Free Easter Crafts eBook.

Free Easter event for kids at ToysRUs on April 14th, plus free gifts for the kiddos.

Make your own one-of-a-kind paper Easter card at Hallmark - use the code TRIAL during checkout (must register, but can be done during checkout without losing your order).



Posted by Liz of Pink Lemonade

Featured Weekly on Posh Mama Online Magazine

Health-conscious consumers are looking for a way to save on their preferred natural and organic brands, and Mambo Sprouts is responding. Visitors to the Mambo Sprouts Marketing site can now print high value coupons for natural and organic products and receive notification when new coupons are posted.

The original online coupon section was so well received, the company decided to expand to make them more accessible. "Consumers picked up on our coupon pages and began using them almost immediately," said Matthew Saline, CEO of Mambo Sprouts. "With such strong traffic patterns, it made sense to expand the site and increase functionality for our users."

New features include coupon categories for easier browsing and recipes alongside many coupon promotions. Also new are social networking tools including an RSS feed and Facebook page. Likewise, consumers can receive alerts when new coupons are posted by following Mambo Sprouts on Twitter.

The new coupon section on the company's website places Mambo Sprouts at the forefront as one of the first online resources to offer multiple brand coupons exclusively for natural and organic producers. Participating brands include Organic Valley, Method, Ethnic Gourmet and Odwalla, among other leading natural and organic producers.

Mambo Sprouts syndicated MamboTrack™ research shows that coupon use is up among natural and organic consumers. In a 2009 Outlook Survey, consumers requested more coupons to help them maintain their organic purchasing habits.

"Our research shows that consumers are still committed to buying healthy, natural products, but they're looking for manufacturers and retailers to make that decision easier" said Saline.

An earlier MamboTrack™ study, conducted in 2008, found that on average, natural and organic consumers used about six to nine coupons per week, spending about $75 - $99 per week on groceries and saved about $8.00 per shopping trip–representing a savings of about 10% off of their weekly grocery bills.

Oh, what we won't do to be beautiful, right? And what we end up with is a bathroom full of toiletries, hair products, medications, teeth whitening products and more. If I am not careful I can accumulate enough nail polish to open my own nail salon. So, what to do to keep your bathroom from being a mess of cosmetics and personal products?

1. Sort and purge. Most beauty products have an expiration date. Sunscreen, hair coloring products, and of course medications all should have an expiration date. Toss what is old or you haven't used (and probably never will). Lotion can usually be kept for a year along with most make-up products. The exception is mascara, which should be changed at least every three months to avoid exposing your eyes to bacteria.

2. Pitch or donate duplicates. If you are anything like me you get a lot of bath and body products for birthdays and Christmas. If you have enough lotion and body wash to last you a lifetime, throw some away. Or even better, donate some to a women's shelter or homeless mission. They are always in need of unused toiletries.

3. Get creative with storage. In order to keep better track of the beauty products you have and to avoid bathroom clutter, find storage solutions that work for you. Get a Lazy Susan (usually used in the kitchen) so that you can easily see what you have on hand. Special holders exist to hold the hair dryer, curling iron etc and keep them from getting tangled up with everything else.

4. Think clean! Bathrooms are breeding grounds for bacteria (especially if you have sons LOL). Make sure you trade in your toothbrush every few months, replace your mascara often and keep the bathroom as clean as you can. I leave antibacterial wipes in the bathroom for the kids to clean up spills and wipe off counters after each use. Make sure to change your toilet brush every few months as well. You don't want a dirty home for the products you put on your face!

Happy Beautifying!


Melissa


Posted by Melissa of Multitasking Mama

Featured Weekly on Pink Lemonade Online Magazine

In Honor of National Nutrition Month, our friends at Driscoll's Berries have not only kindly provided this month's Tasty Tuesday recipes, but they also have some coupons for free berries for two readers each Tuesday during the month of March.

This is a one-day contest so don't wait to enter! The rules are the same as always...

There are several ways to enter - here are the rules:

* Leave us a comment telling us what your favorite berry is and your favorite way to eat it.

* Become a follower on Twitter. Leave me a comment to let me know your twitter name (if you are already a follower, leave me a comment with your twitter name).

* Become a fan on our new Facebook page. Leave me a comment to let me know your Facebook name.

