Something this mom doesn't like

There are very few companies that I absolutely boycott. There's only one I boycott for a rational reason, and not just because they got my orde wrong when I was having a bad day or they were out of the DVD I wanted to watch when I went in to rent it.

I was recently pitched by Nestle and they happen to be like the ONE company that I just absolutely try to avoid like "the plague". I'm not sure which plague "they" meant when that figure of speech was coined...maybe the black plague?

Oh it was the best...the bright spot in my day to hear my husband chuckle when I told him I was pitched by Nestle. He knows that I will pitch a bottle of Deer Park water or walk briskly by Kiehl's or The Body Shop, which I used to love so much because they are under that Nestle umbrella. It doesn't bring me joy, I can say that!

The fact that they blatantly violate the World Health Organization's (WHO) International Code of Marketing of Breastmilk Substitutes. Is what doesn't sit well with me. WHO is a credible, reliable organization and their goal is to protect babies. And mothers, by the way. UNICEF is another reputable organization and they are right on board with the WHO's stance on the ethical marketing of artificial baby milks.

I don't understand if a company feels confident that they are offering a reliable, necessary product, why they feel the need to market so aggressively, and many times to mothers who don't even have the money to justify the effort it took to market to them in the first place.

Why do I boycott Nestle? Well, here's a snippet of information from Baby Milk Action:

Nestlé is targeted with the boycott because monitoring conducted by the International Baby Food Action Network (IBFAN) finds it to be responsible for more violations of the World Health Assembly marketing requirements for baby foods than any other company (see the codewatch section for profiles of the different companies to target their malpractice).

As UNICEF has said:

"Marketing practices that undermine breastfeeding are potentially hazardous wherever they are pursued: in the developing world, WHO estimates that some 1.5 million children die each year because they are not adequately breastfed. These facts are not in dispute."

I do not Boycott Nestle as a judgement against artificial baby milks or the mothers who feed them to their babies. I Boycott Nestle because they market artificial baby milks in so-called "third world countries" where clean water and proper sanitation for bottles and accessories isn't always readily accessible. By the time mothers realize that they are OUT of the formula that was pushed on them and can't afford more or even know where to get more, they also find that their breasts have emptied of milk and they now have no nutritious or safe way to feed their babies. THAT is my biggest issue. It's not EVEN that they make baby formula, it's the sneaky tactics they use to get mothers to use it, particularly mothers who aren't making informed choices, but feel pressured by these "experts" to feed their babies the "right" thing.

If you want to get involved or just to find out more about the Nestle Boycott, please visit the One Million Campain website and IBFAN The International Baby Food Action Network.

AND...if you are a "Mommy Blogger" who wants to take a stand and remind Nestle that Mommy Blogs are one of the best sources of advertisement, information and influence and one Mommy's word of mouth is worth a hundred ad spots, take the Mommy Bloggers Say No To Nestle button in the right column and put it on your site, share it with your fellow Mommy Bloggers!

Babylegs/Bummas LIVE Giveaway!

WINNER! The winner of our live giveaway is Beautiful! CONGRATULATIONS!!
Keep following!

This is my first live giveaway! I am going to be drawing from all comments between 6:00pm EST and 9:00pm EST! That's THREE HOURS of unlimited entries!

I'm giving away THIS pair of Baby Legs
the Original Leg and Arm Warmers for Babies and Adults -One Size fits most! ($12)

AND a 10-pack of Bummas 100% Cotton Cloth Wipes in the "Wild Ones" color assortment!
Bummas are made of woven velour terry cloth and are a generous 5"x7" when open. They're also machine-washable, which you know is a BIGGIE for me and I can tell you from personal experience that these are very, very absorbent. They retail for $16.99/pack and I can tell that they'll last a loooong time! Oh...and when I washed and dried them, they didn't shrink or pill, which makes me a very happy mama!!

Rules: You must first enter AT LEAST ONE of my other giveaways and comment here which one you entered. After that, you can comment as much as like as long as you post in complete sentences and post something relevant to this product, my website or Things Moms Like. Keep it clean!

