We just wanted to take a moment to wish all of our amazing readers the happiest of Mother's Days. We all know it's the most difficult and rewarding job in the universe. The most thankful and thankless. What we do is often invisible but it shows in the men and women our children become. I am often reminded in my own motherhood journey that I am not raising a boy, but a man. Our work is never done yet we get up each morning (often before everyone else) and fall asleep each night (often after everyone else) and look forward to another day. Today is yours! Enjoy it!

We also wanted to take this opportunity to let you know a little bit about what's going on around these pages. As we all know there are times when life happens. And as mamas our families always come first. It just so happens that some major life changes have hit many of our mamas all at once.  As such there are many things that we've had to let slide. As I've posted before we've been restructuring a bit, many of our writers have stepped up and stepped in, we have many new writers ready to jump on board, we have amazing products lined up in our schedule, new causes and organizations we're ready to shout about, it's just a matter of time before we get it all back together. And I can promise it will happen soon!!! I occasionally check our numbers and see that so many of our visitors are still with us, still checking in. Thank you! So bear with us, we'll be back in full force soon!

Happy Mama's Day!!!

Love,
Ashlee, Beth, Whit and Sarah

Take me out to the ballgame...

The temperatures are rising. The grass is getting greener by the second. I do believe that summer is officially on its way. What kind of memories do you have of your childhood summers? I think about being barefoot, playing in the creek, fireworks, and popsicles. Then there's those special memories of spending time at the ball park watching my heroes from the stands.

I long to provide those same kinds of memories for my boys... but sometimes I don't look forward to heading out to the ball game. Adventures involving food can sometimes be difficult for veggie-loving families. It can even escalate into a logistical nightmare... Do we eat before we go? Do we take a picnic and eat in the parking lot? In the past, it's been hard to find options that line up with a vegetarian lifestyle. Those hot dogs were really great as a kid, but now we're a little more selective. There's always the nachos.... but who knows what's in that cheese sauce!

Enter PETA: Every year, they compile a list of the top 10 Vegetarian Friendly Ball Parks (both major and minor league.) Now, we know where to go to get great vegetarian fare.

According to 2008's survey, topping the list for the major leaguers:

Citizen's Bank Park (Home of the Phillies)- has topped the list for the last two years in a row. I'd definitely be in for a Faux-Philly Cheesesteak or even a "Poppy" sandwich made with roasted eggplant and red peppers and sundried tomatoes.

AT&T Park (San Francisco Giants)- offers great choices like a Portobello Mushroom Sandwich and roasted corn on the cob.

Safeco Field (Home of the Seattle Mariners)- steps it up for the American League offering entrees like veggie sushi, garden burgers, and edamame.

The top three Minor League parks are: MerchantsAuto.Com Stadium (Home of New Hampshire's Fisher Cats), the Durham Bulls' Athletic Park, and PGE Park (Home of the Portland Beavers). They've really come a long way since peanuts and cracker jacks! Check out PETA's website to see the rest of the list and get more details on the winners. Oh, and keep a close eye out for 2009's Winners as the baseball season progresses.

-Whit

It's all in the walkability...

This may not be good news for the auto industry... but have you ever thought about ditching your car? Or if you and your significant other both have cars- have you ever thought of cutting back to one? It makes perfect sense for some folks. Walking is easy on the budget - no gas costs or insurance. It's healthier. It's better for our planet. You have more social contact, since you're not isolated in your car. All in all, it can be a very sensible thing to do.

Enter Walk Score. Simply go to their website and enter any address. Then, their patent pending algorithm awards points based on the closeness of different amenities (schools, grocery stores, libraries, parks, bookstores, etc.) to the location. Scores range from 0 (car dependent) to 100 (Walker's Paradise). This could come in handy when you're looking for a new home, especially if you're interested in a car-free or car-lite lifestyle. Unfortunately, my house scored a 12... just about the only place we can walk is Nana's house! But my dream home is in the middle of a Walker's Paradise with a score of 93. 

Browse their website and see if it would be feasible for your family to lighten up and lose a car.

