La Leche League of Western Pennsylvania
Conference Features
Registration: Everyone attending the conference must register, including speakers, exhibitors and those with complimentary registrations. The cost of the conference is $45 for La Leche League members, $55 for non-members and $30 for La Leche League Leaders. The cost includes registration for one attendee and one caregiver or spouse and one adult lunch. Registering an additional caregiver will cost $5. The cost of an additional adult lunch is $16.50. A child's lunch (ages 6-10) is $8.50. Child lunch choices include Chicken and Mixed Vegetables or Vegan Pasta Primavera with Mixed Vegetables; children age five and under are free with an adult lunch. Adult lunch choices are either Cashew Chicken Salad Croissant or Vegan Pasta Primavera. Lunch also includes a salad, dessert, iced tea and coffee. Make checks payable to "LLL of Western PA" and send them along with your registration form to: LLL of Western PA, Registrar Terri Aquilina, 539 Dewey Ave., Bridgeville, PA 15017, 412-257-4019, territheterrible@verizon.net. Enclose a SASE if you wish to receive confirmation of your registration.
Membership: Please consider joining La Leche League. Membership costs $40 per year and includes an annual subscription to New Beginnings magazine. You can join La Leche League by filling out the membership space on the registration form and including the cost of membership in your registration payment.
Refund Policy: For a full refund less $5 handling fee, requests must be received by April 10. Requests received after April 10 will be entitled to a 50% refund less $5 handling fee. No refund requests will be accepted after May 12. After April 28, refunds are limited to $24.50--the cost of registration, less the cost of the meal, less the $5 handling fee. Refunds are not given for pre-ordered books. Refunds will be mailed approximately 30 days after the conference. Mail your request to the registrar with a SASE: LLL of Western PA, Terri Aquilina, 539 Dewey Ave, Bridgeville, PA 15017.
Dayworkers Wanted! If you are willing to spend a session working the Silent Auction, Boutique or Play Room please check the box on the registration form.
Children at the Conference: Parents, babies, children and even grandparents attending together are a La Leche League tradition. We hope to make the conference one that your entire family can enjoy, so please plan to bring everyone. Parents are responsible for their own children AT ALL TIMES. All caregivers must be 12 years of age or older and have the parent's complete schedule. A Play Room is available for children age six and under filled with age appropriate toys. We will also have a Rock 'n Rest room complete with rocking chairs for mothers and babies who need a little quiet time.
Extra Fun in the Play Room: Household Harmony Director Daisy Klaber will present a free demonstration of Music Together, an internationally acclaimed early childhood music program for infants, toddlers, preschoolers, kindergarteners and adults, for a family sing-along break.
IBLCE CERPs and La Leche League CEUs: CERPs and CEUs will be available for a fee of $5 per session. Each morning session provides 1.25 CERPs and CEUs and each afternoon session provides 1 CERP and CEU. A total of 4.5 CERPs have been granted by the Eastern US Division of LLLI through a providership with the International Board of Lactation Consultant Examiners (IBCLE). Children, regardless of age, are allowed to accompany their parents to CERP sessions at the Area Conference. CERP speakers and attendees should be aware and accepting of the fact that parents and older children may attend these sessions. Please be respectful of the needs of all attendees and quietly respectful to the speaker who is presenting.
Snack Table: Please bring a nutritious snack to share with everyone at the conference for our snack table. Snacks are great for keeping moms alert and kids happy, so we are hoping that everyone can bring something. Last names beginning with A-E --fruits or veggies; F-J --cheese or spreads; K-O --snack food (crackers, pretzels); P-U- baked goods; V-Z -light colored juice. Please bring a listof ingredients to display with your homemade goodies to aid those with food allergies. If you have any questions about our snack table, please contact Holly Cox at cox.holly@comcast.net or 412-404-2242. Thank you!
Portrait Playtime:
We are hosting a special fundraiser this year where you can participate in a Professional Photo Shoot at the conference. This is a wonderful opportunity to get artistic photographs that capture your:
Nursing in action
Loving family
Pregnant tummy
Brilliant children or grandchildren.
Portrait Playtime, owned by Jessica Wallach, an active LLL member and professional photographer in Virginia, will set up her studio in our main ballroom Friday night, April 18 from 5:30 to 9 pm and on Saturday, April 19 from 8 am - 4 pm. You can sign up for one of the available photo sessions, which includes a 10 minute photo shoot and a choice of one high quality, black and white or color, professional 5 x 7 print of any image. Book a Conference Photo Session: http://www.portraitplaytime.com/LLLWPA
Each photo session costs only $25 and Portrait Playtime has generously agreed to donate 80% of the proceeds from this to La Leche League of Western Pennsylvania.
