Nature's Simple Blends Organic Baby Food

An in depth talk with Katie Dowd, creator of Nature's Simple Blends
Written by: Glenda Propst of RegardingNannies.com
*After you read the great article, please see information below about the Give Away sponsored by RegardingNannies!

When you think of Organic baby food with no additives or preservatives it sounds simple but if it's so simple, why isn't organic baby food easier to find?
There is a good reason so few companies offer these products. The process of becoming USDA Certified Organic is labor intensive, difficult and often frustrating.

• You must find a supplier that follows all of the USDA National Organic Program (NOP) guidelines.
  
• There is a mountain of paperwork, specialized training, specified production facilities and inspections from multiple government agencies.

Because this process is so daunting, most companies just give up before achieving the organic certification.
While the certification process is not enjoyable for companies seeking USDA Certified Organic status, it’s great news for consumers. You can be confident that the quality of your food is superior, from the farm all the way to your freezer.

Today I am talking with Katie Johnson Dowd, the creator of Nature's Simple Blends Organic Baby Food. As the mother of 4 Katie knows the importance of offering your children the best and most nutritious foods available. I asked Katie some questions about what set her on this path to opening her own organic baby food company and here are her answers.

Did you make your own baby food with all 4 of your boys?
I made some of the older boys baby food, but I supplemented with the store bought stuff. They weren't real happy when I did that. When the twins were born, I made everything. I started testing different blends that you could not get at the store. I experimented with blends like spinach and broccoli.

When did you decide that it was best to make organic baby food?
I started reading a little bit about organic about 8 yrs ago, but the produce was pretty scarce, so our family went completely organic about 3 yrs ago, when the twins started eating baby food and the produce was more readily available.

What made you decide to make organic baby food for your children?
I started doing research on organic baby food and found that there are not many options out there. There is one brand that you can get at the grocery store, but a lot of things had been recalled for botulism. And with the suggestion of my sister Donna, I knew that I could offer a much safer, tastier and healthier method to feed the little ones for the St. Louis area.

Did you see changes in your children when you starting feeding them organic foods? I didn't see any changes in my kids because of organic per say, but I felt better because I knew that my kids were eating food with out chemicals. I think that the benefits will be seen in the long run.

Why do you think organic is important?
I think that organic is important because we get so many chemicals in our bodies from so many places, like our houses, the air, the water, medicine etc., the last thing that we need is to get it from our food. Why put chemicals, hormones, additives and preservatives in our bodies when we don't fully know what they will do or how they will effect us in the future. I refuse to put my family at risk from the things that I can control.

What else do you want to share with us about your business and why is organic worth it?
With our baby food at Nature's Simple Blends, when the product is Apples and Pears, that is what you get. Nothing else is added!! The ingredients for each product are listed right on our website so that you can see for yourself exactly what goes into them.

Our blends are steamed soft, then pureed, then flash frozen to maintain the highest nutritional content. The store brands are heated to extremely high temperatures for canning and then much of the nutritional content is lost. We have over 35 different blends of fruits and vegetables to introduce the little ones into the world of solid food.

We take every precaution to make sure that our parents receive the best product available. Another perk to Nature's Simple Blends is that we hand deliver to your door.
Today's moms are very busy. We thought that this door to door delivery method would make feeding their little ones safe, healthy,organic baby food more convenient.

Is organic baby food only for babies?
No, it's not just for babies. It's also for people on a soft solid diet like the elderly and people who have had weight loss surgery. I have even had some interest from someone who was a body builder who needed some extra calories to add to his oatmeal at breakfast. I have found that there are times in everyones’ lives when they need to be on a soft food or pureed food diet for one reason or another. Our blends taste so good that even the grown ups enjoy them.

