging out at the indoor/outdoor pools, playing some air hockey at the arcade, and maybe  a little mini-golf – what I’m equally looking forward to is some real DOWN time.  When I’m most quiet and reflective (leaving lap top at home!), is the time that I become the most creative, and get the most exciting business ideas.  THIS, along with awesome family-time, is what I’m excited for next week!  So I look forward to lounging in the sun, reading a few books (bringing business AND ‘fun’ books), and relaxing on the patio.  I’ll be bringing a notebook for any ideas that come to mind.

September is filled with a writing schedule to get my product written by October 1.  While I’d love to get a head-start on this next week, I’m not scheduling it in, so there’s no ‘pressure’.  I may write, I may not write and however it ends up will work for me.  It’s important that I don’t put writing pressure on myself or it won’t work for me – it won’t happen.  If I’m inspired to write – I will.  I can’t ‘force’ creativity or schedule a ‘task’ in during my creative time.

Do you schedule your own down time?  When does creativity flow easiest for you?  I would love to hear what works for you!

Enjoy your week and I’ll be back with pictures and oodles of great ideas!  :-)

~Donna

Kids:        YEAAAAAAAAH!!!
Me:        NOOOOOOOO!!!

Working at home with kids is always a balancing act.  When school lets out for summer, however, it can feel more like a full-fledged three-ring circus for a couple of months!  If your child isn’t heading for overnight camp, if you can’t cut work hours or take a month off, how do you find the time and space to focus on your work, while avoiding a looped chorus of “Mom, I’m bored?”

Here are a few tips I’ve discovered over the past several summers:

6.    Consider childcare. Chances are there is at least one responsible young person in your neighborhood looking for a summer job.  Why not hire him/her to come to your house and play with the kids for a few hours a week?  You’ll be at home in case of emergency, and they won’t be bored!

Whatever you do, make sure to devote some time every day to enjoying these warm summer days with your kid(s).  When in doubt, remember:  work can wait.  Childhood can’t.

Donna Toothaker is CEO and founder of 1st VA the highly sought-after online marketing and consulting company. 1st VA specializes in providing online marketing support and services to entrepreneurs and solopreneurs who wish to effectively build or improve their online presence. To discover how 1st VA can help your business – visit http://www.1stva.com.

We spent the last month at an ocean-side cottage in Maine. The view was incredible, and the weather was perfect. We did some ‘touristy’ things on occasion, but for the most part we relaxed by the ocean.

What I often forget is how important it is to get away from the ‘daily grind’ and go some place that is inspiring. This was it for me. Though I did work, some, most of my time was spent being creative. And oh how the creativity flowed.

Now that its September and the kids are back at school and I have a more regular schedule – I feel rejuvenated and invigorated to move ahead and continue bringing the business to higher levels.

Where do you go for inspiration? What inspires you? Nature, the ocean, the mountains? Let me know…

~Donna