kid safe products

recently i was at the store with my sister and we found some really cute camo lunchboxes for my son and one of her boys. she put one in her cart and kept walking. i picked one up and noticed a yellow tag on the handle, like the ones on sleepwear. confused i read the tag. it went something like this: 'the state of california has deemed that lead levels in the insulation of this lunchbox can lead to health concerns and food contamination'.

WHOA!!!

who in their right mind would buy a product with such a warning! i quickly put it back and told my sister to do the same. it's too bad, because they were cute lunchboxes, but not worth lead poisoning!

then i saw this link from parents magazine of form letters to send to senators and congresspeople to support the kid safe chemical act which would require companies to prove that all chemicals in their products are safe.

first print out or safe as a file with your name and information a form letter-
parents.com/kidsafe

then, find your representatives by typing in your zip code here-
http://www.congress.org/congressorg/directory/congdir.tt
then mail or email your letter so that we can ensure our kids are getting only safe products!

by the way, we didn't get those poisonous lunchboxes, and i ended up buying one from 'the children's place', where the clerk assured me that they test all their products and promised they were safe!

HOLIDAY: we salute you

our family would like to salute all those who have served our country and that have sacrificed in so many different ways for our freedoms and liberties. i love memorial day, any patriotic holiday for that matter. but there's more to memorial day, it's the start of summer, warm weather, great picnics and parades.

i love being at the community events with the marching bands, old fire trucks, the sweet older veterans handing out candy and the color guard leading the pack. i'm grateful for the opportunity to teach my kids to respect and admire the flag, its symbolism and all those who serve under it.

so, thank you for your service and dedication to all those who have contributed to our country's freedoms. thank you to the families supporting our military, who are a constant strength.

till all are safely home...

HOLIDAY: happy greening

happy earth day! i've been nonexistent the last few weeks with our move, but hopefully i can get back on track now.

i'm glad to think that with such a popular emphasis on 'going green' these days, earth day as a holiday isn't as big of deal as it used to be. i'm not saying it's not important of course, but there is just such an emphasis on protecting the environment everyday, that there's only so much more you can do on this special day.

what will we do special for the day? honestly, nothing. we already have all our lights CFL's, take shorter showers, consolidate our errands and driving, use cloth shopping bags, and all that good stuff.

it is fun to get together with the community and do something together. around here, there are tons of park and beach clean-ups, nature walks and recycling events. we'll be taking part in the festivities when we can this week and have fun with new friends.

i hope that you too can have fun getting out and down and dirty to improve your neighborhood and give mother earth a little help.

DIFFERENCE: friendly neighbors

we've just moved recently and i must say, i enjoy the adventures of moving. for all the hard work, the frustration, the cleaning, the uncertainties; i enjoy moving.

this was a big move for us, about 1200 miles, and now we're away from family and friends.

but, here's what i love most: whenever we move, i play it up when i can. here's what i mean: we're at the store and as i'm checking out, i casually ask the cashier something about the area, where something is, if the weather is always like this, anything. and i throw in, 'we're new in the area'. it totally changes people! everyone is so proud of their hometowns or the places they reside and they love to show it off. i do it all the time, the store, library, neighbors, whoever! it just makes people happy.

people are so helpful, they tell you their favorite parks, what schools are good, when to avoid traffic jams, whatever's important to them. it's great! even after living in a place for a while, i'll throw that out, and it makes people happy and proud of their neighborhoods.

when you live in a place for so long, you get closed off to the people and things around you. if you haven't moved in a while, play 'newbie' for a day and you'll see what i mean. that is of course, unless you're like my sister in a small town where everyone already knows you.

COMMUNITY: parades!

i just love parades!  we went to a st. patrick's day parade today and it is so much fun to be together as a community.  we don't really celebrate st. patrick's day in our house, but it's still fun to participate in events.  i love the way that a holiday can bring out such patriotism and pride in our communities and to be out together with neighbors cheering them on.

i don't know what it is about parades, but i've always loved them!  it doesn't matter what the occasion, a parade is a way to honor your community, neighbors, local businesses, and especially our veterans.  people are able to display their hobbies and accomplishments, support their neighbors and raise awareness about groups and issues your community has.  we love watching the scout troops go by, wearing their vests and sashes with all their merit badges showing off their hard work.  the fire trucks, ambulances, and police cars (motorcycles, bicycles, and mounted) show us that they are vested in our community.  and the candy that's thrown out isn't bad either!  honoring the veterans as they pass, thanking them for their service by our cheers and reverence for the flag.  you can't help but clap along to the marching bands and watch the performers that have worked so hard for this one occasion.  it's just a great feeling!

the color guard always heads the parade, carried by many different groups, veterans, scouts, and special guests.  when i was a girl scout our troop lead an independence day parade, and i was chosen to lead the group in the Pledge of Allegiance in the ceremony at the end.  that has always stuck with me, and taught me the importance and reverence we should give to our nation and the symbols we use to represent it.

as we celebrate the holidays of summer, i hope that we can take the time to help our children learn that they are part of a community and the importance of pride and patriotism in our neighborhoods and nation.

happy st. patrick's day!

