The following is a guest post from a great little blog called Inspired2cook. Andrea has so many recipes and great ideas to pull from that I asked her to submit a couple in time for this Thursday’s feast. Happy Thanksgiving!

Hello! My name is Andrea and I’m a stay-at-home mom and author of Inspired2cook, a blog filled with recipes and cooking tips. When I’m entertaining, I try to do as much as possible ahead of time, especially during the holidays. Hopefully these recipes will inspire you to get in the kitchen and try something new. To see photos of them and find more great recipes, visit me at http://www.inspired2cook.com/

 Roasted Carrots and Parsnips with Fresh Herbs
-recipe from The New Thanksgiving Table by Diane Morgan

These orange and ivory root vegetables, flecked with fresh herbs, complement turkey and are a colorful addition to the holiday table. Look for medium-sized, well-shaped parsnips that are firm. Avoid ones that are limp or spotted. Store them wrapped in paper towels inside a plastic bag in the refrigerator for up to two weeks. Serves 8 to 10.

7 medium parsnips (about 2 1/2 pounds), peeled, trimmed, and cut into 3-inch-by-1/2-inch sticks
1 1/2 pounds tender carrots, peeled, trimmed, and cut into 3-inch-by-1/2-inch sticks
1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon chopped fresh dill
1 tablespoon minced fresh flat-leaf parsley
1 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
2 teaspoons kosher or sea salt

Preheat the oven to 400°F.

In a large roasting pan or 9-by-13-inch baking dish, toss the parsnips and carrots with the olive oil, dill, parsley, pepper, and salt. Roast, stirring once or twice, for about 45 minutes until the vegetables are tender when pierced with a knife and lightly caramelized in spots. Serve immediately, or cover and keep warm for up to 1 hour before serving.

Do Ahead: The roasted vegetables can be made up to 1 day in advance. Refrigerate, covered, and bring to room temperature 2 hours before reheating.

 Old-Fashioned Soft Pumpkin Cookies
-recipe from verybestbaking.com

These moist, cake-like cookies are delicious, easy to make and a perfect treat for holiday gatherings. For a little more flavor, I used 1 cup of white sugar and 1/2 cup brown sugar (instead of all white sugar). I baked the first batch plain then added dried cranberries and chopped pecans to the rest of the batter. Both versions are delicious!

Makes 36 cookies.

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
1/2 cup butter (1 stick), softened
1 cup LIBBY’S® 100% Pure Pumpkin
1 large egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Glaze (recipe follows)

Preheat oven to 350° F. Grease baking sheets.

Combine flour, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt in medium bowl. Beat sugar and butter in large mixer bowl until well blended. Beat in pumpkin, egg and vanilla extract until smooth. Gradually beat in flour mixture. Drop by rounded tablespoon onto prepared baking sheets.

Bake for 15 to 18 minutes or until edges are firm. Cool on baking sheets for 2 minutes; remove to wire racks to cool completely. Drizzle Glaze over cookies.

For Glaze: Combine 2 cups sifted powdered sugar, 3 tablespoons milk, 1 tablespoon melted butter and 1 teaspoon vanilla extract in small bowl until smooth.

Variations: Add 1/2 cup chopped nuts to the recipe.

This is a guest post by organization expert Angela Harris. Her company, Angela Harris Design, Inc. helps clients to create order in public and private spaces and to preserve their stories through beautiful photo albumn products.

Q:  What’s the key to preserving your memories?

HINT:  The same thing that makes everything (from your closets + meal planning, to your home + calendar) work beautifully

A:  ORDER!

One of the most common ways to capture our story is through photographs.  And one of the most common complaints I hear from clients is, “What do I do with these (visual AND virtual!) piles of photos?”

I’m passionate about preserving your story AND being the author of it. But as a mom of two young children, I know how difficult this can be. While running my album design company, and (oftentimes, more challenging) household, order became my lifesaver. So much so that helping others organize is now a big part of what my I do! Before my Photo Organizing 101, here’s what I’ve learned about order:

 1. My mantra:  surround yourself with what you love.  Our lives are often filled with excess.  Order is about having a vision (knowing, keeping, adding what you DO love) and streamlining (taking out what you DON’T).

 2. Each of us defines order differently – and each needs a personalized approach.

 3. Being more organized is a process. It doesn’t happen overnight, but if you work on it little by little, you will begin to feel that “shift” from chaos to control. 

