For those of you unfamiliar with Twitter, this is the image you get when they’re having “technical difficulties.” I guess that’s what happens when thousands of people are going to your site at one time. Must be rough.

I was talking to my hubby last night about my experience at this year’s BlogHer conference. While I had dozens of anecdotes to tell him, I started by sharing the primary lesson I learned . . .

It’s all about relationships.

While I knew the importance of relationships when it came to my personal well being, and believe it’s not just the thought but the effort that counts in friendships, I didn’t fully understand the extent to which my professional success depended on relationship building. Since I’ve been hammered with the message that “content is king” I’ve been spending most of my time cranking out posts and articles. I considered hanging out on Twitter or reading my favorite blogs a luxury I couldn’t afford when I was pressed for time. Which is always.

Now I understand that whether you’re trying to succeed in blogging or any other business, it’s the quality of your relationships that will significantly impact your success. And while we all hope to have tons of readers, clients, customers or whatever other metric you use to measure success, that “quantity” will only come by having quality relationships.

And quality relationships can’t be rushed. Thus the rub. There’s no shortcut to relationship building and no substitute for face to face contact. That’s why BlogHer is such a worthwhile experience. Once I’ve met someone at BlogHer and had a chance to spend some time with them, I become a loyal reader. However, I don’t consider the perfunctory exchange of business cards in an elevator spending time with someone. So while I came home with a slew of business cards, I will only focus my energy on those people who I had the privilege of meeting for the first time, rooming with again, reuniting with from last year’s conference, hanging out on the leather couches at Macy’s, bonding over dinner, sharing our views over brunch and just laughing hysterically with. A missed opportunity? Maybe. But my interest in them is genuine and not rooted in self-promotion. I can live with that.

Another great memory from the annual trip my Dad, oldest daughter and I make to see the Red Sox play at Fenway Park every year! My middle daughter and hubby don’t go because of our long-standing family rivalry. My youngest daughter is the tie breaker, but I know which way she’s leaning!

Being a working mother has its challenges. There’s an understatement for you! Luckily for me and many other working moms, we don’t have to face those challenges alone. We have help, albeit in varying degrees. I’m very fortunate to not only be married to an extremely supportive husband, but one who thoroughly believes paying a house cleaner is not a luxury, but a necessity. I’m also very lucky to have two older daughters that help out by doing household chores and watching their baby sister.

What I didn’t realize though was that my hubby, daughters and house cleaner, made up my momtourage. According to iVillage:

Every woman needs a momtourage—the people, organizations and businesses in her life that provide her with support, help her get things done, and allow her to be the best mom she can be.

Not only does iVillage recognize the importance of a momtourage, they are having a sweepstakes to award moms and their momtourage with prizes to help them achieve work life balance. I’m so entering this sweepstakes because not a day goes by that I don’t wish I had a personal chef!!! Plus, the three Grand Prize Winners will also receive a special dinner, prepared by a contestant from Bravo’s Top Chef. The Grand Prize Winners’ momtourage members also each receive a $500 spa gift certificate. Does iVillage know moms or what!

While it takes more to enter this sweepstakes than the ones I do on Momsational, the prizes are worth the effort to me. Here are the questions you have to answer to enter the sweepstakes.

* Who is in your momtourage?

* How has your momtourage made a difference in your daily routine or rescued you from a sticky situation?

* Tell us your creative solution to a common cleaning dilemma.

* What’s your best childcare tip for the back-to-school season?

* Do you have any tips for getting picky eaters to eat? How about suggestions for brown-bag lunches or after-school snacks? Let us know your meal-time tricks.

* How does your momtourage help you get through the back-to-school season?

* How do you save money during back-to-school time?

So give these questions some thought and enter to win this amazing work life balance sweepstakes at www.momtourage.com by August 1, 2008. Good luck!

It’s challenging these days to fit in a lot of “quality family time” with such hectic schedules, but that’s all the more reason why it’s so necessary to strengthen family ties.

One of the simple ways my hubby and I bond with our daughters is to start the day with a “family cuddle.” Our children delight in yelling to each other, “It’s time for family cuddle!!!” Then the five of us pile into our bed. After a few minutes, we “ROTATE!” so each child gets a turn cuddling next to each parent. There is always a lot of giggling involved!

