With items starting around .79 cents, it wasn't hard for mom to fill our stockings on a budget.
Barbie has been a long time advertiser on Mommy Perks...gosh, for as long as I can recall! From Pampered Chef to 
What 
Today I am reviewing one of my favorite clients: 
Mommy Perks is proud to feature 
[/caption]
How did your company start and WHY?
The why is simple - when I had first begun the business, I was a single mom and I wanted hours that are more flexible so I could be home when I needed or wanted to. I actually started working in this industry when I became pregnant. I worked from my house conducting interviews. After my daughter was born, I continued working at home conducting research. As my daughter grew older, it became more difficult to work from home so I started working part time for a research company located in an area mall. After my separation and divorce, I went to work full time. Each day I loved the industry more and more. The only issue I had was that working full time gave me no flexibility with the things I wanted to do at home and with my daughter. Being a single mom I also needed more job security than I was given.
I was lucky enough to have someone come through my office and see my talents , and, having worked with me, also become willing to invest in me. I also wanted to prove to myself that I could do this. It was very important to my self-esteem and important to show my children that with hard work and a little luck, you can accomplish big things.
What words of advice can you offer to other moms in business?
Having loving children helps a great deal. You should also have a strong support system. In my case, it was my husband who I married just 10 months after I started my business. He took care of most of the home chores so that I could concentrate on running and expanding my business.
Are you giving anything away today? If so, what is it?
Yes! We are providing one lucky winner with a goody bag of promotional items – including a gym-style bag, a reusable shopping bag, a key chain, two bendable Frisbees, and several hyper-color pens!
Your contact info:
Barbara Bridge or Michelle Finzel
President
Maryland Marketing Source, Inc.
9936 Liberty Road
Randallstown, MD 21133
410-922-6600
Safety Tips
(Tweeted on Friday, October 30th, 2009, by Shara-Lawrence-Weiss)
Please remember, these are my thoughts and opinions. You are welcome to disagree with me but you can be nice about it, eh? 
Tip #1: Parents (or guardians) are the #1 protector of their children. It’s our job & not the job of the teacher/community/church.
Tip #2: Teachers and schools do need to take measures to protect but they are not the loudest voice a child hears. It’s YOUR voice they listen to.
Tip #3: Best way to keep kids safe? Educate them. Don’t assume all will be well. TALK, TALK, TALK. Openly and often. Keep it going…
Tip #4: Find books @ the library that talk about safe touch, safe choices, online safety, etc. Be ready to answer questions.
Tip #5: Find Gr8 books online (like this one) to help open lines of communication about tough topics: http://tinyurl.com/y9lbq6q
Tip #6: Halloween safety tips: http://ksafari.blogspot.com/2009/10/halloween-safety-for-all-children.html (via @KnowledgeSafari)
Tip #7: In my opinion, we need to set rules on what our girls wear. Provocative clothing draws attention. It’s okay to set limits!
Tip #8: We also need to teach our boys to respect girls & to NEVER HARM THEM. If they witness abuse at home, it will carry over. (We need to teach ALL humans to respect each other, of course, regardless of gender)
Tip #9: Speaking from experience, if a woman remains in a home w/an abuser, she sends the message to her kids that’s it’s okay. LEAVE.
Tip #10: Kids WANT rules and limits set on what they can do/where they can go. If there are no limits, they assume you do not care.
Tip #11: Know where your kids are at all times. Get to know the parents of their friends – meet for coffee, whatever. If it FEELS wrong, it probably is.
Tip #12: Are there guns in the homes of your kid’s friends? Are they loaded? You need to know. Many kids have died playing w/guns at a friend’s house.
Tip #13: Your kids may yell b/c you set limits and say NO to things. Who cares? It’s our job to protect – not to buddy up.
Tip #14: At the same time you DO want to be an open door for conversation so your kids will come to YOU for answers first. Teach them to be safe.
Tip #15: If you don’t have answers for your kids, seek help. Google things like, “Keeping kids safe” or “Talking to kids about safety.”
Tip #16: If you are going to give your child a cell, this is the one I’ve had recommended to me by safety experts: http://www.kajeet.com/
Tip #17: I met this gal & would recommend her safety videos for home or school: http://www.hressential.com/kidzweyes/
Tip #18: Educate your kids about cyberbullying, too!! It’s a huge issue now: https://caticares.com/Home_Page.php
Tip #19: My opinion: NEVER put a computer in your child’s room. Be aware of what they do, who they talk to, games they play, etc.
Tip #20: Final thought: If you don’t feel safe, your kids don’t, either. Create a safe environment for them, whatever it takes.
Leave a Reply