Hi All – Enjoy this hilarious post by badassmama (whom I also blog with at Working Mother Magazine )…that first sentence about working moms was all need to read to know that we are blood sisters! Please be sure to check out her blog when you can too, which is where I lifted this post from…

- Swati

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When you really think about it, most working moms are like a cross between Wonder Woman,Cinderella (without the whole need-to-be-rescued thing) and a dish rag.

Let me explain.

Most days of the week, we rise with the dawn and put on our superhero costume. While Diana favored golden hot pants and an eagle-encrusted corset, most working moms lean more toward the suit-and-pumps look. We apply our superhero mask (one part concealer, two parts tinted moisturizer and one part mascara/blush/lip gloss – we might even sweep on some eye shadow on a good day). We drop the kids to day care or school, leave them with the nanny or a grandparent and off we go to save the world (or at least our little corner of any given corporation).

Over the course of the day, at least a few times each week, we are complimented on our intelligence and strategic planning skills. Someone may flirt with us on the street. We are looked upon with admiration and even envy by young folks just entering our profession, or kids just looking to get their foot in the door with an informational interview. When we go out of town for a business meeting, industry event or speaking engagement we can feel inspired, aspirational, powerful.

And then we come home.

The front door itself can feel like Kryptonite, slowly but consistently eating away at our super powers. We remove our super suit (boogers and Oreo crumbs are never a good look)), take off the pumps and wash off the mask because really, what’s the point? We change into something dreary, comfortable, machine washable and slowly but consistently transform from the belle of the ball to something more akin to a dishrag. Always dirty, often smelly and constantly cleaning up someone else’s mess. And like a dish rag, we’re not much to look at. Taken for granted really. We do our jobs and end each day crumpled up, stained and thrown into the corner without much thought.

In the morning, we press repeat and the cycle continues.

I don’t know about you, but I’d really like to feel more like Wonder Woman than a dish rag. Well, a girl can always dream…

p.s. Took the trip to California. Gave a great speech at the business school on Saturday, took the red eye home and returned to 2 sick kids. Just call me Super-Cinderella.

Hi everyone: Here are some wonderful words of advice from my friends at eHarmony UK –  I have to say that filling out those online questionnaires on eHarmony really made me think hard about what I wanted in a partner…hope you find this useful!

Swati

Do’s and Don’ts of Internet Dating

Here are a few guidelines to get you started in the heady world of internet dating…

Do think about your deal breakers. Online dating is very different to conventional dating, because the pool of people available is so much bigger. Once you’ve signed up to a good online site, you’ll find a vast array of possible dating partners. Faced with all this choice, it’s easy to get sidelined. So before you decide who to message, poke or email, be aware of what’s important to you in a relationship. If you know you couldn’t date someone who has a big dog, skip the profile picture with the Alsatian! The point of internet dating is to find someone who’s just right for you. However…

Don’t make snap judgements. Remember, profile pictures are just one shot. And though ‘About Me’ sections are helpful, a spelling mistake or a flat joke doesn’t mean that you’ve no chance of compatibility. So there’s no harm in giving someone who reaches out to you the benefit of the doubt. Profiles are just first impressions; communicating further or emailing can give you a real idea of the person.

Don’t become obsessive. Online dating allows you to enter the wide world of New York-style dating, where (unlike real-world London or Manchester dating it’s perfectly OK to show an interest in several people at once). Until you meet up with someone, there’s no obligation to commit. So don’t just pick the one person who seems right for you; choose a whole lot of different people to reach out to. And if someone doesn’t seem to return your interest, let it go and move on – there are plenty more fish in the sea.

Do move it into the real world as soon as possible. Online dating is a great way to meet people, not a way to carry on a relationship. You’re more likely to find people you click with with the help of a database of compatible people, but online dating is about finding likely mates. Once you’ve exchanged a few messages, try moving things on to phone or meeting in person. There’s no point in stalling a great thing at the messaging level! But…

Do stay safe. As with all dates, don’t meet up with someone for the first time without telling a friend where you’re going and when you should be back. Don’t give out any bank account details or private information (such as your address) over the internet to someone you haven’t met.

Do be confident. Last but not least, remember that there’s nothing to lose. The beauty of the online dating world is that everyone whose profile you see is interested in a relationship. Unlike approaching someone in the bar, there’s no chance that the person you approach will be taken or disinterested in dating (ok, we are assuming here that the people you run into are being truthful – as most are). So follow your instincts, and message that cutie whose profile pic you like – there’s everything to gain.

