Submitted by I’m Right and You’re Wrong (ED. While this article talks about making Aliyah- or moving to Israel- the relevence is clear for anyone relocating to a new area)

There is a great article over at Aish.com written by Tara Eliwatt, about parenting and Aliyah( moving to Israel). She describes the ups and downs of making Aliyah with small children who have to try an integrate into the Israeli school system. Her Hebrew is non-existent and her kids are not much more fluent.

In an emotional moment for any parent she says, “I don’t want to leave him. I want to sit with him and talk to him and tell all the boys at the bus stop, “Hey — you’ve got to get to know this kid. He’s so bright and creative, and lots of fun to be with! He’s sensitive and thoughtful. He would be a great friend to have.” But they don’t speak English, and my Hebrew is poor at best. Instead, I drive the car slowly away, peering into the rear view window to see if he follows my advice.
I can’t blame him for not being assertive at the bus stop. I’m afraid to call Israeli mothers on the phone to arrange play dates for my kids. What if they don’t understand me? What if they don’t want their child playing with an American?”

Organizations that promote Aliyah, like Nefesh B’Nefesh, have done such a great job in helping olim get acclimated in Israel, whether it be helping finding a job, a suitable community, and/or easing bureaucratic red tape. Because of NBN’s success, we may forget that a major issue that is beyond the scope of any organization is helping children make new friends, and get comfortable in their new surroundings.

Eliwatt says that a well placed ice-cream cone, or a trip to the park can help ease the transition as it helps bring the family closer and remind all that they are in this together.

She concludes, “But at least a few times a week, (before I’ve lost my patience, raised my voice or done some other parenting faux pas), my daughter has looked at me with a sweet smile on her face, asking, “Why are you such a good mommy?”
I don’t recall ever hearing that question in America.
There is a sense in the family that “we’re all in this together.” And perhaps, in witnessing our children slowly acclimate to their new life, we are inspired to work harder to adapt and to accept the changes in our own lives.”

A must read article for anyone thinking of relocating to a new geographic area.

Core training is all the rage these days.  But core training has undergone some fundamental changes in the last few years.  Now more and more experts are recommending that you focus on stabilizing the core when you work the abs and lower back, rather than doing moves such as crunches or sit-ups.  The reason is that the primary job of these muscles is to help keep the lumbar spine in position so that the spine remains intact and pain-free.  These two essential exercises that can be done as part of your core training — or even at the beginning of a workout to help wake up the abs and lower back muscles.  Check them out and consider adding them to your program.

Geralyn Coopersmith, MA, CSCS is an exercise physiologist, certified personal trainer and the creator of The Best Me Ever, a comprehensive weight loss and wellness system just for women

Special thanks to Five Iron Fitness in White Plains, NY

Going through a divorce is a very challenging time in a person’s life. It is hard to adjust to being single again, as well as living “out of the habit” of being married, especially if you have been married for many, many years.

It is suggested that you use this precious opportunity to rediscover yourself. Think of this time in your life as an adventure to explore the real you. If you have worked outside the home combined with being a mom and wife for the last ten, fifteen or twenty years, you may have lost yourself along the way. Certainly not on purpose, but as most women try to do it all as “super” moms, many times we put our own wants and needs on hold to keep our families and jobs running smoothly!

Take a deep breath and let’s start to rediscover your true passions and say…
Will the Real Me Please Stand Up!

Tip#5 What Makes Your Heart Sing?

What really matters to you? What do you feel is your true purpose in life? If someone asked you that question, how would you answer them?

Why is it so important to be clear on what your life’s purpose is? Knowing your purpose, will give you a true sense of who you are and why you were put on this earth. It gives your life direction and helps you make clear and easy decisions concerning that direction. It’s your compass! Without a purpose, can your life be compared to a piece of driftwood? Floating endlessly in whichever direction the tide decides to take it and ending up on any beach with no will of its’ own.

When you live your life based on your purpose you are living in integrity with yourself and are in alignment of who you really are in all aspects of your life - body, mind and spirit. Take this time to focus on what really matters to you. Feel the true passions that exist in your heart and write them down.

As the Founder of the National Association of Divorce for Women and Children, Joanie’s passion is to help women be the best they can be as well as become role models for their children and community. The 24/7 Resource Center was created not only because of the lack of support and guidance Joanie experienced after her divorce, but for the many women who experience the same challenges.       

