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The Motherhood Featured in State Department Publication

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We are thrilled that the U.S. State Department is featuring The Motherhood and co-founder Emily McKhann in their publication, SPAN.  The article, “From the Blogosphere to the Global Stage”, by Carrie Loewenthal Massey, describes The Motherhood’s incredible journey and the company’s early days for Emily and Cooper.

From the article:

“Blown away” by the response they received from women wanting to help the Katrina victims, McKhann and Munroe founded The Motherhood in 2006. The organization serves as a social media agency and digital public relations firm that connects American nonprofit organizations and consumer brands with what McKhann considers to be their most important audience: moms.

“Moms initiate conversations around the dinner table and are such catalysts for action within their families and communities, or across the globe if that’s where their interest lies,” McKhann says.

U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry recognized the impact of McKhann’s work on connecting moms to global issues. He invited her to participate in his first Google Hangout, in May. She was among five people who engaged with Secretary Kerry in a conversation about the impact of American foreign policies. McKhann asked Secretary Kerry which global issues he thinks should resonate most with moms, to which he answered the environment, health and education, and security. 

The article also recognizes The Motherhood’s work with the UN Foundation’s Shot@Life campaign Blogust, that for two years has helped provide vaccines to kids around the globe.

A huge thanks to the U.S. State Department for profiling and celebrating The Motherhood!

Uncomplicate Your Wardrobe This Fall

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Life can be incredibly rich and full and busy, and never more so than at this time of year, with the holidays upon us. While you’re running the kids from school to activities, making trips to the grocery store in preparation for Thanksgiving, and thinking about your holiday to-do list, it might be time to uncomplicate life in at least one area – your closet.

Over the past month, The Motherhood has worked with a fantastic group of women on a campaign to do just that, thanks to the new Pure Jill collection at J.Jill. The “uncomplicate” brand philosophy at J.Jill asks women to “trust us to take care of what you wear so you can focus on the things in life that are most important to you.”

Last week, we talked with Chris Gayton, senior director of brand marketing at J.Jill, and Barbara Pattin, senior designer for Pure Jill, during a virtual briefing session with the bloggers involved in the campaign. Barbara told us her inspiration for Pure Jill was to create something “beautiful, universal, simple and luxurious,” and based on the feedback from our team, she succeeded.

A few of the signature items we love:

With new stores based on the “uncomplicate” brand philosophy opening across the country, and with proceeds from holiday purchases helping support women in need, it’s never been a better time to shop J.Jill.

During the J.Jill Celebrate Giving season, the brand is partnering with Plan G, a centralized online community that makes it easy to give back. Here’s when and how you can help:

  • December 3-24: Purchase a J.Jill gift card, and 5% of the purchase will go to the charity of your choice.
  • December 12-15: Get 20% off your entire purchase at J.Jill, plus 5% of the purchase will go to the charity of your choice.

We are big fans of the J.Jill brand here at The Motherhood! If you have tips for fall accessorizing, suggestions for uncomplicating your wardrobe or other feedback, talk to us in the comments!

Daniel Tiger’s Neighborhood Continues Mr. Rogers’ Legacy

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“Won’t you be my neighbor?”

Many parents today have fond memories of this question, posed by the iconic Mr. Rogers. So many of our childhoods included watching Mr. Rogers begin each half-hour episode of Mr. Rogers’ Neighborhood by changing into sneakers, donning a sweater from his closet and welcoming us into his neighborhood.

Now, the parents who grew up watching Mr. Rogers can share his legacy with their own children. Daniel Tiger’s Neighborhood, a half-hour animated show on PBS, carries the nostalgia from the original Mr. Rogers series into present day, as the creators re-imagined it for today’s audience.

Daniel Tiger’s Neighborhood premiered on September 3, 2012, with 40 half-hour episodes in the first season. Every episode includes two stories that focus on a theme applying to a child’s everyday life, such as dealing with emotions and new experiences, plus memorable songs that parents can use as teaching tools. The show is among the top 10 highest-rated programs for preschoolers and among the top 5 highest-rated programs among moms since its premiere.