* Subscribe to our RSS Feed or sign up to receive Pink Lemonade by Email. Leave me a comment to let me know you've subscribed. If you're already a subscriber (in either form) leave me a comment to let me know.

* Blog about our contest on your blog. Leave me a comment with your post url.

* Place our widget on your blog (it's toward the bottom of this page in the far right column - just click "get widget" at the bottom of the widget [under the heading "Grab our Widget"]). Leave me a comment with your site url.

There you have it! Six very simple ways to enter our contest - how easy is that? Complete rules can be found on our Contest page.

This contest ends TONIGHT at 11:59pm (pdst) so don't wait - make sure you've gotten all six entries today!



Posted by Liz of Pink Lemonade

Featured Weekly on Posh Mama Online Magazine

This week's recipe comes to us courtesy of Driscoll's Berries. Stay Tuned for a special giveaway from our friends at Driscoll's.




Turkey-Berry Spring Rolls



Makes: 6 Servings (24 Rolls)

Spring Rolls
12 rice-paper wrappers (8-inch round)
1 ½ pound sliced smoked turkey, cut into thin strips
2 cucumbers, peeled, seeded and cut into strips
2 green onions cut into strips
2 cups Driscoll’s Strawberries, hulled and chopped
1 ripe mango, peeled and cut into thin strips
1 cup fresh mint leaves
2/3 cup peanuts, chopped

Dipping Sauce
½ cup Driscoll’s Raspberries
¼ cup rice wine vinegar
¼ cup water
2 tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon grated ginger
¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper

Dipping Sauce: Mash raspberries with a fork in a small bowl; stir in remaining ingredients.

To Assemble: Working with one sheet of rice paper at a time, dip sheet in bowl of hot water until softened, 20 to 25 seconds. Arrange one-twelfth of turkey horizontally in lower third of wrapper, leaving a 1-inch border on either end.

Top with one-twelfth of remaining ingredients; fold in ends and tightly roll up. Cover with damp paper towels. Repeat process. Cut rolls in half; arrange halves seam side down on serving plates.

Serve with dipping sauce.



Posted by Liz of Pink Lemonade

Featured Weekly on Posh Mama Online Magazine

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Posted by Liz of Pink Lemonade

Featured Weekly on Posh Mama Online Magazine

MyPunchbowl Birthday Reminders provides an easy and dependable way to keep track of the birthdays that matter the most to you and it's a nice addition to their award-winning party planning and eCards sites.

The features of MyPunchbowl Birthday Reminders allow you to:

• Sign up for the service using your Facebook account
• Request birthdays from family and friends via email and watch your list grow
• Use Facebook and Twitter to collect birthdays
• Organize birthday reminders into helpful groups (such as family, friends, and even Pets)
• Easily share your reminder list groups with others
• Customize settings to specify the time and frequency of your birthday reminders

Stop by and check out MyPunchbowl Birthday Reminders to help keep track of those important days!

Don't you love the way your lips feel when they're all moisturized and smooth? But sometimes the lip balm you buy at your local drugstore can be more than questionable when it comes to ingredients - in fact, I've purchased many in the past that actually seem to dry my lips out instead of moisturizing and protecting them - kind of defeats the purpose, doesn't it?

Now you can purchase lip balms (and more) with confidence that, not only are they all-natural, but Vegan too! The lip-balms at Living Botanicals come in the most yummy flavors, like Cherry Lime Margarita, Red, Red Apple and Passion Fruit and Rose just to name a few! Living Botanicals also has vegan soaps (even chocolate soap!) to keep your skin soft and pampered.

Did you know that the average woman will consume four to nine pounds (yes, pounds) of lipstick and lip balm over her lifetime (from licking your lips etc.). Doesn't it make sense that your lip balm be all-natural and even vegan - who knows what those ingredients in drugstore lip balms are!

The wonderful folks at Living Botanicals have a $15 gift certificate for one lucky reader.

There are several ways to enter - here are the rules:

* Pop on over to Living Botanicals and check out all of the fun varieties of lip glosses and soaps they have available. Then come back and leave us a comment telling us what your favorites are.

* Become a follower on Twitter. Leave me a comment to let me know your twitter name (if you are already a follower, leave me a comment with your twitter name).

* Become a fan on our new Facebook page. Leave me a comment to let me know your Facebook name.

