Happy Mother’s Day to all moms out there! Hoping your day is as special as you are.

I can’t really think of anything more special than being a mother, and at the same time, I can’t think of anything scarier than being a mother. The joy and the love is unmatched with anything else in life, but shadow of fear of something happening to your children is always there. I don’t think I ever truly understood how much my parents loved me until I had my own children, nor I understood why they were always worrying so much. Now I do.

Being a mom, a parent, is the toughest job in the world, and when you want the best for your child, you always have this sense of not being enough, not doing enough. And it’s like anything else in life; you can’t have it all. It’s tough to balance wanting to be a strong female role model, and trying to show your children everything in life is possible when being that person means that you sometimes have to skip going to see the school play, which should be most important thing in your calendar.

There are women who become mothers who give everything for their children and devote their lives for their children. I am not one of those women, but I don’t think it makes me a bad mother. I want my children to carve their paths, I don’t want to do it for them. I want to lead by example and show that I am making my dreams come true and they can make theirs come true too. I want to guide my children to find where they want to go, not push them to go where I think they should go. I want my children to be confident in their choices and actions.

My children sometimes get mad at me, because I don’t solve all of their problems but rather teach them problem solving skills. To teach to fish is more important than giving the fish, but often giving the fish would be easier. I don’t want to take the easy route, and I’m often also the “bad mom” for the sake of teaching the lesson. While as parents we often are the teachers, it’s still my children who have probably taught me as much about life as my parents ever did. My children have opened my eyes for new things, and motherhood has taught me more about myself than anything else in life.

I’m learning and loving my life as a mother every day.

Happy Mother’s Day to all Moms!

Today I would like to plead you to forget about mommy guilt, remind you to trust your gut and reward yourself for doing an awesome job.

I co-hosted the National Mom’s Nite Out event in New York City at Wyndham Hotel on Thursday with Maria Bailey of MomTalkRadio, among Kim Orlando of Traveling Mom, Amy Oztan of Selfish Mom and Beth Feldman of Role Mommy. We were pampered with good food, bubbly drinks, fun giveaways and entertainment provided by Beth Feldman and her “momma gang”, who all contributed in Beth’s books. Beth’s book See Mom Run came out earlier this year, and we heard exciting news – there is a new one coming out later this year, and we were able to hear a few stories from the book already on the Thursday’s event. The new book is about mommy guilt.

Mommy guilt.

Speaking of mommy guilt.. I started getting mommy guilt for not feeling mommy guilt. I work a lot, but I am still able to take my children to school on most days, and pick them up. I travel for work too – but I justify it by not having a nanny, au pair or not even an occasional babysitter – when I’m not home, my husband takes care of the kids, and they are able to enjoy quality time with daddy.

But what do you know – the very next day I admire a picture drawn by my daughter, and in the picture there is our family and some friends enjoying a day outdoors, having a picnic and walking the dogs. But on a closer look… I was in the picture, but not outside having a picnic. “You are inside blogging” says my daughter and points me out in the window of the house.

It doesn’t of course make it any easier that my husband, the non-math-geek-type, makes a quick calculation in his head of my work hours (over 64 a week) and tells me that technically I work more than eight 8-hour work days a week, more than there are days in the week.

What? Is the entire universe out to get me to feel mommy guilt???

Trust Your Gut

Yes, I work a lot. Yes, I even travel.
But you know what?
I show my girls an example of a woman who lives life to the fullest, who enjoys what she does and who is determined to make a difference in the world. Even my son learns that women are smart and powerful, and equal with men. I show my children that I have guts to pursue my dreams, and that I am not going to give up, even when things get difficult. I am a perfect example that hard work is rewarded. And I am an example that you can work and love every day of working.

I know in my gut that I am a good mom, even though it means that when the rest of the family is watching a Saturday night movie, I’m sitting right next to them and writing this post on my laptop.