Hi Everyone:

Today we have a thoughtful guest post by Maureen Page, momma and superhero to 2 equally super kids, aged 12 and 15.  She is especially known for her carrot peeling and apple washing abilities. Maureen’s post has some great reminders for all of us about putting family first.

Enjoy and thanks Maureen!

Swati

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Family First by Maureen Page

We are pulled in so many directions, that sometimes, spending time with the family gets pushed to the bottom of the list. A little massaging of the schedule and the daily routine and you can turn things completely around. The nice thing is that you don’t have to do much to create quality time, and to begin living the motto Family First!

BEGIN AND END TOGETHER:

Two things that parents and children have in common are residence and sustenance. Put them together, and you have the makings of some real family time.  Set everyone’s alarm clock just a few minutes early, and gather together in the kitchen for a bite and some encouraging conversation.  Greeting your children before they go off to school or work, making sure they begin the day with some proper nutrition, sends your child off for the day on a supporting note.

End the day with a family gathering, by creating a nightly dinner event.  This final meal offers wonderful opportunities to reestablish connection. It also provides the perfect opportunity to obtain timely information about your child’s activities, accomplishments, and frustrations.  Staying informed will help you maintain crucial influence, and provide steady guidance for situations your child has encountered during his or her day.

PLAY TOGETHER STAY TOGETHER:

As adults, we all need a certain amount of attention to feel good about ourselves. But children need it for their very development.  Sharing an activity is a fantastic way to deepen communication and provide a stable basis for shared understanding.  You can help forge strong bonds by finding common interests, and sharing them with your child.

DEMONSTRATE GENUINE INTEREST:

No matter the age, find something that your child likes to do, and tag along. If your daughter is at the dolls and tea party stage, take 5 minutes, and join her at the table for a sip or two.  Tell her how lovely Miss Bunny looks in her Easter frock, or how delicious the tea is this particular day.

If your son wants to be a rock star, show up at the beginning or end of his jam session with a plate of cookies or a cooler of soda for the guys. Spend a few minutes listening to their song. If you can find a few words of honest admiration for how they’re coming along, you’ll gain a lot of points.

If your child is older, engage them in an adult discussion about the job, or their choice of college or future goals. Try to listen to what they say without offering advice or criticism. You can always slip in some words of wisdom at another time, but for right now, remain open and non-judgmental.  Your child is much more likely to hear your hard-won words of advice after they’ve had the chance to express without having to defend.

KEEP THE COMMUNICATION CHANNEL CLEAR:

One of the biggest impediments to communication nowadays, is the overwhelming proliferation of electronic devices, all competing for your child (and your) attention. The best way to gain the cooperation of your child in minimizing these distractions is for you to be the role model.

Let your child know that when you’re driving him or her to a destination, your cell phone goes OFF because you want to make certain that nothing will interrupt your time together. Demonstrating how important it is for you to have your full attention on your child to talk, laugh, sit in companionable silence, will go a long way toward quieting the objections. Let them know that yes, it’s hard for mom or dad to put their phone away too, but it’s just that important for them to have your full attention.

This is also a great opportunity for you to explain the appropriate time and use for electronic devices.  Outline a schedule for putting devices away: meal times, travel time, school hours, bed time.  If you allow reasonable times for use, and follow your own rules, enforcing non-use will be a lot less problematic.

Change is never easy, but with these few, simple steps, you can lay the groundwork for open communication, respect for the rules, and trust in the idea that family takes precedence over all else.

About the Author

This article was written by Maureen Page, mom, and VP of Discount Security Cameras, your source for quality security cameras and security camera systems. Be sure to visit the Interactive Security Camera Learning Center mentioned in this article.

Hi All:

Enjoy this guest post by Ellen Sarver Dolgen, author of Shmirshky: the pursuit of hormone happiness, a light-hearted, informative, easy-to-read book on menopause.  In this post, Ms. Dolgen writes about the “hormone combustion” that happens when you have adolescent hormones and menopausal hormones in the same house, at the same time – YIKES! Some great tips included -

- Swati

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Now, more than ever, so many households are experiencing puberty and perimenopause and menopause (I call it PM&M for short) at the same time. Why? In 1980, the average age of a first time mother was 23. In 2010 that number jumped to almost 27 (26.8).  This matches up a 14 year old child with a 41 year old mother. So what happens when you mix adolescent hormones and menopausal hormones in the same house?  Hormone combustion!

