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

America has a long way to go as it relates to women’s’ rights.  Since no woman was in the room during the drafting of the constitution, it is not surprising that women are not referenced in the constitution nor is maternity leave or any other issue relating to women referenced.  Even though all of the founding fathers had mothers, it was as if women did not even exist.  I take that back, they did specifically remember to restrict voting to only white men. That could be a post unto itself… The United States Fails Working Families, but there is Hope I have criticized our president for flip flopping on his support of working mothers. Maybe he heard me because last week he made his position very clear and he gave us hope. As you may have heard, this past week, the White House conducted the first White House Working Families Summit and issues related to mothers were front and center. 

  Seeing all of the glamorous ladies on the E! Red Carpet Show for the Academy Awards 2013 reminded me that I never posted my piece about the Inaugural Ball…      My Life Is Hectic, But Sometimes I Do Cool Things Yes , I know that this post is shamefully overdue. However, as my tagline indicates, I am on a quest for balance in my stilettos. Most days I am grateful if I make it to the end of the day without tripping, falling and busting my lip open because my house is a wreck, I am drowning in toys and at work there are literally dozens of people who want something from me all at the same time.     I am not whining, at least not too much. My quest is similar to most professional mothers.   However, at times, I take a break from my chaos and do some really cool things.   One of those things was attending The 2013 Inaugural Ball. Having been an ardent supporter of President Obama since his first campaign and being a great admirer of the First Lady , I was THRILLED tha

There's an old movie called " Mr. Smith Goes to Washington ". I've never seen it, but I've heard that it’s about a small town guy who's elected to Congress . Well, I haven't been elected to Congress, but I did have the opportunity to attend President Obama's Second Inauguration and The Inaugural Ball . Like Mr. Smith, this small town girl went to Washington and she had a ball!

I attended President Obama’s second inauguration swearing in ceremony and The Inaugural Ball on Monday. Both were amazing experiences that intend to share with you. However, I’m going to have to share them later! Inauguration 2013 Interrupted My Writing Schedule Traveling to DC and partying has thrown a wrench in my writing schedule.   As you know, I am a working mom. So, after I returned home I had to get back into the swing of things—mothering and working! Needless to say, I had a lot of catching up to do! So, what's the result? This mommy blogger has a lot of things to say, but little time to write. I've also been exhausted since I returned! Don't worry, I’ll make the time to write soon though. In the meantime, check out photos from the inauguration at http://chatonsworld.blogspot.com/p/out-and-about.html . Related articles 2013 Inauguration Coverage Live video: Obama inauguration speech, ceremony, parade LIVE: Barack Obama's inauguration Text

"The best is yet to come." -- Barack Obama , President of the United States I woke up this morning and learned that our president won re-election. I have avoided a lot of political commentary during this election, but now that the results are in, I'm free to express my excitement. Besides this is Chaton's World and I can write what I want to!

"We can make a commitment to promote vegetables and fruits and whole grains on every part of every menu. We can make portion sizes smaller and emphasize quality over quantity. And we can help create a culture - imagine this - where our kids ask for healthy options instead of resisting them." - Michelle Obama I've been a little obsessed with politics and Michelle Obama lately.  Probably it's because we're in the midst of a very competitive presidential campaign and both the Republicans and the Democrats recently concluded their conventions. Mrs. Obama 's mission throughout her family's time in the  White House has been on tackling childhood obesity .  her "Let's Move" campaign is genius in its simplicity and effectiveness. I've already written about her personal commitment to fitness.  And if you have any doubt about her commitment, just look at her arms, which were on display at the Democratic National Convention .  She mig

