If you are one of the many people in this world who, like me, work at a desk day in and day out; you know what tension is all about. It does not seem to matter what position you may choose to sit in, the aches still come. I’ve tried everything to make it easier on myself to work out the stiff shoulders, neck, and back that can come along with desk work. That is why I am here to tell you how I unwind at the end of a long day at work.

The Pain I Deal with Daily

I spend hours per day at my computer. The pain sometimes gets so intense in my neck and shoulders that I question why I put my body through it. At least once a day I’m reaching for a pain reliever and still I could not find relief from the stiffened back, shoulders, and neck that I was dealing with. It starts with stiffness and becomes pain. If I continue to work through it, it gives me a tension headache that makes it hard to focus on the job at hand. Considering that I work often, until the late night hours, I knew I had to find something that would give some relief without all of the pain relievers.

The Things I’ve Tried

My first stop was searching the internet for tips and tricks. They tell you to work for a bit and move around for a few minutes. I would get caught up in my work and avoid getting up to walk around. I read about changing the way you sit at your desk. Making yourself look up toward the monitor and down, propping feet up, keeping them on the floor, sitting with your back straight and close to the desk, and more. I read about how many suggest standing up to work at your computer. I tried that, but working as much as I do, I just ended up with sore, aching legs, although I will admit, I was moving around a lot more. I was giving up hope that I would ever find relief of the aches and pains that had become a daily part of my life. Then, I found my salvation in the form of a high pressure shower head.

My Discovery

I know it may sound crazy. How can a shower help you relieve the tension so that it does not affect you the next day? What I discovered about myself is that even though I took a shower at night and then went to bed, I wasn’t becoming relaxed enough before going to bed. The high pressure of a good shower head can relieve the tension and make night time more restful. The body does not have to try and relax while you are sleeping, it is relaxed before you venture to the bedroom. The next day, I woke up feeling like a new woman. I felt like I was ready for the day to begin. The end result was a day that did not require pills to get through it. I tested the theory I had come up with after that and it continued to work for me. Therefore, when asked how I handle sitting at my computer every day of the week, I simply tell them, I unwind with my new shower head.

Thanks to cyberspace, it is easier for mom’s to work from home while watching out for their children. I am proof of the fact that it can be done, though I began working as a freelance writer before I had children. When I had my first child, I was determined to continue working from home. However, as she got out of the sleepy infant stage, I began to doubt whether I’d be able to continue working or not.

Writing on the Run

Don’t get me wrong. I loved having my little girl get beyond the infant stage. Babies are more fun when they began exploring the world around them. The problem for me was that it seemed I had less time for writing and more time chasing her around the house, making sure she didn’t put that scrap of paper in her mouth or running to her when she forgot to move her arms when crawling and cried over a face-plant. Most days, things worked out okay, but then there were other days when I was trying to rush and meet a deadline or needed to clean house. Of course, my busiest times would be the day when she wanted to fuss or be a “hold me baby”. Those were the days when I’d miss those sleepy infant days more than anything and I became determined to try and figure out a way to make things a little easier on us both.

How I Slowed Things Down

I couldn’t expect my growing little girl to sleep all the time on the days that I needed to work. I don’t make enough for expensive daycares and baby sitters. So, I had to find a better way. At first, I couldn’t even write at night unless I waited until 11pm or later, because that was her “bedtime”. I began to grow a brain after writing about the best gliders for nursery. Maybe if I could get her to sleep a little earlier, by gliding with her, she would sleep a little easier at 8-9pm instead of waiting until midnight. I’d have several more hours for “work” and then when morning came, I wouldn’t feel as though I’d be pulled in every direction all day. I figured the end result would be a happier, more relaxed me and perhaps she would also be less cranky.

Did It Work?

The glider worked great for getting her to go to bed at a more reasonable time, but often she would wake up around midnight instead of going to bed at that time. So, to further my potential success with getting her to sleep early and through the night, I also opted to look into the best crib mattress available. I wanted to find one that would encourage her to sleep more comfortably and perhaps longer. It worked great and soon I was able to stay ahead of my work load. I was getting work done well before my deadline and I was able to get the rest that I needed to function as her mom. I get all the writing done and I still have time to help my little girl grow. Now that she is over a year old, her sleep schedule is consistent. We have time during the day for playing and at night after I glide her to sleep, reading her favorite bedtime story, she sleeps all night and I’m able to work on the house or writing. Life is truly great again for this stay-at-home, work-from-home mom.

