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Join The Motherhood for a Seventh Generation Twitter Party!

Join The Motherhood for a Seventh Generation Twitter Party!

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We know that, as moms, you worry about what you feed your kids … but what about the products you use on that sensitive skin? The Motherhood and Seventh Generation are teaming up to talk about home and baby care products during an upcoming Twitter party on December 13 at 1 p.m. ET, and we would love to see you there!

 

Join us for an interesting discussion, trivia questions and awesome prizes! See below for all the party details!

 

 

What: Seventh Generation and The Motherhood are hosting a Twitter party to discuss everything you need to know about ingredients, scents, packaging and labels on baby personal care products like shampoo and lotion.

 

When: Thursday, December 13, 1-2pm ET

 

Where: We’ll be on Twitter – follow the #7GenBabyFest hashtag to track the conversation. You can see the details and RSVP via this Twtvite.

 

Hashtag: #7GenBabyFest

 

Prizes: Seventh Generation will give away five total prizes. Four of the prizes will be gift baskets containing full lines of the Seventh Generation baby care and home care products. The final prize will be a baby massage class in the winner’s area. Winners will be chosen randomly from among many participants who respond correctly to trivia questions.

 

Hosts: @TheMotherhood, @CooperMunroe, @EmilyMcKhann

 

Other info: Seventh Generation’s website: http://www.seventhgeneration.com

 

Following the party, you can also participate in an Instagram contest with Seventh Generation!!! Beginning December 14, take an Instagram photo to illustrate how you practice natural parenting, tag @SeventhGeneration and use the #7thGenBabyFest hashtag.

 

7 winners each day for three days will receive a Seventh Generation Baby gift basket. If you win, you’ll be contacted via Instagram with a request to share your mailing information.

 

And watch for these fabulous bloggers, who are co-hosting the party:

 

Amy, @AmysFinerThings

Arianne, @ariannesegerman

Ashley, @AshleyNAbele

Ashley, @Beauty4Moms

Aubrey, @KerrificOnline

Brett, @brettbmartin

Carrie, @CarrieWChildren

Christine, @iDreamOfClean

Emily, @naptimeismytime

Hanan, @LilacCityMomma

Jennifer, @DoubleDutyMommy

Kathy, @amomsimpression

Kenda, @RemakingJune

Mandi, @Momaroo

Mickey, @ahelicoptermom

Nina, @NinaSay

Roxanne, @ChildrenTeach

Sara, @momendeavors

Sarah, @mnmamamusthave

Tiffany, @Tiffanyblogs

 

 

 

 

How Do YOU Savor the Holidays?

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Some curl up by the fireplace to watch old Christmas movies. Some stay around the table long after dinner is over to reminisce about family memories. Others may take a break in the middle of holiday shopping, wrapping and cooking in order to enjoy hot chocolate, coffee or pie with friends.

How Do YOU Savor the Holidays?

The Motherhood is excited to be working with Marie Callender’s on a program that asks just that question! We recently asked 15 awesome bloggers to join us in savoring the holiday season by reviewing the Marie Callender’s Dutch Apple Pie in the days leading up to Thanksgiving. Here’s what they had to say:

Whitney of It’s Gravy Baby, who shared this picture on her blog, said, “One taste of Marie Callender’s Dutch Apple Pie and I realized that my notion that I had to cook something homemade was wrong.  Wrong. Wrong. Wrong. I believe that I could walk in with Marie Callender’s Dutch Apple Pie at any of our family events and everyone would not only love it, but request it for future gatherings. No one would mind that I didn’t pour hours into it, because it tastes like I did.”

Brett from Mama Loves Her Bargains made a change in the way she prepared for Thanksgiving this year. “I’ve decided that instead of spending hours on pie-making this Thanksgiving, I’m going to enjoy my afternoon the day before the holiday, playing games with my kids.  Marie Callender’s is going to do my baking for me this year.  I’m trying to take my OWN advice and slow down, live in the moment, and savor it.”

Steph from Confessions of a Stay at Home Mom admitted, “I don’t slow down. And I don’t savor. So when Marie Callender’s posed the question like this, it really made me want to. I started thinking, ‘How much do I miss in the months of November and December because I simply don’t stop and savor?’ .… So tonight, I slowed down. I hugged my girls tight and snuggled them before tucking them into bed for the evening. I came down and sidled up to my handsome husband who I’ve been fortunate to be married to for 6 years this December. And I popped Marie’s Apple Pie into the oven. No stress in the kitchen, no mess to clean up. Just the simple act of opening and closing the oven.”

