Listen LIVE to the show on Blog Talk Radio at 8pm cst / 9pm est  or listen to the replay at the MCB Blog Talk Radio page at 10pm cst / 11pm est.

(You can also listen to archived shows right here on the website from the player on the right)

From all of us here at Mom’s Coffee Break - Thank you for all that you do everyday of the year!

Our first show will be about Losing your identity. Many women no longer feel like “themselves” after they have a child. We are asking you to fill out this short survey to see how you feel about your identity.

We want to know what you think!  Stop by and take the MCB survey, then tune in to the show at http://blogtalkradio.com/journeytoself and  listen LIVE  to find the results of the survey.

Jody Maley, Mandy Sly and I will also be sharing our our own experiences with finding and maintaining our identity, as well as our role in helping other women live as their authentic self.

The show will also be replayed on June 24th @ 10pm cst / 11pm est at http://blogtalkradio.com/momscoffeebreak.com

We are helping working mothers not just survive, but thrive!

To lose weight you have to burn more calories than you take in. You have to exercise to burn calories. Walking around your neighborhood is free. Renting exercise videos from the library is free or almost free (.25 - .50 cents per rental). Walking up and down your stairs, if you have them, is free; maybe a little annoying for others in your house to hear you pounding up and down the stairs but it is all in the name of health. Playing outside with the dog or the kids, or both, is free. Park further away when you go somewhere, like a store. The walk is good for you. If you enjoy dancing, kick everyone out of the house and crank up the music!

Food is the other big area we have to watch when changing our lifestyles to become healthy. It really is not that hard to implement a healthy diet. Eat less salt, sugar, and fat. Eat more fruits, vegetables and lean meats. If you do not know how to healthier foods, check out some cookbooks at the library or search the internet for healthy recipes. This is what I do when I want to try a new food and am unsure how to cook it, or just want to find a new recipe for something we have not had yet. Do not deprive yourself. If you crave something sweet or salty, by all means have a treat, but limit your portions to what is recommended on the package.

I hope these simple tips help you. Losing weight is a difficult struggle that most people face at some point, including myself. I have found it easier, and less stressful, to keep things as simple as possible in all aspects of life.

The Domestic Goddess, Mandy Sly is the owner of The Domestic Goddess and an Executive Partner of Mom’s Coffee Break. She is dedicated to helping people save money and improve their quality of  life while being eco-friendly.

If it’s time to tell your story, this is your chance to use Your Voice to share your experience and wisdom and inspire others who may be going through the same difficulty, and encourage other women to victory. In the process, we get the opportunity to give you the “atta girl” you earned.

Have you triumphed over a seemingly overwhelming obstacle in your life or triumph over an illness, difficult divorce or another personal tragedy? Did you break through a glass ceiling or overcome adversity to create your own small or home-based business? Have you successfully navigated a difficult change and transition?

We want to know about it!

Essay Contest Rules:

• Personal essays only – no other format (outline, articles, etc. will be considered)
• Maximum – 750 words; Minimum – 250 words.
• Straight Text – no graphics, music, etc.
• The title is not to be counted in your word count. We use MS Word’s word count to determine the submitted entry’s word count.
• Contact Information in upper left corner of page, include: Name, Essay Title, Phone# and Address

Topic:

• Your Victorious Woman Experience

  • What was your victory-making challenge?

  • How was it a victory?  How did you stretch into more of your best self?

  • How did your victory change your life?

  Contest Deadline:

  • All entries must be postmarked by or email time-stamped no later than Saturday, May 13th.

    • Submissions must be single-side and double-spaced

    • Remember to include you name, address, phone and email address

      • Mail to 1062 Lancaster Avenue, Suite15G, Rosemont, PA 19010 OR

      • Email to presentations@victoriouswoman.com

  • Winners will be announced on May 30, 2009

  Eligibility:

  • This contest is open to women whose entry is received by May 13th.

  Prizes:

  • 1st Prize: You will be honored as a 2009 Victorious Woman of the Month with an interview article featured on the Victorious Woman website (www.victoriouswoman.com) AND you’ll receive $100.00 AND a copy of Victorious Woman! Shaping Life’s Challenges into Personal Victories, personally autographed

  • 2nd Prize: Your story will be featured at on the Victorious Woman website AND you will receive $50.00 AND a copy of Victorious Woman! Shaping Life’s Challenges into Personal Victories, personally autographed

  • 3rd Prize: Your story will be featured at www.victoriouswoman.com AND you will receive a copy of Victorious Woman! Shaping Life’s Challenges into Personal Victories, personally autographed

  (Information from the Victorious Woman Website)
  Don’t forget to download your Victorious Women Calendar!!

Join Jody on the second Tuesday of each month for her special program - The Direct Sales Series.

