One BAM Digest #1, July 2018 (Resources, Current Interests, etc)

I've sent what I'm referring to as the One BAM Digest out to my email list a few times. It's a random assortment of things that have caught my eye, articles I'm reading, products I'm using, quotes I'm contemplating, etc. As I said, it's random. 

I'm posting my most recent digest list here (originally sent on 7/11/18), in case it's helpful to have them recorded someplace other than email. 

Hope you enjoy!

A clean house is a clean mind
I've been on a major organizational kick recently. Living in small, urban apartments will force you to do that every few months. Though purging your stuff can feel overwhelming, I find it enormously fulfilling because I really do believe that a clean, organized home can free up the mental space to focus on things that really matter to us. In that vein, I'm really enjoying Shira Gill's blog where she shares practical tips on organizing your home. I also get lost in her Instagram feed, which is chock-full of beautiful, inspirational photos of well-curated interiors. If I only knew how many minutes of my life I've wasted looking for that thing in the junk drawer...actually no. Don't tell me. 

The debate over 'Mommy Brain'
Great read in the New York Times about what has been negatively dubbed as "Mommy Brain". To paraphrase - though science can't pinpoint absolutely conclusive or consistent "Mommy Brain" traits, research shows that women's brains undoubtedly go through changes during pregnancy and child-rearing. These changes help them adapt to the work of raising humans who are 100% dependent on us. So I'd like to argue that, at the expense of becoming much smarter and wiser in so many ways when we become moms, we have to give up a few words and details here and there. 

Summertime activities for kids
As my son gets older, I find I have to be more creative with providing the toys and activities that will keep him engaged. And let's face it, as working parents, my husband and I don't have nearly as much time as we'd like to research age-appropriate ideas.  Which is why I love this list of nearly-free summertime activities for kids. I've already tried the tip about creating "play stations", which worked quite well post-nap yesterday. 

How working parents view themselves
"We're constantly trying to be all things to all people, depending on who the audience is." Amen to that. This article highlights recently published research that explores how different groups of working parents view their identities. The research highlights "when work-family norms create impossible standards to live up to, it can lead to discrepancies between how working parents want to be perceived and how they feel they are perceived. In turn, the researchers argued, parents may adapt their identities in ways they’d prefer not to."  

If you want something done...
...Give it to the mom. That's how the saying goes, right? In a refreshing deviation from the norm, this article highlights stories of women who felt that becoming parents made them more successful at work. Now if only companies would catch up and stop perpetuating the gender wage-gap.