At Operation Shower, we could not continue to give amazing showers to military moms-to-be whose husbands are currently deployed overseas without your help.

In addition to our annual Mother’s Day unit-wide and multi-unit wide celebrations, we also send individual “Showers in a Box” throughout the year. Here’s how you can help.

When you visit the Operation Shower website at www.operationshower.org there are multiple ways to contribute to the cause. By clicking Contribute on the Operation Shower website you will see a number of different ways you can help.

One option is to donate a specific monetary amount. Dollars that are donated to Operation Shower go directly to the moms we are showering. For our annual Mother’s Day celebrations when we bring groups of moms-to-be for a big baby shower, funds help provide items like food and refreshments. Funds are also used to purchase things like boxes, tape, packing material, to pay for shipping individual boxes throughout the year, and to buy gifts like toys, blankets and books that help “round out” each shower in a box to make it unique and special.

Another option on the Operation Shower website is to earmark your donation to go toward a specific type of purchase. For instance, you can choose to give $20 towards baby bath items or $25 to buy a pair of Vincent Shoes.

Finally, we love for people to help by hosting a fundraiser to help raise money or collect product. Please contact me at kris @ cleverparents (dot) com to learn more!

To learn more about corporate sponsorships, please contact me at kris @ cleverparents (dot) com.

CLAYTON, MO (April 24, 2009) Sixty-five new moms and moms-to-be from four branches of the military in 15 states across the nation will be showered with gifts between now and Mother’s Day as a part of the latest efforts of Operation Shower. Operation Shower, a non-profit organization run by two stay-at-home moms, produces and coordinates baby showers for pregnant and expecting military personnel and their families.

This Mother’s Day, Operation Shower has teamed up with Cloud B and thirty-three more sponsors to host green baby showers for expectant women whose husbands are currently deployed overseas. Thanks to many generous donations, Operation Shower will put smiles on 65 women’s faces when they open their special eco-friendly “Showers in a Box” containing gifts and surprises valued at several hundred dollars each; all donated by generous companies and people from across the nation.

“Becoming a parent is challenging enough when you have the hands-on support of your spouse, friends and family, doing that with a husband fighting in a war is something you can’t imagine unless you are in those shoes,” said Operation Shower co-founder Lena Morrissey.

“Putting on these showers is one small way that we hope gives the moms a special memory and shows our support for the sacrifices these dedicated women and their families make for our country.” added Operation Shower co-founder Kris Jackson.

Military moms-to-be in Fort Hood, Texas and Scott Air Force Base, Illinois will be celebrated at unit-wide and multi-unit eco-friendly baby showers on May 2nd and May 9th respectively. In addition to all of the amazing “green” gifts the moms will receive, Operation Shower is making sure the showers are as green as possible by using recycled paper goods and celebrating with real dishes, flatware, glasses and linens; creating centerpieces and décor items from gifts that will be used as giveaways; and sending keepsake invitations from Tiny Prints on recycled cardstock. Even the boxes and limited packaging materials for each of the boxes used recycled material and Operation Shower will be planting a tree via the Arbor Foundation in every baby’s honor.

Each mom will receive stylish, eco-friendly items from shower sponsor Cloud B as well as wonderful products and services from the following sponsors: Baby Blend Tees, Care.com, Childish Clothing, Cozy Cocoon, Flower Duet, Hug A Monkey, ImagiPLAY, Julian & Co, Kirby Ink, Moms on Call, MyBabyPlace, PeaceLoveMom, Resa Design, Sage Creek Organics, Sprig Toys, Sofia Bean, The Safe Sippy, The Ultimate Green Store, Tiny Tales and Vincent Shoes.

“Cloud B is excited to participate with Operation Shower to help provide these wonderful ladies with a baby shower that they deserve. Our products are designed to help children and their parents get a better night’s rest, and we are delighted to make bed time routines more relaxing and easier for these families. Cloud B truly appreciates the sacrifice that these men and women have made to serve our country, and we hope our contribution will help bring extra joy to this happy occasion,” says Nader Hamda, co-founder and COO of Cloud B.

Surprises will continue at the showers when the moms have the chance to win amazing raffle items from Anka, Angela Breckenridge Photography, City Sprouts, Jane Marvel, lillebaby and Micralite. W.N. Epstein & CO. donated shipping services for the showers and media sponsors include Clever Parents, Integrity, Lena’s Notebook, Stem, teensygreen and The Cradle.