Joanie became a successful business owner of a True Value Hardware store at the age of twenty five. After eighteen years in the retail arena, she embarked on a professional career as a speaker, author, business/personal coach specializing in divorce and a Certified Behavior Specialist. She is also the Divorce Specialist for the National Association of Baby Boomers.

To continue to help provide a healthy lifestyle for women and children, Joanie is the Founder of the non-profit Happy Wednesday Foundation which provides funding for women’s educational mentoring programs during and after divorce.

For more support and encouragement during and after divorce, visit the National Association of Divorce for Women and Children.

My sweet 81 year old friend called today and told me she saved over $50.00 by using a suggestion from a sheet of organizing tips she had been given. Of course, I am always looking for organizing tips.

Now, I have to say, this tip is in the gray area between organizing and cleaning, but since I have several videos that border between organizing tips and other things (crafts, cleaning and interesting stuff) I am going to share this one.

Her dishwasher hadn’t completely drained the last two times she used it. She called the plumber who charged $50.00 just to come to the house. But he didn’t come when he said he would. She read on her sheet to use vinegar in the dishwasher to wash out the pipes. She used a gallon of vinegar without any dishes in it and ran the washer through a cycle. That took care of the problem. Imagine that one little idea saved her over $50.00!

Do you have any money saving organizing tips that we could use? If so, please share.

Marilyn Bohn is an energetic, lively, compassionate, hard working and creative organizer. She was born to organize! Before becoming a professional organizer she worked professionally in diverse environments. She is involved in her community, providing her clients with a broad base of experience and knowledge.  She is a member of the National Association of Professional Organizers (NAPO).

I think it is interesting that we use the term “organizing clutter”. If it is clutter why are we organizing it? I think rather than saying “I am organizing clutter” it would be better or more to the point to say “I am organizing my home, room, cupboard, closet (whatever it may be) and getting rid of the clutter.” Maybe it is just me, but as a professional organizer I find that to be an oxymoron.

If you are organizing clutter here are 3 tips to make it fast and simple:

•When you’re through using something, put it away then, don’t let it start a pile of clutter. (Like the phone book, a dirty dish, shoes)
•Put Seasonal clothes in a different closet than you use for your main closet, or fold and put away in a container and store on the closet shelf, or put in the back of your closet.
•Make it easy for your family to throw away trash—have several trash cans strategically placed in your home.

Actually, those tips will help you avoid collecting clutter. What kinds of things do you think of as clutter in your home?

Marilyn Bohn is an energetic, lively, compassionate, hard working and creative organizer. She was born to organize! Before becoming a professional organizer she worked professionally in diverse environments. She is involved in her community, providing her clients with a broad base of experience and knowledge.  She is a member of the National Association of Professional Organizers (NAPO).

Barrington, NH: The down-turned economy has left many small business owners wondering what the future holds for them.  The fear of losing their business has encouraged several mom entrepreneurs to look for opportunity while others cut spending and layoff employees.

Thirty inspirational women will be highlighted over a period of 30 days on The Mom Entrepreneur blog <http://www.themomentrepreneur.blogspot.com> , which offers tips, advice and resources for balancing motherhood with running a company. These mom entrepreneurs’ stories demonstrate how these amazing women have decided to make “lemonade from lemons” using a little creative ingenuity.

“I have received dozens of emails from mom entrepreneurs all over the country telling me their “glass is half-full” stories,” said Traci Bisson, owner and founder of The Mom Entrepreneur <http://www.themomentrepreneur.com> .  ”From Misty Gibbs, owner of My
Inspiration Lounge whose vision is to “help women feel empowered, especially during this time, so they can take control of their lives and become better prepared for future downturns,” to Sarah Laufer, owner of Play Outdoors whose business launched in 2008. Laufer has decided to focus on “being who we are and continuing with our goal of creating a place where parents and kids are encouraged to get outdoors”.

These women and 28 more will be featured in a 30-day inspirational story marathon starting November 15 and concluding on December 14.

Mike Michalowicz <http://www.toiletpaperentrepreneur.com/author/index.php> , author of “The Toilet Paper Entrepreneur” (Obsidian Launch, LLC, 2008), in a guest post for The Mom Entrepreneur said “so here we sit, as entrepreneurs, on an economy that sucks. It will either revive over the next year or two or even perhaps die. But one thing for sure, it will get worse before it gets better. And it is now, right in this moment, that it is the best time to
start a business.”

