Join Mama

MamaBlogger365 - Good Morning, Heartache, performed by the Ukulele Cowboy Society

2012-03-07T19:22:00.001-08:00

The Ukulele Cowboy Society performs a live rendition of Good Morning, Heartache, Galleria Evagelia in Columbus, Ohio on February 11, 2012.

Click here to view the performance!

Jesse Chandler: Vocals
Michael Kaplan: Baritone Ukulele (Pono Mahogany, Southcoast Linear Strings -GCEA, MiSi)

Be sure to check out our website for more information, gig dates, info about our CD, "Phantom Heart": www.theukulelecowboysociety.com and "like" us on Facebook!

The Museum Of Motherhood is the first and only facility of its kind, celebrating the “her”story of mothers around the world. We need your help -- please make your tax-deductible contribution today!Visit the Museum of Motherhood, NOW OPEN in NYC - Tues.-Sun., 10:45-6:30.

MamaBlogger365 - Mommy Queerest by Kimberly Dark

2012-03-06T11:08:00.000-08:00

Looking Sexy in the Face

I should've known better. But this is part of what I do in hotel rooms: watch a little television. I don't miss not having a television at home, but down-time in hotel rooms warrants some guilty pleasure. So, today I watched the Fuse top 100 sexiest music videos of all time. Well, I caught the top 60 - and that took much of the day. I muted through the commercials and some of the songs, and I also did some dancing. But what else do you suppose happened to me while I watched? Think about it for a moment - before I tell you, I'll share the backdrop for this sexy video extravaganza.

I'm in a downtown hotel room in State College, PA, as the sounds of drunken revelers drift up from the street. February 25 is no holiday, but here at Penn State, it's known as State Patty's Day - a day of drinking and debauchery that now has much of downtown State College closed down - yes, bars close rather than selling alcohol on this day because students can be so destructive, so irresponsible in their behavior that even the business owners who stand to profit from such revelry would rather not support the inevitable injuries, sexual assaults, harassment and general dreadful behavior that will result on this day. It's a parent's nightmare, of course. They're young and foolish and looking for attention and affirmation. The mother-part of me wants to scream "Go home!" and "For Gawd-sakes, put on a sweater!"

Why State Patty's Day? St. Patrick's Day - a good "drinking holiday" in America - normally falls during spring break. And some students a few years back felt cheated out of reveling with their friends, so they instituted State Patty's Day - the last Saturday in February - as make-up day.

I am here, on this of all days, to participate in an event that happens each year at this time - the brilliant Cultural Conversations festival, led by Dr. Susan Russell. This festival offers theatre, music, dance and film surrounding a topic of cultural importance. This year's theme is Difficult Differences and the offerings include Dr. Carrie Sandahl's documentary, Code of the Freaks, about the representation of disability in Hollywood, and my solo show Dykeopolis: Queer Tales and Travels in our Times.

The week also included five student plays, an art display on racial and cultural differences, plus a town hall event on "growing up gay in the USA." And, then there's Body Language, one of the most amazing efforts this festival undertakes each year in which a performance results from Dr. Russell's months of work with local middle and high school students. This year, their show was called LGBT Citizens and Allies Asking and Telling. The Body Language shows are stunning -- this is the second time my work has been invited to Cultural Conversations and the previous Body Language performance I saw focused on body image and the bullying that comes from body bigotry.

This brings me back to the results of watching five hours of music videos - something a lot of young people do on a routine basis.

Click here to read more!

Kimberly Dark is a mother, professor and an award-winning writer and performer. Her favorite son is a senior at UC Berkeley and she’s grateful that traveling to perform allows her to spend time with him often. www.kimberlydark.com.

Photo credit: Sil kobieta 2 by mzacha | MorgueFile

The Museum Of Motherhood is the first and only facility of its kind, celebrating the “her”story of mothers around the world. We need your help -- please make your tax-deductible contribution today! Visit the Museum of Motherhood, NOW OPEN in NYC - Tues.-Sun., 10:45-6:30

MamaBlogger365 - Finding Yourself Amongst the Masters by Shira Adler, Diva Mama

2012-03-05T20:13:00.001-08:00

I need beauty in my life.

I need it for inspiration, for relaxation and for rejuvenation.

I need beauty to satisfy my creative soul and soothe the savage Mama’s-over-tired-can-you-please-leave-me-alone-for-more-than-10-minutes beast. More often than not, I get no such respite.

But this weekend with the bizarrely perfect near 60 degree late Winter weather in the East, the muses beckoned and my honey, hearing the siren song, set plans in motion, providing all of us with a much needed soulfully satisfying family excursion.

Before going any further, I’m only a tad bit ashamed to admit something that precious few know about me; I have never been to one of the world’s greatest museums: New York’s Metropolitan Museum of Art. My formative years were spent in Pennsylvania and California. What’s a girl to do? I’m not from here!

Click here to read more!

BIO: By day Shira Adler is a cantor, spiritual vocalist, certified pastlife regressionist, voice-over artist, producer, performer, writer/blogger and mompreneur and by night... well, she is actually the same person at night though she does admit to wearing fuzzy socks when no one can see her and hiding a secret stash of Mallomars somewhere near her writing desk for those late night pick-me-ups. In, around, and between her various work activities, she is raising two beyond-the-spectrum children as a single mom (though lovingly gives a shout out to her best friend, editor and soulmate whom she considers the bees knees). Is it any wonder her website’s tag line is One Voice Many Paths? Seriously, look up the definition of a multi-tasking Mama and you will find her picture there. But when it comes to living a life of connection, faith and consciousness Shira is the gal to call -- or if you’re fresh out of Mallomars -- she’s always happy to give you one. For more information visit: ShiraAdler.com, read her blog at Diva-Mama.com; Social: Twitter (1DivaMama), Facebook (DivaMama1), Tumblr (not really sure, but the name is cute) and LinkedIn (because doesn’t everyone?).

MamaBlogger365 - The Daily Tattle Battle by Kate Fineske

2012-03-04T13:51:00.000-08:00

News Flash!

We are interrupting your regularly scheduled programming to bring you breaking news!

Reporting to you LIVE from the top of the stairs is… my middle child – here to tell you all about …

How-his-big-sister-just-kicked-him-out-of-her-room-in-the-middle-of-afternoon-reading-time.
AND
How-it-wasn't-fair …
AND
How-she-is-being-SO-mean…
AND
How-it's-"JUST-NOT-FAIR-mom! She-WON'T-let-me-into-her-room!"

Or, whatever else my middle child might have said… because, if I've heard it once, I've heard it a thousand times - the big "headline" story, straight from the tattler's mouth.

Click here to read more!

=

This post has been contributed on behalf of The National Association of Mothers Centers, whose mission is to create a community of women, who through mutual support and public advocacy, explore, enrich and value the maternal experience.

The post author, Kate Fineske, currently is a staff member with the National Association of Mothers' Centers where she maintains and provides the content to the Mothers Central Blog - the Parenting Blog of the NAMC. She is also responsible for helping the NAMC work to build stronger connections and support with the local Mothers’ Center Chapters nationally.

Kate is a longtime member of the National Association of Mothers' Centers through her local chapter of the Mothers' Center of Greater Toledo in Ohio. She and her husband are busy raising 3 children ages 1-8. Kate's professional background is as a graphic designer in the creative and education industry. Since 2005, she has been using her professional skills by actively volunteering with the Mothers' Center of Greater Toledo in various leadership positions. She also blogs personally at http://www.onthegomomma.net.

You can connect with Kate via Twitter (@katefineske) and/or also connect with the NAMC via twitter (@MothersCenters) or Facebook.

MamaBlogger365 - The Beginning of Time by Patti Ashley, Ph.D.

2012-03-02T19:43:00.000-08:00

"It is amazing how one day can change the rest of your life."

This is the comment made by my twenty-six year old daughter the day after her son was born.

That day is today.

As I sit in the hospital room watching my baby girl with her new baby boy, the thoughts that run through my mind are that for Bodhi this is the beginning of time! It is as if the clock starts today for him. A new life and world to explore and develop. The idea of a new beginning is one that brings hope for the future. Bodhi has the opportunity to be whatever he was born to be, to live his true Self in the world.

Click here to read more!

MamaBlogger365 - Curses by Dr Mama Amber Kinser

2012-03-01T12:34:00.000-08:00

I had a friend ask me recently about cursing. Specifically, she asked about talking with very young children about the use of curse words.* I suggested to her that I may not be a good person to offer advice on that topic, caring as little as I do about swearing. I imagine, though, that my track record rather suggests the contrary; a casual observer might conclude that I care enormously about it, based on the evidence I provide on any given day.

My mother, as I’ve written before, exasperated with me many years ago (I don’t mean to suggest she’s not been exasperated with me since; she certainly has) for flinging one profane term or another into the conversation, said something to the effect of “Amber! Honestly! I would think that anyone with as much education as you’ve got could come up with some other word to say!” My response was that one of the things I learned with all that education is that there are some situations in which only certain words will do. I can’t help if my life is full of those situations. Profanity is situational; what can I say. And rhetorical....

Click here to read more!

BIO: Dr. Mama (Amber Kinser) is a writer, feminist mother, professor, and speaker who lives in Tennessee. Check her out on Facebook, follow her on Twitter @DrMamaWit, and see her webpage. Kinser writes for the MamaBlogger365 series each Thursday at the Museum Of Motherhood, Mamapalooza and Mamazina Magazine.

Photo Source: jppi | MorgueFile

MamaBlogger365 - Zaftig, the new S-E-X-Y by Shira Adler, Diva Mama

2012-02-29T21:38:00.000-08:00

Who doesn’t love the Oscars? If you’re like me, you probably spent some time reading Tweets and Facebook postings before, during and after last Sunday’s Oscar telecast.

My favorite tweet from the post Oscar frenzy: “And the winner is . . . Angelina Jolie’s right leg.” I laughed so hard I seriously almost peed while re-Tweeting.

I know many of us are addicted to the Oscars because it is the highest-rated and best-represented form of true Hollywood glitz. Whether or not you feel the inclusion of the MANY video montages were insipid or inspired, we can all probably agree even the commercials were far better (you go Ellen DeGeneres!) than this year’s much heralded Superbowl ads.

Like most entertainment-oriented Americans, I watch the Oscars to honor creative excellence, but let’s face it, the Oscars are cool, the Oscars are aspirational, the Oscars are seriously sexy.

Even if watched sitting at home curled up in my Victoria’s Secret soft flannel jammies with my favorite dudes, Ben, Jerry and Andy (my honey), I felt sexier just bearing sacred witness to this annual pageantry of accomplishment and glamour.

But one moment that disturbed me and I mean really disturbed me was watching Angelina Jolie stand on stage and stick out her only non-emaciated limb for the sake of showing off her sex appeal.

My first reaction was anger. To me real, healthy women represent Mother Earth, pixie dust and sensuality concurrently and naturally. There was nothing natural about the Angelina that stood awkwardly posed on Oscar night, and I was sadly shocked to see her so, well, unsexy.

My next reaction was of protection – for my daughter. My just 11-year-old adores watching awards shows, namely the Grammy’s and Oscars because she herself is a budding artiste. Kelly Clarkson, Adele and Melissa McCarthy are the kind of artists I want to show off to my daughter. They are real, vulnerable, talented and yes, a tad over weight at times – just like the rest of us.

If I could speak directly to Angelina I’d grab her by her far too bony arms and say...

Click here to read more!

BIO: By day Shira Adler is a cantor, spiritual vocalist, certified pastlife regressionist, voice-over artist, producer, performer, writer/blogger and mompreneur and by night... well, she is actually the same person at night though she does admit to wearing fuzzy socks when no one can see her and hiding a secret stash of Mallomars somewhere near her writing desk for those late night pick-me-ups. In, around, and between her various work activities, she is raising two beyond-the-spectrum children as a single mom (though lovingly gives a shout out to her best friend, editor and soulmate whom she considers the bees knees). Is it any wonder her website’s tag line is One Voice Many Paths? Seriously, look up the definition of a multi-tasking Mama and you will find her picture there. But when it comes to living a life of connection, faith and consciousness Shira is the gal to call -- or if you’re fresh out of Mallomars -- she’s always happy to give you one. For more information visit: ShiraAdler.com, read her blog at Diva-Mama.com; Social: Twitter (1DivaMama), Facebook (DivaMama1), Tumblr (not really sure, but the name is cute) and LinkedIn (because doesn’t everyone?).

MamaBlogger365 - Giving Some Love Back by Joy Rose

2012-02-28T22:52:00.001-08:00

So many people have supported me through the years, in so many ways, that I have to give some love back to a few of my new favorite authors, inventors and friends.

When we opened the Museum Of Motherhood seven months ago, we wouldn't have been able to do it without the unwavering and unconditional support of Debra Whitefield and Barry Hanson of Gymboree. The Motherhood Foundation didn't have huge backing. No loans, just a vision, volunteers and a legacy project worthy of the HERstory books. Thank goodness Deb and Barry said 'yes'.

If you want to support the people who support the museum, please tell all your pregnant friends, new moms and families that Gymboree is the place to go for fun, physical and social-emotional learning. There are multiple locations in Manhattan, Long Island and across the country. Gymboree classes are designed to encourage age-appropriate learning through play. The most popular class, Play & Learn, is a 7-level program beginning at birth and going all the way up to age 5. Separating classes based on developmental stage helps to support a child's growth at his or her own individual pace. From sensory stimulation to problem-solving games and storytelling, classes use play-based activities to stretch the body and mind. All Gymboree activities are designed to help develop the cognitive, physical and social skills of children as they play.

Our Museum Of Motherhood store is right around the corner from the Upper East Side Gymboree on First Ave., between 84th and 85th St. Our shop is really just a corner near the front desk as you enter the space. Ashish Rajadhyaksha, who coordinates the Children's Museum Of The East End Store, in Bridgehampton, NY, helped up fill the space with great toys and cool gear during the first four months of our opening. He's now the proud inventor of a really neat piece of kid's furniture called a 'Pullo'man'. If you're a city dweller or a suburbanite, this practical storage unit is combo plush toy and ride-on toy. He's got a Kickstarter campaign going to help raise the capital to manufacture and bring these to America from his home country of India. I bought one to support him and look forward to using it in the museum in our playspace. You can support his efforts by going directly to Kickstarter today.

Last but not least, my fabulous new favorite writer is V.C. August, author of 'The Healing Hour'. I brought the book away with me on vacation, not knowing what to expect. I'd met V. a few weeks before at a power-luncheon organized by Donnetta Campbell of The Barnyard Group. It's not easy to write about illness, especially an illness like Lupus, that can just go on and on with dreary, desperate symptoms. But, V. spins a tale focused on her life as a tough-minded New Yorker, and tells this tale with humor and clarity. Her writing style is honest and to the point. While the book's synopsis says the story focuses on the psychiatrist/patient relationship; she enters therapy, and goes through the ultimate loss, when her psychiatrist is diagnosed with stage four cancer, and succumbs to the disease. How could this be a good vacation book you might ask? It's simply a really well-written affirmation of life, survival (V's survival) and love.

I wasn't paid to write any of this. I'm just a hard-working Mama, who believes in sharin' the love.

MamaBlogger365 - Cross Roads, a Thin Threads excerpt

2012-02-28T10:53:00.000-08:00

We are so pleased to welcome regular excerpts from Stacey Battat and Kiwi Publishing, home of the Thin Threads series of books. Want to know more? Visit www.thinthreads.com for more story samples or to buy the book!

A wise Jewish sage said – “change one person and you change the world.” Over the last five years I have collected real stories for more than ten editions of Thin Threads: Stories of Life Changing Moments, and each of these stories makes me reflect on how a seemingly random interaction can forever change a person.

As mothers, we are offered many chances to meet and embrace our own and others’ children, and we have the power to make a life-altering difference at any one moment in time. By taking the time to listen, encourage and hug a child in need, we change her/his world in ways that we cannot even envision. Here is an excerpt from our anthology that demonstrates this beautifully. Even on cold winter days in Chicago, one woman took advantage of moments each day to impact children at the ‘crossroads’ of their lives:

Click here to read more!

MamaBlogger365 - March 5 is Day of Maternal Activism at M.O.M.

2012-02-27T18:06:00.000-08:00

Join us Monday March 5th for an All-Day Conference! Come for as much (or as little as you can), in anticipation of International Women's Day at the Museum Of Motherhood:

9:00 AM – Registration ($55 suggested daytime fee, includes tee shirt & light fare)

9:15AM - Museum Tour

9:30-10:00AM - Social Action in the Momosphere & Hyper Local Activism, Global Activism (featuring Saving Mothers) with Joy Rose, Executive Director Museum Of Motherhood, President MAMAPALOOZA Inc., & Janae Shields, MSW, Goodwill Industries.

10-10:40AM Lucinda Cross and Panel; Social Activism through Social Media, “Mom-entrepreneur” and Business Midwife Lucinda Cross is a speaker motivator & author.

11:00-11:45AM Moms for the Planet - Air, Water, Food: Acting out on Behalf of our Children. Join Harriet Shugarman, Katie Carpenter, Rachel Dawn, and Rosemary Dreger Carey as they share stories about their outreach, campaigns, actions and arrests, as they fight for the right for access to clean air, clean water and for truth and understanding about the food we eat and prepare for our children.

Noon–Lunch & Petition Signing; Working Mother Magazine, Paid Paternal Leave

Meet The Artist, Award-winning, 'Young Icon' Dylan Bocanegra; Tribute to Mothers; His own, The Homeless and The Famous (Special loan of portrait of Maria Shriver)

1:00PM Poem Charlotte Ghiorse

1:15-1:45PM Monifa, Moms Rising, working to bring together millions of people who share a common concern about the need to build a more family-friendly America.

2PM - Tee Shirts and Sign Creation

3:00PM - Photo Opportunity

_

More Business of Being Born Special Film Screening and Expert Panel Discussion

Monday, March 5, 2012

6-8pm EST

The Museum of Motherhood - 401 E. 84th St., NY, NY 10028

Ticket purchases: http://urbanitybaby.eventbrite.com/

Event information: info@urbanitybaby.com or 212.787.4736

GET A FREE TICKET and RECEIVE a FREE BOOK!

(Hurry, this is a limited time offer)Join us MONDAY, MARCH 5th from 6-8pm EST in NYC for executive Producer Ricki Lake and Filmmaker Abby Epstein's riveting film More Business of Being Born: Special Deliveries, Celebrity Mothers Talk Straight on Birthat The Museum of Motherhood hosted by UrbanityBaby Maternity Concierge and Choices In Childbirth.Hear from celeb moms Laila Ali, Gisele Bündchen, Cindy Crawford, Alyson Hannigan, Melissa Joan Hart, Kellie Martin, Alanis Morissette, Christy Turlington-Burns and Kimberly Williams-Paisley and a panel of industry experts as they talk straight about pregnancy and today's modern choices in childbirth.

