WCCT

Last night as I looked at the unpacked suitcases situated around our living room - reminders of a glorious late August vacation - I allowed myself to wallow for a moment in the sinking feeling that often comes at summer's end.

The feeling is a combination of things, really. That nervous feeling that school is about to begin evident in all the neighborhood kids' expressions. The return of structure and more regular bedtimes than we're used to in the carefree summer months. The realization that, just maybe, we shouldn't be eating ice cream every day anymore.

For me, with a child starting preschool and suddenly much more time on my hands, the transition means that I should start scaling back on the self-imposed maternity break that I've taken since having my second this spring and should probably start working again. At least a little.

I've found as a freelance writer that the hardest part of my job has always been getting motivated, especially since I work from home. And getting motivated after the unofficial end of summer is even harder.

Luckily I spotted a recent post on the subject from well known blogger Heather Armstrong that got me excited about the prospect of making working from home not only productive, but enjoyable. She talks about specific steps she takes to ensure work and home life don't meld so closely together that one gets in the way of the other.

Like, for instance, when you're working on an essay, and it's not going well and you decide to reorganize the linen closet. Not ideal.

So with good advice I'm forging onwards and hope that your start to the school year is going just as well.