Just Moms Only: November 2011

Tuesday, November 22, 2011

Why Moms Obsess Over The Twilight Saga - Patch.com

‹ Back to Article To view this video, you may need to install Flash player version 8 or greater. Also, please make sure Javascript is enabled in your browser's preferences. Embed | Share The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn - Part 1The film premieres on Friday, Nov. 18. Summit Entertainment

Which one of these does not belong: a clumsy yet thrill-seeking 17-year-old loner girl who has no interest in ordinary high school boys, a “vegetarian” vampire attending high school in a Northwestern sleepy town, a Native American teen turned werewolf pining for the love of a human girl or a suburban mom of three?

I overheard some fellow moms discussing on the preschool playground how addicted they were to a book called Twilight. I decided to give the book a try. Within a few hours, I was lost in Bella and Edward's world of young love and vampires, and things like dishes, dinner, laundry or parenting were no longer important. I was not going to put this book down until I finished it. The next day, tired and haggard, I drove to the store to buy the second book in the series, and then the third and fourth. I was a women obsessed.

I eagerly awaited each movie with tween-like giddiness. Each movie delivered big time, and the Twilight fandom grew exponentially. The most dedicated group of “Twi-Hards,” as they are called, are not teens like the characters themselves, but grown women. It's a bit odd, right? Why are moms swooning over these teen romance books and movies?

Twilight series author Stephenie Meyer is a mom of three boys herself. It’s no wonder that her books appeal to her peers. Although the books center on star-crossed young lovers, they have all the elements that make her fellow suburbanite moms yell, “Heck, yeah!”

Here are some reasons Meyer’s books leave Twi-Moms wanting more:

Reason 1: Love Triangles—My obsession with love triangle plots began around the time when I was using Sea Breeze and buying Teen Beat. I tuned in regularly to “Saved by the Bell” to see who would win the heart of Kelly Kapowski. I was raised on teen dramas. I'm merely a product of my culture. The Twilight saga plays the love triangle game with perfection. Just when you think Bella has made her final choice of beau, her heartstrings are pulled in the opposite direction.

Reason 2: Teen Romance—For hundreds of years, writers have been trying to bottle the magic of Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet. Teen romance has its appeal for several reasons:

A) Intensity. First loves spark feelings never felt before and the power it has over those under its influence can actually make your heart hurt. Twi-Moms reminisce on those glory days when true love and perhaps algebra was their only concern or care in the world (sigh).

B) Innocence. Steamy scenes in romance novels have their place for a good beach read, but if a writer really wants her female readers to be invested in the development of a relationship, it had better evolve slowly. Young romances, at least the ones moms are willing to read about without closing the book in parental disapproval, take their time, let the chemistry stew, and build to a first kiss. While this kind of sexual restraint is a novelty in this day and age, Edward's background as a young gentleman originating from early 1900s society helps him maintain his beliefs and protect Bella's virtue.

C) Anticipation. That's exactly why readers could not put the Twilight books down—we were all internally screaming, "Would you kiss him already?!?"

Reason 3: Human Weakness- While moms might be unwilling to invest in the wellbeing of a teenage girl who sleeps around with every vampire or werewolf she meets, Meyer has given Bella integrity. She’s a girl who’s unlikely to cave to peer pressure. We like this girl. But, she’s only human, and in this story, that means a bit more. She cannot help throwing herself at Edward due to his supernatural vampire beauty and magnetism. Bella also frequently encounters her best friend who is in love with her, Jacob. He's a werewolf, causing him to have a higher body temperature, and therefore frequently going without a shirt. Bella always finds herself in predicaments where she needs his body heat to warm her up. Meyer successfully stirs up the sexual chemistry in the love triangle without going there, leaving readers and movie viewers both in love with and frustrated by the story.

“The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn - Part 1” is in movie theaters at midnight Friday, Nov. 18. “Breaking Dawn” promises to satisfy fans with the wedding of Bella and Edward, the highly anticipated honeymoon, and Bella’s troublesome pregnancy with the vamp-baby.

Finally, Twi-moms will be able to relate to the plight of the heroine—a fetus kick to the ribs hurts, supernatural powers or not. And fans will only have to wait one more year to see what happens when the baby is born in Part 2.

Where to see the movie locally: Rave Centreville 12 is showing The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn Part 1 all this weekend, starting at 11 a.m. Friday and continuing at ?12 p.m.?, 1 p.m. ?1:45?, ?2:45,? ?3:45?, ?4:30,? ?5:30,? ?6:30?, ?7:15,? ?8:15,? ?9:15,? 10 and? ?11 p.m.? The same schedule applies Saturday and Sunday.

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Moms Talk: Teaching Your Child To Deal With Failure - Patch.com

‹ Back to Article Embed | Share Moms Talk is a chance for neighbors to chat about parenting and other issues. Patch

Each week the Mentor Patch Moms Council answers a question on parenthood posed to them by readers or another member of council.

This week's query: This week's question springboards from last week's question, where you were asked how much praise is too much?

Kids -- teens, especially -- live in a high-pressure world. They are often told that the decisions they make today will impact their entire future.

In the same breath, parents realize their kids cannot succeed at everything. In fact, never experiencing failure may actually stunt their problem-solving skills. So how do you teach a child to accept failure without inadvertently teaching them to accept mediocrity?

Devone Lansing:

I don't have teens yet, but I've tried to teach my kids from the very beginning that life isn't always fair.

I don't want them to go into life thinking that they will always be Number One in everything, or that other people will treat them as such. That will just lead to heartache and disappointment as they get older.

I tell them to try and do their best. If they fail and they want something badly enough, they should try again.

Melanie Majikas:

That's a tough question for me, because I have one child for whom things come very easily, and she rarely experiences any sort of failure; and one child for whom things are a bit more difficult.

I actually am more concerned about the one who never has to struggle for anything. I think it's important to learn that you can fail and bounce back. But the other part of it is that when things come easily to you, it can also lead to not taking risks or trying new things, because you are comfortable with being successful with what you are already doing.

