queen of california

last night, i attended a private event to publicize maria shriver's new book.
it's about living your own "wild + precious life" + being your authentic self.
she was on the view from the bay yesterday + on the oprah show recently.
watch both online videos to learn about her book 'just who will you be?'

my daughter is into princesses + doesn't understand about politics, so i told her i was going to a party to meet the queen of california, but it was just for mommies (she thinks all moms have blogs). she's already met the king of san francisco (mayor gavin newsom), so she's used to royalty.

mod*tot knew she couldn't attend the party, but she hoped to get a glimpse of the queen. we were outside the building playing ring-around-the rosie + talking to the fbi looking man in a dark suit with a curly phone cord behind his ear, waiting for my husband to pick mod*tot up, so i could go into the bookstore, when all of a sudden the biggest black suv pulled up to park + we could see maria in the passenger seat. mod*tot jumped up onto a bench + started waving her hands wildly over her head + shaking her butt.

luckily, maria was stunningly gorgeous with long curly hair + decked out in high heels, a dark skirt with jacket + long sparkly rosary beads with a cross,
so she did look very regal. mod*tot yelled, "hello queen! hello queen!" maria + her entourage laughed + paused to look at mod*tot with her pretty pink dress + exuberant smile. maria told her, "but, i'm not a queen. see?
i don't have a crown. you're the queen. your mom's the queen."

it was nice of her to talk to mod*tot, but mod*tot knows maria's the queen.

futuristic kitchen faucet $925

kohler is preparing to launch a futuristic kitchen faucet in june!

the Karbon™ articulating faucet has an efficient + scientific modern design.

see how it works

engineered to hold any pose for hands-free operation, the Karbon faucet extends to fill large pots, lowers for sink cleanup, or folds compactly.

watch these futuristic videos: the power of Karbon or Karbon functionality
+ tell me in the comments what do you think of the Karbon + do you want one?

be sure to enter my mod*mom "earth month" giveaways $2,000+

mod*mom "earth month" giveaways $2,000+

whole foods :: spring fever gift baskets (updated!)
dyson :: handheld vacuum
honest :: organic beverage selections
FLOR :: ecofriendly carpet tiles
method :: green baby care + home detox sets
collins :: earth-friendly lifestyle books (new!)
mozzee :: mod minimalist high/low chair (new!)

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mod*mom mother's day giveaway :: mod highchair $645

mod*mom mother's day giveaway :: mod minimalist high/low chair $645

nest is designed + built to fit babies + children from 6 months to 6 years,
with 3 configurations (dine-boost-nester) for different stages of your child's development. nest comes with an integrated 5-point safety harness. babies use the removable tray for feeding, toddlers + young children who want to join the family at the table, use nest at an adjustable height without the tray. nest converts to nester - a cool low chair for reading or relaxing.

to enter to win a mozzee nest highchair, booster, lowchair , please leave me a comment telling me your favorite features of the nest + why.
include your email address + url, before midnight, monday may 31
check the next day to see if you won!

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mod*mom earth day giveaway :: 10 gorgeously green earth-friendly lifestyle that will be featured on oprah on earth day

mod*mom earth day giveaway :: 10 earth-friendly lifestyle books

i have a degree in environmental science + i'm very concerned for the earth + our children's health + future, so i'm so excited to introduce my readers to stephanie uliano + her earth-friendly lifestyle book gorgeously green:
"When I had a little baby, I started to really wake up to the pollution in + around my home. Nothing was more important than providing the healthiest environment I could for the impossibly helpless little bundle that I carried around 24/7. Mercifully, many of us have recently become aware of the horrific childhood dangers of pesticide + insecticide use in + around the home + many moms now eschew the use of toxic cleaners. We are also beginning to realize that we can raise much healthier, happier children on organic food. A collective conscious is burgeoning + we cannot afford to let up for a minute.

I love that we can teach our children to have enormous respect for Mother Earth + what she gives to us. We can encourage them to become stewards of our gorgeously green planet so that we will see a new generation of compassionate + caring individuals who inherently know that everything is interrelated.