* Subscribe to our RSS Feed or sign up to receive Pink Lemonade by Email. Leave me a comment to let me know you've subscribed. If you're already a subscriber (in either form) leave me a comment to let me know.

* Blog about our contest on your blog. Leave me a comment with your post url.

* Place our widget on your blog (it's toward the bottom of this page in the far right column - just click "get widget" at the bottom of the widget [under the heading "Grab our Widget"]). Leave me a comment with your site url.

There you have it! Six very simple ways to enter our contest - how easy is that? Complete rules can be found on our Contest page.

This contest ends Sunday, April 5th at 11:59pm (pdst) so don't wait - make sure you've gotten all six entries before it's too late! Please note: entries received after the cutoff time will be deleted prior to drawing a winner.



Posted by Liz of Pink Lemonade

Featured Weekly on Posh Mama Online Magazine

The winners of our Havaianas Giveaway are:

Apple

and

Taylor




Congratulations! I will be popping you over an email shortly to get your information.

We have a new contest going up in just a few minutes - be sure to enter!!!



Posted by Liz of Pink Lemonade

Featured Weekly on Posh Mama Online Magazine

Have you met Marge and Edna? They're the residents of Marge and Edna's Basement and they are a hoot!

Margie and Edna are two elderly sisters, the oldest (and nosiest) residents of the fictional town of Jericho, KS. They are also the brainchildren of Jane and Beth, two “Jericho” fans who clearly needed a creative outlet. Margie and Edna are the result.

Stop by and visit this great site - they have been very kind to me (we have been having Entrecard "technical difficulties" with our adspots lately and M&E have been so very sweet watching out to make sure our adspot was running on theirs on the appropriate day - even going out of their way to make sure they drove visitors here).

Stop by and tell the ladies "Hi" and be sure to tell them that Pink Lemonade sent you!



Posted by Liz of Pink Lemonade

Featured Weekly on Posh Mama Online Magazine

It seems that Havaianas are some of the most popular sandals around!

We all know from experience that comfort and fashion rarely mix. Happily, Havaianas are an exception. Dubbed as the world’s best sandal, their more than 40-year old secret rubber formula is responsible for buttery-soft, bouncy, flexible sandals that have blissfully cushioned the feet of many dignitaries and celebrities around the world. These comfortable sole saviors have been paired with flirty skirts, tailored shirts and jeans, helping glamour girls like Jennifer Aniston, Reese Witherspoon, and Cameron Diaz keep their poise on the streets of Hollywood.

Last month, during New York Fashion Week Havaianas took over the IMG Lounge backstage with their famous “Make Your Own Havaianas” booth. Guests in the lounge were invited to personalize their own limited edition pair with initials, studs, or Swarovski crystals in different colors. Jennifer Love Hewitt customized the white limited edition Havaianas with her initials and made another pair for her mom! Amanda Bynes and Michelle Trachtenberg customized the charcoal limited edition with their initials too!

(Justin Timberlake and Jessica Biel picked up a matching pairs with their initials on their way to the show’s after-party at Rose Bar - JT and JB!!)

It seems that just about everyone thinks Havaianas are the cat's meow. Famed stiletto designer Christian Louboutins, is opening his first store in Sao Paulo and in a recent interview revealed that he owns 30-40 pairs of the ubiquitous line of sandals. When asked "How many pairs of shoes does a woman need?" He responded, "Every woman should own three pairs of shoes - high heels, flat shoes and Havaianas".

In 2009, Havaianas once again delivers with new designs made for maximum style and comfort. With their signature marshmallow-y comfort and alluring designs, Havaianas continues to give its followers the perfect blend of fashion, function, and fun every woman needs in life!



Today is the last day to enter to win one of two pair of Havaianas - see our Giveaway Post for complete details on how to enter.



Posted by Liz of Pink Lemonade

Featured Weekly on Posh Mama Online Magazine

By Laura Fortgang,
Author of The Little Book on Meaning: Why We Crave It, How We Create It


It's long been assumed that motherhood brings meaning to our lives. We guide, love, nurture and support our offspring and sometimes feel appreciated in return -- all elements that can fuel our connectedness and satisfaction in the world. It's easy to find meaningful moments as a mom, but it's when things are tough that it seems we don't know how to interpret what meaning is. What if the greatest reward and meaning of being a mother is the growth our children force us to do?

