4 Tips for Work at Home Vacation Planning

by Michelle on June 28, 2012

The following post is from Michelle of Mommy Misadventures:

Source: merfam

Vacation should be a time to relax and take your mind off of work. Sometimes, it’s as easy as setting your e-mail vacation reply, an updated greeting on your voice mail and you’re off!

But when you work from home, going on vacation takes some advance planning, especially if you run your own business. What if something goes wrong? What if your clients contact you and you’re not available? The anxiety of the “what ifs” can sour any well deserved vacation!

Here are four tips to help keep your home based business running smoothly while you’re taking a break.

Automate Your Updates

If updating your social media profiles is a major part of your work, schedule your updates ahead of time. Schedule Tweets with clients like TweetDeck or Hootsuite. If you have a Facebook page for your business, you can also schedule updates using the sharing tool on your page. Major blogging platforms like WordPress and Blogger also allow you to schedule blog posts right from the post creation page.

Find a Backup

Sometimes, automatic tools just aren’t enough for you or your business. In a traditional office environment, you would probably have co-workers to help out. But when you work at home, sometimes when you should enlist some extra help.

If you run a blog, enlist guest bloggers to help you fill in the content while you’re away — this can be a great way to gain contacts within your niche and help promote your work as well. You can also rerun previous content you think would benefit your audience. If you are worried about comment moderation while you are away, see if your guest blogger(s) are willing to help you out while you’re on vacation.

If your home-based business needs are more involved, consider enlisting some professional temporary help. Networking with other home based professionals in your field is a great way to find help. Virtual assistants are also a great resource for all sorts of business tasks. Ask around to see if anyone you know has a great VA to recommend or try the member database at International Virtual Assistants Association (IVAA).

Unplug

Taking your gear with you can be a real temptation to do some work while you’re on vacation. I know that I’ve fallen in to the “I’ll just check my email for a second” trap only to look up again hours later. Avoid the urge by leaving your work gear at home. After all, you don’t have it with you, you can’t work!

If you tend to work from your smartphone, put it on “vacation mode” by moving any of your work-related apps off the home screen so you won’t be tempted to use them while you’re on vacation.

Return Slowly

When your home and office are the same place, it might seem like a good idea to slip right back into “work” mode. Whenever possible, give yourself some time to enjoy home for a little bit before you go right back to work. Give yourself a day or so to unwind and be home before getting back to work, even if your home office is only a few steps away.

What tips do you have to leave your work at home? How do you avoid bringing work on vacation with you?

	Michelle Mista is an IT professional, writer and blogger with a love for all kinds of technology. She writes about tech tips and trends for work at home professionals on her portfolio blog and muses about motherhood at Mommy Misadventures. She is on the constant quest to balance life, work and geekery.

Laura

I usually wait until we are out of clean clothes and then do it. I leave piles on the couch and finally put them up days later. Horrible, I know.
Christy

I THINK I have this worked out. Each family member has a basket in their closet. In our closet, one blue and one white basket, sort as you take it off. I wash each kid’s clothing separately. I fold directly from the dryer and transport directly to that child’s dresser. (no sorting on either end, all the clothing in the basket belongs to one kid and goes back to that kid, whites and colors are washed in cold water–together) Our clothing is washed and dried as each hamper fills, again folded from the dryer.

On the last 2 days of the week, I wash linens. Sheets go from bed to washer to dryer and right back on the bed. No folding needed. We own nothing that requires ironing. We all own 12 pairs of identical socks. No mates needed, toss them in the drawer- throwing out a sock with holes.
http://embracinglife-rose.blogspot.com Rose @ Walnut Acre

I agree that having the laundry room right off the kitchen makes a lot of difference. In the house I used to live in the laundry room was on the second floor. It was awful! This house is so much better. Other than that I do laundry as I can. Sometimes I get it all folded as it comes out of the dryer, other times it stacks up and I fold several loads at once.
BobbeyM

Clothes come out of the dryer and go onto a table on our pack porch, which is also the laundry room. If the kids pulled them out, they’ll sit there until they all fall off and get rewashed or I get sick of looking at them and yell at them to fold it all. Since they’re both teenagers, I refuse to do their laundry; nothing gets done until it’s all dirty, and it’s probably still several days after that before they wash anything. Mine and hubby’s clothes go from laundry basket to washer/dryer, and back into laundry basket, and if I’m being really really good, I’ll actually fold them and put them away within a day or two.
Jen

I agree with ALL of those statements! However, I do not have a laundry room near my kitchen; it is in the basement. So like you mentioned, I made my laundry room a place I’d like to be. I hung pictures, organized, and put down carpeting which made a huge difference.
Melissa M.

