Freelancers of the world; Unite and take over

[Spaceman]

How are you all?

Thought I'd just say 'hello'.

Are you all looking foward to another winter at desk; huddling under a blanket; with chattering teeth and a clattering keyboard?

ok ladies - how do you rate your day in terms of productivity. mine was about a 5/10. not very good really...got a deadline end of tomorrow...the problem was that it needs about 1.5 days on it. so why I thought I could sit down at 9 am today and be productive I have no idea...I'd have been better off taking the morning off (properly, not spending it on mn...)

Think I'm probably closer to a 0.5/10 here. Managed to get some stuff on ebay and do a load of washing, but actual real work - Nada.

That email I was waiting for this morning now likely to be Thursday, which means eating into the time I've already set aside for other stuff. Aaargh

Laughing my head off at this - it's all so familiar! I'm only doing 1.5 days per week from home (just back from maternity leave) but it's still a struggle.

I regulary sit and guess my three digit security code on the back of my bankcards when I'm skiving doing my online Tesco shop upstairs when I'm supposed to be working.

It takes me ages to guess them, but I am generally too cold and lazy to go downstairs, get my purse and get the proper code.

I also know that if I venture downstairs I will start doing dishwasher/polishing skirting board - anything other than concentrating.

Sad I am.

Had also forgotten the curse of eating biscuits when working at home.

Mine hasn't turned out too badly in the end. I asked a friend to mind DD while I did the interview, but, typically, the interviewee was busy when I called. He called me back when I was at friend's house, so got the interview eventually (if on scraps of paper, sitting on friend's bed - she is far tidier than me, I could never let someone do that ). Just finished writing it up now.

Biscuit-eating curse? Yup. In fact, 'slid' on my wellies to collect DD from nursery earlier and they no longer fit over my bulging calves! I am pregnant, but I don't remember fat legs being a side-effect. At least the extra layer might keep me warm...

Fingers crossed you ladies have a more productive day tomorrow. Don't think I have any work on, so will no doubt sit and contemplate my newly protruding naval, rather than do anything useful.

Congrats Laugs.

The worst part of moving away from London a couple of years ago is losing that network of friends who would happily take DCs away for an hour two. But at least at 8 DS now understands that I have to be on MN work sometimes

The best way to work from home and keep warm? Be 34 weeks pregnant! It is working for me. I haven't needed to put the heating on at all yet (although in the evenings DH keeps hinting by walking around in his dressing gown over his clothes).

I have been known to go back to bed with my laptop though.

Right 'lancers; should we get a motivational thread thing going? I've got a full day on it tomorrow and need some team help to stay focused.

Kick off is at 9.30 and play finishes at 2.30 (DD has school presentation thing so early pick up!) I need to do seven hours work in that time, so have to be about 120% productive for five hours.

Let's all log on and help each other through with occassional banter; a bit of moaning; and a helping of laughter (through the obligatory mouthful of biscuits).

Speak tomoz.

Afternoon all - I really shouldn't be on here as I have a deadline of 5pm but I couldn't resist popping my head in!

Congrats to all the pregnant people amongst us! Especially Becky who I remember from last year - I'm so thrilled things have gone smoothly for you.

Oh hello Hattyyellow I remember you too. Your little one must be coming up to one at the end of the year, is that right? I'm due on 14 November (due to take maternity leave after Halloween - a break from the madness of being a pregnant freelancer!).

I know what it is like trying to do seven hours work in five hours!

guess who's paying the price of her 5/10 day yesterday? had to virtually throw my mum out of the house earlier...went off to engage 14 Brownies with nothing but a pack of Endangered Species Top Trumps and some felt tips...and then back at my desk...gah.

How are you all this morning - you must all have your noses to the grindstone!!

I've managed maybe an hours chargeable work since 9am!

Have to go and get ds at 12.15 - god can't wait for him to do full days at school after October week!

Hi TracyK

I am the same. About one hours' work when I'm supposed to be doing 7 in 5. I had such a shit night's sleep last night. DS woke up at 4 and wouldn't go back to sleep so that was it for me!

Feel rough so can't work. I thought when one FL's one can nip off for 40 winks when need be. I never seem to, though, does anyone else?