Being a parent is a very hard job no matter how you slice it, but to further the true blessing that children are is to work equally hard on being conscious and mindful of the growth our kids call forth in us. Perhaps your patience needs work or your critical side needs to be quieted or you need to learn compassion or you could stand to give up some perfectionism. Parenting in a kind and loving way can only come if we face these issues in ourselves. Maybe this is the true meaning behind being in relationship with these souls.

There is no greater hot button for me than feeling rendered irrelevant or ineffective. Not being able to calm and fussy baby or now, a pre-teen who is convinced they are unpopular and therefore unworthy of living are circumstances that can set me off into an irrational frustration that usually results in an ugly scene. I might yell or let something come out of my mouth that is less than constructive. Shame follows instantly but it has taken years to massage this issue into a submissive state where I can stay reasonably conscious and restrain from acting out of a lower consciousness. (i.e. dysfunctional behavior)

I know better. I teach people how to communicate more effectively, I teach spiritual concepts, I have practiced yoga and meditation. Why is this still hard? Because this is the real work. These children (I have a total of three) make me face my own demons, my own feelings of helplessness or unworthiness. It is only as I work through them that I can really be free and present for them. It is only through their presence refining me, the grain sand in the oyster, that a pearl will emerge. A pearl that brightens things for everyone once the work is done.

Don't get me wrong, it's not about mom being perfect before she can parent. It's about the path that dishes out its bumps and makes us better because of them. Our children are part of those bumps. Their problems are our problems, their personalities hand picked to iron out the wrinkles in our being, their triumphs ours to hope we had something to do with.

Each of my children shines a spotlight on the places where my capacity for love can stand to grow. Of course, they are all talented and beautiful and I love them more than anything, but they also grow me. And growth is often painful or at least uncomfortable. They are here FOR us -- to grow us -- they don't come to us to just be lovely adornments to our life who exist to make us happy.

My fussy baby/pre-teen is very sensitive and TLC from mom is often not effective. I am still working on the patience and bandwidth needed to find an entry to his psyche that allows comfort and connection. It comes often but it's an unpredictable series of attempts through the maze of his wiring to open him back to breathing at ease with the flow of life. It's work and it's a testament to love that we hang in there together to get back to it.

My middle child can be petulant and needs to be right at all costs. ARGH! Despite being beautiful, caring and talented in many creative ways, her resistance is a common stumbling block to discipline, cooperation and negotiation. Our relationship causes me to be confronted with my own need to be right. It took me a couple of years to learn that a power struggle was not going to be the answer.

I had to give up the fight to be right and learn not to be hooked by the pull of that game. I found a way to stay above the fray like a mature adult should (if they didn't have their own wounds) and guide her to her own answers that often show her how very mistaken her logic is! Of course, I don't gloat but I have finally learned to unhook from the drama that she is so good at creating.

My youngest has introduced me to the world of having a child with special needs. He's had a seizure disorder and we've entered the world of special education. After four years, we have suddenly gone into remission and are hoping to be pronounced cured soon. The growth being asked of me through this child has been about trusting my judgment before that of experts and advocating for my child medically and education-wise. He has grown me into a warrior. Not a barbaric warrior, but rather a force to reckoned with who will draw on whatever strength I may not have even known I had to do right by him. Despite doubt, worry and sleepless nights, the challenge has been to remain mentally strong enough to keep looking for solutions and believe in my son's ability to heal. Trying to stay in love instead of in fear. This has been part of my personal journey and what I work with clients on and here, it has been tested more and more.

Meaningful connections as mothers? Certainly! Always a sunny, easy ride? Hardly ever! Our children are in reality ministers to our soul's growth. They have a higher calling then whatever their careers turn out to be. We have to let our little ministers to their very big work. Even if we, their mothers, are the greatest work they came to transform.

©2009 Laura Fortgang, author of The Little Book on Meaning

Author Bio
Laura Fortgang, author of The Little Book on Meaning, is a nationally renowned speaker and life coach, helping individuals, small businesses, and corporations forge new directions and weather change. A contributing editor for Redbook magazine with a regular feature called "Live Your Dreams," Laura recently became ordained as an Interfaith Minister. She lives in Montclair, New Jersey.

