Home Based Business For Moms

For the Mocha Mom who wants more time with the kids, try adventuring into the creative side of yourself. If you love to create cards for all occasions, turn it into a business.

This step by step guide is easy to follow. For less than the cost of a drive thru meal you can learn how to tap into the lucrative greetings card industry. The Greeting Card industry is a whopping 7.5 billion dollar per year business in the United States alone. With that much purchasing going on, there is always room for you to find your own unique niche selling greeting cards. If you're a creative artist, a great writer or even just good at making connections with people, this might be the right business for you. The good news is that if you aren't an artist or even a writer, there is still plenty of opportunity for you. If you just plain old have a love for bringing joy to other people's lives, you CAN start your own greeting card business from home.

Find out more by here Greeting Card Business Ebook

Have A Lovely Day

There are many things that can make us feel low at times. Maybe it’s poor finances, job, family, friends or something else. Something always gives us a reason to feel not good at times. Yes some areas of your life can be improved but don’t forget what’s important. What gives you the motivation to get out of bed everyday and go to an unfulfilling job or stay in a challenging marriage? Your answer to this maybe your kids, faith or both. Your kids put smiles on your face and are what is important.
Your question and answer to what motivates you maybe completely different but no matter what, there is always someone else in a far less desirable situation. In other words, things could be a lot worse.

My mother-in-law is in Malawi, Africa on a mission to help the less fortunate, impoverished and orphaned kids. These children were simply born in the wrong country and don’t have some of the most basic essentials we don't even think about. There is no public school system, public housing or even welfare which low income Americans are entitled to receive. As unappealing as these systems maybe to Americans, it is still better to be poor in America than in a 3rd world country.

When my sister watched her young, 38 year old husband slowly die of cancer, the challenges they had in the past didn’t matter. When my brother-in-law felt his health slowly slip away, promotions and bonuses on his job were the furthest from his mind. They both were just praying for healing.

There is nothing wrong with having goals and striving for better but always remember what is important. Besides my faith another thing that I like to do is to listen to the old Bill Withers song “Lovely Day”. It helps me to see how blessed I am when I look at my husband and baby. The lyrics to this song are:

When I wake up in the morning, love
And the sunlight hurts my eyes
And something without warning, love
Bears heavy on my mind

Then I look at you
And the world's alright with me
Just one look at you
And I know it's gonna be
A lovely day
... lovely day, lovely day, lovely day ...

When the day that lies ahead of me
Seems impossible to face
When someone else instead of me
Always seems to know the way

Then I look at you
And the world's alright with me
Just one look at you
And I know it's gonna be
A lovely day.....

If you would like to listen to this great song and be reminded of the important things around you, check out Lovely Day to hear and watch this Youtube video. I hope all you Networking Girls have a Lovely Day.

Free For All Moms

Here is another great giveaway to hard working moms. Moms who want and need to find more time for themselves will love this. This free guide will show you how to find more time for yourself without guilt. Yes you love being a mom. Having the most difficult job on the planet entitles you to some me time.

How often does anyone offer you something for free? Grab it now!!!! Find The Time Mama
Find the Time Mama

Karma Kidz. One Mom's Dream To Reality

Creator's Name - Basmatie Littles
Clothing Line Birthdate - My vision for Karma Kiz was born in 2007.

About me - I was born in South America, Guyana to two beautiful parents of West Indian/Caribbean descent. My parents migrated to Jamaica Queens, NY when I was 3 yrs old. I have resided in Queens, NY almost all of my life before relocating to the south with my beautiful husband. In 2002, we were blessed with a beautiful baby boy, who is now 5 yrs old.

Ever since I was a little girl, I have always had a passion for fashion. My mom told me stories of how she remembered me walking around the house with her high-heel shoes on and sneaking her make-up at the age of 4 yrs old. She said how tired she was from doing laundry, as I would change my clothes 4-5 times per day and would model in front of the
mirror. Ever since then, she knew I would be part of the fashion world.
I graduated from the High School of Fashion Industries and attended the Fashion Institute of
Technology in New York City. I have interned at fashion showrooms as a Buyer's Assistant, as well as working in numerous fashion shows dressing fashion models in New York City.

I have always envisioned my own clothing line, therefore my vision for Karma Kidz became a dream come true. My son is my inspiration behind designing a children's line and I came up with the name Karma Kidz because I am a firm believer of "karma", so I thought it would be cool to incorporate the two.

Description of style - Karma Kidz is an online boutique dedicated to serving your lil' karma
princess, prince, and karma mommies. We offer apparel, gifts, nursery room decor, stationery, and accessories. My clothing are meant for every nationality. When designing my logo, I wanted to send out the message that karma kidz caters to all races that is why I feature the different nationalities of the babies in my logo. Karma Kidz does not discriminate, LOL :)

My inspirations - My beautiful husband, son, and my friend Jenny are my inspirations. My husband is supportive in all of my visions and goals. He is my motivator, confidant, best friend, my rock, and everything else.
My son - Looking at my son brings tears of joy to my eyes. He is truly a blessing and a gift that can never ever be replaced. There are days where I feel so exhausted, but knowing that this little person depends and looks up to me, makes me push even harder towards achieving my dreams.
Jenny - Jenny is a friend that is one in a trillion. She is like my on-call consultant, except
I could never repay her for every advice and idea that she has blessed me with. I would be in debt to her. I could email her a million questions, and she always has an answer for me. She is always there for me. She is always supporting of me, telling me how proud she is of me and always tells me to not give up. I greatly appreciate, value, cherish, and most importanly trust her friendship.

Price Range - $4.99 - $26.99

Karma Kidz is growing everyday. Please be on the look-out for more great products.


