Efficient Organization: The Filing Cabinet

I am definitely an organized person. I come by it naturally, and have always seen the value in lists, schedules and everything having its place.

When discussing “The Happiness Project” at book club, one of the members commented “I just don't get how having a clean closet is going to make you happy!”  and I was stunned. Doesn’t everyone get a high from organizing, sorting and purging?

A reader and friend recently suggested that I parlay this area of obsession expertise into more blog posts, and while I’m all for it, I need to explain something.

I would call myself “efficiently organized” – which is not always what organizational-blog readers are interested in. Here’s a perfect example to illustrate what I mean: my filing cabinet.

At home and at school, I have well-groomed filing cabinets, with file folders neatly hand-labeled and arranged in alphabetical order. I’ve used this system forever, adding or deleting files as needed. For this reason, the hand-written labels work well for me.

Most organizational bloggers, though, go for the beautiful photo op. Readers like to see carefully typed labels in fancy fonts, done in a computer program, printed out on special stickers and carefully applied to the files.

But here’s the thing: I already have a perfectly functional system – taking a couple of hours just to change the look of the labels would not at all be efficient. It would be a waste of two hours of my time. Plus, what happens whenever I need a new label? My printing is neat and I never have trouble locating what I need in the cabinet, so it certainly serves its organizational purposes. And while I’m all for things being attractively presented in many areas of life/organization, literally NO ONE else sees my files but me. I’m pretty sure not another soul has ever opened by classroom filing cabinets, and on the very rare occasions my husband goes rooting around for a document himself at home, he’s certainly not complaining. Though I must admit that I did submit to Pinterest-pressure a couple of years ago and replace the folders that weren’t the same colour, which was refreshing. (Yes, I am being serious.)

Without further ado, here’s my very organized, but admittedly not really swoon-worthy photo:

On Pinterest, you can find tons of examples of filing cabinets that are beautifully refinished on the outside, but my cabinet at home (standard black, but in great condition) is kept in a closet, and I really don’t think there would be enough of a return on my investment to spend time beautifying the school cabinets which aren’t even my property.

My tips for filing success:

1. File immediately. People in the staff room the other day were talking about having a “To-File” pile. I never do. If something really needs to be kept (see next point) it goes from my hand directly into the filing cabinet. I open the mail as soon as I get in the door, and I truly do walk right downstairs, items in hand, and file any important pieces right where they go.

2. Only file what you absolutely must. So many things are available on the internet now, and filing within document folders on your computer is a much better idea than adding to paper folders. Getting e-mail notifications of bills and paying online helps with that, as well as removing your name from unnecessary mailing lists. Most of what I get in my mailbox at work, and a lot of what arrives at home, gets recycled. Even if it is something important, like a party invitation, I write the details down in my planner (RSVPing immediately if it’s required) and recycle the hard copy. For holiday cards, I keep a designated spot in the home for them to be collected/displayed. Most other correspondence (e.g. thank you cards) gets read, appreciated, showed to my husband or daughters if appropriate, and recycled. (Sorry if it sounds cold, but if you’re still reading, I assume you want me to be honest about my system!)

3. Whittle down your files on a regular basis. At school, I usually do this in June; pulling out a few folders at a time and whipping through them while the kids snack or work on art, or sometimes in the staff room while enjoying recess conversation. At home, it’s on the summer holidays, sitting in front of the TV. If I haven’t used it in a couple of years, I have multiple copies of it, or I know I can find it on the computer quickly if I need it again, it’s gone. I once read that tax stuff needs to be kept for seven years, so by year eight, it goes in the shredder or the fire pit. (To be clear, I mean the one in our backyard. I don’t camp.) I know I’m weird, but it gives me joy to pare down what’s in my filing cabinet (or pretty much any closet, cupboard or drawer).

So…are you inspired to get your filing cabinets into shape?

I already have a few more questions from a reader to get me rolling with this organizational series, but if you want to get a peek into an area of my home/work/life organization (besides, of course, my oh-so-gorgeous filing cabinets!), please comment, e-mail me, tweet me, etc. and I’d be happy to add your idea to the list.

I will never say that my way is the right way, but I certainly know what works for me, saving me time and making my days (from the crazy mornings to the exhausted evenings and everything in between) less stressful.