Meet the experts who are on-hand at the event for a meet-and-greet, moderated panel discussion, and audience Q&A. The expert panelists include Terry Richmond (Co-founder of Birth Day Presence), Brooke Alpert (Founder/Owner of B Nutritious), Debra Flashenberg (Founder/Owner of Prenatal Yoga Center), and Leah Keller (Founder/Owner of Expect to be Fit).

DON'T MISS THIS POWERFUL AND ENLIGHTENING EVENT!

GET YOUR FREE TICKET! "Like" us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/urbanitybabynyc and get a FREE ticket when you purchase 2.

Discounts also offered on purchases of 5 tickets or more! Each ticket purchase enters you to win one of several wonderful prizes instantly! Free prenatal massages from Maternal Massage and More, Liz Lange Diaper bag, Luxury spa basket and more.

WHAT MORE? Be one of the first 30 ticketholders to arrive at the event and receive a FREE copy of the touted book HOW TO RAISE EMOTIONALLY HEALTHY CHILDREN by Gerald Newmark, Ph.D from The Children's Project - How to Raise Emotionally Healthy Children which focuses on the 5 Critical Emotional Needs of children. This is a limited time offer.

ADVANCE TICKETS REQUIRED. Tickets can be purchased at http://urbanitybaby.eventbrite.com/ or by contacting us at info@urbanitybaby.com. We look forward to hearing from you and seeing you on March 5th!

For more information or ticketing please email info@urbanitybaby.com.

MamaBlogger365 - February Slips Away by Veronica Hosking

2012-02-26T16:47:00.000-08:00

Here it is, the Monday morning before my scheduled blog post, and I have nothing written. It seems strange to have the February blues in sunny Arizona. Many people are looking forward to spring while my whole winter is spring-like. On February 2nd, do you think, six more weeks of winter? Or are you more optimistic and think, six more weeks 'til spring? This year I was happy to have all the paperwork I was busy filling out in January behind me. For most of this month I sat around reading books, cleaning house and helping with homework. There was little writing accomplished.

February 2nd not only marks Groundhog's day, it is also my mother's birthday. She turned 70 this month. I wrote her a letter and sent off the card at the end of January - no writing on the actual day. I told her Rachael has been accepted to AAEC. We have a very excited daughter, who is waiting on pins and needles for the actual confirmation letter. Then on February 14th, Valentine's Day, Shawn and I had our traditional dinner. We send the girls to their rooms early and have a quiet dinner for two. This year Shawn decided to go Greek. I think even he is feeling winter doldrums or his approaching midlife birthday, because he bought a lot of prepared foods he didn't have to cook.

As we were enjoying our souvlaki, olives, artichokes, cheese and wine, Shawn asked me what happened to his poetry. A few years ago he gave me a blank journal and added some borrowed poetry to it. Throughout the year, I added original pieces of poetry and gave it back to him the next Valentine's Day. This year the journal was in his possession. I asked him where my poetry was? And he pulled up his haiku app and composed a few haiku for me. "There's an app for that" really isn't romantic. How hard is it to count syllables? Hard - since I found out Shawn thought "Shawn" was two syllables.

February slips away. Three days after this blog posts, Shawn will celebrate his 40th birthday. For the past few years, he has been growing his hair. He keeps telling me it will fall out on its own soon enough and he wants to remember what it was like to have hair. Back over winter break, the girls and I went for haircuts. Now the only man in the house has longer hair than all the women. Years ago Shawn grew his hair long ewww... but one day he came to my house with a nice new haircut. I keep waiting for this day a second time. I really thought he would go before he had to get his new license photo, but no. If he is going to be bald, his license will make people do a double take. All is not lost though, I came up with a great dig for his birthday.

Forty is a fickle friend
Only trying to pretend
Ripe with hair
Turning bare
Youth has reached its bitter end

Veronica Hosking
http://hosking.gather.com

Photo credit: seemann | MorgueFile

MamaBlogger365 - It Won't Be Easy by Kim Jennings

2012-02-25T18:04:00.000-08:00

It will not be easy – nothing worthwhile ever is. Who said that? Who knows. Just know that you will be tested. You may even want to walk away. Know that it’s just a test of your resolve. The passion and belief in yourself will come out on top if you let it.

When you really commit to something, however big, however small, that’s the time the tests appear. You used to think they were coincidences. Now that you’re aware, awake to your goal and committed to it, the challenges are even more clear.

This is how it’s been for me.

Click here to read more!

MamaBlogger365 - How Simple It Is To Have a Positive Lifestyle by Diane Lang

2012-02-24T20:50:00.000-08:00

We make life harder then it needs to be. There are so many simple things we can do in our everyday life that would make our lives fuller and richer. We could live a positive lifestyle; it’s a realistic goal. Below I will list many simple ways to add happiness into your daily lifestyle. Make each of these simple things part of your daily lifestyle and see/feel the changes….. It’s easier than you think!

Click here to read more!

MamaBlogger365 - Limits of Dreams and Gumption by Dr Mama Amber Kinser

2012-02-23T20:59:00.000-08:00

I remember sitting in the rocking chair on the front porch of my mother’s mountain home with my infant baby, my second child, in my arms. I had just received a job offer in Tennessee, less than three hours drive from her. We were delighted when we got the news but this day we were there because my partner and I had travelled from Indiana with our infant son and 6 year-old daughter to find a place for our family to live and a job for my partner. Ours was a colicky baby and stress levels were high all around.

I was crying and rocking, myself and the baby, and my mother told me hesitantly that she wished I could get OK about where I was at this juncture because “it gets harder,” she said. It’s a statement that probably reads harshly; it feels a little that way as I type it, but don’t remember being put off by it then. And I certainly now understand the motivation to say it.

Click here to read more!

The Museum Of Motherhood is the first and only facility of its kind, celebrating the “her”story of mothers around the world. We need your help -- please make your tax-deductible contribution today!Visit the Museum of Motherhood, NOW OPEN in NYC - Tues.-Sun., 10:45-6:30.

Photo Source: DuBoixMorguefile

MamaBlogger365 - What To Do In A HERricane by Joy Rose

2012-02-21T06:23:00.000-08:00

In today's social media savvy world, 'crowd sourcing' can mean anything from toppling governments to picking a favorite brand. This week the winds of change blew through the Museum Of Motherhood as thought leaders from all walks of life collaborated for social change. Power babes from three different states met for three hours to brainstorm how every person can feel empowered to be an activist in their workplace, home and life.

Organized by social guru Donnetta Campbell, who runs The Barnyard Group out of New York City and Westport, CT, discussions leaned towards encouraging individuals to dream in the direction of a better world, while collaborating with others in positive ways.

This HERricane of brainpower included thought leaders who have leveraged their dreams to write books, 'Mother Teresa CEO', the 'Wake Up and Dream Challenge' by Dr. Barbara Lavi, who's quickly tweeted her way to 7,000 followers in a matter of mere months; V.C. August, author of 'The Healing Hour'; Cassandra's Angel creator Gina Otto; and Thin Threads Publisher, Stacey Battat, who creates a series of thoughtful gift books for Hallmark and Museum stores.

Also present, Jess Teutonico who organized TEDxteen, founded non-profit undertheacacia.org, working to generate sustainable initiatives in Kenya among other things; AllyKatzz founder Denise Restauri;, and filmmaker Avis Richards, who just finished a documentary exploring the effects of the National School Lunch Program in 'Dylan's Lunchbox'. All of these women are committed change-makers, invested in creating a better, brighter and more empowered future for themselves and the organizations they founded.

'Social Action powered by Social Media' is a catch phrase with unique power in the Mom-o-sphere. I've asked Lucinda Cross to address this powerful new way of thinking at our upcoming Day Of Maternal Activism Conference on March 5th at the Museum Of Motherhood. (Of the many topics we'll cover that day, is a push for the Working Mother 'Paid Parental Leave' petition.) When groups gather together and set a tone of cooperation and collaboration, mountains can be moved. Women who have historically been pitted against each other for the better job, the better man or the better academic position, are now in a unique position in time to turn the tables on uncooperative bosses, or socially corrupt policies.

To do this we need people like Meg Columbia Walsh, an expert at leveraging fortunes in the direction of social good, Deborah Burns, INTRApreneur expert and Laurie Meadoff, branding and startup specialist, currently CEO of actress Fran Drescher’s Cancer Schmancer, and Debra Whitefield, who holds franchises on Gymboree throughout the Manhattan and Long Island boroughs and chooses to devote some of her holdings to the Museum Of Motherhood's non-profit goals of working with impoverished youth and mothers in need.

With governments wavering, fortune 500 companies re-evaluating the ways they do business and natural resources suffering, its truly time to give the girls a chance. This does not mean doing business they way we've been operating for the last hundred years or so. It means setting the bar higher, living smaller and shifting attitudes about wealth to incorporate more generous attitudes. The way we do that is one person at a time. I'm just glad I know what to do in a HERricane; hold on for the ride.

Joy Rose
Founder and Executive Director

MamaBlogger365 - Make Plans to Visit M.O.M. This Week!

2012-02-19T20:28:00.000-08:00

We have a great line-up of programs scheduled this week at the Museum of Motherhood, plus, our new cooperative work space is available (sign up now to reserve your spot)!

Our MamaBlogger365 project continues online, where we welcome writers who share their stories about reframing motherhood. We are so grateful to Kristin Maschka, who wrote about the U.S. Census Bureau's counting of fathers as babysitters, how it fails mothers and fathers, and how to take action;*Dr Mama* Amber Kinser on why a series of conversations may be better than The Talk (you know the one she means...); Shira Adler, Diva Mama, on a Grammy icon, forever remembered; and Michelle Friedman, CPCC, with this month's A Career That Works column, on how to stop your inner critic from driving the bus. Have something to share? Write us at mamazinamag@gmail.com!

=

Our Meet the Experts series continues in February, featuring speakers, activities, mom and baby groups, and support groups. We're located at 401 E. 84th St. in New York (Tues-Sun 10:45-6:30, call 212.452.9816 l 877.711.MOMS for info).

Monday: Calling All Creative Kids; After-school creativity theater for kids with Lynn Schaul, artist, UES mother. Starts Feb.6th Mondays 4:30-5:30 $30 per class or $250 for ten weeks. Pizza included. Call Lynn for more info: 646.567.0818.

Wednesday: Circle Of Life a grief and loss group at noon (open to all, led by BirthFocus); BirthFocus's Meet the Doula at 1 pm, with Elizabeth Mangum-Sarach. Change-makers luncheon is 1:30-3:30 (preregistration is required; $20). Come enjoy sample Prenatal & Mama Rub Down Massage - Licensed massage therapist at M.O.M. from 4-6 pm (10 min for $15, 20 min for $20). At 7pm EST, our own Joy Rose, The MediaMom™, kicks off her weekly show on MingleMediaTV, straight from the Museum Of Motherhood in NYC.

Thursday: Renee Sullivan – Babybites at 10 am (Meet the Pregnancy & Infant Leader); Babybites groups at noon and 1 pm. Elaine Grogan Luttrull, founder of Minerva Financial Arts in 2009 to bridge the gap between business and the arts will be here 2-4 pm. She is a CPA who provides financial services to artists and arts organizations through three channels: Direct client services, education, and connectivity.

Friday: Sara Lise Raff, Arts Education Consultant answers questions 10:45-noon; Sing along with Sing-A-Long Steve at noon!

FEES – All programs include regular day-pass fee of $15 per adult, kids free, students $13, unless otherwise noted.

Disclaimer – Our ‘Meet The Expert’ series demonstrates our intention to be a community gathering place and offer great information to spark conversations. Volunteers, artists, experts and just plain folk are invited to sign up to participate at M.O.M. This is not intended to replace medical advice or to offer anything more than an opportunity to connect and inspire.

For more information about each of these programs, visit our Meet the Experts page!

=

NEW! Cooperative work space available Monday 1-4 pm and Wednesday 6-9 pm, with the opportunity for additional hours:
• Share cooperative workspace in a female-friendly environment that nurtures your business and empowers your personal vision.
• Access to group bulletin board (online and onsite)
• Shared table space with WiFi access / or private desk rental
• Opportunity to network and blog cooperatively through our sister sites: Museum Of Motherhood, Mamapalooza, Mamazina Magazine and even Working Mother Blog.
• Opportunity to interview about your project, passion or business on MediaMom.com, featured on MingleMediaTV.com; between 300-3,000 viewers per show.
• Networking and discounted vendor & exhibitor opportunities
$10 per hour for co-op workspace / $40 Monthly storage (optional)
ADVANCE REGISTRATION REQUIRED and space is limited; apply by e-mailing MOMmuseum@gmail.com.

MamaBlogger365 - A Career That Works by Michelle Friedman, CPCC

2012-02-17T20:25:00.000-08:00

Are Your Inner Critics Driving the Bus?

I guide my coaching clients during big leaps in their professional lives, such as stepping into a management role, launching a business, or returning to work after a career break. Just the thought of shaking up the status quo takes real guts and often provokes “Saboteurs” or “Inner Critics”.

These little voices in our head are sneaky and usually very nasty. Think back to a time when you contemplated reaching for something big. Now, fill in the blanks:

“This will never work because you are too_______!” (old, busy, inexperienced…)

“No one will take you seriously because you are not ______ enough!” (organized, smart, outgoing…)

Saboteurs make us feel like failure is guaranteed, so why not play it safe and put off even trying in the first place. Tim Ferris, author of The Four Hour Work Week, says it well...

Click here to read more!

MamaBlogger365 - Getting Rid of “The Talk” by Dr Mama Amber Kinser

2012-02-16T20:26:00.000-08:00

I find it strange to still be hearing adults refer to “the talk” when they mention discussing sex with their kids, as if there were only one. As if you could possibly cover anything significant about the human body and desire and maturity and emotion and the entanglements of these in sexuality. Not to mention STDs, pregnancy, parenthood, sexual identity. And forget about constricting gender binaries. Or the problems of the notion of “virgin.” Or broken hearts. These are all critical elements in communicating about sex and they certainly can’t be covered in something as momentary and isolated and awkward as “the talk.”

Click here to read more.

Photo courtesy kfjmiller | MorgueFile

MamaBlogger365 - Counting Fathers as “Babysitters”: Why It Has to Change by Kristin Maschka

2012-02-15T11:33:00.000-08:00

Today’s mothers and fathers have an uphill battle. Here we are struggling to share parenting and employment in a world that still expects us to be in traditional family roles, and a government institution comes along to tell us that when dad takes care of the kids it’s "babysitting", but when mothers do it, well, it's just what mothers do.

A recent post to the Motherlode blog at the New York Times, The Census Bureau Counts Fathers as ‘Childcare’ highlights the practice of the Census Bureau to assume that the mother is always the “designated parent” so if the father is caring for the kids while mom works, that’s officially a “childcare arrangement.” But as the author notes, “if Mom is caring for a child while Dad’s at work, that’s not a ‘child care arrangement,’ but something else. Parenting, presumably.”

Wow. Just, wow.

Just goes to show how much we still confuse mother (the role and the relationship) with family work (the activities necessary to care for children and family). Over time, the two have become one and the same.

Mother = Caring for family

Caring for family = Mother

And the corollary,

Father = Helper

The first problem is that it's downright grating to today's parents. This is the same deep assumption at work when our daughter’s school always calls me if there’s a problem, assuming I am the “designated parent,” when I am just as likely to be unavailable as my husband. Mothers seethe at the suggestion that our spouses don't share the same responsibility for the kids; that it's all on us.

And fathers, well frankly today’s fathers are insulted. My friend Tod told me about a time he took care of his two young girls while his wife was out of town. He said many people sought him out to ask how things were going. “It was nice to get some extra attention and know that there was help available to me, but it also made me wonder how many people made the same effort to seek out my wife when I was out of town. Further, many people asked how the ‘baby-sitting’ was going. It left me feeling sidelined in my own children’s lives. Was I really no more involved than the girl down the street that earns $10 an hour to keep an eye on the kids?” Poor Tod, can you imagine someone telling a mother how great she is to babysit her own children while her husband is out of town? Of course not, it's absurd and deeply insulting.

Okay, we're angry and insulted, so what. Get over it. Right?

Wrong. What the Census Bureau and other government departments measure actually matters. The government spends millions of dollars collecting and reporting economic data so that businesses can make decisions about where to build a factory or how many people to hire and what to pay them. Likewise the Census Bureau collects data on how people are spending their time and who is doing what in different segments of our population. All this data is used by local, state, and national governments to determine how a piece of legislation will impact people and the economy and what types of services are needed by their communities. People use the data every day to make good, informed decisions that affect a lot of people. When communities and governments don’t have good data, we can get misguided solutions on a grand scale.

If the data the Census Bureau uses for their report, “Who’s Minding the Kids?” , treats mothers caring for children as totally invisible, and fathers caring for children as equivalent to “babysitting,” we end up with an inaccurate and nearly useless picture of what’s really going on with today’s families.

If time that mothers spend caring for their children is not counted at all simply because it's assumed they do it anyway, then it becomes invisible and the real number of hours of unpaid childcare a family needs to provide in order to support their employment also becomes invisible.

If we count mothers’ parenting hours and fathers’ parenting hours as apples and oranges, we don’t have the data we need to see how mothers and fathers are sharing family work and employment, how traditional roles may be changing over time, and what that means for families and employers.

If we don’t know – in a gender-neutral way - who is providing unpaid care to children, grandchildren, or elderly relatives and how that impacts them, communities cannot plan to provide enough paid childcare and eldercare.

Measuring caregiving work, in a gender-neutral way, and using that information is critical to making good decisions that support the unpaid caregiving work that creates healthy communities and a healthy economy for all of us.

What we measure and how we measure it matter.
~ Kristin

P.S. Want to do something about it? Send this link to the U.S. Census Bureau via:

MomsRising
Twitter @uscensusbureau
Facebook
Email Lynda Laughlin at the Census Bureau’s Fertility and Family Statistics Branch.

KRISTIN MASCHKA is the best-selling author of This is Not How I Thought It Would Be: Remodeling Motherhood to Get the Lives We Want Today and a heads her own consulting firm in organization development and change leadership. Kristin brings a fresh perspective and authentic voice to the issues at the heart of family and community life today: modern motherhood and fatherhood, public education, community organizations, worklife issues, personal finance and economics, technology and business. This is cross-posted from her blog.

MamaBlogger365 - A Grammy icon forever remembered. . . by Shira Adler, Diva Mama

2012-02-13T19:08:00.000-08:00

Many consider the death of an icon as significant as a natural or national disaster. At the top of my list are 9/11 and the Japanese tragedy where countless lives were reduced to rubble in a devastating earthquake.

