by Solange Lopes | Dec 8, 2016 | Working Mom & Woman Tips
So our family finally caught up with the #ElfontheShelf tradition this year. After much deliberation (which in “mommy brain time” means about ten seconds of uninterrupted free thinking), it was decided…So I went on the hunt for what would be our very own #Elfontheshelf, you know, the one that would fit into our slightly crazy, laundry-challenged, on-the-run family of four…
And on a damp Sunday morning after church, I found her in a corner of a Kohl’s store, the last girl #ElfontheShelf from the entire store inventory. It was love girl crush at first sight! Of course, it had to be a girl, because girls can do anything and Mommy’s way too much of a feminist to put the slightest dent into her lifelong theory on gender equality…Even when it comes to toys and the magic of the holidays…
Elf on the Shelf
So there I was, female Elf on the Shelf in hand, feminist pride in tow, toting our brand new tradition back home on a damp December morning. After an elaborate and quite spirited trick, which included the hubby hiding the car around the corner, ringing the bell and leaving the Elf package at the doorstep, Snowflake was officially adopted in the family. Which also meant as new parents, we implicitly signed on the invisible dotted line of the holiday magic, promising to perpetuate the tradition of the Elf going back to the North Pole to report on the kids’ behavior every night and coming back to crash in a new spot every morning.
As with any adoption of a new family member, there’s bound to be hiccups. Which may or may not include forgetting to move Snowflake a couple of nights and having to come up with semi-scientific justifications accompanied with straight parental faces. Or resorting to the unethical excuse of an inanimate object to get little people to behave in the interest of getting more inanimate objects to celebrate spending more money and having more stuff….Don’t judge us…
But (and there’s always a but), there are also always some lessons to be learnt as we tiptoe the fine line between wise parenting, cute holiday traditions and the need to just pee alone once in a great while. And for us, it came in the form of five interesting take-aways from adopting a girl elf in our slightly crazy, laundry-challenged household:
There’s Magic In Movement.
“Why does the Elf have to move all the time, Mommy?”
And why do these kids come up with questions that force you to think overtime? I mean, it’s enough to complete the year-end report, think about where I last put the keys, and devise a miraculous alternative to clean laundry. Now, to figure out why the Elf moves all the time, and has to go back hang out at the North Pole and come back to crash for breakfast, really, dude?
Fast-forward to a couple of cups of coffee, and some temporarily lifted brain fog…
“Because when she moves, she creates magic. She can fly to the North Pole and help Santa, and come back to a different place, and do it even better the next day.”
I had to give myself a virtual high-five for this one, especially considering this all happened before looking fully human early in the morning.
But the point is, really, there’s magic in movement, in doing something, anything, in not being at the same place all the time. Not living through the same experiences every year for 75 years and calling it a life…
As I drove to work that morning, I thought the Elf was pretty cool doing her own thing, switching it up all the time, and creating magic in the process. Maybe I could take a cue or two from her this year…
Which brings me to….
Change Is A Constant.
“But does the Elf move every day, Mommy? Don’t her wings get tired? And where are her wings anyways?”
See, that’s the problem with kids nowadays. We want them to be smart, inquisitive and all. And next thing you know, they’re asking you questions you can’t answer…I mean, I grew up in a household of four in West Africa, which also meant if you found an #ElfontheShelf and let it go to the North Pole to hang out, she wasn’t coming back no how…
“Change is good baby! She’s always moving and going places and seeing different things.”
I also wanted to add that we were running out of places to move Snowflake, and keep her looking all fresh and cool every morning. But that’s the thing with life, and parenting, and everything in else in between too, right?
You constantly have to update yourself, upgrade yourself, and stay in the mix, while still looking fresh and cool every morning…
Accountability is Cool.
Day 1: Oops, we forgot to move the #Elfontheshelf !
Like, really, we’re the parents here. With a gazillion electronic devices throughout the entire house, no one thought to set an alarm, a reminder, an automatic slap to let that poor Elf go hang out in the North Pole and move her the next morning…Really?
