Juggling act January 29, 2007

It’s all been a juggling act the past few days. Taking care of sick kids, cleaning the house, going to work, working on our business, etc. By the way, I’m happy to share that we FINALLY have our Chinese New Year designs up. For those of you who don’t know, my sister and I are trying our hand at running our own business.

Although it’s been a struggle being motivated to get things done, especially now since I’m working at the office part-time, it has become sort of a pet project for us. I hope once I move to closer to my sister, we can devote more time to this and really put some more effort into it.

In the meantime, I’ll do what I can in the time that I have and just give it my best shot.

All you mompreneurs, would love to hear your tips on staying motivated, organized and juggling everything at once.

Isn’t it funny… January 26, 2007

On my way to work today, I was thinking that the best thing about working now was my 15 minute commute, when I get to listen to my own music…no Thomas the Tank Engine or Dora the Explorer DVD’s! Don’t get me wrong, my temporary job is okay, but I’m definitely not utilizing my prior skills and education to the fullest. It’s just a way to contribute to the family income.

This part is the “not so funny” part: I missed a day of blogging yesterday because our family has been busy sharing conjuctivitis germs…yes, pink eye is running rampant in our house. DH is the only one that hasn’t gotten it yet, but he think’s it’s inevitable that he will wake up tomorrow morning with gunky goop all over his eyes. (Sorry for all those with weak tummies.) But I’m used to it now, because unfortunately, this has become an annual ritual for our family.

ABC’s and 123’s January 24, 2007

Here is my kid’s product recommendation for the week (or month maybe - who knows when I’ll get around to finding something else to recommend):

I know, I know…Initially, when I heard “Kumon”, it made me think of those over-achieving parents who were pushing their kids at a young age - preparing them for the ivy leagues. Now, I don’t know if I would ever send my kids to Kumon (or if I would ever be able to afford to do so), but J really loves these cards. It basically teaches them how to write the uppercase letters by tracing it. He loves using the dry erase marker that comes with the cards and erasing it himself. They also have the same cards but with numbers.

And also, little books that help them with pasting which is supposed to “develop fine motor control and spatial reasoning skills by pasting paper parts and objects on to designated spots in order to complete fun art projects”.

And another for cutting which is supposed to “develop their manual dexterity.”

These are the ones he got for Christmas from his aunt, and he loves to do all of them..He is always asking to do a “project.” Not sure how the other Kumon books are for this age level, but once we are done with these, I’m going to try the others out!

Thanks Oprah! January 23, 2007

Shout out to Oprah for her show today on Working Moms - My Baby or My Job (you can view it on her site). I just finished watching it (I had to record it) and some good (simple) points were made:

1. Working moms and SAHM’s need to be a little less judgmental towards one another. Every family’s situation is different and what is right for one woman and her family may not be right for another. Let’s be a little more understanding and supportive of each other’s decisions. There is no such thing as “one right decision” for all mothers.

2. You CAN’T have it all even though we would like to think we can. Oprah made a good point in saying that maybe you CAN have it all, but you can’t have it all at once.

3. I’ve always known this to be true, but it was brought up during the show: You will never know what it is like for a working mom or making the decision to be a SAHM unless you are personally faced with it. I always wanted to have children, and in my mind, I thought I would go back to work full-time, partially because we would need my income. But after having my first, I couldn’t imagine going back to work full-time. So I went back part-time instead. It’s that inexplicable love I had for my child that told me I couldn’t stay away from him everyday. But that is me…and those are my feelings.

Bottom line: Having experience on both sides of the fence, I honestly respect the decisions made by both working mom’s and SAHM’s. Working moms shouldn’t be made to feel guilty for their decisions to return to work. They don’t love their children any less than those who choose to be SAHM’s.

Would love to hear other’s thoughts on this…

I think I’m addicted… January 22, 2007

to blogs. Visiting other blogs that is… I’m still struggling with my own blog (although I think I’m doing a 100 times better keeping up with it). I’ve come across so many interesting blogs - some which I have listed on my blogroll to the right. I think for many of these blogs, I can relate to many of the entries and it’s comforting to know there are other women in my situation, struggling through similar problems. Other blogs sometimes just provide though provoking topics of discussion that are inspiring. Although I think my blog entries have yet to reach that “thought provoking” category, I’ll keep trying…

And to encourage other bloggers, I’ve attempted to leave more comments. I know how encouraging it is to think your blog entries are worthy enough to merit a comment from a visitor. So all you visitors, come on, humor me and leave me a comment. I’d love to hear what you have to say!

The Working World January 19, 2007

I was exhausted yesterday after my first day of work. That’s why I missed a day of blogging. Today was better, I think partially because I’m getting into the swing of things and b/c DH was able to pick up J so I wasn’t rushing from M’s daycare to J’s preschool. Work keeps me busy and the day goes by faster, even though the work itself is not particularly interesting. But I still miss the kids terribly - particularly M since I am used to being with him all day everyday.

