I got a press release today about an interesting contest (grant) for innovative moms. Here’s the official release:

This Mother’s Day, May 11, Whirlpool brand will kick-off the fourth annual Mother of Invention Grant Program – just in time for the 100th anniversary of Mother’s Day. In the past three years, Whirlpool brand has recognized and helped more than 15 moms turn their innovative ideas into reality.

The Whirlpool brand Mother of Invention Grant Program provides seed money and expert guidance to moms to turn their invention, business or service ideas into full-fledged businesses. Contest winners receive:

• A $20,000 grant for the grand prize winner
• $24,000 in grant money for the four runners-up
• Appliance prizes
• Invitation to business boot camp where winners will receive guidance from Whirlpool and industry experts

This year, we are greening the program by adding a new category focused on moms who create an environmentally friendly product/service or use natural/recycled materials to create their invention.

More information and entry forms can be found at www.whirlpool.com/moms, May 11. Entries are accepted through July 31, 2008.

Last year’s grand prize winner “created the Quick Change Crib, which gives parents direct access to the crib’s mattress so that sheets can be changed simply by sliding the mattress out and back into the crib.” Sounds pretty cool.

Maybe the invention you keep telling your husband about could be next.

Related:

• Read about the grant here.
• See the list of past winners.

I’ve been concentrating on financial and estate planning lately — something that’s been long overdue. I think that women tend to put this kind of planning in the background or let our husbands take care of it. It’s hard to deal with, but must be done.

Lately, I’ve heard of some women who have had serious set backs, to say the least — relatively young spouses who’ve died and some single moms who have had medical issues that require them to be out of work. Who’se got you back in these situations? Do you have family you can rely on? Good friends who could be there for you in a pinch? Are you prepared legally for these type of situations?

Evey woman needs to have legal papers that state who her children would go to in the event she dies as well as who would care for her should she become incapacitated. Remember the now-famous case of Terry Schiavo? She was married, but had no living will and became a case for the courts — her husband and her parents battling out for what was “best for her.” Don’t leave these decisions up to your family members or your friends — make them now, while you are able.

Related:

• Balancing Motherhood’s financial posts.
• How to prepare a living will.

I’m always looking for things to do with my son and recently found a Web site that is dedicated to telling people about sites that offer free stuff for kids. It has a lot of downloadables: Coloring pages, printable play money and alphabet tracing sheets — just to name a few.

I also found a clever page on the site called, “101 Things To Do with Kids.”

Be sure to spend some time here: You’ll find lots of activities that you can entertain your child with — and he/she may learn something along the way.

I found an excellent article called “The Guilty Mom Entrepreneur,”on the struggles that entrepreneur moms face (or any working mother) with trying to balance work, life and some type of career or job. The article mentnons the book: Mommy Guilt: Learn to Worry Less, Focus on What Matters Most and Raise Happier Kids, which highlights seven points for “guilt-free mommy-living”:

1. You must be willing to let some things go.
2. Parenting is not a competitive sport.
3. Look toward the future and at the big picture.
4. Learn when and how to live in the moment.
5. Get used to saying “yes” more often and being able to defend your “no.”
6. Laugh a lot, especially with your children.
7. Set aside a specific time to have fun as a family.

Kind of matches a post I read the other day, “Live Like a Toddler: Six Ways to Change Your Life,” from the “Catch Your Breath Blog.” Karen Murphy outlines six key concepts that toddlers do instinctively that we can all do in our daily lives to make things a bit easier. One of my favorite pieces of toddler advice is number 5 on her list: “let someone help you.” Most Moms I know try to do it all and we need to stop and ask for help when we need it. Read all of Karen’s post here.

My friend, Andrea, recently threw a baby shower for her sister and used a unique activity to help fill the time: onsie painting. She bought a few packages of plain white onsies and supplied fabric pens and stencils. All of the onsies got painted and everyone had a great time.

Fabric pens and stencils to paint the onsies.

It helps they know the name of the baby.

Here’s my favorite … the diaper cake. I first heard of diaper cakes from Sex and the City. These things are expensive if you buy them pre-made, but Andrea shows one here that you can do it yourself and have it look great!

There are a ton of ways to organize and decorate a diaper cake, but this shows the beauty in the simplicity of flowers and elegant ribbon. Next time you have to host a baby shower, think of something unexpected. Below are some sites that might help in your planning.

Photos courtesy Andrea Morhack.

Related:

• Free baby shower games
• Planning a baby shower
• How to make a diaper cake video
• Baby shower FAQ