Too Busy to Make Airline Reservations

Just tried to book travel for an upcoming family trip. I say "tried" because it was 55 minutes in the making before I was cut off and then additional 30 minutes while trying to recreate the travel scenario for two other agents. (Yes, I timed the calls and no, I could not do online due to they type of reservations.)

After all of that, I received only three of the four travel confirmations via email and had to spend another 15 minutes confirming the fourth.

WHO HAS THAT MUCH TIME TO SPEND MAKING RESERVATIONS? Isn't there a better way?

PLEASE tell me the best way to book travel for a busy, multi-minding woman!

Too Busy to Golf...NOT!

My husband and I took our kids golfing after work yesterday, which we try to do once a week. In talking with the staff at the pro shop and restaurant at the course, we found out the course had been "packed" all day. Interesting... a weekday and one when the market was taking a bath. Granted, the weather was gorgeous, but apparently many people are not too busy to golf!

What are your NEVER too busy to do?

Too Busy to Sort through Blogs, Twitter and Still Have a Life

mommytrackd, twitter, the juggle, momcentral, twittermoms.... There are so many great blogs, resources and sites out there. I love to visit them, post and comment and I learn about a new one everyday. Yesterday, it was the Motherhood, started by two very cool moms who have a great idea -- blog sorting an aggregation. The site helps aggregate content from blogs and sites.

With time being such a premium and the amount of content exploding, this multi-minding woman needs help in prioitizing. Love any ideas that help manage and streamline content I want to see.

What's your go-to resource for the best of the best content? If you could only read one blog a day or visit one site, what would it be?

Love to hear from you.

Loved seeing Leslie Morgan Steiner on the Today Show talking about the Mommy Wars (her great concept and book) and Sarah Palin. Nice job, Leslie!

We know that women, and especially moms, are busier today than ever. We have bypassed multi-tasking and are multi-minding. We need to create shortcuts for ourselves to get done all we need to do in a day with families, work, meals, travel, homework, exercise... the list goes on.

As I thought about it, Sarah Palin is herself a "short cut," in a way, for women voters. Being a working mom with a family facing real challenges is what most women and moms do each day and so Palin seems very relatable to many families. It's shorthand for "I understand you" and helps to cut through the reams of rhetoric that we are supposed to wade through to understand positions.

Just like those great brands seem to embody women, Palin has the potential to do the same with the most influential group of voters... women.

Take the poll and let me know if you want a multi-minding woman in the White House.

A Multi-Minding Woman in the White House?

Have to say, I love the idea of a woman, one with young children and all of the challenges of leading a multi-minding lifestyle, in the White House. Sarah Palin's life experiences as a woman and mom have the potential to change how work and life work are blended in the future.

While her life is not perfect, neither is mine or those of my friends and family. Just like we have to figure it our day by day, so will she. And, for the first time, those realities that we juggle could be juggled by one of the top women in our country. She knows first hand what we know and what we have to do every day.

Many moms have figured out how to do it their way by leveraging the power of blogs as businesses. I love that technology has enabled moms to raise families and work in ways that were impossible just a few short years ago. Perhaps having a working mom in the White House can have equally profound effects on how we, and our daughters, will juggle family and work.

So Proud of My Sister and Nephew

My sister, a mother of three, is a master multi-minder. She is constantly juggling schedules, doctors appointments, housekeeping and a million other details.

Her life is joyful and more complicated by the fact that her son, our darling nephew, has Down Syndrome. Colby's photo has been selected as one of the images for the national Buddy Walk in Times Square in NY at the end of September. His image, along with 200 others, will be broadcast on the Jumbo-tron during the walk.

We are delighted for Colby and the entire family. If you are asked to support the Buddy Walk, or other efforts that support children with Down Syndrome, please do.

See Colby's story and a great pic of Colby and my sister here
http://pittsburghlive.com/x/pittsburghtrib/news/s_585077.html. Way to go, Colby!

Too Busy to Travel

My son's first day of third grade was today and my daughter's first day of school, ever, is Wednesday. On the day in between, tomorrow, I need to squeeze in a business trip to NY. With all I have to remember with the first days of school, trying to create mind space and energy to get to the airport, go to an important meeting and get back in time to have a normal evening for my daughter, is a challenge to even the most expert of multi-taskers.

So, today: use crock pot to make dinner for tomorrow. Pack lunch tonight so husband does not have to in the a.m. Lay out son's clothes. Have son do homework for Wednesday. Get my clothes ready for 5 a.m. departure. Assure daughter I will be back in time for her big day. Work. Make dinner for tonight. Bedtime routine.

And, tomorrow: get up at 4:30. Leave for airport at 5. Catch 7 a.m. flight. Cab to Manhattan. Meetings from 10 until 3. Jump in car to race to airport for 4:30 flight. Pray that flight takes off on time, or close to it, so I can get home. Drive home from airport. Get home by 7. Pull dinner out of crock pot. Prepare daughter for first day of school and try to have a normal evening so she feels comfortable.

agh.............................

Better remember to grab a double espresso at the airport.

Any secrets to juggling school and business travel? They are welcome here.