Momathon Blog

Rachael Ray Still My Fave Despite Rant by Conservative Bloggers

A cheery Dunkin' Donuts ad with pink cherry blossoms and perky Rachael Ray wearing a black-and-white-fringed scarf and holding an iced coffee was pulled after the conservative blog Little Green Footballs claimed that Rachael's scarf is a keffiyeh, a traditional headdress worn by Arab men. I am still trying to figure out just why her accessory would be enough to suggest she is a terrorist sympathesizer. According to the NYTimes.com, conservative blogger Michelle Malkin joined the protest and called the scarf "jihadi chic."

At first Dunkin' ignored the blog comments, but the rightwing conservative rant grew so noisy that they decided to pull the ad. This didn't end the controversy. In fact, this is another example of how critics who fuel online disputes make the original story even bigger. 

According to an The Associated Press interview with Amahl Bishara, an anthropology lecturer at the University of Chicago who specializes in media matters relating to the Middle East, "I think that a right-wing blogger making an association between a kaffiyeh and terrorism is just an example of how so much of the complexity of Arab culture has been reduced to a very narrow vision of the Arab world on the part of some people in the U.S. Kaffiyehs are worn every day on the street by Palestinians and other people in the Middle East — by people going to work, going to school, taking care of their families, and just trying to keep warm."

Although obviously a fringed scarf similar to the one Rachael wore can represent a political statement to some people, but to many others it is also just a fringed scarf and not a terrorist uniform. Is it possible the conservative bloggers misunderstood Rachael's accessory selection? Should women consult a stylist before they leave the house? Ooops. I am guessing the accessory of the day was selected by a professional stylist.

Do the Ray-Ban sunglasses I wear because they remind me of Tom Cruise and his movie Risky Business also suggest to my pastor that I might be closet Scientologist? Getting dressed in the morning was hard enough before this controversy. Should I care more about the fact that my outfit might be a "Glamour Don't" or that it might be misinterpreted as a religious/political statement? 

 

America's five friendliest cities

When I travel if I end up making new friends in a new city, then I know I will return. It's the friendly factor. Of course, I always appreciate the helpful staff at the restaurants or hotels, but sometimes it is the simple things that make the difference: polite drivers and pedestrian friendly streets; family friendly parks; and strangers who don't mind telling you how to find the nearest Starbucks. (If you have little ones needing a bathroom break, this helpfulness can be a deal breaker.) Real estate guru Barbara Corcoran offers her top picks for the friendliest cities on MSNBC.com.

Corcoran's picks for the 5 friendliest cities in America:

• San Antonio, Texas

• Denver, Colorado

• Davis, California

• Nashville, Tennessee

• Madison, Wisconsin 

How does your baby grow? Parents (and pediatricians) obsessing over percentiles

Several years ago when my son was just 6 months old, his doctor at the time was concerned about his low weight. I was breastfeeding him and his weight had been fine according to the pediatric charts for six months, but then it began slipping, ever so slightly. This tiny change put our family practice doc into a tizzy...Well, not exactly a tizzy, but he did make a drastic recommendation: He told me to stop breastfeeding because my son was diagnosed as failure to thrive.

Now it all seems like a small blip on my son's development, but at the time I was shocked that breastfeeding was not keeping my son's weight up. Turns out this phenomenon is not that uncommon for breastfed babies because they have a different growth curve than formula-fed babies according to Jeanne Sager at Babble.com. The percentile charts pediatricians use in the US are not perfect, and this is a problem when formula fed babies and breastfed babies in the US are compared using the same chart. At around 6 to 9 months breastfed babies tend to become quite lean.

So why do pediatricians continue to rely on the CDC percentile grwoth charts which do not compile data on breastfed babies? There are plenty of reasons they should not. According to Jeanne Sager's blog on Babble.com: "Instead of looking to the percentiles, we should consider a new kind of chart, says the WHO. By their metrics, we would judge children's progress in comparison not to each other, but to a fixed ideal. Advocates of the WHO model say that data developed in a study of children given the very best care and raised in the very best circumstances provides a standard less arbitrary than a percentile based on the growth of random children who may or may not be healthy."

The growth charts used in the US don't tell the whole story. Unfortunately it's easy for parents to become hyper focused on the numbers and ignore their child's development over time. I still remember hearing moms at playgroup proudly proclaiming that their big babies are off the charts. I've noticed that several of these big babes grew into "average" size kids now and I'm wondering if their moms are disappointed.

