Really?

From today's post on The Lactivist Blog: Please share your thoughts...

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California Milk Processor Board Goes After Breastfeeding Advocate

Thursday, July 31, 2008

Seriously...did the world learn nothing from my run in with the National Pork Board?

A few minutes ago, my brother in law pings me with a link to a story that brought back memories.

'Got milk' lawyers huff at Talkeetna artist's parody

A snippet:

Talkeetna batik artist Barbara Holmes heard from the group behind the "got milk?" brand this month.

Holmes made the mistake of advertising T-shirts and "onesies" -- those snappable one-piece underclothes for babies -- hand-lettered with the words "got breastmilk?"

She whipped up 10 of the little things from her downtown Talkeetna home with an outhouse and no running water. She sold six at a holiday fair in the senior center two years ago, then moved on to other projects.

The letter from the board's Sacramento law firm showed up a few weeks ago.

My favorite part of the story?

The phrases 'got breastmilk' and 'got milk?' are similar except for the addition of the word 'breast,'" the lawyers wrote. "This difference is not enough to eliminate the likelihood that consumers will be confused about the origin of the products."

Oh man.

Oh man, oh man, oh man.

"confused about the origin of the products?"

ROTFL.

I love the mother's response...

"They say I'm going to confuse milk consumers," she said. "How can you get confused between a boob and a bottle of milk from the store? They're two different kind of jugs."

Sound familiar? (If not, go back and read the story of my battle with the National Pork Board a few years ago.)

Looks like it might be time to get to work again ladies.

I've already emailed the news reporter with my information and asked him to pass it along to Barbara.

In the meantime, let's get moving on our own.

Go ahead and get in touch with the California Milk Processor Board.

Jeff Manning is the Executive Director. The board's phone number is (949)481-6620. Their fax number is (949)481-6680.

A recent caller asked about Mr Manning and was told he is no longer executive director. I've been trying to dig up the milk board's officers, but they've been harder to find than the Pork board's was. If anyone gets the new ED's name, please let me know and I'll update. As I'm posting between conference calls today.

As with the last time, here's my request. Spread the word. Pass it on. Let's let the California Milk Processor Board know that we're all fully aware of the difference between jugs containing breast milk and jugs containing cow's milk.

Here We Are

Well, it's been awhile. Sorry about that. I have had so much to do. I still have so much to do. But I need to take a minute to let you know where we are.

We are officially in the new house. Maggie has been completely out of sorts. I talked to several other moms, our pediatrician, and Yvonne at EBC, and the verdict is "Give her a month and she will be back to normal" Boy, will this be a long month. She has completely become a DIVA. She knows what she wants and she is PISSED if she doesn't get it. We were sitting in the yard yesterday and I wouldn't let her eat the grass and you would have thought I was beating her with the screaming she started to do. The neighbors kept looking over to see what was going on. I want my easy going baby back, this new model stinks!

The house if FULL of boxes and we have decided to change how we are going to use the rooms so all of the boxes are now in the wrong rooms. Lots of rearranging to do. It's like that puzzle where you move one piece to move another. I know we will get through it. We have a big family gathering on the 25th of October and I would like to have some moms over for a craft night. KEEP ON MOVING!! I keep telling myself that. YOU CAN DO IT!!!

Dan is on a new project at work. He is working 12 hour days. It's honestly kinda nice to have him out of my way as I organize. :) I would like his help with the furniture though... Only a few more weeks and then he will be back to his normal schedule.

I am off to go rearrange more boxes. I will post photos soon. As soon as I find and unpack that box :)

today

StAy TuNeD...

We are in the new house...things are CrAzY...no Internet there yet....please keep checking back...lots of great stuff coming soon!

Off to get some sleep before the moving marathon resumes tomorrow!!

