SavvyMom has launched a fantastic contest for Canadian mom entrepreneurs!  The winner will be awarded title of Canada's top Mompreneur™.  She will also receive $18, 000 worth of wonderful prizes, including a cash award and key products and services to take her business to the next level!  I am in the running for this fabulous award, along with many other business savvy women.  Please take a moment to vote for your favorite mompreneur here: http://www.mompreneuraward.com/votenow.aspx, whether it’s myself (search under Mally Bibs), or another dedicated mompreneur who has inspired you. 

Our own leather appliqué art cards were simply inspired by our scrap leather.  When cutting out our leather bibs, we create piles of leather scraps which can’t be used for much.  The left over pieces are too small to sell, yet too big to discard.  One day, while pondering what to do with our leather scraps, we received an email question from a customer who was buying our bibs online.  She wanted to know if we could add a greeting card to go with her purchase.  It was that moment that I thought of using the scraps to create cards, which are now available in every bib design!  Even more exciting, we found customers buying our greeting cards to frame as décor pieces! 

Of course we thought it was a wonderful idea!  Perfect for the nursery, children’s rooms, or kids bathrooms, our art cards are a great way to create inexpensive yet modern wall décor.  Pictured above is our frog, mod dots blue, and whale cards in the Ribba frame from IKEA.  Visit ikea.com for product information and store locations.  Thanks to Revival Arts Studio for the photography.    

It’s time to get outdoors and enjoy the warm weather with our little ones and why not do it in convenient style?!  Milk Factory has just re-stocked their most popular Spill Proof Blanket!  I’m a proud owner of one of these fantastic modern finds, and I have to say, I could not imagine our many summer family outings without it.  It is super soft fleece on one side, moisture and spill proof of the other.  Best of all, after dozens of washes, the spill proof blanket is just like new!  Now is the best time to stock up on these – from now until June 30^th, receive a free carrying strap ($5 value) with every blanket purchase, simply by buying online at milkfactory.com.

This is another mompreneur success story to mention as well.  Penny Seto, co-founder of Milk Factory began her venture along with Tomi Eng in 2004.  Since then she has expanded her line to include other great items, such as activewear, accessories and fabulous gift packs jam packed with performance gear for kids on the go!

Parents today worry about the chemicals that our wee ones are exposed to, especially when it’s something that’s applied directly to their skin.  Fortunately, there are options that are 100% chemical free!  Dimpleskins Naturals has formulated a completely natural diaper salve to relieve baby’s skin from rashes at every diaper change.  Ingredients such as coconut oil, pure beeswax, organic jojoba oil, and other ingredients of natural goodness make up the perfect blend to safely sooth baby’s bum.

This fabulous company is another mompreneur success story as well!  Jennifer Casey began cooking up her all-natural baby skin care products in 2001 and has steadily increased her success since then.

Dimpleskins are available in a number of other great baby skincare products, which can be found at several of mally bibs down to earth retailers, including Favourite in North Vancouver, BC and Honeybunch online store in Toronto ON.

Decorating a children’s room can be loads of fun.  The choices are endless and it’s the perfect opportunity to be a little more playful with your décor.  Perhaps you could even take some input from the wee one who sleeps there!  If you’re looking for a quick and easy way to convert your child's room into a happier place to be, look no further than Wall Candy Arts.  These simple peel and stick designs are completely removable, so you can change them up or take them with you when you move!

Available in a wide variety of fun and modern designs, Wall Candy Arts are available online and at a number of mally bibs trendy retailers, including RealBaby in Denver, CO and Mortimer Snodgrass in Montreal, QC.  Happy decorating!       

Dads today are modern.  They’re cool and involved and they’re proud of it!  In fact, there's something about a dad who proudly sports a diaper bag on a day out with their family.  So, obviously they need baby gear that’s suited for them!  Several diaper bag brands are acknowledging this fact and creating hip and stylish diaper bags for dads.  One of my favorites is the Skip Hop.  It’s super stylish and well equipped.  They are designed to hang neatly on strollers, or can be worn over the shoulder.  Most include a waterproof changing pad and many compartments for bottles, diapers, sippy cups and personal items.   

Pictured here is the duo canvas, which can be purchased directly from skip hop online or from some of mally bibs dad friendly retailers including Lavish in San Francisco and Crocodile in Vancouver, BC.

I couldn’t resist blogging about one of my own children’s favorite modern finds.  Created by boon inc., the frog pod was a great addition to my own children’s bathroom, which somehow made bath time fun again!  I remember the day we brought our frog pod home for the kids.  They were so excited to begin using it and 9 months later the novelty has not worn off!  It’s a great way to get kids to pick up their bath toys and keep them clean.  Simply scoop, rinse and hang the scoop on the frog pod and the toys are as good as new for the next bath!  The frogs mouth serves as a storage shelf for shampoo and bubble bath, and the toes are great for hanging bath accessories. 

This is truly an amazing company too – 10% of their company's profits are donated to children’s charities!!!

The Frog Pod can be found at several of mally bibs retailers accross North America, including Magic Beans in Brookline, MA, and Dick & Jane in Toronto, ON.

We all want what’s best for our babies, especially when it comes to their health.  A rapidly growing trend in baby health today is organic baby food, and for good reason!  Dr. Joey Shulman, head nutritionist for Sweet Pea Baby Food lists 10 excellent reasons to go organic:

1. Reduces your infant’s exposure to harmful herbicides and pesticides 
2. Protects your child’s developing immune system
3. Improves the quality of your baby’s nutrition
4. Provides your baby with better tasting food
5. Helps protect your baby against the onset of future illness
6. Reduces the amount of harmful residue found in the meat your baby eats
7. Decreases soil erosion, thereby enhancing the nutrients in your baby’s food
8. Organic certification is strictly monitored to ensure your baby is receiving the highest standard of food
9. protection of future waters through use of natural ingredients in the soil
10. Protects the environment for the next generation.

WOW is the word I use to describe this mompreneur-extraordinaire!  Seattle mom, Nicole Donnelly was struck with the simple, yet smart idea to keep her daughter Sara’s legs warm and knees comfy while crawling just 2 years ago.  Within a mere 12 months, her business became a huge success story with her product being sold in 20 countries world wide!  BabyLegs are sure to be found at a retailer near you, but if you’re the online-shopper type, you can purchase them direct at www.babylegs.net.   

Remember when strollers suddenly evolved into ultra modern machines with endless features and options?  Well now the same trend has begun for high chairs.  Check out the new Bloom Fresco contemporary high chair.  Its futuristic design not only attracts attention, but it’s also equipped with endless smart features including a 360 degree swivel with resister, a lift height adjustment and a multi-position reclining seat.  It also has multiple grow-with-child configurations, suitable from 3 months for reclined sleeping, to 4 years for dining in style!  It is available starting June ‘07 at one of mally bibs fine retailers, Modern Tots in Brooklyn, New York, where it can be ordered online and shipped to you!