When I’m trying to check stuff off my “to do” list I like to play music for the kids. Both of them love dancing so it keeps them entertained and active. One minor glitch is that some of today’s music should be banned for little ears like theirs, so it’s important to find music that is suitable for their age group and second to that music that doesn’t drive mommy bananas!

Which is why I love the new B is for Bob music album for kids. The album is a compilation of Bob Marley’s original songs re-imagined for kids!

Marley’s eldest son, four-time Grammy winner Ziggy Marley, executive produced this adorable new album, which bridges the gap between the timeless Bob Marley and a new generation of kids.  Eight of Bob Marley’s songs have been transformed while four of Marley’s other masterpieces remain untouched.

Now available in stores for $8.99! The perfect summer album the entire family can enjoy!

Guess what? We are giving away the new B is for Bob album to five lucky winners. So be sure to leave us a comment telling us what your favorite Bob Marley song is.

Contest Ends: July 10, 2009. Winners will be announced July 12, 2009.

The album includes some fun extras for the kids like digital coloring book pages and a sign-a-long music video. It also includes a FREE one-year subscription to Parents Magazine for mom.

My father’s music spans generations and with B is for Bob we give the youngest their very own Bob Marley record. - Ziggy Marley

Check out the video clip below of Ziggy Marley as he talks about the album release.

B is for Bob Promo -

Founded by Camille (Chairman), David (CEO), MobileWorks is focused on creating mobile applications that make life easier for busy parents. Our first product is the Baby Super Tracker for iPhone and iPod Touch. It helps track diaper changes, feedings and rests, and helps predict when the next event will come. It even predicts the amount of supplies you might need.

What inspired you to start your business?
The birth of our first son Evan in April of 2008 opened our eyes to a whole new world. He is just so amazing … such a joy, but we quickly realized there is so much to learn and so much to keep track of as new parents. We bought tons of books to learn about babies, and about being parents. In the hospital we started keeping track of feedings, diaper changes and other vital info on paper, but soon found this system to be lacking. Changing shifts meant keeping track of what was written down where and remembering what it all meant. We realized that what we needed was a way to sort through mounds of info to find the info we needed. We both love our iPhones and wanted to see if they could help. The result is the Baby Super Tracker.

How long have you been in business?
Only a short while … since October of 2008.

What did you do in your past work life?
David worked in marketing at a variety of software companies. I worked as a teacher and a counselor.

Describe your ideal workday.
My ideal workday balances my family’s needs with the requirements of the business. On my perfect day I would enjoy meals with my family, spending quality time with my son, and running the business with my husband.

What have been some of your major successes?
Getting version one of the Baby Super Tracker finished and on the iTunes Store was big. Things seemed to drag, and there were days when we wondered if it was ever going to be finished. Relocating back to our home state was a big win. It took much planning, but we kept rolling and are much happier as a result.

What have been some of your major challenges?
The major challenge is finding enough time in the day to take care of all the important aspects of the business while making sure the family gets the attention they need. In both facets, there is so much to learn. On the business side, its all about improving your product based on the needs of your customers, and getting the word out so they know your product is available. This leads to another big challenge: how to best reach potential customers? With the rise of the web and social media, reaching an audience is easier than ever, but, there are so many possibilities.

On those impossible days, what motivates you to keep going?
Well, I take a deep breath, and look at my son. We are so lucky to have him, and he is more than we could have asked for.

What is your balancing secret in managing a business and family?
I’m still working on that. Working from home, it’s tempting to work all hours, including after I put the baby to bed and weekends. I’m trying not to burn the candle at both ends by making weekends exclusively family time.

If there was one piece of advice you could give to your children about running a successful business, what would it be?
I’d tell them to follow their heart. Being creative and making money do not have to be at odds. Be persistent. It is so easy to give up and take the simple way out. Its much harder to see things through to their completion. Follow-through generates great rewards.

Do you have a favorite business tool and/or resource?
We’re big fans of Google and of the iPhone (as you can probably guess). We use Google to track how our website is doing and how our advertising is doing. Its amazing the tools that they provide for free. I can tell how many people come to our website and where they are coming from. All this helps us create a better experience, and it helps us better target our efforts. We use Twitter, but we are still trying to figure out how it fits in.

What is next for your business?
Version one of the Baby Super Tracker just got to the iTunes Store. Version 2 is almost ready to go, and we are looking at what to add for version 3. Beyond that, we have a new product, very different that we are working on. Can’t tell you yet what it is, except that its unique. We want it to stay that way. But, right now, mobile, and the iPhone look to be our focus for the next year or two.