The birth of a new baby is a proud moment for both parents, but especially for the new mommy. It is a time of joy and celebration. It is a moment in her life that she will always treasure. Even when she is worn out from endless midnight feedings and feeling as though those magical baby days will never end, she will still cherish every moment with her little one. A lot of mom’s do not want to miss any moment with that new little being that they brought into this world. I mean, you carried him for months and you were the only one to feel his every move. Why wouldn’t you want that to continue? Especially when you now have the chance to study his tiny fingers and toes, wait for that first smile, and smell that sweet baby scent. However, just because you are a new mommy, you should never forget to do the little things that make you special, too. It will help you and your baby to become even closer if you allow them to be a part of your day, not just you being a part of theirs.

Time to Bond with Baby

Just because you feel that every waking moment must be spent with your new infant, there are ways to bond without sitting and feeding him all day. Imagine a world where you can become a newborn mother who still deals with dinner time and all of the other things you normally would do before you had a baby. As parents, we often forget that we had a life before the baby. Times are changing and thanks to easy access to the best baby sling, newborn mothers in the kitchen is becoming common occurrences again, and they never sacrifice that special bonding time with their baby.

It Doesn’t Have to End

Your activities can be spent with your little one, but they can also be while doing the things you normally do. Imagine singing to your infant while they are being carried close to your heart and you are cooking, washing dishes, straightening up, or enjoying arts and crafts that you did before baby. Your little one will be able to hear your voice and your heart like they did while still inside of you. They will feel at home, and cuddled, while you stay true to yourself. You will also have that special feeling of them moving against you while you are up moving around. You will know when they wake up, before they have a chance to get fussy and as that newborn baby becomes more active with age, you can further bond with them by talking about the things you are doing while you carry them.

Ideal for All Babies and Mommies

A baby sling is ideal for all newborns and their doting moms. A mom of twins can even find the best twin baby carrier on the market so that she doesn’t miss out on this unique bonding experience. Her babies will reap just as many rewards and it may help you to keep a little more organization in your home. This is a true bonus considering that once your infants become toddlers, your house will become a very disorganized place that is filled with love and laughter.

If you have been neglecting to maintain your driveway and then you happen to pull in one day and think, “Oh my goodness this driveway looks horrible”, never fear. With some effort and one of the best electric pressure washers, you can bring it back to life and make it look great again. You do not have to hire a professional, but you do have to be willing to put in the effort.

For a driveway that has discolorations on it, you can use a little ammonia, diluted with water and scrub, then rinse. If you would rather avoid the chemicals, you can, if you are able to figure out what caused the discoloration. For instance, there are a lot of people who swear that rust can be removed from concrete using a packet of unsweetened lemonade Kool-Aid. You simply pour it over the rust stain, add hot water, let it sit for a couple minutes and scrub it away.

Rust stains are not the most common driveway killer though. Oil spots, spills, and streaks are most often the culprit. Transmission fluid, power steering fluid, and motor oil are all common oils that may end up on a driveway. You may not even see the power steering fluid at first because a lot of it is clear. However, after time, it will become blackened because of dirt that will get stuck in it. For all of these issues, you need something that can remove the oily part and then you can clean up the left over stuff. A degreaser can work, but there are other options if you do not have degreaser on hand.

You can use oven cleaner to remove set in stains that are oily. You simply spray it on, let it sit for up to 10 minutes, and scrub it with a very stiff brush. Rinse it off with your garden hose or pressure washer. Sometimes you may need to repeat if it is a very heavy stain.

If you are certain it is a stain left over by motor oil, you can sometimes make it easier to clean if you have WD-40 nearby. You can spray on a heavy coat of it over the oil stain and hose it down after you let it sit for a minute. Again, some scrubbing may be required, but in the end, your driveway should end up looking great.

When your driveway was new, you most likely put a sealant on it to try and keep it from getting stained. Over time, sealant wears thin. After you have thoroughly cleaned all of the stains from your driveway, you may want to consider resealing it again. To do this, all you have to do is purchase the concrete or cement sealer and paint it on. You do however need to make sure that your driveway has had a few days to dry off and check the weather for your area to ensure that it will not rain for a few days after you have applied the sealant. If it rains before the sealant is dry, your sealant will not set properly. During this time, you will also need to avoid driving or walking on your driveway. This may be an inconvenience, but will definitely be worth it when you can clean future spots and stains with less effort.