Mama's Musings

Women Growing Businesses...and Lives

Happy Halloween, Everybody. Now, for some small business news.

USA Today's Small Business reporter Jim Hopkins tells us American Express has issued the results of a recent survey of 1,162 female entrepreneurs who looked towards high growth in their companies. He quotes the survey as reporting:

"Women entrepreneurs seeking balance between the personal and professional work only slightly fewer hours than the average women entrepreneur,'' the credit-card giant says. "They are just as focused on growth, and have the same level of business accomplishment."

Facts (according to Jim):
* Half (51%) work 40 hours or more per week on their business, compared to 58% of the entire community of survey respondents (yes, Jim. That's right. We work typically 14 hours a day -- some of what we do goes unpaid).
* A 57% majority have been focused on growing their business since day one, the same as all respondents (at 58%). (we like to grow things. It's in our nature).

Ballooning your company to 60 employees while attempting to maintain balance doesn't seem compatible. I speak from experience when I say the more people you involve, the more hectic your life can be.

More and more women-owned businesses are cropping up. In another article Jim wrote in May 2003, he states 26% of the USA's 21 million companies are women-owned.

Imagine growing your business while working fewer hours. Is that possible?

Mama's Musings Holiday Giveaway #2

Okay, let's be real for a moment. Who could resist running about the house in übersexy slip-ons like these? Tired of the same old grind, the scuffed up sneakers whose backs you've ruined by jumping into them before the dog pees on the carpet time and time again?

Enter Kikic Shoes. The designer's name really is Kitty. They're so Kitty chic! If you don't smile at this picture, I'll need to take your pulse.

You can even win a pair.** I'm wearing mine. And I love them. They make me feel pretty, even if I don't see people over four feet tall all day. So go ahead, leave a comment and subscribe to my newsletter to enter a chance to win! Deadline is November 3rd. The winner will be notified via email. We promise never to sell, rent or give away your personal information to anyone. Ever.

Fill out your e-mail address to receive my parenting newsletter!

**US and Canada only

CONGRATS to Angela for winning!!

The backstory continues on the next page.

Big Boys Do Read

We squirmed in our seats. The overhead lights buzzed. Someone coughed.

"Close your eyes everyone," the smiling moderator said at the front of the room. We looked at each other, then stared at her.

"Now."

Wumph. The room went dark.

A lilting voice lulled us into a state of NOW. She snapped her fingers, then brought us back to the room. It was time to learn how to teach our kids to learn.

For two hours we learned how to empower our sons to read. Although the seminar was entitled "Learning to Read and Write in the First Grade", every parent in the room had a son struggling to make symbols into sounds, then words. We felt supported, and despite the esoteric start, rather well understood.

Boys have fewer nerves connecting their left and right brain halves. It's a physiological fact. So when I learned I'll be working with a group called Big Guy Books, I wanted to dive into my monitor to meet the minds behind the books. Essentially, it is a series of books that help boys read by using topics of interest to them such as their latest release, Eugene Stillwell Wants to Know!. Dedicated to superior education, founder Robert Gould and his creative team have helped many children learn to love reading. Their mission statement says it all:

"Big Guy Books, Inc, is built on the belief that literacy is a birthright for every child. But in a world of highly visual, fast-paced video entertainment, we are losing a generation of young children to growing masses of “reluctant readers.” It is our mission to create books that are stimulating and engaging enough to recapture these children and instill in them the joy of reading and the thrill of learning."

Visit Big Guy Books for more.   

Tears for Talent

Having kids makes you that much closer to the emotion of wonder. It''s powerful and keeps you in touch with what it means to be human. Wonder can also be had any time you flip on your TV. It's packaged in the form of another blockbusting, tear-jearking talent show, Britian's Got Talent. Naturally, Germany and America recently followed suit.

My sister forwarded me this video, which of course made me cry. The new winner of Britain's Got Talent, Paul Potts, once a mobile phone salesman, can now go on to live his dream of being an opera singer.

Last night, my husband and I cried our eyes out at the various people who strove for their own dreams of singing, dancing, and remaining acrobatic well into their seventies. The beauty of these humble people who merely wanted a chance to show they were more than a mechanic, a housewife, a little boy with big eyes. They were their passion as they presented their abilities so beautifully. Without the glitz and showiness many other casting shows convey, Das Supertalent moved and uplifted us in ways unimaginable.

What's the beauty of these talent shows? They demonstrate the human spirit, the love we all possess, and the passion that keeps our embers ever electric, ever on fire.

My passion is writing and connecting people. What's yours? How do you show it? We want to know.

Stay at home parents goldmine for companies

Industry Week reported on the results of a new survey by Challenger, Gray & Christmas, in which 100 HR professionals were polled about growing labor trends. The result? A number of companies are recruiting women and men who left the workforce to raise a family, as long as five to 10 years.

We were once considered "undesirables" for our lack of training. Now, raising kids is the equivalent of getting an MBA .

