Lilypad Baby makes going eco-friendly fun for kids

I am always looking for new ways to be more environmentally sensitive. My goal is to teach my kids these valuable lessons so that they will carry them into adulthood.

Within the past few weeks, our family switched from paper to cloth napkins. I actually had purchased a few dozen cloth napkins at a yard sale several years ago but never used them. They were just plain cloth napkins and the kids liked the paper napkins that always had flowers, bugs, fruit or some other design on them.

I recently discovered LunchMates from Lilypad Baby. I think I first met the mom entrepreneur owner on Twitter, but I cannot remember. When I contacted Kathie Papera, she was very willing to send me a sample of her 5-pack cotton napkins.

I was anxious to finally make the switch, but the real test was to see what my boys thought. Once they saw the fun designs, which included airplanes, fish, cowboys, bicycles and cars they made the switch permanently. Now they fight over the designs at dinner time.

Lilypad LunchMates is a set of 5 reusable cloth napkins that comes in coordinating Vintage Boy, Bright Fun Boy, Flower Girl and Bright Girlie Girl. The company uses repurposed fabric to keep it from going in the landfill. That means they are not purchasing "styles" to sell, rather they are using the fabric that they liberated from the cutting facility as well as their excess fabric that would typically just get tossed.

This was a refreshing change from paper napkins. My boys could get the fun designs they like, and we could all have peace of mind knowing we were helping to save natural resources - trees.

If you figure a package of 400-count paper napkins averages about $4.00, and if a family of four uses one pack every six weeks, paper napkins can cost a household about $35 a year. For the same amount of money, you can purchase 15 Lilypad LunchMates (three sets of five at $11.95 each).

Their napkins are 100% cotton and handmade in the USA. They are also durable and hold up to multiple washings. I was worried that they may stain easily from jelly, spaghetti sauce and other foods, but the fabric cleans great.

Lilypad Baby may not be well known for their fun and functional cloth napkins, but they are recognized for their personalized gifts for babies, moms and dads.

I liked the product so much that I just purchased all their styles. I am going to replace the old yard sale napkins I bought that are not as fun.

My top 10 favorite bargain shopping/savings blogs

Many people have been asking me to post my favorite list of bargain shopping sites.

A few months back, I started learning more about bargain shopping, coupon stacking, using sale flyers to do my shopping, etc. It takes a lot of time, but to me it is like a game. I like to see how much I can save weekly and how many items I can get for free.

Since I started, I have found the following 10 sites to be very useful in helping me understand how to bargain shop as well as alerting me to deals and specials at the stores I shop. Some of these sites overlap in the offers they find and post, but all are valuable to subscribe to if you want to learn all there is to know about bargain shopping.

My Top 10 Favorite Bargain Shopping/Savings Blogs (in no particular order):

1. DealSeekingMom.com - This blog is written by Tara who is dedicated to helping other moms learn how to save money in order to stretch their budgets.
2. SavingQueen.com - Maria writes this blog and she offers coupons, daily deals and sales updated on a daily basis.
3. NeverPayRetailAgain.net - I love Jodi's advice at this site. She has found a way to live the good life while spending a lot less. She is a hip mom who loves fashion at a (steep) discount and saves a ton of money on the things her family needs, like food and toiletries, so she has the money to splurge on the things she wants - like vacations, clothing, and a healthy savings account. I feel my philosophy is similar to Jodi's.
4. ConsumerQueen.com - Melissa at ConsumerQueen.com is great. She is the money saving mom who helps you fight the rising costs of the economy by changing the way you shop, and giving you frugal tips.
5. CouponDivas.com - I also love Kitty's blog where you can find great tips and links to online coupons. She loves blogging, shopping, celebrity gossip, saving money, and of course, chocolate! In addition, she has a listing of restaurants where kids can eat for free.
6. Shop4Freebies.com - This is a great site for getting tons of freebies. So far, I have received samples for deodorant, Dunkin Donuts coffee, granola bars, snack packs, cologne for men and dozens of coupons for free products or savings.
7. Coupons.com - This site has hundreds of coupons that can be clicked on and printed. Their selection changes often.
8. MoneySavingMom.com - This blog, written by Crystal, is dedicated to helping you find great deals, stretch your hard-earned dollars, and live on less than you make so you can save more and give more.
9. DealFindingMom - This blog is written by Ronell who loves to find ways to save money and share tips.
10. TheCouponizer.com - I use and recommend this product for storing all of the coupons you clip. I desperately needed an organization system and found that this one worked well and was a manageable size. You can also find coupons and other offers at this site.

