“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) Read the rest »

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’. Read the rest »

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. Read the rest »

Meet Jordana Holovach, mother of Jacob and founder of Jacob’s Cure, an organization dedicated to finding a cure for Canavan Disease, a devastating genetic brain disorder. Learn about the disease and find out how you can help. Plus, is your baby a conservation baby?

Watch Vidcast #34 on Clever Parents TV. Read the rest »

Canavan Disease is a devastating genetic brain disorder that prevents myelin, also know as white matter, from forming in the brain. Children stricken with Canavan’s disease are essentially trapped in their bodies, unable to lift their heads or move, they typically lose their eyesight and are unable to fight off illness. Most die within their first decade of life.

Hopeless cause you say? Not even remotely if the Jacob’s Cure foundation has anything to do about it. Founded by Jordana Holovach and named for her son, Jacob, the foundation works to support federal and private funding for research as well as raising awareness about the disease. Read the rest »

Planning a baby shower and hoping to steer clear of cheesy games? Pick up a deck of BabySmarts for a fun new twist on old baby shower games. Players choose from 60 question and answer cards and test their knowledge of all things baby. Approximately what percent of births in the US are twins? True or False: Your feet grow during pregnancy. Which of these popular adult foods originated as “health food” for infants: A. Malted milk B. Rice pudding C. Yogurt D. Cream of Wheat? Read the rest »

It’s too good to toss, but you don’t use it. It once served a purpose, but that time is over. This clutter is out of control, yet you are too practical and frugal to just through it all in a big dumpster. So what do you do with all the clutter? There are quite a few different avenues that you can investigate, and any one of them, or a combination of all, may work best for your needs. Here are just a few suggestions:

Yard Sale

A great fun way to get rid of the clutter, and get your family involved, is by having a yard sale. Ask around to see if your community does a group yard sale, or if other neighbors would like to have one as well. The bigger the yard sale, the more interest you will get from passerby motorists, and you will be able to split the advertisement costs with the others involved. Read the rest »