FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

CONTACT: Steve Dubin, PR Works, (781) 878-9533, sdubin@prworkzone.com

“BOOT CAMP FOR NEW DADS”

TRANSFORMS NEW DADS INTO SAFETY OFFICERS

Nothing is worse than your child being seriously injured, particularly if you could have prevented the injury.

EARLY TRAINING TO THE RESCUE

Boot Camp for New Dads, a non-profit program featured at more than 100 hospitals, clinics, schools and churches across the U.S., is focusing on the basics of safety for babies – from preventing “shaken baby” syndrome to child-proofing the entire house.

Among the safety considerations covered in the three-hour class are:

1. Recognize the danger of intense frustration from crying babies. You want to ask, “what’s wrong?” When the answer is more crying, you’re tempted to shake your baby. Don’t. Put him in his crib, crying, and walk away. Many dads are at risk, and it’s imperative we know our own limits.

2. Almost 50% of car seats are not installed properly; some serve as virtual catapults. Read the directions (what a concept!) and make sure you and mom know where the seat is safest, which direction it faces, where the straps go, and how to adjust them.

3. Tossing your baby is common among dads, but a bad idea. Babies are thrilled, friends impressed, but there will come a day when your growing child will add an unexpected twist in the air and you will not catch her.

4.Crawling and walking add a broad new dimension of dangers: the half-full bucket that a toddler can topple into and drown, the heavy vase pulled down with the tablecloth, the trip down the stairs. Clearing a baby gate at the top of the stairs may be tough for an Olympic hurdler, but Dad will learn to take it in stride.

5. Don’t wait until your baby has crawled into the toxic waste dump under the kitchen sink before you secure the doors.

6. Be aware of potential hazards such as rubber balloons; a piece popped in the mouth of your favorite rug rat can act as a seal over his trachea that is virtually impossible to remove.

NEW DADS LEARN THEIR LIMITS

Dad naturally feels a protective instinct regarding mom and baby. Acting on it can be beneficial. However, some men find themselves on the verge of going ballistic at the slightest threat. Dad must learn to know his limits. The well-being of your child extends way beyond car seats, locking cabinet doors, and covering electrical outlets. Parent behavior during pregnancy and after birth impact greatly upon the family. The early stages of family formation are an excellent time to consider making necessary changes. If you or your mate have concerns about anger or frustration, get help.

BOOT CAMP BEGINNINGS

Boot Camp for New Dads is a unique program that brings “rookie” fathers-to-be together with “veteran” recent dads and their newborns. Having a child is an awesome gift, and joy, and an immense challenge. Boot Camp for New Dads is helping dads prepare for their mission. A Boot Camp for New Dads session is a single three-hour program often on the first Saturday morning of each month.

Greg Bishop, founder of Boot Camp for New Dads, has had lots of hands-on experience caring for babies, with 12 siblings, 4 children of his own and numerous nieces and nephews. Bishop noticed that many men didn’t seem to enjoy custody of their babies. After extensive research, he founded Boot Camp for New Dads at Irvine Medical Center (CA) in 1990 and has volunteered as Head Coach ever since.

National media, including news segments on ABC, CBS, NBC, and CNN as well as articles in Life Magazine, Reader’s Digest and others, have helped fuel the expansion of Boot Camp for New Dads to 100 programs reaching thousands of new dads. The program is designed to bring a dad’s perspective to the 1.5 million men who become fathers each year across America.

BADGE OF HONOR

“I can’t imagine a more rewarding activity than helping new dads step up

to the challenge,” rejoiced Bishop, a Stanford MBA and active Boot Camp

coach. “These guys are inspiring and should make all men proud, because

once they understand how much they are needed, they deliver the goods.”

ROLL CALL

For more information about Boot Camp for New Dads, please call

(949) 786-3146 or visit http://www.newdads.com.

Editors:

Professional photography, including jpegs and prints are available for the asking. To arrange an interview with Greg Bishop, founder of Boot Camp for New Dads, or a coach at a Boot Camp program in your region, please contact Steve Dubin, Drool Sergeant & PR counsel at (781) 878-9533, sdubin@prworkzone.com.

