To benefit Operation Shower and support our military families, Clayton Schools’ Family Center presents OPERATION GIVE THANKS on November 22, 2008 from 8:00 to 11:00pm! 

Click here for more information and to pay for admission to this exciting event!

As an Operation Shower co-founder, it is always a humbling experience for me to participate in these events. It is an honor and a privilege to be able to do something - even if it’s small - to show appreciation for our military families.

I was most moved when speaking to the Commander of the Battalion, Leo J Ruth, II, LTC CA, Commanding, whose words I share below.

“The United Stated has waged a war against Muslim Extremists since October 2001. Over the past few years there are numerous media reports stating the US populace supports our troops, but doesn’t support the war. I don’t believe you can have one without the other. People voluntarily join the military. They have no input to what war to fight. Over four thousand Soldiers, Sailors, Marines and Airmen have lost their life and tens of thousands of them have received drastic injuries that will change their quality of life for ever. Not supporting the war means the people who gave their life for no good reason.”

“The military family is the cornerstone to the Soldiers fighting this war. The military family is the entity that makes the biggest sacrifice so the Soldiers, Sailors, Marines, and Airmen can fight the war. Operation Shower proves that the American public and American business elite support our troops and more importantly, the military family. Having organizations provide support to my unit’s expectant mothers makes me proud to be an American. It lets the military person and military family know that the American public recognizes and supports our sacrifice.”

“The American people stand united together.”

Thank you for your continued support of Operation Shower. The Mother’s Day events would not have been possible without the support of the Operation Shower sponsors: Lena’s Notebook, Clever Parents and Wal-Mart as well as all of the companies and individuals that provided donations (see a full list of the company donations here). Without the donations and assistance that you provide, we would not be able to continue on our mission. Thank you.

Below is a list of the companies that donated to all 100 of the new moms and moms-to-be:

Wal-Mart: Wal-Mart generously donated many items to the moms-to-be including Jumparoos (Fort Bragg) and a selection of other baby gear items to the showers for the USS Nimitz, Twentynine Palms and Scott Air Force Base new moms and moms-to-be. All 100 moms also received a $50 Wal-Mart gift card.

A Touch of Whimsy Designs: Donated 100 sets of playdate / appointment cards.

AD Sutton, a Wal-Mart supplier: Donated diaper bags.

Baby Legs: Donated Baby Legs leg warmers.

Brainy Baby: Donated 4-in-1 Brainy Baby Quad board books.

Carter’s, a Wal-Mart supplier: Donated plush animals, memory books and baby outfits.

Fisher Price, a Wal-Mart supplier: Donated Busy Bluebird rattles.

Go Mom, Inc.: Donated 2009 schedulers / planners for all 100 moms.

Gartner Studios, a Wal-Mart supplier: Donated baby shower favors, stationery, favor boxes and centerpieces.

Gerber Childrenswear, a Wal-Mart supplier: Donated onesies, sleep ‘n plays and bibs.

Halo: Donated 100 SleepSacks.

Jazzy Toes: Donated baby socks.

Johnson & Johnson, a Wal-Mart supplier: Donated Head-To-Toe Bath and Johnson’s Pink Lotion.

Kids Preferred: Donated 100 plush (asthma free) animals and wrist rattles.

Kimberly Clark, a Wal-Mart supplier: Donated Huggies diapers and bath wash.

Kirby Ink: Donated small America prints.

Learning Curve Brands, Inc., a Wal-Mart supplier: Donated The First Years “Soothies” 5 oz. 3 pack bottles.

Lionsgate Home Entertainment, a Wal-Mart supplier: Donated preschool DVDs.

Love Me Baby Me: Baby bath care gift sets.

Mead Johnson Nutritionals, a Wal-Mart supplier: Donated Enfamil LIPIL Baby Formula.

Miss Elaine: Donated robes and nightgowns.

PBM Products, a Wal-Mart supplier: Donated Parents Choice Infant Formula.