 4.  Building systems – and keeping them as simple as possible – is vital to maintaining order.

 5. Evaluate and tweak when necessary.

 6. If you are overwhelmed, want quicker results, or simply need another viewpoint, enlist the help of a trusted friend or professional organizer. 

 7. LET GO of perfection.

 8.  Infusing order into life brings tremendous benefits:  less stress, more control … positively impacting our attitude, health, loved ones … and translating into one thing we DO need in excess:  PEACE.

 Using the same basic steps I use when organizing a client’s home or workspace, here’s how to turn your good intentions of photo organization into a reality. 

#1. DEFINE VISION
First, gather all photos. Now visualize:  What’s your ideal outcome for this project? 

WHAT story you wish to tell
HOW you’ll organize
WHO you’ll involve 
WHEN you can commit
WHERE you’ll do it

#2.  PURGE + SORT
Decide what to toss while sorting the rest.

#3. FIND HOME
Now, decide what you’ll use to tell your story:  album (digitally downloaded, traditional photo, scrapbook), frames, containers – or some of each.

#4. CREATE SYSTEM
Systems are vital to maintaining order. Simplify what you can!

Purge
Organize (categories/subcategories)  
Label (individual photos or groups)
Share (on-line or gift)
Protect (back it up!)

 And if it’s NOT easy (or completely UNenjoyable)…

#5.  EVALUATE + TWEAK
Change what’s not working.

 … which happens to be what I’m in the process of doing! I’ll post my progress updates (including tips/product suggestions).  And would LOVE for you to share YOUR ideas with me! Join me at: http://angelaharrisdesign.wordpress.com/.

Have fun telling your story… and make it a good one while you’re at it!

I don’t know about your kids, but my 4-year-old is a fanatic for cupcakes. Not cookies. Not cake. It has to be cupcakes, and the icing is the most important part. He has been known to eat the top of the cupcake and hand the icing-free bottom half back to me.

He definitely gets his sweet tooth from me. Luckily for him, I love to bake and experiment with different icing tips, colors, decorations and cake recipes. One of my latest victories was when I was out of Ener-G egg replacer (Max is allergic to eggs), and I used a combination of canned pumpkin and applesauce (1/4 cup for each egg). The cake was so moist, and I loved knowing that the extra nutrients from the fruits were in there. Stealth nutrition is just fine with me.

I was surfing the Web to find some new ideas for cupcake decorating, and I had to share this link. http://thecupcakerecipes.com/ They have SO many ideas that I will be busy for a while! Fall is my favorite season, so I am looking forward to baking some Pumpkin Patch cupcakes. Who cares that Halloween was last week?

Halloween is almost here, Thanksgiving is around the corner, and Chanukah, Christmas and Kwanza are all coming in December.  That means upcoming crazy days for mothers who are already incredibly busy.  How do you cope and what can you do?

 First, ask yourself how stressed are you right now.  If you’re like most Americans, you’re very stressed. Career Builder.com says that 78% of American workers feel burned out. 1/3 of Americans say they’re living with extreme stress.¹ Nearly 80% of all doctor visits are stress-related and 43% of adults are sick because of stress.

 As a mother, that stress gets magnified, especially if you are a working mother. Despite their best attempts, many husbands are not much help at home and women carry the greatest burdens of housework as well as childcare and community service. And the more stressed you are, the more stressed your children are.

 ”Children absolutely sense parents’ stress,” says pediatrician Kenneth Ginsburg, associate professor at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia and University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine. In 2009, 36% of kids surveyed said they worried more this summer than last; 30% said they worried about family financial difficulties. ²

 What Can You Do To Lower Your Stress Levels?


1. Sleep at least 7 hours a night.  According to the World Health Organization, anything less than 7 hours a night could cause cancer!  Less than 7 hours means you are 3 times more susceptible to colds and likely to gain more weight. The solution: go to bed earlier, no email before bed, no TV in bed.  Make your bedroom a sanctuary for sleeping, making love and resting.

2. Take Vacations:  Sadly, Expedia found that 34% of Americans don’t go on vacation at all! And yet for women aged 45-64, two weeks of vacation cut their incidence of heart attack in half, according to a Boston College study! ³  Expedia also found most people feel rejuvenated after vacation, are more productive and more satisfied with their marriage.

3. Use aromatherapy to help with stress. A few drops of vanilla oil on the wrists of a child can transform a cranky, whiny child into one who is happy and laughing. Peppermint extract on your forehead or temples can help relieve pain immediately.  It’s also great for concentration.  Lemon scent cuts keyboard mistakes by 50%!

