I have officially survived my first trip to BlogHer - the mother of all blogging conferences. I must admit, I was slightly intimidated as a newbie. But any apprehension quickly evaporated as soon as the opening session began. 

 

Kraft Foods announced that it was splitting in to two companies by dividing out its North American grocery business from its global snacks business. The separation is expected to take 12-months. The decision is particularly interesting because it was made by powerful working mother, and the CEO of Kraft, Irene Rosenfeld.

 

Denise Morrison was named CEO of Campbell Soup Company, effective August 1st, 2011—becoming the 12th CEO in the company's 140-year history, and the first female CEO. Campbell's is a S&P 500 company with $7.7 billion in annual sales.

Morrison joined Campbell in 2003. She is credited with growing Campbell's Asia-Pacific business and its Pepperidge Farm brand. Thanks to Morrison's appointment there are now 14 women CEOs in the Fortune 500. Morrison has two adult daughters—Michelle and Kelly. 

According to a recent study done by the UK based Economic and Social Research Council, the Millennium Cohort Study, children whose parents both work outside of the home fare the best. "Some studies have suggested that whether or not mothers work in the first year of a child's life can be particularly importan

 

I read with great interest, Oscar Del Ben’s post “30 Habits that Will Change Your Life”. (www.freestylemind.com)

I nodded my head at each of them. Then I slammed my laptop shut in frustration. Clearly that was written by a man with no kids.

NO WAY can a mother achieve all of them. I mean, when would I feed the kids, take them to their dance lessons or, oh, I don’t know, talk with them?

But the article sat on my mind and sat on my mind.

I have seen much written about how motherhood negatively affects your career.  I don’t dispute it but I want to share how motherhood actually helped my career.

I just watched as an able-bodied man who wanted a cup of coffee stepped away from the coffee maker to let a female co-worker make a fresh pot for him.  Is it possible that he doesn't know how to use the coffee maker?  He seems like a regular in the office suite where I'm working temporarily for the afternoon.  I'm not sure if I'm shocked, infuriated, or simply saddened by how far women haven't come by 2011.  Is it a generational thing? Perhaps...

At some point in my life I was a soccer mom until my kids stop playing that sport. But I have never really been a soccer fan.  It was a game I knew in passing when, as a young girl, my neighbor immigrated from Italy and a soccer game meant he and I and his little cousins kicking a ball around in an urban backyard, breaking a basement window in the process or counting how many times he could “head” the ball at the wall and back, the same way I practiced catching a baseball.

One of our Most Powerful Moms in Sports, soccer star Christie Rampone is the US World Cup Soccer Team Captain.  

ESPN W, the sports site for women says, “Rampone finds herself deservedly in the spotlight as the U.S. team prepares for its first World Cup championship match since 1999.”

Forbes recently released its list of Hollywood's Highest-Paid Actresses. Topping the list is mom to six, and one of our Most Powerful Moms in Media Angelina Jolie, who brought in $30 million last year. Number two on the list is another mom, Sarah Jessica Parker, who also brought in $30 million.