I have long been a fan of Seventh Generation (even more so after learning that they – unlike most household and personal care companies – disclose all of the ingredients in their products) and right now they’re rocking a Million Baby Crawl grassroots educational campaign about keeping homes and the environment toxin-free. The Crawl To Action campaign comes to Boston (or more accurately, the Burlington Mall) tomorrow, November 18 (10am-2pm), during which kids can enjoy the play area and live entertainment while grownups learn about safe products and pick up Seventh Generation samples.

If you have questions about influenza/H1N1, the Boston Public Library and the Boston Public Health Commission are hosting a series of information sessions across the city, starting today. Topics will include flu prevention, care, myths and facts, and information on free flu clinics. All sessions are free and open to the public; no registration required.

Image credit: Boston Public Health Commission
UPDATE (11/29/09): The two flu information sessions scheduled for Thursday, December 3 at the East Boston and Codman Square (Dorchester) branch libraries have been canceled.

Today, Paige shares a review of locally based IdeaPaint, a brilliant solution for inspiring creativity in the vertical direction, whether at home, work, or school. Read on for Paige’s review, as well as to learn how to win an IdeaPaint kit (entry closes November 19):

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From Paige:

“This summer, in a classic public radio “driveway moment,” I found myself totally engrossed in an interview with children’s author and cartoonist Mo Willems. The crux of the interview was that although we all start out as artists, somewhere along the way, we (grown-ups) lose interest in drawing and doodling because we decide we’re not any good at it (sing it, Mo…that’s me). Mo went on to say that many kids stop drawing, or just never pick it up to begin with, because they don’t see Mom and Dad draw. One solution? The Willems family painted their dining room walls with chalkboard paint, inspiring “group draws” with family and friends.

Brilliant! Off I went to the hardware store, returning home with a big can of chalkboard paint and the drive of a mother not wanting her kids to grow up creatively-challenged.

And then I thought about what this chalkboard paint scenario really meant -- chalk, dust, and worst of all, nails down a chalkboard. Needless to say, the chalkboard paint is still sitting in my hall cabinet.

So when I received the opportunity to test IdeaPaint, the brilliant invention of three Babson undergrads, I was thrilled. With this dry-erase paint, I could turn a kitchen wall into a space for raw creativity, minus the bone-chilling squeak.

According the directions, it looked like application would be a cinch (not for nothin’, IdeaPaint’s packaging is totally clever and fun to read). Two coats of primer, a pour of this into that, mix, and apply within an hour. Easy peasy. (Note: as a devotee of latex paint, I wasn’t prepared for the overwhelming stink-fest that ensued, but within four hours or so, the smell had pretty much disappeared.)

After applying, we had to wait for seven days for the paint to cure (no small task for my five-year-old who couldn’t wait to draw on the wall). And then, on day eight, we had at it. With dry-erase markers we had on hand, we started drawing (him) and writing to-dos (me) and generally reveling in the experience of writing all over our kitchen wall (it felt so naughty!). However, a swipe of the eraser to start again, and…whoops…what’s this? Ghosting. Everywhere. Everything we had just written and drawn was still there -- at about a 10% shade of its former self, but still there. Hoping it was a fluke, and that the paint just didn’t like my old markers (even though we use them with no problem on our two other whiteboards), I bought a new set and tried again. This time, it was perfect…the markers erased with no ghosting, and I was able to get rid of the other ghosting with some dry-erase board cleaner.

The paint is pricey ($99 to cover 25 square feet and $175 to cover 50 square feet), but worth it. We’re going to be painting our kids’ rooms in the next couple of months, and I’m considering using IdeaPaint on a wall or two in these rooms as well. ‘Cause no kid of mine is going to grow up creatively-challenged.”

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THIS CONTEST IS NOW CLOSED
Congrats to winner Judy!
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Now, want to win an IdeaPaint kit? Here’s how:

Visit the IdeaPaint shop, then email contests@bostonmamas.com (with ‘IdeaPaint’ in the subject), and name a cool IdeaPaint color you’d love to apply to your walls.

