In honour of Mother’s Day, Fast Company published an article: The Mother of All Branding Opportunities. In it, the author talks about the boom in mommy blogs and entrepreneurs who have made motherhood part of their brand strategy. He also referenced the public outcry that ensued when a Democrat said Mitt Romney’s wife “hadn’t worked a day in her life” because she was a stay-home mom. Ouch. Anyone who has taken care of a child for even a day can see the inaccuracy of that comment.
It used to be that you had to choose between being a stay-home mom and earning an income. Now internet and social media allows mothers to do both. While mothers who work outside the home are often forced to compartmentalize their lives, leaving motherhood behind when they go to the office, moms who brand themselves as such can be moms 24/7! With authenticity being the most important aspect of blogging, moms who share their lives with their readers offer an invaluable sense of identification and camaraderie.
I read at Copyblogger that the most successful email subject line is “You are not alone.” Those four words have a nearly 100% click through rate when used in email marketing. That helps explain the success of mommy bloggers. The sense of isolation that stay-home moms sometimes feel is alleviated by the knowledge that someone else is sharing their experience…and writing about it. That feeling, like the work stay-home moms do day after day, is priceless.
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For fashion eye candy, nothing beats the annual Met Ball. Fashionista: See What Everyone Wore to the 2012 Met Gala
Not everyone is thrilled with Vogue‘s Health Iniative. Shop Talk: So Vogue is Going to Promote “Healthier” Body Image. Hm.
Oprah’s still got it! Oprah.com: 16 Lessons We Learned from Oprah’s Lifeclass
Shameless self-promotion: my post in Yummy Mummy. Yummy Mummy Club: It takes a Village to Raise a Child
Calorie counting starts way too young. In The Powder Room: Skeletons in Our Closets
Age has become a disease, to be cured and eradicated. Stylist.co.uk: Why Are We Scared of Growing Old?
Let go and it will come to you. Daily Good: 15 Things You Should Give Up To Be Happy
Not surprise here: self-esteem comes more easily to those surrounded by supportive loved ones. Daily Mail Online: Women with supportive families are not pressurised by ‘thin and beautiful’ ideal
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Blogger Stylish Thought posted her Thought of the Day on Facebook:
“It’s not your job to like me – it’s mine.” -Byron Katie
Wow.
Did you ever have one of those teaching opportunities with your kids (or students, or someone who looks up to you) where they say something off the cuff and you know you have to jump in there with a life lesson, that rare moment when you realize you really do know more than someone else and have the chance to impart some wisdom?
Like when your kid who is now in Grade 3 tells you about a girl she hates from her Grade 1 class and says the reason she hates her is because this girl accused her of being more than just friends with a boy they both know. The only thing more disturbing than her use of the word ‘hate’ is that she’s been carrying this feeling around for two years!
Your first impulse might be to scold her for using strong language or to say ‘stop being so sensitive’. But the real answer, as the quote above maintains, is promoting self-love. It does hurt when someone doesn’t believe you or lies to you, but you have to know that having the truth inside yourself is enough. That is self-love. Understanding and accepting that life is sometimes unfair but you won’t let how you feel be dictated by external circumstances. That is self-love.
You can’t control what other people say or do. You can control whether or not you let it affect the way you feel about yourself.
And you can forgive them for not being perfect.
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Gratitude is the key the happiness. Oprah.com: 11 Reasons to be Grateful Today
Attitudes are contagious. Are yours worth catching? Flickspire: Attitude is Everything
Have you ever lost yourself in your work, so much so that you lost track of time? Daily Good: 9 Steps to Achieving Flow in Your Work
Marc and Angel Hack Life: 12 Universal Skills You Need To Succeed at Anything
This notion of loving one’s enemies. This was my inspiration. Daily Good: Radical Love and Holy Play
World’s leading fashion mag takes a stand, sets a precedent. Fashionista: Vogue will no longer work with unhealthy-looking or under-16 models
Where was this class when we were in school? Help Others.org: 177 Messages of Kindness
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It might be time for another trip to NYC! My last jaunt to New York was to catch the tail end of the McQueen exhibit at the Met Costume Institute. Now The Met has launched a tribute to two of fashion’s enduring female design icons: Miuccia Prada and Elsa Schiaparelli which, according to Fashionista, explores common themes in the designers’ work.