Katie is the mom of 4 little boys: Shannon age 8, Karter age 6, Aiden age 3, Jace, age 3 (twins)

NannyMall will have a Registration Page on their website, NannyMall.com, that families can enter to win one of two great cases of Organic Baby Food. The contest will begin July 15th, watch for additional information on KSDK's Channel 5 show, Mom's Like Me at 7pm July 15th. Ends Aug 15th, 2010 and winners will be chosen by Random.org and is sponsored by RegardingNannies.com!
Glenda says: If you visit RegardingNannies.com, leave a comment on RegardingNannies' blog and if you are a winner of the Give Away, you will win something extra!

10 ways for Nanny to feel welcome in your home.

Nannies are people, not superheros........sounds like a "duh" statement I know, but did you know there are people who think Nannies are impervious to "normal, everyday life" because they are employed to work with children.......you know, the children that may have gotten an early call on their life to throw a tantrum at every "no?"

While "she" may be a "hero" in our eyes from time to time because she got Trevor to eat his broccoli or got Elle to clean up her toys without a promise of a treat, she's just doing her job.......but let me re-phrase, she sees it more than "just a job." Nanny chose to watch your children. She wants to help your children learn & grow. She wants to help you by helping them.

So here are 10 ways you can make your new Nanny feel welcome ---because she chose your family just as much as you chose her.

1. Make or buy a "welcome home" card. Even if she's not a live-in Nanny, she will be employed within your home, so a welcome home card is totally fitting. If children are of age to help, perhaps have them make it.

2. Find out what foods/snacks she likes and stock your pantry/fridge with her favorites.

3. Introduce her to your extended family so when you are talking with her about them, she knows of whom you are referring and will feel attached to the conversation.

4. Share with her your favorite lunch spots and offer to pay for her lunch a couple of times a month, she will feel included in "your life."

5. Encourage her to join a Nanny Support Group. They are essential in Nanny's life as it offers an outlet to speak with other professional Nannies about the daily experiences.

6. Show her you value her by remembering her birthday and anniversaries. Have the children make cards and/or presents.

7. Immediately include her in parenting decisions so she's always on the same page, you will gain her gratitude.

8. Speak to her as you would a good friend. She will always remain the professional and not take advantage of your kind words.

9. When you see your Nanny stepping out and really going above and beyond, reward her for it.

10. Always, always, always, talk with her about your concerns away from the children. She will be very thankful for your decision to do so.

Most of all.......let her know what a huge help she is to you and your family!

A brief and insightful talk with Glenda Propst, Nanny extraordinaire!

NannyMall, llc talks with Glenda Propst about changes in the Nanny Industry

Agency: When you did you begin your Nanny profession?

Glenda: In 1984 I was a live in nanny, worked a 12 hour day and 1/2 day on Saturday. I cared for a newborn, 12 and 14 year old. My responsibilities were mostly caring for the baby, the baby’s laundry, activities, grocery shopping , supervising the teenagers and transporting them where they needed to go. I had 2 weeks vacation, one week of my choice and one of theirs, health insurance and grossed $250 a week.

Agency: Flash forward 15 years into your career and please share the duties, wages and benefits.

Glenda: Fifteen years into my career I worked about 40 hours a week, I was provided a car, reimbursed for mileage, and even though my work agreement stated 2 weeks of vacation I usually ended up getting about 6 weeks vacation. I can't really remember how much my salary was at this point but I want to say it was about $12 an hour. At this point I had a 2 year old and she kept me busy and on the run all day long. I picked the older child up after school and supervised homework etc.

I am still with the same family and my job changed dramatically as my kids got older. Now I work about 25 hours a week and about 8 of those I work from home doing things for the mom on the computer. My duties are less child care related and more household manager related. The parents and I have a very good relationship and we ebb and flow with each other. My hours are 7:30-5:30 but on my long days I will often work from home until about 9 or 10, and then run errands on way to work and be there for the kids when they get home from school to transport them to music lessons, playdates, supervise homework or just hang out with them.

Flexible hours are not something that I recommend but if my boss asks me to stay later and get dinner for the kids, I am always willing to do that. My employers have always been so respectful of me and always allowed me to have a life beyond my job.

