The Family Groove | Mom on the Street | What are you rolling up your sleeves for now?

MOM ON THE STREET
MOM-TO-MOM ADVICE ON LIFE, LIBERTY AND THE PURSUIT OF YOUR OWN GROOVE

Welcome to our latest monthly column, “Mom on the Street” (ya know, like “Man on the Street”).
Each month, we’ll be asking moms just like you for a slice of their sage advice, insider tips or
tried-and-true wisdom in the hopes that their unique brand of mothering inspires, assuages, calms,
strengthens and even amuses you.

This month's question:

This issue is called “Spring Greening.” We’re talking about what’s fresh, what’s new, what’s springing forward. But before you can move ahead, before the flowers can bloom, you’ve got to roll up your sleeves and dig up the roots, till the soil, plant the seeds and tend to your buds. You’ve got to do the dirty work.

What are you rolling up your sleeves for now?

Candi Wingate is the president of Nannies4hire.com and Babysitters4hire.com, online family and nanny/babysitter databases. Here is what the mother of two from Omaha, Neb., has to say:

“We are looking forward to spring and having a new nanny on board. We will be losing our nanny in a few months and will be searching for a new caregiver for the boys. We are looking for someone well rounded who could pick up the pieces and jump into our household. Our family really benefits from having an extra set of hands with me and my husband both working full-time. Before we can move ahead, we will go through a thorough interview, reference and background check process to find a well-rounded, energetic nanny. Once we have found a suitable match, we will include the boys in the hiring process. The nanny not only helps with childcare but also starts the evening meal, folds laundry, helps with homework and takes the children on outdoor adventures, just to name a few duties. My boys are looking forward to spring/summer, when the nanny can play basketball and take them to the pool, park, etc. We are looking forward to our new nanny so the boys won’t miss a beat this spring and summer.”

Beth Engelman is the founder of Mommy on a Shoestring (www.momonashoestring.com), the go-to source for crafts on the cheap. Here’s what this Illinois-based mom has to say:

“This spring, my son turns 3 and a half, and it is the perfect time to roll up my sleeves and sort through his toys and minimize the clutter! We live in a suburb outside of Chicago, and winter consists of many days devoted to indoor play, big art projects, marathon game play and lots of puzzles. Now our basement, family room and bedrooms are overrun with toys. Knowing my little guy does better with less visual clutter (as does his mother), it’s high time to get us back in our groove by sorting through these unruly rooms to make room for some new kinds of play.

First, we work together to make three piles:
1. One pile is for toys my son has outgrown, but that are in good shape and can be donated.
2. One pile is for toys and games that are in good shape but need a break. Our house isn’t very large, so I like to rotate toys, putting a few out every few months to keep his interest piqued. I am always surprised by how excited he gets when he gets to play with a set of games that have been “hiding” for a few months. For example, yesterday he went down to our basement and discovered his train table has been transformed into a land filled with dinosaurs.
3. The last pile is my favorite. It is for toys that are broken, have lost parts or have been mangled in some way or another. I gather these toys and games and bring them upstairs to my art studio for some creative recycling. For example, I will recover old puzzle pieces so they can be used for “piece, love and happiness” stationery, I will reuse game pieces the next time my son and I decide to invent our own board game, and I will repurpose old action figures into new patients for a pretend hospital, and vehicles with missing wheels will go into a pretend play garage that will replace the dinosaur land sometime next fall.”

Deb McNaughton is the founder and president of Azuli Skye (www.azuliskye.com), a jewelry line sold exclusively through independent sales consultants. Here’s what this North Carolina mother of two has to say:

“As a blooming mompreneur, I want to share what I have learned about balancing the role of motherhood with being a business owner. I understand why many moms are looking to do something outside of being a mother—some just want to make extra money; some need to make ends meet; all have bills to pay; many want to leave their 9-to-5 job. But how do you go about being a working mom and still retain some semblance of a normal, non-stressed-out life? And how do you do it without a ton of money behind you? I started my own business in 2008 and realized that it doesn’t have to be scary, confounding or expensive. Women across the country are doing it every day—so why can’t you?

I’m rolling up my sleeves to search the country for the best Azuli dream team that I can assemble. We are tilling the soil and planting the seeds. We’re digging up old roots to start a new era of business: one that believes in supporting Americans. Azuli Skye jewelry is made in the USA. We believe in employing American women, offering them the opportunity to take control of their destinies by helping them start their own legitimate home-based businesses. This spring, I am tending not only to the seeds of my growing business but to the concerns and dreams of moms nationwide, in an attempt to help them help themselves.

I never could have imagined how natural it is for me to be a mom, a wife and a business owner. I often share my recently learned lessons with my family, reminding them that nothing is impossible—I am proof positive of that. If you have even the tiniest grain of an idea, go for it. Roll up your sleeves and get to work on making your dream come true. I went from making my own jewelry for fun to one jewelry party to a business with 50 sales reps in 22 states. It’s hard work and constant work, but I love it. And though I may live with my sleeves rolled up and dirt under my fingernails from now on, I wouldn’t change a thing.”