Learn more about The Little Book on Meaning at thelittlebookonmeaning.com

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Posted by Liz of Pink Lemonade

Featured Weekly on Posh Mama Online Magazine

The winner of our Sleepwalking in Daylight book giveaway is:




Gabriel J.






Congratulations, Gabriel - I have emailed you with details on claiming your prize.

We have new giveaways going up all the time - don't forget to stop by daily and see what's new!



Posted by Liz of Pink Lemonade

Featured Weekly on Posh Mama Online Magazine

By now you've read the Introduction to The Midwife..." - I hope you loved it as much as I did!

We have one copy of The Midwife: A Memoir of Birth, Joy, and Hard Times to give away to one lucky reader.

There are several ways to enter - here are the rules:

Please note: Your email address MUST either be in your comment or available on your blogger profile or your entry will NOT count!! **

* Leave us a comment on any post here at Pink Lemonade (be sure to comment on this post & let us know where you commented).

* Become a follower on Twitter. Leave me a comment to let me know your twitter name (if you are already a follower, leave me a comment with your twitter name).

* Become a fan on our Facebook page. Leave me a comment to let me know your Facebook name (If you're already a fan, leave me a comment and let me know).

* Subscribe to our RSS Feed or sign up to receive Pink Lemonade by Email. Leave me a comment to let me know you've subscribed. If you're already a subscriber (in either form) leave me a comment to let me know.

* Blog about our contest on your blog. Leave me a comment with your post url.

* Place our widget on your blog (it's toward the bottom of this page in the far right column - just click "get widget" at the bottom of the widget [under the heading "Grab our Widget"]). Leave me a comment with your site url.

There you have it! Six very simple ways to enter our contest - how easy is that?

This contest ends at 11:59pm (pst) on Thursday, April 2nd so don't wait - make sure you've gotten all six entries today!



Posted by Liz of Pink Lemonade

Featured Weekly on Posh Mama Online Magazine

Introduction
by Jennifer Worth,
Author of The Midwife: A Memoir of Birth, Joy, and Hard Times

Nonnatus House was situated in the heart of the London Docklands. The practice covered Stepney, Limehouse, Millwall, the Isle of Dogs, Cubitt Town, Poplar, Bow, Mile End and Whitechapel. The area was densely populated and most families had lived there for generations, often not moving more than a street or two away from their birthplace. Family life was lived at close quarters and children were brought up by a widely extended family of aunts, grandparents, cousins and older siblings, all living within a few houses, or at the most, streets of each other. Children would run in and out of each other's homes all the time and when I lived and worked there, I cannot remember a door ever being locked, except at night.

Children were everywhere, and the streets were their playgrounds. In the 1950s there were no cars in the back streets, because no one had a car, so it was perfectly safe to play there. There was heavy industrial traffic on the main roads, particularly those leading to and from the docks, but the little streets were traffic-free.

The bomb sites were the adventure playgrounds. They were numerous, a terrible reminder of the war and the intense bombing of the Docklands only ten years before. Great chunks had been cut out of the terraces, each encompassing perhaps two or three streets. The area would be roughly boarded off, partly hiding a wasteland of rubble with bits of building half standing, half fallen. Perhaps a notice stating DANGER -- KEEP OUT would be nailed up somewhere, but this was like a red rag to a bull to any lively lad over the age of about six or seven, and every bomb site had secret entries where the boarding was carefully removed, allowing a small body to squeeze through. Officially no one was allowed in, but everyone, including the police, seemed to turn a blind eye.

It was undoubtedly a rough area. Knifings were common. Street fights were common. Pub fights and brawls were an everyday event. In the small, overcrowded houses, domestic violence was expected. But I never heard of gratuitous violence children or towards the elderly; there was a certain respect for the weak. This was the time of the Kray brothers, gang warfare, vendettas, organised crime and intense rivalry. The police were everywhere, and never walked the beat alone. Yet I never heard of an old lady being knocked down and having her pension stolen, or of a child being abducted and murdered.

The vast majority of the men living in the area worked in the docks.

