Nelly's Help Tips

My Recommendations for a Stash

2012-01-21T22:11:00.004-06:00

My girlfriend, Christy, is currently expecting her first baby and asked me what I would recommend including in a stash of medicines, creams/ bath items, first aid gear that she is preparing. Here's what I recommended...

1. Balmex. I think I have bought over 50 bottles of the stuff in the last 16 months, I apply it at almost every diaper change to prevent rashes.

2. Little Noses Spray

3. Boogie Wipes (my daughter seems to like the grape scent)

4. Hyland's Homeopathic Teething Gel

5. The First Years Pacifier Wipes (can also be used on teething toys like Sophie the giraffe)

6. Johnsons Hand & Face Wipes

I swear I use a different kind of wipe for everything!!

7. Aquaphor Healing Ointment (for rashes on the face, bottom, etc.)

8. American Red Cross Rapid Thermometer (LOVE that this takes my baby's temp in her ear and now that she's 16 months old she loves putting it in our ears so it also functions as a toy. ;))

I haven't fallen head over heels for a shampoo or body wash but my recommendation was to use something natural.

Did You Know that the "Twelve Days of Christmas" Occur After Christmas Day?

2011-12-30T19:00:00.005-06:00

Good Morning Texas obviously did not know that the twelve days of Christmas occur after Christmas day since they were celebrating them the twelve days before Christmas. ;) It's ok if you didn't know this either... Here's some info.:

"The "Twelve Days of Christmas" refer to the eight days of the Christmas Octave from December 25 to New Years Day, and the four additional days up to and including the eve of January 6, the traditional date of the Epiphany. In the USA and many other countries, Epiphany is now celebrated on the first Sunday after New Years, so the exact number 12 does not necessarily apply. But the point is, don't throw out the tree on the 26th--the birth of the Savior can't be celebrated adequately in one day. Let the celebration continue through at least through the Feast of the Epiphany--if not through the Feast of the Baptism of the Lord."

-Taken from The Crossroads Initiative, a Ministry of Dr. Marcellino D'Ambrosio

Happy All Hallows Eve!!

2011-10-31T15:49:00.002-05:00

All Hallows Eve is the night before All Saint Day, hence Halloween. Here's an entertaining article on how to keep Halloween both fun and sacred: http://www.cantuar.blogspot.com. Happy Halloween!!

Halloween... A Christian Holiday?

2011-10-19T18:09:00.003-05:00

Back in the day my mom was so confused about Halloween which led to my brother and I growing up confused. Over the years we alternated between doing the whole traditional Halloween thing in our neighborhood, the Hallelujah Night at the mega non-denominational church in town, and the "we aren't going to celebrate Halloween/ pass out candy this year." Perhaps my mom could have benefited from reading this article, Should Catholics Celebrate Halloween? I know I learned a thing or two! (Thanks, John McKeefery, for emailing this article to me!)

Some of the Best Money I Ever Spent...

2011-10-06T21:38:00.008-05:00

Was on a lactation consultant... Judy Eastburn was my consultant and she charged me $146.50 for about an hour and a half session. She gave me some tips, tricks and most of all support with nursing our borderline premature baby girl in the comfort of my own home. She also introduced me to the Medela contact nipple shield. What a wonderful invention! I used that sucker for eight weeks, it became a bit of a crutch for me until the day we moved into our new house and with the hustle and bustle I said the heck with it, latch on little girl. And well our baby girl was more than capable.

It's been 13 months and I'm proud to say that I'm still nursing our little bundle of joy. It's been a journey I never expected.

Our daughter was born three weeks early due to me being diagnosed with preeclampsia at my 37 week checkup. Our daughter latched on right after I pushed her out into this world and I was able to feed her some colostrum a few hours later. However, I was unable to sufficiently nurse her enough during those vital hours in the hospital. My milk just wasn't letting-down. This brought me to tears.

I, the former 20 something who didn't even like the idea of breastfeeding, became sold on it at about 29 years of age before getting pregnant. I was so sold on it that I was determined to do ecological breastfeeding, a practice among natural family planning couples (no bottles, no pacifiers, co-sleeping, nothing other than breast-milk straight from the breast). I didn't even buy one single bottle before our daughter was born nor did I register for one, why wasn't my milk letting-down? Was this because of the preeclampsia? My boobs were huge at the time, our baby girl needed to eat, God...what's going on here?... More tears...