May 2nd will be even more meaningful for the founders of Operation Shower. After showering more than 200 military moms-to-be since 2007, Lena Morrissey and Kris Jackson will meet for the first time at Fort Hood, Texas.

ABOUT OPERATION SHOWER: Operation Shower is a non-profit organization (pending 501(c)(3) status) created by the founders of Lena’s Notebook (www.lenasnotebook.com) and Clever Parents (www.cleverparents.com), two websites focused on parents and parenting, to recognize and honor the sacrifices military families make by producing and coordinating baby showers for pregnant and expecting military personnel and their families. For more information about the showers and to donate, visit the Operation Shower website at www.operationshower.org. In addition to the unit and multi-unit wide showers given in honor of Mother’s Day, Operation Shower sends “showers in a box” to expecting military wives throughout the year. Moms-to-be can submit themselves or be nominated to receive a box online at www.operationshower.org.

ABOUT CLOUD B: Cloud B is dedicated to helping children of all ages sleep better. Our philosophy is that every child deserves a sound night’s sleep for healthy development, Cloud B has become a trusted name with parents worldwide. Our award-winning products are developed in consultation with an Advisory Board of pediatricians and specialists with a single focus: to achieve a better, safer sleep for your child. Our devotion to innovation is matched by our passion for design and style. Cloud B uses only the finest materials to ensure the quality and elegance that your child deserves. Cloud B is also dedicated to providing less fortunate children the quality sleep they deserve through product donations and financial contributions to charitable organizations nationwide.� (www.cloudb.com)

# # #

It seems everywhere you turn these days, someone or something is “Going Green.” Sure, some may say it’s just a huge trend or the latest fad, but I ask, how can becoming more conscious of the impact on the environment be anything but good? Consuming less and reusing more sounds like a win for everyone!

With the increase in awareness it only makes sense that this new found sense of responsibility would make its way into our not only our daily lives but our special occasions as well. Throwing an Eco-Conscious Baby Shower doesn’t mean you have to sacrifice style or serve your guests wheat grass punch. There are a lot of ways that you can make
your next Shower Baby-, Guest- and Earth-friendly.

Décor and Food

• Make sure your décor items can do double duty. For example, display unwrapped gifts in creative ways for centerpieces.
• Use locally-grown flowers from your farmer’s market.
• Shop the farmer’s market or organic aisles at the grocery store for your food. If using a caterer, try to use one that does the same.

No Paper Goods

• If an online invitation is out of the question, then look for invitations printed on recycled card stock.
• Use linen napkins and real dishes. If you don’t have enough of either, check out local rental companies. Plain white dishes and napkins are extremely affordable to rent.
• Don’t be afraid to try local discount or dollar stores either. A simple set of plain white or clear dishes and napkins will go with any theme and is something you can use over and over.
• Want to do it without spending money? Call your friends and see what fun, mix and match combo you can come up with for a fun and festive look.

Favors
Give favors that will actually be used by the guests later.

• A flower in a simple bud vase is something that will make your table look great and just as easily brighten up a desk or kitchen window at
  your guests’ home.
• Hang a reusable shopping bag on the back of each chair as a favor.
• In lieu of favors, go to the Arbor Foundation or another online source and plant a tree in each guests’ name.

Gifts

• There are hundreds of amazing eco-friendly products for baby on the market now. With just a little research you can find products that
  will surely elicit the requisite “oooooo’s and “awwwww’s” from your guests.
• Think of new ways to wrap presents. Use baby blankets or towels in lieu of wrapping paper. Present gifts in reusable shopping bags in
  lieu of paper gift bags.
• If you just can’t imagine the mom not having any traditional presents to unwrap, then use some of the many adorable recycled gift wraps on
  the market and be sure to recycle the wrap when the party is over.

Finally, designate a bin for recycling any gift wrap or paper goods other guests may bring.

Most importantly, be creative! Look at throwing an Eco-Conscious event as a fun challenge to see how many ways you can reuse and
re-purpose things you already own. When you see how little waste you have after the event, you’ll be so glad you did.

Military Moms-to-Be Receive Baby Showers ‘In a Box’

Imagine becoming a parent while your spouse is overseas fighting in a war. The emotions of giving birth are life-changing and with a spouse deployed overseas, those feelings have an additional component that can’t be imagined unless you are in that situation.

