As parents, we often put everything and everyone else's priorities above our own. Our 'to-do' list grows daily and anything personal on that list either perpetually moves down or falls off all together never to be seen again.

It is extremely important to remember to make some time for yourself - a little bit each day or maybe once or twice per week. Do something that is just for you - whether it be pampering, reading, taking a walk, taking a nap, listening to your favorite music, connecting with special friends, etc.

If you are not taking care of yourself - physically, emotionally, etc., then the people you love will suffer as will your business.

We all need to be in top form if we want to maximize what we do for our families and businesses.

Right now - take a few minutes and look at your schedule (yes, you should have one and that's another post entirely that is coming soon) and block out some time for YOU!

Here's to a happier, healthier, more productive YOU!

Julianne Alvarez-Wish is a military wife, mother, business owner, professional writer, blogger and legislative advocate. She is the Director of Communications for Our Milk Money, the Colorado State Leader for the National Association for Moms in Business and the owner of Buy By Mom and Buy By Mom Blog. She also blogs at Wishful Thinking and is a Stay-at-Home Mom examiner for Examiner.com. Her passion, purpose and goal is to help parents work from home so they can be home with their children.

Ellen Levinas, Born and Raised in Brooklyn, New York has a long history of working experience, and educational background. Creation and writing has always been a passion of Ellen’s that has turned into a successful Virtual Assistant business, but not without the hard work and effort put forth by Ellen’s “Go Get them” Attitude.

Ellen is a published author of how-to guides, as well as a graduate of the University of Phoenix, where she obtained her Bachelor of Science degree in Business/E-business, she also has many years of experience in office management, administrative assistant work, and a vast array of other skills contributing to her Virtual Assistant business today.

Ellen’s primary goal is to help people succeed no matter what business that they are in. Thus we have her Virtual Assistant business in which Ellen helps people do the work that others are unable to do, do not know how to do, or simply don’t have enough time to do. Ellen’s willingness to help anyone that needs a helping hand can be seen in her many testimonials of very satisfied clients.

Ellen’s motto that she uses until today is to “Never say never” and “I will see you at the top” because being at the top of your field is an obtainable and very reachable goal if you want it badly enough, hence, “Never say never.”

Another one of Ellen’s attributes, while providing a professional work ethic enriched with honesty, and trustworthiness, is her willingness to do all of her work with a so called “personal touch.” Well, you might be wondering what this means, no doubt. To Ellen it means that whatever her work might entail, communication is the key to her and YOUR success! No task will go unfinished until a client is 150% satisfied. This has worked wonders for Ellen in the past, and she will continue to do what brought her here in the first place, simple and straight forward communication, honesty, and trust.

Ellen is sponsoring a giveaway on Facebook and on her site. It is for a customized Facebook Fan Page with a value of $100-$199! Anyone can qualify by fanning her page and subscribing to her newsletter...there is no purchase required. The contest runs until 9/30/10.

"The Caregiver Organizer for My Child organizes the information only YOU know." from www.TheCaregiverOrganizer.com

Not to oversimplify...but what happens when you go to the grocery store without a list? You wind up spending money on things you already have and not buying things you really need. Now, imagine trying to do the same with a child! Lists are a must as is being organized in order to be effective while caring for a child. The more organized you are, the more stress-free you and are and the more free time you have to enjoy your child and your family.

The Caregiver Organizer provides everything we moms need to communicate to others everything they need to know to care for our children...whether it be a regular day care provider or an occasional babysitter. It also contains a place for us parents to to document information we would need - daily and in case of an emergency. An emergency is not the time to try to remember all the important details.

The Caregiver Organizer for My Child is divided into sections, each serving its own purpose. Each section deals with a different aspect of childcare from naps, to feeding, and things your child is and is not allowed to do. The book is easy to customize. It is a living document that will grow with you and your family.

The authors of The Caregiver Organizer for My Child, Melissa Bishop and Karen Berg, have some great suggestions on how best to use the guide. They suggest printing out the pages and putting them in a 3-ring binder with their table of contents as a guide to sections. They also make the brilliant suggestion of putting copies of forms in multiple sections as a cross-reference (this way anyone should be able to find the information they need!).

The Caregiver Organizer for My Child is all-inclusive. It covers everything:

• Daily routines
• Allergies
• School
• Activities
• Likes and dislikes
• How to discipline(great section - consistency is so important!)
• Pets

It also includes sections for sitters and nannies to take notes on their time with the child(ren).

There is a wonderful comprehensive Emergency section to include not just medical emergencies, but all different kinds and how to handle them. By using this section, everything is pre-determined and written down which is quite helpful during the stress of an emergency. There is of course, a complete medical section as well.

