New Harmony Benefit Gala: You're Invited!

Come on out to this very special benefit event in support of two wonderful organizations performing critical environmental and human rights work in Guatemala.

This event is a cocktail gala and concert featuring Guatemalan musicians Tuco Cárdenas and Fernando Juárez, followed by a party with NYC-based bands and DJs. Be ready to shake it!

All proceeds go towards supporting Semilla Nueva's ongoing work in sustainable agriculture, and maintaining the various social programs offered by Nuevos Horizontes, a nonprofit organization that works on behalf of the rights of women and children in Guatemala.

In particular for Nuevos Horizontes, the proceeds from this event will allow the daycare center to stay open in 2011. The daycare center is for children of working mothers/families living in poverty, and provides full-time childcare as well as nutritional, educational, and psychological services.

When: SATURDAY, December, 18th 7:00pm - 10:00pm (6:00pm - 10:00pm with VIP tickets)

Where: Club Soiree NYC | 199 Bowery, | MANHATTAN, NY 10002

Tickets: $35 General Admission; $100 VIP
REGISTER ONLINE HERE: http://www.semillanueva.org/event1210.php

Come out and support the farmers of our future!

For the Kids

As school is not too far away its time to think about some of the essential things that the kids need. Here is one video I actually saw in the movies a while back. "Waiting for Superman"

With the pledge at 23,752, help grow the scale 1,000,000 needed to release this movie and help the cause. To find out more information go to waitingforsuperman.com

Director of the docu-film Davis Guggenheim's interview

Take the pledge and take action

Waitingforsuperman.com

Waitingforsuperman.com/action

Modern Mamahood: Photo Solution -- Classic Photo Albums of Yesteryear Meet Online Photo-Sharing Trends of Today

How did our parents share photos of their children with friends and family before digital cameras, scanners, and social networks? The answer is easy, but seems so archaic -- they ordered duplicate prints and then mailed entire sets of photos, or just a few key shots, to their VIP's.

These days, parents send photos via Facebook, Twitter and text to friends and fam around the world -- from milestone birthdays and holidays to a random cute-baby-sleeping-in-carseat shot. But how can we do a good job of chronicling the months and years of our child's growth with the dedication that our parents had to real photo albums, yet do so with 2010 online photo-sharing flare?

Here's a great solution -- start a blog for your baby or child. It can date back to months before she was even born, or start at any point thereafter. Here's how:

1. Sign up for a blog site such as Tumblr, Wordpress or Blogger...it's as easy as Myspace. We used Tumblr, which is great for multimedia posting.
2. Replace the lengthy blog url with your own domain name from a site like GoDaddy.com. We used our daughter's first and middle name so it would be easy to remember for everyone. After you purchase, you can fwd the new domain to your blog from either the blog site itself or through GoDaddy.
3. Use a cute design template from the blog site, or have someone create a cute custom job for you. My husband is into graphic design, so he did ours.
4. Started posting! We included posts about how things were going and how we were feeling leading up to delivery day, scans of the ultrasounds, photos of my preggo belly, and then of course the baby photos started flooding in. We also have video clips, an audio clip of her newborn cry, and dozens of congratulatory comments from friends and family. We include posts about her growth and development, and other special entries.

Our baby's blog!

What we really enjoy about this blog is that it's much more personal than posting photos for the several hundred business contacts and other "friends" on our online social networks; we've only given the URL out to a close circle.

Family and friends love it because they know they can go there any time to get the latest photos of our cutie. It's amazing to go all the way back to the beginning and watch the story unfold again page after page. It feels warm and fuzzy like flipping through a physical album, while still embracing what technology has provided us.

Please Note: Always use Internet safety measures to protect your family. No last names, and no photos that divulge locations you frequent.

The Modern Mamahood Column on the Ladies Lotto Blog:

As our Ladies Lotto community grows and evolves, we now have quite a few mamas and mamas-to-be! The LL Modern Mamahood weekly column presents the issues and products related to being a Ladies Lotto Mama. Blogger: Lana Perry

Unlikely Voice of US Illegal Immigration Issues: 7-Year Old Daisy Cuevas

7-Year Old Daisy Cuevas, daughter of undocumented immigrants from Peru, becomes an unlikely voice of the illegal immigration issue after asking the First Lady a few questions. See video below.

Can't see the video? Go to The Huffington Post: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/06/01/daisy-cuevas-peruvian-chi_n_596081.html

Volunteer Where the He(art) Is: The Art of Elysium

The Art of Elysium is a unique volunteer program geared towards getting working artists including actors, singers, painters, musicians, fashion designers and the like involved in helping children with serious medical conditions. Through working with volunteers via The Art of Elysium, these severely ill children are given the opportunity to just be kids -- instead of patients.

This week, join Sony Music's Marisa Pizarro for a volunteer information session at Norwood. In the past a few people you may know personally -- Roxy Cottontail taught girls how to DJ -- have lent their talents to this amazing program.

Thursday, May 13th
7:00pm

The Art of Elysium
Volunteer Information Session

Norwood
241 West 14th Street (bet. 7th & 8th Ave.)
NYC

RSVP: AOEatNorwood@gmail.com

On April 30th AOE's second annual fundraiser hosted by Joy Bryant, Sara Moonves, Bee Shafer and Nicole Vecchiarelli pulled in the big shots. Click here to view photos from the event.

Still can't commit to helping these lovelies because you're already burning the candle at both ends? Click here to snag some insane experiences and art to benefit The Art of Elysium.