Jan Krystkowiak has a lot on her plate.  She is a mother to 5 children, a wife to an NBA Coach, a business owner and now an author.  She believes in hard work, a giving spirit and a focus on her family.

Jan started Where in the World Books in 2008 -  a line of children’s books that can be personalized with your child’s special details.  She firmly believes that personalization can increase a child’s vocabulary, comprehension and love of reading.

She recently penned her first two books, “I Don’t Want to Move” about the difficulties kids face when moving and how the whole event can be turned into a positive adventure and “The Tale of Fatty Catty” - a story of 3 boys, a fishing trip and some overactive imaginations.

Jan and her husband have always donated to multiple charities, but Jan decided to use her extra energy to ‘work to make money for charity’ - so she recently decided two of the children’s books would benefit a specific animal charity.  One book focuses on a dog and the other, on a cat.  Both can include your breed and color of animal, your pet’s name as well as your child’s.  Additionally, there is space for a dedication at the beginning of the book. Jan hopes that her ‘giving’ creates a domino effect and encourages others to do the same.

Being married to a man who shares her passion for work and family is one thing that helps Jan to stay balanced.  And, like many women, she knows when to ask for help. Her three boys - aged 7 to 10, and twin, 20 month old girls always remind her of what is most important.

Learn more about Jan on Why Moms Matter on Blog Talk Radio, Friday at 12:30PST/2:30CST. We will be doing a special giveaway - you don’t want to miss it!

As always - if you know an ordinary mom doing extraordinary things - be sure to nominate her at Why Moms Matter.

The Why Moms Matter Project

The WhyMomsMatter Project was created by the founders of MomFaves to celebrate and honor the significance and beauty of motherhood. Moms are nominated by their loved ones to receive the “Why Moms Matter Award” by clicking “Nominate” at the top left of WhyMomsMatter.com. If you would like to nominate someone for the WhyMomsMatter project, we would love to hear from you!

Download the Why Moms Matter E-book - full of stories and pictures of moms nominated by their loved ones for the positive impact they are making in the world.

If music and creativity were the markers that defined our wealth, Joy Rose would be an incredibly rich woman. As it is now - her life is rich with, at the very least, character, a giving spirit and an inherent ability to empower women.

This is a woman who is creating movements, redefining what it means to be a woman and a mother and honoring the value in motherhood with each step she takes every day.

Friend Lynn Kuechle nominated Joy as a Mom Who Matters, saying in part that music and and art had ’saved her life’.

Joy explains, “Finding our passion or ‘reason to be’ in life is really important, especially in the face of profound illness.  Rediscovering creativity and music was core to who I was as a person. Abandoning those things as a mother left me incomplete. Reincorporating them made me feel whole again.”

In 2002, Joy and a few girlfriends created what is now the heart and soul of Mamapalooza, a “movement, a community and a resource which supports women by encouraging them to get creative and give something back to themselves”. The Mamapalooza events use arts, culture and education to embrace and empower women.

The first event took place on a single stage in front of roughtly 100 people.  There were only 15 performers. In only 7 years Mamapalooza has expanded to 4 different countries and countless stages. The events from the Spring and Summer of 2009 boast more than 350 performers and over 50,000 people attending.

A mother to 4 children - Brody is 20, Blaze is 18, Ali is 16 and Zena is 14 - Joy believes the most important thing she does with her children is to set a positive and loving example on a daily basis, “I’m pretty simple when it comes to ‘mothering’: Feed them, Love them, Listen to them and share my philosophy when it is relevant.”

Joy is also the Executive Director of the Motherhood Foundation which is working to build an International Musuem of Motherhood - honoring the achievements of mothers through a wide range of exhibits and projects.

Joy’s key to balancing everything she currently has on her plate, “I move forward like a wall that spans a thousand miles.  Slowly pushing the vast pool of energy another inch forward every day; Nudge Mamapalooza, the kids, the Museum, my friends, the radio show, my band, our home, my relationship….it goes on and on….”

Join us today at 12:30PST/2:30CST on Why Moms Matter on Blog Talk Radio to learn more about Joy’s inspirational journey of motherhood, illness and reinvention.  You will be thrilled by Mamapalooza and awed by the Musuem of Motherhood.

Do you know a Mom Who Matters?  An ordinary mom doing extraordinary things?  Nominate her today.

Post by Danielle Smith from ExtraordinaryMommy.com

The Why Moms Matter Project

The WhyMomsMatter Project was created by the founders of MomFaves to celebrate and honor the significance and beauty of motherhood. Moms are nominated by their loved ones to receive the “Why Moms Matter Award” by clicking “Nominate” at the top left of WhyMomsMatter.com. If you would like to nominate someone for the WhyMomsMatter project, we would love to hear from you!

Download the Why Moms Matter E-book - full of stories and pictures of moms nominated by their loved ones for the positive impact they are making in the world.