A Corn PDA.... Cool Momma Phone!

Sprint and Samsumg have just launched a green phone, a simplified version of a green Blackberry. Very nice initiative, considering how often people replace their phones. Unfortunately just a small percentage of old phones are recycled, and most of them end up in the landfill for decades.

It is a nice looking phone with several cool applications such as heavy e-mail and texting, and access to Facebook and Twitter. Sprint said $2 of every phone sale goes to the Nature Conservancy.

Check out this link for more information

Daily Dose of Energy

Every day I raise my energy level with a great workout, a blend of fresh antioxidant fruits and positive thoughts. Well, at least I try! If time doesn’t allow for a great workout, I go for a shorter power walk.

Setting aside ten to fifteen minutes at night to relax my mind and meditate completes the cycle, and energizes my ability to maintain positive thoughts.

As role models for our kids, we have the duty to teach them self-motivation and the importance of taking good care of themselves.

Wikipedia defines self-motivation as the ability to “find a reason and the necessary strength to do something, without the need of being influenced to do so by another person. Working in a careful and consistent manner without giving up.” This precisely defines great personality traits that I want my kids to develop.

As busy parents, we often put ourselves at the bottom of our priority lists. Taking good care of ourselves is a great exercise but requires some discipline! Cultivating our health and mind can only bring positive results for the whole family. Definitely a win-win!

Daily Agenda

Some people have asked me how I manage to juggle mom’s duties with the mompreneur role. My answer is that it’s definitely difficult but way worth it.

It is a joy having Lukas and my dog Samba around when I’m working on my websites, or having lunch. They make great co-workers! And the flexibility of working from home is absolutely priceless. But don’t take me wrong, there are several annoying things happening during my day as well.

Everything in my day is precisely organized timewise. Sometimes I have to use a crystal ball to schedule conference calls. Any unexpected item in the agenda and the often grouchy juggler comes to play. Unfortunately there is only so much I can predict…

Dedicating some breaks to play with the little one is also a very important part in my daily agenda. Not having Lukas in a daycare has its downside, and I need to make sure his social and cognitive development is compensated accordingly. Luckily, he is always smiling and hardly ever cries.

At the end of the day, it feels like I’ve just finished a marathon. The sense of accomplishment is what usually drives my evening mood. Only a few things are worse to me than an unproductive day.

Baby Estimulation vs Mom's Frantic Schedule

Every parent knows the importance of stimulating kids' little brains. Their cognitive and personality development are a direct response to the level of positive stimulation they get, and obviously the parents and daycare providers are key.

I try to respond whenever I can to Lukas' attempts to communicate, usually by replying to his sounds, making eye contact, or showing a reaction. I think it helps him understand the flow of communication, and gives him a lot of self-confidence.
Videos are a BIG No No at home. The very few times he was exposed to a cartoon on TV, or The Muppet Show (which both my husband and I love to watch!), he got into a very passive mode. Lukas wouldn't even blink! At this stage in his life, working with toys and books that make him use his imagination and develop his creativity should be the main entertainment.

We have also exposed Lukas to a lot of interaction with other people and cultures. Even before his first birthday, Lukas' passport had already been stamped in Australia and Brazil, and within a couple of months we are crossing the Atlantic again. Contrary to many people's opinion, we thought that those trips would contribute to a future worldly attitude, turning him into a tolerant and flexible young man. Hopefully it will fire up a lifetime curiosity about other cultures.

Yes, it is all very difficult to manage with our crazy schedules. However, Lukas is our number one project and, in our point of view, daily positive reinforcements are the way to go for successful results.

Foodie Gadgets

Busy moms know how difficult it is to come up with healthy meals for their kids. Making them eat a variety of veggies, carbs, proteins and minerals is definitely a challenge. I've always been very committed with not only the quality of nutrients but also the development of Lukas' taste for great food! Being as international as we are, I want him to appreciate fine and simple ingredients. Trying new dishes and spices from different cultures is key!

Can you tell that I'm a foodie? Boy, I love great meals! The pleasant experience of going to farmers' markets in different countries tells me a lot about the country and the lifestyle. Coming from an Italian family made me very appreciative of the ritual of preparing and consuming meals..... I recall countless family events that evolved around the kitchen table!

I found that feeding my one year old organic homemade food meets my objectives. It is actually very easy. I freeze mashed veggies, chicken, fish, grains, etc in trays appropriate for food, they are similar to a covered ice tray. For each meal I defrost 4 or 5 different cubes, making sure the ideal nutritional combination is achieved.
It is a lot fresher than jar food, and the taste, a lot better!

Hand mixer and covered ice trays, another set of great tools for busy moms!

Smart Necessity

Have I mentioned how much I love my smart phone? It's been 5 years since I got my first Blackberry from a previous employer. As a Mompreneur, and someone addicted to the news, it has saved me a LOT of time.

Every day I feel the need to read at least 4 online news sites, including CNN, my favorite The NY Times, the Wall Street Journal, and Globo.com, a Brazilian news site.

As soon as I wake up, it is so easy to just click on that icon and read CNN headlines, then check pressing e-mails, logon to weather.com, and lastly get an update on my Facebook friends. Having moved so many times, friends are literally everywhere in the world.

My early morning Blackberry routine definitely takes the anxiety away from having to do many other things before connecting my laptop to the internet. Any mom knows that early morning is always busy trying to get kids fed, dressed and happy. And I also have Samba, my dog and adopted son, to take care of.
Oh, I almost forgot to add to the list feeding and dressing myself. Hahhh, so easy to forget amongst all other priorities....

Ok, now I can connect to the internet. I feel a real sense of pleasure! Time to slowly absorb The NY Times. This is such a great journal. Every column is a joy to read, from the content to the selection of words. A real piece of art.

Then, later on, I check the WSJ and Globo, to be a bit more worldly. Sometimes I feel a bit guilty for not reading a European site on a daily basis, but to solve that I subscribed to The Economist, the weekly printed version.

Anyway, without the portability of my Blackberry I wouldn't be able to squeeze all that into my daily routine. I have saved there a list of the great wines I've ever tasted, the groceries to buy next time I go to the store, the items to carry for our kid when we travel. I also have my 3 e-mail accounts and obviously can use it as a phone! Boy, what an spectacular gadget for moms!

Mompreneur's inpiration

I'm really trying to work hard this afternoon. Even though my cute son, and inspiration, is a few steps from me, sitting on the floor and playing with his favorite toys.
I'm lucky to have this big carpeted room, full of toys, a table and my laptop. This allows me to work from home, making me a real Mompreneur.

So, my first message will be a tribute to all Mompreneurs out there!

I've always been fascinated by how some home-based-business moms manage to build significant enterprises with such little time in their hands. During my long tenure working for Fortune 500 companies, I always thought that the freedom of working from home was a real deal.

Ok, it's hard to focus on a business plan with so many interruptions during the day; not only from kids but also from family members, sometimes inconsiderate of mompreneurs business hours ;)

What is the driver? How do they get there? While some are lucky, others are very determined to succeed. Not sure which one I fit in, but I know that it requires a lot of organization, discipline and persistence to juggle personal and professional tasks under the same roof. Immense self-motivation and intelligence definitely distinguish them from the crowd.

Many CEOs and VPs I've met during my career could definitely learn a lot from their Modus Operandi! Their ability to multitask is unprecedented, and their team-work skills, simply extraordinary!