What a Craze for some Java!

Today marked the Grand Opening of a great new coffee shop here in San Diego. Java Mama was on the news this morning and received great coverage. I intended to make it there by 9:30am or so but ended up there at around 10:30am.

I had my two youngest monkeys in tow and once we walked in it was crazy, a good crazy though. Arm to arm with mommies and toddlers there for some Java and fun. The Bump gave away great bags of freebies, which some of my own products were in there :) and Java Mama gave away free Java and goodies too. The play area, which is designed with little monkeys in mind (ages 1-3), was crowded with toddling toddlers and of course my 2 year old had to be the roughest one there. He was everywhere! Up on the slide, down in the train table play station, then away to the soft blocks where he piled and destroyed on top of very young monkeys. I really felt like I was in the wrong place at the right time. This place is great, it was just the opening day and there was so much excitement. Okay, so I'll blame his wildness on the fact that there were so many other excited little ones and hope that he's one of the best ones next time we go out.

So am I the only one who cringes every time out with the kids. Hoping that they behave and then being a bit disappointed once you're in the moment? Am I the only one who feels like you want to control your child and expect your two year old to behave and mind everything he is told? I have two girls older than this little monkey and they were a different experience. I mean this boy can be wild and I feel like I don't have the tools to tame him and then I also feel like he's little and I need to just kick back. What about you?

Overall, Java Mama was a great hit today and I know my products will do great there. There were so many mommies with itty bitty ones, nursing up some healthy greatness. If you're in San Diego and want some time with your girlfriends, yourself and of course your little monkeys then remember Java Mama. www.javamam.com

Breastfeeding Etiquette

After reading a really great blog topic post by http://www.mamaknowsbreast.com/ I decided to check out the link she posted for The Today Show and breastfeeding etiquette. Susan Kane , the editor and chief to Baby Talk Magazine, was interviewed by Ann Curry on the great topic of breastfeeding statistics and the declined percentage of breastfeeding mothers at 6 months. Besides the help women need to succeed at breastfeeding, the problem at the work place and breastfeeding, etiquette was the focus and the attitude public has towards the act.
This week ivillage.com took a survey on the topic, which is a Internet site particularly targeted towards women, and the results were

57% responded breastfeeding should only be done in discreet places and all covered
30% responded anywhere-anytime
10% never in public

57% was the result from the national dietetic association's national survey for people who disapprove to public breastfeeding

It is wonderful to see this is becoming such a hot topic and that people are helping to make changes. Susan embraced that it is a very difficult challenge for many women to go out into public and breastfeed due to their own feelings and the way the public treats nursing mothers. Also discussed were the rights to feeds anywhere, anytime defending nursing mothers "what woman do you know wants to show her, sane woman, wants to show herself in public?" in defense to public attitude towards a woman exposing herself while breastfeeding.
Women are able to breastfeed discreetly and continue their breastfeeding relationship in public whether doing so with a cover up (which was emphasised a couple of times in the interview) or anyway a woman can do so. I am very happy this was on the Today Show because it is something so many women are faced with everyday. The choice when faced with this issues is just like Susan said on the show, either stay locked up in your home because of your feelings or go out and do what you have to-breastfeed in public. Check out this interview http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/3032633/ and click on breastfeeding etiquette.

thanks to Andi at mamknowsbreast.com

Java Mama

The best thing is coming to San Diego, a coffee shop for mommies and their little monkeys! If you're a mommy you know that you've been there, wanting a place you can go and have a cup of coffee with the girls while the kids play. Time to talk and bond with other adults without the worry of your monkeys hanging on everything they're not supposed to. How about a place to do some work at while the kids play? They have laptop stations with free wifi and specialty drinks while you work away. Well, it's here and it's opening very soon. Check out Java mama's website and be there! http://javamama.com

The Grand Opening to Java Mama in La Mesa, Ca. will be held on February 15Th from 7am-12 pm and Mommy's Little Monkey will be there!!!!
Go to the grand opening and the first 35 mommies will receive a goodie bag from The BUMP San Diego stuffed with greatness. Also one big diaper bag filled with goodies will be raffled off as well.
Enjoy free drinks for mommy and children and take their classes as well. Enjoy and explore this great new facility!

Trademark Watchdog Barking at a SAHM blogger!!!!!

So Jennifer, at http://thelactivist.blogspot.com/, was barked at today by a trademark watchdog for The National Pork Board and slapped with a threat to sue her for one cute slogan she came up with and sells at her cafe press store. Apparently her t-shirt slogan "the other white milk" is similar to theirs and they claim that it violates their trademark on the phrase"the other white meat".
PLEASE!!!!! Like anyone who reads her blog, checks out and buys her clothing is really thinking "PORK"when they do so. Does breastmilk, which my own was rarely white due to supplements, have anything to do with pork? Sorry, I never have compared nor will I ever, other than seeing a pig nursing her piglets- the expressions on a mother pigs face can be similar to a human mamas. Oh, and once I did see a mother pig run away from her five piglets but you know if I had five that wanted my chee chees I'd probably run too, but other than that I would not compare the two!
I have a business that I protected legally with patents and trademarks prior to launching and so I can understand and respect all the $ (and more $ and more $) and hard work that goes into protecting your products and names but come on! Really, this is bizarre and only proves that the legal team contacting Jennifer really did not do their homework on what they were barking at. If they simply read her blog a little more then they would see that she was doing great things with her Cafe Press earnings and also would see the passion in her mission with this blog. The Lactavist is harmless, she's obviously respectful and passionate about breastfeeding and her mission the help out with non-profit milk banks. The National Pork Board really needs to lay off. It's just a waste of their money to have had lawyers contact Jennifer, not to mention any reputation they have because now people are pretty fired up. Let's all say no to pork!