It's Time for Mommy Fest 2008! Don't miss our party Games, favors and more!!

Does it seem like this week just FLEW by? I can’t believe it’s Friday already! We have THREE contests ending tonight! Have you entered them:

1. Girl Mogul Giveaway - leave a comment on the Girl Mogul Review post to win!
2. Ad Space Giveaway - leave a comment on our Special Announcement post to win ad space on our site!
3. Bonus Scavenger Contest! - visit ONE blog, find ONE image, and you are in our bonus draw tomorrow! You can enter this even if you haven’t completed the hunt yet.

The Scavenger Hunt has been a blast - but it’s not over yet! We have four more prizes available! We will give away TWO tomorrow (one for the hunt, one for the bonus draw), one on Sunday and the last one on Monday! LOTS of chances to win yet, so if you haven’t done the hunt yet, do it now! It only takes a few minutes.

NOW - Today’s winner is…..

TRICIA!

Tricia was actually one of the first people to complete the hunt! She has picked a 3 months subscription to Menu Planning Central donated by Susanne.

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Crystal is the founder of Chrysanthemoms, and a mother of 3. She is a graphic designer, specializing in wedding invitations, baby announcements and photo greeting cards. She is also an avid blogger and loves to write. - Visit Crystal's Website

Popularity: 12% [?]

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It's Time for Mommy Fest 2008! Don't miss our party Games, favors and more!!

There is no denying that there is a link between soft-drink consumption and weight gain adolescents. According to researchers, soft-drink consumption has increased by 300% in the past 20 years! And it has increased 85% in school children who drink at least one soda every day.

The risk of obesity increases 1.6 times with each additional can or glass of sugar-sweetened drink consumed beyond the normal daily intake.

So, what does this all mean? Sugar sweetened beverages increase blood glucose and decrease insulin sensitivity. This in turn will stimulate hunger, which will lead to increased caloric intake. The risk of developing obesity and diabetes is therefore greater.

For example, one study showed that if you consume one extra serving of a sugar-sweetened soft drink daily it will produce a 23 pound increase in body mass over 10 years. But, thankfully this can be easily avoided with will power and the availability of healthy alternatives.

More and more companies are marketing 100% fruit juices, which will help satisfy your children’s daily requirement for fruit. Although, most juices on the market do not contain as many nutrients as whole fruit, they are better options than the sugar-sweetened, empty calorie soft drinks. And, we can’t forget water, another healthy alternative to soft drinks.

So, let’s try are best to keep those sodas and sugar-sweetened drinks away from your children. They will not like you for it now but will definitely thank you for it years from now; when they are not suffering from obesity and/or weight related diseases.

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Dr. Daisy is a Doctor of Chiropractic by profession, wife to a loving and supporting husband and home school mom to 5 beautiful children. Has always been an advocate of Health & Nutrition and promotes Xocai, Healthy Chocolate. - Visit Dr. Daisy's Website

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It's Time for Mommy Fest 2008! Don't miss our party Games, favors and more!!

Part 1 is available here - or you can visit this post to learn more about Crystal’s Book Club.

Chapter One: Design Your Destiny

“What separates those who make it from those who don’t? You might think it’s money. Most people do. While that’s a big factor, it’s not the biggest one. We’ve spoken to top entrepreneurs and small-business experts all across the country, and most people in the trenches agree that the real key to success is winning the small business mind game. … The survive a start-up, you need to learn how to think and act like an entrepreneur. … How you respond to challenges like these makes all the difference to your success or failure.”

I found that very interesting. This chapter talked about what it takes to succeed and while a great idea and financial backing are important - many business have both and still fail. Four themes they say they find common among the women who are written about in this book include seizing the moment, pursuing personal growth, balancing life and work, and realizing a vision. For me, having my own business is about all four. I had an idea, and I couldn’t wait to make it happen. I wanted something more, something that would challenge me to become more then I was. I also wanted something that would allow me the flexibility to still excel at things that were important - aka Parenting. I had a vision.

Another thought that I was pondering while reading this chapter: A lot of people start their own businesses because they want freedom: from bosses, from the 9-5, from leaving kids in daycare, etc. And while starting your own business does give you more flexibility it does not give you freedom. In fact, starting your own business gives you less freedom. When you have a job - you have set hours, you show up, preform, and get a paycheque. When you start your own business, you can set your own hours - but your have full responsibility for EVERYTHING that right now you may take for granted. Starting your own business gives you choice rather then freedom. You still need to work, in fact, you probably will need to work even harder then before.

“The good news is you have got, not freedom, but choices. And the bad news is you’re going to have to live with the repercussions of your decisions.”

Think about it. If you make an error at work that costs the company money, the employer absorbs the cost and unless it’s an horrible mistake - you keep working and keep getting paid. If you make a mistake in your own business - there is no one else to absorb the cost of your mistakes.

