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:

The following companies and performers donated DVDs, CDs and/or Video tapes to the families honored by Operation Shower:

Your Baby Can Read provided DVDs

TWINS !! TWINS !!

Whether they are boys or girls, or one of each, here are a few of the Notebook’s favorite baby shower gifts for the Mom expecting twins:

Skip Hop Duo Double Diaper Bag ($80) — This bag hangs on a side-by-side double stroller with ease. And looks great! Also a great carry on or travel bag. If the parents are using a front and back double stroller, go with the Skip Hop Duo bag ($54). It’s still large enough to carry all the essentials. The Moby Wrap. ($35) These wraps made of t-shirt-like material are soft, comfortable and roomy enough to carry twins (see the twins cradle hold) — a feat worth bragging about.

Graco Twins Pack and Play ($190) — The first pack and play we have seen with twin bassinets. We like it! Hanna Andersson outfits ($57-$59 for outfits above)– The Notebook’s favorite choice for outfits that don’t necessarily match, but look great in pairs. And great quality!

For something a little different this year, here are a few fun and unique artistic gift ideas for the Dad or Husband in your life!

How long has the baby been sleeping? Is it time to pick the kids up from school? How much time before the babysitter arrives? How long before I have to be at work?

Which fashion accessory can help you answer all these questions? A watch, of course! And, if you have to check yours often, as most of us do, how about buying one that makes you smile? Here are some of our favorite casual, fun watches for Fall:

Mock Croc and Plaid:

These watches (ranging from $54 to $75) are all from Pedre . The bright colors and mock croc look are fun and unexpected. We also love this plaid watch as a great way to wear the trend without over-doing it.

Bold and Over-sized :

These watches from TOKYO Bay, ranging from $70 to $100, are great looking and even after late-night feedings or restless nights, these numbers will be easy to read. I have no doubt even a four year old would know these are super-hero cool!

Toys for Grown-ups!

These unisex watches, from Toy Watch, range from $150 to $175. Whether it’s jeans and a sweater or lounge pants and a hoodie, these will look great! The date function is an added bonus — one less thing to remember! So, is it time to go to the Toy store? This time, we say yes!

Don’t forget about the Stegosaurus tee, our original Dino Tee.

My pick this week is from Lena’s Notebook (yes, that’s me).

We are now selling a long-sleeved version of the “Just Tryin’ To Matter Tee.”

I am so excited because ALL PROCEEDS from the sale of this shirt and the short-sleeved version, from now until the end of October, will be donated to the fight against breast cancer, specifically, to The Judy Ride Foundation(www.judyride.org).

We have had great response to the original Just Tryin’ to Matter tee (which is still available at Lena’s Store). Here are a few examples:

• “I received my shirt and I love it! I already wore it today! Thanks so much!” — California
• “I received my t-shirt and I love it. I immediately wore it that evening to grab a quick bite to eat . . . I was too excited to wait. Anyway, the fit is perfect and I love where the sleeves hit my upper arms.” — Texas
• “I love it! Great idea, great phrase, awesome design!” — Iowa
• “A girlfriend of mine just bought one of your ‘just tryin’ to matter’ shirts and LOVES it. Now another friend is going to buy the shirt and thinks she’ll use it as her new birthday present to girlfriend present!” — North Carolina

Buy yours now and support a wonderful cause!

I have a new favorite website – -Mahar Drygoods. When you visit this website, you feel like you are transported — to a wonderful vintage store where you just feel like browsing (and buying) and staying awhile. You forget that you are at home — what every site hopes to achieve. Every time I go here I find myself talking to myself — “oooh, I like this — no, but look at this!” This site Must be shared with all! Here are a few of my favorite finds today (it’s ever-changing) :

The rest of the good news is that Mahar Drygoods has agreed to give Notebook readers FREE SHIPPING on orders of $60 and up, through October 31st, 2006! Simply enter the code “LENA” during checkout!

For a great baby shower gift or for your own baby, I love the Sofia Bean Baby Boutique! Sofia Bean offers soft cotton baby clothes and blankets embroidered with Sofia Bean exclusive animal designs.