These days, households with both teens and moms entering perimenopause and menopause (PM&M) can reach an atmosphere of playoff intensity and become a place of hate and not love.  That’s not a beneficial situation for anyone! I’ve heard so many stories that absolutely break my heart. From children going to stay with friends because neither child nor parent knew how to resolve the issues, to separation and divorce.

Sound familiar?  You’re not alone.

The good news is that amidst all this chaos, there is an opportunity to turn this time into one of growth and connection.  We can all get through this together, if we really get down to the business of what’s really going on.  Often the anger or frustration that we send outward is really just an overflow, or misdirection, of that same anger and frustration that we might have towards ourselves. Working on yourself, your own personal growth, knowing your body and being prepared, will help ease the tension you have in your relationships – particular with those closest to you.

It seems as soon as our children begin puberty they stop talking. They begin pushing adult figures away in an attempt to achieve independence.  This process is hard enough on mom, but if she is experiencing perimenopause and menopause (PM&M), it’s a dangerous combination. Often this leads to a lack – or complete loss of – communication between mother and child. When the communication lines are down, everyone suffers.

How do you fix this? Keep talking! Dig it out!  A simple hug instead of a look of disgust is a good place to begin. To do this, both the menopausal mother and the teen need to try to stop personalizing everything each other is saying and doing.  It is nobody’s fault. Everyone is dealing with their own personal challenges. Keeping this fact in mind can be liberating. Your teen may roll their eyes and look at you like you’re an alien from outer space, but just ignore that.  It’s kind of how they look at everything; it’s really not about you. Keep communicating no matter what the response is.

Be the first to give. If you share your challenges openly, you show that you’re willing to be vulnerable. This can be an incredible example to set for a child who’s going through a tough and confusing time. When you reach out and share your struggles, you’re setting an example through your actions that it’s okay to not be fine, it’s okay to be confused and frustrated, and it’s okay to reach out to your loved ones for support.

Look, teens can be total monsters (weren’t you?), but remember, so can a menopausal woman!  Of course, every situation is different, and it may take some tinkering to customize this loving approach to fit your family structure, but the more we educate our loved ones and ourselves, the happier and more understanding the whole household will be.

“E” is the pen name of Ellen Sarver Dolgen, author of Shmirshky: the pursuit of hormone happiness, a light-hearted, informative, easy-to-read book on menopause, and creator of http://www.shmirshky.com, a resource treasure trove for women going through perimenopause and menopause. E stands for everyone because everyone goes through menopause or knows someone who does. Ellen is passionate about promoting health and wellness in America. She currently serves on the Community Advisory Board of Scripps Memorial Hospital La Jolla. She has served on boards, committees, and chaired numerous events for Fresh Start Women’s Foundation, Angel Charity for Children, San Diego Hospice. Brandeis University, the Phoenix Heart Ball, Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation, Weizmann Institute of Science, Brewster Auxiliary, and Handmaker Home for the Aging. Ellen’s lifelong commitment to philanthropy through board representation, fundraising, and event organization continues with her founding of Shmirshky Universal, which aims to promote women’s health and well being around the world.  For more information, visit http://www.shmirshky.com.

Hi All:

Mandy at Since My Divorce continues to tell my story….this one relates how I started to dip my toes into the land of dating as a single mom (which often made me relaize I was standing in a swamp ) Oh well.  It ended well, didn’t it?

There is also another post about me trying to adjust to single life after my divorce..but unfortunately some things still remain tough.  That’s life – but I do choose to focus on all the gifts I’ve been given.

Thanks again Mandy!

Swati

Hi Everyone:

Mandy at Since My Divorce has another post up about me today…this one shares how I moved out of my house in an hour with my daughter one day during my divorce….now I look back and think,”Oh my. I did that. How did I have the strength to do that? Thank goodness I did that.  Thank goodness for my family and friends.”

Please do take a peek over there when you can.