I do try to encourage her to get into situations that push her a little out of her comfort zone. While I don't wish that she would fail at anything, I do wish that she would have the experience of having to try a little harder.

My other child, on the other hand, does work harder for what she has, and has experienced more "failure," or at the very least, not getting the outcome she hoped for.

So far, it has made her realize that trying was the important part, and she's very philosophical about the experiences and knows that she can always try again.

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Silicon Valley Powerhouse Moms Unite, Fight for Clean Air Act - Patch.com

“Mother love is a force of nature,” author and environmentalist Dominique Browning reminded a select group of powerhouse Silicon Valley moms yesterday at the launch of a new initiative called Moms Clean Air Force.

The group, some thirty in all, were gathered for lunch at the Stanford Park Hotel to hear about the challenges currently facing the Clean Air Act and to learn what they could do to ensure that their children have a future free of polluted air.

Moms Clean Air Force is the brainchild of Ms. Browning and the Environmental Defense Fund (EDF). Their goal is to sign a million moms (and dads) to their non-partisan movement.

“We want to transcend politics to get to a deeper core of values, the ones that protect our children’s future,” Ms. Browning said.

The 1970 Clean Air Act, signed into law by President Nixon, was intended to regulate emissions of hazardous air pollutants. In 1990, President Bush amended the act to ensure stricter compliance. However, since then industry and certain congressional leaders have worked to undermine the act.

Elizabeth Thompson, President of the Environmental Defense Action Fund, called it “death by a thousand cuts” as riders have been added over the years to various congressional acts deflating the impact of the Clean Air Act. She cautioned that if congress continues down this path, there may be nothing left to protect our children from polluted air.

Vickie Patton, General Counsel of EDF, said “coal fired plants are the single largest source of mercury pollution in the country.” She went on to explain that mercury can harm fetuses and the developing brains of small children and impacts older children by placing them at increasing risk of asthma and other diseases.

“There are solutions,” she assured the group. Activated-carbon-injection technologies significantly reduce mercury emissions and have already been installed in over 60 power plants across the United States.

Moms Clean Air Force would like to see deeper limits on coal powered plants and stricter compliance with laws regulating air-born pollutants across the country.

It was for this reason that philanthropists Susan Ford Dorsey, President of the Sand Hill Foundation, and Ann Doerr, wife of venture capitalist John Doerr, hosted the event. They asked their influential friends to “reach out” to their own networks and “help make this movement grow in towns and cities across the country.”

Signe Ostby, EDF board member along with Ms. Dorsey and Ms. Doerr, was also in attendence.

Thanks. We'll email you the next time we update this story.

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Michelle Williams playing Marilyn, playing mom - Chicago Sun-Times

BY CINDY PEARLMAN November 17, 2011 5:36PM

Michelle Williams plays Marilyn Monroe in “My Week With Marilyn,” with Eddie Redmayne (left) as her caretaker, Colin Clark, and Dougray Scott as her husband, Arthur Miller.

Updated: November 17, 2011 5:50PM

“A career is wonderful, but you can’t curl up with it on a cold night.” — Marilyn Monroe

On this particular night, the actress who plays Marilyn Monroe isn’t curling up with a script.

“I’m in my pajamas and that’s delicious,” says Michelle Williams, who has settled in for the night. “I’m going to make some mac and cheese for my daughter while I talk to you. It’s going to be an evening just curled up reading to her.”

Her daughter, of course, is 6-year-old Matilda, whose father was the late actor Heath Ledger.

Williams, 31, usually keeps all matters Matilda quiet, but not tonight for some reason. “Motherhood has changed my life in just every way,” she says. “It’s true that just watching children play is the best acting lesson.

“Parenting can be the ultimate creative act. Of course, a lot of things try to get in your way. There is stress, work, and frustration. You can so easily bring those things into the room with you. But I try to have nights like this where we just leave it all on the outside.”

Acting experience helps. “Being a great parent does take a tremendous amount of creative effort,” she says. “I play with her. I shake a move. I use what I got to convince her to eat her dinner and go to bed.”

She laughs. “Taking the direct approach doesn’t work for me. Being creative does — and I just love it.”

Williams also loves being creative on the big screen. To that end, she’s enjoying the role of her career and one that’s destined to bring her a best actress Oscar nomination.

She plays the bombshell in “My Week With Marilyn” (opening Wednesday), about a week of Monroe’s life in 1956 when she shot the film “The Prince and the Showgirl.”

Directed by Simon Curtis, it revolves around her need to be taken seriously and how director and co-star Laurence Olivier (Kenneth Branagh) wouldn’t put up with her moods, her tardiness or her need to practice only Method acting. It also narrows in on the troubles between Monroe and her husband, Arthur Miller (Dougray Scott).

Williams relished playing Marilyn — both the fragile, shaken, insecure woman and the screen siren.

“I think I’m still coming down from the experience,” she says. “She’s such a complicated woman, which I loved playing. She was an ever evolving process.”

Transforming into Marilyn wasn’t Williams’ main objective. “It was amazing to see what I looked like transformed. But it wasn’t just about that Day One of seeing myself as Marilyn. It was about on Day 30 how I felt about her, which went beyond a look.”

It was crucial to play on Marilyn’s nuances. “There have been many previous representations of Marilyn that were impersonations, and I didn’t want to go that route,” Williams says. “I wanted to explore this in a deeper way.”

She still had to get the basics down.

“I watched all the movies,” she says. “I got my hands on the Marilyn interviews and read the books. I tried her walk. I figured out how she held her mouth and why she talked in that way. But it was deeper for me. I tried to think about what she was feeling. I wanted to find the person and not just the icon.

“I came to the conclusion that Marilyn Monroe was a role that she played. She carefully honed that character and made it work for her. She made it work for everyone to the point where they confuse the woman with the role.”

