Momathon Blog

Momathon Fave: Mom, Inc.

Ever wish you had a guide to help you develop and run a business from home? That's why I love the new book Mom, Inc.—a great guide to show you how to run a business at home while a mom. Written by two savvy professionals and moms, Meg Mateo Ilasco—mother of two, freelance artist and writer, and a serial entrepreneur—and her friend and coauthor Cat Seto—designer, illustrator, writer and stationery and wedding line creator. 

Book includes tips on how to:

• Write a business plan
• Attract clients
• Stay focused at home
• Market your business effectively
• Gracefully juggle parenting and work
• And so much more!

Meg wrote about her experiences as a mom and business person on Design*Sponge and offered 5 tips I thought were wonderful—be sure to read the full story on Design*Sponge. Here are Meg's tips :

1. Motherhood doesn’t mean sainthood. 

2. Yes, children should come first, but . . . sometimes so should your business! 

3. Think less about the word “balance” and think more about “making it work.”

4. Don’t forget your friends. 

5. Enjoy the process and learn to adapt. 

 

Check out the book trailer for Mom, Inc. below.

Mom, Inc. $16.95 : Chronicle Books

(Graphic above designed by Chris Olson with images from the book trailer.)

Best Advice from Mom: Believe in Yourself

In my countdown to Mother's Day, today I'm remembering the best advice from my mom whenever I felt like I would fail: "Believe in yourself."

In honor of Mother's Day, this week my "Mom Says" doodle art features my favorite sayings from my mom. You can find all of my "mom says" art here. You can see even more of my doodles at Momathon doodles. 

Illustration above by me, Chris Olson.

 

When no one understands your kid in school...

Moving beyond the labels and achieving great things is a big dream for children with learning difficulties. 

I remember being told my daughter would never be able read a book. I remember seeing my daughter banished to the hallway outside her third grade classroom because she was so far behind in class. I remember hearing teachers say my child would never go to college. I remember seeing my daughter crumple her homework papers with a big, red "INCOMPELTE" scribbled on them. I remember hearing my daughter would never achieve anything above a D or C in school. 

And I remember hearing my daughter say, "No one understands me."

In those moments I cried inside because I didn't have an answer. I did not understand my daughter's learning problems either. 

And then one day my daughter met a tutor who saw beyond the labels of her learning disability. She opened the door to learning. And that is when I knew someone understood her. 

If your child faces similar challenges, a new HBO documentary I Can't Do This But I CAN Do That offers hope and inspiration for children with learning difficulties and their families.

 

You can watch HBO trailer here.

This motivational film can even inspire adults to achieve more and move beyond the negative ideas holding them back. Photographer Scott Bourne blogged about it: 

Now here’s the important part. Start thinking about, talking about and living in the world of the stuff you CAN do. Concentrate on what you CAN do and not on what you CANNOT do... There’s a way to make this even more successful. Only surround yourself with positive, supportive people. Ask them to stop you dead in your tracks if they start hearing what you can’t do. Ask them to remind you what you CAN do. I bet you have more going for you than you realize.

According to Smart Kids With LD:

The film highlights the resourcefulness, creativity and strengths that schools frequently fail to acknowledge when students with LD are viewed as less capable than others, and are not given the help they need to succeed.  As director and producer Ellen Goosenberg Kent notes, the film “encourages students, families, and teachers to look beyond labels and discover the gifts each child possesses.”

According to the Denver Dyslexia Awareness Blog, the documentary is "hopeful, honest, emotional, empathetic, uplifting, vulnerable, riveting, inspiring, intelligent." 

To find the date and time for this documentary on HBO, check the listings.

(Photo by C. Olson.)

Don't be a Sue (Video)

“Don’t be a Sue. Do something good instead.”

The American Express Members Project

 

You gotta love Jane Lynch who plays her iconic character Sue Sylvester in the "Don't Be a Sue" ad for the American Express Members Project.

The American Express Members Project encourages cardholders to take volunteer opportunities, donate to causes, or vote to give money to various charities.

Daily doodle: Time for tea

 

"Come along inside... We'll see if tea and

buns can make the world a better place."

