I always knew I’d be a working mom but I never quite realized what a redundant phrase that was until I had a baby 19 months ago.  Suddenly the meaning of the phrase “full time job” seemed completely insufficient. Forty hours a week? Try ONE HUNDRED AND SIXTY EIGHT.

In my career I’ve participated in hundreds of annual reviews. When done well, a performance review gives you feedback about how you’re doing in the role, as well as the space to reflect on where you are and where you’re going.

Several months ago it dawned on me that, while I may have future performance reviews in my career, I will never have a performance review for my work as a mom. I thought a lot about friends who have made the decision to focus solely on raising their kids; they won’t ever feel the levity a performance review’s feedback brings to their work. And so, the idea for Performance Reviews for Mom was born.

I met Craig Bryant at a conference in March and we immediately hit it off. Craig’s company We Are Mammoth created a product last year called Kin, which helps small businesses organize their HR files and systems. We got to talking about parenthood and reviews and decided to collaborate on a simple app for Mother’s Day. Together we created the Department of Family Appreciation site, where Performance Reviews for Mom launches today!

In a few minutes you can create a free review for the mom in your life – be it your own mother, your wife or a friend who does an amazing job at being a mom. Then we’ll send your review for Mother’s Day – and moms around the country will hear feedback and appreciation that they’ve never had access to before.

I’ve been sending Mother’s Day cards to my own mom for years, but am thrilled to send her a review as part of my gift to her this year. The questions prompted me to think about all of the ways she continues to support me in my life and how much I still need her every day, especially as I grow and mature as a mom to my son.

There are many people to thank for volunteering their time and effort to make this project come together. Not one person was paid for their time on the app… and that really says something. All of the resources who helped launch the site donated hours in the names of their own moms and wives. It has been a gratitude-filled project, through and through.

Thanks specifically to the We Are Mammoth/Kin employees who built and launched this thing, including Ameer Mansur, Grant Black, Jennifer Sisson, Lindsay Sanders, Paul Kizior, Sarah Holden, Scott Ladue and Waylon Martinez. Thanks also to Kuu Hubbard, who responded to our designer request via Twitter and absolutely killed it. And also thanks to Whitney Biltz, who helped us figure out how to market and message the project. But I have to give a huge thanks to Craig Bryant, who believed in the idea and rallied his team around it. Thank you, thank you, thank you.

Now go review your mom!