Many schools are now including environmental programs into their curriculum + our kids are tapping into a plethora of great, positive eco-information online. I firmly believe, however, that it all begins at home with the small details: explaining why its important not to waste paper, getting our children to sort out the recyclables + think about how each item can be re-used, conserving water + energy + watching something edible grow, even if its in a small planter on a window sill. These are things that your children will thank you for in years to come. Show your children how to “be the change."

resources:

the environmental protection agency is a great resource for so many family issues.
from air pollution to water quality, to asbestos, lead + mold abatement.

epa’s children’s environmental hotline 1-877-590-KIDS

healthychild, healthyworld

children's environmental health network

kidsforsavingearth.org

healthyschools.org

toysafety.net

national resources defense council what's in your tap water?

to enter to win a gorgeously green earth-friendly lifestyle book, tell me in the comments, what can/do you do to lead a more earth friendly lifestyle?
include your email address + url, before midnight, mother's day may 11

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giveaways

mod*mom "earth day" giveaways

mod*mom "earth day" giveaways

whole foods :: spring fever gift baskets (new!)

dyson :: vacuum

honest :: organic beverages

FLOR :: ecofriendly carpet tiles

method :: green baby care + home detox sets

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giveaways

dwell on design :: los angeles, largest design show in the west

i'm so excited dwell magazine sent this press release to share with YOU! i'm going + i'll take lots of pictures

DWELL ON DESIGN CONFERENCE TO OFFER DIVERSE DESIGN CONVERSATIONS
Dwell Magazine Editors to Moderate 2 days, 13 Panels and over 50 Speakers

The third annual Dwell on Design Conference + Exhibition, debuting in Los Angeles, June 5-8, 2008 will constitute the largest design show in the West. With over 50 speakers, the conference will offer the most diverse subject matter related to modern design ever presented live in Los Angeles.

Exclusively moderated by Dwell editors, the 13 panels will feature a roster of incredibly talented + diverse people ranging from legislators to practitioners to activists will be discussing everything from urban gardening, to a mandated LEED program for Los Angeles, to why there are so few developers who love good design. The conference follows two parallel tracks but participants are encouraged to partake in all discussions.

The conference opens with conversation specifically devoted to the future of Los Angeles, with panels including LA Grows Up: Dealing With Density and Los Angeles LEEDs the Way, which explores what a mandated LEED program means for the city.

A highly anticipated panel moderated by Dwell Senior Editor Amber Bravo will explore Immortality Through Product. A focus will be on the process of bringing products to market and the way in which design skills may be wrapped into a product that reaches a broader audience than a designer might access through design as a service. Panelists include Don Chadwick, Founder/Principal Chadwick Studio; Willard Ford, Partner, Ford Brady and Francisco “Cisco” Pinedo, CEO and Founder, Cisco Brothers.

The Design Developers; Progressive developers investing in good design panel, moderated by Dwell Editor Aaron Britt will be of special interest to design practitioners, architects and planners by featuring panelists that represent ideal developer clients; developers who commission the awe-inspiring architecture designers hope to create. The session aims to peel back the layers revealing the sometimes-mysterious figure of the developer as a partner in enduring design. Featured panelists include John Chase, Urban Designer, City of West Hollywood; Cara Mullio, Principal, Root Development LLC; Rose Olson, Director of Development, Urban Environments LA; Paul Solomon, Founder and Partner, Linear City Innovators in Resource and Energy efficiency.

Addressing a growing passion in the Los Angeles area and urban cores nation-wide is the Nature Meets the Metropolis; Weaving Wildlife and Growing Food in the City panel moderated by Dwell Senior Editor Amber Bravo. The conversation will delve into the ways we can help nature heal our cities and new ideas around urbanized land use relating to small domestic gardens. Panelists include Fritz Haeg, Principal, Fritz Haeg Studio, Founder, Edible Estates and Gardenlab and author of "Edible Estates: Attack on the Front Lawn", published by Metropolis Books in February 2008; Michael Pinto, AIA, Principal-in-Charge, Osborn.