One reason I love this site so much is that it focuses on one thing (baby clothes) and does it perfectly. Sofia Bean offers onesies, hats, bibs, pants and blankets which all go together and have adorable designs. They are also very reasonably priced — onesies (long or short-sleeved) are $14 each or $29.99 for 3. Blankets are $20 each. They are high quality, really soft and can be machine-washed and dried.

The other reason I love this site is the adorable gift/storage box in which you can package your gift. I have friends and family having babies all around me, so I ordered one of the gift boxes recently to see if they were as cute as they looked on-line. Well, it was better! This was the cutest gift presentation I have seen in a long time!

It comes with a red ribbon tied through the handles and is just so adorable! I was really excited to open the box, and it wasn’t even for me! I am also a terrible present-wrapper, so I love this! For $50, you can get a gift box, a onesie, pants, a blanket, a bib (or hat), and 10 newborn diapers. For $100, you can get 2 of everything! You can also build your own box with whatever combinations you choose. Love it!

Now through December 31, 2006, use code CP15 at check-out for 15% off one order from Sofia Bean!!!

My husband is an artist and loves color! I, on the other hand, have needed to be convinced. After 11 years of marriage (as of today, thank you very much), I am coming around to his way of seeing things. For instance, I love these three, very different, very colorful, very fun seating options:

The Fat Boy Original — comes in every color imaginable and is a great basement option. We recently bought this before we had family stay with us and it was a huge hit with the kids and adults alike! Great for sitting on, laying on or jumping on! Check out all the ways to use it at Design Public or Zac and Zoe ($229 and free shipping).

Pier One Directors Rocking Chairs (on sale for $49.48). If you’re looking for a fun outdoor chair, that you can fold up and put away at leisure, I love this option! This Pier 1 exclusive is expressly for outdoor use and comes in three fun colors: violet, blue or green.

Anthropologie Bellis Perennis Chairs ($198)– These chairs from Anthropologie make me smile. With colorful lawn daisies scattered all over, they are simply charming. I think they would be great as an extra chair in an office or guest bedroom or as a mismatched set at a small breakfast table. Who wouldn’t want to sit here first thing in the morning?

So, if you’ve always been a little afraid of color like me, I say don’t wait any longer! When was the last time beige made you smile?

The Dino-Tee: It is designed by a child, with the finishing touches put on by his father, and offered for sale on Mom’s website with proceeds going to charity — A Clever Family? We certainly think the Morrissey’s are.

Mom, Lena, and Dad, Ed, always wanted to do something to give back for all the blessings they’ve received in life. This feeling intensified when their son, Keilan, was born. After mulling over options, Ed came up with an idea that allowed the whole family to contribute: The Dino-Tee.

The Dino-Tee traces its roots to Keilan’s love of drawing and facsination with dinosaurs. Most little boys love dinosaurs, but Kelian Morrissey really loves dinosaurs. Keilan has always loved to draw dinosaurs and has produced many masterpieces. So Ed came up with the idea of producing a tee-shirt based on one of Keilan’s drawings and then donating the net proceeds to charity.

The Morrissey’s selected one of Keilan’s stegosaurus drawings (which he designed for his birthday cards) and, with a little coloring from dad, the Dino Tee was born. To give back the Morrissey’s are donating all net proceeds to children’s books and programs at various libraries–this also ties in with Keilan’s love for reading. Lena says to look out for new dino-tees coming soon, including a ‘long-neck’ dinosaur that Keilan is working on. Clever Parents can hardly wait for more Keilan originals.

To purchase the Dino Tee, check out Lena’s website, www.lenasnotebook.com. Shirts are available in sizes 4,6, and 8 for $18.00

I loved Reese Witherspoon’s comment in her Oscar acceptance speech that, like June Carter Cash, she was “just trying to matter.” When she said this, I honestly felt something inside me say, “Yes! That’s it!” To matter — that’s what I am trying to do.

