Photo shoot for charity.

I took the kids to Hunger Task Force this morning. They needed kids for a commercial they are shooting.
Now, my son is extremely photogenic. He is very handsome and knows it, but man, did he freeze. Now, personally I don't care. I don't need my kids to be models but it was a little embarrassing. And to top it off he had steri-strips on his chin because he fell in the shower last night and split his chin open. The had him drink a glass of milk to hide the chin.
Now my daughter is beautiful to me. Actually, she looks a lot like me. But like her ma, I'm not photogenic and neither is she. But she really did well. Shy, but cute. If you Milwaukee moms see the next commercial for Hunger Task Force, mine are the 2 shy young ones.

The brochure is just about completed for the PDF on the site. I have a great designer working on it. I found her on GURU.com. I have had very good results whenever I need a designer from there.
I am also making a brochure that I will use as a mailing. In order to help moms that have registered have more available moms, I'm starting a mailing to school districts. I will be offering MommyTime as a school fund raiser. Schools will get brochures to give to each child and a special registration code. Every mom who registers will mean that the school makes money and we get new moms. Anyone who thinks that their school or church would be interested, let me know.
I'll start with school districts of all registered moms. Besides, if the schools register a lot of moms, the moms may have more time to help in the classroom.
When I was a teenager, my mom did home day care for a couple of years. Even though she was an RN and could have gone back to work, she stayed home when my brother Paul was born. She did child care in Wauwatosa and offered free child care to any mom who helped out at school. Particularly, St. Bernards.
This way she felt that she was giving to the school indirectly while other moms would volunteer.
I think she did a great thing. But she is a great mom and a wonderful example.

What I am doing today.

In addition to baking Toll House cookies and running errands, I am working on a promotional piece to mail to every school district of current members. It is an ad piece and fund raising proposal for the schools.

The new moms registering are a very diverse group. This will keep me on my toes working on new ways to promote the site to new areas. This idea started in the Midwest and that is where I thought it would stay and grow until we expand. But I forgot that most women like to share a good thing so they told their friends on the coasts and once they signed up, I wanted to be able to provide them with new moms. So we are now nationwide and at this time in 22 states.

I am also finishing the brochure that I will have on the web site in a PDF so that anyone can print it and post it in the city you live. I have one at my post office, Laundromat and Piggly Wiggly food store at the present time.

What can I do for you?

Now that we are online and the site is working as it should, I am open to requests.
Is there anything I can do to make this a better site for you?

I know a lot of moms have asked why can't they see their name. See FAQ
I can't change this but we are working on the access to other states.
I also would like the database to narrow down the choices per state. I am trying to see if we can have our city under our name so that it would look like this:
Barb Mom
Sussex
Then you could search through zip codes in your city. Any suggestions, I'm all ears.

The email system is still in flux so continue to email my personal email or the web site will forward any messages.

The resources page is a free listing for any local non-profit. Just email me and give me your suggestions. This provides a link to the resource site.

The directory page is for business to advertise. I am hoping to keep costs down by having advertising space. Members have a discount advertising rate so if you would like to promote your business to local moms, please submit your ads. This links to your business. I have hubby's real estate ad in already.

I will also do barter with business who promote the site, hang a flyer, or write about us in a newsletter. Any mom who wants to help promote the site with distributing a flyer, let me know.

The press release on the site launch has been sent out.

After any mom has taken some mommy time? I'd love to hear from you personally on how it went, any suggestions. I also will post the child info sheet in the FAQ so that you can print a new one with each exchange if needed.

There is a TV station in Minneapolis which may do a story on the Mommy Time idea. I have moms who will be interviewed and this would be a great way for other moms to hear about us.

That's all for now.

Resources and Directory pages

On the website there are 2 pages now operational.
Resources Page:
The resources page is a place to list any resources that a mom might need to use or want to know about.
Any one can submit the name of a community resources that might be helpful to a mom in this area. I need your help. Please submit any site you want me to post. Food pantry's, community clinics, and other non-profits.
Directory:
This page is to find a place to spend your mommy time. Hair salons, restaurant, shopping, etc. This is a place for advertisers to invite you to check them out. Since I want to encourage small business, the mommy members have a reduced ad cost. If you would like to advertise, the directory page has a checkout feature so that you can submit ads online.

What a wonderful weekend!

Wow, what a weekend!
Thanks to all the new moms who registered. Especially to the mom who said she doesn't mind being the first in her state. That's a gal who believes in this concept!
We are still working on the site and getting registration fine tuned.

If any mom registered and has not received an email, let me know.