Scrabulous...Simply Scrabulous

You know those things on the Internet that become eternal time sucks? You can just pop on to check you email and then that link just taunts you..."click me....click me...CLICK ME!!" Well, this is mine http://www.scrabulous.com/. I haven't played for very long and honestly I suck at it, but I can spend way too much time playing poorly. For those of you will little will power, be careful! You may find your time sucked away on a daily basis. If you ever want to play me, just shoot an email and I will see you there. My screen name is very tricky... amandastamm ... I am on my way over there now......HAPPY THURSDAY!

Oh, and the rehearsal dinner for the wedding Dan is performing is tonight...I will keep you posted on how it went. It should be interesting!

The next step...

I am sitting at Dan's computer this morning, because my power cord began to spark yesterday afternoon. SCARY...anyway, I have ordered a new one, but who knows when it will get here. I just thought I would share an update on where things are....

The House: We closed. We own it. It's ours. We are scheduled to move on the last weekend of July, but Dan is taking some time off work so we can get over there and get settled as easily as possible. I think it will be a pretty easy transition after all, but I may have just jinxed myself. The AC guy is coming today to get started on the installation. He should be done tomorrow. The carpet cleaners are coming on Friday afternoon. If you need HVAC work or Carpet Cleaning let me know and I will get you their info.

The Kid: Maggie is officially crawling like a mad woman. Her teeth are visible. She is eating like a champ. She is almost 20 pounds and just got upgraded to the big girl car seat. It's nice not to have to lug that bucket seat around. She was getting so heavy!

The Husband: Dan is loving work and is moderately busy right now. The new house is less than a mile from his office and he is really excited about that. He has his "pastoral" debut this weekend. He is performing DK and EJ's wedding on Saturday. He is ordained through the church of Spiritual Humanism. We aren't religious people, but this worked for the purpose. He is now registered to perform marriage rites in the state of Ohio. Please let me know if you would need his services!

The Crafts: I have a TON of ideas in the pipe line and I am SO excited to get to the new house and get my craft area set up. Right now I can't work on anything because I have no dining room table (former work table) and the packing needs to get done first. I have a hard time justifying to my husband why the kitchen didn't get packed but the new ribbon belt I made is oh so cute. Boys just don't get it do they!?

Me: I need to head off to the shower and try to get some stuff done while Maggie is napping. It's currently 10 am (almost) so I have about an hour and 15 minutes. Hopefully, I can get something packed so Dan doesn't think I was blogging all morning....heehee....

Three Little Ladies and One Little Man

We close on the new house today. I am nervous, but things should be fine. I might be a little scarce over the next week or so. The move, Dan and EJ's wedding, taking care of Maggie, the inlaws in town will all keep me running.....please keep reading....I promise I will be here and there...... Here are some pictures from the past couple of weeks...Please meet Maggie's Friends....CLAIRE(10.75 mos), LISA, EILEEN, LILA (11.75 mos), KIM, and ANDREW(8 mos)!!

CALLING ALL LAUNDRY WIZARDS!!

A few weekends ago, my darling husband was assisting his father with a project. During the course of said project, my husband proceeded to soak himself in hydraulic oil. He tells me it's the same as vegetable oil. I looked at the said shirt and said to myself "Well that will never come out." After returning home from Gramma and Grampa's, said shirt was tossed into the laundry. Keep in mind that Dan has had this shirt as long as I have known him (1996) and the shirt wasn't new then. It was black (even better for showing oil stains!) but over the years has developed a dusty hue. I have tried numerous times to replace said shirt, but alas, "The new ones just don't fit right." Maybe if they were old enough to graduate high school, they would be a little more comfortable! He also has a lovely matching blue one. ANYWAY, I digress. After being washed, dried, lovingly folded and put back in the drawer (with remaining oil stains), my darling husband came to me in a huff and said "They are still there" (picture bottom lip puffed out). Of course he was pointing out that the oil stains had not magically disappeared in our genie machine. I proceeded to tell him that they most likely would never come out and that I didn't put them there. He told me "You didn't even try." I'll admit I didn't. IT'S OIL!! So, last night after I had washed it once again and then let it hang dry to see if they miraculously disappeared (they didn't) I had to tell him they were still there. Please imagine the face and body language of a 4 year old boy who had just pulled the head off of his favorite G.I. Joe. Knowing full well that he caused the demise, but loving it just the same. I caved. I told him that I would try again. The shirt is currently soaking in the kitchen sink in Dawn (it puts grease on the run...right?!) If this doesn't work, I am out of ideas. I wouldn't be too crushed if it didn't work, but I unfortunately know that my darling husband would begin to think of the oil stains as mere details to his wondrous shirt and continue to wear it anyway. If you have any suggestions to remove these oil stains, please do share! Otherwise, that guy at the grocery store that looks like he ran through the oil sprinkler, Yeah, that's my husband!

