Blissfully Domestic

Summer Break No Vacation for Parents

I'm facing a new situation for the first time as a working mom. My oldest daughter is finishing her first year of "real school" and is no longer enrolled in daycare. Summer vacation looms and while she'll be able to take a break from homework (did you have homework in kindergarten?), my husband will still be working insane hours as he runs his own small company and I'll still be working 30 hours a week at my job.

Camp Grandparent to the rescue! Fortunately for us our parents live close by and we'll be relying on them to help watch our daughter. She'll also attend Vacation Bible School one week in June and take some evening ballet classes. My youngest daughter will stay in daycare over the summer. I work from home on Fridays, so that makes it easier to juggle our schedules, but I know several parents who both work 8 to 5, Monday through Friday, and they are relying heavily on summer day camp, as well as their parents.

Here are some great online resources for work outside the home parents and work-at-home parents looking for ways to keep their kids busy this summer:

• Age appropriate ideas for keeping kids busy for the work-at-home parent from Wendy Piersall at Sparkplugging
• Surviving summer break without sending the kids to daycamp from Shine
• Why do working parents dread the summer from Career Builder
• 13 summer survival strategies for the work-at-home parent

So, working parents, what are your kids doing this summer? Come join me at Blissfully Domestic forums for a discussion on summer break and the working parent!

Maternity Wear That Works for Work

I've worked through two pregnancies (literally up to the last few days with my first daughter), and found there were several versatile pieces of maternity clothing that I wore every week.

I recommend checking with your friends first. I was the lucky recipient of a friend's maternity wear collection, as well as a co-worker's, and then I, in turn, let her borrow my maternity clothes during her two pregnancies.

I live in the South where winters are mild and my daughters were born in March and June, so I could get away with a lot of transitional maternity wear that could easily transition from late winter to early spring with the addition of a cardigan sweater or jacket. One thing I learned was that maternity wear wasn't always the easiest to find in a wide range of sizes (I am also petite at barely 5 ft. 2), so if you fall in love with an item, such as a blouse or dress, buy it in at least one additional color. I also found that maternity wear favorites were items that I would have actually worn if they came in non-maternity sizing.

Here are some suggestions for maternity work pieces that are great wardrobe staples to build on:

Black pants. I bought a pair of Liz Lange black jersey knit bootcut pants at Target for my first pregnancy and I swear I wore them nearly every week during both pregnancies! These Liz Lange pants from Target would be perfect dressed up or down.

Black skirt. This Liz Lange skirt could be dressed up or down and could be worn with sandals in the spring or summer and a colorful short-sleeved top, such as this swirl print camisole from Ann Taylor LOFT, or boots or pumps and a turtleneck in the fall and winter. I found that bright colors around my face, and darker colors for pants and skirts worked best when I was pregnant.

Little Black Dress. Knit fabric is great because it breathes (you never know when you're going to start sweating profusely during those crazy hormonal pregnant months). This knit dress from Motherhood would be a great staple and you could add color with fun jewelry.

Cardigan sweater. I love this 3/4 length sleeve cardigan sweater from JC Penney. Another 3/4 length sweater that could be worn almost year round is this pretty coral tie front sweater from Motherhood Maternity.

Denim pants. These dark rinse denim pants from JC Penney are both stylish and versatile for the casual office. They're a more sleek and sophisticated alternative to ordinary blue jeans. Pair them with something bright, like this polka dot cardigan from Ann Taylor LOFT.

Faux Wrap Blouse. This faux wrap blouse from Motherhood Maternity has 3/4 length sleeves, which are perfect for the office nearly year round.

Make sure you also buy or borrow a few trendier items to pair up with the basics and make you feel fashionable. I love this pantset from Motherhood Maternity (the pants could be paired with other tops) and this zebra tunic from A Pea in the Pod would be perfect for a business reception or a dinner date.

If money is no option, fashion icon Dian Von Furstenberg and Southern favorite Lilly Pultizer have lines at A Pea in the Pod.