Trust your gut mom – and watch this video done by Jen Singer of MommaSaid.net, and the author of the series of Stop Second-Guessing Yourself books. You know the best what’s the best for your kids – and so do I, I know what’s the best for mine.

I’m doing an Awesome Job

Oh yes, Happy Mother’s Day to me, I am an awesome mom.
(Note: no hint of sarcasm here. Really, I am an awesome mom).

I know I am doing an awesome job as a mom, because my kids are beyond awesome. They are top students, good listeners, behave well (in public), are smarter than fifth graders and have passion and compassion. While I lack as a hovering helicopter mom and don’t even fix their lunches every morning (because I am busy checking emails) – kids are independent and can make their own sandwiches. While I am a control freak and can’t hire a babysitter to watch them to go to movies with my husband – kids actually prefer the family movie nights at home.

And then the real proof comes from my daughter and in a form of a Mother’s Day card titled “Top Ten Reasons Why I Love My Mom,” and my eyes are in tears already on the third page “I love my mom because she works and gets money for our family.” And because she bakes cakes, gives her healthy food and is a snuggle bug.

The real Aha!-moment comes when I realize that my children are proud of me, and that is really all that matters to me.

Happy Mother’s Day to everyone!

Beach Soap Set in Sisal Pouch ($18) will give mom a luxury experience in shower or bath every day. The soaps are scented with Ocean Mist, fragrance that is reminiscent of the clean, crisp ocean air. Created by our featured Mompreneur Marla Bosworth. By purchasing this gift, you will help support native artisans in the Philippines who produce this elegant, natural, sustainable packaging.

The generously sized San Francisco Backside bag ($169) by Ella Vickers is mom’s everything-bag – it works as a diaper bag, beach bag, travel bag or laptop bag. The bag is made of recycled sailcloth. I love the nautical look, and the eco-friendly concept of creating products of old sails. I don’t know if handbags of recycled material have ever looked so fresh before Ella Vickers!

I have the Silver Initial Necklace ($60) from The Thoughtful Gallery and I get so many compliments for it. On the other side you can get initial and a birthstone and on the other side of the hand carved pendant there is maple leaf imprint. This initial necklace is ecological design, made of precious metal clay, which is reclaimed silver from film negatives and x-rays.

Tees for Change ($32) is a different kind of t-shirt shop. For each t-shirt sold they plant a tree and the tees and tanks are made from 100% organic cotton or a super soft 70% bamboo/30% organic cotton blend. The company raises ecological awareness and encourages positive thinking and the tees are high quality and super comfy. Can you ask for more?

Tom’s Shoes Denim Rope Shoes ($55) are a perfect gift for an Earth Mama. Great shoes for those trips to farmer’s market or for playgrounds with kids. Nice espradillos look but with rubber soles. And did you know that for every pair of shoes sold Tom’s Shoes donate a pair of shoes for a child in need? Now that’s something every mom likes to know.

These green recycled glasses are made from the bottom halves of recycled Bordeaux wine bottles. A beautifully silk-screened branch design is accompanied by the phrase ‘Protect Our Earth’ in four languages: English, Spanish, Afrikaans/South African and French. $45 for set of four.

We Take The Cake Chocolate Gourmet Cake ($47) is on the top of my chocolate fix list for the Mother’s Day. The cake is moist, very rich with chocolate and sweet. Some chocolate cakes are too bitter, or too sweet, but We Take The Cake – just perfect. A little piece goes a long way, and there is plenty to share. Perfect to crown the Mother’s Day dinner even with a bigger crowd.

Alessi Todo Cheese Grater
($87) is a classic, but always as stylish kitchen accessory that performs year after year. And when not in use – it will look sleek in foodie mom’s kitchen counter. This is a must for all foodie mamas who like Italian food – think of all those lasagnas and pizzas with hand grated cheese!

While many gourmet food gifts are expensive, Gevalia coffee offers great value for their great tasting coffee and variety of blends. If you enroll mom now to their home delivery coffee club (you can cancel it anytime) – and you’ll get this Gevalia mini-coffee maker and the coffee for only $9.99 (and only $19.99 if you don’t want to enroll for the coffee club, but just want the coffee maker & coffee).

