Googababy

A reminder to put people first. Be careful out there today.

A worker was killed in the crush Friday after a throng of shoppers eager for post-Thanksgiving bargains burst through the doors at a suburban Wal-Mart, authorities said . . . “He was bum-rushed by 200 people,” co-worker Jimmy Overby, 43, told the Daily News. “They took the doors off the hinges. He was trampled and killed in front of me. They took me down too. … I literally had to fight people off my back.” – As reported by the AP

From toys to electronics, don’t miss the great deals at Amazon on this Black Friday.

Today only, Wildflower Diapers is offering 15% off its products. This includes: cloth diapers, diaper bags, baby carriers, babylegs, and The Learning Tower. Use coupon code TURKEY.

SoBeBabies is offering 20% off most items Nov 28-30 with coupon code BLACKFRIDAY. They carry baby carriers (pouches, ring slings, wraps, mei tais, buckle carriers, etc.), diaper bags (Fleurville, Haiku, Diaper Dude, etc.), strollers (EasyWaler, Englacha) , and more.

Now thru Sunday, November 30th, save 25% off all Holly Aiken bags and get free shipping. This includes their diaper bags, the Bomber and Airship. Check out our review of the Airship.

I was shocked, saddened, and angry when I first heard of the intentional melamine contamination of baby formula in China that was making thousands of babies ill and responsible for the deaths of at least three babies. Well, the AP has just reported that trace amounts of this same industrial chemical was found in baby formula made by three major U.S.-based companies:

The three firms — Abbott Laboratories, Nestle and Mead Johnson — manufacture more than 90 percent of all infant formula produced in the United States.

The FDA and other experts said the melamine contamination in U.S.-made formula had occurred during the manufacturing process, rather than intentionally.

However, the FDA is saying that this is apparently nothing to worry about since only very low levels of melamine were found. Well, I’m worried. Yet another good reason to breastfeed.

Not only does Amazon have some great deals on Robeez ($14.89 and up), but they’re also having a limited time promotion that saves you an additional $10 off your Robeez order of $50 or more. Great time to stock up and/or purchase some gifts. The $10 is automatically taken off at checkout when you have $50 or more of Robeez items in your shopping cart. It doesn’t say when this promotion ends, so head over and check it out.

Thanksgiving will be over my dad’s this year, so I won’t be cooking an entire meal, but I’ll bring a few dishes. Here are recipes for what I’ll be bringing this year:

Too Much Chocolate Cake (from allrecipes)

I’m not sure what I’ll be filling and frosting this cake with yet, but I’ve made it before, and it’s super moist and chocolaty. Yum!

INGREDIENTS

• 1 (18.25 ounce) package devil’s food cake mix
• 1 (5.9 ounce) package instant chocolate pudding mix
• 1 cup sour cream
• 1 cup vegetable oil
• 4 eggs
• 1/2 cup warm water
• 2 cups semisweet chocolate chips

DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
2. In a large bowl, mix together the cake and pudding mixes, sour cream, oil, beaten eggs and water. Stir in the chocolate chips and pour batter into a well greased 12 cup bundt pan.
3. Bake for 50 to 55 minutes, or until top is springy to the touch and a wooden toothpick inserted comes out clean. Cool cake thoroughly in pan at least an hour and a half before inverting onto a plate If desired, dust the cake with powdered sugar.

Perfect Pumpkin Pie (via allrecipes)

This is a classic pumpkin pie that’s so easy to make and tastes even better days later. Make sure to use a deep dish crust or you’ll end up with more than one pie.

INGREDIENTS

• 1 (15 ounce) can pumpkin
• 1 (14 ounce) can EAGLE BRAND® Sweetened Condensed Milk
• 2 large eggs
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 (9 inch) unbaked pie crust

DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Whisk pumpkin, sweetened condensed milk, eggs, spices and salt in medium bowl until smooth. Pour into crust. Bake 15 minutes.
2. Reduce oven temperature to 350 degrees F and continue baking 35 to 40 minutes or until knife inserted 1 inch from crust comes out clean. Cool. Garnish as desired. Store leftovers covered in refrigerator.

Mashed Potatoes

This is a variation on a Martha Stewart recipe I used a while back. I don’t typically measure, though, so I would suggest tasting it along the way and adding a bit of the ingredients at a time until it’s nice, fluffy, and tasty. These are always a big hit at Thanksgiving.

INGREDIENTS

• 5 lbs russet potatoes
• 1 (8 oz) bar of cream cheese
• 1/2 cup (8 tablespoons) unsalted butter
• 1/4 cup heavy cream
• salt and pepper to taste

1. Peel and quarter the potatoes. Boil for 15 minutes or until soft.
2. Drain and mash the potatoes.
3. Add the remaining ingredients and mix thoroughly.

I envy those who are able to paint creative and elaborate murals. When it came around to setting up Pooky’s nursery, I knew that I wanted to try to paint something on her walls, but being the artistically challenged person I am, the most I could do was stencil colorful circles.

I was delighted, then, to stumble (via The Cool Hunter) across these E-Glue vinyl wall adhesives. E-Glue is a French based company that sell these fabulously cool adhesives in various designs and sizes. They stick on any flat, clean surface and can be repositioned and removed without leaving a trace. They’re a bit spendy but, if you can afford it, I’m sure the kid will love it.

Can’t wait for Pooky’s sibling to arrive to provide us with these types of special moments: