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/

Summer is the perfect time to throw together a cool fruit salad. I love having ready-made, healthy snacks in the fridge so I can grab them as I run past. Recently, a friend served this mango salad during a play date, and I thought it was brilliant in its simplicity. It looks fancy, but it’s so easy, fast and affordable.

Also, I love mango, but I find it a little sweet. The acidity in the lime really brings down that sweetness and adds a nice little kick. The cilantro is unexpected and really delicious. This salad is so colorful, healthy and yummy – perfect for a summer side dish or dessert.

Ingredients
2 Mangos, cubed
6 Strawberries, sliced
1/2 pint Blackberries
1 Lime
1 Tbsp chopped Cilantro

Put mango and berries in a shallow tupperware container that is big enough for most of the fruit to touch the bottom. Squeeze the juice of a whole lime over the fruit, sprinkle the cilantro on top, and toss the salad. Marinate in the fridge for a couple of hours, and serve cold.

Did you ever want just one perfect piece of dessert, but you didn’t want to make a whole batch of your favorite treat? That’s what (sort of) happened to me this week.

My son was going to an after-camp activity, and the kids were going to be eating pizza and rice cereal treats. Because of his allergies, I always make his food and send it with him. Well, the day before the event, I realized that a) I didn’t have enough ingredients for a whole batch of treats, and b) I really didn’t want to have a whole batch of them lying around and calling out my name for the next week.

So, I did what most resourceful Moms would do. I figured out a way to make just one rice cereal treat!  It wasn’t rocket science, but when I had succeeded in creating exactly what I needed with no waste, I have to say it was empowering. It might not cure a disease or bring peace to the planet, but this little jewel kept me from doing a grocery store run in my PJs, and that counts for something in my book. Here’s how I did it:

In a microwave-safe bowl, place 1/2 teaspoon of butter and 2 large marshmallows. Microwave them for about 15-20 seconds, or until they puff up and look like they’re melted. Now, stir in 1/2 cup of rice cereal (I used Rice Krispies), and form the blob into whatever shape you like. If that isn’t a busy Mom recipe, I don’t know what is.

Voila! A perfect rice cereal treat with very little clean up. Now, if I could figure out how to make just one brownie…

It’s always nice to be noticed, isn’t it? I am a very proud Mama when someone recognized Bottle Snugglers as an outstanding product. The best recognition we can get is when our customers tell their friends how much they love the product. And it’s the ulitmate thrill for me to see customers returning to buy more Bottle Snugglers, whether for themselves or as gifts.

I do try to let you know when Bottle Snugglers receives an honor or award, and our award-winning baby bottle holder has picked up two new Seals of Approval recently. One is from a baby planner, and one is from a website specializing in all things that new parents need when baby arrives.

The Savvy Mom on Call is a baby planner in the NYC area, and she helps expecting Moms and Dads prepare for baby’s arrival. From picking out a stroller to help with breast feeding to nursery decor, Ingrid Preuher can walk you through the process. That’s why we are so excited that she awarded Bottle Snugglers her Seal of Approval! You can read the review here http://savvymomoncallbabyplanner.com/?p=872.

The New Parents Guide is a website that helps new and expecting parents wade through the throngs of gear that are available today. They have products organized into categories, including books, music, mealtime (where you will find baby bottle holders) and even baby naming. They tested out our Bottle Snuggler and awarded us their Seal of Approval, as well! You can read the review here http://www.thenewparentsguide.com/baby-bottle-accessories.htm.

Thanks to our customers for helping us grow, and thanks to these two latest groups for giving us a little love.

Because our product is still relatively new to the market, I am often asked how Bottle Snugglers came to be. I also am constantly explaining how they work.

Recently, a friend suggested that I add some videos to the website which would explain both of these answers. It was a great idea, but harder than I thought it would be to execute. First of all, to see yourself on video is odd, and it takes a lot of tries to get one short video that’s acceptable. (Truth be told, I would still be re-doing them if I had the time.) Secondly, it’s not that easy to put into concise words the motivation it took to close a business, change industries, learn a new business from the ground up (including production), and keep it afloat for three years as I wait to be “discovered”.

But after some soul searching and editing, the project is complete. I wanted to be sure to communicate exactly what Bottle Snugglers are for, how they can help Mom AND baby, and why they are important enough to me to make big changes in my life to bring them to market. Another video shows how to use them. (So easy!) And we are also starting to add video testimonials to the site, the first of which went up last week. Very exciting for me and, I hope, enlightening and helpful for you. Here goes nothin’!

http://www.bottlesnugglers.com/what-are-they.php  

 http://www.bottlesnugglers.com/how-to-use.php

 http://www.bottlesnugglers.com/testimonials.php

I love Mom-invented products, and my friend, Angela, has created a very smart one just in time for summer.

It’s called Water Watch, and it’s a wrist band that is worn by the adult who is “on duty” to watch the kids when they are swimming. We all have fun at the pool or in the ocean in the summer months, and whether it’s you and your spouse with just your kids or a whole group of party goers, it’s imperative that someone have their full attention trained on the little swimmers in our lives. 

These wristbands help the adult in charge remember their duty and help the kids know who to go to for help or assistance, whether for their pool toys, game rules or, Heaven forbid, someone who is in trouble in the water. It took a tragedy to prompt the development of this product, but I think it can help prevent many more. I will include the link to Angela’s blog post, which tells the back story and gives you the opportunity to purchase.  Bring on Summer!

http://angelaharrisdesign.com/2011/06/a-sad-story-a-vital-message/

I love to bake, and my five-year-old loves to help me. With his severe food allergies (egg, peanut and tree nut), enjoying baked goods can be tricky. Luckily, I have learned to substitute safe alternatives and, in most cases, you can’t tell the difference from the “real thing.”

This weekend, we had some bananas that we wanted to use, so we decided to make a loaf of Banana Bread. We left out the nuts, substituted egg replacer for the egg, and used low fat versions of other ingredients, and we ended up with a delicious dessert/breakfast/snack with very little fat. We like to toast each piece and add a dab of Earth Balance or butter. Hope you like it!

Low Fat, Egg Free Banana Bread
2 Cups Flour (All Purpose or Oat Flour will work)
1 Cup Raw Sugar
1/4 Cup Earth Balance (or butter)
3 Bananas, mashed
1/4 Cup Low Fat Milk
1/4 Cup Low Fat Sour Cream
EnerG Egg Replacer (1 Egg equivalent)
1 Teaspoon Baking Soda
1/2 Teaspoon Salt

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Beat sugar and Earth Balance until well blended. (I used a mixer, but you could probably do just as well by hand.) Add in all wet ingredients and mix well. Mix dry ingredients together and incorporate them slowly into the wet ingredients. Spray a loaf pan with cooking spray, and pour batter into pan. Bake for 1 hr 10 min at 350 degrees. Cool and dig in!
Note: I let my loaf cool in the pan, and it got a little mushy. I think cooling it on a rack may be a better option.