Moms on the Move

We want to support and acknowledge moms. Each of you is making a difference whether you are a stay at home mom, working mom, or volunteer mom. When you become a mom, it is often easy to forget the side of you that is also a woman who may have had a career, hobbies and education before you became a parent. As a mom we spend our days multi-tasking and juggling. We are now the CEO of our households. Our job description includes diapers, dishes, carpooling, and an endless amount of laundry. Below are great tips, information and links for moms in the workplace.

Local Business Events

The Goleta Valley Chamber of Commerce started something new in 2009- Business 2 Business breakfasts on the first Tuesday of each month at Earl Warren Showgrounds in Warren Hall. Future dates:

February 2

March 2

April 6

May 4

Websites & Resources

Websites:

Magazines:

Working Woman Magazine

Tips for the Working Mom

Parent to Parent Tips:

Balancing Family Life

Don't fight change, just plan on rearranging your sleeping and waking schedule to ensure that you get quality time for you (i.e. working out, reading, correspondence etc.)
Force yourself to get into the habit of cleaning up, moving/folding laundry, preparing lunches, and planning breakfast every night, before you go to bed.
Prepare extra food on Sundays to use during the week (i.e. chop veggies and large fruits and prepare storable meals).
Always have crackers or other snacks and water in the car.
Utilize some of your lunch breaks at work to run errands (grocery shopping and post office), but also reserve some of them to refresh yourself (take a walk or eat with a friend).
As a working mom, you need to be good at multitasking and staying organized.
Try to make lunches the night before.
Pick out kids outfits the night before and
Make sure to get kids to bed early enough that they get the sleep they need.
Work as a team with your spouse, Get yourselves ready first in the morning. Wake up kids so that they have enough time to eat, get ready and play a bit before you rush out the door to daycare and school.
Try to talk about something you will do together that night before you all go in different directions. That way, you start the day on a positive note and have something to look forward to at the end of the day.

Mom in the Spotlight

Jill Helmle

(Site Photos) JillHelmleFamily.jpg

Profile:

Her husband Chad nominated Jill as Mother of the Year:

"Five years ago, Jill gave up her promising career as a consultant to become a mom of two and pursue a PhD in Communication. In spite of the incredibly challenging and stressful times, she has flourished. She graduated with her PhD and has taken up competitive running as a hobby, completing two half-marathons in the past 12 months (one in under 2-hours!). On top of all of this, she maintains an incredibly loving and compassionate home for her family. I am truly grateful to have her as the mother of my children. She continues to amaze me."

Profession: Teacher
Education: Graduated with my Ph.D. in Communication from UCSB this past December. Now looking for a great full-time position!
Children: 2 sons - Beck, age 6 yrs; Jude, age 2

Fun Q & A with our Spotlight Mom:

Personal:

What phrase or motto do you live by? "If you ever get a second chance in life for something, you've got to go all the way." - Lance Armstrong

Inspiration: My husband (Chad) has always been an incredible source of encouragement and support for me. Since birth, my babies have inspired me to be the best person I can be. I feel very blessed to have such an incredible family.

If you could teach your kids one thing and have it impact them, what would it be? To be compassionate to others.

Greatest Accomplishment: Bringing 2 beautiful boys into this world (and I hope to help them become great men!).

Proudest Moment: Becoming the first person from my family to graduate from college.

Biggest Challenge: The daily challenge of balancing parenthood, work/school, and trying to take care of things at home. Just getting dinner on the table is a challenge at times!

Sport/Exercise Program: Running - it really does help clear the (mommy!) mind.:)

Where did you grow up: Bakersfield, CA

First Job: Counter Clerk at Sparkle Cleaners when I was 16

Childhood Ambition: To be the President of the United States!

Favorites:

Favorite Local Restaurant: The Palace Grill

Favorite TV Show: The Biggest Loser, 24, Desperate Housewives

Tell us about a product or item that you can't live without as a parent: A calendar!

Each month we feature a mom making a difference in our community. We want to acknowledge working moms and stay at home moms. Suggest a mom by emailing us at info@sbparent.com.

Past profiled mom...

About Our Sponsor

Women's Economic Ventures

This page is is sponsored by Women's Economic Ventures, a non-profit organization dedicated to creating an equitable and just society through the economic empowerment of women across the globe. WEV offers a continuum of programs to help women succeed at every stage of the business lifecycle. Services include comprehensive self-employment training program, advanced training, business counseling, coaching, and networking opportunities to help individuals to startup, launch, grow, and sustain a business. WEV's service area has grown to include north and south Santa Barbara County and Ventura County with offices in Santa Barbara and Oxnard.