Enterprising Moms Network Inc

One-Year Left to Live – By Eva Hamori   

What would you do? Where would you go? What would be important to you, and how would you spend your precious time left on earth? With friends and family or traveling to the places you have always wished to visit? Would you buy the fastest car your savings could buy and drive on the Autobahn or would you drink yourself into oblivion? All viable options but what if you weren't dying? Shouldn't we live each day as if it were our last? Why not live our best life now instead of waiting for that pivotal moment that awakens you from the day to day grind. Our auto pilot existence, where comfort and security are the bottom line of our needs, yet we ask little more from our selves. Heaven forbid we slightly move out of our comfort zone into uncomfortable change. But the question is, "Is this your life?" I know it is, but is it the dream life you couldn't wait to get too? Maybe you are stuck in a job you dislike, or a marriage that doesn't quite fit or debt you can't manage. Match your life with your true passion and everything else falls into place. 

These thoughts prompted our family into the next Hamori family adventure! 

Yes we have a beautiful life. Canada is a wonderful place to live. Money is not a problem. It steadily comes in and we steadily pay our bills.

I stay home with the kids. I have a support network of strong women I turn towards. Life is about what mattered to me. The causes I fight for and the people I surround myself with.  I volunteer.

With me home, Alfonz didn't have to share in the day-to-day stuff, and he started to get more and more successful, and had a soft place to fall at the end of each stressful day.

But this is not just my life to live on the back of my husband, who comes home exhausted. It's his life too. And why wouldn't he deserve the same luxury of self-growth he allows for me. I am not saying that staying home is a piece of cake, and that I don't work my tail off cooking homemade meals each day, or growing a garden or teach my kids, and all the things life as a parent entails. 

What I realized was being a parent was in fact my true self, being home with my babies was my life ambition, and I felt a huge reward having the time to figure that out. When I found my groove all the elements in my life started to jive. I found a passion for Montessori Education, volunteered at the children's school, started a block watch in our community and began to blog. My circle of friends grew around me with people I love and respect, people I truly learn from. So I wasn't idle eating bonbons watching soaps, I was my husband's equal partner, and my true self. As such I worked 100% of the time to the best of my ability. People seem to work much harder at the things they love. But how can we do the same for Alfonz?

Solution: A year of travel through France. With the option to buy a Gite, live there and run it. The idea is to spend as much time together as we can, while the kids are young enough to assimilate to a new culture. A land with warmer weather,  320 days of sunshine per year and a close journey to our home in Budapest. This would give our family the life we deserve, one that focuses on time currency and not just chasing the dollar. 

We are preparing by learning French, since January.

The vision looks like this. Buy a large home in the Languedoc region in the South of France. Close to tourist attractions and on route to the sea. It has a garden with a large table over looking a spectacular view of the Pyrenees Mountains or rolling countryside or something of that nature. Travelers’ are around a table and I’m serving them a beautiful Sunday Coq Au Vin meal or the like with ingredients from my beautiful garden. I see a house with a kitchen that we would live in and I an adjoining house with rental suites/rooms or floors for guests to stay in. There's a swimming pool to cool down in and a beautiful vineyard. The sun is setting as our glasses toast and our life would be restful, rewarding and happy. 

It's a funny thing. When we started to tell people we are moving to France, the first response is one of great disbelief. Many have dreams that seem implausible. People often wish they could move across the world to a land they visited once in there twenties that seemed perfect. Wishing to go back and live in that place that seemed unbelievably magical. And France being the most visited tourist destination in the world, I guess it's a common goal. 

The difference is I happened to have married a man that no matter what I have ever suggested, as crazy as it may seem, he never said as much. He always said, "If it's that important to you, we will make it happen." And in return I give the same courtesy. 

Great opportunities come along often and it really depends on character if you seize them. Our family is constantly dreaming, and wishing and improving and when something like this adventure presents itself we jump in headfirst.

If we end up back after a few months or ten months or even 2 years, at least we gave it a try. 

Better to have loved and lost than never loved at all? Better to have traveled and return than to never travel at all!

So if you think we are dreaming, yes of course we are. If you think we are crazy, maybe so. But if you need a rental B&B in the South of France, give us a call.

Visit Eva Hamori's website: http://www.thatshamori.com 

Cash Flow and Your Budget by Joanna Muir, Dear Piggy Bank

Cash flow can be a huge challenge. It is a key part of successfully maintaining your personal finances or operating your business. There is no magic solution but with a little planning and a strong money management system you will have more time to spend other aspects of your life or business. A little time invested up front will save hours over the long run. Not to mention, reduce anxiety levels!

