Tag Archives: rebecca garland

So, You’re a Working Mom?

By on January 5th, 2012

There was an interesting comment in a recent article of mine that made me think. Another mom-who-happens-to-work-at-home mentioned that she “just can’t call herself a WAHM.” It made me smile for a couple of reasons. One – I smiled because I suspect I know exactly why that particular title makes her uncomfortable. And – Two –  because I use that particular term on purpose here on the blog. (Even if it’s not one that I am ready to march for waving my own little flag necessarily, and she probably already knows that, too.) WAHM Baggage Okay, here’s the scoop. If …

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Posted in Work at Home Parents |

Idiotic Idioms

By on December 8th, 2011

While we all love a good colloquialism, there is most certainly too much of a good thing at times. Idioms, or those charming expressions that don’t make any sense to anyone outside of your area, can be overused. We’ve done a bit on the more offensive and odd slang in the (American) English language, but there are plenty of more polite, if occasionally idiotic, expressions that are horribly trite and make your work clash with readers. Need some examples of idioms to avoid in your work? Try these on for size: “All hell breaks loose.” It’s not very hell-like if …

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Posted in Grammar & ESL |

Yay! It’s Yeah and Yea!

By on September 29th, 2011

This is driving me crazy. I just got an email with the subject, “Yeah a Birthday Baby is Born”. I’m not sure the sender (who is not known for her grammatical prowess) meant to sound as sarcastic as the teenagers we teach, but to someone who knows the difference between “yeah”, “yea” and “yay”, she did. And just what is the difference? If you don’t know, you’re certainly not alone. Even Spell Check doesn’t know the difference. It’s a trivial thing, and most people don’t care. But I do. Let’s review: “Yeah” – Yeah, it’s, like, teenager talk. “Yeah” is …

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Posted in Grammar & ESL |

What Your Writing Says about You

By on September 1st, 2011

Nobody’s perfect, but most of try to get as close as possible, at least in our writing. Over the years, I’ve developed a laidback approach to the grammar and spellings of others, probably because I’m bombarded with bad spelling mistakes and grammar choices on any given day. Unlike many other writers, I also feel there are markets for all sorts of writing – including the stuff that barely counts as a complete sentence. Markets aside, the way you write does make a difference in how you relate to your client and to your audience. In short – spelling counts, but …

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Posted in Grammar & ESL |

Writing Mistakes I See Too Often

By on July 21st, 2011

Typos are a way of life and even reviewing your own work can be tricky since you tend to read what you meant to say rather than what you actually said. Then, there is an entirely different kind of writing goofs – these aren’t accidents from your finger slipping on the keyboard. These are blatant errors and if you’re making them, you’re getting on my nerves. Okay, that’s harsh, you’re not really on my nerves. But if I were to have a bad day, you might be!  It’s and Its Yes, English is a confusing language. Yes, we have endless …

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Posted in Grammar & ESL |

Tricky Words: Past, Passed, Except and Accept

By on June 23rd, 2011

In the last week, two tricky word patterns have made it to my attention. This is particularly interesting since I’m not in the classroom over the summer, where I usually am assaulted by word problems. Here are my most recent scenarios: Scenario 1: The Email for Past and Passed I was asked via email about the words “past” and “passed.” The writer wanted to know if you “get passed” something or if you “get past” it. For example, I might complain that I was so irritated last week, but I got “passed/past” it and moved on. It goes without saying …

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Posted in Grammar & ESL |

Running into a Wall (And Crashing Through)

By on June 9th, 2011

I’ve had an insane lifestyle long enough to recognize how insane it is and to simply anticipate periods of time when I feel like punching walls and throwing up my (then bruised) hands in despair. Fortunately with great responsibility comes great wisdom as well as great amounts of stress for good measure. I often use my great wisdom to find ways to reduce my great stress.   Preface: I Have Three Stressful Jobs You have to understand that I’m not just idly whining here. I take full responsibility for my three stressful jobs. I chose this lifestyle.  I have two …

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Posted in Work at Home Parents |

The Trouble with Bedtime: Working Mom Woes

By on May 26th, 2011

While I love most things about having two jobs, the time I dislike being a double-time working mom most is at bedtime. Throughout the day I push, push, push to get everything done. And now that the day is winding down I want more than anything to just relax and enjoy myself. Unfortunately I can’t sit down and finish up a quick job just yet because my children won’t fall asleep. Every parent has bedtime woes with kids, but as a mom who works in the evenings (Yes, I was doing mornings, but I keep switching between morning and evening …

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Posted in Work at Home Parents |

Working the Summer Months: Working at Home with Kids

By on May 13th, 2011

If you’re used to sending your kids away to school and working, you’re in for a rough ride – summer is almost here! Of course, those mothers who are insane like I am don’t have to worry too much about this. In fact, the summer months are the most relaxing months for my career, simply because I’m on summer vacation as well. My mornings won’t change much once school lets out. I’ll write for a couple of hours before dawn, but maybe I’ll get to crawl back into bed for an hour and rest instead of packing lunches and prepping …

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Posted in Work at Home Parents |

Shhh….Mommy’s Working Now!

By on April 28th, 2011

I’m doing something crazy today. I’m working on this post while my children are awake. It’s crazy – I know. I’m used to working in the still of the morning now around 4 am, but yesterday about 2 o’clock my body decided that it was done carrying me through my crazy schedule and decided to develop a sore throat and general yuckiness. As I finished my day feeling a lot like I was slowly dying, I decided that getting up 4 in the morning was going to be a very bad idea. So I didn’t. I got up with my …

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Posted in Work at Home Parents |