... Not for me. I get the blues on Monday evening. I am a smarter worker. Or is this I am lucky to have an employer who has allowed a four day working week? How does my flexi week look? Well I don’t work Mondays. That is, I am not paid for my work on a Monday, because on Monday I am a stay at home Mum. However, it gets better because for the rest of the week I can pretty much choose where I work. I have a designated desk in a ‘traditional’ office space. However, I also have the flexibility to work where is most convenient for me. This could be allocated desk, or my converted garage – now a comfortable home office or anywhere else, as I maybe out and about as my role dictates.
I realise I am very lucky. Although (the past and present) government have ‘encouraged’ flexible working patterns for working parents with children under 5 or now school age, in practice, from my friends and peers, this seems only an option if you apply for a part time role or if you work in the public sector. Within the private sector, this is less common.
One of my good friends Caroline, works in financial sales. Like me, she enjoys a 4 days working week. However, she is regularly contacted on her non paid working day by her (relatively new) MD, who once left a message on her voicemail stating, “Call me back. I don’t know if you are working or not and I don’t understand this part time thing!” For the past 2 years she has worked Monday – Thursday. She smashes her sales targets and will call clients back if urgent and if she is able.
This seems to be a fairly standard. There is fear if you are managing a career role in part-time hours. We tend to have a working acceptance of ‘presenteeism’ and not objective led performance management. I do hope we see this change so everyone (and not just working parents) can benefit as I am.
Monday 19 July 2010
Aging
In June I turned 37. Now for people 38 and older this is nothing. But for me it was a significant birthday. I now feel very close to 40 and I have started to be more critical with my skin. I think, and my friends tell me, that I look OK. However, I have two problems, a red nose (due to constant hay fever from April to October every year) and what I now call my turkey neck. I have vertical fine lines on my neck, which I notice every morning when I do my make-up.
A friend mentioned a facial she has for her Rosacea at a local clinic. Within a couple of visits her condition was so improved there is no obvious signs of the redness. She swears by the work of Sue Barrett at The Loft Anti Aging Clinic. So I looked up the site , had a brief telephone discussion with Sue and booked myself in.
The loft treatment rooms are above a converted garage. Beautiful scents greet you as you open the wooden door at the top of the stairs. Sue guided me through a short questionnaire and made me comfortable in her treatment room. Before she began she was honest and said I didn’t look like I had any problems (she is used to treating scarring from severe acne, very aged skin and bad skin conditions). However, she did say I was a classic skin tone 1. Under her magnifying glass she did see sun damage to my neck, top of forehead and a slight loss of collagen on my cheeks. She advised a ‘Vitamin A enriched’ facial.
The Loft uses a South African range called Environ and I enjoyed a 1 ½ hour treatment facial. At a later date and hopefully with Sues help I will detail the exact products and processes used.
Other advice offered Рfrom April to October I should not leave the house without a sun screen on my face, neck and d̩collet̩. I did question this. Recently I have read a lot about women who are deficient in vitamin D. Due mainly to our paranoia skin cancer and sun aging, thus hiding ourselves away from the sun (with high factor creams and a stylish kaftan!). I was advised that 10 minutes of arm and leg exposure was sufficient and in the winter to take a supplement. A further piece of interesting advice was regarding sun screen SPF factors. For the past few years I have been using factor 50 on myself and children (a variety of brands; Clarins, Clinique, Boots Soltan, Boots No. 7 and more recently Ambre Solare). Sue advised that a factor 15 regularly reapplied was what I needed as the extra chemicals added to the high factor creams were just as bad for my skin as the sun damage I was protecting against.
So did I have the facial and leave – no don’t be silly! I had to have a little bag with goodies. Sue also stocked a brand of fake tan (I have not used fake tanning since I was at university!) called ‘Fake Bake’. Of course I couldn’t resist and purchased Fake Bake Tanning Body Butter for dry skin and also took her advice and bought Environ RAD Factor 15 for face and body.
When I next have the bathroom to myself for more than two minutes I will test the fake tan and report back!
A friend mentioned a facial she has for her Rosacea at a local clinic. Within a couple of visits her condition was so improved there is no obvious signs of the redness. She swears by the work of Sue Barrett at The Loft Anti Aging Clinic. So I looked up the site , had a brief telephone discussion with Sue and booked myself in.
