Cash for the Holidays: Finding Work During the Christmas Season

The Christmas holiday season is a major financial hiccup for many people, creating a strain for those who are underemployed, out of work, or operating with little financial cushion. Once Halloween has come and gone, coping financially means finding an additional source of income, which can quickly turn into a very stressful period. Finding the right holiday job can help make Christmas an enjoyable experience instead of a teeth-clenching, stress-inducing ordeal. For the fortunate (and well-prepared), it can also lead to an unforeseen opportunity for a new career. Here are a few tips for finding the right opportunity during the holiday season.

Don’t Wait Around

Those who wait until December 15 to get serious about holiday work are in for an unpleasant surprise. Most employers have done the majority of their hiring before Thanksgiving, so it’s a good idea to get ready as soon as the trick or treaters have come and gone. This includes having a detailed, tight, well-written, and informative resume ready to go. In fact, it’s your most important asset as a job seeker. Keep it to no more than two pages, be concise, and proofread carefully before sending it out. Hiring managers tend to look disapprovingly at resumes that have typos and tend to see such individuals as careless and half-interested.

Cast a Wide Net

Retailers like Target and Wal-Mart are far from the only employers looking for holiday help. Restaurants, bars, caterers, music venues, delivery services, and hotels also add staff during the holiday season. Keep an open mind because there’s a wide range of jobs available, from stockers and loaders to greeters, delivery persons, and customer service representatives, and each job can lead to an expansive and rewarding long-term opportunity. Try not to think of these as temporary opportunities, but as something that could prove more meaningful. Adopting that mindset will make you more appealing to a hiring manager.

Stress Flexibility

The most attractive hiring prospect is the qualified job seeker who emphasizes flexibility. It’s a crucially important quality during the holidays, which is when employers may need to ask their hires to work a wide range of hours. Insisting that you can only work set hours won’t do you much good in finding holiday work. Think carefully before declaring your flexibility, as it’s likely you’ll be taken up on that promise. It’s to your benefit if you can get used to the idea that you’ll be needed when the company needs you.

A holiday job interview can be particularly stressful because interviewers have a lot of people to talk to in a short amount of time, so it’s best to be prepared. Decrease your stress by practicing the answers to some difficult questions. Check out some useful interviewing advice online, and if you’re going to work retail, don’t ask about employee discounts in the interview.

Do Your Homework

If it’s your intention to seek employment and get through the interview process, take the time to do a little homework about the company. The more informed you are during the interview, the more impressed and convinced you’ll be. And prepare a few informed questions for the interviewer; it makes you look sincerely interested and serious enough about the job to find out more about the company on your own.

Flexibility is key for a seasonal job seeker so keep an open mind when it comes to finding a position and your work availability. Also, bear in mind that even though you’re doing this to make a few extra dollars, you might just find a great long-term opportunity.

Image courtesy of Pixabay

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Safety Tips for Using Jogging Strollers

Jogging strollers can help even busy moms get regular exercise. However, many women are concerned about the child’s safety and comfort. Here are some important tips for how to jog with your child the proper way. 

image:bestwomensworkouts.com/best-double-jogging-stroller

WAIT UNTIL YOUR CHILD IS SIX MONTHS OLD

Doctors advise waiting for your baby to be at least six months old before you take him out in a jogging stroller. At that age, your baby’s neck is stronger, and his skull is not as fragile. While strollers for running will provide enough stability and cushioning so he isn’t jostled too much during your jog, it’s still best to wait until he can take a little bouncing.

KEEP THE FRONT WHEEL  LOCKED

There are two kinds of jogging strollers: one with a front wheel that’s permanently fixed into one position, and one that lets you unlock it for easier steering. If you have an adjustable front wheel, you should lock it into place whenever you go jogging. This prevents any chances of sudden turns and swerves that can accidentally lead to a fall or collision.

BRING ESSENTIALS

Whenever you bring your baby out, you have to be prepared for anything! Bring a small bag with baby essentials like diapers, wipes, water and a toy that can keep your baby busy when he gets fussy. You should also bring a jacket and a blanket in case the weather changes.

USE A FULL HARNESS

One of the most important tips on how to safely jog with your childis to make sure he’s buckled in securely with a full harness. An older child will also be more active and curious, and may try to reach over to get something or wriggle when he gets bored.  Also make sure that your child can’t reach anything that could pinch his fingers (such as the wheel) or pose as a choking hazard.