One entry permitted per person; US residents welcome to enter.

Entry period closes at midnight EST, Thursday, November 19, 2009.

*One lucky winner (drawn using Random.org) will receive a 25 square-foot kit of IdeaPaint (value: $99).

This weekend we held The Baby Shower Heard Round the World for my best friend, Stephanie. I was asked to make a diaper cake for the shower. I looked it up online and found I would need 60 diapers rubber-banded together.

 

60 is, um, a lot.

I was supposed to use newborn diapers, but I've heard Steph's husband was 18 pounds when he was born (okay, maybe a little less), so I went with size 1. If you don't want Elmo to show, fold the design up inside.

The next step was to buy 8 yards of wide ribbon and 50 yards of narrow ribbon. I only used the narrow ribbon on the outer edge of each tier, so I totally could've gotten away with probably half the amount of narrow ribbon. I gave the overage to the little angel.

Next, you were supposed to use a baby bottle filled with candy for the center of the top tier, but Stephanie is much fancier than that, so I made a flower thingie.

 

The little angel chose these flowers from the bridal aisle at Hobby Lobby.

So then, you tie these itsy bitsy little bows around the rubber band on the outermost rows and sort of guess as to how many you need for each tier. Finally, hogtie the whole thing together into three tiers.

 

TA DA!!! My crafty magnum opus. This is all I've got.

Finally, when I was stuck in the Milwaukee airport for three years on Thursday, I asked my friend Sandee of Stems Flower Market (and who also sits across from me at work) how to make roses from Costco look pretty. She gave me some good advice.

 

Costco, bitches.

 

Ancient German secret.

 

These roses were so not open when I bought them. Sandee is a genius.

Happy shower, cute pregnant person! Can't wait to meet your baby girl. And neither can a certain redheaded person I happen to know well.

Scene: 9:20 a.m. The pediatrician's office. I got home from my business trip to Boston at 2:45 this morning.

Nurse: Blah blah blah THIMEROSAL-FREE INDIVIDUALLY PACKAGED INJECTION blah blah NO MORE SEASONAL FLU INJECTIONS blah blah SEASONAL FLU MIST blah blah TWO INJECTIONS BUT DON'T KNOW IF WE'LL GET ENOUGH

Little Angel: Mommy! I don't want the shot! Mist! MIST!

Nurse: Blah blah CAN'T DO TWO MISTS AT THE SAME TIME blah blah WORRIED ABOUT SEASONAL FLU NOT YET PEAKED blah blah CAN GET SWINE FLU INJECTION AND SEASONAL FLU MIST AT SAME TIME blah blah TODAY blah blah ANOTHER APPOINTMENT

Me: (God, I am so tired. AM SO TIRED! WHAT IS SHE SAYING?)

Nurse: Blah blah SO WHAT DO YOU WANT TO DO?

Little Angel: MOMMY NO SHOT!

Me: (Don't want to come back. Need seasonal flu? Seriously? She hasn't had seasonal flu shot in three years. She didn't get one last year. Didn't get the flu last year. Uses WAY TOO MUCH HAND SANITIZER. She said thimerosal-free, right? That's good, right? The little angel is too old too worry about that, isn't she?)

Nurse: ??

Little Angel: ??

Me: (?????? How did this day start, again? Did yesterday end?)

Me: Let's do the swine flu shot and the seasonal flu mist today. That's it. That's my decision.

Little Angel: NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO

The nurse leaves. Returns a few minutes later carrying shot and mist. The little angel immediately begins to shriek and squirm. Nurse shoves mist up her nose. Little angel screams.

Little Angel: NO! GET AWAY! GET AWAY!! MOMMMYYYYY!!!!

The little angel begins to buck. The nurse gives me a determined look. I pull down the little angel's jeans feeling like an abusive mother. I hate that I have to pull down her pants for this shot. I hate the idea of her seeing me pull down her pants against her will. It feels so wrong. Imagine the little angel in therapy later. The nurse gets her legs between the nurse's knees and I hold the little angel's hands.

