Welcome to Balance!

Thanks for signing up for our monthly newsletter, we appreciate your support and interest! To find the latest in news and information to help you create a better life of balance, including local events and activities, check out our website at www.balanceaustin.com.

Happy Mother's Day!

Mother's Day is a day of celebration and hopefully some renewed relaxation for Mom. It is a time for breakfast in bed, family brunch, and hand crafted "I Love You!" cards.  Mother's Day will be celebrated on Sunday, May 11th and we are dedicating this month’s Balance Newsletter to Mom. 

This year, make it a special one for your Mother.  Whether she is an avid gardener, music lover, book reader or lover of the outdoors, make this year’s gift a unique one.  The website www.gifts.com is a creative site for those wanting to think outside of the box. 

And if you are looking for a special way to celebrate Mother’s Day in Austin, www.austin.citysearch.com has done the work for you.  From brunch destinations, to the hottest spa treatments and additional gift ideas, citysearch.com has just about every option laid out for you and your family.    If you have little ones, check out the “kid friendly” section to ensure a hassle free Mother’s Day outing. 

How Do You Create Balance?

In April, Myssi Alder offered this feedback:  “…I make sure I don’t think of work when I get home, instead I focus on my husband, my son, and what we’re going to grill for the night.  Once we get down to grilling, it’s all about sitting down in my backyard, enjoying a nice glass of wine, playing with the dog.”

Thanks Myssi, and for sharing, we’re sending you a gift from all of us at Balance!

Want to be a part of Balance? Visit www.balanceaustin.com and click on “Your Balance.”  If you feel like you have tips to share with other women, don’t be shy!  If your "How I Create Balance" entry is featured, we’ll send you a gift like Myssi above!

Sunday Morning Balance Breakfast Hour

We’ve moved the Sunday Morning Balance Breakfast music feature exclusively to Majic 95.5 and continue to generate more and more playlists – thanks for sending them in!  In April, special thanks to Connie Perdue for programming the April 20th edition.  For your efforts, Connie, we're going to send you a Balance recyclable grocery bag loaded with goodies!

If you have a playlist that sets your tone every Sunday morning, click here and submit five songs.  Go ahead, this is your chance to program a radio station, even if its only 15 minutes!  The next Sunday Morning Balance Breakfast Hour will be at 8am on June 15th on Majic 95.5.

Balance Favorites

In celebrating Mom, we felt it appropriate to offer a few suggestions on how to create balance in an already busy lifestyle.  Chances are, you are or you know a mom who works, runs the kids to practices of all kinds, keeps a handle on the household, and more.  Below are a few creative ways to help create Balance in your everyday lifestyle. 

Everyone Pitches In:  No matter how little your young ones are, everyone in the family should be doing their part.  While it seems that when Timmy really wants to help, it appears to be more trouble than it’s worth, click here for a list of age appropriate chores.  Let the children feel like they are a contributing member of the family, whether it’s feeding the family pet or clearing the table, every moment you can save yourself is more quality time to spend with  your family. 

Work-From-Home Mom:  If you are a work from home mom, chances are you’ve run into the dilemma of caring for the home while trying to move forward with your business.  The website www.hbwm.com (Home Based Working Mom) is an invaluable site dedicated to helping work-at-home mothers find the right Balance in all aspects of life.  Rely on “Mom’s Assistant” as a place to go when you have your Mom hat on. Here you'll find Parenting articles, Family & Marriage Resources, Helpful Tools, and much more in helping you to take care of the family while at the same time not forgetting to take care of YOU! 

Austin Moms:  Have you reached the day where you can no longer have another conversation between you and your toddler?  Are you dying to talk to other Austin mom’s?  The site www.austin.parentzone.com is a great site we found that focuses on Mothers in Austin and other popular metropolitan cities across the nation.  Check out the list of local support groups, play groups, career resources and classes for kids, all centered in Austin!  Even better, you can share it with your friends around the country with just a quick click of the mouse.  Looking to move?  Use http://parentzone.babyzone.com/ to research what services and resources are available in your new city. 

Featured Health Tip

Did you know lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer deaths in America?  It takes more lives than breast, prostate and colon cancers combined.  So what’s the good news? Lung cancer is undoubtedly the most preventable.

Unlike other cancers, the cause of most lung cancer is obvious.  It’s directly related to smoking.  In fact, more than 85% of lung cancer cases are linked to smoking.  So the solution is easy, right? Not necessarily.

Because tobacco is so addictive, outside help is often necessary. More than ever before, available are a number of over-the-counter and prescription cessation drugs, support groups and informative web sites.

If you’re a smoker, your friends at Scott & White Health Plan encourage you to talk to your doctor about ways of quitting.

Scott & White Health Plan. We’re Texas friendly.   

This Month’s Featured Podcast

Shonna Cooper, founder and CEO of Work-Life Initiative LLC, has a three-sided view of the work/life balance equation. As an entrepreneur and employer, she evaluated and hired high achievers with specific skill-sets—and compatible personality characteristics—to help her business achieve objective, identifiable goals.  In her career as a recruiter, she sought to match top talent in the corporate world with companies where they could have the greatest impact and the best opportunity for success. And, after the birth of her daughter, she viewed business as it is seen by millions of mothers across the country—as a place with an acute need for workable solutions that accommodate the demands of family life. 

Click here to listen in on our interview with Shonna.

Balance Event's This Month

This month, the Balance street team will be out and about with inspiring new Balance goodies including our Go Green Balance Canvas Shopping Bag and more!

• May 3rd & 4th – 30th Annual Old Pecan Street Festival - Downtown Austin
• May 3rd – Fox 7 Shoes for Kids 5K benefiting Shoes for Austin – La Frontera Shopping Center, Round Rock.
• May 1st & May 22nd – Cool River Café Ladies Night, 6:30pm-8:30pm

Check out our Events page at balanceaustin.com/events.html for updates on when and where the Balance team will be.

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