Posted On: November 26, 2000Baby Cribs

Englewood, NJ–

Englewood Hospital and Medical Center has received a donation of ,000 from the Bergen County-based Make A Child Smile. The gift has been designated for pediatric and neonatal services at the Medical Center. Representatives from the organization will be visiting the Medical Center on Friday, January 26th at 11 AM to formally present the gift.

Make a Child Smile, a not-for-profit organization dedicated to brightening the lives of hospitalized children throughout Bergen County since 1995, has made generous contributions to the Department of Pediatrics and the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) at Englewood Hospital and Medical Center for more than three years.

“Make a Child Smile has been increasingly responsive in helping the Medical Center fulfill priority needs for both our pediatric program and our neonatal intensive care unit,” said Alexander Hyatt, MD, chief of the Department of Pediatrics. “Make A Child Smile funds are used towards specialized projects such as decorative murals to make the department more cheerful and child-friendly, and an overnight room where parents can remain close to their ill newborns during a stressful hospital stay.

“These enhancements have had a tremendous impact on the experience of hospitalized children and their families, and I greatly admire the vision and the achievements of this organization,” said Daniel A. Kane, Medical Center president and chief executive officer. “Its members understand that ‘small acts of kindness’ carry enormous value. Their efforts result in great strides in improving the comfort of hospitalized children.”

The money was raised at the organization’s annual major fundraiser, a dinner-dance and live auction that was held at the Hackensack Golf Club in Oradell in October 2000. The event raised 0,000 after expenses. The auction featured distinctive sports and entertainment memorabilia, a wide variety of vacation getaways, tickets to shows and sports events, and oddities such as a gift certificate for a professional paint job.

Proceeds from this year’s auction will go along way to support projects at the Medical Center. The “Wish List” includes additional decorative wall murals for the Pediatric Department’s corridor and treatment room, a highly specialized transporter to be used to bring ill infants in the NICU to and from the Operating Room, renovations for the pediatric playroom and mother-baby unit, and a recreational facility for teenage patients.

“Our mission is to support the emotional, developmental, and psychological needs of hospitalized children and their families,” said Tracy Sipprelle, president of Make a Child Smile. “All our founding members are parents whose children at one time required extended hospital stays, and we are very devoted to our cause. Once we give our support to a particular institution, we make a commitment to continually increase that support each year to ensure steady and sustained improvements. I am very pleased that our organization has been so successful. In our brief, five-year history, we have raised more than 0,000 after expenses, which enables us to live up to our own demanding expectations. We look forward to a long partnership with Englewood Hospital and Medical Center.”

Dr. Hyatt spoke at the fundraiser and presented Make a Child Smile with a large cloth scrapbook chronicling the Medical Center’s history with the organization. Neonatologist Joseph Sison, MD, Theresa Vetere, RN and Mary DeRitter, RN care managers for the NICU, and other members of the Medical Center attended the event as well.

Make a Child Smile has made numerous donations to the Medical Center, including decorative murals, cribs, gliders, and other essential furnishings for the Family Support Room and the Lactation Support Room, books, toys, a Brio train set, educational materials for the pediatric playroom, and a highly specialized cardio-respiratory transporter.

Posted On: January 20, 2001Baby Cribs

[Honolulu, HI....August 2001] ChildPro, a Hawaii child protection products company, announces the newest version of its ChildPro ChildWatch Monitor.

The ChildPro(tm) ChildWatch Monitor is an advanced electronic baby monitor with upgraded options. Early in your child’s life it serves as a traditional baby monitor giving an audio-window into what is happening in your infants room or

crib.

As your child grows, the small digital transmitter can be attached to your childs

waist by a belt which is included with the monitor system. The digital receiver is kept with the care giver. Both units are about the size of a very small transistor radio. The parent or care giver will hear the child as he or she plays in the yard. You’ll hear if the child hurts itself… or if a stranger talks to the child.

If the child exceeds a set distance from the receiver the unit will send an alerting beep signal. If the transmitter worn by the child is turned off, the receiving unit will sound an alerting signal. If the child falls into water (like the neighbor’s swimming pool) the receiving unit will sound an alerting beep signal.

