News agencies were still scrambling to keep pace, as story after story broke. Was it finally going to be revealed? Is Bigfoot real? Is the Lochness Monster real? Is work-life balance real?

· Karrine, the Organized Mom, was one of the first on the scene, asking the question, Balance - is it a fairy tale?, at Organized Families.

· Debra Moorhead went against the grain by stating the reality of work-life balance is already established in: Life Balance, posted at Debra Moorhead.com.

· On the other hand, Milo Paulo milo G. Riano suggests it doesn’t matter if work-life balance is real in: Work Life Balance is Overrated.

· And GP addresses the myth of the Jewish superwoman in Innkeeper as Superwoman? posted at Innstyle Montana- Come on Inn.

After the videos and photos were authenticated definitively, Bigfoot knew the gig was up and began the ordeal of responding to the press.

Bigfoot, who prefers to go by his given name of John, acknowledged he was having trouble keeping his tracks covered. “With the new job, the family, I just couldn’t devote the attention I needed to remain hidden from the rest of the world. My wife says I’m just not organized and efficient enough.” Consultants reviewing Bigfoot’s story agreed and offered the following suggestions:

· Stacey Hoffer Weckstein describes The Art of Life Balance - Activity Included!, posted at createabalance.com.

· Laura Stack frames the question, Do You Work to Live or Live to Work?, posted at Laura Stack - The Productivity Pro, Time Management, Getting Things Done, How to Be More Productive; and she offers ten tips for achieving work-life balance and “personal/professional equilibrium.”

· Raymond Le Blanc explains how to Protect Your Time, Don’t Solve Everyone’s Problems, posted at Time Management Blog.

“Yeah, she’s really going to be mad that I let this whole secret of our existence slip,” Bigfoot/John lamented. “But I’m so tired—work all day, come home to help with the kids at night, go back out and cover up any footprints. I just want to catch a little shuteye—and maybe a little time with the missus.”

· Alvaro Fernandez presents Sleep, Tetris, Memory and the Brain posted at SharpBrains, explaining “[w]hy sleep is so important.”

· Linda W. presents Can You Be Too Busy For Love? posted at The Eclectic Female.

· Steven Chang presents Improve Your Romance - Get Your Child Out of Your Bed posted at Gagazine.

“I don’t know what he’s complaining about,” retorted the Lochness Monster, who goes by “Nessie.” “He’s had it easy. Try keeping hidden this long when you’re confined to a lake!”

Nessie was discovered more definitively shortly after Bigfoot, purportedly through a leak from a co-worker. “These kids at work these days,” Nessie said, shaking her head. “I just don’t understand them. It was a bad day at work.” The commentators agreed that Nessie was not clicking with Gen Y and was not approaching her job with the right mindset:

· the baglady presents Talking About My Generation — Generation Y in the Workplace, posted at xynny.

· Kacper Wrzesniewski presents 22 steps to have a better day at work. posted at KacperWrzesniewski.com, saying, “With following tips you will have a much better day at work.”

· Joan Schramm presents Workplace Culture and Having Fun, posted at Accelerating Momentum.

“It’s been hard,” Nessie acknowledged. “My folks moved back in with us, and there’s only so much room in the lake. We’re living in close quarters, and really, the place has just become a mess.”

· Lin Burress presents Taking Care of Aging Parents as a Family, posted at Telling It Like It Is.

· Lorraine Cohen presents 3 Places To Manage Your Clutter and Free Up Your Energy!, posted at Powerfull Living, saying, “Whether you realize it, clutter is a huge energy drainer. . . .”

· Kelsey presents Household Chores - Daily Cleaning Schedule, posted at Vanilla Joy - Family Fun and Education.

· Scott.Goolsby presents The Wrath of Clutter, posted at Unapologetic Genius—”tips for a clutter free home.”

Bigfoot and Nessie both suffered from career rut, leading to lower energy at work and lower energy for juggling the demands of work-life balance. Pundits suggested they made some classic mistakes and also thought that they might need to consider moving on from their current positions:

· Michael Bass presents Reasons Not to Take a Promotion at Work | Debt Prison posted at Debt Prison, saying, “Promotions and financial wealth are important, but each has its limits for a balanced life.”

· Shawn Driscoll presents 5 Massive Mistakes Keeping You Stuck, posted at Shawn Driscoll.

· ITAKEOFFTHEMASK presents Mastering Life Transitions is the Key to Happiness and Success posted at itakeoffthemask.com.

Their lives now plastered across the front pages of newspapers, Bigfoot and Nessie will have to adjust their philosophical, mental, and emotional approach to adjust:

· Carole G. McKay presents Expanding Horizons, posted at McKay Today, saying, “Meeting the anticipated, as well as the unanticipated . . .”

· Raymond presents Easter Sunday Musings About The Rich Man, The Camel, And The Needle posted at Money Blue Book.

· Elizabeth presents Reaching your dreams with PASSION! posted at The best is yet to come!

So Bigfoot is real. The Lochness Monster is real. Work-life balance? The jury is still out.

Editor’s Endnote: Thanks for all the submissions—over 44! Unfortunately, we did not have room for them all; and several more came in after the deadline for this edition. If your submission was not selected, please try again for the next edition! Several submissions were left out for not complying with the submission guidelines (post too old, too many submitted for one Carnival, already published in another Carnival, or too far outside the scope of the Carnival)—though it was hard to catch everything along these lines with the amount of submissions (and the amount of time I had!). As a reminder, the Carnival of Work Life Balance is aimed at: “the preceding period’s most interesting, useful, or smile-inducing blog posts about work-life balance—and its many components like juggling, parenting, career, and hysteria.” The next Carnival is still being scheduled, but the tentative date is April 28. Though the date is not yet final, you can still submit your articles. Please submit posts through this link! Past and future editions of the Carnival of Work Life Balance can be found at Blog Carnival and at the Carnival Home Page.

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