Check out the site Karma Kidz

Connecting With Your Teen

As the parent of a teen, you may long for the days when you could hold your child on your lap and they were eager to talk, laugh, and play with you. Those days may be long gone, but you can still find ways to connect with your teen. Here are a few tips to make process easier.

Talk About Your Past Experiences

If your teen is having a problem, they may think they are the only one in the world who has ever had that particular problem. Talk to your teen about the situations you experienced as a teen. The clothes and music may have changed, but you still dealt with peer pressure, sex, drugs, and homework. Let them know you understand and will be there for them, if they want to talk about their problem.

Express An Interest

Make time for your teen, and express an interest in what they are doing. You don’t need to use this time to lecture them, or even talk. You can simply sit and watch their favorite show or listen to their favorite band. Try not to pass judgment or criticize anything. Just make time to “hang out”. Your teen will appreciate your interest and this will help develop open lines of communication.

Let Them Know When You Are Wrong

It is hard to admit when you are wrong, especially to your children. However, admitting your mistakes, and apologizing if necessary, will strengthen your bond with your child. It will also let them know that it is okay to admit the things they have been wrong about.

Let Them Know You Love Them

They may roll their eyes and shrug whenever you say “I love you”, but they do care, and they like to hear it.

Go For A Drive

Ask your teen to take a drive with you. You don’t have to have any particular place in mind, just start driving. The simple fact that you are in the car can help open up a conversation, and since you are not looking each other in the eye, it may be easier for your teen to talk to you.
Take Turns Listening And Speaking
Make a deal with your teen that when you are having a conversation, only one person can speak at a time. If you are speaking, your teen needs to sit and listen. When it is your teen’s turn to speak, show them the same respect and listen to what they are saying.

Keep Clear Boundaries

While your goal is to have a better relationship with your teen, you still need to set boundaries and let them know that you are the parent. Teens may complain about rules, curfews, and chores, but secretly, they like the fact that you care enough to set them in the first place.

Article by:Aurelia Williams is a certified Personal Life Coach and author of Real Life Guidance Report Title here.

View her product to the left of the site " Schools Out Plan for the Perfect Teen Summer" and "Understanding Your Teen."

Healthy Reading For Kids

Kevin Dove always had a knack for getting assignments done right under the wire when he was a senior at Corcoran College of Art and Design. So when he was given the task of creating a children’s story in a class he had the perfect title.

‘‘Sir Nick of Tyme” is the story of Nick, the son of a baker, growing up in the town of Tyme during the Middle Ages.

It’s now 15 years later and the book is finally finished, the author’s tenacity and dedication reflecting the book’s lesson.

A young boy of African descent, Nick dreams of growing up to be a knight. But he is just the son of a baker, not of noble birth, and his dreams of knighthood might go unrealized.Probably not. It is a children’s story after all. It’s moral of perseverance and compassion could easily describe Dove’s journey to publication.

The CEO, creative director and co-owner of Silver Spring-based DigiGraph Media, where he works as the lead 2D⁄3D animator, compositor and editor, Dove published ‘‘Sir Nick of Tyme” last month.

His church, Matthews Memorial Baptist in Washington, D.C., where he serves as a deacon, was one of the first customers to buy in bulk.

His youngest daughter, Jessica, 6, is his leading salesperson. ‘‘She can throw it into a conversation,” said Dove, who lives in White Plains. ‘‘We’ll be at the gas station and she’ll say, ‘Grade 87, that’s good. That’s what my dad’s using and he’s a famous author.’ All of Berry Elementary [School] knows about the book.” That’s because Jessica and her sister, Jasmine, 11, both attend the school. If the truth be told, it was probably Jasmine who pushed her father to revisit the story of Nick and his quest for knighthood. A storyteller and an illustrator like her father; Jasmine has already completed and illustrated two or three stories. It was a feat that Dove couldn’t let go unnoticed. His 11-year-old accomplished more than he did in less time. It was time to finally finish what he started 15 years ago.

The story started out as a coloring book. Technology wasn’t advanced enough for what Dove wanted to do with the tale. With his wife, Veronica as editor, Dove delved back into writing and illustrating. And let it be known, Veronica is a vicious editor, Dove said.
‘‘She is the best editor in the world,” he clarified, but her suggestions left him a bit stunned.
‘‘It took me a month to embrace her changes,” Dove admitted. ‘‘It took me 15 years and I put that word there for a reason ...” He trailed off, adding that maybe the edits would alter the story in such a way it wouldn’t remotely resemble what he created. Then, he took another look.
‘‘Doggone,” he said. ‘‘This is a pretty good book.” Veronica had a stake in this book, too. When Dove got serious about finishing it, she had reservations. He worked full time, was a hands-on dad and had commitments to the church. Where would he find time? But the book soon became a family project. ‘‘It seemed to go by in a fun way,” Veronica said. ‘‘Just like Nick, he got through it using perseverance.”

The illustrations took some time to complete. Dove was searching for a look that wasn’t too foreign to tech-savvy kids or too commonplace. ‘‘I wanted to push the imagery,” he said. ‘‘Make it look a little bit different.” The pages are not white, but the color of parchment, the typeface is ‘‘Olde English”-looking. He added a comic element after Jasmine declared that the story needed a little humor; the cover resembles a leather-bound edition of a classic. The story starts with a piece of scripture from Psalm 37:4. ‘‘Delight thyself also in the Lord and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart.” It sums up Nick’s journey, Dove said. Every thing about the production was thought out. It helped that his daughters were there every step of the way acting like sort of a test group.