Vineyard Elegance Food Basket
($49.99) is full of yummy snacks like Ghirardelli chocolate, raspberry tea cookies, almonds, cheese and crackers… and a bottle of Chardonnay. Give Mom a moment of enjoyment and relaxation and take her out for a picnic. Pamper mom with this snack basket that is easy to get and ready to gift. Add cheese and nice set of wine glasses to make it even better.

The adorable custom made apron set ($24) from Ladybugs and Lilypads is an awesome gift for a mom and invites her little helper in the kitchen with her. You can find an apron to fit your mama’s style – there are several different styles available and you can personalize the aprons with the names of the family chefs. Now, what foodie mama wouldn’t like that!

Lobster dinner ($98) for two. Any husband can cook a gourmet lobster dinner with the help of Hancock Gourmet Lobster Company. The Maine Shore Dinner comes ready cooked – just thaw, heat and eat, and she’ll never have to know you didn’t do it all by yourself. Two lobster tails, a dozen mussels, shrimp, scallops and corn on the cob in an herbed lemon butter sauce. Treat mom with a candle light dinner right at home.

If you are looking for an elegant gift for a food lover mom on a budget, check out Villeroy & Boch serving dishes now on sale. They have a very generous portion of their products for 50% off normal retail price. The serving dishes pictured here are now starting at $18.99, and these luxurious serving dishes will crown the table for years.

Pamper mom for more than just once – get her Stonewall Kitchen Specialty Food Club Membership, available for 3, 6 and 12 months, and mom will get a new treat delivered to her once a month. In May she’ll receive gourmet bean dip, salsa and chips, and in June an assortment of gourmet jellies and crackers and July brings her BBQ sauces to last the rest of the summer. Membership starting at 80 dollars.

See all Gift Ideas and Mom Interviews featured on the Skimbaco Mother’s Day 09.

What a new mom really needs is a day in a spa, but she might not want to leave her baby for a whole day. Treat mom a quick spa feeling right at home with the luxurious Basa “Kiss Me” Gift Pack ($29.99) includes coconut oil lotion, body stick and two handmade soaps. The natural coconut oil contains natural antioxidants and makes mom’s skin smooth as the baby’s.

Pink microsuede neck pillow ($28) is filled with all natural ingredients – flax seed, rice and relaxing lavender. The neck pillow is great for quick cold or hot therapy to relax mom’s neck muscles. It’s easy to pop in to microwave oven for a while and then mom can enjoy a warm relaxing mini-treatment during those nights she is up with the baby.

Today’s Moms: Essentials for Surviving Baby’s First Year ($11.55) by Mary Ann Zoellner and Alicia Ybarbo. A new mom will appreciate this common-sense book for baby’s first year. She will laugh, she will get teary eyed, and above all she will get information from mom experts and the the TODAY show cast. The authors bust the common mothering myths and the book has plenty of real life example for those “me-too” moments.

It’s a bag – it’s a blanket. Chic & Cozy Blanket Bag (starting at $47.99) is a mom-invented product. The blanket bag holds your baby’s travel toys and easily converts to a travel blanket for the baby. There is no other product like this on the market – get new mom something truly unique. You can get this product online at ChicTots.com.

She got an engagement ring and a wedding band for those two memorable moments. Now get mom the Mama Necklace (starting at $425) by Tali Gillette for the milestone of becoming a mom. Believe me, the necklace will become one of her most treasured pieces of jewelry. Several celeb moms like Gwyneth Paltrow love this necklace and you can even get it with diamonds.

What a new mom – or any mom!- needs help with cleaning the house and great gift idea is a cleaning Gift certificate from BidMyCleaning. You can treat mom a break from household duties and this time you don’t even have to vacuum yourself – just give her the gift certificate and mom can choose when and what she wants to clean, BidMyCleaning.com offers services from one time carpet cleaning to maid service.