What is your two cents sales pitch?
The Baby Super Tracker helps provide busy parents with peace of mind. It helps track their child’s changes, feedings and rests It also predicts what’s next to help better schedule their little one and to take advantage of the breaks as they come. Where else can you get all that for under $10?

Are you a bizzie mom entrepreneur? Would you like to be featured and show off your product or service. Fill out our mom entrepreneur questionnaire and email 411 at bizziemommy dot com any images you would like to use in your post. Interviews are posted every Tuesday.

I am an avid online shopper. I’ve made several large purchases and event some under $20 and haven’t had any problems.  Not only do I shop online but I also own an online baby boutique.  Shopping online is convenient, you can gift wrap and you don’t have to drive anywhere.

I’ve been trying to convert my mother to an online shopper and stumbled across these great tips on how to save money shopping online.

1. Always check for a coupon or promotional code before checking out.  Visiting CurrentCodes.com and getting a coupon only takes a few seconds and could save you anything from free shipping to 50% off or more.
2. If you know the exact product you want to purchase, it pays to visit several online retailers to get the best price.  CurrentCodes.com can help you find that best price by giving you a list of online stores in the category you’re shopping for, and showing you the coupons that those stores are offering.
3. In general, it is far safer to use a credit card than a debit card for shopping online.  Most debit cards do not offer the same level of safety that a credit card does, and when an unexpected or erroneous charge shows up on your debit card, the money is taken from your bank account and you can end up with bounced checks or other issues before you realize the problem has occurred.
4. Always be sure that the final checkout screen shows the correct items, quantities, and pricing before you submit your order.
5. Read the site’s privacy policy on information sharing, and be sure you don’t unintentionally opt in to having your information shared with third parties.
6. Some merchants are required to collect sales taxes in your state while others might not.  It can pay to check several online retailers if the merchant you’re about to purchase from wants to charge sales tax.
7. If you’re an eBay shopper, be sure to check CurrentCodes.com for an eBay coupon, especially if you pay by PayPal.  eBay sometimes issues coupons that are valid for purchases made on their site with PayPal.  This is especially true near the holidays.
8. Pay close attention to shipping charges.  Some retailers make up their low prices by padding the shipping, so you want to be sure you’re getting the lowest possible overall price. At LaLaBabyBoutique.com we offer free shipping on purchases $100 or more.

Barry Boone, CEO of CurrentCodes.com created these helpful tips to saving money shopping online. Barry’s company CurrentCodes.com is an indispensable destination for online shoppers; it’s a clearinghouse for promotional codes.

Image Source: http://ngsiipunii.wordpress.com/

I am in the business of helping women launch product-based businesses. I lead a 26-week Tele-seminar that teaches you all the secrets and knowledge needed to build and launch a product-based business from your living room.

What inspired you to start your business?
I was inspired by friends and clients who say they never call or come to see me without a pad and working pen! I love the challenge of solving all the issues that arise with a product-based business. Be it making protoypes, running production, marketing and research or just the fact that you work alone a lot of the time and are lonely, I love problem solving!

How long have you been in business?
I have had my own brand in the accessory business for 12 years and currently sell under my brand Simply Sarah. I have been privately coaching women for 5 years on how to launch or fix their businesses and decided to take it national with my Tele-seminar. I am launching the very first course on May 7th, 2009.

What did you do in your past work life?

I moved to Los Angeles after college to work as a costumer in the movie business. I was only suppose to be her for a few months to kill some time before going off to Grad school in NY but I loved working and postponed NY for a year……and never left LA. After 11 years in the film business I launched my first handbag line, Sarah Shaw Handbags, and was sold in over 1200 boutiques and dept stores nationwide over 5 years. After that I launched an on-line boutique with a friend and we created and patented a handbag hanger AKA the Handy Hold All™ that I market and sell today through my Simply Sarah website.

Describe your ideal workday.
I converted my garage to a beautiful sunny office that is glass along the front. I am mom to 15 month old identical twin girls and start the day off with them having breakfast and playtime. Once the nanny arrives I go into full work mode. Usually check my social media sites for about an hour for new leads and informational links, then move on to check email and website orders. My assistant oversees sales and the order dept so I don’t have to do any of that. I try to write on my blog everyday or find interesting moms to interview or invite as guest bloggers and I also create content for my Entreprenette Ezine.

What have been some of your major successes?
Some of my major successes with my accessory lines have been the incredible press I have received over the years. We still come up on the Oprah.com website when you search for cosmetic bags - and that was back in 2002. I have been profiled in the Los Angeles Times and In WWD as well as featured in ELLE, Lucky, Instyle and more.