My son is not the smallest nor the biggest in his class now. When his doctor told me to stop breastfeeding at six months, I decided to contact a lactation consultant and a dietician and then opted to supplement his feedings with formula. I think he turned out just fine. 

Tips for Finding Safer Plastic Water Bottles and Baby Bottles

Recently the effects of BPA found in polycarbonate plastics like water bottles and baby bottles has been in the news because this harmful chemical can leach into the water. BPA, a hormone-mimicking chemical, is an endocrine disruptor. Finding safe water bottles and baby bottles for your children is a growing concern. With so many choices in in the stores, how do you know which bottles are safest? 

BPA is everywhere, but the greatest exposure is through food and drink since it is most readily absorbed through food and drink containers. The dangers of BPA on children and fetuses are higher since they may be able to absorb more of the chemical than adults. 

Chances are if you are using a reusable clear, hard plastic bottle with the recycling #7 on it, then it includes BPA. More BPA can potentially leach into liquids in polycarbonate plastics if you add boiling water when making formula or use high temperatures for cleaning bottles because this may “damage” the bottle.

The recycling code can be helpful to identify bottle safety, but it isn't foolproof because it is a code for recycling and it does not identify the BPA. You can check the packaging on newer bottles for a BPA-free label. You can also call the manufacturer to find out the plastic used in a particular plastic bottle.

Tips for finding safer bottles:

• #1 plastic bottles like the ones you buy with water in them at the grocery store are fine for one-time use according to the FDA. Do not reuse them or add hot/boiling water to them because this can damage the bottle and cause BPA to leach into the liquids inside.
• BPA-free plastic bottles include #2 HDPE (high density polyethylene) and #5 PP (polypropylene).
• Plastic reusable bottles with a number 3, 6, or 7 are potentially unsafe because they can release BPA.  
• Just to make it confusing, not all plastic bottles with the #7 on it are unsafe. The #7 clear, hard plastic Nalgene reusable bottle is made from polycarbonate contains BPA, but the new corn-based, compostable plastic dinner plates and cups are also labeled #7 are safe according to National Geographic: The Green Guide

BPA-free baby bottles

Here are a few links for BPA-free baby bottles: 

• BornFree Bottles made of a BPA-free plastic (Whole Foods).
• Foogo Cup from Thermos (Target) 
• The Safe Sippy™ from Kid Basix
• Evenflo glass bottles from (Target)
• TheSoftLanding.com features a variety of non-toxic baby feeding gear
• As concerns over BPA increase several US companies have announced they will phase out plastic bottles and baby bottles with BPA. Wal-Mart and and Toys ‘R” Us will phase out baby bottles with BPA.  

Family Activities: Games for Toddlers and Young Kids

One of the best parts of motherhood is getting to play your favorite childhood games all over again. But if you are like me, you may have forgotten exactly how to play hopscotch, red light, green light, or the freeze dance. The clever editors at FamilyFun and Wondertime have compiled a resource for how to play dozens of games and activities for toddlers (and older kids too). Now that the weather is warming up and kids love to be outside, I especially love the Wondertime article on games to play outdoors like Shark (imagine a playful game of tag using hula hoops). The editors at Wondertime even included Wading Pool Games that are fun and even educational.

Sample game...perfect for a family get-together

Got a family reunion coming up? They editors at Wondertime also included games to play at family get-togethers. Meet Your Match is good warm-up game that helps kids get to know each other. All you need is pictures of matching items (like fork and spoon). Wondertime even provides cute images you can download and print. Talk about no fuss. Before you start playing the game, first the kids take turns taping pictures on each other's backs without letting the person know the image on their back. To play the kids mingle and ask each other questions about the picture on their back. Make sure the kids don't tell each other the name of the image. When the kids figure out what is on their backs, then they try to find their match. For more detailed instructions read about Meet Your Match on Wondertime.

Have fun.

Teen Sex Happens: New Study Debunks Myths about Teen Sex

For years experts have told us that teens are avoiding sexual intercourse and instead engaging in oral sex. The idea that "technical virginity" is on the increase is a myth. A new study, by the Guttmacher Institute, a non-profit that studies reproductive and sexual health, found that teens do not have oral sex to preserve virginity. The study researched the sexual practices of 2,271 15- to 19-year-olds. According to an inerview in USA Today,
Laura Lindberg, the study's lead author, says the study "does not suggest that teens are hooking up around oral sex with lots of partners."