The ChildPro(tm) ChildWatch Monitor system comes with 2-a.c. power transformers, receiver, transmitter, earplugs, antenna. Both the transmitter and the receiver function either by regular a.c. power (with included transformers) or by battery.

Additional information is available on the internet at:

http://www.e-comprofits.com/kidshieltmch.html or by calling 808-929-7377

Posted On: August 16, 2001Baby Cribs

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

CONTACT:

Tony Keeler

Phone: 505-221-7825

Email: webmaster@thefamilyjunction.com

Web site: http://www.thefamilyjunction.com

TheFamilyJunction.com Starts Work At Home Series By Renowned Entrepreneur

Albuquerque, NM—January 4, 2002—TheFamilyJunction.com, a web site dedicated to information and products for the family, announced today that it will begin a series of articles on home-based businesses by renowned author and entrepreneur Terry Dean. Dean, a well known web entrepreneur, and owner of the site NetBreakTrhoughs (http://www.sjvpublishing.com), will have his articles featured on TheFamilyJunction.com (http://www.thefamilyjunction.com) weekly, and will cover such topics as hot internet opportunities for the next millennium, models of success on the internet, and how to start your own internet business.

Terry Dean is the well known web entrepreneur and author of ebooks such as 101 high profit businesses you can start online with little or no money, and How to start your own Traffic Virus—Both available for free at http://www.thefamilyjunction.com for signing up for their mailing list. Dean is well known around the Internet for his training articles, which contain moneymaking tips, internet marketing strategies, and ad copy techniques, and is the owner of the website NetBreakTrhoughs (http://www.sjvpublishing.com).

TheFamilyJunction.com (http://www.thefamilyjunction.com) is a site dedicated to offering information and products that are pertinent to today’s family. Along with informative articles helping with family issues, they offer hundreds of products designed specifically with the family in mind. Whether it is baby cribs, gift ideas, or costumes, chances are you will find what you need at TheFamilyJunction.com

Posted On: January 6, 2002Baby Cribs

March 29, 2002 — *The No-Cry Sleep Solution: Gentle Ways to Help Your Baby Sleep Through the Night* by Elizabeth Pantley hits bookseller’s shelves and Websites today, touting a breakthrough approach for a good night’s sleep without tears.

Historically, there have been two ways to deal with getting a baby to sleep through the night: the hotly debated technique of letting the baby “cry it out,” or “wait and be patient” until the baby begins to sleep on his own. For parents who don’t believe in letting their baby cry it out but who desperately want to sleep now, Pantley’s sanity-saving book presents a third option. Her successful solution has been tested and proven effective by scores of parents and their babies from across the United States, Canada, and Europe.

Pantley explains, “Very often, when a frequent-night-waking baby wakes up and starts to cry, he’s not hungry or thirsty or wet or even lonely; he’s just plain tired — as desperate for sleep, perhaps, as his parents but, unlike them, clueless as to how to fall back asleep.”

“During the first year or two of life, a baby wakes up during the night,” continues Pantley. “This is not a problem: It is a biological fact. The problem lies in our perceptions of how a baby should sleep, but even more than that, it lies in the parent’s own real need for an uninterrupted night’s sleep. Parents require long stretches of sleep to function at their best in their busy lives. The optimum idea, then, is to respectfully and carefully change a baby’s behavior to match his parent’s needs more closely.”

The 10-step plan leads parents step by step through the process, one day at a time, until baby and parents are all getting a good night’s sleep. This is accomplished by:

–Shedding new light on a baby’s sleep patterns and helping parents set realistic goals

–Showing parents how to analyze and assess their baby’s current sleep patterns

–Offering a variety of sleep solutions that fit every parenting style, whether families co-sleep with their baby or have their baby sleep in a crib, and whether they breastfeed or bottlefeed their baby

–Helping parents create a tear-free customized sleep plan that works for them and their baby

–Giving parents the tools to take positive action to help their baby sleep — and the encouragement to help them enjoy their babies in spite of temporary sleep deprivation

Dr. James J. McKenna, professor of anthropology and director of the Mother Baby Behavioral Sleep Center at the University of Notre Dame says, “It is refreshing to see and to be able to endorse an approach toward tender infant and child caregiving that does not claim to ‘know’ who and what every baby ‘should’ be, or what every parent ‘should’ do to achieve parenting success. Elizabeth’s book speaks to the uniqueness of each family in a loving and knowledgeable way.”

