One of the best things about being a mom entrepreneur is meeting other moms in business!  Networking has been a key to business success for mally bibs and I strongly encourage other mom entrepreneurs who are established or just starting out to get out there and meet other moms taking that brave leap into the world of entrepreneurialism.  It’s so much more motivating, inspiring and rewarding to have someone to connect with and share experiences with.  If you happen to be a mom starting a business in the Fraser Valley / Lower Mainland area, you need to consider joining a great new networking group called ENTERPRISING MOMS NETWORK INC.  EMN combines leading business experts and key topics each month with invaluable support and connections to help moms build their business.  Kelley Scarsbrook is the president, and happens to be one of the amazing mom entrepreneurs that I’ve met along my journey as a mompreneur.  She’s a busy lady – she is a syndicated columnist for the Black Press, and producer of the annual Vancouver Mompreneur Event, owner of thestayathomemother.com, and above all a wife and mom.  I will be involved with this networking group as a member of the Board of Directors along with Penny Seto of Milk Factory, Kalpna Solanki of BoboBaby, and Michele Sands-Partridge of Kids Only Acting.

If this group sounds interesting to you, please join us at the official launch party which is happening on October 18^th, 2007 at the Aston Pacific Hotel, White Rock from 7pm - 9pm.  This event is FREE for all interested Moms.  To register as a guest for the EMN launch party, visit www.enterprisingmomsnetwork.com and sign up under the WHY EMN? tab.  I hope to see you there!

We’ve all heard it.  As much as we all love a splash of color in the nursery, it’s the black and whites that babies really love.  It’s a proven fact that high-contrast visual patterns help promote infant brain development.  Unfortunately, the black and white contrasting images that are best for babies, are typically well, boring for us selfish at times parents.  That is, until Wee Gallery designed a line of high contrast mobiles, flash cards, books and wall decor for babies!  They took boring high contrast and made it fun, designing it to interest baby at different developmental stages.  They decided that the high contrast could be there as it should be, but also have that sought after splash of color added to keep it interesting as they grow and satisfy our more mature tastes as well.  I think they did a fabulous job of doing what they set out to do!  My favorite item is their new jungle wall graphics pictured here.

Wee Gallery products are available online and at a growing number of retailers, including one of mally bibs favorite retailers, B. Braithwaite in Atlanta, GA, and the new Liapela in Miami, FL.

Boon is known for their innovative and modern designs, and as I’ve mentioned before I am a HUGE fan of their products.  The new boon feeding line is the ultimate in innovation for feeding products.  A great deal of thought went into the design of each piece to make it as functional and innovative as possible, while maintaining an aesthetically pleasing look and an ergonomically comfortable feel.  My favorite feeding tool is the new squirt baby food dispensing spoon.  The easy-to-fill bulb holds up to 3 ounces of baby food and attaches to the spoon.  Simply squeeze the bulb to dispense the food onto the spoon for baby to eat!  It even comes with a protective cover to seal food in and keep the spoon clean between feedings.  I am a fan of all pieces in this new feeding line, so I just had to feature all of it!  These products will be available in stores starting in October.

There are many types of booster chairs on the market today, all designed with the same purpose in mind – to bring the child to a comfortable height at the table, making eating meals or performing tasks easier.  Traditional booster seats go on the seat of a chair where the child then sits.  It's no secret that I admire outside-the-box thinking, so the Kaboost is naturally appealing to me!  Rather than sitting on top of the chair, it secures underneath, raising the height of the entire chair.  Now, the concept may raise some concerns to skeptics at first, but I saw this product first hand and I can tell you it did not make the chair slippery, nor wobbly or awkward.  In fact, it has been designed and engineered to improve the stability of the chair!  Kaboost locks into place and fits onto most four legged chairs.  It’s equipped with non-slip rubberized feet and can be used at two different height positions.  Kaboost is availabe in three populat colors: green, chocolate brown and natural.

Kaboost will be available in a wide range of stores soon.  To find a store near you, visit their store locator.  Kaboost can also be purchased online.

I’ve heard that the first 3 years of business are typically the most challenging, stressful, and financially draining.  We have another year to go before we reach that 3 year milestone, but we’re so excited for our friends at Milk Factory who have just turned 3 and they’re not skipping the celebration!  They are taking this opportunity to thank all of their loyal customers for their support during their early years of business by offering 15% off when shopping online at milkfactory.com!  Saving is super easy too.  All you have to do is simply enter coupon code 3BDAY15% during the checkout process to start saving!  I can’t say enough great stuff about this company and their products.  Their spill proof blanket is a must have for any active family as I’ve said before, and my son’s quick wick t-shirt worked wonders fosr his first soccer practice the other day!  Congratulations Penny on a very successful first 3 years and we wish you even more success for the years to come!  Cheers!

For full sale details click here.   

The ABC Kids Expo that we recently exhibited at had some of those simply brilliant products as well!  Here’s one that I couldn’t resist featuring – the Dripstik.  So simple, yet so brilliant.

