With the announcement of Beyonce’s baby’s birth this week and the debate over her daughter’s name, Blue Ivy, all over the Internet, I have been thinking a lot about baby names. Personally, I like names from nature, so Ivy is a great choice in my book. You can bet she will get plenty of baby shower gifts with her name in blue and little ivy designs everywhere.

I remember a few friends from school who I thought had cool sounding names. An uncommon name can add a certain mystery or intrigue to a person. (At least until you meet them.) One girl in my elementary school was named Tinsley, and I thought it was so exotic. Of course, in a sea of Jennifer’s, Kristy’s and Amanda’s (all popular in the mid 1970′s), a lot of things sounded new and different. Another classmate named Shelby had the bonus of a first name that was also a last name. I still like names, like Anderson or Brady or Madison, that could be first or last names. Careful, though, or your baby’s name could end up sounding like a law firm.

I also tend to favor names that are spelled slightly different than the norm, though I know this can cause frustration if your name is constantly misspelled. My last name, Marko, is spelled with a “c” rather than a “k” all the time, so I can relate. I end up spelling it out loud for people several times every day. A friend named her daughter Wanita several years ago. That’s Juanita, but with a “Wa” because she wanted to be sure that the stress was on the first syllable. Poor thing. She will be spelling her name out loud forever, just like me.

In my research for my baby’s name before we knew the sex, I was determined to name him after an element of nature, a la Raine, Storm, River or Lief or, if it was a girl, Ruby, June or maybe Autumn. My husband was having none of that, and we settled on the well-used Max Benjamin, after our grandfathers. Maybe one day I can have a pet named Rocky and leave it at that.

The popular baby website Baby Center posted the most popular baby names of 2011. Compared to some of the latest Hollywood baby names and my nods to elements of nature, these are pretty tame.  http://www.babycenter.com/popularBabyNames.htm?year=2011  What do you think? Did your baby’s name make the cut this year? If you have a Mason or an Emma, you may need some creative labels when they starts school so they can tell which is their lunch box in preschool. As long as you spell it correctly, though, I’m sure they won’t mind.

I am almost ashamed to post this recipe because it’s so simple. Almost. :)

You may have already discovered it, but yesterday was my first time to make these cute little donuts using canned biscuit dough. My son has some food allergies, including eggs, and I assumed that canned biscuits had egg in them. To my delight, they don’t. I even found a less offensive ingredient list on the Pillsbury Simply Buttermilk Biscuits. They don’t have artificial colors or high fructose corn syrup. There is a small amount of hydrogenated soybean oil, though, so they are not totally virtuous.

But for our purposes here, they were the best choice. And the recipe is a no-brainer. Cut a hole in the middle of each biscuit using whatever tool you like. We found that water bottle caps are the perfect size, but biscuit cutters work, as do cookie cutters or shot glasses.

Heat about an inch of oil in your pan or fryer, and test the oil with a small amount of dough to be sure it’s right. You want the dough to turn golden brown in about 30 seconds.  (Too fast browning will mean the middle will be doughy, and the temp needs to cool a little. I learned this from experience.) When one side is golden, flip with tongs and brown the other side. It’s easy to see when they are done. Then drain on a paper towel.

Now comes the glaze, which you could make to your specs. I just eyeballed it, pouring some powdered sugar in a bowl and drizzling in milk until the consistency was right for me. Then, just dip the donuts into the glaze on each side, and they are done! Don’t forget to cook the donut holes, too. They are great little bites.

One note is that these donuts were so much better on the first night than the morning after. Hope you love them!

Happy December! It’s hard to ignore that the holiday season is here, right?

With Christmas and Hanukkah decorations appearing in stores as early as Halloween, I tend to get holiday burn out way before December even arrives! But, just in case you are still going strong, here’s a little gift from Bottle Snugglers to you.

From Dec. 1 – 15, 2011, when you order on our website www.bottlesnugglers.com, shipping is just $1 for your first Bottle Snuggler. You will need to use the coupon code 1SHIP at checkout. (This equates to a $3 discount, as shipping is $4 for one Bottle Snuggler.)

The fine print: One coupon per customer, and $1 shipping only applies to one Snuggler.

