SOCAL CANDLE BRAND LUMINOSE IS SHOWING MOMS HOW TO MAKE MEMORIES WITH FRAGRANCE
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Editorial: what ARE HOLLYWOOD ACTORS & WRITERS AFRAID OF?
TEN FUN THINGS TO DO IN L.A. THIS FALL (HINT: ONE EVENT INCLUDES IN-N-OUT BURGERS)
American writer Betty Friedan would echo this sentiment in her 1963 book “The Feminine Mystique,” railing against the image of the “happy housewife heroine” who finds fulfillment in being a wife and mother.
It’s no coincidence that these ideas overlapped with the invention of Barbie in 1959. While predating the women’s movement of the 1960s and 1970s, Barbie’s creator, Ruth Handler, did design the toy to allow girls to imagine their future adult selves, rather than simply play-acting as mothers using baby dolls.
The value in ‘motherwork’
And yet, not only do many women enjoy being mothers, but motherhood also plays an essential role in society and life.
In her 1976 book “Of Woman Born,” feminist poet Adrienne Rich draws a distinction between the fulfilling relationship mothers can have with their children and the patriarchal institution of motherhood, which keeps women under men’s control.
Sociologist Patricia Hill Collins coined the term “motherwork” in the mid-1990s to highlight the experiences of women of color and working-class mothers, many of whom don’t have the resources to pursue their own ambitions over caring for their families and communities. When you’re just trying to navigate the day-to-day without wealth or other forms of privilege, options like hiring a nanny or paying for graduate school aren’t feasible or a priority.
For these mothers, the survival of their children is not a given. Instead of tedium and oppression, motherwork
acknowledges that mothering can be a radically important labor of love and a source of empowerment in its own right. In “Barbie,” the mother-daughter relationship between Gloria, played by America Ferrera, and her daughter Sasha, played by Ariana Greenblatt, contains these contradictions.
After experiencing a vision of the person whose sadness seems to be the source of her malfunctions, Stereotypical Barbie initially assumes it’s Sasha’s tween angst that’s disturbed the perfection of Barbieland and drawn her into the real world. Instead, Barbie discovers it’s Gloria’s loneliness – and her nostalgia for a simpler time when she played Barbies with her daughter – that has caused the rift between reality and fantasy.
Sasha and Gloria’s adventure with Barbie – first escaping the Mattel executives who want to lock Barbie in a box and then journeying back to Barbieland to rescue the other Barbies from the Kens, who are trying to take over –repairs the relationship between mother and daughter.
Gloria remembers what it’s like to find joy in motherhood, and Sasha realizes that her mother isn’t just a bland set of values against which to rebel. Gloria is a fully fledged person with a rich inner life who, by her own estimation, is sometimes “weird and dark and crazy,” which Sasha admires.
Sasha – and all the Barbies – have something else to learn from Gloria, too.
Stunned that even someone as perfect as Barbie feels like she’s not good enough, Gloria delivers a poignant monologue encapsulating, in Barbie’s words, “the cognitive dissonance required to be a woman under patriarchy.”
BARBIE MOVIE DIRECTOR GRETA GERWIG AT THE EUROPEAN PREMIERE IN LONDO
inclusive vision that acknowledges advances in AI, but that collaborates with writers and actors, not to mention cinematographers, directors, art designers and others, as partners.
At the moment, developers are rapidly building and improving AI tools. Production companies are likely to use them to dramatically cut costs, which will contribute to a massive shift toward a gig-oriented economy. If the dismissive attitude toward writers and actors held by many of the major studios continues, not only will there be little consideration of the needs of writers and actors, but technology development will lead the conversation.
However, what if the tools were designed with the participation of informed actors and writers? What kind of tool would an actor create? What would a writer create? What sorts of conditions regarding intellectual property, copyright and creativity would developers consider? And what sort of inclusive, forward-looking, creative cinematic ecosystem might evolve? Answering these questions could give actors and writers the assurances they seek and help the industry adapt in the age of AI.
