Frightful Swap

The last thing I want is another landfill kiddie Halloween costume. That's why I have made a commitment to always buy a gently worn one or snag a freebie. So you can imagine my excitement when I learned through my Facebook friend Cory of Green Halloween that there's now a National Costume Swap Day to encourage eco-mommies to organize or swap out their kid's costumes. Here's more details. Back to planning mine...

mommy i can't breathe

Janae has had 5 sinus infections and nose bleeds over the past year. Ridiculous. Her symptoms: headaches, stuffy nose and when her nose does drain, it's a fabulous yellow and pea-green color. The band-aid fix was amoxicillin (the stinky pink antibiotic) and when that stopped working, her pediatrician (at my request) put her on a stronger antibiotic. We also tried a sinus rinse for kids, claritin, benadryl, and natural allergy tablets. Nothing worked My poor little girl. So I took her to a Ear Nose and Throat Specialist last week and she prescribed a nose spray with antibiotics to clear her passages and a cream to rub inside her nose to take away the dryness and impending nose bleeds. The verdict - she can breathe! And she likes squirting her nose with spray and most of all sticking her finger up her nose with the ointment.

cheap mommies

I love a bargain and I heart free. Target has their toys at 75% off right now. Seriously. I found out from Thrifty NW Moms. This local blogger knows all the deals and welcomes you to share your tips on freebies, discounts, etc in Washington state. Like them on Facebook and get tweets.

clothes for play - kid tips

There's a bin of clothes in the girls' closet that's just for outdoor and messy play times. Each time a piece of clothing gets an untreatable stain or unrepairable hole, I throw it in the bin. Going outside to play? Grab an outfit from the bin, I say. Remember...this is the year of consuming less and reusing...and what a great way to salvage a cute outfit that still fits: let them sport it while they paint or create tasty mud pies. Here's and eco-friendly sprout smock and an eco-friendly sand set.

slinging your junk

We had a g-sale a few weeks ago. I had the girls pick 10 toys to sell and they got to have a lemonade stand. I made eco-friendly sale signs from used cardboard boxes. When I have a sale, I price everything like it's 4pm and I want to go inside. Think dirty cheap. Most of my junk was a buck and the kid's clothes were 3 for $1. My tips on g-selling - Sell when your neighborhood has their annual sale, have your friend, siblings, parents bring their stuff over so you have a nice selection, spread your junk out so people don't have to dig, price it to sell, and buy a dozen donuts to sell for breakfast. I held my sale from 8am-2pm and then gave the rest to charity. Do not bring your cast-offs back into your casa. Here are some more tips on having a fabulous sale.

Repitition - Kiddie Tips

I'm tired of the sock ghost sneaking in and stealing my girls' socks. I can't seem to find sock mates. Ever. This was until I started buying the same brand, the same size, and the same style of sock. I shop Fred Meyer (one stop shopping - less traveling, less gas) and buy the Hanes brand girl socks with cute little pink, purple, green and blue polka dots. This store always has their undies and socks on sale. Always. Last time I bought two packs of socks with four pairs and paid ohhhh...$6.99. Hey, and I'm that kind of mommy who doesn't mind pairing an older sock to a newer one - they just need to be the same style. Here's some eco-friendly feet coverings.

3 whines your out

We have a new rule in the house. Each time you whine you get a warning. On the third warning you get a time out. And mommy gets silence. Mommy like. Seriously, this parenting gem is working. Of course it depends on the kid and if they hate time outs. Mine do. Give it a shot. Here's 6 other ways to stop whining. Cheers.