Lip-Sticking

Friday Musings - Because someone has to...support women

by Yvonne DiVita

 This post is because I believe women need all the support we can get when it comes to work, healthcare, and family. I know we don't all agree on how that support should be delivered - but, we believe in the purpose, don't we? This week has had some troubling issues being reported in the news. And, coming to my email box. Here are a few that I find disturbing and which I hope you will participate in changing. 

Let me say that I'm all for accepting responsibility. I'm all for managing a budget. I'm all for getting out there and doing, instead of standing around whining. But, I am not for ignoring that some folks need a helping hand (needed one myself a few years back); nor am I able to address the national budget - I can manage my budget, and my business's budget, but to say I have answers on the national budget - no way. As for getting out there - many of us are doing that. Many of us are standing up for what we believe in. As you do that, please consider the fact that women still have a long way to go to achieve true equality and independence, in this country. 

Sharing the Rediscovery of Wonder

by Yvonne DiVita

My thanks to Elizabeth Berry for sharing this TED talk by Janet Echelman on her Facebook page. I found it so inspiring and uplifting, I had to share with my Lip-sticking readers. The last bit of the 'talk' was life-changing it its simplicity - it echoes how I feel about life, about art, about innovation.

I am in awe. See if you agree.

 

Friday Musings - A little bit and then a little bit more

 by Yvonne DiVita

Interesting article on women in business, in India - do they know something we don't?

Women’s Leadership Programs Missing Key Elements; Could Mean Missed Opportunities for India Inc., New Catalyst Study Finds

Key findings of this report include:

• Fewer than 50 percent of companies held managers accountable for meeting diversity targets through performance goals or links to bonus pay or compensation.
• In the area of mentoring, where reporting companies had relatively high rates of implementation—71 percent with formal mentoring programs, including 68 percent with programs for high-potential employees—only one third reported tracking outcomes such as promotion and/or retention rates.
• Most India Inc. companies (75 percent) reported having flexible work programs, but many failed to track utilization of these programs.
• visit the link above for the complete article, and share some thoughts in our comment area

Friday Musings - A Lot of this a little of that

by Yvonne DiVita

I watched the superbowl. For the first time in my young life. Oh, sure, I've been places where it was 'on' in the past, but I never watched it. This year, I decided to watch for the halftime show and the commercials, since they get so much media press. 

I'm woefully disappointed. 

The commercials were - ordinary, for the most part. I'm routinely disappointed with TV commercials, however. So, expecting more from the superbowl, where brands paid upwards of $3.5mill for 30 seconds, was just foolishiness on my part. Right? Yes, right. As far as I can tell, commercials these days are created by the same people who think Bridesmaids is a funny movie. Wait - I hear that Bridesmaids is a funny movie, just not my kinda funny. Ok, so, commercials are being made by new graduates from... kindergarten. Yes, that's better. It has to be kindergarten kids because so many commercials are just... plain...stupid. <sigh>

These, on Sunday, were just not what I'd hoped to see. Mostly. There were a couple that I liked. But, they weren't really all that good because now I can't remember them. 

On to the halftime show. 

The Madonna "look at me aren't i great as usual" show. I expected a show. Even a short one. I expected good music. I expected to be entertained. Oh, caveat: I am no fan of Madonna's. I consider her a minor talent who made it big because, if nothing else, she's a marketing genius.

Believing in Tomorrow

by Yvonne DiVita

It's been said that the sun will come out tomorrow - oh yes, it will. It did not come out at our house yesterday and looks iffy for today. Snow covers everything like a pristine quilt, clean and white, pure of heart. Until the dogs go out. They will leave dark paw prints everywhere, and nose prints, and dog angels. Ok, they don't make dog angels but they roll in the snow. 

The idea that the sun will come out tomorrow reflects a belief that the world will go on. To believe in the sun is to accept that each new day is an opportunity to begin anew. 

A Little Bit of This and A Little Bit of That

by Yvonne DiVita

Musing out loud today.

One: snow days are nice to have now and then. It snowed like crazy last night and we're house-bound today. Even the dogs seem content to lie around and be lazy. I have lots to do on the computer, but I am enjoying the more relaxed atmosphere.