I love this red print silk dress in Von Furtstenburg's signature wrap style and this fun Asian style print dress from the designer has been marked down from $295 to $79. My only concern would be silk as a fabric choice for the hormonal months of pregnancy. Another fun and funky dress from A Pea in the Pod is this Lilly Pulitzer wrap dress in a pink zebra fabric.

Maternity wear has come a long way baby.

Reminder: Be sure to stop by Mrs. Fussypants Baby Shower blog and leave some baby love for her! (not sure what I am talking about? read post directly above this one)

Black and White: Classic Career Color Combo

I'm a big fan of black year round. Late spring and summer are a great time to add some new items to your work wardrobe, and there's nothing quite as versatile as a classic pair of black trousers or a black skirt. You can dress them up or down with accessories and depending on what you pair with them, you can go for a dressier look that would easily transition into an after work business reception or a trendier casual look.

Here are some reasonably priced finds in black and white to update your work wardrobe:

I love this bold applique skirt from Sears:

I have this fun, fresh embroidered skirt and wore it last week to the office with this blouse in black. No one guessed my outfit was from Wal-Mart. Another fun, and reasonably priced, crisp skirt in black and white is this one from JC Penney.

Another find from Wal-Mart is this jersey faux-wrap dress, also from the George line, which I have found to be great quality. This would look great at the office with a bright colored bag and bold, chunky jewelry. Remember, jersey is the busy working woman's friend as it translates into "no ironing." This is my kind of fabric!

I'm also loving this chain print faux-wrap dress from Kohls' Daisy Fuentes line. And, since we're still dealing with April showers, this Paris trench coat (marked down to $31.20 from $78) would be a classic addition to your work wardrobe.

Working women on a budget can look put together and polished at work, without spending a fortune.

Take Your Son or Daughter to Work This Thursday

National Take Our Daughters and Sons to Work Day is this Thursday, April 24. This year's theme is Making Choices for a Better World.

The program's intent is to help children connect their school work with the working world and to instill in both girls and boys the importance of family friendly work environments.

My daughters, especially my 5-year-old, have accompanied me to my office several times. My oldest little girl knows all the important logistics of my office: where the bathroom is, where the elevator is, and how to find the downstairs vending machine where you can buy PopTarts. For me as a working mom it's important to instill in my girls the importance of doing well in school and how that translates into later success in one's career.

My parents owned a construction company for years and I remember going with them to work. When I got older I even worked part-time in the office.

Do you ever take your children to work? How does this encourage children to make the connection between school and the "real world?"

What Not to Say When You're Co-Worker is Pregnant

Last year I worked with several women who were pregnant. It was fun to attend baby showers and marvel at the latest baby gear on the market since my birthin' babies days are over. It wasn't that long ago (seven years this fall) that I announced my own pregnancy to my boss and then to my office. The real kicker, besides my growing baby girl, was that I'd only been at my company five months when I got pregnant and not many people knew me very well.

I'm all for small talk around the water cooler, but some people seem to crank up the awkwardness when it comes to addressing pregnant women at work.

Here are some of the more awkward comments/questions I received from co-workers while I was pregnant with my first daughter:

"Are you happy?"

"Were you trying?"

"Are you married?"

"Oh, you think you're feet are swollen now, wait until June!"

Obviously I would advise the best route to take when someone you don't know very well announces their pregnancy at work or elsewhere is keeping remarks limited to a simple, "Congratulations!" Another safe question is, "When is your baby due?" Generally any well-meaning comments concerning the details of baby making and the mother's increasing girth are off limits. Everyone has their own internal TMI meter, and while some people are more than happy to fill you in on the state of their cervix, others would rather keep those anatomical details to themselves. Now that I'm a mother, I'll admit that pregnancy talk doesn't bother me at all, but I remember being single and in my 20s and absolutely being freaked out by a co-worker who was telling her labor and delivery story at the office. I believe the exact words that sent me over the edge were "mucous plug."

So have you ever had a co-worker make awkward comments about your pregnancy? Are there certain topics related to pregnancy that should not be discussed at work?