A Nanny For U offers full-time or temporary nannies, postpartum doulas, housekeepers, and household managers. All candidates are screened.

Baby Diaper Service, formerly known as Pure and Natural Diaper Service, has been in business in the Seattle area for more than 60 years. It washes only diapers (no hospital linens), uses natural soaps, and sanitizes diapers to hospital standards. No need to rinse or soak - just toss used diapers in the pail.

Diapers come in seven sizes, for children two to 48 pounds. Newborns have a choice of fitted diapers with snap closures or the traditional flat model. Diaper wraps, rubber pants, and pins are also available for purchase.

Baby Diaper Service's Premier Service includes choice of diaper style, choice of diaper pail design, and twice-weekly pickup and delivery. You don't have to sign up for a minimum number of weeks - a fine feature for those who are on the fence about not using disposables.

Baby Diaper Service's service area extends from Olympia to Bellingham, and North Bend to Poulsbo.

Screened babysitters over the age of 25 come to your home or hotel through this convenient greater Seattle area service - just call with your date and time and a sitter will contact you for driving directions. Sitters are also available for weekend getaways, vacations, and group events. Mother's Helpers are also available.

Callahan Concierge helps busy families simplify their lives. Services include mothers helpers, carpools, errand-running, pet care, and anything else you might need so long as it's legal and ethical. Call the office or visit the website for service requests.

Canape Specialty Chef Services is a Seattle-based company owned and operated by Executive Chef Jay DeLong, offering custom in-home and on-site culinary services.

Care.com is an online service that matches families with caregivers - including babysitters, nannies, pet sitters, dog walkers, tutors, and respite care for seniors.

Families can search Care.com by their zip code or metro area to find listings of caregivers who match their specific needs. Search results include enhanced caregiver profiles - with photos, video interviews, and references - which families can view before contacting a caregiver about a job. Plus, families can request free background checks on any caregiver as part of their monthly membership.

Cookies carries everything you need to bake a batch of everyone's favorite sweet treat from start to finish. Owners Caryn and Betsey have packed the small store with high-quality spices and flavorings; chocolates, dried fruits, and nuts; a well-chosen selection of baking utensils; a wall of cookie cutters; a dazzling selection of colored sugars and sprinkles; and useful sundries like meringue powder and food coloring.

If you have kids at home, you'll find plenty here to please them. The store carries a selection of ginger- and shortbread cookies in seasonal shapes and ready-made royal icing for last-minute cookie decorating sprees. Just grab a couple of small packets of sprinkles and go! Cookie kits, food coloring markers (easy to handle for little hands), children's utensil sets, and tools to make decorating with kids easier (narrow squeeze bottles for icing) are also displayed around the store.

For easy birthday party entertainment, ask about the store's cookie package. Come in and choose a cookie cutter to match your party theme. You'll get back baked cookies, (about three per child), royal icing, and decorating supplies, all packed in a box and ready for decorating.

Cookies also hosts periodic drop-in cookie decorating opportunities for kids (and grownups) during holidays, and seasonal decorating classes - most for adults, but an occasional class for kids - at the store. If you gather up eight or more friends, you can schedule a private decorating class. See our calendar for details, or contact the store.

Dine in Style Catering is a personalized in-home cooking and catering service that has been feeding Seattle and the Eastside since 1985. Families that are too busy to cook can come home to fresh, healthy entrees (chicken and other meats, seafood, or vegetarian are offered), plus side orders and desserts. A menu is posted online. Service is offered on a weekly or bi-weekly basis. Dine in Style shops for the groceries, comes to your home to prepare your selected menu, cleans up, then leaves you with nothing to do but heat and eat your meal.

Dine in Style also offer small scale, on-site catering for special occasions, celebrations, or evenings at home. Gift certificates (think: new parents, thank yous, pampering a loved one) are available.

Dine in Style Catering is a personalized in-home cooking and catering service that has been feeding Seattle and the Eastside since 1985. Families that are too busy to cook can come home to fresh, healthy entrees (chicken and other meats, seafood, or vegetarian are offered), plus side orders and desserts. A menu is posted online. Service is offered on a weekly or bi-weekly basis. Dine in Style shops for the groceries, comes to your home to prepare your selected menu, cleans up, then leaves you with nothing to do but heat and eat your meal.

Dine in Style also offer small scale, on-site catering for special occasions, celebrations, or evenings at home. Gift certificates (think: new parents, thank yous, pampering a loved one) are available.

Edible Life delivers healthy, family-style meals to your home or work. Meals emphasize local, seasonal, and organic ingredients. Menus change weekly and are available online.

We despise the early morning scramble to pull together a healthy, nutritious lunch for the kids when we were too busy (or tired) to do it the night before.

Enter Mighty Munch Meals, a selection of ready-to-eat boxed meals for kids. Each meal limits fat, saturated fat, and sugar content, but includes a tasty selection of protein, grains, and fruit servings. Nothing contains trans fats, high fructose corn syrup, MSG, or artifical flavors/colors. All food items are individually packaged, and nothing requires refrigeration. A fork and wet wipe is included - just grab a drink and go! It passed the parent test with flying colors.

