Here are my top 5 parenting blogs and why I like them. There are so many parenting blogs that its too hard to narrow down the best 5 but I have given it a go and these are my favourite mummy bloggers! Maybe I’ll do another one later on. Continue reading “My Top 5 Parenting Blogs”
What is Corporation Tax?
In its most simplest definition, if you have a limited company, you would need to pay tax on your profits. This is called Corporation Tax. You would also need to pay corporation tax if you are an association, a club or co-operative. If you are a sole trader or a partnership, your profit is not subject to corporation tax and any tax you have to pay will be through your self-assessment. Continue reading “What is Corporation Tax?”
Smartcuts by Shane Snow
This has a lot of case studies to explain the different points that he raises in the book. There are nine chapters each with a few case studies of successful people and how they achieved their dreams. Continue reading “Smartcuts by Shane Snow”
What is income tax?
A dictionary definition and its simplest explanation, income tax is the tax levied on personal income that you earn.
What is personal income?
Personal income that is taxed in this way is made up of:
- Income received from employment including benefits in kind
- Your profits on self-employment
- Pension received
- Rental income
- Some state benefits – a list of what is and isn’t taxable can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/income-tax/taxfree-and-taxable-state-benefits
- Income from trust
She Means Business by Carrie Green
This is a really inspiring book. From the title, you’d think it was a very technical business book with lots of business plans and marketing strategy. It does have some technical advice, however, it’s more geared towards motivating you and giving you techniques in how to make your dreams to come true.
The book is split into three parts and with lots of chapters in each section, although some chapters are only a page long. The three parts are:
1. She shows up for her dreams
2. She gets herself out there to shine
3. She’s unstoppable
The first part is about working on yourself and conditioning yourself for success and to allow yourself to imagine your business can be a success. There are great quotes throughout the chapters and lots of tips on how to imagine yourself being successful. At the end of nearly every chapter there is a list of questions, under the title, she asks questions where she makes you think or do some things for yourself. So far the first two – about starting a journal and creating a vision board I’ve already taken on board. This is the first time I’ve ever done a vision board and I feel a bit self-conscious about doing it. It feels like something you should do when you are at school or at Uni, not when you’re almost 40 and a mum to two girls. It felt good doing it though but I’m still embarrassed to hang it up anywhere. I really love writing a journal and have recently started doing that anyway but I decided to start another one in order to follow what is going on in this book.
The second part is about your business. Some of the points are the usual, find your niche, mission, audience and target them which I’ve heard a million billion times and go above and beyond to help them. However, it also point out that sometimes, you just need to start and then you will find where you are going and your business will evolve as you go along.
The third part is about growing your business and to keep going even when you feel like giving up. In the book, Carrie accepts that there will be ups and downs but to use the failures as a learning point to keep going.
Along with this book is the 28 day She Means Business challenge. This is included at the end of the book but you can also download it from her website along with a daily calendar with points and free resources that will keep you motivated to do the challenge. The worksheet will direct you to the part of the book it refers to as it is not always in the order of the way its listed in the book.
At the end of each three parts, there is a checklist which summarises the chapters in that part and as it’s a checklist, you can tick off as you do them.
There have been quite a few books that I have read recently that are almost like an interactive workbook which I have listed below:
The Conquer Kit by Natalie McNeil
The Go To Expert by Heather Townsend and Jon Baker
Yoga Girl by Rachael Brathen (although that’s about yoga rather than business!)
All of these books have something to download and lots of questions to ask about yourself and other little tips and inspiration to keep you pursuing your dreams. So far or maybe it’s because I’ve just read it, this book has been the most inspiring and especially the first part about preparing and visualising yourself being successful in whatever you do.
I’m going to go back now and finish the challenge and there may even be an update to this review. However, as it stands now, this is another great book. It is aimed at women but I think it can benefit anyone who needs a big dose of motivation to keep going if you’re starting to feel a bit despondent and lost with your dreams and plans.