Attachment Parenting International welcomes this groundbreaking book: “Finally, a book that deals sensitively with a sensitive issue. This book is not one of empty solutions; Ms. Pantley offers real-life, workable answers to one of the most challenging and confusing situations that parents face.”

Pantley herself has lived through sleepless nights with two of her babies, and she clearly understands the impact this has on a parent’s life. “As I worked with my group of test parents, I discovered how alike we all are. Different names, different places in the world — but the same heart. We know instinctively what our babies need — what our babies want. We have strong instincts that we know exist for our babies’ optimal survival. We are even willing to suffer ourselves, if it means the best for our babies. We are mother lions, mother bears, and father tigers, too. We love our babies absolutely; we can’t bear to hear our babies cry, and yet we are desperate for a full night’s sleep.”

*The No Cry Sleep Solution* is full of reassuring advice and real life testimonials — and it gives parents the tools they need to effectively and gently reach their goal: a good night’s sleep for everyone. With no crying.

Pantley’s Website (http://www.pantley.com/elizabeth) features a wealth of information on this book and her others, including excerpts, reviews, and interviews from parents who have tried the Pantley method.

Posted On: March 31, 2002Baby Cribs

My Baby Bella… where everything is unique & special… just like your baby!

For Release: May 7, 2002    

Contact: Jennifer Klair

         909-265-6230            

Mother & Daughter Team Create Beautiful Handcrafted Baby Products

Temecula, CA — Local stay-at-home mom, Jennifer Klair, and her mother, Susan Hodson, are expanding their web site, http://www.mybabybella.com, to sell their unique and handcrafted baby products. It all began as an act of love for Klair’s two young girls, age 4 and age 2. “Following the birth of my second girl, I wanted to give them both something special and handmade to have as their very own,” said Klair. “I decided that my obsession with baby blankets was the place to start, and my talented mother was the one to recruit for the job. So we went in search of beautiful and snugly fabric for our blankets. We had so much fun making them and everyone loved the blankets so much, including the girls, that we decided to make more… That’s how My Baby Bella was born.”

My Baby Bella is a mother-daughter company. In fact, Hodson makes most of the blankets herself. They search all over for the highest quality fabrics for their blankets. In fact, they import fabric from France for their French Baby collection and fabric from England for their Shabby Chic collection. And, that’s just the beginning… they currently have eight luxurious blanket collections. In addition to their popular blankets, they make the most beautiful baby dresses from vintage pillowcases.

Their pillowcase dresses are custom made from beautiful embroidered pillowcases from long ago. “We wanted to create something that would take you back in time… handmade vintage pillowcases just fit,” says Klair. “Each one is a work of art and the dresses are truly one-of-a-kind,” adds Hodson. They specialize in mint condition embroidered pillowcases. They always carry a few pairs of pillowcases that can be made into sister dresses. Their sizes range from 6 months up to 4T.

They also design and make their own line of luxurious chenille & toile clothing and diaper bags. In addition to their own line of clothing, they carry many lines of beautiful clothing, including organic, from makers such as Green Babies, Under the Nile and Malina. “We are so excited about our new lines of products,” says Klair. “We only carry high quality products that we would want for our own children. In fact, my girls wear almost all of the clothing that we carry – they just love everything!” she added.

Some other high quality products you will find at My Baby Bella are luxurious chenille crib sets, chenille children’s chairs & accessories, Egyptian cotton crib bedding from Italy, unique cribs & furniture, handmade Moses baskets, baby sleeping bags from the Netherlands, bath time products from Burt’s Bees, handmade hooded critter bath towels & robes and much more. “We are always finding great new products that we are adding to My Baby Bella every week,” says Klair.

