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!

####

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.

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!

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.

It comes as no surprise that Lourdes, Madonna’s 13-year-old daughter, is now dipping a toe into the fame pool. She has been dabbling in acting, fashion design, dancing & singing. And why not? If Madonna was my mommy, I’d be all over that stuff too. But Madonna is one smart lady and has been taking every exciting step with Lourdes, serving as the ultimate stage mom.

I chatted with Paul Harris, a reporter for The Examiner, on Sunday about Madonna’s choices for her daughter. My main feeling (as the biggest non-celebrity ever) is Madonna cares deeply about Lourdes and her safety. Being thrust into the spotlight is one thing, but growing up in it is quite different. I think Lourdes already knows a lot about what to do and what not to do — much more so than many new actors twice her age. Madonna is watching over her like a hawk and that’s just what any good mother should do.

My quotes in the article is, “At the end of the day, if you are Madonna or any other parent, you are still all dealing with diapers and kids falling down and scraping their knees.” Okay, so maybe Madonna didn’t change diapers back in the day or put Snoopy Band-aids on boo-boos, but maybe she did. My point is all moms (and parents for that matter), deal with the same issues whether you’re famous or not. We worry, support, laugh, cry, comfort, help, nurture and protect. Madonna wants the best for her daughter and we can all relate to that.

Read the full article here. Image: Matt Baron/BEI / Rex Features

It’s official! MommyQ will be getting a makeover in 2010. Well, not really a makeover. It’s more like a bloggy face lift.

I’ve discovered that I have a variety of audiences who like different parts of my blog. Some of my mommy friends are all about the baby gear and children’s clothes, while others are only interested in the eco-friendly finds. And then there’s my favorite audience – the gossipmongers! Believe it or not, some of my readers just want to dish about celebs and indulge into my mommy musings. How fabulous!

You will no longer have to scroll and scroll and scroll. (Of course, you can just use the “search” box to find what you want.) Topics will be listed in nice little categories on the homepage. MommyQ is getting organized in ‘10.

I don’t know exactly when the makeover will take place, but I’ll keep you posted. If there are any topics you want to see more of or less of, now is the time to leave a comment!

I know you can easily walk yourself thinner, but are you doing it by simply existing in Skechers Shape-Ups? If so, leave me a comment.

I’m sure you’ve seen the enticing ad, “Get a better butt and better legs with every step!” That’s what the Reebok EasyTone advertisement says. I’d say the EasyTone is just like the Shape-Ups. A weird looking show with magical powers. Perhaps. I know it looks like a very interesting concept.

Have you tried them? Don’t be shy. I know they sold a bunch of them during the holidays, so someone is wearing them at the grocery store right now. My main complaint is they are obviously different from a regular tennis shoe, even to non-fitness folks. Do you really want people to know you’re trying to improve your glutes while purchasing a bag of Galas or sipping your French Roast?

Let me know what you think.  I’d love to hear about your experience.