I try to wash laundry a couple times a week and bedding on the weekends. I wash, then dry and then fold and then hang it up or set it on the kids beds so they can put it away. When “Mount Washmore” sneaks up on me I usually do laundry all day and the kids help fold and put it away. We put our folded sheet inside a pillow case, then it is all together when we put the bedding back on.
http://thediscombobulatedmommy.blogspot.com The Discombobulated Mommy

I devote one entire day to doing laundry. If I’m lucky and the kids are napping, I’ll listen to a book on CD so that I am not bored. I fold the laundry and put each child’s clothing in his/her own basket to be put away after nap time. I roll through as much as I can in a given day…about 4-5 loads washed and dried. More if I’m lucky!
Lyn Clements

I usually do a load (or two) a day. I TRY to fold and put away as they come out of the dryer.
Kate F.

I try to do at least a load a day. However, I tend to stop before they get folded and put away. Eventually I have a giant pile of clean clothes that I sit down and fold while I watch TV.
Bekki

I do clothing laundry on Monday’s and Friday’s, with a load of sheets or towels on the other days, and I don’t do laundry on the weekends if I can help it. I wash and hang out on the line and then I fold from the line. It ensures that the laundry gets folded. Other than that I limit what each person has so the laundry does not become overwheling.
Janel

I have a laundry room that I like–it has two windows, so even though it’s not on the main level of the house, I’m not totally cut off from the outside world when I’m in there. Also, I told my husband that he needs to do his own laundry. I do the whites, my clothes, all the linens, and the three kids’ stuff. He can handle a load or two on weekends to keep his dresser filled. It’s a sanity-saver for me.
http://www.facebook.com/sarahlynnrose Sarah Lynn Rose

Usually, I wait until we are out of clean underpants and then wash only what needs to be done to get us through until the next laundry marathon day. On Laundry Marathon Day, I wash/dry/fold and put away as much laundry as my dryer will allow, usually 8-12 loads. I throw all the clean socks in a basket and pay my Kindergartener to match them (builds math skills, right?). I would love to find a better way, that I can actually pull-off, so I will be back to your post when everyone is done sharing THEIR brillant ideas.
http://twitter.com/granolacatholic Lisa

I do a load in the morning and one at night. This keeps me on track. (hopefully), until the kids decided to clean their rooms and fill up a laundry basket with dirty clothes.
teres

i love laundry. i know. sick. but i do!

first, we have an extra large heavy duty capacity front loading washer and dryer set - which i highly recommend. it is a bit more extra money right out of the gate but the water savings pays for that in no time. plus, i can fit our king size fluffy duvet in the washer and the dryer and this alone makes it totally worth it.

here’s how laundry gets done in our house made up of me, my husband and our only toddler son (note that i am a stay at home mom so i don’t go through a tonne of clothing during the week and my husband’s work provides and washes scrubs so he doesn’t have a lot of laundry either – but it’s still there). we have one extra large hamper by the bathroom. when it gets full, i haul it to the basement and sort it into laundry baskets by darks, whites, bedding and towels. when any one of those baskets gets full, i do a load of whatever basket is full. simple. because i know that a full basket means a full washer and a full dryer, i know it’s worth it to do a load. then i fold right out of the dryer or off the clothesline. some days that folded baskets sits in the hallway to go upstairs to the bedrooms for a couple days, but, it eventually gets put away.

that’s it. simple. i don’t have certain days that i do laundry. but i don’t do laundry on the weekends. it gets done during the week first thing in the morning before the house gets going.

side note – when i was single and owned a condo, i had my stacking washer and dryer in my bedroom and it was soooooooooooooo amazing! most of the laundry is obviously clothing so to have it right there beside my closet was a terrific setup! if you can do it, get your laundry next to your kitchen or at least somewhere on the main floor – makes laundry so much easier and it seems to actually get put away quicker!

