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What are the ingredients of a great baby shower?  When it comes to baby showers, you just can't go wrong.  Joy is already in the room, (your baby!)  so the rest is just icing on the cake. 

1. Start with Evite. How can 22 million users be wrong? This thing is so easy - it doesn't even need directions. Save on stamps, save a tree and get peoples attention online, where they'll respond promptly.

And you won't be skimping on creativity either. There are dozens of Evite Baby Shower Templates to customize, or start from scratch and make your own design. 

2. For amazing menu and design ideas check Hostess with the Mostess. Just like Evite, there is a special section for Baby Showers. Customize the themes to suit you and your guests. 

3. For a wealth of baby shower activities and games, look over the extensive list of Editors Picks on BabyCenter, the Web's #1 interactive parenting network. Have fun!

When I began researching Prenatal Yoga, it wasn't long before I learned about Jennifer More.  Based out of San Mateo, CA Jennifer is a registered Yoga Alliance Vinyasa and Prenatal Yoga instructor, a certified doula, childbirth educator and a mother.  Her passion for the benefits of prenatal yoga extends beyond the United States.

She has trained yoga instructors in Prenatal Vinyasa Yoga techniques in Peru, China, South America and numerous US locations. Her techniques have given yoga instructors the tools to modify poses as needed to incorporate pregnant women into their existing classes in a safe and effective manner.

She is the creator of several bestselling prenatal yoga DVDS which have received noteworthy mentions in The New York Times, Fit Pregnancy, Pregnancy Magazine and received the "Top Gear of the Year" award in 2007 from ShapeYou.com.

A perfect companion to our Maternity Yoga Pants, Belevation has decided to offer Jennifer More's Prenatal Vinyasa Yoga 2 DVD set on our online store. We love it because it provides the most flexibility for your yoga practice and can work around your busiest schedules and varied energy levels. One lucky Belevation Facebook fan will receive a complimentary copy during our November give-away. But don't wait till then to begin doing Prenatal Yoga. Enjoy!

While doing PR work for Belevation, I have been in contact with an amazing group of women! Amy Tara Koch, author of the 2010 Random House pregnancy book, Bump It Up is one of those special people.

A Chicago mother, Amy is a style expert and trend reporter at numerous media outlets including NBC, Vogue and USA Today - to name just a few. With adorable illustrations and a humorous style, Bump It Up found it's way to my list of books for Belevation's upcoming Facebook give-aways.

"A cheat sheet to chic" Amy's pregnancy primer "shows moms-to-be how a handful of basics can yield dozens of jaw-dropping maternity ensembles."

You can follow Amy on her Bump It Up Style Blog . While you are there, take note of her Aug 30th post Serving Up: An Extra Dose of Support for Bellies, Boobs and Backs.  We were excited to learn that for the 2nd & 3rd trimester, Amy highlighted Belevation's Brief and PettiPant as that extra dose of support!

Using "strategic layering", Amy's easy tips transform pregnancy from frumpy to elegant. They say "it's what's underneath that counts..." So, take advantage of Belevation's affordable pricing and everyday free shipping for a perfect 1st layer to support your growing belly. Thank you for the mention - Amy!

With Labor Day right around the corner and swimming pools about to close, it's time to reflect on just how fast this summer has flown by.  At Belevation, this has been an especially busy season, as we've made several important product changes.

So we could go forward with an updated inventory, we held an online sale on Zulily in August. Launched in Seattle, in January 2010 by former Nordstrom and other retail veterans, Zulily is an amazing phenomena of our electronic age. Registration is required, but signing up is free and only takes a few seconds.

With over 4 million monthly visits, Zulily.com has grown at lightening speed. Specializing in discounted children's, woman's and maternity name brand merchandise, sale events run for 72 hours. As you can see from our Zulily map, Belevation products are now popping up across the entire USA!

A pleasure to deal with as a vendor, I know I will sneak back to Zulily as a customer soon, when my husband isn't looking. Join today for great buys on quality items for you and your kids. Daily emails to your inbox alert you to what's currently available.

As for what's new at Belevation, you may notice that our sizing brackets have changed. Originally we elected to use the size ranges S/M, M/L, L/XL. Realizing that this was too confusing, we have now simplified things with the conventional size ranges Small, Medium, Large and X-Large.  Happy shopping!

This week there's not only one, but there's two, Mom-Blog Belevation give-away's going on!  I've been surfing the mom-blogosphere like crazy and it's simply amazing. What a vast community of intelligent moms blogging from all around the USA!  In June, we ran a Band give-away on I Still Hate Pickles in Houston.

