Summer Lovin’

Summer congers up images of sand, surf, swimming, sailing and perhaps the thought of, some serious sweating.   Summer is a season that I most enjoy (except when I have to work inside on the most magnificent of days) and Summer is the name of a woman I so admire.  I had the great pleasure of interviewing Summer Sanders, U.S. Olympic swimmer, Celebrity Apprentice contestant, TV Personality and mom of two. Call it ironic but, Summer won gold medals in the 200-meter BUTTERFLY- clearly we were destined to meet.

During MyWorkButterfly’s interview, Summer revealed how hard it was to leave her son and daughter for one month while working and helping to raise money as an Ambassador for her much adored not-for-profit, Right to Play.  “Right to Play improves the lives of children in some of the most disadvantaged areas of the world by using the power of sport and play for development, health and peace.”  How’s that for mentoring her children?

Use Summer to inspire your own wishes and dreams, know that your children will love you if your work or passion should lead you away temporarily.  Get rid of the guilt and hook up with Summer and follow your dreams of parenting and productivity.

Become inspired too by the wonderful blogs from fellow Butterfly moms:
Music to Job Search by, by Carol Camerino
Following Through, by Julie Cole
Child Safety Tips, by Jill Starishevsky

Inspirationally yours,
Bradi
Co-Founder and Mother
Work/Life Advocate
MyWorkButterfly.com
Follow us on Twitter @Butterflymoms
Fan us on Facebook (Nicole Richie is a Fan!)

Flex-Friendly Job and Worthy Mom Blogger Reads

Let’s get Butterfly moms to work and get right into it this week. SO many of you responded to the amazing offering of immediate employment from Maidenform at Home. You told us that you sent emails inquiring to learn more about the openings and shared your feelings about “wanting” to learn more and even went as far as to say, I “should” call or email them. Here is the deal- you have nothing to lose! Maidenform is a company rich in history. It is a brand that our mothers and even our grandmothers grew up with. Some interesting tidbits: The founders of Maidenform (Ida and William Rosenthal and Enid Bissett) designed a bandeau with two cups separated by a center piece of elastic, sewn into dresses in 1922. And, in 1942 Maidenform Brassiere Company filed a patent for the adjustable bra strap fastener. Who knew? Find comfort (no pun intended) in knowing that Maidenform is a brand and company that you can TRUST. For those of you who are currently employed, use this as a moonlighting opportunity to make additional money. Heck, even Terry and I have plans to host a personal Maidenform at Home party of our own; with so many holiday gifts to buy, we could all use a little extra green right about now! Pattie Ficorilli is the one in charge of helping us to make that happen- Join Pattie’s Maidenform at Home Group in Butterfly’s group section and say “Hi!”

After you’ve clicked through and emailed Maidenform at Home, take a trip with us over to the blog section to read some outstanding Butterfly Mom uploads:

· Stacey Berman writes: What do you want to be when you grow up?
· Dorothy Tannahill-Moran shares: Job Search: Holiday Dead Zone for Job Seekers
· Terrie Handley speaks of Gratitude
· Priscilla Pride gives a nod to the Poli-Butterfly- What you must know about politicos

One last stop, Butterfly has teamed up with Z100 DJ, Danielle Monaro to create a unique online charity auction. Danielle has a message for you. Watch her and then BID at Butterfly until November 14 to help her/us raise money for March of Dimes! Or, simply help by spreading the word! Auction prizing Includes:

· Lunch with Z100 DJ, Danielle Monaro (you/guest)
· Two Tickets to Jingle Ball, Dec. 10, 2010, NYC
· Meet-n-Greet with Enrique Iglesias at Jingle Ball, NYC
· Z100 Studio Tour/Meet Z100’s Morning Zoo, NYC

Have a wonderful week as you begin to prepare for Thanksgiving.

Warmly,
Bradi and Terry
Co-Founders and Mothers
Work/Life Advocates
MyWorkButterfly.com
Follow us on Twitter @Butterflymoms
Fan us on Facebook (Nicole Richie is a Fan!)

Win Jingle Ball 2010 tix, Meet Enrique Iglesias, Lunch w/ Danielle Monaro, Z100 Studio Tour!

