A good reminder

Sample Sunday: The Successful Single Mom Cooks! Cookbook

The following is a recipe from The Successful Single Mom Cooks! Cookbook: 7 Ingredients or Less, On Your Table in 20 Minutes.

The Successful Single Mom Cooks! Cookbook contains more than 100 quick, easy and delicious recipes for busy single moms who desire to put nutritious meals that their kids will eat on the table in record time. These recipes do just that!

You can order it through Amazon, Barnes and Noble, and Smashwords.

Mexican-Style Chicken-Filled Tortillas

Quick, easy & flavorful ~ a favorite of kids and adults alike.

Ingredients

4 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves, cut into thin bite-sized strips

1 cup frozen whole kernel sweet corn

1 cup chunky-style salsa

1 (2 ¼-oz.) can sliced ripe olives, well drained

8 8-10-inch fat-free whole wheat tortillas

Mozzarella or Cheddar Cheese ~ sprinkle as desired

Directions

1.    Spray large nonstick skillet with nonstick cooking spray. Heat over medium-high heat until hot. Add chicken; cook and stir 5 to 6 minutes or until no longer pink.

2.    Stir in corn, salsa and olives. Reduce heat to medium; cook 4-6 minutes or until thoroughly heated.

3.    Meanwhile, warm tortillas as directed on package. Spoon ¼ of chicken mixture onto half of each tortilla. Fold tortillas over. If desired, serve with lights sour cream and additional salsa.

Number of Servings: 4

Honorée has dedicated her life to being a positive force for good. She writes personal and professional growth and development books, and The Successful Single Mom book series. As an executive coach and corporate trainer, she turns service providers into rainmakers, average producers into rock-stars, and dreams into reality. For more information on how she can specifically help you or your organization, click here. You can read all about her here.

What Makes a Single Mom Successful?

A Successful Single Mom is a woman who loves her children and herself. She knows the life lessons she teaches her children will affect not only her kids but also her grandkids. She makes her children the focus of her life, and yes, this means going to dance recitals, parent-teacher conferences, doctor's appointments, school functions, and girl-scout meetings. She's also a woman who practices extreme self-care, has her financial house in order, lives a life she loves, and is surrounded by people she loves and loves her.
 

Put another way: model for your children anything and everything you want them to grow up and do for themselves.If you want them to grow up and experience an abundance of time, love, space and money, figure out a way to bring an more of those into your life. Do more of what you want and less of what you don't want -- for yourself and your kids. Speak well of your ex, their dad. Start loving him for being the father of your children. Use his given name, instead of referring to him as the "ex" or worse. Remember, your kids are half him so when you speak well of him, your kids feel great! If you don't have something nice to say, just stop talking. If you can, do your best to raise your children as co-parents. If you don't know how to do it, seek help and inspiration from a professional and others who are doing it successfully.

A successful single mom does the best she can and when she realizes she can do better, she does better. Cheers to being a successful single mom, today and every day!

Single Mom Free Book Giveaway

I believe single moms are rock stars, they just don't always know it. Are you a single mom who doesn't always feel like you're Superwoman? Well, I believe you should!

I want every single mom to feel like they can have, do, be, create and accomplish anything and everything they set their minds to!

So, I'm giving away 5 copies of The Successful Single Mom ebook (in the winner's choice of digital format: PDF, Nook, Kindle, Kobo, iBook, etc.). If you don't have an e-reader of any kind, I'll send you a paperback copy.

If you're a single mom, you can enter to win by leaving a comment about how being a single mom is going for you, and what you would attempt to do if you knew you could not fail.

You get an extra entry if you "like" the book on Amazon here, follow me on twitter here, or on facebook here. You get 3 entries if you tweet about this entry. Bonus: Blog about the giveaway and leave me a link: 5 entries.

You can enter as many times as you like. Please leave a comment for each entry.

I'll pick the winners at random on Friday.

Single Moms Can Find Love Again

After you become a single mom and the dust on the relationship settles, you might be resistant (consciously or unconsciously) to seek love again. Once bitten, twice shy, right?

I can relate! Without going into too much detail, let's suffice it to say that while the end of my marriage was a relief, the end of the two relationships that followed was incredibly painful and made me reconsider my ability to find the right partner.