If you also want to savor this season with a Marie Callender’s pie then be sure to print this coupon for $1 off any variety of Marie Callender’s frozen pies!

(P.S. Watch for upcoming reviews on a Marie Callender’s seasonal favorite — Peppermint Pie!)

23 TV and Radio Interviews for Merck for Mothers

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On Thursday, I had the honor of doing a satellite media tour for Merck for Mothers to talk with 23 TV and radio stations across the country about Merck’s huge global campaign to save the lives of moms during pregnancy and childbirth.  How big a campaign, you ask?  Big big.  Over ten years, Merck is committing $500 million to maternal health.  More about the campaign in just a bit.

 

In case you’ve never heard of a satellite media tour, here’s how it worked.  I got up at the crack of dawn to arrive at a studio in midtown Manhattan at 6:00 a.m. for make-up, hair, interview practice and a bite of breakfast.  For the TV and radio interviews, I was teamed with Dr. Priya Agrawal, executive director of Merck for Mothers, and now one of my favorite people on the planet.  Here we all getting all dolled up (sorry you can’t see Priya):

 

 

 

By 7:45 a.m., we were powdered, hair-sprayed, miked and in our seats in the studio, and in our earpieces, the producer was telling us that our video feed was being loaded onto the satellite and the name of the first town we would be talking to.

 

The teleprompter then showed the station name and the anchor’s name, and we heard the morning news music coming into our earpiece from the station itself, followed by the anchor asking us questions about the Merck for Mothers program.

 

On the other side of the camera, the TV viewers in the town saw us with our studio in the background, answering their anchor’s questions.  No doubt you’ve seen tons of satellite media tours on morning shows already, maybe without even knowing that the interview was coming in via satellite.

 

Each interview lasted between 3-6 minutes and then we were onto the next station, TV or radio, one after the other, until we had completed 23 interviews (!) by midday, finishing up with stations on the West Coast as people woke up to their morning news there.

 

I have to say at first it was a bit nerve-wracking, not knowing for sure what questions would come in and hoping and praying I wouldn’t stumble and forget to say something important.  But thankfully, we got into a groove and it all lined up.  And a huge bonus – without fail, the TV anchors and radio hosts were fascinated and totally into the topic.

 

Priya and I made a great team and had the most fabulous time together.  You can tell from her picture, can’t you, that she has a great big warm heart and easy laugh.  And she’s a Harvard-trained OB/GYN with tons of other credentials who’s been traveling the world and the U.S. implementing the Merck for Mothers program.  Priya handled the scientific questions about threats to maternal health beautifully and I talked about why maternal health matters to all of us, particularly moms online, and ways we can call get involved and support the effort.

 

And because by now you must be dying to know what we talked about (at least I hope you are!), here are some of our key messages:

 

– It’s outrageous that 1,000 women die in the U.S. every year from complications surrounding pregnancy and childbirth. (Did you know this?!)

 

– Merck did a survey and found that almost half of Americans have no idea that maternal mortality is a problem in the U.S.

 

– Maternal mortality is one of the oldest and most preventable medical tragedies on the planet today. If nothing is done to address maternal mortality over the next decade, nearly 3 million women will die from complications of pregnancy and childbirth.

 

– Merck for Mothers is a 10-year, $500 million dollar initiative to create a world where no woman has to die giving life.  Merck is working to develop new, more accessible technologies to manage two of the leading causes of maternal mortality – hemorrhaging (bleeding) and pre-eclampsia (high blood pressure) – and provide critical solutions, such as training midwives.

 

–  You can get involved by visiting the Merck for Mothers Facebook page to share the story of the day someone you love was born. For every story shared, Merck is making a donation to Join My Village, a program from CARE that empowers women and girls and supports safe pregnancies and deliveries.

–  With its “Once Upon a Birth” campaign and donation to non-profit Join My Village, Merck for Mothers is supporting programs around the world that are helping women get the care they need during pregnancy and childbirth.

 

Please support the Merck for Mothers program by sharing your birth story on their Facebook page!

 

A huge thank you to the fabulous team at Merck for Mothers and Marina Maher for a fascinating, meaningful and hugely enjoyable day and for all your work to make it such a great success!

 

Giving Tuesday is Here!

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Giving Tuesday is here!!!!

We love Giving Tuesday – the national movement to celebrate giving on the Tuesday after Thanksgiving (and beyond).

