This spring, I changed groups at work but was still sitting at my same desk. Two weeks ago, I moved desks to sit with the rest of my new team. When my director told me that a desk was opening up for me, I'll admit I felt a little bummed because the desk that was coming available was a basic cubicle where a student worker used to sit. The view is pretty different from my former desk, which had a huge window. I was nervous that I wouldn't like my new environment as much and that it would affect my... Read more →

Guys. Guys. I am seriously taking a deep breath because I am so excited to talk about how to use BULLET JOURNAL. Have you heard of Bullet Journal? It's a system of keeping a notebook or journal (the kind you write tasks, ideas, and meeting notes in) and there's a fabulous website with a video where you can learn all about it. You should watch the video right now. I'll wait.... ....I know, right?! For so long I have been struggling with my need to write things down even as everything is going digital. Writing something down in pen on... Read more →

More so than any season, the spring seems to bring change to my life. Certainly there is change all around me; the desert bursts into color from drab winter tones, our backyard is transformed into a shady retreat as our trees leaf out, an enthusiastic mockingbird sings his heart out at 2 am (not even joking). I started thinking about this season of change because I actually just changed positions at my job! It's both a big and little change. It's a little change because I'm actually still sitting at my same desk (but I do love my desk and... Read more →

I've been sitting here, trying to think of what to say about being a working mom, which I have been now for over seven months. It's something I'd like to talk about more in this space; I think it's as an important topic as finances to talk honestly about. At the same time I've been doing this for such a short amount of time and I'm always finding new dimensions, both the challenging and the rewarding. I will say this: It's hard to face the demands of work and the expectations of others when being a mama and everything in... Read more →

Both Chris and I are heading back to work today after a two week holiday. I'm mustering all my positive energy (and having a second cup of coffee) to help me dive back into our work week routine. Although the pace of life slowed during the holidays it was still very busy, as life with a crawling-everywhere-baby is. So it's hard to believe that somehow we have to fit in going to our jobs every day and pack in our evening routine into fewer hours. I was so enjoying splitting a beer with Chris around 5 PM and having a... Read more →

Do you also go through agony when deciding to stay home sick from work? It's an easy decision if I'm really sick but when it's allergies-turned-cold-no-voice-general-blah-ness it takes me an hour or more to finally make the call and send the necessary emails; even though I'm still going to call in to the meetings I have scheduled and even though I accrue sick time for exactly this situation. I was able to make my decision final this morning when I thought about what I think when I hear someone at work coughing and blowing their nose: "Ugh, they should have... Read more →

{everything we need for daycare and our work days} On weekday mornings, between the time that I get up and the time I arrive at work, a lot has to happen. My mornings consist of getting myself ready for the day plus getting Dashiell ready for the day plus fitting in a pumping session plus spending as much quality time with Dashiell as possible plus dropping Dashiell off at daycare. On some days I even try to fit in a morning run or spin class. All in the span of two to two and a half hours. Here are the... Read more →

So, I'm back at work. And it's going OK. It's a time of transition, which I knew it would be, but expecting it and living through it are very different. In some ways it's harder than I anticipated and in others easier. I thought that because I love my job and because I feel so good about the care Dashiell will get when I'm at work (for now he's with Chris all day and soon he'll be at the great daycare we've found) that going back to work wouldn't be so bad. And I guess it's not SO bad. I'm... Read more →

This week is my last week of maternity leave; I'm heading back to work on July 2. I vacillate between feeling excited and anxious and everything in between. I do feel an excitement to return to the challenge and professional setting of my job. I'll admit that some days I daydream about the calm and quiet of my desk where I can sip a cup of coffee and lose myself in a project for a few hours. At the same time my heart already aches with missing Dashiell for the hours that I'll be away. I know him so well.... Read more →

In 2013 I'm embracing be present and I wanted to share some ways I'm working on this at my job. There are times when my mind feels so full of thoughts about the baby or life outside of work that I lose my focus at work. It's not enough that my productivity is significantly affected but it leaves me feeling that I could have accomplished more with my day. I want to establish better habits of being present at work now because I know it will probably get harder when I have a cute little one to think about and... Read more →