City of Tampa Mayor Bob Buckhorn declares April 4, 2012 “Mary Lee’s House Day!”

In honor of National Child Abuse Prevention Month, City of Tampa Mayor Bob Buckhorn declared April 4, 2012 “Mary Lee’s House Day” at a special ceremony this morning at Mary Lee's House in Tampa. Mary Lee's House is a nonprofit child protection and advocacy center that has served more than 8,000 children and provided more than 14,000 individual services since opening their doors in November 2008. Mary Lee's House depends on the generosity of the community and is 90% privately funded. The Mary Lee's House Auxiliary was formed in 2011 and includes more than 200 dedicated community volunteers.

In addition to the proclamation presented to Mary Lee Farrior by Mayor Buckhorn, members of the Farrior family, Hillsborough County School Board Member Candy Olson and Colonel David Almand USAF praised the various child protection and advocacy programs housed in the state of the art child-friendly facility.





More than 200 guests in attendance included representatives from these partner agencies: the Crisis Center of Tampa Bay, the Children's Justice Center, Healthy Start Coalition, Success 4 Kids & Families, the Auxiliary ladies of Mary Lee's House and the Child Protection Team.



Mary Lee's House provides a child-friendly environment where law enforcement, child protection, prosecution, mental health, medical and social services personnel can work together to ensure that child victims of physical abuse, sexual abuse and neglect receive the services they need under one roof. The 30,000-square foot facility is the only one of its kind in Hillsborough and surrounding counties. For more information, please visit www.maryleeshouse.org.

A Valentine’s Day Worth Remembering… Adopt a Real Manatee!

Manatee gift adoptions from Save the Manatee Club are a way to protect endangered manatees and their aquatic habitat, and also a way to let your loved ones see that your heart is in the right place this Valentine’s Day.

Jennifer Vogel, recently retired from a long career of practicing law, and who currently resides in Texas, adopted a manatee for her husband, John, last Valentine’s Day. “We had just decided to spend part of the summer in the Florida Keys so my two daughters could become certified scuba divers,” said Jennifer. “I have always loved manatees, and the whole family knew how excited I was about the possibility of seeing one on our trip. Adopting a real manatee was the perfect way to make our trip more meaningful.”

Thirty-three manatees are featured in Save the Manatee Club’s adoption programs, including two new manatees, Bama and Zewie, who spend the summer months in Alabama waters. Jennifer chose Brutus for her husband from the adoption program at Blue Spring State Park in Orange City, Florida. “The choice was easy,” Jennifer explained. “I loved the very macho name for such a gentle, giant creature.”

Tax-deductible gift adoptions from Save the Manatee Club cost $25 and include a color photo, biography, and adoption certificate of the manatee who is chosen. Also included is a fact-filled membership handbook, subscriptions to the Club’s official quarterly newsletter, The Manatee Zone, and the bi-monthly e-newsletter, Paddle Tales, and a year’s membership in Save the Manatee Club. A personalized Valentine’s Day gift card comes with each adoption, and shipping is free within the United States. An 8-inch manatee plush toy is included with every gift adoption of $35 or more

Funds from the adoption program help in the protection of manatees and their ecosystems. Save the Manatee Club is a 501(c) 3 nonprofit conservation organization, established in 1981 by singer/songwriter Jimmy Buffett, and former Florida Governor and U.S. Senator Bob Graham. This past year the Club assisted with rescue, rehabilitation, and release efforts in America and abroad; helped to expand and protect the manatee’s winter warm-water habitat; obtained improved boat speed zones in areas frequented by manatees; and conducted research on boater compliance in Kings Bay, Crystal River, Florida to obtain improved protection measures there. The Club raises public awareness; educates; advocates; and supports conservation efforts in other countries.

Patrick Rose, Aquatic Biologist and Executive Director of Save the Manatee Club, said that despite the immense problems facing manatees, there is hope. “As long as people continue to support strong manatee and habitat protection measures, manatees have a chance,” said Rose.