Employment was high, but wages were low and the hours were long. The men holding the skilled jobs had relatively high pay and regular hours, and their jobs were fiercely guarded. Their skills were usually kept in the family, passed from father to sons or nephews. But for the casual labourers, life must have been hell. There would be no work when there were no boats to unload, and the men would hang around the gates all day, smoking and quarrelling. But when there was a boat to unload, it would mean fourteen, perhaps eighteen hours of relentless manual labour. They would start at five in the morning and end around ten at night. No wonder they fell into the pubs and drank themselves silly at the end of it. Boys started in the docks at the age of fifteen, and they were expected to work as hard as any man. All the men had to be union members and the unions strove to ensure fair rates of pay and fair hours, but they were bedevilled by the closed shop system, which seemed to cause as much trouble and ill feeling between workers as the benefits it accrued. However, without the unions, there is no doubt that the exploitation of workers would have been as bad in 1950 as it had been in 1850.

Early marriage was the norm. There was a high sense of sexual morality, even prudery, amongst the respectable people of the East End. Unmarried partners were virtually unknown, and no girl would ever live with her boyfriend. If she attempted to, there would be hell to pay from her family. What went on in the bomb sites, or behind the dustbin sheds, was not spoken of. If a young girl did become pregnant, the pressure on the young man to marry her was so great that few resisted. Families were large, often very large, and divorce was rare. Intense and violent family rows were common, but husband and wife usually stuck together.

Few women went out to work. The young girls did, of course, but as soon as a young woman settled down it would have been frowned upon. Once the babies started coming, it was impossible: an endless life of child-rearing, cleaning, washing, shopping and cooking would be her lot. I often wondered how these women managed, with a family of up to thirteen or fourteen children in a small house, containing only two or three bedrooms. Some families of that size lived in the tenements, which often consisted of only two rooms and a tiny kitchen.

Contraception, if practised at all, was unreliable. It was left to the women, who had endless discussions about safe periods, slippery elm, gin and ginger, hot water douches and so on, but few attended any birth control clinic and, from what I heard, most men, absolutely refused to wear a sheath.

Washing, drying and ironing took up the biggest part of a woman's working day. Washing machines were virtually unknown and tumble driers had not been invented. The drying yards were always festooned with clothes, and we midwives often had to pick our way through a forest of flapping linen to get to our patients. Once in the house or flat, there would be more washing to duck and weave through, in the hall, the stairways, the kitchen, the living room and the bedroom. Launderettes were not introduced until the 1960s, so all washing had to be done by hand at home.

By the 1950s, most houses had running cold water and a flushing lavatory in the yard outside. Some even had a bathroom. The tenements, however, did not, and the public wash-houses were still very much in use. Grumbling boys were taken there once a week to have a bath by determined mothers. The men, probably under female orders, carried out the same weekly ablution. You would see them going to the bath-house on a Saturday afternoon with a small towel, a piece of soap, and a dour expression, which spoke of a weekly tussle once again waged and lost.

Most houses had a wireless, but I did not see a single TV set during my time in the East End, which may well have contributed to the size of the families. The pubs, the men's clubs, dances, cinemas, the music halls and dog racing were the main forms of relaxation. For the young people, surprisingly, the church was often the centre of social life, and every church had a series of youth clubs and activities going on every night of the week. All Saints Church in the East India Dock Road, a huge Victorian church, had many hundreds of youngsters in its youth club run by the Rector and no less than seven energetic young curates. They needed all their youth and energy to cope, night after night, with activities for five or six hundred young people.

The thousands of seamen of all nationalities that came into the docks did not seem to impinge much upon the lives of the people who lived there. "We keeps ourselves to ourselves," the locals said, which meant no contact. Daughters were carefully protected: there were plenty of brothels to cater for the needs of the seamen. In my work I had to visit two or three of them, and I found them very creepy places to be in.

I saw prostitutes soliciting in the main roads, but none at all in the little streets, even on the Isle of Dogs, which was the first landing place for the seamen. The experienced professional would never waste her time in such an unpromising area, and if any enthusiastic amateur had been rash enough to attempt it, she would soon have been driven out, probably with violence, by the outraged local residents, men as well as women. The brothels were well known, and always busy. I daresay they were illegal, and raided from time to time by the police, but that did not seem to affect business. Their existence certainly kept the streets clean.