In celebration of Mother’s Day, Operation Shower has partnered with Cloud B to honor moms-to-be with their first ever eco-friendly baby shower. On May 2nd and May 9th, 60 deserving moms-to-be whose husbands are deployed overseas will be showered with gifts donated by generous companies and people across the nation.

Military moms-to-be in Fort Hood, Texas and at Scott Air Force Base in Illinois will be celebrated in style – eco-friendly style, that is – with fabulous gifts from many people and companies. The showers are possible in great part because of generous product sponsors, including Cloud B and the following:

Anka
Baby Blend Tees
Childish
Cozy Cocoon
Flower Duet
ImagiPLAY
Jane Marvel
lillebaby
Micralite
Kirby Ink
The Safe Sippy
Sage Creek Organics
Sofia Bean
Sprig Toys
The Ultimate Green Store
Vincent Shoes

WN Epstein is the official shipping sponsor for Operation Shower and media sponsors include Clever Parents, Lena’s Notebook, Integrity, Stem and The Cradle.

Donations are still needed to make the boxes complete. To contribute, please visit the Operation Shower website at www.operationshower.org.

Operation Shower is very excited to be joining with Usborne Books to host an online Book Fair which will allow us to add some wonderful books to our “showers in a box” for moms-to-be whose husbands are deployed! Get a leg-up on school and help military families in the process.

When: Now through July 29, 2008
Where: Click here to go directly to the book fair.
Why: To support our military families. Each book you purchase will count towards free books to be gifted to pregnant and new moms whose husbands are deployed as a part of our ’showers in a box’.*
Who: Sponsored by Operation Shower, Clever Parents and Lena’s Notebook.

* If you would like to donate your purchase directly to Operation Shower, please shop from the Operation Shower Wish List located in the upper right portion of the Operation Shower eFair web page. Orders shipped directly to Operation Shower will be shipped once the book fair closes.

Thank you for your support!

Operation Shower gathered last Saturday in Fort Bragg, North Carolina for a Mother’s Day celebration to complete the mission of showering 100 new moms and moms-to-be whose husbands are soldiers. Twenty moms and their soon-to-be redeployed husbands from the 96th Civil Affairs Battalion gathered for an afternoon of food, gifts, raffle prizes and fun.

As an Operation Shower co-founder, it is always a humbling experience for me to participate in these events. It is an honor and a privilege to be able to do something – even if it’s small – to show appreciation for our military families.

I was most moved when speaking to the Commander of the Battalion, Leo J Ruth, II, LTC CA, Commanding, whose words I share below.

“The United Stated has waged a war against Muslim Extremists since October 2001. Over the past few years there are numerous media reports stating the US populace supports our troops, but doesn’t support the war. I don’t believe you can have one without the other. People voluntarily join the military. They have no input to what war to fight. Over four thousand Soldiers, Sailors, Marines and Airmen have lost their life and tens of thousands of them have received drastic injuries that will change their quality of life for ever. Not supporting the war means the people who gave their life for no good reason.”

“The military family is the cornerstone to the Soldiers fighting this war. The military family is the entity that makes the biggest sacrifice so the Soldiers, Sailors, Marines, and Airmen can fight the war. Operation Shower proves that the American public and American business elite support our troops and more importantly, the military family. Having organizations provide support to my unit’s expectant mothers makes me proud to be an American. It lets the military person and military family know that the American public recognizes and supports our sacrifice.”

“The American people stand united together.”

Thank you for your continued support of Operation Shower. The Mother’s Day events would not have been possible without the support of the Operation Shower sponsors: Lena’s Notebook, Clever Parents and Wal-Mart as well as all of the companies and individuals that provided donations (see a full list of the company donations here). Without the donations and assistance that you provide, we would not be able to continue on our mission. Thank you.

Learn more about Operation Shower at www.operationshower.org

We hope that Mother’s Day was a little more special this year for the 100 moms-to-be of deployed and soon-to-be redeployed soldiers who were showered with gifts in honor of the 100th anniversary of Mother’s Day. On Saturday, May 10th, Operation Shower, in partnership with Wal-Mart, its suppliers and 40 other companies, completed its mission of hosting unit wide showers in Twentynine Palms, California, in San Diego for the spouses of soldiers aboard the USS Nimitz, in Fort Bragg, North Carolina and at Scott Air Force Base. We are grateful for the kindness and generosity of all of the companies and individuals that made this possible. Operation Shower salutes you!

