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Archive for the ‘Dapper Snappers / Biz Stuff’ Category
Dapper Snapper “News” - New Design!
We have a new design to unveil…it’s our new “Dino Camo”Dapper Snapper! We hope you all love it as much as we do! We think the young’ens… 
will find this Dapper Snapper a must have with that Jurassic Appeal and the camouflage pattern! Time for a Dinosaur hunt or maybe a Safari! To get your new “Dino Camo” Dapper Snapper, click here! 
Unfortunately we are discontinuing our “Monkey” Dapper Snapper at the this time. The “Dino Camo” is a great replacement for the “Monkeys” in your next order! Have a Dapper Day!
My 2 Cents
I’m not one of those parents who let’s technology babysit my kids all day, but I am a mom who uses technology to my advantage. I feel like time on the iPad, iPhone, and so on, can be beneficial, especially the plethora of educational apps out there.
My kids get to hang out at the toddler belt office for a few hours after school most days and while I think this is the most magical place ever, they aren’t as impressed. They get bored and I don’t blame them, so they get tech time to entertain themselves.
Here’s the thing, though, I monitor what they are watching/playing/reading. There are apps out there that look cute and innocent, but are far from it. I know my kids are a little too young for social media, but I still try to keep up with the ones out there. The most recent one that I’ve heard of is SnapChat. Spoiler alert: Keep this app away from your kids (PS: don’t google it either without safe search activated).
So, the idea was that you can take a picture, any picture, and post it and in a few seconds it magically disappears forever! So no need to be shy or worry about being embarrassed, very few people will see it. Sound too good to be true? That’s cause it is. I read an article today (courtesy of CNN) that stated the following:
“The heart of the issue is Snapchat’s assurance that customers’ messages were safe and private. Snapchat’s whole business was built on that promise.
For instance, Snapchat photos have a self-destruct timer. But recipients could get around the auto-destruct by saving an image of what was on the screen.
The company also had said it took appropriate security measures to keep the information safe. However, “disappearing” videos don’t actually vanish. They were stored, unencrypted, on phones. That meant anyone could just plug a device into a computer and play the files.
Snapchat was also quietly collecting information about its customers. The company promised it wouldn’t track users, but it surreptitiously followed an Android phone’s every move. It also uploaded entire contact lists from iPhones without letting a customer know.
That blew up in the company’s face when hackers stole the contact information for 4.6 million Snapchat users and posted their usernames and partial phone numbers online.”
So, basically, be careful and pay attention. Little ones (even not so little ones) don’t tend to have the best judgement (or common sense for that matter), that’s what us parents are for, to protect them.
Blessings,
Breakfast Pizza Recipe
Who’s looking for a super simple, super yummy, super kid friendly recipe? Ooo ooo oo! Me! Me!! By now all of my loyal kids belts blog readers know that I am all about simple and quick! I mean, we’re busy people with important lives, who has time to schlep around the kitchen preparing a 5 course meal? Oh… you do? Well, no offense then, but I know I don’t.
One thing my family loves is breakfast for dinner. It’s quick and the kids think it’s funny when the day seems backwards. I saw this idea on Pinterest (seriously, waaaay too many of my conversations start with that phrase) and I thought I’d run with it. Here’s my interpretation of a breakfast pizza.
Breakfast Pizza
Ingredients
4 Eggs
6 Bacon Slices (either cook the bacon first or buy the precooked)
1 Pkg Crescent Rolls
Shredded Cheddar (to taste)
Salt & Pepper to taste
Preheat the oven to 375. Open the package of crescent rolls and pull the first 2 out, but don’t pull them apart. Instead, leave them in a rectangle shape, place them on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper and press the seam together to make one solid piece. Press the dough out to make it thinner and a little bigger. Now take the edges and and fold them up to make it sides to hold in the egg and toppings. This is where you get to decide how to fill it. You can whip up the egg (one egg per pizza) so it’s all blended, you can leave it sunny side up or you can just crack it and break the yolk. Add a little salt and pepper, cheese and top with a slice and a half of bacon. Bake until the crescent roll has browned some and the egg is done to your liking.
The cool thing is that you can top them with really anything. You can add some spinach, onions, broccoli, whatever you like in your omelets! Get creative with this one and tell me how you did it!
Blessings,
Making Life Easier
Mom’s have a lot on their plate. Most days it can feel like a circus juggling act where you are struggling to keep all of the balls in the air. I know that I am pretty lucky with my schedule at the kids belts office (I know the boss and she’s pretty lenient with me). I really admire the stay at home moms, the working moms, the single moms, the two parent household moms, basically all moms out there because they all come with their own challenges. Motherhood is one of the most amazing things I have ever done and simultaneously one of the most exhausting.
With all of that being said, one of the main focuses of my toddler belt (and subsequent adult belt) invention is to make life easier for moms!
I know what you are thinking, “Chelle, how are you making life easier for moms?”
