The time when Lisa Wilkinson mentioned my name (on the tele)

Today was an exciting day. My name was on the tele. In full. Allison Tait. Oh, my co-author Kate Sykes did a brilliant three minutes on television, sharing all her expertise and the wonder of our book, Career Mums, with the audience of Today. I was very proud.

Then Lisa Wilkinson mentioned my name. On the tele.

It was quite a thrill.

You can watch the whole thing, including the name drop, right here:

http://video.au.msn.com/watch/video/mums-back-to-work/xq8yvzz

Kate is very good. A natural on the tele. Much like my name.

PS: I wanted to do that cool embedding thing, but it seems this is not possible if it's not a You Tube video. Or maybe it's just not possible if you are me...

Happy P-Day to Career Mums!

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Just popping in from my blogcation (weather is great, wish you were here) for a small happy dance to celebrate the fact that Career Mums hits the bookshops today! Huzzah! Happy P-Day (publication day) to our little blue book. My co-author Kate and I are very excited!

See you on the January 8. I'll have a cocktail with an umbrella in it for you. Assuming I can find one in at my non-tropical holiday spot.

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(Read more about Career Mums here...)

A great unveiling (introducing Career Mums, the book)

I've tried a few openings for this blog post. It's an unveiling kind of post and I felt it should have some pomp and ceremony. But everything I tried sounded either too Barnum Bros Circus (Roll up! Roll up!), too 'Prime Minister opening large and important building' (It gives me great pleasure...) or too 16-year-old girl with Text Addiction issues (OMG! ZOMG! OMGOMGZOMG!).

Plus there was the slight problem of the picture being the first thing you see. Not so much unveiling as simply Putting It Right Out There!

So I thought I'd just, you know, Put It Right Out There.

Let's just take one moment to contemplate the cuteness that is the cover of Career Mums, my new book, co-authored with the lovely Kate Sykes, founder of careermums.com.au, Telstra ACT Businesswoman of the Year in 2010, and general all-round good egg. It will hit the stands on January 3, 2012, ready for any New Year, New You! thoughts you may be having about making 2012 the year that you make some changes in your work/life balance.

We set out to write a useful, informative, practical guide to using the Right to Request Flexibility (enshrined in legislation in January 2010) to help make your life as a working parent an easier road to travel. We tried to make it easy to follow, even entertaining in places, and to cover off as many of the issues facing working parents as we could in the space we had. Being a working mum is not a one-size-fits-all proposition (besides, we all know that one-size-fits-all clothes never fit anyone, not really), but we think that there are ways of making it work for you - and we hope that this book will help you with your journey. At the very least, it will give you lots to think about!

In a joyous coincidence, I discovered today, whilst Googling my name (as one does) in the name of researching a current feature (don't ask) that Booktopia is offering pre-orders of Career Mums at 20 per cent off! A mere $15.95 will secure you a copy.

So there it is. An unveiling and a gratuitous plug in one blog post. Who says I'm not creative?

PS: Join the CareerMums Facebook page to keep up to date with book news, part-time jobs around the nation, blog posts from some of Australia's best working mum bloggers and for the opportunity, at a date to be announced, to win some mentoring time with Kate - if you're keen to get back to work, or make work work better for you, she's the one to help!

The proof is in the reading

My editor emailed me today. First page proofs of my new book Career Mums are ready and on their way to me. This is the point where all those words start to look like a book. It's exciting... and terrifying. Already I have been waking in the middle of the night in a cold sweat. Did I put a .au on that website address - when it shouldn't have one? (I didn't.) Did I remember to make those few requested corrections on that case study? (I did.)

I will have a few days to read through the entire book. No doubt several times. Looking for errors, mistakes, anything we may have overlooked. Reading all those words that I have read so many times. Trying to look at them with a fresh eye. Best I get some sleep.

Co-author Kate Sykes and I are already working on an idea for a new book. Yep, before the first one is even on the shelves. That's the way it is with publishing. You have to think long and far in advance. And then act in a rush when (if) things finally start to happen.

Hopefully, I'll have a cover to share with you soon.

[image: YanaFilimonova/Flickr]