4. Spend time with girlfriends The latest research shows spending time with friends creates the release of oxytocin, a neurotransmitter that relieves stress and promotes euphoria.  In a study, those who had the most friends over a 9 year time period cut their risk of death in the next 10 years by 60%.⁴

5. Cultivate Optimism Optimists live 7 years longer than pessimists, have better lung function and are far less likely to die young or die from cancer. The top 10% executives think differently from others: they are all optimists! So if you want greater success, achievement,  and joy in your life, become a more positive thinker.

Women have the ability to make a huge difference in the lives of others. As mothers, your greatest gifts are your love, wisdom and   care taking.  But only if you take care of yourself and manage your stress.

# # #

 Snowden McFall, professional speaker, trainer and author, is the owner of 27- year old Brightwork Advertising and Training and 14-year old Fired Up. She has written 5 books, including Fired Up!, which has sold  63,000+ copies, and her new book Stress Express! 15 Instant Stress Relievers. An expert on stress and motivation,  she has appeared on 300 radio shows, CNN Financial News, The Home Shopping Network, Bloomberg Television, Investors Business Daily, and foxnews.com. She was named National Women in Business Advocate of the Year by the Small Business Administration and was honored at the White House and Congress. She can be reached at www.firedupnow.com

For your free report:  The Top 20 Tips to Get Fired Up and Stay Fired Up, go to http://firedupnow.com/top20tips.html  

1.  “Stress in US Rises, Causes Health Problems,” The Scoop, The Meeting Professional, March 2008, p.442.

2.   Jayson, Sharon “ Kids ‘absolutely’ feel parents’ stress, 30% worry about finances,”  USA Today,  11/2/2009 http://www.usatoday.com/news/health/2009-11-03-kids-stress-parents_N.htm

 3. Brown, Sarah,  “Clean Break,” Vogue, June 2003

4.  Taylor, S. E.; Klein, L.C.; Lewis, B. P.; Gruenewald, T. L.; Gurung, R. A. R.; & Updegraff, J. A. “Female Responses to Stress: Tend and Befriend, Not Fight or Flight”, Psychological Review (2000), 107(3), p.41-429.

The following is a guest post from Jennifer Mercurio, who writes the Double Duty Mommy blog.

 As a wife, mother of two, homemaker, web designer, and blogger, I have enough to take care of on a daily basis. Having time saving products in my life has made it possibly to survive my days sometimes. My daughters are 5 (6 in November), and 11 weeks old, so the following products have definitely helped daddy & me keep a little bit of our sanity.

 Recently I was sent a Bottle Snuggler baby bottle holder for a review, and now I have no idea how I made it through life without it. Okay, maybe that’s a little exaggerated, but it has definitely made daily chores more possible and has let me eat or talk on the phone when I wasn’t able to previously. Bottle Snugglers hold the bottle for you, so while you are hold and feed baby, you will still have one hand free! It’s helped both daddy & me eat while at a restaurant, answer phone calls, help with our 5 year old, and the list goes on!  They are perfect for a multi-tasking mom like me.

 I’ve been trying for 10 weeks now to breastfeed, but because since birth Kendall has such a big issue with latching, I’ve always pumped. I think now that we’re 10 weeks into it it probably won’t happen, but I do keep trying to get her latched. A product that has helped us is Pumpin’ Pals. Of course, the pump is wonderful, and helps me pump faster. Pumpin Pal is a hands-free pumping accessory. If you pump you know that normally you have to hold the bottles, and usually lean forward which kills your back. With Pumpin’ Pals attached, it eliminates all the back pain and frees your hands completely because the pump horns are angled downward and fit into most pumps you already own!

What makes the Pumpin’ Pal great is that it’s made to wrap around a double pump and then again around your neck which makes it hands-free for a relaxed and productive pumping session. I would recommend the Pumpin’ Pal if you pump regardless but if you have more then 1 kid; it is definitely a must. A big plus for me is that now, when I’m pumping, I can help my other daughter with her homework instead of making her wait.

 And lastly, probably my number one family friendly product is to wear your baby! Believe me, I never use to be a fan when I had my first daughter. Now I realize I just didn’t have the right carrier. We have several wraps and a BabyBjörn carrier (that only daddy uses). I’ve learned that I do not like carriers, and I am more of a wrap baby wearer . I was extremely intimidated by wraps at first but, believe me, they are so easy to use. My favorite by far is the Sugar Sweet Baby. Lara’s wraps are very lightweight, extremely breathe-able and, of course, gorgeous to look at.

