How DOES She Do It?!
She'll tell you, yes she will! Gwyneth Paltrow has helpful advice for working moms. DListed has it, Paltrow's take on "finding a good balance between having a career and being a mom." Paltrow writes:
I asked Juliet de Baubigny, a venture capitalist I met (it's no wonder this woman is so freakin' successful--spreadsheets for family packing ... wow!), and fashion designer Stella McCartney to send in a day in their lives to see how they do the mothers' special--everything all at once. I learned a lot and got some good tips from these ladies. And, because some of you have asked what one of my days looks like, I've included a random one of my more manic days from last November.
Details at the GOOP link.
DListed writes:
Fishsticks somehow manages to successfully conquer a morning filled with: getting Nectarine and Torah to school, feeding her soul to the serpent beast that is Tracy Anderson, picking out the perfect $200 tea towels to go in the service kitchen, yelling at the east wing maid for starching the robe given to her by the Dalai Lama, recording a country song that will debut at #1 as soon as she puts her breath on the mic and writing a soon-to-be award-winning piece for GOOP. And she does all of this while her head is shoved up her ass! Clap. Clap. Clap.
Here's Paltrow's advice for the rest of us, as condensed by DListed. Sooo helpful! Especially the advice on having food delivered from grocery stores I couldn't afford to shop at in the first place. (Do you have a "favorite fishmonger"?)
1. Schedule your time well. When I know what I am doing from hour to hour I get more done. Write it all in the day's calendar, what you want to accomplish and in what time frame.3. I cook a lot, especially on the weekends, so I like to plan a rough menu for the whole weekend and get the food in on Friday. Obviously stores and websites that deliver make this a dream. In London I use Ocado. Also James Knight, my favorite fishmonger, will deliver. Having all of the ingredients means I'm prepared even when I don't think I am.
4. I always lay the kids uniforms and school things out the night before once they are asleep. When it's quiet I can check the "kid list" for show and tell items to bring in, consent forms, ballet kit, etc, so that the morning is less of a scramble.
And here's the one she missed:
But Fishy missed a very important tip: Make sure you come flying out of a wealthy lady's vagina at birth (or marry a millionaire), so that later on in life you can hire a team of nannies to take care of your kids while you write ALL THESE FUCKING LISTS OUT.
For DUsted's benefit: Blythe Danner was a real looker back in the day.
mpetrie98 at January 14, 2011 1:16 AM
... or learn to throw together a meal with whatever you have in the house. If your spices and oils are well stocked this is easy.
NicoleK at January 14, 2011 4:33 AM
To be fair, other than her london store, fishmonger, and team of nannies, it is pretty good advice. List at night make the next day possible for me.
momof4 at January 14, 2011 5:59 AM
We all have struggles as mothers. Money makes things easier but it doesn't mean she's not involved with her kids. I'm sure her kid has thrown the baby food across the room just as everyone else's kid has at some point. My only problem with Gwennie is that she tries to portray herself as someone I can relate to. She means well and really, its hard to say in her advice that it pays to be wealthy and have a lot of help and how lucky she is to be in that position. Imagine what people would write about her then!
Kristen at January 14, 2011 6:13 AM
I'm sure her kid has thrown the baby food across the room just as everyone else's kid has at some point.
Not such a big problem if you have staff to clean it up.
Amy Alkon at January 14, 2011 7:13 AM
I wonder how she's going to cram in the Chinese mama advice?
Pareto will save your life. Eighty percent of everything doesn't matter much. Work on the twenty percent. You'll enjoy life more. Laugh a little while you're at it.
MarkD at January 14, 2011 7:13 AM
Do you have a "favorite fishmonger"?
Well, yes, but then I'm a bit of a foodie. (And given where we live, it's only the nice gentlemen at the Whole Foods fish counter.) When I travel to Paris, I am insanely jealous of the quality of the produce, cheese, and fish they have at markets (itty bitty clams! scallops on the shell! fresh sardines!)
Astra at January 14, 2011 7:46 AM
Having my groceries delivered has saved me a ton of time. I was having my father's groceries delivered for awhile, and it made it possible to make sure he had a fully stocked pantry without hauling my ass all over town.
Having groceries delivered for myself means I can plan and shop in the downtime between doing other things. It also ends up saving me money, since I don't have to run out for things I forgot and I'm less inclined to make impulse purchases.
