Tuesday, March 16, 2010

Reinventing MojoMom.com and moving this blog!


After seven years it had become clear that it was time to totally reinvent my website MojoMom.com, so my original web designer Patty Ayers and I really went for it–blowing up our dear old site and replacing it with a new one that offers a host of new features in one place.

Thanks to the renovation process for the new MojoMom.com, we are now able to integrate my blog and many other cool features into the home page.

It’s amazing for me to remember back to 2003 when I started launched the original MojoMom.com and think about how much has changed since then. Back in those early days I had to strike a balance between developing the website and working on finishing my book Mojo Mom: Nurturing Your Self While Raising a Family but I knew from the very start that a interactive online presence was important to me.

Since then, wow, now we practically live our lives online! It’s amazing to think I’ve been at this since “blogging” was a new idea, and “podcasting” had not yet been invented!

So as much as I loved my original online home, it's a great time to move out of my little bungalow and into much roomier digs. On the new site there is plenty of room to invite in readers and experts and create new opportunities to interact.

So I hope you will follow me to my new online home. This blog archive on Blogger, containing my posts from 2003 to now, will remain here for the foreseeable future.

All new content starting January 1, 2010 and into the future will be available on the new website.

Thanks for being my loyal blog reader and I hope to see you over at the new digs!

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Friday, March 05, 2010

Mojo Mom Podcast with Renee Trudeau and The Mother's Guide to Self-Renewal


This week I continue my podcast conversations with Courageous Parents, Confident Kids book contributors, talking to Renee Trudeau about the absolutely essential need for mothers to practice self-care. Renee knows that it's not always easy to practice self care--we each live that challenge every day, and Renee provides a warm and wise voice to help support and guide us. What I love most about Renee's work is that she is committed to helping each woman unlock her own potential and talents, and showing us how to work together with other women to bring out the best in each of us.

Listen in to this week's show:



Renee Trudeau has written extensively about self-care in her book "The Mother's Guide to Self-Renewal," and her training that teaches women how to form and facilitate their own Personal Renewal Groups. Podcast host Amy Tiemann has also written about self-care as a core principle in "Mojo Mom: Nurturing Your Self While Raising a Family." So these two have a lot to talk about!

Listen in to find out why mothers in particular have a hard time claiming their own self care as a top priority, why it's really important to learn how to do so, and how to get started. Then make sure you register on MojoMom.com to reserve a free digital download of the new book that is a collaboration between Amy, Renee, and 12 other experts, "Courageous Parents, Confident Kids--Letting Go So You Both Can Grow."

Sign up now
and we'll send you a free digital download of the new book when it's released on April 19, 2010.

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Tuesday, March 02, 2010

Forgive my "Lost" obsession

I know this blog is supposed to be about motherhood and transformation. But on Lost we have crazy-ghost?-mom-Claire going commando in the Island jungle. Is that enough of a connection? No? Too bad, because I am obsessed with Lost--and therefore I blog.

Writing about Lost can make the best of us sound nuts

The only person I know who is more obsessed with Lost than I am is "Doc" Jeff Jensen on EW.com. And he's gone above and beyond the call of duty with his analysis! Someone should give him an honorary degree, and he should be sure to take his wife out for a nice dinner on a regular basis during this last season. [Note to other Lost obsessives, of course I know you are out there and I am not trying to start a fight!]

In my Sideways-world I co-host the "Totally Lost" series with Doc Jensen. Too bad it can't last.

You see, this final season of Lost took an audacious turn when time-traveling Jack and company set of a hydrogen bomb in 1977 and destroyed the Island--creating a "Sideways" timeline, in which the island is gone, and therefore Oceanic Flight 815 never crashes in 2004, there are no castaways or Island adventure. It's important to note that with the Island's destruction, the timeline has therefore been changed significantly since 1977 and not just the supposed day of the plane crash. And then the other timeline matches back up with the past five seasons we've watched--when the bomb goes off they castaways are propelled back to "current" island time (2007) and remember the crash and their time on the Island and all that happened.

