Parents today recognize the importance of feeding their children healthy nutritious foods. The problem is that the cafeteria has become just another franchise; foods aren’t healthy and well-balanced. Vending machines offer chips, cookies, sodas and a myriad of other junk foods that children shouldn’t be eating. This creates a challenge to parents that many have decided to ignore.

Assuming that it’s a lost cause, some parents have rationalized that the rest of their meals are healthy and nutritious so why worry about what their children are eating for lunch. This is a dangerous misconception considering what is being served in the majority of school cafeterias. Read the rest »

No one wants a child crawling around on dust and grime, so we vacuum carpets and mop kitchen floors.

But what about the contaminants we can’t see, lurking in unexpected places? How do we get rid of these potential irritants and allergens, before they become airborne and we begin to sneeze, cough and wheeze? Read the rest »

Dear Ms. Thomas – I love shoes; just can’t get enough.  I crave them!  The trouble is I can’t organize them.  Do you have any tips?  I’m desperate;  I have a lot of shoes (expensive shoes).  I would like to be able to see them but when I put them out, on display in my closet, they get dusty.  Since my appetite for shoes is not likely to be satisfied anytime soon, do you have any creative organizing ideas? - Elizabeth Read the rest »

“Do I need to lift a lot of weights to get muscle tone?” Angela B.

Most people believe that in order to get muscle definition they need to lift weights. The fact of the matter is you can tone and define your whole body without lifting a single weight.

Just think about those lean, buff military men doing push-ups and pull-ups. If you can lift your own body weight then you definitely have muscles! Read the rest »

Like most parents, sisters Laura and Julie struggled to find a healthy balance between all of their commitments, family and ‘me’ time. Bogged down with the stress of too much to do and not enough time to do it, these two moms with six children between them sought out to simplify their lives.

From their fast-past lives, an idea was born to launch a company focused around products that make life easier for women. Product #1? The Azula, a stylish neoprene mat you place at the edge of the pool so that your bathing suit doesn’t snag when you sit poolside. Read the rest »

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!

Dust is home to dust mites, a pest virtually invisible to the naked eye, and one of the most common causes of allergy and asthma symptoms in the world. Dust mites thrive on our skin scales and body moisture, so they are found in beds, pillows, frequently used cushioned furniture, and even clothing. If your child has allergies or asthma, take steps to minimize the presence of dust mites, as well as other allergens, in your child’s bedroom. Read the rest »