Mama Says

Which cook are you? A new cook, a tired cook, or a cook that just wants a new idea?  The Mama Says “No more Frozen Pizza” recipe collection has tasty alternatives to take out.

Created by two Atlanta moms, Lynn Epstein and Iris Feinberg, the collection of two dozen budget friendly and easy to make dishes came right out of their own kitchens.  “It’s personal recipes from two families,” Epstein said.

Creators of Mama Says

Featuring main course recipes along with sides and salads, the laminated recipe cards come cleverly disguised in what else?  A pizza box! The picture of a completed dish on one side and the detailed instructions on the other are surefire roadmaps to a successful meal.

Recipe card with picture

Lynn says her son was always calling home asking, “what to cook and how to cook it”.  “The traditional recipe books I sent him were to complicated,” she says.  “He wanted easy to follow directions and needed to see what the dish was supposed to look like too.”

The Mama Says recipe collection evolved.  “We saw a need for a new kind of cookbook for a whole generation of recent college grads or students,” Lynn said.

The recipes are designed to encourage healthy eating and cooking.  For the beginner cook, stocking up on basic staples will get them through a lot of the dishes as the same ingredients are intentionally used.

“Sure it’s easy to order a pizza”, Lynn says, “but what’s better than recipes, tried and true that  come right out of our own kitchens?”

This is one box that really delivers and it makes a perfect gift for the new cook.  Available online at www.MamaSays.com and at a handful of retail stores, the collection is less than $20.

That’s a small tab for a great dinner!  Next time you want to reach for the pizza box, reach for the one that has recipes and not calories!

KathyDowDiscovers has a free giveaway of the Mama Says recipes.  Subscribe to Kathy’s List for a chance to win.

I had a chance to meet artist, designer and manufacturer Scott Wilson at one of New York’s Media Events for New Products last year and was so touched by his genuineness and his line of inspirational shirts.

Scott Wilson

Although he has been in the clothing business for a long time, it was his empathy for a family friend who had lost a child that led him to create the clothing line that he says “inspires from the inside-out.”

After the death of his friend’s daughter, Scott designed a shirt that had a picture of the young lady on the inside above the heart.  This way he felt that his friend would have his daughter close especially when he wore the shirt.

What a lovely idea!

So many people suffer silently on the inside but try and appear strong on the outside.  I love the idea of having a lost loved one’s picture near your heart, yet no one knows but you.  It’s your own  personal tribute and can give you comfort and strength at the same time.

From this idea came the expansion of his line of fashions to include shirts with themes that encourage a positive attitude through Faith, Inspiration, Wisdom and Love.  Scott wants the wearers of his shirt to be reminded that,    ” Wherever we go, good things come from the heart”.

Love Theme Shirts

I particularly love the friendship shirt that says,  “We all need someone to believe in, trust and be there.  I will be that person.”  Can you imagine giving that shirt to someone special?  That person will feel your spirit whenever she wears the shirt.

Then there’s the  inspirational shirt that will help one realize their own potential and work towards goals and aspirations.  That shirt says, “Open my mind’s eye.  Visualize the thing you want.  I will see it, feel it, believe it.”

Message on side panel of gift box

The shirts, made in the USA,  come in women sizes either long sleeve or short sleeve fitted styles;  nine different colors and each shirt individually packaged in its own inspiring, coordinated box.  When you purchase a shirt from either the Love, Faith, Inspiration or Wisdom line, (each theme has several messages for you to choose from) the shirt is folded inside out with the message showing through the top of the box.

Shirt prices are approximately $30 for the short-sleeve or $36 for the long-sleeve and can be purchased in exclusive boutiques or online at www.heartthreadsclothing.com.

I can’t think of a better gift to give a special someone  than a daily reminder to keep hope alive; stay positive, foster love or be encouraged.

What’s next to your heart everyday?  Why not let it be a message of wisdom, inspiration, love or faith?

Shop HeartThreads and leave a message on someones heart or carry your own reminder close, where no one sees it but you.  After all, what you say from your heart is what’s important, isn’t it?