Are you a consultant for Mary Kay, Party Lite, Tupperware, Shaklee, Likisma, Arbonne, Herbal Life, Melaleuca, Univera or any other Direct Sales organization?

If so and this is the financial vehicle you have chosen to reach your dream life, this series is for you.

It doesn’t matter if you are just starting out, have started building your business, or you are a veteran leader, these classes will grow your bottom line.

All classes are created and led by coach Jody Maley. She has put some amazing programs together for you that include:

* Striking Gold with Theme Parties

* The Company’s Promo -How to take Full Advantage

* Stepping Into Leadership

* Team Support

* Higher Sales @ the Show-Enticement of Product

* Being the Expert!

* Week-End Getaways!

* The Power of Ten!

* Creating Desire

* Leadership Essential’s

* Self-Motivational and Knowing when to Ask for Help!

* Attracting the Perfect Hostess/Consultant!

* How to have a $150 night

Each month Jody will be presenting a teleclass that is guaranteed to help you succeed. With each class you will receive a workbook and audio recording of the program. And…. you just never know what special bonuses Jody might throw in. She has been known to offer some complimentary one on one coaching!

When would NOW be a good time to be successful?

Register today!

http://www.designedfordivinedestinations.com/seminar-sign-up

Mom’s Coffee Break’s new motto and mission is “Helping working mothers not just survive, but thrive.”  I am bringing in two amazing partners that have different areas of expertise and experiences.  There is some amazing synergy between the three of us and I see a working mother’s community that is going to benefit it’s members in SO MANY WAYS!  MCB will be taking a “whole-istic” approach bringing support in way of experts, resources, services, information, education, and much more!

We are still working on the details, but a couple of things to look forward to is a member’s area with new resources, recommendations, and tools!  Monthly Virtual Seminars and Workshops with expert guest speakers.

As I had mention with MCB intergrating a “whole-istic” approach - meaning that we will be looking at all areas of working mother’s lives.  Each of the different areas of our lives do not exist independently from the rest. Therefore; improvements in family life is going to help you get better results in your career and improve your self-concept.  MCB’s Virtual Seminars and Workshops will cover issues in the main areas of business, family life/relationships, and identity.

Also coming this summer the launch of Mom’s Coffee Break Radio Show on Blog Talk Radio.

Co-hosting the show together will be myself, Jody Maley an expert in the field of direct sales. Additionally she brings the personal experiences of being apart of a blended family with six children, as well as a tremendous journey of personal and spiritual growth.  Jody is an avid student of the law of attraction and has see the manifestation of her dreams. She has a passion to help other women be empowered and successful in their lives.

My other co-host is Mandy Sly an amazing women that I have had the privileged in knowing for over 20 years.

In that time I have watched her always strive to make the best of even the worst situation, along with the resourcefulness to make alot out of a little!  She is a single mother to a teenage son, and currently is working on her Associates Degree in Criminal Justice at Blackhawk Technical College.

Mandy has spent over 16 years perfecting money saving ways to eat, decorate and look great on a budget.  She is educated and active in the “Go-Green” movement and brings her readers practical ways that they can live a “greener” lifestyle.  In addition, she is a creative and EXCELLENT COOK that has been exploring organic cooking for years.

I am very excited about launching the new and improved Mom’s Coffee Break!! Stay tuned for details!!

Sign up for the Mom’s Coffee Break mailing list at http://mcbreminders.eventbrite.com

Don’t forget to join MCB Member’s Area ~ http://mcb.collectivex.com

She described the ring to me, “A princess-cut 1 carat diamond” she paused “‘nique” she finished again falling into the giggles.  We talked of what it would actually cost to buy a ring with a real diamond in it (anywhere from a couple thousand dollars up to five thousand.)  I told her that there is just too much practicality in me to ever buy a ring that expensive.

“Five thousand dollars!  That is a family trip or new furniture.” I told her.  We both agreed that “Diamond” (pause) “‘nique” was the way to go.  Especially, since with the advances of technology really make it hard to determine between synthetic and natural stones.  Besides, what is really important?  That you have two months’ salary on your finger or that you have a truly beautiful ring that symbolizes a priceless sentiment? Of course putting the current economy into perspective…I would think a “real” diamond rings are low on the priority list.

As family managers the stress of finances looms over us.  Money is a hot button topic, people fight over it and marriages have ended over issues related to money.  In my experience of my first marriage, my ex-husband made very poor choices when it came to the way that money was spent.  Because of this I was the one in charge of paying bills and managing our family budget.  I had failed at my attempts to make him understand the importance of not overspending and the evils of credit.  Though our marriage had much deeper conflicts that ultimately lead to our divorce, the way we fought about money definitely was a factor.  A couple months after we separated I sat down to evaluate my bills.  After paying all my bills for the month on just my salary I had more money left over than I usually did with mine and his salary combined.