Klair and Hodson are supporters of a local charity organization, Binky Patrol that provides blankets to babies in need. In fact, they offer a discount and free shipping to customers who buy a blanket to donate to the group. Binky Patrol is an all volunteer, national, non-profit organization that distributes homemade blankets to children born HIV positive, drug-addicted, infected with AIDS or other chronic and terminal illnesses, those who are abused, in foster care or experiencing trauma of any kind. It is a wonderful organization that truly cares about the happiness of children.

My Baby Bella promises to deliver only high quality baby products and great customer service… a recipe for success.

###

44910 Corte Sierra, Temecula, CA 92592            

phone: 909-265-6230

fax: 909-695-0054

Posted On: May 9, 2002Baby Cribs

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

RECENT CPSC STATEMENT ABOUT INFANT SLEEP MISLEADING

Last week’s CPSC warning against sleeping with your baby leaves out key facts.

NASHVILLE, May 7, 2002. Last week at the International Juvenile Products show in Dallas, the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) issued a statement warning parents that “the only safe place for an infant to sleep is in a crib.” The data underlying this recommendation is both unscientific and inconclusive. In addition, the recommendation is biased toward the financial interests of those underwriting the resulting campaign

The recommendation relies on information that a CPSC staffer admitted was “anecdotal, not scientific.” This data indicates that between 1999 and 2001, at least 180 children under the age of two died in adult beds. The CPSC gathered information from death certificates, coroner’s reports, newspaper clippings and other sources. Data gathered from these kinds of sources can be inconsistent, subjective, and, in many cases, simply incomplete.

Additionally, several key pieces of information are absent. The report does not examine the total number of children who slept in adult beds during that time. While the loss of 60 children’s lives per year is tragic, this number by itself does not help us truly understand what happened. What we have is a raw number without any perspective – to understand we need to know the number of children who slept in adult beds without incident, as well as the number of infants who died in cribs during the same time period.

The statement is cast into further doubt by its timing and close association with crib manufacturers. The CPSC released this statement jointly with the Juvenile Product Manufacturer’s Association (JPMA) at their international trade show in Dallas. This joint statement is only the first step in a planned massive campaign aimed at warning parents of the “hidden dangers of placing infants in adult beds.” Because this clear endorsement of cribs will undoubtedly result in sales, one can easily question the motives of the JPMA. If the intent is truly to protect children, it would make far more sense to raise awareness of safe sleeping practices in both cribs and bed sharing situations.

The CPSC is an independent government agency charged with reducing the risk of injuries and deaths associated with consumer products. Considerable scientific data about safe adult-child bed sharing exists; yet, in this instance, the CPSC is deliberately choosing to endorse the use of a product rather than to adhere to its mission of ensuring the safety of those products. Their job should be to make all sleeping environments as safe as possible.

When parents who do not abuse alcohol or drugs co-sleep with their infant on a firm mattress without fluffy bedding, the environment can be beneficial for both the infant and the parent. Research has shown that infants who co-sleep breastfeed more, get more protective care during the night from their parent, and receive more touching, all of which have been shown to be beneficial to young children. Additionally, mothers who co-sleep report better sleep themselves.

# # #

CONTACT

Attachment Parenting International

Ms. Macall Gordon – West Coast

(425) 867-5152 (PST)    

mgordon@attachmentparenting.org

Ms. Tricia Jalbert – East Coast

(603) 673-8797 (EST)

tjalbert@attachmentparenting.org

Posted On: May 10, 2002Baby Cribs

:: NATIONAL BABY SAFETY WEEK IS SEPTEMBER 16-22, 2002 ::

Created by Savvy Mommy, National Baby Safety Week falls on the third Monday in September every year. This year, National Baby Safety Week will start the week of September 16, 2002.