Williams shot the film in the same studio where “The Prince and the Showgirl” was shot. “My dressing room was Marilyn’s actual dressing room,” Williams says. “It made it special.” She also filmed at the English residence, called Parkside House, that Marilyn rented.

Her own climb to stardom began in Montana and started with the series “Dawson’s Creek,” which led to movies including “Brokeback Mountain” — where she met Ledger — and then “Blue Valentine” and “Shutter Island.”

Williams lives in New York, and her social life revolves around hanging out on playground with other moms.

“I love that children enjoy repetition,” she says. “They play the same game over and over again and it doesn’t bore them.

“It’s a lot like acting. You do take after take of the same scene and think, ‘I want to do it again.’ With my daughter, I try to change it up a little bit to keep it exciting for her. But I always encourage her to follow her instincts.”

Big Picture News Inc.

© 2011 Sun-Times Media, LLC. All rights reserved. This material may not be copied or distributed without permission. For more information about reprints and permissions, visit http://www.suntimesreprints.com/. To order a reprint of this article, click here.

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Monday, November 21, 2011

Twilight Moms craze over popular vampire story - UT The Daily Texan

Kristyn Chambers hugs a life-sized cutout of Twilight character Jasper Hale Thursday night in the IPIS theater at the Domain in North Austin. A watching party was hosted by local fan club Austin Twilight Moms before the midnight premier of the latest installment in the vampire-werewolf saga, “Breaking Dawn Part I.”

April Cleaver, Austin Twilight Moms, Bella Swan, Bella Swan, Business, Candace Wheeler, Dawn Part, Edward Cullen, Edward Cullen, Fantasy, Fantasy novels, Fiction, Horror novels, Jillian Cooper, New Moon, Romance novels, Speculative fiction, Stephenie Meyer, Technology, Teen films, Twilight, Twilight series

It is a little off-putting to most people at first, the idea of moms obsessing over a teenage romance novel. But with Edward Cullen’s golden eyes and chivalrous gestures, he can be irresistible even to the strictest of mothers.

“The Twilight Saga,” by Stephenie Meyer, is a four-part series about a forbidden romance. The hero of the story, Edward Cullen, just so happens to be a devastatingly handsome vampire in love with an average human girl named Bella Swan. While he constantly wants to drink her blood and is actually forbidden to tell her his true identity, their love overcomes all. The four novels tell of their struggles and journey together.

The best-selling books have since been adapted into films and the latest, “Breaking Dawn Part I,” opened today at midnight. While the novels and movies are marketed to a teen girl audience, the appeal has spread to include their mothers.

“Being older, we had real life experiences to relate to the feelings we had about the book,” said Austin Twilight Moms member Candace Wheeler. “I read ‘Twilight’ in one day, a Monday. I felt like I had to know what’s next. It was a need.”

Fan club Austin Twilight Moms met through the website twilightmoms.com after realizing there was a large group of mother “Twilight” fans in Central Texas. They now host premiere parties for the movies, DVD release parties and other lunch and dinner dates for occasions such as Bella’s Birthday. The group has also started raising money for charities such as Alex’s Lemonade Stand, which benefits childhood cancer research.

“I know people roll their eyes and snicker about those creepy Twilight Moms,” Wheeler said. “But have you helped a soldier today or raised money for a children’s cancer research group? And taken three kids to school.”

The moms are aware of the stereotypes out there, but it does not seem to bother them all that much. The moms are of all ages, from 20s to 50s, and their professions range from teacher to nurse or doctor. Some of the members are not even mothers, just older than the typical teenage “Twilight” fan.

“Most people think Twilight Moms are middle-aged women who are stay-at-home moms trying to relive the past or recapture their youth,” said April Cleaver. “People think we tend to be pretty aggressive, at least when it comes to the stars of the movies and there are some of those.”

Cleaver is one of the members of the group who is not a mom, but “just a grown up.” She works as a controller at The Blood Center in Austin and began reading “Twilight” after her boss encouraged her to do so. She became “infected” after just three chapters of the first book, she said.

“Bella is the every girl, so she reminded me a lot of me when I was that age,” Cleaver said. “And it reminded me of when I first got married and I’ve been married 27 years. It brought back all of that new love, which was fun.”

Jillian Cooper, a project manager at Cisco, has been a member of the group since 2009. She read the books after the second “Twilight” movie, “New Moon,” sparked her curiosity. The love story of Edward and Bella captured her attention and also brought a new dynamic to her own relationship.

“It led to me seeing our relationship differently, what I expected and what I wanted out of things,” Cooper said. “My husband and I both understood that protective nature [of Edward] and the need to do anything for the other person.”

The Twilight Moms group has even helped some mothers rediscover their sense of self, that they are someone beyond just a ride to dance practice or Boy Scouts.

“It’s helped my to see the importance in developing myself as a person,” Wheeler said. “I didn’t pay attention to music, movies or have hobbies or girlfriends. I didn’t do things for me and it made me happy to do something again.”

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Births by young US moms reach historic low - AFP

Births by young US moms reach historic lowBy Kerry Sheridan (AFP) – 18 hours ago

WASHINGTON — Birth rates by teenage and young adult mothers in the United States fell to historic lows last year, while birth rates among women over 40 hit a 30-year high, according to data released Thursday.

The birth rate among teens age 15-19 dropped nine percent in 2010 compared to a year earlier, the largest single year dip since 1946-47, the US Department of Health and Human Services said in its National Vital Statistics Report.

At 34.3 births per 1,000 among teens, that marks "a record low for the nation," said the report.

Teenage birth rates have been falling steadily since 1991, and are now 44 percent lower than they were 20 years ago.

"I am aware of no other social problem that has improved so dramatically over so many years," said Sarah Brown, chief executive officer of The National Campaign to Prevent Teen and Unplanned Pregnancy.

"The magic formula of less sex and more contraception is responsible for this great good news."

Tough economic times, combined with some popular reality television shows that have spotlighted the lives of teenage mothers, have also helped bring down the birth rates.