I think wraps and carriers are definitely a must have for any parents. When all else fails, wear your baby, and I assure you your baby will fall asleep within minutes. There after you are free to get any housework done, eat, help your other kids, or just RELAX!

These are  just a few products I use to make my with two small children just a little easier.

I am thinking of organization a lot right now, as I have recently cleaned and reorganized my bedroom closet. I am so happy to have donated a huge load of clothing and shoes to a local organization that helps women get back on their feet AND to have a neatly hung closet where I can easily find what I need.

If you have kids, you know the avalanche of “stuff” that can fall on you without notice. You look around their room and think, “When did we get all of this?” At least you multi-tasking Moms have your Bottle Snuggler so you have one hand free to start the cleaning out and organization process while your baby takes a bottle!

Maybe it’s the changing of the seasons that perks up my organizing efforts. To me, it’s a lot easier to keep a closet orgainzed than it is to keep my schedule, along with my son’s and my husband’s, plus our social calendar, our holiday obligations, and keep everyone healthy and happy. I often look online for help in this area, and I recently found Maria Gracia, an expert who offers free tips to orgainze all areas of your life.

If you go to www.getorganized.com, you can download a list of 50 tips. My favorite so far is the idea of using only one central calendar, rather than one on your desk, one on the fridge and one in your Blackberry. It’s tough to do, but I intend to put this tip to use. She also suggests to schedule time for yourself each day (why don’t I already do that?) and to take a few minutes to put things away each day, rather than trying to do it all on Saturday morning.

I hope you find the tips as helpful as I did. I will take any help I can get, especially free help, to get and keep my life in order these days. Enjoy the fall weather!

It’s easy to get  caught up in the breast vs. bottle feeding debate. There is such strong emotion on both sides. Personally, I try very hard to stay out of the debate altogether!

I breast fed my son for several months, pumping after the first couple of weeks so that my husband could participate and so that we didn’t lose any of the liquid gold that I was actually over-producing. So I can see both sides: knowing that breast milk is super nutritious and having to make a personal decision (or having it made for you by your body) to formula feed. I trust every Mom to make the right decision for her and to make sure that her baby is fed. Bottle Snugglers are perfect for breast milk and formula! In fact, it was during that time that I actually discovered them.

That said, because I remember going through a myriad of breast pumps to find the perfect one for me, I wanted to give a resource for a few that are on the market now. I found a great list on www.babylovesyourmilk.com grouped together by price. That site also has lots of articles on breast feeding and in depth features and info on each of these styles. You first have to choose whether you want an electronic one or a manual. I used electronic, but the manual models are somewhat cheaper. To each her own!

Personal Electric Pumps, $150 and up

• Medela Pump In Style Advanced Breast Pump
• Medela Pump In Style Original Breast Pump
• Ameda Purely Yours Breast Pump
• Avent Isis IQ Duo Breast Pump
• Playtex Embrace Breast Pump 

Electronic, $75 and up

• Medela Double Select Breast Pump
• Medela Swing (new in 2006) Breast Pump
• Bailey/Ameda Nurture III Breast Pump
• Avent Isis IQ Uno Breast Pump

Manual Breast Pumps, under $75

• Medela Harmony Breast Pump
• Ameda One-Hand Breast Pump
• Avent Isis (manual) Breast Pump
• Medela PedalPump Breast Pump

We have all heard of Pregnancy Brain, right? It’s the phenomenon where, when you are pregnant, you seem to be more forgetful or flighty than your usual self. Once the baby is born, we start calling it Baby Brain, and it usually lasts until Mommy can get a full night’s sleep on a regular basis.

I read an article today on Pregnancy and Newborn Magazine’s website (www.pnmag.com) which cites an Australian study in which 1,200 women were followed over three four-year intervals for eight years. During that time, 264 of them got pregnant, yet those women showed no cognitive differences from their non-pregnant peers. Does that seem right to you?

I can personally attest to being more forgetful during pregnancy, from losing things to doing things twice to walking into a room and them wondering what I had gone there for. But, according to the researcher doing this study, I was no more or less out of it while pregnant than I was before. Her theory is that we are conditioned to blame it on being pregnant, so we do! I will agree that she has the right to draw that conclusion, but I suspect that the pregnant women who were  tested probably left their keys in the bathroom on the way out of the building and then forgot to stop at the grocery before going home. :) Plus, don’t you focus better when you KNOW you’re being tested than when you’re just living life?