When you choose to stay with a family long term, you have to be willing to go with the flow of the changes in your work schedule and the changes in what your family needs most. Now beyond laundry my duties are grocery shopping , errands, and organizing family photos. Getting the photos off the camera and getting them uploaded to an online site and burned to disc.

Photos are very important to my employers and in the digital age with 3 cameras in the family in addition a DVD recorder, it takes a lot of time to make sure these important documents are taken care of. I also research camps and classes for my younger charge and try to encourage her creativity by planning lots of fun art projects and activities.

My employers have always made a point of compensating me. In the past I have talked to nannies who say that their salary caps out but my employers are very good to me and make sure that I am compensated the same as I would be if I had left them and started over with a new family.

One thing that I will say is that I think employers realize that nannies are not maids or housekeepers. Nannies care for children, and maids mop floors. If you want someone to take care of and nurture your child, hire a nanny. If you want someone to take care of your house hire a maid. If you hire one person to do 2 jobs they will do one thing well and one thing not so well and you should only want the best for your child.

Agency: Where do you see the Nanny industry headed in the next decade?

Glenda: In the next decade I think we will start to see the impact the generation of children raised by nannies has had. I think that people will finally start to view nannies more as professionals and realize that the women in this profession are educated, articulate and passionate about what they do. There have been so many misconceptions about nannies over the years via books, movies and media and I hope that some of the public education will start to pay off.


Glenda Propst has been a professional nanny for 25 years.
She is a founding board member of INA. She was the 1991 INA Nanny of the Year and was one of the 3 Co Founders of the now defunct National Association of Nannies.After working as a Child Care Center Director for 9 years she attended the St. Louis Child Day Care Associations Nanny Training Program and has worked with 2 local families. The first for 8 years and the second for 17 years. She is a member of The Regarding Nannies Development Team with Alice Shaffer and Kellie Geres.


Thank you Glenda, for your wisdom and constant support! The Nanny Industry wouldn't be where is it without you!

Thank you all who supported the BabyKid Expo on 4/10!

The BabyKid Expo was a great success! There were nearly 3000 people who attended and the best part was, there were approx. 280 that received info about our services!
Thanks to all of you that came by and registered and took time to talk with us about our services, we look forward to working with you! We also met some really great potential Nannies! :-)

We're hopeful you check this blog often because there will be some great savings posted from time to time! And/or find us on Facebook @ NannyMall St Louis

The really big news is: Paula S. entered and won the Family Membership to the St. Louis ZOO and she won a 40$ gift certificate she can use towards our services! Yay Paula!

NannyMall Nannies really helped pull this off and we're so appreciative!

Nanny and Health Insurance - Do they really need it?

I turned on the news this morning as I always do just to have "background noise" and they (Today Show) were in the middle of am interview with a Nanny that saved her charge from a house fire.

There she sat in a wheelchair, R hand and both feet burned and wrapped. Child she saved sitting there along side of her, tearful but thankfully okay, and the Dad/her Employer there too, humbled by her actions.

The interviewer said a couple of things that made me cringe:

#1 "The firefighters estimated the fire to be 400 degrees, you didn't have shoes on, you went in anyway and saved him (boy)."

#2 "You don't have insurance so you're not sure how you are going to pay your hospital bills."
Nanny agreed, doesn't have insurance and not sure what she's going to do.

Dad/Employer stated that he's lost his home and that since Nanny is now part of the family, he has to find a home suitable for his family and Nanny.
Commendable....however Nanny has no insurance and cannot work because she cannot walk nor use her R hand. Had Employer picked up a cheap policy, even maybe a policy for Hospitalization, Nanny's burden would be lightened.

So the question is: Should Nannies have health insurance provided by their Employers?

The resounding answer is YES.

If you are a Nanny and are in a FT/PT permanent position, insurance should be negotiated with your Employer before signing the Agreement.
If you're comfortable with using the internet and you need insurance quotes to have a starting point, you can google "health ins quotes." It's not recommended to fill out a webpage with all your info to wait for a quote...they'll just bug you, find a link that you can get it immediately.
Or go here: http://www.eisenbergassociates.com/

Take your quote info to your Employer, talk with them, hopefully they're open to paying the entire monthly bill, if not, then get them to agree with paying for 3/4 or 1/2 of the monthly invoice.