Below is a list of the companies that donated to all 100 of the new moms and moms-to-be:

Wal-Mart: Wal-Mart generously donated many items to the moms-to-be including Jumparoos (Fort Bragg) and a selection of other baby gear items to the showers for the USS Nimitz, Twentynine Palms and Scott Air Force Base new moms and moms-to-be. All 100 moms also received a $50 Wal-Mart gift card.

A Touch of Whimsy Designs: Donated 100 sets of playdate / appointment cards.

AD Sutton, a Wal-Mart supplier: Donated diaper bags.

Baby Legs: Donated Baby Legs leg warmers.

Brainy Baby: Donated 4-in-1 Brainy Baby Quad board books.

Carter’s, a Wal-Mart supplier: Donated plush animals, memory books and baby outfits.

Fisher Price, a Wal-Mart supplier: Donated Busy Bluebird rattles.

Go Mom, Inc.: Donated 2009 schedulers / planners for all 100 moms.

Gartner Studios, a Wal-Mart supplier: Donated baby shower favors, stationery, favor boxes and centerpieces.

Gerber Childrenswear, a Wal-Mart supplier: Donated onesies, sleep ‘n plays and bibs.

Halo: Donated 100 SleepSacks.

Jazzy Toes: Donated baby socks.

Johnson & Johnson, a Wal-Mart supplier: Donated Head-To-Toe Bath and Johnson’s Pink Lotion.

Kids Preferred: Donated 100 plush (asthma free) animals and wrist rattles.

Kimberly Clark, a Wal-Mart supplier: Donated Huggies diapers and bath wash.

Kirby Ink: Donated small America prints.

Learning Curve Brands, Inc., a Wal-Mart supplier: Donated The First Years “Soothies” 5 oz. 3 pack bottles.

Lionsgate Home Entertainment, a Wal-Mart supplier: Donated preschool DVDs.

Love Me Baby Me: Baby bath care gift sets.

Mead Johnson Nutritionals, a Wal-Mart supplier: Donated Enfamil LIPIL Baby Formula.

Miss Elaine: Donated robes and nightgowns.

PBM Products, a Wal-Mart supplier: Donated Parents Choice Infant Formula.

Precious Moments: Donated 100 butter yellow embroidered fleece blankets.

Preggie Pops: Donated 100 packs of Organic Preggie Pop Drops.

Safer Mom: Donated Safer Mom magnets.

Sofia Bean: Donated 100 super-soft embroidered onesies.

Stowers Swaddler and Stationery: Donated 100 Stowers Swaddlers.

Wee Gallery: Donated either Dino Cards boxed flashcards or Twins books for all of the moms.

Wilton, a Wal-Mart supplier: Donated baby pacifier candies, cradle favor kits and cradle baby centerpieces

Additional companies that donated:
Copenhagen Styles: Donated 10 birthday trains

FOX: Donated 60 Barney DVDs.

Giddio: Donated 30 Billy Brown Goes Hiking CDs

Great Au Pair: Donated a two week nanny service for one lucky mom!

Hollyberry Baking Company: Donated cupcake favors for the Scott Air Force base shower.

Hoot Couture: Donated approximately 40 specialty burp cloth sets.

Ju-Ju Be: Donated two diaper bags.

Katie Mayer Photography: Attended the Fort Bragg baby shower and took pictures of the event and of the families who attended, offering a free 5×7 picture for all of the families.

Kids Central Kitchen: Donated one bag of sugar cookie mix with cookie cutter to be included in a raffle basket.

Kids Fly Safe: Donated one CARES safety airplane seat for a raffle.

Little Jet Set: Donated one Travel Basics Lady Bug bath gift set by Little Twig to be included in a raffle basket.

Lori Coulter: Donated one gift certificate for a custom made bathing suit to the Scott Air Force Base shower.

Moby Wraps: Donated approximately 40 Moby Wrap baby carriers.

Moms on Call: Donated 13 gift sets of blankets, books and DVDs.

Mutsy: Donated a Mutsy Spider stroller for a raffle.

Patsy Aiken Designs: Donated a monogrammed hooded towel, bib and hat set for all of the moms at the Fort Bragg shower. Also donated 4 outfits and 5 older sibling outfits.

PeaceLoveMOM: Donated 60 PeaceLoveMom t-shirts.

Sandbox Threads: Donated t-shirts and onesies.

Scandinavian Child: Donated 2 Svan bouncers to be raffled at the Fort Bragg shower.

Summer Infant: Donated 60 infant bathers.

