Working Moms, These are the 100 Best Companies for You
September 27, 2006
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Being a working mom is no easy task. It requires lots of juggling, planning and organization. But, wouldn’t it be great to work at one of the Top 100 Companies for Working Mothers, as determined by Working Mother magazine.
All of these companies have mother-friendly benefits. The magazine used the following five criteria as the basis for its judgments: flexibility, leave time for new parents, child care, elder care and the number of women occupying top jobs.
This year’s list includes 18 new companies. Here are the top 10:
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Abbott Laboratories
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Bon Secours Richmond Health System
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Ernst & Young LLP
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HSBC USA Inc.
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IBM Corp.
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JPMorgan Chase & Co.
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Patagonia Inc.
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PriceWaterhouseCoopers LLP
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Principal Financial Group
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S.C. Johnson & Son Inc.
Take a look at the full list, and hopefully, you’ll find a couple in your city.
Decisions, Decisions, Decisions
September 26, 2006
Last week, I mentioned that we are building a new house. We’ve never done this before, so it’s been (and will continue to be) a real learning experience for me. And, what I’ve learned this past week, is once you sign those papers, things move fast. It’s been the week of Decisions, Decisions, Decisions!
Let me remind you that they haven’t even poured the foundation yet, but this week, I had to pick out carpet! And, it didn’t end there. Do you know what color your tile grout is? Well, when you build a house you know, because that’s a Decision.
We were alloted 4 hours of the “decorators” time to help us make our numerous selections–everything from the tile and the tile grout, to the light fixtures, countertops, stain color and even switch plate color. About 10 minutes into the 4 hour “decorator” meeting, we discovered that, for the most part, the decorator was really the “order taker.” At one point when we asked her, “Which of these two would you pick?” Her reply was, “Gosh, you are really putting me on the spot.” Okay then, we’ll just make all the Decisions!
Luckily, I knew what I wanted (for the most part) going into the meeting. And, if you are planning to build a home anytime soon, you need to know what you want too. Here’s some advice:
- Go into your meeting with the “decorator” very prepared: I spent about 5 hours going through carpet, tile and paint samples prior to the official selection meeting. That was extremely helpful.
- Visit model homes: I drove all over town and visited model homes by my builder as well as other builders homes to get ideas and see the latest trends.
- Pick up some decorating magazines: Mark pages that have things you like. Sometimes one thing, like a great fireplace or a beautiful wall color can inspire an entire room.
- Make a new home kit: I already have a ton of paperwork on our new home. Everything from contact copies to floor plans to design selections. It’s really helpful to be organized. I carry my folder and notepad with me everywhere I go. I collect samples of things I like, take pictures with my digital camera and keep track of questions and open issues.
I still need to finalize my hardwood floor and kitchen cabinet stain color. This “Decision” has me dreaming about hardwood floors.
I need help fellow SharpMoms! Enter your comments and tell me what stain color I should pick!!
Help! I’m Lost! (Tip of the Week)
September 25, 2006
Here’s a helpful tip to teach your young children. If they every wander off and get lost (i.e. at the mall, zoo, etc.), tell them to find another mommy with children and ask her for help. Most likely, a fellow mom is a safe bet to help your child out.
Also, as early as 3-4 years-old, begin to teach your children their phone number, mommy and daddy’s full names and their address.
I never understood the “kid leash” until my son turned two. I still have never used one, but at least now I kind of get it. Kids love to explore, hide in the clothing racks and just wander around. It’s hard for mom to shop and hang onto a toddler. I say, keep them in the stroller as long as you can.
Share your safe parenting tips with us!
About SharpMom
Hi, I'm Katie. I’ve been successfully working at home and homeschooling my kids for the past 14 years, so I figured it’s time to get out there and start sharing what I’ve learned along the way. I'm glad you're here to join in the fun!
