The Great Toddler Nap Debate (+ 5 Dinner Recipes & a Shark Tank Mom!)

• Sheet-Pan Chicken With Jammy Tomatoes and Pancetta- My mother-in-law made this recently and it was sooo good. She added some crumbly feta on top, and it took the whole dish to the next level.

• Epic Baked Meatballs - These are called EPIC for a reason. My favorite meatball recipe for years now and always requested by the family. Easy to prep and freeze!

• Slow Cooker Greek Chicken -This one’s on my menu for the week. Love how easy it looks with minimal ingredients and know both my baby and toddler will love.

• Creamy Chicken and Broccoli Sheet Pan Lasagna - I’ve got this saved for when the weather starts to cool off. It looks incredible and like a great option for serving a group.

• Tuna Fried Rice - This is one of those tried-and-true Korean dishes my kids always enjoy. It’s affordable, quick to throw together, and perfect for those emergency dinner situations.

• Mom Recommendation: Start a supper club. Do it. A supper club is more than just a meal, it’s a built-in excuse to slow down, connect with friends (old or new), and enjoy real conversations over good food. Whether you rotate hosts, go potluck-style, or pick fun themes, it’s one of the easiest and most meaningful ways to add joy and community to your calendar. Start small, stay consistent, and see what grows around your table. Here’s a step by step guide on how to start one.

• Mom Product: If you're looking for something soft, comfy, and cute enough to wear literally anywhere, this is it. This lounge set is cozy without being frumpy and it’s under $50. Honestly, once you put it on, you won’t want to take it off. Comes in 3 different colors and you can grab one here!

  

Meet Michelle Sendowski, the co-founder of Souper Cubes- those brilliant silicone trays that have totally transformed how we freeze and think about meal prepping and leftovers. What started as a practical kitchen solution turned into a Shark Tank success story and a go-to freezer essential for many busy families (including mine).

What do you offer, and who is it for?

Souper Cubes offers a freezer storage system that helps you freeze food in portioned amounts ranging from 2 tbsp to 2-cups. Our product is for any person who either wants to prep in advance to make meal time easier or wants to reduce food waste by freezing leftovers they won’t eat in time. Our silicone trays have fill lines so you know exactly how much you’re freezing. I also designed a set of trays (MyMilk) to help breastfeeding moms freeze their milk in half-ounce portions that fit narrow and wide baby bottles.

Was there a specific moment or challenge that pushed you to take the leap?

Back in 2021,  I was struggling to balance being a new mom, working on my PhD full-time, working as a research assistant to fund my PhD, and on Souper Cubes too. I needed a reason to walk away from something. Once we won Lori Greiner’s Golden Ticket on Shark Tank, I knew I wanted to commit full-time to Souper Cubes and put my PhD and research on pause.

What was your biggest challenge in starting your business or until now?

Navigating 2025. We lost our home and office in January to the Palisades Fire. Then in April, we faced tariffs that were 44x the previous rate overnight. Figuring out how to focus on the business’s supply chain while also figuring out where we’d live and if we could even rebuild continues to be really challenging.  We still don’t know what the new tariff rate will be.

How can moms in our community support your business?

If you have Souper Cubes, please share and tag us (@soupercubes). I run all aspects of our social media and have had a hard time filming new content while we’re in temporary housing. Tagging us lets me share to our page even when I can’t film myself. I’m always so grateful for any tags!

👉 Read the full interview here

• Age: 30

• Kids: Three kids - 1, 3, and 6

• Job: SAHM

• Side hustle: Sadly, no. My creativity all goes to my kids currently and I have absolutely no time for my own. My husband travels couple weeks to most of the month every month so I tackle parenting and homeschooling alone. We have no family or friends in the state, we just moved here 4 months ago.

• Household Income: $115,000

• Own or rent: Own- $3,600

• Childcare or daycare expense: $0

• Recent purchase you regret: More toys. I’m trying to survive spent times and I just purchased MORE toys for kids.

• Splurge and don’t regret: My new set of makeup, $96

• Best “mom sanity” splurge: Take out or delivery ice cream after kids go to bed.

• Weekly “kid stuff” spend: ~$300

• Weekly spend on groceries: $400

• Most spent on a kid party: $1200 last two most recent ones. Used our credit card more than I liked.

• Saving for your kids college tuitions: Yes, very little $25-50 a paycheck every 2 weeks.

• Something financial you wish your parents had taught you: Everything. They didn’t really explain anything to me at all. I’m sure many in the same situation but we’re teaching kids how to save and the consequences of not having anything saved when they want to buy something but can’t.

• Managing family budget: Not really a system. Buy what we want and need form the store.

• Money advice for other moms: It’s easier to get groceries or things delivered to your door than going to the store with kids, especially. Financially you won’t spend money if you don’t see that “deal” haha

• Finish the sentence: “In this economy, I still somehow ____.” Eat out a lot!