Aaah…the stuff that makes life easier. Two on my tops list this week are the Nappy Balm Protection and Sleepytime Bath from the Eco Store. My family has had a case of the sickies lately…some type of flu. Four of us, inlcuding me have had it and my two sons had some bowel issues that came with it too. My youngest, who is almost three and still wearing diapers (lazy mommy), got bad diaper rash. Nappy Balm Protection to the rescue! This stuff is divine! It is creamy white and feels like whipped cream and it is very natural and safe….no chemical nasties. It has the following ingredients… Olive Oil, Coconut Oil, Sesame Oil, Zinc Oxide, Beeswax, and Pseudowintera Colorata (Horopito) extract. It works well and really soothes a sore bottom. :(

The second miracle product is the Sleepytime Bath that I also used on my almost three year old son. He stopped napping a few months ago but mommy loves nap time so I decided to give him a 1:00 PM bath a few days a week with this bath soap. The proof is in the pudding… he was out like a light every time. Is there ether in this stuff??? It is a restful aromatherapy blend of lavender and geranium and the stuff works.

Ecostore is the US extension of New Zealand’s Ecostore, which has been in business for more than 15 years in New Zealand, well before green and sustainable became buzzwords in the US. Check them out!

Okay…time for a little admission here. I do not really teach my kids to share…there I said it. Most of you already know I am not a very conventional parent and one of the things that has always bothered me about conventional parenting wisdom is the whole sharing mandate. Kids have to share we are told. But I never really got this because I do not believe in having double standards where kids are concerned…aka mommy can hit you but you can’t hit me…or your sister, or you can’t throw a tantrum but mommy can yell when you do something naughty. I never felt okay with telling my kids they have to share their belongings with other people because I don’t feel compelled to share with other people if I don’t want to. I don’t let the lady down the street share my car. I don’t let my friends share my computer or my iPod. They can ask and maybe I might say yes but under no stretch of the imagination do I HAVE to share anything of mine with them.

The whole emphasis on sharing seemed silly to me because it IS a double standard. This has come up often lately as the two children next door have been totally indoctrinated with the sharing mandate and what does this mean for my son? It means he is blackmailed daily into turning over his bike, his John Deere truck, his DS…okay it is slightly embarrassing the amount of “stuff” that kid has so lets stop there. You get the point. Last week when he was at their house the father actually made him “share” his snorkel in the pool. That is so gross! According to my son the man actually said “If you come over to our house to play in OUR pool you need to let them (his kids) have turns using your stuff.” Do you think he would try that if I came over and used his pool and brought a raft with me??? See…double standards.

BUT….I DO encourage cooperation in my kids. They all have items that belong to them and are not subject to sharing rules. Other items we buy with full disclosure that these things are community property and must be used in cooperation with each other and respect for the fact that they do not have exclusive rights to those items. When we have guests they don’t have to share their stuff…period. Just like I don’t have to share my stuff with guests. We do discuss how friendships require give and take though. When they are over at some one’s house they need to ask to use things that don’t belong to them and if the answer is no…the answer is NO. They are not entitled to anything.

My kids usually have no problems sharing with other people either, despite lack of specific instruction in that area. They just have certain treasures that they would rather not risk by loaning them out and I totally understand that.

So what do you think? Logical or horrifying? LOL.

When Noodleboro recently sent me a game to review called the Learning to Share Fun Park Game I didn’t know if I would like it but when I realized that is really more about cooperation and working together than sharing, I knew I liked it. I really like cooperative games and reviewed some others here.

The actual game consists of carnival rides and activities….a log ride, a Ferris wheel, a roller coaster, and circus tent. You roll a die to find out what ride you need to do and then if you “win” you get a specific token. Example: You win the log ride by balancing a ball on a forked twig while it goes through a maze… if you get the ball out without letting it fall, you win. Each ride has a specific token and each player has to get all their tokens before the park closes. The cooperation comes in because often you have to do the same rides more than once and you may get extra tokens that other players don’t have. Since everyone loses if you can’t get out before closing time it gives you incentive to share your tokens with other players and get sharing stars in return.

My kids had a blast with it. Kids love carnivals so of course they will love a carnival game and the cooperative element isn’t cheesy at all…it makes sense. Every time we played I heard “Can we play again???!” :)

The game is for kids 4 years and older and I think the hand-eye skills in at least one of the rides does require some skill that kids younger than 4 might not have yet…so heads up there. There are definately small pieces that young children could choke on too.