But the loss of an inspirational star’s life has its own, equally profound effect, because it hits us in an altogether different, more personally resonant place. When we lose an icon, we lose a sense of the dreams we all want to hold onto and a glimpse of the magic that we believe in. Even if our dreams don’t come true as they do for the luminaries we revere, stars are symbols that a dream is worth trying for no matter who you are, or where you come from.

The last time I felt this way was on August 31, 1997, when the beloved Princess Diana was taken in a fatal car crash. Whomever has envisioned living an enchanted life, becoming a Princess or at least has felt they had the potential to be as poised, confident, and loving, Princess Di served as the living embodiment of these kinds of dreams for every young girl and I dare say, most women. We felt a connection to her because of what she represented and mirrored for each of us.

It is apropos that on Grammy night, I mourn another light that has been too soon extinguished from Earth, only this light was connected to a heaven sent voice; that of church inspired singer, Whitney Houston. She is added to the list of those I have admired, celebrated, respected and honored who have passed.

But Whitney’s death leaves a particularly pronounced hole in my heart, an unwavering sadness and a list of unanswered questions.

Click here to read more.

The Museum Of Motherhood is the first and only facility of its kind, celebrating the “her”story of mothers around the world. We need your help -- please make your tax-deductible contribution today!Visit the Museum of Motherhood, NOW OPEN in NYC - Tues.-Sun., 10:45-6:30.

Photo credit: Wireless Microphone by Petr Kratochvil

MamaBlogger365 - New Cooperative Workspace at M.O.M. and Meet the Experts This Week

2012-02-12T18:58:00.000-08:00

We have a great line-up of programs scheduled this week at the Museum of Motherhood, plus, our new cooperative work space is available (sign up now to reserve your spot)!

Our MamaBlogger365 project continues online, where we welcome writers who share their stories about reframing motherhood. We are so grateful to Coach Julie, RN, who's celebrating ten years of Nurturing Your Success; Mindy Stokes, working to transform language into action; *Dr Mama* Amber Kinser, who shares how, for all of us, it's simply complicated; Shira Adler, Diva Mama, who realizes why everyone goes crazy for the big game; and Jax Resto, who continues to share with us her adventures as a mom-rocker.

=

Our Meet the Experts series continues in February, featuring speakers, activities, mom and baby groups, and support groups. We're located at 401 E. 84th St. in New York (Tues-Sun 10:45-6:30, call 212.452.9816 l 877.711.MOMS for info).

Monday: Calling All Creative Kids; After-school creativity theater for kids with Lynn Schaul, artist, UES mother. Starts Feb.6th Mondays 4:30-5:30 $30 per class or $250 for ten weeks. Pizza included. Call Lynn for more info: 646.567.0818.

Wednesday: Circle Of Life a grief and loss group at noon (open to all, led by BirthFocus); BirthFocus's Meet the Doula at 1 pm, with Elizabeth Mangum-Sarach. Change-makers luncheon is 1:30-3:30 (preregistration is required; $20). Come enjoy sample Prenatal & Mama Rub Down Massage - Licensed massage therapist at M.O.M. from 4-6 pm (10 min for $15, 20 min for $20).

Thursday: Renee Sullivan – Babybites at 10 am (Meet the Pregnancy & Infant Leader); Babybites groups at noon and 1 pm.

Friday: La Leche League Toddler Meeting at 10 am; Sara Lise Raff, Arts Education Consultant answers questions 10:45-noon; Meet Psychotherapist Mariama Duncan from 3-4pm: Where Is The ‘I’ In Family?

FEES – All programs include regular day-pass fee of $15 per adult, kids free, students $13, unless otherwise noted.

Disclaimer – Our ‘Meet The Expert’ series demonstrates our intention to be a community gathering place and offer great information to spark conversations. Volunteers, artists, experts and just plain folk are invited to sign up to participate at M.O.M. This is not intended to replace medical advice or to offer anything more than an opportunity to connect and inspire.

For more information about each of these programs, visit our Meet the Experts page!

=

NEW! Cooperative work space available Monday 1-4 pm and Wednesday 6-9 pm, with the opportunity for additional hours:
• Share cooperative workspace in a female-friendly environment that nurtures your business and empowers your personal vision.
• Access to group bulletin board (online and onsite)
• Shared table space with WiFi access / or private desk rental
• Opportunity to network and blog cooperatively through our sister sites: Museum Of Motherhood, Mamapalooza, Mamazina Magazine and even Working Mother Blog.
• Opportunity to interview about your project, passion or business on MediaMom.com, featured on MingleMediaTV.com; between 300-3,000 viewers per show.
• Networking and discounted vendor & exhibitor opportunities
$10 per hour for co-op workspace / $40 Monthly storage (optional)
ADVANCE REGISTRATION REQUIRED and space is limited; apply by e-mailing MOMmuseum@gmail.com.

MamaBlogger365 - The Journey, an excerpt, part 6 - by Jax Resto

2012-02-11T13:52:00.000-08:00

Two days after talking with local celebrity guitarist Jeri Jay on the phone, I can't get his hot pink MySpace page out of my head... or his request to audition for my girl band. I send Raven a text about considering it. She thinks I'm joking. Since we're still short a bass player, I don't pursue the issue.

I haven't quite gotten over losing our bass player of 2 hours to Jesus. I think about Chelsea's parting words over the phone. “I'll pray for you to find a bass player.”

My phone vibrates. I think it's Raven, but it's a number I don't recognize. I answer.

The caller says, “Hi. My name is Sam. I'm a friend of Micky's. She said you were looking for a bass player for your new band.”

Though I know better than to let myself get too excited, I can't help it. Sam is short for Samantha.

Thursday evening, Raven and I are sitting in a booth at a local English pub waiting anxiously to meet Sam. I sit facing the front door, so I can watch Sam's entrance. The day we interviewed guitarist Micky at Starbucks, she described Sam as tall, blonde, and gorgeous. Even if Micky was exaggerating, the half hour conversation I had with Sam last night over the phone practically has me sold... not to mention the fact that she's female.

Click here to read more!

The Museum Of Motherhood is the first and only facility of its kind, celebrating the “her”story of mothers around the world. We need your help -- please make your tax-deductible contribution today! Visit the Museum of Motherhood, NOW OPEN in NYC - Tues.-Sun., 10:45-6:30.

MamaBlogger365 - Go Giants! by Shira Adler, Diva Mama

2012-02-10T19:08:00.000-08:00

Nothing is more mystifying to me than when a grown man expresses tremendous emotion over of a sports game. Yet, here I am typing this blog because tonight, my strong, creative, artistic bear of a man was in tears, literally . . . because the NY Giants just won Superbowl XLVI.

I wanted to be supportive, really I did, but my interest in the game had more to do with watching a gracefully aging Madonna strut her stuff in the ultimate demonstration of Girl Power than anything else. I wish I could say I cared about yardage gained but I focused more intently on analyzing the fun/wow factor of technology, car and soda sipping polar bear commercials.

All that aside, at the end of the night, there I was, holding my honey’s hand, patting it, while tears streamed from his eyes. “Thanks honey,” he said as he wiped the tears from his eyes. “For what?” I asked.

“Just being with you is lucky,” he whispered. And that’s when it dawned on me.

Click here to read more!

BIO: By day Shira Adler is a cantor, spiritual vocalist, certified pastlife regressionist, voice-over artist, producer, performer, writer/blogger and mompreneur and by night... well, she is actually the same person at night though she does admit to wearing fuzzy socks when no one can see her and hiding a secret stash of Mallomars somewhere near her writing desk for those late night pick-me-ups. In, around, and between her various work activities, she is raising two beyond-the-spectrum children as a single mom (though lovingly gives a shout out to her best friend, editor and soulmate whom she considers the bees knees). Is it any wonder her website’s tag line is One Voice Many Paths? Seriously, look up the definition of a multi-tasking Mama and you will find her picture there. But when it comes to living a life of connection, faith and consciousness Shira is the gal to call -- or if you’re fresh out of Mallomars -- she’s always happy to give you one. For more information visit: ShiraAdler.com, read her blog at Diva-Mama.com; Social: Twitter (1DivaMama), Facebook (DivaMama1), Tumblr (not really sure, but the name is cute) and LinkedIn (because doesn’t everyone?).

MamaBlogger365 - It’s Simply Complicated by Dr Mama Amber Kinser

2012-02-09T11:27:00.000-08:00

Mothering is both harder and easier than we make it out to be. It’s tricky trying to figure out, in a given moment, whether this moment is the kind where you should lean toward: this is really not that complicated… breathe… just move forward with purpose and trust what you already know. Or whether this moment is the kind where you should lean toward: not all answers are evident, get some input from people you trust… it feels hard because it IS hard… you are going to make mistakes and this is OK but search beneath the surface to find what isn’t volunteering itself to you. Most moments are probably the kind where we should do a little of both, and this bothness is the great intellectual puzzle of parenting, through and through.

Our children are not going to turn out the way we thought they would. It’s exactly that simple. Even if you are a solid planner and executer of the plan, even if you’re one of the incredibly hip and open-minded parents who thought your plans or hopes for them were loose and totally open to their interpretation, even if you’re otherwise really good at “letting go” and “releasing it.” And, admit it, this fact is pretty disappointing.

And then that other fact—that you have the gall to be disappointed (it’s so some other generation)—is disappointing. You worked so hard to avoid “disappointment” in your mothering practice. It sounds so trite when you hear someone say your children will go their own way that it’s nearly impossible to grasp that you haven’t already accepted it. (I mean look how YOU turned out, relative to what your parents had imagined for you, for heaven’s sake).

Click here to read more...

The Museum Of Motherhood is the first and only facility of its kind, celebrating the “her”story of mothers around the world. We need your help -- please make your tax-deductible contribution today!Visit the Museum of Motherhood, NOW OPEN in NYC - Tues.-Sun., 10:45-6:30.

Photo credit: Ducks in A Row by beglib |MorgueFile

Mamablogger365 - New Beginnings by Mindy Stokes

2012-02-08T20:04:00.000-08:00

The word family has seen a transformation in the past couple of decades. At one time, it meant only those biologically related to you. In this day and age, it’s been expanded to include those with whom we have shared values or choose to spend much time with. For me, family represents those people who have become near and dear—those who’ve found their way into my heart in profound and deeply meaningful ways. This list includes my mother, grandmother, aunties, uncles, cousins, brother and dear friends. My nuclear family, those with whom I wake up every day, and who bring me joy, are Katie my partner of 13 years, and Soleil our vivacious five year old daughter.

Unfortunately, the concept of family has been hijacked by certain individuals and organizations in our society who wish to define what “family” is. Far too often, these individuals and organizations claim they have the Good Book and God on their side and that He is the ultimate authority, thus rendering them experts on a particular issue. The issue I speak of is marriage equality.

These religious folks assert they must protect the “family” from special interests and only their definition of “family” qualifies for this protection. They broadcast that marriage equality will bring mayhem to the traditional institution of marriage between one man and one woman. And that if same-sex couples are granted the civil right of marrying, then our nation’s morality is at stake and finally our children will suffer. According to them, the welfare of these children is at the center of this argument.

They are erroneous for three reasons...

Click here to read more.

Photo credit: anon | MorgueFile

MamaBlogger365 - Celebrating 10 Years of Nurturing Your Success® by Coach Julie, RN

2012-02-07T11:35:00.000-08:00

For the past 10 years, I have been coaching, educating, inspiring and motivating you to be your personal best. Ten years! It’s been an amazing time of growth and change. I feel so blessed to be helping you maximize your potential and to be your personal best as you navigate through this lifetime.

Of course, it’s not just about you; it’s also about me! I could not do this work if I were not on my own personal journey toward being and living my best life. Nurturing Your Success was born shortly after my third lay off in 2001. I took some time to assess what I really wanted for myself and my life, how I wanted to contribute to society, and what was really important to me. I needed to define ‘success’ so I could then learn how to create it because the path I had been traveling did not seem to be getting me the results I wanted.

What I learned through this period of self-discovery was that more than anything I value personal development and being the best we can be – we just don’t always know how to be great and that is the focus of my work with Nurturing Your Success®. I also returned to psychiatric nursing, which supports my efforts to help us accept ourselves and be all we are capable of being.

Click here to read more!

MamaBlogger365 - Mommy Queerest By Kimberly Dark

2012-02-05T19:09:00.000-08:00

Lots of Ways to be Queer

My son used to worry that I was a simpleton. He wasn’t consumed with worry over my intellectual capacity, but he often said things -- between ages three and six -- that led me to believe he doubted my common sense. Indeed, my sense was not common, and I foolishly thought that I could just impose my ideas on him. I could influence him as I chose because I was in charge of his socialization. Who better to steward his reality? Isn’t that what every parent thinks?

Most often, parents are not going too much against the cultural grain in their parenting -- (at least not without the righteous explanation of God’s will). My big arguments with mainstream culture don’t regard religious doctrine at all. I just don’t appreciate the consumer culture as much as some, nor many the rituals we follow for bonding kith and kin. Oh, and don’t get me started on the poor quality foodstuffs that dominate American menus.

But wow, start tinkering with what you eat and see if people don’t think you’re a freak really quickly. So, yes, my son noticed that some of our family habits weren’t “normal.” At least the ones I handed him. Though I never fed him meat, for example, other family members and friends did. And it’s not like I never took him out for junk food, it just wasn’t as usual an occurrence as for some of his friends. Rather than assigning me as a freak, or thinking I was maliciously ruining his access to a good Happy Meal, he started to believe that I just didn’t understand the ways of the world. He started to pity me a bit -- the mama is such a simpleton, his little face would say, as I handed him his vegetarian sandwich on organic whole wheat bread when everyone else was eating ham and cheese on Wonder bread. Once, when I sat at the table eating a piece of carob tofu pie on a couscous crust -- which looks mightily like something sweet and chocolaty -- he bounced up and enthusiastically said, “I want a bite!”

I put a forkful into his sweet five-year-old mouth and as he chewed and swallowed, his face dropped a bit.

Now, I’m not making this up.

Rather than shrieking at the surprise, he just looked dismayed and said, “That’s not good.” Then he shook his head and added patiently, “and poor thing… you don’t know.” Really, he wasn’t angry with me for withholding a more normal dessert, he seemed to pity my misunderstanding of the beautiful world around me.

Benevolent though he was, his patience was tested by my ways. And finally, he got mad. We parents never know what will send our kids to therapy when they’re thirty. I’ve realized over the years that some of my darker memories of bad parenting simply weren’t that memorable to him. But some of the things I did and said rather flippantly -- or even with good intentions -- really upset him. By the time he was in middle school, for example, he was seriously pissed off about our lack of “normal” Christmas celebrations. In particular, he longed for a proper Christmas tree.

And I thought I’d done so well in this department! But as it turns out, no. In seventh grade he was asked to write a school paper about a holiday tradition and his account of our family Christmases was scathing. As I read the paper and listened to him talk it through, I thought, holy moly! This is a biggie! I didn’t even know.

It’s not like we didn’t have decorated trees at Christmas time. They just weren’t usual. And what does this have to do with Christmas anyway? We discussed the metaphor of the returning spring, the evergreen’s defiance of seasonal death, the decorations as a way of signaling joy at the return of the light. He didn’t care about any of that. Once, in those early years, for example, we brought in a trio of round flowering bushes to decorate. He was crestfallen, though he showed some enthusiasm for the decorating. That was back when he still thought he could correct my basic stupidity with patience and a little education. That year, he used every public Christmas tree as an opportunity to school me. He’d point to one and say, “Look! Look! See, Mama, it’s supposed to be a triangle.” And he’d hold up his little hands in the shape of the tree -- a triangle -- not round like ours. “Look look!” He’d say about another tree, “it’s supposed to be green. No flowers.”

I just didn’t know how hard he was taking it until that seventh grade paper. At first I was surprised and argued, “But we always had a tree!”

He glared mercilessly and said, “That giant tumble weed you spray-painted gold and dusted with glitter for us to decorate was NOT a Christmas tree.”

Damn. I thought that was a really good one. Turns out, I was mistaken, at least according to him. And there’s no point in arguing. I could’ve done a better job at noticing that he wanted really badly to participate in a fairly harmless cultural ritual. I didn’t have to use the holiday as a platform for my own artistic expression. Let me just say it now. I’m sorry, son. I never should’ve made you decorate that white tree all in pink feather boas and little red apples either. I’m sorry. I just didn’t see your pain.

In a lot of other regards, I’m not sorry to have modeled difference, and a consideration of broader social issues. My son, now attending university, works part time at the food co-op and probably understands more about the inter-relationships between local food production, economy and environment than I do. And he’s not a mindless conformist when it comes to race and gender roles in our fair land either, because sometimes, things can be pretty unfair. He’s a thinker, and a participant -- a cultural creator. That’s what I want for all of us, really. I’m so happy for him.

So let your freak flags fly as parents. There are lots of ways to be queer. You really are in charge of how your kids see the world at first, and this is no time to slack off! At the same time, choose carefully where to stand your ground and where to gently surrender. Make sure there’s enough joy in your family endeavors to go around.

Kimberly Dark is a mother, professor and an award-winning writer and performer. Her favorite son is a senior at UC Berkeley and she’s grateful that traveling to perform allows her to spend time with him often. Visit www.kimberlydark.com.

The Museum Of Motherhood is the first and only facility of its kind, celebrating the “her”story of mothers around the world. We need your help -- please make your tax-deductible contribution today! Visit the Museum of Motherhood, NOW OPEN in NYC - Tues.-Sun., 10:45-6:30.

Photo credit: New Zealand pohutukawa blooms by melodi2 | MorgueFile

MamaBlogger365 - "Extraordinary. Beautiful. Empowering."

2012-02-05T17:48:00.000-08:00

Hey – look how pretty we are! But, Kelly LeBrock says ‘Don’t hate me because I’m beautiful‘. Remember that ad? She visited the museum this week thanks to new friend Donnetta Campbell, of The Barnyard Group. We ordered up a gorgeous vegetarian lunch from Candle Cafe and got down to business, talking M.O.M. and more. Seems Kelly has been living the outdoor life, cooking natural foods, sprouting, raising her kids, loving her animals and caring for her mother in her final stages of life. What’s not to love? We totally connected and Kelly offered up our first ‘celebrity endorsement’ for the museum. Her words; “Extraordinary, beautiful, empowering.”

What a great way to start the week!

We also hosted the ‘1st on First‘ Festival with Gymboree this week. It as a day long UES celebration with discounts, deals and special offerings by local vendors. Citibank stopped by so we could discuss possible ways to work together in the future, organized by M.O.M. advisory board member Janae Shields of Goodwill in the Bronx.

