idea{logg}

history's mysteries

This 4th of July, with so much in flux for our still fledgling country, perhaps a look back is one of the best ways to mark the day.  I personally, am a history buff, so this choice is natural for me.  One of my favorite authors, David McCullough, makes history enjoyable, palatable and salient. 

Through his works, which include the books 1776 and John Adams, we can reflect upon the political foundation our country and political system was built on.   We have a lot to consider this election year, and no choice should be made before taking into consideration the mistakes of the past. 

As McCullough himself would say, "You can't be a full participant in democracy if you don't know our history."  and my favorite, "History is about the mystery of time."

In this 2 minute clip, McCullough discusses a little more about this notion.

getting into the motherhood

It's a show so simple in concept you wish you'd thought of it yourself.

Get moms to write in about their wackiest real life experiences and have funny girls Chelsea Handler, Jenny McCarthy, and Leah Remini act out a weekly favorite.

The result, InTheMotherhood.com is *BRILLIANT!*

The show/website's ability to harness corporate sponsorships through Suave and Sprint is destined to be a huge trend in on line media - somewhat akin to soap company sponsorships of daytime dramas way back before Erica Kane married her 12th husband (shameless All My Children humor). 

In The Motherhood has attracted more than 1000 stories posted each week, and the site has become one of the top mom themed destinations on the web. 

The wickedly funny show has gone through two "seasons" and has attracted more than 21 million views.  Webisodes are between 5 and 6 minutes in length and are viewable on suave.com, sprint.com and the Sprint Exclusive Entertainment (SEE) network, which allows mobile access to the content on select video-enabled Sprint phones.

Both Sprint and Suave have strong marketing efforts focused on moms.  

"In the Motherhood creates a unique platform to allow moms to share their stories with millions of other women. Our customers love the show, and our phones and services are the perfect fit to help mothers stay connected," said Anita Bajaj Newton, vice president, media and digital, Sprint in a recent press release.

“[Suave] is on a mission to help Mom remember the person she often forgets—herself, and to make herself and her beauty a priority again,” said Piyush Jain, Suave senior brand manager of her company's sponsorship of the show. 

MindShare Entertainment, a unit of the media services agency MindShare, developed the series about 20 months ago.  It’s a new world out there,” David Lang, the president of MindShare Entertainment, said. “It goes to show that great ideas and great creativity can come from anywhere.”

Mr. Lang said the online campaign was intended to reach busy mothers who use the Web to decompress and share stories. “The content is very honest and authentic for moms,” he said. “It’s not tied with a bow, it’s not saccharine sweet.” It shows grocery store tantrums, vacation mishaps, and other scenarios inspired by true stories submitted by Web users.

The show is now being developed for ABC, and I hope the broadcast version retains the edge and silliness of the net version, which strikes me as a vehicle more appropriate for HBO to sink their teeth into.  Certainly by making this into a network show it removes the interactivity that moms enjoy so much about the concept and transforms it into something else.  But lets wait and watch before kvetching!

For a taste, watch this episode below.  I have more episodes on my vodpod in the right hand column of this blog.

In The Motherhood Grocery Disaster - The funniest home videos are here

and so the world of media evolves, one layoff at a time

Over the past decade as a publicist I've seen media change dramatically.  It used to be that journalists would require every press release and news bit be submitted to them in print via US mail.  Now, of course email has gloriously organized and economized this practice. 

For quite awhile now I've said that there is no regional media any longer.  With most magazine content available online, readers in Paris can keep up with art culture in San Francisco by accessing San Francisco Magazine online.

So I was interested to read Timothy Egan's essay this morning  in the New York Times entitled Save the Press.

Here's an excerpt from Egan's piece:

"Last week, almost 1,000 jobs were eliminated in the American newspaper industry, perhaps the bloodiest week yet of a year where many papers are fighting for their lives. You read about the great names — the Baltimore Sun, the Boston Globe, the San Jose Mercury News — as if reading the obituary page. Rich cities like San Francisco can no longer support a profitable daily paper.