I'll be drawing from the comments using Random.org

Tastes like pizza

My son is 6 and has a lot of anxiety about strangers, doctors, dentists, etc. The dentist gave us Valium and said that he should take it an hour before his appointment and that he couldn't eat after midnight last night. His appointment was at the unholy hour of 7:30 am, about 30 minutes from our house. It's a hike, but this is the first dentist that doesn't act irritated that he's nervous, and believe me folks, we've been to several pediatric dentists! My 13-year-old daughter had to go with me because they say that a "responsible adult" should come with me to monitor him in the car afterwards and, well, she's the closest thing I have to that on a Tuesday morning with my husband scheduled in meetings at work all day. She brought a book.

So he took his medicine and went back to sleep. We got into the car and he woke up to watch a DVD, but was back to sleep about halfway there. When I got him out of the car at the dentist's office, he kept trying to get down...and believe me, he's heavy. I got him into the office and he insisted on standing on his own, but almost immediately begane to sway back and forth and had to take a step back to balance himself. I put him into a chair and tried to take off his jacket. He swatted at my hands and told me no. I asked him if he had to go to the bathroom...no. When they called us to go back, he would NOT let me help him. He wouldn't let me hold his hand, pick him up or even lightly touch his arm to guide him. I had to just lean down and put my arms around him without touching him so that he didn't knock his head on any corners or bump into the equipment in the room. He got into the chair and he looked cold and shivery, but he wouldn't let me put his blanket on.

They got him settled in the chair and I had a hard time leaving the room, although I could see it in their glances at each other that it was time for me to make my exit.

I went into the waiting room and waited. I read the most recent copy of Mom Writers Literary Magazine while my daughter shared with me what she was reading in Newsweek.

After what seemed like forever, the assistant came out with my child and he seemed much more alert than before he went in. He did have funny indentations in his skin around his nose and on his cheeks where he says that they put the "astronaut nose", which probably had him feeling really good through the whole thing. I tried to walk him out to the van and he began to run. I asked if he was tired and he said no...just slow. I feel slow when I run.

I drove my daughter back to school and my son wanted to get something to eat. OF COURSE since he hadn't eaten since before bedtime last night, I was willing to give him anything. In fact, they told me at the dentist's office that he should eat soon to help the Valium wear off more quickly. I knew his mouth was still a little bit numb, but I didn't think twice when he told me he wanted pizza from Sheetz.

He also got an icee to go with that pizza because that's the degree of mommy guilt I was feeling at that moment. Oh...did I mention the donut? I meant to.

We got home and he started to eat his pizza as I scurried around to write a check for the guy who mows our lawn who, of course, pulled up to the house at the same time as we did.

I finally sat down next to my child and he says "Mom, I keep biting my lip because I think it's pizza", and I look at him and realize that he has a mixture of pizza sauce and blood around his lip. Sigh. He had chewed up his lip. I should have made him wait until I could cut it into small pieces, but again, I was trying to do several things at once and forgot that he probably wasn't capable of biting into pizza and missing his giant-feeling lip.

So he's playing Lego Batman and I am wondering when the "numb" will wear off and he'll realize that his lip really, really hurts. I gave him some anticipatory ibuprofen and now we wait. Oh and there's a bag of ice on the floor because he can't hold the Wii remote and the bag of ice on his lip at the same time.

Little Jewel Sterling Silver Mommy Pendants Giveaway

The most precious things in my life are my children and when I am not with them, I am thinking of them. Because being a mother is one of the things I am most proud of, I really love "mommy jewelry" like these Girl and Boy Pendants (BELOW) from Little Jewel, purveyor of fine mother and child jewelry. They are sterling silver, which is my personal favorite, and you can get either the boy or the girl...or both. I like that they can be layered, so they look good alone or if you have more than one, they really look cool together!

These Sterling Silver Pendants are 11.5mm x 16mm and retail for $49.00 each.

ThingsMomsLike and Little Jewel are giving away TWO pendants (boy/girl or two of either).