Martha Stewart Sweet Pink Bouquet
($39.95) is a whole lot of cuteness for a new mom. I like the traditional roses with a new twist – in baby pink and in a tin bucket. Order now and get 15% off – use discount code: SPOTAMOM (expires on Mother’s Day). This like all the other bouquets in my gift guide are from 1800-Flowers, which is a 35-year-old family company. Every mom deserves flowers.

New mom needs calling cards to share with other moms to schedule the play dates. Being a first time mom and seeing another new mom is an instant bonding moment for many moms, and the calling cards will get handy. I’m so thankful for those new mom friends I had when I had my first baby (luv you Anna, Arlene & Aija). Alisa calling cards (starting $50 for 35) from Urban Bliss have a fab modern look with a retro vibe.

This Mother’s Day Season I am featuring several Gifts for Moms by Moms and a series of Mompreneur interviews. Todays mompreneur is Marla Bosworth of Back Porch Soap Company. The Back Porch Soap Company’s products are completely vegan and not tested on animals, the bath product line is free of sulfates and parabens and mainly made of organic ingredients. Over all I get that warm and fuzzy feeling when I thing of Back Porch Soap Company – here is the picture of the logo so you’ll see it in your own eyes what I mean. Oh – and keep reading, wait ’til you hear the tag line.

Katja: Please introduce us yourself and your company Back Porch Soap Company.

Marla: I am the founder and owner of Back Porch Soap Company, a retailer and wholesaler of handmade, sea-inspired bath and body products. In addition to my website backporchsoap.com, my products are sold in upscale boutiques and resorts all over the U.S. Back Porch Soap Company was founded in 1998 – literally on my back porch. Our company tagline is “Life is Short, Smell Good”. It doesn’t get any simpler than that does it?

Katja: I absolutely love your tag line, makes me smile every time! Since we are talking about Mother’s Day.. What is your best Mother’s Day memory?

Marla: Let’s see…1972. I was eight years old, and I had a very special gift in mind for my mom. I found and cleaned a metal Planter’s Peanut container. Then I grabbed a bag of tiny shell macaroni from the kitchen. I spent hours perfectly gluing the shells onto the container. Somehow I found gold spray paint and sprayed the entire creation. You can imagine how excited I was to give it to my mom.

I’ll never forget the look on her face. She acted as if it was the most beautiful creation she ever saw. The best part? I saw it over Christmas on a shelf in her new home. All these years, and I didn’t realize she still had it.

Katja: I love that story! If you could choose anything in the world, what would be your ideal Mother’s Day Gift?

Marla: A handmade card with a handwritten, heart-felt note from my 14 year old daughter.

Katja: For those who are looking for the perfect Mother’s Day gift, which one of your products is the best seller this Mothers Day season?

Marla: So far our bestseller for Mother’s Day is the sea-inspired Ocean Lover’s Gift Set. It is perfect for any mom, and especially the mom who loves the ocean or beach. This beautiful, handmade bath and body gift set includes a moisturizing and light Ocean Mist liquid pump soap, two sea glass and one sea salt bar soaps, seashell potpourri, a white six-inch sugar starfish and an adorable soap dish. It is packaged in a galvanized metal tub adorned with a white starfish that can be reused as a planter or container to hold special mementos. I even enclose a special gift card with a message at no extra cost.

Virtual Mother’s Day Gift For Marla

I know Marla loves the sea, and I would like to gift her a relaxing vacation on a beach destination. Then again, she has the beaches of Massachusetts right on her backyard, and for every day relaxation I can see her sitting in this Chesapeake Adirondack Chair after a day of soap making.

Today’s featured Mompreneur is Michele Baratta. Michele Baratta’s photo jewelry is loved by celebrities and has been sold in several boutiques across the nation, large retail chains and catalogs like Coldwater Creek, Land of Nod and J Jill – but the biggest reason why I absolutely adore Michele Baratta is that she turned her business for any woman to be her own boss and entrepreneur. Michele Baratta atHome makes it possible for anyone to become a consultant and sell Michele’s photo jewelry.