Precious Moments: Donated 100 butter yellow embroidered fleece blankets.

Preggie Pops: Donated 100 packs of Organic Preggie Pop Drops.

Safer Mom: Donated Safer Mom magnets.

Sofia Bean: Donated 100 super-soft embroidered onesies.

Stowers Swaddler and Stationery: Donated 100 Stowers Swaddlers.

Wee Gallery: Donated either Dino Cards boxed flashcards or Twins books for all of the moms.

Wilton, a Wal-Mart supplier: Donated baby pacifier candies, cradle favor kits and cradle baby centerpieces

Additional companies that donated:
Copenhagen Styles: Donated 10 birthday trains

FOX: Donated 60 Barney DVDs.

Giddio: Donated 30 Billy Brown Goes Hiking CDs

Great Au Pair: Donated a two week nanny service for one lucky mom!

Hollyberry Baking Company: Donated cupcake favors for the Scott Air Force base shower.

Hoot Couture: Donated approximately 40 specialty burp cloth sets.

Ju-Ju Be: Donated two diaper bags.

www.katiemayerphotography.com: Attended the Fort Bragg baby shower and took pictures of the event and of the families who attended, offering a free 5×7 picture for all of the families.

Kids Central Kitchen: Donated one bag of sugar cookie mix with cookie cutter to be included in a raffle basket.

Kids Fly Safe: Donated one CARES safety airplane seat for a raffle.

Little Jet Set: Donated one Travel Basics Lady Bug bath gift set by Little Twig to be included in a raffle basket.

Lori Coulter: Donated one gift certificate for a custom made bathing suit to the Scott Air Force Base shower.

Moby Wraps: Donated approximately 40 Moby Wrap baby carriers.

Moms on Call: Donated 13 gift sets of blankets, books and DVDs.

Mutsy: Donated a Mutsy Spider stroller for a raffle.

Patsy Aiken Designs: Donated a monogrammed hooded towel, bib and hat set for all of the moms at the Fort Bragg shower. Also donated 4 outfits and 5 older sibling outfits.

PeaceLoveMOM: Donated 60 PeaceLoveMom t-shirts.

Sandbox Threads: Donated t-shirts and onesies.

Scandinavian Child: Donated 2 Svan bouncers to be raffled at the Fort Bragg shower.

Summer Infant: Donated 60 infant bathers.

UPPAbaby: Donated 4 UPPAbaby Bubbles for each of the four showers as a raffle item.

Vincent Shoes: Donated Vincent Shoes to all of the moms at the Fort Bragg shower.

Special Thanks from Operation Shower
We would also like to give a special thank you to the following companies that have participated in all of the Operation Shower unit-wide showers since its inception in June 2007. Your ongoing participation and generosity is what makes us able to continue to give to these deserving families. Thank you for your support.

Love Me Baby Me - www.lovemebabyme.com
Scandinavian Child - www.lillebabyusa.com and www.scichild.com
Vincent Shoes - www.vincentshoestore.us
Yarnworks - Pat Lucks of Yarnworks donated handmade blankets to each event.

“I am so thankful for Operation Shower and this celebration,” said one excited mom-to-be. “With the TV cameras and all of these gifts, I felt like I was on Oprah!” The presents consisted of everything from basic necessities like diapers, wipes and baby care items to larger raffle items like high chairs and car seats. The showers were a hit thanks to thousands of dollars worth of donations from Wal-Mart, its suppliers and 40 other generous companies, both small and large. Rosemary Anthony, President and Founder of Love Me Baby Me, attended the Twentynine Palms shower and gifted all of the women with a gift set of her baby care line.

One mom who has two older children said that it was fun to receive new items that she had never heard of before like BabyLegs leg warmers and Halo Sleepsacks. Another was thrilled to meet a woman whose husband works side by side with hers on the USS Nimitz. The two connected and exchanged numbers, happy to have found a new friend.