Dance!

Don't Forget the Littlest Ones

I wandered upon this and I feel compelled to do something for them. If I enjoy doing it and they certainly need it, why not? The next project you do, why not make two? If you don't live in Ohio than look HERE to find an organization near you. The littlest bundles need the greatest love. Thanks to those of you who already help.

Quick Project!

I was cruising around the internet last night and I wandered upon a cool site...

One of the best things I read was how to make a quick and cheap changing pad.

Sew a soft placemat to a vinyl table cloth piece. Voila!

How simple is that? As Maggie has become mobile she has become quite the squirmy wormy. I have given up on the changing table with the changing pad, because she just tries to flip herself off there as soon as she is put there. So I have moved her to the big girl bed in her room and I use one of those big blue pads the put under me at the hospital. (If it wasn't nailed down at the hospital...I took it! The nurses told me to!) But when we are downstairs, I get out the plastic changing pad from the diaper bag and then put it back most of the time. I am really afraid I might run out one of these times without it. But I have spare placemats and I am sure I can find a cheap vinyl tablecloth at Target.

Now, the only real issue with all of this is that we are officially one week away from our closing and 2 weeks away from the move week. How many boxes have I packed you ask......exactly NONE! Today I am going to...

1. try to make some headway in the office
   
2. get showered (yes, a shower makes it on my daily to do list)
3. add to my blog (check)
4. go to moms group
5. figure out what to make for dinner
6. go to grocery store
7. get Maggie's laundry done
8. straighten the house from where the car exploded into the living room after our trip
9. get the car washed
10. clean out the trip trash from the inside of the car
11. install the new car seat (Maggie gets out of the bucket!)
12. try not to start crying at the overwhelming nature of this list I just made...

WOW... I had better get moving...

Back from vacation...

but, recovering from food poisoning...

Here are our latest family photos!

That's just about all I am up for today. I will talk to you tomorrow!

June 25th through July 6th


Trip to Philadelphia and Baltimore June 20th though 22nd

Oh what a beautiful morning ... Oh what a beautiful day

I am sitting on the veranda of the Goddard House at the Beaumont Inn in Harrodsburg, KY. The owner of the hotel lent us his mini fridge for the weekend, to store Maggie's food. Towels for the pool are folded on a laundry basket by the door of the main house. You get a nice hot breakfast with your stay. I had biscuits and gravy and Dan had the Batter Cakes. DELICIOUS!! Hot Coffee and Orange Juice were also flowing free. We had fresh bath towels folded in our bag when we returned from our afternoon outing. It feels like I am staying at someone's house, but they are out of town. It's awesome. I highly recommend it if you are in the area. Small town hotel, antique charm (Dan and I dig that if you haven't figured that out yet).....oh.....and WiFi!

HAPPY 4th OF JULY!!!!!

I might not be back until Monday....we may just have to see what I feel up to....I am on vacation ya'll.

TiPs!

1. Sewing Tip: For accurate cutting of fabric, always rest the lower blade of the scissors on the work surface. Raising the blade off of the work surface will result in jagged cut edges.


2. Sewing Tip: When sewing with plaid fabrics, choose styles with simple, straight lines and few pieces or seams. The dual feed foot works great while matching plaids on seamlines and for quilting!