The conference begins Thursday, June 5th, 2008 from 9:30-5:00 with a reception from 5:30-8:30 pm and Friday, June 6th, 2008 from 9:30-1:00. Friday’s conference activities will be followed by a preview and free weekend pass to the Exhibition: 55,000 square feet of ideas including a neighborhood of prefabs complete with landscaping and outdoor inspiration by Dwell Outdoor.

to register, go to dwellondesign.com

About Dwell:
Dwell was created to expand perceptions of the word “home” and champion an aesthetic in design that is modern, idea-driven and sensitive to social and physical surroundings. Their inherent passion for “bringing good design to everyone” has added fresh dimension to what it means to be At Home in the Modern World.

mod*mom earth day giveaway :: 3 green home detox book + baby care products

mod*mom earth day giveaway :: 3 green baby care + home detox sets

method is about to launch their new line of eco-friendly + kid-friendly baby products on earth day + they want to know what mod*mom readers think.
the brand new baby detox line includes: baby lotion, baby 3 in 1 wash, baby diaper cream, baby body wash, + baby laundry detergent.

squeaky green -- When Adam Lowry + Eric Ryan founded Method, the environmentally friendly brand of cleaning products, + when they coined the phrase "People Against Dirty," they weren't just talking about the stuff you track in on your shoes—they also meant the toxic chemicals that make up many household detergents. Packed with helpful tips and surprising facts, their first book, Squeaky Green, is a totally informative and completely entertaining room-by-room guide. Squeaky Green is rehab for chemically dependant homes.

to enter to win a green baby product set + home detox guidebook, tell me in the comments, "what are your favorite method home products + why?"
include your email address + web url, before midnight, wednesday may 7

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giveaways

mod prefab house mystery

this is my mod prefab dreamhouse!

pics: modernfred

Native Plants, Hidden Villa Farm, organic gardening, baby animals, Monterey

saturday, mod*tot + i went to a california native plant society sale + saw baby lambs + pigs at hidden villa farm. we bought native plants for our own organic garden, like edible strawberries, plus non-native tomatos, broccoli, basil + chard. mod*tot loved the baby animals + all the children. it's a lovely little organic farm nestled in wooded hills. it was 90 degrees :)

sunday, we went to the monterey peninsula to visit my dearest childhood friend. she + her husband have remodeled their home + it is spectacular. we spent the morning at a pacific grove beach, with their friends while the guys kayaked, + mod*tot hunted sea shells for her dolly. then my friend gave us a tour of the newly renovated monterey bay aquarium + we bumped into more friends!!! what a nice surprise! then we went to the fair in downtown pacific grove + my friend had to go home to help her kids,


so mod*tot + i got some picnic provisions + went to pt. lobos state preserve on the ocean + hiked the rocky cliffs for 4 more hours.


we saw lots of otters swimming (one with a baby otter on it's tummy), seals, groups of jelly fish, gorgeous wildflowers, deer, birds + poison oak. mod*tot didn't have a stroller all day. she just kept going, because she'd see kids + make friends + it kept her excited. we stayed until after sunset. we had a blast!

mod*mom "green" giveaways

mod*mom "green giveaways" reminder

whole foods :: spring fever gift baskets

dyson :: vacuum

honest beverages :: organic beverages

FLOR :: ecofriendly carpet tiles

kukunest :: modern bedding set

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time to check for signs of breast cancer + my update

time again to check yourself or someone you love for signs of breast cancer

this week i had an echocardiagram to see how much my heart has recovered + a bone density scan to see how much bone i've lost or gained. did you know that breast cancer chemotherapy causes 8.8% bone loss in the 1st year + a few % more every year after that than you'd normally lose? that's an important reason to keep doing weight bearing exercises during chemotherapy + as part of your lifestyle. i do a cardio weight training class 3 times a week, plus a cancer survivor dance class 2 times a week.

next week, i have a mammogram, ultrasound, + lymphedema therapist consultation/evaluation. i'm excited to meet the lymphedema therapist + get my treatment started to reduce the lymph fluid that swells my right arm, underarm, side, back + front. the lymph fluid from that whole area is supposed to drain to my right underarm lymph nodes, but they were removed along with my mastectomy, so the fluid collects + it's painful.
the treatment will involve daily massage for a week to drain the area + redirect the lymph to other lymph nodes, then compression bandaging for another week, changing the bandages every day. then i'll wear an arm sleeve from the time i wake up til i go to sleep for the rest of my life.

i'm grateful for my arm + excited to get the swelling + pain under control, so i'm not limited in what i can do, including computer time. i'm also really excited to be planning my daughter's birthday party + figuring out her school plans for this fall. i registered her at a nearby public school, but her papers were returned + we were told we had to go to a different town for public school, which turned out to be in an epa top 20 superfund cleanup site for asbestos, so we applied to the school district lottery for the allowed 2 other schools, but we didn't win, so i'm in a hopeful panic for kindergarten opportunites for her to begin in the fall. i think all the private schools are probably booked by now + homeschooling sounds really rough, but so far i've found a web based math class for gifted children through a university, + i'll build her schoolwork around that + keep trying for a private school.