Just sit back, kick up your feet, relax and let me tell ya…
- Save time by not constantly pulling up your child’s pants! With our belts for kids, you don’t have to worry about your little one’s pants falling down at an inappropriate moment (not that there is ever really an appropriate moment for that)!
- Save time with potty training! Our half belts promote independence for your child, with no buckles to fuss with, potty training just got easier! Little fingers don’t have the dexterity to fidget with buckles and clasps. Plus, when they “gotta go” they “gotta go” they can’t waist time trying to get out of a full belt. That’s when accident’s happen.
- Save time with diaper changes! Playing on #2, no buckles means nothing to undo every time you have to change a diaper! A traditional belt is just not practical with little ones in diapers. Who wants to have to worry about that every time they need changing?
- Save time shopping! Who doesn’t want to stay in their pre-pregnancy pants longer? One way to use our adult belts is as a maternity belt. You don’t have to do the rubber band trick anymore!
- Save time trying to find that perfect pair of pants! If you are like me, you try on 3 or 4 pairs of pants because your jeans have that annoying gap in the back of them. Then you settle on a pair that still doesn’t fit right. Well, save yourself the 30 minutes and throw a Dapper Snapper on them and the gap is gone in an instant!
I could keep going, but you get my point, Dapper Snappers are here to make mom’s life easier!
How have they made your life easier?
Blessings,
Native American Festival
It’s always nice to take a brief break from the kids belts office to unwind and decompress. What a great time for that! It was absolutely beautiful here all weekend.
I really love to get out and see what’s going on locally. You know, give the kids a sense of the community and all. Sunday we had a chance to spend the day at a local Native American Festival. The cool thing was that it was at a park that is just down the road from us, so we were able to bike there.
The kids had so much fun. The event was really put together well. So many people attended and were opened up to a beautiful culture. We saw traditional Native American dancing and of course Bug and Daddy had to join in on the fun.
Super Dude was more interested in the weapons training portion. He really got into that and now he’s begging for a blow gun. I feel, however, that it may be considered bad parenting if I give in and get him one. The tomahawk, though…. that one I may indulge in. (I seriously hope you know I am kidding about that one!)
I am also happy to report that I was totally able to stick to my newly adopted gluten free diet which is a bonus. Turkey legs are gluten free, right??
Now, I am not one to paint a rose colored picture of our life, because we are by no means perfect, but occasionally, we manage to have a perfect day. Today was one of those days. I cherish these days. These are the days that make all the not so perfect ones worth while. You know those days, we all have them. When the kids won’t get ready in time for school, when the house is a mess, when you are on your 7th “stop that now!” and nothing is working, that’s when I reflect on days like today.
What does your perfect day consist of? I’d love to hear about them!
Blessings,
BLT Bites
Baaaaacon…. Who doesn’t love bacon? No, seriously, who doesn’t? I’d like to know so I can be their friend, that way there will always be extra for me!
Anyway, I’ve been sitting here at my desk, staring at my computer, trying to come up with a recipe to post to this kids belt blog. Normally, this comes to me pretty easily because I just yell down the hallway at Jen, “JEN! I need a recipe!” and she yells back “That’s not all you need!” and we laugh and laugh… She’s sassy like that.
Actually, she usually just puts a recipe on my desk (or sneaks into my WordPress account and posts it for me) on Wednesday mornings. The recipe I chose to share today is a super cute party pleaser (and gluten free which is a plus considering I now need to be gluten free, but more on that later), BLT Bites.
Aren’t these just the cutest little things? If you make them for your next pot luck, everyone will be super impressed.
BLT Bites
Ingredients
2 Packs of Cherry Tomatoes
1 lb of Bacon (thick cut)
Romaine Lettuce
Dipping Sauce (optional)
2 tbsp Mayo with Olive Oil
Chili Powder
Cumin
Salt & Pepper
Hot Wing Sauce
Hot Sauce
Garlic Powder
Preheat the oven to 400. Place bacon slices on a baking sheet lined with foil. Place the pan in the oven and bake for 15 to 20 minutes. While that’s cooking (and making your house smell like a carnivore’s dream), work on the tomatoes and lettuce. Take the romaine and cut it into about 1 inch strips. Slice off the top of each tomato and remove all of the seeds. When the bacon is done, place the slices on paper towels to drain. Once cooled, break them into about 1 inch strips. Now take the lettuce (rolled into a cylinder) and the bacon and stuff it into the tomato. Voila! It’s that simple folks. You can eat them as is, or top them with a dab of mayo, guacamole or mix up a little dipping sauce. My dipping sauce includes all of the above ingredients. I added the spices sparingly until I got the flavor I was looking for.
Hope you enjoy these super simple little bites!
Blessings,
I’m hooked
How’s this for a random Friday topic, essential oils. Yes, I have passions other than my glorious kids belts, shocking, right? I’ve gotten hooked on the essential oils. After extensive research, it’s my opinion that doTerra is the best brand for quality and consistency.