National Baby Safety Week was created to increase awareness about preventable household and outdoor injuries involving babies, which can be found but are not limited to:

1. The baby nursery – bedding, cribs, high chairs, changing table, windows, mobiles, accessories and decorations

2. Infant/Toddler Car seats

3. Traveling with Babies – on the road and in the sky

4. The bathroom – tubs, floors, toilet bowls, doors

5. The kitchen – cabinets, drawers, appliances

6. The stroller

The dates of National Baby Safety Week in future years are:

September 15-21, 2003

September 20-26, 2004

September 19-25, 2005

September 18-24, 2006

September 17-23, 2007

Contact Savvy Mommy for more information about National Baby Safety Week and FREE editorial ready baby safety tip sheets and FREE press release templates your business can use to promote awareness of and participation in National Baby Safety Week.

Posted On: August 3, 2002Baby Cribs

ARLINGTON HEIGHTS, Dec 2,2002:

    qoqomo.com, an exhaustive and comprehensive shopping portal, today announces the launch of its shopping portal and auxilliary services. Located in the Chicago suburbs, qoqomo.com caters to the entire US market. The portal network plans on expanding to international markets in the coming months through its “Project Floodgate” program.

    For more information, please check out

http://www.qoqomo.com/presscenter/pressrelease1.htm

Whether you are shopping for fine chocolates from Belgium or caviar from the Caspian or elegant Swiss watches or just about anything else, qoqomo is your online consumer shopping cornucopia. To try a sampling of some of the hot items in our various shopping channels, see the list below.    

Enjoy your shopping, and happy holidays!

The qoqomo Team

Press contact:

