My So-Called Daily Grommet Life

by Carol Fishman Cohen, Co-founder, iRelaunch, Co-author, Back on the Career Track (pictured left)

I have been a loyal fan of Daily Grommet since early on*, but it is only recently that I realized how intertwined my life has become with the products I have purchased from the site. As the mother of four teenagers and as the co-founder of a small company, I really appreciate the built-in vetting vehicle the site has become for me. Grommet streamlines the purchasing process for items I'd normally either spend a lot of time researching before buying, or just not getting around to buying at all, even though I needed them. So here goes....

Yawn......time to rest my head on the "CleanRest Ultra" pillow I bought from Daily Grommet. I ended up buying four of them because I realized the pillows around the house were 20 years old! Plus we have a few allergy sensitive members of the family, so I was intrigued by the allergen free materials. As advertised, the pillows arrive, soft and comfortable.

It's morning! I'm getting dressed - today I am going to wear my "Napapijri Naik" belt that I got from Grommet as a 50th birthday present for myself. This belt actually has grommets on it for the belt buckle to latch into, which is one of the reasons it's such an easy gift to give to others - it fits everyone. As my kids can tell you I am somewhat fashion challenged, especially in the casual wear department. Wearing this belt makes me feel uncharacteristically chic. I got one for one of my best friends who is on par with me in the fashion backward department. We both get compliments whenever we wear them.

Into the kitchen to make breakfast! One of my kids barely eats except for breakfast, so I try to make him pancakes as often as I can. I am using not one, but two Lodge Cookware cast iron skillets purchased from Grommet about six months ago. Exactly as portrayed on the video, they are naturally non-stick, and everything, including pancakes, cooks beautifully in them. I feel like a bit of a 1950's throwback cooking breakfast in my cast iron pans, but so be it.

I'm hard at work planning the iRelaunch Return to Work Conferences my company produces. I need speakers' gifts! Of course, I go straight to Grommet and find a number of contenders; The "I'm not a paper cup" cup, the Memory on Hand flashdrive bracelets, and the Tea Forte collections. I get eight of each to give to speakers at conferences in different cities. For our university host in each city, I get one of my favorites - the Zip-N-Go Blanket. I love this product, especially because it was created by a person who returned to work after a career break (as did a number of Grommet people, including their dynamic founder Jules Pieri).

How did holiday season creep up on me so fast? I need Hanukah gifts for my family and hostess gifts for the Christmas parties we are going to. Grommet doesn't disappoint: Bananagrams, the CyberCube, the Maine Flame eco-friendly fire starters, plus a Gorillapod tripod for my husband...perfect! Then I discover one of my favorite grommets of all time: the Big Dipper Beeswax Candle; exquisitely crafted, a beautiful beeswax aroma, and a gorgeous color and feel. I have bought more than 10 of these for hostess gifts, for presents for my own company team, plus I had to buy one for myself. I can hardly bring myself to light it because it is so beautiful. But it burns for FIFTY hours, so I know I will use it for a long time.
It seems as though every day I am interacting with the Daily Grommet products I have purchased, whether for friends, family, co-workers, clients or myself. Thanks, Grommet, for being there at critical moments with just the right product. Happy Holidays!

*Disclosure: I have known Daily Grommet's Founder Jules Pieri for years, and she's on the Advisory Board of my company iRelaunch. I also know some of the Grommet management team. However, no one at Grommet asked me to write this and it is not some thinly veiled advertisement for the company. I would have written it even if I had no connection to Jules. I can be reached at info@irelaunch.com.


Carol Fishman Cohen (r) and Vivian Steir Rabin (l) are the co-authors of the acclaimed career reentry book Back on the Career Track: A Guide for Stay-at-Home Moms Who Want to Return to Work, and the co-founders of iRelaunch , a company producing career reentry programs, events, and content for employers, universities, organizations and individuals.

Interested in returning to work after a career break? Register for our Relaunch Coaching Circles and/or our iRelaunch Return to Work Conference hosted by Emory Goizueta Business School in Atlanta on March 29 and Bentley University in Boston on May 19. Additional Conferences planned for DC and NYC in 2011. Click here to sign up for our newsletter. It' s free! Carol and Vivian can be reached at info@iRelaunch.com or follow us on twitter www.twitter.com/irelaunch.