The loft treatment rooms are above a converted garage. Beautiful scents greet you as you open the wooden door at the top of the stairs. Sue guided me through a short questionnaire and made me comfortable in her treatment room. Before she began she was honest and said I didn’t look like I had any problems (she is used to treating scarring from severe acne, very aged skin and bad skin conditions). However, she did say I was a classic skin tone 1. Under her magnifying glass she did see sun damage to my neck, top of forehead and a slight loss of collagen on my cheeks. She advised a ‘Vitamin A enriched’ facial.
The Loft uses a South African range called Environ and I enjoyed a 1 ½ hour treatment facial. At a later date and hopefully with Sues help I will detail the exact products and processes used.
Other advice offered Рfrom April to October I should not leave the house without a sun screen on my face, neck and d̩collet̩. I did question this. Recently I have read a lot about women who are deficient in vitamin D. Due mainly to our paranoia skin cancer and sun aging, thus hiding ourselves away from the sun (with high factor creams and a stylish kaftan!). I was advised that 10 minutes of arm and leg exposure was sufficient and in the winter to take a supplement. A further piece of interesting advice was regarding sun screen SPF factors. For the past few years I have been using factor 50 on myself and children (a variety of brands; Clarins, Clinique, Boots Soltan, Boots No. 7 and more recently Ambre Solare). Sue advised that a factor 15 regularly reapplied was what I needed as the extra chemicals added to the high factor creams were just as bad for my skin as the sun damage I was protecting against.
So did I have the facial and leave – no don’t be silly! I had to have a little bag with goodies. Sue also stocked a brand of fake tan (I have not used fake tanning since I was at university!) called ‘Fake Bake’. Of course I couldn’t resist and purchased Fake Bake Tanning Body Butter for dry skin and also took her advice and bought Environ RAD Factor 15 for face and body.
When I next have the bathroom to myself for more than two minutes I will test the fake tan and report back!
Friday 16 July 2010
New product for me
Have you heard of Arbonne? Well, you can be excused if you haven’t. One of my friends and neighbours has just introduced me. Jo has become an independent Arbonne consultant. What this means is there is now a high end quality skincare and make up range, available in a ‘party plan format’ and this could come to a home like yours.
Jo like me is a working mother. However, upon the birth of her 3rd child she decided a full time role in HR (after working in sales, marketing and other senior positions) was not for her, right now. Her young family needed to take priority. What was interesting is how she discovered this skincare and cosmetic range and opportunity on our village ‘mummy network’. I have recently been invited to a “Jamie at home party”, an “Osborne book party”, an “Ann Summers party” (not really for me) and I recently attended and spent £45 at a “Pampered Chef party”. Jo attended an Arbonne party at a friend’s and was so sold on the products and the difference it has made to her skin, that she now wants to test this as a business, to keep her at home, rather than in an office.
I am a hard one to sell too. I have my routine and it works for me, so why change? However, there is one product that I have tested and now bought; Arbonne FC5 Ultra Hydrating Hand Creme. I have swapped my Liz Earle Hand Repair for this. I use as I go to bed (Liz Earle is still on my desk at the office) and my hands feel soft in the morning!
Whether I start to use more of the range is yet to be seen. However, Arbonne will soon be calling at my house as I host a ‘party’ to help Jo start her new business.
Jo like me is a working mother. However, upon the birth of her 3rd child she decided a full time role in HR (after working in sales, marketing and other senior positions) was not for her, right now. Her young family needed to take priority. What was interesting is how she discovered this skincare and cosmetic range and opportunity on our village ‘mummy network’. I have recently been invited to a “Jamie at home party”, an “Osborne book party”, an “Ann Summers party” (not really for me) and I recently attended and spent £45 at a “Pampered Chef party”. Jo attended an Arbonne party at a friend’s and was so sold on the products and the difference it has made to her skin, that she now wants to test this as a business, to keep her at home, rather than in an office.
I am a hard one to sell too. I have my routine and it works for me, so why change? However, there is one product that I have tested and now bought; Arbonne FC5 Ultra Hydrating Hand Creme. I have swapped my Liz Earle Hand Repair for this. I use as I go to bed (Liz Earle is still on my desk at the office) and my hands feel soft in the morning!
Whether I start to use more of the range is yet to be seen. However, Arbonne will soon be calling at my house as I host a ‘party’ to help Jo start her new business.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
