Des Moines Families

LOVE THAT! Metropolis P.A.

So, you know those things on your to-do list that just make you cringe? Well, there's a mom-owned business here in Des Moines that will do pretty much all of that for you. And for a super reasonable fee...

I've used Metropolis P.A. (short for Personal Assistant) for two really irritating tasks. The first was to find a regular babysitter for our kids. Rather than pay the pricey fee for nanny-search firms, I was able to get to the same result (a fantastic babysitter) in record time. I called Metropolis P.A. again when I was looking to find a non-traditional venue for a party. They did all the hunting, researching and stalking for me. It was a huge time saver and was extremely affordable.

Aside from the time savings, how posh is it to have a personal assistant? That's exactly what Metropolis P.A. becomes, whether you use them once or once a week. Love that!

The owner, Trish Flaherty, was just on Channel 13 the other day talking about all the things she can do. Take a listen...

LOVE THAT! Blankets From Baby Clothes

Are you done having babies but can't bring yourself to send your wee ones' clothes to consignment? Is your storage area already too full to keep their teeny rags until the day they give you grandkids?

There's a solution: Jelly Bean Quilts.

Started by a Johnston Mom, Jelly Bean Quilts is giving old baby clothes new life by recycling them into modern-style heirloom quilts.

By recycling baby clothes that are either too cute to let go or too stained to sell, Jelly Bean Quilts is able to simultaneously preserve memories, reduce waste, and help moms find a way to hold on to those adorable rubber ducky pajamas.

LOVE THAT! New Cake Decorator

Mayra Doehrmann is opening a new cake decorating business called One Sweet Treat. Here's some of her work...

 

LOVE THAT! SmartyPig.com

Bye-bye greedy pig, hello smarty pig!

So, we've all been a little guilty of giving into the instant-gratification temptation at some point. Not a problem really, unless you've got little sponges witnessing that willy-nilly attitude about money.

That's why I totally dig this new savings solution. I think it'll be a perfect (and super cool) way to teach our tech-savvy kids about the value of money and the "smarty-ness" of saving.

Here's the gist:

You log on to SmartyPig.com, set a savings goal for yourself (maybe you want to take a vacation, buy a new TV, get a new car) and tell the tool which of your bank accounts to pull the money from. You earn interest on the money, (and here's the coolest part) and when you've reached your goal, SmartyPig partners, like Amazon and Best Buy, will give you a discount! Awesome.

I think this would be perfect for kids. Say they want new tennis shoes, a new video game, whatever. Because SmartyPig lets you communicate your savings goal with friends and family who can contribute themselves, it's a great way for grandparents... and even for you parents... to give easy birthday, graduation, confirmation, etc. gifts.

Awesome. Mike Ferrari (creator), you are one smart Des Moines dad! 

LOVE THAT! Two Really Cool Parents

Listen, I know it's hard to take your kids out on the town.

You never know if they'll be welcome where you're going... especially if your destination is generally thought of as for "big people." You never know what kind of rude behavior or tantrum episode they're gonna pull. You never know if they'll make a huge mess, a huge scene. It's hard.

But it's so good for them! And we need more brave moms and dads to get their kids out into this city... it'll help them fall in love with it the way we have.

So, with that, I give you this Love That post.

Last week, at the opening of the hip new East Village restaurant, Alba, I spotted two very brave parents among the young professional crowd. They looked great -- they were dressed; they were social; they were working the room... with their kids!

I just had to introduce myself. So who were they?

They were Tanya Keith, owner of Simply for Giggles (East Village and West Glen locations), and her husband, Doug Jotzke, Director of Engineering for The Baking Company. In tow were their 7-month-old son and 5-year-old daughter. The kids were having a blast, jetting from location to location, talking with adults (well, one was talking, the other was gurgling), and generally working that room just like their mom and dad. Brilliant.

Here's what Tanya had to say: "We've brought our children to grand openings, World Cup Soccer games, theater shows...all sorts of events. They're usually really well behaved, and I know it makes me feel closer to my kids and has taught  me so much about how to look at the world from different perspectives."

Love that!

LOVE THAT! Amy Prime of Newton... You Go, Girl!

Loved mom Amy Prime of Newton in today's Opinion section of the Register. Her call for the candidates to consider child care services during the caucuses was perfection. More of us should be sending letters like this to our central Iowa media. Here's a snipet from Amy's letter:

In order for both me and my husband to participate in the last caucuses, we had to find a babysitter for our children. In order for us both to attend in January, we will either have to do the same thing again, or take our young children with us, which would be stressful. Perhaps the candidates would consider providing on-site child care for parents who might otherwise choose not to attend.

Thanks, Amy!

LOVE THAT! What's for Dinner 911 Meals

Last night, on my way to get the boys from daycare, I came out of my haze to realize I had nothing planned for dinner. Call it divine intervention or good marketing, whatever you wish, but at that moment I remember that What's for Dinner was advertising a solution for this very crisis; they called it 911 meals.

I dialed 4-1-1, got the number for What's for Dinner and asked the gal who answered what was on the 911 menu Tuesday night.

Well, she was new and had no clue what I was talking about. I was embarrassed (and super bummed), but she quickly turned my mood around when she said she would talk to the manager and call me right back.

Two minutes later, she was back on my phone with a promise to have a cheesy ham and potatoe bake with a side of parmesan corn ready for me in 15 minutes. I was thrilled.

Wanna know something else... they were CLOSED! This gal pulled together an emergency meal for me on a night when the store wasn't even open. She just happened to be there doing prep for the next night.

So, remember these gals next time you're desperate for dinner. They will go the extra mile every time!

LOVE THAT! Send Out Cards

So, there's a way you can do holiday cards on your computer without looking like you did holiday cards on your computer. It's called Send Out Cards and there's a local woman serving this market who can guide us through the entire process.

In addition to allowing you to select the design of your holiday card, write your own message and upload your own family photos, this technology will even create a custom font designed from a hand-writing sample you send them in the mail. So it appears that you hand-wrote each one. So sneaky!

I have a feeling this is just a tip of the iceberg in terms of what this technology allows you to do. For more information, check them out here.

LOVE THAT! Urban Belly

Have you moms of boys been to Urban Belly lately? They've really expanded their baby and toddler clothing offering, and from what I saw yesterday, looks like lots of options for our little men! I'm thrilled!

And aside from having great clothes, the women running the store have great expertise when it comes to locating those unique items for your stylish little people. They helped me find a pair of black crib shoes for my 7-month-old... a hunt I'd been on for weeks!

LOVE THAT! Portraits by Gerilynn

Here's a photo sent over by our newest Mom & Dad Businesses member, Portraits by Gerilynn. Just love it. Gerilynn comes to Des Moines September 1. Make your appointments now... as I have a feeling she's going to fill up fast.