Campaign

Simple Ways to Give Back with Champions for Kids: #SnacksForStudents

March 3, 2015 by The Motherhood

Are you looking for simple ways to give back to your local community? Have you been seeking out ways to give local kids the resources they need to thrive?

Look no further than Champions for Kids (CFK), a national non-profit organization that has partnered with participating Walmart stores to allow you to make donations that always stay local. A few weeks ago, CFK launched its Snacks for Students program, the first of several campaigns to roll out nationally, with the goal of providing resources to more than 10 million children in 2015.

Over the past few weeks, The Motherhood has worked closely with an outstanding group of bloggers, including Pragmatic Mom, Just Jilly and Midwest Mamas, to help share the news about Snacks for Students. Each of these civic-minded bloggers has connected an organization in her community with a local Walmart store, helping the organization sign up as a “Community Champion” – and in turn, making each organization the official beneficiary of all future Champions for Kids programs at that local store.

Champions for Kids joined forces with General Mills, Kellogg’s, Emerald and Kettle Chips to make it simple for communities to provide basic resources–in this case, snacks for students–through in-store donations.

The Motherhood got in on the fun and philanthropy and connected three organizations local to our Pittsburgh headquarters with nearby Walmart stores, including:

Encompass Point, a non-profit child care center committed to providing low-cost, high quality care to teens. (Stores #1882 & #1770 in Butler, PA & Cranberry Twp., PA)
Girls Hope of Pittsburgh, a non-profit that helps academically capable and motivated children in need to meet their full potential and become “women for others” by providing value-centered, family-like homes, opportunities and education through college. (Store #4643 in Baden, PA)
Volunteers of America — All of us Care, a non-profit program aimed at preventing crime and substance abuse by providing positive activities for children and at-risk youth. (Store #5339 in Fox Chapel, PA)

In addition, Champions for Kids, General Mills, Kellogg’s, Emerald and Kettle Chips will provide 13 awards, totaling $45,000, to school districts and participating youth-based organizations based on the total number of donated items collected in each store, as reported by Community Champions.

Learn more about future Champions for Kids programs and how you can participate through a local store by following @Champions4Kids!

Bloggers Offer Advice on a New-Mom Must-Have: VTech’s Safe&Sound® Pan & Tilt Full Color Video Baby Monitor

February 19, 2015 by The Motherhood

Some exciting news from The Motherhood’s Brittnee Hammonds:

I’m so happy to share that The Motherhood team is growing … by ten little fingers and ten little toes! We’ll be adding a boy to the mix when my husband and I welcome our first baby this summer. We’re so thrilled and can’t wait to meet our sweet little one in just a few months!

As a planner by nature, I began researching infant gear almost right away. As probably any first-time mom can attest, the options seem endless, and it’s difficult to know what is a must-have, a nice-to-have and what isn’t really necessary. However, one item that I knew without a doubt would be at the top of our list is a video monitor. Having the ability to see our baby anytime I want seems like an invaluable tool for my peace of mind!

When I began researching various models and comparing their features, I initially felt overwhelmed. I’ve found that there’s really no better way to narrow down the options than by turning to fellow moms for advice! As part of The Motherhood’s program with VTech, I sought the opinions of some trusted moms in our network to get their take on the VTech Safe&Sound® Pan & Tilt Full Color Video Baby Monitor:

“It is an excellent monitor because it is: powerful, functional and clear. I was very impressed with the picture quality on the receiver. Having the ability to see both in color as well as see at night has been a great asset for us as we keep an eye on the twins as they sleep and grow. You get a ton of value from this receiver because it is a high quality product that is very competitive as far as cost is concerned. Having such a clear picture and image has been critical to us in the use of our monitor.”
Melissa, A Sparkle of Genius

“The VTech Safe&Sound® Pan & Tilt Full Color Video Baby Monitor camera pans up to 270 degrees side-to-side and tilts as many as 124 degrees up and down. It also allows you to zoom in up to 2x to get a closer look at your little one which, as some of you probably know, is a much appreciated feature sometimes!”
Courtney, Sweet Tooth, Sweet Life

“Since we mainly use it at night what’s most important to me is the camera’s ‘night vision’ … I could easily see where Mason was at all times.”
Christa, Little Us

“[You can] turn the volume up really loud so you can hear them breathing. If you haven’t had a baby yet, you will be amazed how often you listen to make sure they are breathing. Stressful, but better if you can do it from another room and not risk waking a sleeping baby.”
Emily, Random Recycling