Dove comes by his artistic abilities naturally. His father, Lawrence, was all set to pack up and go off to design cars during the Golden Age of Detroit. But he met his wife, Linda, and settled in Maryland, working as an auto body mechanic. Growing up, Dove was the kid who was constantly drawing. First he was wrapped up in the world of TV cartoon ‘‘Speed Racer,” scribbling bottlenose cars with big fins. He branched out into the realm of superheros before a cultural phenomenon hit theaters. ‘‘Then George Lucas unleashed ‘Star Wars’ and it flipped my world,” said Dove, who as a preteen staged stop-action movies using armies of action figures, running up his parents’ electric bill in the process. ‘‘They were always supportive even if they didn’t know exactly what it was I was doing,” he said. ‘‘As long as it wasn’t destructive.” Now, they are just happy Dove has finally completed ‘‘Sir Nick of Tyme.” But he isn’t done yet. He has plans for more books and maybe for the return of Nick in other stories. Dove wrote the book for his daughters as well as other children, and he hopes he can impact at least one young life. ‘‘I want to have a positive influence on a child,” he said. ‘‘If, 10 years from now, a child comes up to me and says they are going to pursue their dream like Nick, that’s why I did it.”

Check Out Sir Nick Of Tyme

Mommy Make Overs

As moms, we tend to put everyone and everything first. Often we are the last one we think about. After kids, work, house work, husbands and and other activities, it is time to go to bed and start the next day all over again. Many moms begin to see things that she once took pride in put to the side such as healthy eating, exercise, personal appearance and any other kinds of self improvement/preservation pushed aside. In our quest to be super women and moms, there is often guilt associated with doing things for ourselves. It can be so difficult to have a healthy balance in our lives and moms need to know that it is okay that they can't do it all. The first thing a mom can do is to pamper herself with a makeover. Not only does this help in your self confidence but others such as spouses can really appreciate it. Improved self confidence helps to improve your roles at work and home. There are many ways a mom with a hectic schedule and limited budget can refresh her look. Get your free Make Over Guide here. Get affordable and easy ways to achieve that Mommy Make Over.

How Often Do Any One Offer You Something For Free. That is whay I am letting as many moms as I can know about this. Get your Hot Mama Makeover Today.

Celebrity Mocha Moms and Babies

The blushing, new, mocha, mom J Lo sits proudly with her mocha twins.

How A Life Coach Can Help Moms

How A Life Coach Can Help WAHMs Succeed!
Work at home moms, also known as WAHMs, have a lot on their plates; they are full-time caretakers and full-time business women. A life coach can help WAHMs succeed in all areas of their lives.
A Life Coach Can Help WAHMs Stay Organized
Every mom knows the importance of organization; add a business to the mix and organization becomes even more important. As a WAHM, you need to know where your child’s play date is, when your next deadline is due, and what you are making for dinner.
A life coach can help you develop an organization system, set priorities and stay in control of your schedule. You’ll no longer waste precious time looking for things you’ve misplaced and you will no longer miss those important deadlines.
Get the Job Done & Spend Quality Time With Your Kids
In many cases, women become WAHMs because they want to spend more time with their children. However, when you have deadlines to meet and clients to please, finding time to spend with your children can be difficult.
A life coach can help you develop a work routine that will allow you balance your time between work and family. When you have a routine in place, you will know which hours are for work; and which are for play.
How a Life Coach can Help WAHMS Spend Time with Their Spouse
It can be easy to put romance on the backburner when you have your hands full. As a WAHM, you are tackling two “more than full-time” jobs. It is important to make time for your spouse, so that your marriage does not suffer.
A life coach can help you and your spouse work out a schedule where you both take on various household tasks. Having your spouse take over some of your chores will free up time on your schedule to create a date night together. You need time to be husband and wife, not just “mom” and “dad”.
How a Life Coach can Help WAHMs Get Time to Themselves
By nature, women tend to be people pleasers; a life coach can help you learn to say “no”. This will prevent you from taking on more work than you can handle. When you take on too much, your natural response is to limit the time you take for yourself. This can be a big mistake. You deserve to take time out for yourself; take a walk, read a magazine, get a manicure.
You will notice that when you take a break to be alone, get your thoughts together, and recharge your batteries, you will have renewed energy and passion for all areas of your life!

Find Great Life Coach Packages Here:
Basic Package
Enhanced Package
Spa Package

Celebrity Mocha Moms and Kids

Behind every strong and successful mocha husband and father is a strong mocha mom and wife.

Why Going Green Is Best For Our Kids

If you are a parent or would like to be one, going green should be a major priority for your family. You may ask why. Dozens of cleaning and personal care products purchased at local grocery stores contain harmful chemical ingredients. Unprecedented exposure to chemicals contaminants, pollution, toxic products and stress increase unhealthy conditions, from arthritis and cancer to heart disease and even symptoms of aging.

What parents don’t realize is that storing some of the leading household cleaners in the home is no better than storing gasoline. . Each year, over 1 million children are accidentally poisoned. Thousands of children and adults are permanently disfigured or injured through contact with chemicals in the home. The most common substance to poison children is a household cleaner.
Some leading, name brand cleaners are highly flammable, dangerous to inhale, can cause irritation and/or damage to skin, eyes and lungs. Some very popular name brand baby and women’s body wash contain the carcinogen, 1.4-Dioxane, which is suspected of causing cancer or birth defects. Actually ¼ of all personal care products sold in the U.S may contain this chemical. With over 150,000 babies born with defects each year for reasons unknown, it should make you wonder if toxins are the blame for a percentage. Another 500,000 babies are miscarried early in pregnancy or stillborn. Infertility is increasing and widespread with over 2 million couples unable to conceive. Environmental factors in childhood cancers are being researched and the cause of childhood cancer is difficult to prove. By now you should be saying hmmmm.

