Is Foursquare for Moms?
By Jill Notkin

Location-based apps, including Foursquare, Gowalla, and Where, are the new black, and tech-savvy moms have taken note.

But using an app like Foursquare to “check in” at every turn is not for everyone. While the program’s ability to pinpoint and share location-specific information is impressive, yelling it from the virtual rooftop can be daunting.

Moms are always looking for ways to simplify life and add spice to the day-to-day, and Foursquare does this by allowing users to access “tips” about their location. But moms are reluctant to share their location, even if they are being offered a free milkshake (Haagen-Dazs gives users a freebie after five check ins) in return for a shout-out.

“I don't want to publish my location, nor do my friends,” said Wendy Piece Goldstein, a working mom of two in the Northeast.

Some businesses are trying to build their brand using Foursquare. Carrabba’s outlets across the country offer free dessert to the person with the most check ins. Starbucks is jumping on the Foursquare bandwagon, giving customers the opportunity to earn points for checking in, though the coffee behemoth hasn’t detailed what the points will translate to. Even with household name brands on Foursquare, it doesn’t seem to be enough enticement to get moms to want to share their geo-position.

Whitney Wingerd of Mommies with Style admits she “got nervous about [Foursquare] blasting my locale on Twitter so I stopped. I only do it [within] Foursquare and limit my friends [to people I know].” The app integrates with several social media sites, including Twitter, which alerts followers when a user “checks in” to any location.

For businesses hoping to reach moms, Foursquare poses a real challenge. It seems it’s a platform built more for travelers, students and the fearless early adopters than the average mom. At least for now.

Jill Notkin blogs at Work At Home Mom and is the founder of AlexCaseyBaby.com.

Balancing Being Green with
That “Other Green”
By Pamela Brill

Kermit the Frog may have had his reasons for lamenting, but for today’s savvy moms, being green isn’t as difficult as it seems. It just takes a little extra effort and dedication to going green—and staying that way.

Kerry Anastasi of Northport, NY is one such mom who opts to use cloth diapers instead of disposable.“They are nothing like our parents’ cloth diapers,” says the mother of a 4 ½-year-old daughter and 1 ½-year-old son. “They are easy and go right in the wash.” While Anastasi admits the initial investment was steep, using a clothesline and drying rack helps cut down on electricity costs.

Moms who want to make healthy purchases without breaking the bank is one trend that is rapidly catching on, thanks to an information-hungry consumer population. “New moms are big readers,” says Terra Wellington, author of The Mom’s Guide to Growing Your Family Green (St. Martin’s, 2009). “They read labels, and they don’t want anything unsafe or unhealthy to touch their children. And they will drop products forever, in a heartbeat, if they feel these values are tampered with.”

Wellington, also a mom, says she is loyal to a brand when she finds one that she likes for her own family. “This loyalty is gained not only by efficacy or taste, but also the value and credibility the product has behind it.” She points to the growing trend of consumer advocacy that is attached to certain labels, which ensures that customers are getting the “safest, most eco-friendly, best-for-you product your wallet will allow.”

Hoping to entice environmentally-aware moms who are also cost-conscious, BornFree, makers of the eco-friendly line of baby bottles, is offering a program that lets consumers return bottles to one of their designated retailers when they are no longer using them. The collected bottles are recycled and used to manufacture new products, including toys and furniture.

Wellington expects the trend of parents looking for eco-friendly brands to intensify in the next five years and offers this checklist for shoppers’ consideration:

• Are recycled components used in manufacturing?
• Is the company making products that are recyclable or biodegradable after use?
• Does the company’s packaging use recycled or biodegradable materials?

Facebook is the perfect ‘when moms need it’ tool for staying in touch, scheduling play dates, finding special offers and more

Facebook has exploded in the past year, with over 400 million active users (users who log on at least once a month, according to Facebook). But what does Facebook mean to moms? How are moms using Facebook?

While Facebook may have started as a way to connect with the past prompted by a high school reunion, it’s evolved to a highly useful platform for moms to make play dates and other social plans and share the details of their lives. “Almost everyone I know is on Facebook, including my parents, while Twitter is still really something for social media types,” says Jodi Grundig, who blogs at Mom’s Favorite Stuff.