~Kenneth Grahame, The Wind in the Willows

 

Life gets hectic. Stopping for a cup of tea mid morning always makes my day better. 

Illustration: Chris Olson © 2010.

New evidence that breastfeeding improves health

 

Does breastfeeding improve the overall health of a baby? It depends on who you ask.

Babies "who derive all their nutrition from breast milk during their first six months of life are less prone to a host of common infections" according to a new study in Greece. The topic of health benefits and breastfeeding has been studied before, but many different factors can change the results depending on the environment, healthcare, etc. This new study includes data on how breastfeeding affects the overall health of children who also have access to high-quality health care. Emmanouil Galanakis from the department of pediatrics at the University of Crete in Heraklion, Greece is the lead researcher of the study that was published in the Sept. 28 online edition of the Archives of Disease in Childhood. 

Scientists are not in agreement on whether or not antibodies can enter the body via breastfeeding. In fact, this new Greek study contradicts a Canadian 2009 study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition (AJCN) by Dr. Michael Kramer at McGill University, Montreal, Canada. In the 2009 study, the authors concluded, "no demonstrable beneficial or adverse long-term effects on child health or exclusive breastfeeding for 6 months."

What did the new Greek study determine? According to the Archives of Disease in Childhood, out of the 1,000 babies in the study, only 91 children ended up being exclusively breast-fed for a full six months, and they experienced fewer infections.

Do nutritional and immunological benefits rooted in the antibodies found in mothers' milk make a difference in a babies health? Yes, according to the Greek research, but only if the baby is exclusively fed breastmilk. The study found partial breast-feeding did not offer the same kind of protection.

Details on the Greek study according to the US Department of Health and Human Services:

• Study examined feeding patterns and infection rates among nearly 1,000 Greek infants from birth to 1 year of age.
• Babies in the study had received their routine vaccinations and all were deemed to have access to high-quality health care.
• Infection incidence was tracked at the one-, three-, six-, nine- and 12-month marks.
• At the 1-month mark, a little more than 60 percent of the mothers breast-fed their infants to some degree, but only about 25 percent did so exclusively.
• The longer a baby was breast-fed exclusively, the lower the child's risk for infection and the fewer visits to the doctor.
• Infections studied in the research included respiratory and urinary infections, ear infections (otitis media), stomach upsets (gastroenteritis), conjunctivitis and thrush.

Study author Fani Ladomenou, of the University of Crete in Heraklion, Greecethe writes in Archives of Disease in Childhood: 

"Exclusive breastfeeding helps protect infants against common infections and lessens the frequency and severity of infectious episodes not only in developing countries but also in communities with adequate vaccination coverage and healthcare standards."

For more information on the health benefits of brestfeeding and the recent study, check out:

• BBC News - Breastfeeding 'prevents baby infections,' research suggests
• Archives of Disease in Childhood - BMJ Journals
• More evidence that breastfeeding is good for babies - Los Angeles Times
• Breastfeeding wards off baby infections - UK Net Guide
• WomensHealth.gov
• Breastfeeding May Cut Infection Risk for Babies: WebMD.com

For more healthy living posts, check out Momathon's health & wellness.

Special mommy hugs to the wonderful photographer of the photo above: Gabi_Menashe

10 new hip words for you (endorsed by the New Oxford American Dictionary)

The list of new words added to the New Oxford American Dictionary is probably a mile long. The editors at the Oxford University Press blog included a sampling of the additions here.

You probably already know what BFF and bromance mean. Here are a few of my faves from the OUP blog's list that are a bit more unusual: 