As much as we wanted to hold the kids accountable for behaving well so the Elf wouldn’t go back to the North Pole and tell on them (isn’t that tattle-telling?), we also had to be accountable. As in, being the adults and actually doing what we said we would…
We teach better what we need to learn, right? And sometimes as parents, in the shuffle of everything going on, it’s hard to keep ourselves accountable. Even to ourselves. I mean, I had vowed to keep myself accountable to make it to the gym and eat right. We all know what happened there…
As I was moving the Elf early this morning in between stubbing my toe on the Christmas tree and dropping coffee on my robe, I got to thinking about how a little inanimate object wrapped in a cute tradition can keep us in check…Teaching some things we forget along the way, and reminding us to pass it along…
And maybe that’s the true magic…
Plus the fact that I could swear this Elf be looking at me sideways every time I dip in the kids’ piggy bank for spare change…
via GIPHY
PS: Here are some great ideas of #ElfontheShelf displays you can get inspired from:
Happy Holidays,
The Corporate Sis…
by Solange Lopes | Nov 23, 2016 | Working Mom & Woman Tips
Whether you’re hosting Thanksgiving this year, or attending a Thanksgiving family gathering, you know that this time of year always gets busy. Which also means any help you can get is more than welcome, especially when you’re running around at the last minute trying to make the traditional family dessert, or figure out how to entertain your guests…
This is where technology, especially apps, come in to play. As a busy working woman, you can now use that smartphone you’re carrying around everywhere as a virtual Thanksgiving assistant. Here are 7 apps you can use to pull off the best, and most stress-free, Thanksgiving ever:
This free app will help you plan you your Thanksgiving Day menu in a swipe, or find amazing recipes to make and bring to any gathering. From meats to desserts to side dishes, you can find a large selection of delicious recipes to try. If you’d rather go by theme, then you can check out the menu section for recipe ideas grouped under Southern or Modern dishes for instance.
Here’s another free app that collects all the great recipes from your favorite Food Network stars. Even better, it has a whole section for Thanksgiving, including meal plans from renowned chefs like Giada, Sunny Anderson and Bobby Flay. Video tutorials are even included, and there’s even a section for leftovers!
Not sure which wine to pair with which Thanksgiving food? There’s an app for that, and it’s called Hello Vino. The app suggests different types of wines for different types of Thanksgiving foods, including turkey, ham and even side dishes.
Worried about making lasting memories of this Thanksgiving? Try this free app, which offers 15 cute holiday-themed photo frames to place in your pictures. It’s a wonderful way to make lasting memories, while impressing your guests in the same token…
Happy Thanksgiving Holiday Decoration Ideas
Running out of ideas to decorate your home for Thanksgiving? There’s an app for that. With more than 20,000 pictures to inspire you, you can turn your home into a holiday-themed abode in no time.
Is your family more into going out to eat for Thanksgiving? No problem. This free app helps you not only reserve and manage restaurant reservations, but also have access to hotels all around the world. You can turn this whole holiday thing into a delicious getaway in no time! Bonus: the app provide you with rewards too!
Want to send someone a Thanksgiving card? This app has plenty of choices to pick from. You can now send a quick card to anyone to remind them you’re thinking of them on the holidays…
Which Thanksgiving apps have you been using?
The Corporate Sis.
by Solange Lopes | Nov 20, 2016 | Working Mom & Woman Tips
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Chocolate-dipped sugar cookies with the Betty Crocker Sugar Cookie mix
In my family, our favorite way to get in the holiday spirit is to take some time out from all the to-do’s, and spend some time in the kitchen baking…and eating! This year, we’re channeling our inner holiday creativity and family cheer with the Betty Crocker Cookie Mixes. They come in various flavors, from the traditional sugar cookie to the peanut butter mix and everything in between, and are perfect to pull easy, quick and tasty recipes for any busy mom out there! And if you know me, you know if it’s delicious and quick enough to make to let me get on with my to-do list, it’s right down my alley…
For me, it’s as easy as stopping by my local Walmart in Providence, RI, darting through the “Baking” aisle, and grabbing a few Betty Crocker Cookie Mix pouches in various flavors. My favorites are the Sugar Cookie, Peanut Butter and Chocolate Chunk kinds.
Betty Crocker Cookie Mix from my local Walmart store
My daughter enjoying mixing up a batch of Betty Crocker Sugar Cookie recipe
Chocolate-dipped Sugar Cookies:
- Prepare the cookie dough and bake cookies according to the Betty Crocker package directions
- Microwave chocolate baking chips (I used the Baker’s brand semi-sweet chocolate kind) until melted according to package directions
- Let the cookies cool, and dip 1/2 of the cookies in the chocolate
- Sprinkle the chocolate section with colorful sugar sprinkles or candy before the chocolate cools
- And voila!
