Sarah Oliver is the owner/designer of the fun-meets-elegant Sarah Oliver Handbags (www.saraholiverhandbags.com). Here’s what this Mill Valley, Calif., mom of two has to say:
“I’m getting back to work! It is not that I didn’t work this summer, because I did put in my share of hours. But to be honest, I also took advantage of the warm summer days and long evenings and enjoyed myself as much as possible with friends and family. I do feel guilty at times that I can set my own schedule, but that is one of the perks of owning your own business.
Fall is the busiest time of year for me in my business; I have huge goals that I want to accomplish for myself, my family and my business. A personal goal is to get into shape with a running group I joined earlier this year. Though I took some time away from the group during the summer, I’m back in step working toward running a race in a few months. I want to get back to a regular exercise routine—track workouts on Tuesday mornings at 6 a.m., trail running on Saturday mornings at 8 a.m. and hiking, biking or going for walks on the other days.
I’m also getting back to structure. Summers bring chaos with my kids’ schedules taking me in all directions. I love being with my kids, but as summer comes to an end, I am reminded that kids need structure, too, and I know that they will get that as soon as they get back to school.
For me, fall is a chance to start fresh in a much more energized way than I can ever hope for on New Year’s Day. Although I have an office, I spend most of my working hours at home during the summer. I can’t wait to get back to my office. I can’t wait to be surrounded by all the textiles I use in my business. I can’t wait to work on my new designs for Spring/Summer 2010. I can’t wait to see all the possibilities when I get back to work this fall.” |
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 Arielle Penn is the founder of mommy group Prime Time Mommies and a psychotherapist. Here’s what this Valley Village, Calif., mom of one has to say:
“In pondering this question, I initially was quite flummoxed as to how I would respond. As a psychotherapist, I tend to try to be current with my feelings and focus on resolves rather than twisting in the wind and allowing anxiety to rear its ugly head.
As a new mommy to my baby Hannah, who was born Oct. 23, 2008, my life has been turned upside down from the day of conception to the present: failed IVFs, a pregnancy filled with all-consuming worry, a prior lifestyle where it was all about me (okay, also my husband), a baby colicky for three months. I wondered if I would survive it all—not to mention how at a loss I was as to how to assuage her screeching cries. My baby cried each day for five hours straight. Needless to say, all turned out well and my baby is the greatest blessing in my life and, surprisingly, mommyhood has been an all-consuming endeavor that I am so blessed to experience and enjoy immensely. Since it was so difficult to conceive, my work at dependency court quickly became a distant memory—and I became a stay-at-home mom. Work is really overrated.
Everything in my existence is all about baby Hannah and the selfless desire to make her world one in which she is kept out of harm’s way and parented according to the experts in the field. This enormous responsibility is a journey that I love and am glad that I waited on, for maturity and selflessness are qualities one must have to be a parent. I do it all from the heart.
So what do I want to get back to? The answer is quite simple: lying in bed. As the summer comes to a quick close, I am beginning to see a glimpse of space and time for me, guilt-free. I am going to resume some work—home health care that will afford me to still spend 95 percent of my time caring for my baby. Money coming in is always appreciated and needed.
Yet the routine I most long for is lying in bed and reading or merely enjoying the warmth of my bed, a pastime that has become only a distant, fading memory. I will allow myself to close out the world that is in constant motion. As a mommy, I find that each moment is filled with things to do (cleaning, laundry, errands, cooking, going to playdates and so on), and I often feel depleted when I finally crawl into my bed, my once haven. So I will take a time out from my world only to lie in bed. Perhaps I will gather my favorite reading materials, The Los Angeles Times and Vanity Fair, or I will just lie in bed and let my mind wander and allow my imagination to soar. I will hope to feed my soul and enjoy the quietude where nothing needs to be done, where phones don’t exist and where it is all about me for just a short while.
Perhaps there are seemingly more appropriate things I should resume, such as exercise or taking time to primp. The reality is that I now exercise more than ever: I am chasing my baby Hannah. And primping often seems like another task—so it will remain on my list of things to do. All told, I look forward to the end of summer with a twinge of sadness but a great deal of excitement that my lying in bed is near.” |
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 Sheridan Savio founded www.clips4acure.com. The 14-year cancer survivor is a single mom of two girls. Here’s what the Orange County mom has to say:
“This fall as my girls go back to school and I get back to work as a physical therapist, I can’t help but think about those suffering with cancer. I am fortunate to be among those who can be called a cancer survivor. Thank God, family and friends for prayers and support now and during my ordeal.
My dream is to be part of helping find a cure for cancer. Moms, daughters, grandmothers, cousins, friends and colleagues will join together for cancer walks, runs, benefits and fundraisers. I can’t encourage participation in these events enough! I participated in Relay for Life in my hometown, Rancho Santa Margarita, Calif., this summer. Developing a team was fun and easy. It’s a great way to chat and hang out with friends and the ones you love while raising money for this great cause that affects us all in some way. Also, hearing other survivors’ stories was quite incredible and inspirational.
Juggling being a single mom and working full-time during these busy months—one job per diem on the weekends when I don’t have the girls, and one at schools during the week (works great for the kids’ hours)—along with running my own small business, Clips4acure, sometimes it’s hard to get downtime. If I do start to relax, I feel like I need to be doing something…I’m sure there are lots of other moms who feel the same way. But, most of all, my job as a MOM is the absolute BEST and I treasure every minute I have with my girls!” |
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