"But at the end of the day, the thanks and admiration go to teens themselves," said Brown.

Women 20 to 24 years old also saw a drop of six percent in birth rate compared to 2009, with 2010's rate of 90 per births per 1,000 making it the "lowest level ever reported for the United States."

Meanwhile, the rate of births among women age 40-44 rose two percent from 2009 to 2010, reaching 10.2 births per 1,000 women, the highest since 1967.

That age group was the only one to see an increase, as part of a trend in which more women in the United States are postponing child-bearing until after they have built their careers.

"Women have more and more options later in life as in-vitro fertilization techniques get better and better," Mitchell Maiman, chairman of obstetrics and gynecology at Staten Island University Hospital, told AFP.

"And of course, more women work, and they delay child-bearing, but now we have the technology to give these women pregnancies well into their 40s, so it is being utilized."

Overall births among women of all races in the United States declined in 2010, and the total number of US births was just over four million last year, dropping three percent from 2009.

The number of Caesarean deliveries leveled off in 2010 (32.8 percent) after a steady rise seen from 1996 to 2009, when they reached 32.9 percent.

"While the C-section rate is still too high, that is a good sign that it is starting to stabilize, at least nationally," said Maiman.

"The rise had to do with a lot of factors -- malpractice in OB-GYN, and doctors practicing defensively, and inductions of labor and not committing to the woman delivering vaginally because of convenience," he added.

"Now there is more education and women are beginning to ask more questions and they realize that having multiple C-sections is not a safe thing for them."

The pre-term birth rate fell for the fourth year in a row to 11.99 percent in 2010, but still remains higher than any year in the span of 1981 to 2001.

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Word of mom: The kind of publicity money can't buy - Globe and Mail

Gdiapers Ambassador Clare Adams, left, shows off the eco-friendly diapers to expectant mom Monica Whitehead, centre, at the Baby Time Show in Toronto. - Gdiapers Ambassador Clare Adams, left, shows off the eco-friendly diapers to expectant mom Monica Whitehead, centre, at the Baby Time Show in Toronto. | Kevin Van Paassen/The Globe and Mail

Published Thursday, Nov. 17, 2011 5:13PM ESTLast updated Thursday, Nov. 17, 2011 6:29PM EST

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Amid the passing throng of strollers and wide-eyed pregnant women at a baby-themed trade show, Erin Brouse is brandishing a handful of colourful eco-diapers and making her pitch.

Her back to a table crammed with product, Ms. Brouse is extolling the virtues of her compost after she started tossing her gDiapers disposable inserts in it.

Then, she moves on to what is perhaps a more pressing selling point to those unaccustomed to baby diapering: Holding up a bright blue cotton diaper-cover and stretching a seam, she says, “This band is a lifesaver: We didn’t have a single blowout.”

Savvy saleswoman? Check. An employee of the diaper company? Nope. Ms. Brouse is a “gMum,” an uber-customer who has signed on with the company to help build the brand. GMums (and Dads) are a 7,000-strong army of enthusiasts.

While she is being compensated with about $20 worth of diapers an hour at Toronto’s Baby Time Show, the Oakville, Ont.-based stay-at-home mom gives the impression she’d be working the floor regardless.

“How often do you get this giddy over a product?” she says later, when explaining her willingness to cheerlead, which extends to fiddling with the gDiaper display in her local baby store and dropping off flyers to a mall’s nursing room. There are no scripts to stick to and gDiapers gently discourages overt proselytizing via Tupperware-style parties.

It’s the kind of marketing that money’s not really paying for, but also the kind that money can’t buy, especially in the case of gDiapers, which only has 18 employees.

Research continues to confirm that moms are the driving force in family purchasing – to the tune of trillions of dollars. What’s more, there’s evidence that children end up loyal to their mother’s favourite brands, too. And with other studies showing that word-of-mouth advice from other moms influences them the most, finding ambassadors like Ms. Brouse is now job No. 1 for many companies, from small newbies like the six-year-old, gDiaper to megabrands such as Mattel and General Electric.

Marketing professor Ayalla Ruvio says the gDiaper model is built from the bottom up and is very hard to replicate.

“This will be a turning point in marketing over the next few years,” says Prof. Ruvio, of the Fox School of Business at Temple University in Philadelphia, where she focuses on the connection between emotions and marketing.

Whole industries have grown up to help ingratiate companies to groups of moms, especially the mom-blogger demographic. New books by marketing experts have titles like Tuning into Mom: Understanding America’s Most Powerful Consumer and Power Moms: The New Rules for Engaging Mom Influencers Who Drive Brand Choice.

Cora Brady and Kathryn Easter are the Toronto-based founders of Mom Central Canada, a marketing consulting company that has been connecting brands with mom-bloggers and other mom “influencers” for three years. They’ve worked with brands like Mattel and Fisher-Price to recruit brand ambassadors and to participate in programs such as the Kinder Mom campaign with Kinder Surprise eggs.

Their latest research has found that more than 90 per cent of moms trust the advice of other mothers on product referrals – much more than TV commercials, branded Facebook pages and the like. The goal is to have mom advice pop up first in online searches.

“It’s all about getting the moms doing the talking for you,” says Ms. Brady of how she frames the situation for clients. “It’s all about how are you engaging people and giving them experiences and starting interesting conversations.”

And while companies are grappling with how to quantify the success of these strategies, they know it has to be part of their overall advertising and marketing plan.

“The challenge here is not the money spent, per se,” says Prof. Ruvio. “It has to come from the heart.”

By the way, if these same passionate customers hate your brand? “You’re dead,” she says.

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Twilight Moms craze over popular vampire story - Daily Texan Online

The Twilight Moms group has even helped some mothers rediscover their sense of self, that they are someone beyond just a ride to dance practice or Boy Scouts.

