Finding balance through trial and error

Life Lab

Welcome to the Work Life Lab! This is a space for exploring what works and what doesn't when trying to balance your busy work and home life. We all want the same thing- better results for the time we put in. Here I try, test, and tell you about what happens when I test ways to better get the outcomes I want. My intent is to share what works for me in the hopes that it'll work for you too. Thanks for reading!

Snip and Sip 2022

Robin Camarote December 30, 2022

Here are the highlights from our annual AIFA fundraiser at the farm! Enjoy!

point of View

The Work Life Lab is a place to explore ways to strike a better balance. professionally and personally. Getting the outcomes you want with more positive impact requires a new mindset and a different way of working. It involves knowing what matters most, focusing your efforts, and managing your time. I believe small changes can create big results. And, I believe in you.

Links to my contributions on these great sites are below.

2023
- Jan 3, 2023 Holiday Highlights from 2022 Jan 3, 2023
2022
- Dec 30, 2022 First Annual "Cocktails and Carbs" Contest Dec 30, 2022
- Dec 30, 2022 Christmas Blowup Tour 2022 Dec 30, 2022
- Dec 30, 2022 Thanksgiving weekend 2022 + Brian's 50th! Dec 30, 2022
- Dec 30, 2022 Terror on Timber! Halloween 2022 Dec 30, 2022
- Dec 30, 2022 Snip and Sip 2022 Dec 30, 2022
- Dec 30, 2022 Summary 2022, Labor Day Weekend! Dec 30, 2022
- Dec 30, 2022 Summer 2022, Week 10 Dec 30, 2022
- Dec 30, 2022 Summer 2022, Week 9 Dec 30, 2022
- Dec 30, 2022 Summer 2022, Week 8 Dec 30, 2022
- Aug 6, 2022 Summer 2022, Week 7 Aug 6, 2022
- Jul 31, 2022 Summer 2022, Week 6 Jul 31, 2022
- Jul 26, 2022 Summer 2022, Week 5 Jul 26, 2022
- Jul 17, 2022 Summer 2022, Week 4 Jul 17, 2022
- Jul 10, 2022 Summer 2022, Week 3 Jul 10, 2022
- Jul 2, 2022 Summer 2022, Week 2 Jul 2, 2022
- Jun 25, 2022 Summer 2022, Week 1 Jun 25, 2022
- Apr 3, 2022 Building the Butterfly Fence Apr 3, 2022
2021
- Nov 21, 2021 5Ks Both Days Nov 21, 2021
- Aug 15, 2021 Blue Skies and Red Rocks: Our summer vacation in Utah Aug 15, 2021
- Aug 2, 2021 Winding back July Aug 2, 2021
- Jul 18, 2021 Last-ish Jul 18, 2021
- Jul 1, 2021 Winding back June Jul 1, 2021
- Apr 2, 2021 San Fran, Yosemite, San Fran: Spring Break 2021 Apr 2, 2021
- Mar 14, 2021 50K All Day Mar 14, 2021
- Mar 11, 2021 2 days to go and all the feelings Mar 11, 2021
- Feb 8, 2021 Getting a grip Feb 8, 2021
- Feb 6, 2021 Remembering Papa Feb 6, 2021
- Jan 31, 2021 Eat, Run, Play & Repeat Jan 31, 2021
- Jan 13, 2021 Restlessness Jan 13, 2021
- Jan 4, 2021 Winter Break Roundup: 2020 Jan 4, 2021
2020
- Dec 31, 2020 A Different Approach to Setting Goals Dec 31, 2020
- Dec 26, 2020 All the Christmas-y Feelings Dec 26, 2020
- Dec 24, 2020 I'm 46 and Ready for Round Two Dec 24, 2020
- Dec 23, 2020 Keep it Simple Sweetheart Dec 23, 2020
- Dec 22, 2020 When its harder to stop than start Dec 22, 2020
- Dec 21, 2020 Garden Variety Fear and Laziness Dec 21, 2020
- Dec 20, 2020 Thoughts on Loop Dec 20, 2020
- Aug 24, 2020 Alaska Day 13: Headed Home Aug 24, 2020
- Aug 24, 2020 Alaska Day 12: Our first and last sunset Aug 24, 2020
- Aug 20, 2020 Alaska Day 11: "It couldn't be funner" Aug 20, 2020
- Aug 19, 2020 Alaska Day 10: "Zero! Zero out of 5 stars" Aug 19, 2020
- Aug 19, 2020 Alaska Day 9: How many more minutes? Aug 19, 2020
- Aug 17, 2020 Alaska Day 8: Sea life bucket list Aug 17, 2020
- Aug 16, 2020 Alaska Day 7: "I promise to protect..." Aug 16, 2020
- Aug 15, 2020 Alaska Day 6: Good job, BOYS! Aug 15, 2020
- Aug 15, 2020 Alaska Day 5: Fish On Aug 15, 2020
- Aug 13, 2020 Alaska Day 4: Throwing Rocks Aug 13, 2020
- Aug 12, 2020 Alaska Day 3: Linc, look! Aug 12, 2020
- Aug 11, 2020 Alaska Day 2: Don't get litten Aug 11, 2020
- Aug 10, 2020 Alaska Day 1: The 28-hour birthday. Aug 10, 2020
- Aug 5, 2020 Called to a bigger role: How our PTAs might help save us this fall Aug 5, 2020
- May 5, 2020 Eight Things I Want for Mother's Day May 5, 2020
- May 3, 2020 From Yesterday to 10 Years from Now May 3, 2020
- Apr 14, 2020 Back for More Apr 14, 2020
- Mar 24, 2020 Missing What I Have Mar 24, 2020
- Mar 23, 2020 We Needed a New Plan Mar 23, 2020
- Mar 19, 2020 Woman for Vice President! Mar 19, 2020
- Mar 18, 2020 Eat, Walk, Hang Out. Repeat. Mar 18, 2020
- Mar 16, 2020 I Need a Compass Mar 16, 2020
- Mar 15, 2020 We're Up and Running. Ish. Mar 15, 2020
- Mar 14, 2020 We Need a Plan Mar 14, 2020
2019
- Oct 6, 2019 Disney Our Way Oct 6, 2019
- Sep 3, 2019 Why Name-Requesting Teachers Is About Us, Not Them Sep 3, 2019
- Aug 3, 2019 Iceland, Iceland Baby Aug 3, 2019
- Jul 15, 2019 Camping is like flying Jul 15, 2019
- Mar 21, 2019 Voted Least Likely to Succeed as a Test Proctor Mar 21, 2019
2018
- Nov 23, 2018 Maybe one day I'll laugh about this Nov 23, 2018
- May 22, 2018 What is this blog about? May 22, 2018
- May 12, 2018 Surviving the Annual Girls Trip May 12, 2018
- Apr 11, 2018 Traveling with Kids Is Too Easy Apr 11, 2018
- Feb 19, 2018 The answer is E. All of the above Feb 19, 2018
- Feb 4, 2018 The Rules on the Bus Go 'Round and 'Round Feb 4, 2018
- Jan 21, 2018 The plan for the plan Jan 21, 2018
- Jan 17, 2018 Skipping Rocks Jan 17, 2018
2017
- Nov 23, 2017 My better Thanksgiving Nov 23, 2017
- Oct 29, 2017 Alternatives to the Twilight Boarding Zone Oct 29, 2017
- Oct 23, 2017 Never make another decision about what to eat Oct 23, 2017
- Oct 22, 2017 Call me hot sauce (maybe?) Oct 22, 2017
- Oct 18, 2017 What happens at Pawpaws house... Oct 18, 2017
- Oct 10, 2017 Awkward things you could say to your boss in an elevator Oct 10, 2017
- Oct 4, 2017 Outraged cereal-lovers unite! Oct 4, 2017
- Sep 10, 2017 At the end of the day, this is what I really want to know Sep 10, 2017