If you’re still with me, you may be interested in my previous clutter-control series:

# 1 - The Underwear Drawer

# 2 - Beauty Products (no more contact lens products for me now!)

# 3 - The Linen Closet

# 4 - Clutter Flashbacks (including hair accessories and coat closet)

# 5 - Organize Your Jewelry

The Happiness Project: February

{You can find the first edition of this series here: The Happiness Project: January}

I regret that I must start February by saying that my book club did not like this one (written by Gretchen Rubin). I'm totally okay with that, as we all have different tastes, and I'm still glad I made them read it. I am a bit surprised though that I was in such a minority when it came to how much I adored it!

Since I actually made my pals discuss it at our book club meeting (evenings have been known to go by without mention of that month's title), I learned the following:

One friend thought the whole idea of the project was a bit self-centred. I disagree, because I firmly believe that when you can find happiness (with no cost to anyone else) those around you really do reap the benefits.

Another mentioned that the author seems like she's already perfect, and trying to be more perfect. I wondered what that said about me, when I feel like the Gretchen and I are kindred spirits? (And believe me, I'm not perfect, nor do I hold any illusions that I am, ever will be, or even need to be.)

Still another said that the whole premise was ridiculous because no one has the time to do a project like this. To be fair, I'm assuming she got a book deal ahead of time, and therefore had some income (either an advance or the promise of money to come) to get her through the year. And the whole "project" (i.e. work) aspect of it isn't what interests me the most. I have no desire to put my goals on spreadsheets and track my progress. For me, the concepts are a little bit more broad and fluid - goals to keep in mind as I go through the month (and year), while holding down my own jobs.

February's goals, for Gretchen, stemmed from the seasonal theme "Remember Love - Marriage":

• Quit nagging
• Don't expect praise or appreciation
• Fight right
• No dumping
• Give proofs of love

My first goal is to respect my hubby's wishes that I don't discuss him on the blog, so I'll be brief with my twists on these ideas.

One of my favourite pieces of relationship advice comes from Dr. Phil, and I remind myself of it often: "Do you want to be right, or do you want to be married?" You have to let some things go.

I also need to internalize a reflection the author made in this chapter, related to nagging: "I reminded myself that tasks didn't need to be done according to my schedule". That one's a toughie for me.

When it comes to "proofs of love", I am a firm believer in the deposit/withdrawal theory. You need to make as many love deposits in your relationships as you possibly can, so that when you need to make a withdrawal - large or small, and believe me, I've been there - you're never in a state of overdraft. This doesn't just go for marriage, but with other family members, friends and colleagues. I even think of it with my students and their parents, too.

This month, I encourage you to join me in giving proofs of love as much as you can: go out of your way to do the favour, show affection, give the compliment, make the gesture, and express gratitude. How can you go wrong?

I would love to know if any of you have read the book, and if so, what you thought of it. (I honestly don't mind if you disagree with me...I didn't write it!)

School Roundup: January 2014

Despite kicking off the 2014 school year with two snow days, it's been a full, productive month in the Grade 3 class! To save my fingers from typing and your eyes from reading, I'll make this as brief as I can!

Reading

Reading Passages That Build Comprehension: Main Idea and Details. I love this book. Each page has a short text and three multiple choice questions (What's the main idea?, What's a supporting detail from the text? and What would the best title be?) I project it on the Smartboard using my document camera (every class should have one of those). Kids come to the carpet with their set of cards that say A, B and C. I read the passage aloud, and when I ask the questions, kids hold up a letter in response. I can keep a checklist of the number of errors they make, and taking the decoding part out of it really isolates the skill of determining main idea and supporting details. Plus, they feel like they're playing a game! As the year goes on, I get them to do more of the reading themselves.

Writing

We did a lot of letter-writing this month. First, post-Christmas thank you letters (to parents, Santa, etc.), and then letters to Canadian peacekeepers. (See here for information.)  From the list of current operations, we chose "Proteus" in Jerusalem, connecting it to the history of Christianity, and how they are carrying on the work there that Jesus did 2000 years ago.We're hoping we receive some replies! As with almost all writing tasks, we used the laptops, and kids participated in peer and self assessment before submitting their work.


Art

Ripped-paper Penguins - yep, as seen on Pinterest: http://www.pinterest.com/pin/175288610470523710/


Dance

Hannah Beach "I Can Dance": these are interpretive dance picture books and CDs. I would read each book, then play the CD as the kids danced around the room in whatever way they wanted to express each idea (e.g. elephant, fire, angry, pink, smooth, spaghetti). They did written reflections at the end (their thoughts are perfect to include in report card comments for extra personalization). I always ask them to come up with their own book idea, and one child suggested "I Can Dance Jesus, because he is everywhere and in our hearts and he is our Lord." Aww!