In other fashion news (and this is big!) Vogue has launched a health initiative manifesto which editors hope will benefit the well-being of both its models and readers. I swear to you I saw this in a dream and now it’s come true! Vogue has pledged in writing not to use models under the age of 16 or who appear to have an eating disorder. For models younger than 16, Vogue will “help to structure mentoring programs where more mature models are able to give advice and guidance to younger girls.” Please click through to Fashionista.com to read the manifesto in its entirety. It’s glorious, and as one of my Facebook readers commented: “Let’s hope it sticks!”
A snob is anybody who takes a small part of you and uses that come to a complete vision of who you are. Youtube: Alain de Botton: A kinder, gentler philosophy of success.
What hurts you blesses you. Darkness is your candle. Daily Good: Lessons from those who Lost…And Found
In a disappointing display of irony, organizers of Harvard’s student-run fashion show, have digitally altered models’ bodies. The Harvard Crimson: Don’t Suffer for Fashion
You only live once, but if you do it right, once is enough. Marc and Angel Hack Life: 12 Things You Should Be Able To Say To Yourself
You may have heard how Ashley Madison has offered a bounty of $1 million to anyone who can offer proof of having had sex with Tim Tebow. Washington Post: The Temptation of Tim Tebow
Merchants might want to consider ways to mitigate the stress that their customers experience while trying on clothing in harshly lit, mirrored dressing rooms. ABC News: Why Does Swimsuit Shopping Drive Women Wild?
The group aims to perpetuate positive female body images and attributes. The Flat Hat: LoveYourSelf Encourages Open Dialogue About Body Image and Self-Esteem
It’s so good to see an older woman portrayed in a glamorous way. That’s Not My Age: Older Models: Daphne Selfe (via Already Pretty)
Have you heard? Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt are getting married! Fashionista: Our Wedding Dress Suggestions for Angelina Jolie (And Her Right Leg)
CNN: Vulnerability expert Brene Brown confronts shame head on in this TED Talk
Those Graces: How To Style TOM’s Shoes
For six hours each day, Bermuda’s Johnny Barnes stands at a busy traffic intersection telling all who pass that he loves them. KarmaTube: Mr. Happy Man
HelpOthers.org: Kindess Adventures of “Boss Lady”
CurlBOX is a sampling program for women with lovely curly locks. Lipstick and Luxury: Take a peek inside the April Curlbox!
I went searching for a list for moms with sons. This search was mostly fruitless, so I was inspired to write my own. The Good Men Project: 25 Rules for Moms With Sons
My Body Gallery is a unique website which shows “what real women look like”. You punch in your height, weight and clothing sizes and up pops a photo of a woman who shares your stats, a you are not alone philosophy, and you might be pleasantly surprised by what you see! Today My Body Gallery sent me its email newsletter containing an insightful article by guest author Rebecca Williams who writes:
Debra Gano, self-esteem leader and CEO of Be Your Own You
Who do you think you are writing about the trials and tribulations of being thin? Gappy Tales: Body Image and Body Acceptance
To know yourself, be yourself. Daily Good: How to Attend a Conference As Yourself
‘Fat talk’ can result in decreased body self-esteem and higher levels of depression. Medical News Today: Depression, Poor Body Image Result From Negative Talk About Weight
5 quick lessons in creativity. Copyblogger: 5 Lessons in Creativity from the Return of Ze Frank
Having spent years in the externally-focused ‘glamour’ industry, Gano now seeks to teach girls “it’s what’s inside that counts.” Chron.com: Girls’ Self-Esteem Expert Headlines Girls World Expo 2012
Everyone’s path to happiness is different, but these Ten Keys tend to have a positive impact on people’s overall happiness and well-being. Daily Good: 10 Keys to Happier Living
I may have found the most interesting Facebook page ever. It’s called A Man’s Point of View and it doesn’t hate women! Check out some of these captioned photographs from the Page:
Most of the time I’m afraid to look at any media geared toward men because I can’t stomach the low esteem in which they hold women. A Man’s Point of View and The Good Men Project are two examples of ‘men’s media’ with a more enlightened outlook.