One thing is for sure, I do not miss the corporate world. Or maybe it’s just this particular corporation - my former employer. I’m glad this job is temporary. Some great people in my department, but the way things are run by the people at the top…let’s just say that it will never be one of the best companies to work for - especially for women. Unless, that is, the board gets smart and kicks the big guy out of the company…

At any rate, I hope one day I’m lucky enough to be able to work for a truly family-friendly company.

Young or Old(er)? January 17, 2007

Would you prefer to look young and not be taken seriously

OR

Look older and “wiser” and with more “life experiences”?

I’m in my low 30’s and I would have to say I get carded 9 out of 10 times when I am at a restaurant or bar.  Maybe it’s because I don’t really wear any makeup?  (I don’t have the time and patience to put it on - maybe if I did, I wouldn’t look so tired.)

It’s funny how kids can change how people look at you though…when I have my two boys with me at the grocery store and I am buying beer/wine, I would say that I DON’T get carded 9 out of 10 times.

Well, that really has nothing to do with being taken seriously though.  I’ve especially felt like I was taken seriously in the corporate world because I looked young.

Which do I prefer?  I think I would have to say looking younger…I guess I’ll just have to have a stronger personality to be taken more seriously???  Either that or the world just needs to change its perception of us.  Ummm…doubt that will happen. (and there’s my pessimistic side showing through..)

A New Do and the Start of a New Relationship… January 15, 2007

I finally got around to getting my hair cut this weekend. I couldn’t find the time to get it done earlier, but most of all, I was dreading going to a new stylist. You see, the one I was going to for a while, she up and left to go to a new salon. No big deal, I could’ve just followed her to her new digs, but I think this was my sign to find a new one closer to my house. She knew my hair and I liked what she did with it everytime I went to see her, but she was a bit chatty in an all too perky way. Very nice, but really overly perky…sometimes I couldn’t tell if she was forcing it.

A few months ago, I found out there was an salon by my house.  I don’t know what it is about Aveda, but I really like their salons…maybe it is that little scalp and shoulder massage you get before they style your hair.
I tried it once for a manicure/pedicure for my SIL’s wedding. An alright job..but not the best I’ve seen. I decided to go back and try their hair services. The stylist was pretty good, but not very talkative which made her seem a little cold. When I went back Saturday to give this place another shot, I think I hit the jackpot! This stylist was not as expensive (I guess because she hasn’t been doing this for as long as some of the other stylists), but she did a fantastic job with my hair. And to top it all off, she was not too chatty but not too stand offish either. I’m only bummed that I’m moving in about 5 months or so, and I will have to go through this whole process again in a new town.

I don’t know if guys really understand the importance of finding a good stylist - not only one who is great with hair, but someone who has a great personality too.

Let’s keep it regular… January 12, 2007

Like many, I could stand to lose a few pounds (okay a little more than a few) of post baby weight..two times over since I unexpectedly gave birth to my second before losing all the post baby pounds from my first. But I hate dieting…maybe because I’m horrible at it. So I’ve decided to try to be healthier. But let me make it clear, this is not a New Year’s resolution..if you remember one of my previous posts, I don’t make those…it’s bad luck.

A few days ago Oprah had Dr. Oz on her show. He was talking about fiber and how it helps you digest foods more quickly. It is recommended that a person gets at least 25g of fiber a day but the average American only gets around 7g. Although it has no nutritional value fiber transports cholestorol out of our body. It helps prevent fat from getting absorbed into your system. And ofcourse it helps with constipation…but only if you drink enough water throughout the day - which I have trouble doing.

I’ll stop myself here before I misspeak, because Lord knows, I have no medical background. I’ll just refer you to this article I found.

So, remember, eat up your fruits, veggies, and beans and drink lots of water. It’ll make you feel a little less guilty for trying to finish off all those leftover holiday goodies!

It’s off to work I go… January 11, 2007

Within the next two weeks I will be rejoining the workforce. It’s not exactly my ideal job (or ideal pay), but it’s a great temporary opportunity to contribute some $$ to the family pot. I’ll be covering for someone on maternity leave until early April. It’s with my previous employer and I’ll be working with someone I’ve worked with in a previous life. When I was initially called about the opportunity, I was pretty excited, but now, I’m a little sad because it means M will have to go to daycare 3 days a week. I don’t think he will remember that this is the daycare he went to with his big brother back when he was a mere 4 months old. I hope he doesn’t think I’m abandoning him. All in all though, I think it will be good for him and give him the chance to interact with other children his age.

The other big question is, will I be able to handle:

MORNINGS - feeding one kid (J does not get breakfast at preschool and he is generally a very slow eater…takes after his dad) and getting both kids dropped off at two different places and hauling myself to work - all in a reasonable amount of time. Mind you, I have been wearing jeans everyday since I stopped working and pulling my damp hair back in a ponytail.

EVENING - picking up both kids on time (so I don’t get charged for being late by the daycare and preschool) and fixing dinner without leaving work too early?

Yes, I must do the dropping off and picking up for DH’s work doesn’t allow him to get to work too late or leave too early. If the kids get sick, it’s me missing work all the time.

One thing is for sure, I need to get more organized with my time and stop vegging in front of the t.v. in the evenings! Wish me luck!