- Sep 4, 2017 End with the beginning in mind Sep 4, 2017
- Aug 29, 2017 Staring Off Into Space (and the Contents of Your Stomach) Aug 29, 2017
- Aug 22, 2017 Create a Beautiful Arrangement in 18 Simple Steps Aug 22, 2017
- Aug 14, 2017 Notes from the Newly Literate Aug 14, 2017
- Aug 6, 2017 Good morning! $1 lemonade! Aug 6, 2017
- Jul 30, 2017 I left my stomach back there Jul 30, 2017
- Jul 23, 2017 The Recipe That Made Me Cry 'Uncle' Jul 23, 2017
- Jul 16, 2017 Eat like it's 1947 Jul 16, 2017
- Jul 13, 2017 Catch and Release a Lightning Bug: Week 2 of our Summer "Learn to Try" Challenge Jul 13, 2017
- Jul 5, 2017 Do a Cartwheel: Week 1 of our Summer "Learn to Try" Challenge Jul 5, 2017
- Jun 26, 2017 Summer "Learn to Try" Challenge Jun 26, 2017
- Jun 21, 2017 If I don't say thanks, I'll cry Jun 21, 2017
- Jun 15, 2017 Do you have a condiment? Jun 15, 2017
- Jun 7, 2017 How Not to Take a Picture of Your Wife Jun 7, 2017
- Jun 1, 2017 'Til Dirt Do Us Part Jun 1, 2017
- May 26, 2017 All's well that ends well: Linc's birth story May 26, 2017
- May 5, 2017 Totally Soaked May 5, 2017
- Apr 12, 2017 Spring Mini-Break Apr 12, 2017
- Apr 7, 2017 Planting our garden Apr 7, 2017
- Jan 25, 2017 Small Changes, Big Impacts Jan 25, 2017
- Jan 19, 2017 Up In the Air. Again. Jan 19, 2017
- Jan 10, 2017 Passive Directives Jan 10, 2017
- Jan 3, 2017 Creating a Vision Board with Kids Jan 3, 2017
- Jan 2, 2017 the rest is still uncolored Jan 2, 2017
2016
- Oct 4, 2016 Love Warrior, Special Book Report post Oct 4, 2016
- Jul 4, 2016 Happy 4th! Jul 4, 2016
- Jun 13, 2016 Oh, Orlando Jun 13, 2016
- Jun 10, 2016 How Not to Travel With Kids Jun 10, 2016
- Jun 2, 2016 Sisterly Advice Jun 2, 2016
- May 20, 2016 No. Thank YOU. May 20, 2016
- May 16, 2016 Successful working parent partnerships May 16, 2016
- May 13, 2016 Rain, rain May 13, 2016
- Mar 1, 2016 Clutter's Global Reach, a guest post from Evan Zislis Mar 1, 2016
- Jan 26, 2016 Newly pregnant at work Jan 26, 2016
- Jan 12, 2016 far out Jan 12, 2016
- Jan 5, 2016 worry along for the ride Jan 5, 2016
- Jan 3, 2016 Welcome back! Jan 3, 2016
2015
- Oct 30, 2015 Let's clean house Oct 30, 2015
- Oct 7, 2015 a more graceful transition Oct 7, 2015
- Oct 4, 2015 promises and intentions Oct 4, 2015
- Sep 3, 2015 today we say goodbye Sep 3, 2015
- Aug 17, 2015 dressed out Aug 17, 2015
- Aug 3, 2015 move right Aug 3, 2015
- Jul 17, 2015 Shake it off Jul 17, 2015
- Jun 16, 2015 into africa Jun 16, 2015
- Apr 29, 2015 Hey B'More, what's my action? Apr 29, 2015

Work Life Lab by Robin Camarote

Finding balance through trial and error

The Work Life Lab is a place to explore what works- and what doesn't- when trying to strike that elusive sense of work-life balance. I'm a working mom with three kids. I try things and share my experiences with the hopes that some of the best strategies might work for you too.

Robin Camarote, LLC | , Falls Church, VA