Confusing? Yes, but that's barely getting started. Last week I went on a long road trip and thought about Lost for several hundred miles. Sometimes I think I can pull together a mental picture that almost all makes sense. Darn it though, there are always loose ends. But here's my basic theory:

I think it's fair to say that blowing up a hydrogen bomb is never a good idea and always causes a mess. So I think that in 1977, when Juliet detonated the "Jughead" bomb (Jack's idea, but Juliet actually did it), that created a split in the timeline and created a "bubble" universe, a real but parallel timeline that is unstable and starting to come apart at the seams. And why is it unstable? Because the Island is gone!

I think the Island is essential to the stability of "our" whole overall universe, which in itself is not a terribly original idea, but I draw on the titles of the episodes, "The Variable," "The Constant," and the recurring Numbers that keep showing up to construct a quasi-scientific explanation. Here's my more original thought about what's going on: I think that our universe is almost stable but requires a "fudge factor" to make it work out. So the people who are associated with The Numbers are like the remainder in a cosmic division problem--for whatever reason, the whole equation of the universe doesn't quite work out if they are in it, so they have to be brought to the island (by plane crash, shipwreck, orchestrated by Jacob). This idea connects to some Creationist theories that I heard presented in campus lectures way back in college--now I am not a Creationist but with Jacob and the Man in Black running around messing with people's lives like stones on a cosmic backgammon board, I think we can assume a Creationist universe-view might apply to Lost, with the Man in Black as an important but bored "god"/symbol of chaos who is ready to "win" to end the whole game. I think that Jacob isn't purely "good," but represents the continued tinkering needed to try to keep order. Humanity's free will--to set of the bomb or not--is the wild card.

I don't even know if Google can help me bring this up, but the gist of the Creationist argument was that if gravity or the speed of light or any one of many other scientific values (constants, if you will) were even a little bit off, then the universe could not exist in its current form. The Creationists concluded, see, we barely exist so there must be a God orchestrating it all to make it work out. Scientists might say, that's right, if the constants were different, we'd have a radically different universe.

So that's why the castaways are brought to the Island that exists out of normal space and time--whether they are good or bad people, the overall puzzle pieces just can't fit with them in the world!

And here's why I think that our reluctant hero Jack will be brought back into the ultimate resolution of the series: the bubble universe is unstable, growing more so as the timeline progresses past the the point at which Oceanic flight 815 was "supposed" to crash. The wires are getting crossed--so now Sideways Jack, Kate, and John are really getting confused by echoes of their other existence. But what will the central conflict be? Jack has a son, David, in the Sideways world but is childless in the Island world. For a guy with lifelong Daddy issues this is a huge deal! And now his son's universe cannot hold--ultimately, the Island is necessary and if one universe prevails, it will be the one in which the Island still exists. Jack will do whatever it takes to save his son, even bringing David to the Island and reluctantly but voluntarily taking over the "Jacob" caretaker role himself if need be.

The Remainders

There are loose ends, of course, just like the remainders in my Numbers theory.

One loose end I really cannot tie up may seem minor but it's bugging me--how Benjamin Linus survive the Jughead explosion in 1977? He was present on the Island then in kid form. Did Richard Alpert and Eloise Hawking evacuate the Others in time? However Benjamin ended up teaching history with John Locke as a substitute teacher in the Sideways world--I love it, hilarious, but clearly that's not their ultimate destiny!

A time-traveling coda

I predict there will be a good two or three twists to come between now and the end of the show that will totally change the way we look at the whole series. (So don't hold out for the end of the series to start watching DVDs--watch it now!)

There has been enough time traveling in this show that I think we haven't seen the last of it. Someone has to end up "being his own grandpa" or some other paradoxical time travel twist. My choices:

Penny and Desmond's baby Charlie is actually supposedly-villainous Charles Widmore.

Or, mysterious dude Matthew Abbadon is actually grown up Future Walt come back to try to fix things.

And, Jack's Grandpa Ray whom we met in the retirement home is actually his son David, saved from the unstable bubble universe by the magic of time travel. (A loophole that Jack finds and negotiates in return for staying on the Island?)