Life has changed irrevocably in the last fifty years. My memories of the Docklands bear no resemblance to what is known today. Family and social life has completely broken down, and three things occurring together, within a decade, ended centuries of tradition -- the closure of the docks, slum clearance, and the Pill.

Slum clearance started in the late 1950s, while I was still working in the area. No doubt the houses were a bit grotty, but they were people's homes and much loved. I remember many, many people, old and young, men and women, holding a piece of paper from the Council, informing them that their houses or flats were to be demolished, and that they were to be rehoused. Most were sobbing. They knew no other world, and a move of four miles seemed like going to the ends of the earth. The moves shattered the extended family, and children suffered as a result. The transition also literally killed many old people who could not adapt. What is the point of a spanking new flat with central heating and a bathroom, if you never see your grandchildren, have no one to talk to, and your local, which sold the best beer in London, is now four miles away?

The Pill was introduced in the early 1960s and modern woman was born. Women were no longer going to be tied to the cycle of endless babies; they were going to be themselves. With the Pill came what we now call the sexual revolution. Women could, for the first time in history, be like men, and enjoy sex for its own sake. In the late 1950s we had eighty to a hundred deliveries a month on our books. In 1963 the number had dropped to four or five a month. Now that is some social change!

The closure of the docks occurred gradually over about fifteen years, but by about 1980 the merchant ships came and went no more. The men clung to their jobs, the unions tried to defend them, and there were numerous dockers' strikes during the 1970s, but the writing was on the wall. In fact the strikes, far from protecting jobs, merely accelerated the closures. For the men of the area, the docks were more than a job, even more than a way of life -- they were, in fact, life itself -- and for these men, the world fell apart. The ports, which for centuries had been the main arteries of England, were no longer needed. And therefore the men were no longer needed. This was the end of the Docklands as I knew them.

The above is an excerpt from the book The Midwife: A Memoir of Birth, Joy, and Hard Times by Jennifer Worth. The above excerpt is a digitally scanned reproduction of text from print. Although this excerpt has been proofread, occasional errors may appear due to the scanning process. Please refer to the finished book for accuracy.

Reprinted by arrangement with Penguin, a member of Penguin Group (USA) Inc., from The Midwife
Copyright © Jennifer Worth, 2002



Posted by Liz of Pink Lemonade

Featured Weekly on Posh Mama Online Magazine

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Posted by Liz of Pink Lemonade

Featured Weekly on Posh Mama Online Magazine

Since I have become a parent, I have learned that parenthood is only truly learned through on the job training. Caring for someone else’s children and taking classes in child development and child care are both helpful, but in the end the children go home or the class ends and you can move on to another class. When you become a parent, your children do NOT leave at the end of the day, and although you may change what you are learning, this is a class that lasts a lifetime (or several lifetimes, depending on the number of children you have!).

It is overwhelming to realize the responsibility that is placed on your shoulders when that sweet baby is placed in your arms. This child will be dependant on you for everything! But you also gain an incredible love for that innocent baby staring up at you. You two will learn together, step by step, through the entire process of growing-up.

As a child, I assumed that my parents were perfect and all knowing. I assumed that if they said it - it was right! As a mom, I realize, I am not perfect… and that is OK! I am a parent in training and will be until my children are grown! Step by step, we will learn how to care for our children at each stage of their lives. I may be pretty proficient at parenting newborns (I have done that five times now) but the Teenage years are something I know nothing about, but luckily I have five rounds of training looming before me.

As the saying goes, “The problem with being a parent is that by the time you are experienced, you are usually unemployed.” (Author unknown). I disagree with author in only one area…that this is a problem! Maybe it is just me, and the fact that I love to learn, but I rejoice in the fact that parenting is a learning process! I love that I don’t have to know everything about being a parent the moment my baby is placed in my arms. I know that if I study hard and do my best, that I will be enough. I can graduate from parenthood, and move on to enjoying the next big adventure, grandparenthood!

- Christine


Posted by Christine of Random Thoughts With Chris

Featured weekly on Pink Lemonade Online Magazine

Introducing JellyTelly, an innovative and interactive multimedia experience for kids, straight from Phil Vischer, the creator of VeggieTales! The online children's network reaches beyond the traditions of television and DVD entertainment, offering 24-hour access to high-quality Christian programming to children ages 5-11.

