Reader Poll

This month's Working Mother magazine focuses on balancing parenting and practicing law.

GREAT! It's definitely worth the cover price. But, when I reached the end of the articles, once again, I felt like they just scratched the surface of the conversation and only touched on one type of practice with little variation in the size of firm. The magazine repeatedly mentions "outrageous salaries" that statistically, most lawyers just aren't making. Several of my classmates work at firms listed in the magazine's 50 Best Law Firms for Women. What do you think? Has anyone else read this? Thoughts?

This Week's Good Chi

Photo by the talented and inspiring artist Ali Edwards

MaterniTV

We were incredibly blessed that for the first 4 weeks of our daughter's life, my husband and I were both home. Our daughter was very colicky (we now know because of a milk protein allergy) and it was a very sleepless time. I remember needing to laugh a lot. We watched Jimmy Fallon do impressions of Barry Gibb and the Sklar twins stand-up routine.

After chatting with girlfriends who are moms, it seems all of us had at least one show that for 6-8 weeks, was a source of comfort during the isolating first few weeks of parenthood, overwhelming responsibility and deep fatigue. One friend watched Judging Amy re-runs. Another Dawson's Creek. Thank God none of us watched these shows when they were first-run so that we would have years of seasons to catch up on out of order.

I became particularly attached to Gilmore Girls re-runs. My husband, to Food Network. Comforting, safe, good energy tv.

I wanted to move to Stars Hollow (the fictional Connecticut town where Gilmore Girls is set) where the diner has twinkle lights, all the homes have porches and built-in bookshelves, and everything I adore -books, learning, music, food, coffee- is celebrated. The entire town had a sense of an unconditional connectedness -something I still look for in communities. Even the town's strangest citizens were loved. And it's a show about mothers and daughters...a topic of endless fascination and anxiety for me. I was re-reading my tattered copy of Reviving Ophelia the day after the ultrasound told us that she was on her way.

This Fall there will be no more episodes of Gilmore Girls and I am so disappointed. The plot had sort of died. It was time for them to cancel the show. I just want to visit Stars Hollow, have a cheeseburger, get some new music recommendations from Lane (or Carol King who works at the instruments shop) buy some books and spend Thanksgiving on Suki's lawn with a deep fried turkey.

Organizing for the Type A

Organize Magazine Editor-in-Chief Joyce Dorny was kind to leave a comment a few posts back and I must tell you that I have read and re-read the premiere issue of Organize a few times now and have cruised their interactive site a good bit and I am so excited about this magazine.



I'm the first to admit that I am a label making, borderline OCD, alphabetizing, categorizing nut, so it's probably no surprise that this magazine would be a fave** but as such, I've picked up lots of these kinds of publications in the past and this one is truly unique. Here's why:

First, Joyce has started this magazine from the ground up and is the mother of 1-2-3-4-5-6, I repeat SIX children, so she must be the Zen master of organization. She brings humility and the genuine, real world experience to the conversation that has been missing. Other organization guides would have me hire a maid and build expensive-can't-move-with-me built-in-shelves in every room. Can't do it. Next. But Organize had some tangible, do-able advice on any budget without the condescension. And the ads are sparse but relevant.

I know life would be easier and more organized if we paid people to do lots of homeowner things for us like housekeeping and yard work. But what about those of us who budget with a different priority set, but still aspire to minimize the chaos? I'm hopeful that Organize Magazine will continue to offer some suggestions.

I have yet to assimilate the Little Tykes, Brio, Fisher Price mine field into the house. They are everywhere. I'm still polling girlfriends with small kiddos about how they are maintaining their sanity. Two girlfriends so far have suggested getting rid of as much stuff as possible and then initiating a separate container for every toy or group of toys. A home for everything. This is the seemingly unattainable goal, but I am willing to try. The Berenstain Bears and The Messy Room was my favorite book growing up because of that last page, with all of the labeled containers holding Brother and Sister Bear's toys. Even now, I get a warm, safe and comforting feeling just thinking about it.

**My favorite holiday tradition is re-organizing my loved ones' closets. Seriously.

2 "raisons" to get a babysitter

I can't wait for this one, 2 Days in Paris. Evidently Julie Delphy wrote, directed, produced, scored and stars in this one. Girl power. Her parents play themselves in the film. It looks very clever.

And then there are the Jane Austen nods this summer with The Jane Austen Book Club and Becoming Jane.

The Jane Austen Book Club looks reminiscent of The Love Letter and Becoming Jane of Shakespeare In Love, but in my mind, both bear repeating.



The voice over on the preview is cheeky, but I am a sucker for Miramax's use of costumes, heartache, a writer, and a bit on a beach. As Bridget Jones would say, "v. exciting."

Losing Labels

Click here for another great essay by Lee Woodruff in the Huffington Post today where she writes about losing labels in the new American family landscape. I think this is my third post mentioning something that she has written. Love her.

Summer Music

I put together a Teaworthy Summer Music Mix that you can download on iTunes called Sunkissed 2007 for picnics, road trips, clam bakes, and sandy afternoons.

The playlist includes Sam Cooke, Amy Winehouse, The Supremes, Jaime Liddell, Neil Finn, Ben Folds Five, Madonna, The Shins, Iron & Wine, Corinne Bailey Rae, Ceu, Bebel Gilberto, & Pulp. I don't get any royalties. Just thought it would be fun to share. You can practically smell the coconut.

Here's the link which you can preview for free:

Sunkissed 2007 Total Songs: 14 Date: July 21, 2007

http://phobos.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewIMix?id=260466991