Health/Social Studies

If you teach in Ontario, you have to check out http://education.milk.org/

Regional Dairy Educators make FREE visits to schools, with a choice of topics (nutrition, from farm to table, etc.) I like that there's the option of a presentation all about Early Farming compared to Modern Farming - a perfect complement to the Grade 3 Social Studies unit on Early Settlers


Religion

It's that time of the year again for the Family Life/Health unit, which in Grade 3 goes as far as egg cells and sperm cells. (I can talk openly with 8 year olds, yet I am blushing as I type this.) Of course, someone asked "But how do the egg and sperm get together?", a question I referred back to their parents. (You're welcome.) For this unit, the kids also bring in photos of themselves as babies and learn what they weighed, if they were early or late, etc., which they love to share.

Math

We finished up Data Management (the kids - and I - always love doing surveys, collecting data and creating graphs). Now we're starting measurement, which includes time. Elapsed time is a particularly difficult concept for many of them, so I make up a sheet with our start and end times for every subject and recess. Kids draw the hands on the blank clocks and figure out how much time we spend on each segment of the day.

Social Justice

Our Student Government group led a used children's book drive initiative, which was an overwhelming success. We collected over 1200 books (board, picture, early reader and chapter). The books were delivered to our local Ontario Early Years Centre, where they are available free of charge for any families who need them.

There's a lot of research to show that the number of books a child has at home is related to their reading skills, and many families just can't afford to stock their kids' libraries, so this was a way we could help. Because the kids at our school come from a variety of economic backgrounds too, we're also trying to make sure that some of our social justice initiatives don't cost the kids a thing - all they had to do in this case was bring in items that they don't need anymore, which was free and painless, but could still provide them with the feeling that comes from helping others. And let's be honest - I'll do anything to get people organized and de-cluttered!

Book Orders

On the topic of books, I send home the Scholastic Book Orders every month, and I love how it earns us free resources for the classroom. For Christmas, I gave the kids each a $5 Scholastic gift certificate so that they could all have a chance to order a book, and most of them took advantage on the January order.

As a final note for the month, just so you know what kind of class I am blessed with, I wanted to share this note left by a supply teacher one day when I was out for a meeting: "Thank you for having me in today. Your class is so well behaved and very helpful. They were very good at staying on track, and knew exactly what to do when they finished activities early. I couldn't have asked for the day to be any better."

This earned the kids a period of free computer time on the class laptops!

Hope your January has been as worthwhile and exciting! With Spirit Week and Valentine's Day ahead in February, 2014 shows no signs of slowing down!

"The EveryGirl's Guide To Life" by Maria Menounos

I just finished rereading another gem from my bookshelf: The EveryGirl’s Guide To Life by television reporter Maria Menounos (you may know her from ExtraTV, or her time on Access Hollywood, Today, or Entertainment Tonight).

In her book, Maria covers a huge range of topics, from decorating and organization (this gal could give me a run for my money!) to hair and makeup to work and travel, with an incredible number of tips for women.

You might think that as a television personality, Maria’s suggestions might not exactly apply to you (and I will admit her closet is to die for) but as the daughter of Greek immigrants with incredible worth ethic, Maria keeps it real and stretches her time and dollars in the same way most of us do. Not only does she do her own hair and makeup for her daily TV appearances (most of her counterparts spend two hours getting “done”; Maria does her own in less than half an hour) but she, her partner Keven and a friend set up and photographed the cover shoot for her book, with no additional staff required.

Of course I’m fascinated by the lives of those who work in broadcasting, so I had a particular interest in the book, but I took away all sorts of practical ideas ideas (cleaning tricks, packing tips and work suggestions) as well as soaking up Maria’s “famous reporter” lifestyle.

Her sections on diet and exercise are very thorough, and while she’s much more dedicated than I am in these areas (she details how she lost 40 pounds several years ago) she’s also pretty realistic and practical about health and fitness – again, very accessible for what she calls “the EveryGirl”. Though I have to say that I could never get on board with one carb per day! (Her second book is coming soon, focusing specifically on diet and fitness.)

The book is packed with photographs of not just Maria, but her gorgeous home and many of the interesting people she’s met or interviewed (the Obamas, for example).

