HELLO GORGEOUS. IS IT TIME TO REDEFINE WHAT LIVING LIFE TO THE FULLEST MEANS?
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Ask Your Questions from the TODAY SHOW Producer Moms!

Buy the Today’s Moms book: TODAY’S MOMS: Essentials for Surviving Baby’s First Year ($11.55)

Today's Show, Today's Moms,TODAY’S MOMS: Essentials for Surviving Baby's First Year, Today's Show Moms Book, Mary Ann Zoellner, Alicia Ybarbo, digital moms Mary Ann Zoellner and Alicia Ybarbo are Emmy-award winning producers, and have been part of the Today Show team for nine years. They also have more in common: they both have two children. After coming to the realization that more and more moms turn into the Today Show for advice, comfort and humor, they teamed up to collect all the wisdom they have been sharing on TV for years in between book covers, and the TODAY’S MOMS: Essentials for Surviving Baby’s First Year– book was born. And to really get the TODAY’s touch… (like these two superwomen weren’t enough) contributors include Meredith Vieira, Ann Curry, Matt Lauer, Al Roker, Kathie Lee Gifford, and many many others. The book will be released on April 7, 2009 (you can pre-order at Amazon) and celebrating the release of the book, the authors of the TODAY’S MOMS will be hosting a LIVE “Ask the Author” session at Twitter. The Q&A event with the Today’s Moms will take place on Tuesday, March 24th between 2-4 pm EST. Mary Ann and Alicia (@todaysmoms) would also like to encourage you to ask questions ahead of time using the tag #asktodaysmoms or leave a question on their facebook page or comment and leave them here – I will forward the questions for you! And for the actual event the hashtag #todaysmoms will be used to keep up with the tweets. I hope to see you at Twitter on Tuesday at 2 EST so you can join us and ask your questions for the Today’s Moms and learn how they and the other co-hosts from the Today Show managed to survive parenthood amidst their lifestyles! My question will be – how they embrace the Skimbaco Lifestyle, living life to the fullest!
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Katja Presnal
Katja Presnal shows how to live Nordic inspired life to the fullest and plan your dream life. Katja owns Presnal5 strategic marketing intelligence agency and wants to help marketing professionals to combine a dream career and dream life via freelance work. Katja is an award-winning marketing strategist, and a well-known speaker. Katja has lived in five different countries, and seven states in the USA. Her three children were all born in different countries within three years. When not working or jet-setting the world, Katja is at home cooking big family dinners. She has been featured in NY Times, Glamour, Redbook, Fodor's, Forbes and Woman's Day magazines among many other national and international publications and written for MTV3 and Lifetime TV networks.
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29 Comments

  1. I am not a mom; however, I definitely would see myself as a Digital Mom as I run various blogs, social media site, jewelry site and more. I grew up watching the Today Show so it’s definitely a place that I look to for some insights. This book seems like something that some of my friends would definitely want to know more about!

    Reply

  3. Keep up the good work asking great questions!

    I think it really is the today’s moms’ biggest challenge: how to do it all, and I, like everyone else, can’t wait to hear what the TODAY’s moms will say to that. I think the main thing is to keep your priorities straight. And Melanie you had a great addition – the helping husbands! I could never do this without my husband.

    Thank you for everyone commenting and can’t wait to see you at the Twitter party on Tuesday!

    Reply

  4. Leave it to you to know the coolest stuff online. ;) Thanks for the links and tips re: @todaysmoms.

    Being a Digital Mom is time-consuming. Many of us started blogging as a hobby then grew it into a business. Along the way many of us have discovered that our digital passion bleeds into our family time and the balance of the two is tenuous at best. I agree with the others who would like to know how @todaysmoms handle this. I think we all need to hear that we’re not alone. ;)

    I’d also be interested to know how the men support their wives as they raise a family and bring home the bacon. I’ve found that the unwavering support of my husband has made all the difference in my success. How do their husbands support them? How do Matt and Al support their wives?

    What are their top three tips for helping women maintain their identities as they move from married with no kids to married with kids? I just remember thinking to myself: I’ll never be considered “sexy” again! Additionally, I think the problem of striving to maintain your identity (and not just be wife and mom) is what brings so many women to the blogosphere.