And most going out on a limb, our friend Desmond, who somehow operates out of the rules that govern everyone else, is a Christ-like figure who is a roving constant who can operate in the real world, usually unaware of what he's doing.

Okay, enough crazy theories for one day. I hope that at least some of what I have said hits the mark!

--Doc Tiemann

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Friday, February 26, 2010

Mojo Mom Podcast with Balancing Professionals career expert Kella Hatcher

I'm continuing my series of Mojo Mom Podcast conversations with Courageous Parents, Confident Kids contributors, this week speaking with Kella Hatcher of Balancing Professionals consulting. Kella, collaborating with her business partner Maryanne Perrin, contributed a chapter on "Tools for Career Reinvention" to our new book.

Listen to the podcast now:



This week Mojo Mom is talking career strategies with Kella Hatcher, who along with Maryanne Perrin is a principal in Balancing Professionals consulting, advocating or a flexible, strategic, sustainable workplace. Kella and Maryanne have also contributed a chapter on career development to the new anthology that Amy Tiemann is editing, "Courageous Parents, Confident Kids -- Letting Go So You Both Can Grow."

Kella and Amy talk about strategies for lifelong career development, on-ramping, putting your best foot forward and getting your confidence back as you craft your own path, which may go "off-road" rather than follow a career ladder. Fortunately, these days more workers are advocating for alternative, flexible work, and that will benefit both Moms and Dads. Workplace change is coming, and we are the pioneers!


Get a digital download of our new book for free! Sign up on www.MojoMom.com

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Wednesday, February 24, 2010

Free training on "Getting Kids to Listen:" March 18 webinar with Mojo Mom and Positive Parenting Solutions

"Getting Kids to Listen: The 5 R's of Fair and Effective Consequences"

You're invited to a complimentary webinar sponsored by Mojo Mom author Amy Tiemann Ph.D. and presented by Amy McCready of Positive Parenting Solutions.

Amy McCready and Amy Tiemann have collaborated on a new book, the anthology Courageous Parents, Confident Kids — Letting Go So You Both Can Grow, to be released this April. Now they are teaming up to bring you this new webinar, teaching concrete and effective strategies about Getting Kids to Listen.


Thursday, March 18, 2010, 9-10 PM (EST)

Who Should Attend: Parents of children ages 1-16 who want to learn concrete tools to effectively correct misbehavior without yelling, nagging or punishing.

What You'll Learn: Amy McCready, Founder of Positive Parenting Solutions will present a fun and interactive training session designed to teach you:

- Why kids really misbehave. The answer may surprise you.

- Positive Power... Why kids MUST have it & how to give it without “giving in.”

- Courageous Parenting... Holding kids accountable without being the bad guy.

- The 5 R's of Fair and Effective Consequences

- New resources to reduce parenting stress and feel more confident for any parenting challenge.

Date: Thursday, March 18, 2010

Time: 9:00 – 10:00 p.m. Eastern


Access: All you need is a computer with a speaker to hear the presentation. We'll send you the log in instructions.

Cost: No charge for participants at the live event! The webinar recording will be available for purchase for those who could not attend the live presentation for $29.95.

Please feel free to invite other parents who want to learn proven tools to reduce their parenting stress.

Note Taking Guide: Print this Note Taking Guide (PDF) so you can follow along and get the most out of the webinar.

How It Works: You'll receive an email confirmation with the link to access the webinar. When you "enter" the webinar, you'll see the session slides on your screen as well as a video box to see the presenter and a chat box to type questions or make comments.

While you can see the presenter, no one can see you. You will be able to "go to class" from the comfort of your home and learn how you can reduce parenting stress and feel more confident in the most important job you will ever have.

RSVP: Register now at PositiveParentingSolutions.com

We'll see you at the Webinar! --Amy Tiemann and Amy McCready

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Monday, February 22, 2010

Announcing our Courageous Parents, Confident Kids book cover and contents


I've been "in the hive" all winter working on editing the new book, Courageous Parents, Confident Kids -- Letting Go So You Both Can Grow. We reached a major milestone today with the creation of our book cover!