As moms, we particularly love that Giving Tuesday encompasses all forms of giving, in whatever form works for you and your family, whether that means donating to charities, talking to your kids and involving them in charitable activities, volunteering your time, or getting your family, friends and larger networks involved in giving.

Giving Tuesday is a perfect match for moms.  As we found in The Motherhood’s third annual Giving Back and Social Good Survey of influential moms online (conducted in September 2012), 87% of moms say that giving back is very important to their families, and nearly 80% of moms find special ways to give back with their families during the holidays.

Additionally, 87% of moms would like ideas for ways to give back during the holidays.  And what better way to get ideas for giving than by joining the #GivingTuesday conversation happening across the web today!

For everyone wanting to learn more about and get involved in Giving Tuesday, The Motherhood has compiled just a few of the many ways you can dive in.

First, some of the great ways moms across the country are giving back on Giving Tuesday and beyond, as they shared during The Motherhood’s fabulous #GivingTuesday Twitter party:

 

 

For fantastic posts on the spirit and work behind Giving Tuesday, be sure to check out these links:

Henry Timms, deputy executive director of the 92nd Street Y in New York City, and Kathy Calvin, CEO of the UN Foundation – the two organizations who led the way to create Giving Tuesday –  talk to ABC News.

Aaron Sherinian, a founding organizer of Giving Tuesday and vice president of communications and public relations for the UN Foundation, talks to New England Cable News.

Chrysula Winegar, community manager for the Million Moms Challenge and leader of the #GivingTuesday team, wrote a beautiful post about finding your giving ‘superpower’.

Mashable’s Sharon Feder and the Story of #GivingTuesday

Morra Aarons-Mele posted about Giving Tuesday and ‘Marketing Without a Master’ for the Harvard Business Review.

Beth Kanter wrote a beautiful post titled, ‘Why I Am in the National Day of Giving on November 27, 2012’.

Isabel Kallman talked about her commitment to #GivingTuesday and experience in the Rockaways after Hurricane Sandy.

Asha Dornfest wrote on Babble Voices about Giving Tuesday as part of her Minimalist Parenting series.

Tracey Clark wrote a lovely post on ‘when we give, we are quite simply sending the message that we care.’

And, last but not least, a few more great ways to get involved in Giving Tuesday TODAY!

1.  Follow the fast-moving Twitter stream for #GivingTuesday (trending worldwide on Twitter)!

 

2.  Join the #GivingTuesday Google Hangout at 12:30 pm ET today with Kris Balderston, Special Representative for Global Partnerships at the State Department, and #GivingTuesday Founding organizers.  Tune into the #GivingTuesday YouTube channel to participate.

3.  Sign up for the #GivingTuesday Thunderclap.  At 2:30 pm ET, everyone who signs up will post a status update on their Facebook accounts and Twitter – and we’ll rock the social media landscape together!

4.  Join the Twitter party tonight, hosted by Mom It Forward, 9 – 10 pm ET.  Follow the hashtags, #GivingTuesday and #gno on Twitter to participate in a great celebration.

5.  Check out Cool Mom Picks’ favorite causes.

6.  Gabrielle Blair, Design Mom, is posting a gift guide that features products that ‘do good” (coming soon!).

All of us at The Motherhood are enormously proud to be a part of the Giving Tuesday team working behind the scenes to bring this big day into being.

 

An Edible Mosaic: Middle Eastern Fare with Extraordinary Flair

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This is a guest blog post by Kristy Still of Mommy Hates Cooking, who participated in a live chat in The Motherhood on Middle Eastern cooking, hosted by Faith Gorsky, blogger at An Edible Mosaic and author of a new cookbook called An Edible Mosaic: Middle Eastern Fare with Extraordinary Flair. Faith was joined by panelists Alyssa of Everyday Maven, Evelyne of Cheap Ethnic Eatz, Heba of My Life in a Pyramid and MidEATS, and Victoria of Mission:Food.

 

Do you sometimes feel like you are in a cooking rut, creating the same meals over and over again? I know sometimes I fall into this category!

 

For inspiration on mixing it up in the kitchen, earlier this week we spoke with Faith Gorsky of An Edible Mosaic, who recently published the cookbook An Edible Mosaic: Middle Eastern Fare with Extraordinary Flair. She showed us just how easy it is to cook new foods from various parts of the world.