Initial Entry: Visit the Little Jewel website and come back here to tell me what OTHER items you would love to have from their collections.

BONUS ENTRIES (only after initial entry has been completed)

1 Entry if you Follow Little Jewel on Twitter

1 Entry if you Follow ThingsMomsLike on Twitter and TWEET about this giveaway! You can Tweet this giveaway for an extra entry ONCE DAILY

3 Entries if you subscribe to Little Jewel's email list (bottom of left column on their website)

1 Entry if you add my button or have my button (right column) on your blog or website

1 Entry if you follow ThingsMomsLike on Google (right column "followers" box)

10 Extra entries if you purchase something from Little Jewel today!


Please be sure that you create a separate blog comment for each of the above entries or they won't count!

Giveaway ends May 30th.

Ah Goo Baby "The Plush Pad" Review & Giveaway

Ah Goo Baby sent me the most gorgeous diaper changing pad! The Plush Pad IS very plush, luxurious and really cute! I received the pattern shown in these photos, which is the "Spa" print. I like that it rolls up like a blanket for on-the-go, but has a memory foam cushion in it, which contours to your baby's curves and relieves pressure points. How COMFY is that?

The Plush Pad measures 2 feet by 2 feet when open and rolls to 3 inches by 10 inches when rolled so that it will fit in your diaper bag! The Plush Pad is machine washable which, in my world, is really important! If I can't throw it in the washer, I can't deal with it! All you do is remove the memory foam liner and throw it in the laundry! Ah Goo Baby uses boutique fabrics and the best quality materials to give babies everywhere the best!

This changing pad is both functional and very, very stylish!

Ah Goo Baby was founded in 2005 by Karen and George Telegadis, proud parents of Grace and Sophia. The Plush Pad has become wildly popular and has received buzz from their celebrity fans such as Jessica Alba, Naomi Watts, Elizabeth Hasselbeck, Patrick & Jillian Dempsey, Amanda Peet, Marcia Cross and Rebecca Romijn, just to name a FEW! The Plush Pad has been featured in InStyle Magazine, People Magazine, babytalk Magazine, Grand Magazine and Pregnancy and Newborn Magazine and featured on Daily Candy, Baby Wears Prada, and Things Moms Like!

The Plush Pad currently retails between $29.95 - $47.

You can win The Plush Pad in your choice of fabrics here at ThingsMomsLike!

To enter the Ah-Goo Baby Plush Pad Giveaway, simply visit Ah Goo Baby's website and click on "Gallery" to see all of their designs and come back here to tell me which one you like best BESIDES the featured "Spa" design.

Bonus Entries:

1 Entry if you Follow Ah Goo Baby Twitter

1 Entry if you Follow ThingsMomsLike on Twitter and TWEET about this giveaway! You can Tweet this giveaway for an extra entry ONCE DAILY

1 Entry if you add my button or have my button (right column) on your blog or website

1 Entry if you follow ThingsMomsLike on Google (right column "followers" box)

10 Extra entries if you purchase The Plush Pad for yourself or someone else today!

Giveaway ends at 11:59pm on June 1st

Relish! 1 Yr of Meal Planning Giveaway!

FREE YOURSELF FROM THE DINNER TRAP!

As a wife and mother of two, I find it difficult to come up with something new and exciting to make for dinner every night. We get into a rut where I am making the same few things over and over and by the end of the week, I am simply opening up a can of something or microwaving something frozen because I didn't get everything I needed at the grocery store to make one full meal. I was really excited to find a website that will help me come up with creative meal ideas AND create a shopping list for me so I know that I'll have everything I need to make them. They even include nutritional values for all meals!

Relish! is a meal planning service that was created by Ann Bender and Karen Hutcherson, two busy Colorado Moms who found themselves in the "dinner trap". We ALLLLL know the dinner trap!