Birthed out of his creative shop Jellyfish Labs, Phil Vischer and his team believe the Internet presents a unique opportunity to teach kids about the Bible in a fresh, engaging way. "Through JellyTelly, we can bring the Bible to life for kids on a daily basis. Our mission is to help raise the next generation of Christian kids so they know what they believe and why they believe it," says Vischer.


Utilizing high-quality, cost-effective video streaming from technology partner Ooyala, the free of charge network provides exclusive daily programming, interactive games based on kids' favorite characters, a "movie of the week" on Saturday and Sundays, and a "grown-ups" section to keep parents informed of news and updates. Pre-reading children can enjoy and navigate the site by browsing through picture option menus.

The mini-network has already gained the attention and endorsements of leaders in the Christian entertainment world, including Ted Beahr, founder of Movieguide. He says, "Having taught media literacy for forty years, I am impressed that this innovative and ground-breaking network offers one of the most effective ways to reach children on a level to which they can relate. By creatively teaching biblical values with animation and humor, JellyTelly provides a unique opportunity to instill values in children at a young age, which can make a significant impact on their future."

JellyFish Labs has also created JellyBits, an exclusive website for children's ministry leaders. The site offers JellyTelly video shorts that teach books of the Bible in entertaining and fun ways. Churches can download video shorts for a minimal cost to use with their weekly Sunday school teaching.



Posted by Liz of Pink Lemonade

Featured Weekly on Posh Mama Online Magazine

Free Screening of HBO's movie Gray Gardens (select cities).


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Posted by Liz of Pink Lemonade

Featured Weekly on Posh Mama Online Magazine

Hanky Panky introduces a low-rise thong in Petite.

Hanky Panky believes in panties for ALL the people - curvy or cut, tanky or lanky - they've got a style to flatter every physique. And now they're excited to introduce their newest fit - Petite!

Their most petite fans told them that the soft and stretchy Hanky Panky Signature Lace thongs didn't hug them like they hugged their friends. So Hanky Panky is offering thongs that are made-to-measure for bods size 0-4.

With it's flattering V-front waistband in sophisticated signature lace, these panties feel like nothing else in your undie drawer. And only Hanky Panky offers a reliable fit in such an irresistible array of colors - from neutrals like Bliss Pink and Chai to gemstone brights such as Azure and Coral Reef.

Until now, Hanky Panky petite-fit panties were only available to their Japanese customers. But they think women around the globe deserve a panty with perfect proportions.

With the recession in full swing, no item is safe from being cut from consumers’ bottom line and that includes toys for their children. The good news is that there are affordable and fun products on the market including the newest collectible and trading craze to hit schools – The Only Hearts Pets. This cute and cuddly line includes mini dogs, bears, elephants, frogs and even pigs and are $3.99 and available nationwide at Bed Bath & Beyond, Target as well as specialty toy and gift stores.

Kids love the hook for attaching them to a backpack, notebook, or key chain and giving and receiving them as party favors. From a parents’ perspective the Only Hearts Pets are recession proof and a nod to returning to basic toys.

We have a set of four Only Hearts Pets to give away to one lucky reader.

There are several ways to enter - here are the rules:

* Pop on over to Only Hearts Club and check out all of the fun toys they have available. Then come back and leave us a comment telling us what your favorites are.

* Become a follower on Twitter. Leave me a comment to let me know your twitter name (if you are already a follower, leave me a comment with your twitter name).

* Become a fan on our new Facebook page. Leave me a comment to let me know your Facebook name.

* Subscribe to our RSS Feed or sign up to receive Pink Lemonade by Email. Leave me a comment to let me know you've subscribed. If you're already a subscriber (in either form) leave me a comment to let me know.

* Blog about our contest on your blog. Leave me a comment with your post url.

* Place our widget on your blog (it's toward the bottom of this page in the far right column - just click "get widget" at the bottom of the widget [under the heading "Grab our Widget"]). Leave me a comment with your site url.

There you have it! Six very simple ways to enter our contest - how easy is that? Complete rules can be found on our Contest page.

This contest ends Tuesday March 31st at 11:59pm (pdst) so don't wait - make sure you've gotten all six entries before it's too late! Please note: entries received after the cutoff time will be deleted prior to drawing a winner.



Posted by Liz of Pink Lemonade

Featured Weekly on Posh Mama Online Magazine