Being in the baby product business, I hear my share of mommy stories. It seems a common theme for most moms I know, including myself, that we have a constant list of “to-do” tasks, not enough time to complete it and zero time for ourselves at the end of the day.

Of course, there are always those moms who THINK they do everything right and can teach you a few things about life, work, organization and the proper care and feeding of a family. It’s with feeding that I tend to pay the most attention, for obvious reasons.

A day in the life of a mom with one infant goes something like this: baby wakes up and wants to eat (sometimes for up to an hour), mom feeds and changes baby, sings with baby, puts cute outfit on baby, puts baby down for a nap, does dishes/laundry/pumps breast milk/dusts/sweeps/pays bills, baby wakes up and wants to eat (repeat those steps above), mom talks to baby,  shows baby a book with lots of black and white images for stimulation, changes baby’s outfit, puts baby down for a nap, mom worries about baby’s immunizations tomorrow/jumps into the shower/answers the phone with wet hair/calls friend with birthday wishes, baby wakes up, etc…

Now, at what point during this day of a mom with JUST ONE baby and NO OUTSIDE JOB does she seem to not be bonding with or thinking of baby’s best interests? For goodness’ sake, babies eat every three hours – that’s 8 times per day! And notice that no time in the probably 9 hours that passed in the above paragraph (one hour for each nap, one hour for each play time and one hour of mom’s chores per cycle) has mom eaten, slept or even sat still. And so it goes.

Imagine this hectic schedule if you add in another child, a job or home-based business or the many other responsibilities that women tackle every day. It’s mind boggling how we get it all done. Even more so is how we give ouselves no credit for it. We say, “I got nothing accomplished today.” or “I’m exhausted, and I didn’t even change out of my PJs all day.”

Here’s where I take issue: when one mom passes judgment on another for her parenting choices, management style or level of organization. We are all busy, and everyone responds differently to stress, chaos and lack of sleep. It never fails to surprise me when I hear a mom say something like, “Of course, you’re going to have another baby. It’s selfish to have just one.” or “Only a lazy or neglectful parent would use (fill in the blank here with your favorite baby care helper).”

To those moms, I say, “Mind your own beeswax!” Why do you have to control everyone? Perhaps you’re not as in-control of your own circumstances as you’d like us to believe. And if we choose to accept help from time to time, be it with a baby sitter, a Baby Einstein DVD or a Bottle Snuggler, we promise to do it responsibly and with the utmost attention to the safety and care of our families.

Moms are vital to the success of a family, and we count too! If you have a heart for children, you should focus on taking care of their mothers. And our kids are nurtured by us in ALL the things that we do throughout the day, not just at feeding time. Give yourself credit for all that you do, and give yourself permission to take a break, accept a helping hand and reject the nasty judgments of people with too much time on their hands.

Moms rock!

I recently learned a clever new term when Bottle Snugglers was listed on the website www.hybridmom.com.  And boy do I fit the description! I think all moms, whether we are mompreneurs or not, are hybrid these days, as we are bombarded with so many responsibilities and must-do’s from morning til night.

My day goes a little like this: get toddler, husband and myself dressed, packed, fed and ready for the day; drive to preschool (a 1.5 hour round trip), fulfill orders and make contacts for business accounts; finalize volunteer calendar for Junior League events; meet colleague for networking coffee; prepare for tomorrow’s Chamber function, plan tonight’s dinner recipes; figure out when in this day I will be able to work out; drive back to preschool (1.5 MORE hours in the car); check in on my out-of-state grandmother; cook and clean up dinner; toddler bath and bedtime; answer after-hours emails; plan for tomorrow- all while tethered to a Blackberry, just in case.  WHEW!  Sound familiar?

Here is my thought on being a Hybrid Mom: we can do it all, just not all at once.  And we shouldn’t expect perfection from ourselves or our mom friends. Support from friends, especially other moms, is crucial to remaining (semi) organized and (mostly) sane in today’s frantic paced world.

Make a check list and accept that it may not all get crossed off today.  Most importantly, it’s OK to be frustrated and tired. No need to pretend that all is perfect all the time.  I love my life, but I reserve the right to take a nap when I need one! Rock on, Hybrid Moms!

Hi there, and welcome to the blog for Bottle Snugglers!  I’d like to introduce myself and my product and give you an idea of what to expect from the blog.

First, what are Bottle Snugglers? I’m glad you asked! Bottle Snugglers are lovable plush animals cleverly designed to hold baby’s bottle at the same angle as Mom’s hand. They give mom (or dad) that much-coveted free hand during feeding time to take care of other kids or themselves. You hold baby, Bottle Snugglers hold the bottle, and everyone wins!

These are meant as a helper to caregivers and to aid in our busy lives – they are NOT a babysitter or a device to encourage child neglect. If you’re a thinking person, you probably knew that already, I just wanted to clarify for those who disagree with helpful gadgets such as baby bottle holders.

Secondly, who am I? My name is Jennifer Marko, and I own Bottle Snugglers.  I’m a married mom of a 3-year-old  who is the source of many adventures in my life.  I spend my days running the business, driving to pre-school, volunteering in my community, networking and, in my copious free time (ha!), I like to read, cook and travel.

Finally, what will this blog add to the lives of its readers?  I want to be a source of information which Bottle Snugglers clients will want to know about.  Specifically, I will blog about: living with food allergies, child development (potty training, picky eaters, milestones), support for other moms and mompreneurs, recipes that I love, new products…anything that I find helpful and think you will, too.

So bookmark us, add us to your Favorites, follow us on Twitter, or become a fan on Facebook.  Or do them all. I look forward to connecting with you!