Relish! helps take angst out of what to make for dinner. All you do is log into your account, choose from 15 different meals, and their system creates a grocery list for you based on the meals that you've selected. That's IT! Eating in has never been so easy! Relish! also says that if you stick to your list, you will save money as five meals and sides cost under $95 per week. I am betting that you probably even have a lot of the items that you need in your pantry, but don't know what to do with those odds and ends, so you'll probably save even more than you think! I love that you can select how many people you want to serve (2, 4, 6 or 8) and Relish! plans your recipe and grocery list accordingly.
Not only is eating dinner at home more economical, but a CASA (National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse) study at Colombia University found that teens who eat regular family dinners are less likely to smoke, drink or use drugs and they are more likely to perform better in school. CASA’s 2006 report “The Importance of Family Dinners III” found that compared to kids who have fewer than three family dinners per week, children and teens who have frequent family dinners are:

• 70 percent lower risk for substance abuse
• One third less likely to try alcohol
• Half as likely to try cigarettes or marijuana

I have a teenage daughter and these findings don't surprise me much because most of our meaningful conversations happen over a meal. Get back to the family dinner table! Your kids will thank you!

With the hot, humid days of summer coming up, I know that I will get lazy about cooking and be tempted just to order out, but included in your subscription are "Freezer Menus", which let's you cook in bulk and freeze meals so that you ALWAYS have a homemade meal that you can heat up for dinner, even when you're too busy to cook. Relish! offers seasonal features, too, like the Mother's Day menus that they have up. Relish! will help you plan meals for dinner parties, potlucks, Holiday meals, themed parties such as Super Bowl, Tiki, 4th of July, Teen and a lot more!

Would your family eat Italian Pot Roast? Pizza Chicken? Slow-cooker Country-style Ribs? What about Chocolate Valencia Pie? MINE WOULD!

SEE A SAMPLE RELISH! MENU HERE
SEE A SAMPLE RELISH! SHOPPING LIST HERE

What's even better is that Relish! has included Healthy Lunches, Hors D'ouerves, Desserts and even "Dinner and a Movie", which is where they select a family movie and "campy" food to go with it. I'll give you an example of how FUN the "Dinner and a Movie" is. They have tons of movies listed, but I clicked on "Twilight" and the suggested menu was:

Drac Attack Pomegranate IZZE / Vampire Kiss Martini
Garden Burger
Forks Famous French Fries
Garlicky Spinach Salad
Berry “Bella” Cobbler

Not only did they create a fun menu, but they provided recipes and a shopping list to go along with it. I know that I am going to be the coolest mom on the block using this really cool feature that comes with my Relish! subscription!

GLUTEN-FREE? They even have a gluten-free menu service!!

If you are STILL trying to decide what to buy for a special mom in your life, you can gift her with a Relish! subscription now! It's not too late! I just bought one for my best friend!

A Relish! subscription is $58.80 for one year, but they're offering a FREE 12-month subscription to a lucky ThingsMomsLike reader!

To enter the Relish! 12-Month Subscription Giveaway, simply visit their SAMPLE RELISH! MENU HERE and come back and comment on which meal you think your family would like the most!

Bonus Entries:

1 Entry if you Follow Relish! on Twitter

1 Entry if you Follow ThingsMomsLike on Twitter and TWEET about this giveaway! You can Tweet this giveaway for an extra entry ONCE DAILY

1 Entry if you add my button or have my button (right column) on your blog or website

1 Entry if you follow ThingsMomsLike on Google (right column "followers" box)

10 Extra entries if you purchase a subscription for yourself or someone else. Just leave a comment listing which email address you purchased it with!

Giveaway ends 11:59pm May 31st.

Recent Giveaway Winners!

Sinupret For Kids Giveaway - Jenna McCarthy, Stefanie, Hartman, Z. Smith, Courtney
Bride Wars DVD/PaperShouts $25 Gift Certificate - Samantha Aluse
By The Book Kids - Jo Burzyki
I'd Tell You I Love You, But I'd Have to Kill You - Kathy Pease
Trader Joe's $20 Gift Card - Carol Ziuba
Morgan's Photo Art - Rachel Riska

Congratulations to these ladies!
I have emailed all of you to get your information!