So, save that $3 and think of us when you treat yourself to a “free” peppermint hot chocolate! Thank goodness for small favors. Happy shopping!

This is a guest post from an organizing professional whom I really admire, Angela Harris of Angela Harris Design. As the holidays approach, I start to feel the pressure of all those extra tasks. Angela gives us three tips on how to overcome! For more great advice, visit her site at www.angelaharrisdesign.com.

As the holidays approach, the building of excitement often begins to be overtaken by the escalating stress thatinevitably takes over. While I attribute some of my lower stress these days to the overall shift to order I’ve made in different areas of my life, do these three things today to feel an immediate difference:

#1:  ASK:  What’s on your {and your family’s} list? In general what are your favorite parts of the holidays – what do you want to experience?During dinner the other night, I asked my family what they most wish for for the upcoming holiday season: emphasizing I wasn’t talking gift wish list!  Here’s part of what we came up with:

• Attending the Nutcracker{something we used to do but hadn’t gone to in a while}
• Making peanut butter balls {a holiday favorite – we ran out of time & didn’t make last year}
• Spending an evening viewing Christmas lights
• Walking through a nativity scene at a nearby church
• Doing something to help others
• Bringing holiday style to my window boxes
• Decorating Christmas cookies {trial & error last year; learned some great tips – will share later}
• Reading our favorite Advent book together each night {helping to keep us focused on what Christmas means to us}

Just getting to know what each family member wants to experience can sometimes be an eye opener.  It helps to know what to prioritize and can slide.

#2:  Establish a budget.  Maybe not the most fun part, but a crucial one.

A.  Know how much you have {are willing} to spend {without going into debt}.
B.  Make a list of what you’ll need to purchase, including:

• gifts
• cards, stamps, pictures
• decorations
• entertaining {if you’re having a party, all of the expenses involved with this}
• travel
• groceries {above & beyond what you normally would spend}
• wrapping supplies
• special event tickets

C.  Allocate amounts for each. 

Tips: 

• I do my holiday budget in an Excel spreadsheet. I list every item in one column and put a budgeted amount in the column next to it.  Using the auto sum button, I add the $ column and then play around with budgeted amounts for each item until the sum is where I need it to be.
• After the holidays, indicate how much you actually spent {you can add an “actual” column}. Also, note other expenses you didn’t anticipate.
• Next year, you can pull up that spreadsheet, “save as” that new year, tweak slightly and your new budget will be complete! {Last night I did my 2011 one in five minutes.}

1. Ideas: Ideas I tear out of magazines are kept right here.
2. Coupons: I’m not a huge coupon clipper but do clip during this time of the year.
3. Receipts:  ALL of my holiday receipts go in this ONE place. {In an upcoming post, I’ll share what I do with my receipts and  how it kept me under budget the last two years!}
4. Cards:  My Christmas card mailing list – along with a few extra cards, stamps and addressing pen – goes here.
5. List:  My specific list of whom I need to shop for. I print out my budget list {above} then, using a pencil {which I keep in my organizer at all times!} I jot down ideas and cross off when that person is taken care of.

Tips:

• Take some quiet, focused time to set up your own organizer – customize to best fit your needs.
• Keep it with you. {I have mine with me throughout the season. I’ll take out what I need for that store, leaving the actual folder in the car.}
• Before running out to shop, sit down and look through what you need. Visually think through where you’ll need to go for what. Do a little on-line research prior to leaving home to keep from having to run from place to place.
• If you end up going over budget or find something else you’d rather give, you’ll have your receipt right there so you can return original item.  {Know return policies from the stores you purchase from.}
• Plan trips out when stores are least crowded.  Or do you shopping on-line.
• Streamline whenever possible!

Do YOU have a favorite way to stay organized during the holidays?  I’d love to hear!

My five-year-old is OBSESSED with cake balls and cake pops.  Have you made them yet?

You can buy a special cupcake pan that bakes them into perfect spheres, and then you put a lollipop stick in them and decorate with frosting or candy coating. Or you can bake a cake, crumble it, mix in some icing and form balls by hand. Then you chill them so they are firm enough to insert the stick and dip into the coating of your choice.  They are a big hit with kids, as they are about three bites big, and you can have fun decorating them into characters, etc. There are entire cook books dedicated to this.

