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

Not Instagram Worthy This week I have been reminded of a lesson, blessed is better than perfect. I had two main reminder, my pursuit of a perfect Mother's Day photo. And my interaction with a father and daughter at daycare this morning. 

The egg freezing benefit discussion that I mentioned in my previous blog post is an issue that's relevant to all working women, but especially working moms. To date, there has not been overwhelming support for us. Even though many of us have been trying to lean in we have struggled because of the lack of basic benefits like paid maternity leave , paid vacation benefits, and flexible schedules . Egg Freezing Benefits May Make Being a Working Mom Unfashionable We have been fighting tirelessly to get Corporate America to recognize that while we may enjoy our work, while we are willing to work long and work hard, working is not our life. It doesn't seem like we should have to apologize for that, but we often do because we understand the unspoken truth. Our getting pregnant, our children and our resulting family obligations are inconvenient for our employers.

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 and resources to working moms and when I find notable ones, I share them with you. Below are two that sparked my interest. They focus on the topic of egg freezing benefit packages being providing to employees by some technology companies. Nearly every working woman wonders about the best time to have a child The price you pay for being a woman is that at some point you have to address the question about when/whether to have a family.  My blog focuses on issues relevant to working mothers. So, you know what path I chose. I took the path most traveled by many women before me. I decided to procreate and tha

Last week my daughter gave me a doll to take to work with me. She was insistent that he come. I'm not sure what she thought he'd be doing there. However, I put him to work.  Here's the proof. Seeing the photos made her happy. Score! via photo collage app  https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.ImaginationUnlimited.instaframe

A working mom can't live on work and family alone. She also needs some fun. When you're with your kids most of the time, taking selfies and sharing them with your friends can be part of that fun. Admittedly,  I used to think taking selfies was lame. But now I'm into it. The only problem is it is tricky to take a good selfie. Indeed, if you don't get the angle right you look downright silly. With Practice, You Can Love Your Selfie Here's my attempt to master the selfie. I don't know if the duck lips in the bottom right are a requirement, but I do see a lot of people doing them in selfies I see online.

If you have read this blog before you have probably discovered that I am a huge fan of the Pittsburgh Children's Museum. It is a place where kids can explore, create and learn. And my daughter loves it. We have spent even more time there since preschool ended. Below are photos that tell the story of our fun. Enjoy! exploring the Children's Museum via photo collage app  https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.ImaginationUnlimited.instaframe Related articles Wordless Wednesday: Photographs taken by a toddler (chatonsworld.blogspot.com) A Peek Into the Life of a Working Mom: Baby Photos (Almost Wordless Wednesday) (chatonsworld.blogspot.com)

A great partner is the key to success for most working moms.  So, on this Father’s Day, I have to give a shout out to my husband who is consistently the finest dad any child could have. For those who think this blog post is the equivalent of a “Facebook Fake Post”, you’re wrong. I’ll be the first to say that Andre doesn’t always parent the way that I wish that he did, sometimes he gets on my nerves, and he gave our daughter ice cream before I thought she was ready.  Indeed, I have whined about such things on this blog.  However, just because he’s not my puppet does not mean that he isn’t a most amazing father.  The photos tell the tale perfectly. However, I would also like to say that I could not have chosen a better father for my children. He knows what they need and how to provide it for them.  He also pays attention to what they want and tries to make their dreams come true.  My children are very blessed simply because he is who he is. And I am blessed that we found each other.

As working moms we value the time that we spend with our children. When they are infants we are often conflicted about leaving our babies to go to work. For that reason, we want our time with our babies to be peaceful. Bath time with my baby is one of my favorite times of day I know that some moms struggle with bath time. They've asked me about it on Facebook and socially. I have to confess that my son used to hate bath time too. However, I have found that keeping the water running is a great way to soothe him. Since white noise is a proven way to soothe babies, they sell noise machines that mimic the rain and the ocean for LOTS of money. I'd like to say that I started running the water intentionally to soothe him. However, I discovered this trick by accident. I simply forgot to turn it off once and noticed that it worked. Some times it is better to be lucky than good! The water trick worked. My son  LOVES taking a bath. Chillin' in the bathtub

via photo collage app  https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.ImaginationUnlimited.instaframe

