Stealing Time for Hobbies

There's something about my life being chaotic that pulls me towards being crafty. Over the past month, with our new puppy, my boys and their summer schedules and my husband's new travel routine, I feel like I've been pulled in about twenty different directions and my head won't stop spinning. I find myself pulling out my scrapbooking materials, looking at design books and creating a wish list of projects I want to complete. I get inspired by women like Donna Downey and Cathy Zielske and Ali Edwards. Amazingly talented women and working moms who spend their days creating art. 

I've realized my need to craft comes from a need to pull away from my laptop -- my 24-hour access to all-things-work. Because my work day is like a patchwork quilt, I could spend every free moment writing.

With crafts, it's just me and time with absolute focus on creating pretty things.

Between work and being a mom, it's really easy for hobbies to get left by the wayside -- especially new ones. (It's not all that cool to whip out an electric guitar after the kids are asleep.) And let's face it, work is always there. I could easily work every single night until the wee hours of the next morning. Somehow, we always force ourselves to make time for work. To catch up. To get ahead. (Sound familiar?) 

But you have to steal time for yourself.

Summer Vacation: A Refresher in Efficiency and Organization

Summer vacation is in full force at the crazedparent house. My five-year-old son, Nol, started his summer camp today and like another mom in my hood, I'm already feeling the pain. It's not that I'm exhausted from driving Nol back and forth from school, or planning our post-school day activities. I actually look forward to all of that because it's quality time with my little guy. And he needs a little mama-spoiling right now.

The pain I'm feeling has more to do with the organizational extravaganza required to keep our entire family in check. When I feel like chaos is about to ensue, I go through a mass organizational fest from closets to calendars. And I start repeating the saying, "A place for everything and everything in its place."

As an independent contractor, organization, efficiency and routine are critical to survival. Just when you're getting a little too comfortable, a little kick in the arse from say, you're child's summer vacation, comes along to add a little discomfort to your flowing work days.

Okay, it wouldn't be honest of me to blame my summer working mama woes on my son's summer schedule. The truth is that on top of his reduced school hours, I'm also adjusting to my husband's new travel schedule and um, did I mention our new puppy? (An entirely separate story, of course). Tack all of that onto one busy work week and well, you've got one mom with a brain that's on overdrive.

Let Your Babies Do the Talkin': Working Moms Rock

I was doing some work over the weekend (I know, I know) for Droolicious when I spied this sassy little t-shirt for working moms with babies in the 24 months and under age range.

It says, "Working Moms Rock!"

Why, yes, we do.

I can't remember ever seeing a t-shirt geared towards sending props to the working moms of the world. And while I'm not one to blast messages on my kid's clothing (except for ones that say things like "My Brother Did It"), I'd pay $30 for my littlest guy to shout "Working Moms Rock" from his shirt.

Contests to Enter for the Working Mom

What's not to love about contests that seem made for the working mom? You know, those contests that cater to easing your workload and pampering you? Ones that make your life seem just a little easier, even if only a temporary glimpse into the high life?

I simply can't pass them up. Especially when they are super easy to enter. That's not entirely true; you're required to write a little something. But as most writers now, brevity is always key.

I could just keep these to myself to keep my chances of winning higher. But no, I'll share the love! I found out about two contests to enter. No, you must enter.  After a long week, these potential prizes are just what the doctor ordered.

Work-It Mom! Speak Your Mind Weekly Contest

Three words: Win Spa Treatment.
To enter, join Work-It Mom and submit a short blurb on their weekly "Speak Your Mind" feature topic. This week, the ladies are talking about the age-old question, "If money were no object, what would you do differently?" To find out what I would change in my life (or not), check out my short answer.  If you enter and your response gets the most votes, you will win a $50 Spafinder.com gift certificate.

And if you chose not to enter, well, then just vote for me! My summer toes need a little pedicure love right now.

Busy Mom Contest by Bemis

The mother of all busy mom contests. Submit an essay about the busiest mom you know. And guess what? You can even write about yourself. You know you're a busy mom. And trust me, you'll have no problem being self-promotional when you check out this out-of-control list of booty:

• Maid Service — Twice a Month for One Year
• Handy Man Service — Two Full Days Time Over the Course of One Year
• Personal Chef — Twice a Month for One Year
• Massage Therapist/Spa Treatment — Twice a Month for One Year
• Babysitter Allowance — Twice a Month for One Year
• Easy•Clean Hinge Toilet Seats — For the Entire Home

I still can't get over this list of prizes for one single winner. I mean, really, I would be quite content with a maid service twice a month. But a maid service AND a personal chef AND massage/spa treatment AND a babysitter?

Girlfriend. Bring. It. On.

The kicker for the Busy Mom contest is brilliant. The person who submits the winning essay also gets $1000. So if you nominate, say, your best friend (of fellas -- what about entering your wife in this contest?) and she wins, you still benefit from your effort. Goodness all around is always an incentive.

