FYI — The U.S. Postal Service raised First Class Postage for Letters to 42 cents today. They cite rising fuel costs for the increase: “A one-cent increase in fuel costs USPS more than $8 million in higher fuel costs per year.” So, buy your make-up stamps at the post office or online. For a full description of the increase and a chart outlining costs, Click Here. Also, I’ve found their website to be very helpful in calculating postage for small packages. They’re also offering a new form of “buyer protection” Read the rest of this entry »
Happy Mother’s Day! I found this photo & loved it so much, it’s the Business of Motherhood greeting card to you! I hope today brings all Moms some rest & relaxation, some great homemade cards from the kids (the best kind), a chance to be waited on instead of the waitress, and a break from the “business” of motherhood.
What are some of your best Mother’s Day memories?
Editor’s Note: With Mother’s Day coming up, I thought I’d share a little history on how this great holiday came about, along with some recent statistics on Moms. I didn’t realize the background, and that one woman lobbied congress in the early 1900’s. See what a difference one woman can make! Released on PRNewswire-USNewswire, here are excerpts from their press release. - Amy
The driving force behind Mother’s Day was Anna Jarvis, who organized observances in Grafton, W.Va., and Philadelphia on May 10, 1908. As the annual celebration became
popular around the Read the rest of this entry »
Editor’s Note: I’ll be an in studio guest with WUSA-TV Anchor Lesli Foster on the Consumer Segment tomorrow, Friday May 9th at 5:15 p.m. EST. We’ll have a fun show-and-tell of last-minute, creative Mother’s Day gift ideas that are sure to warm Mom’s heart. And yes, you still have time to make them by Sunday! Tune in to Channel 9, our local CBS affiliate Friday for some inside tips that Mom is sure to love! Lesli, also a local Mom and DVM Moms Celeb, has a great blog with lots of food for Mommy thought - check it out! — Amy
Moms definitely work 24/7/364. And on the 365th day, hopefully many of us get a break! That day is Sunday May 11th this year – Mother’s Day. So ladies, take your aprons off; give your kids or husband kitchen duty; and celebrate the one day a year that is centered exclusively around…you!
Take a long walk; put your feet up; take a long bubble bath; indulge. For any Dads looking for last-minute Mother’s Day presents, here are some quick suggestions that Read the rest of this entry »
Mother’s Day is around the corner, and while Moms around the world kick their feet up & take the day off (right?), here’s something that crossed my desk as an online freebie:
- Free Homework Help on Mother’s Day. Sunday has become synonymous with solving math problems and cramming for quizzes, but on Sunday, May 11th, every mom in America can get a breather, thanks to Tutor.com, an online tutoring company. Tutor.com’s instant access homework help gives kids an easy way to give mom a stress-free Mother’s Day by offering free 24-hour access to professional tutors on Mother’s Day.
Tutor.com conducts about 3,500 homework help sessions every Sunday night, making it one of the busiest homework nights of the week, so moms everywhere will certainly appreciate the extra time they can take to smell the roses, without fielding questions or worrying if a child is struggling with homework.
How to redeem this gift: Visit Tutor.com and sign up on or before May 11th, and get free tutoring all day long on Mother’s Day.
Editor’s Note: Hands down, the biggest perk of my new blogging/website job is meeting other Mompreneurs who share the passion. This guest post, from a friend of a friend, is a perfect example. Thanks to a fabulous friend, Lee G., Mom Since 1996 (MS’96), I met this local author in passing, through e-mails, and finally sat down for coffee recently. If to-do lists hadn’t ushered us out after 2 hours, I honestly think we could have closed the joint. Meredith Jacobs, Mom Since 1996 (MS’96), author of The Modern Jewish Mom’s Guide to Shabbat, has tons of ideas about bringing faith home in creative, modern ways, and is ultra-energized on so many fronts. Here, she shares some thoughts on a recent controversy about drinking and mothering. Love how she brought the “momtini” in! Read on…
Mother’s Little Helper
By Meredith Jacobs, MS’96
While I understand that the idea of moms drinking at a playdate (or moms drinking at all) is the controversial topic of many recent news features, what truly hit home for me, was the comment made by a young mom in one of these articles that the alternative to her “momtini” playgroup is the one “where it seems Read the rest of this entry »
Local Nutritionist, Karen Schachter, MSW LLC, and Mom Since ‘01, offers more mealtime magic here for the picky eater in your house. -Amy
One of the most common complaints I hear from parents about their children is, “He (or she) is such a picky eater!” Unfortunately, in today’s world of processed food and intense marketing of “kid” foods, more and more children are considered “picky,” as the more subtle flavors of natural foods are much less stimulating - and therefore often less desirable - than the intense flavors of processed foods. In addition, it is very normal for young children to prefer a narrow range of food choices, and to have their own sense of what textures, tastes and smells they prefer.
