I love 5 Minutes For Mom, for a whole lot of reasons, but one of them has to be their incredible giveaways. If your familiar with them, then you know.

Today they posted their most recent giveaway.. a pink Dyson.

Dyson is helping to find a cure for Breast Cancer.

They have created a limited edition, oh-so-fashionable Pink vacuum and they are donating $40 from each sale to the Breast Cancer Research Foundation.

The pink beauties are exclusively available at Target… but you need to hurry because they are already 50% sold out! And since these Pink All Floor vacuums are a limited edition, once they’re gone… well you know the end of that sentence.

Head on over and enter before October 1st!

Better late than never, eh?

Can you see everyone huddling around those conference tables? That was prime real estate considering the weather. This was one of the few sheltered areas where folks could get out of the rain.

Same shot without the zoom (I love my camera!)

Count those umbrellas! The DJ from Movin 100.3 was great at keeping everyone's spirits up, reminding us that there on the horizon, there actually was some blue sky.

I felt so bad for the massage therapists. They had set up for a huge crowd, but the rain kept them all huddled (look at all those massage chairs unused and getting wet?)

Cassidy really had a good time, despite a sore throat. We both brought our iPods, but never even turned them on. Instead we talked the whole time.

I intended to take many more pictures, but the issue of the rain, and my over-protectiveness of the new camera.. this is the best that I got. In the shots I was able to get, it doesn't show the large number of people that did come out and brave the cold rain and wind. With the weather as it was, I was certain turnout would be low.I also want to again, extend my immense thankfulness for the donations we received towards our walk (we received even more after the walk!) Next year, we can only hope for nicer weather, and a healthy family, so that all six of us can attend.

..Until I draw a winning name!

We're 125.00 from our goal!

Haven't entered yet? See details on the contest page.

Off to start getting entries organized and assigned numbers for the drawing..

To enter my Memory Walk contest.

(and keep in mind - we're walking as a family, all SIX of us.. not just me)

Just. One. More. Day!

Random drawing, tomorrow night (Friday September 14th) at 9PM!

And thank you to the new and old friends who have donated so far. From the bottom of my heart! 

In my so far, short stint, as a mother (nine years and counting,) I've encountered too many stories of mothers being harassed for nursing in public. Luckily I never encountered such a thing, but I absolutely lived in fear of someone giving me a dirty look, or goodness, actually protesting the act of me innocently feeding my baby.

Well.. another story is hitting the newswire and its much like all the previous ones I've heard over the years, except this one, the company in question, Applebees and their parent company, Thomas & King, understand the Kentucky statute, but they don't want to necessarily adhere to the law.

After a second letter, a Thomas & King lawyer said the restaurant chain would consider keeping blankets in the restaurant so that breast-feeding women could cover themselves.

OK.. first, there are times at any restaurant, where I would question the cleanliness of the seat I'm sitting on, no matter what chain it is, never mind a blanket that has been stored god knows where, and washed god knows when. But thats not really the point. The Kentucky statute states:

that breastfeeding may not be considered an act of public indecency, indecent exposure, sexual conduct, lewd touching or obscenity

OK (again) if in Kentucky, breastfeeding is not to be considered, well, what I just quoted, then why cover it up?

You know, I get that some people are uncomfortable with it. I really do. But thats not my problem, or the problem of any other nursing mother. These things here on my chest? They are first and foremost, eating utensils for my young offspring. Not sexual. Not something to stare at. And lastly, not at all unnatural! If you can't sip your coffee, or eat your lunch because a woman a few tables away is feeding her infant, the way nature intended.. then you my friend, are the one with the problem.

Good Grief Applebees!

Anyway, Jennifer over at The Lactivist Blog is talking about this and documenting action that can be taken (letters, nurse ins, nurse outs. Check it out if you are as ticked off as I am and want to do something.

Also worth noting. Brooke Ryan was absolutely genius in carrying her state's breastfeeding statute on a card in her baby's diaper bag. This isn't about starting trouble, this was about protecting herself AND her baby's rights. Perhaps if I had thought about doing that when I was nursing, I wouldn't have been so afraid of nursing in public and being criticized for it.

Y'all know I adore Keith Olbermann and despise Bill O'Reilly. But this is the first time I'm going to say this publicly, on my blog and not just to those close to me..

If you watch Bill O'Reilly, or the rest of Fox News programming, for anything other than pure entertainment... the kind of entertainment where you proceed to throw soft items at your TV, or curse loudly, or just laugh at Bill, Sean or Gibby's obviously insane lies...

Your an idiot.

I won't limit your idiocy to just watching Faux News. I'm including listeners of the same knuckle dragging jerk's radio shows.

There I said it, and I feel better.

Just because the news of the day doesn't go your way, doesn't mean you should create a news channel just to make shit up. Got that Rupert?

Come on now, get out of my head..

I suffered a setback with the lace project last night, so no pretty lace pictures. And although I was tempted to reach for something else to knit, I resisted (plans are in progress to start another pair of socks however, since I desperately need something mobile to knit)

I will take this Friday blog post to remind my local friends...

Tomorrow. Saturday June 9th. Inner Harbor. Noon to 4. Be there or be square