Make your Dough

Kate Gosselin actually inspired me to do this. And with the tough economic times I figured I should try. Yes, I made my own dough. Edible playdough. The ingredient's are simple: 1/2 cup of peanut butter (I used Skippy's Natural Extra Chunky), 1/2 cup powdered milk (I used powdered buttermilk), 2/3 tbsp honey, and a little flour. Mix and start playing. Janae was a fan but Belle spit it out. They did have fun slicing it with mini cookie cutters and plastic knives. You could also buy some eco-dough by eco-kids. It's not edible but it's made from plant, fruit and veggie extracts. And you can order it free of gluten, dairy and soy. Now, go play.

Protect the Planet. One Snack at a Time.

If you pack snacks and lunches for the kiddies and yourself, you probably are still using BAGGIES. Shame on you. Shame on me. Most times I try to use Tupperware but I have peeked a better alternative. An eco-friendly, washable fabric bag with water-resistant, BPA free lining. If you use one of these five times a week for a year, you will save our precious earth from 260 land filled one-use plastic bags. I just ordered and received mine from Mama Luvs at a recommendation from a sis-in-law. The girls love the color: hot pink polka dots on a lime green background. I heart the easy Velcro closure. For those of you in the Seattle area, Mama Luvs will come to your playgroup for free to do a product demonstration. And you get a free snack set just for hosting. Make a dent, and buy one.

Please forward this email to all your mommy freinds! And please check out the new kiddie tip search engine at KiddieTips.

Online Scrapper

I am a millennium mommy. I only scrap online at Shutterfly and I love it. I started hard scrapping with all the colored paper, photo book binders, cutters, and pictures in 2004. And it not only broke my wallet but my space. I just never had the room I needed to spread out. I have created at least seven photo books online in the last three years. I make one each year of my family and then every other year I make one for the grandparents as Christmas presents. I get creative with what I can't physically paste into the book. For instance, I took photos of Belle's hospital birth card and the hospital menu, changed both into a sepia tone and placed them in the photo book. I also took Belle's welcome baby cards and typed the welcome message as text next to these pictures. Not the same but hey it works. It's also more eco-friendly to online scrap. Less paper. Since I blog each month about the growth and giggles of the girls I add some of my blog notes as text to the books as well. It's amazing how creative you can get with these!

She's got curls curls curls

Janae's curly hair type is 3c. The best way to care for her mane is to wash with shampoo with no sodium lauryl sulfate or I co-wash with a conditioner, detangle with a wide tooth comb while hair is wet, use a handful of Pantene's Relaxed and Natural Conditioner (high in moisture), and then Kinky Curly Curling Custard (think natural gel snot). This double threat combo will yield elongated, defined and moisturized curls. All hair is different but if your kiddies have curly hair, check out this site where I have gleaned most of my hair wisdom. To keep her fun locks from matting I pull it back at night into a high ponytail or I make two braids and add more conditioner. In the A.M. I usually spritz it with water and then do the conditioner and curling custard. Pass this tip on to all your mommy friends with curly haired babes.

Pop your Corn

The 4pm afternoon snack in our casa is usually popcorn. I use this air popper and add a little bit of butter and salt once the hot corn hits the bowl. It's one of the healthiest, tastiest, low calorie whole grain snacks. Here are some tasty popcorn recipes. Using an air popper or the stove is eco-friendly cuz there is less packaging. Plus it tastes better than microwave and it's cheaper! There are some yummy organic microwave popcorn alternatives if you just don't want the fake buttery taste and the fuss of cooking your own popcorn. The girls love their own individual bowls and I usually use clean out plastic cool whip tubs or brown paper bags.

Take a Hike

Looking for something eco-friendly and fun to do with the kids this spring or summer? How about taking a hike or a camping trip at your national park? Check this site out for a map of all the US parks. Some parks have short paved hiking trails (bring your stroller) or day hikes for older kids. There's nothing like being outside with your family, enjoying nature, looking at the birds, rocks, mountains, beautiful scenery, AND getting some exercise. Plus if you live in Washington State, any day with a sun peek, is a good day to get out of the casa. The Washington's National Fund for instance provides a healthy list of kid friendly activities at the three national parks in Washington. Some tips on hiking with the wee ones: dress for the weather, pack lunches and a first aid kit, bring a magnifying glass for inspecting bugs and rocks, and hike at their pace. More tips here!

Potty Breaks

So I woke up Monday morning. Nothing unusual about the day at 8am. Belle had a dry diaper so I put her on the the potty, she went and it clicked. I said to myself, "This is the day. I am going to potty train her." What came over me? I don't know. I have been encouraging her to sit on the potty for awhile. I have read the guide to potty training in three days. Not for me as I can't stay home three days straight with my wee ones, drag a potty chair in the kitchen and force the unnatural consumption of water and juice for 72 hours. I WILL go nuts. But here's my 7 potty training tips. 1. Buy 5 pairs of potty training pants. Eco-friendly ones are great. 2. Set your timer or cell phone to go off every hour for pee pee time. 3. Before you go out or they go to bed (which I did and learned) have them go potty right before. 4. Offer a favorite treat each time they wee (Belle gets 2 olives for pee and 4 for poo's) and clap madly with joy when they deliver. 5. Have them sleep wearing undies, diaper or pull ups and wake them up in the middle of the night for pee time and a treat. 6. Take extra sets of their clothes with you everywhere. 7. Be patient. Don't give up. Did I say be patient? Sigh.