Will We Ever Get There?

I'm a part-time stay-at-home mom, part-time working mom. In addition to working on starting G is 4 Girl, I have a day job (one that pays the bills) at my family's business, a printing company.

I've been there for over 10 years and now know the business inside and out. While there are more and more female printing business owners and leaders in our industry, I think it's fair to say it's still male-dominated. Some of the men I encounter in day-to-day operations still harbor some odd ideas of how to treat and respond to women in the workplace.

Example: while acting as the head of our company, I encountered a vendor who came through our front door and well, I guess took a liking to me, in a sense. He proceeded to make comments to me that he never would make to a male. He started off with the whole "hey, sweetie," attitude, which is one thing, but the next incident was entirely another: He was there to pick up one of our machines to return it to our leasing facility. When I said he might have trouble getting through a narrow corridor, he mentioned he's never had a problem with narrow spaces because he's well-endowed (he used more colorful language than that, but I'll spare you the details).

He said this as he was exiting our facility, and I was so shocked, I just stood there wondering what on earth had just happened.

Most males I encounter in business are not like this. Most treat women as equals and with respect. Though incidents like these still do happen. And inequalities still exist. Most of the people placing orders with us are executive assistants and 95% of them are women. Most of the business cards we print with titles such as "CEO," "President," or "Vice-Anything," have male names above them.

Yes, we have come a long way. I thank my mother, her generation, and the generations of women who came before us for paving the way and expanding our rights to be equal to that of men. But we still have a ways to go. I hope that in 20 years when my daughter enters the workforce, tales such as these will be nothing more than outdated memories of the way things used to be.

That's one reason I started G is 4 Girl. Girls may encounter situations that make them feel inferior. We need to instill in them a belief and confidence to know that derogatory statements made to them are garbage. That they really can do amazing things and that their achievements can equal those of any male. I believe it. Hopefully all girls believe it too. And maybe, someday, no one else on this planet will take further convincing.

For more ways to inspire girls, check out this awesome organization started to help inspire girls to be strong, Girls Inc.

Even the little things to help the earth count -- we hope!

I just recently can say that I've "Gone Green." And I'm 35 years old.

Kind of embarrassing, I know. But before I moved to a recycling-friendly community, I didn't really consider doing it. It seemed to difficult, and I didn't have the time. Always an excuse.

Now I recycle as much as I can. Even drive to a facility to drop off my plastic bags that our curbside recycler doesn't take. We no longer buy plastic bottles, but use reusable ones from the Gis4Girl store (find cool SIGG ones here). We use reusable grocery bags. We bought a more fuel-efficient vehicle.

Hopefully my carbon footprint is smaller now. I'd like to think it makes a difference, even a microscopic one.

Environmentalists such as Fabien Cousteau, son of famed ocean explorer Jacques Cousteau, say it will help. And he says we should be worried.

The garbage we create can eventually come back to haunt us. Take for example the Great Pacific Garbage Patch (you can read more about it here, as featured on Oprah this past Earth Day). It's basically a floating garbage dump in the middle of the Pacific Ocean that covers an area twice the size of Texas. It contains over 100,000,000 tons of debris, most of it plastic. Only 20% of it seems to be dumped from ships; the rest comes from land, including the U.S. The problem is it's killing millions of animals, which in itself is a tragedy. Where it will hit home, is when the loss of these animals directly effects the world's food supply.

So do what you can for your future and your kids future. And get your kids involved and educated about their part in helping the environment by checking out the EPA's kids site and an organization called Kids for Saving Earth.

For a laugh, see how Paul Rudd and his furry friends help the earth stay clean!

'Til next time,
Erin

Breastfeeding at the Zoo: Lions & Tigers & Boobs = Oh My?!?

My family and I went to the Brookfield Zoo yesterday along with hundreds of other families who had the same idea to hang with the animals on a beautiful Chicagoland day. Our time there was wonderful, despite my getting riled up at a woman who apparently feels public breastfeeding is disgusting.

You see, on our walk around the park, we noticed a woman off to the side, sitting on a bench, nursing her baby. She was covered in a breastfeeding "cape," the same kind I used when I nursed my daughter in public. Zero skin was exposed. You couldn't even see the baby, except for his tiny feet dangling from beneath the fabric. As we walked past the mother, a woman in a group next to us declared, "That is disgusting! With all of these people around, look at her breastfeeding in public! Doesn't she know there's a place for her to go and do that in private!"

Well!

I'm kind of a shy person generally, until my buttons are pushed, and this time, consider them pushed to the point of no return.

I stayed relatively calm and said, "Breastfeeding is not disgusting! She has a right to sit there and do that just as anyone else does."

The woman didn't respond, but just walked away. I am assuming she also bypassed the gorilla house too, since -- heaven forbid -- she see an ape nursing her young, like we did on a prior zoo visit.

Any child passing by the nursing mother would have no clue that a baby was being breastfed beneath, unless perhaps his or her own mother used a similar cape with a younger sibling. Let's just say the mother was being extremely discreet. No boobage was being exposed. Nary a nipple was being revealed to passersby. What this disapproving woman disliked was THE IDEA that a boob lay beneath the garment doing its God-given job. (BTW, her husband who accompanied her didn't seem to have an opinion on the subject; in fact, no one in her group seconded her declaration).

And this "place" she referred to for nursing a child in private? A "nursing station" located in the women's bathroom. Let me first say that I commend the Brookfield Zoo for conceiving such a place at all. That's the first time I have ever seen a place specifically made for mothers to go nurse their babies other than a nursing station at a hospital where I once visited someone with my infant daughter in tow.

