These cute little critters can help make feeding time a bit easier for the new mom or dad who may just need that extra hand (and who doesn’t?).

How?

These “snugglers” support the bottle on it’s own while you hold baby, or even while baby sits in the stroller. Perfect for all you multitasking moms, or for parents of multiples who definitely need that extra hand!

Plus, babies love them because they also crinkle and squeak. Cozy and fun!

You can choose from the Cuddly Cow, Charming Teddy Bear, Pinky Pig or Precious Puppy.

Special offer: Cradle readers will receive 10% off all products (and free shipping, too!). Use coupon code: Cradle10.

To purchase, visit Bottle Snugglers.

But best of all – it’s easier than you’d think! Here are some ‘real-mom’ palate pleasing recipes that will get your baby on right the track to eating well…

{Baby Food Recipes}

We’re discovering some of the best and most creative homemade baby food recipes.

That’s right – even though you may not have your own cooking show on the Food Network, we know that feeding your baby delicious and nutritious food is a priority.

We want you to dazzle us with your culinary creativity by sharing your favorite baby food recipe… or create a brand new one for us!

So, what’s in it for you? The chance to win a Beaba Babycook.

Trust us – even if you’re sleep deprived, juggling one or more babies, and can barely make something for yourself to eat, this food maker makes mealtimes uber-easy and convenient. Baby food is steamed, cooked, blended, defrosted or warmed in a flash! (We’re talking less than 15 minutes.) Plus, it looks great on your kitchen counter. Can’t beat that.

So, open up your recipe box and start sharing…

{Enter to Win}

This promotion will run from 9/16/09 – 9/20/09. Drawing date: Monday, 9/21/09. One winner will be notified on Monday, 9/21/09. See official rules.

(Not yet a culinary baby food-making whiz, but want to be? Visit The Cradle’s How to Make Homemade Baby Food.)

GIVEAWAY HAS CLOSED

Vincent Shoes are adorable, fun and funky footwear for babies and toddlers.  We are huge fans here at The Cradle. From rainboots to sneakers to dress shoes, you’ll find everything those little feet may need!

Boon knows how to make everyday items look so appealing and stylish. Colorful, creative – talk about intelligent design!

For more information, visit…

{Membership Giveaway}

This organic baby food is so fresh and delicious – we are seriously crushing on its vibrant, rich colors and creative combinations. (Our Cradle food tester, six-month old Piper, went nuts over it!)

They offer a seasonal menu so you know that you’re your little one is eating the freshest fruits and veggies available. From their basics (Sweet Potato Puree) to their blends (Pear-Kiwi-Apricot Puree… yum) to food for tots (Oven Roasted Turkey Meatballs), your baby’s belly will be quite happy.

And how about this for convenience for the busy mom – they ship directly to your door in eco-friendly insulated containers over dry ice. Food can be kept in the freezer for up to 3 months. Love that!

Special Offer: Cradle readers will receive a 15% discount on all orders of $30 or more until the end of April.

{Get Your Coupon Code}

Current Crush: Stride Rite Shoes. Love their new spring baby styles! (Seriously, what’s more adorable than itty-bitty baby shoes?)

For the month of February, Cradle readers will receive $5 off all Stride Rite shoes. Sweet!

And, here’s a tip: The coupon code is good for their shoes on sale, too (some styles are 50% off)… so you’ll get more bang for your buck!

For the coupon code, visit…

{The Cradle Deals & Discounts}

Rachel Sarnoff is an environista who wants to help you shrink your carbon footprint (from an Ugg boot to a Manolo!) through daily eco-friendly fashion, beauty, parenting and lifestyle tips at EcoStiletto.

Cradle note: Check out EcoStiletto this month – they’re giving away a free pair (or pairs) of eco-friendly shoes worth $500 or more each and every month in 2009!

So, what’s Rachel currently crushing on? (You can count on it being eco-friendly!)

• Green Babies Organic Cotton Baby and Children’s Clothing

I’d love to dress all three of my children—all the world’s children, frankly—in organic cotton. The production of conventional cotton dumps a whole bunch of unnecessary pesticides and insecticides into the Earth, not to mention the residual chemicals that stay on the fabrics, which we put next to our little ones’ bodies. But organic cotton products tend to be more expensive than their conventional cousins, and with the amount of buying I have to do to keep my kids clothed, it can be prohibitive. Enter Green Babies, which has been providing affordably priced, fair-wage, American made, organic cotton clothing for babies and kids for so long it practically created the market.  You can’t get much greener than that.

• Robbie Adrian Luxury Organics Blankets

These butter-soft blankies are made in the U.S. with 100-percent certified organic cotton fleece or velour, available in a brilliant array of colors created by low-impact, heavy-metal free dyes. And best of all, they’re machine washable – with eco-friendly laundry soap, of course.

• Plum Organics Kids Meals

I’m all for creating healthy meals from locally sourced foods that I found at the farmer’s market. But most days, dinnertime involves finding the fastest way to get healthy food on the table and into my kids’ mouths before we jump back onto the Habitrail of baths, books and bed. So I was overjoyed to see Plum Organics – which I knew for their frozen baby food – jump in to the realm of packaged meals for kids, giving me an extra option in the freezer when I’ve run out of time or inspiration. Do not mistake Plum Organics Kids meals for the TV dinners Grandma served up when you were a child. These are organic, healthy meals, heavy on the vegetables and low in sodium and fat, but yummy enough to have your kids asking for seconds. In which case, you can open another box.

