Six Figure Moms Club

I attended a great networking event last night hosted by @aaswartz of Square Martini Media. There were over a dozen women there and I did not have the opportunity to speak with all of the women but I did meet several great people and even ran into someone I hadn't seen in a while.

We created vision boards, which I had never done before and we ate some yummy food provided by dining details and shared some laughs, discussed our children, our businesses and where we picture ourselves in the next year.

Many of the people there spoke about Facebook and Twitter including @alanunderkofler, @VPG_Printing, @missorganized, @EtsukoT, @searchguru and @katzni.

My vision board contains many interesting photos and words found in random magazines that spilled across the tables tonight. Themes that showed up on my board included family, love & romance, travel and of course, success and financial freedom.

If you haven't created a vision board for yourself, your business, or your family, check out the vision boards that people have posted online. You'll see it's as easy as putting down on paper, or in writing, what you see for your future.

Babies In Bloom

This morning I attended a networking event put together by the owner of Babies in Bloom, a family owned business dedicated to helping new parents by providing products, classes and resources on breastfeeding and lending support to growing families.

I am pleased to announce that parenting workshops will be scheduled at their location this summer and beyond, so check back often for view their calendar of events.

There were several wonderful women-owned businesses that I also was able to discover, including MKP Images, a photographer who has beautiful images, secret locations for unique photo shoots and fantastic products such as purses, handbags and photo cards that are quite unlike anything I've come across so far.

Three Sisters Jewelry Design (by zoe) had their beautiful pieces of wearable art on display, as did Jack & Jill Cards, creator of custom greeting cards, invitations, announcements and thank you cards.

For new and expecting parents, several women were there offering their services, support and educational opportunities: HypnoBirthing, The Real Diaper Association, CrunchCare, and Not to Worry.

Please check out these local businesses when looking for quality, independent resources that support and cater to growing families.

San Diego Women's Networking Event

I attended a networking event over the weekend, where I met many wonderful business owners from the area.

Julie's Party People

Zi Design

Interestingly enough, many of these companies were those I'd have recommended to others, had I discovered them on my own.

Busy Nest Cards

The Closet Party

Having met so many successful business-owners at this event, I'm even more inspired now to share my services through Happy Healthy Hip Parenting.

I was thrilled to be talking to others about my company and to discuss the importance of family with parents like myself and to encourage them to see the value of investing in the most rewarding relationships they will ever have - the relationship between parent and child as well as the relationship between co-parents.

Discovery Toys

Already, after marketing and advertising for only six months I have received a number of inquires, enrolled several people in the parenting workshops scheduled at Java Mama in La Mesa, and have witnessed amazing moms and dads with unique family dynamics learn to work together and welcome into their lives a new way of communicating and growing as a family.

San Diego Bargain Mama

Pigtails & Crewcuts

There are many unique and wonderful family-owned businesses in the San Diego area. I encourage you to check out the companies listed here and include any comments you may have about these, or other locally-owned businesses that you support.