However, there are several things we can do to ensure that our children are Read the rest of this entry »
To celebrate Earth Day (today - April 22) Business of Motherhood-style, here are some great and fun ways to go green with the kids from author and child expert Virginia Bentz, PhD, Mom Since 1979 (MS’79). I love how the author empowers parents in a fun & very do-able way to love Mother Earth. — Amy
Let the Eco-Friendly Fun Begin: 10 Great Ways to Get Green with Your Kids!
Spring is here and trees, flowers, and even those bothersome weeds will be in full bloom. As the planet experiences its annual rebirth, and as Earth Day approaches, many of us are thinking about how we can protect the environment. But there’s one group of citizens who are especially receptive to the “go green” message, says Virginia Bentz, Ph.D. Kids. If you have any of them living under your roof, you have the perfect opportunity Read the rest of this entry »
How’s that for a tongue twister headline? I had fun with that. On to a more serious topic, celebrity actor Rob Lowe has found himself in hot water in the headlines recently for a babysitter crisis involving confidentiality. For anyone, having a babysitter betray a confidence would be a crisis, and given Lowe’s status, it could be particularly damaging. A post on MainStreet.com brings up a great point for discussion: Should your sitter sign a confidentiality agreement?
With today’s fast-paced technology and social networking revolution, it’s fairly easy to get the word out on practically anything, without any regard for the truth. Let’s hope this doesn’t threaten those who can’t speak for themselves - our children! Check out the post on MainStreet.com - it’s Read the rest of this entry »
To continue the recent blog post about values, this is well-timed. I recently attended a Parent Encouragement Program “Food For Thought, Because Parenting Matters” event about values. The presenter, Tory Joseph, is PEP’s current Board President and a Mom Since 1988 (MS’88), and she had lots of great insight into why values matter, and how to instill them. With Tory’s permission, I happily share some of her wisdom here from the program, “Instilling Your Family Values in Today’s Consumer Culture.”
First, she shared the hazards of Read the rest of this entry »
This article from The Telegraph in the U.K. raises some good questions. Being U.S.-based, I love the “Mums” part. Anyhow, I digress. The article - Click here to read it -
The article says, and I quote:
Competitive modern mothers are producing a generation of demanding, spoilt children, according to a report on parenting. Read the rest of this entry »
I always tell my kids that dirty words & potty talk belong in the bathroom, but I’ve got to step out on this one. Even if you’re out of the woods on this one, this will make you laugh. How adorable is this Flowgo video? It’s been a while since I did the potty training thing, but it’s an experience most parents remember for a very long time. This Flowgo video makes light of what can be Read the rest of this entry »
To continue the discussion about kids & nutrition, I love this news…Local Nutritionist, Karen Schachter, MSW LLC, MS ‘01, just launched her new website - check it out - full of great information and tips, including some fantastic recipes. I’m a big believer in a hearty breakfast - in fact, our family almost goes too far in incorporating protein, which typically means pans for me to wash (!). Karen provides some great tips and a granola recipe below on the importance of this first meal of the day - Enjoy! Amy
Eat Your Breakfast! Throw out the fruit loops! We’ve heard it a million times before: breakfast is the most important meal of the day. Yet, if you are like many of my clients, your mornings are so rushed that you barely have time to gulp down a cup of coffee and grab a quick bite before running out the door. By 10am you’re starving or exhausted, and find yourself reaching for a quick snack like a bagel and coffee. You feel great until Read the rest of this entry »
Being a mom is like juggling at least 5 precious, fragile plates in the air - kids, house, husband, work, school. The expectation to shift gears at a moment’s notice is always there. I’m still remembering a recent day in the life of a working mom - me! I worked up a sweat in more ways than one. Set an early alarm to work out before the kids woke up; got 3 boys fed while I sprinted around the kitchen between bites of egg whites; got lunches loaded into backpacks and on a school bus; put a carrot souflee & brownies in the oven for a dinner party; saved a work disaster Read the rest of this entry »
Editor’s Note: This safety tip came from one of my dearest business friends’ wives. Chi Chi Schiers, Mom Since 1980 (MS’80) came across this safety tip to share with fellow Moms. - Amy
PUT YOUR CAR KEYS BESIDE YOUR BED AT NIGHT – Author Unknown
Put your car keys beside your bed at night. If you hear a noise outside your home or someone trying to get in your house, just press the panic button for your car. The alarm will be set off, and the horn will continue to sound until either you turn it off or the car battery dies.