You may feel this is overwhelming. Or ask where do I start. The best place to start is in the womb. High levels of toxins can be found in the blood stream of newborn babies due to the mother’s level of exposure during pregnancy. Since exposure begins in the womb with toxins being transferred from mom to baby by umbilical cord blood, this is a vital stage to reduce exposure. With no one knowing the true effects on a developing brain and other vital organs, use natural cleaning & personal care products both during and after pregnancy. Choosing organic foods whenever possible will also greatly decrease your exposure level to toxins.

Now you may say my children are already here. What do I do now? Is it too late? It is never too late. Start where you are. Eating organic foods decreases toxins. It is said that a certain batch of fruits and vegetables are more toxic than others and going organic in this group reduces your level of exposure to pesticides by 90%. These include potatoes, strawberries, peaches, apples, spinach, sweet bell peppers, celery, nectarines, cherries, pears, imported grapes and lettuce. Searching for organic foods is not always the most convenient or affordable. If you focused on this batch, it would truly make an impact on your child’s toxin in take.

You can also make a healthier decision when it comes to your child’s mattress. Some crib mattresses are constructed of polyurethane foam enclosed in vinyl covers. The plastic products are made by combining highly toxic chemicals together. Every night your child breathes in these toxins. A healthier alternative would be to purchase a mattress made from 100% natural and raw fibers. You can find natural mattresses for all stages of your child’s life from birth to teens.

These are all baby steps to a more natural life style for you and your kids. Do take steps to a healthier home because your health is wealth.

Buy Natural Products

Greennest

Teaching Your Toddler To Sign.

In a long-term study funded by the National Institute of Health, researchers found that signing actually makes it easier to teach a baby to talk. Children who had signed as a baby consistently scored higher on standardized tests of both receptive language development (how much they understand) and expressive language development (how much they can say). There are several reasons why this might occur:

Because signing babies communicate earlier, brain development is “jump started” in the development of the neural substrate of language since babies use thinking, planning, and decision-making skills earlier.

Parents who sign with their babies actually speak with their children more. And the more language a baby hears, the faster the language is acquired.

Parents who sign with their babies actually look for reasons to interact with their babies on a verbal level more often. That also increases a baby’s interest in communication and enables the brain to develop faster.

Babies who sign can direct their parents’ attention to objects they find fascinating rather than just listening to labels for things their parents think are important. That means babies are more interested in the conversation.

Signing increases a baby’s interest in even better ways to communicate. When babies see how much they can achieve using signs, they often discover quickly that speaking gets even better results (since Mom can hear requests with her back turned and can’t see the sign).

In an article from USA Today, it is also noted that “11-month-olds who learned gestures outscored their peers in language abilities a few months later, a bonus that remained in place at age 3.” The same research also showed that “those same children outperformed their peers on a standard IQ test given at age 8. Indeed, the 32 children who had learned sign language as babies did an average of 12 points better on the IQ test. They scored an average of 114, while the 37 children who had never learned signs averaged 102. The researchers controlled for family income, education and other factors that influence IQ scores. The average child in the USA gets a 100 on the test."

Article provided by Sign Babies

View Video of one Mom's Success

Learn How To Teach Your Baby Sign Language

Natural Products For Pregancy

Preganancy Pampering Kit
Lucky mama, you’re expecting an angel baby! Which means you need some pampering, gal, before it all becomes about that wee one. Your body may be putting you to the test, but that’s all the more reason to treat it to the Pregnancy Pampering Kit, a perfect natural pregnancy gift no maA perfectly comforting gift for a brand new mama! She may have made it look easy, but now she can use some gentle, loving care as her body heals and she is adjusting to being on milk and cuddle call 24/7. The Postpartum Recovery Kit addresses all the unpleasantries she might be experiencing, and sends a big message from you: Take care of yourself, mama. (You supply the kiss and a casserole or two!)
Includes:
Morning Wellness Tea, 42 g.(1.5 oz.).
Third Trimester Tea, 28 g.(1 oz.)
Earth Mama Bottom Balm, 30 ml.(1 oz.)
Stretch Oil,30 ml.(1 oz.)
Happy Feet , 140 g.(5 oz.)

Labor Ease Kit
A girl, a boy, easy, rough? The expectations and the unknowns can be crazy-making, but having your labor plan and comfort items ready lets you check something off your list! This wonderful, care-filled kit has four of Mama's finest labor products for your essential labor needs.Includes:
Natural Stretch Oil, 30 ml.(1 oz.)
Natural Labor Companion CD
Mint Herbal Lip Balm 7g.(.25 oz.)
Hot Spot Labor Sock

C-Section Healing Kit
Your angel baby arrived via special delivery indeed! A mama who has had a cesarean section can have all the hallmarks of a vaginal birth, with an added incision for all her hard work.Earth Mama Angel Baby’s C-Section Healing Kit comes complete with everything a special new mama needs to feel whole and healed. It includes 100% USDA certified organic Postpartum Recovery Tea, Happy Mama Spray, a C-Section Recovery CD and Mama's ultimate scar and skin balm, C-Mama Healing Salve™.Add your own blend of Extra Special Loving Care and she’ll be doing the mommy-mambo in no time.

Postpartum Recovery Kit

A perfectly comforting gift for a brand new mama! She may have made it look easy, but now she can use some gentle, loving care as her body heals and she is adjusting to being on milk and cuddle call 24/7. The Postpartum Recovery Kit addresses all the unpleasantries she might be experiencing, and sends a big message from you: Take care of yourself, mama. (You supply the kiss and a casserole or two!)
Includes:
Postpartum Recovery Tea,42 g.(1.5 oz.)
Postpartum Recovery Bath Herbs,112 g.(4 oz.)
New Mama Bottom Spray30 ml.(1 oz.)
Happy Mama Spray30 ml.(1 oz.)
Earth Mama Bottom Balm30 ml.(1 oz.)

