You may not use the term “momtourage,” but I’m pretty sure you know what it is. Chances are, you’ve got one, you’re in one or you need one.

 

“Momtourage” is our favorite word to describe the people who help you be the best mom you can be. That support system that embraces you when you need it most. Your mom. Your neighbor up the street who is always there for you. The other moms who pick up your kid when you get stuck at work. Your partner. They are the flesh-and-blood folks we couldn’t live without.

 

And then there’s your online sisterhood. You may never meet these women in real life, but they're also there when you need them most. (And if you’re here at iVillage, you know what I’m talking about.) It might be 3 a.m. and the baby’s crying and you just need to vent. Or maybe it’s one hour before your dinner party and you absolutely, positively must log on for advice on that dish you thought you knew how to cook. Everyone defines their momtourage differently, but I say if you're a part of any community at iVillage (even if you just lurk!), that community is a part of your momtourage too.

 

Our very own Funny Mom embraces the fellow comediennes she works with as her momtourage, and Embedded in the 'Burbs blogger Laurie Yarnell secretly covets Angelina’s (obviously massive!) momtourage. Our bloggers from momtourage.net have always recognized the power of their momtourages, and our Hybrid Mom speaks to the everyday importance of that support system for the mom who's balancing it all.

 

We’re celebrating all of this – all of you – at momtourage.com, where we offer ways for moms to help each other, learn from each other and thank each other for a job well done. Whether they're engaged in adventures in childcare to mealtime magic to keeping it clean -- there’s always someone who’s been there, done that and is ready to lend a hand by sharing it all.

 

And today, we welcome the women of  BlogHer, who have always spoken to those experiences at the heart of every momtourage. Take this mom’s story of the meal she lovingly prepared for her daughter’s birthday. She offers up a mouth-watering account of what she did – and how you can do it too. That’s a momtourage for ya. Or the mom who wrestles with the laundry piles created by her fashionista toddler. And Carmen -- I met her at BlogHer 2006 -- who raises six kids with a whole lot of love, a whole lot of humor, and, when she can handle it, a little bit of church (read her hilarious post to see what I’m talking about!). 

 

To all of you – thanks for the online friendship and inspiration – and welcome our momtourage!