Celeb M.O.M: the(other)half ~ Let's Dance with Drew Lachey

{throw back Thursday}
We can all agree that dad’s are ‘m.o.ms’ too and Drew is a certifiable Master Of Multitasking in our books. 

Whether he got us up on our feet dancing as our teen idol crush with 98 Degrees, or more recently in our living rooms when he was crowned the Dancing With The Stars Champion, we might all agree Drew will inspire us not to sit around but to get up and dance.


Let’s Meet Drew Lachey ~ the (other)half

Thank you so much for taking the time to chat with us. You have truly mastered multitasking as a dad. So, let’s see what ‘the (other) half’ has to say!

We usually only hear that most women struggle with so many new emotions and unexpected feelings of going back to work after having a baby, but we know that our dads also experience a struggle as well.

M.O.M Katie ~ Isabella was born right after you won DWTS and then you went back to work shortly after just becoming a first time dad? What were your initial feelings? Was that first time away difficult?

Dad Drew ~ It's amazing how quickly your perspective changes when you have kids. Immediately your focus switches to providing for and protecting your family. Knowing that I had this beautiful baby girl depending on me was all the motivation I needed to get back to work. The first time I had to go out of town and leave them was nerve wracking. I must have called and checked in every 30 minutes. I always felt like I was going to miss something.


M.O.M Katie ~ when you are planning work schedules or events, have your priorities changed now that you are a parent? What was the most unexpected change to your day to day?

Dad Drew ~ Priorities have absolutely changed. Dance class, soccer practice, recitals pretty much trump everything when it comes to making our household schedule. Luckily my work schedule allows me a decent amount of time at home so my wife and I are able to tag team most of the stuff. If there is an option to take the whole family with me when I work that is the ideal scenario. This past summer they went with me to Pittsburgh while I did " Hairspray" and then also to Vegas while I hosted " The Price is Right" at Bally's. Once my daughter starts kindergarten next year we're going to have to rethink doing that.


M .O.M Katie ~ So, we have dad of 2 (Isabella & Hudson), husband, singer, dancer, tv host, actor, producer on your resume... can we say you like to juggle? Have you accomplished what you dreamed you would or is there something you still want to conquer?

Dad Drew ~I have done more than I ever imagined. I've always enjoyed having a lot of different things going on. You never get bored that way. Not that you can ever really get bored with 2 kids running around.


M.O.M Katie ~ I think we can add Dad-preneur to your multitasking job list too. We hear you’ve partnered with your brother(Nick) and formed your own Production Company, Flying Pig Productions company. What can we expect for 2011 with Fyling Pigs or for you on your own?

Dad Drew ~That's right. The mascot of our home town of Cincinnati is the flying pig so when it came time to think of a name for our company that seemed the perfect fit. We are currently developing 2 shows and are very excited about them. TV producing is a new adventure for me and I love the creative process of taking a raw idea and shaping it into something entertaining. As for me personally there are several things in the works. I love that I can be on Broadway one week and hosting a tv show the next week. I am living the dream!


What Are Your 3 Most Proud Dad Moments
1. When my daughter Isabella asked her teacher if she could have a solo in the Christmas play and then nailed it in the performance. I was so nervous for her.

2. When my son Hudson got a shot in his leg for one of his vaccinations and he didn't make a peep. I was prepared for him to scream and cry but he just looked at the nurse like " That's all you got?"

3. Every smile, giggle, and milestone in between. I could not be more proud of my kids. As parents we take on an amazing amount of pressure to shape these little people into good, loving, confident, compassionate human beings and everyday I am in awe of them. They must take after their Mom.....


Thank you again and I know you will inspire our community of M.O.Ms, both male and female, to go after their dreams and learn how to be a master of multitasking.

Drew Lachey, dad to Isabella Claire (born March 2006) and Hudson Nicholas (born May 2010)

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{re-introduce} M.O.MPreneurs ~ Be Inspired By Tory Burch

While you have probably heard of Tory Burch the designer, did you also know she’s a working mom and an entrepreneur? In fact, she started the company from her own kitchen like many of us mompreneurs are doing today. Tory Burch is a lifestyle brand rooted in classic American sportswear with an eclectic sensibility. It was launched in 2004 after Tory noticed a void in the market for designer clothing at an accessible price point. Tory Burch is now carried at 31 freestanding Tory Burch boutiques across the US and Asia, www.toryburch.com and over 500 select department and specialty stores worldwide. 

