Working Mother October/November 2018

Barely one month of daycare had passed before my baby, Zachary, developed a fever that would keep him out of the center. As these things always do, his sickness came at a time when it was critical for me to work. So, my retired parents generously rescheduled some badly needed home renovations to schlep out to my house, more than an hour away in rush-hour traffic. I was relieved that his illness didn’t correspond with our tricky-to-schedule cover shoot and interview with Alicia Silverstone. Except it did. Because he spiked a fever again the following week. It was baby’s first ear infection. My mom couldn’t delay the contractors a second time, and my husband had a client meeting. My deputy editor, Audrey, was going to Florida and couldn’t do the…

Q “My company offers a generous paid-family-leave benefit, but they just got bought by a different company with a much stingier policy—fewer weeks off at lower pay—and I’m expecting. How can I get my original benefit and not the new one?” A While it’s possible you may be “grandmothered” into the old plan, unfortunately, it’s not a sure thing. Your best course of action: Go to HR directly to find out what changes, if any, are coming up. If a different parental-leave plan is replacing the former one, then you should try to negotiate, says Claire Bissot, managing director of CBIZ HR Services, an HR consulting organization. “Treat it as if you were starting a new job and they didn’t have a great policy,” she suggests. Come prepared with compromises…

LOCATION Fairfax, VA CHILDREN Keira, 9, Katelyn, 8, and Benjamin, 5 This mom of three and attorney at the Washington, D.C., office of Working Mother 100 Best Company Arnold & Porter doesn’t consider herself an expert on the subject of working motherhood. “Every day is like a constant triage,” she confesses. She’s been known to wake up at 5 a.m. on Christmas Eve to help wrap up a case, but the long hours she logs as a life sciences transactions lawyer—helping make lifesaving medications available across the globe—are all worth it. “Even though I’m not the scientist in the lab developing the new medication, my role is invaluable in bringing these drugs to market successfully,” she says. “It’s incredibly rewarding work.” And after nearly a decade of balancing both her…

Alicia Silverstone wants to save the world, or at least do her part to try. When our server at the cozy-chic Manhattan hotel where we meet brings over her green juice, Alicia, pointedly, but without a shred of meanness in her voice, says, “Hey, you guys have got to get rid of your straws,” a reference to the movement to reduce plastic waste in the ocean. Then, Alicia, dressed in comfy black-and-gray clothes a cool city mom might wear on a Whole Foods run, offers me a sip from her glass. It’s the first time any of the celebrities I’ve interviewed wanted to share what they’ve ordered with me, a testament to her generosity and perhaps her belief that everyone should consume only the best stuff for their bodies. The…

Easily open mail and boxes with Nimble, a rubber sleeve for your fingertip. When dragged across a surface at a 45-degree angle, the zirconia ceramic blade inside creates a cut. ($10, thegrommet.com) This roomy, wipeable, faux-leather Fawn Design Original diaper backpack/messenger bag is so chic, you’ll want it for work too. There are 12 pockets, but the discreet back slot for a tablet or small laptop is our favorite. ($170, fawndesign.com) “It fits my baby’s essentials, plus a clunky breast pump!”—Meredith Bodgas, Working Mother’s Editor-in-Chief Kick an afternoon sugar craving—and get a protein-packed energy boost—with Kodiak Cakes Brownie Unleashed in chocolate fudge. Just mix in ¼ cup of water (the consistency should be like cake batter), then microwave for a minute. ($3, kodiakcakes.com) When work has you running around in…

FOR BUDGET SHOPPERS The Dinner Daily thedinnerdaily.com Cost: Plans begin at $4 a month, with a two-week free trial. About: Sometimes, the easiest and most cost-effective way to plan a week’s worth of meals is to look at what’s on special at your local grocery store. That’s the concept behind the Dinner Daily. A preference survey—including how many people you’re cooking for and any “no broccoli, ever” food restrictions—is used to produce a weekly menu of dinners based on your go-to grocery store’s weekly sale cycle. If the menu options don’t appeal—not chicken again!—users can rotate out selected dinners for new ones. Recipes, which tend to call for 10 ingredients or less, are spins on staples, such as savory chicken with rice and veggies and slow-cooker chicken teriyaki. FOR PICKY…