Chocolate-dipped sugar cookies with the Betty Crocker Sugar Cookie mix
These cookie mixes have gotten me out of a jam (in addition to making me look like the perfect housewife that I’m not) countless times, from piano recitals to school functions. All of this for a very low cash and time investment!
How easy is that! So stop by your local Walmart and pick yourself a few Betty Crocker cookie mixes and get in the holiday spirit!
How would you get in the holiday spirit with the Betty Crocker cookie mixes?
Happy Holidays!
The Corporate Sis.
by Solange Lopes | Nov 17, 2016 | Working Mom & Woman Tips
You can tell the holidays are looming near. As soon as pre-holiday season starts, the hair’s in a bun; the to-do lists are out; deadlines are on and poppin’ everywhere, and your edges are growing thinner by the second…
Most working women know the feeling all too well… That restless ball of nerves somewhere between the pit of your stomach and your chest cavity says it all: too much to do, not enough time, and why is everyone driving like they have nowhere to go?
Plus all your work deliverables are due yesterday, which may seriously impact your free time to make your signature homemade pie for Thanksgiving, buy everyone on your list a thoughtful gift, and get your eyebrows waxed for the family gathering….And all of a sudden your armpits go on a sweat fest, as every fiber in your body starts asking for chocolate (the milky kind with almonds)…
Most advice out there will give you 101 tips to cope with pre-holiday stress, or 1,000 ways to to grin and bear though this period while consuming outrageous amounts of chocolate (or wine, or vodka…)But really, how much fun is it to just survive what’s supposed to be one of the happiest times of the year, when instead we can thrive, strive and enjoy the whole process instead?
Except since all this pre-holiday stress won’t go down without a fight (and we won’t either), here’s my own version of a battle plan for every working mom who’s ever considered jetting to Bali until January 1st:
Put Your Anti-Holiday Stress Armor On.
There are 1,001 reasons to stress out during the pre-holiday time…All your work deadlines are coming crashing down on your already busy calendar. You can’t keep track of how many gifts you have to buy, wrap, mail out, or exchange. And now it really doesn’t look like that cute red dress you’ve been saving to wear over the holidays will ever fit…
When all hell is threatening to break loose and you feel you have no time to stop and catch your breath…is definitely when you should! Start the day by spending some quiet time, whether it’s praying, meditating, or just sitting in silence. It’s another way of preparing your mind for the onslaught of stressful deadlines, to-do’s, requests, not-to-do’s, etc…
So even if that report due yesterday is not coming out the way it should, or you realize you forgot half of your shopping list, or your waistline is filing for divorce from the rest of your body, you can still maintain a shred of sanity (and your edges)…
Think Less Effort, More Impact.
Admit it, those homemade toffee candies you’ve dug out the recipe of from Pinterest, and are desperately trying to fit in to your crowded schedule, can be skipped. As in, you can buy the same exact toffee candies from the store, and save yourself a couple of precious hours, loads of dishwashing, and a serious case of sugar high…
So ditch the perfect-housewife, I-can-do-it-all attitude, if you know you have neither the time nor the energy to bake bonbons from scratch. If you can buy it from the store, please do yourself a favor and grab a double set. The same goes for spending hours wrapping gifts when you can order them pre-wrapped on Amazon, or pick the wrapping option at most stores….
Think less effort, more impact…And you can tell that perfect frenemy of yours who’s just out-baked the whole neighborhood, that this is not about being lazy… It’s just smart allocation of your resources and energy, plus saving yourself wrinkles, lost edges and other stressful side effects…
Ditch the Pride and Seek Demand help.
Gone are the days when you tried to do it all alone, so you can get credit for pulling all the holiday weight all by yourself…only to show up at the Thanksgiving family gathering with a deep-seated desire to utter choice words to pretty much everyone in attendance.
The pre-holiday stress economy has officially turned in to a sharing economy. Which means you can spread the cheer (and the stress) around…So enroll the hubby and the kids into the Pre-Holiday Academy, and start spreading the wealth assignments. Hubby can type the gift tags while the kids help with Christmas Eve invites. And wveryone can bring a dish while you just make the main course…
And you may just be able to make that eyebrow threading appointment after all!
Enjoy the Process.
As in, have a bite of that pecan pie (my favorite), stop by your favorite shoe store and grab yourself a pre-holiday pick-me-up, or book that spa appointment…Or drive a bit slower and enjoy the holiday lights in your neighborhood (as opposed to skipping the Stop sign to get home early enough to get started on those homemade bonbons).