But I had some cake pops at a Halloween party that were so good I had to try them myself. They are now one of my very favorite recipes, as they have 3 ingredients and are basically impossible to mess up. They are Oreo Truffles, and they might just be your new favorite, too.

Ingredients:
36 Oreo cookies
8 oz block of low fat cream cheese at room temperature
14 oz. bag of white candy coating chips or almond bark

Put the cookies into a large Ziploc bag and crush into crumbs by pounding and rolling with a rolling pin. (You can use a food processor, if you prefer.) Next, add the cream cheese and mix together thoroughly. I tried using a spoon, but ended up mixing it by hand like I would do with a meat loaf. Then, form balls of the dough, and place them on a wax paper-covered cookie sheet. I suggest making them small, as they are very rich! When the balls are all made, chill in the refrigerator for about 10 minutes, so the balls hold up when they are dipped.

The candy coating is best melted over a double boiler. I filled a medium sized sauce pan with water and put a large glass mixing bowl on top of the pan. The water should just touch the bottom of the bowl. Bring the water to a boil, then add the chips into the bowl and stir occasionally until they are very smoothly melted. You can also melt them in the microwave on Defrost, but I have never gotten that to work as well!

Now, drop the Oreo balls one by one into the melted candy, and return them to the cookie sheet. Return them to the fridge for about 20 minutes, until the coating is crisp. Done!

They are so delicious. If you like, you can dip them in colorful sprinkles or sugar while they are warm, just to dress them up. Though, really, once you taste them, I predict you won’t even care how they look!

Bringing home baby is so exciting. You already have the nursery just right, and you are probably still reeling from the investment it took to get the stroller, crib, bassinet, toys, breast pump, etc.  All of the newness becomes more familiar over time, and before long, you start to feel like you actually have a handle on this whole motherhood thing.

Then one day, baby learns to roll over. And rolling over turns to sitting up, then crawling, and walking is not far behind. I remember what a shock it was when my son got totally mobile. Now, if I put him on his play mat and went into the nursery to get a diaper, he could be on the other side of the room when I got back! This brought to light every scary and dangerous place in my home – all of which seemed perfectly benign before – where a baby could really hurt himself. I decided to call in an expert for help. Enter the Baby Proofer.

With no family nearby and my baby on the move, I felt an urgent need to get things in order. Honestly, I never realized how many doors, drawers and cabinets I had until I needed to secure them all. After a consultation and a return visit to install the safety items, it was like a mini Fort Knox in my home. I did learn a few things along the way, like which things are very important and which we could have skipped. I wanted to share some of that information here so that you can learn from my mistakes. 

-Safety latches on cabinets and drawers (Definitely do) This keeps baby from getting into the wrong places and from slamming their fingers.
-Secondary locks on doors, placed out of baby/toddler’s reach and/or guards on the door knob so the child can’t open it without help (Definitely do)
-Furniture “no-tip” kits (Maybe do) These are plastic straps that attach your furniture to a wall or the floor so baby can’t tip them over on themselves. We didn’t need them.
- Cushions to cover sharp edges of tables. (Definitely do.) Babies fall. The first time baby splits a lip on the corner of the coffee table or the fireplace hearth, you will be running out to get these. They are easily removable later.
-Baby gates (Do in certain places) I did find it helpful to have certain areas off limits, like the bottom of the stair case and the two steps that go down into my kitchen. These are falling hazards, for sure. We used the gates sparingly, and they worked fine, though they did leave marks on the walls when removed.
-Electrical outlet covers (Definitely do) My son was never attracted to the outlets, but a lot of babies are. These are clear, inexpensive and are not very noticeable.
- Locks to keep toilets, dishwasher and oven doors closed (Maybe do) The first day after install, I broke both the dishwasher and the oven straps that were supposed to keep the doors closed. I forgot they were latched, went to open the dishwasher, and the strap just snapped. Same with the oven.  If your baby is curious about the oven, definitely lock it. Mine wasn’t, which I found out AFTER I paid to install the strap and then broke it! The toilet lock was handy, though, to keep little hands from exploring inside. :)

Also, don’t forget to put blind adjustment cords high out of baby’s reach and put cleaning fluids and medicines in high cabinets. Here are a few links to help you find great products, ideas and installers for your baby proofing adventure. Hiring a baby proofing pro is also a great baby shower gift!

