A couple of years ago we wrote about Yummy Mummy Careers, a Canadian classified ad site designed for moms seeking jobs.* Inspired by that story, an Australian entrepreneur--Kate Sykes--launched a similar site in her own country.

Though it's named for working mothers, CareerMums actually includes in its target audience all skilled parents seeking work. With a national online jobs board and candidate board, the site aims to connect skilled parents with flexible employers offering full-time, part-time, job share and contract style roles. Using CareerMums is free for job seekers, who can set up job alerts, post their profiles for prospective employers, register and search for jobs. The site offers a range of resources to assist job-seekers in transitioning back into the workplace after parental leave, including survey data, a flexible work proposal toolkit, and tips on dealing with recruiters. CareerMums also works with employers to adopt flexible work practices and retain working parents, offering several plug-in HR toolkits toward that end.

Will family-friendly workplaces ever become the norm? We sure hope so. In the meantime, sites like this can be replicated around the globe!

Website: www.careermums.com.au
Contact: info@careermums.com.au

* Yummy Mummy Careers added networking services to their website and now operates under a new name: connectmoms.com.

We've already written about onsite haircuts, dentistry and nail services, and now another mobile concept in the world of health and beauty has built its business on transparency.

Launched in April, Return to Glory is a platform for mobile beauty experts that brings a wide range of beauty, massage and fitness services to clients' homes, offices, weddings and events. The London-based company was formed by a group of stylists and therapists who now work together as a uniform group, with a shared website, standard services and transparency every step of the way.

Customers begin by inputting their postal code online and then browsing and selecting from a list of services available in their area--whether it's makeup or hair, pilates, lymph drainage or personal shopping. From there they choose the date and time they want, and then view the specialists available to perform the service. Along with a photo, each specialist profile includes details of the professional's background, qualifications and insurance; average star rating; and feedback from previous clients. Pricing is set by the hour rather than the treatment type, and is listed up front as well. Once the customer is happy with their selection, all bookings can be made instantly online or via text or telephone. Post-service, clients are asked to rank and provide feedback on the treatment they received.

Beauty services have been an area sorely in need of some transparency tyranny, and the addition of mobile convenience and direct booking further sweetens the deal. Will Return to Glory set a new standard? In the meantime, how about bringing something like this to the rest of the world?

Website: www.returntoglory.co.uk
Contact: caroline@returntoglory.co.uk

Pedal-powered taxis and free love have both been around for years, but it wasn't until just recently that one of our spotters saw them combined. Specifically, Dublin-based Ecocabs now offers free eco-taxi rides throughout the streets of the city.

Ecocabs are pedal-powered (but battery-assisted, when necessary) tricycles that can accommodate three people for emissions-free transit through congested urban areas. Launched in April, they offer short-distance travel within the Dublin city centre from 10 am to 7 pm, seven days a week. Rides on the vehicles are free, of course, through the power of sponsorship. Vehicles are wrapped with brand-specific colours and imagery, and drivers can also hand out leaflets, wear branded clothing or target particular areas of the city. (Ecocabs are also available to act as a dedicated or on-demand shuttle service for customers, clients and employees, as well as at product launches, photo-shoots, trade-fairs, public sporting events, etc.) Current sponsors of the vehicles include 7Up, Yoplait and KPMG.

Ecocabs have also been seen offering free rides on the streets of Toronto, and full-fare versions exist in numerous other cities. In Ireland, meanwhile, Ecocab is seeking franchise operators in Cork and Belfast. Time to start serving up some pedal-powered free love of your own....? (Related: Whispering billboards, talkative cab drivers and Cargo bikes for greener business deliveries in congested cities.)

Website: www.ecocabs.ie
Contact: comments@ecocabs.ie

Spotted by: Keetsa via RK

So-called dark restaurants, where sighted customers are literally thrown into utter darkness and served by blind waiters, have been around for nearly a decade. Since a seated meal goes only so far in giving people a sense of what it's like to live without vision, Lisboa Sensorial organizes blindfolded walking tours of Lisbon.

Developed by Cabracega, a new local creative agency, the walking tours take place in Alfama, which is Lisbon's oldest district. After being securely blindfolded, participants are steered through Alfama's narrow streets by a blind guide from the ACAPO (Portuguese Association for the Visually Impaired). The guide shares how he experiences his surroundings, and encourages participants to fully explore their altered perception of "the narrow streets, the smell of grilled sardines, the sound of a Fado that can be heard from afar." A guide with historical knowledge of the area also accompanies each group.

Cabracega explain that their project has two main goals: to provide participants with a new sensorial experience of their surroundings through the stimuli of smell, touch, taste and hearing, and the absence of vision. Secondly, they aim to make sighted people more aware of how the visually impaired experience the world, from a decidedly positive angle. Instead of focusing on perceived limitations, the tours allow blind people to take the visually unimpaired on an exploration of their alternate domains of stimuli, codes and references. Tours cost EUR 20 per person, all of which goes to ACAPO. The first tours took place earlier this month and were fully booked, and Lisboa Sensorial will be back with new sessions in September. Like the aforementioned dark restaurants—which spread from Zurich to London, Amsterdam, Montreal and beyond—this seems like a concept that's worth copying to other cities.

Website: www.cabracega.org/lisboa-sensorial
Contact: info@cabracega.org

As if new parents don't have enough on their hands, keeping friends and family updated on their little one's weekly developments can feel like a full-time job. Enter Kidmondo, an online baby journal and organizer designed to help parents chronicle and share their child’s most important moments in a safe, secure and streamlined way.

Launched in May, New York-based Kidmondo gives parents a central place to record their child's milestones and share images with loved ones far and wide. Tools on the site include an "about" page with an evolving profile for the child; an online diary for sharing stories and milestones; a photo and video gallery; growth charts; medical and food journals; and an interactive timeline. Kidmondo can even provide an RSS feed or send e-mail updates for relations who desire the most up-to-the-minute information. Using the basic Kidmondo service with ads is free for up to three children and 25Mb of storage. Ad-free pricing is USD 5 monthly for up to 5 children and 100Mb of storage or USD 10 monthly for unlimited children and 500Mb for storage.

Kidmondo is presented in English with US users in mind, but there are, of course, countless grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins and friends in need of baby updates all around the world. One to adapt to the local customs and language near you! Update: Kidmondo informed us that they hope to launch Spanish, Italian and French versions in the near future.

Website: www.kidmondo.com
Contact: hello@kidmondo.com