“It’s easier to get a message out to your mom circle using Facebook than it is to email or call around,” says Patti Minglin, a mom and freelance parenting journalist in Suburban Chicago. “It’s almost as though we rushed out to reconnect with our past when Facebook first launched and now we are seeing Facebook as a tool to better connect with our present.”

Georgia mom Julie Gerber agrees: “A lot of us stay-at-home-moms depend on Facebook for support and mom-to-mom interaction – Facebook is better than picking up the phone.”

Moms also prefer Facebook to other social platforms because Facebook is more conducive to sharing details with true family and friends – as opposed to a sea of unknown followers on Twitter, who may be great for sharing links relevant to your business, but not the particulars of your seven-year-old’s birthday party.

“For me, Facebook is more of a community space,” says Christy Matte, a blogger and mother of two. “I have fewer people contributing to my stream, so it doesn't move as fast and the comments allow us to interact with each other more easily than Twitter. Facebook also has other ways of interacting through apps and games. And the birthday reminders are so helpful.”

New Englander Nikki Gardner uses Facebook to “stay up to date on organic and other healthy foods and products for my family.” She’s fanned pages for Annie's Homegrown, which offers recipe updates, Whole Foods, for recipes and other content, and Kiwi Magazine, which offers moms the chance to win organic products.

“I like to see what other moms are fanning,” says Lenore Moritz of Minneapolis.“I might opt to fan a business that helps me by offering discounts.”

How do moms find out about brand pages?

• A brand’s website
• Blogs
• Emails from friends (usually with a special offer)
• Links on Twitter
• Word of mouth from other moms

Favorite Facebook Pages

Moms’ Appetite for Apps Grows
By Kadi Prescott

My grandmother loves to tell me how easy I have it as a mom. She doesn't know how to text and is oblivious to the fact that we now have the technology to run our households, raise our children and engage in social circles, just with a touch of our finger tips. In preparation for the purchase of my very first Android, I have been doing research on applications and I'm simply giddy with anticipation!

Grocery shopping is going to be so much easier when I am able to use apps like CNET Scan & Shop. Scan & Shop eliminates the frustration of searching for missing prices by scanning the bar code on an item and pulling up the price using Google. Thank goodness for the "Mom's Shopping List" application that keeps all of your lists and reminds you to check it when you get to the store of your choice. And AllRecipes.com (a 360PR client) offers the Dinner Spinner Pro to help get meal planning accomplished in a short amount of time.

"Mom Maps" locates local parks, stores and fun things to do in major cities around the country. Disney lovers will get a kick out of "Mouse Wait" with its wait times, top Disney blogs, live web cam views and much more to enhance the Disney park experience. While you travel, keep your family safe with the "Family Locator Tracker." This app downloads to both the kids' and parents' phones to locate them no matter where they are. Choose meals-on-the-go wisely with "Restaurant Nutrition." It provides nutritional information for all restaurants and fast food establishments. And, because there is always a child who forgets to use the restroom before leaving the house, the "Sit or Squat" app will find you the nearest available restroom, show you user reviews and even pictures of the toilets.

New moms can get the help that they so desperately need. I wish I had been able to pick up my cell phone and get "Breastfeeding Management" resources or use it as a baby monitor by downloading the "Babyphone" application. Organization for moms is easier than ever thanks to the "BabyDaily Log Pro" which keeps all of their baby's information, vitals, growth charts, schedule and temperature all in one place.

My personal picks for mobile apps for moms who strive to keep up with the new age of motherhood are:

• myStarbucks: Lists Starbucks locations, including those with a drive-thru.
• Morning Meditation: A sanity saver.
• Natural Cures: Ways to heal without a pill.
• Fandango: Date night with the hubby movie info.
• UberTwitter: A social media lover's dream.
• GoogleMaps: I know where I'm going in life, but not always on the road.

Yes, technology is spoiling us. However, the time saved with mobile applications means more time to do the thing we love most: spend time with our kids.

Kadi Prescott is a SoCal mom of seven, a blogger and MomTV host.