Win Jingle Ball 2010 tix, Meet Enrique Iglesia, Lunch w/ Danielle Monaro!

Lunch with Z100’s Danielle Monaro, Meet Enrique Iglesias, Rock out at Jingle Ball, NYC!

BID NOVEMBER 4-14 AT MYWORKBUTTERLFY.COM TO BENEFIT MARCH OF DIMES!

 

WHO: MyWorkButterfly.com, the most comprehensive social networking site that provides free resources to help return-to-work moms and working moms, is made up of a community of parents who have an overwhelming desire to make a positive impact in the lives of children.

March of Dimes is the leading non-profit organization for pregnancy and health.
March of Dimes researchers, volunteers, educators, outreach workers and advocates work together to give all babies a fighting chance against the threats to their health: prematurity, birth defects, low birth weight. MyWorkButterfly.com proudly presents this auction with Danielle Monaro to help raise funds to benefit March of Dimes, which relies on donations to execute its important mission.
The highest bidder will win:

ü Lunch Date in NYC area with Danielle Monaro (You/Guest)

ü Visit to Z100 studio with Morning Zoo crew in NYC/Memorabilia (You/Guest)

ü Two Highest-priced Tickets to Z100’s Jingle Ball Concert in NYC on
December 10, 2010 AND a “Meet & Greet” with Enrique Iglesias,
Singer of Jersey Shore’s Hit Song, “I like it.”

ü Moms’ 3-Hr. Workweek Business-in-a-Box solution

WHEN: Bidding will take place over a ten-day period, November 4-14, 2010

HOW: Visit MyWorkButterfly.com to bid on “A Z100 Experience with Danielle Monaro” auction on November 4-14, 2010.

While there, you can also take advantage of MyWorkButterfly’s free resources in child care, career counseling, financial, parenting, psychotherapy, health, fitness, travel, as well as 10,000+ job opportunities and celebrity “Mom Mentor” videos. Your donation will positively impact babies’ lives forever.

When you sign-up to become a member of MyWorkButterfly.com, you will receive a FREE 8×10 Canvas Portrait!

CONTACT:
Terry Starr, Co-Founder, MyWorkButterfly, tstarr@myworkbutterfly.com
Bradi Nathan, Co-Founder, MyWorkButterfly, bnathan@myworkbutterfly.com

For auction questions, contact Taylor Robles of Auction Cause, the auction management agency, at 323-655-0554

Unemployment and Exhausted Benefits ~ There is Hope!

For every report we read that says employment is on the rise, there are thousands more that confirm that unemployment remains at 9.5%. The mass of “mompreneurs” in the Butterfly community supports the theory that private employment is on the rise and that should give hope to some! More good news according to Business and Finance News: “The first ever 99er Tier 5 unemployment benefits extension bill is available. So what does the bill do for families in America? First, it provides an additional 20 weeks of benefits to those who have exhausted their 99 weeks of unemployment. Benefits are not paid retroactively, but eligibility is retroactive. Meaning if you exhausted your 99 weeks three months ago, you can start receiving benefits now, but you won’t receive benefits for the three months prior to passage of the bill. Not every one will be eligible for the 20-week extension. Those in states with under 7.5% unemployment rates aren’t eligible. In addition, employers that hire workers that have been unemployed for long terms will get certain tax incentives. The hope is that this will bring more jobs into the market, helping people thrive financially without depending on extension after extension of unemployment benefits.”

While the extension allows for some of you to hold on a little bit longer, so should these words of encouragement from fellow Butterfly mom Mandi Hayes-Spencer who uploaded a wonderful blog recently entitled:

Work, Worry and Chaos: Remembering Why You Do What You Do that forces those of you who work in what may not be considered your “dream job” to rethink and ask yourself, “Is it really that bad?”

Here are some ways to cheer you up further:

1. FREE~ FOUR tickets to Sesame Place! Contest ends August 15^th!
2. WIN~ Colbie Caillat concert tix, R/T air to LA, Guitar, Portrait, Meet/Greet and more to benefit VH1 Save The Music. Bid now!
3. OWN~ Mommy-and-Me program. Work a 3- hr. workweek! Purchase this business-in-a-box solution now! More info email: foryoutwoinfo@gamil.com.