Okay - so a quick finishing note. Here are 6 things they discuss that you will need to succeed: Passionate Commitment, Courage (Fear Management), Willingness to invest Huge Amounts of time, ingenuity in balancing work and family, resilience and a burning desire to succeed. For myself, the two areas I need to improve in are courage and balancing. I think I have the rest covered:)

You can pick up your own copy of Birthing An Elephant for $10 in the ChrysAnTheMoms Book Store.

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Crystal is the founder of Chrysanthemoms, and a mother of 3. She is a graphic designer, specializing in wedding invitations, baby announcements and photo greeting cards. She is also an avid blogger and loves to write. - Visit Crystal's Website

Popularity: 13% [?]

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It's Time for Mommy Fest 2008! Don't miss our party Games, favors and more!!

Don’t worry, I didn’t forget about today’s winner. Winner Number 3 IS….

BUNNY

Bunny picked a Send Out Cards gift account worth $15 donated by Lynette Chandler  as her prize.

YEAH! Lol, okay ladies, we’re down to 5 more prizes! Still lots of great stuff to win! Make sure you finish the scavenger hunt today so you are in tomorrow’s draw! It’s pretty simple, only takes a few minutes. OH - there there is a bonus contest as well, which will be drawn on Saturday! Also check out our Girl Mogul contest and Ad Giveaway! Leave a comment and you could win!

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Crystal is the founder of Chrysanthemoms, and a mother of 3. She is a graphic designer, specializing in wedding invitations, baby announcements and photo greeting cards. She is also an avid blogger and loves to write. - Visit Crystal's Website

Popularity: 16% [?]

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It's Time for Mommy Fest 2008! Don't miss our party Games, favors and more!!

How many times do you grab a good book, pull your child or children into your lap or snuggle on the couch and read to them? So many of us are guilty of never finding the time, when reading is such an important skill for children to learn. We as parents have the greatest influence over whether or not they begin to learn or choose to learn to read. We can encourage them to learn to read by making books and reading an important part of their life from day one.

“Reading aloud with children is known to be the single most important activity for building the knowledge and skills they will eventually require for learning to read.”
— Marilyn Jager Adams

Reading offers so many valuable things to children. Here are just a few:

1. Reading is entertaining. Do you think they always had cable television wired to most every house in America, well of course not? Great literature was a popular concept many years ago, much more so than it is today and reading was a favorite past time of almost everyone. Why not make that the case for your child by starting them out reading at an early age and continuing to encourage them to read over the span of their childhood.

2. Reading encourages learning. Reading to your child encourages them to want to learn and gives them the opportunity to have their curiosity stirred by new ideas and concepts, such as how people live differently in different places, how things are made, or where things came from. We can use reading to teach about cultures, traditions and the similarities we all share. So many questions can be formed in the mind of a child as you read to them, thus encouraging them to dig in and find out more!

3. Reading increases your child’s vocabulary. If you want to ensure that your child begins to talk at the right age, learns to say your name, the names of their family members and even things out in the world, you can help them to do so by reading to them. Reading to a child begins teaching them and exposing them to a wide vocabulary, even as a baby. Many doctors encourage women to even read to their babies while they are still in their womb.

4. Reading gives your child knowledge. Knowledge about the world, people, themselves, everything you can think of. Thousands of ideas, topics, themes and concepts can be found in written form in books, on billboards, or even on the side of your morning cereal box. Knowledge is all around us and we consume it by reading it. Encouraging your child to read allows them to soak up all this knowledge.

Written By:

Lisa Smith has a BA in Psychology & is the Owner/CEO of Regionz Kidz, a multi-cultural infant & toddler clothing line featuring ethnically diverse characters and designs. She publishes a blog on her website http://www.regionzkidz.com that discusses cultural diversity & children & is a frequent guest blogger on other blogs and websites regarding parenting and children’s issues. You can contact Lisa directly at: lisa@regionzkidz.com - Visit Lisa's Website

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It's Time for Mommy Fest 2008! Don't miss our party Games, favors and more!!

Hopefully you’ve been over to MommyFest to listen to our exciting news but in case you haven’t, I’m here to spill the beans!!

I’m joining Crystal here on the blog as her new partner and I can’t tell you how excited I am to become part of this great community of women.

 My first task will be to find some moms that would like to be part of our blogging team.

 We’re looking for guest bloggers and team bloggers so, if you’ve been thinking about joining “the moms”, now would be the time. I can only see big things on the horizon!!

 All you need to do to Join the Moms is click the link and register. I’ll get back with you ASAP with further information and instructions.

 Now, if you haven’t listened yet, go on over to MommyFest and listen to the short recording, leave us a comment on Crystal’s announcement post and let us know what you think!

 The drawing will be held on Saturday when one random comment will be drawn. The winner gets to place anything they’d like in our announcement box (the box at the top of the post)

 More about me :

 I’m married and have 4 children - 2 girls (17 & 3) and 2 boys (11 & 5mos)

I’m a Home-Based Travel Agent & Owner of AboveAllTravel.com

And I have also started blogs over at GetawayMama.com & FamilyGetawayIdeas.com

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- Visit Tracy's Website

Popularity: 24% [?]