Kid Safe – shop for baby proofing items
http://www.kidsafeinc.com/category/child_safety_locks/?gclid=CKrWioP-g6wCFcmm7QodFQ7PNA

Baby Proofing Shop – shop for baby proofing items
http://www.babyproofingshop.com/baby-safety-products/category/all-0.html?gclid=CJubo8f-g6wCFYTt7QodJ1f8LA

Baby Proofing Directory – a listing of professionals across the country
http://www.babyproofingdirectory.com/

Parent Magazine – tips on how to baby proof your home 
http://www.parents.com/baby/safety/babyproofing/babyproofing-home-top-to-bottom/

New Moms have so many decisions to make, right? Which nursing pillow is best? Which breast pump? Which brand or type of bottle? Do strollers have to cost $300, or is it OK to have a simple umbrella stroller? Organic baby food or conventional? Make it at home or buy it? Nanny, day care or neither? Whew! And that’s just the first week. Ha ha.

Diapers are funny. Some Moms have their favorite brand of disposables and won’t stray from them no matter what. Some will buy whatever is on sale that week. And some wouldn’t dream of using a disposable, opting for the old fashioned cloth version.

Well, thanks to progress, we now have another category of products to select from. Reusable diaper covers are popping up everywhere, and they are making life with cloth diapers so much easier to handle. They all work a little differently, but basically they snap on over a cloth diaper to prevent leaks. They come in a variety of colors and designs. I can’t wait to see a huge selection of cloth diapers and diaper covers next to the disposables at baby stores!

I have compiled a list of several great diaper covers to make this process a little easier for you. If you have a strong preference, I would love to hear it!

Kanga Care – Rumparooz  www.rumparooz.com 
FuzziBunz www.fuzzibunz.com
DiaperBuds www.diaperbuds.com
GvoVia www.gro-via.com
Bummis www.bummis.com
Oh Katy www.ohkaty.com
Best Bottom Diapers www.bestbottomdiapers.com
gDiapers www.gdiapers.com
Kushies Baby www.kushies.com

Ahhh. The first day of Fall. It’s my favorite season for so many reasons: I love the chill in the air, the changing colors and all of the activities that the season brings, like football, hay rides, corn mazes, big pots of hearty stew and nightly hot chocolate.

I have a business, a husband and a kindergartner to care for, as well as all the usual commitments to family, community, charity, etc., so like you, I am always looking for shorter and faster ways to the finish line. At my house, we love dessert, and I relish a free afternoon spent baking a new recipe. But for those times when time is tight, and we just want a little comfort food, I fall back on old, reliable recipes.

For Fall, baked apples are a big hit with my family. I have tried them so many ways that I can really whip them up with whatever we have in the pantry. I love that about this recipe; it’s kind of hit or miss with ingredients, and it’s hard to mess up. I am going to give you several options of what to include, and you can pick and choose based on what you have on hand. The beauty here is that it whips up in about 15 minutes, then bakes for about an hour, so you really don’t have a big time commitment. And the house filling with the autumnal aromas of apples, cinnamon and roasted nuts is a bonus!

Baked Apples Your Way

Ingredients:
4 baking apples (I use Honey Crisp, but use your favorite)
4 Tbsp brown sugar
2 Tbsp butter or substitute (I use Earth Balance)
1 tsp cinnamon
3/4 Cup water

Optional ingredients (some or all of these are great):
4 Tbsp oats
2 Tbsp chopped pecans or walnuts
2 Tbsp chopped raisins or currants
3/4 cup white wine (as a substitute for the water)

Mix ingredients of your choice in a small bowl. Core each apple, making a well big enough to hold 1/4 of the filling mixture in each apple. Place apples in an 8×8 baking dish (I use glass), and pour water or wine into the bottom of the dish. Fill each apple evenly with the mixture, mounding it on top if there is extra. Cover with foil and bake for 45 minutes to one hour, depending on the size of the apples. (Check it after 45 minutes for tenderness.) Serve with low fat frozen yogurt or ice cream, if your gang approves.