1.    Have a Plan. Quantify your financial goals in terms of amount, timeline and worth. They may include a vacation, a car, home, a retirement plan or debt repayment. Prioritize them.

2.    Know the Numbers & the Dates. How much monthly income do you receive and when do you receive it? If your income is inconsistent then calculate a conservative average monthly income. Estimate any additional income as an annual figure. What expenses are you responsible for and when are they due?

3.    Do the Math. Compare monthly expenses to net monthly income. Do you have a surplus or deficit? If it is a surplus, you have the freedom to allocate funds to your financial goals. If it is a deficit, it is important to understand if it is temporary or not. If it is not, your two options are to earn more money or reduce expenses.

4.    Set Up Systems.

·      An easy way to organize expenses is to divide them into the 1^st and 2^nd halves of the month – so that you know how much money to have in your account for the 1^st and 15^th of each month.

·      Keep your monthly obligations as low as possible to allow for greater maneuverability.

·      Retain a float equivalent to your monthly expenses.

·      Total large, sporadic expenses such as insurance or property tax, and divide by 12 to calculate a monthly amount. Set up an automatic monthly transfer to a separate account so the funds are there when the bills are due.

·      It is important to meet obligations to Canada Revenue Agency. If you are self-employed, take the time to assess a guideline tax rate percentage. Deduct the appropriate amount from any income as soon as you receive it and transfer it to a savings account.

·      Use monthly savings plans and automatic transfers to reach your goals. Increasing your mortgage payment by $50 each month makes a big difference. The sooner the debt is gone, more cash is available for other purposes.

·      Use any income in excess of required monthly expenses to invest in your plan.

5.    Plan B. Expect wrinkles. What is your backup plan? It may be a contingency fund, a line of credit or a credit card. If you need to use it, it’s there – just remember to repay it as soon as possible.

The concepts are similar for personal and business money management. www.DearPiggyBank.com specializes in helping you simplify your finances and setting up a plan and systems to meet your goals – whatever they may be.

With preparations for Christmas well underway, I feel as though this year is the first year I've finally got it right.

I started buying gifts at the beginning of November and had the house decorated both inside and out by the first week of December. 

 Enterprising Moms Network annaul Xmas & Silent Auction was held in White Rock for the Ronald McDonald House and raised more than $850.

My own family has been able to donate to two other families  this year, that my son's school is sponsoring.

Usually, I am struggling with gift ideas, trying to figure out which charity to donate to, and driving myself crazy....

The kids have had their breakfast with Santa and Mrs. Claus, written their wish lists and the Christmas cards are done and mailed out.

So what makes this year so different from other years?  I'm guessing its because I finally allowed myself some time to get fully prepared.  Instead of reacting to Christmas, I am acting.  

I'm even hosting the Christmas Dinner this year at my house for my parents, in-laws and my sister and her family. 

I'm also planning on giving myself a break after the holidays for a quick getaway for myself and my friend at the River Rock. It's the first time I am allowing myself not to feel guilty about taking some time for me and have a night out filled with fun and relaxation. You can CLICK HERE to check it out what I'm doing.  I'm very excited.:)

This Christmas, I have chosen to put everyone I love and care about on my priority list, including myself. ;) And I hope you will too!

To all the mom entrepreneurs out there busy with their business, getting their families prepared for Christmas and really making it work - from my home to yours - Merry Christmas!

- Kelley Scarsbrook, EMN President

Guest post by Nancy Milton - www.lifedots.ca

Should sucks.  Really, it totally does.  I have been “shoulding” my whole life.  “You should call your grandma (daily), you should make a proper dinner (vs. serving myself a great plate of nachos with cheese and salsa), you should clean the garage, you should get up/ showered & dressed before the kids interrupt the process.”  See what I mean?  There’s a whole “here’s how it’s supposed to be done” guilt part of life that, to put it bluntly, I’m tired of.  So, I’m letting go of ‘should’, and have reintroduced  ‘would’. And today, I will make the introductions to you.

I’m a morning person.  Pre-kids, I would set the alarm in the morning (it’s amazing I still remember this, it seems so long ago).  When the alarm would go off (music, no shrilling “GET UP” ringing for me), I’d simply lie there for a couple minutes.  Listen to the news from the radio, open my eyes, do the mental check list on the body parts (and ailments), LOVE the feeling of the comforter cocooning me and the moments of pleasure without a to-do list running through my head like nails on a chalk board.