This tip came from a neighborhood watch coordinator. Next time you come home for the night and you start to put your keys away, think of this: Read the rest of this entry »
This article, brought to my attention from one of my best teachers, my Dad (Dad Since 1964, DS ’64), who is not only keeping up with technology, but now sending blog post ideas! Reader’s Digest published a great article, “7 Ways to Create a Happy Household: Learn How to Boost Your Children’s Emotional Well-Being.”
Click here to check out the online/condensed version – it’s full of fantastic tips on how to talk to your kids and how to make quality time a priority. There are lots of Read the rest of this entry »
Don’t know about your household, but our kids typically want to bring their entire set of toys, books & plush animals when we go away, even if it’s a short weekend at the beach. I read a great tip in a travel book that encourages you to have each kid have their own backpack that they can pack (& CARRY!) with their own book, activities, etc. As silly as it sounds, I felt so liberated not to be carrying everyone’s stuff. This also Read the rest of this entry »
Editor’s Note: Don’t know if you read The Secret - I’ll admit, I skimmed it, but am intrigued by any short-cut! This Guest Post, from one of my closest friends, Susan F., Mom Since 2004 (MS’04), lets the “secret” out of the bag for fellow moms. Susan, who has had many chapters in a very high-profile career, including her latest as Mom of twins plus a baby, is the Northeast VP of Programs of the Northeast Cincinnati Mother of Twins Club (NEMOTC). Enjoy Susan’s insights - I always do! -Amy
Excerpt from The Daily Double Newsletter by Susan F., MS’04
Thanks for the rich discussion on “The Secret.” We noshed on popcorn and candy and watched the much talked about “The Secret.” We didn’t get through the whole thing, but we got the gist of it. And we had a great discussion about how to apply these life choice principles to our lives – as mothers, wives and individuals. Its so hard to summarize a video, but here is my take on some of the key points:
Celebrating the first few months online, I have to say, I’m thrilled at the response. I’m just now starting my official press campaign, so the thousands of visits to date have been purely word of mom - er, word of mouth! And we’re seeing moms from around the globe, which is particularly exciting. So first, thank you to everyone who is spreading the word! If you know moms, dads or caregivers who would benefit from a Business of Motherhood shortcut, please send them our link! And, if you would like to be a guest author on our blog, we welcome your insights! Guidelines are simple — must be timely, practical, applicable to our daily job as moms, tips-oriented, with a quick, edgy tone. Also, we’re looking to post informative, non-commercial news. Humor is always a bonus! E-mail me a note at Info@BusinessofMotherhood.com so we can fine-tune the angle first, and keep the ideas coming! If you’re not ready to be a Guest Author, consider commenting on any or all of our posts to keep the dialogue going. Simply click “Leave a comment” at the top of any post to share your own personal insights, ideas and shortcuts.
Get a healthy bite of this news…I’m definitely a fan of special days & special months, and this one is a great example! I saw at the gym that March is National Nutrition Month®, and I checked out their site to find some Mom-Tastic tips to share. There are lots, so check it out. Created by the American Dietetic Association, National Nutrition Month® Read the rest of this entry »
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