While I feel a bit old/experienced for a few of the topics, I still pick up new ideas every time I read the book (which is why it gets to stay on my shelf, rather than being passed along as most of my books are).

The EveryGirl’s Guide To Life would be a perfect gift for a young woman starting out – maybe someone entering the work force, or someone who just rented her first apartment or bought her first house.

You can follow the hardworking Maria Menounos (as I do) on Twitter at: https://twitter.com/mariamenounos

Valentine's Day Decorations: Quick, Easy and Cheap!

What better way to celebrate my fourth blogiversary (why, thank you!) than by sharing some festive holiday decorations?

Before having kids, I didn't put up too many knickknacks for Valentine's Day, and even now I just put touches here and there in the main area of the house. I highly recommend Dollarama for family-friendly seasonal décor, as well as Pinterest for tons of great DIY ideas. Here's what you can find in my open-concept main floor area this year:

I love wreaths, especially on the mudroom door in my very neutral-toned kitchen. From Thanksgiving to Easter, there's a pop of colour in that prominent spot (if not dollar store, this one may have been from Zellers).

How can you go wrong with little dollar store hearts hanging in random places?

This was one of my first Pinterest-inspired projects (I blogged about it here) - 

my XO frames, on the half-wall right inside the front door.

I've gone a bit crazy using old photos to decorate for each holiday. These ones show Frannie 

and Maggie, each on their first Valentine's Day, in front of their traditional gifts from Daddy - 

a single rose for each of his girls.

Again, a Dollarama find:

This one's a new addition as of yesterday. I saw something similar on Pinterest, only it was larger and the candy hearts formed a big heart. My visual spatial skills aren't that good - I couldn't get the heart to look the shape I wanted it. Plus, I have this thing about rows and symmetry, though I tried not to be too careful with this piece. (Frannie: "Wow...you sure are into using frames for decorations, mom!")

Holiday window-clings are a must at our house. I will admit (to no one's surprise) that when the girls were really young I kind of micromanaged this task. And by micromanaged, I mean that I would let them do it, and then fix it all when they were done. Now, even five year old Maggie is able to space the hearts and Cupids in a visually pleasing way.

I've written before about my organizational strategy of holiday-themed bins, which include seasonal books. The girls are currently enjoying these stories, just pulled out of storage and unseen since last Valentine's Day. Any books that they've outgrown are passed along to a coworker with younger children.

A small bit of storage for the Valentine's Day greetings that will be arriving chez Winn 

(yep, it's from Dollarama).

Since I spend so much time in the kitchen (sorry if I just made your drink come out your nose), it's a great place to add a festive touch. These are new from Target this year as well. (I also have my eye on another cute wreath there, but need to decide if it's hardy enough to hold up on the front door or not. With open concept, there's not a lot of place for hanging.)

Hope you enjoyed that quick little holiday tour. As you can clearly see, I don't spend a lot for these sorts of items, and they're more for the kids than for adult enjoyment, but I do love to have some seasonal touches around the house.

For more Valentine's Day ideas (including some classroom crafts), check out my Valentine's Day Pinterest Board.

Speaking of holidays, I guess I should get to opening all of my blogiversary cards and gifts now. The traditional fourth anniversary gift is flowers, so the vases are ready...

Deep Thoughts on My Blogging Voice

A very lovely and loyal reader e-mailed me earlier this week with some amazing feedback (I do know her in real life, but no, she's not related to me!)

The subject of her e-mail was "Thoughts", which could go in any number of directions, but what was on her mind ended up being very valuable to me.

She complimented me on my recent posts about writing (Adventures in Freelance Writing Volume I and Volume II), saying that they have a different energy than a lot of my other posts: "I just find that you are much more animated and the writing comes to life- your personality shines through," she wrote. "When you write about things that sincerely interest you, it changes your writing style." 

This really got me thinking, as I feel that most of the time I do choose topics that interest me - and it's definitely a freedom I appreciate, being able to write what I want when I want, especially when I also have the regular experience of writing to please editors - but there certainly are times that I write posts because I think there's a market for them, and not so much because I feel passionate about the topic myself. Definitely something to keep in mind when planning ahead for This Mom Loves. That's not to say that I need to close the blog off from ideas that are a bit out of my comfort zone, but I need to make sure that I'm letting loose and being myself if I'm going to put something out there.