The question still remains whether or not teens tried oral sex before they engaged in sexual intercourse.

"Sexually experienced teens were almost four times more likely to engage in oral sex and 20 times more likely to engage in anal sex than their peers who were virgins," according to an interview with said Valerie Huber, executive director of the National Abstinence Education Association in the Washington Post.

If anything, this study should encourage parents to have a frank talk with their teens (and even preteens) about sex. Recently I wrote another post about talking to your teen about sex

Here is just a snippet from that post: STDs are on the rise among teenage girls. A recent study by the CDC found that 1 in 4 (26 %) teenage girls between the ages of 14 and 19 is infected with at least one of the most common STDs. That translates to about 3.2 million female adolescents estimated to have at least one of the most common STDs in the US. Fifteen percent in the study had more than one kind of STD. This is not a study to dismiss because parents want to believe this could never happen to their daughters. Sex among teens is common--estimates suggest approximately 40-50% of teenage girls are sexually active. If teens think sex is just another form of communication, they need to rethink the consequences and know how to protect themselves. Buying into the message from peers and the media that says “sex is casual” is a big mistake for teens. The severe health effects of STDs for women – from infertility to cervical cancer – shouldn’t be ignored. Teens need to know a condom isn’t always enough protection--according to the FDA latex condoms do not protect against all STDs.

To read the rest of the post including information on STDs check out my previous
post, "Why Parents Need to Talk to Teens About Sex and STDs."

Staying Fit: Exercise With Your Daughter

More girls are involved in organized sports than when I was a kid, but unfortunately girls are not staying active after the team practice ends. "The number of girls staying physically active outside this arena is declining, especially after they become teenagers...Adolescent girls are only half as likely as teen boys to be physically active," according to a new report compiled by the Tucker Center for Research on Girls and Women in Sport at the University of Minnesota as reported in TIME.

Squeezing in at least 30 minutes of exercise a day is a good idea for girls of any age. Staying physically fit is good for your heart, lowers the incidence of Type 2 diabetes, prevents osteoporosis, and improves your mental health too.

If the health benefits are obvious, then why are boys more likely to stay active than girls? Consider the messages girls see in the media, at school, and even at home. Too often the pressure to look good over shadows maintaining your fitness. Consider Victoria Beckham's addiction to high heels. She admits it keeps her from working out at the gym.

Of course if you like to participate in sports or exercise, then you already know that a higher fitness level can improve your self esteem and the way you view your body. However working out at the gym doesn't always sound so appealing when movies, TV, magazines and ads continue to push women and girls to look better by buying the latest fashions and beauty trends.

An article in the Star Tribune noted that that the study found many barriers, stereotypes and gender inequities limit girls. According to the interview with Nicole LaVoi, associate director of the Tucker Center and a report author: "Poverty substantially limits many girls' access to, and participation in, physical activity and sport, especially for girls of color who are overrepresented in lower socioeconomic groups."

Exercising with your daughters (and sons) just might be the key to helping your kids stay fit. In fact, I think the most effective way to encourage girls to stay fit is to have their parents become role models for staying active. If you are like me, staying fit has to be fun or I won't continue exercising. And it definitely does not mean I need to train like I want to become a professional athlete. I have made a commitment to find physical activities that my daughter enjoys--including noncompetitive activities like biking, dance, and horseback riding. If she is having fun staying active, then I think the goal of staying fit happens naturally.

Go Green: Baby2Baby and BabyBuggy.org Will Recycle Your Baby Gear

I really love those cute baby clothes, and the cuddly blankies, and all the baby gear; but storing it in the attic or in the basement is probably not the best idea. Instead, why not put together a donation box of gently used items for a couple of great organizations that help needy families.

Here are two organizations that are dedicated to helping babies and young children:

Baby2Baby
Baby2Baby is a nonprofit organization in L.A. that was started by three moms who wanted to help needy babies and children up to 4 years old. The charity provides babies and young children across L.A. with new and gently used gear and clothing. If you live in the area and want to organize a pick up, check out their website's donation page.

BabyBuggy.org
Founded in 2001 by Jessica Seinfeld, this nonprofit is dedicated to providing New York City’s families in need with essential equipment, clothing, and products for their infants and young children. According to their website "Today, over 700,000 children live in poverty in NYC. Baby Buggy´s goal is to help them access the essentials they need to ensure their safety and well-being." BabyBuggy.org has provided over 2,500,000 essential items to thousands of families through their network of over 50 qualified social service partners. If you live in the area and want to organize a pick up, check out their website's donation page.