So, I spent several years alone and pretty darn sure that's how I'd be at least until my sweet Lexi went off to college. I was committed to her and my businesses, so keeping busy allowed me to live under the illusion that a relationship wasn't something I wanted.

But truthfully, it was. I like being in a relationship, loving someone and having them love them. Having someone to come home to, call when something happens (good or not-so-good), and share the richness of life with.

So, I changed my focus from "looking for examples where men weren't so good" to "looking for examples of great relationships." You get what you look for, it's true, and when I started looking for men and women in happy relationships, I started to find them.

That caused me to do a few things:

• I began to seek out solid relationship advice and information. What makes a good relationship? How can I be a good, no great, partner? Where might I find some good candidates?
• I decided what was possible, that it was possible for me, and I deserved it!
• I let go of my anger, sadness, frustration and resistance. *Whew!* That was a great day!

Once I had opened myself up a tiny bit (more on that later), I found a tremendous man who has been an incredible addition to my life and my daughter's life.

In order to find love, in whatever form you want it (a marriage, a committed relationship, or just someone to hang out with now and then), in my opinion it helps to make some personal decision that will allow that to happen. Are you ready?

Perhaps it's time you read this:

10 Ways You Can Help Me Help Single Moms

Single moms are everywhere, I meet a new one almost every single day. Last night I met a single mom in graduate school with two kids. She works full time, so she gets up at 4 a.m. to study before, in her words, "her day starts." When our mutual friend mentioned The Successful Single Mom to her, she couldn't wait to read it, so I gave her a copy. She just sent me an email this morning telling me how much it inspired and helped her and that she was glad she gave up some sleep to read it. And, she wished she'd had it much sooner.

I think what's true is that single moms want and need the information contained in The Successful Single Mom, but if they don't know it exists, they won't get it and benefit from it!

Here's how you can help me help a Single Mom today:

1. Buy it for yourself or a Single Mom

If you haven’t already (gasp!), please do it now. If you're a single mom, I promise you'll enjoy it! If you're not, well, everyone knows at least one single mom and they will be so grateful you've thought of them and gotten them a gift! Buy it here on Amazon, Barnes & Noble or iTunes.

2. Send an Email

A personal email is always the best way to tell a friend something you like and recommend it to them.

Some thought starters…

"Honoree Corder, former single mom, executive coach and corporate trainer, has authored a book for single moms that has them creating new levels of personal and professional success! I care about you and your greater success so I heartily recommend getting your hands on the book The Successful Single Mom. Get it here: Amazon, Barnes & Noble or iTunes."

“I’ve been able to change my life and my future with Honorée’s help and the tools from this book!” ~Christine Plaisted, Participant in The Successful Single Mom Group
 
3. Facebook

Facebook is a great place to tell friends about what you like! Anything you are able to post on your own Facebook page about the book would be appreciated. The above works great here, too.

Be sure to join and join in on the conversation at The Successful Single Mom Facebook Fan Page. There I can keep in touch and help you with what you are doing as well. (Copy ideas to share with your friends is below.)

4. Tweet

Help us go viral on Twitter. Some tweet topics include 'you are buying the book', 'giving the book as a gift', attach a picture of where you're reading it, shout-out your favorite chapter or re-tweet someone else's comments. The key is to keep the conversation going. You can follow me on Twitter at: @Honoree too. I'm also recommending all of the great books I hear about @singlemombooks.

Another Tweet idea is to add hash tags so that other people can follow and help the news propagate.  Use any of these popular hash tags: #singlemom, #SMTP, #TSSM, #singleparent, and #success.

Tweet ideas:

This is the book that changed my life. Buy it and it comes with a free gift. Check it out! http://dld.bz/apNBM 

Author @Honoree reveals what single moms need to be balanced, happy and successful! Get it here: http://dld.bz/apNBM

More money, less stress, happier mom = happier kids … it’s all in this great book for #singlemoms: http://dld.bz/apNBM

Whoever told you being a #singlemom was to be pitied or it wasn't possible to be successful, lied to you. Here’s the truth: http://dld.bz/apNBM

For #singlemoms: If you only read one book, ever, THIS is it! http://dld.bz/apNBM

The book that got me back on track after my divorce: http://dld.bz/apNBM 

5. Blog

Do you have a blog or know someone who does? You may want to blog about the book andor your favorite topics from the book. You can find blogs and other info here: The Successful Single Mom Blog.