Then the nurses at the very pro-breastfeeding, no pacifier hospital, Dallas Presby, told me we had to feed our baby formula ASAP as she was born early, had jaundice and was losing weight fast... More tears... I was terrified that if our daughter had a bottle of formula in the hospital we might never get this nursing thing down. I expressed my fears and fortunately our nurses allowed me to feed our daughter using my pinkie finger with an itty bitty, teeny tiny narrow tube along side it that was attached to a syringe filled with formula. This was to try and avoid nipple confusion from using a bottle. And I still tried to nurse every three hours for the remainder of our hospital stay followed by some pumping that was fed via pinkie / syringe.

Upon arriving home the same routine continued until Judy arrived and changed our world! There was just something about that silicone nipple shield that our daughter loved! Per our pediatrician's orders, I kept having to supplement each feeding with a little bit of formula until our daughter gained her birth weight back which took about 2-3 weeks. By now the tube and syringe were worn and I had to break down and buy a bottle at Babies R Us. So I bought the Tommee Tippee. Goodbye to the idea of ecological breastfeeding.

For a variety of reasons...concerns about keeping our daughter's weight up, my 1970s/80s pro-Similac parents, sleep deprivation, a desire to get away with my husband for a few hours when the grandparents were in town, and believing formula feedings made our daughter sleep longer at night we continued to give almost a feeding a day of formula until our daughter was about four months old. What made us stop? Spotting. One of the benefits we appreciated about breastfeeding, natural lactation amenorrhea and infertility, was possibly coming to an end. We hadn't charted in months, actually in over a year and we just weren't ready for me to be fertile again... We also realized we gave our daughter formula at night for so long because it was easier but not what was best for her. So we got rid of the formula and tossed the bottles to the side. We started co-sleeping with our daughter in our bed to ease those night time feedings from months 4-5, thank God we upgraded to a King.

Around 5 months after we had moved our daughter into her own room I actually woke up early one morning and pumped before getting in the shower. While getting dressed I gave my husband the bottle to feed our daughter and she wouldn't drink from it. So I took the bottle out with us to a moms club meeting at Saint Rita's where she still wouldn't drink from it but was indeed hungry. Then it hit me, after a month of just breastfeeding she would now only take milk directly from me. Wow!

I remained infertile until our daughter was about 10 months old. Had some heavy spotting at 9 months and then a monster of a period at 10. So back to charting/ natural family planning at least until this little one is completely weaned. She's down to two feedings a day and even though it can be exhausting and inhibiting at times, it really is amazing. God does promote mother and baby togetherness, it's part of His divine design, He built moms with breasts, gave them breast-milk, to nourish their babies, He's amazing.

I could go on and on but my wish for this post is to help and inspire others by sharing my breastfeeding story. I encourage any expecting mothers to get mentally prepared to "not give up" and if needed, hire a lactation consultant who can come to your home. As medical professionals would agree, breast-milk from the breast is best.

God Bless

I Miss Blogging!!

2011-09-17T23:17:00.003-05:00

I miss blogging!! We've just gotten so busy with our little cruiser that I hardly ever get on the computer and just write. I've had lots of thoughts on what I want to write about so stay tuned, blogs should be coming soon on how I was convinced to be a full-time mom, breastfeeding, weaning, school, etc..

Congratulations to My Little Brother!

2011-06-14T17:17:00.003-05:00

"Assistant Coach James Kane Joins MSU Basketball"
http://www.goracers.com/news/2011/6/14/MBB_0614110139.aspx

Last night my little brother James accepted a new position with Murray State University in Murray, Kentucky approximately two hours from Nashville, TN. James has been packing since and moves to Murray tomorrow night. Please keep him in your thoughts and prayers as he makes this move. And if you know anyone in the Kentucky area please let us know as James doesn't have any friends/ family in the area. ;)

And although we are going to miss saying Roll Tide!, the Rama Jama cheer, "Sweet Home Alabama," etc. We are really excited for James as he takes his career to this next level. Praise God and Go Racers!!