    Reply

  5. Katja~ Now that I know you can’t see my previous posts either _- I will try again! Hopefully this post doesn’t show up twice (I tried to post, but it didn’t seem to take) So, here I am again!

    Thank you for providing a forum for us to ask questions ahead of time! I can’t wait to join the event on Twitter on Tuesday!

    I do have a few questions for Mary Ann and Alicia:

    * What is the best piece of advice you received once you began the journey into motherhood? How about your least favorite/least useful tidibt?

    * How do you suggest moms reach out to each other to limit the feeling of isolation that is often experienced when we have a child?

    * A number of people are asking about family/work/life balance – so many of us are trying to figure out how to ‘do it all’ – is it possible for us to ‘do it all’ or do you think we need to adjust our definition of ‘doing it all’
    in order to feel satisfied?

    I think that is it for now!

    I had a lot of fun chatting about this new book when I guest hosted on ‘Chicks Who Chat’ last week – really looking forward to hearing from the authors!

    Danielle
    http://www.ExtraordinaryMommy.com/blog

    Reply

  6. Hi Katja!
    Thanks for informing me about the Today moms new book! I wish I had this as a guide when I was launching my business a few years back!
    The concept for my mama necklace jewelry collection was 100% inspired by my newborn ,little did I know what a challenge creating and launching the company would be with a colicky baby strapped to my chest 24/7.
    As a WAHM with a successful business, how much of a line do you need to draw for your customers between business woman and mom? christmas time or leading up to Mother’s Day I am customer service, order taker etc and yes customers do hear “mama, mama’ in the background at times. Should I wait (potentially losing sales) until it’s evening and quiet to return calls just to appear more “professional”?
    Thanks!
    Tali
    http://www.taligillette.com/

    Reply

  7. Hi Katja, great post as always!!

    I love it when women can have the best of both worlds…find fulfillment in serving their family and having a thriving career that they love. I would love to ask the @todaysmoms: “How do they spend “ME TIME” and what do they do to stay healthy in the midst of such a demanding career. Do they find time for their Girlfriends still or does something get left behind in this balance between career/family etc, and If something is left in the back burner, what is the first thing for them that goes?”

    @DuongSheahan

    Reply

  8. Thank you so much Katja for posting this and giving us a chance to ask questions of Mary Ann and Alicia! Can’t wait to join the Twitter event on Tuesday!

    I have a few questions:

    * How can moms reach out to one another,especially during that first year, to prevent feeling isolated or lost in the middle of this brand new experience?

    * What tidbit of advice did you find to be the most helpful as you began the journey into motherhood? What was least helpful? (You don’t have to name names! :) )

    * A few people have also mentioned the family/work/life balance – It seems like we are all looking for a way to ‘have it all’ – can we have it all? Or do you think we need to adjust the definition of ‘having it all’ to be satisfied?

    That’s it for now!

    I had a lot of fun talking about this new book as a guest host on Chicks Who Chat last week…and can’t wait to read it in full myself.

    Danielle
    http://www.ExtraordinaryMommy.com/blog

    Reply

  9. Hi Katja! Awesome idea for a twitter party. Love that it takes place during the day too.

    For me, my struggle is achieving balance while making a meaningful difference in the lives of those that matter most to me. That said, my question for Today’s Moms is: How do you recommend moms find balance between taking care of themselves, succeeding in their role as a mom/wife, all while finding the time to give in meaningful ways to others and to their communities.

    Jyl
    Mom It Forward

    Reply

  10. Katja, thank you for encouraging me to ask a question!

    As a mom of 4, and a small business owner, and heavily submerged into my life of digital media….I find myself overwhelmed. I often feel I have to “keep up” with my online connections or I will lose momentum…but then the guilt creeps in. Am I spending too much time here?

    In a way, I have better and more “virtual friendships” then actual, that can’t be a good thing.

    So the question? What would your advice be on perspective and balance and trying to do it all…..well?

    Excited to hear your answer!

    lisa lehmann
    “thebeadgirl”
    http://www.thebeadgirl.etsy.com
    http://www.studiojewel.blogspot.com

    Reply

  11. Hi Katja! What a great post as always!!

    I love it when moms can share the best of both worlds…serve their family and do what they love and be fulfilled at both! I would love to ask the @Todaysmoms: “How to they balance their work and family life and what do they do for self-care to stay healthy in the process. Being mom, wife, and career focused can all be so overwhelming, often leaving self behind. How do these moms do it and stay healthy in the process? I would LOVE to know!