I am making this dessert tonight for a treat after my son’s T-ball game. If I get them out of the oven right before we leave, they may still be a little warm when we get home to enjoy them. Wish you were here!

I know what you’re thinking. How in the world am I supposed to do everything on my list each day, take care of a family and myself AND still donate some of my “free time” to a worthy cause? If you are up for it, I have some ideas.

I am thinking about volunteering today as I prepare to be a dog biscuit baker tomorrow at a local non-profit called the Bark “N Howl Bakery. http://www.barknhowlbakery.com/ The organization called Career Frontiers of Northeast Florida has an effort that employs adults with intellectual disabilities in a bakery specializing in dog biscuits. The bakers also sell the biscuits in the community, and I have the opportunity to help tomorrow. Being a baker is a passion of mine, though tomorrow will be my first attempt at dog treats. Fingers are crossed!

My son started Kindergarten this year, so I have between about 9:00 and 2:30 to get everything done that I need to concentrate on. That includes running my business, having meetings, attending Chamber of Commerce and other industry events and, if it’s going to happen, squeezing in an occasional lunch with a girl friend. With this limited time frame, it can be tough to carve out time to volunteer, and the evenings and weekends are equally as scheduled. (As I’m sure yours are.)

But volunteering has its rewards, and I always remember the times when someone has volunteered to help me. I think of it as a responsibility of mine, just like those listed above. Of course, charity begins at home, and we must be sure that our families and ourselves are cared for first. That is important to note because if you are volunteering to make another child’s life better, but your kids never see you (or you are exhausted from being over committed), it’s not exactly an accomplished goal.

Assuming that you have caught up on your sleep, things are going smoothly and you have some energy to give to the world, consider doing one of these charitable endeavors, which can be done with baby or toddler in tow, if needed:

* Volunteer to watch a friend’s baby, allowing her a couple hours of quiet time. You can stay home (where you would be anyway), your child can enjoy the play mate, and your friend will relish the freedom with no baby sitter bill. Time is so valuable. This is a small effort that has a huge pay off for the recipient.

* Offer to do busy work for your favorite non-profit during down time at home. Perhaps your church could use some help organizing paperwork for an upcoming event. Or a non-profit needs some phone calls made for the next fundraiser. If you have 15 minutes a day, you can make a dent in the work load, save the agency precious dollars, and feel great that you gave of your time and talents- all without leaving your home.

* Throw an extra casserole or entree in the oven when you make dinner, and give the gift of nourishment to another busy person. Is your neighbor going through an illness? Is there a Mom at your child’s preschool who is overwhelmed? Or is someone from your book club moving or adjusting to a lifestyle change? Think of how special they would feel if you showed up with a lasagna “just because.”

To me, “volunteering” or “charity” come in many forms, and any time I can make someone’s life a little brighter, I consider that a bonus for me. I have certainly been the recipient of acts of kindness, and I love finding ways to “donate” of myself, even when time and resources seem too tight. I hope you’ll pay a kindness to someone today – especially to yourself. You deserve it.

Over the past few years, Bottle Snugglers have won several industry awards, which we are very proud of. Some have Mommy testers, some have Baby Planners and their clients as testers. Either way, we get great feedback on the usefulness, durability and cute factor of our baby bottle holders.

Recently, I received a phone call from Miracle Industries, makers of the Miracle Blanket(R) swaddling blanket, that they had started a new Seal of Approval program called Certified Miracles(TM).  This program is unique in that you cannot submit your product for review, nor can you pay for the privilege. Then they told me that Bottle Snugglers has been submitted by a blogger, and that we had won the Certified Miracles Seal! The website launched today, and we are thrilled to be a part of the action.

What a nice surprise and a testament to talking about products that you love and that really serve a purpose. I didn’t even know about the program, but they had heard of Bottle Snugglers and liked them so much that they put us in the very first batch of Certified Miracle Seal winners. We are honored to be in a category with some other great products that make Mommies’ lives a little easier.

Definitely check out the Certified Miracles website for some suggestions on other baby products and their very helpful Recall Alerts page. http://www.certifiedmiracles.com/