pr@qoqomo.com

19th Century 10-light Chandelier – Antiques

Ozark Landscape – Art

Glass Teapot – Art Glass

Starry Night: Van Gogh – Art Prints

Nike Women’s Air Zoom – Athletic Shoes

Bose Lifestyle 50 Home Theater System – Audio

The Power of Myth: Joseph Campbell – Audio Books

Child’s Farmhouse Table + 2 Chairs – Baby

Crib Notes Maple Crib – Baby Furniture

Mommy Bear – Baby Gifts

Sporty Mary Janes – Baby Girl

Cubic Zirconia Baby Earrings – Baby Jewelry

Billy Blue’s Train Set – Baby Toys

Vetyver Body Lotion – Bath

Hand Blocked Sarongs – Beach

Shea Butter Honey Shower Cream – Beauty

Rouge Toile Bedding Collection – Bedroom

Jones Carbonated New Age Soda – Beverages

Girls Schwinn Princess Bike – Bicycles

Nutriphase Gold Parrot Diet – Birds

Life of Pi – Books

Original Monopoly – Board Games

125 ft Ocean Wolf Custom Yacht – Boats

Blueberry Shower Scrub – Body

Hello Kitty CD Player – Boomboxes

Denim Jacket – Boys

Relaxed Fit Jeans – Boys Apparel

BebeFit Glamazon – Bronzer

Dom Perignon 1993 – Bubbly

Sony Handycam Vision Camcorder – Camcorders

Mountain 25 Tent – Camping

Stupid Christmas Candy – Candy

Cat Play Room – Cats

Osetra Golden Caspian Caviar – Caviar

Godiva Nut & Caramel Assortment – Chocolates

After Dinner Natural Honduran – Cigars

J Martinez Jamaican Blue Mountain Coffee – Coffee

1878 Morgan Silver Dollar Coin – Coins

Optima FW 8-Box Special – Contact Lenses

Large Santa Claus Centerpiece – Collectibles

Apple iMac G4 Desktop – Computers

Cher – Concert Tickets

Kuhn Rikon Pressure Cooker – Cookware

Go Pout – Cosmetics

Canon Powershot S230 – Digital Cameras

Arts – Dining Room Furniture

Complete Precooked Prime Rib Dinner – Dinner

Auto Back Seat Saver – Dogs

Classic Raggedy Ann and Andy – Dolls

Bose DVD Home Entertainment System – DVD Players

James Bond Collection [7 Discs] – DVDs

Albany Pine Entertainment Center – Entertainment Centers

Bamboo Lamps – Enviro/Green

Millers Ladies Classic Fit Breach – Equestrian

Tikka Masala – Ethnic Foods

Arts – Fish

Woo Daves Lure Kit – Fishing

Yoga Kit Living Arts – Fitness

Stamina Air Resistance Treadmill – Fitness Equipment

Ferber Daisies & Rainbow Asters – Flowers

Salmon Escabesche – Food

Marco Jacobs Collection – Fragrances

Giant Sweet Strawberries – Fruits

Space Saver Table Tennis – Games

Waterman LeMan 18K Gold Pen – Gifts

Stretch Low Waist Jeans – Girls Apparel

Round Blue Jewel Necklace – Girls Jewelry

Funk-E – Girls Shoes

PGA Tickets – Golf

Palm Tungsten – Handhelds

Shoji End Table – Home Decor

Winter Forest Room Spray – Home Fragrances

Custom Sprig Whistle – Hunting

Ben & Jerry’s Custom 6-Pack – Icecream

Arts – Jewelry

I Zone Tweety Bird Pocket Camera – Kids Cameras

Daisy Duck for Girls – Kids Fragrances

R/C Launch Pad Helicopter – Kids Toys

Timex Iron Kids Watches – Kids Watches

Table + 2 Stools – Kitchen

Dualit Combi Toaster (2+2 Slice) – Kitchen Electrics

Rack of Lamb w/Artichokes & Boiler Onions – Lamb

Saratoga Chandelier – Lighting

Alex Coffee Table – Living Room

10 Pack Medium Lobsters – Lobster

3-Piece Luggage Set – Luggage

Christian Dior 47 Watch – Luxury

Arts – Magazines

More than Mascara – Mascara

Pregnancy Survival Kit – Maternity

Cosmopolitan – Meat

Exotic Animal Spa Wrap – Mens Bath

Michael for Him – Mens Fragrances

Five-Pocket Classic Fit Jeans – Mens Jeans

Mens Diamond Bracelet – Mens Jewelry

Dockers Classic Fit Pant – Mens Pants

Silk/Cotton Polo-style Shirt – Mens Shirts

Calf Handsewn Penny Loafer – Mens Shoes

Boss Rectangular Frame Sunglasses – Mens Sunglasses

Bvlgari Mens Diagono Gold Watch – Mens Watches

Royal Enfield US Classic – Motorcycles

Dried Shiitake Mushrooms – Mushrooms

Bronze Series Warlock Electric Guitar – Musical Instruments

Indian Bay Adirondack Chair – Outdoor Furniture

Gone with the Wind: Margaret Mitchell – Out of Print Books

Tis the Season Pasta – Pasta

Le Bone Dog Bed – Pets

First Aid and Survival Kit – Pharmacy

HP PhotoSmart 1215 Color Inkjet Printer – Photo Printera

SOCOM: Navy Seals – PlayStation 2

HP LaserJet 1000 Laser Printer – Printers

Harmon Kardon AVR-520 – Receivers

1999 Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon – Red Wine

Roses with Eucalyptus and Baby’s Breath – Roses

Marco Polo T43/60 – Rugs

Salmon Escabesche – Salmon

HP ScanJet 7400c Flatbed Scanner – Scanners

SparkNotes Study Guides – School Books

Joy – Sculptures

Giant Jumbo Shrimp – Seafood

Oxygen Concept 5 Complete Skateboard – Skateboards

Quicken 2003 – Software

Bose 7001 Series II – Speakers

Small Spices Rack (21 Tubes) – Spices

Chivas Regal 12 Year Old – Spirits

Wilson Cartlite Golf Bag – Sports

SuperBowl X Authentic Full Ticket – Sports Collectibles