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Working Moms: Making the Back-to-Work Transition Easier - msnbc.com

updated 11/15/2011 8:48:35 PM ET 2011-11-16T01:48:35 (MOBILE, Ala.) - For most moms, the thought of going back to work after having a baby can be torture. There are ways of making the transition a little easier though. Brittany Curry loves spending every moment she can with little Monroe. The bond they have is something Brittany really cherishes. That's why after nine months of being home on maternity leave, it was extremely difficult for her to go back to work. "A lot of praying, support from friends and family. (I) still have that support system," Brittany said. A support system and a job she loves as a teacher at Fairhope Intermediate made her transition a little smoother and easier. When Brittany leaves the classroom, no matter how tired she may be, she makes sure Monroe gets her special time and her undivided attention. "We try to set aside time, leave work at work," Brittany added. Whether it's baby number one or baby number four, the maternity leave to back to work transition isn't an easy one. Experts recommend developing a support system like Brittany, and to also make sure you are very familiar with who you leave your baby in the care of. That way there's a lot less worrying.

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Moms who supported Obama in '08 unsure about 2012 - The Daily News Online

Posted: Wednesday, November 16, 2011 12:15 am | Updated: 9:07 pm, Tue Nov 15, 2011.

MAITLAND, Fla. (AP) -- Cheryl Abbarno was the most excited she's ever been about a presidential election when Barack Obama was on the ballot in 2008, but she isn't sure she'll vote for him again.

"It's discouraging to me that he's not doing what he said he's going to do. When he was campaigning, it was change, change, change, and I don't see any change," she said.

Abbarno is a Walmart mom -- women with children under 18 at home who shop at the discount superstore -- and two polling firms, one Democratic, one Republican, are following women like her because they believe they'll play a key role in next year's presidential election.

Their No. 1 concern is the economy. They're split fairly evenly by party affiliation, but more important, they are persuadable voters who will decide late in the election cycle whether they'll support Obama or the eventual Republican nominee.

Or, as Neil Newhouse of the Republican polling firm Public Opinion Strategies said, they're the new soccer moms -- about 14 percent to 17 percent of the electorate, predominantly white and a key swing group.

In 2008, Walmart moms supported Obama, but in 2010 they voted Republican, though not enthusiastically, according to Public Opinion Strategies and Momentum Analysis, a firm that works with Democratic candidates and groups.

A poll the firms released Wednesday shows 43 percent of Walmart moms approve of Obama's job performance while 54 percent disapprove. That compares to 46 percent of all voters that approve of Obama and 49 percent who disapprove. Yet 57 percent of the moms said they are still hopeful about the president compared to 42 percent who have given up on him. And three times as many of the moms, 22 percent, blame President George W. Bush for the nation's economic problems rather than Obama, who 7 percent of the moms say is to blame.

"There are good lessons from this data for both Democrats and Republicans," said Margie Omero of Momentum Analysis. "The bottom line from these results is that this is a group that can be persuaded either way in the presidential contest."

The Obama campaign wouldn't comment on Walmart moms.

Steve Schale, who ran Obama's Florida operation in 2008, said that the president needs to show the women that his economic plan is better than the alternative.

During the focus groups in Florida, New Hampshire and Iowa, the Walmart moms repeatedly named the economy as the most important issue in the election. Nearly all said they've had to make sacrifices, including opening new credit cards for the no-interest promotions, cutting back on meals out and other activities and cancelling cable television. One woman said she and her son had to move in with her parents. Another told her kids that Santa is poor this year. Many either had gone through layoffs or had husbands who lost jobs. While other jobs were found, often times it was for less money.

While not blaming Obama, many feel like he hasn't shown strong enough leadership to build consensus in Congress on how to help middle-class families.

"These voters have clearly lost their passion for President Obama and there's a sense that he's kind of lost his passion as well. Some of these voters might vote for him again, but boy, there's no enthusiasm," said Newhouse, whose clients include GOP presidential candidate Mitt Romney. "It does mean these voters are still up for grabs for the 2012 election."

He said Republican candidates are focused first on the primary, but the eventual nominee would be wise to win over Walmart moms and talk about kitchen table issues these women care about.

"Not just jobs, but health and housing issues," Newhouse said, noting that Obama, with the luxury of not having a primary, is already focused on those issues.

Omero said that just because Walmart moms are late deciders, it doesn't mean that candidates shouldn't begin reaching out to them.

"Candidates that wait too long to try to reach out to these voters, whether you're talking about the presidential level or congressional and statewide level, does so at their peril," she said. "These moms are going to need more contact, they're going to need more exposure, they're going to need advertising, even more campaign events."

What Omero saw in the focus groups was sympathy for the president and a willingness to give him another chance. Because they don't directly blame him for the nation's economic woes means he can still persuade them that he cares more about the middle class than his eventual Republican challenger.

"What we heard a lack of is animosity toward Obama, or that he's gone too far or that he's taken the country in the wrong direction," said Omero. "I think it puts Obama at an advantage over other candidates who are offering a different set of policies altogether."'

Not that it's going to be easy.

"With the economy such that it is and with these voters that are swing to begin with, it is going to be difficult for the president. These were not enthusiastic hardcore Democrats, so they are going to sound a little bit less engaged, but they haven't made up their mind to vote for somebody else, and they're not studying up on the other candidates right now either. There's still plenty of opportunity for the president to solidify this group."

Valerie Herrera, a 30-year-old insurance writer with 1- and 2-year-old daughters, said she is willing to give Obama another chance. She voted for McCain in 2008, but she feels Obama is more focused on helping middle- and lower-class families, and that Republicans tend to be upper middle-class and above and look out for their own interests.

Herrera and her husband, who live in Apopka, Fla. sold one of their cars to save money and now get by on one. She says the economy is her most important issue. But she doesn't blame Obama.

"He is trying. He's trying to do the best that he can with what he was given," Herrera said. "He really is trying to understand what the everyday person is going through."

