Chaton's World: A Working Mom's Quest for Balance in Stilettos©

As you know, Andre surprises me in a myriad of ways. To name a few, he's away a decent amount doing home improvement projects for his parents, his brother and my brother. Soon, I may start calling him " Bob Vila "... In all candor, absence makes the laundry piles grow higher and my patience run thin.  However, you know this, because I have been known to whine about it on more than one occasion.

Snow is falling There is no mistake Fall is gone Snow is falling Thanksgiving is near Snow is falling It is almost time for Christmas Cheer Snow is falling We look forward to the end of the year Snow is falling    There is so much left to do my dear!

Toddler with my Samsung Galaxy Tablet I have written some pieces recently that discusses the challenges of technology and how it keeps working moms tethered to their jobs, even when they would prefer to be with their families. Upon reflection though, I decided that I should discuss the other side of the story too—how technology can help make working moms more efficient. After all, I am a part of “ Verizon Moms Voices Program ” and I have gotten some pretty amazing devices from Samsung, most recently the Samsung Galaxy Note 3.   If used right, and on our terms, technology can help us do more with less and give us the gift of time--the one thing that we value more than anything except a hug from our kids. Using Technology to Stay Organized

I am participating in the Verizon Moms Voices program and have been provided with a wireless device and six months of service in exchange for my honest opinions about the product.       As you know, Verizon selected me to be a “Verizon Wireless Voices Ambassador”. It’s been a great opportunity because I’ve gotten to try out a couple Verizon devices. The first was a Samsung Tab. I have enjoyed my tab. It has made me more efficient by allowing me to maximize my time. It has bought me time by entertaining my toddler while I do the laundry and occasionally blog. It has also helped me stay more connected to social media by giving me unlimited internet access wherever I go. In a word, the tab has been cool. And if it was the only perk that I received for being a “ Verizon Wireless Voices Ambassador” I'd be happy. The Second Device We Received, The Samsung Galaxy Note 3  Last night I watched the American Music Awards and learned that because of my affilia

English: An artist's depiction of the rat race in reference to the work and life balance. See http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rat_race Made with following images: http://www.openclipart.org/detail/75385 http://www.openclipart.org/detail/74137 (Photo credit: Wikipedia ) Successful working women keep track of important matters in the news. However, we are not one-dimensional. Some of us also want to keep up with celebrity gossip and fashion news too. Even in the era of the Internet and 24 hour news shows and E! it can be challenging to keep up with everything. Fortunately for you, I make it my job to keep up on articles of interest to working moms and when I find notable ones, I share them with you. Below are three that sparked my interest.    Articles of Interest to Working Moms  " Why You Should Hire a Mom "    This article discusses the benefits of hiring mothers, which are numerous.  It makes the case for why companies should hire moms and develop policies

I was in my Twitter account and it asked me whether I wanted to invite my GMAIL contacts to join Twitter. I falsely assumed that it would only send invitations to those who were not already on Twitter. Well, I received one. And I know that my Twitter savvy friend, Deborah Gilboa, MD (otherwise known as " Doctor G ")  received one too.

   What working moms value as much as their paychecks is their time. Time is power. It lets you clean your house, do your work and play with your kids. The challenge when you work full time is finding the time to do everything that you want well.  My grandfather always said that the secret to saving money was figuring out how to save on your essentials. His rationale? You need to eat, drink water and have shelter. So, find the most economical ways to do those things and then you'll be able to have some money for a few luxuries! I think that the best way for a working mom to find more time in her schedule is to find a way to reduce the time it takes to do the essentials. We have to work, clean our homes, and feed our families. So, if we find a way to do those things more efficiently, we may just be able to find more time to play with our kids and get our nails done! A Fast, High Protein, High Fiber Delicacy Here's a recipe for a quick

Guest Post contributed by KidzStuff, and the medical staff from Miami Children's Hospital .     Sick Toddler     Attending the Niche Parent conference in September was a great opportunity. I had the opportunity to speak, gain more blog followers and make connections. One of the connections I made was with Deb DaSilva who works with KidzStuff, is a brand new exciting company that is changing the way parents care for their children. From sunburn to insect bites, their innovative wellness products are designed to solve everyday problems. For more information see, http://www.shopkidzstuff.com/     What I like most about KidzStuff is that physicians have thought about what parents need and have committed to providing it to us.  I think that this company has real value for working moms. We are already stretched so that thin that we can definitely use easily to understand information that can help us care for our families.  Getting to 50/50 is only half

I was watching “Jeopardy” the other night and heard Alex Trebeck ask, “Have you ever just wanted to get away from it all?” It was the introduction for a contest that they are running, but it got me thinking about me and my sister working moms. I venture to say that many of us, Sheryl Sandberg and Marissa Mayer excluded, want to get away from it all, a lot! A lot of us have failed to structure our lives in such a way that they are really working for us. Yes, we go to work, collect our paycheck and raise our children, without losing our minds. However, we feel overwhelmed, exhausted, and constantly pressed for time. We view weekends as our reward for a working hard all week and we drown our sorrows in wine and dark chocolate. Occasionally, we may even buy a lottery ticket as a way to dream about a different type of life. Our vacations give us a glimpse into what that life might be like. We can live the type of lives that we choose to live. What if instead of dreaming about a d

(This is a sponsored post.) If you have kids you understand that kids cost money, a lot of it. So, when I learned that " Causes4Kids " had a way to help kids raise money with less effort and expense I was excited to help them share their service with my blog readers. One thing that I know is that most working moms detest having to help their kids sell magazines, candy and wash cars. That can be labor intensive and not yield a great dividend. While the kids might learn some valuable skills, they are still stuck with trying to raise additional funds, which tends to lead to more magazine sales, more candy sales and more car washes!   Causes "Causes4Kids" has an on-line fundraising tool that helps to streamline the process, which helps kids and working parents. Please see below for more information!   If you like the concept, be sure to like them on Facebook !   Causes4Kids We know that education and learning continues when the school day ends and

(I received two books as part of this book tour.)   I had the honor of being asked to participate in a virtual book tour for Getting to 50/50: How Working Parents Can Have It All , by Joanna Meers and Sharon Strober.   This book is all about trying to help working mothers make decisions to improve their effectiveness at work and at home. So, I was excited when I was asked to participate in this tour. The premise of the book is that if women can equally divide household duties they can remain employed full-time, raise their children and achieve happiness. Marry the Right Man, Have the Right Life  

"Surprised"! The fall is an opportunity to have a different kind of fun. This year that our family joined millions of families and officially experienced the back-to-school season, replete with new school clothes, a new teacher and at the beginning, tears. As I mentioned in my prior post, Seven Tips to Surviving Pre-School , my daughter began the school year drowning in a river of tears. Now, she is a pro. She goes to school with a smile every day and is so excited about learning that she wants to attend school on parent/teacher conference days and weekends. She even “plays school” with her dolls at home.   Hopefully, her enthusiasm for learning continues throughout her life. The Pout Surprisingly, she did not object to the interruption in her learning by picture day. Instead, she met with the photographer and posed like she had been doing it her entire life. She gave the photographer smiles, pouts and attitude like she was being coached by Mario Testino. I don&

 (Photo credit: Wikipedia ) I love summer , but fall is a different kind of fun. Thanks to Andre, now that I’ve become a mom, I no longer view Halloween as a day. I view it as a season.