Thinking about the things that I am passionate about, this friend went on to say: "I'm not suggesting you are square (hee hee)" - her parentheses - "but you are highly organized and efficient in your home life, as well as your career, and this is a talent that I think you should consider focusing on in your blog."

She did suggest that, based on what she knows about me (and what she would love to see as a reader) I should consider more organizational posts, perhaps incorporating questions from readers (she even threw in a few to get me started)! And you know what? I think that's a great idea. I am a very organized person, but in an efficient way, which may not be what some readers are looking for (not all organized people are efficient, which I will explain when I start tackling these questions!)

This was a slow blog week for me, with report card deadlines by day and magazine deadlines by night, so it was a great time for me to step back and absorb this feedback.

Thanks to this friend and reader...and to all of you who support me here at This Mom Loves! Hope you're ready for more organizational and writing posts, information about books and education in general, decorating before and afters (three projects being planned), more celebrity Momterviews and some fun products that my girls and I really like...because that's what's in store around here!

How Do You Save Money For The Future?

How do you save money for the future? We have a few different systems, depending on our goals.

For retirement:

We are incredibly fortunate to have a strong pension plan (which I hope will still be there when we need it - 2031 is still a long time away!), but in addition, my husband and I each have RRSPs, funded by preauthorized withdrawals made from our chequing accounts each month. Every couple of years we take a look at our budget and decide if we're able to increase our contributions, but at this point we still aren't maximizing what we could be doing. One bonus with RRSPs is that they do provide a tax break, which means some money back at the end of the year.

For the girls' education:

As soon as Frannie was born, we opened a family RESP, and used the Universal Child Care Benefit ($100 per month, per child from the federal government) to get it started, since it was new income that we wouldn't miss. Once I was back to work full time after both girls, we increased our monthly contributions. It's smart to maximize, if you're able (the government will add 20% of what you put in, to a maximum of $500 per year, per child - which means if you can put in $2500 over the course of the year, you're making the most of your money.) We still haven't decided what to tell our daughters about this chunk of savings. My husband and I each paid for our own post-secondary education, while I admittedly had the luxury of living at home and using one of my parents' vehicles, but I did cover almost all of my tuition and books myself through part-time and summer jobs. I would never want their opportunities to be limited because of money, but I also don't want them to go through high school assuming they have some sort of free ride. I'd like to see them working and saving, just as we did. I'd love to hear others' thoughts on this one!

For large purchases:

We have monthly budgets (including set amounts for personal shopping/entertainment), and the difference between our income and expenditures goes into a joint account at the end of the month. Originally we were very strict about what we would use it for, e.g. a big trip, purchasing a large appliance, etc., but now it tends to be used for Christmas shopping, repair bills, anything not in our monthly budget. Fortunately our tax return is timed perfectly to fund our March Break trip (I know the financial experts wouldn't approve of that but hey, I'm being honest!)

A great way to make sure that your future goals are funded is to pay yourself first (I can still hear Monica's dad on Friends telling her "10 percent, in the bank!") and a great way to do that is to have the withdrawals set up through programs like the TD Automatic Savings Plan. That way you don't have to worry about transferring amounts each month, and the money is out of sight, out of mind...and ready when you need it in the future!

As I mentioned above, I'd love to know what other parents plan to do about their children's post-secondary educations...are you saving for them or expecting them to do it on their own? Is it a choice you're making, or financial necessity? How will their opportunities be different from yours?

Disclosure: This post was sponsored by TD. Opinions are, as always, my own. 

Adventures In Freelance Writing: Volume II - Tips and More

If you missed Volume I of my Adventures In Freelance Writing, catch up here!

When I look back at my e-mails, I can see that I took a long (almost 18 month) break from pitching and writing in 2011/2012, starting back up again last January 2nd, almost as an unintentional New Year's resolution...and what a year it's been! I've been published in two major, dream-for-me magazines with six more articles submitted and ready to go to print in 2014, plus several more assignments either lined up or under discussion.

Based on my busy year, here are some more tips for writers looking to break into national markets:

Get to know/get known by editors:

• Make contact with editors (not just editors-in-chief, but others from the magazine as well) in a VERY non-stalker way. I've started to follow many on Twitter, and I reply occasionally and on-topic when I feel I can contribute something to the conversation. For me, this is not some sort of phony technique, as I truly am interested in their careers and who they are as people. I can't say for sure if this has had any impact on getting assignments, but it makes me feel much more connected to the publishing world.