Two: Mommy bloggers. The "don't call me that" whine is out again. On one level, I understand. These are women who are more than nannies in residence. They're smart, they're talented and they often write about things beyond the kids and the kitchen. But, in the end, they're Moms. And they blog. And, they hope brands will pay them for that. So, get over it, Mommy bloggers. You'll have your day to be something else, when your kids are grown and gone. And then, you'll whine that Grandma's don't get any respect. Trust me, I'm a Grandma. I know. 

Correct use of the word Awesome the Lilly Ledbetter Story

by Yvonne DiVita

This is for my daughters, my granddaughters, my friends, and everyone who has ever worked hard through discrimination.

It's the first anniversary of the Lilly Ledbetter Act where President Obama went to bat for women and equal pay. This video is of Lilly, herself, talking about her story, sharing what brought her to this purpose and showing us all that we need to continue standing up for women to make changes in how business and politics look at us, how they treat us, and how they view us as human beings.

As a woman who understands this issue - and too many of us do - I cannot stress the importance of getting behind this story and sharing with everyone you know. It's not a party issue. It's a people issue.

This isn't a story that is hard to watch or hard to hear. It's a story that is uplifting and encouraging. Despite the setbacks and the long enduring timeframe needed to make this happen, Lilly shows all of us that change is possible and that never giving up makes a difference. I hope you'll share the Lilly Ledbetter story with others and spread the word.

This link goes to President Obama and his words on the Fair Pay Act and Equal Pay For All Workers video. Another video worth watching and sharing.

 

A Woman's Power

As seen on Facebook from Mary Costanza:

Ladies everywhere...this is for you- when you're feeling down or lonely. This is for you when you're feeling lost or worried. This is for you when you wonder if you're on the right path or if you should take the fork in the road. This is for you if you want 2012 to be the best year ever. This is for you if you see a shadow lurking about and want to let the sun in. This is for you if you used to know it, but lost it, somehow. 

Share it with everyone you know. Tell us why it resonates with you. Tell us why it's important to know and share. Tell us how being a woman is an art in and of itself.

The Real Woman Creed
By Jan Phillips

I believe that within me lies an extraordinary radiance, and I commit to letting my light loose in the world.

When bigger gets in the way of better

by Yvonne DiVita

Time to go shopping. Time to get groceries or birthday gifts or home goods. I search the ads in the Sunday paper (yes, we still get the Sunday paper), I look at my email and check the incoming from my favorite stores and... I sigh.

Bigger is not always better. 

That's what I think. When ready to shop, I seldom - almost NEVER - go to Walmart. I call people who shop at Walmart 'walmartians'... and if you're one, I apologize but...seriously, do you know what you're doing? You're supporting big business when small business really needs your help. 

While Walmart is the favored place to shop, with Targee' (fancy spelling of Target) a close second, I think, it wasn't always so. Back in the day, when I was a kid, we shopped for groceries and some home goods at the A&P - the Great Atlantic & Pactific Tea Co. They gave out green stamps - not loyalty cards. You licked the stamps and put them in books and when you had enough, you could get free stuff. It was our job, we being the kids, to lick the stamps and put them in the books. You had to have LOTS to get anything. Much like the loyalty points on my bank account... I have about 10,000 but it gets me little or nothing. I need 100,000 to get anything that's worthwhile. 

Women and Health: Designing Your Second Half of Life

by Yvonne DiVita

Yes, there is a 2nd half to life for women. It comes around age 50. Unlike our mothers, who considered 50 'old', today's women know that 50 can be enlightening, invigorating, freeing, and full of expectation. We disdain the rocking chair on the porch. If we knit, it's because we need a blog post! If we cook, it's because we have a passion for taste - and love sharing. If we're married, we're happier than our mothers were (because we have a friendship as well as a marriage), and if we're not married, we're content and full of the wonder of life as it beckons us with invitation.

The BlogTalk Radio show shared here (from Kelley Connors and Real Women on Health) happened on Wednesday. I was sorry to miss it as I had a good number of questions I wish I could have asked. Like - if estrogen is so important to a woman's health, why does it cause complications later in life? And, are we too focused on not aging, today? We say we're younger and more vital than our parents were - and we're proud of that. But, aging is normal. Why fight it? I like sitting and relaxing and just... watching a bit of TV, or watching the geese fly over the backyard or strolling around the walkways of our neighborhood, at a leisurely pace - not because walking is good for my health, but because I like to walk. What's wrong with that?