I've Got a DOT COM!

Thank you for checking out Like My Baby but since my last posting here I've launched a whole new blog!

You can find me now at Wendy Will Blog!

I blog about most of the same stuff. Just a new name and a new location!

Healthy Child Healthy Home Party

Healthy Child Healthy World is a non-profit organization working hard to raise awareness and inspiring parents, educators, and health professionals to take action in creating a greener environment for child and their families!

The Healthy Child Healthy World Home Party is a great way to spread the word and educate friends and family about eliminating toxins from the home and the foods we consume. The Healthy Home Party kit is presented by LUNA Bars and Klean Kanteen with coupons and samples from Activeion, Earth Friendly Products, EAT CLEANER, Yes to Carrots!, HAPPYBABY, Organic Valley, Plum Organics, Clif Kid, and Seventh Generation. Click here if you are interested in throwing you're own Healthy Home Party!

I hosted my own Healthy Home Party a few weeks back inviting several friends and their kids over for a combination learn and play date. I thought I would have to beg - because really, who wants to hear about non-toxic cleaning and personal products on any given Friday afternoon? But, I didn't have to beg at all and ended up with a great turnout of interested mamas!

I set out the free items Healthy Child Healthy World sent to me which included Clif Kid Organic Twisted Fruit, LUNA Bars, and Revolution Foods Organic Mashups! They also sent plenty of coupons for these items and more, so I was sure to set those out for my guests as well!

In addition to the healthy snacks, the Healthy Home Party kit included a variety of non-toxic cleaning supplies from Seventh Generation and ECOS. Yes to Carrots supplied a full size bubble bath and a few coupons which I used to pick up a tube of their carrot body lotion, shampoo, conditioner and a lip gloss! Keep reading, you'll see why I bought more of those further down!

What's a party without a swag bag? I bought plain, brown paper bags and filled them with the brochures, pamphlets, and coupons Healthy Child Healthy Home sent to me. I also included a LUNA Bar and Clif Kid Organic Twisted Fruit in each bag to send home with my guests.

We snacked on grown up grilled cheese sandwiches, fresh fruit and veggies, and I made a delicious salad of baby greens, strawberries, walnuts, and goat cheese from a recipe found in an Earthbound Farm Organic guide. Make this salad -- it's SO good!

I couldn't possibly keep all these great products to myself...well, maybe I could have but I wanted my guests to take home a quality, non-toxic product to try for themselves. I used coupons from Yes to Carrots and Seventh Generation to help round out a great giveaway!

Jenni checking out the Earthbound Farm recipes. She also took home the Seventh Generation giveaway!

Aimee took home the Yes to Carrots products!

Dori took home the ECOS variety pack!

The Healthy Child Healthy Home Party was a great success! I think we learned a little something about creating a cleaner and greener environment for our children with great products to eat and use in our homes and on our bodies. The biggest and best lesson I learned from this party and the Healthy Child Healthy World organization is that making only ONE change will make a difference!

What are YOU doing to make a difference?

Leave me a comment about how you are making changes to create a cleaner, greener, healthier environment for your children, family, or community and you'll be entered to win your very own swag bag that my guests took home! Be sure to add your email, blog address, or Twitter handle so I can notify you of your win!

Discloser: I did not receive any compensation from Healthy Child Healthy World or any of the sponsors of the Healthy Home Party for writing this post. The Healthy Home Party kit was sent free in exchange for hosting a party and writing about it here at Like My Baby. Plus, I really like and use most of these products anyway!

Subpar and Spotty

I've been tinkering a bit here at Like My Baby.

I'm not at all thrilled with my self-taught blog design skills. I hate the header, the layout, and the boring fonts. I want a blog that is simple but not plain, fun but not cartoonish, cute but not sweet. I currently hate my blog design.

I'm working on content too (or lack thereof, lately).

Hang in there with me. I'm hoping to make some radical changes by the new year. Until then, enjoy the subpar design and spotty writing.

A Healthy Awakening

Last month, a Facebook friend posted this video asking all parents to watch and learn. It was so great. I urge you to watch it now.

It was also really terrifying.

Soon after, I began following Healthy Child Healthy World on Twitter and signed up to host a Healthy Home Party during the month of October.

Last Friday, I invited eight girlfriends and their kids over for a Healthy Home Party Playdate! We ate, we talked, we learned about eliminating toxins from our homes.

I'll post photos and details of the party later this week!

I'm Writing for Write Pink today!

I am contributing to the Write Pink project over at Bigger Picture Blogs today. I'm thrilled to be a part of what they are doing to raise awareness about breast cancer during the month of October!

Each day, a writer will be featured writing about education, prevention, support, and survivorship. My post will be about education.

I'm especially excited about this project because Army of Women (yes, I have joined...have you?) is a sponsor and I can really get behind the work they are doing!

Please pop in over there and leave a comment!

A Day with Team McLovin

Uh-oh. This might be a long day. Not a happy camper.

Post race lunch at Super Mex!

Un-McFilled

Months of preparation, organizing, crafting, brainstorming, emails and phone calls, worrying if anyone will show, worrying about too many people showing...and then it's over, in like, two hours.

If you've ever planned a wedding, you know what I am talking about.

This is exactly how I feel about last Sunday's Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure. It was my second year heading up Team McLovin and I tried pulling out all the stops - with some successes and some failures.

I'm trying hard to focus on the successes, which include:

- Raising over $12,000 which will directly benefit Susan G. Komen for the Cure.

- Having almost 75 team members this year.

- Our adorable team t-shirt was recognized as one of the five finalist for best team shirt (sadly, we didn't win best in show).

I can't pinpoint why I feel so unfulfilled. And, I've been seriously questioning if I'm going to undertake such a project again next year. My friend threw out the idea of having a committee organize the team and event. I like it, but I'm such a control freak that I don't know if I'd be less stressed or more!

Come back tomorrow to see more pictures from the race!

10 songs I'll listen to for the rest of my life

Once upon a time, I thought music defined who I was. I thought I was so cool and different because I liked some unknown punk band or that I saw No Doubt play a show in a tiny warehouse in the depths of an industrial park in Anaheim.

Well, if music defines a person, it's now screaming MOM OF A TODDLER! All I listen to these days is Yo Gabba Gabba and Disney Princess songs.

When will I get radio back?

This week's Back to School, Back to Blogging is to take an idea from Kludgy Mom's idea bank. I chose number 51: 10 Songs I'll listen to for the rest of my life.

Running on Faith, Eric Clapton

November Rain, Guns 'N Roses

Freedom '90, George Michael

Total Hate 95, No Doubt

Nobody Knows Me, Lyle Lovett

It Takes Two, Rob Base & DJ EZ Rock

You Get What You Give, New Radicals

Return to Pooh Corner, Kenny Loggins

Nick of Time, Bonnie Raitt

Best of You, Foo Fighters

This list does not read "cool" at all. Right? Instead, it reads "you are a huge dork and stuck in the '90's!" Seriously, there is only one song on that list recorded after the year 2000.

Whatever. I like it. Now, how do I get my toddler to like it too?

Wordless Wednesday - Swag for the Cure