This month, we are heading north and south at the same time. (Mom Power!) Michelle from Georgia, seen on this beautiful southern front porch, writes The Not So-Secret Confessions of a 2nd Time Mom. I caught up with Michelle, a recent business school graduate, busy mother to 2yr. old Noah, and a blogger.

We mailed her a Belevation Support Band to try-out and here's what she had to say: "The Belevation band is great! It really offers a lot of support to my belly and back! I feel like I have awesome coverage and don't have to worry about my back or the bottom of my belly showing when I'm wearing it.

 Amy, a first time mom and accountant, who writes the Heard it from the Hills blog, from Illinois agreed to review our Yoga Culotte.  (*Please note Belevation has discontinued this item for now, sorry.)

"At 27 weeks, my baby bump is starting to put a strain on my petite frame. I was researching support products, when I received an email from Belevation regarding the launch of their new collection of maternity garments. I found the Belevation Yoga Culotte to be very comfortable and supportive. The blend of Nylon and Spandex Micro-Fiber allows the fabric to be lightweight and easily stretch and move with me, which is especially important to me while exercising, doing housework, and running errands.

I really like how the Belevation Yoga Culotte has an integrated Tummy Support Panel, to give me a gentle lift, while the tummy portion of the panel is super soft and stretchy to perfectly fit and expand around my growing belly. I think the Tummy Support Panel of the Belevation Culotte would provide me with some extra support post-pregnancy, too."

Amy's Belevation give-away on Heard it from the Hills ends on Sunday, August 7th at 11:59 PM, while Michelle's on The Not So-Secret Confessions of a 2nd Time Mom ends on Monday, August 8th also at 11:59. Check each site for guidelines and thanks for your interest in Belevation Maternity Support garments!

A couple of years ago, Cheers actor John Ratzenberger, came through our southern county on a national bus tour for his television show, Made in America, which ran on the Travel Channel from 2004 through 2008.

The following short film was shown to the audience, in the old court house in Rock Hill, South Carolina. With textile machines of our own that no longer hum with the sweet sound of productivity, the issue hit close to home.

All of Belevation's production, assembly and components are made entirely here in North and South Carolina. In today's globalized marketplace, that makes us rather unique. Life as a dinosaur, is not easy though. Mom and Pops have been driven out of our quaint downtown's.

Big box stores have conquered the turf in the hardware, drug and office supply markets (to name just a few) all across America. And when you pick up most of the products in those cavernous buildings, you will be hard-pressed to find much still made in the USA.

As we watch our national trade-deficit continue to balloon, there are those across American trying to reclaim our manufacturing and retail past, like John Ratzenberger and folks in Oregon, at this cool Portland based buy local group.

In the past month, Belevation's US made production has been featured by several of these organizations. On the terrific Still Made in USA website, Belevation Maternity can be found under both the active wear and lingerie categories.

Stephanie, the sites webmaster notes that "The loss of American manufacturing jobs has meant hardship for families and entire communities. Many (domestic companies )are barely hanging on, and unless consumers make an effort to support them, the choice to buy American-made will be gone."

Consider what opportunities you have in your daily life to support local businesses and buy American products. By doing so, you are making a huge, positive impact in your community for our collective future.

Big News! There's only one day left to the I Still Hate Pickles Belevation Band give-away. FYI: I found I Still Hate Pickles out there in the vast mommy blogsphere. Kirsten bills her site as an alternative to the traditional mommy blog. She's got an MFA in creative writing, and skates in the Houston Roller Derby.

Oh yeah - and she's a prolific, talented blogger, and the mother of three boys. Her office is the kitchen table, her work clothes are her pajamas (me too!) and coffee keeps her going.  See what Kirsten has to say about Belevation and log-onto her site by tomorrow evening to win! 

"Belevation has generously offered one of their Support Bands for a giveaway!  I totally wish I'd had one of these when I was pregnant with the boys. I think they would have helped for sure with some of the pain I had as I got bigger (and bigger and BIGGER).

Here's a little blurb about how they are designed:

Belevation maternity garments are designed with a symmetrical, highly engineered support panel extending through the lumbar region and under the belly. The breathable four-way stretch fabric used throughout provides a gentle lift and smoothing control. More than just another bellyband holding up pre-pregnancy jeans, Belevation was designed as an under-layer, imparting the ultimate in comfort and support where it is needed most.

