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Breathing new life into an old hosiery mill has proven to be “a heck of a retirement project” for Tom and Susan Miles. The couple has transformed the  plant in Biscoe into a modern producer of supportive maternity undergarments called Belevation.

With Social Media all the rage, acronyms are everywhere. Even though these abbreviations are standard fair in our busy lives, there will always be a need for self-expression without short-cuts. BFF, best friends forever are those special kind of people who are willing to go the extra mile for you and listen to your long version. Since manufacturing apparel in the US isn't the easiest thing to do these days, LOL!, finding faithful friends who can offer Belevation encouragement has been so important! Today I'd like to highlight two special Belevation Maternity Support BFF. 

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When repeat customer Jessica wrote asking if we had a Mothers Day sale coming up, I gave her a preview code for our new X-Large Boyshort. Since I hadn't publicized the discount elsewhere, imagine my surprise as orders came in using the Mothers Day coupon. It turned out that Jessica was so happy with her Belevation products that she took time to share information about us on popular Mom sites. And a few days later when some of the posts were removed, Jessica went to bat for us yet again with a site moderator, insisting her Belevation posts be reinstated.

Orders were picking up as Jessica's Belevation message went viral and I finally figured what was going on. When I caught up with her, Jessica explained that she was "all about small business", since she came from a manufacturing background herself. You can see the beautiful line of solid cherry 18th century furniture that her family has designed and manufactured domestically for 80 years at Statton.com Jessica also designs a line of twig lettering, perfect to grace your nursery walls. View it on her gorgeous, newly created online Etsy store, called The Original Twig.

Another wonderful Belevation friend that I can't forget to mention is Michele from Atlanta, GA. Like Jessica, Michele definitely deserves a big shout out for the support she has offered. On all those lonely days sitting in front of the computer, when it seems nobody in the world is paying attention, Michele has been there "liking" everything on our Facebook page from our Belevation trivia, to the endless articles I re-post about pregnancy and parenting. A big thank you to Michele and Jessica for being among Belevation's BFF. We couldn't do it without you, nor would we ever want to!

Last night I had a real treat, an hour long conversation with cookbook author Karen Gurwitz, owner of New York based Mothers and Menus. "Created to support new mothers and their families during the hectic few weeks before and after the birth of their child, Mothers and Menus provides clients in the NYC area with healthy, home cooked meal delivery." I discovered Karen's 2007 book, The Well Rounded Pregnancy Cookbook while doing research on prenatal nutrition. 

As I looked over the 100 healthful Mothers and Menus recipes Karen shares with her readers, I felt as if I had found a kindred spirit. Her common sense approach shines through from the beginning. All of the recipes are made with readily available, healthy ingredients and choices are offered to make modifications based on your preferences.

As the owner of a cupboard full of cookbooks, I have yet to find one as plain-spoken and accessible as this one.  Chapter 2, called Feeding Your Body really covers the essentials of healthy eating, with an emphasis on nutrition during pregnancy.

I know that I will enjoy reaching for The Well Rounded Pregnancy Cookbook for delicious recipes and Karen's great nutritional tips. That said, start looking for product give-aways, like this fabulous cookbook, on our Belevation Facebook Page for folks who become a Belevation Fan.....

What else did Karen and I talk about? Well - Belevation of course!  From my description of Belevation's products, Karen understood right away. What makes our maternity undergarments different than others on the market?  She said it, Belevation provides "Serious Support!"

Whether you're running in a race at 20 weeks - like Nikki in San Francisco, or if life just feels like a race, like mine does. Belevation's Maternity products offer a feature-rich design, with our unique integral Belevation belly support panel. Just what mother has been asking for, that plus a good, hot meal!  Look for cookbook give-aways coming soon on Facebook.