Have a good day all -

Best,

Swati

Hi Everyone -

I am really honored that Mandy Walker, over at Since My Divorce, is doing a multi-part post on me…the first one, up today, takes us back to 2003 during the ugliness of my divorce….definitely a tough read for me as I think back…thank goodness her next post will be more about a better life in the aftermath.

Please go visit her blog and let us know what you think…

Thanks Mandy!

Swati

I was tickled as can be when Swati asked me to write a blog about the two most important things in my world… my daughters. First because I think Swati is just the coolest Mom and person…EVER. And I love to talk about my girls.

I should probably give you a little intro. Four years ago I was single. Four years ago, I had a lot more control of my life. I also had a lot more shoes from Nordstrom’s.

So even though I had all of that stuff… something was missing (or someone).

So in the spring of 2007 I filled out the paperwork and began the adoption process.

Now don’t get me wrong… there were many years of soul searching before this decision. I didn’t just wake up one morning and say ….yep… you know I have enough shoes; we are good, think I’ll get me a baby. I had thought long and hard about this. The timing was right; I was certain. And seven short months later I was a Mom. Yep only 7. And let me tell you that was a Holy Shit moment when I got the call. I was figuring at least 15 months. ACCCKK! I couldn’t even have gotten pregnant and had a baby in that short of a time frame.

My daughter was born in Moldova. Never heard of it? You are not alone.

Moldova is a country between the Ukraine and Romania. It’s small and poor… really poor… the poorest country in Europe. Moldova is also the largest source of trafficked girls in Western Europe. Yep… that part really sucks. I could go on and on about this (and do provide more information on this on my own blog is you are interested KO’s Talkin’ or you can check out Carolina Adoption Services).

The net is that this country is so poor and many children are orphaned because of poverty. It is sad…very sad. But for me it was the avenue to a family… a beautiful family.

And then, don’t you know, I did it again. I adopted my second daughter in May of 2010. So now we are three, three happy girls.

And how are we doing? Oh honey… its just madness.

And… I am happy, truly happy.

I hear all the time “I don’t know how you do it”. Sometimes I don’t either. But you do… you just do what you have to.
I don’t work out quite as much as I used to.
I don’t eat out as often.
I drink more wine (that is the God’s honest truth).
I am tired … too much. I mean I know that tired, the one they tell you about…
Where you feel like you may throw up. I know that all too well.

Both my girls have done great. They are sisters… completely. About 5 weeks after I got home with my second child, I looked in the rear view mirror to see the girls holding hands across their car seats. I did cry… I did. There they were just holding hands and giggling. It was perfect.

And my oldest tells everyone she sees – “This is my baby sister… see? She is MY baby sister.”

We have had some adjustments for sure. For one, we have a small house. And there is little girl crap EVERYWHERE. Honestly if I step on one more dropped pancake or lost doll accessory I may scream.

It’s been adjustment just having two little ones. Here is the thing… it is not good to be outnumbered… ever.
I mean before at least we could go toe to toe. Now? Usually one or the other needs apple juice or to pee or a can’t find a toy… And they fight… good Lord…for no reason… over a block or a doll or a found piece of candy on the floor.

What do I miss? Not the shoes (although can anyone touch the Nordstrom’s shoes selection…can they?)
Me.
Truth be told…
I miss Me sometimes.
I miss quiet time to reflect on the day…
Maybe to pray or meditate.
I miss petting my cat by myself… in quiet.
I miss not having snot on my business suits.
I miss feeling attractive… because I didn’t have time to primp and get myself together… mostly because I was doing stuff for the girls.
I miss that stuff…it would be a lie not to say so.

But…
What is grand… and what I love…
Is being a mom.
And loving my girls.
And hearing them call me Mommy.
And listening to them laugh together…
Or splash in the bath.
I love holding their hands…
Kissing their cute toes.
And hearing them breath in unison in their room at night.
Knowing they are safe.

So we are great…
We are a family…
maybe not the traditional family…
but we are our family.
…And just so you know I fully intend to have a hot husband one day.
And if you know of any…
976-BABE – that’s me.
Send him on…
boy do I have a list of to do’s for him.

Hi Everyone:

Enjoy the insightful post below by Mandy Walker, author of the Since My Divorce blog. In this post, Mandy learns a valuable lesson about finding her voice after her divorce.

Now you may have noticed that I’ve been kind of quiet lately…I was blissfully wed on New Year’s Eve and once we return from our honeymoon,  you will hear all about it!