View the original article here

Sunday, November 20, 2011

Moms Are Feeling Anti-Partisan, Disenfranchised, and Financially Insecure According to a New National Survey - msnbc.com

NEW YORK, NY — CafeMom (www.cafemom.com/), the number one site for moms with more than 9 million monthly unique visitors, today announced the results of its new Moms Matter survey, which revealed that moms are feeling anti-partisan, disenfranchised, and financially insecure. The results were released in conjunction with launch of a new section of the website, "Moms Matter 2012" (www.cafemom.com/momsmatter), designed to inform, inspire and empower moms as the presidential campaign unfolds.

The "Moms Matter" survey gauged moms' feelings on political issues ranging from the millionaire tax, to their perceptions of healthcare reform, to their perspective on the political parties and candidates. Global Marketing Research Services programmed and fielded the study with a nationally representative sample of 1,750 moms.

Key findings include:

Moms are very pessimistic about America's future
Fifty-five percent of moms believe that America's best days are behind us. Forty-one percent of moms say that the American Dream is "dying" and eight percent say it is dead altogether. Mothers are increasingly skeptical about our leaders' ability -- and willingness -- to listen and get things done anymore. They are looking for someone to lend voice to this disgruntled voting demographic.

Moms' money concerns keep them up at night even more than their kids' well-being
Moms are in dire need of financial relief -- six in 10 feel their financial situation is not secure. They worry about being able to cover the basics, like buying groceries and keeping a roof over their heads (36% and 55% listed these as top concerns, respectively). This perspective is influenced by moms' changing role -- as parents, breadwinners and financial planners -- and they're feeling the pinch.

The best political party is no political party
Over half of moms would join a group with no party labels before they would join the equivalent Republican or Democratic group. This anti-partisan mood extends to how they evaluate candidates -- a top quality moms look for is "the ability to get things done across party lines." Moms are also looking for empathy from candidates -- the message they would most want to convey to candidates is "show me you understand families like mine and what we are living through every day." Moms care more about "WHO" the candidates are than their party or where they stand on particular issues.

Moms are undecided on Republican candidates, but would prefer Hillary Clinton over President Obama
The 2012 presidential elections seem to be anyone's game right now. Forty-one percent of moms who are planning to vote in the Republican primary are undecided, and the front-runner among moms, Mitt Romney, has just 16 percent of the mom vote. However, if Hillary Clinton were a candidate in the next election, she would get the vote of an incredible 58 percent of moms, far ahead of the 42 percent who would vote for Obama.

Moms are aching to be taken seriously politically
Just 12 percent of moms believe Washington does "well" in paying attention to the average mom's concerns, while 64 percent feel it does "poorly." Additionally, just 28 percent of moms agree with the statement "I believe that my voice as a MOM will be heard" in the next presidential election. Meanwhile, moms are aching for their voice to be taken seriously politically -- nine in 10 said they would campaign to have moms' voices heard on key issues by signing petitions, writing to representatives, and signing up other moms to vote.

Aligned with these findings, CafeMom has launched the Moms Matter 2012 (www.cafemom.com/momsmatter) section of the website where moms can discuss and get informed about the 2012 elections. Moms Matter will feature video interviews with moms and candidates, an issues scorecard, candidate profiles, message boards and forums, and political mom bloggers. The goal of Moms Matter is to unite moms regardless of political affiliation, activate them to get informed and take action, and have their voices heard to impact the outcome of the 2012 election.

"We created Moms Matter 2012 to bring the issues important to moms to the forefront and help shape the focus of the Presidential election, and ultimately to improve the lives of moms and their families in this country," said Tracy Odell, EVP of content strategy at CafeMom. "Corporations have lobbyists to make sure their messages are heard, but who is looking out for the families in this country? We want to amplify moms' voices and make sure they are heard."

Moms Matter hits the campaign trail
As part of the Moms Matter initiative, Lindsay Ferrier, an Emmy Award-winning journalist, popular blogger, and stepmom and mom to four kids, will be traveling the country, reporting and capturing video not only on the upcoming presidential election, but also on real moms and families whose lives are being impacted by the issues the candidates are debating.

"At a time when Americans' distrust of the government is soaring, my goal is to make the political issues both personal and relatable," says Ferrier. "I want to prove to moms that the presidential election is one event they can't afford to miss."

On November 19, Ferrier will report from the Republican debate at the First Federated Church in Des Moines, Iowa on the issues relevant to mothers. Afterward, CafeMom will be gauging moms' response to the candidates, which will be moderated by political consultant and pollster Frank Luntz.

Survey Methodology:
In October 2011, CafeMom conducted a national online survey of 1,750 moms with a child under 18 years old in the household. Global Marketing Research Services programmed and fielded the study, and validated the weighting of the responses by age, race, region of residence, and income. The survey included approximately 75 questions regarding moms' personal circumstances, overall attitudes and feelings related to election issues, and demographics. The study has a margin of error +/- 2.3%.

For more findings, please visit www.cafemom.com/momsmatter.

About CafeMom:
Launched in late 2006, CafeMom is the number one site on the internet for moms and the premier strategic marketing partner to brands that want to reach moms in a rapidly changing digital environment. CafeMom reaches more than 9 million unique visitors per month on CafeMom.com and 23 million+ unique visitors per month on CafeMom Plus (comScore, Sept. 2011), a boutique network of sites that reach moms and parents. CafeMom is also the leader in developing custom programs for top brands that want to connect with and understand moms online. In May 2011, CafeMom extended its offering beyond community and content and into commerce by launching Mom.com, a local daily deals site targeted to moms and their families. CafeMom plans to launch Mamás Latinas, a new bilingual stand-alone site, to serve Hispanic moms in 2012. CafeMom lead investors are Highland Capital Partners and Draper Fisher Jurvetson. The company was founded by Andrew Shue and Michael Sanchez.

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Moms Know the Deal This Holiday Season - Newsblaze.com

SAN FRANCISCO - (BUSINESS WIRE) - A recent survey of moms across the country reveals that the lure of better deals, convenience of shopping from home and sticking to a holiday budget will drive them to daily deal websites versus going directly to a store this holiday shopping season.