As you know, I attended the BlogHer '12 conference last week. It was a whirlwind! I actually only attended the conference for one day since I'm a bit of a sappy mom who is insanely attached to her toddler . I work full-time so I can pull off true attachment parenting , but I get pretty darn close! Although I know that I made the right decision, my attachment to my toddler does result in some sacrifices.   The conference lasted for three days, but since I only attended for one I had a lot of ground to cover in a short period of time. Here is what I learned about how to have a successful conference experience. 1.      Plan in advance.   Conferences publish the agenda in advance. Read it and make a strategy.   BlogHer had several sessions that occurred simultaneously.   Without a strategy I would have been overwhelmed.   Big thanks to my intern, Olivia, for identifying the appropriate sessions. 2.      Have a Wingman (or girl). I learned this tip from Rachel Blaufeld

Tonight President Obama delivered the State of the Union.   Regardless of your political affiliation you have to be proud that we live in a country where the president can address both houses and express his vision of America .   And, if you are proud to live in America you should be proud that we all have an opportunity to listen to him safely.   It may be a stretch, but listening to the State of the Union made me proud that the Constitution protects my first amendment right to Tweet.   I am not sure if that’s what the founding fathers had in mind, but I’m not one to let a privilege go to waste. Below is a list of women who are exercising their free speech rights on Twitter as well.   Where else but America could Jennifer Marshall proudly call herself @nuckingfutsmama?   I love her wit and her humor. I wish that I had thought of that name! I have found other women who are committed to helping us become more organized, live happier and healthier lives, and achieve balance. Ano

Obama ’s landslide victory has made him America ’s president in a way that George W. Bush never was. Obama is not merely the poor people ’s president. He is not merely the African American people’s president. He is not merely the youth’s president. He is America’s president. And his victory has already begun to heal this country. I live in Pittsburgh --a city that loves football, but that is also known to be close minded, and intolerant to change. My conversations with people after the election have had various tones ranging from disbelief to euphoria. However, the most profound conversation was between me and an older Black woman who’s worked at my company for 40 years. For her, Obama’s victory signified healing. While in high school a teacher planned to deny her an “A” because, “I don’t give niggers A’s”. Instead of capitulating, my colleague defied the teacher and said, “You’re going to give me what I deserve.” Because of that, and similar experiences, she bega

Obama ’s victory is historic and incredible. However, as I ran today. I reflected on his victory and realized that his win transcends this election. His victory liberated this nation. Senior citizens who had never voted now believe that their vote counts. Those who had never participated in an election now believe that their efforts can make a difference. Those who were afraid to even dream now believe that it is possible to achieve their dreams. And, those previously ruled by fear are now courageous. We transformed ourselves in just one night. Last night, America won because we voted our collective heart's desire. Like Fannie Lou Hamer , we were simply "sick and tired of being sick and tired". We embraced something new and different. We placed prejudice aside. We decided to hope. And, that hope has made us stronger. Today is my birthday. I began my birthday listening to my future president give his victory speech . I was so honored to call myself an American . I

It was a beautiful night in Pittsburgh . It was warm. It was pleasant. And the air was hopeful. I completed Voter Protection training this evening. Afterwards I found myself standing on the corner with a crowd of other Obama supporters. My encounter was inspiring for a variety of reasons. In true Obama fashion, it was a multicultural group of people—Black, White , Indian , and other. We were united by our desire for an Obama win. We were also united by our desire to achieve momentary “fame”. For the price of a moment we could have our comments to the campaign displayed on the side of a building. We had the task of completing the question, “I want Obama to win because…” We all completed that sentence in a variety of ways, but our intent was similar. We wanted a win as badly as we had ever wanted anything. The energy on that corner was palatable. On the surface, we shared smiles and laughter. However, I think that we all secretly crossed our fingers and prayed. An

I listened to Sarah Palin ’s speech last night. While impressed by her presentation, I am not a supporter. She’s charming, an entertaining speaker, and her experience as a beauty queen makes her likeable. She wore a nice suit, had her hair down, and she wore lipstick . The combination of all of those things got the crowd excited. As a professed girly girl , I was pleased that she was comfortable enough to be herself. That being said, I resisted the urge to get caught up in her aura. Instead, I listened to what she said. To her credit, she tried to sweeten her offensive, puritan, and repressive ideas with sugar and a smile. However, for me, that did not make the bitter pill go down any easier. As I listened to Governor Palin I was scared. Unlike others, I don’t doubt that she is capable of leading. The real question is where would she lead this country? She is anti-choice in all respects. She is against the freedom to choose an abortion. She is against detailed sex education .