Me: Honey, I love you so much. I don't want you to get really sick. This is my job.

Me: (I AM SO TIRED. THIS IS SUCH SHIT. HATE THIS.)

The nurse holds the syringe poised.

Me: You are going to have to go fast.

Little Angel: NO! DON'T DO IT!

The nurse jabs the little angel's leg. There is no blood.

Nurse: Where is it? It's not even bleeding.

I release the little angel's arms and plop her to the ground. She pulls up her jeans, looking shocked.

Me: All done! All done!

Me: (IS THERE A NAP IN MY FUTURE, PLEASE GOD?)

Little Angel: Mommy, that didn't even hurt. Was that needle even sharp? I don't think it was sharp. Huh.

Me: (Don't Google this when you get home. RITA, BACK AWAY FROM THE GOOGLE!)

I hate vaccinations. Hate them. But this one? I think was worth it.

November is Prematurity Awareness Month and this year Bloggers Unite is partnering with the March of Dimes in support of the Fight for Preemies. The goal of the campaign is to have 500 bloggers post about a baby they love on or before Prematurity Awareness Day (November 17) to create awareness of the ongoing need for prematurity research funding. Today, in support of the campaign and in my role as a March of Dimes mom, I’m sharing the story of my niece Alyssa, with heartfelt gratitude to her parents for their candor and willingness to have me write this post.

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My brother George and his wife Estelle were the first in our family to get pregnant. It was not an easy course (multiple rounds of in vitro fertilization were required) but there was so much joy when we all learned that they were expecting twins. But then there was heartache. Estelle’s pregnancy progressed well up to week 20; healthy heartbeats were detected at her 20 week ultrasound. However, at the 21 week ultrasound, only one heartbeat was present: Twin B (Alyssa). The heartbeat for Twin A (Phoebe) could not be detected and at that stage, there was nothing to do but continue to carry both babies to delivery.

At 29 weeks, Estelle’s water broke in Phoebe's sac and labor started. Estelle was admitted to the hospital and the medical team attempted to hold off Alyssa’s delivery. At 30 weeks Phoebe was delivered stillborn vaginally and Alyssa was delivered via C-section. Alyssa weighed 3 lbs, 8 oz and was 15 inches in length. She remained in the NICU for 5 weeks. While in the NICU, Alyssa was on CPAP, had apnea and jaundice, required a blood transfusion, and caught a staph infection. She was discharged healthy but later required Early Intervention to cope with delays in physical and receptive language skills. The cause of Phoebe’s death was unknown.

I don’t think I’ll ever forget my visit to see Alyssa at the NICU. At the time, I really hadn’t been around many babies, much less tiny and frail ones. I was both eager to see her and also scared and uncertain. I didn’t want to do anything that could possibly hurt or infect her so as I crouched next to her isolette, overwhelmed by both the site of her and the stress and sadness George and Estelle both carried, I did the only thing a music and brain scientist could think to do: I sang. Softly, melodically, and with tears in my eyes.

That brief yet powerful moment in time will never leave me. It shaped my work when I was in academia (I helped launch a research program to evaluate the effects of music to help soothe stress responses of premature babies during medical procedures) and it has shaped my commitment to causes via Boston Mamas (such as raising funds for the March for Babies and becoming a March of Dimes mom). I felt such gratitude – and perhaps a little guilt too – when I sailed to term (actually, beyond term: 42 weeks) with Laurel. I cried during my delivery because I had been planning on and hoping for a natural delivery and instead underwent an emergency C-section. But I kept reminding myself that I was enormously lucky. My girl was coming out and she was fine. Estelle had to face delivering a premature and a stillborn baby. My heart aches just thinking about her experience.

Alyssa is now 6 years old. She is thriving (actually, maybe more than thriving; I can barely keep up with her…) and rarely gets sick. She’s developmentally totally on track (she actually skipped a grade) and runs, jumps, plays, and pirouettes with the best of them. And with the love and dedication of her parents, I don’t think she will ever forget Phoebe, or the fact that a lot of people have worked very hard to ensure her health, development, and happiness.

