Moms on the Move

We want to support and acknowledge moms. Each of you is making a difference whether you are a stay at home mom, working mom, or volunteer mom. When you become a mom, it is often easy to forget the side of you that is also a woman who may have had a career, hobbies and education before you became a parent. As a mom we spend our days multi-tasking and juggling. We are now the CEO of our households. Our job description includes diapers, dishes, carpooling, and an endless amount of laundry. Overnight you go from being a woman with style to someone who is happy to just get a shower every day. Being a mom is wonderful but it is also important to have a sense of yourself outside of your family.

This page is for you. Give us feedback on what you would like to see by emailing us at info@liparentsource.com . Check back often because this page will change monthly.

Local Business Events

Details coming soon!

Local Chambers of Commerce

A Chamber of Commerce, by definition, is a type of business network. Almost every town on Long Island has their own Chamber of Commerce, where local businesses voluntarily join together to promote each other, network and support the community. As a new small business, it's important to join your local Chamber because it's a great way to start making contacts. Each Chamber has different rules and requirements for membership. To help you, we've provided links to Chambers within Nassau and Suffolk Counties below.

Nassau County Chambers of Commerce

Suffolk County Chambers of Commerce

Websites and Resources

Coming soon!

Tips for the Working Mom

Parent to Parent Tips:

Balancing Family Life

Don't fight change, just plan on rearranging your sleeping and waking schedule to ensure that you get quality time for you (i.e. working out, reading, correspondence etc.)
Force yourself to get into the habit of cleaning up, moving/folding laundry, preparing lunches, and planning breakfast every night, before you go to bed.
Prepare extra food on Sundays to use during the week (i.e. chop veggies and large fruits and prepare storable meals).
Always have crackers or other snacks and water in the car.
Utilize some of your lunch breaks at work to run errands (grocery shopping and post office), but also reserve some of them to refresh yourself (take a walk or eat with a friend).
As a working mom, you need to be good at multitasking and staying organized.
Try to make lunches the night before.
Pick out kids outfits the night before and
Make sure to get kids to bed early enough that they get the sleep they need.
Work as a team with your spouse, Get yourselves ready first in the morning. Wake up kids so that they have enough time to eat, get ready and play a bit before you rush out the door to daycare and school.
Try to talk about something you will do together that night before you all go in different directions. That way, you start the day on a positive note and have something to look forward to at the end of the day.

Tips for the Mompreneur

Don't Just Dream, Take Action

Networking...

Use the time you spend dropping your children off at school, at the playground, beach etc. to work on brainstorming for your business by doing informal networking with people you happen to be sitting near who might be in your target market - you'll get some great ideas.
Treat yourself like a big business.
Rely on experts.
Don't be shy about getting compensated appropriately for what you do. Remember that people associate price with quality and you are (as a service business) a quality product
Don't apologize for that - no one wants the "cheapest" advice - they want the best advice.

Mom in the Spotlight

Robin G.

Profile:
Volunteer Involvement: Founder, The Independent Business Women's Circle (www.ibwc.org), a non-profit networking group for enterprising women. Founder, North Shore Playwrights Circle I support Ronald McDonald House on Long Island. My son Seth & I recently baked brownies and brought them to the families staying there. It was a meaningful experience for us to share.
Profession: I wear several hats. Author, How to Meet a Mensch in New York and How to Marry a Mensch (decent person) Work as a Love Coach, offering strategic socializing advice to singles (www.lovecoach.com). Also teach workshops on the subject. Co-Founder, www.MotherhoodLater.com -- Motherhood Later...Than Sooner is the only on and offline community in the U.S. for 35+ moms with young children. Founder, RGN Communications -- A public relations practice. Would love to host a radio show one day.
Education: B.S., Economics/Business, Hofstra University MBA, Marketing, St. John's University Member, American Society of Journalists and Authors (ASJA) Member, LIWA (Long Island Women's Agenda)
Children: Seth -- just turned 5 years old in February

Fun Q & A with our Spotlight Mom:

Personal:

What phrase or motto do you live by? As per my beloved mom who I lost 10 years ago, "And this too shall pass....." I remember that when I am having a hard time with something, and it gives me strength.

