Momming with Options

Wealth isn't about having stuff, it's about having options.

- paraphrasing Chris Rock, on his final appearance on Oprah

Chris Rock is undeniably funny & talented, but who knew he was so wise!

Options...it's become a guiding concept in my adulthood, and one I often espouse to my younger friends (Right, Misses Darmody?).

I was late to the parenting game, so I had the privilege to watch (and learn) while so many friends struggled with (and sometimes against) "having it all", "finding balance" and "Mommy guilt".

When I was a little girl, many Mothers still felt their options were limited (or nonexistent) once they had children. Sure there were a few "working Moms" around the neighborhood, but not many. If you were a "homemaker" looking to make a few shekels there was Avon or Mary Kay or Tupperware (all still going strong), but there wasn't much in between "real" full-time jobs and "parties" hocking goods to other homemakers.

Sure party-based opportunities (and the stories of hard-working Moms raking it in) still abound, with new variations of the model cropping up all the time.  Seems like there's an option to suit almost any interest -- Pampered Chef, Creative Memories, Partylites, Willow House, Lia Sophia & Silpada -- but the options for Moms go far beyond "parties" these days.

The convergence of educated, enthusiastic, energetic and creative women, that had a careers before starting their family, and the power of hardware, software and the internet have created a bright new era of almost unlimited options for so many Moms (and Dads) struggling everyday to find balance and meaning in our personal and professional lives, not to mention possibly adding to their family's bottom line.

I feel very blessed to be Momming in this age of Mompreneurs and Mommy bloggers (FYI -- I personally hate the term "Mommy blogger", it sounds so dismissive!), and companies are finally waking up and noticing the under-utilized workforce just sitting (yeah, right) at home! 

Today, I have Mom friends working on contract projects, others are busy developing freelance and consulting businesses in all types of fields (lawyers, engineers, teachers, writers, graphic artists), while still more friends are telecommuting a day or two a week, working flex-time schedules and even part-time! 

Options, options and more options. Sure, there could be more, but have there ever been so many! 

I have friends blogging about gracious living (Everyday Treats) and tasty living (Sugar & Spice) and outdoor living (Outdoor Mom), and I get my daily giggles reading Scary Mommy, I'm Gonna Kill Him & The Bloggess (ladies that now feel like friends I have yet to meet for a margarita or mojito). 

One talented and hard-working, work-from-home, entrepreneurial Mom I know is my graphic designer neighbor, Nancy, the creative force behind MomGoodz - a fabulous line of t's, totes, notepads, mugs & more, all with a wonderfully sardonic humor!

MomGoodz booth at a recent street fair.

"Eat chocolate, Pray for sleep, Love if you get the chocolate and the sleep"

"You Had Me at Merlot" - I need about a dozen of these for future gifting!

And websites like Etsy and ArtFire are making it easier for folks to turn their craft into cash, like my tie-dying pal, Anne and her Archive Gifts shop.

(Anne did a great custom tee for my Deadhead BIL 

for Christmas that's now one of his favs!)

Keep up the good works, ladies! 

We alternative work-style professionals are changin' this world for the better!