It is a great honor to introduce Tory Burch to our growing community of M.O.Mpreneurs. She will truly inspire us all to continue our drive to succeed.

Meet Tory Burch  

                                                                                            (photo by Charles Thompson)
M.O.M Katie ~ Many of us Moms struggle with the desire to work or stay home
after having kids, was this a factor for you or did you always envision
starting your own company before becoming a mother?

Tory ~ I had children before we started the company, so I knew it would be difficult to balance working and being a mother.  It’s hard, but we all figure out what is best for our families and for ourselves. My boys and stepdaughters keep me grounded and put things in perspective. They come first no matter what is happening at the office.

M.O.M Katie ~ Back to the Kitchen Days of Tory Burch, how did you know when
it was time to launch your first storefront and make that next step 'out of
the house' with your company?

Tory ~ From the beginning I knew that I wanted to do a lifestyle brand, and a big part of that was having a freestanding store where the customer could get the complete brand experience. So even when I was still just drafting and sorting through fabrics on my kitchen table, I kept in mind, “How is this going to look in a Tory Burch boutique?”

M.O.M Katie ~ What are some secrets to promotion and marketing on a small
mom-owned business' budget? Do you think today the social media outlets like Twitter and Facebook are a great tool for marketing/promotion for small businesses?

Tory ~We have never advertised the traditional way, so we had to get creative. From the start, we really honed in on the brand image and making sure that everything we did, from the Fashion Week presentation to marketing e-mails to the color of our office walls was on-brand.
 
Our website, Facebook and Twitter have been incredible marketing and customer service tools. They are direct lines to our customer—we know immediately what she’s thinking, good or bad. Social media is a powerful outlet for a small business owner, but in the greater picture of what is happening in the market right now, it is also the most relevant. This is how everyone is communicating, whether you’re an established or young company. 

M.O.M Katie ~ If you could give one piece of advice to your M.O.Mpreneur
community, what would that be?

Tory ~ Being a working mother can be difficult, but anything is possible if you are determined and have a strong point of view.  

B

Thank you so much for taking the time to share with us a little about the MOM behind Tory Burch.  You are a true mentor and role model for us all. 
 
Links to know:  www.toryburch.com follow Tory's Blog: http://blog.toryburch.com/ and  on twitter: @toryburch and facebook/toryburch

Tory Burch also launched her Foundation which helps other women become Entrepreneurs.   The goal of her foundation is to provide economic opportunities to American women and their families through microfinance.

   www.toryburchfoundation.org

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M.O.Ms-To-Be.. Let's Dance with Menina!

Becoming a M.O.M is a journey before, during and after pregnancy.

Something magical happens when you become pregnant whether it's your first, second,etc... Life has a whole new meaning and you soon realize that staying fit and being healthy only benefits you and your soon be baby.

Meet Menina Fortunato, a Dance professional with a passion to encourage women to feel great, stay healthy, be fit through dance.  She is also a producer, dancer, choreographer, educator, as well as a wife & new mom {all adding up to be our official M.O.M for you to know and follow}.

Menina has shared the stage and screen with many celebrities including: Britney Spears, Victoria Justice, Beyonce, Carmen Electra, ZZ Top, and Carrie Underwood, to name a few. Most recently, Menina has created an incredible custom workout for pregnant women called PRENATAL DANCE.

"Prenatal Dance" will show expecting women how to safely work out with a series of non-impact, sassy dance combinations, followed by a relaxing cool-down that will help mothers connect with their baby. 

Let's Chat with Menina for our M.O.Ms-to-Be....

It’s so hard to stay in the mindset of ‘working out’ when you are pregnant, how does your Prenatal Dance help keep us pregnant M.O.Ms motivated and excited about staying active?

It is challenging to find time and stay motivated to work out, especially when you are pregnant. I have never been one to have motivation to go to a gym to stay in shape, but I LOVE to dance. Who doesn't?! I believe the key to staying motivated is to find a FUN activity that you LOVE, that will keep you in shape as well. 