Motorsports – Sports Tickets

Worldwide Stamp Assortments – Stamps

USDA Prime Ribeye Steaks – Steak

Arts – Sunglasses

2003 Nissan Pathfinder 4×2 SE – SUVs

Darjeeling Tea – Tea

Star Search Jeans – Teens

A Christmas Carol – Theater Tickets

Disney on Ice – Tickets

Harrp Potter Hogwarts Castle – Toys

Hawaii – Travel

Stories of World Travel – Travel Books

Vine-Ripe Slicing Tomatoes – Vegetables

NBA Live 2003 – Video Games

Moroccan Filligree Screen – Wall Art

Svarovski Princess Tiara – Wedding

Diet Shakes & Powders – Weight Loss

Bernardus 2000 Sauvignon Blanc – White Wine

Pol Roger 1995 Vintage Brut Chardonnay – Wine

Gucci III for Women – Womens

Silk Wrap Dress – Womens Apparel

Bvlgari for Women – Womens Fragrances

New Fit Low Rider Bootleg Jeans – Women’s Jeans

Princess Cut Diamond Stud Earrings – Women’s Jewelry

Weekend Stretch Twill Pants – Womens Pants

Cole Haan Air Heel Shoe – Womens Shoes

Burberry Shield Sunglasses – Womens Sunglasses

Elgin Ladies Art Deco Watch – Womens Watches

Buffy the Vampire Slayer – Xbox

Posted On: December 4, 2002Baby Cribs

It is about a ordinary single mom with extraordinary determination, despite many huge obstacles in her path. Please visit her website and give a small donation! http://lauriemeade.com An Electronic, “Twas the Night Before Christmas”

“An Electronic Night before Christmas”

“Twas the night before Christmas, and all through the house,

Not a TV was off, nor a computer, nor mouse;

The family was hooked up electronically, everywhere,

In the bedroom, the kitchen, even the bathroom had a Gameboy

in there.

The children were not nestled all snug in bed,

And mom had visions of tire and fatigue, dancing in her head.

The baby, in the crib, was watching fishie’s swim west,

He wasn’t even near, settling down to a good night’s rest.

When out in the living room there arose such a clatter,

Brother was cussing, we all rushed to see what was the matter.

To his horrible indignation, he said with a roar,

“I hate this computer,” as he slammed out the door.

The picture on the monitor only showed bright blue space,

Worry and concern were growing on my Dad’s pale face;

When, what to his suspicious eyes should appear,

But an error has been fixed window, so he grabbed another beer.

The house was not ready for Santa at all,

Piles of dirty laundry were stacked, on the floor in the hall.

The refrigerator had no turkey or ham, not a bite,

Because Mom hadn’t got groceries, she’d had a glitch on her website.

Yet kitty cat slept contently in his bed, all curled up,

And Rover the dog, snored away like a cute little pup.

I said, “Now Momma! Now Daddy! Big Sis, and Big Bro!

This is not the way Christmas is suppose to be,

I want you to know!

Now dash it and darn it! This electronic stuff has to go!”

I was fuming, I was angry as ever,

I cried big tears, and I yelled, “Santa won’t come,

I just know he won’t, no never,”

But then, in but a twinkling, and in quiet pursuit

We heard Christmas music and saw Santa, in his beautiful red suit.

He was driving his sleigh, through an awesome snowstorm,

But it wasn’t outside, it was someplace quite warm.

He was covered in fur, from his foot to his head,

And he twinkled and was animated as so were the reindeer he led;

White trimming around his fat belly twinkled,

and toys piled up on his sleigh,

It made me chuckle with laughter to see him this way!

The end of a stylus he held tight in his fist,

And marked off each stop on his computer generated list.

His droll little mouth was drawn up in a grin

That went almost unseen beneath the beard on his chin.

He spoke not a word, but went straight to his chores

And dropped a wrapped package right on the screen window floor.

Then piling them all up, like the game we know as Tetris,

He jumped back in his sleigh, and crumpled up his list in his fist.

I sprang from my chair in front of the TV,

With my hands on my hips, I said, “You guys, listen to me!

They all squinted at me through droopy eyelids,

As if saying to themselves, what’s the matter with this kid?”

Just then I heard Brother jump up from his computer chair,

He clapped and he cheered, and jumped to his feet,

“I beat him, I won, It was Santa Claus that I beat.”

“I got the high score,” he said with a smile,

“As I disgustedly glared at him, all the while.”

“That’s it,” I said, “I have reached my breaking point.

I am going to Sue’s house, I am leaving this crazy electronic joint.

They don’t have a computer, no internet there,

I’m going to find people with a normal Christmas to share.”

Laurie Meade

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Posted On: December 16, 2002Baby Cribs