Find the Earth Mama Angel Baby ad on the left side of the site

Celebrity Mocha Moms and Babies

Celebrity, actress and mocha mom, Nia Long, with son Massai out for a day of shopping.

Moms Learn How To Use A Meal Planning Worksheet

A meal planning worksheet is a great tool to help you figure out and plan what you will be cooking and preparing when. You can make up either a weekly or a monthly meal planning worksheet. Personally, I prefer the weekly one, because it gives me a good overview over every day of the week, without being too overwhelming.
What exactly does a menu planning worksheet look like? The one I use has a column for each day of the week and then rows for breakfast, lunch, dinner and two snacks. You can download a copy of weekly meal planning worksheet here.

http://www.healthymenumailer.com/ebooks/weekly-meal-plan.pdf

It’s just a nice, clean layout that let’s me pencil in the meals for each day. Other versions of this planning sheet that I have seen include instructions on what you need to prepare for the next day. I prefer simple meals that don’t take very long to cook. I also keep a separate calendar on my fridge for appointments etc. This is worksheet is strictly for the meal planning for the week. By now you may be wondering why you should spend the time to fill this meal planner out and hang it up on your fridge. First off, it makes planning your meals much easier when you have a sheet right in front. As you fill in the blank fields, you can see what's on the plan for dinner the day before and after, making it easy to plan for diverse meals throughout the week.
Hanging the meal planning worksheet up in the kitchen makes it easy for everyone in the family to see what's for lunch or dinner on any given day. If you are running late, your spouse or an older child can start dinner preparations before you get home.
Give it a try and see if you don't love using this type of meal planner. Here's the link again for our weekly meal planning worksheet.

http://www.healthymenumailer.com/ebooks/weekly-meal-plan.pdf

If you become a member of the Healthy Menu Mailer, you will receive a worksheet like this with the dinners already filled out for you each week along with your recipes and grocery list. It makes Menu Planning easy.

Your Secret Weapon for a Healthy Eating Lifestyle

Would you like us to come up with most of your grocery list? Join the Menu Planning Central today. We will send you 7 healthy dinner recipes a week with a grocery list to go along with it. We make Menu Planning simple.

Home Schooling - Can I Do It?

Many parents would like to homeschool their children but are afraid they don’t have the training or ability to be their children’s teacher. This is certainly understandable, because many parents never had any formal training to be a teacher. However, most parents don’t have to worry about this issue.
There is literally a supermarket of education resources available for parents to choose from to help them homeschool their children. These include low-cost Internet private schools that take most of the homeschooling burden off parents’ backs. There are also hundreds of low-cost instruction books on how to teach your child reading, math, and many other subjects. These are available in most libraries and great book stores like Barnes & Noble and Borders. There are also thousands of computer software programs that will help you teach your child reading, math, and many other subjects. Also, the Internet is a vast source of information both for you and your children. All these sources are geared towards average parents
Remember also that over a million average parents like yourself already successfully homeschool their kids. One study has shown that over half of homeschooling parents only have high-school diplomas. Also, millions of parents in this country taught their kids the basics at home for over 200 years before we ever had public schools, which first started in the 1850’s. Also, these parents did not have bookstores, Internet private schools, computer software, or all the other education resources you have available today.
Second, if you research and use the many free-market educational resources described in my book, “Public Schools, Public Menace,” it will be hard for you to fail. You can choose from a wide variety of quality Internet private schools, learn-to-read (and math) books and computer learning software, and home-schooling resources to teach your children. Also, Internet education sites are always there, always ready to coach your child, twenty-four hours a day.
These education alternatives are relatively inexpensive, yet offer high-quality instruction. Your job as a parent is to commit some time and energy to find the right education resources for your children, then help and encourage them to learn.
Also, like most kids, your children want to learn when they study subjects that interest them. When learning becomes fun, your kids can become your best home-schooling partner and help you succeed. Your kids may enjoy home-schooling so much that you may soon have to drag them away from their books or the computer for lunch. But isn’t that great? Wouldn’t you like to see your kids totally engrossed with their studies, improving their reading skills rapidly, and finding joy in learning?
Here’s the beauty of homeschooling — if one math or reading book, software program, or Internet school doesn’t excite your children or provide satisfactory results, there are many more to choose from. If you find home-schooling difficult in the beginning, use all the resources described in “Public Schools, Public Menace” to find books, Internet schools and tutors, teaching materials, home-schooling organizations, and other home-schooling parents you can network with. Almost a million parents just like you already teach their children at home.
While no one can guarantee you success, like anything else in life, if you keep trying, you will probably succeed in giving your kids a great education at home. If you say to yourself, “I will make this work, for my child’s sake,” you’ll be surprised at what you can accomplish. Tell yourself what Gene Kranz, actor Ed Harris’s character in the movie Apollo 13, said to his Houston crew about rescuing the astronauts in trouble: “Failure is not an option.” If you say this and mean it, you’re halfway to success for yourself and your child.

About the Author:Joel Turtel is the author of "Public Schools, Public Menace: How Public Schools Lie To Parents and Betray Our Children." Website: http://www.mykidsdeservebetter.com/, Email: lbooksusa@aol.com, Phone: 718-447-7348.

For all your home school supply needs, check out the ad in the right column.

Celebrity Mocha Moms and Babies

Celebrity mocha mom, Tia Carrea, out shopping with husband Simon and daughter Bianca.

