Category: Oh Momma Monday

How to Plan for Maternity Leave

Tracy LathanBlog, Oh Momma Monday, The Clairemont Team, ,

Last month, we helped Sarah and Dave Hattman welcome the newest member of the Clairemont family into the world. In the weeks and months leading up to Mary Lawrence’s arrival, I helped Sarah begin planning for maternity leave, since I had already done it twice. Reliving this process got me thinking about how much is involved in transitioning your entire workload to other team members. As PR account managers, there are just so many details. And so much resides in our heads…where do you even begin!

When it was time to plan for maternity leave with my first child, I had never taken more than a few days of vacation except when I got married. So the idea of preparing to be out for three months seemed daunting to say the least! I find that whenever I feel overwhelmed, the best thing for me to do is get it all down on paper, so I used the same technique to begin preparing for my maternity leave. Here are a few tips that really helped me navigate the process:

 Seek assistance. For those of you who are like me and love a checklist, there are plenty of resources out there to help you get started planning for maternity leave. I found this one from BabyCenter to be very helpful. Also, ask other moms who have been through the process for advice; they will help you think of things that never even occurred to you.

 Start early. Nine months seems like a long time, but it really goes fast! I began this process approximately four months before my due date to be sure I captured everything. This allowed me the chance to walk through the details with team members and prepare clients for the transition. Also, you never know when the baby will actually arrive, so I wanted to be sure everything was in place in case I delivered early. Alas, I was still sitting at my desk on my due date.

 Write down everything. I started outlined everything, including client contacts, contact info, schedules for weekly calls and weekly trackers, monthly reports, upcoming events, personality nuances, etc. Essentially, I wrote a manifesto for each account (which was no doubt overkill), but I wanted to ensure the transition for those jumping in was seamless. Having everything in writing eased everyone’s minds.

The good news is that even though you think the world will stop turning the minute you deliver, it won’t. Your coworkers will keep the train moving so you can enjoy that precious time home with your baby. And that three months will go by very fast; so enjoy every minute!

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Clairemont’s Baby Mama

Sarah HattmanBlog, Oh Momma Monday, The Clairemont Team, , , ,

I am blessed, honored and grateful to work with such an amazing team. Nearly five months ago I told my colleagues that I was pregnant, and from that moment they have been incredibly supportive and excited for me. To better understand, look no further than our take on Starrkeisha’s Baby Momma Dance.

Baby Mama Play Button

While we won’t find out the baby’s gender until he or she arrives, one thing is certain – the Clairemont team likes to celebrate and dance. Have you seen our “Good to Be Alive” video?”

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Listen to Your Mother!

Tracy LathanBlog, Oh Momma Monday,

Becoming a mother has changed the way I react to everything. Holidays, birthdays, commercials – everything seems to tug at the heartstrings a bit more. So, when Dana invited me to a show called Listen to Your Mother (LTYM), I was in for it big time.

LTYM is a national program with local shows held across the country featuring writers and mothers that share personal stories about the humor and the heartbreak that go along with motherhood. Needless to say, it was an emotional roller coaster for this hormonal, new mom, but I walked away feeling moved, connected and incredibly blessed to be on this journey. Luckily, I was not the only person in the audience who was deeply touched that night. They decided to continue the show in 2014, and Dana was selected to be one of the cast members. She shared an inspirational story about her grandmother and the entire Clairemont team was there for support!

In celebration of Mother’s Day, the 2016 Raleigh-Durham show will be held this Wednesday, May 4th at 7:30 p.m. at Jones Auditorium on the campus of Meredith College. If you are interested in attending, tickets are $20.00 and can be purchased here…we guarantee you will leave feeling inspired! KeAnne Hoeg and Marty Long are co-producers of the show, which will feature 13 local writers. The 2016 cast includes:

NaShonda Cooke

Katie Gailes

Kati Gardner

KeAnne Hoeg, Co-Producer

Liz Hollar

Stephanie Levin

Stacey Libbert

Marty Long, Director & Co-Producer

Caroline Maclaga

Beth O’Connell

Lindsay Onofrio

Martie Sirois

Tandra Wilkerson

If we haven’t convinced you yet, LTYM:RDU also donates a minimum of 10 percent of ticket proceeds to the Women’s Center of Wake County, a multi-services resource center that addresses the challenging issues of poverty and homelessness for single women and women with families.

And to all of our Oh Momma Monday readers out there…Happy Mother’s Day week! Hope your little ones make the day extra special.

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Oh Momma Monday: Ilina Ewen

Tracy LathanBlog, Oh Momma Monday,

Marketing consultant, blogger, foodie, mother of two, advocate for children’s issues and modern day mixologist – Ilina Ewen is a true renaissance woman. She takes a no nonsense approach to juggling work and motherhood and is an inspiration to moms trying to balance it all and still find time to stand up for issues we feel passionate about. We recently had the chance to catch up with Ilina, and she shared with us a few of her secrets to success.

What is your occupation?

Branding and marketing consultant and freelance writer.

What inspired you to start blogging?

I had written for the N&O’s style section for a short-term, and when that ended I still felt a hankering to write. I wanted to write something other than business and client projects. I felt a tug to be more creative and authentic. A friend had started a blog, so I figured, if he can do it, I can too! And so Dirt & Noise was born.

How has your career/professional life changed since becoming a mom?

I joke that I half-ass everything now. My priorities did a 180 when I became a mother. I quit my agency life to start a consulting business so I could spend more time with my son. I didn’t want to be beholden to a company in a demanding industry. I needed flexibility and changed my life to have it. Some see it as a sacrifice; I see it as a luxury. I don’t take my life for granted for a moment.