• Anti-Body Fair Trade Free Range Bath Fizzers

These round little balls of fun fizz up when they hit the water, infusing it with fair trade-sourced shea butter and essential oils, letting you clean up your kids stealth-style while they’re busy having fun chasing the bubbler around the bath. What’s more fair than that?

• Q Collection Junior Formaldehyde-Free Nursery Furniture

You agonize over the car seat and whether or not to vaccinate. You buy chlorine-free diapers and swaddle in organic cotton. But the place that you think is safest may be the most dangerous of all: Your baby’s bedroom. Formaldehyde, which has been identified by the EPA as a carcinogen, is widely used in children’s furniture that’s made with plywood, particleboard, paint and wood glue. I wish I’d known this when I was buying furniture for my little ones, because I would have chosen piece by Q Collection Junior, which produces zero-to-low VOC, formaldehyde-free furniture, and also considers the environmental impact of its production. They buy 85% of their sustainably harvested wood from responsibly managed forests within 100 miles of their production facilities and 100% within 500 miles. Their door handles and drawer pulls are made from Tagua nut wood sustainably harvested and fair trade produced in the Central and South American rain forest. They are founding members of The Sustainable Furniture Council (SFC) and have Forest Stewardship Council chain-of-custody certification. And they donate to 1% for the Planet. Did I happen to mention that their furniture happens to be ridiculously cute, too?

• Beyond Learning Pick-Up Words Eco-Friendly Game

Remember pick-up sticks? That game with the multicolored straws that your brother always cheated at? Now Beyond Learning, which manufactured the world’s first eco-friendly games back in 2006, has transformed this family favorite into a reading readiness game for preschoolers. Created from eco-friendly, sustainable bamboo, the Pick-Up Words sticks are veggie-ink printed with rainbow colors and basic, non-phonetic sight words like “write,” “friend” and “these” that kids need to master in order to read. Easy to stow in a backpack or bag, the game comes in a tube made from recycled and FSC (Forest Stewardship Council) certified paper and formaldehyde-free glue and printed with vegetable inks. The game is perfect to play with parents (or older siblings, providing they stay honest).

Anything that marries earth-friendly and kid-friendly items together, and does it in a cute way, gets my vote.

Newly launched in December, this online store is all about providing a selection of thoughtfully selected, toxin-free, and all-natural items for your little ones.

Right now they mostly offer toys, lotions & potions, and feeding items, but in the next couple of months they’ll continue to add clothing, bibs, diapers, mattresses and all other kinds of baby necessities.

So, if your resolution is to go a little bit more “green” in 2009, why not start shopping here.

{Greeno Bambino}

All of their super-soft products are created with 100% organic cotton, made from sustainable and natural materials. And the colors are so rich and beautiful – Kiwi, Pomegranate, Blueberry, Clementine… yum.

Among my faves…

Encore Bib – I love the idea behind this bib: It has two layers. So, you can easily snap off the topper when it gets too messy during meal times and snap on a new clean one. Ideal for when you’re out and about.

Bottle Cozy – Like a traditional tea cozy, it keeps your baby’s bottle warm longer. We often get my daughter’s bottle ready before her bath, so by the time she is cleaned, dressed and ready for bed, her milk has lost it’s warm edge. Now, this little number will help keep the temperature just right for her.

Playtime Wrap – When you’re just hanging around the house with a little one, there’s really no need to get your baby all dolled up. This wrap is simple, soft, and it gives them enough room to move and play. Plus, this is a great newborn gift to give as it makes diaper changes super easy. (They even have a cozy one made with terry cloth for bath time.)

Now, they’re representing two new products that I’m totally crushing on: The lillebaby EveryWear carrier and Babycook, the Original Babyfood Maker by Beaba.

Crush #1: I love the ergonomic design of the lillebaby EveryWear. It rides just right on my hips and evenly distributes my baby’s weight, so I can “wear” her for longer periods without feeling a strain in my shoulders or my back. Right now I can only wear her facing me, but eventually she’ll be able to ride forward facing, on my back, or on my hip. Dig those options! Plus, the EveryWear is JPMA certified and meets all the ASTM standards for a soft infant carrier, so you know that you and your baby are in good hands.

Crush #2: In a few months, my daughter will start to eat solids… and I’m all over this Babycook food maker. I admit that with my son, I never got into making homemade baby food. Honestly, I just didn’t feel like dealing with it – it seemed easier to stock up on jars of peas and carrots at the store.

But now considering the economy, not to mention the earth, I want to start making my own baby food in order to save money while cutting down on my carbon footprint by using less jars and packaging. Here’s what I like about this cooker: It works as a steamer, blender, warmer and defroster all in one. Not only is it convenient and compact, it’ll look cute on the counter! And, if I can cut down on things I need to wash, I’m happy. Did I mention that it’s BPA safety-tested, too? Bring on the steamed broccoli!

Cradle Crush Note: Now until December 19th, Cradle readers can receive a 20% discount on these products (even their Svan Scooters!) at Scandinavian Child. Be sure to use the coupon code Cradle20 at checkout.