My New Little Black Dress

2011-06-03T19:00:00.009-05:00

So I've been having a love hate minus the love relationship with clothes lately. This struggle is mainly because of my "fatty pa-tatty" postpartum body and the fact that I am nursing my precious eight month old daughter. I need easy access to my milk supply and well that doesn't leave me with many wardrobe options. My choices are basically 1) nursing tops which I wear out of necessity but don't really like since they are typically frumpy or of poorer quality and 2) casual short sleeved or sleeveless button down tops which are actually a bit hard to find. I've been looking for nursing dresses FOREVER and found a couple last fall that were both nursing/ maternity dresses. I liked the nursing aspect of those dresses but definitely not the maternity part. Then I Googled Rosie Pope after falling in love with her show Pregnant in Heels and found a refreshing nursing option on Rosie's Web site... a little black nursing dress! Alleluia! I ordered it and it arrived today. I immediately ripped it out of the box it was shipped in and tried it on after quickly reading Rosie's sweet little note:

"Pregnancy and parenthood is such an amazing time in a person's life. I'm honored you chose to order from Rosie Pope Maternity during this special time. Thank you and I hope you enjoy your purchase. Kindest Regards, Rosie Pope"

I love my new little black dress, postpartum body and all! ;)

My New Favorite Toys/ Books for Sofia

2011-05-23T15:39:00.005-05:00

INDESTRUCTIBLES

I'm a huge fan as is my 8 month old daughter of one our our most recent purchases. A baby book that is baby proof! These books are chew proof, rip proof, nontoxic and 100% washable. We especially love to hand them over to our baby girl when we are at Church or out to eat as an alternative to tear-able missalettes, song books and restaurant menus. ;)

The two INDESTRUCTIBLES we've purchased so far are Hey Diddle Diddle and Hickory Dickory Dock both of which our daughter is familiar with from her Baby Bounce class at Northpark. For all my Baby Bounce mommy friends you may want to buy these durable fun toys/ books for your little one.

Want Gorgeous Photos of Your Little One?

2011-03-28T17:23:00.014-05:00

Look no further! I found a photographer you are going to love! She was actually recommended to me by one of the moms in my Dallas Moms Club. The photographer's name is Abby White and her company is called Abby White Photography. I know there are lots of photographers out there but not too many with a legitimate studio which was one of my pet peeves until I found Abby. She's got it all, a studio, tons of natural lighting, a blog, a Web site and much more. She's also super sweet, easy going and works really well with little ones (she has two of her own). We had Abby take our daughter's six month old photos and here's a sneak peek. If you like what you see be sure to leave a comment on Abby's blog and check out her services.

Celebrating Fat Tuesday

2011-03-07T16:25:00.007-06:00

How are you celebrating Fat Tuesday this year? What a fun way to kick off Lent with your kids if you have children or for yourself. This year we will be attending the Young Catholic Professionals monthly meeting/ speaker event in Dallas at which Mardi Gras themed food and drinks will be served. Our little one will be feasting on her first tastes of baby food, per the Pediatrician, rice cereal mixed with peaches or pears. Next year I hope to give her King Cake!

In any case be sure to celebrate and prepare yourself for the season of Lent beginning with Ash Wednesday. If you are wondering why Catholics get Ashes on the forehead on Ash Wednesday well it's because it's a "an ancient penitential practice and symbolizes our dependence upon God's mercy and forgiveness." For more information on the Lenten Season click here.

Really Cute Baby Socks

2011-02-22T20:52:00.008-06:00

The other day I was admiring the cutest baby socks on one of my daughter's girlfriend's sweet little feet. Checkout these Maryjanes.

I liked them so much that I wanted to buy my baby girl a pair but couldn't really find them in stores so I went online and found TRUMPETTE's entire product line. In one word, ADORABLE! These socks make for the perfect baby shower or birthday gift. I bought my daughter the Pixies since they remind me of my flats. ;)

"Study: Moms' Work Schedule Is Making Kids Fat"

2011-02-05T12:52:00.002-06:00

My husband shared this article with me late last night and I thought I would share with all of you. http://health.foxnews.mobi/quickPage.html?page=31737&content=47934015&pageNum=-1 Back in my working days I could totally relate to having less time for grocery shopping and food preparation and see how that could lead to obesity.

Need a Bag? Luggage? Makeup Bag? Diaper Bag?