For a long time, I have been grappling with what I should be doing with my life and whether staying home with Keilan is “enough” or if there is something I am supposed to be doing that I am simply missing. I think it has been my greatest fear that there is a plan for me and I am just completely missing it.

Since my grandfather died, this struggle has become a little less for me. As I reflected on his life and what he meant to so many, I realized that although he didn’t go out and change the world or do “big things” that the world would notice, he touched so many lives by smiling, laughing and caring for everyone with whom he came in contact. He was important to others. His life had influence on others. His life mattered in every sense of the word — to his family, his friends and his community. Grandpa knew this was what was important. My Mom gets it too, I can tell. And now, so do I.

So, I am going to try to stop searching for the “grand plan” and and try simply “to matter” to those I love.

Definition of matter: affect, be important, be substantive, carry weight, . . . have influence . . . mean something . . . value. (see thesaurus.reference.com).

I’ve decided to do something I have never done before — sell a t-shirt of my own design! Here it is:

I’m doing this for a number of reasons:

1. I wanted a t-shirt that said “just tryin’ to matter” , so I decided to make one. The creation of the tee shirt is in honor of my Grandpa.
2. I decided that if I would like this shirt, maybe others would as well.
3. I want to do something that “matters” with the profit from any t-shirt I sell. I have decided to start by donating all the profits from the sale of each shirt to the American Cancer Society.
4. And finally, I think the tee shirts are great! They are the Classic Girl American Apparel tees which are my favorite. So, they are great quality and a great fit.

If you would like to buy a t-shirt — I am selling them for $20. Just Click here to purchase.

I hope you like the shirts as much as I do!

My shoe closet needs help! I have apparently gone a little overboard in my purchase of flip-flops this season. I have now realized they must have eaten all my other cute summer shoes. Seriously, I have none! . . . Never fear. I will rebuild!

I think that the perfect place to begin (re)building a summer shoe closet is with ballet flats or skimmers. These shoes are perfect for every mom or any busy woman. They don’t have laces (slip-on and go); no pedicure is needed; and the same shoe can often be worn with dressy or casual outfits — the same cannot be said for flip-flops.

Just so we’re clear: Shop Etc. Magazine (April 2006) states that a skimmer is not a ballet flat because of the very low-cut front (”toe-cleavage?”) and the extra shallow sides which literally skim your foot. Despite this difference, I will group these two shoes together — I have never been one to discriminate based on cleavage. I’ll leave that to others.
What do I need?

If you have these ballet flats/skimmers, you will be ready for anything:

• 1 neutral or versatile pair to wear with skirts, dresses, dress pants and jeans;
• 1 pair to wear with more casual outfits instead of tennis shoes or flip-flops;

After getting these two great pairs, and if you have a little extra to spend, get:

• 1 fun pair to spice up a basic outfit like jeans and a white button-up shirt.

Neutral, Versatile Pair to go with Skirts, Dresses and Jeans etc.

First, review what you have in your closet and determine what color would go with most of your outfits and get that color first. You could go with a tan, brown, muted gold, silver or even something like pale pink depending on what you usually wear:

One of the best places to look for ballet shoes is London Sole. It is seriously dedicated to ballet flats and skimmers. This “platine” ballet flat is from London Sole and is gorgeous ($135)! It goes with just about anything, and adds a little sophistication to any outfit even if it’s jeans and a tee. There are many more possibilities at London Sole, so be sure to check here before deciding.

Other possibilities include something like the Lara Straw Ballet Flats from J Crew (on sale for $79.99) (below right).

These are a nice mix of casual (the straw look) and dressy (gold) all in one shoe. These would go with most summer dresses, skirts and pants. A solid staple.

These classic Nicole “dazed” ballet flats in lemon ($59) (below) are obviously versatile and are a little more casual with the “flexible rubber bottom”, which might make long days a little less noticeable.

Sometimes a basic brown is the best route to go. If it is for you, consider these brown linen Seychelles from Shoes.com ($64.99) or Urban Outfitter’s “Pretty Little Ballet flats” (at $20, they’re worth giving a try).

