Thursday, June 23, 2011

U-Pick

During this economic downturn, while some people are bellyaching over low pay, lack of promotions or increased workload, I've gotten wiser in my negotiations (and thankful that I have a job to complain about!). I asked myself, what would genuinely make me a happier employee? For me, the answer was easy. More time with my family.

I am now working from home one day a week.

Sure, I'm still working a full day, but now I have two hours (or more) less of a commute, which is time I can spend doing things like picking strawberries with my kids at McCann's U-Pick Berry Farm in Woodstock (find a whole list of local U-picks here). I can be picking berries at 8am and back at work by 9am. In that one hour I spent quality time with my children, collected about 10 lbs of the most delicious local strawberries and snap peas, and got a serious squatting workout.

Take an hour today and spend it in a special way with those who appreciate your love the most (and believe me, that isn't your employer).

McCann's is a good place to start. At $1.75/lb for strawberries and $2/lb for snap peas, how can you go wrong? Strawberry picking will end next week, so seriously, get in the car now!

In life, U-Pick your priorities.