I gave this up 5+ plus years ago.  This 5 minutes of bliss. This ‘connect with my mind/ body/ spirit regime and all it’s benefits’ to instead thrust myself out of bed – to the point of sometimes dizzy – to begin the marching orders of my routine for that day. 

Then, one morning it all changed.  The kids “slept in” (for clarity, this is anytime after 7:00am) and I woke up independently.  I listened to the birds chirping. I stretched. I thought about the dream I woke from. I enjoyed a couple moments of “ahhh’.  Then it hit me.  I’VE MISSED THIS.  I NEED this back in my life.  Then my inner voice started with the ‘shoulds’.  “You’re now behind schedule. You should get dress FAST, make the bed, put on your make up, wake the kids and do it without seeming frantic because you’re late.”  Let me ask you this, does your inner voice know my inner voice?  This particular morning, I put a stop to it.

 Simply. I didn’t should.

Instead I “would”.

So, the kids come in within minutes of this blissful experience and the 5 year old literally asks me “Mommy what are you doing in bed?!?”.  I laugh out loud. Then asked them to both climb in (bed) with me so I could teach them to “would”.  So they climb in and I prep them for the “experience” (worded more kid friendly then I have for you). “Would it be nice to start every morning with a couple minutes giggling in bed? Would it be joyous to gaze out the bedroom window & enjoy the beauty of the start of the day? Would it be a better day to feel a connection (to self or each other) before throwing back the covers to rush to get to school?” 

It’s no shock to you I am sure, the answers to each would were yes.  So, every morning they climb in to wake me up.  We come up with shapes within the clouds & tree branches out my window, we talk about our dreams, we talk about our day.  We connect.  And the alarm is set for a specific time to allow us to wake each other up and have this “would” time in case anyone ever oversleeps again (ha...have only needed that alarm once).

Everyday my live was full of ‘shoulds’.  I ‘should’ empty the dishwasher. I ‘should’ get this stuff to the drycleaners.  I’ve got lots of ‘shoulds’ in my life that I’ve relabelled with ‘must’.  For the rest of them, I do my ‘would’ test to help me better access if the ‘should’ is a ‘must’.  If it’s not a must I then ask myself, what would be best in the situation? Or what would the benefit be for me to do that in the short and long term?  What would this do to make my (or others ) day better/ brighter/ easier? Then I let my gut answer.  My gut is always right, it’s the interpretation I’ve been screwing up on. What ‘shoulds’ are ‘musts’ in your life? And what ‘should’ needs to experience the ‘would filter’ to give your life connection back?

Nancy Milton is “the First Dot” of Life Dots; a Facilitation and Coaching organization that strives to assist all clients in making the change in their lives to give them the life they want to have. Life Dots is about connecting your Life Dots.  For more information on one or one coaching, corporate coaching or retreats check out www.lifedots.ca or contact nancy@lifedots.ca

On May 2, 2010 a very special event is taking place at locations across Canada.  The Walk For Kids Help Phone takes place annually in more than 50 communities across Canada.  In 2009, more than 20,000 people participated and raised a total of over three million dollars for this cause.

Kids Help Phone hears from young people today dealing with challenges and experiences that previous generations could not imagine. And when issues are too difficult for kids to discuss with parents, teachers or peers, they may turn to Kids Help Phone. The range of issues kids talk about - from sexual and physical abuse, to suicide, mental health and anxiety, family issues, peer pressure, bullying and internet safety, is extensive. The need for Kids Help Phone counselors to continually deepen their understanding of critical issues facing young people is more important today than ever. And they do that.

Whether you are raising pledges, pledging walkers, volunteering or walking on May 2nd, by taking part in the Walk For Kids Help Phone, you are helping to ensure that for young people with worries like this, help we will be there for them - 24 hours a day - providing a safe, supportive and confidential place for them to share their concerns.

"On May 2nd, Walk So Kids Can Talk"

Today is "Pink Shirt Day" in support of taking a stand against bullying. Today is the day that everyone is encouraged to wear something pink to symbolize that we as a society will not tolerate bullying anywhere. Pink Shirt Day originated from two incredible Nova Scotia high school students, David Shepherd and Travis Price. Below is an article written by CBC News in 2007, about how these fantastic kids started Pink Shirt Day.

Two Nova Scotia students are being praised across North America for the way they turned the tide against the bullies who picked on a fellow student for wearing pink. The victim-a Grade 9 boy at Central Kings Rural High School in the small community of Cambridge — wore a pink polo shirt on his first day of school. Bullies harassed the boy, called him a homosexual for wearing pink and threatened to beat him up, students said.