The problem:  kids can’t seem to eat the frozen treats fast enough, resulting in sticky hands and messy clothes.

The solution:  a kid friendly holder designed with an ice-cream cone insert on one end and a popsicle stick insert on the order with a tray on either end to catch the drip.

Designed by Jared and Meccinna Price, a mom and dad of 5, the patent pending dripstik is made in the USA and available for purchase online or at one of Mally Bibs newest retailers, Babylove in Sunrise, FL.

After returning from exhibiting at one of the largest juvenile wholesale tradeshows in the world in Las Vegas earlier this week, I am excited to say I have plenty of amazing products to blog about over the next few weeks, so let’s get to it!

I love a new product that makes life for parents easier and the deed of changing diapers has always been one that could use a little improving!  Combine ease of diaper changing with modern design, baby safety and some great patterns (including mod dots), and we have a winner!  The Ubi changing table was designed with a built in spring-loader to hold a stack of diapers ready and in position for changing and the surface is made of a hypoallergenic material that is easy to keep clean that won’t rot or smell over time.   

 The Ubi changing table can be purchased online or at a growing list of retailers.  Following the theme of this blog, it probably goes without saying that this smart product was designed by a mom!  While changing her youngest son's diaper in the spring of 2006, Sue Wong made it her goal to make diaper changing easier for everyone.  She was tired of holding up the legs of her wiggly toddler with one hand, while trying to unfold and place a diaper into postion with the other.  Smart lady!  I'm sure future diaper changers will be forever grateful for her creation! 

As summer is nearing an end it’s time to start thinking about dressing a little warmer, and before we know it we’ll be bundling up.  Luckily, there are some great products to keep those little toes warm!  Stonz booties rank among my favorite in stylish comfort for those little feet.  Made in Canada with highest quality, these little booties come well equipped! They are fleece lined for comfort and warmth and come complete with soft waterproof, skid resistant soles and an adjustable toggle for a custom fit, ensuring they won’t fall off.  They are even water and wind resistant, making them the perfect accessory for the outdoorsy baby.

My favorite designs are the simple polka dots (I have a thing for dots…) and the stripe.  These well designed booties, of course, were designed by moms!  Available in infant and toddler sizes, Stonz booties can be purchased online, or at many of mally bibs retailers including Boomers and Echoes in North Vancouver, BC and Glacier’s Edge in Canmore AB.  As well as mally bibs, Stonz will be exhibiting at Circle Craft in Vancouver and the One of a Kind Show in Toronto later this year!    

Have you been tempted to design and order one of our custom bibs?  Well, now is definitely the best time to do so!  For all custom bib orders placed in September and October 2007, we are going to choose our favorite and award the person who designed and ordered that bib with 2 custom bibs (approx. value $90) of their choice for FREE!  Who knows, we may even decide to add the winning design to our next collection!  There are 442, 170 possible combinations using our color and design options, so we're pretty sure there will be no two the same!  When ordering for toddlers, a great tip is to let them help design their bib in the colors and design that they want. Allowing them to have a say in what they will be wearing will generate excitement, and they will want to wear it more!  Remeber our custom bibs include a special 'Custom Designed for you!' label:   

Speaking of contests, I thought I’d send one last shout out to our customers, fans and readers.  If you have been impressed with mally bibs products and customer service, or if you simply enjoy reading our blog, please take a moment to vote for mally bibs for the SavvyMom Mompreneur™ of the year award.  This contest is closing in less than two weeks and we need every vote we can get!  Good luck to all in the running!  Win or lose, we were thrilled to be a part of this contest. 

One of my favorite activities to do with my kids is cooking, as long as everyone is in the mood!  I think the key is to make it an exciting learning game for them, rather than a chore.  One of my recent discoveries at the New York Gift Show does just that!  Playful Chef encourages children to have fun learning in the kitchen, while helping mom or dad.  As a parent you can feel good about the underlying lessons your child will learn with their products: nutrition, food, safety, measuring, and following directions.  Playful Chef kits are packed into a snazzy backpack and contain everything you need to start creating some delicious meals with your little one, along with some great bonding and memories!  My favorite kit is the Deluxe Cooking Kit ($39) which includes the following:

• 5 delicious, easy-to-follow laminated recipe cards that follow a ten-system plan complete with helpful illustrations and color-coding
• An overview of how to teach your child in the kitchen
• Safety scissors, a sand timer, a whisk, a wooden spoon, a spatula, and a pastry brush, all perfectly sized for a kid to use
• A cool brushed denim tool belt apron for easy tool storage and handy access that is adjustable for all sizes
• A set of color-coded measuring spoons
• A set of color-coded measuring cups, which make measuring a cinch
• A kid-sized baking pan for baking special treats
• A kid-sized mixing bowl for mixing magic
• A vinyl kid-sized Playful Chef backpack that’s chock full of fun just waiting to happen!

Playful Chef products can be purchased online or at one of mally bibs newest retailers, The English Sports Shop in Bermuda.