Title: Art is Fundamental

Author: Eileen S. Prince

When I was a kid, the only place I remember hearing about Earth Day was in an elementary school classroom or maybe PBS. Now it's everywhere. My cereal box not only celebrates Earth Day, but declares April "Earth Month." Nationwide retailers are selling t-shirts made from recycled soda bottles sporting phrases like "Make Peace with Nature" and "Word to Your Mama (Earth)." It's everywhere... and come to think of it- I don't even know where Earth Day came from. So to begin our Earth Day festivities, I thought we could take a look at the history of Earth Day.

The first Earth Day was observed in 1970. It was founded by Gaylord Nelson, a senator from Wisconsin, as a nationwide environmental protest "To shake up the political establishment and force this issue onto the national agenda." For 10 years, Senator Nelson had made several failed attempts to bring the environment into the limelight. During a conservation and speaking tour on the west coast, inspiration struck.

At the time, anti-Vietnam War demonstrations, called "teach-ins," had spread to college campuses all across the nation. Suddenly, the idea occurred to me - why not organize a huge grassroots protest over what was happening to our environment? I was satisfied that if we could tap into the environmental concerns of the general public and infuse the student anti-war energy into the environmental cause, we could generate a demonstration that would force this issue onto the political agenda. It was a big gamble, but worth a try.

On April 22, 1970, an estimated 20 million Americans took to the streets, urging their political leaders to stand up and take notice of the effect the American lifestyle was having on the planet. However, the first Earth Day demonstrations had a surprising side effect... groups protesting everything from pesticides to polluting industries suddenly realized that they shared similar beliefs and agendas. Earth Day, 1970, united Republicans and Democrats, farmers and financial analysts, rich and poor. Senator Nelson, along with help from the National Coordinator Denis Hayes, was able to accomplish what has been called "One of the most remarkable happenings in the history of democracy." Thus, the modern environmental movement was born.

Twenty years later, another environmental campaign swept through Washington, D.C. Coordinator Hayes was able to pull another magic rabbit out of his hat. In 1990, Earth Day went global, uniting 200 million people in 141 countries, paving the way for 1992's United Nation's Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro.  Again, in 2000, using the internet and the grassroots activism that Earth Day inspires, Hayes organized a worldwide push for quick and decisive action on clean energy. What does the future for Earth Day bring? Well I've heard there's big plans for Earth Day's 40th birthday in 2010! You can read more about it at Earth Day Network. 

How are you going to celebrate today?

As a mom, my focus today will be on communicating the importance of environmentalism to my kids and celebrating the beauties our planet holds. My hope is that by instilling a love of nature in my sons, they will grow into men that protect the Earth rather than destroy it. Today, we plan on spending plenty of time outside... maybe pack a picnic (with no plastic baggies to blow away in the wind, of course). We'll brainstorm ways to reduce our footprint and pick up some trash by the river. We'll take a hike and maybe even find some rocks to climb on. We'll celebrate our planet and count our blessings. Other suggestions: plant a tree, plant a garden, get involved, evaluate your lifestyle and footprint, walk to the store, go meatless, buy that set of reusable grocery bags you've been eyeing and actually use them, host an impromptu block party and discuss ways you and your neighbors can "go green," carpool, ride your bike, conserve water, start recycling... the possibilities are endless.

A Pillow For All.

The cutest eye pillow I've seen in a while, the Warm Whiskers Eye Pillow [$18] comes in the shape of bunnies, kitties, polar bears, brown bears and puppies. We have been trying out the soft adorable puppy, and I'm not sure who likes it more -- me or the kids! Stuffed with herbs -- Lavender, Chamomile, and flax seed -- you can heat it up in the microwave for just the perfect treatment for dark under eye circles, illness, or simply for a relaxing stress relief. Place it in a plastic bag and chill in the freezer for a soothing relief of swelling or puffiness.

And when it comes to the kids, it makes an excellent boo-boo friend. Since herbs do not freeze it's a soft cooling feeling that your little one might actually leave on! Whether you're shopping for yourself, the kids or friends, everyone can find a use for the Warm Whiskers Eye Pillow.