And I dare say that in month two or three, when those Mommies were exhausted from lack of sleep, they were claiming Baby Brain, even if Pregancy Brain was just a figment of their imagination. What do you think?

Have you noticed that, since the economy has been slow, customer service has seemed to take a nosedive? You would think that people would be more polite and helpful than usual in order to make/keep sales in such a competitive marketplace. My experience, and that of many of my friends, is the opposite. Salespeople with little empathy or motivation to help solve your problem seem to abound online, by phone and in person these days.

I am one of those people who learn by seeing something done wrong. To me, seeing something go downhill fast is an easy way to see the RIGHT way to handle certain situations. Some of my experiences have been with me as the consumer, and some are from my customers who need my help. Of course, I am learning something new each day, but here are a few tips for how to complain and get the outcome you want.

1. Assume that the person wants to help you and that the problem is a random mistake (a.k.a. not a conspiracy against you personally.) This is probably the most important tactic that I employ, and I have found that even less helpful people are more inclined to help you if you couch your complaint as something like, “I’m sure this is a random mistake and not something that happens all the time, so I’m hoping you can help me figure it out.” We all make mistakes, and we rarely do it on purpose. (or it wouldn’t be a mistake, right?)

This is in direct opposition to, “This is unacceptable, and it is not my problem; it’s yours. You need to fix this problem and make it up to me immediately.” Statement #2 puts the person on the defensive, and you will do better to have their favor, rather than attacking them. Plus, chances are that the person you’re complaining to is not the one who caused your problem. Even if they are, it’s very unlikely that it was intentional.

2. Have your facts easily at hand, i.e. receipts, emails, warrantees or notes. This will help the person to look up your purchase (or whatever your event) and get to the bottom of the situation faster.

3. State your problem clearly (and politely) and state what result you want from the complaint. Do you want a refund, an exchange, a store credit? Do you need an apology from a nasty salesperson? Or do you just want to find out why your item hasn’t arrived and estimate a new shipping date? Perhaps you feel you deserve a discount on your purchase because of this hassle. These may all be acceptable solutions, which the vendor may be willing to extend to make a customer happy. Definitely ask for what you want, but do so in a polite way. You never know; the vendor that you demand a refund from in a not-so-nice manner may have been planning to give you a refund AND a gift certificate for a later visit (or night at the hotel, dessert at the restaurant, etc.)

4. If your problem is not resolved on the first try, resist the urge to argue with the person. Ask for his/her manager. Most of the time, a manager or supervisor has the authority to make things happen that a sales person doesn’t. They can extend special treatment when needed. Definitely don’t give up, but do keep your composure and treat everyone with respect (even if they are not reciprocating.) This is hard, but it’s always the right choice.

5. When a problem is resolved to your satisfaction, resist the urge to bash the store, restaurant, hotel, or other business online.Remember that mistakes are made all the time, even by you and me. It is important in today’s Internet-focused marketplace to manage corporate reputations carefully. If someone mistreats you and refuses to make it right, then that is information that a future customer should know. It may save them from having the same experience. But if you find that a business made an honest mistake and they corrected the situation to your satisfaction, there’s no need to bash them for it publically afterward. That doesn’t serve anyone.

I have been on the giving and receiving end of customer complaints, and I can assure you that being polite and assuming the best in a person is always the way to approach this situation. My grandmother says, “You catch more flies with honey than vinegar.” In the case of resolving complaints, I definitely agree.

We’re always giddy when we get a great review from Moms.

I wanted to share this review from www.momfinds.com from July 22, 2010 (today), which always has great ideas for useful products. Happy shopping! I will post the link here, along with the copy.

http://www.momfinds.com/2010/hands-free-feeding-made-easy-with-bottle-snugglers/

By Mom Jeanine

We’ve all been there. You just sat down to feed your little one and then the phone rings. You’d reach over and grab it, but then you’d have to let baby’s bottle drop or try to prop it up with a pillow all before the fourth ring. Finally, there’s a solution. Bottle snugglers.

These adorable, cozy stuffed animals rest softly on your little one’s chest, while the stretchy elastic ring on top holds baby’s bottle in place. It’s designed to hold the bottle at the same angle a person would so feeding is still comfortable for your little one. And because the probability of leakage is high, these plush proppers are machine-washable and can go in the dryer.

Have twins or triplets? Use Bottle Snugglers to ensure everyone is fed on time without trying to hold three bottle simultaneously by yourself.

Bottle snugglers are available in several animal styles including the cuddly cow, a charming teddy bear and a precious puppy.