Congrats ladies!!! The winners (random.org) of the two prize packs are:

Lisa #42 – Prize Pack One – ThinkBaby BPA free sippy trainer. A Jiggle Giggle Cow Vibrating Teether from The Safe Landing and from Generation Orangea Natursutten pacifier and samples of Gripe Water and Elsie’s All Natural Cleansing Wipes.

Emily #58 – Prize Pack Two – Two Sassy Cool’in Teethers from The Safe Landing and from Generation Orange a Natursutten pacifier and samples of Gripe Water and Elsie’s All Natural Cleansing Wipes.

Thanks for playing ladies! For everyone else I have more giveaways coming soon!

Today is a holiday and my oldest is home from school. It also happens to be a not-so-nice weather day. It rained all weekend so the yard is muddy and yuck and today the temperature dropped 30 degrees and snow is falling. After a whole weekend of building with blocks and tinker toys my oldest especially starting using that phrase that I think all moms detest, “I’m bored”.

First he used this phrase on his Dad…who then suggested they bring up a Playstation from the basement (sitting unused in a box) and put it in his room. His response was priceless, “Daaaad…I don’t play video games…what am I going to do with a Playstation?”

He realizes Dad is no help at all so he turns to me and says, “I sure do wish I had some clay so I can make some animals and then paint them.” My son is an artist for sure. Some nearly 8 year old boys would be obsessed with video games by now but not him. His room is a mini art studio with a painting easel, a whiteboard, a chalkboard, a crafts table, etc. And much of his artwork incorparates recycled garbage. He doesn’t get it from me…I can’t draw or paint to save my life. His Dad is a pretty good artist though and his grandmother  (my mom) is a great painter…we have her oil paintings and watercolors all over the house.

Silly moms first response was to say okay…just let me shower and we’ll go buy some clay. “Moooom…why don’t you just use one of your play dough recipes.” Doh!  So we made a simple salt/flour dough so that it would dry fast and create a grainy surface for paint to adhere to after it dries. He made a Shamu and my daughter made something unrecognizable, LOL.

Next up we played bean bag toss with homemade bean bags made from scrap fabric and buckwheat. The goal was to get them in a laundry basket. That quickly adapted into basement soccer with the laundry basket serving as a soccer goal.

If we need any other ideas I might have to consult my Unplugged Play book. :) I just love rainy days don’t you?

[tags]kids, rainy day, unplugged play, activities, crafts[/tags]

TGIF! Have an awesome weekend everyone! I just got my taxes done so I know I for one have a huge weight off my shoulders and I am ready for some fun.

All last week I kept thinking I need some sort of mail/bills organizer to hang on the wall. I assumed that plastic is what I would find along these lines but yet I couldn’t find anything that was like what I envisioned. Then I came across this blog post with instructions for making one out of a linen dishcloth…which I have dozens of. Wow! This is perfect…I will be making this very soon hopefully.

I heard through the grapevine among homeschoolers here in Ohio that many local zoos and museums are offering free admission to all on President’s Day. I have heard that several states do this so you may want to check in your area to see if you can attend a local zoo or museum for free that day. I tell ya…the homeschoolers know how to scope out the deals…they are a wealth of knowledge…even if you don’t homeschool.

Plan on doing any toy shopping? I found a great article at Generation Orange with 10 Things to Look for When Toy Shopping. I like number 7:

Get your kids moving! Toys that promote jumping, running, skipping or any other physical activities are great to burn calories and encourage healthy living.

Another cool crafty project I found was this one about hacking your swiffer. I don’t have a swiffer but if I did this would be pretty nifty. They show how to use rags, old T-shirts, even a custom knitted or crocheted swiffer cover. Cool!

And this is pretty cool too. Upcycling your plastic water bottles. It shows how to take plastic bottles and upcycle them into something more useful than just a single-use water bottle. They have a slick adapter to turn just about any PET plastic bottle into a plant watering can.

