Urban Mamas

As part of the work to support the Safe Chemicals Act, the Center for Environmental Health is soliciting submissions for a kids' art contest. Submissions will be delivered to Senators next month, urging them to support this critical bill.  Details here: http://www.saferchemicals.org/artcontest

Any budding artists out there who want to help support the cause? Here are the submission guidelines and details:

Who: Three age categories: 5 and under, 6-12 and 13-18

When: Art submissions will be collected until February 29th, 2012

What: Kids of all ages get to make art describing what a healthy future for our families and environment means to them.

Where: We'd love to collect art from as many states as possible. If you are a parent of a young child, perhaps you want to organize a "playdate" where kids do art together. Be sure to take pictures!

Artwork will be delivered to your Senator asking them to support the Safe Chemicals Act! We can also help you set up a meeting with your Senator's office in your state so parents & artists can make a delivery in person. 

Prize: Winners of the art contest will receive a generous basket of non-toxic art supplies, their art featured on our website and via social media. Art that is 2-D will be printed on canvass to hang and feature in your home! Video winners will be featured on our website! Interest and want more information?

Email lindsaydahl@saferchemicals.org for contest rules and ideas for how to make art with your friends and family.

Hello PDX Mamas and Families,

My name is Karen Chenier. I am a counselor, group facilitator, dance movement therapist, and a part-time professor at Portland State University's Psychology Department. 

In February, I am offering a New Parents Group (baby and parent(s)) and a Parents Only group.

You shall see various flyers posted up and around the neighborhood in the next week (New Seasons Market, Common Ground Wellness Center, Jim and Patty's Coffee House ect...)  If you wish to receive a informational flyer please call, or email, and I would be happy to send one to you. 

In addtion, I am scheduled to speak on the subject of Mindful Attached Parenting at the New Renaissance Bookstore, NW Portland  on Thursday, April 26th, 7-8:30pm.   

To give you a little background, I have an interest in the creative and somatic aspects of psychotherapy and wellness, and have over 12 years of experience in the field.  I specialize in working with individuals, couples, and families in helping to address parenting skills, school/work related problems, relationship issues, marital problems, divorce, and life-transitions, loss, anxiety and depression.  My office is located at Common Ground, Flanders House in NE Portland.

I am very happy to answer any quesitons you may have regarding the groups and services.  You may contact me by phone or email.

Warmly,
Karen

Karen Marie Chenier Ph.D, R-DMT
Counselor & Lecturer
Common Ground Wellness Center
Flanders House
2926 NE Flanders St., Suite 2D
Portland, Oregon
mobile: 503.206.2297
email: kchenierphd@gmail.com
website:  flandershousepdx.org

Behavior Modification without Punishment & Beyond Stranger Danger

Double Offer:

World of Smiles Pediatric Dentistry is hosting Rebecca Magby of Everything Baby, LLC to teach her popular classes Behavior Modification without Punishment and Beyond Stranger Danger in back to back Monday Sessions!

Beyond Stranger Danger:
Teaches parents what child predators don’t want you to know!

Behavior Modification Without
Punishment: Teaches easy to implement techniques to reduce the fighting and promote family bonding.

What you must know:

Date: February 20, 2012 ~ Behavior Modification Without Punishment
February 27, 2012 ~ Beyond Stranger Danger
Time: 5:45 pm- 7:45 pm

Location: World of Smiles Pediatric Dentistry 11790 SW Barnes Rd Suite 280 Portland, OR 97225

Speaker: Rebecca Magby

Cost: $10.00 for individuals $15.00 for couples/ parenting partners ~When enrolling on only 1 class

DOUBLE OFFER: $15.00 for individual $25.00 for couples/parenting partners ~ When enrolling in both classes.

You must: E-mail Rebecca Magby to reserve your space for the seminar rebecca@everythingbabyllc.com

What you should know:
This seminar is located at World of Smiles Pediatric Dentistry.
Childcare will not be provided.
Questions are encouraged!

To Learn More: www.everythingbabyllc.com

What Every Parent Should Know About Wills and Trusts

 

Presented By

 Michelle-Shari Kruss, Attorney at Law

Michelle-shari@Krusslaw.com

Our children are our greatest treasures, yet 74% of parents don’t even have a will.  Of the 26% who do, most have made at least one of the ten most common mistakes that leave their children and estate at risk.