Jennifer Vogel and her family are among the many who advocate for the manatees. “The manatee is one of America’s treasures,” she remarked. “What I love about Save the Manatee Club is that they help you feel personally connected to the manatees through their real live manatee adoption program, and regular updates let you know how the manatees are doing.”

Care to adopt a manatee this Valentine’s Day? Visit Save the Manatee Club’s website at www.savethemanatee.org, or call 1-800-432-JOIN (5646). Also, sign up for the Club’s free E-Newsletter.

Soft & Safe Dino Bowling Set

I have a two year old and four year old that love this baby bowling set by Lakeshore Learning. They love to set up the soft stuffed dinos and knock them down with the balls over and over again. The pins and balls are covered in vinyl so they are easy to wipe clean. In addition to using the dinosaurs as bowling pins, they have become tea party attendants, puppets to entertain the baby and footballs. The set of 6 dinosaur pins and two large balls comes in a zipper tote for easy storage. The set retails for $14.99 at lakeshorelearning.com.

Social Mom Product Review: Dolphin Organics

As the New Year dawned, I considered making all sorts of life changing resolutions. Exercise more, get more sleep, eat more kale. Well, that last one might be a bit of a challenge. So, I took a different approach. Rather than overwhelm my family with goals that might not last through the first week, I decided it was best to start with something simple.

Switching out my daughter's regular shampoo and conditioner and replacing them with the Dolphin Organics Baby Shampoo and Conditioner was an easy first step. These products are organic, natural and endorsed by the Healthy Child Healthy World organization. The big question, would they work as well as my tried and true brands?

The short answer is yes. They are fabulous products! The tear-free shampoo lathers well and rinses cleanly. The conditioner is thick enough to coat the hair without weighing it down. These products are fragrance free but do have a slight scent. These and other baby care products are available online for about $12 each at Dolphin Organics. I recommend them and would purchase the Travel Set or Gift Baskets for baby shower presents.

If you're hoping to start the New Year off on a healthy path, the Dolphin Organics products are an easy way to go. Best wishes!

Submitted by Lisa-Marie, a Tampa Bay Parenting Magazine Social Mom, who is always on the go with a tiny tot in tow.

"Love, Loss and What I Wore" at The Straz until January 15th

“Love, Loss and What I Wore” is a wonderful collection of stories that uses the memories that clothing and accessories trigger to tell stories that any woman can relate to. The all-star cast including Loretta Swit, who played “Hot Lips” Houlihan on M*A*S*H and Sonia Manzano who has played Maria on Sesame Street for over thirty years, stays seated throughout the show.
Although the actors don’t move very much physically, they definitely move the audience with stories about surviving breast cancer, losses of parents and children, relationships that don’t work and relationships that do. The show is not about fashion. It is about how our clothing tells a story about the children we were and the stylish adults we want to be. Some of the scenes had me laughing out loud and others I needed a tissue for. It was a perfect combination of humor and poignancy. One of my favorite scenes – “I hate my purse” really describes how I feel about every purse I have ever owned. I buy a new purse hoping that it will keep me organized and by the second week of owning it I can’t find anything in it so I buy another one and the same thing happens. Finally, I find one that works for me and it falls apart. I need to get a bag! Another favorite scene was shoes, which details the age old dilemma of comfortable shoes vs. sexy heels. I have to admit that I have owned many pairs of Birkenstocks and the less comfortable, more stylish shoes always win in the end.
I strongly recommend this show for all women. I am glad that I brought a girlfriend instead of my husband. I don’t think my husband would have appreciated how traumatic it is to get your first bra or why you can never find something to wear when you have a full closet of clothes. A close girlfriend always understands these things. The Jaeb Theatre at the Straz is a perfect venue for this type of intimate show. Get your tickets soon, the show ends on Sunday January 15th.