My husband and I had a conversation this past weekend about trying to keep kids active in the snowy New England winters. It's not easy, especially when the temps go down to 15 degrees, making outdoor play, skiing, etc. almost impossible. And if you choose not to spend $200+ to sign up for some kind of regular class, it's even harder. We have been through all of the indoor playgrounds, as well.
So, I was thinking how great it would be if there were some kind of "drop-in" arts n' crafts type of place with different stations for art projects. In an ideal world, parents could work on the craft with their child and there would also be a lounge with yummy treats, Starbuck's coffee and a huge window so that you could watch your children as they create their masterpieces. What a great business idea, huh? Over time, we could add a music lounge where children could practice on different instruments with the help of a music instructor.
Just an idea but something fun to think about. In the meantime, I will don my snow pants, sled and pray for 30 degrees.
Cheers,
Renay
Wednesday, January 28, 2009
Monday, January 12, 2009
The Promise of 2009
Happy New Year! Here we are in 2009 and I spent the latter part of 2008 thinking that once January hit, the job market might open up a bit. But I see no evidence of this and all news indicate that we are in for an even tougher first quarter of 2009 with many more layoffs to come.
So, I continue to look for that next great position. I am glad that I have at least managed to land some interviews but each time I was either too qualified or someone beat me to the punch. I am trying to see if maybe some consulting work might be the short-term answer.
It is somewhat strange to go from being the quintessential working mother (conference calls on my Blackberry while on my way to pick up the kids and trying to figure out what I could throw together for dinner) to being a Stay-at-Home Mom. It is wonderful and difficult all at the same time. I love spending more time with my kids and I feel really good about that. But I also miss that energy of a fast-paced office where I was constantly being challenged. The patient side of me says that there is plenty of time for that office buzz in the days to come. I know that this time at home with my young kids is something that I can never get back so I plan to enjoy it as much as possible.
Cheers,
Renay
So, I continue to look for that next great position. I am glad that I have at least managed to land some interviews but each time I was either too qualified or someone beat me to the punch. I am trying to see if maybe some consulting work might be the short-term answer.
It is somewhat strange to go from being the quintessential working mother (conference calls on my Blackberry while on my way to pick up the kids and trying to figure out what I could throw together for dinner) to being a Stay-at-Home Mom. It is wonderful and difficult all at the same time. I love spending more time with my kids and I feel really good about that. But I also miss that energy of a fast-paced office where I was constantly being challenged. The patient side of me says that there is plenty of time for that office buzz in the days to come. I know that this time at home with my young kids is something that I can never get back so I plan to enjoy it as much as possible.
Cheers,
Renay
Tuesday, December 9, 2008
Change
It's not a unique title but I have been thinking for weeks about how to write this one. I was laid off from my job over a month ago. I have been wanting to blog about it ever since I found out but as I went through a variety of stages and emotions, I decided to hold off.
My career has always been important to me and, in my most recent position, there was a time when it was possibly the perfect job. That lasted for several years. I was able to build something that was interesting, successful, profitable and career-changing. I grew as a professional and as an individual. I worked with incredible people; we were all dedicated to our jobs and the company and worked for someone who was a true leader in every sense of the word. It was inspiring.
But then things changed. I could elaborate on the details but it would not be worth it. Suffice it to say that I helped to build something great and feel incredibly fortunate to have been a part of it. It took a while for me to get here but with each day that passes, I remember the good parts, the great years. And that's what is important.
And with change comes a renewed look at what we want in our lives, at what is important. I am excited about that next opportunity that enables me to use my experiences, both the good and the bad.
Cheers,
Renay
My career has always been important to me and, in my most recent position, there was a time when it was possibly the perfect job. That lasted for several years. I was able to build something that was interesting, successful, profitable and career-changing. I grew as a professional and as an individual. I worked with incredible people; we were all dedicated to our jobs and the company and worked for someone who was a true leader in every sense of the word. It was inspiring.
But then things changed. I could elaborate on the details but it would not be worth it. Suffice it to say that I helped to build something great and feel incredibly fortunate to have been a part of it. It took a while for me to get here but with each day that passes, I remember the good parts, the great years. And that's what is important.
And with change comes a renewed look at what we want in our lives, at what is important. I am excited about that next opportunity that enables me to use my experiences, both the good and the bad.
Cheers,
Renay
Tuesday, November 4, 2008
My Six Year Old Got to Vote!
I took my son with me to vote this morning. He has been very interested in the election this year. That being said, I was very excited to learn that his principle stated that it was "unfair" that kids don't get to vote and so she decided to hold an election at their school. How cool!