And last…I know I have quite a few non-vaccinating parents that read this blog and if you are anything like me people try to guilt you by telling you that vaccines saved millions of lives and we would be lost with out them…yada, yada, yada. In debating this very issue I came across a great set of graphs that show concretely what several anti-vaccine scientists and experts have been saying….diseases were on the decline on their own due to increased hygiene and an adequate diet. Don’t fall for the scare tactics…they don’t hold any weight.

Well, that’s all folks…have a great weekend!

[tags]crafts, recycling, toys, homeschoolers, free zoo admission[/tags]

I had a slap my forhead moment not longer after I posted my BPA free teether and pacifiers post. Why? Because I forgot one very important teether! One of the comments on that post about non-plastic teethers jogged my memory. About a year or so ago I ran across amber teething necklaces. They are supposed to alleviate teething pain but here is the kicker…your child does NOT chew on  them…only wear them around the neck…like a necklace.

Amber is a natural substance from trees. It is actually fossilised sap. Remember in the movie Jurassic park when excavators were looking for amber with ancient mosquitoes inside? Well, this is the same stuff…but hopefully sans the mosquitoes. ;)  It has been used for a long time in European countries for its natural pain relief and natural anti-inflammatory properties due to the slow release of its natural oils upon the warming of the stone from the skin. The active constituent present in the resin is called succinic acid, this is what your body absorbs.

All over Europe, amber has been used to help with certain ailments such as the pain and inflammation caused by teething. It has been such a prized possession that for some time, pieces of it were used as currency. Like I said before it is not intended for chewing but it is okay for toothless babies to gum them (UNDER SUPERVISION).

I know several moms that swear by them and they are truly gorgeous as well so even after your teether has grown they make a lovely piece of jewelry.

When I announced a giveaway for BabyGanics I had many commenters ask that I share some of my own personal cleaning recipes and methods. Well, I would be happy to do so. I actually LOVE cleaning. That sounds kind of strange but I really do enjoy it and I can’t use harsh cleaners and chemicals because I will break out in hives. Give me a bottle of Windex and I will be puffy, itchy, and gasping for air in a few minutes. It is NOT pretty.

So here is a run down of what I generally use to clean:

Furniture Polish - 1 cup olive oil, 1/2 lemon juice. Mix in a spray bottle and shake before every use. Spray on rag and then rub furniture.

Window Cleaner – Put 1/4 cup vinegar in a spray bottle along with several lemon peels and then fill to the top with water. Spray all surfaces and use a lint free rag to wipe off. Crumpled newspaper works well to wipe up after too.

Scented Soda Scrub – Mix several cups of baking soda with several drops of peppermint or Candy Cane blend essential oils. It smells heavenly and can be used as a deodorizer too. Often times I sprinkle it on carpet and then vacuum to make the whole house smell yummy. I use this along with my window cleaner to clean tubs and sinks.

Floor Cleaner- For floors I use a small amount of Dr. Bronner’s Castile Soap diluted in water and a 1/2 cup vinegar. Plain vinegar and water works too. I use a broom and dustpan to sweep them first (no vacuum) and I wash them by putting two cloth rags on the floor and sliding around on them with my feet…no mops. It is a good workout. Just put on some music…The Hustle…and away we go.

Natural Dishwasher Soap Recipes – Follow that link to 2 homemade recipes I use.

Natural Carpet Cleaner Recipe- I also use soap nuts on occasion but I am using BabyGanics now. I have white carpet…these natural cleaners DO work.

I also use lemons to clean my garbage disposal, bleach cloth diapers in the sun, and boiled in enamel pots to remove stains. Also, because I have white Corian sinks (and counters) I will throw some cut up lemons in the sink and them seep in boiling water to remove stains…which I find that Corian is prone to get. They come right out.

For rags I use old towels cut into squares and I have some microfiber towels as well.

So…as you see my cleaning regimen is pretty simple and no fuss. I hope you enjoy trying some of these recipes in your home!

For additional info I really like the book Clean House, Clean Planet.