So there is my list. What have I missed. Are there any sites you use for finding coupons and bargains that is not listed above? Please leave a comment with the details and a link. Thanks

COUPON WORKSHOP: On July 25th from 10:00am - 11:30am, I will be teaching a course on how to use coupons and bargain shop at the Barrington Public Library in Barrington, NH. Space is limited to 30 people, call 664-9715 to register.

Convert your blog posts to podcasts quick and easily

A few days ago, I discovered Odiogo, a technology that expands the reach of your content by transforming news sites and blog posts into high fidelity, near human quality audio files ready to download and play anywhere, anytime, on any device.

I fell in love with this techology instantly!

For busy mom entrepreneurs, it is not always easy to read every post from every blog you subscribe to. However, now you can subscribe to The Mom Entrepreneur audio blog and listen on your iPod or MP3 player while at the gym, making dinner, jogging, etc.

You can also perform a 1-click podcast subscription of your Odiogo feed to major podcast clients (iTunes, Juice).

The goal is to make it as easy as possible for your target audience to subscribe to your blog and receive your information. Offering a written and audio option, puts you miles ahead of the competition.

To test it out, click the "listen now" button at the top of this post to see how good the quality is.

To get started, just click here...> and sign up for free!

Mike Michalowicz of The Toilet Paper Entrepreneur to discuss The 3 Sheet Strategy To Dramatic Business Growth

TELESEMINAR: The 3 Sheet Strategy To Dramatic Business Growth (Especially in A Down Economy)

Presenter: Mike Michalowicz, owner, The Toilet Paper Entrepreneur
When: Wednesday, June 17th from 1:00PM - 2:15pm EST
Cost: $50 ($65 after June 3rd)

Register now for early bird discount (limited to first 100 participants):

During his presentation, Mike will explain a new dynamic planning method to rapidly growing your business. Instead of the dust covered, never used business plan, attendees will learn how to prepare a powerfully simple three sheet strategy that will take their business to the next level. Does this method really work? Absolutely! Mike has used this exact method to grow three of his own multi-million dollar companies. And this is the exact method used by modern day business giants, like 1-800-GOT-JUNK.

Two participants will win an autographed copy of The Toilet Paper Entrepreneur at the end of the teleseminar.

About the presenter:
Mike Michalowicz has a driving passion for entrepreneurialism. It is his belief that anyone who has the desire, even a fleeting ‘what if’, has been touched by an inspiration that must be satisfied. Mike is the author of The Toilet Paper Entrepreneur, which gives first time entrepreneurs the information they need to grow their concepts into industry leaders.

Mike has successfully launched three multimillion-dollar companies, and was recognized as Young Entrepreneur of the Year. He is a reoccurring guest on CNBC’s nationally syndicated entrepreneurial television program, The Big Idea with Donny Deutsch. He has been highlighted on entrepreneurial topics on National Public Radio (NPR), in Inc. Magazine, The New York Times, and Smart CEO Magazine. For more information, visit ToiletPaperEntrepreneur.com.

For more information, or to purchase multiple teleseminars at a discount, click here...>

SPONSOR: CREATING BLISS

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Is your blog on Amazon's Kindle?

I recently learned that Amazon is allowing bloggers to publish blogs in their Kindle store. A member of my online support group notified me about this a few weeks ago.

I wasted no time uploading my blog since I noticed that not many mom entrepreneurs were listed. This was all new to me, but I did learn a few things in the process. that I want to share with you.

To have your blog considered, visit Amazon's Kindle Publishing for Blogs page and register. Just an FYI, the application asks for your phone number and country code. The country code for the U.S. is “1” and do not use a “dash” between your numbers or it will not be accepted.

After creating an account, it is very simple to add a blog. Amazon asks for all basic blog details, blog category, description, etc. Then it asks for your blog feed, which you can get from Feedburner or the program you used to syndicate your blog. You blog must be syndicated in order to register with Kindle.

In addition, Amazon asks for a screen capture of your blog, and masthead/banner/logo. For the screen capture, my suggestion is to hit your print screen button on your keyboard when looking at your blog online, bring into Photoshop and save as a JPG. I am not sure if there is an easier way, but I got by doing it this way.

Once you have completed the process, it will take 48-72 hours (possibly longer) before your blog is accepted.