We bundle our baby, add a blanket and a wind shield to the stroller and tuck them inside to protect them from the elements of winter before heading out, right?

But what about Mommy?  What happens if she forgets her gloves?  She still has to push the stroller.  It’s even worse, if she had gloves with her but lost them during all the baby shuffling while shopping.

What to do, what to do?  Here’s the answer:  The Mommy Mitten!

It was during a chilly October walk in 2007 that a young entrepreneur mom, Amy Saperstein of New York City,   had a novel idea.  While it was early fall, it was chilly enough for Amy’s hands to get a little cold.  That’s when she got the idea for the  Mommy Mitten!

Amy and the Mommy Mitten

This easy to use, dandy little add on to your stroller,  is fleece lined and will keep your hands toasty while pushing the stroller. The Mommy Mitten is insulated, water resistant and machine washable. It velcros right on to the stroller handle and comes in either blue or pink.

Easily connects to stroller handle

I met Amy when she debuted her Mommy Mitten in New York at The Baby Show last year.  Below her girlfriend Kelly gives me a demonstration showing how chic all mommies can look using the Mommy Mitten.  A really cute idea isn’t it?  And no more cold hands!  That’s what I love about Amy’s invention.

Mommy Mitten Demonstration

There’s an external pocket for your keys, cell phone or pacifier which makes a quick run to the bodega or out for coffee much easier and this time you don’t have to worry about gloves!

A contestant in the “Most Innovative” category of the 2009 Home Based 100 contest by Start Up Nations, The Mommy Mitten is now available on Babies R Us Online.

If there are babies in your life, there’s still plenty of winter to get good use out of a Mommy Mitten.  Buy one for yourself or do another mommy a favor!  Mommy Mittens retail for $29.99.

You can visit Amy’s website, www.mommymitten.com for more information or to place an online order.

The Mommy Mitten, why didn’t I think of that?  Congratulations Amy, first time entrepreneur and you hit a home run with this idea.

There’s a new game in town that allows you to share your “kindness” and watch it multiply into the world  by using a 26 card deck of Boom Boom! cards.

Feeling generous, kind, or very humanitarian?  Perhaps that’s what the creators of Boom Boom! cards were thinking when they launched their universal “kit for a social revolution”  that enables card holders to do a good deed and pass on some good karma at the same time.

“We’re trying to incite a global revolution of kindness powered by Boom Boom! cards,” says Mary Beth Campbell, one of the Co- founders.

Mary Beth Campbell, Co-Founder Boom Boom!

The cards have individual acts of kindness written on them such as “Give five genuine compliments in one day”, or “If someone in line in front of you is short a few cents, reach in your pocket and help them out” and even a “Wildcard” where you can execute an act of kindness of your choice .

“Like a boomerang, we believe whatever thoughts, actions or words you put out into the world eventually finds their way back to you,” she said.

The cards  make a great gift  for yourself or someone you think really wants to see more good deeds and kindness in our every day lives.  Boom Boom! Cards are meant to generate social change  and transform the world one purposeful act of kindness at a time.

Here’s how you play Boom Boom!

Kit: Cards, card sack, pad, pencil

First,  register your deck of cards on the website at www.boomboomcards.com so that a card can be tracked as it moves from person to person or state to state.

Then choose a card and do the act as suggested (buy a stranger a cup of coffee for example); after that leave a Boom Boom! sticky note for the person you Boom Boom’d, either signing your name or leaving it anonymously;next,  log onto the website to share your adventure and finally pass the card on to someone else so that the act can be repeated.

By logging your experiences with the Boom Boom! cards online you are sharing with others your purposeful act of kindness.   The hope is to see your acts of kindness replicate themselves across the globe. This is a new take on “Reach out and touch!”

There are three editions  of cards; the Original Edition, Teen Edition and Sustainability Edition.  It’s a revolution!  Be a part of the Boom Boom! society.  Remember, you get back what you give!