Richly embellished with a jacquard design on the breathable tummy pouch, and an embroidered logo, Belevation garments are outstanding due to their state-of-the-art features. It is these carefully crafted details that set Belevation apart from other similar products made overseas with lightweight fabrics that offer little real support. Sounds great, right??

There are two ways to enter to win your own Support Band: 1. Leave a comment on my give-away site. 2. "Like" the Belevation Facebook page. Once you do, leave another comment here to let me know." The giveaway will end on Monday, June 20th at 11:59pm. Good luck! http://hatepickleslovestuff.blogspot.com/2011/06/belevation-giveaway.html

Belevation Maternity Support was reviewed by Jen Thomas from Mommies with Style on March 16th, 20011. It is a cool mom-resource site from the Philadelphia area with a lot of great coupons on there! Here's what she had to say about the products she tested: 

"At 28 weeks pregnant with my third child, I am pretty big. Yet I am still active chasing my two boys around, working, and trying to stay fit at the gym and playing tennis. However, lately, I have noticed how hard it is wearing my regular underwear and feeling a total lack of support.

I happened to have some Belevation under- garments in my drawer that they were kind enough to send me to sample. I gave them a try and was SO THRILLED with the comfort and support that I had throughout the day around my belly. I wish I had tried these undergarments sooner! I tried both the Brief as well as the Belly Band. Both were great and so supportive.

I loved that the brief was comfortable, didn’t ride up (or fall down, a problem I have been having with my regular underwear!), and fit perfectly around my belly and waist. The Belly Band is perfect to wear for layered looks. All of the Belevation products are made with a unique, seamless, four-way stretch microfiber construction with moisture wicking, breathable mesh that is extremely comfortable. 

Now that I have discovered and tried the Belevation undergarments, I will not go to the gym or play tennis without wearing one. It’s almost a necessity to keep me comfortable. Every mother-to-be should have a pair or two of these great products to keep them feeling as comfortable as possible. Enjoy!"

During the past month I have read about several amazing advances in the area of prenatal medicine.  Results of a long awaited $22.5 million study on spina bifida surgery were published February 9th by The New England Journal of Medicine.

A neural tube disorder, spina bifida can be reduced by up to 75% with a diet rich in Vitamin B6, so don't skimp on your Vitamin B intake before or during pregnancy. About half the babies in the study were randomly selected for traditional surgery after birth, while the rest underwent the procedure as a fetus between 19 and 26 weeks of pregnancy.

Results showed that the group that had surgery in utero "were nearly two times as likely to walk without crutches at 30 months", said study co-author, Dr Scott Adzick, chief of pediatric surgery at Children's Hospital of Philadelphia.  

Additionally, news came this week from Greece about the successful development of a prenatal blood test that could help women avoid the invasive procedures currently used to diagnose Down syndrome, a gene mutation that causes a form of mental retardation.

While currently used tests such as amniocentesis are only about 80% accurate and also carry a small risk of miscarriage, the new test (which is not expected to be available for a year or two), is believed to offer a 100% accuracy rate and can also be done earlier. Truly awesome.

What did you expect Uncle Sam?  You are just an Uncle and Moms rule!  On February 10th the Internal Revenue Service announced that breast pumps and other related supplies will now be tax deductible. This reverses a prior IRS ruling which deemed this costly equipment an unallowable medical expense.

New York Times parenting writer Lisa Belkin quotes her colleague David Kocieniewski in a January 24th column, Tax Codes and Baby Food. Kocieniewski asks why "dentures wearers and acne sufferers get tax breaks on their medically necessary supplies" and mom doesn't?

In a positive move which lead to the reversal an 88 page "Call to Action to Support Breast -Feeding" was issued by US surgeon general Regina Benjamin in mid-January. With an intro by Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius, this document highlights the common barriers to breast-feeding.

Definitely not always as simple as ye old wives make it out to be, it's critical for new moms to start off the experience in a positive way. Lactation Consultants can provide this help and are located in most major cities. To minimize Janet Jackson wardobe moments check out the fab mom-designed nursing tops at GlamourMom.com.

I saw them at Big City Moms Biggest Baby Shower and would definitely want to spend some of my tax deduction gains on their website. In related news, a provision of the health care bill passed by Congress in 2010 requires that work places with 50 or more employees must guarantee women the right to use a breast pump at work in a private setting.

In her April 9, 2010 Motherlode column, Lisa Belkin addresses these changes. Belkin highlights that this new ruling will close the gap on this issue for women who are hourly workers without private offices, and without ample time during the day to express their breast milk. Moms spend all day everyday taking care of everyone else.  It's about time these new Federal laws begin to take care of Mom.