Once you have been accepted, pick a badge for your site and promote the fact that your blog can be read on Kindle. I had a problem with the badge website, so I right clicked, downloaded the badge image I wanted, uploaded to my blog and then linked to the URL where my blog is listed on Kindle.

After that is completed, reach out to other mom bloggers on Kindle and exchange reviews. That is what I have done with a few members in our group and I will continue to do over the next several months in order to improve my rating in Amazon.

How much will you earn? Amazon decides the rate which is usually $0.99 per month for most blogs, and some top blogs can draw up to $1.99 per month. Amazon will share 30% subscription revenue with you.

Getting listed in the Kindle Blogs Store will give your blog more exposure in the long run and also allow Kindle readers to read your blog if they want to.

I would love to exchange Kindle blog reviews with you. Please visit my Kindle blog and write a review. Send me your link and I will reciprocate the favor.

Save even more money on dining out

Back in March, I alerted you to a great sale at Restaurant.com. This week the sale is even better!

Occasionally you can purchase $25 gift certificates from Restaurant.com for only $3.00 each. This week only, you can purchase for $2.00 each.

I have purchased and used these gift certificates several times and it is a great offer and savings.

Last time I signed up at Ebates.com, then purchased my gift certificates at Restaurant.com through Ebates.com and earned 15% back on my purchase. That makes the certificates about $1.70 each. Great deal! In addition, I received a $5 sign up bonus at Ebates.com.

The $2 for every $25 Restaurant.com gift certificate promo ends May 31st. Use code SPECIAL at checkout to get your discount.

So here is what you do to save:

• Go to ebates.com using this link…> (sign up for free today - it only takes 15 seconds and you'll also get a $5 sign up bonus (I'll get one too!))
• Search for Restaurant.com in their list of stores
• When on the Restaurant.com site, enter your zip code to see what restaurants are in your area
• Purchase the $25 gift certificates you want (pay attention to any special restrictions)
• Enter code SPECIAL at check out
• Print out your gift certificates
• Enjoy!

A New Grant Program for Women Entrepreneurs

Thanks to friend and fellow mom blogger Heather Allard at The Mogul Mom for this information.

Eileen Fisher, who started her company with $350 and a vision, is offering a Business Grant Program for Women Entrepreneurs. Five women-owned companies will be awarded with grants of $10,000 each. At least one of these grants will go to a start-up organization (or an organization that’s less than three years old), and the rest will go to organizations that need funds to grow. Only wholly woman-owned businesses are eligible for this grant.

The application deadline is June 1, 2009.

For complete information and to apply, read Heather's post about the grant. You can also learn more about this grant and many others for mom entrepreneurs in the Resource section of The Mom Entrepreneur website.

Reach over 200,000 people with your summer message

This summer, The Mom Entrepreneur will be running its popular Co-op Shop from June 1 - August 31. Registration is open to members of our online support group, and for the first time, non-members. In addition, we are offering feature placement on the landing page.

For more information and to sign up, click here...>

We have an aggressive promotional campaign planned for the three month period, including:

• Early June - press release announcement to media - focus on summer, beach days, July 4th, barbecuing and swimming - summer featured members will be mentioned in press release.*
• June 22nd - advertisement in the HARO (will reach approximately 100,000+ professionals, media, high-end consumers (email list has a 96% open rate)) with giveaway mentions for those who donated for the Easter promotion. We will focus on summer, beach days, July 4th, barbecuing and swimming for this promotion - summer featured members will be mentioned in ad.*
• July 14th - Twitter party celebration for summer. One hour of giveaways and contests promoting Co-op Shop members who would like to donate for the party.
• Late July - press release announcement to media - focus will be on Get Ready for Kindergarten Month, back-to-school, Labor Day and Ntl. Childhood Injury Prevention Week - early fall featured members will be mentioned in press release.**
• August 1 - August 15th - advertising on CouponDivas.com (receives 90,000 hits/month), newsletter promotions for early fall featured Co-op Shop members** (distributed to over 12,000 people - mostly women/moms). Focus will be on Get Ready for Kindergarten Month, back-to-school, Labor Day and Ntl. Childhood Injury Prevention Week.
• Early August - Twitter party celebration for back-to-school. One hour of giveaways and contests promoting Co-op Shop members who would like to donate for the party.

*Summer featured members - in addition to a regular listing for the full 3 months, you will receive a featured placement on the landing page with mention of offer if available (i.e. 15% off purchase) and company name (brief description) from June 1 - July 11, 2009. You will also be listed in the summer press release, company name mentioned in HARO ad, listing in one category (additional categories $10 each), 1st option to donate to Twitter party - $150.00 (only 3 spots available).

