Don't overbook yourself this summer!

Ah, summertime is upon us. Lazy days, swimming pools and lemonade with the kids, right? Oh yeah, that was 40 years ago when Mom stayed home with the kids during summer vacation. Today's version is a little different, huh? Continue to manage the career, schedule the kids for drop offs and pick ups, which camp is it this week and what's the activity at daycare today? That might seem a little more familiar. The world sure has changed.

While "we" women continue to manage a career and somehow raise a family and still try to maintain good family values it can easily begin to take its toll on us. Being a mom, career women and always on the go I recently made time to sit back and relax on our recent summer vacation. Trying to squeeze in a little RnR time with the fam before my summer gets too crazy with kids schedules, holiday launches for Go Girl and my commitment as field hockey coordinator for my community, we decided to sneak away to the Atlantic coast.

For the first time in the history of our family we did nothing on vacation. No extra special adventures, theme parks or explorations. Just simply sat on the beach / side of the pool for seven days. And to my amazement, it was awesome. I didn't feel rushed, annoyed by standing in line or like some lost tourist. Although I didn't add any additional knowledge of some great land or mission by our forefathers to our brains, I did get to spend quality time with the kids.

So while the summer is officially upon us and the ever fun vacation lies ahead, be sure to take a deep breathe, relax, spend time with the family and just enjoy. Don't overbook yourself or your kids.

Why pink?

Why does the color pink mean girl? Coca-Cola is red, Pepsi is blue, McDonalds is yellow and red, Christmas is red and green and anything to do with being cute and girlie is pink. Yuck. Beyond the stereotype that redheads can’t wear pink, I don't love pink, nor does my daughter and we both have girlie characteristics.

On a recent trip to the ever popular Wal-Mart I decided to scout the toy isle for the latest and the greatest girl empowering toys. And yep, to my astonishment (not really) there weren’t any. However the girls row was lined in pink, Pepto-Bismol Barbie pink. There was “bling bling” fashion head Barbie with sparkly graphics, Happy Birthday Barbie, Princess Barbie, Fairytopia Barbie, Beautiful Bride Barbie and My Scene Barbie and of course my ultra favorite (again, not really) Bratz dolls. All with loads of make-up, colored hair, enhanced lip features and belly button showing cropped tees. Not anywhere were there positive role models for girls. Although I will give credit to Polly Pocket, it was the only toy I saw that wasn’t over the top sexual for girls, but with all the tiny pieces involved – what mother wants to regroup Polly’s extras to their rightful home?

Why must girls be branded to be princesses, brides or the need to love hair, make-up and clothes at such a young age? Where are dolls that are different and represent a wide variety of girl characteristics? The rebellious one, the sporty one, smart one? Where are those girls? I bet those girls wouldn’t be wearing pink.

The difference between girls and boys

Ever noticed how the topic on the difference between girls and boys can quickly be agreed upon the idea that they are in fact different? But have you ever realized the biggest difference between boys and girls is in the way we raise them, even from the earliest stages?

Think with me for a second:

A fire engine rushes past your house.
Whom do you call to the window to see it? Your daughter, or your son?

You drive past a wedding party.
Whose attention do you call to it? Your daughter’s, or your son’s?

Out walking with your children, you pass a woman with a baby.
With whom do you share you “Aww’s” with? Your daughter, or your son?

You drive past a building under construction.
To whom do you point out the cranes, trucks and workers to? Your son, or your daughter?

We are all to blame for creating the stereotypes for our daughters. It’s the world we live in. We expect boys and girls to behave differently; therefore, we treat them differently.

I have met some very strong-willed women in my life who agree up and down that Barbie is a bimbo and we should be raising our daughters to be independent and strong yet even they’ve practiced “oooing” and “awwing” over babies with their daughters. Even I found myself in a bitter argument with my daughter about choosing a dress for her 5th grade graduation recently. “But you must wear a dress, it’s an important occasion” I told her. And while I was against anything strapless or sleazy for a ten year old (yes, it’s out there), we ended up buying a dress she hated, I loved it and reminded me of the cute little dresses I would buy her from Gymboree when she was three. Hello, even I was victimizing my own daughter to be society’s nice (someone slap me!) and wear the right thing. Needless to say I’ve retracted my demand to wear the dress and will be offering my daughter her own choice of what to wear to the event.

By consciously not over influencing our daughters to be different than boys from an early age will help in the long term. I encourage you the next time you find yourself offering words of difference between girls and boys to stop and rethink. The simplest change could prove positive in the future.

Friday June 2, 2006 Rant & Rave

Happy Friday! Here's the up to the minute Rants & Raves...




Raves to Katharine Close

A 13-year-old New Jersey girl making her fifth straight appearance at the Scripps National Spelling Bee rattled off "ursprache" to claim the title of America's best speller on prime-time television Thursday night. Katharine Close, an eighth-grader at the H.W. Mountz School in Spring Lake, N.J., is the first girl since 1999 to win the national spelling title. Cheers to Katharine, You Go Girl!



Rant to Anna Nicole Smith

Who cares if she is pregnant? Don't the tabloids have anything better to publish, like has Britney tossed K-Fed to the curb yet? And who's Britney's new male Nanny?



Rant or Rave - You decide

Comic book heroine Batwoman is to make a comeback as a "lipstick lesbian" who moonlights as a crime fighter. Huh? I'm all for empowering women, but this is true empowerment. A women who can completely take care of herself!!!!



Does this mean that the world will eventually reveal that Rainbow Brite was also a lipstick lesbian? At least she dressed the part.

Natalie Maines of the Dixie Chicks Receives the Go Girl & Co. Fearless Female Award

Taneytown, MD – May 31, 2006 - Go Girl & Co. is proud to honor Natalie Maines, lead singer of the Dixie Chicks, with their Fearless Female Award. The Fearless Female Award is given in recognition of a woman who embodies the Go Girl & Co. ideals: powerful, determined, smart, independent and unafraid to speak her mind. In other words, fearless!

Described as controversial and defiant, Maines made international news for speaking out against President Bush at a concert in London in March 2003. Her outspokenness caused an uproar among Chicks fans, resulting in personal death threats. In recent news coverage surrounding the release of the Dixie Chicks fourth album, Taking the Long Way, Maines has stood by not only her statement, but her right to speak her beliefs. Maines has proven that not only is she human with feelings but that she is entitled to her feelings, and as an American has the right to speak out whether the world likes it or not. She has come out swinging in her own, and is embarking, together with her Chick-mates on a world tour with their seven children.

Born in Lubbock, TX, Maines dropped out of college, joined the Dixie Chicks in 1995 at the age of 21 ready to take on the world. Winner of countless Grammy and CMA awards, wife, mother of two, Maines accomplishments simply round her ambitious attitude.

Natalie Maines tops the list as most Fearless Female for her pioneering, assertive ways. With these wonderful attributes and role model qualities for girls and women alike, cheers to Natalie Maines, Winner of the Go Girl & Co Fearless Female Award. To commemorate the award, Maines will receive a Go Girl & Co. “Fearless” t-shirt.