Yes, there are a gazillion things to do, and no one can do them better than you (and if they can, they better not say it!). But there are also a gazillion things to enjoy over the holidays, from having precious family and friends around, to the many calming benefits of chocolate, cake and wine…
So in the middle of all this pre-holiday frenzy, lift your head up from your pile of files and to-do lists, log off of the Thanksgiving recipes boards on Pinterest, close your eyes and picture yourself victoriously crossing that pre-holiday stress line with your edges still on and one set of lashes put…
Now that’s a pre-holiday stress battle plan…
How do you plan on battling this pre-holiday stress?
To Your Success,
The Corporate Sis.
by Solange Lopes | Nov 8, 2016 | Working Mom & Woman Tips
The day’s here! It’s officially Election Day in the US. You went out and voted already, or you may be waiting to do so. That’s the fun, inspiring part. The most challenging part is the…WAIT! That time between now and when the results are finally announced, and you can stop surviving on chocolate and sugary drinks. But as much as chocolate-covered pretzels can help, the tension will still be at an all-times high at work, and even at home later tonight.
via GIPHY
I have to say, I was so excited to make it to the polls right when they opened this morning and cast my vote! What I didn’t anticipate was being so on edge for the rest of the day. So here are some tactics I’m using today to make it through this historical day sane, minus the extra pounds and missing edges:
Start Within!
Whether you choose to meditate, pray or pull out your yoga mat, do something that makes you reconnect with yourself from the inside! Put your phone timer on for 10 or 15 minutes, and spend some time with yourself. That’ll help relieve some of the stress and tension you may be feeling…
Treat Yourself!
Exercising your right to vote isn’t only a civic duty, it’s also a precious privilege! So go ahead and celebrate it by treating yourself! Who said Election Day shoes weren’t a thing?
Enjoy some free food!
I did mention earlier that you should watch for the chocolate overload! But there’s no reason why you shouldn’t take advantage of all the other available free food on Election Day. Get your free coffee on at 7-Eleven, or enjoy a free Krispy Kreme donut to help with all those Election Day jitters. You’re welcome…
Sweat it Out!
So did I mention the extra pounds factor resulting from all the sugary food and drink intake on Election Day? Yes, the pesky ones around the waist…The good thing about them is you don’t have to keep them. You can instead sweat all that stress (and extra pounds) out with some good ol’ exercise…No gym membership? No problem. Gold’s Gym is offering a free day pass on Election Day if you show your “I Voted” sticker… Check out more free deals HERE!
Get Your Updates!
While checking social media and the news every other minute may not exactly relieve your stress and anxiety, staying updated from time to time can help! Try this app called Brigade, which dubs itself as “the world’s first network for voters” to get your fill of information on the go…
Stay Close to Friends and Family!
We’re all in this together…But even more so with those people we’re fortunate to call our friends and family. When the stress of Election Day starts getting to you, why not get the chips and guacamole out and turn all that angst into a friends and family get-together? Nothing like a good laugh, and some serious guac to release any kind of tension…
Let go of the outcome…
Yes, the outcome is important! After all, we’re talking about the country we live and raise our kids in…But there’s something to be said about taking the high road, and letting go of whatever will happen…You did the best you could, had all the chocolate and guac you could muster, and even worked out for the first time in months…Now let it be what it will be, relax and have another cookie…
How are you making it through Election Day?
The Corporate Sis.
by Solange Lopes | Nov 8, 2016 | Working Mom & Woman Tips
You know that woman who looks away every time the teacher, or another mom, starts talking about attending yet another school event or volunteering for school functions at 10:45am or any other time during “working hours”…Yes, that one…That was me, not too long ago…And I’m not ashamed to admit it…
I mean, yes, I did feel those pangs of motherly guilt every time I had to explain to my daughter that I may not be able to attend the Halloween morning parade on a weekday…Or that I may have to choose between volunteering for the walk-a-thon or the recital, because I couldn’t do both and keep my job and edges at the same time…
With a full-time career, a side hustle, two kids, and laundry that never seems to end, how can we, as working moms, manage to possibly attend school PTA events, or volunteer for the Christmas Bazaar (all of which happen on working days, AND during work hours)? And did I mention the pile of flyers every week or so from the kids’ school? And if you add to it soccer practice, piano recitals, birthday parties, and other kids’ social commitments, we might as well forego sleeping altogether…
Yet, as I looked over at my kids, I realized being a part of their education doesn’t just mean sending them off to school with matching socks and their breakfast semi-eaten every day…
It’s also being aware of and contributing to whatever institution is helping in shaping their view of the world…Which is all well and good and noble, but as working moms, we still have loads of other commitments , including our careers, to squeeze in somehow in those 24 hours….