The Work-It, Mom! Speak Your Mind contest is clearly the easiest to enter of the two -- you could register for the site and have your essay written in all of ten minutes. But the Busy Mom contest, well, you're going to want to invest some time in that one.

Good luck and if you win, let us know!

BabyQuest: Wait to Get Pregnant to Focus on Career?

MSNBC has a new special called "BabyQuest: The Pursuit of Modern Parenthood" and the latest discussion point focuses on couples waiting to get pregnant. Not just because of women wanting to focus on their careers, but because advances in scientific technology are allowing them to wait.

The MSNBC article sparked some thoughts for Michelle Goodman of The Anti 9-to-5 Guide, where she ponders To Spawn or Not to Spawn. She writes:

"...I started to think how sad it was that career and motherhood have become so either-or for so many women in this society. How many women would have a kid sooner if more companies would make it easier for them to do so without career or financial penalty? And by “easier,” I of course mean offering flex and part-time schedules, as well as the same wages and advancement opportunities as their non-mom counterparts."

Since Michelle asked for thoughts on this topic of motherhood and careers, I'll share my story.

Dad Blogs: Five "Must-Reads" for Father's Day

If you're in need of some Father's Day reads this weekend, to get you in that "Aww, we love Dads" mood, I'm sharing my five favorite dad blogs with you. I can't take responsibility for the fact that you'll be hooked in immediately. Get your blog reader ready for some new URLs. And it's purely coincidence that  all but one begin with the letter "C."

• Creative-Type Dad: Tony of Creative-Type Dad is one of my blog crushes. He just has a matter-of-fact way of telling stories, like his recap of a recent trip to Fiji. But check out his Father's Day post for a taste of his dad-like sense of humor. The man can find perspective in anything, and that's a must as a parent.

• Cry-it-out: Adventures of a Stay-at-Home Dad: It's a rare thing for me to get through a post by Mike Adamick without sighing emotionally, crying or laughing. This is no joke. He's a genuine storyteller who makes you feel what he wants you to feel. Don't believe me? Read this post, "Where We Live."

• Chocolate Makes It Better: What's up with all the dads making me cry with tear-jerker posts? Peter's ode to his daughters is sweeter than real cherry soda.

• Cynical Dad: Chag's posts are always a fun read and I love his Song of the Day choices (aka, the Cynical Dad Jukebox). My current favorite is about his son's newest flirting  games, called "Little Romeo." Song? "Hey Ladies" by the Beasties. Love it.

• DadCentric: Okay, I know I've already plugged DadCentric earlier this week. But seriously, it boasts a great line up of dad bloggers and worthy of your eye time.

Happy Father's Dad to all the dad readers of JobMom. And if you have some favorite dad blogs to read, please share them in the comments section!

Father's Day Gift Ideas with Tips from a Dad

Father's Day is just around the corner and when you need Father's Day gift ideas, who better to ask than a dad.

Jason Avant is the publisher of the blog, DadCentric; the husband to HipMamaB; and dad to Lucas, 3, with another baby set to make his or her arrival in the Fall. Jason is also a full-time human resources consultant. And did I mention he's my writing partner? He clearly has his own work-life balance juggle to manage.

I asked Jason to offer his tips on the best Father's Day gift ideas. Here's his top five list, snark included:

• The iPod Nano: The essential post-work, pre-home workout companion. It's size really is what makes it great; easily stashed in your briefcase or laptop bag pocket, it's perfect to wear during visits to the gym or during a run. I used to scoff at the Multi-iPod Households, but no more. Beth has her Shuffle, I have my Nano, we share a standard iPod. Yes, the amount of money we've spent on digital music players could house and feed a family of ten in Ethiopia for one year, but Dad can turn up the volume to drown out his nagging conscience.

• The Flip: Using flash memory technology, this little camera can shoot and store up to 60 minutes of MPEG videos. And the expensive one only costs $150. A small price to pay for capturing those family moments that Dads cherish - the dog drinking out of the toilet, the neighborhood kid skateboarding off the roof of his house, the occasional Bigfoot sighting...

• The iPhone. Does everything. For the price, it had better. You may want to hold off on buying one: Apple is releasing the iPhone 2.0 over the holidays and it promises to transform into a giant gun-toting robot that will attack and destroy anything that threatens your home, or the planet Earth.

• The "Jack Sack": Also known by its real name - the Heavyweight Classic Messenger Bag, by a company called Galaxy Army Navy. This is the bag featured on the TV show "24". Whenever government agent Jack Bauer goes on an op, he always brings along this trusty bag. And for good reason - it's durable, has a ton of pockets, holds a 15" laptop with plenty of room to spare, and unlike the $500 wrenches that the government favors, it's actually really inexpensive ($15 on Amazon!). Interrogation kit sold separately.