2011-01-13T11:44:00.004-06:00

My favorite bag store for "travel, work, play and everyday" was on Good Morning Texas today and is offering a 30% discount off of your entire purchase from now until Saturday. Check lug out, they've got the best diaper bags! I have the "Tuk Tuk Carry All Bag" in chocolate brown:

http://www.luglife.com/Tuk-Tuk-Carry-All-Bag?sc=18&category=3612

Watch this Good Morning Texas clip for the lug promo code: http://www.wfaa.com/good-morning-texas

Great Questions to Ask Yourself Tonight!!

2010-12-31T20:31:00.002-06:00

As 2010 comes to a close and we prepare ourselves to ring in a new year here are some great questions to ask yourself courtesy of Faith & Family Live. Questions to Ask Before 2011

Barbara Walters & Rachel Campos-Duffy on Careers and Kids

2010-12-20T10:14:00.004-06:00

Barbara Walters' Question on The View Gives Pregnant Pause

TV Before 2 = Not Good

2010-12-09T22:34:00.003-06:00

I heard about this years ago while working at Lockheed in a course I took called Personal Vitality. And well here it is again, TV Watching Is Bad for Babies' Brains.

Need Help Focusing on the Reason for the Season?

2010-12-07T00:52:00.004-06:00

If you could use some help on focusing on the reason for this holiday season checkout The Integrated Catholic Life article I came across on the Young Catholic Professionals Facebook page: Living an Advent Culture.

A few of my favorite excerpts are,

"When the Advent season rolls around, we see two primary and opposing cults: the Christian Advent cult[ure] and the postmodern secular cult[ure]."

"It’s easy to overlook the fact that Advent is a lot like Lent."

"In an Advent culture, the Christian is called to do some spiritual cleanup in his or her life, which often involves increased fasting and alms-giving."

Don't Forget Advent Starts this Sunday

2010-11-24T13:10:00.005-06:00

In the midst of getting ready for Thanksgiving don't forget to prepare for Advent which starts this Sunday. Advent, from the Latin word, adventus, meaning coming (from wikipedia). Advent is the time we prepare for the coming of Christ, the celebration of Christ's birth, Christmas.

This year I really want my husband and I to get a jump start on preparing for Advent especially with this being our first Christmas as parents. We want our daughter to know, from an early age, the true meaning of Christmas. Luckily we were recently gifted with a gorgeous fabric advent calendar from our Realtor at our housewarming party. Talk about a fitting and timely gift! This calendar should help keep us on our toes as we count down the days till Christmas.

I also recently ordered a kids book for Advent, Little Star by Anthony DeStefano, which was recommended by Faith & Family. I can’t wait to start reading this book to my daughter, even if she’s only 11 weeks old and not really paying attention. ;)

We have our Advent Wreath which is such a beautiful Catholic tradition done at Mass and in many homes. If you don't have one buy one for the holidays. We bought one a couple of years ago which depicts the journey to Bethlehem and reminds us of our trip to the Holy Land.

And then there are Advent reflections which fortunately many churches are offering. If you live in Dallas Saint Monica's is offering one led by Father Jason Cargo on Sunday, December 5th at 3:30 PM. If you don't live in Dallas check your local church to see what they are offering. And if you are not able to make an Advent reflection in person there are some great online resources such as One Bread One Body (my favorite since high school) which offers daily reflections and The Crossroads Initiative by Dr. Marcellino D'Ambrosio.

Going to daily mass and/ or confession during Advent is also a great way to prepare for Christmas.

May you have a Happy Thanksgiving and a Good Advent!

My Fav Five for Mommies

2010-10-29T12:14:00.004-05:00

It’s been 8.5 weeks since my last blog posting. Now that my precious baby girl, Sofia Grace, is a day shy from being 8 weeks old I finally have a little bit of time to write. In honor of my new role as a full-time Mom I figured I would share with you my five favorite Mommy buys.

If you are a Mom-to-be register for these items! I wish I had, I would have saved myself time and money.

If you are invited to a baby shower and want to go off the registry please don’t just resort to buying cute clothes pick up these items and your gift is sure to be a hit with the Mom-to-be once baby has made his or her debut.

The Miracle Blanket: by far the best way to swaddle a baby. Shortly after our daughter was born we ordered this blanket in neutral beige online since it was sold out in our local Babies“R”Us. To see all the benefits of this amazing blanket check out The Miracle Blanket’s Web site: http://www.miracleblanket.com/.