Two Grade 12 students — David Shepherd and Travis Price — heard the news and decided to take action. "I just figured enough was enough," said Shepherd. They went to a nearby discount store and bought 50 pink shirts, including tank tops, to wear to school the next day. Then the two went online to e-mail classmates to get them on board with their anti-bullying cause that they dubbed a "sea of pink." But a tsunami of support poured in the next day. Not only were dozens of students outfitted with the discount tees, but hundreds of students showed up wearing their own pink clothes, some head-to-toe.

When the bullied student, who has never been identified, walked into school to see his fellow students decked out in pink, some of his classmates said it was a powerful moment. He may have even blushed a little. "Definitely it looked like there was a big weight lifted off his shoulders. He went from looking right depressed to being as happy as can be," said Shepherd. And there's been nary a peep from the bullies since, which Shepherd says just goes to show what a little activism will do. "If you can get more people against them … to show that we're not going to put up with it and support each other, then they're not as big as a group as they think are," he says.

The students' "sea of pink" campaign did not go unnoticed outside the province. U.S. talk show host Ellen DeGeneres expressed interest in their story, and other schools are talking about holding their own "pink day." "It's been totally overwhelming for us. I mean we're just two local boys and I mean we're getting calls from like Alaska and e-mails. It's just phenomenal the support that we've gotten from across the globe," said Price. The school principal, understandably, was flush with pride. "You're always hearing about the youth of the world and how bad things are. Well, they're not that bad," said Stephen Pearl.

It's April 14th, wear pink and show your support in taking a stand against bullying! For more information, visit www.pinkshirtday.ca

I first became aware of a film called "The Glow Project" in February of 2009.  As a consultant with a Canadian direct-sales company, there were many consultants who had seen the movie and were sharing their thoughts and feelings about it.  The consensus seemed to be that this was a phenomenal movie that affected women from all walks of life greatly.

I soon saw the trailer for the movie, and eventually saw the movie a few months later.  The Glow Project had a huge impact on me as a person, as a mom, and as a woman in business.  The Glow Project showcases a full-length feature movie that spotlights 14 incredible women—seven of them corporate achievers and seven successful entrepreneurs. The Glow Project is the result of a dynamic grassroots movement fueled by the authenticity, stories and life lessons of the incredibly gifted women selected for The GLOW Project. Without question, The Glow Project has redefined the personal development paradigm for women and represents a breakthrough in helping women achieve like never before.

To find out more about The Glow Project and the impact it's had on women's lives, check out The Glow Project website here.  To see more on how women have reacted to the Glow Project, check out the video below... and spread the Glow....

Have you had that "ONE" bright business idea and let it go because you had no idea what to do with it? Or how about already owning your own business and being scared to take it to the "NEXT LEVEL"?       

Many of us have been there and know what its like. It's scary and exciting all at the same time. The risk of failure, the possibility of it not working - yep, that does exist.

However, what also exits is the possibility of its success and creating the life you always dreamed of.

If entrepreneurship was easy, everyone would be doing it. What separates those who succeed, and those who don't is simple: tenacity.

Have you ever read a bio about someone and thought to yourself "I thought of that!" or "I could have done that".  The only difference between that person and you is that YOU didn't try.

Entrepreneurship has its ups and downs. You will find that every successful business owner will have a story about failure(s) - of when the business really wasn't working very well. But they stuck with it - saw it through, and eventually it succeeded. 

These struggles build character, they define how you will handle business in the future. In essence, they make you a better entrepreneur because you  lived through the hard times - and so did your business.

So if you have always wanted to try your hand at entrepreneurship because you have that ONE great idea - or really want to grow your business and take it to the NEXT LEVEL; make 2010 the year you simply go for it.

Never live your life with regret - you'll never know if it could work, unless you work to make it happen.

Happy 2010!

Last week we asked people to tell us what ONE word summed up Christmas for them.  We had a great response & are very happy to now "show off" our EMN Christmas WordCloud! 

Thank you to everyone who submitted their Christmas Words to us...

Enjoy!

Christmas means so many different things to so many different people. It's a season, it's a feeling, it's a tradition, it's..... 

What is it?

EMN is looking to make a huge Christmas Wordcloud. We are going to be collecting single words from everyone - words that sum up the feeling of Christmas. Nouns, adjectives, colours, scents, foods, places, gifts, people, you name it, BUT it has to be just one word. 

 One. 

 Are you up for the challenge? Tweet your word to @EMN_Canada – retweet it to your Twitter followers & put them to the “EMN one-word-Christmas challenge”. We’ll put the Wordcloud up Friday December 18th.  Be creative and have fun! 

Joy!