Hi Everyone:

As I was lamenting to myself about what I hadn’t gotten done today/this month/this year, I came across an article about a very special and inspirational woman, nintely-four-year-old Ms. Hazel Soares.  She has just graduated with a degree in art history and her comments about her accomplishment taught me a great life lesson.  Please pop over to my blog at  Working Mother Magazine – I guarantee it’ll make any single mom, single dad, or busy parent smile…and hopefully her comments will help you like they helped me!

Have a super week!

Swati

You are invited to a Virtual Baby Shower for Virgina Kerr, anchor on KMOV’s early news show, Awake!

The parenting resource site MyMommyManual.com and television station site, KMOV are
co-hosting A Mom Is Born: The Virtual Baby Shower Celebrating a Woman’s Journey into Motherhood.  It is scheduled for Wednesday, August 25 from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. CST, and you can watch it here at the The Single Mothers Chronicles…plus you can win some fabulous prizes (anyone need a girls getaway weekend? I thought so…)! This year’s shower will benefit the March of Dimes Missouri Chapter and the celebrant is expecting mom Virginia Kerr, the anchor on Channel 4’s early news show, Awake.

Anyone with internet access can attend virtually, interacting in real time with Virginia and hosts via a live chat room during the online broadcast. The shower will also be aired live on www.MomIsBorn.com.

The focus of the shower is celebrating and honoring the transition of a woman to motherhood and how her friends and loved ones can support her during this exciting time. However, any mom will enjoy the event because the two-hour broadcast will feature great parenting tips and products.

Viewers (guests) will also learn how to personalize a Holding Hands bracelet. The bracelet is a symbol of the connectedness between all mothers and the strength moms can source from each other. It is an especially touching gift for an expecting mom to wear during her labor and delivery, as a reminder of the support she has from her closest women friends.

A limited number of Holding Hands bracelets will be sold during the event for guests to buy for a special mom or mom-to-be. A portion of the proceeds will go to the March of Dimes.

Top tips for new moms will also be shared, which are being collected in the week prior to the broadcast in exchange for an entry in the Mom is Born giveaway raffle. Raffle prizes have been generously donated by the shower sponsors.

How can you support March of Dimes through this event?

• Make a donation via the ChipIn widget on www.MomIsBorn.com.

• Buy a Holding Hands bracelet for yourself or a loved one.

• Support A Mom Is Born sponsors: Build-A-Bear Workshop, Kolcraft, Goodnite Rooms, Pixie Posie Photography and our Venue Sponsor, Overlook Farm.

Overlook Farm is excited to announce a special package for moms. From now October 15, 2010, (Virgina Kerr’s due date), we invite moms and friends to spend a relaxing night in one of our luxurious inns for the special rate of $125/night. Simply become a fan of Overlook Farm on Facebook to receive this special rate. Mention the virtual baby shower on our wall, and you will be entered to win a Girl’s Weekend Getaway for four to Overlook Farm. Unwind on our 200 acre property, take a soak in our greenhouse hot tub, explore our many gardens, or steal a quiet moment with your best friends with a glass of wine while you watch the sunset over the Mississippi River valley.

Overlook Farm is proud to support a Woman’s Journey into Motherhood, and the special connections in our lives.

For more information about the event, to submit your bit of Mommy Wisdom for new moms, or to tune in on August 25, 2010, please visit www.MomIsBorn.com

A tid bit about MyMommyManual…

My Mommy Manual
“Why do this alone when we can hold hands!” MyMommyManual.com is a living, growing manual of mommy wisdom! It is inspired by and written by moms for moms, with kids of all ages and stages. Since 2008, MyMommyManual.com has connected moms through practical and inspired tips on topics ranging from mommy wellness, relationships, products, and parenting.