So how, as a working mom, do you make time to attend and be a part of your kids’ school events, when your calendar is already overflowing and your to-do list is all over the place?
Take a Deep Breath, and Repeat After Me: “I Can’t Do It All”
Making peace with the fact that, as working moms and working parents in general, we can’t possibly do it all (and we wouldn’t want to, anyways), is the first step. I remember getting all the flyers from the kids’ school about events to attend and participate in, and progressively sweat my edges off as I attempted to reconcile my crazy calendar.
In between the guilt, the desire to do it all, and just running out of deodorant to control all that nervous sweat, it’s easy to feel overwhelmed. Hence the need to start with a healthy realization that you can’t do it all…And that’s ok…
It’s a Picking Game!
In line with not being able to do it all, try and pick those non-negotiable events you must attend or participate in.
Between making it to the fiftieth violin recital or not missing a single parent-teacher conference, try not missing the parent-teacher conference. If it matters for the future of your child, whether it’s a parent-teacher meeting or a fundraiser for a new tech lab, you may have to mark it as priority.
And if there are chances neither you nor your baby wound remember it next month, forgive yourself and hit the “skip” button….
Plan Ahead
It can be a challenge to drop everything and run to every possible school event your kids may have. But planning ahead can allow you to do more, minus the stress and headaches.
A good way to do this is to implement a family calendar that the entire family can update. I personally use Google calendar that I share with the rest of my tribe. This way, everyone can add their own events and update it.
Planning ahead will allow you to ask for days off or work from home days early enough, and save yourself some last-minute stress. Or make peace with missing that fiftieth violin recital…
How do you manage to attend your kids’ school events?
The Corporate Sis.
by Solange Lopes | Oct 26, 2016 | Working Mom & Woman Tips
When my daughter stepped away from an incoming soccer ball while playing as goalkeeper so she could straighten up her hair and keep from sweating, I realized two things:
1. She inherited my exercise-adverse genes.
2. She is my daughter.
Exercise has never been one of my favorite activities and I wasn’t surprised my baby shared the same trait. I’ve had to come to terms very early on myself with the fact that I kinda…ahem, hate exercise. The whole concept with visions of sweaty bods and huffing and puffing, makes me run to the closest bakery (or cheese shop, whatever’s nearest).
Yet as I (gracefully) age and pile on the responsibilities, laundry and those pounds that stick to your thighs, I’m learning to compromise. Plus the whole fitting into cute clothes, staying awake at work and trying to stay alive and healthy thing…
So for all the anti-exercise, super-busy-but-still-want-to-look-and-feel-good sisters (and dudes) out there, here are four tried-and-true ways to get your fitness on without all that “exercise” pressure:
- Trick your brain: This may sound unethical at best, but one’s gotta do what one’s gotta do. Which also means picking times and schedules that allow you to get your fitness on before your mind actually realizes what you’re doing. For me, it means taking the 5:45am boot camp class, or getting on the elliptical at the crack of dawn. Oh, and let’s not forget about the occasional shoe-shopping reward too! Extra benefit: everyone else is asleep (including the little people who live in your house), and you may actually get some time to yourself!
- Think less time, more impact! Ok, after about a half-hour doing any kind of workout, my brain gets in overdrive mode. Which also means staring at the clock and looking for the nearest exit! What’s been working well for me lately, are the shorter, yet maximum impact, fitness routines now available. Think of kettlebell-based routines for instance, which can help you burn more calories in as little as 15 to 30 minutes!
- Do something fun! Who said all the steps you registered on your Fitbit while walking through Nordstrom during its annual sale don’t count as fitness? Do fun stuff, get out more, park your car further from the office! All of this counts as part of your fitness routine as well. Make it a habit, without thinking of it as “exercise”! Worst case scenario: you can always clean the house (major calorie burner)!
- Recruit supporting forces! Ok, if push comes to shove, you may have to get some allies! Join forces with some friends or co-workers to start a fitness routine together! It may be a simple walk around the block at lunchtime, or a group yoga class, as long as you motivate and keep each other accountable. Plus you can always get some Pinkberry afterwards…
What do you do to get your fitness even when you hate exercise? Please share your tips and tricks below.
The Corporate Sis.