Happy New Year!

- Swati

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How often have you heard a divorce expert say: “There’s always learning that can come from divorce and it begins with you”?

It can sound scripted, impersonal and coming soon after or in the midst of divorce it may be hard to accept.

One of my early interviewees for my blog, Anka talked about how she recognized with the help of therapy why she kept picking the wrong man. At the time we talked I’d been divorced for about two years and I honestly thought I was fully recovered, healed and relatively unscathed. I had no issues to deal with. I thought that my learning had happened in the months leading up to the divorce when I made the decision to end my seventeen-year marriage.

That may have been true but there was a bigger lesson I was missing. Since then I’ve come to understand that, like Anka, it’s OK for me to have needs and it’s OK to making meeting those needs a priority. What’s not OK is not communicating those needs to others. That realization came from my introspection following my father’s death a year ago.

My father’s death left me an orphan in the U.S. with two siblings, one in England and one in South Africa. Suddenly I felt adrift and wondered who or what would hold our family together. Irrationally perhaps, I expected the relationship between my siblings and me to change. I thought somehow we’d be closer. That led me to wondering why we weren’t closer to begin with. How was it that we had ended up living on three separate continents?

The answer lay within our upbringing. I know that my parents loved me and loved me deeply but it was a love that was not verbally or visibly expressed. It was understood. I’ve also come to accept that I was pleaser. When I did something that pleased my parents, I knew then they loved me. Was it because I’m a middle child? Was it because I’m Libran? Was it because I’m sensitive to others? Or was it because I was painfully self-conscious and didn’t want to draw attention to myself?

Hence, my natural inclination was to go along with what others wanted even if it was not what I really wanted. If I kept quiet, there would be no arguments. I think I have a pretty easy-going disposition that makes it easy for me to compromise. That’s a good skill except that what I lacked was the self-confidence to express my disagreement openly. I remember as a child discussing an issue with my mum and her telling me that it would be best for not to raise it with dad, that she would do it, when the time was right. That usually happened in private because I rarely heard my parents argue.

Inevitably, this was how I approached with disagreements with husband. For example, I was the primary breadwinner. My husband was a teacher. The discrepancy in our salaries at first was small but grew very quickly to an easy six figures. He was never comfortable with the imbalance. He would not publicly admit the disparity and when I was awarded another raise or bonus, his reaction would typically be one of jealously, anger that teachers don’t get the recognition they deserve. My business travel often took me to luxurious resorts which upset my husband even further because, teachers never to get to travel to fun places.

For my part, instead of confronting this, I looked for ways to work around this fearful that if I did object, our marriage would be over. I thought it was best not to talk about it, it could only make matters worse. I thought that sooner or later he would come round. Early on, I made sure we had a joint credit card so my husband could take the typical male role and pay bills when we were socializing. At some point I stopped sharing news about bonuses with him. My business trips I kept as short as possible, ensuring there was no time to actually enjoy those luxurious resorts and leaving little time to network. Ultimately, I never felt I had a successful career.

With hindsight, I can see that what I craved was recognition and support from my husband but he was not a mind reader and I was a pleaser.

By the time, I started to think about divorce I was lost, numb. I no longer knew what I wanted in life. I was going through the motions of living and was increasingly withdrawing and avoiding socializing. I have wondering if I was clinically depressed.

Telling my husband I wanted to end our marriage was easily the hardest discussion I have ever had. Although I didn’t recognize it at the time, I see now that it was also the beginning of a new me. It was the first time in a very long time that I had given voice to my core needs, needs that were clearly not the same as those of my husband.. And while he was against our divorce, I was convinced there was nothing he or I could do to reignite the love I had once felt. I was unwilling to compromise and that too, was very difficult for me to do.

My intuition tells me this is THE lesson I was meant to learn. This is the lesson I had to learn before I started dating. This is the lesson that will help me experience richer, deeper and more meaningful relationships. This is the lesson I’m meant to share with my children.

Mandy Walker writes the blog, Since My Divorce , a collection of stories mostly from women about life after divorce, the challenges, the obstacles, the triumphs and the joys.

Hi Everyone: I am happy to have a guest post today from Jade Scully, a copywriter, blogger and online marketer…she offers some wonderful advice for single moms and dads in regards to holiday gifts for the kids…enjoy!