To Wear with Lounge Pants (i.e. sweats), cargo pants, jeans, capri pants or shorts

Even though casual is great, sometimes flip-flops just won’t do and we need something a little cuter with a little more coverage. Here are my favorites for wearing with lounge pants, shorts, capris or cargo pants:

These ballet-inspired Lacoste Charm 2 Flats ($110) are super cute and would look great with shorts or pants and a casual tee or polo style shirt.

My favorites, though, are from Cole Haan. They are neutral, stylish and would go with all my casual outfits. They are the Cole Haan Air Beau Mary Jane (below right) ($155) These shoes also come in dark chocolate (to die for) and black. They are technically Mary Janes, and not ballet flats, but I am counting them as “ballet-inspired”. (These are the skimmers, which I also like).

I also think these Cole Haan Bergen ballet flats ($155) in a great “soft” silver could be very versatile. How cute would these be with some lounge pants or jeans and a tee or tank?

If you don’t want to spend this much on the most casual version of your ballet flats, there are a number of options, like these Nicole Mystery shoes ($59); these Ked skimmers (below in floral) (on sale for $24.95), or the, very ballet, Dr. Scholl’s Women’s Overboard ($37.99). Finally, if you want to go a little nautical this summer, the Sperry Top-sider skimmer (below in black, but also in navy with red and white ties)($49.95) is a classic option. All of these would look especially great with shorts or capris and tees, tanks or polos.

Here are some options for the fun choice (no practicality necessary):

These Betsey Johnson ballet dress flats (left) ($153.95) from Zappos are so fun! These are the ones that make me smile.

London Sole has a collection of shoes just meant to be the “fun” shoes in your closet, as is apparent from their picture below. I love their animal stripe prints.

Finally, if you are searching for your youth, perhaps these Marc Jacobs “jellies” ($95) might make you smile.

Good luck with your shoe closet. I would love to hear from you if you buy any ballet flats soon!

I received many great gifts for my recent birthday (no matter how old I get, I still love gifts), and I wanted to share with you a few things which have already become favorites — meaning I wore it 3 days in a row after receiving, or am not ever going to wash it for fear of messing up the perfect fit. I won’t tell you which items fall under which category, but here are my new favorites:

1. Graphic Pocket Tee from the Gap. This tee (which I received in pink) says “Summer of Love Music Festival” and takes me back to the days . . . Who am I kidding ? I was never a music festival kind of gal, but I play “pretend” all day with my four-year old, so why stop now ? This tee shirt fits great and is a little longer the tummy which I think has a slimming effect (Let me think this, ok?). Anyway, I love it!
2. Urban Outfitters has a line of t-shirts featuring Dr. Seuss quotes and art from his books. My husband and son gave me the “Horton Hears a Who” t-shirt (below) which says “A person’s a person no matter how small.” I have always loved to read this book with my son and I loved it when I was young (maybe because I was always small). My son and I have even pretended to hear “Whos” on clovers that we find. The shirt fits great — it’s fitted, thin and long in front. It makes me smile, has a great message and my son loves it when I wear it!
3. Lei dress from Anthropologie. I love, love, love this dress! It doesn’t tell you on the website, but it has side pockets! So, cute! It has a high waist so it helps with the hip area, but the pockets help it not be too puffy. It has a cute lining on the inside and elastic in the back which really helps the fit at the top. After discussing with my sister (the giver of said beautiful item), we agreed it can be worn in a casual everyday kind of way, or strolling on the beach (I’m pretending again), or dressed up for fancier affairs. I love it, and yes, I might marry it (that’s for you, Keilan). If for some bizzare reason this dress isn’t your style, check out the rest of Anthropologie’s great selection of dresses!
4. Apron from Anthropolgie — My husband jokingly commented that I have set the woman’s movement back 50 years by wearing my cute new apron. But, I think he was just upset that my son now wants an apron when he cooks at his play kitchen and store. This apron is so cute and very reasonably priced ($18). They look like they cost a lot more and if I am going to continue to try this cooking thing, I may as well look cute doing it!