Thanksgiving, Thankfulness, and Christmas Shopping

by Glenni Lorick, IBCLC
I've been dismayed by how many stores are advertising their Thanksgiving Day hours and sales. What happened to the day that was all about family? Instead of spending the day enjoying the parade, the delicious smells wafting from the kitchen, and the relaxed time with family, many people are rushing out the door to get a jump on Christmas shopping.

Now I'm all about bargains and savings. In fact, I'm always looking for ways to save money, and I consider myself a pretty savvy bargain hunter. But it seems that we've gotten our priorities increasingly skewed. As long as shoppers are willing to rush out the door before even eating their pumpkin pie, retailers are going to open their doors to take advantage of them! Unfortunately, it is the sales force that gets caught in the middle. They end up having to be away from family on a day that has traditionally been a long-awaited holiday.

And what about Christmas? Is it really all about the fancy gifts? How many families put themselves into financial distress trying to make Christmas special? What are we really celebrating? It seems that maybe in our frantic efforts to shop as early as possible, we might have lost the essence of what Christmas is really all about. The first Christmas gift didn't come wrapped in shiny paper with glossy ribbons. No, He entered the world in the humblest of surroundings. There was a great celebration, to be certain, but its focus was the Christ of Christmas, nothing more or less.  Just as the wise men brought gifts to the Christmas child, so we give gifts today, but the gifts should never overshadow the One whom we celebrate!

With that in mind, we've decided to offer the following Thanksgiving week opportunities at A Nurturing Moment.

Pre-Thanksgiving Sale

Since we won't be open Thanksgiving, and we understand that many people hate getting out on Black Friday, we have a few very special pre-Thanksgiving savings.

• All hair bows are 15% off
• All diapers and diaper orders are 10% off
• All Best Chairs on the floor are HALF PRICE.

Black Friday Sale

We are going to open at our normal time on Black Friday. We have family, and so do you, and we recognize that, while some people LOVE getting out early to shop, we have historically done very well opening later!

• From 10:00 - 12:00 EVERYTHING in the store will be 20% off.
• From 12:00 - 5:00 EVERYTHING in the store will be 10% off.

Small Business Saturday

We are happy to join American Express in declaring Nov. 30 Small Business Saturday! When you register your American Express Card here, you will get $10 back when you spend $10 or more at a participating small business. You MUST register your card, though!

• Everything in the store will be 10% off all day in honor of Small Business Saturday!

Thank You!

Thank you so much for being part of the ANM family and for spending your dollars locally! We are so honored to be able to serve you!!

21 Days of Thanksgiving

From West Seattle Montessori School

In November our thoughts often turn to thankfulness. At A Nurturing Moment we have much for which to give thanks. The outpouring of support and encouragement since I posted our long-term vision last month has been overwhelming!

Our Moms Say Thank You

Several moms who have benefited from the programs which The Mom Foundation supports have taken time to express their thankfulness for the program. In the interest of privacy, some names have been changed if a mother has communicated with us in a private manner.

Marla was referred to us by Motherhood Maternity. Because she was on the WIC program, she was able to take advantage of our Bosom Buddies program. She says, "I am sooo thankful for the bra program. If I hadn't heard of it (from an employee at Motherhood), I would be wearing the wrong size bra. I did that with my last baby. The two bras I received are the only nursing bras I have. I just can't afford $50 for a bra, so the program has been a lifesaver. Thank you so much!!!"

Samantha had this to say, "I'm thankful for Glenni always being there when I needed her no matter what!"  

Brittany added, "So thankful for Glenni and your sliding scale." 

Jennifer said, "I am VERY thankful for the sliding scale! I wouldn't have been able to come in otherwise! Thank you so much! God will bless you for all you're doing!"  

From Struggle to Victory.

We Say Thank You

God does bless us each day through so many of you. Just days after I posted our vision blog, one of our moms came in to talk to me about a foundation for which she is a board member. They have given us a $1000 grant to put toward our work. We are seeking to match that grant, and are already 1/3 of the way there! You can make a tax deducible donation to The Mom Foundation here, or via check made out to The Mom Foundation.

Each day for the rest of the month we will post something we're thankful for on our page. We invite you to participate with something you're thankful for each day, too. It's amazing how giving thanks in every circumstance really DOES change your attitude, make you happier, and contribute to increasingly more positive outcomes!

What are YOU thankful for today?

Thankfulness Leads to Giving!

We have a lot to be thankful for this year at A Nurturing Moment. Last year at this time we wouldn't have been able to imagine that we would be where we are now! We've expanded in so many ways - more space, more employees, more products and more opportunities to help moms and babies.

You may have heard us talk about our sister non-profit organization, the MOM Foundation (formerly Moms Nurturing Moms). We are so thankful for the opportunity we've been given to partner with Huntsville Housing Authority and look for ways to encourage low-income moms. Statistics show that in our country women with more education and a higher income are more likely to breastfeed. Sadly, many of the women we will be working with have never been exposed to breastfeeding. Because they can receive free infant formula from the WIC program, many of them are not willing to even consider breastfeeding.

Baby Day at Mason Court
Our goal is to get to know many of the moms there, earn their trust, and meet as many of their needs as we can. On December 5 we will have a Baby Day at Mason Court where we'll have lots of things going on for moms and babies. One thing we would like to be able to do is provide free gently used infant and toddler clothing to the moms who attend.

Bosom Buddies Program
We also have another program in place to help low-income moms, the Bosom Buddies program. Mothers who receive WIC assistance are eligible to receive 2 gently used nursing bras every 6 months as long as they're breastfeeding. We've been giving out a lot of bras lately, so our supply is running low in several sizes. This evening a precious young mom could only find one bra that worked for her. When that happens, we give them a discount if they decide to purchase another one.

We Need YOU!
We really want to continue and even expand our programs, be we are really dependent upon you! Here's how you can help...and how we will say THANK YOU for giving!

• Bring in gently used clean infant and toddler clothing between now and Dec. 3 for Baby Day at Mason Court. Recieve a 10% discount on your purchase.
• Bring in gently used clean nursing bras (the size must be visible). Receive 5% for one bra, 10% off for 2 and 15% off for 3 or more.

Unfortunately, we can't combine these discounts with other promotions, but we will always give you the best promotion you qualify for when several promotions are available!

Thank You!
Thank you so much for being part of the ANM family and helping us reach out to as many mothers as we can in the Tennessee Valley! We appreciate you so much! Have a wonderful Thanksgiving with your family, and leave us a note telling us what you're thankful for this year!