**Back-to-school featured members - in addition to a regular listing for the full 3 months, you will receive a featured placement on the landing page with mention of offer if available (i.e. 15% off purchase) and company name (brief description) from July 12 - August 31, 2009. You will also be listed in the back-to-school press release, company offer listed in one of two CouponDivas.com newsletters to members, listing in one category (additional categories $10 each), 1st option to donate to Twitter party - $125.00 (only 6 spots available).

For more information and to sign up, click here...>

Early bird discount for May 20th teleseminar ends today!

Want To Learn Powerful Social Media Marketing Tactics and Information?

Then join us on Wednesday May 20th from 1:00pm - 2:15pm EST as Scott Bradley of Networking Effectively teaches us.

Scott is well known for helping author Mike Michalowicz of The Toilet Paper Entrepreneur take his brand from obscure to well known in as little as five months.

On the call Scott will share…

• What social media is…and what it is not…and why if you aren’t leveraging it you are leaving a ton of $$ on the table.
• The biggest mistakes individuals make on Twitter and Facebook that do more harm than good;
• Why humanizing your brand on these networks is important, and how to effectively create your own branding strategy.
• How to leverage Facebook and Twitter to build high quality , highly targeted and effective relationships in minutes…not days.
• The one thing you must have set up for social media to effectively work for you.
  The mindset you must adopt if you want to be successful using this powerful technology for your business.
• Why building a social media platform is so important and what to keep in mind as you implement your strategy.
• Real life case studies illustrating to you the power of this technology as a marketing tool.
  The one question you should ask any social media expert before you decide to work with them.
• The 8 tips every social networker must know before using this powerful technology for their business.
  

He will also be giving away his entire outline for free for those who would like to have access to it.

Scott promises to provide attendees with tons of valueable information. To register for the $25 early bird pricing (ends at midnight EST today), click here...>

TELESEMINAR: How To Build Influence and Increase Your Profits Using Social Media

How To Build Influence and Increase Your Profits Using Social Media (What most social media experts aren't telling you about leveraging the power of social media marketing)

Presenter: Scott Bradley, owner, Networking Effectively
When: Wednesday, May 20th from 1:00PM - 2:15pm EST
Cost: $25 ($35 after May 15th)

Register now for early bird discount (limited to first 100 participants):

For more information, or to purchase multiple teleseminars at a discount, click here...>

*********************************************************

"Our first presenter, Scott Bradley of Networking Effectively, is an amazing entrepreneur, marketer, speaker and social media strategist who uses the most innovative tools to increase visibility and excitement. He has collaborated with author Mike Michalowicz, The Toilet Paper Entrepreneur, taking the brand from obscure to well known in only five months. His advice and insights will certainly help other entrepreneurs maximize their impact, as well," said Traci Bisson, founder of The Mom Entrepreneur.

*********************************************************

This presentation will help you uncover the myths about leveraging social media but also share with you some result-oriented strategies to effectively leveraging online technology by teaching you...

1. what social media is...and what it is not...and why if you aren't leveraging it you are leaving a ton of $$ on the table;
2. the biggest mistakes individuals make on Twitter and Facebook that do more harm than good;
3. why humanizing your brand on these networks is important, and how to effectively create your own branding strategy;
4. how to leverage Facebook and Twitter to build high quality, highly targeted and effective relationships in minutes...not days;
5. the one thing you must have set up for social media to effectively work for you;
   the mindset you must adopt if you want to be successful using this powerful technology for your business;
6. why building a social media platform is so important and what to keep in mind as you implement your strategy;
7. real life case studies illustrating to you the power of this technology as a marketing tool;
   the one question you should ask any social media expert before you decide to work with them;
8. the 8 tips every social networker must know before using this powerful technology for their business.

To learn more about our popular teleseminar series, click here...>

SPONSOR - BABE EASE:
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Before I was a Mom

Before I was a Mom -
I slept as late as I wanted and never worried about how late I got to bed. I brushed my hair and my teeth everyday.

Before I was a Mom -
I cleaned my house each day. I never tripped over toys or forgot words to a lullaby. I didn't worry whether or not my plants were poisonous. I never thought about immunizations.

Before I was a Mom -
I had never been puked on - pooped on - spit on - chewed on, or peed on. I had complete control of my mind and my thoughts. I slept all night.