It’s all good!
Best,

Bradi and Terry

Co-Founders, Mothers, Wives and Workers

MyWorkButterfly.com

Follow us on twitter @Butterflymoms

Mean Girls and Where to Find the Nice Ones!

What do Chelsea Clinton and Alicia Keys have in common? They both rocked Vera Wang dresses this past weekend, in two very different ceremonies, as they exchanged their “I Do’s”. While an expecting Alicia married her DJ lover, Chelsea opted for the Wall Street Banker (doing her parents proud we are sure). Both weddings appeared in Google’s “top 10” trend list proving that we are either romantics at heart, or that we are simply happy to see two “nice girls” find love. For Chelsea, we suspect that upholding her “nice girl” image to be exasperating at times (thanks to dear old dad’s screw-ups – pun intended).
If life could be filled with Alicia’s and Chelsea’s, then we wouldn’t have to endure the “mean girl” chat with our own daughters now, would we? We checked in with Butterfly’s resident Psychotherapist, Julie Potischman, to find out how to best steer our own daughters towards the Alicia’s of the world and here is what she had to say, “Start teaching your children at an early age (around 3) that if someone is being mean then they simply do not need to play with them and that there are others they can be with who will be kind. Teach your daughters that the best revenge is happiness. Explain to your child that she must show the mean kids that they are NOT affected by them in order to squash the mean kids’ spirit and give them a target not worth being unkind to. Studies show that if you disengage with a bully then they will eventually stop. If, of course, the mean child is relentless and it becomes a dangerous or harmful situation, you as a parent must step in and get involved. Encourage your child, praise them, boost their confidence as often as you can so when an unruly child surfaces they will be better protected with inner confidence and self respect to soften the blow.” Lindsay Lohan played the Queen Bee in the movie “Mean Girls” and look where she is now! Jail. We know, be nice, she too is somebody’s daughter – even if the mother acts more like her sister (oh, there we go again). On this troubling topic, or others, click through to speak to Julie directly.

If you’d care to meet a VERY NICE girl – co-founder Terry Starr – and are headed to BlogHer this Friday, then email Terry directly. She’d love the opportunity to meet you! A few more “nice girls” we’d like you to meet within the Butterfly community:

1. Angela Santomero: Featured August “Mom Mentor”, creator of Blue’s Clues and Super WHY!, mommy of two adorable little girls. Angela reveals why they named him BLUE here!
2. Michelle Workman: Interior Designer to many LA A-List celebs, mom of two fabulous little boys. Watch her video interview!
3. Lisa Wexler, Host of Live with Lisa!, mom and sister to Jill Zarin who discloses Jill’s REAL personality. Watch Lisa dish here!

Until next week… be nice.

PS. Click through for details on our upcoming, one-of-a-kind auction launching AUGUST 5^th with Grammy award-winning artist, Colbie Caillat to benefit the VH1 Save The Music Foundation!

PPS. We are sending another lucky family to SESAME PLACE! Enter to win four tickets now!

Best,

Bradi and Terry

Co-Founders, Mothers, Wives and Workers

MyWorkButterfly.com

Follow us on twitter @Butterflymoms

Dina Manzo Follows Taylor Swift and Auctions Herself Off!

The Taylor Swift auction closed at $6,100 last night benefiting music education in America’s schools (The VH1 Save the Music Foundation). The Los Angeles winner bought the experience for his fiancé and is proud to be able to make a difference in the lives of children. We wish this soon-to-be couple as much happiness as their generous donation will bring to students in need.

In just a few short weeks, June 8^th to be exact, Butterfly will launch another exciting auction to benefit Project Ladybug and seriously ill pediatric patients living with cancer. Monies raised will help to provide these children with somewhere safe and comfortable to call home while receiving treatment. The Ladybug Fund at St. Joseph’s Children’s Hospital was founded by Dina Manzo, the star of Bravo TV’sReal Housewives of NJ.