 

Faith’s book embraces all aspects of Middle Eastern cuisine. She starts with the basics as far as the tools and cooking techniques used in preparing Middle Eastern food, and then she shares a variety of amazing recipes, including versatile creaming garlic sauces, breads, side dishes, desserts and of course, main dishes.

 

 

Faith started our chat by asking guests to name their favorite Middle Eastern foods. Responses ranged from stuffed grape leaves and Armenian ravioli to almond-based desserts and Manti. The favorites were hummus and falafel, and Faith’s favorite is chicken shawarma – all great entry-level dishes for novice cooks.

 

Several participants acknowledged that they were intimidated by the thought of cooking Middle Eastern fare as a new chef. Faith told us she could “completely relate. I didn’t grow up eating or cooking Middle Eastern food so it was completely new to me, learning it as an adult … But in my book I explain everything coming from the perspective of someone who needs to be taught from the basics up, since this is how I had to learn it.”

 

Talking with Faith about her cookbook brought up so many interesting facts. For me, one thing that particularly stood out was about Kibbeh, a mixture of lamb and bulgur wheat. Faith noted that it is extremely versatile and can be served in a variety of ways, including fried, baked, grilled or raw.

 

We also learned that in the Middle East, toasted nuts are considered a luxury and are very expensive. Toasted nuts tend to be found mostly on large dishes as a garnish, and using them is a way to honor your guests.

 

 

Of course, we all wanted to know Faith’s secrets for making delicious international cuisine! A few of the tips she shared:

 

1) Pomegranate molasses is the secret to making the best falafel sandwiches. It brings a new flavor and life to the dish.

 

2) Don’t skimp on the spices – favorites include 7 Spice Mix and Za’atar. You can find Middle Eastern spices at local specialty markets, or Faith buys hers online from Hashems.

 

3) Avoid fat-free yogurt when making yogurt soup, since it curdles more easily. Cook on medium heat and don’t let it come to a boil.

 

There is plenty more fantastic advice in the text of the live chat – you can click through to see it all!

 

Check out Faith’s book not only for the recipes, but for the cultural information – it allows you to explore a new world right from your kitchen. To read the reviews and buy An Edible Mosaic: Middle Eastern Fare with Extraordinary Flair, click here.

Large Majority of Moms Say Extreme Weather is Happening in Their Areas

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Last week it was 80 degrees every day.  In November.  That is really weird. In June, it rained almost every day.  In Texas.  That is really weird.  Not this past Christmas, but the one before, it snowed 2 feet in Dallas. REALLY WEIRD.   – Mom in Texas

 

We had Hurricane Irene and Super Storm Sandy.   In October this year and last, we had unexpected snowstorm.  Then last winter we had no winter.  – Mom in New York

 

The last 18 months, we have had terrible sand storms blow into the Phoenix Valley.  – Mom in Arizona

 

South Dakota is in a bad drought this year, causing a smaller crop than expected.  – Mom in South Dakota

 

In preparation for 24 Hours of Reality, The Motherhood conducted a 24-hour survey of moms online to gauge their feelings on climate change.  Today more than 150 moms responded.

 

78% of them said they have experienced extreme or unusual weather in the last year and a half.

 

Mothers are worried about changes in the weather – 70% of them.  And nearly that many – 65% – are more worried or a lot more worried than they were three years ago.

 

For them, climate change is accelerating.

 

They want to get into action.  70% of women want to learn how they and their family can make a positive difference for our climate.

 

And they are taking action every day in their own lives – many talked about reducing their energy usage at home, shifting their buying habits and driving less.

 

The Motherhood conducted the climate change survey in preparation for 24 Hours of Reality with the Climate Change Project – and because, as moms, we are living through the unusual and extreme weather and we want to understand where this is headed and how we can have a positive impact on the outcome for our families.

 

We’re all in the trenches with our families and communities when extreme weather ruins our plans, damages homes and property values, keeps us from getting to work and school, and endangers lives.

 

Moms see what is happening with the weather and they wonder, what’s next?  What are my kids and their kids going to face in the future?

 

Be sure to tune into 24 Hours of Reality at 10:00 a.m. EST on November 15, 2012 to join a panel discussion on moms and climate change.  On the panel are Maggie Fox, President and CEO of the Climate Reality Project, Emily McKhann, co-founder of The Motherhood, Karen Ballard of PACE University and NYU College of Nursing, Casey Caplowe, Co-Founder and Chief Creative Officer of GOOD, and Harriet Shugarman, Executive Director of Climate Mama.