Most of us work, but the term "worker" doesn’t apply to us all with equal force. I am an attorney. Indeed, I have come to understand that when politicians speak about the “ American worker” they aren’t referring to me. I used to be a little offended by that because I work really hard. However, today , I began to understand. Today, I volunteered to work the Labor Day Parade for the Obama campaign . Without sounding elitist, this parade gave me the opportunity to experience Americana in a way that I hadn’t done in years. I grew up the daughter of a banker and an educator. So, my youth was full of parades, pot luck dinners, and church socials. However, after graduating law school, I became this “attorney”. While I always maintained that I remained the same. Gradually, I took on all of the trappings that the job implies. In many ways, it was too easy not to. I won’t say that I forgot where I came from. But, I became a little disconnected. My job, income, and

As I watched Hillary Clinton give her acceptance speech tonight with Chelsea and Bill tonight I was amazed. I am not surprised that she won Indiana . She is smart, capable, and half of one of the most powerful political machines known to man. However, all I kept thinking was should she even be allowed to run? America is not a monarchy. Putting the same family in the White House for a third term--the same husband, the same wife, and the same kid--makes me feel like dumping tea in the Boston Harbor or something... In 1951, Congress said that the country’s love affair with a president cannot last forever, regardless of how passionate it is. The Twenty-Second Amendment operates to protect the integrity of the presidency and prevents any one person from controlling the office beyond two terms. It was passed in response to the three terms that FDR served as president. Significantly, it wasn’t passed because Congress thought that FDR was a bad guy or questioned the legitim

A friend recently confessed that the length of this primary election season, all of the mud being slung, and the misjudgments by both Senators Clinton and Obama have exhausted her. Moreover, she is tired to the point of frustration and does not intend to exert any more effort to help Obama win. I understand her feelings, my own legs have begun to feel very heavy. However, we cannot give up. I encourage her and everyone else to breathe in deep and catch a second win. As I have said before, this country needs Obama and Obama needs each one of us to help his campaign. When you hear about his fundraising achievements, it is easy to think that your efforts are dispensable. They are not. Think about it, he needs twice the money to get half as far. He hasn’t been doing this as long as Clinton has. And despite his achievements, he is the unknown quantity. Accordingly, he needs to remind people of his competence intensely and often. It is easy to get discouraged after you s

The sun is shining. The birds are chirping. In the midst of all of this hope and newness, I am sick. While I haven't received an official diagnosis, it is clear that I have caught something that I'd rather give back. I missed two days at work this week, which is a rarity. It's rare because I am rarely sick; and because I am reluctant to use my " Paid Time Off " on being sick. It is much more productive to be sick at work and to use PTO for fun, than using it because you are actually sick. However, sometimes such things can't be helped. When your throat is inflamed, you have chills and your skin hurts to the touch, missing work is imposed on you. So despite my plans to use this last weekend before the primary promoting Obama , I am trying to promote my own health. The irony is apparent. I survived the entire winter with only a minor cold. And then with the advent of Spring, sickness overtook me and knocked me on my tush! Everyone else is runn

I have been familiar with Tavis Smiley since his days on BET . I have criticized his presentation style and ridiculed his judgmental stance on Barack Obama . I still believe that his criticism of Obama for not participating in his " State of the Black Union " convention has been unduly harsh. However, I now believe that Tavis is doing important work. The title of his event describes its purpose. And by having a yearly event that focuses on Black issues Tavis is ensuring that the plight of Black people and issues that are relevant to Black families remain in the public consciousness. By having a forum that presents the views of influential Black leaders he ensures that Black folk like me who are fairly comfortable do not forget that our struggle is not complete until everyone who looks like us has an equal opportunity . The event reminds us as Hilary Clinton said at the event that "The state of the American union is not strong until the state of Black Americ