The 30 stories in 30 days marathon will highlight mom entrepreneurs who also feel that now is the best time to start or grow a business because even in a sour economy lies optimism, promise and positive change.

To learn more about The Mom Entrepreneur and to follow the 30-day inspirational story marathon, visit www.themomentrepreneur.com.

About The Mom Entrepreneur:
Traci Bisson has been a mom since February 2000 and an entrepreneur since August 2000. Eight weeks after she returned from maternity leave, the company where she had been employed for five years went out of business. She decided to try doing her own thing and failed miserably. After another year of working for two different companies (the first laid off the department she worked in and the other was showing signs of going under), Bisson
decided to try entrepreneurship again.

Raising her two children and growing her first company, Bisson Barcelona <http://www.bissonbarcelona.com/> , an image management and high visibility PR firm, have been both challenging and rewarding.

Bisson started The Mom Entrepreneur in April 2008 as more of a hobby. She began blogging about her challenges and successes. That same month, she sent a query out through two news channels looking for tips on balancing family and business in order to generate some additional content for her blog. Bisson anticipated she would connect with a few other mom entrepreneurs, interview them and post their stories on her blog. In less then 48 hours she had received 400 emails with more then 1,000 tips from mom entrepreneurs all over the world.

From that point, The Mom Entrepreneur started to grow. The company added The Mom Entrepreneur Support Group
<http://themomentrepreneur.wordpress.com/support-group/>  in June, which now
has over 225 members who discuss everything from potty training to how to use Twitter.

Bisson’s story has been told in dozens of publications, including the Associated Press <http://www.bissonbarcelona.com/PDFs/WP_press.pdf> , National Federation of Independent Business (NFIB.com)
<http://www.nfib.com/object/IO_32411.html> , Women’s Business Boston Journal
<http://www.seacoastonline.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080427/BIZ/80427
0319/-1/rss50> , Plan Ahead Get Ahead (cover story), Union Leader
<http://www.bissonbarcelona.com/PDFs/UL_press.pdf> , The Portsmouth Herald
<http://archive.seacoastonline.com/2005news/12022005/business/75996.htm> ,
Our Times <http://portsmouthnhemployment.com/2002ourtimes/6_1k_ot.htm>  and
Seacoast Ventures
<http://www.seacoastventures.net/entrepreneur/0107ent.html> .

I had a client spooked by their family tree.

Why?

It was rumored that the great grandparents were first cousins. This truly horrified this individual. Well, you can’t look at this fact from this day and age. You must look at the past.

What do we know about the past?

Transportation wasn’t as it is now. Communities were smaller. Families were tighter and living close by each other. It was a different world.

So, don’t be too spooked if there is a first cousin marriage within your family. It happened.

I haven’t discovered this within my own family but boy did they push the limits. My family members just grazed by this rule multiple times.

This was proven to be a fact and not just a rumor. I discovered that the great grandmother was sent to live with her uncle and aunt as a teen with her younger brother after her mother and father passed away. Very sad news indeed but did explain an unknown tragedy within the family. From there, you can gather that her uncle’s eldest son and her fell in love and married.

I think the client was still spooked by this fact but the unearthed tragedy lessened the blow.

Do you have a first cousin marriage in your family tree?

Colleen M. Johnson, CMJ Office

Not that I enjoy saying bad things about my hometown of Seattle, Wa. but when it comes to politics, most residents of the city are just plain nuts. It’s no wonder that the largest city in a state that was once dubbed, ” the 47 states and the Soviet of Washington,” is so far off to left that even great news, can be spun into catastrophe. That’s exactly what happened in yesterday’s Seattle-PI. In a very telling headline the question is asked, “The Money Squeeze: Is cheaper gas bad news?”

Huh?

What a stupid question. Of course it’s good news, if consumers can save 30% of their gas bill, can you explain to me why that’s bad?  I know it’s bad for environmentalists, and all those who drink the Al Gore Kool-Aid. After all it just goes to show that crude-oil is king, and alternative energy sources like  wind, solar, fully pumped tires, are all prohibitively expensive and fall by the wayside as crude prices fall. What happened to the whole alternative energy craze?  Funny what $65/barrel oil can do!

According to the PI article: ” When prices at the pump surged this summer, maintenance technician Taylor Morgan decided to change the way he got to the downtown Seattle office building where he works. He started taking a bus from his South Seattle home a couple of days a week. And he told his wife that the bimonthly trips to see family in British Columbia had to be cut to once or twice a year. On Friday, Morgan said he was happy to be driving his Honda Accord to work every day again. He stood pumping gasoline at a 15th Avenue West Chevron station, where the price for regular had dropped to $2.99 per gallon.