A format for donating to charitable causes through the use of the cards is being planned,  Mary Beth told me when I met her at a media event and she along with co-founder, Helene Scott, were excited about the great feedback after the cards were featured in the Emmy Awards Gift Lounge.

Got kindness?  Get Boom Boom! Cards and share the innate altruism that lives in all of us.  www.boomboomrevolution.com

Along comes a new idea called  Paci Plushies, a line of lightweight plush animals which not only solve the “where’s the pacifier” question but helps baby develop motor skills.

The toy, invented by Stacy Dallman, wife of NHL Defensiveman Kevin Dallman of the LA Kings, was created to solve the disappearing pacifier phenomenon.

Mompreneur Stacy Dallman

Stacy and her husband grew weary of the nightly trips to the crib to find baby Ava’s pacifier and so Stacy got the “bright idea” to attach a toy to it so it would be easier to locate.  Presto!  It worked.  When her son came along she waited until the doctor gave her the OK to let him sleep with it and he also slept straight through the night with his Paci Plushie.

Call it the binky, the nuk nuk or whatever, one thing for sure is that most babies spend a good amount of time sucking a pacifier and most moms and dads spend an equal amount of time looking for the pacifier to keep baby happy.

You can buy the Paci Plushies in girl, boy or neutral gift sets or singly for $13.95 on the web site at www.PaciPlushies.com.  If a new baby is on the way this makes a perfect gift.

While the pacifiers with the button handle work best,  the Paci Plushie attaches to nearly all name brand infant pacifiers with its “hug ring” and best of all, Paci Plushies are machine washable.

When baby outgrows the newborn or infant pacifier, simply detach it from the Paci Plushie and replace with the appropriate size.  When you break the pacifier habit, the baby still has the Plushie as his favorite toy.

Safety was a major concern for Stacy and all Paci Plushies meet or exceed required standards.  The beans inside the body of the toy are contained within a safety bag.  Each Plushie has a reusable cap to keep the nipple clean.

There are eight different Plushies including Milo the Monkey, P-Nut the Puppy and Lovie the Lamb.  In a philanthropic effort to “give back”,  100% of the wholesale proceeds from the sale of Lovie the Lamb are being donated to a foundation that helps ensure children have a carefree childhood.

Knowing how babies and some toddlers are so attached to their pacifiers, losing one is almost not an option for a parent who needs to soothe a fussy baby.  With the Paci Plushie it won’t be hard to find.  Think about easing into baby’s room once he’s asleep to remove the pacifier from his mouth or the frantic search in the dark when baby wakes up without it.  Much easier when you have the Paci Plushie!

When toddlers can find the pacifier themselves because they can locate their favorite Plushie, it relieves mom and dad from the daily “where’s the pacifier now” routine.

Nookums, the New York based company that features trendy products for the childrens market  launched its Spring 2009 line of Paci Plushies pacificer holders but Stacy says a plush “hockey stick”  version could show up soon.

The PaciPlushie was featured in the September 2008 issue of Parenting Magazine and was the winner of the Mom’s Best Award for 2009.

Subscribe to Kathy’s List to be updated when new products are reviewed.

Looking for a clever place to help your school age kid keep a few important things?

KEEPERS

Keepers, a hands free neck wallet is the perfect place for a few dollars, a lunch meal ticket, keys  or ID.

With our kids back to school soon here comes another great product made by a Mompreneur out of Atlanta, Georgia.   Tamara Jones, President of Keepers Bagatelles was problem solving when she invented the Keeper.  The Keeper is  a product of ME TOO! BRANDS, LLC.

Imagine this senario:  Lunchtime at school and the change purse comes out. Through the line and pay for lunch.  Sit down and eat,  finish and take the tray to the garbage.  Dump.

Oops,  everything on the tray slides into the garbage.  The change purse is gone in a blink.   Sound familiar?

Ahhh, if only you had one of those “Keepers.”

Developed by a mom who got tired of replacing the change purses that ultimately went the way of the lunch trash, Keepers Bagatelles is a unique  product that is finding its way around the necks of more and more school age kids this fall.