The winner and a guest will experience an intimate dining experience with Dina and Caroline Manzo at the infamous Brownstone and be able to meet additional cast members to boot! If in your heart you are yearning to bid but your wallet does not permit, all we ask is that you help to spread the word. That is truly how we can ALL help to make a difference.

Looking for a quick and easy way to make a difference in the eyes of your own kids? Simply let us know what your child’s favorite PSP game is and invite one member to join Butterfly and you can WIN: The ModNation Racers Video Game for PlayStation3 AND be entered to win a PSP console. That’s it! We have TEN copies to give away by end of day tomorrow. It’s that simple.

Oh, before we go, check out the latest blog entries from your community members at Butterfly:

“Really Need a New Car?” by Julie Arnheim of Rubbingnickels.com
“If Attitude Were Contagious Mine Could Kill You” by Kristy Lorenzen at PampersandPinot.com
“The Recession and Very Poor Job Market in South Fla has me SO DOWN… by Brooke Davis

Enjoy the week and please continue to share your experiences with your fellow Butterflies. How else are we to know that we are not alone?

Bradi and Terry
Co-Founders, Mothers, Wives, Workers
MyWorkButterfly.com
Follow us on twitter @Butterflymoms
Fan us on Facebook (Nicole Richie is a Fan!)

Taylor Swift Helps Save the Music

Over the course of this past year we’ve talked much about the recession and about how we have all been personally affected. Terry and I have been committed to finding you opportunities, whether through Butterfly’s national job search board or via companies like Jos A Bank and Cigna. Moreover, we have provided resources on how to build your on or offline business by pulling out excerpts from Scott Fox’s book “Internet Riches”, Mike Michalowicz’s “The Toilet Paper entrepreneur” or Gary Vaynerchuk’s guide called, “Crush It.” Since Butterfly’s launch on January 15, 2009, Butterfly has been devoted to empowering mothers… after all that’s why we launched the site in the first place.

During this recession we are proud to say that Butterfly has helped mothers in more ways than one. As many of you may know, Butterfly is committed to aiding many non-profits that in turn, help mothers by helping their children. This past fall, we teamed up with the VH1 Save the Music Foundation in an effort to benefit school music programs. Our 1999 Nick Lachey auction gave way to donating a portion of the $10,600 bid for a date with the man himself, Nick Lachey.

According to the Nonprofit Risk Management Center, “In this economic downturn nonprofits face especially troubling times: private contributions decline as individual, corporate, and foundation donors are less inclined to give; governmental funding declines or disappears; and earnings from endowments shrink along with their capital market values. On the other hand, economic downturns put added demands on nonprofits’ already dwindling resources: more clients ask for increased help; fewer volunteers, concerned about their own household incomes, willingly give their time to nonprofit service; and budgets for many routine activities — such as public outreach and maintenance of buildings and vehicles — are cut so that every possible dollar can be channeled more directly into client services.”

Our recent auctions with Rachelle and Ed Begley Jr., Martha Byrne and [our currently live] Taylor Swift, allow us to help make a difference on a larger scale in the lives of mothers and their families. Take a moment to bid on the opportunity to Meet Taylor Swift or at least to spread the word. The VH1 Save the Music Foundation thanks you as does Butterfly and the children’s lives that will be forever changed regardless of the state of the economy.

Bradi and Terry

Co-Founders

Mothers, Wives and Workers

MyWorkButterfly.com
Follow us on twitter @Butterflymoms
Fan us on Facebook (Nicole Richie is a Fan!)

Meet Taylor Swift! Charity Auction!

One – hundred years ago, West Virginia became the first state in the union to proclaim Mother’s Day an official Holiday. A woman by the name of Anna Jarvis founded Mother’s Day to honor her beloved Mother and then spent the rest of her life fighting the holiday’s commercial and political exploitation. She died alone in an asylum. * We should mention that Anna had THIRTEEN children, hence the “asylum” part. Terry and I spent the early part of our Mother’s Day watching our boys (one out of two children each) play on opposing teams and duke it out on the baseball field. We’d love to hear how you spent your Mother’s Day… not on your blackberry’s we hope!

