Career Wardrobe offers deals on clothing to empower people to work

Earlier this month, I attended Career Wardrobe’s annual reception and silent auction #HopeOntheMove. Last year, I enjoyed networking with other local women professionals and supporting this worthy cause. I decided to attend this event again.

Career Wardrobe is a non-profit that uses clothing and professional development to empower unemployed individuals to work. The Boutique provides professional clothing to individuals in transition. Job seekers can shop at no cost with a referral or for a small fee if they are not receiving government assistance. In Philadelphia, the Boutique is open to public where shoppers can find deals on women’s designer and modern clothing with sales supporting the non-profit.

Career Wardrobe recognizes that everyone may need help at some point in their working lives, and thus expanded their programming to meet the needs of the community. In 2015, they opened their doors to men with the Make It Work for Men program, providing dressing services to men in order to assist them in presenting a smart first impression.

The annual evening event includes a Hope Walk of community leaders and local media personalities modeling professional outfits on a fashion runway.

I realized my own wardrobe was in need of an upgrade, as I meet with clients or prospects on occasion face-to-face. So on my birthday, I left my kids with my husband and walked over to The Boutique at 1822 Spring Garden Street to do some shopping.

What a pleasant surprise. I tried on some outfits and in under 40 minutes, I left with three dresses, a pair of jeans and a dressy top. The price tag was a bargain for these five items. I was happy to find this deal on my birthday. The staff was super friendly as well.

I now feel prepared for when I have a future meeting. Yeah! I don’t have to scramble at the last minute for a suitable outfit. I encourage women seeking a wardrobe upgrade—both working and stay-at-home–to check the store out.

I’ll definitely return to The Boutique in the future!

Career Wardrobe partners with community and government agencies to reach those in need of its services throughout Southeastern Pennsylvania. The social enterprise is the regional provider of the PA WORKWEAR program, giving women on public assistance access to professional clothing for job search, training, and work.

Career Wardrobe operates Boutiques in Philadelphia, Chester, and Bristol, PA. Clothing donations are accepted Monday through Saturday in Philadelphia, Fridays in Chester, PA and monthly at partner locations in East Falls and Haverford, PA.

Self-Care Vital for Moms

When I wrote my book Mastering the Mommy Track, my daughters were ages 3 and 1, ages when “self-care” is often at the bottom of a mom’s to-do list. I thought it was important to explore the topic in a chapter, and posed the question “How do I find alone time?”

If you have a baby or toddler, how do you break away during the week or on the weekend? Some moms like to get their nails done or get a shoulder massage; others may find walks or runs helpful for releasing tension.

Working moms face the risk of burn-out if they do not take time out for themselves, if they always place their spouse’s or kids’ needs about their own.

Weekend breaks are an extra special treat if you can swing it. Can you break away to visit a friend in another city? I try to go to NYC twice a year and stay with a friend for the weekend. Since I lived there for ten years, I always enjoy returning.

This past weekend, I spent time in Baltimore to attend the wedding party of a friend and former coworker. I was thrilled to celebrate my friend’s nuptials with her and her spouse, family and close friends.

* Traveling does not have to be too expensive. I took the bus to Baltimore—it cost less than the train and I had a chance to do some reading. Stay with a friend to avoid the cost of a hotel—or if you have to book a hotel room, share the cost with other friends. If you need to get a room solo, use your credit card points.

* Explore a city you are not familiar with. If you get the chance to visit a city solo for a day or two, do it. I am not a big clothes shopper but in Fells Point, I did stumble upon a work outfit I had to buy—only $30 at 60 percent off. In addition, I ate a few mouth-watering oysters for only a dollar each that a restaurant was selling outside. You never know what you will stumble upon if you have some time to walk a city by yourself.

After a weekend in Baltimore, I was ready to return to the family late Sunday afternoon. The best part of being away for two days? Returning to your kids’ warm hugs as you walk in the door and hearing the words, “I missed you Mommy!”

A Caribbean Trip To Remember

On New Year’s Eve, the four of us boarded an airplane from Philadelphia for Nassau, the Bahamas. It was a long-awaited trip—it had been quite some time since all four of us flew on an airplane together. We met up with Jason’s family from the West Coast there for one night, and the next day flew to San Salvador, a remote Bahamas island.

Yes, a whole week with my husband’s family. Some of you may cringe at the idea of spending a vacation with your spouse’s family. You should reconsider this. Our trip was a success and thoroughly enjoyable—not just because of the beautiful weather, water and island beauty.

The girls and I got a chance to get to know his family better (since they are on the West Coast, we do not see them often). We all took plenty of pictures and have memories to look back on.

The girls have taken many trips to Long Beach Island but have never experienced a beach like San Salvador. Now that they are older, they have the ability to absorb such a trip. The waves were not rough most days, so we got them in the water and they loved it. When they were not in the water, they were usually running on the sand.

Another advantage of traveling with family is that you can split the cost of the time-share or house, car rental and food. Traveling with a few kids is expensive. Do the math. If you travel as a group, your vacation expense might be half of what you would spend if you traveled alone as a family.

It’s good to have a buddy system as well if you are on a remote island. Jason’s cousin has a place in San Salvador, so she transported us around the island of only 500 inhabitants. There are no street signs on San Salvador so it is difficult for many tourists to get around and not get lost. One way to figure out your location is to follow the telephone poles. There is no hospital on the island so if you had a medical emergency, it would be a problem.

Before I got married, every year I traveled with a girlfriend or two out of the country. The travel bug hit me again on this trip, and I hope we can take many vacations out of the country with the kids in years to come.

If you’re on the fence about taking a trip out of the country with young kids, consider going as an extended family—either with your side or your spouse’s. There are cost advantages but most importantly, the chance to spend quality time with family you don’t see often.

I have my eye on traveling again next January to a warm but less primitive location—the perfect time to get away if you live in the Northeast.

Today Kaitlyn asked me, “When are we going back to the Bahamas” I laughed and said, “It’s going to be awhile.” Happy she had this experience to remember.