ChambanaMoms.com

By Amy L Hatch

It’s hard to think in a cluttered house.

The chaos reached a tipping point last Saturday, and I finally tackled my kitchen-counter woes — remember? That crazy-cluttered area I’m supposed to use as my workspace?

Two weeks ago, Sarah Welch from Buttoned Up told me that all I needed to do was follow the 80/20 rule. In other words, 20 percent of the junk on that counter was creating 80 percent of my problem. She said I could tame that mess in 20 minutes if I just followed that simple rule. I gave it the old college try.

Did I succeed? Watch and find out!

Marie, Allan and Noah Polk. Marie Polk is the founder of C-U Mommy Connection, a new local television show. (Photo provided)

by Laura Weisskopf Bleill

Marie Polk became a first-time mom at age 36 when son Noah entered her and husband Allan’s world on October 24.

Her second “baby,” C-U Mommy Connection, was just born on March 6 with the taping of its first episode.

C-U Mommy Connection is a half-hour television show “dedicated to mommies, their precious babies and the families they love.” It will make its debut Sunday March 14 at 8:30 p.m. on UPTV Channel 6, Urbana’s public access network.

“The goal of the show is to enrich the lives of mommies and babies everywhere,” said Polk, a Danville native who has lived in the area all her life. “The show will be informative, educational, and fun. Tune in to see moms from the community supporting one another and sharing in the wonderful experience of motherhood.”

Polk came up with the idea for C-U Mommy Connection several months after she found out she was pregnant. Friends she made at a local prenatal yoga class and who she continues to meet with once a week now that all their babies were born helped inspire her to produce the show.

Topics will include pregnancy stories; birth stories; preparing for labor and delivery; bottles, breastfeeding, and solid foods; and infant massage.

The most important advice Polk received about parenting before Noah was born was “don’t blink.”

“I was told more than once to be sure to enjoy every moment because children change and grow so fast,” said Polk, who is currently staying at home with Noah but will be looking to re-enter the workforce soon. “And, it’s true. Noah has changed so much in just under five months. Being in the moment with him is important because I’ve discovered that everything is so temporary.”

Interested in participating? Have a show idea or want to share feedback? Contact Marie Polk via email at mommyconnection@comcast.net

Purim carnival, 2010 (Photo by Laura Weisskopf Bleill)

by Laura Weisskopf Bleill

This past weekend, I was in Chicago’s northern suburbs (where I grew up) running some errands and shopping with my mom. We were talking to a sales lady at a mom-and-pop shop that we frequent and somehow, the fact that I don’t live in the Chicago area came up. And silently, in my head, I made the countdown until I got the question …. 10 … 9 … 8 … 7 …

“There are Jews in Champaign-Urbana?”
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Photo by Bob Devivo

Rayne DeVivo is a Hoosier who moved to central Illinois 15 years ago.  She lived in Decatur for 10 years and Le Roy for five.  She came to Illinois to attend Millikin, where she met her husband, Bob.

Rayne formerly worked for the Illinois Senate Democrat Caucus in Springfield.  She spent three years there there as press secretary for three senators, including Lisa Madigan.

While attending the University of Illinois College of Law she had first son, Henry. DeVivo later got a clerkship with the Fourth Appellate Court, and then served as an Assistant Attorney General in Champaign.  She worked there for 16 months until the birth of her second son, Quinino and has been a stay-at-home mom for the past seven months.

This past week, she decided to put herself up for the Illinois Lt. Governor nomination. You can support her bid by becoming a fan of her Facebook Fan Page. [...]