1. carbon credit n. a permit that allows a country or organization to produce a certain amount of carbon emissions and that can be traded if the full allowance is not used. 
2. cloud computing n. the practice of using a network of remote servers hosted on the Internet to store, manage, and process data, rather than a local server or a personal computer.
3. eggcorn n. a word or phrase that results from a mishearing or misinterpretation of another, an element of the original being substituted for one that sounds very similar or identical (e.g., tow the line instead of toe the line). – ORIGIN early 21st cent.: with reference to a misinterpretation of acorn.
4. homeshoring n. the practice of transferring employment that was previously carried out in a company’s office or factory to employees’ homes. – ORIGIN early 21st cent.: on the pattern of offshoring.
5. parkour (also parcour) n. the activity or sport of running through an area, typically in an urban environment, using acrobatic techniques to negotiate obstacles. – ORIGIN early 21st cent.: French, alteration of parcours ‘route, course.’
6. paywall n. (on a website) an arrangement whereby access is restricted to users who have paid to subscribe to the site.
7. tag cloud n. a visual depiction of the word content of a website, or of user-generated tags attached to online content, typically using color and font size to represent the prominence or frequency of the words or tags depicted.
8. tramp stamp n. informal a tattoo on a woman’s lower back.
9. truthiness n. informal the quality of seeming or being felt to be true, even if not necessarily true. – ORIGIN early 19th cent. (in the sense ‘truthfulness’): coined in the modern sense by US humorist Stephen Colbert (1964–).
10. zombie bank n. informal a financial institution that is insolvent but that continues to operate through government support.

A couple of new phrases

be all that informal be very attractive or good: he thinks he’s all that—yeah, God’s gift.

my bad informal used to acknowledge responsibility for a mistake: Sorry about the confusion. It’s my bad.

like herding cats informal used to refer to a difficult or impossible task, typically an attempt to organize a group of people: controlling the members of this expedition is like herding cats.

cop to accept or admit to: there are a lot of people who don’t cop to their past.

what’s not to like? informal used as a rhetorical expression of approval or satisfaction: cleaner air, cooler temperatures, and mountain views—what’s not to like?

For more posts about writing, check out Momathon and writers.

A fun, sassy read: Someone Will Be With You Shortly

Lisa makes me smile wherever she is--on the pages of O, The Magazine; or hosting her show on Oprah Radio; or in her new book Someone Will Be with You Shortly. According to Harper Studio, in her new book: 

Kogan grapples with issues big (her 7-year-old daughter, Julia, and the 8,000 miles that separate them from Julia's father) and small (her recent apartment renovation, which consisted of turning over the sofa cushions, and then realizing that they looked better the other way) with the self-deprecating humor-and deep appreciation for what really matters-that have made her so beloved by her legions of fans. 

I know Lisa lives in NYC, but I wish someone could clone her and she could move in next door to me.

Lisa Kogan's book is available in paperback for $11.11 at Amazon.com. Or get the Kindle version at $9.99.

For more great reads, check out my reading list on Momathon books.

Daily doodle: yoga

 

For more doodles by me, click on Momathon doodles.

Illustration: Chris Olson © 2010

Read. Blog. Learn.

Summer is a favorite time for me because with the kids out of school and no annoying alarm clocks buzzing at 5:30 a.m. I can stay up as late as I want READING!

Ever wonder what other readers think about books they are reading? Now you can check out the Book blogger directory with all the book bloggers who attended the Book Blogger Convention this year in NYC. The directory also lists the links to their blogs. 

Have fun reading!

(Thanks for the blog tip via GalleyCat)

 

Why Jennifer Weiner makes me laugh and cry about the choices women make

 

The choices women make--both the good and the bad--and how women judge each other are familiar themes in books by New York Times bestselling author Jennifer Weiner. In her new book, Fly Away Home, Weiner reminds us that even though we think we know what's going on in a friend's break-up, no one really knows what is going on inside a marriage except the couple themselves. 

In her new book, 57-year-old Sylvie is mistreated by her cheater-cheater-pumpkin-eater politician husband. The book is not about a victim of infidelity who goes and hides in her bedroom in self pity. It's about a woman who picks herself up, trades her designer suits for yoga outfits, and makes the choice to spend time with her grown children even though her life seems to be falling apart around her. And maybe because of the chaos in her life, she finally takes the time to really find out what's best for her.

What does Weiner think about when writing a book? Watch Jennifer Weiner's interview in the B&N video clip below.

For more great reads, check out my reading list on Momathon books.

Blogging on an iPad, or not

Blogging using my iPhone has been an adventure. Sure, using a smart phone is a fairly reliable way to post when you are on the road with barely enough room in your carry-on bag for clothes much less a laptop. However, you are on vacation, so why should you be working so hard to do anything like blogging on a teeny-tiny smart phone screen? 

