Nowadays more and more people are working from home full-time, whether you’re a telecommuter or a freelancer who works for yourself. While working at home has many perks, it can be difficult to find a space that’s free of distractions to get the job done. Here are a few smart tips for creating a functional workspace in your home—even if you don’t have a designated office.

1. Choose the right space. If you have a separate room for your office, that’s great, but if not, you’ll need to create your own area. Pick somewhere where you can shut yourself away and avoid outside noise, and make sure it’s a spot where you can avoid distractions.
2. Invest in a desk. Instead of working on the kitchen table (or worse yet, the sofa), invest in a designated desk that’s reserved only for work.
3. Create storage. Keep your supplies organized by adding a file cabinet, shelving, pencil holders—whatever you need to minimize clutter.
4. Add a comfortable chair. Instead of focusing on style, choose a chair based on what’s most comfortable for long hours in front of the screen.
5. Make your Internet work for you. Fast, reliable Internet is essential for telecommuting, so to avoid unnecessary headache, choose a carrier that comes highly recommended in your area.

Telecommuting Tips: Setting Up A Home Office [Drive Less. Save More.]
4 Great Tips for a Functional Home Office [Flex Jobs]
10 Quick Tips to Create a Home Office You’ll Actually Want to Work In [Fast Company]

CC-BY-2.0/Flickr mccun934

If you love reading, there’s no better place to spend an afternoon in Pasadena than at the Pasadena Public Library. This historic library is a cornerstone of the community, boasting a wide selection of thousands of books for people of all ages. There is an expansive children’s section, a selection of classic works of fiction, new works of nonfiction and much more. The reference section is great for area high school or college students, and there are also movies and music available to check out with a valid library card.

The Pasadena Public Library hosts fun community events, like movie nights and story times for children, and annual food drives and other charity events help you to do some good in the community. The next time you have a free afternoon, pop in to the Pasadena Public Library and pick up a library card of your own.

Pasadena Public Library
1201 Jeff Ginn Drive
Pasadena, TX 77506
(713)-477-0276
www.ppltx.net

CC-BY-2.0/Flickr IllinoisLibrary

Consuming iron-rich foods helps your cells transport oxygen throughout our body, preventing fatigue and supplying energy. So getting enough iron each day is important, and it can be very easy if you know which foods to look for. Incorporate these two iron-rich foods into your diet if you're lacking in the mineral:

1. Dark chocolate. Treat yourself and do something good for your body by indulging in a piece of dark chocolate every now and again. Just one serving of 80% dark chocolate contains 4.1 milligrams of iron, so dessert can be an integral part of your healthy diet.
2. Red meat. While you do want to be careful not to over-consume red meat, it is one of the most iron-rich foods. So you can select a package of lean ground beef to meet your daily needs.

Best Foods For Iron: 20 Foods Packed With Iron [Huffington Post]
Iron Rich Foods [WedMD]
Top 10 Foods Highest in Iron [Healthaliciousness]
Iron Rich Foods [American Red Cross]

CC-BY-2.0/Flickr/Rebecca Siegel