Tag Archives: work

How I Bring Home the Bacon

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Today I’m linking up with Growing up Geeky for Toddle Along Tuesday. This weeks topic: occupation. I wrote a post the other day about how I feel about being a full time working mommy, now here is what I actually do!

I haven’t participated in a while but I thought this was a good one to jump back in for. How do I bring home the bacon aka What do I do for work? That is a good question! I’m sure some of my family members aren’t even sure exactly what I do. Do I know exactly what I do? Somedays the answer might be no!

Officially I am a User Experience Designer for a large travel company (think talking gnome and you will figure out where I work – any guesses?).What does that mean? I work on the travel website and help develop new features, as well as refine existing ones. I work on the experience the user will have while on the site; the information design, the visual design and the interaction while using the site to book travel. Still unsure? Pretty much when you use a website, someone in my role would be responsible for the information layout, the visual design of that information, how you can interact (click, move, select, view) with the content and the steps you take to complete your task (purchase).

So in short, I’m a website designer, that has involved into a UX (User Experience) Designer now. Now that I have labeled myself a designer or artist, people would think that I’m artistic and designer-y… Well, honestly, I’m not! I am lucky I can draw stick figures with Lennox! I can solve a problem for a website, and work within brand guidelines, but I don’t see myself as an artist or designer type — outside of websites and brand at least! Lennox and I will have something in common as she is learning to draw — I hope she will be able to draw better than her mommy and daddy!!

A few fun things about my job — travel benefits and fun places I get sent! We personally used our great discount at disney and headed to disney before Lennox was a twinkle in our eye – can you say cheap hotels ($45/night and free disney pass!)

I have been sent some fun places as well. We have had marketing meetings in Las Vegas & Denver.

I also traveled to the Buenos Aires office earlier this year:

I have been lucky enough to WIN two trips! One was our San Francisco trip during spring 2011 and the other was the Carnival Cruise this past october for our anniversary!

Besides meetings and winning trips, I have had the pleasure of going to SXSWi (Interactive Conference in Austin) two years (2010 & 2011). So all in all, I have a fun job with some great benefits (other than travel – I get almost 6 weeks of time off)!

 

 

Full-time Working Mommy

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Today I’m linking up with Amber over at The Browsing Brunette for Mommy Confession Link Up!

If anyone tells you being a full-time working mom is easy, they must be lying! I love my job and have a great career going, and financially, I don’t have another option, but there are some days/weeks (especially after time off or long weeks) that I really wish I didn’t have to work. I wish I could spend that time with my daughter and watch how she is going up (way too fast).

Most of the time, we are in our routine and it is what it is. We get up, we have breakfast, get ready for the day, head to school/work and then after work we get home, have a few hours of playtime, dinner, bath then bed. Day in and day out, that is pretty much how it goes. An hour in the morning, 3-ish hours in the afternoon. That isn’t very much time when you really start thinking about it. AND on top of all that, those hours in the afternoon are Lennox’s WORST hours of the day. She is tired from her day at school, she is hungry for dinner, she doesn’t know what she wants to do. So all that, equals a not very happy girl some days and tired parents.

I know that Montessori has been extremely beneficial for Lennox and even if I was a SAHM, she would have to go part-time or at least get involved in some activities, but at least then it would be on my own schedule! She is learning more than I could possibly teach her everyday and she loves school, so I’m sure she is very happy, but some days its is just sad to think of how much time with her I’m missing due to work.

I’m thankful for a good school for Lennox and a good job (which also has great benefits - almost 6 weeks of time off) so I do get to take some long spans of time with Lennox. In a week and a half, I will get 2 whole weeks off with her and I CAN NOT WAIT! How do the other full-time working mommies out there feel?