Katja: Introduce your company to us.

Michele: Michele Baratta atHome is a high-end fashion jewelry company based in San Diego, California. I design each original piece of jewelry that is in the line. I actually sculpt my designs out of wax. Then every piece is hand-casted in sterling silver and then handmade using freshwater & cultured pearls and semi-precious stones. Much of my jewelry designs are meant to hold a cherished photo. Each design has a story that comes from my personal life. Our catalog is like a scrapbook of my family. Women can relate to it: it’s romantic and touching. Each piece of jewelry has sentimental meaning with inscriptions of meaningful symbols and messages of inspiration. Everything is made in the USA.

Katja: Can you share with us your favorite Mother’s Day memory?

Michele: Besides the beautiful macaroni necklaces and cherished cheerios bracelets my kids gave me when they were little, I’d have to say a few years ago was one of my favorite Mothers Day memories. Since I was a little girl, I’ve always collected heart shaped rocks. So, you can imagine how many I have around our home. A few years ago, my kids covered my eyes and guided me out our front door. There, mounted on the wall at the entrance to our new home was a 12 foot beautiful and natural piece of drift wood. Eloquently sitting on top in a nook filled with white sand rested about 15 of the most distinguished heart shaped rocks of the lot. Intermingled between the wonderful heart rocks lay an occasional starfish or shell. My children and husband had surprised me with a gift that will be displayed forever. Each heart rock representing a year in which I have been blessed with my children.

Katja: I love that gift, that is difficult to top, but if you could choose from everything in the world, what would be your ideal Mother’s Day Gift?

Michele: A picnic at the beach in La Jolla. That’s my favorite!

Katja: Most of your products would make perfect Mother’s Day gifts, but could you recommend one specific for Mother’s Day?

Michele: This is a hard question. I know I’m the designer, but there are so many beautiful heartfelt pieces of jewelry! The “Feel Good” Necklace , my “Ultimate Brag Necklace” and the “Portrait of Love” necklace are the most popular! Each holds your cherished photo at the center of the necklace. It’s so easy…just insert your favorite photo and your ready to go. Dads will be heroes if they give one of my photo necklaces! I promise!

Virtual Mother’s Day Gift for Michele

For Michele’s picnic in La Jolla I would gift her this gorgeous Martha Stewart French Country Gift Basket full of delicious treats for the whole family to enjoy.

Yesterday I attended to 1-800-Flowers’ Spot a Mom this Mother’s Day- event in the gorgeous settings of a New York landmark, at the penthouse of Buckingham Hotel. The penthouse had an amazing balcony with Central Park views. As mom the best about the event was being able to bring my three children with me. Isabella, Gabriella and Kristian among other children were arranging flowers at the beautiful settings of the roof top balcony, while I was able to connect with fellow New York city moms, and the nice people of 1-800-Flowers.

I had of course known the company for years, but what I did not know is that 1-800-Flowers is a 35 year old family company. I learned the fact directly from the company founder and CEO Jim McCann, who introduced us to many members of his family, who are involved with the company. Even his few months old granddaughter was in the event, shining the caring family spirit like everyone else in the McCann family.

Lifestyle Expert Julie Mulligan was in the event sharing her inspirations for the 2009 Mother’s Day product line and campaign Spot A Mom. In fact, Julie shares more inspiration and ideas in her blog, where she has also been “spotting” different types of moms, like the Red Carpet Mom and DIY Mom from fellow bloggers, like Amy, the Resourceful Mommy.

Check out the Mother’s Day collection
already now at their site, and stay tuned for my Mother’s Day Gift Guide, more info on the flowers, fun giveaway AND a discount code to buy the flowers!

PS. You may notice that I have added 1-800-Flowers banners in my site. I just joined their affiliate program, because I am now a fan for life – they are not paying me for advertising spot, and my review here is 100% honest.