Spent a lot of time planning upcoming events like our Conference on Monday, Feb. 6th on Sexuality and Motherhood, with special guests Lisa Sandusen, Joyce McFadden, Sam Gedal, Pamela Madsen, Debra Pascali-Bonaro and Charlotte Ghiorse. I’ll be there too in the capacity of Media Mom. It’s not too late to attend!

Also, special thanks to Miriama Duncan and Hunter College. We’re optimistic about developing an internship for Social Work students to facilitate at M.O.M.

Last but not least, we raised a glass with the SavingMothers.org group, just back from their trip to Guatemala. They delivered the amazing birth kits we put together with volunteers at the museum in January and delivered them to local midwives and mothers in need.

Always something going on at M.O.M. Come visit us Tuesday – Sunday, between the hours of 10:45-6 with special events planned; like next week’s seminar on ’7 Steps to Revamp Your Health’ with Kareen Walsh, Revampologist.com on Tuesday night 5:30-7:30. Check our online calendar for specifics.

Joy Rose

Founder and Executive Director

MamaBlogger365 - Give Sorrow Words by Patti Ashley, Ph.D.

2012-02-03T19:34:00.000-08:00

February 4th will mark the 42nd anniversary of my father's death. Every year on that day, I remember the morning I awoke to the excitement of a rare event in Virginia Beach, Virginia -- snow, and then I heard the sound of my mother's voice saying "Patti, put your robe on and come downstairs."

I remember sitting at the kitchen table a short while later and being told to eat a piece of toast. I can still see that piece of toast on the plate and feel the lump in my throat that was refusing to allow the bread to pass through it. I went back to school within a week, and I recall a daze that fell over me, as I walked into a familiar setting feeling completely out of place.

I continued on with my life as I was told to do, somewhat removed from the "normal" adolescent dramas of playground fights and lost lunch money. My life seemed very different from my peers'. I wondered often why no one would talk to me about this loss. What is it really like to lose a father at the age of eleven and how does a child cope with that type of grief?

Click here to read more!

Photo credit: dorne | MorgueFile

MamaBlogger365 - Fine; I'm Flawed by Dr Mama Amber Kinser

2012-02-02T19:57:00.000-08:00

OK, so fine. I’m a flawed human being. I don’t always act in my own best interests. I don’t always act in my children’s best interests. But I do try. Sometimes this mother in me comes out who is more like what I think my own mother was like. Resolute. Directed. Consistent. Grownup. And other times, well. Let’s just say less so.

I’ll grant, for example, that shooting whipped cream into my mouth directly from the can is one of those things you do when you’re, say, nine. And I’ll grant that teaching my children this uncouth habit by poor example, to my partner’s complete and total dismay and probably disgust, is something that… well something my mother wouldn’t do for one thing. And OK, yes, me walking through the grocery store with my two children when they were younger, all of us trying to not be seen spraying whipped cream into our mouths is, it could be argued, less than stellar mothering practice. But I’d like to say in my own defense that… well, I don’t actually have a defense for that one.

Click here to read more!

Photo credit: vilhelm | MorgueFile

MamaBlogger365 - Resolving to Remember Potato Chips by Karrie McAllister

2012-02-01T20:57:00.000-08:00

My mom has been hobbling around on her bum knee for years. If the weather was colder or if she spent an exceptionally long day chasing after grandkids, it was pretty obvious in the cockeyed shuffle she perfected. But enough had finally been enough, and she recently went in for knee replacement surgery.

The procedure itself went well. Her recovery in the hospital was as it should be, long, painful physical therapy, and mediocre (at best) food. None of this was new to her, because she had her other knee replaced just a few years ago so she knew exactly what she was getting herself into.

On her third day in the hospital, I went to visit her for the first time since the operation. I walked in and when our eyes met, I immediately saw that quiver in her chin, that automatic response that somehow keeps our eyes from turning into water faucets. No mother ever wants to break down in front of her children. We instinctively want them to always see us as strong, unbreakable, and the care-givers, not the ones who need the care. Having faced a number of heath hurdles myself in the past year, I know this feeling all too well. But here I was, staring my mom in her watery eyes.

Click here to read more!

Photo credit: Crisps In Bowl by Petr Kratochvil

MamaBlogger365 - How to Do Nothing for 31 Days by Elizabeth Kathryn Gerold-Miller

2012-01-31T01:14:00.000-08:00

While individuals vary in their levels of ambition, I am pretty certain that most mothers are unaware of the overambitious manner in which they approach their normal day. Wake up, get the kids off to school (or set on their homeschooling curriculum), and survey the house. Set to work on the part that needs the most tending to, while reviewing the day’s calendar in your head and mentally tackling the first chore on your to-do list for the day. Delegate to tomorrow’s – or next week’s – to-do list that pile of papers sitting on your desk, unless there is something in there with a looming deadline.

My New Year’s Resolution this year was very different from my normal list of ten areas in which I can improve. I decided I needed to “reclaim my time”. I had to limit how much of my valuable time I gave away outside the home, so that I had something left over to give to my family. There is nothing really pressing to do once Christmas is over, so why not give myself a period of rest during the month of January? So I set about to do as little as possible for 31 days.

My husband is permanently like-minded, seeing the home as his haven for rest after his long work day. If he is home, he is most likely on the couch. I joined him on New Year’s Day, resting and napping and watching television with the children. In the middle, I made homemade pizzas and cookies with the kids. Then we went back to resting. That was a great start to the year.

I had also given myself a week off from taking writing assignments in between Christmas and New Year’s so that I could be fully present to the kids. So when they started school, I started working again. But I restrained myself in bidding on work, so that I would not be overwhelmed with overlapping deadlines, nor would I have to work past the time the kids got home from school.

This strategy worked out great. I was able to go through my days at a normal pace, get my work done plus the basic housework, and be sitting in the window with newspaper in hand by the time the school bus arrived. I could be completely present to the children, helping with homework, and making dinner while they worked in the next room. I left some chores for them to help with, such as carrying the laundry downstairs and setting the table. My two younger children had a re-awakened interest in playing the piano, so I pulled out my beginner’s book (which is 30 years old) and started from Middle C.

Over the Christmas vacation the DVD player had ceased reading disks, but the VCR still worked. So we reorganized all our old VHS cassettes and reacquainted ourselves with some really good old children’s movies. Some of the original Walt Disney movies, such as Dumbo, my littlest one had never seen. She would pick one out and we would cuddle up on the couch for two hours.

During high school testing week, my teenage daughter accompanied me to the Catholic school to help me in my volunteer hour overseeing the kindergarten lunch period. Afterwards, we stopped at our favorite Chinese restaurant. We were great friends for a couple of hours – until I reminded her she needed to clean her room. I also got to go to one of her track meets.

After each day, I was completely happy with how I had chosen to spend my time that day. At the end of this month, I am feeling rested and ready to prepare for tackling my busy spring season. My family is happy and secure. Can the job of Mommy be done while doing next-to-nothing? I think my month-long experiment has proven that it can be.

Bio: Elizabeth Kathryn Gerold-Miller is a regular contributor to Mamazina Magazine. She blogs at The Divine Gift of Motherhood.

Photo credit: Single Cup by Petr Kratochvil

MamaBlogger365 - Happy Birthday by Shira Adler, Diva Mama

2012-01-30T23:33:00.000-08:00

Happy Birthday my sweet, smart, handsome son. Exactly nine years ago I gave birth to you and the experience gave new deﬁnition to the word miracle.

The day your child is born is the day that will change your life forever. And no matter how many children you have, any mother will tell you, each one is a gift from God. You feel the earth move under your feet as you gaze upon their smushed up face, hear their ﬁrst cry, marvel at the tiny little ﬁngers in the palm of your hand and feel them nuzzle and inch their way on your body looking for food and warmth.

I gave birth for the ﬁrst time eleven years ago to my beautiful daughter and if that wasnʼt life changing enough, two years and ten days later - on January 29, 2003 - I did it again.

But the second time around pregnancy/birth was very different. One would think having been through pregnancy and labor once, Iʼd be more prepared and calmer. But my nerves were at a fevered pitch because my life, and that of my unborn son, were hanging in the balance. Five months in, I was branded a high-risk pregnancy. No one was sure Iʼd actually survive - and in fact, I almost didnʼt.

Click here to read more...

BIO: By day Shira Adler is a cantor, spiritual vocalist, certified pastlife regressionist, voice-over artist, producer, performer, writer/blogger and mompreneur and by night... well, she is actually the same person at night though she does admit to wearing fuzzy socks when no one can see her and hiding a secret stash of Mallomars somewhere near her writing desk for those late night pick-me-ups. In, around, and between her various work activities, she is raising two beyond-the-spectrum children as a single mom (though lovingly gives a shout out to her best friend, editor and soulmate whom she considers the bees knees). Is it any wonder her website’s tag line is One Voice Many Paths? Seriously, look up the definition of a multi-tasking Mama and you will find her picture there. But when it comes to living a life of connection, faith and consciousness Shira is the gal to call -- or if you’re fresh out of Mallomars -- she’s always happy to give you one. For more information visit: ShiraAdler.com, read her blog at Diva-Mama.com; Social: Twitter (1DivaMama), Facebook (DivaMama1), Tumblr (not really sure, but the name is cute) and LinkedIn (because doesn’t everyone?).

Photo credit: Mother And Baby by Anna Cervova

MamaBlogger365 - The Demise of “SuperMom” by Jennifer Covello

2012-01-28T18:09:00.000-08:00

Jennifer Covello

As I write this, I’m slowly getting over a head cold that lasted several days. During that time, I was unable to do many of the things I normally do not only for my work, but for my children. This is a source of frustration for me as I’m used to doing several things at once and my children are used to me doing, well, everything.

You might say that they are spoiled. You might say that they should understand that when mommy is sick, they have to fend for themselves. You’d be right in thinking that. But you can’t blame them for thinking or feeling as they do. They don’t know any better. Why? Because I didn’t teach them. So really, it’s my fault.

Click here to read more...

MamaBlogger365 - With Relish (please) by Dr Mama Amber Kinser

2012-01-26T11:57:00.000-08:00

I’ve written before about the importance of not being too invested in the “highs” of mothering, about how mothers clinging steadfast (or frantically) to the feelings of “success” is unwise, not fruitful, not empowering. It’s an unkind thing to do to yourself, really, to let your sense of self-worth hang on standards that are dictated by absurd mothering standards at one end, or your children’s ridiculous and naïve standards at the other, or false but no less sensationalized images of motherhood that surround us at the other (and yes, this continuum has three ends -- just go with it). I do think that this is so very important, and so very very difficult. So I want to write today without losing sight of this.

I’d like to invoke the memory and/or recognition of how sometimes, it just works. Sometimes, it’s easy. Sometimes, it just flows. I want to sit down to that, chew on that, taste that. With a little relish, and for just a few moments. I mean look, I’ve been dragged through it as a mother. Slammed doors, cops, crushed morale, total disregard, collusion, lies, eye rolls, hospitals, perceived judgment from my peers, actual judgment from my peers, insensitive demands from the people I work for, taxing demands from the people I live with, dinners dinners dinners, the relentlessness of it all.

But then every once in a while....

Click here to read more.

The Museum Of Motherhood is the first and only facility of its kind, celebrating the “her”story of mothers around the world. We need your help -- please make your tax-deductible contribution today!Visit the Museum of Motherhood, NOW OPEN in NYC - Tues.-Sun., 10:45-6:30.

Photo credit: sideshowmom | MorgueFile

MamaBlogger365 - 2012 Change is in the Air by Veronica Hosking

2012-01-25T19:40:00.000-08:00

The girls had two full weeks off for winter break. They returned to school for the second half of the 2011/12 school year on the 9th. At the end of the week, both brought home their second quarter report cards. Gretchen got an A+ in math and B's in the other subjects. Rachael brought home the requirements for 8th graders to move up to 9th, and I told her, "You may have a hard time getting promoted when you keep bringing home straight A's." ;)

This year is full of change for our family. Next month my husband will be celebrating his 40th birthday. Then in May both girls will be promoted. Gretchen will finish 5th grade and be moving up to the middle school. Rachael will finish 8th grade and move up to high school. Mom was feeling a little left out of all these changes, nothing new was on my horizon. Then I found an opportunity to apply for a summer residency in poetry. Since the girls started back up at school, Mom has been busy writing her proposal and polishing her portfolio.

Now with my part of the application process complete, I am left waiting to see if I'll be going down to Tucson sometime over the summer. Of course, I'm not just sitting here twiddling my thumbs. I have a 40th birthday party to plan and then there is the celebration at the end of the school year to work out. As both girls do very well in school and moving up to a new school is exciting, we want to show the girls how proud we are of their hard work.

The beginning of a new year is filled with expectation. 2012 marks memorable life changes for my family. I hope they prove to be positive experiences we will cherish.

Veronica Hosking
http://hosking.gather.com

Photo credit: xololounge | MorgueFile

MamaBlogger365 - Moms of Twins and Postnatal Blues by Dr. Joan A. Friedman

2012-01-24T11:32:00.000-08:00

Recently I consulted with two mothers of twins seeking help to understand why they have felt persistent guilt feelings since the birth of their twins a few years ago. In both these cases the birth of twins was spontaneous and natural – with no fertility issues. Initially, neither of these moms relished the idea of having twins. Both felt robbed of the traditional rituals and experiences that normally accompany the birth of a singleton.

One mom was enormously disappointed that her longings for a vaginal birth were frustrated when the obstetrician informed her that a C-section was imperative given the position of both babies. Moreover, after the birth of the babies born at 37 weeks, she was not emotionally prepared for their week stay in the NICU. As we spoke together about these experiences, it became clear to both of us that her gnawing feelings of self- condemnation and inadequacy were directly related to her inability to give herself permission to feel anger and sadness about how much the twin birth had disturbed and disrupted her romantic expectations about motherhood. There was no one with whom she could share these expectable ambivalent feelings.

Sadly, twin moms often do not have access to others that can empathize with the enormity of their situation while understanding that these feelings have nothing to do with not loving or wanting their children. Twin moms need this specific support to trust that negative emotions associated with adjusting to motherhood do NOT erase or minimize the love and concern they have for their babies.

Another mom spoke to me about feeling depressed and disconnected since the birth of her twins. She shared a harrowing story of having to spend months on bedrest in the hospital until she gave birth to her healthy twins. She had been told that it was of the utmost importance to stay positive during the hospital stay because becoming upset might induce contractions. She had never had the opportunity to understand the emotional impact of this experience. I explained that if traumatic feelings from past experiences are not revisited and relived, we dissociate. In other words, we push aside or “forget” threatening thoughts because it feels enormously uncomfortable to think about them. However, the price we pay for protecting ourselves in this way can develop into a self-destructive and depressive quality that interferes with our feeling connected and adequate. In many cases excessive guilt covers up unconscious or conscious feelings of anger and sadness.

A British psychoanalyst named Dana Birksted-Breen discusses postnatal blues in a book entitled Spilt Milk: Perinatal Loss & Breakdown, edited by Joan Raphael-Leff. She found that women who coped well with the experience of having a baby tended to modify their idea of what a mother should be like from an idealized one to a more realistic one.

Bio: Joan A. Friedman, Ph.D. is a psychotherapist, critically acclaimed twin expert, mother of adult twins, and an identical twin herself. She is the author of Emotionally Healthy Twins. She has just completed her second book entitled My Self, Your Self, a breakthrough book that offers guidance to adult twins adjusting to difficulties traced to their twinship. Dr. Friedman is an avid spokeswoman and advocate for fair treatment of twins in the media, education, and psychology.

WEBSITE LINK: www.emotionallyhealthytwins.com

MamaBlogger365 - Woot woot! by Shira Adler, Diva Mama

2012-01-23T10:53:00.000-08:00

Last night the Giants won the NFC Championship and from the shouts and impromptu dance moves, you would think my honey just watched the birth of his ﬁrst born, or had front row seats for the Stones at Madison Square Garden.

Yes, we celebrate joys and miracles in our own ways and though I am not an avid football fan (far from it… I even had to ask who was playing), I will say that this weekend was really special. No, not because Eli Manning will now lead his team to their second Super Bowl on his watch, but because I got to sit by and observe my loved ones in pure states of unbridled terror-turned-joy.

Honey is happy, my kids are happy, and that brings me a kind of contentment that I have been lacking lately, and no matter where it came from, it was a welcome counterweight to the pressure I’ve been feeling.

In recent weeks I’ve been experiencing a bit of aimlessness and lack of focus. I have many amazing projects to delve into such as ﬁnishing up the sample chapters on my in-progress book, marketing to attract new clients, and rewriting and recording my new voice-over demo.

But somehow I haven’t managed to get any of that done. Worse, I am feeling caught in a never ending spin cycle between wanting to create and needing to complete, and the fear I have of doing neither.

This isn’t an unusual state of mind for a mompreneur, or anyone else who seeks to master their own destiny, create a livelihood for themselves, and support their families. But the burn out factor can be substantial if you get caught up in the “I-didn’t-get-enough-done-today” mindset. At least it has for me.

I look at dwindling bank account numbers and weigh them against increasing expectations that I heap on myself thicker than the fat layered in a Paula Deen sausage pancake egg sandwich.

Click here to read more!

MamaBlogger365 - You Don't Need to Have it All by Kim Jennings

2012-01-22T22:08:00.000-08:00

You don’t need to “have it all.”

Wait a minute. I grew up thinking that I’m not only supposed to want it all, I’m also supposed to be able to get it. I am woman! Yes… work hard, get a good education, a promising career, find the man (a relationship based on equality of course), the big house, the nice (yet sensible) cars, the white picket fence, and the 2.3 children. Then, and only then, I’ll be happy with my accomplishments, at my attainment of what’s important – the image of perfection, the American Dream.

Somewhere along the way, while focusing on a path I thought I was *supposed* to follow, a nagging voice in the depths of my being started whispering to me. And the things it said were hard to hear.

“Who are you?”
“Where are you really going?”
“Why are you doing this?”

The voice got louder… and louder still. Then one day, it screamed. It screamed so loud, it stopped me in my tracks. Stopped me in my life. But I didn’t know what to do about it – not yet. It was frightening. All these questions… hitting at the core of the person I’d thought I always was. Hitting at the core of everything I thought to be true, and everything I believed. And what did it scream to me?

“You are unhappy. And the only one responsible for it is YOU.”

How could this be? I worked hard, got a great education, and on working my way up to running an organization that was doing important work. I had met a wonderful man, and was well on my way down the path of the American Dream.

The thing I didn’t realize, right until that moment, was that in no way whatsoever was this ever really MY dream. The earth seemed to shake below me. All that time, all that work, everything I had done – wasted. Completely wasted.

Or so I thought. That was just detour number 1.