A bold 23 percent of those polled even claimed parents to be valuable targets in their recruiting efforts.

On the Center for Creative Leadership Web site, Marian N. Ruderman is quoted as saying:

Raising children is "a developmental experience and you gain workplace skills from it," said Marian N. Ruderman of the Center for Creative Leadership, a research and training organization based in Greensboro, N.C. "If you can negotiate between two kids when you're driving, you can negotiate at work," she said. "There's no question in my mind about that."

Funny. I could have told 'em that!

Mama's Musings Holiday Giveaway #1

Every Tuesday and Friday until Christmas, we're giving away the coolest prizes, holiday gifts, and fun mom stuff because, well, we love you.

Here's how to play. Leave a comment and subscribe to my parenting newsletter (if you don't already). Each week we'll pick a name from a hat. We promise never to sell, rent or give away your personal information to anyone. Ever.

***

How many times have your kids left their jackets at school? On the bus? At a friend's house? Then months later, after they've grown out of it, you find the item again.

I'm a big fan of labeling my kids' stuff and have found Mabel's Labels to be an adorable solution. The folks there are offering (worldwide) one Big Combo pack gift certificate  worth $55 so you're kids stuff doesn't go missing.

Simply leave a comment and subscribe to my parenting newsletter to be eligible.

Fill out your e-mail address to receive my parenting newsletter!

The winner's name will be drawn out of a hat (labeled with my daughter's name, no doubt) on November 1st. Notification via email on the same day.

CONGRATS to Hjordi for winning!

Halloween Safety

Every year around the beginning of September, I start seeing adorable orange pumpkins, black doilies and hanging witches in shop windows. Retailers entice new moms into their stores with adorable costumes their toddler would just 'love to wear'. We bite our nails all the way through trick-or-treating and give a collective sigh of relief when it is over.

In the land of Mighty World, things are a little different.

According to Wade the Patrolman, your Wee One will be just fine if she follows his code of Halloween law:

Halloween Safety Tips For Kids (according to Wade)

Halloween should be filled with amusement and delight, and following a few common sense practices can keep trick or treating safer and even more fun. Mighty World’s Wade the Patrolman offers these tips:

· Stay in familiar neighborhoods.

· Plan a route with your family and if possible, have an adult go with you.

· Only go up to houses with lights on.

· Bring a flashlight to light your way.

· Stay on sidewalks and look both ways before you cross the
street.

· Wear light-colored or reflective-type clothing so you are more visible.

· Try to use face paint instead of a mask when creating your costume.

· Never go into a stranger's house to collect your "treat."

· Bring your candy home so mom or dad can make sure it’s okay to eat and do not eat candy if the package is already opened.

Getting Green While You Clean

Yup. I'm excited. Finally there's a cleaning solution that doesn't involve heavy abrasives, inhaling heady chemicals or chafing your skin with caustic liquids. In fact, you don't even have to lift a finger because it's a brand new type of maid service -- Green Clean Certified™. Maid Brigade, available in 37 states through its various franchises, is the perfect remedy for busy families who still want to preserve the Earth.

Maid Brigade’s Green Clean Certified™ system uses cleaning solutions certified by Green Seal, Inc. Its equipment and processes follow many Green Seal standards for cleaning services. In addition, each franchisee must receive certification from Maid Brigade after being trained to use the green cleaning system. The vacuums, cleaning solutions and allergy-free cloths and mops clean your home without leaving chemical residues.

The vacuum is certified through the Carpet & Rug Institute’s Green Label Program for meeting stringent standards for soil removal, dust containment and carpet appearance retention. It also removes 99.9 percent of particles measuring one micron and larger, including dust mites, mold, pet dander and pollen, eliminating many allergens and irritants that may trigger asthma symptoms. Also, ProTeam has partnered with the American Lung Association to increase awareness of the importance of clean indoor air.

Mama's Musings Holiday Giveaway 2007

Mama's Musings is going to play Santa Claus this year. Every Friday (or even more often) until December, you'll find a fabulous family-friendly giveaway item such as toys, children's items, fun stuff for moms and dads, and more! The rules are simple.

1) Leave a comment.

2) Subscribe to my parenting newsletter.

3) One entry per giveaway.

Some are US and Canada only due to distribution, but I will specify. Nonetheless, we encourage you to enter each and every one if you'd like. Names will be drawn from a hat and winners will be notified the same day via email.

In the spirit of the season, let's have some fun, get connected and rejoice in that which binds us -- our kids!

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Birthing Books Like Babies

Ever wondered how to bring out that book we all have inside? A new book entitled A Book is Born will tell you all the nitty gritty details on what to expect, when you're expecting a book. The publishing process is an amazing journey of self-discovery and renewal. In fact, I'll be the first to admit I am one of the contributors. So many people have approached me over the years, asking "How did you do it?" This book tells you how.

Through my insights, and those of 23 other fantastic mom writers in A Book is Born, we have opened the Pandora's Box of publishing. And what we have found is ourselves.