Product N Press Media Event

The Keeper holds essentials for school kids and also for college students, teachers and sports fans who are finding the hands free convenience a reason to wear the stylish Keeper.  The Keeper can be used as a badge holder for those who carry ID cards that need to be swiped and with the rear ID window Mom’s can tuck away emergency info for a “just in case” moment.

Tamara says more new products are on the way and include  a phone keeper, an aqua keeper and a passport keeper.

Sometimes ladies, keep what you need in a Keeper and leave the handbag behind. There are designs for guys too.

Not just another good idea,  the Keepers are made from sustainable fabrics and sewn in the USA by refugees who have been granted asylum in the United States.

Jones explained that the organization, Threads of Promise, is fulfilling its purpose in helping the refugees ultimately run their own businesses.  The invention of the product,  says Jones, is  helping obtain bottom line goals of awareness of environment issues, social responsibility and, of course, profit.

The Keeper’s official debut was in August, ‘08 and is priced at just $24. This convenient Keeper will hold your essentials in a fashionable way and has been designed with safety in mind;  Tamara created the Keeper with a breakaway safety buckle.

Think soccer or football games when handbags are a nuisance; think field trips when ID and some money are essential; or how about a walk across campus?  There are a number of occasions when a Keeper will work perfectly.  With many different designs available, you’ll find one just right for you or any member of the family.

The company has begun a school partnership program where Keepers Bagatelles will design a keeper in school colors and then donate 10% to the school PTA.

Keepers Bagatelles are available at www.keepers-bags.com. Be sure and get one.  Your support for the Threads of Promise mission will be appreciated.

Sign up for Kathy’s List for updates on more unique, one of a kind products.

Keepers Bagatelles President, Tamara Jones, is donating a Keeper for a KathyDowDiscovers free giveaway!  To enter, just email Kathy@KathyDowDiscovers.com with subject line: Keepers!

In June I met a  couple of cool moms and friends, Amey and Anne, at a New York City Product Expo and they have a few other lessons they want kids to remember.

The mompreneuers launched BEBANDS,  flexible ID bracelets that carry inspiring messages relating to a state of mind.  Just over a year ago the two moms came up with this ideal product to help students “know their bottle” and at the same time commuicate a message to themselves with words of encouragement throughout the day.

BeBands

The BEBANDS  were created with the hope that “soft messages” worn either on your wrist or transferred to your water bottle at lunch time will help change the world “one band at a time,” said Anne.

While “knowing your bottle” was the instrumental purpose with waters bottles abound in lunchrooms, the moms figured it’d be a good opportunity to lay a few subtle suggestions and reminders on them at the same time.

Some of the inspirational messages include “Be Committed, Be Courageous, Be Your Best, Be Grateful, Be Humble and Be Real”.

(It’s like a chance to whisper in your kids ear all day long!  What parent wouldn’t want that?)  These are subliminal messages that are Good!

Inspirational Reminders

The bracelets are not only cool jewelry and a fun way for the kids to identify their water bottle but these bands are adult friendly too.

Aren’t there times during your work day when you  have to “Be Positive, or maybe “Be Flexible?”  In the past we’ve been reminded to “exhale” when things got stressful but a quick glance at your wrist with BeBands can help you “Be Calm, Be Cool and Be Fearless”.

There are seven different theme packages of BeBands, each with 5 colorful bracelets with other reminders  such as “Be Quiet, Be Tough, Be Whatever” in addition to some fun ones like “Be a Kid, Be Awesome or Be Chill.”

Whatever it takes to help keep our kids positive and encouraged in today’s world is OK with me.  I’m giving these mom’s an A+ for this great idea, and while the bands are only in a few stores in the Connecticut area, soon you’ll be able to find them online at their web site at www.bebands.org.

Do two things at once:  pick up a couple packages of BeBands to wear (and share)  for inspirational reminders AND keep germs from swapping unidentified water bottles at bay.

Subscribe to Kathy’s List and email subject line BEBANDS   to Kathy@KathyD0wDiscovers for a chance to WIN a package of the BEBands ID Bracelets.

