Mom has collected 350,000 toys for needy kids (source: Chicago Sun Times)

The way Michelle Maxia sees it, you have two choices when things get tough. “You’re either gonna focus on the problem, or engage in the solution,” says Maxia, of Orland Park. “I am about solutions.” One of her answers to life’s inequities is an Orland Park warehouse filled with new and slightly used toys. In a year and a half, Maxia, 45, has distributed more than 350,000 toys to not-for-profit groups. Those groups gave the toys to thousands of needy children. Puzzles, dolls, video-game systems, plastic kitchen setups — all have paused to be polished and, if needed, repaired on their way from one child’s hands to another’s. Click here to read full story.

Moms launch Web site for educational game rentals (source: Bakersfield.com)

Christy Baker, a stay-at-home mom, liked the idea of buying educational games for her children, but found they were expensive and the children lost interest in them after a while. She did some research to see if there was anyone who rented games for systems such as Leapster and Vtech, but found none.  She thought, Why not me? So she started www.smartyrents.com, a Web site that rents out games geared to children ages nine months to 10 years.With a concept similar to Netflix, Baker and her friend Jennifer Scheidle set up their Web site about a month ago. Click here to read full story.

Mom of the Year honored for patience, selflessness (source: Lancaster Eagle Gazette)

Friends and family members of Jennie Arter never see her take pity on herself. Instead, she takes pride in her accomplishments, her job and — most importantly — her family. The Lancaster mom’s positive outlook on life put her above the rest in this year’s Fairfield County Mom of the Year contest, which takes place each year at the Fairfield County Fair. Arter has spent much of her time caring for her 14-year-old daughter, Bethie, a student at Forest Rose School, which provides an education to those with multiple handicaps. It is run through the Fairfield County Board of Developmental Disabilities. Click here to read full story.

A chance to help out new moms (source: Gazette Times)

“I had panic attacks … eventually I had suicidal thoughts,” Csilla Andor said, recalling the weeks and months after giving birth to her son. “I had no idea what was going on with me. I just thought it was normal.” Andor, a licensed clinical social worker in southern California at the time, eventually self-diagnosed herself. She had never heard the term “postpartum depression” before dealing with it herself. It was 2003, just prior to the exposure brought to the condition by actress and model Brooke Shields and her highly publicized struggle with a crippling bout of what many brushed off as the “baby blues.” Andor’s son, now a healthy first-grader, had medical issues as an infant. Click here to read full story.

Mom raises funds for diabetes study (source: LivingstonDaily.com)

Carol Christopher is somewhat of a “supermom” in the eyes of her family and friends. The Hamburg Township woman is the mother of three children, two of whom have special needs. Her 5-year-old son, Jackson, has type 1 diabetes. He requires four shots each day and constant monitoring of his food and sugar intake. Her 4-year-old daughter, Mackenzie, has a neurological disorder called apraxia that hinders her speech and motor skills. Christopher has become an advocate for awareness and research of both conditions her children battle. “My entire focus is on helping these kids,” Christopher said. “I want to help them have a voice.” Click here to read full story.

New York Mom Fights Middle School That Banned Her Bike Rides With Son (source: Fox News)

A New York mother is fighting back against her school district after administrators and officials told her she and her son didn’t have the right to bike to school together — and that his safety, even beyond school walls, was out of her hands.  Janette Kaddo Marino said their 3-mile rides to and from school in Saratoga Springs have been met with stiff opposition from officials and even a state trooper who claimed it was unsafe — and illegal — for her 12-year-old son Adam to travel on his own pair of wheels. Undeterred, she and her seventh-grader have continued cruising to Maple Avenue Middle School this fall in defiance of a 15-year-old school regulation that effectively forces kids to take the bus or hitch a ride in a family car. Click here to read full story.

Foster mom doesn’t stay retired for long (source: Chisago County Press)

Chisago City resident Barb Boelter knew when she was newly married, as she started her own family, that she wanted to be a foster mom.  In 18 years, she raised five kids of her own and took in 196 foster kids – a number that was surprising to hear. “I was always busy, I didn’t ever keep track, we just went day by day,” Boelter said. For her exceptional service to Chisago County in those 18 years of opening her home, Boelter was honored Aug. 26 with a resolution by the Chisago County Board of Commissioners. Boelter’s commitment to being a foster mom began when she had small children. Click here to read full story.

Tulsa Area Moms Getting Help From Other Local Moms (source: NewsOn6.com)

Being a mom is a challenge and when need help or advice, who do you turn to?  For most, it’s family and friends.  Now there’s another resource that can help, it’s called 918Moms.com.   The News On 6 has partnered with 918Moms.com, a free social networking site for moms and about moms, created by two local moms.    Connecting with moms across the 918 area code is now just a keystroke away.  Each day, thousands of moms across the 918 area code log on to 918moms.com to connect with other moms, share stories, swap advice and save money. 918moms.com co-founder, Melanie Henry, says demanding schedules have changed how moms communicate.  “Moms used to lean over the back fence to share stories and swap advice. Today, they turn to the Internet and 918moms.com,” said Melanie Henry. Click here to read full story.

Marine mom won’t forget, or let us do so (source: The Arizona Republic)

I hadn’t spoken to Margy Bons for over a year. But when she sent me a message last week, I answered. I owe her that much. We all owe her that much.After some friendly chitchat about work and the weather, she said, “You know, we hardly hear about the wars anymore. The media doesn’t even make much of a story when we lose someone. Why do you think that is?” I could have said that Iraq and Afghanistan aren’t the only issues. There is heath care. Immigration. The economy.  All of which is true.  But it doesn’t answer her question. The sad fact is that it’s easy for those of us without someone serving in military to put the war and its horrors out of our minds. Click here to read full story.

Mom enjoys best of both worlds (source: North Shore News)

Some people think it’s impossible to balance being a mom and a career woman — but Sandy Gerber is proving them wrong. The Delbrook mother of two is in the running to be the 2009 SavvyMom Mom Entrepreneur of the Year, an honour that she couldn’t be happier to have. “It’s really exciting for moms in general that they have these types of awards, because it feels like recognition that I’ve done well in both areas of my life,” says Gerber, who was nominated by her sister on Savvymom.ca, a site that provides support for mothers across Canada. Click here to read full article.

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