Prenatal Dance is a full body dance workout that stretches and strengthens every muscle, but most of all it's FUN.  You won't even realize you are working out, especially in the dance routine sections of the DVD.  You will learn to embrace your curvaceous body and celebrate it through dance movement. You will feel refreshed, energized and even sexy after you are done. That feeling can be addictive (in a positive way) and will keep you motivated to do the video over and over again.  

If you never ‘danced’ before, will it be hard to follow especially being pregnant?

Prenatal Dance is for anyone that loves dance. Nearly all of the women in the video had no previous dance experience. I created the workout with them in mind and created dance exercises and routines that were simple enough for the non-dancer, yet still challenging enough for any fitness guru. 

There are several modified versions of the exercises, so you can choose the version that suits you best. The warm-up is broken down into 7 sections, so you can take a break, drink some water, or even skip a section if you are not feeling as energized that day. There are 3 dance routines that each have a breakdown and performance section. The breakdown sections are useful when you are learning the routines for the first time since it is nice and slow. As you improve, you might want to skip the breakdown and go straight to the performance and "get your groove on". You have the flexibility to customize your workout and do what feels good to you.

Being a first pregnancy, the fear of child birth is within, how does Prenatal Dance prepare each woman for ease with Child birth?

Many women, including myself, have concerns for our health and the health of our babies. We want pleasant pregnancies, easy labors and most of all healthy babies.  As we prepare for one of the most life changing experiences of our lives, we must take care and prepare our minds, body and spirit. Prenatal Dance can help you maintain a healthy weight, as well as stretch and strengthen the body so it can perform at its best during labor. Dance can also relieve stress and relax the mind and the body. 

I credit dance for my healthy pregnancy, and easy labor. I danced until birth and was in the best shape of my life. As a result, I had a wonderful natural water home birth with a midwife. I had confidence and faith in my body and allowed it to do what is was designed to do. Prenatal Dance played a big part in my success.

So, you made it easy to dance while pregnant, will we see and ‘after birth’ Dance series to keep us on our toes?

I would love to create a POSTNATAL dance video for moms to get back in shape after birth. If all goes well with PRENATAL DANCE, that will be the next project ;-)

Meet M.O.M Menina

LIFE AS A NEW MOM
The day my daughter was born was the happiest day of my life. I am thankful that I had an easy water birth at home with a midwife. My husband & I used Hypnobirthing as a method to relax and eliminate the pain. The experience was the highest of all highs.
​
Becoming a new mom has been the most fulfilling roller coaster rides, to say the least. Like all moms, I had to adjust to a new way of life full of poopy diapers, car seats, strollers, diaper bags, baby wipes, nursing covers, breast pumps etc. Life isn't about me anymore. All I want is to care for my daughter and be the best mom I can be.  


Here is your chance M.O.Ms-In-Training to win your very own Prenatal Dance DVD...it's easy so, go on Enter {starting Feb.20th}

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Tuesday's Tips from Entrpeneur.com ~ 10 Social Media Tools You Should Be Using

If you don't subscribe or follow Entrepreneur.com (especially as a M.O.Mpreneur) you are missing out.  There is so much valued information from this site and magazine.

So, with that and with this social media driven society to grow businesses, here is your Tuesday Tips:

10 Little Known Social Media Tools You Should Be Using -- Now

Social media is everywhere. It's in our homes, places of worship, schools and, of course, our businesses. Everywhere you look, people are using social media and are talking about it. And it seems that every week a new type of social site pops up.

And as the number of social networking sites grows, so does the number of services that are created to measure, track and monitor those services. What's a marketing professional to do?

To help you cut through the clutter, here are the 10 must-use social media tools that can not only help you make sense of your social media efforts but make them more effective.

Read more....

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{re-taste} Taste It Thursday With our OWN Cristina Ferrare's Big Bowl Of Love of Angel Hair!

What is your best advice for M.O.Ms who want to plan a

healthy family meal? 

Keep it simple, invest in a great cast iron grill pan so you
can grill veggies,meats,poultry and fish! Use marinades
for extra flavor & tenderizing.  Try not to use 

bottle dressings they have additives and preservatives. It

takes as much time to grill  something fresh as it does to

microwave  frozen foods!

