3 Tips for making a work trip WITH a toddler enjoyable

3 Tips for making a work trip WITH a toddler enjoyable

You know you are a mother when a family vacation feels like work and a solo trip to the grocery store feels like a vacation. But when both M and I had some work to do in Chicago we thought it sounded like a great idea to try to make it a fun getaway for the whole family.

And it worked.

Although I had been to Chicago before, I had always thought that it was called the Windy City because of the busy airport. Turns out that it actually got that nick name because its’ politicians were (are?) full of hot air. So, of course it seemed like a natural place for PWL to explore.

Fun times doing some work with CSPAN
Fun times doing some work with CSPAN

1. Location, Location, LOCATION

We stayed in an amazing hotel. If we hadn’t stayed at the Hyatt McCormick Place, my “take your toddler to work with you” adventure could have been a disaster. But the rooms, service and grounds at Hyatt McCormick Place kept both working parents happy and our child safe.

https://www.instagram.com/p/BI2kbMdDITi/?taken-by=hyattmccormick
https://www.instagram.com/p/BI2kbMdDITi/?taken-by=hyattmccormick

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Brexit: The Pub Version

Greetings from across the pond!

I am lucky enough to be in the UK for the Brexit vote. This is striking gold in political nerdom!

On my way to the UK I was planning on collecting Brexit ads. Sadly, I am seeing very few. In fact, the only one I saw was in a pub (surprise, surprise).

Brexit ad at Robert the Bruce Pub, Scotladn
Brexit ad at Robert the Bruce Pub, Scotladn

For those of you who aren’t familiar with the term “Brexit,” there is a referendum vote on Thursday June 23 to determine if the United Kingdom should leave the European Union.

This is a non-partisan blog and not having UK citizenship I really have no strong feelings towards the outcome of the vote. HOWEVER, I LOVE POLITICAL ADVERTISING! Actually, I love advertising in general.

The ad I found was in a pub called “Robert the Bruce” in Scotland. It appears to be owned by a bigger corporation, called “Wetherspoon.”

Here is the ad

Dear Readers, can you please send the Brexit ads that you have found? Please comment below, share them on our Facebook page or email them to [email protected]

Just so everything is transparent, I am NOT being paid to write this post. But for what it is worth, while I was there, I ordered the Tika Masala. It was gluten free and delicious. The staff were able to get AG’s food in record time even though they were really busy because of a town-wide festival!

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Political Wife Life in REAL LIFE

**This is a post in progress. But since it is about being authentic, I thought I would leave it up until I fixed it**

A lot of the photos I share on the blog and on social media are pictures of me when I am dulled up at events. I strongly believe that we should also share pictures of ourselves in REAL LIFE.

Political Wife Life is pleased to announce our 1st video blog: PWL in REAL LIFE!

Movie on 2016-05-24 at 11.34 AM

P.S. Want to see another pic of me “In REAL LIFE?” Check out my this post of my gym routine (aka drinking tea on the treadmill while I do conference calls.) Scroll down, it is right at the bottom of the post.

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Sophie Gregoire-Trudeau, The Role of the Spouse of the Prime Minister, and Women’s Unpaid Work

Everyone knows the saying “it takes a village to raise a child” and Justin Trudeau and his wife, Sophie Gregoire-Trideau, happen to have three. Whereas most would agree that a working parent should ask for help when they feel overwhelmed or are in over their head, some Canadians are getting a little nasty with the internet memes of Sophie Gregoire-Trideau’s request for more administrative help to perform her duties as the Prime Minister’s wife.

Very few things make me more annoyed than when someone goes after a politician’s unelected spouse.

My lame attempt at graphic creation.
My lame attempt at graphic creation.

Although the spouse of the Prime Minister of Canada has no official role, she is unofficially expected to be a stay-at-home mom (read: travelling politician’s wife and mother), to work on projects with her husband’s office, and to serve as spokeswoman for numerous charities.

Ms. Gregoire-Trideau’s request for administrative staff is reasonable.
But I am a silver-lining sort of girl so let’s take this opportunity to talk about a very important issue: women’s unpaid work and the extent it is valued by society.

Women still perform a majority of the unpaid work in the home and that isn’t valued.

How does this apply to the role of the Prime Minister’s spouse? In Canada, the Prime Minister’s spouse does not have an official role, or an official title.
But for the sake of women’s unpaid work, something here has to change.

Social Media Hashtags about Sophie Gregoire-Trudeau's request for more help

Officially or not, or like it or not, Ms. Trudeau DOES represent Canada on the national stage.

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Political Soccer Moms

Soccer moms are a sought–after cohort in political elections. Yet little is being done to get them invested in the political party process outside of election season. Whether it be because of long standing institutions or once-upon-a-time biological necessity that shaped these institutions, the female experience is often much different than that of the men.

Political conventions are no exception.

A snapshot from the baby suite. A lot of the excitement is not shown!
A snapshot from the baby suite. A lot of the excitement is not shown!

I have been involved in politics my entire adult life. I have attended many political conventions prior to marrying a politician and becoming a mother. However, two weekends ago was the first political convention that I attended as the mom of an active toddler.

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