To keep things interesting for kids, meals are packaged in colorful, game-covered recycled cardboard boxes, and include a (healthy) sweet treat and temporary tattoo. How did it fare with the cafeteria crowd? Kids loved the novelty of a lunch in it's own pre-packaged box (it was likened to a healthy version of an unnamed grocery store boxed lunch brand). The selection of included foods in each package gave enough variety for even the pickiest of eaters, and the games and graphics on the box made for an entertaining lunchtime, for our Mighty Munch diners and companions.

Kosher, Halal, and vegetarian selections are available. Our favorite is the JungleMunch version, which includes pretzel crips, creamy veggie cheese dip, organic applesauce, natural trail mix, and honey grahams for dessert.

Formerly a full-service restaurant, Kaspars is now a full-time special events and catering venue. Events take place throughout the year, including a Thanksgiving buffet and Christmas Eve dinner, and children are welcome at many of them.

Kaspars offers cooking camps and periodic cooking classes for kids - check the for event updates or email for notification.

We could all use an extra pair of hands when it comes to keeping up with the house. That's where Maid Brigade comes in, and we're particularly fond of the company's green approach to clean.

The only national residential cleaning company going fully green (by the end of 2007, all franchisees will use the proprietary green service in all customers' homes), Maid Brigade uses solutions certified by Green Seal for a safe and thorough cleaning, and equipment and processes follow many Green Seal standards for cleaning services.

Service packages cover a wide variety of needs, from regular weekly or semi-monthly cleanings to that post-birthday-party scrubdown.

Nanny Pros, Inc is a professional nanny recruiting,
consulting, and training firm, founded by parents for parents who want and expect the best in-home care for their children. Nanny service options include full or part-time, permanent or temporary.

One Hour Parties specializes in kids' parties. Services are provided at your Seattle or Eastisde location or in the One Hour Parties party room in Lake City.

Party options include sundae making kits and The Whole Kit and Kaboodle, which includes the sundae making kit, juice, snacks, party favors, place settings, delivery, and setup. There is a 12 guest minimum.

Busy families can have a box of 100% organic produce delivered to the house. Delivery - weekly or bi-weekly - is free in the Greater Puget Sound area; boxes can be customized to your family's taste (14-16 items per delivery); and recipes are included in every box.

Variety, garden, and juicing boxes are available, as is organic bread and shade-grown coffee. Boxes start at around $30 (depending on prices of produce) and no long-term commitment is required.

The only combined zoo and aquarium in the Northwest, Point Defiance Zoo & Aquarium is large enough to house a variety of animals, but small enough to be accessible to families with small children.

Exhibits include the Asian Forest Sanctuary with eight vanishing Asian species, including tigers and primates and the Rocky Shores/Tundra, with polar bears, Pacific walrus, beluga whale, sea otters, and tufted
puffins. There are two aquariums, one of which features a seahorse
exhibit and also contains trumpetfish, angelfish, and other sea
creatures. Zookeepers regularly offer talks and presentations in the
Wild Wonders Outdoor Theatre.

A new (opened 2005) Kids' Zone, geared for ages three to eight, has play
equipment that mimics the ways different animals move, including an otter slide, a dancing lilypad fountain, goats to feed, animals to groom, and a play
area where kids can pretend to be a veterinarian and zookeeper.

The zoo offers summer and school break camps, sleep-overs, zoo career
days, and programs for families with kids ages three to four and
five to seven.

Catered events are accommodated in a variety of indoor and outdoor
venues. Contact Visitor Services at 253.404.3805. The zoo also has a
gift shop and several places to eat. We like to bring a picnic on nice
days and take in the awesome views of Puget Sound, Mount Rainier, and
the Olympics.

Strollers are available for rent, and parking is free.

SPUD is an online grocery store offering home delivery of a wide array of organic produce and grocery products. Customers can choose produce items individually or order SPUD's Fresh Harvest Box, a variety of organic fruits and vegetables tailored to individual preference. Customers may place a standing order for delivery every week, every two weeks, or every four weeks, and receive a 5% discount on most non-produce items in a standing order. Prices are comparable to brick and mortar grocery stores.

Each local area has a designated weekly delivery day; for example, deliveries to the Eastside are on Thursdays. Deliveries are shipped in a reusable bin and packed with specially designed ice packs and freezer jackets to keep items in top condition. Customers are not required to be home to receive their order, which is delivered to the door or another location specified by the customer and can safely be left unattended for up to eight hours.

There are no membership fees or surcharges to order from SPUD. Delivery is free within the Greater Seattle area for orders over $35, and only $3.50 for orders under $35. SPUD offers a 100% satisfaction guarantee on all items.

We've used the service several times and have been very happy with it.