At the end of the day, we all pile into my daughter’s bed (why we switch beds I don’t know) and do family story time. This involves my hubby reading aloud to the three kids and me. We’ve read Charlotte’s Web, James and the Giant Peach and now we’re reading The Hobbit. Not only does it give us another chance to cuddle, it reinforces the importance of reading and acts as a family book club because we like to discuss the books we read.

During the summer, I do “Camp Mommy” for my kids. Each day we have a morning meeting and I share what the “Camp Mommy” activity of the day will be. I even have my kids decorate t-shirts as their camp shirts. I write about Camp Mommy and other activities I do with my kids on my Seasonal Kids Activities blog. One of their favorite activities that makes them feel special is when they get to go to the Camp Mommy Spa. We also strengthen our family ties by having family dance parties, playing games together and going on family outings.

In addition to activities, I also use words to let my children know how special they are. I often ask them “Have I told you lately how much I love you?” Then I respond with a topical reference. Like if we just went out for ice cream, I’ll say, “I love you more than every sprinkle on your ice cream cone and all the sprinkles in the universe!” I also frequently say, “I love you everything about you.”

How do you strengthen your family ties? I’m always looking for more ideas!

I’m a certified School Counselor who works with students on various issues including anger management, social skills, anxiety, divorce, self-esteem, study skills, impulsivity and bullying. If you have any parenting or school issues that you would like me to address, please leave me a comment. I’d be happy to answer any questions you may have in my weekly Ask the School Counselor segment.

The older I get, the more valuable my time is to me. When I was a kid and even a young adult, time was as abundant as the spare change accumulating in the water jug by my Dad’s desk. Any time I misspent was no more costly than a penny dropping out of my pocket.

Now that I’m a work-at-home mother of three, my time is worth my weight in gold and I protect it as fervently as a security guard at Fort Knox!

To ensure that my time is well spent, I manage it as I would my money.

Save Time

I save time both personally and professionally. Personally, I pay a housecleaner, pre-order school supplies and upload my photos directly to albums. Professionally, I save time by multi-tasking, maintaining an organized office, and a typed to do list with daily, weekly and monthly tasks so when I sit down to work I don’t waste time deciding what to work on.

Invest Time

I invest my time in personal and professional endeavors that will pay dividends in the future. Personally, I invest my time in ways that will benefit my family in the short-term and long-term. These personal investments include reading to my children, letting my kids play travel soccer, volunteer work, exercising, attending mass weekly, and seizing the moment with my hubby. Professionally, I invest my time in promoting my business, providing good customer service and building a community.

Budget Time

When it comes to time, we typically don’t say “budget.” Instead we say “schedule” or “manage,” but the premise is the same regardless of which word you use. Whether it’s time or money, it is essential to keep track of how you’re spending it to make sure it is being spent properly. While I use a spreadsheet to manage our budget, I use a color-coded calendar to manage my time commitments. (An online calendar for professional activities and an offline calendar for personal activities.) The different colors enable me to assess how I am spending my time and to adjust if needed.

Spend Time

Time, like money, shouldn’t be hoarded like Ebenezer Scrooge, it should be spent wisely! Professionally, I like to spend my time writing, researching and networking. Personally, the best time I spend is with my family going on outings, vacations, and just hanging around the house playing games. On days when I’ve spent most of the day playing and not working, I don’t consider it wasting time, I think of it as splurging! Every now and then it’s okay to splurge with money and time. That’s why we have Disney World and Godiva chocolate!

Find Time

Finally, finding extra time in my day fills me with the same kind of glee as when I find a $20 bill in the pocket of a coat I haven’t worn in six months. For example, I’m always thrilled with unexpected cancellations like when soccer is rained out. While I love going to my daughters’ soccer games, an unexpected night off is truly a precious gift. Time is a valuable commodity and should be treated as such!

Finding a good babysitter can be a very stressful experience. Many parents rely on friends and family to watch their children, but there are inevitably times when you need someone outside of your immediate circle to care for your children. While there are a lot of teenagers who can provide caring, reliable and cost effective childcare, unfortunately not all of them are responsible enough to do so. Therefore, it’s important you choose a teenage babysitter carefully.