White House hosts Moms First's National Business Coalition for Child Care executives
Moms First, a national non-profit fighting for the structural supports moms need to thrive, convened business leaders from across industries for a series of events in Washington with the Biden-Harris Administration to celebrate bold new commitments to expand child care for American workers.
"As families across the country struggle to find quality, affordable child care, the private sector is emerging with innovative solutions to support their employees' child care needs, and in doing so demonstrating the business case for broader investments in child care," said Reshma Saujani, founder and CEO of Moms First. "The organizations here today are at the vanguard of that effort, and we are honored to recognize and uplift their contributions to addressing our country's child care crisis."
Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo expressed her support for child care as essential to a healthy workforce and economy, and especially in ensuring that women are able to participate in the labor force to their full potential.
story by anabel marquez
photos by rachel carrillo
MOMS MAKE GREAT ENTREPRENEURS
SHOWS US WHY
If you look at professional achievements by Janet Gomez— a person that, at any given moment will welcome you into her life and charm you with her personality— there’s one point where her momentum goes from sparkling gold to bright like a diamond: July 2021.
That month, she launched her business, Jan’s Spring Design, a home-based creative marketing studio that specializes in social media management and product styling for businesses.
“I saw a huge opportunity in my community as I noticed a significant need for support among the many talented and hardworking women-owned businesses,” says Janet. “Many of these incredible women were struggling to create engaging content, develop a content calendar, write captions, post and do it all over again, week after week.”
For Janet, the months after launching Jan’s Spring Design became a full-blown encounter with the old adage, Ask and you shall receive, as businesses from bakeries, candle shops and popular chain restaurants to mental health practices, juice shops and even major retailers like Target were booking Janet for photo styling services. This, while she took her friends and followers along for the entrepreneurial journey on social media which often included interweaving motherhood responsibilities
while juggling multiple clients, brand collaborations (she’s a mommy blogger too) and realizing that self-employment is rewarding but can be very challenging. Her new life as a mompreneur had quickly taken off after getting laid off from her corporate job in the fashion jewelry industry where she had been working for several years.
“I was a merchandiser for a wholesale company. I worked there for almost eight years until I got laid off due to Covid,” recalls Janet. “The biggest blessing in disguise!”
The stats on moms who turn to entrepreneurship
According to U.S. Census Bureau data, nearly 1.4 million mothers left the workforce during the pandemic. Many of them worked in service and other jobs impacted by pandemic closures. Since moms on average carry a heavier burden of household chores and child care, the pandemic disrupted the ability for many moms to actively work for pay while the kids were home.
Similar to Janet’s case, the pandemic created a fresh start for many mothers across the U.S., and, according to a survey by Shopify, up to 62 percent of women who did not return to their full-time jobs began supplementing their income by creating their own small business.
“Back then, I didn't fully get how hard my parents were hustling, but looking back, I see how their spirit is a part of me. ‘Soy trabajadora’ ((I’m a hard worker(, all thanks to them”
Las Mamacitas To Host Another Networking, Community-Building & Personal Enrichment event in Huntington Park
The Wealth & Wellness Mamacita Mixer will be held at The Fern in Hungtingon Park on September 24, 2023 and promises to give attendess an opportunity to network, connect and build new bonds with like-minded women and create new business alliances.
Hosted in partnership with Tadin Herb & Tea Co., the event will offer branded activations, shopping opportunities to support a select group of SoCal small business owners and the chance to hear from a panel of Latinx business owners who will share stories, offer tips on growing a business and empower fellow business owners to stay on a healthy path toward Wealth & Wellness.
Mommy In Los Angeles Magazine and Wowmom will be among an anticipated roster of gift sponsors. For more information, visit: LasMamacitas.me
in West Africa, Moringa was widely harvested for its medicinal properties that address a multitude of ailments. After learning that mothers in remote communities throughout Ghana with little to no access to a healthy diet provided for their babies by adding Moringa to their food, passing on the nutrition through breastfeeding, he thought he’d try the powdered leaves (powder) as a supplement for himself. He also turned to the Moringa oil seed extracts for their topical benefits, managing an allergy and virus-related skin condition he had developed.