What followed was detour number 2. If I am unhappy, I convinced myself, then I need to do more “valuable” work, in a career that would have more opportunities up the ladder. The voice got quiet for a while, biding its time to see how detour number 2 played itself out. I found a career in IT, where I could make more money, even if it meant going back to school. It all made perfect sense. Off I went again, in pursuit of advancement and attaining goals that only seemed important at the time.

And then, it happened. Marriage, house, pregnancy… motherhood. But it didn’t happen overnight, and the voice started to whisper, quietly at first, then louder and louder.

“You are unhappy. And the only one responsible for it is YOU.”

It wasn’t the 50-60 hour work weeks on top of the 90-minute commutes each way to work that was responsible for my unhappiness. It wasn’t the time crunch of 3AM feedings, then exhaustedly trying to pump milk in a back office room in between management meetings. It wasn’t all-night server installations. A couple of years later, it wasn’t getting out of work on time to avoid child care late fees adding up dollars per minute. And a few years after that, it wasn’t wondering how to meet the deadline with my paid time off dwindling and needing to get out to the school project fair on time.

It wasn’t that I wanted it all. I sure had plenty. But a good amount of it wasn’t what I really wanted. And the only one responsible for it was me.

The beauty of this part of my journey that I didn’t “get it” the first time. I wasn’t ready. Sometimes I still wonder if I am.

So now, as I embark on my new part-time work schedule, making more time for home and family and more time for my musical passions, I am at peace with the amount of time it took me to get to this place. I am listening to the voice and thinking through what I really want. And it’s not perfect, and I’m not done, and I haven’t “arrived,” and I certainly don’t have it all.

After all the years I spent trying to “have it all,” it’s going to take time to work towards “having what I want” instead. I’m more than okay with that. I’m glad I heard the voice, listened, and did something about it. I am glad the voice screamed at me. I wouldn’t have listened otherwise.

Bio: Sitting still has never been easy for acoustic/indie/folk singer-songwriter Kim Jennings. A singer, piano and guitar player for years, the songwriting bug only bit her in 2007. Not three years later, Kim released her debut CD "My Own True North," co-founded the indie record label "Birch Beer Records" with fellow singer-songwriter Dan Cloutier, and launched the We Support Local Music blog along with the "I Support Local Music in Massachusetts" Facebook page.

Named to Metronome Magazine's Top 20 Hit List for 2010, and voted Best Female Vocalist in the 2010 Worcester Music Awards, Jennings keeps a busy schedule, performing as often as she can and running her record label. Not bad, considering that in her "free time" she's also a part-time working soccer mom.

Keep up with Kim Jennings and her musical projects at
www.kimjenningsmusic.com, www.birchbeerrecords.com, and www.we-support-local-music.com.

MamaBlogger365 - You're Not the Boss of Us by Dr Mama Amber Kinser

2012-01-19T11:14:00.000-08:00

If we had a nickel, collectively, every time someone told a mother what to do, we’d have enough money to really change things. Because there simply is no shortage of such people, no absence of such advice or admonishment, no end in sight to the ways that others get all up in our business.

Take for example something as seemingly simple as that totally unhelpful charge to “enjoy every minute” because it “goes by so fast” that Glennon Melton wrote about in her blog at the Huffington Post this week*. Of course “every minute” is far from simple in motherhood, and enjoying each and every one of those is even farther. So now I can feel inadequate not only about how I mother but also about how my day is full of moments I am not enjoying, Melton suggests. Nice. That’s helpful. Thanks. You know what, I’m going to invoke a retort I’ve heard my kids and lots of other ones deploy in one form or another over the years: Quit bossing me around!

And then there’s the family dinner example.... click here to read more!

The Museum Of Motherhood is the first and only facility of its kind, celebrating the “her”story of mothers around the world. We need your help -- please make your tax-deductible contribution today! Visit the Museum of Motherhood, NOW OPEN in NYC - Tues.-Sun., 10:45-6:30

Photo credit: alvimann|MorgueFile

MamaBlogger365 - A Career That Works by Michelle Friedman, CPCC

2012-01-18T22:04:00.000-08:00

A Career that Works

By Michelle Friedman, CPCC on behalf of the Museum of Motherhood

Environments Where Executive Working Mothers Thrive

Flexibility, People and Culture. According to a study recently published by three female Harvard MBA students, these are the main enablers of success for working mothers. Just as important as salary and job content, it is clear that many of the less tangible aspects of a role and employer make a huge difference for those concerned with work/life fit.

I was thrilled to be interviewed for this study, “Creating an Environment to Thrive; How Companies Support Executive Working Mothers”, because it examines exactly what my individual clients are most interested in, and what my corporate clients strive for.

Imagine…. the authors of this study are about to embark on a very exciting chapter of their professional lives – that first job out of grad school - and are already looking ahead to a future chapter, which includes the combination of working and raising a family. They know that their work/life fit will take many twists and turns and they want to choose a progressive employer with this in mind.

This is an important heads-up to employers looking to attract great talent, and a real affirmation to those of us currently in the workplace trying to navigate work and life in today’s business world.

I entitled this blog “A Career That Works” based on my conviction that fulfilling and satisfying work IS possible throughout the career span, recognizing that our description of “what works” is extremely individual and very fluid. Success during some chapters may mean working insanely hard, while other times may involve dialing down or completely hitting the career pause button. I advise my clients to get crystal clear on their personal definition of success and to make choices in alignment with their most important values. And I help employers attract, develop, retain and promote these key women throughout their varied career stages.

As the study points out, the Working Mother Top 100 is the place to start when evaluating how supportive an organization might be. But what if the company you work for (or are considering joining) is not on that list? The good news is that even in the absence of formalized programs or policies common in bigger companies, environments can be nurtured that are beneficial to working parents, or any employee, seeking a healthy integration of work and life.

I would love to hear your opinions on the findings of this study. Do you agree? What has made your working environment a place where you can thrive (or not)? What else needs to be included in this conversation?

Bio: Michelle Friedman, CPCC is a professional development coach, organizational consultant, trainer and speaker serving ambitious women at mid-career and the companies that employ them. Her passion is empowering women to shine in their professional lives while leading a balanced life outside of the office. In addition, she consults to progressive employers committed to attracting, retaining and advancing their female talent. Based outside of NYC, she is married and the proud and extremely busy mom of three boys, ages 14, 11 and 9. Visit her at www.michellefriedman.net, and follow her on Twitter @michfriedman.

MamaBlogger365 - My New Love.... by Shira Adler, Diva Mama

2012-01-17T21:17:00.000-08:00

I’m in love with an amazing male. He shares my passion and taste for Teavana peach Roibos tea, is a vegan, responds with the cutest noises when I scratch him in just the right place and sings beautifully. Whenever I walk by and he’s in a ﬂirtatious mood, he even whistles a catcall. And the best part is my honey doesn’t seem to be jealous. I suppose that’s because I’m talking about our new family member, a stunning 7 month old Double Yellow Headed Amazon parrot named Rio Suave (yes, after the movie AND whose middle name was inspired by this 90s party hit).

Rio joined us as a magical holiday gift and honestly, our family hasn’t been the same since. And if you’ve been following my blogs, that’s really saying something.

Click here to read more and meet Rio!

BIO: By day Shira Adler is a cantor, spiritual vocalist, certified pastlife regressionist, voice-over artist, producer, performer, writer/blogger and mompreneur and by night... well, she is actually the same person at night though she does admit to wearing fuzzy socks when no one can see her and hiding a secret stash of Mallomars somewhere near her writing desk for those late night pick-me-ups. In, around, and between her various work activities, she is raising two beyond-the-spectrum children as a single mom (though lovingly gives a shout out to her best friend, editor and soulmate whom she considers the bees knees). Is it any wonder her website’s tag line is One Voice Many Paths? Seriously, look up the definition of a multi-tasking Mama and you will find her picture there. But when it comes to living a life of connection, faith and consciousness Shira is the gal to call -- or if you’re fresh out of Mallomars -- she’s always happy to give you one. For more information visit: ShiraAdler.com, read her blog at Diva-Mama.com; Social: Twitter (1DivaMama), Facebook (DivaMama1), Tumblr (not really sure, but the name is cute) and LinkedIn (because doesn’t everyone?).

MamaBlogger365 - Eat, Drink, Be Mommy at the Museum of Motherhood

2012-01-16T21:02:00.000-08:00

JOIN US for another "Eat, Drink, Be Mommy" event at the Museum Of Motherhood this Friday, January 20th, 4-6PM. We'll be sharing great conversations, toasting a few and of course, we are toddler-friendly, so bring your baby along! Our last event was a holiday fundraiser, that included photography by Erin Silber. Read more about Erin's story here:

Photography and motherhood have been very much intertwined for me. For decades, I had been an avid photographer.... documenting my life adventures and my time with friends & family. When I became a mother, I turned the lens onto my two boys and our lives together. What has been fantastic about photography is that it captures the moment... it puts the endless tasks aside and it simply captures the beautiful second by second moments in your child's life.

Photography allows me to step out of all the doing (cleaning the dishes, folding the laundry, picking up the toys) and I get to connect and to really see what my child is doing.... whether he is desperately trying to put on his sock when he is only 18 months old, whether he is building a block tower to then quickly destroy, whether he is building a Lego city, whether he is joyful, sloppily eating spaghetti, whether he is having an all-body tantrum and more.

Children do everything and react to everything in their lives with such pure honesty. It is really beautiful to witness. Documenting my child's transformation from his helpless newborn state to a fully functional member of my family has been astounding. We, as adults, are so busy with our lives that these significant milestones easily pass us by. Slowing down time and really seeing these little moments as they really are has been a miraculous gift.

Photography has enabled me to celebrate my children's little moments, to consciously create and document new moments with them (dancing in our living room together on New Year's Eve, pumpkin-picking, ice-skating, skiing, camping), to capture these beautiful moments for other families in my Erin Silber Photography business (www.erinsilber.com) and, most importantly, to build a photography legacy for future generations.

My grandchildren and great-grandchildren will look at the images I created and they will learn what my family is about: love, fun, connected-ness and having adventurous experiences together.

I want to thank Joy Rose for including me in the Museum of Motherhood's 1st Eat, Drink and Be Mommy FUNdraiser. It was an honor to meet the other moms and kids during the event and to photograph all the fun. Check out some of the highlights here and please visit http://erinsilber.smugmug.com/Photography/Museum-of-Motherhood/20873933_3gXBch#1657382536_TGntvMS to see more.

Erin Silber Portrait

Photographer:

Newborns, Kids, Families & Expecting Parents

Cell: 917-579-3756
Email: erin@erinsilber.com
Website: www.erinsilber.com
Blog: www.erinsilber.com/blog
Facebook: www.facebook.com/erinsilberphotography

**2012 Promo Card: www.erinsilber.com/2011/08/sneak-peak-erin-silber-photography-fall-2011-promo-card

MamaBlogger365 - The Journey, an exerpt, part 5 by Jax Resto

2012-01-13T20:57:00.000-08:00

Jax Resto

It's been three weeks since I set out to start a band of rockin' moms.

I was excitedly optimistic when I quickly found single mother of five/vocalist Raven. But the rest of the lineup hasn't been as easy. Yesterday after acquiring what seems to be the only female bass player in two counties, things were finally looking up... until this morning, when she called to say she'd had a change of heart.

Deflated, I mull over some of the responses we've gotten so far, including one that had Raven texting me this morning about driving to Miami. I'd barely had time to think about how unlikely the possibility of an impromptu roadtrip to the other coast on a “school day” would be before she texted, “Nevermind. It was for an adult video.”

My train of thought leads me to an absentminded Googling of HERA, which subsequently takes me to our Myspace page. It's impressive, considering we're not even a real band yet. The sexy photos. Creative logo. Clever catchphrase that reads, Cougars that know how to rock hard...Wait...what?

I cringe, stray cursor scrambling for the delete icon. How many of my friends and professional contacts have seen the cougar comment, I wonder. At least that explains the adult video offer. I shake off my humiliation and focus on something more productive: A Bandmix profile for a 29-year-old mother of 3 named Tara who plays keys. I send her a message, to which she responds that evening with a confession that she is only an amateur keyboard player and primarily a vocalist. Disappointed, I tell her I already have a vocalist, though I'm not just being polite when I tell her I will keep her contact information just in case. Maybe I'm just still reeling from the cougar debacle. Maybe not.

The next day, I follow up on a response from a female guitar player named Micky. I fall in immediate like with her after 5 minutes on the phone and schedule a meeting at a Starbucks in Sarasota. Though she is slightly older and less edgy than I'd hoped, she wins me, and surprisingly, even Raven, over with her great personality and Scottish accent.

On the way back to Venice, Raven and I discuss the possibility of Micky becoming part of HERA, as well as the fact that Micky knows a female bass player who may also be interested. It all seems too good to be true... .and it just may be since Micky's only means of transportation is motor scooter.

After a few days, Micky's lack of reliable transportation seems moot. Raven's already labeled her “flake” because Micky has not been in touch. I'm not sure why, but I have a sinking feeling that Micky is afraid of Raven.

Days later, ears undoubtedly burning, Micky finally calls me from a local music store. She says she's been talking me and my band up to guy who works there named Jeri Jay. The name is familiar: A guitarist for hire that plays around town. I saw him play years ago, but don't recall much beyond a long-haired middle-aged guy in a suit who played great guitar.

Micky puts Jeri on the phone, who greets me with a cheerful, “Hello.” Then without missing a beat, he asks, “When can I audition for your girl band?”

I feel a deep triangle forming in my brow, not sure which puzzles me more: The fact that Jeri wants to be in my girl band. Or the fact that he thinks he'd need to audition.

Unclear what part of girl band he doesn't get, I reiterate, “It's a girl band.”

“I know,” he replies in his manly New York voice. “Check out my MySpace page.”

The triangle in my brow deepens. “Okay. I will.” I'm mostly just being polite, but soon curiosity has me typing in the link. A hot pink page pops up on my computer screen. I lean in closer and peruse the profile picture of the middle-aged woman adorned in hot pink hair extensions, startling pink and blue makeup, a Hello Kitty tee, and pink leopard print skinny jeans. Did I type in the wrong link? Or am I thinking of a different Jeri?

I explore the Myspace page further, clicking on earlier pictures of a slightly less pink Jeri. A slightly less feminine one. I have the right link. The right Jeri, though apparently a lot's changed since the last time I saw him. Her....?

Bio: Jax Resto is a wife, mom and business owner by day, mom rocker by night. In 2010 she performed with Band of the Year at the Mamapalooza Festival in NYC. She left the band shortly after to start her own band of rockin' moms Female Band Invasion. But her mom rock band took an interesting turn. Visit www.reverbnation.com/femalebandinvasion.

Our Year-End Giving Campaign is going on NOW! The Museum Of Motherhood is the first and only facility of its kind, celebrating the “her”story of mothers around the world. We need your help -- please make your tax-deductible contribution today!

Visit the Museum of Motherhood
NOW OPEN in NYC - Tues.-Sun., 10:45-6:30

MamaBlogger365 - abNormally Nursing, an Art Exhibit by Lauren Cockerham-Colas

2012-01-12T19:26:00.000-08:00

Announcing a new exhibit by Lauren Cockerham-Colas

Two years into her master's project, Lauren created an exhibit entitled abNORMALLY NURSING: an exhibition and exploration of breastfeeding. The exhibit was developed for healthcare professionals to educate them on the benefits of extended breastfeeding. The exhibit consisted of 22 photographs of mother-child extended breastfeeding dyads along with extended nursing facts.

Over the course of approximately a year's time, she photographed more than 50 extended nursing families across five different states. The exhibit was used as a research tool to evaluate and influence the knowledge and attitudes of healthcare professionals towards extended breastfeeding. Very recently, the results of the research were published within the peer reviewed scientific journal, Breastfeeding Medicine.

Lauren's exhibit is up in the Museum entry-gallery during the month of January, 2012. Click here for more information about the exhibit and the Museum of Motherhood.

MamaBlogger365: "Scientific Studies" in Effective Communication (or lack-thereof) by Kate Fineske

2012-01-11T18:21:00.000-08:00

Ladies and gentlemen...
The Captain is speaking!

Except that he's not…

You never realize how important communication is,
until you can't communicate with someone.

And my youngest (although he understands every word that I say to him) is not quite able to communicate verbally yet.

Physically he communicates: He smiles at appropriate times, he laughs when he finds something is funny, and he has many effective gestures that help such as:

All done! = Arms go up (or if he's in a foul mood the sippy cup gets thrown)
I want that! = Points to what he wants, along with tapping me on the leg
I'm mad! = Just a look (every mom knows that look!) followed by a very loud screech

Except, the bottom line is: Although my son can often effectively physically communicate, he hasn't quite started consistently verbalizing. And it reminds me over and over (and over!) how important effective communication is.

Because I can FEEL his communication frustrations.

No! That's not what I meant!

When you can't communicate properly it is FRUSTRATING both for the child and the parent!

And on the flip side, often I find that - like my youngest son - I have my own communication issues.

When it comes to my personal communication as a mom with my own friends and family - I've often found that I lack a good, solid communication technique.

I've discovered many scientific theories and hypotheses as to why I have problems appropriately communicating as a mother and adult...

Click here to read more!

MamaBlogger365 - New Year, New Mom, New Lexicon by Tania Elfersy

2012-01-10T12:10:00.000-08:00

It is a small gentle move, the first touch between a new mom and her baby, but it is a giant leap for each and every woman; so giant, it deserves its own lexicon.

If you have recently become a mom, congratulations and welcome; you have landed in a new milky world that will change your life forever. If you are a thoroughly modern woman, the chances are this new world is about as foreign and familiar as the moon.

Luckily, when it comes to baby care, a fine selection of books, the internet, and sometimes even our parents bring us up to speed. Parenting has an extensive lexicon to help us find our way – attachment parenting, controlled crying, co-sleeping, baby wearing, helicopter parenting, potty training, weaning... no doubt you will soon become familiar with many of these terms.

But as we bounce our babies, we moms are also bouncing around in the new world, often without essential tools to describe our adventure. Motherhood, the classic untold herstory, is accompanied by a pitiful lexicon. Not being able to easily define the “stuff’ that happens to us moms is disempowering and can leave us feeling lonely.

Here, I would like to introduce five useful terms for new and expectant moms; terms that through their very existence remind women that motherhood is a more collective experience than it often feels at 3am.

I would like to start with defining the "stuff" that happens to us. I like to call this collection of "stuff" Disruptive Wonder.

Disruptive Wonder

The unique mix of elation, fear, love, uncertainty, serenity, exhaustion, utter exhaustion, happiness, confusion, joy, frustration that is motherhood. Duration: the rest of your life, redefining itself every few years or every five minutes.

Expectation Paradise

The place where every mom’s expectations are realized; it is just not in this universe. Membership is free and there is unlimited storage.