Fisher Price’s Ocean Wonders Cradle ‘n Swing: this one came recommended to us by my husband’s coworker. Although this swing is blue and therefore thought of as more boy than girl it’s a huge hit with Sofia and in my opinion the best Fisher Price cradle swing on the market. Our favorite feature is the water globe with changing lights. Check it out: http://www.fisherprice.com/fp.aspx?st=2002&e=product&pid=51911&ncat=thumbnail&pcat=bgsw_cs

All Natursutten Rubber Pacifiers: I am not a fan of pacifiers; it probably has something to do with the Ecological Breastfeeding class we took at the University of Dallas… and Catholic guilt… ;) I actually didn’t buy one until Sofia was five weeks old and I only bought one because I was worried about her screaming during her Baptism if she got hungry or uncomfortable. And well sure enough she did get cranky and thank God we had this “paci” on hand. We try to use it sparingly and mainly when Sofia is in the car or at church. If you are looking for a green eco-friendly product that resembles the breast this pacifier is for you. http://www.wellnessbabystore.com/product_details.php?pid=593&cid=38&sub_id=103&subsub_cid=

Wrapped Body Suits, Cross Tees, Kimono Tops, Side Snap Tees: My Mother-In-Law was the first to mention these double breasted type tops to me when I was pregnant and at the time I was like what is she talking about because all I knew about was the “onesie.” But then after receiving a kimono top from Rick’s coworker I am a huge fan of these body suits/ tops. They are ten times easier to put on and off a newborn than the traditional pull over onesies. Unfortunately they are a little hard to come by in stores and more expensive but so worth the price! Here’s one of Sofia’s modern threads:

http://www.wellnessbabystore.com/product_details.php?pid=540&cid=26&sub_id=94&subsub_cid=

Carter’s carries a few: http://www.carters.com/on/demandware.store/Sites-Carters-Site/default/Search-Show?cgid=carters&q=side%20snap&simplesearch=Go

Lug’s Tuck Tuck Carry All Diaper Bag in Chocolate Brown: this is my Uptown bag and I love it! It’s got everything including a ventilated compartment for dirty diapers/ soiled baby clothes, a wipeable bottom, water bottle pockets for Mom, removable changing pad and more... http://www.luglife.com/Tuk-Tuk-Carry-All-Bag?sc=18&category=3612

Hope you’ve enjoyed reading about my fav five. To all the Mommies out there what are yours? Please do share! J

What is Business Casual Attire? Better yet, what is Smart Casual?

2010-08-30T11:09:00.005-05:00

In light of the Young Catholic Professionals upcoming Executive Speaker Night with Mr. Dan Hennessy to be held this Tuesday, August 31st this blog entry is about Business Casual and Smart Casual Attire.

According to Wikipedia Business Casual Attire is what 43% of non-self employed workers wear to work (or should be wearing to work because we all know people who don’t really follow the “dress code”). But to make matters a bit confusing every company appears to have their own take on Business Casual wear.

Jeans are typically not considered business casual (jeans are generally thought of as casual). So, to play it safe when you are invited to an event that lists the attire as being Business Casual leave your jeans at home. ;)

I recently came across the term "Smart Casual" and absolutely love it. It supports a concept I was taught by Susan Sommers, a fashion consultant,
(http://dresszing.com/) who did several workshops at the public accounting firm I use to work for in Uptown Dallas. Susan taught us the power of “three pieces.” Business Casual is typically thought of as being two pieces of clothing i.e. dress shirt and slacks or blouse and skirt but when you throw in a third piece you really turn your look up a notch to what in essence is Smart Casual. For men this means adding a blazer/ jacket or tie and for ladies this means adding a blazer/ jacket/ cardigan or scarf (note this does not mean wearing suits, suits are formal business attire). One need not be afraid to use color, prints and/ or accessories when dressing up their typical two piece Business Casual outfit into a three piece Smart Casual look.

Happy dressing!

Want FREE Business Cards for Your Personal and/ or Professional Use?

2010-08-24T13:11:00.004-05:00

Could you use some FREE business cards? I bet you could if you are "in transition" aka in-between jobs, starting up your own small business (like me) or you would simply prefer networking with your personal contact information as opposed to handing out your work information.

Well, you can get some FREE business cards from Starbucks. Isn't Starbucks great?! ;) I first heard about this promotion on a blog I follow, "My Dallas Mommy" and then again via a Google search. For more information and to get your FREE business cards from Starbucks check out this link: http://www.starbuckscoffeeonthego.com/card/setup.php.

