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How to Fit Exercise Into a Busy Day

03/18/2013 By 84 Comments

midday-workoutsAfter we linked to our last open thread on midday workouts, a bunch of readers expressed an interest in having another discussion on how to fit workouts into a busy day.  For my own $.02, in my ideal world I get my exercise out of the way first thing in the morning, my socializing in with friends in the evening, with a long day in between to do lots of work.

But of course, that’s easier said than done.  You may have work commitments in the morning, or prefer to use the time for other personal development.  And as a new mother, the thing I’ve realized since having a baby is that your concept of “me time” changes drastically once you have a kiddo.  Particularly that “morning/evening” time — if it isn’t already committed to work, that time quickly becomes blocked as “family time” — either because you genuinely want to see your child(ren), or you literally have no one else on hand to care for them (unless you have a nanny around the clock, lucky you).  So a midday workout is the only way a lot of people can fit in exercise at all.

So if you have to have a midday workout, here are a few ideas: [Read more...]

Filed Under: After-Work Activities, Energy, Exercise, Happiness, Lifestyle, New Mom, Weight Control

Making Real Change…With Just One Thing

01/02/2013 By 54 Comments

My number one, originally uploaded to Flickr by Snowflakesarewhite.Can changing just one thing make a big impact in your life?  It’s my plan of attack for my New Year resolutions, so I guess we’ll see…

I was reading this article in Working Mother with tips from top executives, all of whom happen to be mothers, and I was intrigued by the “One Thing” program at Bank of America, as described by Cynthia Bowman, Senior VP in Leadership Development:  “Each of us identifies the single thing that would be the biggest help in achieving work life balance. My ‘one thing’ is protecting my weekends.” (Pictured.)

I mentally bookmarked it and said, ah yes, we should talk about that at some point on the blog.  But this somehow got conflated with my New Year resolutions in my head… and now I think I’ve got a pretty good idea: [Read more...]

Filed Under: After-Work Activities, Happiness, Lifestyle, Organization, Productivity

What to Wear to the Boss’s Holiday Party

12/13/2012 By 33 Comments

The intimate office holiday party at your boss’s house:  it’s like it’s designed for trouble.  What do you wear?  Reader J wonders this very question…

I work in surgical research, and although this is a very different field than most people who read this blog, my work environment isn’t all that different when we’re not in the operating room- business casual, long hours, small division (within general surgery). I’ve worked here about a year and a half and am the youngest staff member here by about 20 years (I’m 23). My question is- what do I wear to a small, conservative Christmas party at the Chief of the division’s home?

We’ve talked about whether to bring a hostess gift, how to save money on fancy attire, and how to look professional in an evening gown — but we haven’t talked about what to wear to the intimate party at your boss’s house for a while, so let’s discuss.  (Pictured.) In my mind, you need to ask yourself a few questions.  The primary one is thus:  Who can you ask?  If you feel uncomfortable asking the men you work with, ask a female coworker or two.  Note that the answer, “My wife is wearing __” is not necessarily what you should be wearing, since you’re there in a different capacity.  For example: if the wife is wearing a sparkly, strapless cocktail dress, you should probably wear a more conservative but still festive dress (such as this, this, or this), or perhaps one of the great “party pants” (such as this or this) we’re seeing this season with some killer heels and a sparkly sweater.  The same thing goes if the secretary for the group says, “I’m wearing jeans and a funny holiday sweater!” You need to dial it up a little bit from that — perhaps a festive blazer with a pencil skirt or sheath dress.  [Read more...]

Filed Under: After-Work Activities, Holidays, Networking

Sponsored Post: Go Desk to Dinner with Ann Taylor

11/27/2012 By 36 Comments

With Thanksgiving out of the way, it is officially holiday party season — which means that it’s time to perfect your desk-to-dinner shuffle, if you haven’t already. For me, separates have always been the way to go — that way you don’t have to change your entire wardrobe before you go out after work, and you only need to carry one or two additional pieces with you to the office.  Maybe it’s just me, but separates always feel more “true” to me — more like a “dressed up, sparkly version of me” and less like “Kat’s pretending to be a glamorous jet-setting party-goer!” [Read more...]

Filed Under: Advertising, After-Work Activities, Black-Tie/Fancy, Sponsored Post

The Hunt: Festive Blazers

11/05/2012 By 47 Comments

Sure, we all know what basics professional women are supposed to have in their closets, but if you’re buying one for the first time or replacing one you’ve worn into the ground, it can be a pain to find exactly the right incarnation in stores. In “The Hunt,” we search the stores for a basic item that every woman should have.

I seem to recall that some readers were dubious about this the last time I posted that a festive blazer was a must-have, but I’m 100% serious here. Velvet is my fabric of choice — the matte fabric is more office-friendly than a metallic blazer, and — should sequins enter the picture, such as the tank I posted this weekend or one of the sequined miniskirts we’re seeing this season — velvet holds up much better than, say, lace.  [Read more...]

Filed Under: After-Work Activities, Black-Tie/Fancy, Holidays, The Hunt

Guestpost: Reader B’s Experiences with an IUD

10/30/2012 By 102 Comments

Are IUDs the right birth control method for busy women? I don’t know if you’ve noticed, but a number of the Corporette commenters love (love) (love) their IUDs. I’ve never had one, but I was intrigued (particularly by their fervor!), and put out a general call for one reader to write about her experience for us. Reader B generously stepped up, and this is her account* — thank you, reader B! Let’s use the comments of this post to otherwise discuss the issue. Readers, if you’ve had a positive or negative experience with IUDs, please weigh in.

The Decision

Getting a Mirena IUD was actually a relatively easy decision for me. I have had nothing but complications and woe whenever I’ve tried to take the pill, no matter what form of the pill I took, and I take a medicine for a chronic illness that is absolutely incompatible with pregnancy. I was in a new relationship (since ended), and given the relatively high failure rate of condoms (about 15% with typical use), I was uncomfortable using condoms alone as a method of contraception. So I did some online research about non-hormonal methods, and went to my gynecologist intending to discuss the possibility of a diaphragm or copper IUD (brand name Paragard). I quickly discarded the idea of a diaphragm when I learned that they too have a high failure rate, but when I mentioned my heavy periods and bad PMS, my gyno suggested Mirena rather than a copper IUD. [Read more...]

Filed Under: After-Work Activities, Family Planning, Lifestyle, Love