Both Mr. Rogers and Daniel Tiger open with the characters putting on signature red sweaters and shoes, and in a nod to his predecessor, miniature models from Mr. Rogers’ Land of Make Believe can be seen on Daniel Tiger’s bookshelf.

In fact, Daniel Tiger’s Neighborhood is an extension of the Land of Make Believe. Much like the original fans of Mr. Rogers’ Neighborhood, the beloved characters from the Land of Make Believe have had their own children, which is where the Daniel Tiger’s Neighborhood stories start.

DTN Family Tree

As an extension of the creativity and imagination ingrained in the TV show and Fred Rogers’ belief that “play is the work of childhood,” Daniel Tiger’s Neighborhood toys, available exclusively at Toys ‘R’ Us, now offer parents and children beautifully detailed plush characters and figurines, a miniature version of the iconic trolley, several playsets and more. Each toy is made to inspire the kind of open-ended, imaginative play that was so important to Mr. Rogers.

DTN Toys

Pretending is one of the first steps of symbolic thinking, which is critical to reading and writing skills, and research shows that children make strong connections to characters on TV. The Daniel Tiger toys were designed so that children can also use them for different purposes – they can make up different story lines from the show, use the characters to test out scenarios they’re facing themselves, like moving to a new house, and explore the depths of their imagination to transport them from a spaceship to a tree house.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a2PHpuYgFac&feature=youtu.be

The Motherhood is honored to support a fellow Pittsburgh institution, The Fred Rogers Company, as it carries on the wonderful legacy of Mr. Rogers through Daniel Tiger’s Neighborhood.

Join us for a #DanielTigerToys Twitter party on December 4, 2013 at noon ET. Ten randomly selected participants who answer the trivia questions correctly will receive a plush toy! Here’s a link to the Twtvite for more info: http://twtvite.com/danieltigertoys.

Join Us for a #MerryMango Twitter Party!

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The holidays are coming and it’s a perfect time to find different ways to enjoy your favorite seasonal foods! Join us today to talk about delicious ways to toss mangos into your holiday recipe mix!

The Motherhood, along with the National Mango Board, is hosting a yummy and fun #MerryMango Twitter Party on Tuesday, November 12 at 1 p.m. ET. Join us to learn all about the proper way to cut a mango, how to use them in your holiday favorites and other yummy details about this delicious fruit!

Be sure to follow @Mango_Board for great tips and tricks for making the most of mangos all year long!

Here’s a link to the Twtvite for more info: http://twtvite.com/merrymango

We can’t wait to “see” you there!

When: Tuesday, November 12 @ 1 p.m. ET

Hashtag: #MerryMango

Prizes: Prizes will be awarded to randomly selected participants who answer the trivia questions correctly. Each winner will receive a Le Creuset Utensil Holder.

Hosts: @TheMotherhood, @TheMotherhood25, @CooperMunroe, @EmilyMcKhann

Our Fabulous Co-Hosts:

Jennifer, Mom Spotted – @MomSpotted

Women Know Breast: A Discussion on New Developments in Breast Cancer Screening Techniques

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Last week, as part of Breast Cancer Awareness Month in October, I had the honor of attending an intimate discussion about recent developments in breast cancer research, sponsored by GE Healthcare. The conversation was held in conjunction with the Working Mother 2013 Work Life Congress in New York City. It was led by Hooman Hakami, president and CEO, Detection and Guidance Solutions for GE Healthcare, and featured a number of excellent panelists.

I was pleased that several amazing New York bloggers were able to join me for the event. You can read additional blog posts about the experience from Isabel at Alpha Mom, Monica at Macaroni Kid, Nicole at MomTrends, Penelope at Penelope’s Oasis, and Natalie and Jessica at Momma’s Gone City.

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Left to right: Me (Emily, The Motherhood), Natalie (contributor, Momma’s Gone City), Dr. Nancy Cappello of Are You Dense?, Isabel (Alpha Mom) and Penelope (Penelope’s Oasis)

The information, research and insights the panelists shared were fascinating, and in many cases, quite startling. They told the group that 40 percent of women have dense breast tissue, which – on a regular mammogram – makes it difficult to identify tumors or potentially cancerous growths. In fact, regular mammograms are only 30 percent effective (so low!) on women with dense breast tissue.