Momference 2008

New Momference Make-Over Starting in the Spring of 2008, Momference will present events geared toward truly changing and empowering the lives of women everywhere! Events will focus around the areas of: Divorce Special Needs Families Domestic Violence Parenting Teens Child Safety Mompreneurs Visit our new online Momference events calendar to see a complete listing of online tele-conferences and webinars lead by leading experts in the fields of parenting and women's coaching.
Calling all Divorced Women Are you divorced, going through a divorce, or know someone who is getting a divorce? Everyone does! The April 9th and 12th Momference event, sponsored by Laura Campbell of the DSpot, "Divorce: Passion, Power, and Play," is the ideal way to help yourself or someone you love deal with the issues surrounded the break up of a marriage. As the perfect gift of healing for yourself or a way to help a loved one struggling with the pain of divorce, the small registration fee of $39 includes both days of the event, a special virtual goodie bag, and podcasts of all of the sessions to review at your leisure! The keynote speaker of the "Divorce: Passion, Power, and Play" event will be Dr. Pepper Schwartz, the author of Prime: Adventures and Advice about Sex, Love and the Sensual Years. She is a renowned author, lecturer and authority on the subject of sexuality and relationships. Pepper wrote the column “Sex and Health” for Glamour magazine for seven years. She has appeared on such television programs as The Oprah Winfrey Show, Dateline and Dr. Phil, and on programs for the cable television network Lifetime. If you have not signed up for the upcoming FREE "Divorce: Passion, Power, and Play" event with Dr. Pepper Schwartz or Linda Ward (or both--they are FREE right??), then do it now before all the spaces are taken!
Addressing Special Needs Did you know...1 in 5 families in the United States have Special Needs children? If you have a special needs child or know someone who does, then you can fully understand the trials and tribulations associated with caring for their needs. In our April 26th "Special Needs: Managing STRESS with a SMILE" event, sponsored by Stephanie Haber of The Special Needs Family, special needs families are given the best tips and tactics finding happiness in the chaos. Whether you join the Momference "Special Needs: Managing STRESS with a SMILE" to bring peace to your own home or provide sanity to a loved one struggling to manage, the small registration fee of $39 includes a full day of tele-classes and webinars, a special virtual goodie bag, and podcasts of all of the sessions to review at your leisure! NOTE: This event qualifies for a special discount for groups of 5 or more! If you have group that would like to register for the "Special Needs: Managing STRESS with a SMILE" event, then please contact marketing@momference.com for details. If you have not signed up for the upcoming FREE Special Needs: Shut Up about your Perfect Kid event with Patty Konjoian, then do it now before all the spaces are taken!
Getting Bloggy with Momference Through connecting moms across the blogosphere in our Momference community and sharing valuable articles with tips from Momference experts, the Momference blog is a gathering place for moms to share their experiences and help each other promote stronger families. Stop by today by leaving a comment on our blog at http://momference.wordpress.com!

Friday Night Delights

I've been busy the last few days; traveling to Reno, reading magazines (dated months ago), watching the World Series, networking with school librarians, sharing books with kidlit blogsters, discussing picture books with reviewers, getting caught up online and reviewing websites to share. I've discovered several and there are quite a few more I'll include another time.

zaba kids boutique

Rice and Beans Vintage




the cocoa monkey:
distinctive gear for the curious

KIOSK:
Interesting things from interesting countries





rose and lula:
rebellious, sophisticated, vintage-inspired, casual, bohemian, contemporary





The Curiosity Shoppe:
if I haven't mentioned this before, I should have





Vigilant:
leather goods





modern mommy:
innovative design for the few few years of life





babyzone's most embarrassing parenting moments

I have more reading to do, packing (back to San Diego tomorrow), relaxing before my vacation ends and getting ready for the final day exhibiting for Kane/Miller at the AASL conference here in Nevada.

By the way, today was Nevada Day. I have no idea what the celebration is all about, other than what I assume would be the history of the state. Schools were closed, parades and festivities were held and yet, I was working inside the Reno-Sparks Convention Center. More on that later...

Java Mama Story Time

I had an opportunity to promote and sell Kane/Miller picture books through the Working Moms with Toddlers Meetup Group that I'm a member of here in San Diego. One of the moms in the group suggested that I host a story time at Java Mama in La Mesa.

It turned out to be a fantastic event although I couldn't tell you how many moms and kids were there (I was too busy reading a counting book to count the number of heads).

The counting book that I read, with the help of my page-turning assistant and son, was One Woolly Wombat, from Australia. Written and illustrated by Rod Trinca and Kerry Argent, this picture book features Australian birds, reptiles and other creatures along with rhyming text and the numbers 1-14.

Afterwards, I read a second book from Australia, Bobbie Dazzler. By Margaret Wild and Janine Dawson, this one features a red-necked Wallaby who amazes her friends with the acrobatic - gymnastic abilities she has, although sadly, the list doesn't include the splits. Bobbie's friends Koala, Possum and Wombat don't mind, but Bobbie certainly does.

After much practice Bobbie finally manages to do the splits, although she's not quite sure how she's going to get back up to a standing position! Her friends help Bobbie, encourage her and even participate in these activities that also kept the children jumping, hopping, whirling and twirling.

I sold a few books this morning, made some new friends and discovered a wonderful place to take my son and enjoy my daily caffeine requirement at the same time. I can't wait to go back and possibly host another story time event before the holidays.