UPPAbaby: Donated 4 UPPAbaby Bubbles for each of the four showers as a raffle item.

Vincent Shoes: Donated Vincent Shoes to all of the moms at the Fort Bragg shower.

Special Thanks from Operation Shower
We would also like to give a special thank you to the following companies that have participated in all of the Operation Shower unit-wide showers since its inception in June 2007. Your ongoing participation and generosity is what makes us able to continue to give to these deserving families. Thank you for your support.

Love Me Baby Me – www.lovemebabyme.com
Scandinavian Child – www.lillebabyusa.com and www.scichild.com
Vincent Shoes – www.vincentshoestore.us
Yarnworks – Pat Lucks of Yarnworks donated handmade blankets to each event.

May 10, 2008 & May 11, 2008: Raleigh, NC – based WRAL TV station runs feature story on Operation Shower including footage the Fort Bragg Mother’s Day event and of Clever Parents and Operation Shower co-founder, Kris Jackson.

May 9, 2008: NBC-17 Runs Preview Story on Operation Shower including footage of items being sent to Fort Bragg for the Mother’s Day event and an interview with Clever Parents and Operation Shower co-founder, Kris Jackson.

The Operation Shower Mother’s Day celebration is officially underway as 50 Marine Corps and Navy moms-to-be received thousands of dollars worth of gifts this weekend as a part of an effort to shower 100 expectant moms between now and Mother’s Day. On Friday, fifty people gathered on a beautiful California afternoon overlooking the Desert Palms Golf Course to celebrate 20 very special moms to be at Twentynine Palms whose husbands are deployed overseas. The festivities continued the following day in San Diego where 30 moms-to-be whose husbands are aboard the USS Nimitz opened presents, won raffle items and talked babies.

“I am so thankful for Operation Shower and this celebration,” said one excited mom-to-be. “With the TV cameras and all of these gifts, I felt like I was on Oprah!” The presents consisted of everything from basic necessities like diapers, wipes and baby care items to larger raffle items like high chairs and car seats. The showers were a hit thanks to thousands of dollars worth of donations from Wal-Mart, its suppliers and 40 other generous companies, both small and large. Rosemary Anthony, President and Founder of Love Me Baby Me, attended the Twentynine Palms shower and gifted all of the women with a gift set of her baby care line.

One mom who has two older children said that it was fun to receive new items that she had never heard of before like BabyLegs leg warmers and Halo Sleepsacks. Another was thrilled to meet a woman whose husband works side by side with hers on the USS Nimitz. The two connected and exchanged numbers, happy to have found a new friend.

“Being a part of these showers is such a humbling experience,” said Lena Morrissey, co-founder of Operation Shower who hosted both of the California events. “These women are so strong and so deserving. With husbands overseas, the stress that they experience must be immense and adding to the family at the same time is particularly challenging. We’re just happy to be able to make this time a little more special.”

Next Sunday, the celebration continues in Fort Bragg, North Carolina and at Scott Air Force Base in Illinois. To learn more about the upcoming events or to attend as media, contact Operation Shower co-founder Kris Jackson at kris (at) cleverparents (dot) com.

Learn more about Operation Shower at www.operationshower.org

100th Anniversary of Mother’s Day Prompts Baby Showers for 100 Military Moms

Raleigh, NC – One hundred new moms and moms-to-be from four branches of the military will be showered with gifts between now and Mother’s Day as a part of the latest efforts of Operation Shower. Operation Shower has teamed up with Wal-Mart to host baby showers at four bases: USS Nimitz (California), Twentynine Palms (California), Scott AFB (Illinois) and Ft. Bragg (North Carolina). Moms will receive donated items from Wal-Mart, its suppliers and other companies in a “Shower in a Box”.

“It is challenging enough to become a parent when you have the hands-on support of your spouse, friends and family,” said Operation Shower co-founder Lena Morrissey. “We want to celebrate these deserving women by making the birth of their children a little more special; honoring them on Mother’s Day seemed like an extra special way to do that,” added Operation Shower co-founder Kris Jackson.

Thanks to the generous donations from Wal-Mart, its suppliers and many other wonderful companies, Operation Shower hopes to put a smile on 100 women’s faces when they open their special “Showers in a Box” at four baby showers in California, Missouri and North Carolina.