6. Write a Review

If you have a publication single moms read, you can request a copy of the book in exchange for a review.

7. Single-Mom Focused Churches, Non-Profits or Organizations

If you know someone who leads an organization that helps single moms, The Successful Single Mom Principles in The Successful Single Mom are especially poignant as it is about helping single moms get the very best results possible. Recommend they review the book and the bulk purchase program for their entire organization -- just have them email me: Honoree (at) CoachHonoree (dot) com.

8. Media

I am doing TV, radio, newspaper, magazine and online media. You can inquire here: Joan {at} coachHonoree {dot} com.

9. YouTube

I've done a series of videos called the Single Mom's Motivational Minute. Start here when you need a few words to make your day better, and be sure to share!

10. Word of Mouth

Please tell co-workers, friends, family, and people on the street: "Have you read The Successful Single Mom book? I recommend it!”

Thank you in advance for helping me help others access The Successful Single Mom Principles in The Successful Single Mom book. Your doing so could make a significant difference in someone’s life who might not otherwise have heard about it.

With gratitude and to your success! ~Honorée Corder

Honorée has dedicated her life to being a positive force for good. She writes personal and professional growth and development books, and The Successful Single Mom book series. As an executive coach and corporate trainer, she turns service providers into rainmakers, average producers into rock-stars, and dreams into reality. For more information on how she can specifically help you or your organization, click here.

Single Moms: Therapy Can Help You and Your Kids

With a strong, supportive cast of characters (like a mom and dad, siblings, and/or BFF) it's still almost impossible to be a single mom. Most likely those who know and love you best are still unequipped to help you successfully manage your daily challenges, deal with your long list of responsibilities and handle the emotional roller-coaster. More likely, they are great at listening, lending an ear or a dollar now and then, and offering up a much-needed hug.

If you're like me when I was a single mom, then you have no family, your BFF lives 1000 miles away and your child is at an age where they want answers to their confusing questions.

What to do?

I grew up with parents who were therapists (I know, there's a special place in Heaven for me). Because of that, and my personal (negative) experience with my parents, to say I was adverse to therapy is a major understatement. So when it was suggested that therapy might be an option to help Lexi deal with her absent father, I thought (and said): "No freaking way."

About the time Lexi entered kindergarden, she started to act out and I believe it's because she saw other kid's dads show up for them in a variety of ways (attending school activities, playing with them at the park, etc.) and her friends all had dads at that time. She was noticing she didn't have the same thing, and was starting to be angry and frustrated ... and wasn't sure what to do with those emotions. How that manifested is that she wouldn't stay with anyone who wasn't me, besides attending school. Babysitters ran screaming from our home, and if I did have something I had to do, she threw such incredible temper tantrums that I was called and requested home immediately. And, to make it even more fun, she was throwing tantrums just for me, too.

Because I was at a loss of what to do, and up against my own parenting limitations, when one of my clients recommended a therapist, I called immediately and left a message. When the therapist called back, I started to cry because I literally felt like help was on the line and I needed help. I just didn't know what to do for my daughter, and felt at a loss for what to do next.

The therapist laid out a clear set of rules: whatever was said in therapy was confidential and I was not to ask questions of Lexi after the session. It was to be my daughter's safe place to discuss what was on her mind, and that's exactly what happened. It also became a safe place for me to learn tools that I lacked -- we learn from modeling our parents, after all, and I didn't want what I had seen to become what I did. Over time, the therapist gave us both tools for dealing with each other, all the while providing advice, tips, strategies and of course, calling us on our shit. When I was being cranky or unreasonable, I heard about it. When my daughter was being overly dramatic, she heard about it. We learned a lot about what healthy and normal was like.

Best of all, when a situation came up (I wanted to introduce my now-husband to my daughter; Lexi wasn't making friends easily), we had an unbiased, neutral third-party trained in how to deal with them.

If you are a single mom without a solid set of parenting tools, I recommend therapy for you. If you still feel angry, resentful or sad about your children's dad, therapy could be helpful.

If your kids are asking questions you don't know how to answer, a therapist can bridge that gap. They can also provide a soft place to fall, a safe place, to process what's happening and get a handle on it.

I hope that's helpful to you and your kids. The best thing I can say is that it does get better: the intense emotions lessen with time and you get the hang of the single mom thing. Before you know it, everyone will be feeling better. Hang in there!