What have been some of your major challenges?
I think overall my biggest challenges are marketing to the right people. Since I have 2 companies I am always looking to cross promote when possible but since one is consumer based and the other educational, I usually end up marketing them separately and that takes a lot of time. I have found twitter to be a great resource and spend a lot of time there lately to work those connections and find new sources for both companies.

Of course accessory production has it’s challenges as well. Shipments are late, fabric is ruined,orders are canceled… These are all difficult things to overcome but are part of being an entrepreneur. Overcoming your obstacles is key to being a success. It’s not the mistakes you make, but how you recover from them

On those impossible days, what motivates you to keep going?
I often think back to a conversation I had with my father one day when I wanted to quit. He asked me what I loved about my business. I told him that I loved creating new ideas and watching them grow, I loved the challenge of figuring it all out and putting the pieces together, and I loved being my own boss. He said to me,”How will you feel if you quit and aren’t doing any of the things you love to do?” In that moment I knew that I’d be more miserable if I quit and had nothing. I realized that I needed to embrace the challenges and look at them as a game. Now I enjoy playing the game and know that each challenge or mistake is going to lead to something better.

Do you have a motivational Quote?
Be not afraid of growing slowly, be afraid only of standing still.

- Chinese Proverb

What is your balancing secret in managing a business and family?
A Nanny! I love being with my girls but I really can’t get any work done when they are around. They want me to be with them and I totally get that. Everyone needs time to themselves and moms do too. I try to take at least an hour a day for myself to either nap, read, chat with a friend or take a walk. Moms need to rejuvenate too. I am super organized.

If there was one piece of advice you could give to your children about running a successful business, what would it be?
I will tell my children that they must believe in their idea if they want anyone else to.

Do you have a favorite business tool and/or resource?
My new favorite tool is twitter. But I have just discovered a few new websites that I have found resourceful as well as fun.
http://www.ClubEnetwork.com
http://www.blogtrepreneur.com
http://www.bossofmesingapore.blogspot.com/
http://www.ideablob.com/

What is next for your business?
I am really excited to launch Entreprenette on May 7th and hope you will all sign up to get my free Ezine and free reports. I am thinking about offering a few one day workshops on certain parts of the seminar so am deciding which areas would be best to offer. Am open to suggestions!

What is your two cents sales pitch?
Being an Entreprenette means being committed to your vision and doing whatever it takes to get there. A strong vision puts so much power in your hands mentally, spiritually and physically. A vision will help you deal with adversity and get you through it. Knowing that you have to eat, drink and breathe your vision to achieve success is the key to being an Entreprenette.

Are you a bizzie mom entrepreneur? Would you like to be featured and show off your product or service. Fill out our mom entrepreneur questionnaire and email 411 at bizziemommy dot com any images you would like to use in your post. Interviews are posted every Tuesday.

So what’s one more RIGHT! SocialLuxe Lounge and Whrrl are giving away an all expenses paid trip to BlogHer 09 and I really want them to pick me. So can you help me out?

Don’t let the water come out (as BP says when she’s about to cry).  All you have to do is check out my whrrl story and let everyone know that you liked it.

Bizzie Princess says, “I’ll she wants for her Birthday (TODAY) is for SocialLuxe to send her mommy (ME) to BlogHer.

Yes I played the cute kid card!

Have you tried Whrrl yet?
Whrrl v2.0 is a storytelling application for the web and mobile that lets people share and remember their real-world stories as they happen. Everyone - whether physically present or not - can contribute. Stories can be published to Facebook and Twitter, and the storyteller controls who can view and participate.

Please check out my story! Would love if you would tweet my store with hastag #socialluxe.

I really don’t know where the time has gone. I can’t believe my BP is now 4 years old. Happy Birthday Sweets! I wish I was at home with you today, but you and your grandparents will have a great “all about BP day!” I hope you enjoyed your birthday party on Saturday, even though your brother popped your huge Hello Kitty balloon.
Have a great day!

Do you own or run one of the millions of small businesses that make America great?
Do you know how you would use $50,000 in cash and $50,000 in premier advertising on Forbes.com to make your small business even better?

Entry deadline is June 30, 2009

Go to http://boost09.perfectprize.com/ for more information.

Martha Stewart’s 3rd Annual Dreamers into Doers contest

The contest will honor two women who turned their passion into a business or philanthropic venture - just as Martha did. Tell your store in 250 words or less for a chance to win $10,000 and appear on “The Martha Stewart Show.”

Go to http://dreamers.marthastewart.com/ for more information.