Mammograms are not the only way to screen for breast cancer, but 90 percent of women with dense breast tissue don’t know they have other options, which include whole breast ultrasound and a technique developed by GE Healthcare, called Contrast Enhanced Spectral Mammography (CESM).

CESM uses contrast dye to highlight areas of unusual blood flow patterns. Higher blood flow to a particular area could indicate the presence of a tumor – in some cases, before it has even fully formed, and while it is in its most treatable phase.

Remember that you can advocate for yourself with your doctor! When you have a mammogram, ask if you have dense breast tissue, and if so, request an ultrasound or CESM. Although legislation in some states requires doctors to notify women that they have dense breast tissue, they are not legally obligated to counsel you on alternative screening options.

While there is no single test that will catch everything 100 percent of the time, you can use a combination of tests to make sure you are getting the best results and the most reliable care.

To learn more, you can visit the Are You Dense? website.

Mothers and Family Farmers Connect

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The Motherhood recently hosted a conversation for a group of bloggers, family farmers and a veterinarian who are moms themselves. Panelists included Chris Chinn, a fifth-generation family farmer in Missouri; Wanda Patsche, a wife, mother and grandmother from southern Minnesota who farms with her husband, Chuck; and Meghann Pierdon, DVM, a mom of two and swine veterinarian currently working as an animal welfare resident at the University of Pennsylvania School of Veterinary Medicine.

Together, the group discussed the importance of public health, animal health and well-being, and the responsible use of antibiotics to keep animals healthy and to provide safe and nutritious meat products to families everywhere – including their own.  We’ve included below some excerpts from the conversation.

What is the relationship with your veterinarian like?

Our veterinarian is like a member of our family, and we’ve been working with him for years. We consult him on everything that concerns our animal’s well-being. If an animal is sick, we always call him. When he treats animals he treats them on a per animal basis. We never decide how to treat animals; we leave that up to the veterinarian. We try to keep our farms as clean and healthy as possible. If we have a sick animal, we put the animal in a sick pen and separate it from the other animals. Everything we do is about prevention on our farms. We only want to use antibiotics when necessary. My family eats the same food that we sell to consumers, so we know it’s safe and we take the health of our animals seriously.

How do you balance the need to keep your animals healthy with the use of antibiotics?

We do all measures that we can on the farm to prevent illness. But there are times that viruses do happen. We closely follow orders from our vet. We also use our nutritionist who has designed a diet for our animals. He creates a diet for our animals that let them get all of the nutrients that will help them stay healthy and to continue to grow. As science has improved and we’ve more about the pig’s digestive system, we know better now what they need and what will keep them healthy.

How does testing work on farms?

On the farm we use record keeping to prevent any type of residue from happening and making sure all withdrawal periods are followed. We test at packing plants to make sure that all of the animals are ok. If there are any signs that an animal at a packing plant is sick, they will separate that animal from the rest and test it. They know within a couple hours what the result of that test is.

Are your animals free-range grass fed?

We moved our animals inside into our barn and we really prevented predators and the spread of disease. Now that the animals are kept inside, we use less medication than when they were living outside. It’s actually easier to keep animals healthier when they live inside more controlled environments. Cattle can eat grass because they have more than one stomach, but our hogs do not eat grass. They only have one stomach and they don’t get nutritional value from grass.

What changes have you seen with farming over your years of experience?

Our farm looks nothing like it did when we bought it! In the 80s we built our first gestation farm. It made a huge difference. We were in better control of giving the pregnant sows the care they needed. We’ve also seen farmers become more specialized, so farmers will either have a gestation farm or a finishing farm to focus on the different needs according to the different stages of the animals’ lives. Another big change was when we moved our animals indoors to the hog barn. What we saw when making that change is that we could control our animals better. We could control their waste, their climate, their food and overall their health.

Conversation sponsored by the National Pork Producers Council.