And here’s the great paradox: all of this bad news is coming at a time when the audience and reach of many newspapers has never been greater. The Internet may kill the daily newspaper as we know it, but it’s allowed some papers to increase their readership by tenfold.

Newspaper Web sites attracted more than 66 million unique visitors in the first quarter of 2008 — a record, and a 12 percent increase over a year ago, according to a Nielsen Online analysis. Forty percent of all Internet users visit a newspaper site.

One day soon these Web info-slingers will find that you can’t produce journalism without journalists, and a search engine is no replacement for a curious reporter".

I'm certain a solution will come up soon that will merge the outdated business model of most newspapers with the new media.  In the meantime we should take Egan's final appeal to heart:

"My lament this Fourth of July is to ask readers to see newspapers as not just another casualty in the churn of business. Sure, reporters say stupid things and write idiotic stories. Everyone stumbles. But on its best days, a newspaper is a marvel of style and wit, of small-type discoveries and large-type overstatements, a diary of our deeds".

I totally agree...Read Egan's entire post and others here>>

Orbit Baby is green

Our client Orbit Baby is featured on the Washington Post's Sprig.com today. 

The editors love the Orbit for a good number of reasons.  Here's one: 

They write, "Why  It's Good:  Orbit Baby's multitasking bassinet, complete with a sunshade extension (a.k.a. "paparazzi shield"), can be used as a Moses basket, on a stroller, or on a rocker. The rocker frame, which is included in the price, allows you to rotate the cradle a complete 360 degrees, so you can rock-a-bye baby to sleep any which way. The company also throws in a matching Cargo Pod, which snaps into the stroller attachment (available separately) for extra storage convenience. Other parent-friendly features include ergonomic carrier handles, a removable machine-washable mattress, and easy collapsibility."

To have a lot more to say, be sure to head over to Sprig.com, to read all about it.

Wishing you Strawberry Dreams this summer

Imagine a field of flowers waving gently in a warm breeze. Nearby a boat made of bananas and filled with strawberries floats gracefully down a stream. On your lips you sense the taste of something wild and sweet.

The stuff of a summer daydream - perhaps. And that's what the makers of Sunkist Naturals are sure fans of their new Strawberry Dream smoothie will feel when they drink the delightful beverage.

Strawberry Dream is made with strawberries vine-ripened in the California sunshine. Growers who take true pride in their work lovingly pick and deliver them to Sunkist Naturals in a flash.

The beautiful berries are juiced into their purest essence. This juice is then rounded out with a puree of bananas and a splash of Sunkist orange juice. The result is a delightful pink smoothie that offers both vital nutrients and heavenly flavor. No wonder it makes us imagine such lovely things.

Strawberry Dream is a good source of potassium and is rich in the powerful antioxidant vitamin C, natural omega 3's, and fiber.

Burst: Super Succulent Strawberries With Banana.

Benefits: Double the Daily Recommended Serving of Vitamin C, and a Good Source of Potassium.

Scout by Petunia is Heisted ... plus design loves DeNai

It's always the most authentic form of praise when a consumer goes out and picks a product from a sea of competing brands, purchases it with their own money, and then loves it enough to sing it's praises in print.

It's this kind of enthusiasm that guided Carrson at StyleHeist to blog about his new Scout Bag from Petunia the other day. 

Carrson writes, "...in the time between your beautiful baby becoming a pimply angst machine there is an awful lot of equipment to lug around and for the mothers there is a whole industry built around this need.

Dad, though, fares worse. Big spots, bright colours and butterflies are good for the ladies, but what about the style-conscious father who doesn’t want some day-glo tote bag putting a kink in his mack-daddy image?  Look no further than the Scout Journey Pack from the unusually titled Petunia Pickle Bottom." 

Be sure to read the entire post and enjoy the other cool entries on this style driven blog.

Another amazing blog that wrote about Petunia Pickle Bottom recently is SimplyGrove, which focuses on great interior design.  SimplyGrove is delighted with the shots of Petunia founder and head designer, DeNai Jones' new baby nursery.   