I ordered my FREE business cards today and according to Starbucks should have them soon. I'll keep you posted please do the same if you order some as well.

- "BossLady"

Resume Help Results and Much Much More

2010-08-19T13:15:00.005-05:00

Wanted to give everyone an update on the results of my Resume Help offer. I received 15 resumes from four states and one commonwealth. Resumes came from Texas, Florida, Illinois, Ohio and Puerto Rico. Senders included family, friends, friend of friends, family of friends and an online stranger - new friend. Professions varied and included financial analysts, pharmacists, lawyers, engineers, accountants, etc.. Experience levels ranged from college students to those with over ten years of experience.

Thank you to all who sent in your resumes for review. I enjoyed helping you and hope you found my critique to be beneficial. I also wish you the best in your career.

My husband, Rick, and I have been thinking that once things settle down after having our baby girl and moving into our new house I should perhaps start up a part-time consulting business on the side, specifically from home and Starbucks while being a full-time mom. Others have suggested this to us as well and seem to not only be interested in resume help but also career counseling, mock interviews, presentation skills, networking and Myers-Briggs.

In preparation for this entrepreneurial possibility I am working on completing my recertification credits for my SPHR (Senior Professional in Human Resources) so that there will not be a lapse in my three-year certification cycle. I'm taking my first class, in what feels like a very long time, tomorrow on the topic of "Emotional Intelligence: Useful Tools for the HR Practitioner." I also need to come up with a business plan, thank God Rick has his MBA from SMU and I need to figure out my rates for specific services. My personal trainer says I should at least charge what he charges me i.e. $60/ hour. ;) We'll see. The Wall Street Journal published an article this week saying that resume-writing services are ranging from $100 to $2,000 which seems ridiculously steep to me. (http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748704868604575433791872911672.html?mod=WSJ_hpp_sections_careerjournal)

Aside from offering career development services I plan to finally write my first book. It's been on my mind since elementary school and I have talked about it from time to time over the years with close family and friends. I've even come up with an outline, stories to include, dedication and title. It's a father daughter book of sorts (oh how I love my Daddy and all that he's taught me - especially about guys) and well since I am about to have a baby girl with and for my husband, Rick, how fitting is this topic right now in not only my life but our family's life. Perhaps this is the time/ God's time... Maybe, I'll write it in time for Father's day as a gift to my Dad and Rick. Anyone know an editor? And/ or publisher? If so, send them my way.

Until then, for now, time to get ready for baby girl Macias. :)

Did you know that day care is not the norm?

2010-08-12T16:01:00.009-05:00

Day care is not the norm!?!? I had no clue!!

Yesterday was mind-blowing for me when I found out that according to the United States Census Bureau that 74.6% of non-school-age children are taken care of by family. (non-school-age children means children under the age of five/ not yet in kindergarten)

So, the majority of children in the U.S. are taken care of by family? Yes.

Only 25.4% of non-school-age children in the U.S. are cared for on a full-time basis by someone other than family.

15.1% of children are in day care
8% of children are in-home day care
2.4% of children are with nannies

For more information on this topic check-out "7 Myths of Working Mothers - Why Children and (Most) Careers Just Don't Mix" by Suzanne Venker, forwarded by Dr. Laura.

I just started reading the above mentioned book and these are some of my favorite lines:

"Accepting motherhood as a full-time job does not mean women must be completely out of the workforce for eighteen years. It just means that for eighteen[+] years they will have to be creative in fitting other work around their primary obligation to their children. "

"We simply must get rid of the idea that women can balance full-time careers with motherhood. Instead, we should encourage women to embrace motherhood and career separately, to plan their lives in such a way that they will be able to succeed in both of these pursuits, though at separate times." Sounds like the story of my life, my 20s were all about career success and now my 30s are turning out to be all about motherhood.

"Women now spend all of their time and energy - all of it - preparing for a life at the office rather than for a life at home." I've lived this, from an early age I prepared for school and/ or work and not a whole lot for motherhood. This point is something for me to think about as I get ready to raise my daughter.

As I keep reading this book I am sure I'll have more to share, stay tuned...