In a “giveback effort”  the moms hope to donate a portion of their sales to water purification projects in Africa.  “Be Inspired!”

Ladies, this is a hot idea and a a cool way to ward off the sun at the same time!

While we know that the sun is great for our health,  we also know that too much of it is detrimental to our skin and so we are conscious of the necessity to shield from the sun.

Enter, Rita Hockenbury of Round Hill, Virginia, who created the Vizini, (pronounced Veye-zeeny) a totally strapless, lightweight sun visor that fits on the side frames of your eyeglasses.  I had the opportunity to meet Rita at a recent media product event and I was impressed with the Vizini and with Rita’s enthusiasm.

Entrepreneur Rita Hockenbury

So why is this sun visor such a new and inventive idea?   The Vizini guarantees that you won’t get “hat hair” because it does not go around your head like the usual visors, but instead slips via loops onto your eye glass frames and so when you put your glasses on, you put your sun visor on.

Revolutionary Sun Visor

No hat hair, no hat headaches and no frowning, squinting or forehead wrinkling.   “This visor is for all those times you blow off wearing a hat because you don’t want to mess up your hair,”  she said.

Hockenbury, who professes to hating hat hair tried her hand at creating the Vizini when she began cutting the bills off of her husbands baseball caps back in 2000 in a effort to shield the sun and stop the squinting but not tangle her curls.

An early start out the gate without much marketing knowledge found Rita spending cash but not earning any.   Disillusionment set in and the Vizini was shelved in her garage for a couple of years before a nagging “unfinished business project” gloom and a push from her kids got her back on the bandwagon of bringing Vizini’s to the market.

Believing she had created a great product for women who are conscious of frown lines, furrowed brows and overly tanned skin, she proceeded with her idea and by 2007 was “ready to rock and roll” by ordering  8,000 units from China.  With stores standing by ready to stock the Vizini, Hockenbury faced her first “new entrepreneur” crisis.

The Vizini’s from China were inferior! With basically  no control over a product made and shipped from overseas,  Hockenbury  faced another roadblock.  She knew she couldn’t meet buyers on schedule.

Her advice today for entrepreneurs who hit the wall;  “Just keep your eyes on what you see in the headlights, don’t look at the whole thing, it’s overwhelming.  Just walk a mile a day, ” she says, meaning you can tackle it a bit at a time.

In January of 2009, the Vizini’s  reappeared better than ever, with a Made In the US tag after Rita found a manufacturer in Virginia.  They are available in more than a 15 colors, at hundreds of stores and are priced at $10.50 each on her web site.

The Vizini works with most eyeglass styles by just threading the earpiece of the glasses through one of two provided loops.   The Vizini won the 2009 Best New Fashion Accessory Award at the California Gift show and Rita has appeared on a  local Florida television show called “What a great idea!”

I particularly love this Vizini  because after a while I get the hat headache and most times I’m wearing my hair in a ponytail so it’s difficult to fit a hat or visor band around that.  A Vizini is on my must have list.  The convenience of storing one in your glove compartment, luggage or purse is a plus.  That way, your Vizini  will  always be handy when the sun is strong and you don’t have a hat.

Hockenbury’s niche for the Vizini are women who want to protect themselves from frowning and squinting, “It’s not a replacement for needing a big floppy hat to wear when you’re in the sun all day,” she said.

The Good News: Hockenbury has graciously offered a few Vizini’s for a free giveaway here on KathyDowDiscovers.com.  Subscribe to Kathy’s List to be eligible for a random drawing and to be updated every time a new product review is posted.

More information on how to contact Hockenbury is also located on Kathy’s List.

Two sisters and moms of 5 between them, did have an idea in 2004 and today that idea is belting out a tune of over $1million in sales nationwide.  It’s called the Myself Belt  and is a one-handed, easy closing belt that  fastens with velcro instead of the usual buckle belt we’ve worn forever.  

