http://www.mommyq.comMommyQ

Earlier this week, my first guest blog appeared on Betty Confidential. I read an article about Angelina Jolie’s parenting style and it made me wonder if I were really ridiculously wealthy, would I be a different kind of mom? Enjoy!

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A few weeks ago I was at the nail salon flipping through a tabloid. The story that caught my eye was about Angelina Jolie and her mother-in-law, Jane Pitt. The two weren’t getting along so well because Brad’s mom was annoyed at Angelina’s overly relaxed parenting style. She worries that the nannies are too involved and that Angelina doesn’t provide them with enough discipline. According to Brad’s mom, the kids stay up late all of the time, they eat lots of junk food, go out in public looking unkempt. Brad’s mom believes young children need a more structured upbringing.

I’m a stay-at-home, work-from-home mom, so I’m knee-deep in kiddos every day. As I was about to knock Angelina for her mommy style, I couldn’t help but entertain the scenario in my head. “What kind of mom would I be if I were super-rich like Angelina?”

If we had ridiculous amounts of disposable income, would I be a different mother? Would I invest in more “we” time or more “me” time? Would I choose to spend more quality time with my children or with myself? Would I throw caution to the wind? Would I let my children stay up late munching Cheetos, knowing that I didn’t have to deal with the orange handprints all over the sofa? My housekeeper would handle that. When the boys start to slap, pinch, shove and wrestle for toys around 5:30 p.m., would I just let the nanny figure out how to intervene? Or would I even be at home? Maybe I’d be at the gym or shopping or – gasp! – getting my weekly massage. Would I be constantly running out of the door, kissing my kids on the cheeks and yelling last-minute directions to my nannies on the way out?

Read my final thoughts about it by clicking here!

Image: BettyConfidential.com

Who is MommyQ? My two-year-old blog, MommyQ, is fueled by coffee and cynicism. I like to call it a parenting blog with a dash of celebrity gossip and a sprinkle of fashion advice. Over the years, MommyQ, has become my aspirational, online persona and she is all about eye-candy, fun and functionality. MommyQ might buy a pair of pair of $300 Tory Burch clogs, but I probably wouldn’t. In today’s economy where many folks are trying to help other families find deals and cut costs, I blog about upscale bathing suits for toddlers or the cool baby clothes Sandra Bullock bought for Louis. My blog is supposed to be a departure from reality in many ways – yet still honest & helpful – because life as a mother is stressful enough.

Who is the real MommyQ? I’m the quintessential mom balancing work and life and buying lots of stuff along the way. I’m an English major with an affinity for marketing and writing. I’ve always aspired to be a professional writer, but nothing motivated me enough to pursue that dream. All of that changed after I became a mother. Who knew having children could change you so completely.

Suddenly, I had endless amounts of thoughts, musings and experiences that I was truly passionate about and an engaged audience who shared my journey. I’m a self-taught WordPress junkie and social media guru, so my entry into the mom blogosphere in 2008 was a bit rocky. After a few weeks, I was hooked. I’ve been blogging, tweeting and trying to figure out the dreaded Google algorithm ever since.

Mere months before I started blogging, we got a devastating autism diagnosis for my oldest son who was three at the time. I harnessed my emotions and decided to blog about it a few months later. I cried through the entire post, but I wrote it and it was beautiful. At that moment, I realized how much my experience raising and Autism Spectrum Disorder child might help other parents struggling with the same situation. The reality of autism is not easy to talk about, so I don’t write about most of the time. When I feel strong enough to discuss it, I write a heartfelt post and hope others will gain inspiration from it.

There’s something unbelievably amazing about being a mom blogger. No matter where you are in your life, you’re always connected. It will be my legacy to my children, even if I have to beg, borrow and steal for it. I’m entering a very exciting phase of my life as a blogger because promising things are happening. It’s a huge balancing act, but it’s totally worth it. Besides there’s always Botox to help ease the permanent stress lines. As soon as my youngest is out of diapers, maybe I’ll be able to afford it.

Have you ever felt like the “professional you” needs to be more productive?  I’d like to step away from my normal blog posts about baby gear and celeb gossip for a moment to share a cool project management tool with you. Like me, I know many of you are desperately trying to juggle family life and professional life. It’s not easy because we never seem to have enough time. For the past year I’ve been using Teamwork Project Management and it is a lifesaver.

If you think your business is too small to organize, you’re wrong. I always assumed project management tools were for big companies, but that’s not necessarily true. Yes, it certainly works for large corporations, but small companies can work much more efficiently if you can work together.

Teamwork  is actually based in Cork, Ireland (my husband’s favorite place to play golf!) but they take customer support queries faster than companies in my own backyard.  You can get customer support online and they do respond very fast.  The interface is fast and friendly – dare I say, perfect. It won’t take you long to figure out how to use all of the features, so there’s no lengthy learning curve. The pricing structure is extremely affordable which means no matter how big or small your company may be, you can afford this.

Here are a few other things I like:

- Create task lists, add and delegate tasks to ensure you meet your milestone goals.

- Never miss a deadline! Schedule milestones in a project to set a target on upcoming deadlines to make sure they are met.

- You can keep track of team messages by grouping them in specific categories to find them fast.

- Never go above your set hours for a client! You can easily track both normal and billable time on all projects. It also has a nifty timer.

If you haven’t entertained the idea of using project management software, maybe it’s time to give it a whirl. You can do a FREE 30 day  trial of all the paid plans and there is also a full free version as well, to see if it’s helpful.