Sunflower is a local, mother-owned diaper service that offers twice-weekly pick up and delivery of contoured diapers with snaps (no folding or pinning necessary) for children newborn up to 35 lbs. A bucket, deodorant, and pail liner come with the service, and parents have the option to add washable cotton wipes to their order.

The company delivers to North Seattle, from neighborhoods north of the Ship Canal to 130th.

Super Suppers offers Parents Connect Local/GoCityKids readers with a great deal January 5-31, 2009. Buy three regular size entrees, and get one free - a $15 value! Visit our deals page to get the coupon, and save yourself a lot of effort in the kitchen.

Participating Locations:

Alaska


Eagle River

Anchorage


Alabama


Birmingham

Montgomery


Arizona


Gilbert


California


San Jose Almaden

Yorba Linda

Sacramento

Fremont North

Corona

Mission Viejo formerly Laguna Hills

Concord

Brentwood

Millbrae

Culver City

Hawthorne

El Dorado Hills


Colorado


Fort Collins


Delaware


Wilmington


Florida

Jacksonville

Winter Springs

Winter Park

Lake Nona


Georgia


East Cobb

Smyrna

Macon

Iowa


Urbandale


Illinois


Peoria


Kansas


Wichita


Louisiana


Lafayette


Massachusetts


Westborough


Maryland


Crofton

Mount Airy


Michigan


Berkeley

Kalamazoo/Portage

Macomb Township

Midland

Bloomfield Hills

Grosse Pointe


Mississippi


Olive Branch/Southaven


North Carolina


Greensboro

Cary East

Cary South


New Mexico


Albuquerque Uptown

Albuquerque Westside


New York


Perinton

Amherst/Buffalo


Ohio


Avon

New Albany

Concord

Boardman - Canfield

Hilliard

Canal Winchester


Oklahoma


Edmond


Pennsylvania


Harrisburg

Exton

Erie

State College

Scranton


South Carolina


Lexington

Tennessee


Franklin

Bartlett/Wolfchase

Collierville Germantown

Spring Hill


Texas


Plano-East

Rowlett

Ft.Worth-Hulen

Dallas - Lakewood

Amarillo Southwest

San Antonio Stone Oak

San Antonio Huebner Commons

Mansfield

San Antonio Alamo Heights

Austin Anderson Mill

Houston Memorial

SugarLand

Austin/Bee Cave

Allen

Burleson

Tyler

The Woodlands

Coppell


The franchises handle the planning, shopping, chopping, and (if need be) mopping so that families can enjoy chef-designed family meals by ordering in advance or dropping by to pluck something from a Grab 'n' Go freezer.

The menu options vary from month to month. Regular dishes are meant to serve two to three people; full-sized dishes are meant to serve four to six people. Thawing and cooking instructions are included.

Kids under age 12 typically are not allowed to attend regularly-scheduled prep sessions, but some locations offer Kids in the Kitchen programs for ages eight and up, during which children can assemble meals to serve their families. Groups can book private parties to meet their needs.

From an extensive selection of organic veggies, to the whole body section of natural soaps that kids love, Whole Foods offers something for everyone. The salad bar, deli, and bakery are a great places to get something to-go for your family's dinner.

Sample stations throughout the store enable hungry kids (and hungry parents) to graze while they shop.

The market sometimes hosts family events, including a community favorite, the market's annual Earth Day extravaganza.

Check out Whole Food's website, as well. It offers a Health & Wellness section that covers helpful topics like prenatal care and kids' nutrition.

From an extensive selection of organic veggies, to the whole body section of natural soaps that kids love, Whole Foods offers something for everyone. The salad bar, deli, and bakery are a great places to get something to-go for your family's dinner.

Sample stations throughout the store enable hungry kids (and hungry parents) to graze while they shop.

The market sometimes hosts family events, including a community favorite, the market's annual Earth Day extravaganza.

Check out Whole Food's website, as well. It offers a Health & Wellness section that covers helpful topics like prenatal care and kids' nutrition.

From an extensive selection of organic veggies, to the whole body section of natural soaps that kids love, Whole Foods offers something for everyone. The salad bar, deli, and bakery are a great places to get something to-go for your family's dinner.

Sample stations throughout the store enable hungry kids (and hungry parents) to graze while they shop.

The market sometimes hosts family events, including a community favorite, the market's annual Earth Day extravaganza.

Check out Whole Food's website, as well. It offers a Health & Wellness section that covers helpful topics like prenatal care and kids' nutrition.

From an extensive selection of organic veggies, to the whole body section of natural soaps that kids love, Whole Foods offers something for everyone. The salad bar, deli, and bakery are a great places to get something to-go for your family's dinner.

Sample stations throughout the store enable hungry kids (and hungry parents) to graze while they shop.

The market sometimes hosts family events, including a community favorite, the market's annual Earth Day extravaganza.

Check out Whole Food's website, as well. It offers a Health & Wellness section that covers helpful topics like prenatal care and kids' nutrition.