What is the key to prep meals for the week? 

click to purchase

Plan ahead, make a list, use the
suggestion I give in my cookbook
big bowl of love 

"cook once eat twice"

sometimes even three times! It

fun, easy and saves money!

Kitchen must-have or book ‘to cook by’ 

Emersion blender, grill pan, and
a well stocked pantry which I
list in the cookbook!

Recipe for our m.o.ms to enjoy  

The recipe for the angel hair pasta. Easy to
do and really light and delicious! 

 

ANGEL HAIR WITH OLIVE OIL AND LEMON

4 TO 6 SERVINGS

This is one of my favorite late-night dinners when I feel like something substantial but not too heavy. It’s one of the easiest dishes to make directly from your pantry with a couple of staple items. It takes just 20 minutes—even less once you know the routine. It’s delicious in its simplicity, with the fruity taste from the extra-virgin olive oil, the earthiness from the toasted walnuts, the slight saltiness from the fresh Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, and the clean citrus flavor from the fresh lemons. Of course I like to shake this delicate bowl up with some heat, so I always have my red pepper flakes on hand.

1 tablespoon kosher salt plus additional for sprinkling

8 ounces angel hair pasta

4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

4 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

2 tablespoons chopped

Italian parsley

2 cups Parmesan cheese

¹⁄3 cup chopped toasted walnuts

Walnut oil or olive oil

Cracked pepper

Kosher salt

2 teaspoons red pepper flakes (optional)

2 tablespoons chopped parsley

2 tablespoons chopped mint

Zest from 1 lemon

1 lemon, cut into wedges

Preheat the oven to 200°F. When the oven has reached 200°F, turn it off and place the 6 pasta bowls you are going to use for serving the angel hair inside.

Fill a pasta pot with at least 2 ½ quarts of water, and add 1 tablespoon of kosher salt. When the water has come to a boil, add the angel hair. Angel hair cooks quickly (about 3 to 5 minutes); do not overcook. The pasta continues to cook after you take it out of the water, and you don’t want to end up with soft, soggy pasta, so test for doneness by tasting a few strands. They should still have a tiny crunch when you bite into them. 

Take the angel hair out of the water with tongs, and place it in a warm pasta bowl. Do not discard the pasta water.

Into the bowl with the angel hair, add the olive oil, lemon juice, and parsley. Mix gently with the tongs; then add a ladleful of the pasta water and mix again.

Remove the pasta bowls from the oven, and divide the angel hair among them. Sprinkle a generous amount of Parmesan cheese (2 to 3 tablespoons) over the top of each serving. Add about 2 teaspoons of chopped toasted walnuts to each serving, and drizzle on some walnut or olive oil. Crack pepper to taste and sprinkle a teeny amount of kosher salt and red pepper flakes over each serving. Distribute the parsley, mint, and lemon zest evenly over the servings, and serve with a lemon wedge.

Does this delicious recipe leave you with a taste for more of what Cristina can help you cook up?  Well, here is your chance to WIN her book, Big Bowl of Love  

Here’s all you gotta do…

 Become a fan of M.O.M Blog on Facebook and Let us Know your there & comment on FB what you enjoy cooking

Giveaway ends Sunday, May 29,2011, 11pm EST 
(winner will be picked at randon)

 

FOLLOW Cristina! 

 Check local listing for Saturday times! (click logo)

Twitter:  @CristinaCooks

Purchase Big Bowl of Love 

About our M.O.M Cook Contributor Cristina Ferrare

Cristina Ferrare is an accomplished author, television talent, entrepreneur and speaker. Her bestselling cooking and lifestyle books include The New York Times bestselling Okay, So I Don't Have a Headache: What I Learned (and What All Women Need to Know) About PMS, Hormones, Stress, Diet, Menopause—and Sex and national bestsellers Cristina Ferrare's Family Entertainment: Celebrating the Life of the Home, Cristina Ferrare Style: How to Have It in a Every Part of Your Life and Realistically Ever After: When He's Not Prince Charming, You're Not Snow White, and Life's Not a Fairy Tale.