Believe it or not, there was no such creature on the market until Danielle Bahr Eason and her sister Talia Bahr Goldfarb put their heads together to fill the market void.

Myself Belt Display

The idea came when Talia was potty training her little boy and needed a belt that both she and her kid could “unfasten in haste when it was time to make waste.”  You can sympathize right? A little one has to go potty(right now) but has a belt on that he or she can’t unbuckle and so the potty dance begins and everyone starts to fiddle in urgency with the belt.  Sometimes you make it, sometimes you don’t.

The Myself Belt means now there’s never a time that you won’t. 

The Myself Belt, with its velcro fastening makes dressing and undressing easy for those ages 2-4 and comes in sizes XS (2 yrs/2T or 18″-20″ waist, 25 to 31lbs) through XL and even in sizes 7/8 or 9/10.  There are more than 20 different styles and the belts start around $15 and include the option to personalize.

The belts come in many different kid friendly designs for both boys (think fire trucks, race cars) and girls (hearts and flowers).  The leather belts are perfect for teens who might experience physical or cognitive issues and even adults who face limitations.   Once you snap one end onto a belt loop, you just feed it thru the other loops and then secure it in front via the velcro.

Race car belt for boys

I hear you, I hear you saying “Why didn’t I think of that?”  Good question because it’s a simple solution to a constantly reoccuring need and it’s almost impossible to think it didn’t exist.

But it didn’t.   Danielle and Talia made the move to market their invention after an exhaustive search which turned up nothing. (It would have been a lot easier to find a belt and buy it then to venture into entrepreneurship, but for these two it paid off big time for them) The Myself Belts are in more than 700 stores nationwide and for lucky readers who need one, I’ve got a girls size M, pink, belt that Talia gave me when I met her last month in New York City and now you can have it. (My girls are too big for it)

Subscribe to Kathy’s List, which gives me your email address and allows me to send you updates on other new products and posts, then email me at Kathy@KathyDowDiscovers.com and say, I need the belt!  Someone will get lucky!

All information on how to purchase Myself Belts or to email Danielle and Talia will be posted on Kathy’s List.

The “STAIN MISTAKE” often spells doom for your nicest, most expensive piece of clothing.  And like me, you’ve probably spilled a drink, missed your mouth en route, been splashed, accidentally spilled upon or otherwise ruined what you were wearing at least once.  Right?

Then what do you do?

Well, people in the know, (and now you know) call upon New York City’s most trusted and respected fabric restoration service,  Madame Paulette.  Located at 1255 Second Avenue in NYC, the custom couture cleaners is the leader  in its field.

Famous Fashion Restoration Storefront

Celebrating  50th years in business, Madame Paulette’s flagship store owned by John Mahdessian handles the clothing of the rich and famous;  the restoration of pieces displayed in The Museum of Modern Art and will even hook up us “regular people”  when we have a stain crisis.

Giveaway of 5 stain kits.  See info below!

Trusted to maintain and restore the finest creations from world renowned fashion and interior designers, Mahdessian was a celebrity at his own two day celebration of the newly renovated flagship store earlier this month.  The Second Avenue store windows are displaying fashion pieces from throughout history that Madame Paulette has restored for prosperity.

Madame Paulette's Window Display

I stopped by the store on the first day of its celebration and asked John to describe Madame Paulette in 5 words or less.   Mahdessian said,  “We clean and restore the most expensive apparel and textiles”.  Then added,  “That was more than five words wasn’t it?”

There was a whirlwind of action getting ready to start that evening and John was the center of it all.  Smiling, shaking hands and giving last minute directions to the crew, it was easy to see how his personality could win over clients.

Madame Paulette’s started out in 1959 as a small Mom and Pop cleaners owned and operated by John’s great uncle and his French wife, Paulette.  When the uncle got sick, John’s father, who had planned to go into accounting, took over the store and he and his wife continued ownership until John took the reigns and helped propel the store into the landmark that it is today.