As much as I felt stressed in my first marriage it pales in comparison to how I started to worry about money after becoming a mother.  Now there is the future to consider as well as just budgeting to meet the financial needs of growing children such as braces, medical bills, school cost, the cost of extra activities, not to mention sitters and transportation costs.

The Finances department is enormous all by itself, which why it is important to get control of it as soon as possible.  It is never too late to develop good communications about finances with your partner.  Ideally, there should be a discussion about handling bills before hand  about who is going to handle finances, budgeting, setting up savings, etc, but it doesn’t always happen that way.  The best way to avoid arguments about money is to talk about it before it becomes a problem.

Setting a budget is equally important; it will help to control spending when you know exactly what you have to spend.  Another important step is to track your expenditures this can be done in a simple ledger or using finance software.  I know for years I tracked my ex-husband and mine spending habit with Microsoft Money.  I was able to look at reports and find out where we were spending money and where we needed to pull in the reins a bit.  The best way to know where you can save money is to know where it is all going.

Along with budgeting your money and tracking expenditures it is important that you are a good consumer.  For example, with de-regulation there is not multiple options for utilities such as phone, cable, gas, and electric.  Bargain shop; know what each in your area is offering.  Take advantage of promotions that offer price freezing for a certain period of time; this will help you with budgeting as well.  Wait for the items you need to go on sale, the internet can also help you find the best deals on what you want. You can save money by clipping and using coupons on items that frequently use.

Avoid using credit when possible, in my current relationship we avoid using credit at all costs.  We rather put away money every week for a future purchase than have to pay additional interest.  Believe me that saving all that interest can really add up.  Credit cards and buying on time will cost you more money and keep you in debt longer.

Don’t forget to put a little away for a rainy day.  Put something aside into a savings account, even if it is a low amount.   If you put $20 away in a savings account every week for a year you will have over $1000 in the account over time that can grow into a nice chunk of money.

When it comes to money the best tool you can have is knowledge. The more time you take in educating yourself and your family on the best way to get the most “bang for your buck” along with keeping debt and the use of credit under control, will put your family in a good financial position!

Additional Resources:

• Dr. Taffy Wagner offers products to assist individuals with managing their debt.  She is a personal finances expert which I highly recommend!!
• Living a Better Life website offers free budgeting and saving tips.
• 101 Coupon Tips…To Help You Save More at the Store!!! Ebook

You oversee 1,095 meals per year- not including snacks and parties. A few smart strategies can eliminate time-robbing, last-minute trips to the store and significantly reduce your food bill, too.”

~ Family Manager - Grocery Shopping Savvy

Each evening, I use to go from the fridge to the freezer, to the cupboard again and again looking for something to “jump out” at me as if it was going to dance and sing “Cook me tonight!” Just deciding what to cook for dinner use to take forever, of course the only input that I got from my family as to what they wanted for dinner was “anything”. Because I was so unorganized I usually did not have meat thawed out or all the ingredients for what I wanted to make, not to mention that I was not including all the food groups that needed to be included for a balanced meal. By getting my “food department” organized I was able to save time, money, and created more nutritionally balanced meals for me and my family.

There are several things that as Family Manager you can do to provide nutritional meal options that still fit into your schedule. The best place to start is to make a menu of meal options for the week. This will help you cut down on preparation time and also give you a very clear vision of what needs to be purchased at the grocery store. It will also give you the chance to make sure that you are planning balanced meals and snacks. An organized kitchen will also help you save time, make meal prep and clean up easier.

If you have a crazy schedule like mine then picking one day a week to do some advance cooking might work for you. I pick one day a week usually Sunday and cook several meals that can be reheated during the week.We make a family affair out of prepping and cooking. Logan loves helping and is very good at following directions (stirring is hands down his favorite). I love it when we cook together as a family, it gives us a chance to talk over our days and be together. Get your family involved in the menu planning and cooking!Food has a way of bringing families together, I feel that sharing in the responsibility of the whole process from planning, shopping, meal prep, cooking, serving, eating, and clean up are all important. Not only are they skills that they will need later in life, but it creates a good model where everyone is responsible to do their share, not to mention it is just downright fun to do it with your family.

I usually make a soup or stew (in wintertime I make a chili which is loaded with veggies), several main dishes like meatloaf, turkey ham, or a pan of lasagna. Make up scrambled eggs, pancakes, or french toast and then freeze them into individual servings can help you give your kids a hot, filling meal that can be reheated in minutes during the morning rush. Also, preparing a big batch of jello and pudding divided into individual servings make for great snacks that are easy for the kids to grab. A little trick that I discovered a long time ago is that the sugar-free low calorie puddings and jello taste almost exactly the same so I only buy the sugar-free versions and by making it yourself it is SO much cheaper than buying already prepared pudding or jello cups. Purchase reusable Popsicle molds and make frozen pudding pops for a great tasting sugar-free snack.