The showers are hosted by Operation Shower (www.operationshower.org), a non-profit organization created by the founders of Lena’s Notebook (www.lenasnotebook.com) and Clever Parents (www.cleverparents.com), two websites focused on parents and parenting. For more information about the showers and to donate, visit the Operation Shower website at www.operationshower.org

Contact: Kris Jackson, kris (at) cleverparents (dot) com

ABOUT OPERATION SHOWER: Operation Shower is a non-profit organization (pending 501(c)(3) status) that recognizes and honors the sacrifices military families make by producing and coordinating baby showers for pregnant and expecting military personnel and their families. Operation Shower was formed by Lena Morrissey of Lena’s Notebook (www.lenasnotebook.com) and Kris and David Jackson of Clever Parents (www.cleverparents.com) To learn more, make a donation or sponsor a shower, visit www.operationshower.org.

ABOUT LENA’S NOTEBOOK: Lena’s Notebook (www.lenasnotebook.com) is an online magazine for the modern mom. The Notebook’s philosophy is “if we learn it, we should share it.” The Notebook’s goal is to share with others — whether it’s sharing ideas or giving back through charitable causes.

ABOUT CLEVER PARENTS: Raleigh, NC based Clever Parents (www.cleverparents.com) offers advice and interviews, tips and reviews from more than 100 parent columnists for parents who want to get ahead, look good, stay fit, maintain balance and make the most of every day. Now also featuring vidcasts at Clever Parents TV (www.cleverparents.tv).

Last year, Clever Parents teamed up with Lena Morrissey of Lena’s Notebook to create a non-profit organization called Operation Shower. Through Operation Shower, we organize and host baby showers for expectant and new moms whose husbands are deployed overseas. To date, we have showered more than 100 deserving women from different branches of the military with tens of thousands of dollars worth of baby and mom gear.

In celebration of Memorial Day, we are in the process of organizing two unit wide showers the first week of May for approximately 60 women. One of the showers is for a group within the Marine Corps Air Ground Combat Center in 29 Palms and the other is for a group in the Navy, the USS Nimitz in San Diego. The 29 Palms shower is planned for Friday, May 2, and the USS Nimitz event is planned for Saturday, May 3.

We would love your help in making these showers a success! For the showers, we are looking for new items that would typically be given at a baby shower such as as onesies and other baby clothes, baby blankets; baby toys; mealtime and sleep time items; books; pacifiers; diaper bags; diapers; baby wipes; baby socks; baby hats; parenting books for parents; baby bath items; bath toys; plush toys; teething rings; activity gyms; bouncy seats; swings and any items to help pamper the moms. Larger items such as strollers, car seats and high chairs can be used for raffles at the showers.

Donations can be sent to:

Lena’s Notebook
Attn: Operation Shower
125 Brighton Way
Clayton, MO 63105

Looking for the easiest way to donate and feel good? Go to www.operationshower.org and donate money to be used for hosting a fabulous shower!

If you would like more information, you may email me at info (at) cleverparents (dot) com. We give you our heartfelt thanks for supporting these deserving families!

Does your preschooler love to dress-up? See what our favorite Go-To Mom, Kimberley Blaine, has to share about children and dramatic play.

Plus, where to pick up great dress up gear, the latest news on Operation Shower and a Clever Parents milestone.

Watch Vidcast Episode #36 on Clever Parents TV.

“On behalf of the 2,700 Soldiers assigned to 1st Medical Brigade, we extend a heartfelt THANK YOU to you, your family, friends and the companies who donated items, for displaying such gracious generosity during Operation Shower and making Christmas a whole lot brighter for our Brigade moms. We had maximum attendance from both Soldiers who are expecting to spouses of Soldiers (most deployed) who are either expecting or recently gave birth to their child.” (excerpted from a letter from Colonel Robert Tenhet)

On Saturday, December 8th, 2007, 45 Army spouses from the 1st Medical Brigade were showered with gifts at Fort Hood, Texas. It was a wonderful event and an honor to be a part of it. Co-Founder of Operation Shower, Lena Morrissey was present with her family and gracious friends who helped coordinate the festivities.

Each of the moms received a box full of baby shower goodies donated from companies and individuals around the country. The shower would not have been a success without the kindness and generosity of people and companies who displayed overwhelming support through their giving.