PLAN YOUR ROUTE

When it comes to safety, where you jog with your child is just as important as how to jog with your child.  Take a route that avoids a lot of car traffic and doesn’t require you to cross busy intersections. Ideally the route will be shaded, so your child doesn’t have to squint under the bright sun. Most moms also recommend that you test the route on your own before taking your child will you in a jogging stroller.

That will also help you calculate the time it takes to complete the route, so you can plan your jogging sessions accordingly. In general, you will be running slower when you are jogging with your child than if you are alone.

PICK THE RIGHT TIME

Know your child’s general routine. Avoid jogging with him when you know he’ll be sleepy, hungry, or most active. If your child is the restless type, one way how to jog with your child without him getting fussy or throwing a tantrum is to schedule breaks where he can get out of the stroller and play.

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Why I Love Walking in a Winter Wonderland

Winter is upon us and it can be the most magical of seasons, it’s the perfect time to get cosy with your nearest and dearest. Sit in front of a roaring fire and enjoy a cup of mug of steaming hot chocolate (complete with marshmallows and whipped cream of course)! It’s nice to enjoy your home comforts at this time of year, but this is no time for hibernation! The great outdoors can be magical at wintertime, wrap up warm and venture outside. There’s a winter wonderland out there just waiting to be discovered.

image:pixabay.com/en/midnight-snow-night-snow-snowy-1915907

There are subtle changes all throughout the winter season, at the start the air is crisp and the ground covered by a beautiful autumnal carpet of leaves, in hues of gold, red, brown and orange. The trees may be bare but they have an ethereal quality that gives them a mystical feel. As the season progresses it becomes colder, a layer of frost coats the ground and paints the branches of trees, from afar it looks like someone has gone a little crazy with a pot of silver glitter! Then comes the snow, if we’re lucky its deep and crisp and even (just how Good King Wenceslas liked it)! You can crunch through it, leaving footprints in your wake. There are snowballs to be thrown and snowmen to be built,and if you have a hill nearby sledging is a must.

Winter is also synonymous with the festive season. We often see Christmas cards depicting perfect snowy scenes, and there’s always a deep-seated hankering for a white Christmas, if only we could put that on our Christmas wish list for dear old Santa. A scattering of snow outside our door on Christmas morning would make the day complete.

Many of my designs for Heartwood Creek this Christmas were inspired by my appreciation for nature, love of the country and fondness of the Christmas period. I particularly enjoyed designing and crafting my many snowman figurines, there’s so much more to these wintery fellows than two balls of snow, button eyes and a carrot nose! Here are a few of my favourites:

I adored coming up with the concept for my “Be The Light” Victorian Snowman, complete with lantern, which transports me back to a bygone era. I imagine him coming to life one blustery night, wrapping his scarf around him and making his way along the deserted streets with his traditional lamp held aloft before him. I liked the idea of incorporating rich colours, they seemed to fit with the era, and I wanted to give this fellow a vintage feel.

My “Snowman wrapped” figurine was a joy to craft, I was keen to bring through his vibrant personality, hence the string of brightly coloured fairy lights! I’m sure this gleeful gentleman will light up your day (and night) and his jaunty top hat finished off his cheeky chappy persona perfectly.

My passion for tradition and folklore inspired my design of the “Folklore Snowman with Heart” figurine, it’s hand-painted and features my signature colours and rustic design. There’s a folk-art forest scene which has been hand-carved and the bright red heart draws your eye. This would make a beautiful gift for loved ones, it comes in a gift box, and as every Folklore Snowman with Heart figurine is individually hand-painted and hand-carved, each one will be unique.

Of course, my Heartwood Creek Christmas range incorporates more than just snowman! There are Santa’s from all corners of the globe, including an Italian, French and German Santa, to name just three. There’s also my White Woodland range – these resin figurines are striking, and as the name suggests they are white in colour and reminiscent of a wonderland scene. Although I must say I have never personally seen a snowman carrying a pair of skis – but I just couldn’t resist (and who knows what they get up to in the dead of night when we are all snoozing in our beds)?

I also enjoyed designing the nativity scenes, I feel we need to hold onto the true sentiment of Christmas to ensure the season doesn’t get wholly swallowed up by shiny wrapping paper and plastic novelty items! I have a special place in my heart for angels and have fashioned many a design based on these spiritual beings over the years.

Heartwood Creek this Christmas also features hanging ornaments that are perfect for decorating a Christmas tree and festive figurines that will look spectacular placed on a shelf or a mantle piece.

May I take this opportunity to wish you a very Merry Christmas.

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