However, the nursing station at the zoo was a doorless nook located at the back of the very stuffy, hot, and rather smelly women's bathroom. It included a bench and a sink, but not much fresh air, and honestly -- I myself wouldn't want to eat a meal in there. In fact, when I finished my business, I escaped ASAP. The doors were propped open to alleviate some of the stuffiness on an 80-degree day, so others at the zoo must have agreed that the place was hot and stinky.

In addition, when I nursed my daughter, I spent so much time indoors nursing her, that when we went on a picnic, to a festival or the zoo, I was so thrilled to be outdoors, I didn't want to go inside and find a "nursing station!" My daughter at times nursed for up to an hour. There's no way I would or should spend a beautiful day cooped up in a john for an hour to feed my child. No one should have to. And thank heavens that--at least in Illinois--legally, no one has to.

For more information on Breastfeeding Rights and laws in your area, check out this article on Parenting.com.

'Til next time,
Erin

Boogie Wipes Rule!

If you could look up the definition of "runny nose" in the dictionary, you'd probably find a picture of every child on the planet. You'd also probably find some cranky ones, irratable with sore, red noses irritated from too much tissue use.

That's why I'd like to recommend Boogie Wipes! First let me state that I have no association with the company that makes Boogie Wipes, nor have I ever received free samples of their products to review. Their product literally hit me in the face at the grocery store at the same time my daughter was experiencing a bad cold. She refused tissues, even the aloe-filled ones, because they began to hurt when used.

Boogie Wipes contain saline and are made specifically for tender little noses. When we used them, my daughter said, "My nose doesn't hurt anymore!"

Even better, the company was founded by two "Mompreneurs" who saw a need for a product such as this.

Go to the Boogie Wipes website to learn more and get a $1 Off Coupon!

Back-to-School Lunch Tips & Tricks

Its Back to School time already! To help you get back into the lunch packing routine, G is 4 Girl came up with some back-to-school lunching ideas to make kids more eager to eat the healthy stuff and moms lives easier:

Get Dippin' - No, not in the pool. That's summer stuff! Kids like dipping things--and not just chicken nuggets. Fruits and veggies go down easier with something to plunk them in: peanut butter, Cool Whip, ranch dressing, hummus. Discover how some carrot sticks and a little Tupperware cup of your dip of choice can go a long way!

Let the Kids Help - Let them pick out a cool lunch box or insulated bag to store their meal in and pack lunches together the night before. Letting your kids help and help choose what they'll be eating might make them more interested in taking a bite in the lunchroom.

Buy a Thermos - In the "old" days (or our generation) thermoses came with the lunch boxes. Not anymore. So invest in one. On a cold day, nothing gives a kid a sense of home more than a hot cup of homemade soup!

Buy Tupperware - According to HGTV.com, prepared lunches (think Lunchables) are high in calories and low in nutrients. In addition, they cost about $16 per pound! Get small, fun containers to put healthy foods in that they can stack and match without spending a fortune on something prepared for you.

Mom Meet Freezer - Make up a bunch of peanut butter or turkey sandwiches and freeze them for use later in the week.

Spice up Sandwiches - Use cookie cutters to cut sandwiches into fun shapes. Or ditch the usual Wonder Bread and try pitas or whole grain tortillas for rollup sandwiches.

Bye Bye Brown Bananas - School lunchroom ladies everywhere say one item that often ends up in the trash is bruised fruit (beat up bananas, squished peaches, etc.). Get your kids their daily servings of fruit by slicing up fruit and mixing it in a cup of lowfat vanilla yogurt. Buy a large container of yogurt and you'll save money over the individual, pre-made cups. They're healthier too!

Personalize It - One of my best memories of school lunches was getting a daily note written on a napkin by my mom. She worked full-time and early, and often we didn't see each other in the morning before school. It was nice to open up my lunch box and find a special message from her inside. It helped me get through what sometimes seemed like long days away from home! Thanks Mom!

For lunch box recipes, check out About.com's school lunch page.

'Til next time,
Erin

Girls for a Change: Helping Girls Change their Worlds

On G is 4 Girl Blogs! we like to feature organizations aimed at helping girls achieve great things. Last week, I came across a cool one that does just that: Girls for a Change.

As stated on their site, "Girls for a Change is a national organization that empowers girls to create social change." Since 2002, they have inspired girls to conquer problems and help people in their own neighborhoods by providing them with the tools and resources they need to make a difference. While Girls for a Change aims to help girls everywhere, they are especially committed to helping girls in low-income areas. They began in the Silicon Valley and branched out to the Phoenix area in 2005, followed by a Girls Summit National Tour in 2008, where they taught more than 2,500 girls about social change and how to implement it in their own communities.

What is a very cool part of this program, is that the girls frequently meet with and learn from their "coaches" -- professional women volunteers who guide them toward achieving their goals. With their guidance, not only do girls do something helpful in their communities, they learn that they have the power and strength to make those changes happen. Girl power in action!

Maybe someday soon there will be a Girls for a Change group near you!

'Til next time,
Erin

Girl World Daily: Online Mag for Preteens & Teens

We at G is 4 Girl are proud and super-excited to announce our partnership with Girl World Daily, an online magazine for tweens and teen girls that can be found on our G is 4 Girl website!

This is a really cool -- and free! -- online magazine filled with articles, interviews, and quizzes tailor-made for girls. It covers topics such as health, entertainment, relationships and more in a fun and engaging way. Better yet -- Girl World Daily shares our mission of empowering girls and making them feel good about themselves as they navigate the turbulent tween years. I wish I had something like this when I was a tween!

The magazine is created and edited by Studio One Networks, a New York-based media firm specializing in award-winning multimedia content.

'Til next time,
Erin