A Message from Phyllis Pometta, Founder of Baby Swags

Aug 5, 2010 by BabySwags

ALL GOOD THINGS COME WITH TIME…and patience!

I have been in this business going on 4 years. My actual anniversary for being in business is September 6, 2006. With each gifting I have done, it has always felt like the first one all over again. I truly love what I do and truly love and respect all the companies that I have had the pleasure to work with over the course of my years here. There have been some major bumps in the road for me personally and professionally, but somehow I have held my head up high, have been grateful for these amazing opportunities and have always been true to myself and to my clients. I have been burned, as we all have at one point or another and I have dusted myself off, regained my focus, and pushed ahead and I am so glad that I did and that I never once caved in and gave up. So many times we question our business, our abilities, and we come so close to throwing in the towel. While we are always looking for the bottom line, sometimes you have to look at your appreciation. Is greed driving you or is true passion and love for what you are doing driving you? While I am not making millions of dollars over here at Baby Swags headquarters, I feel as if I am the richest woman on the planet. I have an amazing husband who, may not always say it the way I’d like to hear it, or express it the way he had planned, he is always there for me when I need him, and he is proud of all I have done. I have 3 children who are beautiful and amazingly talented in their own ways, who simply put, adore me. I have a family who loves me and is excited to see me get excited when I receive calls from Hollywood. I have a network of women *and men* who I completely respect and am honored to know. And, I have a growing and thriving business that I truly love and get excited for every day. While things may seem to take a long time to process and get together, like the boutique and the magazine…I know in my heart that with all this love and dedication it will all come together and be a huge success! After all, I am “building my empire” as I tell my children!

There will be some changes made at Baby Swags, from individual giftings, to pre & post gifting procedures, to levels of participation, and exclusivity. We are finally adding our magazine, Tots To Teens Magazine to our family of businesses and I am excited to share the guide with you. Baby Swags, The Mommy Mentor and Tots To Teens Magazine is currently entering a whole new world and the adventure with the three is just beginning. I am so happy to have you all be a part of my new adventures.

I’ve always said that if you surround yourself with the right team of people, anything is possible. I honestly believe that, which is why I am so grateful you have stuck with me over the course of my business journey. It’s amazing to me how I still have clients that have stuck by me since the very first gifting close to 4 years ago! All I can say to you all is thank you so much from the bottom of my heart for allowing me into your business journey. I hope that as the days, months and years go by we can all be appreciative in knowing that all good things come with time…and patience.

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Education Crisis – You’re Voice Counts!

May 21, 2010 by BabySwags

As a mom of three school aged children, I am seeing first hand as to what our school systems are faced with and it scares me. Our own school district is 16 million dollars in debt. Why? During the building/housing boom, our town was growing with families and the schools were too small. They built and built and now with four high schools, and countless middle and elementary schools, you obviously need to hire people to help run those schools, teachers to teach our children, and people to clean the schools, and so on. They spent money on things that we didn’t need (and still don’t, like the recorded ‘informational’ phone call messages they leave for you during dinner) and they expected the tax base to go on indefinitely. Now they, or we, are faced with solving this deficit problem within the next three years to comply with the State of Illinois mandate. You can check these links out for some more background on our own school and education situation: ABC 7 Chicago, Chicago Breaking News, Progress Illinois and of course, our very own Plainfield, Illinois school district 202 website.

This may not seem like a big deal to some, but it should. The choices we make today effect the children of today and tomorrow. By cutting back teacher salaries, eliminating teachers from our schools, removing extracurricular activities such as art, music and gym programs, decreasing bus routes, cutting sports programs, and foreign programs, it only means we aren’t fighting hard enough to keep them in tact. Our class rooms are already over-populated with each one having approximately 30 students to one teacher, so if you think the quality of their education isn’t hurting now, wait until you see mixed aged classes, or rooms with 30-45 students to one teacher. Mixed-aged classes are what they are planning to do with a select number of students from the third and forth grade in my childrens school. They are going to mix them together for specific classes to help with the budget recovery process. As a parent, no, I am not happy about this type of learning. Students need individual attention, they need to be able to connect personally with their educators, they need to have gym class (especially with childhood obesity at its highest), they need to have their souls nurtured with creativity, art and music, and they need it all to succeed in the 21st century and to help keep America competitive.

The good news is that an education amendment has been added to the pending jobs bill in Congress, which will help schools avoid such drastic cuts. I am asking that you help me get the word out. We need to be one voice telling Congress to pass the Education Jobs Fund. We must let our congressional representatives know how we feel about children’s education as well as support our teachers! Ask your community to take action now because next week maybe too late! Have them go to http://www.capwiz.com/nea/issues/alert/?alertid=15045411&type=co to forward a letter directly to their representative to have their voices heard. More information on this important legislation can be found at http://www.educationvotes.nea.org.

It’s time to fight for the educational experience that our children deserve!

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I love my Celebrity Magazines!

Apr 7, 2010 by BabySwags

If anyone knows me, they know I love my celebrity magazines!  They are a part of my family…a part of my life, a part of my business and what I do for my clients, so it is only obvious that I have a fond appreciation for them.  It is with great pleasure for me to share news about them and for them.  With that said, Life & Style Weekly is debuting it’s new celebrity columns!