“No worries about the video of your little one—this VTech video monitor is equipped with digital transmission that’s encrypted, ensuring video and audio transmission is always private and secure.”
Emily, Baby Dickey

“One of my favorite things about the VTech Safe&Sound is that it’s sturdy. While I won’t really being trying to test this feature out, the whole parent unit really felt like it could take some rough handling from some little boys that seem to think it’s a toy!”
Danielle, Happenings of the Harper Household

“You can set the unit to alert you if the room hits a minimum or a maximum temperature as well as sound alerts, low battery and disconnection alerts. The unit can be set to vibrate as well. It also has a 1,000 foot range to reach all over your house.”
Meghan, JaMonkey

“Setting this system up was easier than setting my cell phone!”
Rita, Rita Reviews

The amazing pan/tilt/zoom feature, automatic night vision and high-resolution display on the parent unit have me sold! I feel great about the VTech Safe&Sound® Pan & Tilt Full Color Video Baby Monitor because it’s an item that will grow with us, allowing us to add additional handsets when the time is right.

Everyone tells me that those early months go by in the blink of an eye, so I love knowing that I don’t have to miss a moment of it. If you have any advice on motherhood or your favorite baby must-haves, I’d love to hear it!

(Featured image courtesy of Flickr Creative Commons user William Arthur Fine Stationery.)

New JOHNSON’S® Global Baby Bath Report Links Bath Time with Sensory Development

February 5, 2015 by The Motherhood

As our team at The Motherhood was working with JOHNSON’S® to share the results of the JOHNSON’S® Global Baby Bath Report, released today, we started talking about our own special baby bath time experiences.

Brittney posed a question for us: How many adults does it take to give a newborn her first “real” bath?

In her daughter Emmy’s case – three! Britt says, “A special aunt held onto our squirmy little girl, Daddy did the washing and I took at least two dozen pictures! The best part? Snuggling my squeaky clean baby in a warm towel and breathing in the amazing JOHNSON’S® Baby shampoo scent. That familiar smell will always remind me of our first days as parents!”

Bath time provides the perfect opportunity to stimulate baby’s senses to help him or her learn, think, love and grow. For example, babies practice hand-eye coordination when they’re playing with bubbles, in addition to using their senses of touch and smell – both tied to memory development.

Talking and telling stories during bath time can help baby learn, too. Emily and her daughters (pictured below with a cousin many years ago) loved the ritual of bath time and created their own bonding experiences with storytelling and playing pretend.

Studies show that infants who are spoken with have larger vocabularies by age two, and the number of words children hear by age three is linked to their future academic success.

For Cooper, her youngest son’s first bath was a family affair that included her husband and eldest daughter. The JOHNSON’S® Global Baby Bath Report found that globally, 54 percent of dads are the primary bathers in their households, and in a quarter of households (26 percent), bath time is a two-parent job.

Do you have special memories of your baby’s first bath? Feel free to share!

Top image captured by Flickr Creative Commons user Iain Watson.

Flu Season Isn’t Over Yet!

January 26, 2015 by The Motherhood

Have you managed to avoid the flu so far this season? If you thought you were out of the woods, you might not be, since seasonal flu most commonly peaks between December and February and can last as late as May.

In partnership with The Motherhood, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is working with a team of bloggers to share some important tips – including these “Take 3” actions – to protect yourself and loved ones from the flu this season:

Get vaccinated; it isn’t too late! Did you know that even if you’ve gotten the flu this season, you can still benefit from getting vaccinated? As of early November 2014, fewer than half of Americans had reported getting a flu vaccine. While this year’s vaccine may not work as well against the drifted H3N2 viruses, it can still protect many people and prevent flu-related complications – especially for those considered high-risk (infants, pregnant women, kids and adults with chronic medical conditions like asthma, diabetes or heart disease, and adults aged 65 and older). An annual flu vaccine is the single best way to prevent seasonal flu!
If you have flu-like symptoms, see your doctor for flu antiviral medicines. Antiviral medicines work, but they aren’t being used nearly enough. Early treatment with antivirals – especially for high-risk individuals – could keep you out of the hospital and even save your life.
Take preventative actions to stop the spread of germs. Wash your hands often and avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth. If you’re sick, stay home from school or work. Your peers will thank you!

We’ll be sharing more tips and information during our #FightFlu Twitter chat on Tuesday, January 27 at 12 p.m. ET. Hope to see you there!