Give them the whole picture.........you are there for their child(ren), if you fall ill or have a debilitating accident, who's going to help their family, who's going to help you?

NannyMall is committed to all Nannies and their well-being. Nannies play an intricate role in family's lives, let's give them the respect and insurance they deserve.

In Our Own Words

Why should families use a Nanny Agency? Doesn't it cost too much? What is the Agency's role? How do families benefit when using an Agency? Why can't families just use an inexpensive online Nanny locator?


Why should families use a Nanny Agency?
The use of an Agency cuts down your time spent looking for childcare. A dedicated Agency will take the time to learn your needs, spend time going over your family application, making sure nothing is overlooked or forgotten.

Agencies should and will match criteria between both the family app and the Nanny app, cutting out the Nannies families wouldn't even consider. Agencies contact Nanny's references, eliminating "phone tag" for the families.

Doesn't it cost too much?
Some Agencies charge Registration and then a flat Agency Placement Fee only after Nanny is hired. NannyMall's Fees can be found on the website. (NannyMall charges a flat fee)

Though most Agencies charge a Registration Fee and a percentage of the Nanny's Annual Gross once placement is confirmed. For example: Nanny's Annual Gross Pay is $28,000. That's a placement fee of $2800. (plus Registration)

The fees we are discussing are for permanent placement; the fees for On-call Nannies are relatively inexpensive! They can range from $12 to $25 per on-call placement.

What is the Agency's role?
Agencies are to provide excellent services to families in need of experienced childcare. They are there to walk you through the process of hiring the very best Nanny for your family. The family has unbiased people, aka the agency, to discuss each Nanny's portfolio should the decision become difficult. i.e. we're your sounding board! :-)


How do families benefit when using an Agency?
1. They have a knowledgeable staff to help guide them.
2. They know the ins and outs of hiring a Nanny.
3. They perform the interviews, backgrounds, reference checks.
4. They work side by side with Household Tax specialists. (who can teach the family how to pay Nanny legally AND help save on their taxes!)
5. They provide forms that help smooth out the hiring. (less confusion when there's a family-nanny agreement in place)
6. Most importantly your Nanny Placement Agency is there to help and encourage you through
the entire process so that the very best Nanny is found for your children.

Why can't families just use an inexpensive online Nanny locator?
They can....but there are many Agencies that would discourage that process and here are a couple of reasons why: Agencies screen potential Nannies with many methods: application, face to face interviews, reference cks, background checks, personal character references, etc.... Should any of those come up as a negative, Nanny isn't used within the Agency.

Some of these Nannies that have been turned away from an Agency will turn to an online Nanny placement service. And there's a real good chance they won't tell you why they were turned away from an Agency, nor is it probable the family will even know to ask if Nanny did apply with an Agency and then ask why she isn't with said Agency.

So a local Agency is your first defense in making sure Nanny is who she says she is and really has the experience she says she has.
These are the people that are coming into your home every week and spending time with your precious children and they should be who they say they are. Plain and simple.

Also, I'm not one to use a cliche' but, you get what you pay for......who do you turn to when "hired from the internet Nanny" decides to bail for the day or week or worse yet, totally? Do you have a backup plan/person to take over?
When you use an Agency, the Agency first makes sure Nanny is on the up an up and not only that, they also have meticulously weeded out the "not for us Nanny" and have given you only the best of the best. Not to mention....should the best of the best not feel well one day, Agency has backup Nannies that can be called out to help!

A call to your local Agency is the first step a family should take when hiring childcare.
Although, it is true that you can find great help online....Agencies just make it easier.

These are but a handful of Why's w/the questions answered....written in Our Own Words.

NannyMall is local to St. Louis and St. Charles, MO and offers many services to meet your childcare needs.