Over the next fifteen years, through travels around the world in various climates pursuing a career in agriculture involving consumer plant farms, landscaping and organic produce production, Tzvi says he has rarely seen the inside of a doctor’s office or seen a flare of symptoms on his sensitive and allergy-prone skin.
Then, when Maya came into the picture, she began taking supplements but also exploring the natural and unique formulas of therapeutic creams and butters to enhance and revitalize her skin. While pregnant with their first child, she applied the Moringa seed oil onto her growing belly daily and she never developed any stretch marks.
“Since our daughter’s first bath, we have applied the oils to her skin daily. This practice moved onto our second child,” says Maya.
"We hope our natural, nutrient-packed, oh-so-good-for-you products will start you on a journey toward becoming the healthiest version of yourself yet!"PHOTO CREDIT: All Moringa PHOTO CREDIT: Hazelnut Photography
Mommy In Los Angeles Magazine had the opportunity to try All Moringa and catch up with Maya Myers. The All Moringa teas, creams and oils are so soothing and pleasant, we just wanted to learn more. Here are some highlights from our interview:
MILA: At which moment did you decide it was time to join your husband and work together on All Moringa?
MM: I knew for a while that I wanted to create or to play a part in building a business that would require less of me physically. Being a wedding and event professional requires long (weekend) hours and which meant missing personal time with family. When Tzvi and I began our relationship, I knew a family was in our future and I wanted to have a plan. I remember (half) jokingly saying to Tzvi when we were first dating that if he had any business ideas ‘I’m in!’. When I was expecting our first child we fast tracked. We had already done research into launching All Moringa so we quickly decided it was time. Since my photography business was doing well, Tzvi took on the task of managing day to day operations of getting us off the ground, while I began the balance game of maintaining the other business, assisting with the new, and together, learning how to parent!
MILA: What have you enjoyed the most about running your business?
MM: The most satisfying aspect of running All Moringa has been how our own journey of a healthy lifestyle has changed for the better, and in the process, it has also changed for our extended family, friends and growing community. Especially over the last three years, living a healthy, well-balanced lifestyle with knowledge of clean, organic and natural foods and supplements we ingest into our bodies, and products we put onto our bodies has grown tremendously and being a part of this movement is pretty special.
MILA: How do you find balance between mommy duties and business obligations?
MM: There are days that I feel triumphant and there are days where I feel defeated. Having a strong partner to manage it all is the key. We can step in and handle more or less weight when we need to and whether you call that balance is a great question. The scale is barely balanced exactly in the middle but we don’t fall or fail and that’s success in my book. It’s true that us women, the mom’s, carry more on our shoulders. I manage the appointments, the schedules, the ’to do’ lists. There are certainly times when I feel more is sitting on my shoulders, but that in its most primitive form is biology. We are meant to manage the household; we are the multitaskers! At the end of the day however I am not alone, and I feel extremely lucky for that.
For more information visit AllMoringaTree.com
PHOTO CREDIT: Methodology PHOTO CREDIT: Hazelnut Photography
FALL IS A GOOD TIME TO PLAN MEMORABLE FAMILY ACTIVITIES. AFTER ALL, WE SURVIVED THE L.A. SUMMER HEAT AND AUTUMN WEATHER BRINGS A PERFECT OPPORTUNITY TO CREATE MEANINGFUL EXPERIENCES. WHETHER VENTURING INTO THE GREAT OUTDOORS, ATTENDING A FESTIVAL, DRINKING AT A LOCAL OKTOBERFEST OR VISITING A PUMPKIN PATCH, WE'VE GOT YOUR LIST OF TEN FUN THINGS TO DO IN LOS ANGELES TO WELCOME FALL