Plum District (www.plumdistrict.com), a daily deal site for moms, by moms, issued a survey among its members to uncover what matters most to moms this holiday shopping season. Moms, who are responsible for over two trillion in household spending, revealed that daily deal sites are this year's must-shop destination, especially in light of the family budget belt-tightening and hectic holiday schedules.

Among the findings:

Nine in ten moms will purchase gifts from a daily deal site this holiday season - their first stop before retailer websites (78 percent) and auction sites (19 percent) Four in five moms will shop more daily deal sites this year than last year Nine in ten moms will shop online this holiday season versus only half that plan to shop at malls (54 percent)

"We know moms are on the go, especially during the holidays," said Megan Gardner, CEO Plum District. "Plum District makes gifting easy by being everywhere moms are - whether on a mobile device, iPad or the web, moms can find great local and national values on our site."

This holiday season Plum District is curating giftables for everyone on mom's list - including gifts for teachers, kids, him, her, pets and stocking stuffers. All offers on Plum District are hand-picked by a mom in the community making it the most trusted local commerce destination.

Among the top findings of the survey:

Mommy's Purse Strings...

More than 50 percent of moms reveal that their biggest holiday challenge this year will be staying within budget 46 percent of moms shopping noted that while they have a budget - nearly all anticipate breaking it

To Re-gift or Not to Re-gift?

More than half (57 percent) of respondents believe it is ok to re-gift as long as you know someone else will appreciate the gift more

Naughty or Nice - Sale or Full Price?

78 percent of moms plan to shop sales for their own kids or kids in their life Moms are more likely to go full-price on gifts for teachers and caregivers - only 11 percent are looking to buy sales items

Gift Gurus

One out of three moms surveyed said they look to the Internet for gift ideas vs. recommendations from their own spouse (only 8 percent look to their spouse for gifting advice)

Methodology

Plum District's online holiday shopping survey was conducted among almost 1000 Plum District members across the U.S. The survey reached online shoppers in the United States who had purchased at least one item from Plum District in the past 90 days.

About Plum District

Plum District (www.plumdistrict.com) offers daily deals moms love. It is For Moms By Moms - a community of moms sharing deals from local and national merchants for other moms to enjoy. Plum District puts Mom first by connecting her with products and inspirations that make her life easier. We know moms are looking to indulge, explore, nest, nibble, play, splurge and give - our goal is to make Mom's day, by offering her great values for her and her family. Our mom consultants work with each merchant to develop a customized marketing program to attract and retain high-value customers. Based in San Francisco, California, Plum District now has over 1 million members and is in 26 markets across the United States.

Photos/Multimedia Gallery Available: http://www.businesswire.com/cgi-bin/mmg.cgi?eid=50075304&lang=en

Plum District Communications
Michelle Chidoni, 310-408-6385
Michelle.chidoni@plumdistrict.com

View the original article here

From Decorating to Recipes to Fashion, Dotcoms for Moms Has It All in the Ultimate Holiday Guide for 2011 - YAHOO!

PRWeb – Tue, Nov 15, 2011

The best of the "holiday" web has been curated by Dotcoms for Moms with the best DIY, color themes, recipes and more!

Los Angeles, CA (PRWEB) November 15, 2011

The 2011 Holiday Season is just around the corner and before panic sets in about all the preparations, have a look through The Ultimate Holiday Guide from Dotcoms For Moms. This incredible online guide will help you prep with planners, gift guides, budget-minded decorating ideas and recipes to take you through the new year.

As always, Dotcoms For Moms’ Ultimate Guides are comprehensive with every attention to detail while keeping to their manifesto that style, taste and budget are at the forefront of every website and product recommendation. “If we do not absolutely love something, we do not recommend it. None of our recommendations are paid sponsorships, and that is what makes our top picks and ultimate guides so unique when presenting the best of the web” says Rita Mauceri, President and CEO of Dotcoms For Moms.

Entertaining moms will find unique takes on hostess invitations, tree decorating, party themes and tabletop ideas. Even the music has been selected to help you save time in your holiday preparations! Do you want to break tradition and use a color palette other than red and green? DFM will help you do that with top picks of sliver and pink, red and aqua and other gorgeous palettes.

For style-conscious moms, gift guides and fashion picks have been selected for every mom type. Slideshows make this visual guide an easy and quick read with links to all recommendations. Just click through pictures instead of wading through pages of text and clicking back and forth. DFM is here to save you time because we know you are already busy and the holiday season is that extra layer of time crunch and pressure that everyone feels.

Cooking is a major part of the holidays, and planning menus can be overwhelming. The Ultimate Holiday Guide contains the web’s best recipes, along with recommendations for drinks, sweets, the big Christmas meal, Christmas morning treats and New Year’s celebrations. For those not so inclined to enjoy the holidays, there is a great and funny find - “The Grinch” drink to lighten the mood.

Recipes like Country Ham with Black Tea, Beer, and Blackstrap Molasses are featured in the “Festive Food” section. Carefully selected and tasty recipes are key to making a memorable holiday, so click through and make your own picks from DFM’s recommendations.

About Dotcoms For Moms:

Inspired by her own busy life as a mother to three children (twin boys followed a year later by a girl), award-winning television producer, author and lifestyle expert Rita Mauceri launched Dotcoms For Moms™ in January 2011 to provide moms a solution to the challenge they face online: keeping track of the gems and weeding out all the junk found in a typical online search. With the launch of Dotcoms For Moms™, Mauceri draws on her more than 15 years of experience in entertainment and women’s lifestyle to create the ultimate online destination for moms of all ages with children of all ages. For more information on Dotcoms For Moms™, please visit http://www.dotcomsformoms.com/.