Become a program sponsor
If you do not live near these organizations, you can always send in a monetary donation to help their programs.

Cookbooks for Kids

My daughter loves to cook with me. The cooking series by Spatulatta.com includes cooking videos, recipes, and other cooking ideas in an interesting website. You can download their cooking videos including Pineapple Sunflower or Super Quick Guacamole at Podcast Go.

Looking for a cookbook for the young chefs in your house? The NYT cookbooks for kids online article offers a list of new cookbooks for every age and ability.

Motherhood Never Feels Sexy When You Lug A Breast Pump to Work

Kudos to all the moms who pump at work. You deserve an award for your dedication--especially when the comments by co-workers make you wish you could be invisible as you walk to the pumping station. And I'm thinking you also deserve a better pump. One that is compact so moms can carry it without breaking their back and one that fits discretely in your purse. Moms should be proud that they are pumping for their baby, but sometimes you don't want to scream about it to the whole world as you lug the breast pump backpack to work.

You gotta love a new breast pump that is compact--fits in the palm of your hand--and operates with a lithium ion rechargeable battery, so pumping moms don't need to be tethered to a wall outlet. The Medela Freestyle breast pump weighs less than a pound and costs $380. The Freestyle is supposed to be hands-free, but even if you follow the pump instructions you might end up with some leakage according to writer Amy Joyce in her article in Washington Post. Joyce writes: "Once I was finally hooked up and ready for take off -- and yes, that's totally what it feels like -- I laughed out loud at myself...Whoever said motherhood is sexy must have been feeling very, very bad for herself and needed a pick-me-up that day."

Okay, so the pump isn't sexy and you might have to rethink the hands-free part. I think it is all about the learning curve. It just takes time to get used to it--and prevent the leaks.

Some People Foods Can Kill Your Pet

It's hard to resist giving your pooch a snack from the dinner table. Unfortunately some foods that people love--even foods that are healthy for you--can harm or kill your pet. According to the TODAY Show, "Most cases of animal poisoning were caused by common human foods and household items." We know chocolate is bad for Fido, but did you know that meatloaf with onions is very harmful because of the onions? When my Rhodesian Ridgeback got pancreatitis after eating the turkey meat with the skin on it, I found out how quickly a healthy dog can become gravely ill.

Common signs of poisoning include:
Muscle tremors or seizures
Vomiting or diarrhea
Drooling
Redness of skin, ears, and eyes
Swelling and bleeding

For a detailed look at poisonous foods and items for pets, check out ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center

Here's a quick overview of foods pets should not eat according to the TODAY show:
Avocados
Beer
Nuts (especially macadamia nuts and walnuts)
Chocolate
Candy or anything containing the sweetener Xylitol
Caffeine
Grapes or Raisins
Onions
Human Medicine

Many of your favorite household plants are poisonous to pets too. Check out the ASPCA--17 Common Poisonous Plants

Here are 17 plants that are poisonous to pets:
Lilies
Marijuana
Sago Palm
Tulip/Narcissus bulbs
Azalea/Rhododendron
Oleander
Castor Bean
Cyclamen
Kalanchoe
Yew
Amaryllis
Autumn Crocus
Chrysanthemum
English Ivy
Peace Lily (AKA Mauna Loa Peace Lily)
Pothos
Schefflera

Mom's Market Value: Salary.com Says She Should Earn $117,000 a Year

Can you put a price on the many jobs moms juggle each day for their families? I know my own mom seemed to do so many things and she seemed to do it all effortlessly--everything from cooking kid-friendly meals, catering family parties, chauffering kids to school and sporting events, serving as a personal shopper, housecleaning, laundry, tutoring and much more. I still wonder how she did it all and kept a smile on her face. Even though she deserved some pampering, I don't remember her going for a spa day with her girlfriends or a weekly manicure like moms squeeze into their schedules now. (Maybe that's why I like to take her to the spa when she visits.) Thank you, mom.

Every year Salary.com conducts a survey that "estimates what mom would have earned in wages and overtime, were she actually paid for her services," according to the Boston Herald. This year the survey places the salary for mommy duties completed by stay-at-home moms at $116,805 and working moms at $68,405. We know that a mom's work is never done, and the estimated overtime pay accounts for a big chunk of the salary. The survey found a typical mommy work week for a stay-at-home mom included 94.4 hours and working moms logged in with an average 54.6 hours on mommy work in addition to their work at paying jobs.