It is a perfect location to send the expectations a woman may have held regarding her pregnancy and labor, her ability to breastfeed, calm her baby, the help she was going to receive, weaning, the new dish she just slaved over believing her child would eat it, the party she was excited to go to until her baby got sick, and it goes on, and on. Membership gift: the understanding that our happiness is not dependent on the things that happen to us (and on those things that our baby does or doesn’t do, is or isn’t) but on our reaction to them.

Relationship Rattle

The realignment of relationships that occurs between a new mom and everyone else in her life. “Everyone” may include her partner, parents, in-laws, friends with children, friends without, neighbors, her employer, store owners and anyone the mom will meet while with her baby. The Relationship Rattle will tend to calm down after a year but can reach extreme peaks within that period and even beyond.

The Relationship Rattle is comprised of many parts, unique to each woman and those who surround her. The most challenging part of the Relationship Rattle will often be with a new mom’s partner (if she has one) and work and communication will be required to calm the two-became-three scene.

The outcome of a Relationship Rattle may be positive – a woman may find herself closer to members of her family than before – or negative – a woman may find herself more distant from her childfree girlfriend who can no longer relate to her; or from her girlfriend, who is also a mom and believes all moms should practice her preferred theories of childcare.

Mommy Shield

Sounds like birth control but it is a defensive armor protecting moms from unsolicited baby care suggestions that arrive at inappropriate moments. Suggestions may include: She is hungry. She is tired. Lay her like this. Hold her like that. They may continue: Feed her this. Sit her up. Don’t sit her up. Why is she in a stroller? She should be walking by now!

Moms who do not use their Mommy Shield may find themselves wasting precious energy on anger. In a family setting, the Mommy Shield allows us to smile while thinking “I know your comment comes from love but I will choose to ignore it.” With strangers, the Mommy Shield allows us to smile while thinking “I don’t know you and I don’t want to!” Or quite simply, “Asshole!”

And then walk away.

Don’t leave home without it!

Working Wonder Mom

Both describes the mom and the acts she carries out while often single-handedly caring for her baby and beyond, throughout the day.

A more honest description than “Stay-at-Home Mom” and one that recognizes the fact that if she wasn’t doing this job, it would be outsourced and paid.

The output of a Working Wonder Mom is generally invisible and undervalued. When asked in honesty, most men will admit they could not carry out this work, day in, day out, for an extended period of time.

Please ease a new or expectant mom’s entry into motherhood by sharing this post with her and by adding your suggestions to the motherhood lexicon.
Illustration credit: ”Turn” by Nomi Melul Ohad (all rights reserved)

Tania Elfersy is co-author of the book Purple Leaves, Red Cherries: A Gift for Mothers with Short Stories, Journal & Toolkit. In 2004, Tania left her career in corporate marketing to become a Working Wonder Mom. Three children later, Tania had the idea for an inspiring book for new moms. Together with her good friend, Andrea Katzman, they created Purple Leaves, Red Cherries. Seeking a mom-friendly return to the workforce, Tania established Flower Cap Press and self-published their book. Click here for more.

The Museum Of Motherhood is the first and only facility of its kind, celebrating the “her”story of mothers around the world. We need your help -- please make your tax-deductible contribution today! Visit the Museum of Motherhood - NOW OPEN in NYC - Tues.-Sun., 10:45-6:30

MamaBlogger365 - Meet the Expert at M.O.M.

2012-01-08T11:23:00.000-08:00

Learn more about the Museum Of Motherhood's
MEET THE EXPERT series!

Join Us For Great Conversation & Information Sharing

(212.452.9816 for more info)

Museum of Motherhood

Tuesdays, 11-1:00 - All Mother’s Group with Elenor Daneshvar – Is This Normal? How Mindful Parenting Brings Us Out Of Fear and Into The Present.

Tuesdays, 2-4:00 – Join Beverly Concepcion for kid-friendly, arts-based activities and friendly conversations about your pre-school or school age child. (Jan 24th at 1:00 - Lora Heller, Baby Fingers)

Wednesdays, 11:00 – Informal Family Music Sing-A-Long (Contact us if you are interested in performing! 212.452.9816 or write MOMmuseum@gmail.com)

Wednesdays, Noon-1:00 – Circle Of Life, a grief and loss group open to all, lead by BirthFocus

Wednesdays, 1-5:00 - Meet The Doula – from BirthFocus, including Director, Elizabeth Mangum-Sarach

Thursdays, 10-Noon - Renee Sullivan – Babybites; Meet the Pregnancy & Infant Leader. Babybites groups meet at noon and 1:00.

Fridays, 10:45-Noon - Meet Sara Raff; Arts Education Consultant

Fridays, 3:00-4:00 (JANUARY) Meet psychotherapists Mariama Duncan & Joanne Gottlieb: Where Is The ‘I’ In Family?

(Second Friday Every Month) 2-3:00 - Jennifer Genuardi; Meet The Pediatrician

(Third Friday Every Month) 10-11:30 LaLeche League Toddler Meeting

Saturdays, 1-3:00 - Rachel Degregorio PhD, Neuroscience and Stay At Home Mother, Reconstructing Life

Sundays, 11:00 - Family Music Concert: Joanne and Charlie; Family Jam. Music for all ages. Day pass is $15 per adult. You can pay this fee and enjoy the Print * Post Card Making Workshop. Children are FREE for the concert and additional $10 supply fee below for art workshops.

Noon – 1:00 - Adult Print & Paper Post Card Making Workshop $15 per adult
1-2:00 – School Kids Make Art 5-8yrs; $10 per child
2-3:00 – Toddlers Make Art; $10 per child
4:00 – Story Time Under The Apple Tree; FREE for children

FEES – All programs include regular day-pass fee of $15 per adult, kids free, students $13, unless otherwise noted.

Disclaimer – Our ‘Meet The Expert’ series demonstrates our intention to be a community gathering place and offer great information to spark conversations. Volunteers, artists, experts and just plain folk are invited to sign up to participate at M.O.M. This is not intended to replace medical advice or to offer anything more than an opportunity to connect and inspire.

401 East 84th St. NYC 10028 (at 1st Ave.) lower level

Open Tues-Sun, 10:45-6:30 (open later for special events) Closed Mondays, except for special programs or party reservations l All fees are standard $15 day pass for adults, Children Free, Students $13 unless otherwise specified.

Click here for more information and program descriptions!

The Museum Of Motherhood is the first and only facility of its kind, celebrating the “her”story of mothers around the world. We need your help -- please make your tax-deductible contribution today! Visit the Museum of Motherhood - NOW OPEN in NYC - Tues.-Sun., 10:45-6:30

MamaBlogger365 - 2012~A New Year for Mothers by Patti Ashley, Ph.D.

2012-01-07T21:40:00.000-08:00

My youngest daughter is expecting her first baby in April of 2012. As I reflect on how things have changed since her grandmother was born in 1914, I realize how far women have come in less than one hundred years.

Click here to read more!

The Museum Of Motherhood is the first and only facility of its kind, celebrating the “her”story of mothers around the world. We need your help -- please make your tax-deductible contribution today! Visit the Museum of Motherhood, NOW OPEN in NYC - Tues.-Sun., 10:45-6:30.

MamaBlogger365 - Mommy Queerest by Kimberly Dark

2012-01-06T01:27:00.000-08:00

More Than Marriage

They all met up for dinner – parents and teenage son, along with two of the son’s friends. Nothing unusual about the parents buying dinner, passing off a little advice and extra cash before the kids went to the dance. Nothing unusual except that there was no eye rolling from the boys, no slouched texting as the adults talked, no fidgety ready-to-go behavior. They seemed to me -- new friend of the family -- as polite and jovial as Beaver Cleaver’s family. Really good to each other, kind and interested in each other’s comments. Yes, that’s what set them apart from many modern families.

Oh, and the parents were two women.

Click here to read more!

Photo credit: Wedding Rings by Petr Kratochvil

The Museum Of Motherhood is the first and only facility of its kind, celebrating the “her”story of mothers around the world. We need your help -- please make your tax-deductible contribution today! Visit the Museum of Motherhood, NOW OPEN in NYC - Tues.-Sun., 10:45-6:30

MamaBlogger365 - Sticking to the Issues by Dr Mama Amber Kinser

2012-01-05T19:20:00.000-08:00

Last January, inspired by the Jewish Near Year tradition, or more specifically that of Yom Kippur’s solemn day of atonement that follows the new year, I wrote several posts, beginning with a piece on food, and followed by pieces on work and time, in which I plotted out what I saw to be my “wrongs” of the year previous. My goal, of course, was to then right them in 2011.

I had thought this post was going to be about how I was rather unsuccessful; I think these will always be core points of struggle for me. But after writing out the post, I’ve had to come up here to its beginning to say that I’ve not done a bad job of working on some of my “issues” overall, though I do have some work to do on them in 2012. I feel uplifted, and sort of caught by surprise, by the realization that I did, in fact, make progress last year. I think I’ll turn my focus toward celebrating that and away from critiquing myself for the areas where I’ve seen less success. So hooray for that (my friend Lori Ann tells me she appreciates my participation in bringing ‘hooray’ back.)

Click here to read more!

The Museum Of Motherhood is the first and only facility of its kind, celebrating the “her”story of mothers around the world. We need your help -- please make your tax-deductible contribution today! Visit the Museum of Motherhood, NOW OPEN in NYC - Tues.-Sun., 10:45-6:30.

MamaBlogger365 - Finding Old Friends In New Places by Joy Rose

2012-01-04T19:22:00.000-08:00

How many times in life have you been surprised by old friends popping up in new places? One of the last things I expected at the Mamapalooza Festival in New York City last spring was for one of our vendors to morph into our new landlord and sponsor when we opened the Museum Of Motherhood.

I almost thought the Gymboree team members were joking when they volunteered their Upper East Side space for us to open our pop-up exhibit! But, they'd recently moved from the downstairs space to a new street-level First Avenue Gymboree location around the corner, and we were grateful for the opportunity.

Click here to read more.

The Museum Of Motherhood is the first and only facility of its kind, celebrating the “her”story of mothers around the world. We need your help -- please make your tax-deductible contribution today!

Visit the Museum of Motherhood

NOW OPEN in NYC - Tues.-Sun., 10:45-6:30

MamaBlogger365 - How Do You Envision Success in the New Year? by Coach Julie, R.N.

2012-01-03T20:10:00.000-08:00

How would you like your life/career to be different at the end of 2012? Yes, I know the year is just getting started.

Without a direction to head, you will float and your ship will sail wherever the wind blows.

When the years go by and you say to yourself “Where has the time gone?” this means you’ve not set your course for success. You’re sailing through life without a direction.
If you consider what you might want to accomplish this year, then you can focus your efforts and take the steps required to make that vision a reality. Do this each year and you live your life on purpose, with meaning and intention.

Success doesn’t happen by chance. It needs to be actively CREATED.

And so does a great life. It, too, needs to be CREATED. What do you want to celebrate at the end of 2012?

Click here to read more!

Visit the Museum of Motherhood
NOW OPEN in NYC - Tues.-Sun., 10:45-6:30

MamaBlogger365 - Are Two Heads Better Than One? by Shira Adler, Diva Mama

2012-01-02T19:48:00.000-08:00

Nothing stresses out a mother more than the holidays. Why?

Because our true primary selves, our working, creative, entrepreneurial “let’s-get-it-done-head” collides head on (sorry) with our “Mommy-she-touched-me-are-we-there-yet-I’m-bored-am-I-going-to-be-possessed-like-the-demon-on-the-new-The-Devil-Inside-trailer” head.

Living the dual existence of visionary mompreneur and stay-at-home mom is almost like having one pet who is both dog and cat, mongoose and cobra, spider and ﬂy. I’d like to say it’s less ﬁlling and tastes great, but that may be an exaggeration.

Home for the holidays, at least these days, is the kind of statement that brings sheer terror, night sweats, and more than an extra pound to us moms who know better than to believe that time off during the holidays is anything but, for us.

The point of all this is not to lament how crazy it is to shop, wrap, cook, or in my case order in, Olympic-style, meals as often as humanly possible, but to gain, at least a little bit, some perspective.

Click here for more!

Bio: By day Shira Adler is a cantor, spiritual vocalist, certified pastlife regressionist, voice-over artist, producer, performer, writer/blogger and mompreneur and by night... well, she is actually the same person at night though she does admit to wearing fuzzy socks when no one can see her and hiding a secret stash of Mallomars somewhere near her writing desk for those late night pick-me-ups. In, around, and between her various work activities, she is raising two beyond-the-spectrum children as a single mom (though lovingly gives a shout out to her best friend, editor and soulmate whom she considers the bees knees). Is it any wonder her website’s tag line is One Voice Many Paths? Seriously, look up the definition of a multi-tasking Mama and you will find her picture there. But when it comes to living a life of connection, faith and consciousness Shira is the gal to call -- or if you’re fresh out of Mallomars -- she’s always happy to give you one. For more information visit: ShiraAdler.com, read her blog at Diva-Mama.com; Social: Twitter (1DivaMama), Facebook (DivaMama1), Tumblr (not really sure, but the name is cute) and LinkedIn (because doesn’t everyone?).

Visit the Museum of Motherhood
NOW OPEN in NYC - Tues.-Sun., 10:45-6:30

MamaBlogger365 - The Journey, an exerpt by Jax Resto

2012-01-01T21:05:00.000-08:00

When we last heard from Jax Resto: "I imagine the possibilities of being in a band with my big brother. I'd gladly ditch the “all-female” theme for a brother/sister one...." And then she met potential bandmate Chelsea Bass... and now....

Raven texts me about doing a photo shoot this Saturday. Apparently she is also great with hair and makeup, as well as photography. “Sure,” I text back. Anything to feel like we are moving forward. Or maybe just a distraction from the fact that we are not. I stare at the blank computer screen, debating whether to get up and do something “band” or just veg in front of the TV. As if helping to make up my mind, my cell phone rings. I glance at the caller ID and my heart pauses as I recognize the name I programmed in a few days ago: Chelsea Bass.

I answer the phone with “Hi!” rather than “Hello.” She laughs and we gush in excitement over finding each other and over the project I have in mind. We plan to meet Monday at Starbucks in the Port Charlotte Mall.

Saturday, Raven and I go ahead with our scheduled photo shoot, figuring we can add other members as we go. I guess it's a way of remaining optimistic. So, that morning, I fill a suitcase with different outfits and drive to Raven's house in North Port. After an hour or more in hair and makeup, we are ready to shoot, but as luck would have it, my camera suddenly dies. Feeling ready for the cover of Rolling Stone, we drive to a nearby Walmart, where I purchase a new camera.

Later, back at the “studio,” Raven gives her expert opinions on how I should pose. “Don't smile,” she tells me. “Rockers don't smile.” I smile anyway, later glad I did when we upload the photos and Raven looks pissed and I look happy. However, though I don't claim to be an expert photographer and the one thing Raven doesn't claim to be expert on is modeling, she seems almost as pleased with the pictures I've taken of her as the ones she's taken of me.

Satisfied with the progress we've made, but too tired and hungry to do anymore, I head home, happy to find the pizza my husband and son saved for me from their lunch. I wash it down with a Yeungling Porter while I excitedly tell my husband about my productive day. He smiles politely the way he usually does when I talk about anything band related.

Monday afternoon, we meet Chelsea, our bass player hopeful, at a Starbucks in the Port Charlotte mall. She is lovely. Still deserving of too-good-to-be-true status, but seemingly real enough. She must not be able to play.

Click here to read more!

Visit the Museum of Motherhood
NOW OPEN in NYC - Tues.-Sun., 10:45-6:30

The Ukulele Cowboy Society, Interviewed by Mamapalooza for the MamaBlogger365 Project

2011-12-31T20:22:00.000-08:00

It's with great pleasure that we had the opportunity to talk with Jesse Chandler and Michael Kaplan, The Ukulele Cowboy Society, about their new holiday single, "I Wish for a Moment..." -- click here to enjoy the exclusive interview and the swing-jazz style of this special holiday song! From all of us, to all of you, happy holidays and all the best for 2012!

Visit the Museum of Motherhood
NOW OPEN in NYC - Tues.-Sun., 10:45-6:30

MamaBlogger365 - Reclaiming Time by Elizabeth Kathryn Gerold-Miller

2011-12-30T19:10:00.000-08:00

I must reclaim my time. That is my first resolution for the New Year.

Every year, I think things will get so much easier. Then I am shocked when I feel busier than ever. “After I stop homeschooling..." Nope: our life filled up with extra-curricular activities. “After the little one goes to Kindergarten...” Nope: my life filled up with coaching and volunteer activities at school. “After the cross country season..." Nope: I took on so many freelance assignments I barely had time to floss my teeth. Not to mention travel softball which never stops, and Little League planning that goes on year-round.

Now that my Christmas preparations are done and I decided not to take on any more work during the vacation, I am feeling so much more like myself. I hate rushing around! I hate crowds, I hate traffic, and I really hate having my life scheduled to the second. I really love just hanging around the house in comfortable clothes, letting it get a little messy, baking and enjoying my kids.

Click here to read more!

Photo credit: earl53|MorgueFile

Visit the Museum of Motherhood
NOW OPEN in NYC - Tues.-Sun., 10:45-6:30

MamaBlogger365 - My Girlfriend, Cooking by Dr Mama Amber Kinser

2011-12-29T16:20:00.000-08:00

Cooking and I, well, let’s just say we have a complicated relationship. I mean I do love her, I do. But when calling up descriptors of us as a couple, clichés like absence makes the heart grow fonder and familiarity breeds contempt seem to fit better than, say, you’re the light of my life or you make everything make sense when you’re near me.

What I like, as I’ve noted in a previous post about good intentions, is planning. I like thinking about Cooking and planning what our time together will be like, but once the day finally arrives to actually DO something with her, well, I have a harder time with that. We work better long distance, I think. Do you know a couple like that? They’re fine as long as they’re not together all that much? Maybe you ARE part of a couple like that, so maybe you know exactly what I’m talking about. I mean there are occasions, when we’re together, and especially when we’re alone, that I can really get into her. And it’s those occasions that I try to keep in mind on days when a meal I’ve prepared rather tanks, or days when everyone in the house is suffering from some spat of sorts she and I have had. I feel like defending our relationship by saying, Hey, it’s not always like this! Sometimes we’re really good together! You don’t know her like I do!

We spent a very sexy evening together before the holidays, making gifts for some friends, mixing it up, rolling it out, you know, things were getting pretty hot. Lots of attention to the details, if you know what I mean, not rushing anything. My hands all up in that business, taking the temperature of things, taking a taste now and again. A little sweet stuff, a little instrumental holiday music playing in the background—some Celtic and some jazz, and boy was I ever in the mood. We just stretched it out like that for hours. Not a single thing on my mind but Cooking and whatever she needed to make things work, you know?