Any tips for juggling work and motherhood?

Don’t lower your standards. I’m not the kind of person who can function in chaos. I like structure and a tidy house. For a short while, I tried to lower my standards but I found I couldn’t be productive in a mess. Kids rise to the bar you set, so if that means they do chores to help out, encourage them. Everyone in the family plays a role in running the household. I also say no a lot. Whether business or personal, I commit to things out of interest, not guilt. My sons, ages 12 and 10, are likely the least scheduled kids in America. Life is richer for us with few activities. Family dinner is a must. We don’t compromise on that, even if it’s take-out or grilled cheese sandwiches and a salad.

Most important thing motherhood has taught you…

Time is paradoxically both a bandit and a gift. Each stage is trying and amazing and all too fast.

Where do you find inspiration for your blog posts? What makes a good blog post in your mind?

Everything is inspiration. I follow local and national politics, so those issues, along with what’s happening in my community, spark loads of blog posts. I am a strong advocate for children’s issues – hunger, elimination of child abuse, public education and global vaccines. I started a non-profit at my son’s school and support Backpack Buddies at my other son’s middle school, so the stories that I write often advocate for issues I use my voice for. I also serve on the board of SAFEchild and am a Champion Leader for the UN Foundation’s Shot@Life program. I believe in using your voice and being authentic, so to me, a good blog post is genuine where you can hear the author’s voice ring through, be it funny, poignant, irreverent or fired up.

What are your favorite Raleigh hotspots?Artsplosure

We are a food loving family. Some of our favorites places to eat are Bida Manda, Stanbury, Cantina 18, Pizzeria Toro, and Mecca for breakfast (a Saturday morning tradition).

I love First Fridays downtown. VAE and ArtSpace are favorites. The boys and I frequent CAM, Jose & Sons, and Videri (frozen hot chocolate!) for part of our summer adventures (a blog series I’ve written for a few years to list day trip activities to do with the kids).

I think bargain shopping is a sport. I love consignment shopping and used to get great deals at Passage Consignment until it closed. I hit the sale racks at J. Crew, Anthropologie and Bevello. As a family we head to the flea market. It’s a great place to find quirky items and furniture. We like to decorate our home with items that have a story or a history.

I’d like to say the Alexander Family YMCA is a hotspot but I’d be lying. I do love Stacey’s toning class but can’t make it there regularly.

What are three of your “faves” right now?portugal

Travel tops my list. We just returned from Charleston and have more trips planned this year to Orlando, Wisconsin and Mackinac Island. We spent a month last year traveling through India and Portugal. Our hope is to go abroad every other year. Next year’s trip might be Denmark…we feel the lure of LEGO.

I’m a Netflix junkie. I just finished binge watching Gilmore Girls. I unabashedly love it. I can’t wait for Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt to return. My husband and I watch House of Cards and loved Bloodline. I’m also a voracious reader. Right now I’m loving Haven Kimmel, Jhumpa Lahiri, and of course, Mindy Kaling. And…the book The Warmth of Other Suns is a must read.

Once warm weather hits I’m obsessed with porch drinks on our screen porch, my favorite spot in our house. I’m always testing new concoctions but find myself coming back to a Pimms Cup with mint and cucumber.

I’m also obsessed with finding the perfect pencil skirt, white button down and stylish yet comfortable shoes. I believe style and comfort are not mutually exclusive, but the fashion world doesn’t seem to agree!

If your kids could write a post for your blog, what would they say?

They would probably write about one of the many volunteer activities we do (or as they would say…activities I make them do) or they would write a food/restaurant review.

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Are We Over-scheduling Our Kids?

Tracy LathanBlog, Oh Momma Monday,

Summer Camp Conundrum

Before the first flowers of spring have sprung, parents are forced to make our week-by-week summer plans so we can register our kids for summer camps. At first I thought it was crazy that these camp sign-ups are in January and February, but I soon realized it might very well be a strategic move. After all, aren’t parents more likely to shell out the cash for summer camps when they are in the throws of winter and snow days and children that are cooped up and cranky?

This PBS article speaks to the conundrum many parents face. We don’t want our kids to be sitting around bored all summer, but we also don’t want to over-schedule our families.

Each year I struggle with how I should structure the kids summer activities. They should have time to just run around and be kids right? But then they just keep asking to watch TV and complain that they have nothing to do. And since I work part-time, won’t they be better off at a fun camp then just home with a babysitter?

The Good Old Days

I was talking with my mom about this, and it made me realize just how much things have changed in a very short time. She said that when my sisters and I were kids, we went to sleep away camp for a week when we were 11 or 12, and maybe a soccer or dance camp here and there, but other than that we played outside, went to the pool, took road trips and drove my mom nuts. We didn’t have planned camps every week of the summer, especially not when we were in preschool. She said it seemed crazy that my five-year-old’s summer was already planned week-by-week.Beach

My argument was that things have changed, and most parents sign their kids up for more camps in the summer because they need the structure. And honestly, parents are just busier these days. But it did get me thinking. Should we be spending all this money on camps, leaving so little unstructured time for spontaneous summer fun and lazy mornings in our pajamas? This Star Tribune article is another great resource that weighs in on this topic.

Ultimately, I decided on a half-and-half solution. I signed the kids up for camps two weeks of each month during the summer, which left two weeks open each month for non-structured activities. Hopefully, this will be a good balance of camps and free time. Check back with me in August, and I’ll let you know if it was a success.

We would love to hear your thoughts…how will you schedule activities for your family this summer?

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