2nd side note – see? told you i love laundry!!!
)
http://livingthebalancedlife.com Bernice Wood

Since my house is now child-free laundry is much easier. I do 1 or 2 loads a day Mon-Thur, so it is done for the weekend. Something we did a long time ago was install a hanging rack right next to dryer. This allowed me to hang (and/or fold) right away, keeping things from wrinkling and getting rid of that overwhelming undone feeling.
Bernice
JM

I try to do laundry on Mondays and Fridays. When things come out of the dryer, I lay out the few things that wrinkle and dump the rest in a pile. (This keeps the loads moving even if I’m busy.) Then, I fold all the loads at the end or when I have time throughout the day.
http://www.jaymiehorak.wordpress.com Jaymie

We do laundry on Saturdays and/or Sundays. It’s just when we have the most time. We get the baskets out of each room and dump it on the living room floor to sort back into a basket or two (OK, this could be worked out better, but alas). Our laundry stuff is in the garage which makes a little walk outside but it is not too bad. We bring it inside, dump it on the couch and fold it (by item, really, after by person).
Stacy Clark

I go through phases. Sometimes I do one load a day-start in the morning and dry after lunch so it’s folded and put away by dinner. Other times-especially now that I’ve started using the soap nuts-I try to get most of it done in one day that I will be home for most of the day. Sometimes piles end up not folded in my bedroom (which is right next to my laundry closet), but they get folded usually the next day!
Robyn B

I wait until someone is out of socks or underwear, then I feel overwhelmed and do a whole bunch of loads at once. Then there’s too much too fold and put away all at once so it sits in a pile at the end of my bed in baskets until I the mess overwhelms me… then I put it away!
Ames

I try to run a load as soon as there’s enough – with a toddler and a new baby in the house, we’ve always got something to wash!

I usually fold the clothes on our bed and then my hubby puts them away before we can go to sleep
http://twitter.com/wysiwyggal Wysi

We do clothes by family member around here. Daughter (14) does her own – either when she has nothing to wear, or when Dad goes into her room and has a cow about the mess. For the boys (11,9), when their laundry basket is full (aka standard sized kitchen garbage can) we dump it into the wash. When it is dry, we dump it into a proper laundry basket and then they are responsible for folding and putting away. Our laundry (Hubs and I) gets done when the laundry basket is full. Gets folded when we have time.
Gina

Back when I had twins and a 2yo, I did laundry constantly and hated it. Now that the kids are older, I have two days a week that I do laundry, and only those days. It makes the piles manageable, plus the kids are responsible for putting all the clothes away. Then I don’t have to think about it the other days.
Kristy

Our laundry “room” (really a closet in the hallway) is right off of the kitchen. In the bathroom next door, I have hampers to sort the clothes as they get dirty, and when one load gets full I throw it in. The best laundry improvement I have made lately is enlisting my husband to help – I am in charge of the clothes until they come out of the dryer, then he folds them and puts them away.
Mary b

I do a load a day most every day. I start a load in the morning before sending the boys off to school, then get it in the dryer asap. In the nice weather I hang clothes on the line to dry, so doing one a day works best. I also fold like items right out of the dryer or off the line and put into baskets for each of us (boys put their own clothes away).
Doing it this way seems like less of a chore, and more of a simple routine.
Catherine

I make my own detergent and use vinegar in the rinse cycle… great way to keep costs down even when I have to do multiple loads a week (there is just me, and I have a small wardrobe)….
Selene

I do laundry several loads at a time or when I have one full load….just depends. I try to do laundry during the off-peak hours for energy usage. I hang shirts and pants right away. Other items are usually folded/matched later. My 25 year old son does his own laundry, sheets and towels.
http://www.itsgravybaby.com/ Whitney

I do laundry about three times a week- usually on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. Folding straight out of the dryer is a must!
http://joyceandnorm.wordpress.com Joyce and Norm

If I can, I try to do all my laundry in one day. It’s only 2 adults and 2 kids, so it’s not too much right now. I read something about it being more energy efficient this way. I fold straight from the dryer and by type as well!! My girls LOVE to do the laundry with me. My older one (4 years old) will get mad at me if I fold her clothes for her. We love to sort everything as it comes out of the basket. Then, after I fold all the piles, I stack them up by which draw they go in…clothes from the bottom drawer are on the bottom, etc.
Leigh