SimplyGrove writes, "This nursery designed for [DeNai's] son is the perfect balance of sophisticated and simple. The color pallet is so soft and natural."

The writers at MaternityandStyle were knocked out by the Rubicon Rucksack in Black from the Scout Collection this week as well.

Uber blogger Grace at DesignSponge wrote about DeNai's nursery with a full slate of images that got tons of great feedback and comments.

And Coochicoos made a great slideshow and published the link to DeNai's mood/idea board that served as inspiration for the design of her fabulous baby nursery.

Want to instantly feel better about yourself? Watch this show ...

If for some reason you feel as though your life isn't going as well as you had planned, or that your parenting skills aren't up to snuff, or if you don't have a child and all those pics of Marcia Cross and Angelina Jolie with their adorable babies are getting you down, watch The Baby Borrowers tonight on NBC.

The producers of this show were truly inspired when they created this slice of pop culture.  Watch as the kids demonstrate over and over again why people in their teens (at least the ones on this show) aren't mentally or emotionally equipped to care for babies.  Be careful - you may be so disturbed that you won't trust the baby sitter any longer.  Thankfully the parents watch every moment from remote cameras, but the teens will still make you cringe.  Watch this clip for a preview.   

beauty in real-life sees Lavilin as very realistic

We're excited that so many bloggers and editors are finding out about our client Lavilin's revolutionary deodorant.

Made with Calendula, Arnica, and Chamomile, Lavilin kills odor causing bacteria. 

Jennifer, author of Beauty in Real Life, gave Lavilin a try most recently.  She was skeptical at first, but once again the results are very positive! 

Read Jennifer's review here.

some not so great baby gifts

Our friend Heather Maclean, author of The Baby Gizmo Buying Guide, appeared on the Early Show this morning to show some of the crazier baby items on the market.  Luckily non of our client's products were on the show with her, but I think you'll find this clip amusing.

Summer safety alert - lawnmowers and kids, a deadly combination

Kids and lawnmowers - not a good combination. 

I literally have acres of lawn on my farm in Connecticut and mow it frequently.  It takes at least an hour to do one basic cut and it would be easy to zone out and loose track of what's going on around the mower.

The John Deere mower we use has a number of safety features which include disengaging the chopper blades while in reverse.  But I never realized how important that feature was until I saw this video from the Today Show which describes how children are frequently seriously injured when playing around and on lawnmowers. 

I also cannot count the number of times I've seen parents giving their infant "a ride" on the mower around my neighborhood - an image that has always given me pause, but now scares the heck out of me.  As with a hot burner on a stove, an open flame, or bottles of poison - kids need to be cautious of lawnmowers.

Dog lovers too should take note, put the dogs in the house or away from the area you're mowing.

The story outlined in the video below is a very sad example of what can happen.

Hand Picked Pumpkin offers the perfect Play Date

We are very intrigued with our client Hand Picked Pumpkin's take on play clothes, which as we all know are key to the ultimate play date.

The creations are designed by moms and dads themselves specifically with their own little pumpkin's favorite colors and themes in mind. 

This, coupled with the fact that the fabrics are specifically sourced to be super stretchy and always non-binding, makes these the ultimate play clothes. 

We imagine that the two below had a great conversation going about picking up those blocks and were trying to decide how to make best use of that water pail.  And we're sure they were enjoying the soft cotton and bright colors of those HPP clothes.

Brandon looks fantastic in his William Drawstring Pants that let him bend and stretch and toddle with ease.  Pants about $30, and William Long Sleeved Crew Tee about $28

William and his mom designed their adorable Hoodie together so he would always have something to keep him warm that matched everything in his wardrobe. For the outside shell he picked a striking Kiwi cotton interlock knit, with a coordinating Chocolate Brown for the reversible lining.  He then matched these colors with the Retro Mini Stripe for the hood and finished the look with a Retro Rodeo print pocket and accenting Kiwi snaps.  William's design was about $64 at www.handpickedpumpkin.com

Star Sighting: Nicole Richie and Joel Madden Orbit Los Angeles

Nicole Richie and Joel Madden ran some errands the other day - with their usual retinue of paparazzi in tow, who snapped pictures all along the way.