The budget and the PAYE
Every year when the budget comes out you hear about taxes going up, the economy growing and unemployment going down. If you’re in employed work and receiving a monthly salary you might not really understand or care how the budget affects you. However, the salary you receive in your bank account is what you get after your employer has taken the PAYE. Your PAYE is made up of your national insurance contributions and income tax. Continue reading “The budget and the PAYE”
My Top 5 Accounting Blogs
Here are my top 5 accounting blogs and why I like them. There are a lot of other people that I do admire in the tax and accounting world who are not listed here as they don’t blog or they don’t have a website. However, as I like to blog, I tried to focus on bloggers only.
Infant Massage – A handbook for loving parents by Vimala McClure
I’m questioning my suitability of being a mum again and so all the parenting books are out and open but unfortunately none are finished. However, I found this book which I have read twice and loved all the relevant parts. When both my girls were babies, I went to baby massage classes with them and I was recommended this book by the teacher.
Looking back at it now though, the introduction seems a little harsh especially regarding parenting techniques. However, that is the only bad thing I have to say about this book. There are so many massage techniques that you can use and are probably very beneficial but when you have a bit of an explanation as to why you are massaging the baby the way you are and all the benefits of this particular massage, it helps bring a sense of purpose to what you are doing.
This book has 15 chapters:
Chapter 1: Why massage your baby?
Chapter 2: Your baby’s sensory world
Chapter 3: Bonding, Attachment and Infant massage
Chapter 4: Especially for Fathers
Chapter 5: Helping Baby (and you) learn to relax
Chapter 6: Music and Massage
Chapter 7: Getting ready
Chapter 8: How to massage your baby
Chapter 9: Crying, fussing and other baby language
Chapter 10: Minor illnesses and Colic
Chapter 11: Your premature baby
Chapter 12: Your baby with special needs
Chapter 13: Your growing child and sibling bonding through massage
Chapter 14: Your adopted or foster children
Chapter 15: A note to teen parents
With my first daughter, I used to massage her every day, without fail after her evening bath. It was amazing how it would calm her down and relax her almost in front of your eyes. Doing this before bedtime was usually great for getting her to fall asleep. As a baby she was a really good sleeper. Unfortunately, trying to get her to sleep now (aged 6) by herself is a nightmare. First come the excuses and all the important things she needs to tell me right now, and then come the books which she hides under the pillow and in the bed and tries to read for as late as possible. It’s good to read but sleep is important too and the thing is I’ve been there and done that – reading under the duvet with a dim torch.
My second daughter didn’t seem to be too much of a fan of baby massage to start with. She wouldn’t keep still when I would massage her and usually just end up massaging whatever part of the body I had in front of me. However, I did start baby massage earlier with her and as she got older, she did seem to enjoy it.
Even with two girls, we did bedtime massages for a long time, even if some nights it didn’t seem as long or as relaxing as I would like. A lot of my younger daughter’s massages were moved to the day time when the older daughter was at nursery and I had time to massage without worrying about being disturbed.
As they have got older, the massages have more or less stopped now and the most they get is a quick rub down with some moisturiser. The other day, the eldest daughter started complaining about her legs and that they were hurting her. This was in the night just before I was heading to sleep. She hadn’t complained all day so I assumed it was growing pains and did a little massage on her legs then. Again she fell asleep quickly and for a moment it felt like being a baby again.
This book goes into details of the techniques of baby massage on different parts of the body. As the baby grows up and her wants change, it also shows you how to adapt our massaging techniques to suit them. It also covers some very basic illnesses, like a tummy bug or a cough and cold and how different massages can help relieve the pain, even if it is only for a bit. It also mentions how massaging helps with bonding with you child and it is also good for fathers to join in with the massages. It’s a very good read and I would definitely recommend this book to parents to be so they can be prepared for giving their babies a massage as reading becomes a luxury once you become parents.
Why Pay Class 3 National Insurance Contribution?
Class 3 National Insurance Contribution (NIC) is a voluntary contribution that you can make if you have gaps in your NI history. One of the main reasons that you would want to make a voluntary contribution is in order to ensure you receive your full basic state pension. However, this is a voluntary contribution and you are not contracted to pay it unlike the other national insurance classes. Continue reading “Why Pay Class 3 National Insurance Contribution?”
My top 5 blogs I’ve read this week
So this week would have been a good week to have had some back up blogs ready. With the tax return deadline looming and kids off being ill, it’s been a slightly hectic week and I have a feeling next week will be quite similar.
An accountant and a Mum 