My thanks go out to Dunn + Associates Design and illustrator Jane Mjolsness for their stunning work! In the book creation process, things always begin to feel "real" when the cover is done.

The new book will be released in paperback in April, and best of all, you register to get a free digital download of the complete book by signing up on MojoMom.com

I am very excited to share this innovative parenting resource with you, created in collaboration with the following amazing experts who contributed chapters.

Here is a preview of Courageous Parents, Confident Kids -- Letting Go So You Both Can Grow

Introduction by the Editor, Amy Tiemann, Ph.D., author of Mojo Mom: Nurturing Your Self While Raising a Family.

Part 1: The Courage to Invest in Your Own Development

The Transformative Power of Self-care by Renee Peterson Trudeau, life coach and author of The Mother's Guide to Self-Renewal.

Tools for Career Reinvention by Kella Hatcher and Maryanne Perrin, founders of Balancing Professionals.

Part 2: Developing Your Own Courageous Parenting Style

The Courage to Let Our Kids Solve Their Own Problems by Maya Frost, international lifestyle design expert and author of The New Global Student.

The Courage to Become Your Own Parenting “Expert” by Melissa Stanton, author of The Stay-at-Home Survival Guide. Visit Melissa at www.RealLifeSupportForMoms.com

The Power of Personal Significance for Kids of All Ages by Amy McCready, parent educator and founder of Positive Parenting Solutions.

I’m Worried I Worry Too Much, But How Do I Stop? by Jamie Woolf, leadership expert and author of Mom-In Chief.

Part 3: Real-world Safety Skills for All

Kidpower: Skills for Safety, Skills for Independence by Irene van der Zande, co-founder and Executive Director of Kidpower, Teenpower, Fullpower International.

How to Say Yes to Your Kids’ Online Activities by Linda Criddle, internet safety expert and creator of iLookBothWays.com

Part 4: Finding Your Voice and Raising It for the Community

Becoming a Political Parent: PunditMom on Mothers Raising Their Voices Online by Joanne Bamberger, journalist and founder of PunditMom blog.

Building a Family-friendly America: Challenge and Progress Through the Eyes of MomsRising.org by Kristin Rowe-Finkbeiner, co-founder and Executive Director of MomsRising.org

It Takes a Motherhood by Cooper Munroe and Emily McKhann, co-creators of the award-winning online community, TheMotherhood.com

***

Our goal with Courageous Parents, Confident Kids is to share core concepts and skills you can build upon to become a courageous parent. When you do so, you can experience tremendous growth throughout your whole family, kids and parents included.

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Friday, February 19, 2010

Mojo Mom Podcast with "Switch" co-author Dan Heath

Don't you love the feeling of having just the right book come into your life at just the right time? That's how I feel about the new book Switch: How to Change Things When Change is Hard. Reading Switch helped me understand with more clarity what my anthology contributors and I are trying to accomplish with our new collaboration Courageous Parents, Confident Kids. There has been a lot written to motivate people to give their kids more freedom and responsibility. Now with Courageous Parents, Confident Kids. we are adding to that conversation by providing toolbox of skills to help parents and families reach that goal.

I highly recommend Switch for anyone who is involved in leadership or change--and that would include all parents! The new book, which is the Heath Brothers' follow up to their bestseller Made to Stick: Why Some Ideas Survive and Others Die, has just come out this week, and Switch has already rocketed up the bestseller list on Amazon.com. So it is a real pleasure to welcome Switch author Dan Heath to The Mojo Mom Podcast this week.

Listen to the podcast now:



The Mojo Mom Podcast is all about providing parents with valuable information that applies to all aspects of life. Parents are leaders and change agents. So this week Amy Tiemann welcomes Dan Heath back to the podcast to talk about his brand-new bestseller co-authored with Chip Heath, "Swtich: How to Change Things When Change is Hard."

Whether you are a PTA volunteer, community organizer, or CEO, "Switch" will change the way you look at change. In this interview, Dan explains the guiding metaphor of "Switch" and inspiring examples of people creating big change in difficult situations.

Listen in, check out the Heath Brothers' website for more information, and read Amy Tiemann's full review of "Switch."

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