In this current series of shots the couple made great use of both the Orbit Bassinet Cradle and the Orbit Infant Car Seat.

As you can see, the Orbit system helps parents move around easily in almost any situation.   

Orbit Baby is the "Cadillac of Strollers" on Cliff Notes

There are baby daddies, then there's stay at home dads - and the author of the Cliff Notes Blog is definitely the latter.  He's also a big fan of our client Orbit Baby and wrote a fairly lengthy review of the system the other day.  We thought we'd share an excerpt here.  Cliff writes:

"Several months before Marley was born we went on the quest for the perfect stroller.

We have friends who have gone through 4 or 5 strollers in just a year or two. The hard thing is finding a stroller that will both grow with the baby through toddler years, and be built well enough to last that long. We tested out many strollers: Graco, Pan Perego, Bertini, Maclaren, even the Bugaboo that we get a discount on because of Ashley’s work…

In the end, only one was victorious… Orbit. Its like the Cadillac of strollers. I could write a real long story about the Orbit but I’ll try to be brief.

We picked [The Orbit] mainly for the undeniable convenience of the stroller system. It also looks great.

It’s super strong and lightweight. With this stroller the child sits up way higher than most other strollers, so its perfect for going out to dinner or anywhere for that matter, the kid is always at a convenient level and can always see stuff.

The seat sits on a base that rotates 360 degrees. This is what really sold us on it, the seat can face any direction! If you go to the zoo or something you can rotate the seat so the child can see without you having to always make the stroller face everything".

Our thoughts exactly!

Read the entire review and to check out Cliff's blog.

Brad and Angelina want you to be just like them

Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt are certainly style icons... each photograph of the couple is scrutinized to see what shoes Angelina is wearing, or bag Brad is carrying.

And while I'm certain the couple is happy to influence sales of lip gloss and footwear, it seems they’d really like to stir others to a more compassionate level of spending.

The most recent news is that the Jolie-Pitt Foundation has made a $1 million contribution to support kids effected by the war in Iraq.

Jolie has visited Iraq twice in the past year - the last time she was fairly heavily pregnant and wore a flack jacket over her abdomen, so she definately knows first hand the struggles on the ground in the country.

The funds donated by the couple have been earmarked specifically for educational expenses.

For the children of Iraq, Jolie-Pitt is contributing $500,000 to the be distributed to the following organizations:

Women for Women International to sponsor 300 Iraqi women and up to 1,200 children. The program will allow these women to provide their families with basic necessities, pay to send their children to school, and purchase books and learning supplies.

The International Rescue Committee to support their school rehabilitation and accelerated learning programs in 3 schools in Najaf, Iraq benefiting over 2,500 students.

NineMillion.org/UNHCR to make uniforms, school supplies, and learning materials available to over 2,000 Iraqi children who have been internally displaced or forced to flee to Jordan and other neighboring nations.

"These educational support programs for children of conflict are the best way to help them heal," said Jolie.

For children in the United States, Jolie-Pitt is contributing $500,000 to the Armed Services YMCA Operation Hero Program who helps thousands of military children separated from a parent serving in Iraq - and many who've lost a parent.

Pitt and Jolie hope their contribution is just the start.

"We hope to encourage others to give to these great organizations," stated Brad Pitt.

If you'd like to follow Angelina and Brad's lead and donate to the cause, click here.

Or you can simply send an e-card, that helps educate people about the organization.

Brooke on the baby beat

Oh us Americans, we're so laid back when we appear for book signings. 

Here's our own Ivory Snow baby Brooke Shields just standing there and smiling as she appeared at Barnes & Noble in New York yesterday to promote her book Welcome to Your World Baby. 

No costumes or oddball sight gags.  Remarkable, the contrast between this image and an interesting children's book launch and bizarre photo opp recently that came out of the UK ... that one included a porn star and a large pink fish. 

Note: Brooke dressed her daughter Grier in our client Hand Picked Pumpkin's cute baby clothes when she was younger.