Faith Like A Child

One of the biggest things that my daughter has taught me is that of faith. Sure I have always been a spiritual, church attending woman with faith but I have never seen anything like my daughter's faith. Children have so much faith, trust and confidence in their moms. Faith that when they cry you will come running. Faith that when they are hungry you will feed them immediately and when we they are wet you will change them. They have no doubt in their sweet little minds that you won't be there. They have no idea how you are going to do it or what it may take for you to do this task. They just trust that it will be done. This kind of faith is what my daughter has taught me. My spiritual walk has been a growing process. My faith has been very strong at times and weaker at other times. When I look over my entire life, I see that the Lord has never forsaked me and has shown up everytime. In good times and not so good, he has always kept me from falling on my face. Since I'm not perfect there are still times when my faith is weaker. During these times, I remind myself of God's presence over my entire life and that undescribeable faith of my daughter. Her faith in me has taught me to have the same kind of trust and confidence in God. Never to doubt or question God's love and presence and to know that when I call him, he will answer.

Your Babies May See the First Black President

Moms can you believe it? Your babies may very well see the first black president of the United States! I never thought that I would see it in my life time but I may be wrong. I thought that I would see a woman in my life time as president before a black man. This time in history makes me extra proud. This is the role model we have been waiting for. Our babies deserve to see more than the famous black athlete and entertainer. The leader of the richest country on the planet and the free world and he looks just like them. My vote is for Obama and not just because he is black but because he truly stands for change. He can do the job. So called experienced leaders in the past have created a mess in our country. If we don't put the right person in office, what kind of legacy are we leaving our kids. I don't know about you but I want to leave an inheritance for my kids and not my debts and mess to clean up.

Mocha Moms please get out and do your thing. Vote for the best man.

Protecting Our Kids

Most of us will say that we love our kids and want to protect them. There seem to be a growing number of pedifiles just waiting on the opportunity to take advantage of children of all ages. As parents our number one priority should always be the safety of our babies. Thousands of kids are molested and raped by pedifiles and contrary to what most think, these sex offenders often are not strangers. They are family members and friends who prey on kids of all ages. I am surprised to hear people who still think they need to keep a closer eye on their more physically developed girl. Do they honestly think that a lesser developed girl or a boy isn't at the same risk? A former co worker of mine confided in me one day that she was raped at the age of 6 by her step father. My daughter's pediatrician told me on one of our visits that a 4 month old baby, who had been sodomized, was brought into her office. This child was raped by the family member of a babysitter and had to under go corrective surgery. These are not rare and isolated stories, they actually happen more times than not. Moms we have to pay close attention to who we bring into our kids lives. We must be selective about boyfriends, step fathers, uncles, friends and some time even biological fathers. All it takes is one time to devastate and ruin your child's life. We must also believe our kids when they come to us the first time, not let this linger and act quickly to get the child and yourself out of that situation. Our kids must feel that they can trust us. They must know that mom will protect them and will not put a boyfriend or step father ahead of them. Why would a woman want a man that is making sexual advances towards her child anyway? It is never the child's fault. It does not matter how developed or what that daughter was wearing. No adult man has the right to touch her inappropriately.

Another co worker of mine told me how she was raped by her mom's boyfriend when she was only 11. Not only did her mom take the word of the boyfriend over hers but didn't end things until this no good for nothing was caught with another woman. Stories like this repulse me. This woman didn't end things when her daughter was raped by this man but when he cheated with another woman. What did she tell her daughter in this situation? She told her that her words and life was not valuable. This co worker experienced years of emotional issues along with addictions trying to cope.

I encourage any child or teenager to tell a teacher or counselor at school if your parent won't listen. The school is obligated by law to report these matters. But seriously moms, our kids should not have to go to a 3rd party if we just listened to them the first time. You say you love them right?

Celebrity Mocha Moms and Babies

Kimora Lee Simmons is a shining example of a working, mocha mom doing her thing. While most of us are not in a glamorous, high paying career, we can still relate to the demands being mom, wife and mommypreneur.

Spring Into Easter

Find great his and her matching outfits for your little ones at SimonesRoom.com. These cuties can be paired together for your twins, siblings or that one special sweetie. Angela Bassett would love this for her twins. Each come personalize with your child's name embroidered onto the front. These can be great Easter or spring time gifts for little ones sizes 6mo to 4 years. Also find personalized birthday apparel and a large selection of beautiful Easter dresses at BSwanky Kids Boutique.

Moms Stress Less!!

STRESS. "Yes, the S word'. Stress is the 'wear and tear' our bodies experience as we adjust to our constantly changing environment. Stress has both physical and emotional effects on us and can it can create positive or negative feelings.

As a positive influence, stress can help compel us to action; it can result in a new consciousness and an exciting new perspective. As a negative influence, it can result in feelings of distrust, rejection, and depression, which in turn can lead to health problems such as headaches, upset stomach, insomnia, ulcers and other health problems. As you can see, as we adjust to different situations, stress can either help or hinder us depending on how we react to it.

I'm not going to sit here and tell you that you shouldn't let things concern you but what I do what to say is that you can slowly begin to reduce the stress in your life.

As women, we wear many hats and as moms, our hat racks are overflowing. Be sure to recognize stressful situations and take a notice of how you deal with them both mentally and physically.

You remember that saying? If mama' ain't happy, nobody is happy? Well, I tend to agree with it so I am very conscience of the stressful situations that I am confronted with and I am sure to time off when I can to replenish my mind, body, and spirit.

Sit back, relax, and see if you can apply some or all of the action steps below into your life and begin on the road to less stress.

Write it down. Write down goals, errands, chores, due dates etc and instead of creating just a "To Do" list, keep a "Have Done" list too. Move things from your To Do list to the Have Done list after having completed them. At the end of the day, review how productive you were.

