Have you all guessed by now that my six-year-old daughter weighs in on most issues, and that she is the not so “ghost-like” writer of many of these entries?

Yesterday over breakfast, she asked why I get so “fancy” just to go to work. I looked down and saw a blouse, slacks and about a 1 ½ inch heel on my shoes and declared that there was nothing fancy about me. I was wearing business casual. That meant nothing to her.

“Why don’t you wear something comfortable to work like I do at school?”

Well, we have a dress code policy at work, and I dress this way because…

Last week I wrote about giving up Diet Coke as my next step to health. It had become my crutch in lieu of giving up my beloved Starbucks chai latte. (Oh, don’t be jealous Diet Coke, I’ll always love you, too – maybe too much.)

Just like with the chais, the cokes have been hard at first to avoid. I slipped a few times, especially on my many travels. But I’m forging forward and making new choices when it comes to beverages, just like I now do with my food. I’m planning ahead, making better choices and drinking a lot more flavored water.

“Honey, get up. Your pants are getting dirty.” Isn’t that what every man wants to hear when he is on one knee and proposing to his girlfriend? Well, that’s the response my husband received when he asked me to marry him 12 years ago. At that moment, all I could think about was how he had on a new pair of khakis and how dirty the ground was and how it was going to be hard to get the dirt out of the knee. I did eventually get to the “yes” part, but I think he had to ask me again before my brain started functioning properly. What can I say? I don’t respond to surprises well.

Choosing the subject to write on your first post is like choosing the right outfit for a first date. No topic is good enough for the first one. Finally I chose one. My intention is not to bog you all down with popular or funny quotes instead I wanted to write about those advices that stayed with me. There are plenty of wise quotes and advices all around us.

First, so sorry for the radio silence. I’ve been traveling a lot lately and something had to give. But if you’ll forgive me for that, I’ll give you the good news: I’ve hit the 25-pound mark!

Incompatible, irreconcilable differences, parting of ways…it doesn’t matter how you phrase it, but a long-term relationship has ended for me. I’ve known him a decade longer than I’ve known my husband, and he has outlasted any girlfriend I’ve ever had. Joe has been present in times of tremendous joy, pain, sorrow-he has seen it all, and he sat and listened without judging. That’s hard to come by these days. And the relationship ended so abruptly that I haven’t had much time to process my emotions until now.

During the last week there has been more attention than normal paid to breasts, if you can believe it.  The focus, however, hasn't just on anyone's tatas.  Rather - it has been on mamas' tatas.  

Last Friday evening I became aware I was allowing someone I was working with to have too much say over how I was feeling. I was giving this relationship–a relatively new one–too much weight, too much power. And I didn’t like how this was making me feel: rushed, speeded up and unsettled.

It’s that time of year again – time for handmade cards and way-too-early-in-the-morning kisses from the kids and a spa gift card from the husband. (I’ve been looking forward to my annual Mother’s Day massage for more than a month now.) Just the gifts I want as a mom.

What I want as a working mother this year, however, will take a little more effort.

When I was growing up, the supermom was touted as the ideal mother. But when I became a mom, I realized that trying to be supermom was hard, unfulfilling and usually went unrecognized. I decided I’d rather have happiness over folded laundry. And yet, I still meet moms today who are trying to negotiate flex time or work from home so they have time for the kids and housework and all that goes into being a supermom. I'm not saying that is wrong. What I'm asking is, is that "all"?