Getting Bookish with Baby

Call it the ambitious CCG mom in us, but boy, do we ever enjoy story time with our little one—the quality family time is just what we need to unwind from a work day, plus we're a big believer in helping our child to develop a love for reading at a very early age. One of our very children's books is Everywhere Babies by Susan Meyers, Illustrated by Marla Frazee (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt). The large size format (it's 10.75" by 9.25") of this board book makes it extra easy for baby's small fingers to flip the pages. Your little one will revel in excitement over each page, depicting all the wonderful things that babies do (play, sleep, eat, make noise, etc.). You'll find that you can't help but have fun reading the clever, rhyming text to your little and, after many readings of this book, she's sure to imitate the sing-song tone. We're positive this will be a much-loved addition to the baby library collection.

$8.95 at chapters.indigo.ca

Let it Flow

For moms who've opted to bottle-feed, the Evenflo Bebek Starter Set is just the kit to make feeding time stress-free. With three different bottle sizes and a pacifier, this set has everything baby needs to thrive. The bottle's ergonomic shape is comfortable to hold for both mama and baby. The soft, wide-base nipple provides an easier latch for baby, and its one-piece design with integrated vent allows for easy assembly and a leak-free feeding. All that's left is for mommy to settle into a comfy spot and enjoy snuggling with her baby.

$22.99 USD at buybuybaby.com

Set includes one each of: 2-oz bottle, 5-oz bottle, 8-oz bottle, small pacifier, pacifier holder, and bottle brush

Happy International Women's Day!

To all the fierce and fabulous Canadian Career Gals out there, we're giving you a shout-out today (and every day!) for being fierce and fabulous and for all the outstanding contributions you're making to society.

Check out this awesome video by Kronos that provides interesting facts and statistics about the changes and developments that have impacted women in the workforce. 

Redefining "Having it All"

In Having it all depends on what ‘all’ means, Leah Eichler suggests there is room to broaden the definition of "all", a word that is equated to being successful. Eichler suggests a big key to success ("having it all") lies in reconciling your inner goals with the external markers of success. So, for some, a six-figure salary and a lofty job title may be the epitome of success while for others success may include such factors as a happy family life, giving back to society, and working in a job they truly enjoy.

The bottom line is that each woman needs to come up with her own definition of success so that yes, indeed we can "have it all".

Click here to read the entire article or copy and paste this link into your Web browser:

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/report-on-business/careers/career-advice/leah-eichler/having-it-all-depends-on-what-all-means/article2349261/

Germs Be Gone

We admit it—we can be real germaphobes when it comes to taking our kids to public places, and having them sit in a grocery cart while we do our shopping is no exception. For trips to the supermarket, we take along the handy Bright Starts Comfort & Harmony Cozy Cart Cover. Made of plush, padded fabrics to keep baby comfy, the cover protects from shopping cart germs and is designed with three storage pockets and sewn-in loops for attaching toys. Also great for using at restaurants on a high chair, we can now be a little less wary of junior picking up unwanted germs.

$26.50 USD at Amazon.com

Gals We Admire: Julie Cole

Julie Cole is one of the founders of Mabel's Labels, a company that makes personalized sticky labels and clothing labels for babies, kids and grown-ups. She and her business partners were recently awarded the Canadian Woman Entrepreneur of the Year (Momentum) award. Find out more about this successful mompreneur.

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Gals We Admire: Shereen Arazm

She's a proud native of Toronto, and with her long list of credentials in the restaurant business, it's no wonder Shereen Arazm was the ideal candidate for the role of resident judge on hit reality TV show Top Chef Canada. Find out more about this top-notch career gal who's been described as "a vanguard of Los Angeles dining and entertaining", and is the creative force behind such Hollywood hot spots as sushi staple Geisha House and Italian eatery Terroni (which also has two Toronto locations).

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Career Spouses Need to Work Together

A working mom's life ain't easy, and we need support from our working spouses to keep the household running so that we can perform at the top of our game at the office and at home. The benefits for both women and the corporate world are numerous.

Take it from someone who knows. Check out the video below of Facebook Chief Operating Officer Sheryl Sandberg speaking at the World Economic Forum Annual Meeting 2010., held in Davos, Switzerland in January 2010. Sandberg reflects on her experiences as a mother and a businesswoman, and emphasizes the importance of working moms getting help from working dads.

Deep Sleep Thanks to a Sheep

To keep up with our work and home responsibilities, we working moms need every minute of shut-eye possible. And that can only happen when our little one is comfortably snoozing first. To assist us with this task, we tried out the Cloud B Sleep Sheep, an adorable sound machine that produces four soothing sounds to help baby fall asleep. Choose from a mother’s calming heartbeat, ocean waves, spring showers, or harmonious whale songs, all of which are lulling sounds that will create a tranquil environment for baby to doze off to. This stuffed animal gets our stamp of our approval—don’t be surprised if you’re in baby’s room and wind up falling asleep to the peaceful sounds, too!

$39.99 at babiesrus.ca

CCG Giveaway Alert!*
Click through to find out how you can win your very own Cloud B Sleep Sheep!

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Balancing career and family

As women, we will always be faced with the challenge of balancing our professional goals with our family commitments. Check out this video where author and advertising executive Nina DiSesa discusses this constant juggling act:

How to re-enter the workforce

Are you a CCG-turned-SAHM (stay-at-home mom) who's now looking to head back into the working world? Check out this video for some great advice on how to do just that from career coach Maggie Mistal who also hosts national weekly radio show "Making a Living with Maggie" on Martha Stewart Radio:

For working moms-to-be

Here's something for CCGs who are also mommies-to-be! Heidi Eisenberg Murkoff is the author of the authoritative expectancy guide What to Expect When You're Expecting.

Check out this great video in which Murkoff offers sound tips for how to stay healthy while pregnant on the job:

Are you a CCG who's looking for an exhaustive online resource for mommies-to-be? Check out whattoexpect.com (published by Waterfront Media) for tons of tips and tools including more advice from Heidi!