If I'm rough - I tend to have 40 winks when ds watches TV around 4pm.

finished my piece at gone 1 in the morning...as a result of which I've been useless today. just back from harvest festival and have decided I'm done for the day.

Felt knackared all day, so fell asleep on the sofa after tea this evening while DC's jumped around me and a big spider crawled into my slipper.

Woke up to DD contemplating breakdown over spider, and DS shaking his milk bottle onto the carpet and rubbing it in nice and deep with big cirucular movements.

They are now in bed, DH is out with mates and I've just spent the rest of the evening doing what I should've been doing at noon. I like to slip off to toddler group on Friday mornings, so try and get things out of the way for that.

Speaketh soon.

Ooh can I join you? Am a freelance copywriter, DH also freelance so we both mainly work from home with some days seeing clients.

I'm in a client's office tomorrow so won't be here cheerleading but working very hard

Our DC are 18mo and 3 (just) so no nursery yet. We have a nanny come in 2 days a week and we both work super hard those days. The other days DH and I negotiate between us depending on who is the busiest!

I am sitting in my office surrounded by a complete mess of paperwork (which I know includes an overdue VAT return).

I just logged on to check my email before I make a start on that REALLY BIG clearout that I have been promising myself for weeks. And hey ho, look, an hour later and I am still on the pc.

So, I am going to switch off the computer, get dressed, and make a start. Really.

If you see me here again this morning, please shout at me.

Well I finally got some work done yesterday, but only because I had to go into college. Have yet to persuade them that I could teach just as well in PJs in my front room!

The piece of work I was waiting for earlier in the has not materialised, and there were suggestions yesterday it may be pulled all together

Ah well there's always next week!

Hello, another freelance copywriter here! Am in my dressing-gown and slippers, sipping hot blackcurrent, struggling with an opening paragraph. Glad to see I'm not alone! DS and DH (who works nights) are napping in the next room. Ought to get on with it while peace still reigns, but the lure of Mumsnet is strong, so strong...

Just re-read thread. Glad to see there are other people out there who a) freelance b) are pregnant right now [am due Jan 19th] and c) already have kids. Hope we can keep this thread going!

Hi everyone. I hope we can keep this going too. I run and there's an mn running thread that I really like - it's not fast moving (perhaps there's an irony in that...) but it's really nice - people pop in every few days, give a quick update, ask a question or two, answer a question. it's just a little corner of mn to chat to other runners...I'd be delighted to have another corner to chat about freelancing.

what do you all do? I do legal/policy/strategic consultancy work for NGOs.

Hi Hatwoman - I do accounts/finance stuff for 3 clients.

Managed to get a good amount of work done yesterday - ds at afterschool club till 3 and then dh had taken the afternoon off (hangover from work golf trip day previously).
Though my broadband seems to die a death around 4 or 5 pm - is it increased traffic from kids home from school? or maybe mners JUST starting work!!!!
So I gave up at 4.30pm - it was too slow.
Will start again later today when dh and ds go golfing.

You all sound so nice! Can I join in please? I've got a 2 yr old DS and work in arts/cultural management. Fortunately DH has a sensible salaried job in the civil service.

Have just been having a quiet whine to myself - rubbish rubbish grumble grumble not enough time not enough childcare got to do the washing and this funding application in the next three and a half minutes... you know the usual.

Clearly this is rubbish however, I've got PMT, and a nice friendly freelancers thread on MN will do me the world of good!

So hi!

Hello Limelight, and everyone else. Such a nice thread - I need motivation today. I do policy, research and project development in the cultural sector. I have a one-day a week salaried job in addition to my freelance stuff but have recently found out that I am being made redundant from that post, so I will be properly on my own. It's a scary prospect - particularly as lots of my freelance work has come out of that one day a week. But does this make me feel like working harder? Ha - what do you think...

Hello, can I join you too?
I'm a freelance illustrator, but have regular wobbles about whether I can actually do this any longer as I'm not great at the finding work bit and now that my youngest has started in reception I wonder if I should give up and get a job. When it's going well it's really good and exciting - but right now I'm in between commissions and it's making me very twitchy. I should be building up portfolio, looking for agents, sending off work etc etc, but instead i'm nervously going through the local job ads and fretting.