Estelle related to me that at the time of Alyssa’s birth, the March of Dimes did not have a large presence at their NICU. Since then, the MoD has developed a large presence through the work of a program called CNAC (Chapter-NICU Action Committee) in conjunction with their NICU Family Support program. Many changes have been implemented to make the NICU more family centered; bereavement support also now is offered. And while all of this change no doubt leads to some longing and bittersweet emotions, instead of lingering on wishing for things that could have been when Alyssa was in the NICU, Estelle has become active with this MoD program to help it continue to grow and thrive. And George is the driving force behind raising funds for their annual March for Babies walk.

I have so much love and admiration for George, Estelle, and Alyssa (and for little Phoebe, who I wish we all could have seen grow up alongside Alyssa). I am honored to tell their story here and I hope you will consider sharing it, and/or your own, in support of the Fight for Preemies.

Today, fashion addict Sarah shares the first post in a series focusing on denim. Perfect for those of us who love and live in jeans (um, that’s all of us, right?), Sarah offers tips on finding the right denim to fit your shape, as well as what to wear once you’ve found your perfect pair of jeans.

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From Sarah:

We’re moms, and it’s fall. Which means we’re wearing jeans. For me, it’s pretty much jeans-and-a-tee-and-a-sweater -- or some variation thereof -- every day until shorts weather comes around again. And even on the rare occasions I have to dress up, barring a family celebration (grandmothers don’t understand dungarees) or a black-tie affair (I wish), I’m still wearing jeans. But decidedly different jeans than the ones I skulk around the ‘burbs in all week.

Confused? You’re not alone. Even a savvy group like the Boston Mamas needs help in the denim department, judging from what I see around town of a weekday morning. But never fear, help is here. I’ll give you the hot scoop on which pair to wear no matter your figure type, budget, or destination.

Fit Your Shape

Before you decide on a trend that you like, make sure it’s one that’s the right cut for your …um, assets. There is absolutely no point in latching onto the skinny trend if you’re bootylicious, or adopting the wide-leg silhouette if you’re five-foot-one. Remember, it’s not chic if it looks horrible on you.

Petite: Select a slim, pencil, cigarette, or cropped jean with a shorter inseam to make your legs look long. A wide-leg jean will make you look as if you borrowed your mommy’s clothes for dress-up. Skinnies can lengthen the appearance of your lower body, whether with a ballet flat or a heeled bootie, although I recommend steering clear of the tucked-into-boots look. Straight trouser jeans are a great way to put together a more sophisticated outfit, especially with tailored toppers like a great jacket or a cardigan with a belt (but please keep any hemline hip-height or shorter so you don’t look like you’re standing in a bucket!).

Curvy: Your goal is to emphasize your curves without knocking people over. There are many cuts designed to hug your hips without gapping at the waist; look for a contoured waistband that rises a little higher in the back to avoid the dreaded whale-tail when you bend over! Straight-leg jeans will work much better with your figure than skinny cuts, which highlight the contrast between a slender ankle and a full thigh. Shy away from cuts that flare too wildly at the hem; you want to add length to your legs, and that is best done with a slight boot-cut that doesn’t cling too tightly to your thighs. Some stretch will caress your curves; too much will make you look like ten pounds of sausage in a five-pound bag. Some distressing can contour your thighs, but not too much! When pairing tops with your jeans, make sure to accentuate your waist with a nipped jacket, empire top, or wide belt. Do NOT wear high boots with jeans tucked in.

Apple-shaped: Latch onto the current look of an a-line top over slim jeans; this will skim your problem areas and highlight your narrow limbs. Please note, large-busted ladies, that full tops could lead to “Oooh, when are you due?” awkwardness; check yourself out in the mirror before buying and choose tops that just graze your ribcage – no gathers!

Tall: Lucky ducks. With legs that go on for miles, your sole focus is on finding hemlines long enough to accommodate your heels, too. Old Navy and the Gap have jeans in longer lengths, as do many of the designer brands (Nordstrom.com’s selection is encyclopedic). You can even out your proportions with tunic tops, boyfriend blazers or long, belted cardigans; feel free to stuff stovepipes into a pair of high boots. But too-tight tapered jeans will make you look stork-ish; choose a straight, wide-leg or slight boot-cut to balance the length of your stems.

Booty-free: Pockets. Focus on the rear pockets. Flaps are your best friends, and the higher the pockets are situated on your bum, the more they will lift it. (And that tip works for all bums!) Trouser jeans may not be your best choice, unless they are equipped with buttoned flaps; wear a top with a cinched waist and some fullness below to add volume to a flat tusche.

Coming Soon: The right pair for the right place: work the trends and shine, anywhere!

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Image credit: from the Gap denim collection.

Last week I attended a media event hosted by Stop & Shop and similar to last year, where I came away with lovely ideas for easy and green holiday décor, I left with some good ideas related to holiday gifting and decor. Specifically, I was reminded of the beauty and ease of prettily packaged food gifts and was introduced to a couple of floral tricks that no doubt will come in handy when I host Thanksgiving later this month.
Food Gifts:

Given my minimalist mantra, I refuse to give random stuff during the holidays; instead opting for the usable and edible, such as lovely handmade soaps, yummy food, etc. In the past I have made layered cookie and muffin mixes in glass jars with ribbon and paper labels, and Stop & Shop reminded me of this idea (with a chocolate chip cookie jar recipe) and also planted the seed to take the idea to a savory level (with a country soup jar recipe). I didn’t assemble a soup jar, but I did assemble and take home a cookie jar (which, by the way, is blissfully easy even if you don’t consider yourself crafty) and Laurel and I ended up using it this week in the midst of a bad mojo emergency. Though I love baking from scratch with Laurel (she adores all of the steps of measuring and adding ingredients), I must say that given our moods, it was pretty excellent to have a fast project with quick rewards. Simply dump the dry ingredients in a bowl, add a few wet ingredients, and bake; the end result is delicious.

Floral Tricks:

Regretfully, I didn’t manage to snap pictures of the flower arrangement I created, but I came away with two terrific takeaway tips that will make a basic arrangement (mine was of mums, gerbers, and alstromeria) look super special. First, add an unusual adornment, such as a few stems of wheat or cattail (procure from floral department or craft store). Second, add fresh cranberries to the water for an awesome visual and to keep the stems in place while you arrange the flowers. Even my mom complimented my arrangement (and she's actually taken flower arranging courses).

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On a total aside, this event took place at Upstairs on the Square, where a truly spectacular caramel apple bread pudding with cinnamon ice cream dessert was served. If anyone has the capability to procure this recipe – or one like it – for me, I will forever be indebted to you.

Despite my clean approach to food, I still periodically long for – but abstain from – classic (i.e., preservative laden) childhood confections. So I was more than a little intrigued to learn about Plush Puffs gourmet marshmallows. And more than a little happy that these pretty little puffs deliver. They’re all natural (you can, in fact, pronounce the entire ingredient list) and they hit the spot, whether squished inside a s’more, used as a surprising sundae topping (Laurel went berserk over this), or dropped into a steaming mug of hot cocoa (my favorite). To the latter effect, I'm thinking Plush Puffs paired with quality hot chocolate will make for excellent holiday hostess gifts this season.

Now, want to win goodies from Plush Puffs? Here's how:

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THIS CONTEST IS NOW CLOSED
Congrats to winner WM!
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Visit the Plush Puffs store locator page, then email contests@bostonmamas.com (with ‘Plush Puffs’ in the subject), and name a store where you can purchase Plush Puffs.

One entry permitted per person; US residents welcome to enter.

Entry period closes at midnight EST, Sunday, November 15, 2009.

*One lucky winner (drawn using Random.org) will receive a Plush Puffs Marshmallow Indulgence Gift Basket (value: approximately $49.99). This gift box includes six different flavors of Plush Puffs gourmet marshmallows.