MonicaP at January 14, 2011 7:54 AM
Amy Alkon
http://www.advicegoddess.com/archives/2011/01/14/how_does_she_do.html#comment-1821947">comment from MonicaPHaving (pre-Gregg) a guy from something like "The Handyman Connection" build me shelves between my kitchen and the area where my refrigerator is saves me money. I just bought 36 rolls of toiletpaper at Costco for $18.
Amy Alkon at January 14, 2011 8:01 AM
I just bought 36 rolls of toiletpaper at Costco for $18.
I got a great deal on toilet paper on Amazon. Unfortunately, I bought the cheap stuff, and I'm still hearing about it.
MonicaP at January 14, 2011 8:09 AM
About the article: Meeeee-owwww!
And Monica, comic John Pinette would have told you about that. He has a great bit about good TP being a reassurance when things are going bad otherwise... I know, too late. Maybe the cat will play with it.
Radwaste at January 14, 2011 9:02 AM
36 double rolls of TP from walmart shipped to your house for $18 too... it can be done...
and?
POLONIUS
173 Do you know me, my lord?
HAMLET
174 Excellent well; thou art a fishmonger.
POLONIUS
175 Not I, my lord.
HAMLET
176 Then I would thou were so honest a man.
SwissArmyD at January 14, 2011 10:08 AM
I email HEB periodically to tell them they are missing out on a lot of money by not offering online grocery shopping. Put in your oder, drive to the front and pick it up at the specified time. I don't know a mom in the city that wouldn't pay a bit for that service. Delivery would be even better!
momof4 at January 14, 2011 10:17 AM
I just went through this week's Stop & Shop circular - it's their annual blowout sale. I got positively GIDDY!! Cabot cheese: two blocks for $5! Big packs of bacon for $3.99!! Perdue boneless breasts BoGo free!! I can't wait to shop this week - I'll have enough chicken in my freezer for the apocalypse!! Now I just need to find some manufacturer's coupons to increase my savings...being cheap is like a competitive sport with my family. We brag about how much we DON'T pay for the name brands we love.
Not that Gwennie would understand because she has her groceries delivered.
Gretchen at January 14, 2011 11:00 AM
The "east wing maid"!? Do these women even notice how badly they treat hard working women; or are these 'lowly' women so beneath their notice they don't even deserve a name? As someone from a family with its share of hard working women, including maids, I am incensed.
Thank you for blogging, I read you daily, Bill
anon15319 at January 14, 2011 11:02 AM
Poor Gwyneth Paltrow! It must be so hard to be a working mom when you have only 7 nannies and 10 maids...
Mexicanita at January 14, 2011 11:11 AM
She acts like she's telling us something new.
Well, I think I'll share some wisdom garnered over my *muttered* years of child rearing.
Life is what happens while you are making other plans. You had better be ready for it.
All the lists in the world aren't going to save you from the child that decides to see exactly how slippery ice can be in the middle of an ice storm and face plants in the driveway, requiring stitches. You either figure out a way to get to the hospital, or learn to do it yourself. Did you know that you can use superglue? I do, now.
All the planning in the world is worthless if your child is being bullied and the school isn't doing anything about it.
Menus are great until you are down to your last 5 bucks and have 4 people to feed.
I need lectures from prententious overinduldged twits like I need another.... oh hell, you know the drill.
Kat at January 14, 2011 11:13 AM
What's so terrible about calling it a fishmonger? That's what they're called in England. And yes, we have a fish store we go to; nothing fancy, but the owner will deliver. As will the fruit store, and the grocery. And my wife makes lists all the time to organize herself. It's perfectly good advice. So what if it comes from someone with money? The DListed guy sounds like a mean-spirited twit.
kishke at January 14, 2011 11:37 AM
I read Gwynneth's entire 'day in the life' entry at the above GOOP link, and I'm wondering, does she ever see or converse with her husband?
Sue at January 14, 2011 4:03 PM
Stop & Shop delivers. And the prices at BJs for Purdue chicken are better than even S&S sale prices. And those come in convenient freezer-ready packs! Cryo-Vac is the freezer's best friend.
brian at January 16, 2011 8:04 AM
All the NYC grocery stores deliver these days -- and the delivery charge is pretty minimal. If you're busy, getting them delivered makes sense. We have fishmongers here too. I gather it's not the same throughout the country.
Gail at January 22, 2011 9:01 AM
Lysande, tack för att dela!
nylon strumpor at June 2, 2011 2:19 AM
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