Enter the iPad. Love at first sight. I felt certain our relationship would be blessed by the gods of tech. Time passes and like all relationships, I am beginning to notice some flaws in my beloved iPad. For example, the fact my iPod is a poor multi-tasker compared to my laptop. And I can't get my Typepad account to stop bickering with my iPad like a couple of siblings. 

There's got to be an app for that. 

Turns out there are more iPhone apps than iPad apps and at least as far as blogging is concerned I am still waiting for a solution. Today I am testing out a new iPad app. I am writing my TypePad post with the help of the BlogPress app. Seems to be working. I like using the larger keyboard in the app. I can even add photos easily. I can also save my post as a draft and come back to it later after I have done the research I need for writing--and that is a big deal because remember my iPad doesn't multi-task. 

I still need to learn how to add links, etc to my post. I'll save that for my bedtime reading. 

(Posted using BlogPress from my iPad)

A Mother's Day gift for moms in need: Mercy Kits

So many moms around the world are in desperate need of basic support. This Mother's Day you can make a difference in the lives of women worldwide by donating a Mercy Kit through Mercy Corps. 

The gifts come in many forms--supplies to provide clean water, a beehive kit, job training, wells and many more basic supplies to improve the lives of women and children worldwide.

Something as small as an $18 donation can supply an Emergency Food Kit that quickly delivers nutritious food such as grains, cooking oil and canned goods to families displaced by conflict, natural disasters and other crises.

A donation of $75 can supply a Breastfeeding Kit that covers the cost to train a breastfeeding counselor to support mothers and their families at a neighborhood health clinic in Jakarta.

A donation of $45 provides a Fuel-Efficient Stove Kit that helps displaced women in war-torn Congo learn to build fuel-efficient cookstoves, which minimize charcoal use and give women a marketable skill.

You can choose from dozens of Mercy Kits, just go to the Mercy Kits link.

Peace and love.

Best mom food bloggers according to Babble.com

 

I don't know how the editors could narrow it down to only 50--so many talented foodies write blogs. Check out Babble.com's 50 Best Mom Food Bloggers list including these yummy blogs Food Allergy Mama, Steamy Kitchen, Kayotic Kitchen and Seven Spoons.

One of the best things about these blogs is you don't have to be another Martha Stewart in the kitchen to enjoy reading them. Of course, great recipes are key to their success, but you can also check out these blogs for their humor and beautiful photography. 

The staff and contributors at Babble "picked these fifty because each demonstrated excellence in voice, photography, design, or all three."

Love, love, love the listing by the editors on Babble, but have to admit their photo of chocolate dripping off the mixer is making me very hungry. Cupcakes anyone?

Bon Appetit!

(Image: Babble.com post)

 

Mommy writers: Best book editors on Twitter

A growing number of talented book editors talk shop in 140 characters or less. So if you have a novel you want to shop around, check out this new list of The Best Book Editors on Twitter according to the Jason Boog at one of my personal faves Mediabistro.com. (Also check out Best Book Editor Twitter Feeds.)

"According to Tweepsearch, 25,080 people identify themselves as an "editor" on Twitter. Nevertheless, book editors have had a rough time in recent years--layoffs, uncertain roles, and crazy workloads. Today we've decided to celebrate and recognize the editors in our lives...We are building a new directory linking to the best book editors on Twitter. Add your favorite editor (or yourself) to the growing list," according to Jason Boog on GalleyCat.

Helpful resources for writers according to mediabistro.com:

• What are the book reviewers saying in 140 characters or less? Best Book Reviewers on Twitter directory. 

• Hone your own editing skills, Book Oven's excellent new web game, Bite-Size Edits. 

• Earn points in Bite-Size Edits by editing sentences and leaving comments for writers. More info at: about the project

Girl talk

"You can have more than one best friend at a time," I said.

"No, you can't."

"Why not?"

"Because best means best."

I thought about that. "What about close?" I asked.