Before I was a Mom -
I never held down a screaming child so that doctors could do tests...or give shots. I never looked into teary eyes and cried. I never got gloriously happy over a simple grin. I never sat up late hours at night watching a baby sleep.

Before I was a Mom -
I never held a sleeping baby just because I didn't want to put it down. I never felt my heart break into a million pieces when I couldn't stop the hurt. I never knew that something so small could affect my life so much. I never knew that I could love someone so much. I never knew I would love being a Mom.

Before I was a Mom -
I didn't know the feeling of having my heart outside my body. I didn't know how special it could feel to feed a hungry baby. I didn't know that bond between a mother and her child. I didn't know that something so small could make me feel so important.

Before I was a Mom -
I had never gotten up in the middle of the night every 10 minutes to make sure all was okay. I had never known The warmth, The joy, The love, The heartache, The wonderment or the satisfaction of being a Mom. I didn't know I was capable of feeling so much before I was a Mom.

-Author Unknown, mothersdaycelebration.com

I just wanted to wish all my mom readers a very special Mother's Day! I am grateful for your support and the amazing balancing act you perform everyday. Keep up the good work. It definitely pays off!

Free Mother's Day book download - 48 hours only

Beginning May 8th--for 48 hours only--readers of this blog can download a free copy of the new, award winning book, The Mother’s Guide to Self Renewal: How to Reclaim, Rejuvenate and Re-Balance Your Life by Renee Trudeau, a nationally recognized career/life balance coach (a $20 value).

Featured extensively in national media and described as “The best book on balance,” by women’s health guru Dr. Joan Borysenko, author of Inner Peace for Busy Women, this book has helped thousands of women and can help you:

• reconnect with who you are and nurture yourself
  
• manage your energy and practice saying “no”
  
• tap into the Transformative Power of Self-Care
  

Wondering... why free?! This uplifting, beautifully illustrated/photographed book was born from Renee’s personal experience of creating/leading women’s self-renewal circles—called Personal Renewal Groups--for five years, after the birth of her son Jonah in 2002. She is passionate about how transformative self-care can be for women and was moved to share this message with women around the world. Want to learn more? You can read her blog, check out her recent newsletter or watch a video about the evolution of the book/groups.

Rude comments on blogs, appropriate or inappropriate, you be the judge

Currently we are running a contest on our blog where visitors are being asked to vote for their favorite mom entrepreneur company introduction. Pretty easy and straight forward right?

Wrong!

What started out as a harmless contest has now turned into a pissing match between one "voter", who left what several readers defined as a "rude" and "inappropriate" comment, and visitors to my blog.

OK, so let me bring you up to speed.

The instructions were simple: 1. read the 10 company introductions; 2. pick your favorite; and 3. leave a comment with the name of the company you vote for. I cannot make it any simpler.

So one woman decides she wants to be different, and instead she leaves a three sentence long negative comment about how one competitors product is nasty. She started her comment saying "eeeewwwwwww".

I have since removed the comment from my blog due to several requests from readers. I was also emailed by the woman who left the comment asking me to remove it because she was now receiving "hate mail".

So today, in a post on her blog, I find out she received one email from a woman named Karen. Now, I do not know who Karen is and I am not sure what she said so I have only heard one side of the story. Karen, if you are a subscriber of this blog, I welcome you to tell your side before I make a judgement call either way.

Sure, I believe in freedom of speech. And everyone, when it comes to this blog, has the ability to speak their mind. I do not moderate comments. I welcome feedback. However, if you are going to make rude remarks based solely on opinion, then those comments are not welcome on this blog. At least have the decency to be familiar with a product, better yet have tried it, before offering any negative feedback. I prefer comments to be based on fact.

To the blogger who feels she was so wronged because of her inappropriate comment left on this blog, I offer this advice, which I learned when I was young...if you don't have anything nice to say then don't say anything at all.

Tell me honestly how you feel about this!

Don't forget to party with us on Twitter tonight!

Shop for Mother's Day at The Mom Entrepreneur Co-op Shop and party with us on Twitter to celebrate! Join The Mom Entrepreneur on Monday, May 4th from 10:00pm - 11:00pm EST for a Twitter party celebration. We will be announcing our Mother's Day line up of offerings at the Co-op Shop, sharing tips for balancing motherhood and running a company, and giving away some amazing prizes. Pour yourself a glass of wine, and chat the evening away with dozens of mom entrepreneurs. For complete details, click here…>