Begin your search for a teenage babysitter by seeking recommendations from those you know and trust. For example, ask a neighbor or the parent of one of your child’s friends if they have a good babysitter they could recommend to you. In addition, high school guidance counselors and local youth organizations are often able to recommend reliable and experienced students.

Once you’ve found a teenager who comes highly recommended, ask her over to your home to meet your children before setting up a date for her to babysit. Then engage her casually in conversation and observe how she interacts with your children. If you and your kids like her, and you feel she is capable of handling routine babysitting responsibilities and any unexpected mishaps, then ask her to babysit for a couple hours on another day as a trial run.

During this trial run, stay home and be readily available, but out of sight of the kids. This way the babysitter has the opportunity to fulfill her responsibilities independently, while you have the comfort of knowing you’re available if she doesn’t handle the responsibility well. A successful trial run will not only make you and your children feel more comfortable when you leave them with the new babysitter for the first time, but will also help the babysitter feel more confident and familiar with your children and the surroundings.

After you’ve made your decision to hire a babysitter, but before you schedule her to babysit for the first time, discuss the following: how much you will pay for her services, your child’s routines, food preferences and favorite activities. In addition, explain your expectations, including what she is able to do with the kids while you’re gone (i.e., go swimming?), what she is able to do while they’re asleep (go on your computer?) and how you expect to find your home when you return (load the dishwasher with dinner dishes?).

Before you leave your children with the babysitter for the first time, provide her with phone numbers she can use if necessary (i.e., your cell phone, a neighbor, a family member who lives close by) and confirm she knows to call 911 in an emergency. Also, be sure to tell the babysitter if your children have certain dietary restrictions. If the babysitter has to administer any medication to your child, be sure to leave a signed and dated note authorizing her to do so with clear written instructions. However, it is best to cancel the babysitter if your child is ill.

These recommendations can help you find a teenage babysitter who will act responsibly and safeguard the well-being of your children and the security of your home in your absence. That way you can relax and enjoy your outing without the kids!

I’m a certified school counselor who works with students on various issues including anger management, social skills, anxiety, divorce, self-esteem, study skills, impulsivity and bullying. If you have any parenting or school issues that you would like me to address, please leave me a comment. I’d be happy to answer any questions you may have in my weekly Ask the School Counselor segment.

I was watching Oprah one day, before she got ridiculously self-absorbed and trashy, when she had Diane Keaton as a guest. Diane couldn’t stop gushing about how wonderful her kids were, and even stopped the interview to take a piece of paper out of her pocket so she could read verbatim the cute things they’d said to her that day. She explained to Oprah that she writes down her kids’ utterances when they are particularly adorable. While Oprah looked at her like she was crazy, I stole the idea.

I now keep a “Kid Journal” and write down moments I want to remember and sentences I don’t want to forget. My girls know I do it and will even say, “Mommy, you should put that in your journal!”

Here are a few excerpts:

• When my seven-year-old’s teacher asked if anyone in the class was Irish, she raised her hand and said, “I’m half Irish and half New York.”

• When I was tucking my seven-year-old into bed one night she said, “We’re in a ball . . . Santa’s ball. He controls everything.”

• Then at Easter she said, “The Easter Bunny is really Jesus dressed up; then he comes down the chimney.”

• When I was reading a book called Belle of the Ball to the girls, my ten-year-old asked “What does that mean?” My seven-year-old responded “It means Queen of the Bells!”

• When the girls and I were making cupcakes, my middle daughter said, “I wish Daddy were here. He’s such a good cook.”

• One morning before school as I was trying to fix my ten-year-old’s disheveled hairdo, she said calmly, “Mom, I’m not going to a fancy party. I’m going there to learn.”

• When my ten-year-old decided she wanted to make and sell knitted scarves, she went to my hubby and said “I’m going to start a short business.” (instead of small business)

• Each night at the dinner table, we take turns talking about our days. However, often my hubby and I don’t get our turn because the girls have a lot to share! One night, my oldest daughter left the table to use the bathroom, and my middle daughter and hubby started clearing their plates. I chided “Doesn’t anyone want to hear about my day?” Then I heard my ten-year-old’s cute voice call from the bathroom, “I’M listening.”

• My oldest daughter asked “What does penalize mean? It sounds painful.”