3. Reducing Shrinkage: You can reduce shrinkage of most fabrics by not "cooking" washable fabrics in the dryer on the hottest, cotton setting. Fabrics also last longer and don't shrink as much when you dry them on your dryer's perma-press setting.


4. Taking On Small Tasks With a Seam Gauge: A tape measure suffices for most measuring jobs, but for measuring small and narrow things, such as hems and buttonholes, use a seam gauge. This 6-inch, stiff ruler has an adjustable slide. When you measure a hem, you use the slide to see how deep the hem s as you move the seam gauge all the way around the hemline. When measuring buttonholes, simply set the slide to correct length and mark away.


5. Removing Dust Bunnies: Because removing dust bunnies from your sewing machine sometimes involves taking pieces of the machine apart (and then putting them back together), learn how to clean the machine by taking the after-purchase lessons offered by the Stitching Post. For really heavy, once a year cleaning and tuneup, bring your machine to any Stitching Post location.


6. Quick-Fix Hemming with Res-Q-Tape: You're getting ready for work and reah in the closet for the only suit that isn't at the cleaners. With one leg in the trousers, you slip and catch your big toe in the hem and rip it out. You really don't know one end of the needle from the other, so you grab the Res-Q-Tape. The hem is fixed, and you're out the door in five minutes. Res-Q-Tape is a very sticky, double-faced tape that won't harm fabric. Find it on the notion wall at the Stitching Post Super Store.


7. Wrong side of fabric: If you can't tell the right side from the wrong side on a piece of fabric, make a decision and mark the wrong side with tape or fabric marker. Protect your Edges Always sew or serge the cut edges of your fabric before pre-shrinking, this will keep the edges from fraying.


8. Care information: When making garments, embroider care info onto a small piece of fabric and stitch it into the seams.


9. Protect your Threads: Use a press cloth when pressing designs stitched with decorative or metallic threads. This will help prevent melting the threads


10. Quick Fix: Use a fabric glue stick to temporary hold fabric together before sewing. Works great for holding pockets or buttons in place before sewing.


11. Create unique custom buttons by stitching decorative stitches on an interfaced piece of fashion fabric and use to cover a button. An elegant idea!


12. All Wonderful Ideas should be forwarded to Amanda along with a crisp $100 bill. Let's just see who is really reading all of these tips and tricks!


13. Sewing Tip: Pressing Fray Check until it is dry will keep it soft and pliable


14. Sewing Tip: A tape measure is 5/8" wide and can be used to gauge a seam.


15. Sewing Tip: To determine the wrong side of fleece, pull along the crosswise grain, the fabric rolls to the wrong side.


16. Sewing Tip: Make Earrings With buttons to match your blouse


17. Sewing Tip: Stitch your decorative stitches on your machine onto a piece of fabric and you will always have a ready reference of how each design actually looks stitched out.


18. Sewing Tip: When sewing two rows of top stitching, use a double needle for perfect placement and sew them in half time!


19. Sewing Tip: After finishing a garment, make a note on the pattern of any alterations that you made

What A Day!!

Maggie and I have been busy!

Thanks to Danielle and her boys we headed to the pool today for a little while and had a nice lunch poolside. Maggie just loves to splash in the pool, but it's hard for her to realize that the water is too deep for her to crawl in. Only a couple of well handled face dunks before she got the idea.

We then headed to Moms group at its new location at Riverside Hospital. All I can say is moms cannot handle change! The room was small. The scales were hidden. The bathrooms were coed. There was valet parking. It was just plain poopy. I hope they get it figured out soon. Tuesday group is one of the highlights of my day........

Right now she is upstairs in her crib fighting her nap. She is not crying, but whining to let me know she is not asleep. She has also learned how to rattle her crib...oh joy...c'mon Magpie...fall asleep will ya'...
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I just reread this....when did 2 outings in one day become a busy day? What will I do when I have 2?????