Express yourself. Unloading your worries and concerns is a terrific way to clear your mind and reduce stress. It's very important not to keep everything inside so try finding a friend or a professional whom you can talk to. You can also write your feelings down in a journal. Moving things out of your head and onto paper can help you release a lot of the inner turmoil you may feeling.

Don't avoid. If there's something in your life that's causing you to worry; seek out things that will help you feel in control. For instance, if you're suffering from financial problems, try read some books on gaining control of your financial life or seek the help of a financial planner.

Drink some orange juice - Scientists have discovered that vitamin C can reduce the production of stress hormones. Try Eating an orange, drinking some juice, taking a Vitamin C supplement. Here are a few foods that are rich in vitamin C: broccoli, brussels sprouts, cabbage, cauliflower, tomatoes, peppers, potatoes, strawberries, grapefruit and cantaloupe.

Exercise. Studies have shown that taking a brief 10 minute walk during intense times will increase the amount of oxygen to your brain, allowing you to think more clearly and ultimately helping you to make better decisions.

Give yourself a license to be imperfect. No one is perfect. Give yourself a break. Try to reach a healthy balance between what really needs to be done now and what can wait. Also give yourself permission to ask others for help when you need it. Adjustments. Let's face it -- there comes a time when we have to make adjustments. Try to identify your stressors and adjust yourself so that you react differently to them.

Article by:
Aurelia Williams, certified Personal Life Coach and owner of Real Life Coaching, invites you to take advantage of a free consultation today. Isn't it time you lowered your Stress?

Check Out the Real Life Guidance .

Natural/Organic Products For Nursing Moms

Natural Nipple Butter - Sweetie, you got sore nipples? Has Mama got the Nipple Butter for you. The first organic, all natural, plant-based balm created without lanolin, so it’s certified vegan too. Earth Mama Angel Baby’s Natural Nipple Butter is a rich, organic cream, made with cocoa butter, shea butter, mango butter and healing calendula. It's safe for both nursing mamas and babies — no need to wash it off before nursing — and it’s hospital recommended!

Milkmaid Tea - Ladies presenting Mama’s most requested organic herbal tea: Milkmaid Tea! Herbal galactagogues wrangle lethargic milk ducts in this battle for the lactating-est bosoms in the universe.Sometimes mama’s milk needs some encouragement. Iced or hot, Milkmaid Tea is a delicious blend of herbal galactagogues, herbs traditionally used to help increase breast milk supply.

Bosom Buddies -
Sometimes a breastfeeding mama and her angel baby have to do some experimenting before the Milk of Momness flows freely. And during that adjustment period there can be some engorgement, clogged milk ducts, and sore, cracked nipples. Bosom Buddies™ is a blend of healing herbs, cabbage leaves and black tea (ever hear a grandma say that nursing women should put cabbage leaves or tea bags on their breasts? Turns out grandma is right!) along with organic calendula blossoms, organic plantain and organic marshmallow root. Fill the included muslin bags with the Bosom Buddies™ herbal blend to create a soothing poultice that will relieve those achy breasts. Follow with Natural Nipple Butter to help moisturize and nourish your breasts and tender nipples so they can nourish your angel baby — naturally.

Find the Earth Mama Angel Baby ad on the left side of the site.

Celebrity Mocha Moms and Babies

Jennifer Lopez is definitely a mocha diva in her first pregnancy with her mocha husband, Mark Anthony. Together they will have a beautiful mocha baby.

Adoptions of Color

With over 500,000 (mostlyblack) kids in the American foster system, I applaud anyone who will step up to care for America's unwanted children. This number don't even count for the millions of African kids orphaned by aids. Are the middle and upper middle class African American families simply ignoring this crisis? Are we investing more into our pricey life styles of sports utilities, flat screen tvs and fashion to even care for one of our own?

It is heart breaking when I hear that other cultures have to adopt our kids because so few of us are willing to do so. Madonna and Angelina should not have had to adopt their black kids if African Americans enjoying the American dream were paying more attention to this matter.

The first thing we have to do is to change the way we think about the topic. It is amazing how much of a taboo topic it is in our community. How can someone think that they can't love a child that they didn't carry for 9 months? Not only is that heartless but also not true. We love people all the time who didn't come out of our bodies. We love our spouses, friends, nieces, nephews and so on.

I don't pretend to be perfect in this area because I have not adopted myself but it is something that I plan on doing in the near future. I am just curious to know what others out there think of this matter.

Celebrity Mocha Moms and Babies

Pregnant, over 40 and just as fabulous as ever. After seeing Demi Moore, Christina Aguilera and other pregnant stars grace covers glamorously while pregnant, I am happy to see this caramel diva show the world how sistas can do it to.

Black History Month

This is Black history month and looking back over history, we have definitely come a long way. Our babies don't have to be escorted into school by federal marshals in order to get a public education. I have to admit that Ruby Bridges' parents were far more brave than I am. Never would I be willing to put my daughter in the line of fire. A line that contained angry mobs standing outside of the school. Racist teachers that refused to teach a black student and having both her parents and grand parents lose their jobs over it all. Some people were destined to be civil rights trail blazers. Maybe that's not me.

I can't even imagine personally experiencing such hatred. Sure, I experience subtle racism like most but nothing this extreme. My experience was one of attending predominantly white, private schools in Georgia my entire life up until high school graduation in the early 90's. I didn't even attend school with black males until I was in college but even after that I can't ever remember not being treated fairly at school. Sure there were occasional incidents where a black student argued with a white student over cultural differences but that can happen anywhere. My friends who went to black public schools actually found themselves in far more confrontations than I ever had.

