Fun Freetime: Great American Campout

If you're trying to encourage your kids to become more eco-friendly citizens, consider participating in the Great American Backyard Campout,  is part of National Wildlife Federation’s “Be Out There” movement, which is designed to provide tools that inspire parents and children to spend time in the outdoors. This event, sponsored by Coleman, encourages families to enjoy being outside, and takes place June 23rd.

“Coleman stands for more than outdoor products – we are about the genuine connections and the memories made while families and friends enjoy themselves in the outdoors,” said David Allen, senior vice president of sales and marketing for Coleman. “Getting together in the outdoors is a great way for families to bond and it remains a positive, healthy and financially accessible escape from our busy day-to-day lifestyles.”

I know my family loves camping. Even if you don't have a lot of equipment, pitching an inexpensive pup tent outside - or just roasting s'mores around a campfire - is a great alternative to staying inside and watching TV.

To learn more about Coleman and Great American Backyard Campout, visit ColemanBackyardCampout.com or facebook.com/colemanusa.

Shopping Savings: Medicine Mama's Apothecary

Help mom celebrate Mother’s Day this May with everything she needs to maintain healthy, vibrantly alive and beautiful skin. For the entire month of May, Medicine Mama’s Apothecary is offering a Mother’s Day gift set for $49.95 (a $65.00 value).

Use the promo code: MothersDay at checkout for an additional 10% off your entire order through Mother’s Day itself.

 

The gift set includes the Baby & Mama, Bee Magic Wand and V Magic, each of which are designed to bring out the naturally powerful health benefits of its ingredients. These include:

·         Honey: a gentle anti-septic and anti-bacterial ingredient

·         Propolis: the most biologically active tree resin with health benefits dating back centuries

·         Bee Pollen: nature’s multi-vitamin that stimulates cell renewal when used externally

·         Royal Jelly: containing gelatin, a catalyst for collagen production and a natural antibiotic

·         Beeswax: containing anti-inflammatory, anti-allergenic and germicidal properties to keep skin healthy and strong

Orders can be placed online here. For more information, please visit the Medicine Mama’s Apothecary Website and Facebook page.

Caring Causes: Protecting Working Families

Mother's Day is coming up, and it's a time to reflect on the people that brought us into this world. It can also be a time to get inspired to work towards protecting families by encouraging stronger supports. A new state-by-state analysis released for Mother’s Day shows how little the nation supports and protects working mothers and fathers when a new child arrives. The report, Expecting Better: A State-by-State Analysis of Laws That Help New Parents, analysis state laws and regulations governing paid leave and workplace rights for new parents in the United States. Minnesota earned only a grade of “C” for having put in place some, but not nearly enough, supportive policies that expand upon minimal federal protections. (You can read the full report to see how your state did.)  

Past research, including two recent studies commissioned by the National Partnership, shows that paid leave promotes the health and economic security of families, reduces reliance on public assistance programs, and benefits businesses through improved worker loyalty and reduced turnover. However, Expecting Better finds that no state is doing enough to provide paid family and medical leave and workplace support to new parents.

The USA ranks far behind many other nations - out of 181 studied recently, the US ranked last, along with Swaziland and Papua New Guinea. Paid leave for new mothers is guaranteed in 178 other nations, and 54 nations guarantee paid leave for new fathers. The federal Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA), enacted nearly 20 years ago, provides new parents up to 12 weeks of unpaid leave, but only about half of the workforce is eligible and many cannot afford to take the unpaid leave it provides. 

Does that bother you? If so, stay informed about the issue, and contact your legislators and representatives, asking them to advocate for better laws for working families.