Do your research:

• Skip the generic submissions addresses; you want to be sending your pitches to the right person. Check the masthead and figure out who covers the department you want to pitch to (Health, Travel, Features, etc.) If you can find one person's e-mail address, you can figure out the formula (e.g. first.last@magazine.ca). 
• Send all submissions through e-mail, and include links to your writing if possible. When I pitch new editors, I send links to two or three of my articles, but I also have a whole section in my sidebar with links to my published work. Right over there.
• Actually read the publications you want to write for, cover to cover. I subscribe to every magazine I pitch, since my market at the moment is pretty narrow. At the least, read the most current issue. It looks good if you can say "this article would be a similar length and format to the piece about dental health in your October issue" - or whatever.

Be prepared for glitches and rejection (both active and passive):

• You will face rejection. You will either be ignored, or they will say "thanks but no thanks", or if you're lucky they'll say "no thanks, because..."
• One editor (who had never replied to my many pitches) e-mailed back once to say she liked my idea but was busy, could she get back to me later...and I never heard back again, despite a few follow-ups.This happens.
• Here's what I mean by glitches: I pitched an idea to a magazine and an editor liked it. It got the green light at a meeting, but a different editor didn't realize that the idea had come from a freelancer, and assigned the story to another writer. The editor I had dealt with e-mailed me immediately, apologized, and offered me a different story right away. I suppose I could have been fired up about it, but mistakes happen and God knows I make them too. It was handled so well that I had no problem accepting it and moving forward. (Also - it wasn't an earth-shatteringly original idea, so I didn't feel that attached to it.) On a related note, don't be quick to think that one of your rejected pitches has been stolen. Editors receive tons of similar ideas, which is why it's best to be very specific with your pitch to set it apart.
• Another heartbreakingly big glitch for me: From a PR rep, I had an inkling that I would have the opportunity to interview a major celebrity, so I contacted a comparably major magazine who was interested in running it...but after literally months of back and forth with the PR person, the interview didn't work out. While I really, really had my hopes up for that one (there may have been a tear in my eye, I'll admit), I had to take it on the chin and keep on going.

Know what you want:

• I stopped writing for local publications, and I'll be honest about my reason: if I only have enough moonlighting time to write an article or two a month, and I can get paid $1 a word for doing so, I can't justify spending the same amount of time and making 12 cents a word (though I completely understand why the budgets are so different).

Keep perspective:

• A "do as I say, not as I do" gem: don't continually refresh your Inbox. Get busy - spend time with family/friends, run errands, read (especially the publications you want to write for), and write - blog posts, more pitches, or something completely unrelated. 

When you're at home, whether on mat leave as I was when I first began, or because you're throwing yourself in to this career working from home, it can be hard to leave it behind, and to see it as a job.


Keep track:

Of course I'm a major proponent of organization, and I keep track of my pitches in one document with the date, name of publication, and date of reply (if any). When there's good news, I also track the deadline and invoicing date as well.

I keep my articles in a binder - and, yes, I know it's the digital age, but they're print magazines first and foremost, and I love having the tearsheets all in one place. I also realize it's pretty cutesy, but hey, it's just for me!

I have to mention that sometimes you do luck out with an editor who takes the time to give you feedback about your pitches. I asked one editor, who always went above and beyond with responses while working at a parenting magazine I was pitching, what her philosophy is about new writers. Her reply:

 "I always like to give new writers (meaning new to the magazine I'm working at) a chance to show their stuff. I don't mind passing along contacts and helping guide people's careers in any way I can. I have done this for many well-known editors/writers and even some popular book authors. I believe in paying it forward. It's always been my nature to do this. Over the years, I've seen young writers grow and prosper in their jobs or freelance work and have realized that it always comes back ten-fold." 
-Kerrie Lee Brown, former editor-in-chief of Oxygen magazine and executive editor at Today's Parent 
(On Twitter here)

How's that for perspective?

I am so blessed to be able to say that I'm at the point now where I'm getting all of the writing work I want and need, considering that it's a part-time endeavour for me. I'm hoping that through this series I can pay it forward myself and help at least one new writer looking to break into the world of freelancing!

In the next edition of my Adventures In Freelancing:

• A sample of a successful query letter
• You got the assignment: now what? (Including another mortifying personal moment)
• How I made my blog work for me

If any aspiring writers out there have any questions, please don't hesitate to leave a comment or send me an e-mail at katewinn77 at yahoo dot ca.