I do the vast bulk of the laundry on Mondays.
ashley

I typically do the majority of the laundry on the weekends or late at night. I HATE putting laundry up so I usually wait till I have a mound to put up.
Annalisa Scamporrino

I usually do my laundry while I’m watching TV that I don’t normally have time for. That way I can look forward to my laundry time and also will utilize commercials to check on laundry. I can then bring the basket up (unfortunately my laundry room is in my basement) and fold clothes while I’m watching as well.
http://www.farfromflawlesslife.blogspot.com Missy June

The greatest tip for me is to fold straight from the dryer – it’s the only way to keep from getting backed up and overwhelmed. I practice every other one of your tips…except laundry room in th kitchen. We don’t even have a laundry room per se – just a nook in the hallway.
Jamie/Penguinsandladybugs

I don’t do laundry every day….I know some folks do. I try to “get it all done” on the weekend, and I don’t fold (except towels)….I sort into baskets for everyone do do as they please with their own. For my clothes, I match socks, toss underwear into a bin, night clothes into a drawer (not folded), and hang most everything else. And sheets go right back on the bed. No frills, nothing special. But it works for me!
JessieC

I do at least 2-3 full loads weekly, usually on Friday and Saturday.
Lindsey

I wash clothing on an as-needed basis. It usually sits and needs to be folded for a few days before we do it. Then hubby and I open a bottle of wine, turn on our favorite shows and tackle it all at once. That makes it somewhat fun. I wash bed sheets and put them right back on the beds, so they don’t usually sit around.
Sweetstanleysisters

We do about 7-10 loads per week, usually split on two different days. I like to do about 3 loads before I sit down to fold. Before I fold, I sort all the clean laundry into piles: kids, parents, sheets/towels. Then I fold each pile. Then it sits for days on the sofa till the kids knock over the clean folded piles one too many times and we have a laundry parade where the all carry their stacks back to their rooms.
EMO

I wash early morning and then line dry in summertime. I then fold and put away in the evening. I usually do 3-5 loads a week (we have a small baby!).
Lisa V

I usually wash laundry weekly. I don’t wear a lot of whites, but I do wear a lot of jeans and darks. To balance things out on wash day, I switched to white towels and bedding in the master, allowing routine washing with the few whites and the use of bleach regularly. I usually do about 3 loads a week – to include towels and bedding.
Dara Nix

I don’t have a large laundry room – there’s only enough room for the washer and the dryer is in the kitchen. When I take the clothes out of the dryer, I lay them out flat on the kitchen table to eliminate any wrinkles. I then take the clothes to the bedroom, lay them out on the bed, gather some hangers, turn on some music and commence to folding/hanging. It really goes by MUCH quicker like this!
kitty32504 at cox dot net
steph

with 2 adults, 4 kids, laundry is never ending. whenever i get a free minutes, i’m putting a load through.
Julie W.

I try to get all my laundry done at the beginning of the week and then move on to other things.
Amun0058

rather than separating loads of laundry by color, I keep them separated by room that they belong to – this allows less sorting and running all over the housed when it comes time to put clean stuff away
Joyce Mlinek

I hang permanent press on a hanger straight from the dryer to be ironed when I get the time. The towels and under clothes get put into a basket to be folded in the bedroom when I get a few extra minutes.
http://nulandnews.blogspot.com/ Carmen

When we built our house, we put the laundry room on the second floor (with a drain in case there were accidents). That way, the only laundry that moves between floors are hand towels and dish cloths.
I usually do a load per day, and I *try* to get the clothes folded as they come out of the dryer, but I’m usually not successful.
http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=692027811 Melinda Johnson

I would love to win this! Because my washer and dryer are in the basement, I have my son help me switch it over and put the dryer on. It takes me 3 cycles to dry our clothes, though, which is something I need to figure out. Anyway, I don’t worry about getting it done right away. As long as it’s been cleaned and dried, if somebody absolutely needs something, they can get it from the basket. I also now have the same son (who will be training the younger son, and eventually my daughter) sorting the laundry into piles on my bed, and matching all the socks. He then folds and puts away his laundry and helps the other son do his. And then I will finish the rest while they are getting ready for bed. I fold it on the bed because my mom did, and it makes me fold the clothes before I can go to sleep I also don’t do laundry as much as others because I have the policy of washing outer clothing only if it is visibly dirty/stained, smells, or has been worn 3 or 4 days, things like jeans and t-shirts and jammies. Underwear is obviously worn for a day and changed, but we all have enough of that to last over a week! But thanks for the reminder on ways to change how we do laundry. I had to hang dry our clothes for a few months one summer a few years ago because our dryer broke, but I really should start doing it again now that the rain has let up in the midwest. Thanks again for the contest and reminder!
Lori