the moral is, catch breast cancer early, so you can concentrate on living :)

illustration: alexander girard

silicon valley moms bone marrow drive april 19

silicon valley moms blog is hosting a bone marrow drive april 19 (details)

mod*mom giveaway :: 5 selections of ecofriendly organic beverages $250

mod*mom giveaway :: 5 selections of ecofriendly organic beverages $250

honest kids + tea are diluted organic fruit blends in ecofriendly packaging.
"efficient packaging means they can add 18,304 more pouches per truckload, which means they will use 277 fewer truck shipments this year to ship honest kids + honest tea, saving fuel + reducing CO2 emissions."

visit honest beverages to learn all about them + pick your favorite flavors, then leave me a comment telling me why you'd like to win a selection of organic honest beverages with ecofriendly recyclable packaging.
(include your email address + web url, before midnight, monday may 1)
winner announced may 2

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giveaways

mod*mom "green" giveaways reminder

mod*mom "green" giveaways reminder


skype :: 1 webcam + 1 webphone
whole foods :: 3 spring fever gift baskets with CHOCOLATE
FLOR :: alexander girard ecofriendly carpet tiles
kukunest :: 1 international doll modern bedding set
dyson :: 1 vacuum or 15 meet sir dyson in nyc
layla grace :: dwell studio weekender bag

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mod*mom giveaways winners

mod*mom giveaways winners
thank you so much to my fabulous sponsors
(i'm still picking/contacting winners. stay tuned...)

whole foods :: natural body care gift baskets
1 jeanine
2 cuzamora
3 lisa
gdiapers :: "green" compostable diaper starter kits
1 brenners
2 helen
3 terra
4 tothinkistocreate
5 mrs.mogul
method :: non-toxic bathroom cleaner sets
1 nancy
2 diana
3 vicki
4 littleone's scrapbook
5 carolyn
h&r block :: tax return online prep, efiling + tax support
1 emma
2 bakersdozen
3 imaterri
global exchange :: organic easter basket
1
global exchange :: gift packs
1
2
3
4
5
6
staples :: computer security solutions gift packs
1
2

mod*mom spring cleaning giveaway :: dyson vacuum + meet sir dyson

mod*mom giveaway :: 1 dyson vacuum $150 + 15 meet sir dyson in nyc


would you like to meet sir james dyson + see the latest in dyson technology??? click ~mod*mom~ to email me asap + 15 winners will be invited to attend a private event with sir dyson in new york city april 9th

dyson is also offering mod*mom readers a space age dyson root 6 vacuum.

to enter to win a futuristic dyson root 6 vacuum, tell me in the comments,
"what are your favorite features or design elements of the root 6 + why?"
(include your email address + web url, before midnight, wednesday april 30
vacuum winner announced may 1

*use the little envelope icon below this post to email this post to your friends who might like to win a dyson vacuum or meet sir dyson.
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giveaways

mod*mom "green" giveaway :: 3 spring fever gift baskets $150

mod*mom "green" giveaway :: 3 spring fever allergy gift baskets $150

spring is a beautiful time of renewal with flowers springing up everywhere on the ground, climbing, + on trees, which makes some people miserable. luckily, whole foods interviewed an expert on homeopathy, to explain what it is + it's benefits! (i get homeopathy + naturopathy mixed up) it turns out i already use + love some of the homeopathic remedies mentioned.

whole food market is offering fabulous spring fever gift baskets, including homeopathy allergy relief products + CHOCOLATES, to 3 lucky mod*mom readers for listening to the homeopathy podcasts + leaving them feedback.

here's how to enter:
1 listen to the 3 podcasts here
2 scroll down to "comments" below the podcasts + leave a reply
3 put modmom.blogspot.com into the "website" field in your reply

enter before midnight, may 1
winners will be announced may 2

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pic traderbeck
giveaways

children's storage contest: cookie magazine + ohdeedoh + dwellstudio

ohdeedoh + cookie are hosting a contest sponsored by dwellstudio

design competition: coochicoos + 10 grain

perfect playhouse design competition :: 10 grain + coochicoos