Last week MommyQ was lucky enough to take a trip to Portland, Oregon, to witness a “behind-the-scenes” movie experience.  Walmart and P&G invited me to attend, so I could see the guts and the glory it takes to produce a television movie. The movie, “In My Shoes,” is a clever, compassionate and family-friendly project that proves the notion of family movie night is not forgotten.

When I was a kid, I remember sitting with my parents and my sister once a week, usually Friday night, to watch television together. I have to admit, I don’t remember exact titles of the movies we watched, but I do recall the laughter, giggles, communal popcorn tub and the fun. I also know my parents didn’t have to jump up and run to the TV (we didn’t have remotes back then) to change the station because something non kid-friendly was interrupting our viewing pleasure.

From the wonderful folks at P&G and Walmart to the producers to the actors, EVERYONE working on this project is totally aware of the need for family-friendly television entertainment. Even the youngest actor on the set, 11-year-old Jackson Pace, mentioned how important it is to be able to watch television together as a family. (BTW, what a cute little guy.)

I also got to meet some phenomenal women/mothers/entreprenuers as in @MomStart @mamaspohr @eightymphmom @BettyBuzz @OurOrdinaryLife – funny, fantastic and talented, who could ask for more?

Get a taste of what the new and improved family movie night is by watching The Jenson Project on July 19th on NBC. And if you haven’t seen Secrets of the Mountain, you’d better get to watchin’ because it was incredible. Stay tuned!

Tucked away in Westlake, you will find a little slice of heaven for mom’s tired body. Need an hour of relaxation? Thirty minutes away from your iPhone? An escape from your adorable, yet loud, children? Check out Massage Harmony and take advantage of their Mother’s Day Special!

I had a Swedish Massage there today with a sprinkle of Deep Tissue. My massage therapist, Colleen (who has many clients who are professional hockey players) did a fabulous job. It’s an upscale massage spa with affordable prices. The rooms are small, but clean and comfortable. I love the heated massage tables.

If you prefer a different style of massage, they have that too. They even offer Ashiatsu Bar Therapy and pregnancy massages. You can see of their services by clicking here.  Massage Harmony has two locations in Austin — one on S. Lamar and the other in Westlake. If you go to Westlake, I highly recommend Colleen. Okay, enough reading. Go book your massage today and for goodness sake, RELAX!

I’ve been a big fan of Craigslist for many years. Yet sometimes there are things about Senior Craig that I don’t like. Let’s say I’m trying to sell a baby stroller. By the time I get my ad posted, 20 more stroller are already ahead of mine in about 24 hours. Not to mention, I’m not a huge fan of how the ads look and the time it takes to create them. Don’t get me started on the shady personals. Ew.

I’ve heard friends talk about Adbirds which is like Craigslist, but it has many more capabilities. I checked it out today and I’m hooked! I created a few free ads and it was such a breeze. The interface is fast, easy and sophisticated. You can add lots of pictures, links, video clips – whatever you want – and it’s seriously simple. As a mommy, I appreciate the ability to do stuff online as quickly as possible. I’ll have to be changing a diaper, reading a story or wiping crayons off the walls any minute.

I’m going to do more research on Adbirds to figure out all of the neat stuff it does. They have an affiliate program and from what I’m hearing, it ROCKS. Adbirds is also extremely eco-conscious as the company is all about local shopping, community and saving everyone gas. Think of it as more money in your pocket for diapers, formula and wipes! The company tagline is “Better Online Advertising” and they speak the truth.

Drop me a comment if you’ve already discovered Adbirds and let me know what you think. I’m an instant fan and excited to learn more. Click here to post an ad and see for yourself!

I know breakfast seems like a no-brainer, but what if you’ve blessed with picky eaters? My kiddos don’t like milk or eggs, so cereal and scrambled eggs don’t work in my house. Here are a few tips from Connie Evers, M.S., R.D., nutrition expert and mother of three:

1. – Get up & eat! – Get the kids up earlier on weekdays to spend time together and eat a proper breakfast.

2. – Be a role model – Moms who eat a balanced morning meal benefit and set a great example.

3. – Provide small portions – If your kiddo claims to not be hungry in the morning, offer a smaller breakfast and pack a snack.

4. – Get organized – Keep your kitchen stocked with “grab and go” foods like yogurt, bananas, grapes, juice boxes, whole grain English muffins, pita bread and Nutella. Even on the most rushed days, you can send them out the door with a balanced meal!

5. – How can Nutella be part of a balanced meal? Spread it on whole grain toast and serve it with fresh fruit. Just make sure you don’t go crazy on the portions. Eating an entire jar of Nutella in one sitting isn’t really part of the plan.

I’m excited to announce a Nutella Giveaway on Droolicious! The contest will go live in the morning and the lucky winner will get THREE FREE JARS of Nutella. Click here to find the post.

Today MommyQ was featured on The Stir, a CafeMom blog! What are my secrets to a good night of sleep? What do I dream about? Am I really psychic? Are my cats really that ridiculously overweight? Get the answers to your most pressing questions by reading “Cats Who Steal the Covers, Psychic Dreams: Sleep Secrets” by the talented and anti-appliqued sweater-New-York-living mom & writer, Jeanne Sager.

CafeMom is an online community where millions of moms meet each day to talk, share advice, make new friends and play games. It’s fun, it’s free, and it’s for moms only.