Site update

Well moms, we are up. Not without a lot of glitches.
The email system isn't working so please email everything to my home account.
I am almost done entering the pre-registered moms. If you sent me an application up to a week ago, you should have received an email from me. The welcome email has a introduction, login password and child info sheet. If you haven't recieved it- Email me!
Once you have the welcome letter and login info- login and change or update all of your information on the My Page . Sorry ladies, I wanted to enter everyone as soon as possible so I entered the basics. Add anything you want and save.
Look for a local mom. I know some areas have only a few moms. Some areas of the country had a great response, some like Seattle had a tremendous response for applications but few who sent them back. I am starting the advertising in the Metro Parent Magazines and I will add more soon. This is a shoestring operation. That's why I need word of mouth and friends to join so that we can start to grow.
I have had a few questions from moms.
1. Can a pre-register anymore? No. We were able to get online a week early but we are online. I have a promotional registration of $35.00. I think this is a great price for what this service will provide. Yes, we need to grow, but we will quickly.
2. Can I see other states? I am working on this one. Some moms pointed out at they may live on the Illinois border with Wisconsin or New Jersey to New York. You need to look at connecting states, zip codes and other states if you relocate. This may take a little while but we are looking at this request.
I will use this blog to update you on the site. The newsletter will be for mommy info, child care, parenting advise, craft ideas, etc. I am looking for mom writers to submit artlcles for publication. This newsletter will start when we get everything elso going a little smoother.
I will continue to listen to you and we will make this a great place to visit and a great place to meet other moms.

Welcome to Mommy Time!

Welcome to the first online nation wide child care exchange. We are just starting but will strive to give any mom whether stay at home, working, special needs, older, younger, single, rich, poor, liberal, conservative, rural or urban a chance to have some Mommy Time. I really believe in this idea.
Help us grow this community of moms. Register on the site and start meeting great moms like you to share child care.
Registration is $35.00 a year for this promotional period and this gives you access 24/7 to the database. We will continue to promote and register moms every where. There are 6.8 million SAHM's. There are 2.2 million who have children under 3. That' s a lot of moms who could use a few hours off a week or a regular date night with the hubby.
Register on the site and start finding your Mommy Time!

We are live!!!

Mommy Time is now live and up.
I'm sure we will have glitches to work out but anyone who wants to can register and I will start entering the already registered moms in the site.

Patience please. Email me with questions but we'll all work it out.

Welcome moms- let's all find our mommy time!

Mommy Time starts tomorrow!!!

Well my patient moms, the site goes live tomorrow! Of course we will find glitches and little problems but email with anything and we'll work it out.

I have to enter all of the moms that registered early tomorrow when we go live so wait for the email from me with your login.

To all of you who registered early, Thank You for helping to start with me.

For all of the moms who chose not to pre-register and the new moms who read this- please join us in creating the first and largest online child share site where we can finally find our Mommy Time.

Recap on how the site will work.

We are finishing the site this week and we will be online soon. For those of you who have registered, I'll be sending your login soon. I have been emailing the application to any mom who requests it and I hope everyone will be returning the applications soon. The free registration ends when we go live. As soon as you are registered,I will put you in the database. When we are online you will get a login number to have access to the secure area. This is the Mommy Time page. The site will list Moms per state and zip code. You will just have your name listed as "Mary Mom" or "Susan Mom" depending on your name. There will be small icons of a boy or girl with ages on them that show what children you have. There are also icons that describe your home, ie smoking, CPR, TV, Toys, etc. Remember those questions I asked you when you registered. This will tell another Mom, is there smoking in your home? Do you let the kids watch TV? Do you have pets? Do you know CPR? Do you have a child with special needs? And what kind? I'm grateful for all of the moms who are saying that they would love to take a special needs child even though they have no experience. They just want to be educated. The icons will help the other Moms decide if they want to contact you. Moms will also have an availability button to turn on or off. Available means that you may be contacted, not that you are available this minute. It just means that you are open to communication with another Mom. Availability off means don't bother me. Maybe you just had surgery and need a few weeks without an exchange. Maybe you are on vacation. If a Mom wants to contact you,they will email you, you give them a tele# or email back and talk. You are getting to know each other. Once you both feel compatible, set up a time for you to have your children cared for or visa versa. There is no identifying info about you until a Mom emails you to discuss an exchange. You give her the info. Please email me with any other questions. Let's all find some mommy time.

A Day off for Mommy Time

Sorry for the delay in applications. I just got back from a few days in Door County and internet access was difficult.
Glad to see so many responses while I was gone. Especially special needs moms. We were mentioned in this blog and the response has been great. I also heard that we are being promoted on mommy forums around the country.
There is nothing like us moms if you want to spread the word. Especially if it makes our life easier!

Mommy Time Update

Registrations are coming in from everywhere. Thanks everyone. I want to share an observation about our starting up this September. I want any mom who needs mommy time to be part of this and especially special needs moms. But I don't want you to be disappointed when we start and there are only 5 moms in your area. I will do what I need to do for promotions but I will need your help.
1. Encourage everyone to register now while there is no cost to you.
2. Help me promote by word of mouth.

I will:
1. Work on a site design that will be easy to use to find local moms.
2. Promote mommytime where ever I can.
3. Offer a promotional fee when we go online to encourage even more moms to register. I will start the registration at $35.00 so that moms can afford to register and help us to grow.

Application update.

I have been emailing the applications to Moms that are requesting to join. I have been sending it back as a word attachment and most of you are printing it and mailing it back to me. A few gals have typed onto the document and emailed back to me. It works either way. When the background check is done, I email a welcome letter to you.

I am advertising by word of mouth, CL, and other internet classifieds. My ads in Metro Parent Milwaukee and Portland start in September.
October I will start in Metro Parent Chicago and Detroit. If any Mom's registered or not know of any Mom friendly advertising publications please Email me!

Any major metropolitan city is fine. I started ads in the Midwest ( Because we are in Wisconsin) and have now expanded to the coasts.