• B120Wraith: Finally, to ensure that there is a "life" portion of work-life balance, Dad needs to be able to get from the office to the home as quickly and effeciently as possible. For that, I recommend the B120Wraith  Of course, if a $75,000 motorcycle is out of your price range, a crock pot makes a great gift. (Editor's Note: I thought he was kidding but Jason actually loves crockpots.  Mayble he'll enlighten us in a future guest post.)

Thanks, Jason!

Dads - What's on your list of Father's Day dream gifts?

The Mom Ramp, Dad Style

We're starting to hear more and more about dads who stay home with the kids while mom is out bringing home the bacon. As we approach Father's Day, I thought it would be fun and enlightening to hear from a full-time dad about his new role, the transition from career to parent, and what it feels like -- in working mom lingo -- to take the "off ramp" from his career.

In June 2005, Christopher Harder was the assistant news editor at The Wall Street Journal website, WJS.com. But in June 2005, he also added a new title behind his name: Dad.

Christopher's first and only child, Nicholas, was born. And in working-mom lingo, Chris decided to take the "off ramp" from his career. His wife, a reporter and editor for a daily newsletter that covers the energy industry, went back to work.

JobMom (JM): At what point in your career did you have your first baby and at how did this change your attitude towards your professional career? Or did it?

Christoper Harder (CH): I was well into my career as a journalist when my wife, Beth, and I decided, after much contemplation, to have a child. It was the contemplation about becoming a father, as well as 9/11, that changed my attitude toward my career.

I had worked for about 18 years as a reporter, copy editor and news editor at a variety of newspapers, newswires and Web sites. When Nicholas, our first and only child, was born in June 2005, I had been working as an assistant news editor at The Wall Street Journal website for five years.

That included being in the WSJ.com office across the street from the World Trade Center on September 11, 2001. I didn't really know it at the time, but everything in our lives took on a new urgency after that day. The smoke and smell of ground zero had filled our Brooklyn apartment for weeks afterward, and my co-workers and I were relocated to other offices for many months. When we returned to the World Financial Center office, I rode the train directly into ground zero each day to work. All of this was pretty demoralizing.

In the middle of the post-9/11 period, I turned 40, Beth and I bought a house in New Jersey (where we still live), and we started seriously talking about having a child. It just seemed like it could be so much more fulfilling than going into the office. So part of the new urgency in our lives was, ironically, a desire to stop and smell the roses.

Preschool Graduation Gifts: No Toys Allowed

My oldest son, Nol, is graduating from preschool this week. Besides wiping tears from my eyes at some point in the days preceding this milestone, I'm also pulling together a special gift for him from Mom and Dad.

Over the past few weeks, my husband and I have been discussing what present, if any, we should get for him. I mean, really, does he need a gift to mark the his preschool graduation? In the end, we decided that it is an important event. We are the epitome of proud parents and we Nol to know it. But he's five, so we need to keep the gift -- and the occasion -- in check.

We decided that for our little guy, preschool graduation gifts shouldn't include toys. While showing Nol we're excited for him and proud of all that he's learned, we also want to continue to encourage his insatiable curiosity and love of learning. We decided that despite the no-toy rule, we wanted the gift to include something fun and have an element of specialness.

So, come Wednesday, Nol will be opening a package that includes:

Love of Learning Factor: Three books with his favorite characters, including Mike Mulligan and More: Four Classic Stories by Virginia Lee Burton, Mercy Watson Fights Crime and The Ralph Mouse Collection. If you're in need of book ideas for the preschool/early reader age set, these books are fantastic and age appropriate for five-year-old kids.

Fun and Specialness Factor: Three tickets to watch his beloved Francisco Giants play ball on a special date with Mom and Dad. Since his little brother, Q., was born, time just with mom and dad has been hard to come by for Nol. Truth be told, we miss spending time alone with him too. So Nol will get a little "certificate" that explains Q. will be spending a day with his grandparents while we take Nol up to the city for a full day of fun. I can already see the smile on his face. And ours.

Any parents of preschool grads out there - how you are you celebrating the occasion?

Working Moms Dilemma: Determining if a Prospective Employer Offers Flexibilty on the Job

Flexibility in the workplace is clearly one of the top concerns for working moms. But for moms re-entering the workforce, or looking to switch jobs in search of a more family-friendly employer, flexibility on the job is the concern.

Two questions that often come up when working moms are looking for a new job are: 1) how they can determine if the company is supportive of job flexibility and 2) how, and or at what point, should they tell a prospective employer that they want job flexibility.

I recently spoke with Marcee Harris, the director of advisory services for Catalyst, a research and advisory organization to advance women in business. Of course, there’s no simple answer to either question. As is the everyday life of a working mom, determining if you can obtain flexibility in the workplace is a true balancing act.

The best tip Harris offers can be summed up in one word: research.