Newsletter

SHARE SITTERCITY AND MAKE SOME SPRING CHA-CHING!

From the beginning, we've been taught the virtues of sharing. And while we are sure that you always shared your toys and snacks out of purely noble intentions (right?), we don't think there's anything wrong with giving you a little extra incentive. So, to sincerely thank you for sharing Sittercity, we'd like to do a little sharing of our own. Every time you refer parents to sittercity.com, you get $10 in Fandango Bucks and they get $10 off their registration. Everybody wins with the Sittercity Referral Program!

Imagine entering a world where baby keepsake charms are stylish rather than sappy, and diaper clutches are chic rather than, well, crappy. Welcome to the world of Cool Mom Picks , perhaps the HOTTEST shopping blog on the web featuring non-mainstream gear and gifts that you don't have to be a parent to appreciate.

Regardless of whether you're a mom, you'll love the site's cheeky, occasionally sassy reviews of fabulous web finds that you can add to your babysitting bag of tricks. Check out activity-filled magazines, an all-purpose product to soothe everything from bug bites to chapped lips to scrapes and cuts, plus indie rock CDs that won't make you run screaming from the room after the 47th consecutive listen. Not to mention Cool Mom Picks offers exclusive discount codes and tons of free giveaways in nearly every blog entry.

This month, don't miss their comprehensive Mother's Day Gift Guide , featuring all kinds of creative ideas for all kinds of mamas with all kinds of budgets. Babysitting clients, friends with kids, even your own mom can appreciate these unique gifts. Sure beats the "here's a coupon for a five-minute massage, compliments of yours truly" gift.

JOIN A GREAT ONLINE COMMUNITY FOR MOMS AND HELP THE FIGHT AGAINST CHILDHOOD CANCER!

We don't know about you, but we're pretty tired of the advertising clutter and cookie-cutter information that a lot of old school mom websites are throwing out there these days. That's why we recommend Operation Mom, a new web community created to help busy moms interact, organize and share information they actually care about.

Operation Mom (www.opmom.com) has been called "a cross between MySpace and iVillage," and it has recently become one of the nation's fastest-growing social networks for women.

The OpMom.com system is built around layers of privacy, similar to your regular life. Confidential items like your family's medical information can be privately stored for vital access anywhere in the world. Less private info, such as recipes, party ideas and trip plans, can be stored for personal reference or shared with the community. Local service-provider referrals are publicly shared, and members can also use the local "HeadsUp" system to post bulletins for moms near their ZIP code.

Best of all, OpMom.com has partnered with the Alex's Lemonade Stand Foundation to help fund pediatric cancer research. Use invitation code ALEX, and they will donate a dollar to Alex's Lemonade Stand in your name. So sign up today and join Liz Scott (Alex's mom) and other moms around the nation in fighting pediatric cancer!