The most effective way I’ve found for doing laundry is to wash, dry, fold, and put away one load per day, or every other day, as needed.
Jasie

I usually do laundry once a week (or over the course of a couple mornings when I’m hanging it out to dry) so it never gets too big but I have large enough loads to properly separate and have full loads. I usually multitask while sorting and folding and put all the clothes/linens away at one time once everything is finished. Even though there are already small piles of laundry in the baskets by the time I’m done, it helps me to feel like I’m done for the week anyway.
Rebecca

I try to do my laundry all in one day.
http://profiles.google.com/sholland33 Shell Holland

I just throw it all in together because I don’t wear much white stuff and then when I need to wash important white stuff I wash them separately… but underwear and socks I don’t care about keeping super white… and then I hang up my shirts and fold my pants in half but the rest i just throw in a drawer… disorganized haha.
Jessica

I will hang up some clothes straight from the washing machine and I fold the rest of our clothes straight from the dryer. I’m really lazy when it comes to doing laundry!
amber

I try to limit laundry to two days a week, just so i don’t feel like i’m doing it constantly.
Stephanie

My washer/dryer are in the basement, which somehow seems further away when I’m on laundry detail. I have a laundry basket for each family member, which helps sorting in the winter. When the weather cooperates, I hang it on my outdoor line sorting as I go. I fold when I remove and sort into baskets. Not sure if it is the awesome warm air or knowing I am saving money (and the earth) that makes pleasant weather laundry so much better!
Tina M

I do laundry every Wed and Sun!
Pinkpumps

I usually do clothes Laundry on Wednesday and towels on Thursday. Then a load or 2 on Sunday afternoon. The washer and dryer are in the basement. We live in an older home. The first time that I washed diapers the washer flooded the entire basement. It tipped over. YIKES! I think that alone deserves $25.
Outsidetheboxmom

The only way I can make it through laundry is listening to music, while I’m in the laundry room. I second Tip #2 – fold straight from the dryer! If it makes it to a laundry basket: a) it gets wrinkled and b) it sits for days.
Vanessa

We do all of our laundry on the weekend. I usually pile everyone’s clothes on the sofa that is right next to the laundry closet. Then on Sunday night after the kids go to bed I either find a tv show or a netflix movie, which I watch while I fold all the laundry. I then care it all up to their rooms and put it outside their doors, so on either Monday morning or evening after school it all gets puts away.
Kmsa1234

We do ours at the laundry mat.
Miranda

Making Friday the only day I do laundry freed me up so I didn’t feel like I should constantly be doing it. Cuz I could!
skkorman

I take hangers out to the laundry room so that I can do the hangable clothes first, before I do the foldables (no wrinkles).
Donna L

My husband and I have 2 loads a week. My daughter does her own wash and puts it away.
Lizzylovescharlie

I have discovered the joy of air drying my clothes outside now that it is warmer weather here in the Chicago area! I love how it slows me down a little – I love the rhythm of it as well! and if my towels are a bit “crunchy” I just toss them in the dryer on fluff for 10 minutes and voila! all good!
Sue D

I hang my clothes outside but when I bring them in I separate by whose clothes they are and take them to their room.
Lindsey Ebert

I let my husband do the laundry!! I’m so lucky! He’s always does the washing and I do the folding!
Jessica

I’ve been trying to fold more of it as I take it out of the dryer. More often than not I usually do a bunch at one time and watch a movie on TV while I am folding and putting away all of it.
Melissa

This is my system to cut down on laundry for me and get the kids involved. With 4 kids (ages 11-16) they do their own laundry:

1. The only clothes they are allowed to put in the hamper in our 1 bathroom is undies and socks and anything wet/damp. All of their other items go in the “girls” or “boys” hamper in their bedroom.

2. The girls have Mon/Thurs as their laundry days. Boys are Tues/Fri. Each child is responsible for one day a week – pretty simple!!

