Our 13-month-old daughter is not necessarily a picky eater, but she is a distracted eater. She’d much rather laugh, play, explore, and watch everybody else at the table than actually eat herself.

Besides finding creative ways to deal with the many diversions in the great wondrous world around her, we struggle with deciding what exactly to feed her. After all, foods have to be diced, chopped, peeled, or cooked just right – to prevent choking hazards and to allow for easy do-it-yourself feeding. Plus, if we happen to have a “liquid” meal or side dish (think: soup, stew, pistachio salad, etc.), we actually have to feed it to her since she doesn’t have the utensil thing down quite yet.

All that to say, it can be very challenging to find easy-to-make, easy-to-eat, and nutritious meals for most toddlers…and our daughter is no exception.

Fortunately, there are knowledgeable people and resources to turn to. Case in point, the Toddler Bistro Box, a “quick and easy guide to healthy feeding, entertaining your toddler, and more!” Written by Christina Schmidt, the handy little box includes Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner, and Snack Recipes…plus, information on food safety, important nutrients, and best brand name food products.

The cards are sturdy, colorful, and very handy (and they come in an attractive and modern little box) – it’s very much like a recipe box in that you can simply grab the card you want and go grocery shopping!

Stay tuned for fantastic recipe ideas for toddlers (I’ll post one on Thursday, along with the contest winner). In the meantime, head on over to Baby Bistro Brands to purchase your own box and/or to sign up for “Christina’s Happenings Helpings,” a free monthly e-newsletter.

OR if you have a little one on the way (or in your arms), enter to win Schmidt’s original creation, the Baby Bistro Box, “a complete guide to healthy feeding for your baby.” The BBB is for the 0-12 month age range.

WIN IT! Win the Baby Bistro Box by posting a comment and your e-mail address on this post by Wednesday, October 31st, at midnight. The winner will be contacted by e-mail on Thursday, November 1st. *UPDATE* Winner will need to provide a U.S. mailing address.

Enter a photo of your little guy or gal….and he/she might just turn up on Fisher-Price packaging or a catalog page.

From the website:
“All you need to do is enter by November 30, 2007, and you could be one of 3 randomly selected winners. Winners will receive a 4 day/3 night trip for four (4) to Fisher-Price headquarters in East Aurora, N.Y., for a photo shoot by one of our professional baby photographers. ($6,000 approx. retail value)“

Enter for a chance to win $4,250 cash, your Mom & Baby photo on the pack of 2008 White Cloud products, or a $100 WalMart gift card in White Cloud’s Mom & Baby Moments Contest. Entrants must submit a photo & essay of 250 words or less about their favorite mom and baby moment. The deadline is December 31st.

Send your favorite Halloween photos or video footage to Luvs for your chance to win a trip for four to Walt Disney World or a DVD camcorder. The deadline to enter is November 6, 2007.

Your child could be the next GAP model!

Finalists will receive:

• A trip to San Francisco for a Gap photo shoot
• A babyGap or GapKids wardrobe
• A KODAK Gallery prize package
• A children’s book collection courtesy of O, The Oprah Magazine
• The chance to see their photo in Gap store windows across the country

The deadline to submit your photo is October 24, 2007.

Ok, she really doesn’t. But she could. Yours probably could too. If you wanted your baby in the limelight, that is.

We just got a casting call announcement from the Great American Model and Talent Search. They’re searching for babies and kids, 3 months old and up, for television commercials, print ads, and movies.

So I thought about it. I’m not a big fan of beauty pageants for little girls, but it might be a fun memory to see my baby in a Huggies commercial or on a Gerber product. Might is the key word. Something about it feels a little suspicious.

I’d like to hear your opinion. Have you ever entered your baby in a photo contest, pageant, or model/talent search? Was your experience positive or negative? What do you think about GAMTS?

P.S. Here’s another “limelight” opportunity: enter your baby in Evenflo’s “Baby, You’re a Star” contest. The deadline is Sept. 30!

Walt Disney World® Resort is currently looking for 10-12 moms to become part of a new online forum set to debut in January 2008. This new team will be invited to share views of their own Walt Disney World® vacation experiences, as they answer questions and provide advice to families planning a trip to Walt Disney World® Resort.