Inspiration: I love being by water....either looking at it or in a boat. I find it very tranquil, and as a creative person, it can be inspiring.

If you could teach your kids one thing and have it impact them, what would it be? Be a mensch (decent person) to yourself and others. Treat yourself with love and respect, and do good in the world.

How do you measure success? Being able to pursue one's true passions and know that you are also touching the lives of others in a meaningful way.

Greatest Accomplishment: Becoming a published author...and seeing people buy/read one of my books and benefit from it.

Proudest Moment: Seeing my son take his first steps.

Biggest Challenge: Becoming a mom after losing my own mom....and not having her in my life to share the experience.

Wildest Dream: Writing a play and having it performed on Broadway. It would be an immense thrill for me, and I've been approached by a producer about spinning my latest book HOW TO MARRY A MENSCH into an Off-Broadway musical....so perhaps it will become a reality one day. I sure hope so.

Sport/Exercise Program: Weight training at Verol's, a gym in Great Neck. I enjoy working out with a personal trainer. In the summer, I like to swim on my back at our local pool. Would one day like to learn how to do laps.

What would people be surprised to learn about you? Although I'm a Leo, I'm not as self-assured as some might think.

Where did you grow up: Fresh Meadows, NY. My dad still lives in the house where I was raised.

How many siblings: One sister...two years younger than me. She is married with two children.

First Job: I worked for a summer in Alexander's Department Store in Rego Park, which has since closed. It was great getting a discount on clothes at the time and earning my own money.

Childhood Ambition: To be a writer. At a young age, I used to write/illustrate children's books.

Favorites:

Favorite Local Restaurant: Tough question. Great Neck has many good restaurants. In general, I'm a big fan of Greek or Mediterranean food. We eat at Shish Kebab in Port Washington a lot, and it is kid friendly, which helps.

Favorite Coffee Spot: I don't drink coffee, but I love hot chocolate in the winter, and Dunkin Donuts has the best.

Favorite Soundtrack/song: Of late, I've become a huge fan of the kids band Princess Katie & Racer Steve (www.princessracer.com). Their music is very hip, and I enjoy listening to it as much as Seth does.

Favorite Movie: I'm not a huge movie goer, though I do enjoy watching HBO on tv. Theater is my real passion, and the best Broadway musical I've ever seen is Wicked.

Favorite TV Show: Reruns of Sex & the City.

Retreat: Mohonk Mountain House in New Paltz. We go every summer on a family vacation there. I also like Peace Village, a place for retreats upstate NY, with a meditation focus. Omega in Rhinebeck has great personal growth workshops, and I enjoy it there too.

Last Book You Read: Ready: Why Women Are Embracing the New Later Motherhood by Elizabeth Gregory.

Indulgence: Mallomars. Chocolate jelly rings. Pepperoni pizza. Getting a foot massage.

Your Perfect Day: Lunch with a friend. Shopping at TJ Maxx. Maybe taking in a movie. Walking through Greenwich Village. Mostly I like spending quality time with a close buddy I can really talk to.

Another perfect day....A weekend away in Vermont with my husband, exploring craft fairs and driving around various quaint towns. We used to do this before we became parents and would stay in a romantic B&B.

Other:

What inspires you to go to work every day? I work from home, and have always been a driven person. I am gratified by my work, so that is inspiring.

[Business Owners] What motivated you to start your business? I am a self-starter, so being self-employed came fairly naturally to me. However, I do enjoy working with others, and always welcome the opportunity to partner with someone who is sharp and has cool ideas. I started Motherhood Later...Than Sooner, because I became a mom at age 42, and had the desire to connect with mom peers. That wasn't so easily happening, so I launched MLTS first as a support/discussion group, and it has since grown to close to 300 members in NY, with other U.S. chapters, and varied events are offered. Advertiser/sponsor opportunities are now available, and I'm working to build it up as a business.

[Business Owners] What is the hardest part about owning your own business? Working from home can be a challenge because it's isolating and requires a lot of focus since there are so many potential distractions. I miss having others around to bounce ideas off of. I'm a big fan of brainstorming.

Each month we feature a mom making a difference in our community. We want to acknowledge working moms and stay at home moms. Suggest a mom by emailing us

Past profiled mom...