I’m a product junky. And I love hearing about women who follow their dreams and build things. That’s why I love this story. Forbes just honoured Birchbox founders with the Leadership Award in the Forbes Women’s Summit. Yay! So I read this article (because I like reading Forbes) and googled Birchbox (which I hadn’t heard about before). And what an innovative idea! For $10 a month you get a box full of samples of high end beauty/lifestyle products. So instead of dishing out $50 on a Nars blush, you get to try a small size of it for a fraction of the cost. Plus, what women doesn’t enjoy getting a surprise box of goodies in the mail every month? I love the idea and I love how these women are building an empire with a simple but innovative business model.

Don’t do Kandoo.

I stumbled upon these “flushable wipes” at the store while picking up regular wipes for my little boy. I get really excited when i come across innovative and practical products that make my job as a mom a little easier. But these wipes just cost me an hour in a stinking bathroom staring at days worth of poop as i tried to unclog my parents (brand new!) toilet. Maybe the ‘biodegrade” in pepsi.

“Emerging conceptual framework” …story of my life. #thesis #tiredofthis #makeitstop

Absolutely loving this coconut juice stuff. #wherehaveubeen?

They say necessity is the mother of innovation… Check out how these moms’ frustration with changing crib sheets led them to creating the QuickZip sheets.

Check out the Article Here.

The Maternity Leave Trap.

“For many working moms, Canada’s year-long parental-leave policy feels like atrap. It lures parents into believing that the country supports them and their babies, but it ultimately leaves ambitious moms scrambling for the careers they want.”

I’ll say it. One year is too long. I understand the importance of being around your newborn the first year is critical, but let’s face it, we have a problem. Women can’t drop off the face of the earth at work for a whole year and think they can come back and start where they left off. It doesn’t make economical, psychological, and every other sense. Yes, it would be wonderful if new skills and training don’t need to be developed constantly, and industry dynamics and organizations don’t change much in a year, and that our brains don’t need to be exercised constantly to stay on top of things. So maybe we need to relook at maternity leave and how we define it. Perhaps it’s not a full year of being completely away that can help us find a solution to what millions of women face every year, no job, or being shuffled to a less desired position when they come back. Maybe continuing to attend training sessions, being in meetings once a week or so can provide the balance we need to make business sense without threatening that crucial bond between mother and child in the first year. Maybe this balance is what we need so that women are NOT leaving the work force. Maybe this is what we need to finally narrow the gap between men and women in the workforce. Think about it, if women are leaving the workforce, meaning less and less women are available to take executive positions, the positions making the big decisions, how do we expect the tides to turn?

Read the recent Reader’s Digest article for more about.

Every women should read Chapter 7 of Sheryl Sandberg’s book Lean In. I have really appreciated a lot of the insight in the book so far, but this chapter really hit home for me. Sheryl tells it as it is and gives the whole family versus work debate a fresh and much needed perspective.

From a young age women are already thinking about the trade-offs they will make between professional and personal goals. I did it. Just a few weeks ago I had a friend, who was neither married or even in a relationship who had gotten into med school and decided to decline because she couldnt see herself being a doctor and raising a family. But this state of thinking leads to what Sheryl calls a tragedy. That “women wind up leaving the workforce precisely because of things they did to stay in the workforce. With the best of intentions, they end up in a job that is less fulfilling and less engaging. When they finally have a child, the choice - for those who have one - is between becoming a stay-at-home mother or returning to a less-than appealing professional situation”. It’s a cycle we need to get out of.

The ‘stay-at-home’ versus ‘work’ debate is an ugly one. It typically gets charged with emotions and become defensive. But it need not be. Let’s ask the hard questions and make the discussion open. Obviously there is no right answer, and every situation is different, but freedom of choice, which every women should have regarding this decision, comes with a responsibility to understand the various factors and educate ourselves about the repercussions of our decision. Personally, I dont think women do this enough.

I’m a product junky. And after a really bad experience with hair-highlighting gone wrong, I have been on the lookout for a miracle for my “i cant even get the comb through it” hair. And i’ve found it. I cannot even begin to tell you how wonderfully, amazing, the Saryna Key Shea Butter Hair Mask is. It is a miracle in a jar. Albeit, an expensive miracle (about $30 for a small jar, and almost $50 for the big one pictured above). This stuff is so rich that your hair feels like silk even when it’s wet. It smells wonderful, and because it’s so rich, a little goes a long way. I have never felt so strongly about a product. It leaves you with hair that is noticeably better looking (I’ve gotten compliments) and feeling (hello i cant stop touching my hair).

My other new find is from Elnett. Elnett is known for their fabulous hairspray (that only recently became available in Canada), and yes, it really is fabulous. But they also carry a heat protect styling spray, that I think is just as wonderful. It’s suppose to leave your hair frizz-free and straight for 3 days, and it does. Seriously.

So, Saryna Key Shea Butter + Elnett Heat Spray Straight = silky, smooth, soft hair. Do it.

OK.

Found my new love. I’m a notebook addict. I’ve been rockin Moleskines for so long. Im kinda tired of them so i’ve been searching for a neat new notebook to house all my crazy notes, conceptual frameworks, ideas, and all other random things that come to my head. And since it’s spring, no one does colour better than Pantone. Love this.

My fav dress of the summer.

I know, kinda schizophrenic of me, posting about lean startup practices in one blog and jumping to big striped gowns in the next. But i’m kinda like that. ANYWAYS, I cannot get over this dress. I saw it a few weeks ago in a magazine and have been thinking about it ever since.

So simple. So beautiful.