Time for a nap: How much sleep do you really need?

My kids stopped napping at 12 months. This was not my idea. They were awake and energetic for 16 hours straight every day as toddlers. I was the one trying to sneak in a nap. A recent study says moms who get 8 hours of sleep must be aliens. Well, not exactly. But according to the Washington Post: "People who sleep fewer than six hours a night-- or more than nine--are more likely to be obese, according to a new government study that is one of the largest to show a link between irregular sleep and big bellies." The study included 87,000 U.S. adults from 2004 through 2006 and was conducted by the National Center for Health Statistics, part of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Of course, this study can't prove cause and effect relationships, but the study does link light sleepers to higher smoking rates, less physical activity and more alcohol use.

So what do our sleep habits reveal about our health? Chronic sleep deprivation creates problems. We need sleep to survive the stresses of daily life. If you want to get that healthy glow try getting 8 hours of sleep. Although the study points out too much sleep can cause problems too, the study does not include factors such as depression and other health problems that cause people to sleep too much.

According to an interview with Charlotte Schoenborn, a health statistician with the CDC, in United Press International, "The whole health promotion climate now tells us that we know what we need to be doing -- we need to be not smoking, we need to be exercising, we need to be controlling our weight and limiting our alcohol use and all of these things contribute to a healthy lifestyle -- and all are linked to a less sleep."

What about sneaking in an afternoon nap? Evidently napping during the day can help people to be less stressed, healthier and more productive. "A study of 24,000 Greek adults showed that people who napped several times a week had a lower risk of dying from heart disease, " according to the Irish Independent.

Illustration © Chris O.

Recycle Your Shoes: Soles4Souls Seeks Shoes and Donations for Myanmar

Are you a shoe-a-holic? Time to clean out your shoe closet and help out a charity. Shoes are a basic need that we sometimes take for granted. In many parts of the world, kids and adults can't afford even one pair of shoes. Providing a pair of shoes to a needy person can dramatically improve his/her life. Yesterday lifestyle guru Rachael Ray challenged her TV audience to donate shoes to footwear charity such as Soles4Souls.

Rachael has made donating easy and fun. Viewers who join pledge donations through the Rachael's Shoe Challenge can enter to win a new pair of shoes designed by QVC shoe designer Gretta Monahan.

Donating shoes to Soles4Souls
If you want to donate your shoes and help those in need around the world check out these shoe donation locations near your house. Soles4Souls has partnered with companies to be permanent donation locations.

How you can host a shoe drive
Soles4Souls makes it easy to host a shoe drive. Check out Soles4Souls shoe drive information for a step-by-step plan to host a shoe drive at your school, church/synagogue, or other organization.

How you can help people in cyclone ravaged Myanmar
Soles4Souls, announced yesterday that they are "donating 25,000 pairs of shoes to the victims of the recent cyclone in Myanmar, also known as Burma. The charity issued a request for donors to send $50,000 to ship new shoes and boots to the hard-hit region." You can donate online at Soles4Souls.

New Study Says Breastfed Babies Are Smarter

We have known for a long time that breastfeeding offers added protection against infections and now breastfeeding is linked to improving the cognitive development of children. A new study published in the May issue of the Archives of General Psychiatry shows that children who were breastfed for at least three months had higher intelligence scores 6 years later than those who received formula. The study was led by Dr. Michael S. Kramer of McGill University and the Montreal Children’s Hospital in Montreal, Quebec.

The study included more than 17,000 babies in Belarus and followed up with nearly 14,000 at age 6. According to Newsday.com: “Breastfed children scored 7.5 points higher on verbal intelligence scores, 2.9 points higher on non-verbal intelligence scores and 5.9 points higher on tests measuring overall intelligence.”

Is breastmilk the reason for higher intelligence or is it the characteristics of the parents who breastfeed? According to BBC News, “Fatty acids found in breast milk are thought to boost intelligence, but the report said the physical and emotional aspect of breastfeeding may lead to permanent changes to brain development.” According to the CDC, about 77 percent of new mothers in the US breastfeed--the highest rate in at least 20 years. But breastfeeding sometimes is not an option. If you can’t breastfeed, I think it is important to emphasize that you can develop a special bond with your baby without breastfeeding.