“Being a part of these showers is such a humbling experience,” said Lena Morrissey, co-founder of Operation Shower who hosted both of the California events. “These women are so strong and so deserving. With husbands overseas, the stress that they experience must be immense and adding to the family at the same time is particularly challenging. We’re just happy to be able to make this time a little more special.”

Next Sunday, the celebration continues in Fort Bragg, North Carolina and at Scott Air Force Base in Illinois. To learn more about the upcoming events or to attend as media, contact Operation Shower co-founder Kris Jackson at kris (at) cleverparents (dot) com.

Raleigh, NC - One hundred new moms and moms-to-be from four branches of the military will be showered with gifts between now and Mother’s Day as a part of the latest efforts of Operation Shower. Operation Shower has teamed up with Wal-Mart to host baby showers at four bases: USS Nimitz (California), Twentynine Palms (California), Scott AFB (Illinois) and Ft. Bragg (North Carolina). Moms will receive donated items from Wal-Mart, its suppliers and other companies in a “Shower in a Box”.

“It is challenging enough to become a parent when you have the hands-on support of your spouse, friends and family,” said Operation Shower co-founder Lena Morrissey. “We want to celebrate these deserving women by making the birth of their children a little more special; honoring them on Mother’s Day seemed like an extra special way to do that,” added Operation Shower co-founder Kris Jackson.

Thanks to the generous donations from Wal-Mart, its suppliers and many other wonderful companies, Operation Shower hopes to put a smile on 100 women’s faces when they open their special “Showers in a Box” at four baby showers in California, Missouri and North Carolina.

The showers are hosted by Operation Shower (www.operationshower.org), a non-profit organization created by the founders of Lena’s Notebook (www.lenasnotebook.com) and Clever Parents (http://www.cleverparents.com”>www.cleverparents.com), two websites focused on parents and parenting.

Contact: Kris Jackson, kris (at) cleverparents (dot) com

ABOUT OPERATION SHOWER: Operation Shower is a non-profit organization (pending 501(c)(3) status) that recognizes and honors the sacrifices military families make by producing and coordinating baby showers for pregnant and expecting military personnel and their families. Operation Shower was formed by Lena Morrissey of Lena’s Notebook (www.lenasnotebook.com) and Kris and David Jackson of Clever Parents (www.cleverparents.com) To learn more, make a donation or sponsor a shower, visit www.operationshower.org.

ABOUT LENA’S NOTEBOOK: Lena’s Notebook (www.lenasnotebook.com) is an online magazine for the modern mom. The Notebook’s philosophy is “if we learn it, we should share it.” The Notebook’s goal is to share with others — whether it’s sharing ideas or giving back through charitable causes.

ABOUT CLEVER PARENTS: Raleigh, NC based Clever Parents (www.cleverparents.com) offers advice and interviews, tips and reviews from more than 100 parent columnists for parents who want to get ahead, look good, stay fit, maintain balance and make the most of every day. Now also featuring vidcasts at Clever Parents TV (www.cleverparents.tv).

Read the complete article on www.celebrity-babies.com

Operation Shower ended 2007 with a fantastic and beautiful shower for almost 50 moms at Ft. Hood, Texas.

Excerpt from Letter of Colonel Robert Tenhet: “On behalf of the 2,700 Soldiers assigned to 1^st Medical Brigade, we extend a heartfelt THANK YOU to you, your family, friends and the companies who donated items, for displaying such gracious generosity during Operation Shower and making Christmas a whole lot brighter for our Brigade moms. We had maximum attendance from both Soldiers who are expecting to spouses of Soldiers (most deployed) who are either expecting or recently gave birth to their child. . . . See Full Story here

Read the Dallas Business News complete article.

The online retailer of baby gifts, accessories, and baby shower supplies sent adorable baby shower favors to Operation Shower for their upcoming December 8th event that will honor 50 Army moms at Fort Hood. The mothers include the spouses of active-duty soldiers from the 1st Medical Brigade and soldiers currently deployed around the world. Some of the moms are soldiers themselves.

Read the complete article.