I'm Juggling, Baby

I got the sweetest email the other day from one of my aunts. She was giving me advice about balancing life as a working mother of three and said:

"It is about keeping the balls in the air and keeping a smile, one that comes from deep down. Enjoy the love around you, think ahead, and everything else will fall into place. Buy a new accessory from time to time and don’t fret. Manage the essentials, and let the rest go."

Her words were right on target, since I feel like I am always in the middle of my very own circus and my special talent is juggling. If you didn't know any better you might actually think that I was good at it. Ha! I've got tons of balls in the air, all able to come crashing down at any given moment. I've got the WORK ball (it's a heavy one) of trying to get here on time, have coherent conversations, produce decent work, pretend that I have energy and get out of here on time. I have the HOME ball (it's a slippery one) of trying to remember who needs to bring what to school for Show & Share on which day, making sure the leotards are washed in time for ballet class on Saturdays, cooking healthful meals, keeping track of what sleepers the baby has outgrown, trying to read bedtime stories nightly, squeezing in the needs of a patient and supportive husband, and the list goes on. And last (and lately the least) I've got the ME ball. I always have a lot going on: Moms Group; Church; PTA; Blogging; Side Businesses; Social Events; Exercise, Grooming, etc, etc.

It's a constant struggle to keep all of these balls in the air. Every now and then one of them falls, but, inevitably bounces back up and finds its way back into the rotation. I think that was a big part of my aunt's advice - to know that everything will fall into place as long as the really important things are taken care of. Lately, instead of living in a frenzied state and obsessing over the juggle, I've been trying to take a page from my aunt's book. Particularly the part about buying a new accessory from time to time. After all, it would be just plain rude to disobey my elders.

The Daily Shoe

Do I really need to explain? I didn't think so.

The Mommy Brain Strikes Again

A couple of Fridays ago I came to work dressed in jeans and a random top, like I usually do on Fridays. My office is very laid-back and there is almost always no one in the office on Fridays because most of my co-workers are on an Alternative Work Schedule. Of course, me having three kids means that an AWS schedule doesn't work for me, but then that is another post for another day. Anyway, on this particular Friday, I arrived at work - after walking the mile from the train station to my building - opened up my calendar for the day and realized that I had an important meeting with outside counsel for a major media network scheduled. Crap.

Going back home was not an option since I carpool with Hubby (and he has the car). I do keep a suit jacket on the back of my office door, but throwing a black jacket over indigo jeans and a flowery top from Old Navy was not gonna cut it. To make a long story short, I ended up having to walk back to the train station, where luckily there are several shops, and trying to throw together an impromptu outfit in under 30 minutes.

I hit Ann Taylor first, thinking I would surely find something suitable there. The thing of it was that I just couldn't bring myself to spend $278 on a jacket, even knowing that I was going to return it at 5 o'clock. So I checked out Express. Express is one of those stores that it gives you a reality-check. Like "you might think you're still young, but really you're old. and fat." Next. So I ended up at White House Black Market where I found a decent pair of overpriced black slacks (I hate that word) and an overpriced black and white sweater. My final task was to find a camisole to go underneath the sweater which had a deep V-neck. The easy choice would have been Express since they are the tight-and-lacy-camisole wholesalers, but I couldn't bring myself to go back in there and wait in line with the tweens (hey, shouldn't you be in school?) gossiping about the Jonas Brothers and gesturing wildly with sparkly manicures. So I ended up at Chicos. Sheesh. Talk about feeling old. Anyway, at this point I was late and in a hurry so I bought an overpriced black shell ($50 for a shell? really?) and high-tailed it back to the office. I was literally sweating by the time I got back to my desk. Mostly because I had tried on both slacks and a shell in the same day. God help me.

I changed, survived the meeting and no one was the wiser. Afterwards, I promptly changed back into my casual outfit and returned everything after work.

The moral of the story? Don't bother going to work on Fridays. No good can come of it.

The Daily Shoe

Can you ever go wrong with Burberry? Classic, stylish, feminine - with a touch of indulgence. Hey! I just described me. Heh heh.

Exhausted

Let me tell you what I find exhausting. I find that keeping up with "friends" that never call you or "friends" that used to call or write but don't anymore is positively exhausting. It seems like, as we get older, our circle of friends dwindles slowly. True friends, that is. I'm not talking about acquaintances or Facebook friends or friends that call you when they need something, but real, true-blue friends.

I used to find myself calling people that I thought to be good friends to check up on them and see how things are; to invite them to lunch or a party. And I would never really stop to think about it, but lately I have been thinking: "When's the last time she called me?" I used to think that was a childish way to look at things and that I shouldn't expect someone to call me all the time, but at the same time, a friendship isn't one-sided is it? I mean, I have a life too. A family, three kids, a full-time job, volunteer obligations, etc., etc. So it's not like I have all the time in the world to call and check up on so and so and such and such. I do it because I genuinely am thinking about them.

Anyway, I decided to try a little experiement. I stopped making my usual "Hi! How are ya?" calls and waited to see who actually called me. The list? It was short. But I realized that the people who did call were the ones that, as I look back on my adult life, have been the ones that have been by my side time and time again. And so my list shortened. And guess what? Now, when I making my "let's catch up" calls - I'm not nearly as tired.

The Daily Shoe

Can you feel it? Spring is juuuuust around the corner. And you know what that means? Yes. Yes! It means the start of a whole new shoe season. Bright colors, strappy sandals, shiny pedicures - the joys of Spring are endless for the shoe lover. Never one to let us down, Jimmy Choo has the embodied the essence of Spring in these fab little numbers:




I'm seeing them paired with a flirty dress or crisp white shorts. The possibilities are endless.

For Sale

The other day Hubby told me that all I needed to do to lost the weight that I want to lose is to get rid of my Excuse Machine. Of course my first reaction was to deny that I was just making excuses about why I hadn't exercised, but I've been thinking about it, and maybe he's right. I always say that I don't have time to work out. Which, on the surface feels true, but then again as my mom says I "have the same amount of time in the day that everyone else has." So maybe I just need to manage my time better. Or at least prioritize. The truth is, I would rather blog or watch Bravo or read Bon Appetit than wear out my knees on an elliptical trainer or bounce around staring at fit, perky women on an aerobics program. But again, isn't that just another excuse? Just like me being tired, or having a headache, or it being too late? So maybe it's time I sold my Excuse Machine. Anybody in the market? It works really well and even comes with a lifetime guarantee. It will just be up to you to get rid of it.