Congratulations to the SEVEN lucky winners of the “Send Me to Sesame Place contest.” Click here to view the winners! Tickets unclaimed by end of day today will be re-gifted to randomly selected contest entrants.

Now, brace yourselves for the “Mother” of all contests… a contest where only you (or your kids) can determine how badly you want this prize. Are you ready for us to dish the details? Are you sitting down? Not leaning or kneeling! Sitting! Think megastar. Think once in a lifetime opportunity to MEET the multi-award winning, singer-songwriter and new face of CoverGirl, TAYLOR SWIFT. That’s right, we said it! We are auctioning off an experience to meet Taylor Swift during the continuation of her Fearless tour in Washington D.C. on June 2, 2010. All you have to do is bid often and early to WIN: Meet and Greet with Taylor Swift, two tickets to Taylor’s June 2nd’s show at the Verizon Center in D.C., hotel/domestic roundtrip air for two, a personalized autographed acoustic guitar AND two Powersticks* so that you can stay connected on-the-go. Auction benefits the VH1 Save the Music Foundation. Bidding starts May 13 at MyWorkButterfly. Set your “crackberry” reminder alerts now.

Top-off Mother’s Day with Taylor. Now that’s a dollop!

Bradi and Terry

Co-Founders

Mothers, Wives and Workers

MyWorkButterfly.com

Follow us on twitter @Butterflymoms

Fan us on Facebook (Nicole Richie is a Fan!)

*enter “Butterfly” code to get 15% off the Powerstick.

Mother’s Day Gift; What You Want

Mother’s Day is the day that we are officially thanked for all that we do. It is the one day where the tables are turned; a chance for us to weigh in on what we might like to do with our day. Please use this day wisely because an opportunity like this doesn’t come around so often. Allow your children, your husband, or significant other, to pamper, to cater, to fawn and to appreciate you for all that you do. Then, take a moment to tell yourself that Mother’s Day is a HALLMARK holiday and that you deserve all of this praise and attention throughout any given day of any given year. We’ve got a few unique gift ideas to help you do just that:

1. The Gift of Employment: Personal Risk Management Solutions, a boutique personal insurance brokerage company is actively recruiting women in NY/NJ/CT who have a minimum of 5-10 years of professional work experience (does not matter if it was 20 years ago); ideal opportunity for someone returning to the workforce. Bachelor’s degree required; graduate degree preferred

Position highlights: Enjoy work and build career on your own terms. Flexible hours and schedule. Access to full resources, guidance, and support of a dedicated, experienced team. Gain an additional source of income and security for you and your family!Read staff testimonial and further details on how to apply. CLICK HERE.

2. The Gift of a Soap Star-Studded Gala: Bid now to win: Two complimentary tickets to the soap-star studded attended event “Angels for Hope Gala; St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, May 21st, at 7pm at the Pearl River Hilton in Pearl River, NY (just outside of Manhattan). Mix & Mingle with a dozen of the hottest soap stars including: Martha Byrne, Terri Columbino, Jon Hensley, Kelley Hensley, Michael Park and others. A signed script by many notable soap stars. Winner’s choice to sit with favorite soap actor at the gala.Domestic Round-trip JetBlue Airfare for Two to NY. One night hotel stay at the Pearl River Hilton for you and guest. Hair & Makeup by a celebrity stylist. Exclusive event gift bag.

3. The Gift of Organization: Label Your Stuff is an amazing business started by two moms providing personalized name labels. This must-have product is perfect for your little campers or children going to daycare and school. Imagine being able to avoid the lost and found? The labels are waterproof, dishwasher safe AND microwavable. Do yourself a favor and check out their allergy, book, bag and gift labels too!

4. The Gift of Entertainment: Tell us who your and your child’s favorite Sesame character is to be entered to WIN FOUR TICKETS to Sesame Place!

Enjoy your Mother’s Day and thank you for our gift. Watching the Butterfly community flourish has been a gift in itself.

Warmly,
Bradi and Terry, Co-Founders, Mothers, Wives and Workers

MyWorkButterfly.com
Follow us on twitter @Butterflymoms
Fan us on Facebook (Nicole Richie is a Fan!)