Operation Shower would like to thank the following generous organizations for providing gifts for all of the women at the Fort Hood shower:

Baby Gear

• EuroTotes by lillebaby Traveling just got easier with the lillébaby EuroTote™! Ideal for parents on the go, the EuroTote does far more than any single function baby carrier or bunting bag on the market. www.lillebabyusa.com

Bath & Body

• Love Me Baby Me gift sets. The Love Me Baby Me natural baby skincare line includes five pure, safe and gentle skincare products: Bubbly Wash, Smoothy Shampoo, Creamy Cream, Hair Putty and Butt Balm. www.lovemebabyme.com
• Tiny Truffles Little Twig’s Baby Basics gift pack will help get your favorite new family off to a great start with fun, all-natural infant bathing essentials-including a plush caterpillar washcloth, refreshing extra mild baby powder, and organic lavender baby wash & bodymilk. www.tinytruffles.com
• JOHNSON’S® – An assortment of bath and skincare products. www.johnsonsbaby.com
• Trimfoot Co Make bath time even more fun with a bath gift set from Trimfoot Co. Adorable hooded towel, slippers, bath mit and brush arranged in an adorable basket with cloth liner. www.trimfootco.com

Clothing & Shoes

• Vincent Shoes The hip Vincent™ collection of children’s shoes are fun, fashionable and functional. The Vincent shoe brand is 100% focused on children’s shoes, including sneakers, dress shoes, dress-up shoes, prewalkers, baby booties, boots, slippers, high tops and sandals. www.vincentshoestore.us
• Baby Legs Baby Legs leg warmers are great for crawling over all surfaces. www.babylegs.net
• Baby Ears Hats from Karen Alexis. Sweet hats with little ears to keep baby’s heads warm. www.karenalexis.com
• The Stowers Swaddler This unique swaddling baby blanket makes swaddling easy to do and easier to maintain. The blanket’s design is based on techniques used in maternity by nurses, midwives and other professionals. www.uniquenotecards.com
• My Rockstar Baby Is your baby reporting for ACTIVE DOODIE? Then this is the perfect little onesie! www.myrockstarbaby.com
• Tiny Sprouts Show off your little sprout’s style with adorable, personalized onesies embroidered with the words of your choice. www.tinysprouts.com
• Baby Once Baby Once offers stylish apparel and accessories for newborns, infants and babies. For Operation Shower, Baby Once provided an assortment of baby items including blankets, diaper covers, baby legs, baby socks and more. www.babyonce.com

Decor

• Wee Gallery Cheer up baby’s room with three new collections of Wee Gallery animals now available as gallery-wrapped canvas prints. www.weegallery.com
• Kirby Ink Show your support of our soldiers with patriotic artwork from Kirby Ink. www.kirbyink.com

For The Moms & Dads

• Miss Elaine Miss Elaine specializes in fashionable sleepwear, robes and loungewear to suit the lifestyles of today’s woman. Whether it’s cozy robes or comfy pajamas, Miss Elaine’s products are designed with carefree fabrics detailed with feminine lace trim and beautiful embroidery. www.misselaine.com
• Sand Dune Publishing Between You and Me Keepsake Journals for Mom and Dad. Each hardcover, spiral-bound book contains 35 – 45 fun-to-ask and fun-to-answer questions. You get them back with handwritten responses you’ll cherish forever. www.sanddunebooks.com
• TRG Group Soren® has added to an elite collection of totes designed to meet the needs of a wide array of consumers. Soren® totes range from high fashion totes to everyday shopping totes. www.trgcorporate.com
• St. Martin’s Press Army Wives: The Unwritten Code of Military Marriage by Tanya Biank. www.stmartins.com
• Tobi Woods Designs Beautiful and artistic journals, magnets and notecards from Tobi Wood Designs www.tobiwooddesigns.com
• Cornerstork Baby Gifts Cute and practical “About to Hatch” egg timers work fabulously anywhere. The egg-shaped timer twists at the bottom to countdown any interval of time from one minute to 60 minutes. www.cornerstorkbabygifts.com
• Safer Mom Inc Auto safety magnets from Safer Mom alert and remind drivers that there are children on board. www.safermom.com

Books & Multimedia

• Carol Kaplan-Lyss’s Lollipop Tree CDs (a collection of popular American folksongs) and Minnie Macaroni CDs (a homespun collection of simple songs and stories for young children) and cassettes of each. Sold exclusively on-line at Lena’s Notebook: http://notebook.myshopify.com/
• Cedar Valley Publishing Let’s Get Ready for Kindergarten by Stacy Kannenberg www.cedarvalleypublishing.com
  