If that were not enough, The Caregiver Organizer for My Child helps you interview babysitters and nannies. It even has a template for you to use when entering into a contract with a nanny/caregiver. It is very thorough.

The Caregiver Organizer for My Child contains all that and more! You really must obtain this e-book and customize it for your child(ren). I have and I love it!

I think the authors have really thought of everything! Now that I've read The Caregiver Organizer for My Child, and used it, I cannot imagine being without it!

Through Beaded Jewels "Bracelets of Hope"

Lexi Butler certified jewelry designer/maker founder and owner of the online boutique Beaded Jewels has experienced the devastation of cancer, directly through her dad who was diagnosed in 2003 with stage four colorectal cancer. When she heard the devastating news from her mother over the phone, she took an emergency flight to Germany to see her father one more time...or so she thought.



Nothing could prepare her for what she was about to see, once she reached her family’s home. The handsome man in stature had shriveled into this pale, bald, skinny, almost not recognizable human being...a picture that would stay with her for years to come. Today, her father is a six year survivor and they thank God for each day he gets to live.




During her life in Germany, she knew her dad not only as the father figure, but as the boss of his jewelry company. As she grew, she also learned the trade of goldsmith and jewelry design; she decided to become certified in both. For many years, she has wanted to help and make a difference, but did not quite know how to go about it.



As many people today, she was uninformed about the many types of main cancer alone that affect thousands of people everyday. She wanted to make a difference and help inform people and spread cancer awareness nationwide through a unique way - by designing and handcrafting each Beaded Jewels Bracelet of Hope with love. Knowing herself how devastating cancer is she wants to "Bring a Little Sparkle into Someone's Life" which is the motto behind these bracelets.


I can attest to the quality of the bracelets and the wonderful personalization options available. I own one of her designs. My Dad was diagnosed with and survived prostate cancer only to be diagnosed with colon cancer. He recently had surgery and is recovering. The picture below is one I took of the bracelet Lexi made for me in honor of my Dad (I apologize for the quality). If you know someone who has cancer, these bracelets make great gifts...or order one for yourself in honor of a friend or family member.

Buy By Mom is entered into the StartUp Nation contest to become one of the top 200 mom owned business for 2010. Please vote for us! You can also sign up on the site to have a voting reminder sent to you daily with a link that will take you to the Buy By Mom page.

As we gain more exposure, so do you...all of our Featured Moms, moms that host giveaways, Featured Sponsors!

Please take a moment right now to vote for Buy By Mom! Click here to vote!

Hi, my name is Brandy! I'm a full-time wife and mommy to 4 beautiful Children ages 9,6,4,3 From the day my 1st son( that was 9 years ago) was born I knew I wanted to be home to take care of my family. I hoped for my husband to get a raise or a better job. I didn’t know how to take control and make it happen for my family. I needed a way to earn from home. I wasn’t able to find that until right before my Daughter was born that is my three year old. I was particular and wasn’t looking for anything that required people to spend money on stuff they didn’t need. With the economy right now most people are having a hard time just making it; they can’t afford nonessential items. I also knew up front I didn’t want to work with a MLM company or do parties. I knew in order to be successful I would need to find a company that was risk free, reputable & one that has been around for quite some time. I didn’t want any hidden fees, selling or any inventory. I wanted something anyone could do and something that didn’t have a huge investment involved! My last requirement was No Telemarketing. After a lot of searching I finally found a company that met all my criteria and more. Finding a company that has never been affected by a recession and actually grows during that time was a major bonus!

These are the things that I do right from my home: set appointments; market my free website (training provided); dial people into overview calls; set up online accounts; help others do what I do & earn residual income that grows every single month!! I started working this part time Three Years ago because I was working full time; so I had to fit it in where I could. I am now home full time! I’ve actually received Last year Over 45,000 , that was more then I was making in the corp. world. How you work this depends on your income goals, everything is month to month, no contracts or quotas and no monthly fees. I call the shots and still spend quality time with my family. If my daughter has a dance recital I don’t have to ask permission to leave work or take the day off. I can work completely around my family. When I started I was nine months pregnant, so I know anyone can do this. This is not a “get rich quick scheme”’ it definitely requires hard work and determination, but it is so worth it. It was scary looking for a legitimate company, but I found one that is making my family’s dreams come true. If you are in the same situation as I was and you'd like more information go to my website at: http:// www.workathomeunited.com/brandy

You can view the link that says view more and then if you would like me to contact you, please click the link that says Get More Info. Now! and give some basic information and I get back to you! It only takes 25 minutes to get you all the details on the company so you can decide if we are a good fit for you. We may or may not be what you are looking for, but at least you’ll know.