 Have you:

1.    Made a plan?  The most common planning mistake is the failure to have any plan        at all, or having an antiquated or improper plan.

2.    Chosen a guardian, conservator, and trustee for your children?

3.    Chosen an alternate guardian, a temporary guardian, and provided a detailed                         description of your wishes regarding the raising of your children?

4.    Left money outright to minor children?

5.    Identified possible contingent beneficiaries other than your heirs?

6.    Properly signed your documents?

7.    Drafted a health care directive?

8.    Created a Durable Power of Attorney?

9.    Made handwritten edits to your Will or reviewed your Will recently?

10.  Coordinated your beneficiary designations with your Will language? 

 

Michelle-Shari Kruss’ practice focuses exclusively on helping new and busy parents address their estate planning needs.  For the past thirteen year she has been a frequent lecturer at many of our local hospitals, MOPS groups, playgroups, professional groups, and religious organizations. 

 

 

UrbaMamas!

I wanted to bring to your attention a breast MILK drive that SW Stroller Strides and the Mother's Milk Bank are sponsoring on TUESDAY August 3rd and try to recruit some of you lactacting mamas to participate! We want to increase awareness about the existence of this milk bank as well as help contribute to the supply. I am including all the info - but feel free to contact me with any questions.  
 
Can I donate my milk? Requirements for donation:
 
In good health. English-speaking.
Non-smoker. No use of any Nicotine products.
Negative blood test for viruses (Prenatal results are NOT used).
Using no medications during the time milk is collected for donation, except for: vitamins and minerals; food supplements, progestin-only birth control, or replacement hormones: insulin, thyroid
Limited use of caffeine; and a waiting period is required after alcohol use before donating milk
Willing to donate a minimum of 100 ounces total during the time they are a donor
Medical release forms signed by mothers' and baby's doctors (formed supplied by Milk Bank)
 
 You need to be preapproved BEFORE 8/3 - so please contact the Denver Bank to start that process: 303) 869-1888 or www.milkbankcolorado.com 
 
Collecting and Storing Milk:
Some mothers already have milk collected; others begin to collect milk after contacting the Milk Bank
Previously collected milk can be accepted if: Mother took no medications or herbs during the period when milk was collected, and if Mother and baby had no illnesses during the period when milk was collected.
Donors preferably collect and freeze milk in whatever they have to store milk in - or the Bank will provide bags.
Milk must reach the MMB before the milk is about 5 months old (So no milk from before 3/5/10)

The big day:  AUGUST 3rd - Party at St V Lab!
 
9AM - 2PM Donors will be scheduled every 30 min for their blood draw and to get their milk packed - we will be able to process 10 donors that day - if we get a larger response, we can schedule an additional day.  We will provide snacks and beverages and there may be some local news coverage! There will be drawings for prizes too!
 
Thank you,
 
Liz Dooley
dooleyliz@gmail.com
503-680-9826

NE Family Cooperative Open House

featuring Pfeifer MusicWerks Studio free music class for children and an Open Swap.

10am-4pm, Sunday, February 21, 2010

4932 NE 30^th, Portland, OR 97211

All families are welcome!

You are invited to join us for an open house from 10am-4pm featuring Pfeifer MusicWerks Studio free class at 11am. This free class is designed to give children and parents a taste of the enjoyment of making music, with your little one. Come join us for singing, dancing, and playing with instruments and more. Open Swap is from 1-4pm. Bring toys, clothes, or books that your children no longer need and swap them for something new! The Northeast Family Cooperative was founded with the belief that families can join together to share goods, resources, talents, and skills in order to create a more enjoyable and sustainable lifestyle for members; environmentally, financially, socially, and emotionally. The Co-op and its members hope to offer an alternative to the status quo – a community of parents and children sharing their unique skills and perspectives, and working together to share and conserve our collective resources.

Millions of babies are crawling to Washington D.C.  Why? To demand reform of the Toxic Chemical Substances Act (TCSA).  Current law does not require that companies list all ingredients on the labels of common cleaning and baby products.  And only 250 of the 80,000 chemicals on the market have been tested by the EPA.