3. They do not separate clothes into different loads since their clothes have been washed many times. Just dump the entire hamper contents into the washer (I have a large front loader). So that’s only 1 total load they each wash per week.

4. Summertime – they hang outside, winter use the dryer or basement clothesline.

This has been a blessing for them to learn about washing and responsibility. Plus there is less for me to take care of.
Continuously_confused

I have a basket in every bedroom and bathroom. I also fold straight out of the dryer but actually leave the clothes in separate piles on the dryer until they need to be put away.
Mari

I do laundry about 3 times a week. Now that my son is on vacation, he also does a load on Saturday.
I prefer folding straight from the dryer, otherwise it just piles up!

runningmatey at hotmail dot com
Keisha C.

I do laundry three days a week, whites on Monday, medium colors on Tuesday, and dark colors on Wednesday. I separate them by each family member, but have problems with folding and putting them away. I will have to try folding them straight from the dryer.
http://onmybackporch.blogspot.com Rachel V.

Doesn’t always happen, but I try to accomplish one laundry task a day. On the rare day there might not even be a full load to wash/dry/put away, I use my laundry time to catch up on ironing. Especially in the summer, since there are so many more cotton/linen things.
Ang

I try to do a load every day or two based on which load needs to be done. I also sort based on fabric types more than colors and wash most everything other than whites, towels and sheets on cold.
dollimama

I do 2 loads a day to keep up. I start one first thing in the morning, then throw another in an hour later. I put the laundry in a basket and fold while watching TV during naptime or at night. I pile the folded laundry back in the basket and distribute it first thing in the morning. It works for me!
Lori

We have baskets in each room for dirties. I do laundry 3-4x per week. One per person (my hubs & mine get washed together + 2 kids) and one for towels. Each person has a different day for their laundry to be done (Wed for baby, Fri for me/hubs, Sat for son, towels whenever they fit in). This way it’s not all jammed up on each other and if stuff sits in the dryer for a few days, there’s nothing log jammed behind it. I do not sort colors. Every now and then I’ll do a whites load with bleach if we have worn enough white for a load. The only sorting (besides by person) I do is clothes vs towels/sheets. I try to get the clothes right out of the dryer and hang/fold. But if I don’t, I’ll fluff them and then put into a basket. If they sit for too long, I’ll refluff the hanging. I don’t really care if the folding is wrinkled, so will usually fold them anyway. Usually just undies, socks, tshirts, gym shorts etc. And the kids clothes. Unless they are REALLY wrinkly.
http://pulse.yahoo.com/_4OPWXFZKEAXXH7NUCWNYHTG52A trungchem2002

I have a basket of dirty clothes in the laundry room, and my routine is one every week.
http://profiles.google.com/sherinfo Sheridan Ripley

I fold straight to the basketS. I have a basket for each boy and 1 for me and DH. So I fold and put in the correct basket. Then they put it away!
spinningnuri

We’re once a week in my small household, with an occasional midweek jeans wash if my husband was exceptionally dirty at work.
Julie L

There are 5 of us living at our home…my 3 kids do their own laundry and put it away which is a big help…I do at about a load a day thanks
http://profiles.google.com/mjacobitz Megan J

I try to do it once a week. And have my four year old help sort, and she loves to fold wash clothes and sort socks!
http://marcijo.blogspot.com/ Marci @ Rancho Relaxo

We have two seasons of laundry. In the winter I wash all of our laundry once a week dry it in the dryer and fold it all in the living room on the couch or sometimes standing at the kitchen table.

In the summer when I can line dry I wash a couple loads every other day, it is totally dependent on the weather and I fold it right off the line.
Samantha

I do 2-3 loads of my own clothes/linens/etc. once a week. Then I have 2 dogs and every other week I throw their bedding, dog towels, stuffed toys, etc into a load of their own as well. I throw the clothes out of the dryer into a hamper and fold right away.
Amber

I wash the large stuff first like jeans and towels. They are easy to wash / fold and it makes a big difference fast. This motivates me to do the rest of the laundry. I also keep four laundry baskets in the master closet. As we get undressed for the day we sort the clothing lights / dark / Jeans / Delicate. Easy to always throw a load in.
aj

I do laundry every day so I don’t fall behind!
Nashvillemel

I really try to do a load or two each day, but usually i am playing catch-up on the weekends.