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Product Reviews | 3 Comments »

It's Time for Mommy Fest 2008! Don't miss our party Games, favors and more!!

Are we ready for another winner? As promised, one Scavenger Hunt participant will be picked each day at random, and will win a prize from our prize list! There are still another 6 prizes left, so make sure you enter today!

Our Second Winner is:

MARIN!!

Marin choose the Healthy chocolate prize package donated by Dr. Daisy! Congrats Marin!

BONUS CONTEST!

Here is one more chance to win a prize! We will pick ONE Bonus winner on Friday, who will get to pick from the remaining prizes (there will be 4 prizes left at that point). To enter the bonus draw - all you have to do is visit Mom Gadgets, find the post with the scavenger hunt image in it, and leave a comment! EVERYONE who does this will be entered into the Friday Bonus Drawing:)

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Crystal is the founder of Chrysanthemoms, and a mother of 3. She is a graphic designer, specializing in wedding invitations, baby announcements and photo greeting cards. She is also an avid blogger and loves to write. - Visit Crystal's Website

Popularity: 30% [?]

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It's Time for Mommy Fest 2008! Don't miss our party Games, favors and more!!

Are you a member of Organized Life By Design yet? If not - you should be. (Prizes are involved. Seriously. Check it OUT!). ANYWAY - today the women are discussing house chores. Alyssa asked what ONE chore we would hire out if we could.

For me, it is a toss up between dishes and laundry. Both are chores I don’t enjoy because they take a little longer. I like quick, 5-10 minute chores I can stick in between working for a “get moving” break. Dishes take up at least 30-45 minutes, and if I don’t do it all at once, then I have to use more water. So dishes tend to pile a little before I get to them, lol. Laundry is another issue. Washing and drying are not a big deal, provided I REMEMBER to switch loads. It’s the folding! Again, another chore that takes to much time and ends up piling!

Now here is the thing, we’re only allowed to hire out ONE. SO I gave it some thought and decided that I would buy a good dishwasher, and hire out the laundry. Viola, problem solved.

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Crystal is the founder of Chrysanthemoms, and a mother of 3. She is a graphic designer, specializing in wedding invitations, baby announcements and photo greeting cards. She is also an avid blogger and loves to write. - Visit Crystal's Website

Popularity: 37% [?]

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Organization | 4 Comments »

It's Time for Mommy Fest 2008! Don't miss our party Games, favors and more!!

The first book that I am going to share with you is called Birthing The Elephant. Am I the only mom who finds that entire idea just SCARY?  Yeah, I didn’t think so, lol.

Birthing the Elephant is a woman’s guide to overcoming the challenges of starting a business. This is not a “make a business plan”, “get a license” type of book. It has lots of advice, ideas and real life examples of women who have been there, done that, and made it through. I bought this book after seeing it listed as one of the five books every woman should read. I can’t remember where I saw that list, so if anyone knows - let me know.

So - today I started with the introduction and here is my nugget:

“Launching a business is both exciting and intensely demanding. In fact, it’s a lot like birthing an elephant! It’s a huge undertaking, it takes about twenty-two months, and, if you stay with it, you’ll end up with a healthy, lovable, bouncing business to call your very own!”

So many women today start a business and a few months later, they are discouraged. Why is it still so hard? Why am I still struggling? Why can’t I make more money already?  Starting a successful business is a long, hard process - and 50% will fail. Those who don’t and make it past the launch phase, are more then rewarded for their efforts. So have patience and NEVER give up!

You can pick up your own copy of Birthing An Elephant for $10 in the ChrysAnTheMoms Book Store.

Written By:

Crystal is the founder of Chrysanthemoms, and a mother of 3. She is a graphic designer, specializing in wedding invitations, baby announcements and photo greeting cards. She is also an avid blogger and loves to write. - Visit Crystal's Website

Popularity: 28% [?]

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It's Time for Mommy Fest 2008! Don't miss our party Games, favors and more!!

Here we are, it’s the middle of the week, and the middle of Mommy Fest:) At Chrysanthemoms, we have a VERY exciting new development that we are announcing TODAY and we decided to do it through Mommy Fest. So, the announcement was made during a short interview with the Mommy Fest organizer, Marie.

SO - we want you to head down to our Sponsor Page at Mommy Fest to hear the announcement! Listen to the short audio, and then come leave us a comment afterwards letting us know what you think! On Saturday, we will pick one random comment and the winner will get to put whatever they want in our announcement box. (See that box at the top of the post? Yep, that one!)

Of course - it must be family friendly, and a reasonable length. Gotta mention that to be safe.

Anyway - GO LISTEN!!

OH and while you are here - check out our mailing list for news, updates, events, specials and more!

Written By:

Crystal is the founder of Chrysanthemoms, and a mother of 3. She is a graphic designer, specializing in wedding invitations, baby announcements and photo greeting cards. She is also an avid blogger and loves to write. - Visit Crystal's Website

Popularity: 39% [?]

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Contests & Carnivals | 8 Comments »