A longtime veteran of television, Cristina has most recently appeared on The Oprah Winfrey Show, dazzling audiences with her cooking demonstrations and delicious recipes. She's also co-hosted for Good Morning America and Live! with Regis and Kathie Lee. Cristina began her television career hosting her own programs, including Cristina and Friends and Home and Family, a two-hour live show from Universal Studios. Her consumer awareness CBS-TV primetime series, Shame on You, was one of the first magazine-format television programs, setting the stage for many more magazine-style primetime programs to come.

Additionally, Cristina's home accessories company, Ferrare with Company, is distributed internationally. 

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Wednesday Workspace

Could you work here?

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New Year, New M.O.Mentum with Heather Porter's Body Back!

It's a New Year and most people just try to get themselves back to the gym and 'in shape'.  Us M.O.Ms know that time and multitasking is essential to our everyday life and it's not just about 'getting in shape'.

I've recently enjoyed a new book called Body Back by Heather Porter.  As it states under the title, it really is a mother's handbook to medical, physical, and emotional well-being.  You don't have to be a brand new mom yearning to get your body back for this book to have meaning for you M.O.Ms. My baby is now 5 and going through her book brought me back to being the best ME and I can say my "M.O.Mentum" is back too!

Body Back is about making you feel like a woman again.

Celeb Mom, Jenny McCarthy also discovered her book:

“Heather [Porter] does a fantastic job providing the tools and resources towards living healthy while reclaiming all the wonderful benefits of being a woman.” – Jenny McCarthy, New York Times best-selling author, actress, and mother.

Just as Jenny was WOW’d I can assure you M.O.Ms that you will be just as impressed and will get your M.O.Mentum going this new year with Heather's book! Featuring tips from DIY beauty treatments (did you know Strawberries contain a natural astringent that whitens teeth) to advice for reducing stress, weight loss, natural home remedies (quick fact: Chamomile tea is a PMS rescue & reduces cramps), and beyond, Heather Porter has a quick fix for anything life throws your way, and when you're a M.O.M, that means anything and everything!


Meet M.O.M Heather Porter

Heather is a mom of four boys and stepmother to two girls. In addition to being an author and managing a bustling family, Heather is extremely dedicated to her charity work and running her own foundation which provides for children with disabilities.

Stay tuned and connected with M.O.M Heather.... there are more Body Back projects in the works!

twitter:  @body_back
facebook:  BodyBackBook
www.body-back.com


Here is our chat with Heather too:
What is your favorite “anywhere” exercise to do?  

“My favourite exercise that  I can do anywhere is to clench the 'butt' cheeks and squat up and down, these muscles tighten the behind. You can do 3 sets of 15 really quickly in the morning and evening. I also squat while I do other things like pick toys up, clean teeth etc. My favourite thing that can be done at home with a flight of stairs, is to walk up backwards (hold on) you will be surprised at how much more your legs feel it."

Do you find that moms feel guilty taking time for themselves? Most moms feel they have to take care of everyone else and not themselves..how can they jumpstart this and realize they NEED to take care of MOM to better the whole family?

"Moms automatically seem to feel guilty if they take time out for themselves.  We are the most selfless piece of the family puzzle.  What Moms must remember is that if they don’t take time for themselves to relax, rest or follow a hobby, they can burn out and then the family suffers two fold.  Your priorities are at the bottom of the family list of priorities and that is true to family life.  The Mom keeps it together. However Mom needs to stay happy and healthy for the environment around her to be.  A tired, strung out, exhausted Mom is not conducive to happy family life.  So how to break the habit and feel more worthy of time out? You need to look after you. Find time somewhere in your week to do something you enjoy, whether it be a hobby, study, exercise, dinner with a girlfriend (let Daddy babysit), a manicure, the list goes on. Find the balance and everyone’s will be different.  You will feel better for it.”

Ok... M.O.Ms, are you ready to get your M.O.Mentum and Body Back???

We are here to help you kick start YOUR year and M.O.Mself!  Win your copy of Body Back with M.O.Mblog HERE >

a Rafflecopter giveaway

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Wednesday Workspace ~ Traditional Style

Here is a traditional look.. could you work here?

Where do you M.O.Ms get your work done?

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