    – from Just as Long as We Are Together, by Judy Blume

  

Friendship. Body image. Parental divorce. Dating. School. Bullies. All are Judy Blume moments--events in the lives of girl that Judy Blume captured with her funny, poignant and honest voice. Chronicling the lives of girls from Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing to Smart Women, Blume is one of those teasured writers who captures the feelings of girls growing up and makes a difference in the lives of her readers.

 

If you want to get a glimpse of how the unforgettable stories by Judy Blume influenced other women writers, then check out this collection of 24 essays, Everything I Needed to Know About Being a Girl I Learned from Judy Blume. The anthology is edited by Jennifer O'Connell--another favorite author (and a friend from PPWC). It features essays by acclaimed women writers including Meg Cabot, Megan McCafferty, and Melissa Senate.

Happy reading!

Ski Bum Mum: Sweet ski deals at Liftopia.com

Taking the whole family skiing for a weekend or even a day can be expensive, so I am always looking for deals on skiing. I found an online service that offers discounts on resorts and lift tickets. Now if only I could find a bargain for lunch when I easily spend $70 on burgers, chili and drinks for a family of four on the mountain.

Liftopia.com partners directly with ski resorts to provide discount lift tickets and ski deals. If you book online, you can save up to 60% or even 75%! I haven't used this service yet, but I plan on trying it out soon.

 

 (images by johnrawlinson and frozenchipmunk)

Booking early on Liftopia makes sense because tickets can sell out, but tickets can be purchased up until the night before arrival. When you purchase a ticket from Liftopia.com, you are purchasing date-specific tickets and ski deals. Prices for ski deals fluctuate based on availability, snow conditions, weather, day of week, etc.

For the 2009-2010 ski season, Liftopia includes discounts at 120 ski resorts in North America.

Some new ski resort additions this year include:

• Winter Park
• Killington
• Keystone

Wanna get the scoop on a certain resort? Liftopia.com also includes a feature for customer reviews.

Get the latest news alerts on Liftopia: 

Liftopia on Twitter

Facebook | Liftopia

A new twist on mommy hair: perfect ponytails

 

 (image: obo-bobolina)

My kids call it mommy hair. I pull my hair back in a quick ponytail. It's a timesaver for me, but I am not sure the look works. I am always in a rush and never have enough time to mess with a fussy hairstyle.

Ponytails are easy, but they can also be kinda boring. But wait, today's ponytail can also come in a variety of sassy styles: 

• Full high tail: this ponytail goes high on your head, just tip your head upside down, pull the hair into a ponytail, add some curls, and you have a pretty cascading ponytail.

• Full low tail: this ponytail is pulled to the side, put the tail on the opposite side of the part to make hair flow nicely to one side, ponytail looks very full.

• Wrapped tail: this style works best with longer hair, slick back your hair nice and clean, put into a ponytail, take half of the hair from the ponytail and start at the base and wrap the tail with your hair. 

Check out the video clip with celebrity hairstylist Jonathan Antin on the TODAY Show demonstrating how to make the new perfect ponytails:

Visit msnbc.com for Breaking News, World News, and News about the Economy

No excuses allowed... You too can write a novel this month

Thirty days and nights of literary abandon began November 1st. Over 70,000 aspiring writers have joined National Novel Writing Month. As of today, the collective word count according to nanowrimo.org is...drumroll, please...355,226,349 words!

 

No excuses allowed. 

No outline yet. No time to edit. Don't worry. The goal of this month's literary extravaganza is to write, write, write. You can edit after the month is over. Just try to get 50,000 words in 30 days!

I love this idea because let's face it, if you didn't have someone pushing you to write and write some more, nothing would happen. NaNoWriMo gives you that much needed push to get writing and keep writing. Sign up to write your novel and give weekly word count updates here. The site also includes easy writing guidelines. Plus they do offer prizes.

Why write a novel this month? According to the clever folks at NaNoWriMo:

"Doing something just for the hell of it is a wonderful antidote to all the chores and 'must-dos' of daily life. Writing a novel in a month is both exhilarating and stupid, and we would all do well to invite a little more spontaneous stupidity into our lives."

I love a challenge. And a stupid--but harmless--one makes it all the more fun. I am only at 4530 words. Long way to go to reach 50,000. Come join me at NaNoWriMo.