Seventh Generation and Safer Chemicals Healthy Families are teaming up to educate parents about the dangers of using these products and to introduce stronger regulations on the chemical industry.  The TCSA has not been updated in over 30 years!  Just think of all the things we've learned about plastics in the last three years!

This is an important cause since the use of these chemicals affect the health of our families and our environment.  You can help protect your family and future generations by supporting this campaign. 

Please go to http://www.millionbabycrawl.com  to create your own virtual crawler to crawl to Washington and say no to toxins.  You can share your crawler with friends and family who can cheer you on or create their own virtual baby.  The crawler with the most supporters will win a trip for four to Washington D.C.

Portland is one of six cities nationwide participating in this campaign.  Let's show Congress that Portland wants stronger regulations on toxic chemicals!  We will have a Million Baby Crawl event at Washington Square Mall on November 18th from 10:00 am until 2:00 pm. There will be family friendly entertainment, activities and free Seventh Generation product.

Read more about the cause at http://www.seventhgeneration.com and http://www.saferchemicals.org

If you have questions or would like to learn how to obtain information and free Seventh Generation samples for your business or group, please email Angi Gunther at confidentbirth@gmail.com

Go to http://www.seventhgeneration.com/million-baby-crawl/ to create your own virtual baby and join Seventh Generation and millions of babies nationwide in a campaign to reform the 33 year old Toxic Chemical Substances Act.  Invite other people to support your crawler and you could win a trip to 4 to D.C.

Did you know that current law does not regulate chemicals in cleaning products? And companies are not even required to list all ingredients on the label?  Many of these ingredients are toxic.  Please support the campaign and say "no" to toxins!

Watch for events around Portland where you can learn more about this campaign and get free samples and coupons of Seventh Generation products.  Seventh Generation diapers, laundry detergents and dish soap are chlorine free and phosphate free, safe for you and your home!

And mark your calendars for the Million Baby Crawl at Washington Square Mall on November 18th, a fun, family-friendly event!

For more information or to host a Million Baby Crawl event, please contact Angi Gunther at confidentbirth@gmail.com

There is growing interest in establishing a family swap shop co-op
with an indoor play space in NE Portland modeled after the Sunnyside
Swap Shop Co-op in SE and Swap N Play in St Johns. The co-op would provide
member families a year round indoor play space where they could
develop community with other families. The swap shop would allow them
to exchange goods that they are no longer using (clothing, toys,
books, equipment, etc) for items that they may need. This is a
wonderful way to reduce the costs of raising children and reduce a
family's carbon footprint at the same time by extending the life of
consumer goods. To join, families will pay a small monthly membership
fee, which goes towards operating costs, and volunteer for a co-op
job, such as cleaning a dirty toy bin a couple times a month. The
co-op can develop and grow according to members needs and interests.
If you are interested in becoming involved in this project or
following our progress, please join the following yahoo group.
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/NE_Ptld_family_swap_shop/

or contact maggiebermingham@gmail.com

Hi there-

I came to the UM site after being distracted more than once by the recent news of a mother attempting to send her children to their death in order to avoid losing custody. I thought there might be a discussion here (thinking this is not a happy topic, is this even appropriate discussion for UM site?). I don't know about all you other busy mamas, but I am your normal busy mama with 2 kids/work/playdates, etc... but this time I am really really bothered emotionally by the recent headline and incident where a mother alledgedly tossed her two children over the Sellwood bridge, ending up with a fatality to a 4 yr old boy. Its so heavy on my mind I've been trying to figure out how or what I might be able to do to get involved in some tiny way to help prevent another distressed mama from doing something awful to another toddler or child. This hits me hard of course since I have 2 toddlers 4 and under. Is anyone else really struggling with this? What resources are there for women who are considering hurting thier children and are they reaching out to communities? I get bogged down whenever I see/hear this story and media is not helping since they are recounting the incident over and over. Are there grass-roots efforts out there to help women (or men) in situations where they feel they have no options but to hurt or end thier child's life - and how do we reach them? Is this event causing a reasonable distraction for you each day? What do other mamas think?