Women, in general, have to contend with the glass ceiling. But, do moms have to contend with the crayon ceiling? One mom worries that posting her daughter's artwork in her office could mean risking corporate suicide. Will that adorable childish artwork serve as nothing but a constant reminder to her colleagues that she is a mom who might have to rush home to tend to a sick child at any moment or leave early to pick up a little one from daycare? Will this artistic display subtly signal that she's somehow less dedicated or capable than her childless counterparts?
Halloween is many people's favorite holiday. The costumes, the free candy your kids haul home, the opportunity to stage elaborate Thriller productions on your front lawn for a week and a half leading up to the big day... Perhaps some people take it a bit far, but it's all in the name of fun, right? Not everyone thinks it's fun, some think it's one big zoning violation that needs to be shut down. A Florida man who'd been planning such a production has been told to stop or face legal action because his (free) show is considered a commercial activity, which is not allowed in a residential neighborhood. Though the Halloween show was free, he did accept donations, which he passed on to the Make-A-Wish Foundation. The shutdown undoubtedly has some people wishing they lived in a more relaxed neighborhood.
While many of us are in awe that anyone's crafted elaborate Halloween decorations this early in October, others are already starting their holiday shopping. Whether they're just extremely organized or attempting to stretch the budget, many have started planning ahead for December. In yet another sign of these tough economic times, Toys "R" Us and other retailers have extended or expanded their holiday layaway programs. According to a recent survey, 42 percent of shoppers intend to use a layaway plan this year.
It always comes back to Sesame Street, doesn't it? With the Occupy Wall Street protests well into their third week, it was, perhaps, inevitable that the hashtag #OccupySesameStreet would start making the rounds on Twitter. There are some incredibly clever ones but our favorite just may be "Truly outrageous that 99% of the cookies are consumed by 1% of the monsters on PBS." Honestly Cookie, it's time you start spreading the cookie wealth around a bit.
Women who want a baby will often do whatever it takes to conceive and carry a child to term. From the 1940's through the 1960's, for many women, that meant taking the drug, DES. Unfortunately, that drug ultimately proved to be ineffective and now there is evidence that the daughters of women who took that drug are at increased risk for breast cancer and infertility issues themselves. As many of these daughters may not know that they're part of this group, it is recommended that women who were born in this time, or suspect their mother may have taken this drug, talk to their doctor.
Dana Macario is a TODAY Moms contributor and Seattle mom to two sleep-depriving toddlers. She is currently developing an alarm clock that will start an IV coffee drip 10 minutes prior to wake-up time. Once properly caffeinated, she also blogs at www.18years2life.com.