Woman We Love: Taking a time out with… Lyss Stern

Lyss Stern’s philosophy? Being a mom shouldn’t mean giving up your style and confidence! The chic New York native and mother of two created Divalysscious Moms, divamoms.com, a social network that caters to new moms who feel the same. From fun events to nursery consultations, her company, started by five friends, makes mom the word. Lyss also writes a weekly column, Divalyssciously Yours, for The New York Sun, is the lifestyle correspondent for Cookie magazine, and shares her expertise on all things mommy in many more publications. Her new book, If You Give a Mom a Martini: 100 Ways to Find 10 Blissful Minutes for Yourself, is just as lovable as she is!

Name: Lyss Stern
Age: 35
Location: New York City
Occupation: Diva Fab Creator of Divalysscious Moms
My mission: I’m eager to keep all moms tuned in to the cultural and chic happenings of the city — I’ve made those once daunting “No Strollers Allowed” signs a concern of the past. Instead I fill New York moms’ calendars with mom- and kid-friendly festivities. Think shopping fêtes on Madison Avenue, makeovers at Henri Bendel’s, and annual holiday bashes at FAO Schwarz and Dylan’s Candy Bar. And our events are always replete with incredible prizes and gift bags filled with goodies like spa certificates, DVDs, and beauty products!
What’s taking up my time now: Working on my next book, creating a Divalysscious Moms TV Show, and trying to turn If You Give a Mom a Martini into a movie.
Favorite Skinny section: Obsessions! There’s nothing better than receiving the Obsessions email in my inbox.
If I had 1 hour completely to myself, I would… I don’t know, considering I never do! But my dream would be getting an hour-long facial with the best facialist in NYC, Ildi Pekar.
If I had 1 year completely to myself, I would… travel the world. My dream is to take a wild safari in Africa, stay at an Ashram in India, see the pyramids in Egypt, climb the great wall in China, float in the Dead Sea in Israel, and spend the last part of my trip in the Seychelles islands.
If I could tell women one thing to make a priority in their lives, it would be… have a “Mommy Time Out.” Moms that run their own businesses also need to take a few minutes out of their busy day for themselves. I have a strong philosophy that if mom isn't happy then the children won't be happy. Take ten minutes to meditate, get a quick ten-minute back massage at the local nail salon, look through a magazine, or even take ten minutes to make a phone call to a friend, completely unrelated to work, just to say hi.
Favorite quote: “A girl should be two things: classy and fabulous.” -Coco Chanel