Reservations must be made ahead of time. Jessica can only come if we fill 30 of the time slots. So please sign up today and don't miss out on this wonderful opportunity. Photo sessions are limited, so we expect that the spots will fill up quickly.
Jessica has consciously sought to work with and photograph families who practice and support mothering through breastfeeding and who seek deep parent child relationships. "During a photo session we encourage play because play is "the language of children". Playfulness allows children and their families to connect, relax and show themselves fully. Playing is our way of showing children our complete respect." The best testament to Portrait Playtime's work is to view their work (including some amazing shots from their past participation at other LLL fundraisers).
Silent Auction: The Silent Auction committee is looking for items such as new toys, gift certificates and crafts. Additionally, we are proud to feature Theme Baskets prepared by LLL Groups throughout the Area. To donate an item, please contact Beth Moore at (724) 379-6684 or bethannmore@comcast.net. Cash, check and credit card accepted.
Guest Speaker
Leanne Ely, CNC
aka The Dinner Diva
With her clever wit and wisdom, certified nutritional consultant (CNC), Leanne Ely, is bringing people back to the dinner tables each evening. Leanne has a simple philosophy, "Make it and they will come."
As a mom, Leanne knows and understands the dinner dilemmas facing families day in and day out. Now, tens of thousands of kitchens across the world are busy creating simple, delicious meals with her weekly Menu-Mailers, freezer dinner kits and best-selling cookbooks.
Leanne also dishes out recipes and advice across America with her syndicated newspaper column, The Dinner Diva, and teams up with Marla Cilley, AKA the FlyLady.
Timely tips and techniques are shared with readers in her weekly newsletter, Healthy-Foods, and in several print and online publications. Leanne currently serves as the family columnist for eDiets.com. Her "Top Ten" lists have proved to be some of eDiets' most popular articles with their millions of readers. Leanne also pens the weekly "Food for Thought" at the popular web site, Flylady.net.
In addition to revealing her secrets to dinner success speaking after the Alumnae Dinner on Friday night, Leanne will present two sessions on Saturday: Kids in the Kitchen and Losing Weight While Nursing.
Communication Skills Enrichment
Friday, April 18, 2008, 1:00 to 4:30 pm
Communication Skills Enrichment 3: "Developing Skills for Harmony"
(prerequisites: CSE 1 and CSE 2)
As a special benefit for La Leche League Leaders and Leader Applicants, we are offering a Communication Skills Enrichment (CSE) workshop on Friday, April 18, 2008. There is no charge for the workshop to LLL Leaders and Leader Applicants, but we request that you register as indicated on the Registration Form.
CSE 3, Developing Skills for Harmony , focuses on three skills - limit setting, problem solving, and empathic confrontation.
Feel like you're being asked to do too much or taken advantage of? Limit setting can be used when you want to state a "bottom line." Problem solving involves seeking alternate solutions that are agreeable to all when planning how to address an issue. Empathetic confrontation is a valuable skill when you are concerned about another person and want to constructively point out how her decision may be counterproductive.
This session is designed for 6 to 12 participants. This session is limited to the first 12 registrants and we reserve the right to cancel the session if there are not enough participants. As with all LLL meetings, children may attend. However, since all participants are asked to be actively involved throughout the three and a halfhour session, please consider whether your toddler or older child would be more comfortable staying with a trusted caregiver.
CSE 3 is free to LLL Leaders and OFFICIAL Leader Applicants. The cost for LLL Group members and family members is $10. Participants must attend the entire session to receive CEU's. CSE 1 and CSE 2 must have been completed before registering for CSE 3. Questions? Contact CSE Instructor Ellen Rubin and ellenjrubin@gmail.com
Theme Basket and Boutique Application
TO : All Western PA LLL Groups
WHAT: Participation in Area Conference 2008 Boutique and/or Basket Sale
WHY : Great fundraising opportunity for Groups and Area
Details : During the conference, Boutique tables will be available for $5 rental. On the tables, you may sell items of your choice (within LLL approval, of course J). Examples include baby items and quiet toys. No baked goods, please! All proceeds of Boutique sales may be kept by the Group.
Just as we had last year, we'll be having one central check out location. Because of this, we ask that Groups have each item tagged with a 3x5 index card stating Group name, price, tax, and total. The items can be purchased with cash, check, OR Credit card! LLL of Western PA will send the Groups amount made to them after the conference.
Also, Theme Baskets are needed! Get creative and design a basket to be sold in the Silent Auction. Baskets ideas include bath and beauty, children's books, cooking or baking, or candles. Groups will receive 25% of the proceeds from their basket sales. Baskets may be brought to the auction area the morning of the conference.
RSVP: Please return attached application form(s) by April 1, 2008
If you have questions, contact Kristie Lindblom at fezzik812@comcast.net or 412-727-2279.
(C) 2008 La Leche League of Western PA