Over the  last 45 years  Madame Paulette has had customers such as American Princess Grace Kelly of Monaco, legendary jazz musician Benny Goodman (who lived above the cleaners at one time), Editor-in-chief of American Vogue, Anna Wintour, who has been a client for over 10 years and had hundreds of pieces cleaned and restored, (remember, she’s is reported to have been the case study for Devil Wears Prada) and some of today’s recording artist superstars such as Beyonce, Alicia Keyes and Cameron Diaz (to name drop just a few).  Even former President Bill Clinton and Hillary have been customers.

So how did John attract all these high profile customers?  Traci Coulter, of MP said, “In earlier days John would be at a party and pull out his cleaning solutions whenever someone got a spill and that’s how he grew the business.  They used to call him Johnny on the Spot.”

Actually, Madame Paulette saved a jacket owned by journalist Barbara Walters after it had red wine spilled on it and more  recently Eva Longoria-Parker and Melania Trump have entrusted their wedding gowns to be cleaned, preserved and stored with Madame Paulette.  Longoria included Madame Paulette stain kits  in her wedding goody bags.  The small travel size kits are able to tackle any stain while traveling and are replicas of the same professional formulas used by Madame Paulette.  Mahdessian says, “They are guaranteed to provide excellent results!”

Giveaway of 5 stain kits.  See info below!

Madame Paulette restores donated pieces for the Metropolitan Museum of Art, Sotheby’s, The Smithsonian Institute; consults for insurance companies who have claims due to fire or flood, restores  damaged pieces that no longer have value to the owners and restores irreplaceable couture vintage collectibles.

As a part of the grand reopening the company has instituted new services that include Destination Valet, (Madame Paulette will clean your clothes, pack and ship your luggage so that it arrives at your destination ahead of time.  How cool is that?) Closet Concierge ( a Madame Paulette photographer  takes pictures of  your clothing  and creates your own personal catalog. They are stored  in Madame Paulette’s facilities and when you want or need something, call them up and request its delivery.  That’s cool, too), a 24-hour emergency service (get a stain, make a call) and new techniques for the restoration and care of leather, suede and fur.

There is also an ultimate Coffee Table book in the works and a documentary to be shot over the next two to three months which will be aired by HBO. The film will trace the beginnings of and the processes used at the company’s two facilities (there is a second site on Long Island City).    Mahdessian says that Madame Paulette uses no chemicals in its cleaning process and the restoration of discarded clothing is their way of being “green” by giving new life to clothing.

Window Display

Look for an upcoming online Fashion Donation auction with restored clothing once owned by the famous and donated to Madame Paulette.  After restoration the fashions will be auctioned to the highest bidder.  MP is currently collecting fashions and will take bids from around the world once the auction begins.  If you want a piece of fashion history the Fashion Donation will be your chance to associate with Madame Paulette even if you think you can’t afford their services.

Another fascinating touch at the Upper East Side store is the boutique dressing rooms which give clients a chance to see themselves in many  different lights.  Imagine trying on your clothes in a light spectrum of  daylight, fluorescent, evening and black light.  It’s a preview of how you’ll look no matter where or when.   MP is truly catering to the upscale client.

But don’t fret, the company will service the regular person too, all you have to do is call or stop by the store.  Confident of MP’s abilities, John asked,      “Do you want to test me, send me something to see if I can get the stain out?     You know what? One of these days, John, I might just do that.

Mahdessian generously provided 5 of his stain travel kits for my readers.  So if you ever need quick action after a spill, this wipe/rinse system is for you. The key, according to Mahdessian, is quick reaction time (hence the handy travel kit) and quick identification of the stain (the kit has formula’s for different types of stains).

It’s a must have for brides so the first bride to subscribe get’s a kit! Send me an email at Kathy@KathyDowDiscovers.com with wedding verification.

A random draw from the subscribers list will make 5 lucky subscriber’s stains disappear (if not, call John).  Winners will be notified by email and the stain removal kit sent by US postal mail service.

Thanks John and Madame Paulette.  The place where no stain remains!

Be sure and subscribe to Kathy’s List for a chance to win one of Madame Paulette’s famous stain removal travel kits.