It's So Etsy: Hand Painted Sunny Daffodils Scarf

I love springtime when the daffodils pop out of the ground. The bright yellow flowers in my backyard always make me feel so hopeful after a long winter. That’s why this Sunny Daffodils scarf is the perfect gift for Mother’s Day. Morgansilk at Etsy.com creates hand painted scarves in a variety of patterns, colors and sizes. Morgansilk’s one-of-a-kind Sunny Daffodils chiffon scarf features bright yellow and cerulean blue on a watercolor baby blue wash. The dyes are bonded into the silk chiffon, so they will not fade or wash out. The scarf measures about 9" x 48" with hand-rolled hems and sells for $55 at Etsy.com. (I like the Brooklyn-based Etsy.com because it supports artists by offering the technology to help market their products.)

The Hidden Knife: Metal Lawn Edging

I'd heard the horror stories of children and pets getting severely cut by exposed metal lawn edging, but I didn't think it would happen to my family. We had installed the protective plastic covers on the sharp edging. This protection is only as good as the maintenance--the edging requires constant upkeep because some types of plastic covers can easily slip off due to age or wear and tear.

Last week on a long walk with my dog, my dog sliced open her lower leg on metal lawn edging. The cut happened in an instant and it was so deep the tendons in her leg were severed. She was on a leash and had only ventured about 2 feet or less from the sidewalk, but that is all it took. The metal lawn/garden edging in that yard stands at least 4 inches tall out of the ground--a hidden knife in a lawn. My dog is too big for me to carry and I knew I had to get her to the vet quickly. Leg and foot injuries can have a great deal of bleeding and finding a way to stop the bleeding wasn't easy. Fortunately many neighbors driving by stopped to help and one kind soul gave me a blanket to wrap her leg and stop the bleeding. One sweet girl sat beside my pup and calmed her down while I applied pressure to stop the bleeding. Thanks to the help of many kind dog lovers nearby, within less than 15 minutes my husband arrived and we took her to the vet for emergency surgery.

I am relieved that my pup is okay now. Due to the damage to tendons, she may never run like she used to. This is sad news since she is an active dog who has completed advanced precision obedience classes and had just starting agility training. She is a rescue dog who unfortunately had a really tough start in life and she has made so much progress--even earning her Canine Good Citizen award. Now she has a splint/cast on her front right leg. She is confined to a corner of our kitchen for six weeks so the leg heals properly. I know she is going nuts watching the bunnies and the squirrels out the kitchen window. One sadistic squirrel likes to sit right outside the window and taunt her. I am going to get her outside on a walk in a canine stroller/Burley cart as soon as I can.

Investing in a quality protective cover for the lawn edging is definitely worth the investment. Here are some options to consider
A Better Edge--Concrete Edging
Guard-N-Edge

Helping Women in Uganda: Bead for Life

When Torkin Wakefield, a Colorado psychologist, went to Uganda she had no idea that she would start a life-changing program that improves the lives of impoverished Ugandan families. In a local market she bought some colorful beaded necklaces with beads made out of tightly rolled strips of discarded magazine pages and then varnished. Torkin brought the beads back to the U.S. and the interest in the beautiful jewelry was phenomenal. Thanks to Torkin along with her daughter Devin Hibbard and a friend Ginny Jordan, BeadforLife, a new cottage industry was born that helps teach women to make these amazing necklaces and beads and offers a way for this jewelry to be purchased around the world. In addition to buying and selling the beads at fair trade prices, BeadforLife also helps the women and their families by sponsoring community development projects in health, education, vocational training, affordable housing, and savings programs.

Instead of working in a rock quary crushing rocks by hand for only a dollar a day, women who join the BeadForLife groups earn an average of $860 for the year according to Seattle Woman Magazine. When Ugandan women join BeadForLife they improve their community too. BeadForLife dramatically improves the lives of Uganda families by investing all profits in community development projects that generate income and help people work their way out of poverty. The BreadForLife mission statement is simple, yet powerful: "BeadforLife creates sustainable opportunities for women to lift their families out of extreme poverty by connecting people worldwide in a circle of exchange that enriches everyone."

BeadForLife jewelry is sold in homes, churches, or school bead parties hosted by caring people who open their hearts, homes and communities to buy and sell the beads. To find out how to host a party or for more information about BeadforLife, visit BeadForLife.org.

Photo: BeadForLife.org