“Things are getting back to normal,” he said. “But with the crazy price changes, you can’t really be sure. It’s really confusing.”

Morgan and other baffled consumers are far from alone. With markets exceptionally volatile, even the region’s top economists can’t say whether gas prices will continue to fall or rocket again.”

Excuse me. What’s confusing about gas prices dropping rapidly? Why is it an issue if economists can’t predict the future? I don’t hear anyone crying over the fact that 6 months ago most ‘economists’ where predicting $5 per gallon. Nice call!

Heck, maybe just maybe the cheaper oil will mean salvation for the near bankrupt US car industry. Instead of another government bailout, maybe cheaper prices at the pump will help jump-start new sales.

Please see our Disclaimer HERE.

Aaron Katsman is Managing Editor of the Israel Opportunity Investor newsletter. He is lead portfolio manager for the Israel Growth Portfolio and Managing Director of America Israel Investment Associates, LLC. For more information, go to www.israelnewsletter.com or call 1-888-327-6179, or email aaron@profile-financial.com.

Wear Clean Underwear!: A Fast, Fun, Friendly and Essential Guide to Legal Planning for Busy Parentsis a terrific book written by California lawyer and mom, Alexis Martin Neely (and fellow champion of women financial empowerment).

The book today launched at #1 in all their categories and #2 on the Movers and Shakers list. It is a must read for you.
Alexis’s heartbreaking depiction of what will happen if you don’t designate guardians for your children is enough to make you cry. In fact, that is exactly the type of story people need to read to propel them into action. You love your children and want them to thrive not just survive if you don’t. Stop procrastinating and buy this terrific book to learn what to do in case the unthinkable were to happen.

For less than $15, you will not only get the straight information on everything you need to know to legally plan for the care of your kids and your money, but you will also get over $3000 worth of bonus gifts that Alexis has put together for you. But, to get the bonuses, you’ve got to buy the book TODAY!

And, don’t think this book is going to be depressing, hard to read or full of legal jargon. It’s just the opposite! As you can tell from the title, Alexis has made this topic entertaining,interesting and, yes, even a little bit fun.

By using an easy to read story-based format, Alexis walks you through three stories that guide you to all the right answers for your family.

Her book is a fast read and when you are done, you will know the exact next steps on what you need to do to make life as easy as possible for the people you love most if you were in an accident.

By the end, you will know exactly how easy it can be to legally plan for your family and she even gives you tons of free resources to get you started or fix what you’ve already got in place. This is a book you must read even if you think you’ve gotten everything taken care of.

Alexis discovered that of the 30% of parents who have taken action to legally plan for their kids and their money, most have made at least 1 of 6 common mistakes.

So, whether you’ve done legal planning or not, get a head start and order “Wear Clean Underwear: A Fast, Fun, Friendly - and Essential - Guide to Legal Planning for Busy Parents” right NOW by following this link to Amazon:

Wear Clean Underwear!: A Fast, Fun, Friendly and Essential Guide to Legal Planning for Busy Parents,

Tiffany Bass Bukow is the CEO & Founder of the #1 Personal Finance Website for Women and Families - www.msmoney.com. My life mission is to help people and the world thrive through creating companies that provide money, career and life skills education.

I recently received information from Betsy Storm, principal of Top Drawer Communications located in Chicago, Illinois about a new endeavor she started. The Mom Entrepreneur endorses Barack Obama so I was intrigued to learn what Betsy was doing to create awareness as well as increase her business. Here is her story…

“About eight months ago, I decided to boost my business while doing something good for the Obama Campaign at the same time. I used my knowledge of graphics, printing, marketing and PR in general to design and produce a limited-edition (500) high-quality long-sleeve T-shirt sporting the slogan “Mamas for Obama Know the Power of Voting.” The T-shirt, printed in front and back in color, has been a moneymaker for my business, a great way to raise awareness of my communications business and a fundraiser for the Obama Campaign. I will give $1,000 of the proceeds of the sale of the T-shirt to the Obama Campaign within a couple of weeks.”

Here is a link to her Web site for more information or to purchase a T-shirt and show your support: http://www.topdrawercommunications.com/mamas_for_obama.htm.