Offering FREE Resume Reviews Until August 15th, 2010

2010-08-05T18:26:00.001-05:00

Just wanted to remind everyone that I am offering free resume reviews until August 15th, 2010. So far the response has been great but I am sure there are still lots of people out there who could benefit from having their resume reviewed. So email me your Word doc resume or have your family, friends, coworkers send me theirs at kane_nelly@yahoo.com. :)

Networking Tips

2010-07-26T13:06:00.000-05:00

In anticipation of the Young Catholic Professionals kickoff event to be held next Monday night, August 2^nd at Trinity Hall Irish Pub in Dallas I thought I would post some networking tips. But before we get to the tips let’s look at the definition of networking. According to Merriam-Webster networking is, “the exchange of information or services among individuals, groups, or institutions; specifically: the cultivation of productive relationships for employment or business.”

Seven Tips for Networking

1. First research the event you are going to, find out what the host organization is all about, who is on their board and who are the likely guests to be in attendance... Knowing the purpose of the event, board members names, and who might be in attendance beforehand will help you sound more knowledgeable when speaking to others at the event and perhaps make you feel more comfortable when networking.

2. Look your best, dress up but dress conservatively for the most part one or two eye catching accessories are fine i.e. for men a bright tie or shirt, for women a bright necklace, scarf, handbag, or shoes. Be sure to check the invitation details to see if there is a dress code for the event. And as an old family friend use to say you are never fully dressed without a smile. J She may have gotten this expression from Harry Connick, Jr.’s “You’re Never Fully Dressed without a Smile.”

3. Bring your business cards, have lots of crisp, clean cards on hand and keep them in an easily accessible location, i.e. jacket pocket, pant/ skirt pocket or outside purse pocket. And be sure to ask for cards, don’t just hand out yours, collect others. If time allows and you can discretely do so jot down notes on the back of the card about the individual you just met.

4. Place your name tag on the right side of your chest so that when you shake hands with others your name tag is in their line of sight. (lots of people get this one wrong)

5. Keep your right hand free… Keep your right hand free of drinks, papers, pens, cards, etc. so that you are ready to shake someone’s hand.

6. Greet everyone because you never know who they might be and what conversation may spark. After greeting people follow-up with open ended questions (people generally love to talk about themselves) and have your two minute introduction ready as well. Once you’ve gotten to know someone for a few minutes, say goodbye/ great meeting you/ hope to see you at the next event and then move on to someone new, your goal should be to circulate around the room don’t monopolize anyone’s time.

7. Follow-up… Quickly touch base with those you met after the event, email them, add them to your LinkedIn and invite them out for coffee or lunch.

Food for thought: The best time to build your network might be when you don’t really need something from someone, when you are simply trying to meet, get to know and build relationships with others. If you do this by the time you do need something from someone in regards to employment or business you’ll be in a better position to ask them since you’ve already established a relationship with them.

Resume Help

2010-07-14T18:32:00.001-05:00

Need help updating your resume? I'll help you. Just email your Word doc resume to me at kane_nelly@yahoo.com by August 15, 2010 and I will review for you free of charge. I've been reviewing resumes for family and friends in a variety of fields over the last ten years, since majoring in HR Development at the University of Florida.

In the meantime here are my top 10 tips on resumes:

1) Center your name at the top of your resume in larger size bold font

2) As far as your contact information goes only list your cell phone and email address under your name... forget home addresses, employers will get this info from you at the application stage and unfortunately sometimes your address can deter employers from contacting you

3) Double check your email address, make sure it's politically correct/ professional

4) Write an Objective... in writing your objective answer the questions: what are you looking to do? And why would you be good at whatever it is that you are looking to do?/ what will you bring to the table?

5) If you've been working full-time i.e. not a recent college grad follow your Objective with your Experience otherwise for college grads you can follow with your Education

6) When writing about your Experience try and use numbers wherever possible as they are eye-catching/ carry weight/ provide a metric

7) Do a Ctrl F for any keywords your next desired employer may be looking for... you can get keyword ideas from job descriptions you are applying to

8) Do not use the Underline function in Word as Underlines may be mistaken for links when your resume is viewed online

9) If your name leaves potential employers questioning whether or not you are a U.S. Citizen or Permanent Resident you may want to state that you are, if you are, on your resume i.e. *U.S. Citizen or *Permanent Resident... Most universities are now instructing their students to do this as many employers are no longer sponsoring international students/ foreign employees

10) Always have someone proofread your resume