Mexican Spaghetti Squash
I kind of have a “thing” for spaghetti squash. I shared a Spaghetti Squash Greek Salad recipe a while ago on this kids belts blog and now I have a new one to share, Mexican Spaghetti Squash (replacing like a beans and rice type dish).
I like this squash because it’s so flexible and a great pasta substitute without any of the guilt and who doesn’t love a little guilt free eating? In this recipe, I roast the squash. You can boil it or microwave it (both of which are faster), but I like the flavor it gets from the roasting process.
It’s not beautiful, but it’s tasty!
Mexican Spaghetti Squash
1 Small Spaghetti Squash
1 Can of Low Sodium Black Beans (drained and rinsed)
2 Tbsp Olive oil
2 Cloves Minced Garlic
1/3 Chopped Onions
1/2 Frozen Corn
1/3 Cup Chopped Bell Pepper
1 Pint Stewed Tomatoes
Chili Powder
Garlic Powder
Ground Cumin
Salt & Pepper to taste
Preheat the oven to 375. Place the whole squash on a cookie sheet and place it in the oven. While that’s cooking, place the oil in a saute pan and add the onions, garlic and peppers. Saute the veggies until translucent. Transfer the veggies to a bigger pot and add in the tomatoes, corn, black beans. Season this mixture to your taste with the chili & garlic powder, cumin, salt and pepper. Bring the mixture to a boil and reduce the heat. Keep cooking and let it reduce to thicken some. Use an oven mitt to check the squash. It’s done when its tender when you squeeze it. Let the squash sit and cool for a few minutes. Once it’s cool, cut it in half, remove the seeds, and then use a fork to pull the “spaghetti” apart. Take all of the spaghetti and add it to the bean mixture and fold together. Serve warm just a few tortilla chips and top with a little fresh sliced avocado and fresh chopped cilantro.
This makes a great side dish, but if you want it to be a main course, add some diced chicken to the mix. If you like it a little spicier, add a small can of diced green chilies. There are so many options!! Enjoy and make it your own!
Blessings,
On the Cover of a Magazine
Sort of, but not really… Ok, so we aren’t on the cover of the magazine, but our kids belts are on the inside of the magazine!
You can see our spread in Baby Maternity Retailer here on page 28. You can also see it by simply scrolling down a little bit…
See how easy I made that for you? I’m such a giver! I’m really excited about the exposure we will gain from this magazine. You know me, I’m all about branding. I want Dapper Snappers to be a household name (aren’t you shocked that it isn’t already, me too) and this puts us another step closer to that dream. And really, what better market than baby & maternity? I mean we do make a pretty awesome baby/toddler product and… ahem… we also make a fantastic maternity belt as well!
In this article, we chose to talk about how we are making this product in the USA. That’s always been one thing that has been very important to me. I have always wanted everything that we produce to come from the USA so that we would be helping out the economy. In addition to our day to day employees, we also work with a local behavioral health service to help package our product. How cool is that?
It still amazes me when I sit back and think about how we started this in our garage. I was in charge of sourcing materials, manufacturing, shipping, distribution, etc, and by that I mean I went to the store and bought the elastic and snaps, came home sewed, capped and packaged everything in the garage, boxed it up and then delivered them to local stores. My… we’ve come a long way, baby!
Blessings,
Juice, Please
Ok, It was late, I was bored but not ready for bed so I got sucked into a documentary on late night TV. I was well aware that I should be sleeping, resting for a hard days work at the kids belts factory, but I just wasn’t feeling it. I was flipping through channels and something caught my eye, a man talking about losing 100 lbs in 60 days.
Umm… excuse me? 100lbs in 60 days? That’s like 1.666666666666lbs a day! So there I sat watching “Fat, Sick and Nearly Dead”. You can read the IMDB here.
Basically, there’s this guy who has an autoimmune disease and is tired of being medicated for it. He takes matters into his own hands and starts juicing! After 60 days of juicing, he not only loses 100 lbs, but he also gets off all of his medications. How impressive is that?
Anyway, I’m super gullible and easily sucked in, so I instantly wanted to do a juice fast. Full in, all or nothing, head first… Or at least one or two times, experimenting… not really fasting at all, more like supplementing with juice, for now.
I borrowed a juicer from a friend (the juicer that he used in the movie, the Breville). I liked it, but it was a little messy and tedious to clean up. I do not have much of an attention span so I turned to my darling hubby to do some research for me. He came back with some interesting info. For example, slow juicers hold most of their nutrients for up to 72 hours where as the centrifugal juicers you should drink them almost immediately. Centrifugal juicers are not great for leafy greens and the blades spin so fast they create a bit of heat, which also kills nutrients.
Sooooo…. with that info in mind, I’m very interested in the Hurom Slow Juicer, which seems to be the poorish-man’s Omega.
What are your thoughts? Do you have any juicing experience? I’d love advice and any tips!
Blessings,