The Motherhood

The Motherhood’s Pittsburgh HQ has a new location!

January 9, 2015 by The Motherhood

The year 2015 is bringing many exciting changes to The Motherhood – including a new building for our Pittsburgh office! We are thrilled to announce the move and share a few pictures. Stay tuned for additional photo dispatches on the blog and from @theMotherhood on Twitter.

Our new company headquarters can now be found in Sharpsburg, PA, in the old Fort Pitt Brewing Company building. In the early 1900s, this brewery was the leader in the local beer market, and the brand name is still remembered by Pittsburgh natives today. We love that we work from a building that has a such a rich history and tie to our city’s roots.

Welcome to the new office!

Our entry wall proudly announces that we’ve moved in:

The brewery’s motto, “Fort Pitt, That’s It!” remains on our front lobby floor:

One hundred years ago, these offices were filled with the (likely all-male) executives of the brewing company, and now the space is occupied by a company owned and operated by women. What a difference a century makes:

Next week the whole team will be together to celebrate the new office space and discuss a few changes for The Motherhood in the New Year. We look forward to sharing additional news!

Happy Holidays from The Motherhood!

December 22, 2014 by The Motherhood

“May your walls know joy, may every room hold laughter, and every window open to great possibility.” – Mary Anne Radmacher

Another holiday season is upon us, and we at The Motherhood are excited to spend quality time with our family and friends! Whether you’re still shopping, wrapping presents or preparing a holiday dinner, don’t forget to take a break and enjoy this wonderful time of year!

Warmest holiday wishes from our families to yours, and a Happy New Year!

Photo Credit: Flickr Creative Commons- William Follett

Where Are Germs Hiding in Your House?

December 18, 2014 by The Motherhood

With all the festivities that come with the holidays, no one wants to be stuck in bed battling a cold or the flu! That’s why Clorox®, The Motherhood and a team of germ-fighting bloggers recently shared the icky truth about where bacteria and viruses hide, and tips on how to stay healthy through the season!

The Clorox Company and global public health organization NSF International conducted a study in homes of parents with young children, and discovered that germs hang out in unexpected places! More than half of parents surveyed said they felt the kitchen countertop was the surface they needed to clean most often. Yet the study results found that four times as many households had bathroom sinks that were germier than kitchen countertops. The majority of parents surveyed also ranked the kitchen drawer knob as the germiest surface, but in reality, other spots around the home – such as the kitchen countertop, bathroom sink and bathroom faucet handle – harbored more germs and viruses. Check out this #GermsStick video for other findings you might be surprised to see.

Our bloggers used #GermsStick stickers to show the germy hot spots that bacteria and viruses were found – and as a reminder for where to disinfect!

Laurie, Guessing All the Way

Lori, A Day in the Motherhood

So how can you keep germs at bay in your house this season? Read on for some tips, and visit Clorox.com/GermsStick for more information and fun activities to share with your family!

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), viruses such as Influenza and Enterovirus spread through close contact with an infected person or by touching contaminated surfaces then touching your mouth, nose or eyes.
To prevent the spread of germs in your home, the CDC recommends disinfecting frequently touched surfaces, especially when someone is sick. Parents can use an EPA-registered disinfectant, like Clorox^® Disinfecting Wipes, to kill 99.9 percent of germs* that can live on hard non-porous surfaces for up to 48 hours.
Along with disinfecting germ hot spots, parents can help keep their families healthier by taking the same prevention steps recommended every year, including:
- Get Vaccinated: Getting a yearly flu vaccine is the first and most important step in flu prevention. The CDC recommends that everyone six months and older get a flu vaccine each year to protect against the flu.
- Stay Home When Sick: If possible, keep kids home from school when they are sick to help prevent teachers and classmates from catching their illness.
- Sing & Scrub: Make sure kids wash their hands the right way. They should wash hands frequently with warm water and soap for at least 20 seconds (the time it takes to sing the “Happy Birthday” song twice).
- Do the Elbow Cough: Teach kids to cough and sneeze into elbows instead of your hands to help prevent the spread of germs by touch.

*Staphylococcus aureus, Salmonella enterica, Escherichia coli O157:H7 and Influenza A virus.

#MakeWonder: Nurturing Creativity through Play

December 16, 2014 by The Motherhood

With the holiday break just days away, children will soon swap schoolwork for fun at home – but the opportunities to learn don’t have to stop!

It’s been said that play is the work of childhood, and Wonder Workshop is taking this idea to an amazing new level.

With technology playing such an integral role in our world, Wonder Workshop – the maker of Dash & Dot – is engineering smart, new ways to take children beyond the screen and empowering them to learn, play and create joy.

The Motherhood team took a walk down memory lane and recalled some of the ways we delighted in using our imaginations as children and turned everyday objects into something extraordinary:

Brittnee: My cousins and I created and performed a puppet show for our family based on whatever holiday or occasion we were celebrating. With many of us participating, it was one of my first memories of working together with a group of people on a common goal – a performance for the whole family!

Brittney: I loved rounding up my neighborhood friends to create plays and musicals! We would create a script and choreography (music provided via cassette tape), spend a few days rehearsing, design and print flyers to promote the play and then put on our performance for a neighborhood audience.

Erin: As kids, my brother and I could find magic in everyday objects and even trash: The laundry basket became a rocket ship, a refrigerator box filled with styrofoam peanuts became a certain rich cartoon duck’s money bin and our swing set in the backyard was a giant pirate ship. Our imaginations took us everywhere.

Kayla: I remember making homemade play dough with my mom when I was younger. I learned how to do it at school and was so excited I came home and begged my mom to help me make it again! It was one of our favorite things to do and I loved to make different colors, depending on my mood.

Nicole: When my brother and I were younger we used to make art out of ANYTHING. We would find smooth rocks and large leaves from outside and paint on them all sorts of colors and designs.

Sarah: I always loved building different types of buildings or houses with Lincoln Logs & Legos! I would try to “rebuild” places like my house and sometimes buildings like the Sears Tower (now Willis Tower) in downtown Chicago!

Serena: My two cousins and I started a recurring newspaper called “The Triple ‘S’ Post” (our first names all start with ‘S’) and distributed it to our families. We were each in charge of different sections: comics, sports, weather, wanted ads, even a gossip column! We found a few copies recently and showed my nieces and nephews, who are around the age we were when we wrote them. They loved the idea so much that they’ve started a similar paper themselves!

For more on how you can discover new ways for your children to play and learn, visit www.makewonder.com.