Having fresh and frozen fruits on hand are a great addition to breakfast, lunch, dinner, and snack time! I often thaw frozen fruit and serve with low-fat whipped topping and call it desert. Fruits are a really great substitute for sugary snacks while still being sweet enough to feel like it is a treat. In our family we love snacking on raw vegetables; in fact we prefer raw veggies over cooked in many instances. A favorite afternoon snack of ours is a vegetable and cheese tray with fat-free ranch dressing – it makes for a very healthy snack, it is more filling and gives a nice boost of energy.

Make sure that you take inventory of what you already have on hand before meal planning and grocery shopping. I often plan my menu on items that I already have on hand to prevent food from expiring or going bad. For fresh produce buy from local farmers, utilize farmer’s markets. In the off season months I usually buy from the grocery store – if it is in your budget I highly recommend buying organic; if it is not an option or desire then make sure that you wash vegetables and fruits very well before eating.

When shopping read the labels, know what is in your food – good and bad. Sometimes with busy schedules “from scratch” isn’t an option. On my families busy nights we have chicken nuggets with a salad and fruit or yogurt. Crock pot cooking is another way to have a great family dinner when your schedule is jam packed. There are tons of great crock pot/slow cooker recipes out there, one of our favorite is homemade beef stew (recipe below), look in your grocery stores for soup packs (they usually include carrots, turnips, parsnips, celery, potatoes, and onions) that have all the veggies you need to make a great soup.

Make meal time a special time with your family, research notes positive effects on children that eat dinner with their family.  Teamwork can make meal time more enjoyable, less work, and a time for you and your family to connect, laugh, share, and grow.

Tonya’s Crock-Pot Veggie Beef Stew

Ingredients:

• 1 lb of beef cut into cubes (it can be almost any kind of beef cut it cooks so long in the crock pot I have found that most cuts come out tender)
• 2 small potatoes
• 2 small onions
• 3 medium carrots
• 2 medium celery stalks
• 6 oz of V8 juice (if your family likes their stew with a kick use the hot and spicy)
• 12 oz beef broth
• 1 envelop of vegetable soup mix
• 1 envelop of beef stew mix or brown gravy mix
• Salt (I use kosher salt – but that is just my preference)
• Pepper

Directions:
Wash, dry, and cut vegetables.
In crock-pot/slow cooker combine meat, vegetables, beef broth, V8 juice, vegetable soup mix, a pinch of salt and pepper. Fill to the top with water, set on high and let it cook. An hour before you want to eat taste the broth of the soup – if you want more beef flavor you can add an evelop of beef stew mix or brown gravy (don’t add if you are happy with the beef flavor). Serve with warm bread.

(Note: if you can substitute chicken for the beef, just change the broth and gravy mix to chicken)

USDA Food Pyramid

What is a “Healthy Diet”? - The Dietary Guidelines describe a healthy diet as one that

Emphasizes fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and fat-free or low-fat milk and milk products;

Includes lean meats, poultry, fish, beans, eggs, and nuts; and

Is low in saturated fats, trans fats, cholesterol, salt (sodium), and added sugars.

~ United States Department of Agriculture

Other Resources:

Finding Your Way to a Healthier You: Based on the Dietary Guidelines for Americans – U.S. Department of Health and Human Services

Dietary Guidelines for Americans 2005 – U.S. Department of Health and Human Services & U.S. Department of Agriculture

Dine Without Whine™ – Menu Planning Service for busy families

Mom’s Coffee Break has been going through a low point of participation currently.  I have decided for right now to cancel chats.  In the place of chats my future plans are to offer useful workshops on family management and business.

MCB was never meant to be a “one woman show” - meaning that MCB was designed to be an interactive community linking together organizations and groups that specifically targeted issues relating to working mothers.  In addition, to bringing information and resources to the working mom community I also wanted MCB to be a supportive place where we can share ideas, celebrate success, and empower each other to create our best lives.

To accomplish this we need active members and partners that will both contribute towards the community as well as be able to use the tools and resources that have been compiled.

Within my limited schedule I will be still be brainstorming ways to make MCB the vision that I see, but may need time to implement some of my ideas.  If you are interested in helping, being a member, or MCB partner, please contact me via email!!

I am looking forward to the future of MCB and hope you are too!!

With Empowering Regards,

Tonya Ramsey

Founder of Mom’s Coffee Break