This Week’s Super Mama

Monday 29th March 2010

Lunalu's Diary: This Week’s Super Mama

This Week’s Super Mama is Lara Paul a.k.a. Caleb’s Mom

Children Caleb - 20 months


City: New York, NY - Harlem to be exact.


Profession I am a momtrepreneur that develops products and services for parents.


Tell us about your really cool iphone app and how you came up with it: As a new mom in New York City, I found it difficult to locate nearby kid friendly locations.  Information was so scattered and unreliable.  One day, I was watching a “there’s an app for that” apple commercial, and I came up with the idea to create iKidNY, the very first iPhone app for parents!  With iKidNY, parents can find the closest subway stations with elevators, changing tables, kid-friendly restaurants, parks, playgrounds, indoor playspaces, museums, and more, all while on-the-go. It is like a locals guide in your pocket. I am currently working on expanding iKid to other major cities.

How do you balance life as a working mother?  I love it! I wouldn’t have it any other way! Each day is a bit of a juggling act but in the end I have the flexibility to be my own boss and also spend more time with my son. The key for me is planning and organization.

What is caleb up to lately? His latest party trick is pronouncing everything he says, which is a lot, with an Italian accent. It’s hilarious! He’s a real boy. He loves cars, trucks, and trains, and every kind of ball imaginable. He’s also super into music and seems to be a budding guitar player or drummer. I think his favorite classes these days are his art classes. He’s starting to really get into painting. I love receiving his projects as gifts!

Best part about being a mom: It is thrilling to see Caleb experience everything for the first time! I just love hearing him say “I love you” or hugging his little warm body right after he wakes up. I love everything about being a mom.

Best advice for new moms Don’t sweat the small stuff. We all do the best we can as moms. It’s not easy and there’s no manual. Just know that you are doing the best you can for your family and that you ARE appreciated every day.

Your must have baby product I would say this one is a tie between the Ergo and the BabyCook. The Ergo is great because it is versatile, you can wear it as a backpack or frontpack. It is lightweight and comfortable, and the weight is placed on your hips instead of your back! We use it all the time. The BabyCook is the most amazing steamer and food processor in one. I used it religiously to make just about every meal Caleb ate. Now that he is older I use it more for just steaming veggies but for a while there I was using it constantly. It’s small and has a cool retro look to it too.

Favorite park I really love Fort Tryon. It has beautiful gardens and grounds, plenty of places to hike and explore, or have a picnic. The views are spectacular! The Cloisters museum is amazing, as is New Leaf Restaurant, which is super nice for lunch outdoors. My dog, Samson, also loves the dog run there!