Click here to read more!

Visit the Museum of Motherhood
NOW OPEN in NYC - Tues.-Sun., 10:45-6:30

MamaBlogger365 - Twin Etiquette 101 by Joan A. Friedman, Ph.D.

2011-12-28T16:31:00.000-08:00

Do’s and Don'ts

Whenever I speak to parents of twins, inevitably someone in the audience feels compelled to share his/her most recent story about the most annoying, hurtful, outrageous, unbelievable, or exasperating twin comment they have experienced. A resounding groan of empathic understanding and laughter resonates throughout the audience. So, in light of these cosmic occurrences, I have decided to create my own Emily Post “post” to help educate the uninitiated about how to approach twins and their parents with sensitivity, emotional intelligence, and tact.

Click here to read more!

Visit the Museum of MotherhoodNOW OPEN in NYC - Tues.-Sun., 10:45-6:30

MamaBlogger365 - A Fan Letter to My Children by Kate Fineske

2011-12-27T17:54:00.000-08:00

I want you to know, I AM your biggest fan.

Without fail.

It may not always seem this way. But I promise you I am.

Sometimes it's obvious.

For example... when I'm jumping up and down at your soccer game screaming, "YES!-You've-got-it!-That's-it!-You're-almost-THERE!"

Or when I'm shouting "go-Go-GO!" at the edge of the pool during a swim meet (even though it is evident you can't hear me as you quickly glide, OR slowly struggle - it doesn't matter! - across the water.)

Occasionally, you might feel my stalker-ish-like obsession as I am s-l-o-w-l-y sneaking by your classroom door at school. (So I can be sure to proudly catch a glimpse of you in action and maybe get a chance to throw out a subtle wave hello!)

I assure you, it's true! I AM most definitely and without fail, your biggest fan.

Click here to read more!

Visit the Museum of Motherhood NOW OPEN in NYC - Tues.-Sun., 10:45-6:30

MamaBlogger365 - Holiday Memories: “Kitty” and Grandmothers by Donna Scrima-Black

2011-12-26T17:51:00.000-08:00

Excerpt from MommyBest: 13 Inspirational Lessons... Lesson + Memoir + Reader Reflection = Ways to be your MommyBest!

Very rapidly, mothers ripen into glorious grandmothers who leave indelible imprints on both their children’s and their grandchildren’s lives.

I gleefully watch from the sidelines, letting “Granny Lynn” become mere putty in my children’s tiny, adoring hands. As she spoils my sons. I often tease and question why I didn’t get this “VIP treatment” while I was growing-up?

I believe one of Life’s great blessings is: A grandma who always has an extra stash of cookies she dotingly saves, eagerly awaiting her grandchildren’s visits. Be prepared to see your own mother transform into a grandmother and journey with your children in wondrous ways!

Holiday Memories

“Kitty” and Grandmothers

My mother, now in her sixties, loves being a grandma. After hundreds of requests from my children, she recently agreed to stay overnight. My toddler sons were so excited to have their “Grandma Lynn” to themselves so she could play with them, and especially, read a bedtime story. They heartily laughed when my mother was unable to decipher some of the words without her reading glasses on. Both boys eagerly found her spectacles after digging like dogs through her immense and cluttered purse.

But, the biggest hysteria came when they saw their grandma clad in her brightly colored, ruffled pajamas—accented by my father’s black socks. After lots more giggling and snuggling, Grandma tucked them in with a promise of “more fun tomorrow.”

I was awakened very early the next morning by the sounds of scurrying footsteps and loud whispers — which are my spirited children’s attempts to be “quiet.” I went to see what all the commotion was and found my two sons hanging over our guest bed, their heads downward, pressed very close to my mother’s face. Their hands were covering their mouths, in an attempt to contain their laughter. Grandma Lynn was making a good amount of noise snoring, although she calls it “heavy breathing.” Her eyes were half-open—until she jolted up when I joined my sons in their amusement.

Click here to read more!

MamaBlogger365 - Little is the New Big by Dr Mama Amber Kinser

2011-12-22T10:03:00.000-08:00

I’ve been struck, many times and especially lately, by the way that the feelings of childhood stick with you. It could be argued, I suppose, that this isn’t all that striking, since we’ve long known that the early years of anyone’s life profoundly shape the later years. We know from studies of the psychology and sociology of family life and from studies of human interaction in family contexts that what we process as children sticks with us in some way for many many years, maybe even all the ones we have.

Click here to read more...

MamaBlogger365 - You Don’t Need A New Year to Make A Change by Jennifer Covello

2011-12-21T10:09:00.000-08:00

It’s a new year. 2012. Lots of fanfare and hype about this year. Is it true? Who knows? But no matter what, it’s a time when we all tend to reflect on the year that has just passed and decide how we want the next one to be.

I’m not one for resolutions and I typically don’t make them. I’m more of a “resolve as I go” kind of person where, throughout the year, I look at where I am at in my life journey and see where I can make course corrections to improve my life.

Where do I find this inspiration? Usually from the people around me. Are they happy? Are they fulfilled? Are they at peace? I look at my children and see where they are in their lives and ask the same questions. Are they happy? Healthy?

Click here to read more...

Support MamaBlogger365 and help the Museum of Motherhood secure a permanent home in 2011! Our end-of-year giving campaign is going on NOW! - visit our Members page to learn more.

Visit the Museum of Motherhood
NOW OPEN in NYC - Tues.-Sun., 10:45-6:30

MamaBlogger365 - Holiday Miracles by Shira Adler, Diva Mama

2011-12-20T10:16:00.000-08:00

In a season full of miracles when most of us expect to ﬁnd them under the tree or in the glow of Chanukah candles, did a mighty miracle drop in my lap and I will be forever grateful. Santa doesn’t always come down the chimney and the oil in the lamp doesn’t always burn brightest in a way that you expect it. I know I am speaking a little bit obliquely, so let me explain.

Click here to read more!

Support MamaBlogger365 and help the Museum of Motherhood secure a permanent home in 2011! Your tax-deductible donation in ANY amount will help us make our autumn POP-UP exhibit in NYC a permanent reality - visit our Members page to learn more.

Visit the Museum of Motherhood
NOW OPEN in NYC - Tues.-Sun., 10:45-6:30

MamaBlogger365 - Kachooz Ka-What? by Loren Christie

2011-12-19T10:19:00.000-08:00

Imagine you blow your nose and someone puts a plastic face on the tissue and sells it as a toy. The next thing you know, your 6 year-old daughter wants one for Christmas. This year, the “elves” (toy manufacturers located somewhere in China) are laughing their Kachooz off at American parents. What’s a Kachooz, you ask? That’s the name of a new species of dysfunctional pencil toppers, described above, that just happen to be one of the most requested toys this holiday season.

“But Mommy, Kachooz are separated from their moops. You have to collect them all so they can be together,” my daughter told me, completely unaware of the marketing “cookie” lodged in her brain, a result of television exposure.

“What's a moop?” I asked.

“Don’t worry about that, Mama. Santa knows. Just give him my list,” she said, stuffing it in my purse.

Click here to read more...

Support MamaBlogger365 and help the Museum of Motherhood secure a permanent home in 2011! Our end-of-year giving campaign is going on NOW! - visit our Members page to learn more.

Visit the Museum of Motherhood

NOW OPEN in NYC - Tues.-Sun., 10:45-6:30

MamaBlogger365 - The Journey, an exerpt by Jax Resto

2011-12-18T10:37:00.000-08:00

When we last heard from Jax Resto: "I imagine the possibilities of being in a band with my big brother. I'd gladly ditch the “all-female” theme for a brother/sister one...."

I sleep on the idea of scrapping my all-female band idea for two strong moms and a couple of dudes, and awake to an inbox flooded with responses to our ad for a bass and guitar player. Not a female in the bunch; only men who want to work with two chicks. The next day we meet with a male bass player named Robert at a Starbucks in Venice. After two hours of talking like we're old friends, I'm feeling pretty good about our band situation. If my brother agrees to be our guitarist, Robert would be the last piece to our HERA puzzle.

The moment Robert is out of earshot, Raven perforates my happy little bubble. “He's just not Hera material,” she says with conviction. And I realize that Hera has taken on a life of her own, despite the fact that we're not even a real band yet.

Any existing remnants of my bubble dissolve completely when my brother tells me later that day that he doesn't want to be in the band, adding that he doesn't like the new song we worked on together—the one Raven made all her changes to. So I tell myself that it's Raven's modified version he doesn't like. Or maybe just Raven. “Okay. No problem,” I say with a smile, my heart slightly breaking on the inside. But rather than pursue the topic, I'm already planning my next move, which sadly won't include a brother sister act.

Click here to read more!

Support MamaBlogger365 and help the Museum of Motherhood secure a permanent home in 2011! Our end-of-year giving campaign is going on NOW! - visit our Members page to learn more.

Visit the Museum of Motherhood
NOW OPEN in NYC - Tues.-Sun., 10:45-6:30

MamaBlogger365 - What are your holiday “Rituals”? by Lowry Manders

2011-12-17T10:43:00.000-08:00

Lowry Manders' gift to all of us is her special Friday series on connecting with our families during the holiday season.

I teach a parenting class on “Using the 3 R’s: Routine, Rituals, and Repetition” for creating brain and family connections. This is a great time of year to make your own family rituals, re-use some from your childhood, or use ours! While the goal of routine for kids is providing consistency, and therefore a sense of security, rituals are all about making authentic connections as you go about your routines. In a religious setting, rituals turn the ordinary into the sacred (crackers into the “body of Christ”, water into the power of the “Holy Spirit”).

In our everyday lives, rituals also help to usher in sacred moments out of ordinary ones. They do this by connecting us with the spirit of another person through touch, through laughter, through song, through play. And what I learn over and over about the power of rituals is that they are not only good for the kids, they are good for me. They help me to see my kids in a positive light. They foster warm and fuzzy feelings. They give us “good things” at the end of the day.

I’d like to share with you some of the holiday “rituals” my family enjoys: simple traditions that connect us as a family, everyday things you can do to create meaningful moments in your daily routine this time of year. These are things you can do to re-connect even when things are “breaking down” with the \”Count-down\” list The carriage ride got cancelled, the cookies burned, the kids are fighting over the wrapping paper! But it’s not too late to connect...

Click here to read more!

Support MamaBlogger365 and help the Museum of Motherhood secure a permanent home in 2011! Our end-of-year giving campaign is going on NOW! Visit our Members page to learn more.

Visit the Museum of Motherhood
NOW OPEN in NYC - Tues.-Sun., 10:45-6:30

MamaBlogger365 - Believe in Yourself and Your Passions by Kim Jennings

2011-12-17T10:40:00.000-08:00

All of the feelings that go along with this are completely 100% normal. Fear, doubt, questioning, guilt. All normal. So what can we do with them?

A great mentor once told me to just notice them and let them go. Lots of people give this advice. Why bother spending time on these emotions – worrying about them, worrying about what they might do, worrying about if they are “right”? The thing is, all of the time spent worrying about emotions is much better spent on the REASON for the emotions in the first place. The passion. The fire that burns within.

The emotions of fear, doubt and guilt are there precisely because you’re onto something. Something real. You’re hitting a chord within yourself.

Click here to read more!

Support MamaBlogger365 and help the Museum of Motherhood secure a permanent home in 2011! Our end-of-year giving campaign is going on NOW! - visit our Members page to learn more.

Visit the Museum of Motherhood
NOW OPEN in NYC - Tues.-Sun., 10:45-6:30

MamaBlogger365 - Paying Attention by Amy Brozio-Andrews

2011-12-15T21:16:00.000-08:00

We're all so busy and preoccupied with trying to do right by our kids and it feels like it intensifies around this time of year. Not so much in material ways but more like making holidays feel special, giving them the kind of memories that I know I enjoy from my own childhood.

But I was starkly reminded that maybe instead of working so hard to "make" it happen, I should just coast a bit and enjoy it happening. Let me explain...

Last year, I did such a slap-dash, last-minute job of putting Christmas lights outside. Christmas Eve dinner was on the stove, my kids were watching "A Charlie Brown Christmas", my husband was still at work and my in-laws just called to say they were within 30 minutes of arriving from out of town. Where was I? Standing on a chair, frantically wrapping Christmas lights around my porch.

So this year, I dragged out the boxes of lights early, went out with the kids and we decorated together. Of course, once it got dark and we flipped the switch for the big reveal, half of two strings didn't work, half of another string was blinking for some reason, and there were big gaps in the bushes. My mood immediately deflated. What a bust, I thought. Later I overheard my daughter talking to my mom on the phone: "You should see them! We have the best Christmas lights ever!"

Okay, I said to myself; get a little perspective. It doesn't matter so much what I think, it matters what they think, and *this* is what their memories will be made of.

Support MamaBlogger365 and help the Museum of Motherhood secure a permanent home in 2011! Our end-of-year giving campaign is going on NOW! - visit our Members page to learn more.

Visit the Museum of Motherhood

NOW OPEN in NYC - Tues.-Sun., 10:45-6:30

Photo credit: hotblack|MorgueFile

MamaBlogger365 - Making a List by Jennifer Flaten

2011-12-14T22:32:00.000-08:00

MamaBlogger365 contributor Jennifer Flaten's given up on Christmas cards, but doesn't mind if you haven't...

This time of year, the only writing I am doing involves lists. Either I am helping the kids write their lists to Santa or I am writing my Santa’s helper list. Not to mention all those gift tags...

That’s okay; it is fun. I love this time of year and even though our area remains without snow (and it’s raining today), I still have the Christmas spirit. I have to; I have kids. When you have kids, it’s mandatory that you have the Christmas spirit.

Click here to read more!

Support MamaBlogger365 and help the Museum of Motherhood secure a permanent home in 2011! Our end-of-year giving campaign is going on NOW! - visit our Members page to learn more.

Visit the Museum of Motherhood
NOW OPEN in NYC - Tues.-Sun., 10:45-6:30

Photo credit: menstatic|MorgueFile

MamaBlogger365 - Mom Scout Badges by Karrie McAllister

2011-12-13T23:32:00.000-08:00

In a moment of weakness and semi-insanity, I agreed to help take on an entire Girl Scout troop. And while anyone who truly knows me knows that there is probably no better job for me, I have to admit that it’s harder than I thought it would ever be.

Growing up, I was a Girl Scout for many years. The girls in my troop were without a doubt my best friends, and my leaders were positive and permanent role models in the way I live my life even today. It was, all in all, an outstanding experience that I wouldn’t trade for anything – not even all the badges in the world. As it was, for all of the years I was an actual scout, the number of badges we actually earned were very few. It was almost as if one night around a campfire the leaders looked at each other and said, “we don’t need no steenking badges!” and they erupted into hearty belly laughs.

Click here to read more!

Support MamaBlogger365 and help the Museum of Motherhood secure a permanent home in 2011! Our end-of-year giving campaign is going on NOW! - visit our Members page to learn more.

Visit the Museum of Motherhood
NOW OPEN in NYC - Tues.-Sun., 10:45-6:30
Photo credit: anitapatterson|MorgueFile

MamaBlogger365 - From Guatemala to Yale; a Busy Week at M.O.M. by Joy Rose

2011-12-11T22:22:00.000-08:00

One of the most amazing weeks I’ve had so far at the museum. Monday was a Multicultural Motherhood Conference and I met so many caring and daring people: Afia, Aid For Aids, The BLK ProjeK, Jewish Heart For Africa, Clare Misquitta, Dr. Phyllis Chesler reading from her book Mothers On Trial to name a few. Thank you Marty at Food Emporium (upper East Side) for donating lunch. We talked about a $5.00 kit with simple items like a piece of plastic, a clean razor blade and a small bottle of Purel, that can save a woman and child’s life in Guatemala and Liberia.

Saving Mothers sends birth instructors, volunteers and kits do deal with the fact that 80% of Guatemalan women give birth without medical assistance or access to sterile equipment. Their next trip is early January. We’ll be putting 100 kits together at M.O.M., if you’d like to join us, or if you know a hospital that can donate up to 25 newborn swaddling blankets. Dates are TBD, call to find out more: 212.452.9816

Speaking of Liberia, how about those Nobel prize winners, the ladies three! I also spoke with Sonya Ossorio, about hosting upcoming NOW-NYC events here at the museum. It would be a real thrill for me to host the Susan B. Anthony Awards, since I was privileged to be honored in 2009.

On Thursday, thirty mothers and toddlers descended on the museum for a giant playdate. It was chaotic and fun. Sara Raff, early childhood education expert was on hand to give advice and share stories from multiple perspectives. Elizabeth Mangum-Sarach from BirthFocus offered up Doula services information as well this week during our ‘Meet The Expert’ series.

Thanks to Working Mother Magazine and Helen Jonsen for sharing a big box of mother books on everything from ‘how to’ to creativity and motherhood. We’ll be putting those up in our Andrea O’Reilly Library this week. The library is growing. If you’d like to help see this permanent library stocked with everything mother, available as a free resource to all, please consider a year-end donation at M.O.M.

Saturday, Marcia C. Inhorn, professor of Anthropology and International Affairs at Yale, brought her freshman class all the way down from New Haven to the museum. We toured, tried on the Infant Simulator vests by Realityworks, spent time engaged in meaningful dialogue in the Suffragette Sitting Room, and enjoyed the new foyer gallery installation by Amelia Gewirtz, who also sings with the band Parents With Angst.

Fran Capo, America’s Fastest Talking Mom (Guinness Book Of World Records) popped in, as did Paula Caplan, scholar and feminist writer, as well as, Jess Dobson who wanted to talk about the feasibility of bringing her Lactation Station here in the fall.

Whew, well I’ve got work to do with the holiday fundraisers for the museum fast approaching and homework left to do for my ‘Motherhood In The Mix’ class at Minnesota State University.

Looking forward to sharing more soon,

Joy Rose, Founding Director Museum Of Motherhood, President MAMAPALOOZA!

Support MamaBlogger365 and help the Museum of Motherhood secure a permanent home in 2011! Our end-of-year giving campaign is going on NOW! - visit our Members page to learn more.

Visit the Museum of Motherhood
NOW OPEN in NYC - Tues.-Sun., 10:45-6:30

MamaBlogger365 - Triple After Midnight: Extreme Sports by Elizabeth Kathryn Gerold-Miller

2011-12-10T19:51:00.000-08:00

Halloween Weekend, 2011. My 14-year-old daughter was scheduled to play in the season’s “last look” collegiate softball showcase in Quakertown, Pennsylvania. First game was set for 8 a.m. Saturday, so we had to be there Friday night. I was taking my 5-year-old, who loves taking these trips with me, and leaving my 10- and 12- year-olds with my husband, who would be taking them to their local games on Long Island.