Noodleboro also has a Learning to Listen Pizza Palace Game (need that one here I think) and Learning About Manners Picnic Basket Game.

They get a thumbs up from me and my kids. So how do you handle sharing in your house? We have some good conversation going on below in the comments.

Related: Time In Instead of Time Out & Educational Games for Cold Weather Fun

My oldest was on Spring break this last week and we did a variety of “crafty” projects. One of my favorites was our painting piggy banks project.

We ended up buying two ceramic piggy banks at Kroger. My kids wanted some sort of “treat” which is code for toy. I told them my stipulation was that they pick something that will last, that isn’t plastic, and that does not have excessive packaging. Mommy is MEAN huh? They picked out two ceramic piggy banks (unpainted) much to my delight and when we got home they proceeded to spend the next two hours busily painting and naming their pigs.

Of course after their piggy banks were painted they needed mom to contribute to their bank funds. I think they have developed and eagle eye for stray change in the couch cushions and in the laundry room.

The piggy banks only cost $5.50 each too, which is a real bargain. The same ones are $8.87 on Amazon. I also saw there is a Melissa and Doug paintable piggy bank too…and it is only $3.99…just in case your looking for a fun unplugged project for the kids.

Do you have an unplugged project you want to share on this blog? Send me your story and pictures!

[tags]unplugged, crafts, piggy bank, painting, project[/tags]

Have a great weekend everyone! I leave you with a few cool links to check out over the weekend.

I ran across some cool DIY instructions on Keesta for making your own Disco ball made from recycled materials. I think I have enough junk CDs to do this but no Styrofoam ball and I would hate to buy one…maybe paper mache might work? This would be pretty cool hanging in the basement along with the strobe light I got when I was 12. If I set up my iPod sound-dock down there then the kids and can get our Saturday Night Fever on.

Jenny at The Green Mommy posted about WWII Conservation requirements and how during the war people had to conserve as much as they possibly could, ”food, metal, cloth, dyes, food, fuel oil, rubber all come to mind. Those that stayed behind engaged in a united effort to halt consumption and maximize their conservation of resources.” The article also talks about what we can learn about the women from that era and their ability to refashion existing clothing to suit new purposes. It is very interesting article with some cool links.

In the same vein there is a blog I found yesterday that seeks to refashion, renovate, and recycle previously loved clothing and the blog has very retro look. This site even brings out the inner fashionista in me and it is pretty darn hard to lure that side out…. :)

The League of Maternal Justice a blog I am digging lately reminds us that stores like Wal-Mart are under no obligation to remove lead toys and products from stores when they recalled. The recalls are voluntary. One reader’s story about being able to buy recalled baby bibs with lead many months after they were recalled should be a wake-up call to Wal-Mart shoppers. :(

Mike Adams at NewTarget wrote a wonderful rebuttal to the ludicrous study released this week that supposedly claims that autism cannot be linked to mercury.

Lastly, I added a Natural Family Events page to this blog. I like to attend a couple events or festivals like this every year and it is hard to keep track of them. I plan on adding any events, conferences, or festivals that might appeal to natural/green families. So if you know of any…let me know! Furthermore if you do attend any of these events or any similar I would be interested in having you post your experience on this blog. ;)

TGIF! Have some great family fun this weekend!

[tags]tgif, disco ball, recycled, WWII, conservation, green events, natyral family[/tags]

As I was compiling a list of 15 things I do to save money I was amazed how many of these things I do to further my causes as a natural and green mother.

1. I cook from scrach.

2. I buy foods and home products in bulk.

3. I make my son’s school lunches.

4. I use cloth diapers and usually sewed them myself.

5. We do crafty things and DIY projects at home. For instance, we make our own play dough.

6. I shop at garage sales.

7. I make my own household products or beauty items.

8. I buy greeting cards in bulk and get them for pennies a piece.

9. We go to the library often…to get books and to attend free seminars and kids classes.

10. I garden and I make my own compost.

11. I am very good at saying no when my kids ask for toys at the store. But before you think I am an ogre…trust me they have plenty of toys at home. ;)

12. My husband and I share minutes on our cell phones.

13. I repurpose or reuse things if I can.

14. My kids get alot of their “entertainment” outside…at home. If we do go out someplace it is with my husband who is only home every other weekend.

15. We don’t eat fast food. This saves our health and our money because that stuff is expensive!

So how about you?