It seems as if I am never in the photographs with my children. I've tried the selfie. It's cool, but not what I'm looking for all of the time.  So, I decided to let my daughter try. Here's what how it turned out! via photo collage app  https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.ImaginationUnlimited.instaframe

Some of our things curently in storage. I have heard that moving can be one of the most stressful events in one’s life. I’ve never seen any lists that discuss how stressful it is to be eight months pregnant and moving in the middle of winter.   I am sure that nobody writes about that because they assume that most people know better than to do that.   Well we aren’t most people…   Moving While Pregnant Is Not as Much Fun as It Sounds

Family photos are a great way to mark milestones, celebrate achievements and capture the growth and development of your family. We tend to take some professional family photos at least once a year. It's an indulgence that we appreciate. And it is a great excuse to get us all together.   I try to share things that I enjoy with my blog readers. For that reason, I was pleased when Robert Armstrong, a talented photographer who captured my daughter's dedication last year, agreed to donate a free photo session to one of my blog readers.   An Example of Robert Armstrong's work   Free Photo Session (on-location)

I attended a meeting last night for my daughter’s school. It was a policy council meeting where we discussed matters relevant to the governance of the school as well as how to engage more parents in volunteering.  Andre is actually the parent representative. I’m the alternate. He had a conflict, so I dutifully served.   It was typical of most meetings I attend. There was a lot of chatter, that I thought could have been streamlined. Since creating this blog, I have become brutal about the use of unnecessary words. “Kill your darlings”, a phrase that means that a writer should delete the most self-indulgent passages of a work in order to make it better, resonates with me. So, I tend to get bored and frustrated by meetings that last too long. That being said, nobody could question the passion of the participants. Everyone in attendance, from the staff to the parents to the community volunteers were all present because they believed that they were making a difference. And tha

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.

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  

I have gotten a lot of feedback on my post, " My Smart Phone May Be Swallowing My Life " .  Apparently, I am not alone.  A lot of working moms are struggling to use their smart phones "smartly". I found this article that is designed to help us all. It's entitled, "Don't let your Smart Phone Ruin Your Life: http://www.workplaceinfo.com.au/human-resources-management/communication-in-the-workplace/dont-let-your-smartphone-run-your-life . Enjoy!   Related articles Top 4 Smartphone Pregnancy Apps You Haven't Tried Yet (redenvelope.com) Do people really need a smartphone (lifeblueeyes.wordpress.com)

What working women need more than anything is a fun night out. And I have got one for you! I have an opportunity for you to go see “SPANK! The Fifty Shades Parody” for free! What is SPANK! The Fifty Shades Parody”?! “SPANK! The Fifty Shades Parody” is a hilarious comedy that discusses the naughty fun of the best-selling book. The book is about sex, raunchy, fetish sex. Since it came out a few years ago, it has captured our imaginations and appealed to our fantasies. It got polite women discussing sex in public and made us see our friends in a new light.   Every time I hear that someone has read it, I wonder what things are like in their household. I recently learned that one of my friend’s in her late sixties who always appears to be the essence of propriety, has read all three books in the series. Me thinks that she has another, more adventurous side…

As you know, I'm a blogger who focuses on the journey of working women who are trying to balance  working and parenting. Every working mom knows that it is a journey that is fraught with challenges and  compromises, especially if you work full time. It's a topic that I am passionate about and a topic that keeps on giving!   Working Full Time and Raising a Family Can be Challenging   We all know that Full Time work ain't what it used to be. 40 hours is a relic that has gone the way of the VCR. Full Time now means 45+ office time and uncompensated overtime called "remote work".  The challenges and compromises lead to a array of emotions, including guilt. Some women handles those emotions well and some re-evaluate their decision to be a Full Time working mom. This weekend, I am attending a blogging conference called #NicheParent13", as a speaker. It's a conference focused on multi-cultural parent bloggers. It's being hosted at the We