Check this out:

• Reality TV mom KRIS JENNER to join as Life & Style’s advice columnist
• EVA LA RUE’s wedding diary
• WENDY WILLIAMS’ new column “Wendy Williams Gets the Last Word”

Englewood Cliffs, NJ (April 7, 2010) —  Life & Style Weekly today announces the launch of three celebrity columns in its latest issue, on newsstands now.

Keeping up with the Kardashians’ matriarch Kris Jenner will join Life & Style as the magazine’s advice columnist.  In her column, “Ask Kris”, the reality TV star and mom of six will tackle readers toughest questions about life, love, family and more! Also debuting in this week’s issue, CSI: Miami’s Eva La Rue shares her journey to the alter with her weekly wedding diary; and veteran columnist Wendy Williams is back – and bigger than ever – with her new full-page column, “Wendy Williams Gets the Last Word.”

A look at Life & Style’s new columns:

·       ASK KRIS: Kris Jenner, America’s favorite mom and star of Keeping up with the Kardashians, debuts her new advice column, “Ask Kris.”  The mom of six will bring her life experiences –  raising the Kardashian clan and guiding Kim, Khloé and Kourtney’s careers – to the pages of Life & Style as she weighs in on readers toughest problems about life, love, relationships, family and more. This week in “Ask Kris,” Kris Jenner gives her advice about chatty ex-boyfriends and shares her preventative skin care tips.

·       EVA’S WEDDING DIARY: CSI: Miami actress and bride-to-be Eva La Rue is getting married and bringing Life & Style readers along every step of the way!  Eva will share each magical moment in her weekly wedding diary as she plans her big day – from dress shopping and picking out her cake to inside her bridal shower and beachy destination wedding.

·       WENDY WILLIAMS GETS THE LAST WORD: Life & Style “Side Dish” columnist Wendy Williams is back – and bigger than ever – with her new weekly column, “Wendy Williams Gets The Last Word.” Host of the nationally syndicated program, The Wendy Williams Show, Wendy shares her no-holds-barred insider perspective on the biggest celebrity news stories of the week beginning with her five point plan to save Sandra Bullock! The column will be packed with her outspoken opinions, behind-the-scenes scoop from her hit talk show and Wendy’s juiciest run-ins with the stars!

I personally can’t wait to see what all three have to say every week!  Life & Style’s new columns debut in this week’s issue, on stands now!

Source: Life & Style

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Getting Your Products to Celebrities

Oct 14, 2009 by BabySwags

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Inside Out Oreo's

Jul 3, 2009 by Editor

At first I thought this was going to taste nasty but after tasting just one, they have become my new found friend. I was always a huge fan of the Double Stuffed Oreo, but now that I have this new recipe, I can’t but be torn between the two.

Here it goes…I swear you will love them! Please try them and tweet me back with what you think! @Babyswags

One package of regular Oreo cookies
One 8oz package of Philadelphia Cream Cheese
One bag of white chocolate chips

Grind the Oreo cookies into a powdery form with your food processor. (or in a bag and rolling pin)
Let the cream cheese soften.

Blend those two together to form one big ugly black ball of doughy substance.

Put the big ball into the fridge and let it get cold. Once it is firm (not super glue hard, but just enough so it doesn’t fall apart. You want to make little tiny balls about the size of a medium gumball.

Heat up your white chocolate chips. Place them in the microwave but be careful not to over cook it or it will just turn solid as a rock. I separated them into three sections and heated on defrost for 1 minute or so and stirred until it was all melted.

Dip the medium sized ball into the white chocolate and let it cool on wax paper or alum. foil.

From there, once you are done and they are all cooled, place in a container and stick in the fridge.

OMG, they are SO moist and delish! I just know you will love them! In fact, I think I am going to grab a couple right now! YUM!!!

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Tori should make this for Scout's Birthday!

Jul 2, 2009 by Editor

Hi Tori (Spelling), and Guncle Scout! First I have to say, Happy Birthday to you Scout! I saw on twitter that you had asked for us to send you and Tori our favorite recipes for your birthday on July 4th. This is by far my favorite summer, 4th of July recipe and it would be perfect for this celebration! I’m actually making it myself this year so I am all kinds of excited!

It is called Strawberry Pretzel Pie. Here’s the recipe:
Ingredients:
3/4 c. butter
2 c. crushed pretzels
2 c. Cool Whip
6 oz. strawberry Jello
8 oz. cream cheese
1 c. sugar
2 c. water
2 (10 oz.) pkgs. frozen strawberries
First you need to make a crust. For your crust, melt butter in the bottom of 8 x 12 inch baking dish. Stir in crushed pretzels. Spread evenly and pack in bottom of dish. Bake it at 350 degrees for 10 minutes, then let it cool.

Your First Layer consists of blending the cream cheese and sugar together. Fold in the Cool Whip topping. Spread mixture evenly over cooled crust. Refrigerate for about 30 minutes.

Your second layer consists of dissolving the strawberry Jello in 2 cups boiling water. Then add frozen strawberries and allow to jell slightly. Pour the mixture on top of cream cheese mixture. Blend it and refrigerate.

Whala! It’s done and is the Bestest ever!!! Happy Birthday and Happy 4th!

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