I know that I was blessed. There are many stories of students from ethnic back grounds with much different experiences then and now in 2008. We just can't forget how far we have come. Although we still have a ways to go, we have so much to be thankful for. Our ancestors before us made so many sacrifices. I thank God for my opportunities daily.

Options For Introducing Healthy Meals Into Your Little Ones' Diet

Almost everyone may remember when classroom bulletin boards displayed the food pyramid. The pyramid – there was only one. One size fit all. Everyone needed to subscribe to the same nutritional guidelines. Everyone was told to merely glance at the pyramid to figure out how many servings were needed each day.Almost all would agree that it is a good thing that obsolete food pyramid has gone by the wayside! It may have taken a while, but the idea that not all people require the same food intake finally caught on. Nor are children expected to follow the same nutritional guidelines as the adults.If you're hoping we'll show you the "kid's guidelines" there unfortunately isn't a predetermined guideline. The amount of food from each food group that each person needs to eat to maintain a healthy lifestyle is dependent on their age, sex and physical activity level. One size doesn’t fit all. You can go to http://mypyramid.gov/ to type in some search criteria to get an idea of how much from each food category to eat every day.Remember balance is the name of the game. Make sure your little ones are eating fruits and vegetables, dairy, meats and beans and grains every day. Then round it off with water, fresh air and exercise. To help you get started, below you will find a couple of nutritious meals for children. This turkey avocado sandwich wrap uses kid-friendly ingredients for a nutritious lunch or treat.INGREDIENTS:• Whole wheat tortillas• 1 avocado mashed• Sliced deli turkey• Shredded carrots• Shredded lettuce• Shredded Monterey jack cheesePREPARATION:Assemble wraps in the following order: Spread mashed avocado on tortilla; Sprinkle shredded carrots and lettuce on avocado; Lay on slices of deli turkey; Sprinkle with shredded cheese.In addition, you won't get any looks of disappointment if you inform the children you're making chicken nuggets for supper. This kid favorite is just as good in the low-fat, oven-baked version. For quick clean-up and extra crispiness, lay a sheet of foil on a cookie sheet; and, then place a wire rack on top of the foil.INGREDIENTS:• skinless, boneless chicken breasts cut in 1-2 inch squares• non-fat or low-fat buttermilk• flour for dredging• finely crushed corn flakes for dredging• salt and pepper to tastePREPARATION:Preheat oven to 375. Prepare three large bowls for dredging chicken - 1 with flour seasoned with salt and pepper, 1 with buttermilk, and 1 with crushed corn flakes. Prepare baking pan by laying a sheet of foil over a cookie sheet; and then place a wire rack on top of the foil. Season chicken with salt and cut into 1-2 inch pieces. Drag chicken pieces in flour. Shake off excess flour and coat with buttermilk. Next, generously coat chicken with corn flakes, and place on rack of your baking pan. Bake nuggets for 15 minutes. These keep well for the next day's lunch box so make plenty!The next time you reach into the pantry or freezer to grab something simple to prepare for dinner, take a good analytical look at the ingredients. The idea is not to serve food that is adequate but rather food that is nutritious. Remember that not all of your little ones may require the same servings of food.----------

Would you like more Kid-Friendly Recipes? Christine Steendahl – “The Menu Mom” invites you to visit Kid Approved Meals to download your personal 13 week breakfast and lunch menu made just for kids! Check Out the Kid Approved Meals Ad On the Right Side of the Site.

Pamper Your Princess

What mother doesn't love to pamper their daughters and online shopping is convenient and affordable. The great thing about boutique shopping is that you get unique, one of a kind products that aren't massed produced and in every major department store. Online shopping also gives you the opportunity to shop for bargains. These adorable pieces above are from the online boutique, Kids WearHouse. You can pair either sweet, little, cotton knit, dresses with the the coordinating, chocolate, brown, pants. These adorable pieces come in sizes 0-24 months and sell for $20-$25. The precious shoes would be a perfect match, comes in sizes 0-24months and sell for $24.95.

Check Out the Kids Wear House Ad At the Top of the Site.

Beauty and Our Babies

Hair means everything to the african american community, especially hair texture. For generations we have judged one another by the texture of each others hair. The straighter the hair the better we considered it. It is shocking that even to this day in 2008, we still buy into the good hair bad hair concept. There was a time when many people even chose their partners based on that person's hair texture. More thought was put into producing kids with "good hair" than good character.

I was also personally guilty of this. I am an african american woman who comes from a family of by all standards beautiful hair. My grandmother had long, flowing, silky hair that hung down to her butt. Most of my life was spent wishing that I reached back and got her genetics. When I was pregnant with my daughter, I deeply wanted her to inherit that "good hair" dna from her great grandma and when she didn't I was disapointed. Because I love my daughter far more than these ridiculous standards that were passed down from one generation to another, I let that go. Deciding to celebrate her natural beauty wasn't hard at all. What I want for her is to be confident and to love herself. She should see the beauty in her caramel skin, curly hair and full lips. I want her to know that she determines her self worth and not worldly standards. In a world that does not value black females, we should encourage, uplift and celebrate our children's natural beauty. Encouraging inferiority is what we some times do without even realizing it. There are many beautiful, natural, alternatives to chemically altering curly hair. There is a line of products by the name of Miss Jessies that really brings out the beauty in curly or even very kinky hair. I have decided to keep my daughters hair natural for as long as I can and allow her to decide at an older age what she wants.

I hope no one takes my decision the wrong way. By no means am I saying that deciding to straighten your hair automatically means you feel inferior. I just encourage everyone to celebrate their children's ethnic beauty in a world that rarely to never does.