The Eat Sheet Notepad

Price: $10 for a 50-sheet pad.

What it is: A convenient 6- by 9-inch sheet featuring space for you to plot weekly meals and record the groceries necessary to make them.

How it makes your life easier: This nifty pad combines two tasks that are often done separately but make sense to do together. It will keep you from making multiple trips to the grocery store because you forgot the potatoes and corn for the seafood chowder. This is a great budget-saving tool to use on Wednesdays after most of the food sales are announced.

Who would use it: Any busy mother, professional woman or person who plans the meals and shops for groceries.

Where to get it: www.mommytrackd.com. Click on "Shop" and then "The Mommy Track'd Store." (Use the code EAT15 at checkout for 15 percent off all purchases.)

Bridgette A. Lacy

bridgette.lacy@newsobserver.com or (919) 829-8925

A sweet idea

Gotta love a business born to address an unmet need. That's what Yolanda Jones aimed to create with her Sweet Berry Lane stationery line two years ago. The 32-year-old Holly Springs mother noticed a dearth of African-American-themed cards when searching for invitations to her son's first birthday party, so she decided to create her own. Voilà! SBL designs feature African-American characters celebrating important passages including birthdays, graduations, weddings, baby showers, births, house warmings and holidays. SBL also includes a "Unity kids" series of invitations that show characters of three different ethnicities playing together. According to Jones, Sweet Berry Lane has grown into one of the largest online retailers of African-American and multicultural stationery products. SBL products are also available at Just Write Stationery in Cary (286 Grande Heights Drive, 465-2107).

Visit www.sweetberrylane.com to see the entire line or place a custom order. News & Observer readers can get $5 off if their order is placed by June 10. Enter the coupon code SBL-FS-06 at checkout.

Dad's turn to shine

We put the spotlight on moms in last week's Home & Garden with readers' memories of their mothers' favorite things. Now we'd like to hear from you about your father's favorite thing. Maybe he always cut the grass in that same raggedy T-shirt, or maybe his coffee didn't taste right unless it was in his favorite mug. Tell us your stories, and send photos if you have them. We plan to select our favorites for a Father's Day feature. E-mail your submissions to homeandgarden@newsobserver.com or send them to 215 S. McDowell St., Raleigh, NC 27601. Please label your submissions "Dad's Favorite Thing."

Get $150+ in coupons in every Sunday N&O. Click here for convenient home delivery.