I’m usually not a fan of pre-made anything, but having a slab of ready-to-go cookie dough waiting in the fridge or freezer helps me go from tired working mom to terrific working mom in a flash, as far as my kids and their buddies are concerned. Immaculate Baking Co.’s products are all natural, with no trans fat and no artificial ingredients; a 14-ounce slab makes 24 good-size cookies. If you time it right, you might be able to snag a couple of vanilla sugar (or chocolate chunk, cranberry oatmeal white chocolate, oatmeal raisin, or triple chocolate) beauties before your kids eat them all.

$2.99 to $4.99 at many grocery stores and online at ImmaculateBaking.com.

Travel experts always warn women to be wary of purse theives who “cut and run” — that is, use a razor or a knife to slice through the strap of your bag before grabbing it. Travelon’s Carry Safe bags have a hidden chain-link construction, a cut-proof adjustable strap that conntects to the bag with a sturdy metal loop, and locking zippers to keep the contents secure.

$34.99 at eBags.com.

For more great bags, check out our slide show right here at Work It, Mom! Great bags for everything (and every budget)!

You already know that Kohls is the place to get great discounts on everything your family needs, from clothing to cookwear, but have you checked out their Kohls Cares For Kids items lately? This merchandise is always kid-friendly items for just $5 apiece, with the proceeds going to local charities.

Right now their Kohls Cares For Kids items are the much beloved Laura Numeroff “If You Give…” books, as well as plush characters to go with them. At $5 a pop, it’s hard to go wrong with a few gifts—sock ‘em away for birthday parties, stocking stuffers, classroom donations… you get the idea. It’s a great deal that gives back, and that’s truly the best kind of bargain.

(P.S. Have a Kohls charge card? Coupon code KCNOV15 will take 15% off your order—though it doesn’t apply to the Cares For Kids items, it might come in handy if you’re buying other stuff—and code FREE4MVC will give you free shipping on any size order. Happy shopping!)

The days are getting shorter and colder… time to break out the warmest pjs possible. when your kids were tiny they wore footie pjs all the time, but now that they’re big it seems like those cozy garments are hard to come by (unless you’re want to pay a small fortune online). Target to the rescue! The ubiquitous store has fleecy, cozy footie pajamas to fit kids XS (4-5) to XL (14-16) and in several cute patterns. My Amazonian 5-year-old found a sweet pair of purple ones with peace signs and hearts scattered on it; my 11-year-old, who is taller than I am, is psyched that there were some that fit him perfectly as well (and that they were covered in cool skulls).

$12.99 (on sale this week for $10) at Target stores and online.

Daelia’s Biscuits for Cheese are thin, peppery slivers of savory biscotti that are made to go with all types of cheeses. The almond version — their debut – is smoky, crunchy, and a little bit spicy, studded with bits of chewy, toasted raisins. The bisuits are made without additional fat or salt, and they’re lovely on their own, but they really do pair well with nearly any type of cheese, and they stand up exceptionally well to strong and salty ones like aged parmesan, Boursin, or even a super-sharp cheddar.

Available at many Whole Foods stores.

I love salt-rimmed drinks, but I loathe dipping the glasses into a plateful of chunky salt. For one thing, I always end up wasting salt. For another, half of the salt from the plate ends up on the counter instead of the rim of the glass. But now, I let The Barmaid do it for me. Or, rather, The Barmaid lets me put just the right amount of salt — or whatever spice I want — on each rim with the touch of a button. Perfect for a summer-in-the-wintertime Margarita, or a salty-and-spice rimmed Bloody Mary at brunch.

$39.95 or $44.95 (including salt) at Limetreecove.com.

This sleek unit keeps your keys handy by literally holding on to them. No hooks to handle, and no more hunting around in a junk drawer for that lone luggage or bike-lock key or the spare to your neighbor’s house — just slide a single key into the holding slot and let the rest of the bunch hang.

$28 at Chiasso.

This is one of those things that when I saw it my first reaction was that I couldn’t believe no one has made it before. This cake cutter cuts both sides of the slice and then all you have to do is squeeze the handle and pull the entire slice right now. No mess, no randomly sized slices.

$25 at CharlesandMarie.com

Now you have no excuse for looking rumpled or wrinkled when you travel, whether you’re taking the red eye on business or hauling the kids to Grandma’s house. This water bottle-size “Go Mini” Steamer by Joy Mangano warms up within about two minutes, is much safer to use than a conventional travel iron, works on all types of fabrics. It’s also small enough to fit handily in your bag, even if you’re limiting yourself to your carry-on.

$23.95 at HSN.com