Was having a conversation about what MB does and how it works and the fact that it's generally just me, driving to an event, setting it up, working it, packing it up and driving home, and I don't get paid for doing any of it.  In fact, it costs me money to do it.  But it's something I think is worth doing.

The gentleman I was talking with looked at me for a minute and said, "So, you're a philanthropist."

Hadn't thought of it that way, but yes, I guess I am. 

Last year, for maximum visibility, the event organizer put the Mom's Breastaurant booth just past the food court area, along the path to the main stage.  Everyone had to pass us to get to the stage, or to the food, depending on where they started.  We had lots and lots of moms bring their babies in to feed them, or to pump, or to change diapers.  Lots and lots.

But for all that we were very highly visible, we were also a fair distance away from the kids area.

This year they have more vendors, and they set them up in the area where we were last year.  They tried to keep us in sort of the same spot, just around a corner (ie, not on the main walk), but they didn't want me to park near the tent and things started snowballing to make that spot difficult, though not impossible.  So we walked over to the kids area and had a look around.   And found space!  Yippee!

So I set up the booth (had to jiggle it around a couple times to make it fit between the trees that shade that area) and parked the car and set up the camping area and we camped overnight waiting for the event to begin.

The huge upside to moving to the kid's area was, fairly obviously, that we were in the spot where parents would come so that their kids could play and craft and be entertained, and where they bring their toddler or older child, they bring their infant.  The downside was that because we moved as a very last minute thing, the event map showed us in the old location, so some of the folks who only had infants and so might not be thinking that there was anyting in the kid's area for them looked for us in the wrong spot and then went on without having found us.

Still, when all was said and done, we managed to have a few more mothers come in to feed their babies this year, in the new location in the kid's area, than last year.  Hooray!  And the kid's area organizer was happy to have us and is looking forward to having us back again next year.

Mom's Breastaurant is headed back to the High Sierra Music Festival this weekend.  Sym and her family and my kiddos and I will all be camping in the booth at night and working it during the day.  Okay, maybe the kids won't be working ...

Last year the event totally rocked, and we're hoping/expecting the same this year.  Not only was the booth well received, but the music of he festival was awesome.  It was so wonderful to participate and provide our service while listening in on the music from the stages and roaming groups.

Here we go!

Okay, so it wasn't really *fright*ful, but it wasn't anything close to good, either.  MB has been in Tigard Oregon (a Portland suburb) for the Allstate Festival of Balloons.  And the weather has been windy, cool, and drizzly.  They still launched the balloons in the mornings (before we arrived at the event, as they launched at dawn and the booths didn't open until 10ish), but the evening balloon glow got canceled one evening.  And the drizzle kept attendance low.  The booth next to ours was a book seller, who had to close down early on Saturday and not return on Sunday because their books were getting wet.

For all that, the booth did get used   Not as much as we'd like, but those who used it were extra appreciative of the shelter from the weather.  Heat and sun is not the only thing from which our booth shelters our moms and babies! 

And for an added bonus, working this event let me work again with Cathy, our wonderful staff writer.  She lives nearby and was able to come visit and help with the work.  Thanks Cat!

While the 'home' chapter of MB is up in Tigard for the Balloon Festival, the new Chico chapter will be participating in the awesome Green Baby event in Chico.  Many thanks to Sym and Brandon for their efforts on behalf of MB!

MB participated in the Harmony Music Festival in 2008, and was happy to return there again for the 2009 event.  Things there have changed a bit, though ...

There's hardly anything in the Kid Zone that has anything to do with kids!  Last year there were a dozen vendors with toys and clothes for kids.  There were crafts for kids.  A bit pool filled with bubble solution and a dozen big hangers turned into bubble wands.  There was music for kids.  There were activities for kids.  There was Dr. Solar, a time-traveling magical medicine show.  And even with all that I thought the offerings were a bit spare.

This year there were 2 vendors with kid stuff.  There was an informational booth about summer camps that also brought supplies for making a couple crafts.  Dr. Solar was still there (yay!), and they had two musical acts over the 3 day event that was geared toward kids.  But that was it.

To be fair, the woman organizing the Kid Zone had not done so before.   I hope she'll be able to bring the focus of the area set aside for the Kid Zone back to being *kids* next year.  And, with the renewed traffic of parents and their small people, that she'll have MB back again in 2010.

I spent the last half of May in Texas for a family emergency.  After having to cancel MB's attendance at the Pagan Festival I redoubled my efforts to find someone to help run the booth for the Mushroom Mardi Gras in Morgan Hill.  This time I succeeded!

Big huge thanks to Mark and Doug for doing the grunt work of setting up and tearing down the tent.  And to Ewelina and Jen for staffing it.  I can't tell you how much I appreciate your help!

Due to a death in the family I have been scrambling to find coverage for the booth scheduled to participate in the Pagan Festival.  Sym, our Chico Chapter hostess, was set to come down and handle things, when a death in her family threw a wrench into those plans.  I asked another friend if she could assist, but the event is on Mother's Day, and they have plans out of town ...

I've been wrestling with this for a few days, but have come to realize that I can't get this event covered.  My flight to the funeral leaves tomorrow.  So MB has had our sad first - an event where we apologized and canceled.

Thankfully, the folks at the Festival were understanding and hope to work with us for next year's event.

in 2 cities on the SAME weekend!

Wow!  Has she mastered being in two places at the same time?  Nope.  MB has opened a second chapter, and our new Hostess, Sym, will be running the Endangered Species Fair in Chico while I'm running things at the Meet BABI event in Cupertino.  Both events will take place on May 2nd.

Sym has assisted with MB events in the past - most notably the 4 day High Sierra Music Festival last year.  Talk about getting her feet wet ... by jumping in to the deep end!

It's going to be so nice to have someone to run events for me!  Not only can we then have more than one MB event at a time, but there's a bit less driving for me!     The new chapter is based in Chico and will likely cover events from Sacramento to Reno and Tahoe and in Northern CA.

Thanks for signing on, Sym!  Good luck at the event!

There are few events held from November through February.  It's a quiet time for MB.  It's time to recharge and update the website and begin lining up companies to contact about sponsorships and events to confirm for the next year's schedule.  It's busy, just quiet.

We'll see you in 2009!