• Giddio Billy Brown and the Mystery Package CDs www.giddio.com
• Blue Orchid Press Blue Orchid Breastfeeding and Newborn guides for your personal health. www.blueorchidpress.com

Many thanks to these generous companies and to the numerous other companies and individuals who contributed to the Fort Hood shower. If you are interested in donating items to an upcoming Operation Shower event or would like to learn more about Operation Shower, please visit www.operationshower.org

Support The Families of Our Troops Without Leaving the Comfort of Your Home

Imagine being pregnant while your spouse is deployed in Iraq or Afghanistan. Operation Shower is a charity that supports our troops and their families by providing baby showers to moms and moms-to-be whose husbands are deployed overseas defending America’s interests. You can help support Operation Shower’s next shower in Fort Hood, Texas, which will honor 50 new moms and moms-to-be by hosting your own ‘virtual shower’.

A virtual shower is an easy way for you and your friends, family, playgroup, church group, book club and other groups to help our men and women in uniform and their families. To host a shower, simply email friends and family and ask them to make a donation on the Operation Shower website (www.operationshower.org). (To go directly to the donation page, visit www.operationshower.org/contribute/ )

Money raised through virtual showers will buy diapers, clothing, books, toys and other essential items to celebrate the courage our military families.

To watch a video segment of a previous Operation Shower event held in Fort Bragg, North Carolina, visit www.cleverparents.tv/2007/06/04/vidcast-25/

For more information on hosting a virtual shower, contact Kris Jackson at kris@cleverparents.com

ABOUT OPERATION SHOWER: Operation Shower (www.operationshower.org) is a non-profit organization (pending 501(c)(3) status) that recognizes and honors the sacrifices military families make by producing and coordinating baby showers for pregnant and expecting military personnel and their families.

Gifts sent from around the country will arrive at Fort Hood, Texas on Saturday, December 8, 2007 as part of a baby shower for 50 Army moms sponsored by Operation Shower. The initial Operation Shower, held this summer at Fort Bragg, NC for 17 Army moms was such a success that the the co-sponsors of the event, Lena’s Notebook and Clever Parents, formed Operation Shower, a non-profit, to show support for military families. Operation Shower coordinates and supports baby showers nationwide for military moms and the spouses of deployed servicemen. The 1st Medical Brigade at Fort Hood, Texas was selected as the site of the next Operation Shower event to be held on Saturday, December 8, 2007.

Because becoming a parent is challenging, having a spouse deployed or being an active duty solider greatly intensifies that challenge. The mothers include both the spouses of active duty soldiers currently deployed as well as active duty soldiers from the 1st Medical Brigade. Help make Operation Shower: Fort Hood a success.

Individuals and companies interested in contributing to the shower may send donations to:
Lena’s Notebook
Attn: Operation Shower
125 Brighton Way
Clayton, MO 63105

Operation Shower started as a way to recognize and honor the sacrifice that military families make for our country. “The outpouring of support for the initial Operation Shower made us think we were onto to something big. With little publicity we were able to raise more than $10,000 worth of donated gifts for the moms,” said Clever Parents co-founder Kris Jackson.

“And once we saw how much the shower meant to the moms, we knew this was something that we wanted to expand to other bases and branches of the military. We are very excited to bring Operation Shower to Fort Hood,” said co-founder Lena Morrissey.

The shower is hosted by Lena’s Notebook (www.lenasnotebook.com) and Clever Parents (www.cleverparents.com), two websites focused on parents and parenting. For more information about the shower, visit the Operation Shower website at www.operationshower.org

The following generous companies provided toys and books to the families of Operation Shower:

Toys/Books

HABA provided wooden baby toys and tea sets for siblings	Kids Preferred provided asthma-friendly floppy puppies and other stuffed animals and musicals.
Mahar Drygoods provided wonderful board books and journals.	Lena’s Notebook and Clever Parents provided various classic board books.

The following companies provided wonderful products specifically for the moms and moms-to-be at Operation Shower!

Sterling Publishers provided Great Expectations: Your All-In-One Resource for Pregnancy & Childbirth and Great Expectations: Pregnancy Journal and Planner

These companies donated unique and fun items for the home and/or nurseries of the Operation Shower moms:

The following generous companies donated these wonderful baby bath products to Operation Shower: Johnson’s Baby Products (www.johnsonsbaby.com) provided the following items for each mom:

Lovemebabyme (www.lovemebabyme.com) provided the following items in a personalized gift set for each mom: