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 just what new cooks need.

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 looked 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  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!

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

Next time you want to reach for the pizza box, reach for the one that has recipes and save yourself some calories
There’s nothing like a pizza, so let a picture

This will be one of those “why didn’t I think of that” moment for a lot of us.

Mommy Jana Brinkhaus and her husband Chris of Massachusetts  created their new spin on a baby bib in 2007 and named it the “myBibzy”  with the intention of offering protection from wetness without the inconvenience of a bib.

What it is, is simply a baby bodysuit with a built in bib!

myBibzy

Baby bibs come with baby clothes at baby showers  like it’s a given that one goes with the other and if you’ve done loads of laundry of tiny clothes with wet or stained necklines then you too get the picture of “myBibzy.”

MyBibzy  is made from 100% cotton and the bib consists of two types of materials.  The outer layer is a cotton knit terry that catches the drools and prevents the wetness from sliding down the front of baby or saturating baby’s top.  Then there’s the waterproof inner layer, which is 25% polyester, 75% vinyl and this keeps baby dry.

Teething babies drool, bottles sometimes leak and there’s the occasional spit up:  “myBibzy” to the rescue!  The terrycloth front dries and the wetness is caught in the inner layer, keeping baby dry.  Sweet!

The myBibzy is made in the USA and is 100% child safe, meeting all material safety standards for use in children’s apparel.  It has both neck and bottom snaps, and a tagless label in the back of the neck for added baby comfort.

Neck and bottom snaps

There are lots of different color options including the standard blue or pink, short or long sleeve, that make this the perfect baby shower gift.  There’s even an organic baby mybibzy!

While the whole idea of a built in bib is just a novel idea (and again, too bad we didn’t think of it) what makes this an even better creation is a personal story that goes along with it.

Jana shared with me that her beautiful baby girl was diagnosed with Type One Diabetes and in an effort to help all children and adults with this disease, the Brinkhaus’ are donating 25% of their profits from the sale of myBibzy to the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation in hopes of finding a cure.

That story right there – makes one of these right here  – something that should be on your list next time you shop for baby.

myBibzy

You can purchase the myBibzy on the website at www.mybibzy.com or contact them at info@myBibzy.com for further information.

Put one on your gift list or buy one for your own baby and slow the flow of your laundry!

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.

For a Christmas gift for my husband I decided I’d get her to paint a portrait of our family pet, a 7 year old Labradoodle named Apollo.  All I had to do was send Vjera a jpeg file picture and within a week she had it ready.  Usually she’ll mail it, but she was doing a craft fair nearby so I drove over to pick it up and to see her again.  She’s a lovely person.

Here’s  Vjera at a street fair with some of her pet rock portraits.  She also paints on wood.  The rocks have a piece of felt glued on the back so it won’t scratch your furniture.  What a family keepsake!

Artist

Here’s the jpeg file of Apollo:

Adorable isn't he?

And here’s her work:

Apollo

My husband LOVED IT.  He took it to work with him and now Apollo sits on his desk and  I’m sure it’ll be a conversation piece.  People LOVE their animals.

Vjera’s work is very good and it was a great personalized gift that didn’t cost that much but meant a lot.  My husband says she really “captured Apollo’s spirit.”

She prefers not to do “people portraits” but does do homes and other animals in addition to some other work.  Check her out!

Vjera Thoma at valpovo@aol.com.

Pet Portrait of my dog, Apollo

Sipatiniz creator, Renee Williams

The Sipatiniz, pronounced Sip a TEE neeze,  is a martini glass that offers a spill proof solution yet maintains the class of the iconic martini glass.

This is the glass we’ve been waiting for!

Sipatiniz's

The creation’s design is simple:  a lip on the outside rim that keeps your glass filled to the brim but no more spills as you navigate your way from the bar back to your friends.

Why didn’t you think of that you ask?  I’m asking myself the same thing as I have flashbacks of martini, appletini and cosmo spills and near spills.  This ingenious glass solves that problem.

The curved rim allows allows just enough room for a straw and classic martini garnish around the rim while maintaining the class and style of the traditional martini glass with the long stem.

Sipatiniz glass with straw and garnish

During a conversation with Renee, a full time information technology industry employee, she shared her motivation for inventing Sipatiniz.  “I view ordinary things with a twist,” she said and I noticed the popularity of the glass but saw the problem of the spill.”

This simple but unique twist on the existing martini glass was enough to propel the Texas CEO/Designer into the spotlight where she emerged as the winner of the 2009 ” The Next Big Thing” contest,  a national search for the best new products by the  Dallas Market Center.

“Winning that was a tremendous opportunity,” said Williams who never thought she’d be a finalist in the contest much less the winner.  It just goes to show that a creative eye and a little determination can go a long way.

The glasses which sell for about $18 each can be purchased on her website at www.sipatiniz.com and is available through her Rowlett, Texas company Fabulous Touch Gifts.

Speaking of gifts…THIS is the gift for the martini drinker or non drinker (it can hold a non alcoholic drink too) on your list.  Get the gift they don’t have but would love:  Sipatiniz!

A Dallas, Texas entrepreneur has created a neat way to keep just the right amount of aspirin handy in case you need it.   It’s the Aspirinpod!

Aspirinpod

Patti Frenette, the inventor of Aspirinpod,  developed the product after her her mother passed away from a pre-existing medical condition and  her brother suffered a heart attack.  Believing that she could help people she set out on her mission to invent the Aspirinpod.

Patti Frenette and the Aspirinpod

The Aspirinpod is a small molded-plastic container  that holds one uncoated 325 mg aspirin or four uncoated 81 mg aspirin.  That’s the critical amount of pain reliever that has been shown to increase the survivial of a heart attack if taken immediately at the onset of symptoms.

This tiny pod holds a gift of love that you can give your family to help keep them prepared should heart attack symptoms develop.  It can be attached to  a key chain,  your purse, golfbag, or even kept in your desk drawer or glove compartment.

The gift that saves

With holiday gift giving upon us and the economy creating a more cautious shopping atmosphere here’s something unique, affordable and it shows just how much you care.

Ever hear “It’s the small things that matter?”   Then this miniature heart  is something you shouldn’t be caught without.  Aspirinpod!    Imagine the scenario:  someone suffers heart attack symptoms  and there’s an aspirinpod handy.  The likelihood of decreasing heart damage is at your fingertips.  Thanks Patti!  You’re a lifesaver.

The  heart shaped pod sells for $2.99 and can be purchased online at www.aspirinpod.com.  It’s the “must give” gift of the season.  Do your loved one a favor – gift them with an Aspirinpod.

Get it for the holidays!

If you need a gift for a pet lover, check out the Pet Portraits or the Pet Bandannas.

There’s jewelry and other accessories for the lady in your life, check out the interchangeable jewelry line called Kameleon; the “tween” jewelry for girls made by M3GirlDesigns or the unisex bracelets  called Synergy Beads.

Great clothing can be purchased from Janska which features “clothes that comfort”, or atrendy handbag can be found in the post A Bangle and A Bag. For the tea lover there’s The Teapin which makes a unique, inexpensive gift.

Looking for a gift for kids?  Try the My Tot Clock, the Myself Belt or a gift box from Jade’s Toy Box.  If there’s a new baby in the family perhaps PaciPlushies, a cute pacifier that makes a stateme would be nice.

Whatever you need, you can find a great, creative, unique and inexpensive gift here on KathyDowDiscovers.com.

Get started!  The countdown is on.

Time for Janska brand clothing.  The Janska founders calls their clothes, “Clothing that Comforts.”  I  met Janska founder, Jan Erickson at the Nouveau Apparel Show and who told me her clothing line evolved from a dream.

Nouveau Apparel Show

Jan had a friend who suffered a series of strokes and was unable to dress herself and so the task fell to her caregivers.  Jan noticed how difficult it was for her friend to be dressed and from that concern came the dream in which she envisioned a line of clothing for the elderly, the handicapped or the impaired that would be warm and easy to wear.  Most garments are one size “fits most” and are loose fitting so it can easily slip over or around someone.

“Create something easy to get on, easy to get off.  Fabric that feels and looks great, those were the instructions of my dream”, said Jan, who has a background as a social worker.

Stylish and flattering  her clothes  are made from lightweight Polartec fleece material that is odor resistant and simple to care for.     Jackets such as the Uptown Jacket and capes have roomy dolman sleeves that help make dressing simple.  The pieces all feel light and don’t drag you down with heaviness of most winter coats.

Jan Models Swing Coat

Several pieces have double usage;  the pocket scarf  can also be a hand warmer, the LapWrap shawl keeps shoulders, arms and back warm or slip it across your lap as a blanket to keep your legs warm.

The LapWrap

The LapWrap

The clothes, made in the USA, first debuted in 2003 and now can be found in a number of catalogs that are geared towards fashion or wellness.  There are more than 20 pieces in her line and the MocSocks, moccasin style socks with non skid bottoms that give weightless warmth and the Pocket Cape are among customer favorites. Janska clothing can be purchased online at www.Janska.com and in stores across the United States.

Just envision making life a little easier for someone.  Any garment from her line will be a great gift for the person who needs a little extra help in dressing and staying warm and for all of us who appreciate the versatile styles that provide great snuggle comfort and warmth.

It’s holiday time.  Think Janska…The Clothing that Comforts.

Janska Clothing

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