The school overall voted for Obama.
And, in the spirit of including everyone, my daughter also got to vote at her preschool today. The kids could vote for either blue or red milk. She voted for red and apparently red is the winner.
These are both great ways to encourage our kids to be interested and involved in what is going on in our country.
Happy Election Day!
Cheers,
Renay
The school overall voted for Obama.
And, in the spirit of including everyone, my daughter also got to vote at her preschool today. The kids could vote for either blue or red milk. She voted for red and apparently red is the winner.
These are both great ways to encourage our kids to be interested and involved in what is going on in our country.
Happy Election Day!
Cheers,
Renay
Monday, November 3, 2008
Moms Rising
While many of you have probably heard about this group, I just learned about it this week: www.momsrising.com. As I do some exploring, I can see that they are not only committed to helping Moms figure out what resources they need, they are also involved in spreading the idea that as a nation, we need to shift our corporate structure for working families.
Gone are the days when most Moms are at home while their husbands bring home the bacon. Working mothers make up a huge portion of the American workforce and companies need to start recognizing that it's no longer okay to ignore the needs of working families.
I just read the description of their book, "The Motherhood Manifesto," and it sounds like a must-read, not only for working mothers but for all. Job flexibility, locating quality daycare, and affordable healthcare are things that we are all concerned with. So check it out and let me know what you think.
Cheers!
Renay
Gone are the days when most Moms are at home while their husbands bring home the bacon. Working mothers make up a huge portion of the American workforce and companies need to start recognizing that it's no longer okay to ignore the needs of working families.
I just read the description of their book, "The Motherhood Manifesto," and it sounds like a must-read, not only for working mothers but for all. Job flexibility, locating quality daycare, and affordable healthcare are things that we are all concerned with. So check it out and let me know what you think.
Cheers!
Renay
Friday, September 26, 2008
Always On
As I sit here on the train with my laptop + broadband card, Blackberry at the ready, sitting next to my husband, it strikes me that we are always connected. I thought that it was great when my boss gave me a shiny new broadband card (at my prompting, by the way) so that I could now do work during my commute. But I recognize that I just sacrificed something...that short space of time that I have to myself before getting to the office and at the end of the day.
Yet I feel addicted. Why? What goes through my head is, "If I can just get through these emails now, then I will have a much clearer day to attack my projects." In that sense, it is helpful but the reality is that I have no downtime during my day.
This, of course, is after I ran out of the house this morning after writing checks for my son's magazine subscription for school, making lunch, and doing all of my Mommy stuff.
I know that I need to better manage my stress. Maybe I should just return the broadband card to my IT Manager...better yet, just lock it away for the weekend.
Cheers!
Renay
Yet I feel addicted. Why? What goes through my head is, "If I can just get through these emails now, then I will have a much clearer day to attack my projects." In that sense, it is helpful but the reality is that I have no downtime during my day.
This, of course, is after I ran out of the house this morning after writing checks for my son's magazine subscription for school, making lunch, and doing all of my Mommy stuff.
I know that I need to better manage my stress. Maybe I should just return the broadband card to my IT Manager...better yet, just lock it away for the weekend.
Cheers!
Renay
Wednesday, September 24, 2008
When Will Our Public Schools Go Green?
I cannot tell you how much paper I get from my son's public elementary school. Every day, I open up his overfilled backpack and a plethora of paperwork falls out. There are club invitations, weekly curriculum updates, school association events, the list goes on.
Don't get me wrong...I LOVE the information and I truly want to stay informed. But why can't they use email and websites to do this? I know that there are some schools where the teachers do have their own web pages for homework and information postings but not ours.
So the bottom line is that our kids go to computer lab, our teachers probably create their materials on computers but yet we can't seem to use them for announcements...this doesn't make any sense to me. Are there any companies that have developed school website portals that are inexpensive who could sell to the public school system? Maybe this service does exist - if you are a company that does provide this or know of one, please let me know.
Cheers!
Renay
Don't get me wrong...I LOVE the information and I truly want to stay informed. But why can't they use email and websites to do this? I know that there are some schools where the teachers do have their own web pages for homework and information postings but not ours.
So the bottom line is that our kids go to computer lab, our teachers probably create their materials on computers but yet we can't seem to use them for announcements...this doesn't make any sense to me. Are there any companies that have developed school website portals that are inexpensive who could sell to the public school system? Maybe this service does exist - if you are a company that does provide this or know of one, please let me know.
Cheers!
Renay
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)