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. Read the rest »

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”. Read the rest »

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. Read the rest »

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.

In a time when parents are bombarded with toys and baby products on television, videos, in Internet emails and every day life, it is surprising that finding a great, simple toy can be such a challenge. One trip down the aisle of a big box store is enough to send a parent over the plastic, characterized, noisy, battery-operated edge. What’s a Clever Parent to do?

Thankfully, we found an oasis in the sea of Elmo and Dora and it’s all just a click away. From chic cloth diapers, nursing gear and bathtime necessities to playwear, blankets and fabulous Zolo toys, Kushies Baby is our new fave go-to shop for baby toys and accessories. Read the rest »

Is your preschooler showing an interest in the letters of the alphabet? Clever Parents loves 3D Think & Blink Alphabet Flash Cards. Packaged in a reusable cardboard container that fastens with velcro, the pack includes 26 sturdy, brightly colored holographic cards, each one featuring a letter.

On the hologram side of the card, a window alternately displays a letter and an object (i.e. “H” and a picture of a house, “L” and a picture of a lion). By holding the card at a slightly different angle, the letter and the object appear in the foreground or background, respectively. The word describing the object is printed below the hologram. Read the rest »

I have often heard that the heart of the home is the kitchen. Instead, I would like to suggest that the Master Bedroom is the true lifeblood of the home, which is why I found it imperative to start the “Around the House Overhaul” in the master bedroom. So often we focus our attention on the rooms in which everyone else sees, and put our own needs last. When your bedroom is clean and organized, you will sleep, love, and live more fulfilled. In turn you will be healthier and happier, which makes everything more manageable in life. Read the rest »