Hi Everyone – I thought I would share a little update on goings on with my book, some of my posts at Working Mother Magazine, and what I’ve been doing on The Single Mothers Chronicles Facebook page….so first the book…

I am so happy to say that there is a publisher interested in my book!  I am not going to say which one as we have not  yet executed our contract (and I really hope I am not jinxing myself) but I am really, really, really excited.  Naturally, I am not done with the book …and I have an idea for yet another book…yikes!  Focus, focus, focus Swati…

Have you been checking out my incredible blogs posts (I’m shameless, thus the Supermom image on this post) at Working Mother Magazine?  Please don’t tell me you haven’t been out there – I just couldn’t take it! Here are three of my favorites – and leave me a comment if you can so I know you came :

1) Work at Home, Work Outside the Home?  When Does the Quandary End? (Guess what? I’m up to more stuff…)

2) The Orzo Chronicles: Our First 72 Hours With Our Puppy (Yup, all about life with puppy)

3) Quotable Quotes and Conversations From the Little Peanut in My Peanut Gallery (You’ll revisit a couple favorites like “what’s humping?” but also experience a few new ones!)

And please also make sure you check out the Single Mothers Chronicles Facebook page! There’s lots of cool stuff out there like recipes, fun and informative articles (Common Sense Tips to Keep Your Kids Safe, recipes, like this one for Pecan Encrusted Tilapia, other tips like Healthy Snacks Kids and Parents Love), and general chit-chat too…check it out and feel free to “LIKE” the page (I feel like Valley Girl every time I say that)!

Have a super day!

Swati

Hi Everybody:

I am so very honored today to be a guest blogger at my bloggy pal Mandy’s site Since My Divorce.  My article, titled Universal Truths About Divorce, is featured there today – please check it out and let us know what you think!  (FYI  for all you single moms, single dads, and kidless divorced folks, I do make mention of belly dancin’ )

Mandy is a divorced herself, focused on finding the good that can come from divorce – I know you’ll enjoy her blog very much.

Thanks Mandy, for having me at your site today!

Have a super day!

Swati

Article link in case you need to cut and paste: http://sincemydivorce.com/more-universal-truths-about-divorce/

Hi Everyone:

The New York Times ran an article recently spotlighting a new partnership between online education charity DonorsChoose.org and Groupon, a nationwide daily deal site. The partnership offers Groupon’s first-ever charity deal, allowing subscribers to double their donation dollars for individual classroom project requests submitted by public school teachers. Please see link below:

http://bits.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/05/25/groupon-and-donorschoose-org-host-a-digital-pledge-drive/

This partnership will dedicate a total of $1 million to provide critical resources and supplies to public and charter school classrooms around the country, highlighting a new and unique method of engaging individuals in philanthropy.

Please consider donating!

About DonorsChoose.org

Founded in 2000, DonorsChoose.org is a nonprofit website where public school teachers describe specific educational projects for their students, and donors can choose the projects they want to support.  After completing a project, the donor hears back from the classroom they supported in the form of photographs and student thank-you letters.

To date, 122,000 public and charter school teachers have used the site to secure funding for $45 million in books, art supplies, technology, and other resources that their students need to learn. Through www.donorschoose.org individuals from all walks of life have helped 3 million students from low-income families.

About Groupon

Groupon, launched in November 2008 in Chicago, features a daily deal on the best stuff to do, eat, see and buy in more than 140 cities across the world. Groupon uses collective buying power to offer unbeatable prices and provide a win-win for businesses and consumers. To get Groupon’s daily free email for the best in your city, subscribe at http://www.groupon.com. To get the Groupon iPhone app, visit http://gr.pn/moblapp. To learn more on how to become a featured business on Groupon, visit http://www.grouponworks.com.

Have a super day!

Swati

Hi Everyone:

Someone sent me these tips for having a healthy (germ free) summer (is that possible with kids?) What better way to kick off the holiday weekend than with a post about germs ? I knew you’d agree…

Actually, they are good reminders…take a peek…they are written by Dr. Charles Gerba, a microbiologist at the University of Arizona’s Department of Soil, Water and Environmental Science, and consultant to Coverall Health-Based Cleaning System^SM as well as the co-author of the The Germ Freak’s Guide to Outwitting Colds and Flu: Guerilla Tactics to Keep Yourself Healthy at Home, at Work and in the World.

Have a great holiday weekend!

Swati

p.s.

I am a germ-a-phobe!

• Ants aren’t the only picnic intruders. Going on a picnic is a great family activity, but food-borne outbreaks can occur when food is kept warm for too long. Salad dressing is one of the most popular places for bacteria to grow quickly under warm temperatures. Try to keep food in an ice-filled cooler to prevent it from rapid spoiling. Also, try to avoid picnic tables in lieu of clean blankets; birds often land on picnic tables to eat crumbs, leaving fecal matter behind for unsuspecting victims.

• Ensuring safer playtime. Recent studies show that toys and playgrounds tend to become contaminated with E. coli and other fecal bacteria. Soccer balls, footballs, bikes, slides and handheld game devices are popular items for such contamination. Encourage children to wash their hands after playtime for as long as it takes to sing the “Happy Birthday” song twice to make sure they’re staying clean.

• Keep that sandbox covered. When children aren’t outside playing in the sandbox, make sure the play area is covered. Parasite infections are caused by cats and other animals, who tend to use sandboxes as a public restroom.

• Be careful around public pools. In recent years, the waterborne parasite Cryptosporidium (diarrhea-causing bacteria) has been linked to a growing number of outbreaks. Because the parasite is resistant to chlorine, the outbreaks have been associated with public chlorinated pools. If you have small children, it is best to have them use a small wading pool in the backyard or to attend public pools in the morning when fewer children are present.

Hi everyone:

I’m just taking a moment today to recognize and admire three single moms and one married mom.  Each juggles her respective litter of kids, her job, her household, and each has made time to invest in her own growth through education.

I am always impressed, energized, and motivated by stories about moms who show their kids, through their own actions, what’s important in life!

Enjoy this short article in USA Today from one of my readers (thanks Anna ) about moms who are all walking the talk on the importance of education and believing in yourself. Cheers to all of you (and the others out there doing the same).

Have a terrific day – Swati

http://www.usatoday.com/printedition/life/20100506/momgrads06_va.art.htm

Hi Everyone:

Have you ever looked at a particular celebrity and wished you were like them?  Yearned for their self-confidence, their style, their sure-fire ways to success?  A friend of mine recently forwarded this article to me from Oprah.com – it’s an excerpt of Kathy Kinney’s book Queen of Your Own Life (Kinney played Mimi on The Drew Carey Show).  The article is a wonderful blend of humor:

“Even if I felt happy that must mean soon all hell was about to break loose and I would lose my job, contract a horribly disfiguring disease or be kidnapped by angry rebels, who would not release me until their demands were met to have their handsome and charismatic leader set free. This last scenario was particularly imaginative as I was not employed, as you might think, at the United Nations but was working as a receptionist for a wig company.”

and self-discovery:

“Do I have a gift and, if so, why do I have a gift? Why did Sarah Bernhardt and Mozart have a gift? I’m not saying I have that big a gift,” I bellowed. “But why do some people have gifts and others don’t?” Why? WHY? WHY!?! There was silence, as if I was in a vacuum, and then this thought came clearly into my head: “Don’t question. Be grateful. Help others.” It resonated so strongly for me that I burst into tears.”

and raw truths:

“I’m afraid to fail, afraid to succeed, afraid to live and afraid to die.”

She’s strong, she’s a puddle, she’s inspirational…and she’s human.  Take a few minutes to enjoy this read – I am off to buy the book now!

Swati

http://www.oprah.com/spirit/Take-Your-Checklist-of-Worries-to-the-CEO-of-Happiness/1

OR

http://tinyurl.com/35edvzs

Hi Everyone,

As a woman who has had fibroids in the past, I was so thankful to receive this informative and important article about Fibroids.  Fibroid tumors are benign (non-cancerous) growths that appear on the muscular wall of the uterus. They range in size from microscopic to masses that fill the entire abdominal cavity, in some cases, as large as a five month pregnancy.  …did you know that it may not be necessary to have a hysterectomy to get rid of fibroids, thanks to a new process called Embolization?  Did you know that there are about 600,000 hysterectomies performed annually in the United States and about 300,000 are due to uterine fibroids…and about half of them render women infertile?  Please read on to learn more....and stay healthy!

- Swati

Top 10 Things Women Should Know About Fibroids

Los Angeles – April 26, 2010 - The Fibroid Treatment Collective (FTC) (http://www.fibroids.com)

1. Uterine fibroids can affect women of all ages, but are most common in women ages 40 to 50.

2. Depending on size, location and number of fibroids, common symptoms include:
• Pelvic pain and pressure
• Excessive bleeding, including prolonged periods and passage of clots, which can lead to anemia.
• Abdominal swelling
• Pressure on the bladder, leading to frequent urination
• Pressure on the bowel, leading to constipation and bloating
• Infertility

3. No one is sure why women develop fibroids which affect 40% of women over 35 years in America and have a high rate of incidence among African Americans.  There is a possible link between uterine fibroid tumors and estrogen production.
4. Fibroids are diagnosed with an ultrasound in their gynecologist’s office.  Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) is also used to determine how fibroids can be treated and provide information about any underlying disease.

5. Uterine fibroids can be treated with surgery, including hysterectomy, which removes the entire uterus, and myomectomy, which removes the fibroids but leaves the uterus. Both are major surgeries.

6. Approximately 600,000 hysterectomies are performed annually in the United States, about 300,000 due to uterine fibroids.

7. Over 50 percent of women who get hysterectomies have their ovaries removed, rendering them infertile.

8. Embolization has emerged as the safest, simplest, cost effective way to treat fibroids. Embolization requires a very small incision. Embolization basically cures fibroids by starving them.

9. Uterine Fibroid Embolization has an overall success rate of 94 percent.

10. Recurrence after embolization has not occurred. This is one of its major advantages over myomectomy, where fibroids which have been surgically removed often grow back.

Women interested in learning more can join a live chat Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. PST at www.fibroids.com.  A national fibroid webinar is scheduled for Saturday, May 15th at 10 a.m. PT – visit http://www.fibroids.com/about-ftc/upcoming-events for more information.

Hi Everyone:

I’m hoping you can take a minute to help out on an issue related to literacy, regardless of your political affiliation (or distance from politics altogether).  The most recent version of President Obama’s budget eliminates $25  million funding for a program called Reading is Fundamental.  This program provides  free books and reading programs for over 4.4 million children and families across the U.S.   If you click this link, http://www.capwiz.com/rif/issues/alert/?alertid=14654616 you can vote to save the program.  It won’t take more than a minute.

Says Carol H. Rasco, president and CEO, of Reading Is Fundamental:

“On February 1, President Obama released his proposed FY2011 budget which eliminates the funding for Reading Is Fundamental (RIF) and its nationwide services. Without this federal funding, over 4.4 million children and families will not receive free books or reading encouragement from RIF programs at nearly 17,000 locations throughout the U.S.

Unless Congress reinstates $25 million in funding for this program, RIF will not be able to distribute 15 million books annually to the nation’s children at greatest risk for academic failure. RIF programs in schools, community centers, hospitals, military bases, and other locations serving children from low-income families, children with disabilities, homeless children, and children without adequate access to libraries. The Inexpensive Book Distribution program is authorized under the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (SEC.5451 Inexpensive Book Distribution Program for Reading Motivation) and is not funded through earmarks. It has been funded by Congress and six Administrations without interruption since 1975.

Since its founding in 1966, RIF has played a critical role in improving literacy in this country by providing new, free books for children to keep and build home libraries. Access to books and the power of choice ignite children’s hunger for knowledge and a passion for learning. In addition, research has shown that children who have more access to books not only perform better academically, but also become productive individuals whose contributions help create strong communities. On behalf of RIF and its network of over 400,000 volunteers nationwide, I urge all Americans to contact their congressional representatives and ask them to reinstate funding for this vital program.”

Act Now: http://www.capwiz.com/rif/issues/alert/?alertid=14654616

Reading Is Fundamental, Inc. (RIF), founded in 1966, motivates children to read by working with them, their parents, and community members to make reading a fun and beneficial part of everyday life. RIF’s highest priority is reaching underserved children from birth to age 8. Through community volunteers in every state and U.S. territory, RIF provided 4.4 million children with 15 million new, free books and literacy resources last year. For more information and to access reading resources, visit RIF’s website at www.rif.org.

Thanks everyone!

Swati