I wasn’t rushing to get out of the house. There was no point in trying to get through New York City before 7 p.m. Then I got a text from the coach: “Snow expected tomorrow. We have been offered a game for tonight at 9:30 or 10:30 p.m. How many of you can get here on time?”

Click here to read more!

Support MamaBlogger365 and help the Museum of Motherhood secure a permanent home in 2011! Our end-of-year giving campaign is going on NOW! - visit our Members page to learn more.

Visit the Museum of Motherhood

NOW OPEN in NYC - Tues.-Sun., 10:45-6:30

Photo credit: mimicry|MorgueFile

MamaBlogger365 - Holiday “Check-Up”: Tips for a Stress-Free Season by Lowry Manders

2011-12-09T18:26:00.000-08:00

We're grateful to Lowry Manders for the gift of her special every-Friday holiday series! Read on to make the most of this time of year with your family!

Time for your Holiday “Check-Up”! Are you surviving? Are your children surviving? Does it feel like:

a) The most “wonderful” time of the year? (Are you just GLOWING in the magic and wonder and Christmas lights, the warmth of family and friends? Good for you.)

b) The most stressful, chaotic time of the year? (Is the extra pressure causing you to get a little “Grinch-y”, snapping at your children and loved ones?) or is it…

c) The most depressing time of the year for you? (Does all the cheer and jolliness just accentuate some loss or broken relationship, some wounded, empty place in your heart?)

My guess is, your answer might be: d) all of the above. It’s normal to experience some combination of these emotions, depending on the day, on they year, on your sleep status, on your cycle! During the holiday season, it strikes me that our society bombards us with an impossible juxtaposition of expectations, especially if you are a mom. We are expected to provide and create Norman Rockwell-like meaningful moments with our loved ones, especially our children, in an effort to achieve option “a”, even while checking off an enormous to-do list amidst the “hustle and bustle”. Or do we expect this of ourselves?

Click here to read more!

Support MamaBlogger365 and help the Museum of Motherhood secure a permanent home in 2011! Our end-of-year giving campaign is going on NOW! Visit our Members page to learn more.

Visit the Museum of Motherhood
NOW OPEN in NYC - Tues.-Sun., 10:45-6:30

MamaBlogger365 - The Road to My House is Paved with Good Intentions (Part 2) by Dr Mama Amber Kinser

2011-12-07T22:30:00.000-08:00

In last week’s post, I sang a song of respectful melancholy about intentions that never made it to the execution stage, having lingered in the idea stage so long that they just ended up taking up valuable psychological and physical space and were better served abandoned. Most of those were about meals that never got cooked but for fear of misleading my readers into thinking that a single post could possibly represent this issue of unspoken but no less broken promises to my self and my family, I offer up another one.

My problem, in part, is that I am a planner. I’ve always been weak in classroom math (though I was awesome in geometry, so much so that when I got my first exam back from my teacher in tenth grade I got up to hand it back to him thinking he’d given me someone else’s. Oh sorry, you gave me the wrong… hey, how’d my name get… oh… wait… this is mine? Anyway, I think of planning as my math. It feels like math to me anyway, except that I like it and enjoy the mental workout—more geometry-ish than math-ish for me I guess.

Click here to read more!

Support MamaBlogger365 and help the Museum of Motherhood secure a permanent home in 2011! Your tax-deductible donation in ANY amount will help us make our autumn POP-UP exhibit in NYC a permanent reality - visit our Members page to learn more.

Visit the Museum of Motherhood

NOW OPEN in NYC - Tues.-Sun., 10:45-6:30

MamaBlogger365: What Are You Doing with YOUR Second Life? by Kelli Stapleton

2011-12-07T21:36:00.001-08:00

I know I’m not the only one who likes to stroll through a cemetery on a nice day. There is one by my house that is on rolling hills and partially in the woods. The monuments are old, and the buildings have iron doors with big hinges. It feels very historical and lovely. Let me pause to just tell you that I am in NO way “sensitive” to spirits. I never have and DO NOT see dead people. For me, it’s just a lovely place to ponder those who have passed.

On one of the first warm days of spring last year, I was walking through the cemetery with my friend Tiffany. She was pointing out all of the people who had died in their thirties and forties. I suppose that wasn’t entirely uncommon at the turn of the century (last century, that is). She then mentioned that she thinks of her age (30+) as her second life because so many of these people only had one life and it ended early.

WOW!

She is exactly right. Historically it’s been rare for someone to live to be 100 years old. Just before 1900, the life expectancy was just under forty for both men and women. Okay, so I’m living MY second life. I’m living a life that many of those good people in the cemetery may have wished they had the opportunity to live.

I was literally awake an entire night pondering this. Not just for me, but for all of us. Those who are my age-ish are all working on their second lives. So what does that mean? Here are some of my thoughts…

You may be an entirely different person in your second life than you were in your first life.
You’re first life relationships may be incompatible with your second life.
Your second life may bring a career change.
Your second life may bring a change in your marriage status.
Your second life may be defined by new goals.
You may want to start a new family.
You may want to take on new educational endeavors.
You may want to sell all of your earthly possessions and sail the world.
Second life is an opportunity to be more altruistic, generous, and awesome.
Your second life is a gift.

So let me talk about parenting for a minute. For the most part, parenting is a first-life endeavor. It also is a brief one. Brief in the terms that it’s only eighteen years-ish of real ‘hands-on’ work. I wish the older, wiser, second-life me could go back and help first-life me but in all honesty, first-life me did a pretty good job.

I’ve learned a few parenting lessons along the way. My daughter is disabled by autism. I will continue to care for her through my second life but maybe I can offer some support to the first-life mothers who are struggling with autism.

Second-life me is going to be an awesome grandparent. With expectations of good health, I hope to help my children with their children. And I should! “Parent” is one title that transfers over to second life.

I hope this resonates with some of you. If it does, please comment and let me know your thoughts.

Best Wishes!

Kelli Stapleton

Producer/Host
Birth Stories on Demand
www.birthstoriesondemand.com

Support MamaBlogger365 and help the Museum of Motherhood secure a permanent home in 2011! Your tax-deductible donation in ANY amount will help us make our POP-UP exhibit (through May '12) in NYC a permanent reality - visit our Members page to learn more.

Visit the Museum of Motherhood
NOW OPEN in NYC - Tues.-Sun., 10:45-6:30
Photo Source: DuBoixMorguefile

MamaBlogger365 - Mommy Queerest by Kimberly Dark

2011-12-05T22:11:00.000-08:00

Who are You Calling a Feminist?

Sometimes, my son's mistaken for gay. Where his friends are concerned, this could relate to his gay parents. But there's something more. He is open-faced, affable and he dresses nicely. These aren't gay traits of course, but they're not fully manly-man traits. After all, most of what passes for "looking gay" is not about sexuality at all - it's about conforming to popular ideas of gender. The same thing is at work when people think I don't "look like" a lesbian. To some, I look too much like "a lady" - to be called a dyke.

When asked if he's gay, my son will reply, "No, I'm not gay. I'm just a feminist." I'm sure he has other responses, but this one causes me particular pleasure. It's not just because I've helped put another feminist into the world, it's because the mere assertion that a man is feminist can ALSO be seen as non-gender conforming. He's answering a question based on a mis-guided idea with a paradox. It does his activist-
academic mother's heart good.

Last week, in Sydney Australia, I had the pleasure of taking part in a panel discussion event called Women Say Something (sponsored by Sydney Mardi Gras). The event was unlike anything I've experienced in the U.S. in that it brought together a panel of interesting people - scholars, performers, social activists - to discuss a theme of interest to all. And this was no university function - it took place in a nightclub, accompanied by wonderful dinner and drinks and the event was packed! This is the third such event on different issues and our topic was "The Real F Word: Feminism." The audience was as diverse as the panel and the emcee posed thought provoking questions - then audience members asked questions as well.

One of the other panelists was Eva Cox, a sociologist and feminist activist whose life and work have been commemorated with an Australian postage stamp. I dare say this is another thing that doesn't readily happen in the U.S. We honor some cool people - and some idiots - with postage stamps, but to my knowledge, the only activists and academics we honor are dead. Can you think of any living feminist scholars on postage stamps? I can't.

The panel was quite civil, despite minor disagreements. I am always astonished at how people who work to end oppression based on gender become so impassioned about the word "feminism." We all know women who will say "I'm not a feminist, but..." and then they go on to say how they believe in fair pay laws or ending gender-based assault, etc. And yet, they won't claim the word.

And furthermore, why does it seem so strange when a man claims to be a feminist, as my son does? I will continue using the word feminism because it states concisely (and carries a history of) the desire and action to end oppression and unfairness based on sex and gender. That's not about men or women - it's about systems of oppression. That is to say, feminism benefits men too, in a variety of ways. I will continue to use the word, because it makes sense to me. And too, I think feminism has been pretty wrecked by bad press. I'm not willing to make the word my main focus. We have to keep finding new ways to talk about the work of feminism, to DO the work of feminism. We have to be flexible and innovate. Otherwise, we'll use all our energy defending this tattered flag. We'll be operating in opposition, rather than in creation.

Apparently Lady Gaga recently stated that she's not a feminist because she likes men. Well, that's the stereotype, isn't it? Feminists are man-haters? What a foolish and harmful idea. Sadly, when someone with Gaga's following says something like that, it really muddles important issues. Of course she espouses feminist beliefs -- and I wish she knew what feminism actually is. For many, like me, it's a deep expression of love for both men and women -- along with those of other sexes and genders. I will continue to assert and demonstrate that, rather than fight about the word. I accept that Lady Gaga has a bigger platform and audience than I do. She has the floor and the rest of us will have to innovate. More men claiming the word "feminist" is one such innovation. They have the traction of gender privilege and the element of surprise on their side. Creative messages are innovation.

In my work, I look for ways to reveal the moments where both privilege and oppression are evident in our daily lives. I point out how we can address unfairness in small quotidian ways, how we can reinvent ourselves as changers and change agents. And now that the zeitgeist of the Occupy movement is here - I also urge audiences toward collective action. I'm not as strident as some in insisting on words like feminism - and that's a strategic choice.

On the evening following the panel, I attended a performance in Sydney where one of the Dykes on Bikes contingent recognized me from the event the night before. She said she didn't fully enjoy the panel because it got too academic. Fair enough, I thought. Dr. Cox set a certain tone, and dominated a bit, and being that she and I share a language, I'm sure I contributed to the rarified jargon at times. It's a fine line to tread - I hope never to dumb things down, but to offer vibrant, illuminating examples. I adored the beauty of her points - and not everyone caught them. The dyke with the bike clarified, lest I felt insulted, I'm sure. She said, "Hey, YOU were lovely, really lady-like, I enjoyed looking at you and listening to you. And then that older lesbian (Eva Cox) just made me want to poke my eyes out when she started talking all academic!"

And so it is - for now. I will continue to be the fierce feminist who's easier to hear (and look at) for as long as it takes (and as long as I'm able). And I'm pleased that my son's out mixing appearances and ideologies too. May we all innovate, inspire and organize for positive change as we go - no matter what language we use.

Bio: Kimberly Dark is a mother, professor and an award-winning writer and performer. Her favorite son is a senior at UC Berkeley and she’s grateful that traveling to perform allows her to spend time with him often. Learn more about her performances and publications at www.kimberlydark.com.

Support MamaBlogger365 and help the Museum of Motherhood secure a permanent home in 2011! Your tax-deductible donation in ANY amount will help us make our autumn POP-UP exhibit in NYC a permanent reality - visit our Members page to learn more.

Visit the Museum of Motherhood

NOW OPEN in NYC - Tues.-Sun., 10:45-6:30

Join Mama

MamaBlogger365 - Good Morning, Heartache, performed by the Ukulele Cowboy Society

MamaBlogger365 - Mommy Queerest by Kimberly Dark

Looking Sexy in the Face

MamaBlogger365 - Finding Yourself Amongst the Masters by Shira Adler, Diva Mama

MamaBlogger365 - The Daily Tattle Battle by Kate Fineske

MamaBlogger365 - The Beginning of Time by Patti Ashley, Ph.D.

MamaBlogger365 - Curses by *Dr Mama* Amber Kinser

MamaBlogger365 - Zaftig, the new S-E-X-Y by Shira Adler, Diva Mama

MamaBlogger365 - Giving Some Love Back by Joy Rose

MamaBlogger365 - Cross Roads, a Thin Threads excerpt

MamaBlogger365 - March 5 is Day of Maternal Activism at M.O.M.

MamaBlogger365 - February Slips Away by Veronica Hosking

MamaBlogger365 - It Won't Be Easy by Kim Jennings

MamaBlogger365 - How Simple It Is To Have a Positive Lifestyle by Diane Lang

MamaBlogger365 - Limits of Dreams and Gumption by *Dr Mama* Amber Kinser

MamaBlogger365 - What To Do In A HERricane by Joy Rose

MamaBlogger365 - Make Plans to Visit M.O.M. This Week!

MamaBlogger365 - A Career That Works by Michelle Friedman, CPCC

Are Your Inner Critics Driving the Bus?

MamaBlogger365 - Getting Rid of “The Talk” by *Dr Mama* Amber Kinser

MamaBlogger365 - Counting Fathers as “Babysitters”: Why It Has to Change by Kristin Maschka

MamaBlogger365 - A Grammy icon forever remembered. . . by Shira Adler, Diva Mama

MamaBlogger365 - New Cooperative Workspace at M.O.M. and Meet the Experts This Week

MamaBlogger365 - The Journey, an excerpt, part 6 - by Jax Resto

MamaBlogger365 - Go Giants! by Shira Adler, Diva Mama

MamaBlogger365 - It’s Simply Complicated by *Dr Mama* Amber Kinser

Mamablogger365 - New Beginnings by Mindy Stokes

MamaBlogger365 - Celebrating 10 Years of Nurturing Your Success® by Coach Julie, RN

MamaBlogger365 - Mommy Queerest By Kimberly Dark

Lots of Ways to be Queer

MamaBlogger365 - "Extraordinary. Beautiful. Empowering."

MamaBlogger365 - Give Sorrow Words by Patti Ashley, Ph.D.

MamaBlogger365 - Fine; I'm Flawed by *Dr Mama* Amber Kinser

MamaBlogger365 - Resolving to Remember Potato Chips by Karrie McAllister

MamaBlogger365 - How to Do Nothing for 31 Days by Elizabeth Kathryn Gerold-Miller

MamaBlogger365 - Happy Birthday by Shira Adler, Diva Mama

MamaBlogger365 - The Demise of “SuperMom” by Jennifer Covello

MamaBlogger365 - With Relish (please) by *Dr Mama* Amber Kinser

MamaBlogger365 - 2012 Change is in the Air by Veronica Hosking

MamaBlogger365 - Moms of Twins and Postnatal Blues by Dr. Joan A. Friedman

MamaBlogger365 - Woot woot! by Shira Adler, Diva Mama

MamaBlogger365 - You Don't Need to Have it All by Kim Jennings

MamaBlogger365 - You're Not the Boss of Us by *Dr Mama* Amber Kinser

MamaBlogger365 - A Career That Works by Michelle Friedman, CPCC

A Career that Works

MamaBlogger365 - My New Love.... by Shira Adler, Diva Mama

MamaBlogger365 - Eat, Drink, Be Mommy at the Museum of Motherhood

Erin Silber Portrait

Photographer:

Newborns, Kids, Families & Expecting Parents

MamaBlogger365 - The Journey, an exerpt, part 5 by Jax Resto

MamaBlogger365 - abNormally Nursing, an Art Exhibit by Lauren Cockerham-Colas

Announcing a new exhibit by Lauren Cockerham-Colas

MamaBlogger365: "Scientific Studies" in Effective Communication (or lack-thereof) by Kate Fineske

MamaBlogger365 - New Year, New Mom, New Lexicon by Tania Elfersy

MamaBlogger365 - Meet the Expert at M.O.M.

MamaBlogger365 - 2012~A New Year for Mothers by Patti Ashley, Ph.D.

MamaBlogger365 - Mommy Queerest by Kimberly Dark

More Than Marriage

MamaBlogger365 - Sticking to the Issues by *Dr Mama* Amber Kinser

MamaBlogger365 - Finding Old Friends In New Places by Joy Rose

MamaBlogger365 - How Do You Envision Success in the New Year? by Coach Julie, R.N.

Without a direction to head, you will float and your ship will sail wherever the wind blows.

Success doesn’t happen by chance. It needs to be actively CREATED.

And so does a great life. It, too, needs to be CREATED. What do you want to celebrate at the end of 2012?

Click here to read more!

MamaBlogger365 - Are Two Heads Better Than One? by Shira Adler, Diva Mama

MamaBlogger365 - The Journey, an exerpt by Jax Resto

The Ukulele Cowboy Society, Interviewed by Mamapalooza for the MamaBlogger365 Project

Visit the Museum of MotherhoodNOW OPEN in NYC - Tues.-Sun., 10:45-6:30

MamaBlogger365 - Reclaiming Time by Elizabeth Kathryn Gerold-Miller

MamaBlogger365 - My Girlfriend, Cooking by *Dr Mama* Amber Kinser

MamaBlogger365 - Twin Etiquette 101 by Joan A. Friedman, Ph.D.

Do’s and Don'ts

MamaBlogger365 - A Fan Letter to My Children by Kate Fineske

I want you to know, I AM your biggest fan.

MamaBlogger365 - Holiday Memories: “Kitty” and Grandmothers by Donna Scrima-Black

MamaBlogger365 - Little is the New Big by *Dr Mama* Amber Kinser

MamaBlogger365 - You Don’t Need A New Year to Make A Change by Jennifer Covello

MamaBlogger365 - Curses by Dr Mama Amber Kinser

MamaBlogger365 - Limits of Dreams and Gumption by Dr Mama Amber Kinser

MamaBlogger365 - Getting Rid of “The Talk” by Dr Mama Amber Kinser

MamaBlogger365 - It’s Simply Complicated by Dr Mama Amber Kinser

MamaBlogger365 - Fine; I'm Flawed by Dr Mama Amber Kinser

MamaBlogger365 - With Relish (please) by Dr Mama Amber Kinser

MamaBlogger365 - You're Not the Boss of Us by Dr Mama Amber Kinser

MamaBlogger365 - Sticking to the Issues by Dr Mama Amber Kinser

Visit the Museum of Motherhood
NOW OPEN in NYC - Tues.-Sun., 10:45-6:30

MamaBlogger365 - My Girlfriend, Cooking by Dr Mama Amber Kinser

MamaBlogger365 - Little is the New Big by Dr Mama Amber Kinser

MamaBlogger365 - The Road to My House is Paved with Good Intentions (Part 2) by Dr Mama Amber Kinser