Kicking things off in Beantown...

It's tough. I mean when you have an idea and just know that everyone else will love it. In theory they should right? I mean we are all moms (the Mom Meet Mom cofounders that is), so we understand what all moms want. Well not exactly. Launching a new startup isn't quite that simple.  As passionate as you feel about an idea and what's to come, way deep down inside you know that much more goes into building a successful business.

With this in mind, my cofounders and I decided to start off simple and build with our user feedback at the forefront. Who knows what the user will want better than the user? Let''s just say, since taking this approach, things are looking extremely optimistic.

I am excited to report that Mom Meet Mom is flooding with Boston area moms and caregivers. We kicked off our Boston Beta on Mother's day and the flow of moms signing up has been overwhelming. As we work through some minor fixes and take in the overflow of positive and constructive user feedback, we are paving our way towards some pretty exciting rounds of development.

If you're a Boston area mom (within say 30 miles of the city) and haven't signed up yet, get on it. It's time to meet moms near you. And if you're not a Boston mom but want to get in there and see what all the hype is about, go for it. Just remember to fill out your profile and upload a photo (no one likes a faceless mom friend). You may not get the full Mom Meet Mom experience because we haven't reached out to moms in your area yet, but you'll be able to see our plans coming to life and get a chance to send us feedback.

Thanks so much for all of your support. It's going to be a fun ride.

Finally a Way to Meet Allergy Moms in Your Area....

As we get closer to the Boston beta and national roll-out of Mom Meet Mom, I wanted to take a moment to briefly share my story with other allergy moms out there. I couldn't be more excited about our upcoming launch and am thrilled to be able to engage the allergy community in the Mom Meet Mom experience. 

Though it will take some time to build our membership base, the value that this site will bring to allergy families will be remarkable. Please remember to signup for launch updates so you will know when we hit your area. It's going to be a blast.

Thanks for your support!

Meg/SneakyPoodle

"You Time" - Dropping the Kids with Moms Near You

Sure, it's great to meet moms near you for playdates, but consider changing it up a bit once in a while and give yourself some "you time". How about that manicure, swim, or shopping trip you've been dreaming about?

Rather than always being present for Jack's playdates with Coral, I sometimes drop him off for a few hours and indulge in some me time.  I feel free driving off knowing that my son is safe with another trusted mom and of course gaining from a little social time with his best bud.  Next week, Coral's mom will drop her here to play with Jack while she gives herself some much needed TLC. 

It's amazing what just a few hours can do for your mind. Whether you're a stay-at-home mom or working mom, setting aside "you time" is one of the best things you can do for yourself and your family. 

Meet moms... and get a sitter!!!

Though you may be tempted to keep your local mommy relationships focused on playdates and stroller strides, you might want to consider taking these relationships to the next level.  You'll be surprised to learn that the common denominator between you and your mom friends is not necessarily your kids, but something completely different.  And sure, these commonalities may surface in conversations when you meet moms for  playdates, but eventually they will fall to the wayside when your baby throws up all over you, or your 2 year old takes off. 

Join a local mom team/club

Every Tuesday and Thursday mornings I leave Jack at a drop-off daycare (great for him) and play ice hockey with a bunch of local moms.  Sure, occasionally the kids come up in the locker room chatter, but most of our conversations have nothing to do with the kids. It almost feels like I am back in college with my college hockey friends. 

Get a group of local moms together for dinner/drinks

Call the sitter or your hubby and indulge in a fun night out with the girls. Hit up the local sushi hot spot and finish the night off at a fun dive bar, where you can share memories with other moms about "the college days" or spill your funniest dating stories. 

Join a book club

This is personally not up my alley, mainly because I am the worst when it comes to reading. That said, I have a bunch of friends that live for book clubs. They can't wait to share a bottle of wine and apps with their closest mommy friends, while they reflect on the latest juicy read - 50 Shades of Gray comes to mind first :) 

Hit a Chick Flick 

When was the last time you got out to see a chick flick and could actually joke about the hot lead actor without your husband nudging you?  Get some local moms together for dinner and a movie or a movie and drinks.  Make sure you set aside enough social time before or after the movie. An alternative to this would be a movie night at one of your houses, maybe after the kids go to sleep. 

Meeting other moms in the area is really important, especially for first-time moms. And though it can be extremely difficult to find moms you actually connect with, it's well worth it.  Keep it social ladies :) I would love to hear some other fun ideas from moms out there. Comment below! 

Cheerios - A "Trusted" Brand?

I thought it was adorable this morning when Jack snagged the Cheerios box and went in with a huge grin.  I immediately snapped a photo and decided to share it with the Cheerios community on Facebook.  After hitting "post", I scrolled down and began reading previous posts. I was shocked. It was immediately clear that "one of these girls was doing her own thing", and that girl was me.

That's right, we're coming to your damn party...

It hit me hard yesterday that the time has now come to really start thinking about how I am going to handle casual playdates with local children. We were going to swing by my friend Allison's house so Jack and her daughter, Coral could get some good playtime in. Those plans came to an abrupt halt with Allison's nervous response...

"We actually might want to do your house this time. Let's just say Coral had a war with a peanut butter and jelly sandwich and the sandwich won."

Thank the Lord Allison understands how serious Jack's allergies are. Just touching nuts or eggs would cause a mass breakout of hives all over his little buddha body. And now that he is starting to walk (not really but almost), I can only imagine what he'll be trying to get into. 

So I feel like I'm officially entering into the crazy allergy mommy phase - you know the one where I call parties beforehand and nag the moms and all their guests about making sure there are no nuts or unbaked eggs present. 

Wouldn't it be so much easier if we could hang out with other allergy moms nearby and skip the risky parties? Sure would be, but it's about time Jack and I prepare for the real world and prepare the damn real world for us. That's right, we're coming to your party so you better hold the nuts ;) 

Surviving Nemo

Some people were upset that they chose to name the blizzard of 2013 after an adorable cartoon fish. Jack and I were just fine with the choice. The storm brought along adventures and a lot of snuggling :)

Back off mom...

I had a flash-forward moment the other day while watching Jack cozy up next to his best bud, Coral.  When will my little monster fall in love for the first time? Who will the lucky girl be? When will he tell me about her?

My daydream was interrupted when Jack turned and shot me a new look....

"You're killing my game, mom."

And with that (and a silent chuckle), it all became very clear. :)