    Thank you for the opportunity to ask these lovely ladies this question! I look forward to tuning in on Tuesday!

    @DuongSheahan
    http://www.healthybeautysecrets.com

    Reply

  12. You know, it’s funny. I was thinking of asking the same thing Mercedes did. I am immersed into this world every single day. I blog or vlog everyday about moms and fashion… and I am constantly on twitter and Facebook, just spreading the word about different blogs I read and connecting on a daily basis with other women. This is my job. I work from home and am able to be here for my 4 sons (all 4 and under!), but the balance. I feel like if I worked out of an office – I would definitely abide by the 9-6PM hours. I lived in NYC for 6 years and did the 9-6PM grind everyday. When I left work, I left it. I didn’t feel obliged to be working at night… now it’s the polar opposite. Most women/mothers are online at night after the kids are in bed. That’s the time I usually like to hang out with my husband… but I also know it’s a great time to reach out. The balance issue is my biggest thing… how do you balance the digital world with motherhood? Because… Mercedes, you are so not alone!

    Audrey
    Mom Generations
    http://www.momgenerations.com

    Reply

  13. We are so excited about this new book Katja! We’re sure it won’t take long before it becomes a favorite on MomFaves.

    MomFaves will be asking Mary Ann and Alicia if they’ll share a few of their own mom favorites for surviving baby’s first year.

    MomFaves will be there Tuesday to support @todaysmoms and help celebrate this new resource!

    Can’t wait!

    Josh and Rebecca Unfried
    Founders
    MomFaves
    WhyMomsMatter (The MomFaves Blog)

    Reply

  14. Hey Katja thanks for posting the video and sharing the Todays Moms info. I had no idea about the book!!!! I am hoping we can do a part 2. Because they left out all the info about balancing your time on the internet, paid blogging etc. Maybe they will ask me back so we can tie ups some loose ends on more info that moms are asking questions about. What a great segment !!!!!!!!!

    Thanks Today Show !

    P.S. I miss you already! I had so much fun with you at SXSW

    Reply

  15. Thank you for the opportunity to ask a question Katja.
    I really enjoyed the Digital moms segment. However, since I watched it I have been giving this a lot of thought. I am also a digital mom and sometimes feel that I am losing control. At times I feel I am spending increasing amounts of time online and this makes me feel guilty that I am shorting my children on attention and love. My husband has been joking that he knew I would get addicted to my iPhone in minutes. Do you have any advice on keeping perspective and achieving balance?
    I recently joked with friends about this and my concern really resonated with them, so I really think I am not alone with these feelings.

    Mercedes

    Reply

  16. Thanks for the info, Katja! I will try to be there.

    My kids are no longer babies, but I’d love to see them cover the topic of reflux. Our pediatrician told us that what used to be labeled as “colic” has actually turned out to be reflux in babies and that they shouldn’t have to suffer in pain. I’d love to see the word get out about that more. (our youngest two had reflux with our middle child having the most severe case)

    Reply

  17. Hmmm…I haven’t read the book yet so I’m not sure about the topics but here goes with questions:

    * In what ways did becoming a mom change the way you approach the show? your professional life in general?

    * So many moms, myself included, seem to struggle with finding that work/life/family balance…where are you at with your own priorities and how did you reach that place?

    * I’m a WAHM…what’s the biggest challenge working (outside of the home) moms face? Do they find community at work or does that often get dropped since family time becomes even more rare and precious?

    * You meet a new mom in the elevator and she seems overwhelmed–what do you say in that minute to lift her spirits and help her find her center?

    Reply

  18. This sounds like a great idea for a Twitter event! I would love to hear how they balance their career personalities and their mom personalities. For me, that’s been a big struggle of parenthood… evolving into a mom while not losing the identity I had before motherhood. I would also love to hear more about digital moms and how the digital lifetyle has changed motherhood. I know there are so many ways it’s changed mine… even from my first pregnancy six years ago to now.

    Reply
  19. Pingback: “Ask the Authors” Interwebs Roundup! « Todays Moms’s Blog

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