A veteran television producer of top-rated entertainment and lifestyle programming at E!, Discovery, Travel Channel, TLC, and HGTV, Mauceri is a published author of two style books, “Frumpy to Foxy in 15 Minutes Flat” and “Curves Rules and Flat is Fabulous: Sexy, Stylish Looks for Every Figure,” and is best known online for her highly-read weekly entertaining and style columns on Yahoo! -- Foxy Festivities and The Foxy Life.

###

Sandra McIntosh
Dotcoms for Moms
310-923-4247
Email Information

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Join The Ultimate Moms' Club With New Website and Sweepstakes From 8th Continent Soymilk and TV Guide Network's "Hollywood Moms Night" TV Special - Yahoo Finance

Pollsters: "Walmart moms" feel disconnected, frustrated with Washington - The Christian Science Monitor

GOP pollster Neil Newhouse cofounded Public Opinion Strategies, based in Alexandria, Va. He is the pollster for presidential candidate Mitt Romney.

Skip to next paragraph

Democratic pollster Margie Omero is president of Momentum Analysis in Washington. Both were guest speakers at the Monitor breakfast on Nov. 2 in Washington, where they presented polling data about "Walmart moms" – women voters who shop at Walmart at least once a month and have children under 18 living at home.

Where Walmart moms are in the political landscape:

Mr. Newhouse: "Walmart moms are between 14 and 17 percent of the electorate.... In the 2008 election, [a majority of them] voted for [Barack] Obama. In 2010, they were initially pro-Obama but ended up voting for Republicans for Congress."

Walmart moms' view of Washington politics:

Newhouse: "These women are frustrated.... They look at Wall Street getting bailed out, [and they ask], 'Who's paying my electric bill?' They see a government activism that doesn't impact them directly. They want their share. They want some focus on them as individuals and fighting their battle."

How candidates can reach out to Walmart moms:

Ms. Omero: "What any candidate can do is really speak directly to, 'What does [this policy] mean for you and your family?' The more the debate is about the back-and-forth wrangling in Washington, the less these moms are engaged. The more it is about what does this policy mean for [the fact they are] spending less at Christmas, making all these different cuts in [their] household budget ..., the more these moms will be engaged."

A distinctive characteristic of Walmart moms:

Newhouse: "Everybody has a story – about how their kid came back to live with them, or they are now taking care of a parent.... It is the adaptability of these Walmart moms that is really remarkable in the face of very serious economic circumstances."

Party enthusiasm in 2012:

Omero: "It's going to be incumbent on the Republican nominee to get their voters enthusiastic. As I look at some of the polls in the Republican primary field, if there's a lack of enthusiasm among primary voters, does that translate into a lack of enthusiasm among general-election swing voters?"

Newhouse: "The bottom line is: Republicans can't wait for this election. I look at 2012 as a continuation of the 2010 election, just like 2008 was a continuation of 2006. And in 2012, I think Republican voters are anxious to turn out President Obama. The energy ... comes more from President Obama than any Republican running."

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Midland Moms raise funds for West Texas Food Bank - My West Texas

Posted: Tuesday, November 15, 2011 10:12 pm | Updated: 10:56 pm, Tue Nov 15, 2011.

The Moms Club of Midland is hoping to ensure fewer children are going hungry in the coming months.

After hearing children make up about 45 percent of the West Texas Food Bank's clients, the women felt compelled to do something for the kids in their community. They wouldn't want their own children going hungry and don't want any others to suffer.

"It's children who have no control over whether they eat or not," said Brandie Harris, of the Moms Club of Midland. "They don't make money, they have no control over ways to get their food."

The women initially planned a bake sale. But as the moms read additional statistics about the need in West Texas, they started brainstorming about what more could be done. Harris said they called several businesses and eventually were connected with Fuddruckers, whose area owner was excited about doing what he could to end hunger.

The restaurant will donate to the West Texas Food Bank 15 percent or more of all orders placed in Midland and Odessa on Thursday.

"No one has to mention that they want to donate," Harris said. "Both locations will donate all day."

Fuddruckers also will host the Midland Moms during the evening so the women can hold their bake sale at Fuddruckers at Midland Park Mall.

All purchases and donations made during the bake sale will be given to the West Texas Food Bank, Harris said.

Paige Phelps, director of marketing and community relations at the West Texas Food Bank, said they're grateful for groups like the Moms Club.

Since this time last year, Phelps said the food bank has experienced an almost 30 percent increase in distribution of supplies.

Even with the increase -- which represents an about 2.2 million-pound jump in regional distribution -- Phelps said they haven't met the need.

Texas has the second highest rate of hunger in the country. In the 22-county area served by the food bank, one in three children suffer from food insecurity, according to data released this year by Feeding America.

"The numbers are just staggering and it's hard to reach everybody," Phelps said.

For every $1 donated, four individuals are provided a meal. Phelps said the food bank also received a $75,000 grant from the Abell-Hanger Foundation that will match any money given by donors who are new to the food bank's program.

Moms Club of Midland is part of a worldwide nonprofit that works to impact communities. The women have other service projects throughout the year, but wanted to make the food bank their big focus because of the positive effect it could have on area children, Harris said.

In addition to volunteer work, the group meets for social activities each month that are meant to connect moms with other moms.

"All of our activities are child-friendly," she said. "We really cater to moms and kids."

Kathleen Thurber can be reached at kthurber@mrt.com.

West Texas Food Bank fundraiser:

At least 15 percent of anything purchased from Fuddruckers in Midland or Odessa on Thursday will be donated to the West Texas Food Bank.

A bake sale also will take place from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. Thursday at the Midland Park Mall location to benefit the food bank.

Fuddruckers: 4511 N Midkiff Road No. C22 in Midland or 4101 E 42nd St. No. 96 in Odessa

For more info on the Midland Moms: http://momsclubofmidland.weebly.com

View the original article here

Saturday, November 19, 2011

Births by young US moms reach historic low - YAHOO!

Birth rates by teenage and young adult mothers in the United States fell to historic lows last year, while birth rates among women over 40 hit a 30-year high, according to data released Thursday.