Chirky

Now that I have to drive the kids to school every day, I HAVE to get dressed and look presentable to the other moms - ha ha...
But before, when the bus picked up Dylan and Thomas was home with me? JAMMIES RULED.

Oh my gosh, I have been meaning to write this exact entry for three months!!! I need advice on how to get "work ready" when my office is defined by the walls that I live in. I hate it! I miss my heels - and my dresses - and my jewelry. But then, I feel foolish sitting in my home office with earrings, rings and make-up on. I totally need to find the middle ground.....so I'll be checking up on the comments to get some hints. In the meantime, please know that I completely commiserate. (But I still don't want to get up at 7:00 a.m.).

I hate you.

Okay, not really! :)

I doubt I'd get fancy-dressed if I were at home...I'd still want to be comfy. I'd probably wear slim-fitting yoga pants and a non-frumpy top...and definitely put on at least a little makeup in case I needed to run out suddenly.

Before I start you need some background information. Our trash cans are in our backyard right outside our back door. Michael wakes up every morning with a dirty diaper. I sleep in flannel pajama bottoms and a t-shirt. Michael is 15 months old. It has just been this week that I felt comfortable opening the back door and taking the 2 steps I need to reach the trash can and throw away the stink bomb. I am sooo worried about the neighbors looking out their window and seeing me! That being said, I didn't get dressed until 11:30 today. But when I do get dressed I always wear jeans and what I hope is a cute top. Even if it's the same cute top I wore yesterday. That happens most often when Scuba's not home, cause really - it doesn't stink and Michael just flat out doesn't care what I wear. And I do try to put on make-up, but that literally takes only 2 minutes and doesn't include eye make-up (except mascara - that's about as necessary as a bra.)

My hubby has worked from home for nearly 3 years. Basically, he gets showered and shaves every morning, because you just never know who's going to pop over, knowing you work from home.

It was funny when he had on a button down shirt AND shoes yesterday. I am so used to seeing him in a college shirt and jeans and slippers. I asked, "Where are YOU going all dressed up today?" We shared a good laugh over that. He said he felt slobby and he was just certain that his dressy clothes missed him.

:-)

i have just realized i have worked from home since may of 2004.... 4 and a half years!!
in the beginning, trev was not in school, i did not belong to a gym and i would seriously not shower until afternoon nap (for trev) which was about 4pm. we did not leave the house during the week and i came to feel like a shut in.
eventually, i decided that, if i wanted to feel like an actual contributing member of society, i HAD to shower and dress, before 10am.
generally dress is shorts or jeans and a tank. i dont do girly so hair and makeup are minimal but i dont think the moms at trev school have sprained anything cranking their necks to get a better look at the skank!

I work at home 2 days a week. The first few weeks, I arose at my regular time and got ready for work. Now I sleep til the last minute and roll out of bed just in time to make a cup of coffee before I start the work day in my PJs. I take a 9:30 am break to shower.

First of all, I'm way jealous of you being able to work from home.

Second, I think that maintaining your same routine as before is a great idea! But do whatever makes you feel good about yourself. Just don't forget that not everyone gets to stay at home and work - so think of me while you get to sit in your PJs... Again, I'm jealous and more than likely I would sit in my PJs all day, too. :)

I work at home part time (mom full time) and I HAVE to get dressed in the morning in order to be/feel productive. Putting a little time into upkeep helps immensely to keep me from feeling slothy also. Try it for a week and see if it helps.

Hi!
I have got great info by going through your blog. Are you the kind of person who will rise to those challenges or will your work from home business suffer because you can't handle the tough decisions.

I'm on vacation. It's 4 pm and I'm STILL in pajamas. So I'm dirty AND lazy. :|
Boy am I the WRONG person to give advice on this one. :P

I don't actually WORK from home, but I homeschool my kids, so you know...work, just no pay. Last year I didn't bother getting dressed or showered until noon. This year? I've been getting up by 7am and getting in the shower, getting dressed, etc. and my days go SO MUCH better. I'm amazed by how much more I accomplish and how much better I feel! Try it for a week...it seriously makes such a difference!

I work from home except for about 10 hours per week, and I used to not bother to put my contacts in, wear clothes that I would want to be seen in at the grocery store, etc. But I was finding it kind of corrosive to my self esteem. So now although I wear jeans, I make sure to get a shower every day instead of every other day, don't wait a day to wash my hair even though it needs it, put on a shirt I like, etc. (Ok, now I sound kind of gross, but keep in mind I had a baby late last year also and I was juggling that as well.)

But I did all that because it was bothering me. If it's not bothering you internally, then I would say don't worry about it. If you end up back in an office job at some point, you'll probably look back on the pajama days with some nostalgia.

I have worked from home (and wish I could do so more often), and I don't necessarily get dressed at a normal hour. Or at all. I can stay in pajamas and a robe all day, although that means I will change my pajamas before going to sleep. Even if I get dressed, it's casual dress, not office dress. I don't even feel bad about that.

Ah, the grass is always greener on the other side. As I sit here in my cubicle with gray skirt and heels on, I'd much rather be at home in my bed with my laptop!! But I get that you feel frumpy. Why not a happy medium? Get up around 7:30ish, shower, put on comfy clothes (not necessarily dressy work clothes) and get the day started. Makeup / hair style optional. Sounds like a plan to me!

I have trouble getting dressed on the weekends, so i couldn't imagine having to get myself dressed during the week if i was staying home. Too much trouble.
But i could definitely see that being a problem for me if i did work from home. I would probably force myself to get up, shower and get dressed everyday just to feel like i was a contributing member of society.