Swati

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The Holidays are round the corner, again, and stores are packed to the brim with toys. But the latest toys, which get snazzier each year, don’t come cheap and for single moms and dads on a budget.  Christmas can be one of the saddest times of the year as they have to explain to their kids why a particular toy won’t be in the stocking come the morning of the 25^th. It’s possible to avoid a lot of disappointment, however, as long as you have kids who love to read.

I learned to love books from an early age and while the occasional Barbie topped my wish list, what I wanted most of all was to expand my little library. Instilling a love for books and reading in your kids doesn’t just develop their imaginations, prepare them for learning and knit important neurons in their brains, it also takes care of all future birthdays and Christmases, just ask my parents.

Creating a list of top children’s books is incredibly difficult because there are just so many good books out there. It’s hard to strike a balance between the classics such as Paddington Bear and modern stories like Harry Potter. It’s also entirely subjective; what worked for me didn’t necessarily work for my friends and won’t necessarily work for your kids.

So the books listed below (in no particular order) are simply recommendations, based on my happiest childhood memories and those of my nearest and dearest friends.

Classics:

1)     The Adventures of the Wishing Chair by Enid Blyton was the first “grown-up” book I read. I say grown-up because it looked like the books my parents read, i.e. it was standard paperback size and didn’t have any pictures. I loved it. I read it in one sitting. I followed it up with The Wishing Chair Again and The Faraway Tree series (which I actually preferred to the Wishing Chair series). These days Enid Blyton gets a lot of flak for being politically incorrect. I reread some stories not so long ago and they did smack of chauvinism, but I lived on her books and still managed to emerge with my feminist principles firmly intact.

2)     The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe by CS Lewis. I somehow managed to miss the Chronicles of Narnia while I was growing up, and truth be told the first book is still the only one that I’ve read, but I have a friend who swears by them. They’ve been criticised for their Christian overtones, which some consider blasphemy and others deem inappropriate. To be honest, I think the first book is just a rollicking good adventure. It’s a story about courage and standing together in the face of adversity. And, speaking as someone who missed out, I’d say that they’re an essential ingredient of a literary childhood.

3)     Anything by Roald Dahl. I came to Roald Dahl relatively late (I was about 12 when I first read The BFG) and I only got to know his work thanks to another friend who was fortunate enough to own his entire collection of children’s stories (I have since read almost all of his adult stories too, and loved them). My group of four used to read them in between classes and during breaks and hurried each other along so we could swop them and read more. The Witches is probably my favourite, followed by The BFG and The Twits, and perhaps Esiotrot.

Something more modern:

4)     The Amazing Maurice and his Educated Rodents by Terry Pratchett. Terry Pratchett is probably best known for his Discworld series of novels, but he also makes a pretty good children’s author. The Amazing Maurice is a take on the Pied Piper of Hamelin but with a classic Pratchett twist. It can be a little dark, so I’d be careful about giving it to sensitive children, but all in all it’s an excellent introduction to the wonderful world of Mr Pratchett.

5)     Un Lun Dun by China Miéville. Miéville is one of the best science-fiction/fantasy authors around today and his foray into children’s literature is a revelation. Un Lun Dun is probably the most unique children’s book I’ve ever come across. It’s about a city beneath London, where fantastic people/creatures live and where everything is its opposite. Do yourself a favour and read it first before you hand it over to your kids. You’ll love it and, hopefully, you’ll be inspired to try more of his books (Perdido Street Station is magnificent).

6)     Artemis Fowl by Eoin Colfer. I’ve only read the first two in the Artemis series, but they are immensely enjoyable. Colfer pits a teenage criminal mastermind against the best of the fairy kingdom’s law enforcement. Its entertainment value is high, the laughs loud and enjoyment guaranteed.

There are many, many more: Paddington Bear (Michael Bond), Charlotte’s Web (EB White), Groosham Grange (Anthony Horowitz), Harry Potter (JK Rowling), The Hobbit (JRR Tolkein) … The list is endless.

Unlike toys which break and are quickly forgotten, books last a lifetime: long after the pages have fallen out from use the memories linger on. Make this Christmas a special one and give the gift that keeps on giving. Give your children some books!

Jade Scully is a copywriter, blogger and online marketing enthusiast who
has published her work on a series of online publications and websites
including Leeulekker who provide a range of home and leisure resources for
southern Africans.