FAMILY TIME: oh how we've missed you!

oh playground, we have missed you!

yesterday was warm (relatively, but we touched 60!), sunny and dry!  we headed to the playground after school for the first time in MONTHS!  what a welcome adventure it was!  i know you can still play on the playground when it's freezing and snowing, but it just isn't the same!  actually we did hit the playground once while sledding, but really only to zoom down the snow-covered slides.

i was glad to see so many people out and about yesterday, taking advantage of the spring-like day.  for those of you who live in climates where it is nice all year, i hope that you're taking advantage of every opportunity that you can! 

is there anything better in the world for our kids than to let them play outside?  they learn so much!  not just about nature, and all the wonders of plants and animals and the sky, but they learn science lessons (what is spring, why is the grass wet if it didn't rain, can i go faster down the slide on my stomach than on my back), plenty of exercise (that's a given), and important people skills (taking turns, introductions, compromise, and how many boys can fit in the slide till one gets hurt).  all this in a few hours at the local playground!  and not to mention that it is all free!!  isn't it great!

depending on the day, my favorite season is different.  they all have such wonderful qualities and adventures awaiting.  such is how i feel today about spring.  and even though it doesn't start officially for another week or so, yesterday at the playground got me excited for all it's potential!

and the best part?  there's no school today, it's even warmer and the 30% chance of rain has been out shined by a perfectly clear blue sky!  we'll be at the playground!

DIFFERENCE: read across america

today is the start of 'read across america' week, sponsored by the national education association in conjunction with dr. suess' birthday.  

our family LOVES to read books!  we spend hours at the library each week, and we definitely have our favorites!  it's especially fun, and also a lot of work, now that my 5 year old is learning to read on his own.  he is able to read some words and tries to sound out others, but he gets frustrated very easily.  last night he asked me if i would still read to him after he learns how to read all by himself.  i thought that was so sweet, and i quickly reassured him that i would always read to him.

so, pull the books from the shelves and explore something new in a book.  we've saved a few books from my husbands and my childhoods and we really enjoy reading them to our kids and seeing them get immersed in the story like we did.

head to the library, it doesn't cost any money (even when times are tough) and raising a reader will only expand their future. 

our favorite dr. suess books are 'oh the places you'll go' and 'fox in sox'.

ps- be sure to bring a reusable bag to the library with you, no reason to use a plastic bag that isn't able to hold books anyway!

PROBLEM: food stamp program

recently, cnn.com did a piece on the government's food stamp program.  i read it because i was intrigued because i think the program has many good things, but people often abuse the system.

it chronicled a older single man who is now receiving food stamps while looking for a job, and is currently getting $175 a month for food.  then it went on to describe a single mother of 3 kids who is also on food stamps receiving $489 a month for food.  both these examples were happy with the program, but both felt that the amount allotted them was too small.  they still had to use their own money to purchase groceries every month, and in the case of the single mother, that meant not paying other bills.

by the time i finished the article i was very frustrated and flabbergasted that the family couldn't live for a month off almost $500 for food!  times are tough for everyone, and i don't see anything getting better in the near future.  but currently, our family of 4 is only spending about $75-$150 a month on groceries and we are doing just fine!  for those of you who actually know me, that's not even an exaggeration on the spending.  how then can this family with the same number of people be spending almost 5 times as much and not feeling satisfied?  we would have food coming out of the windows if i could spend $500 a month!

i understand the difficulty with living on food stamps, we had to a few years ago, and it was great!  again, the amount that i was able to spend on groceries before going on food stamps was about $100.  then all of a sudden, we were getting $400 a month for food from the government!  it was great!  we were able to buy fresh produce, stock up on basic cooking essentials (flour, sugar, canned goods) and have frozen pizza when ever we wanted it.  even a year after losing our eligibility, we were still using the food i had set aside and saved.

the bottom line, to me, is that people don't use their allotted money wisely, and therefore, feel like they don't have enough.  when i was on food stamps, i still only bought things that were on sale, stocked up on the good deals, bought in bulk, and even used coupons!  i had a cashier once comment to me that they had never seen anyone on food stamps use a coupon before!  that totally blew me away!  these people are being given a gift, a very generous one, and they can't even respect it enough to save a few extra dollars so they don't have to complain!

what could that mother in the article possibly be buying for her 3 kids that would run her total up so high and still allow her to complain that all she can afford is mac and cheese and no fresh produce?  she is making some serious spending errors if you ask me. it's not the system, it's the user!

how am i able to spend so little on groceries, you might be wondering?  well, i plan ahead.  i buy flour, sugar, chocolate chips, block cheese instead of shredded, salsa in bulk, canned goods, and things that we need that are on sale.  when we want pizza, i make a no-rise dough with flour, oil and a few other things.  top with store brand sauce, add some pepperoni and canned mushrooms and use cheese that i've shredded myself.  when we need to have a cookie, i make them from scratch, not the slice and bake variety that a lot of people use and we never buy ready made cookies.  

making things from scratch, or as i like to say, pantry cooking, doesn't always equal time consuming.  many meals that i end up cooking everyday take less than 30 min. and i guarantee you they are healthier, more balanced, and cost less than anything that mom is putting on the table for her kids.  plus my kids have the opportunity to be a part of the cooking process, we spend time together and they learn valuable lessons like math, science and making things for themselves.

i'm not judging, but i'm going to guess that those kids are probably overweight.  not to get off the subject of food stamps, but because that mother isn't able to feed her kids healthy food, they are overweight, thereby causing their bodies health concerns, like asthma, high blood pressure (yes, even kids!), and the startings of heart disease, and since she's probably also on the medicaid program, costing our government even more.  medications, doctor visits, lab tests, and who knows what else, could in most cases be avoided if kids are at a healthy weight.  the cycle is perpetuated, it will never end.

people need to take some responsibility and not make the government do all the work for them.  there is absolutely no reason for a family of 4 to need to spend over $500 a month on food, they need to make better choices.

i'm not by any means saying the system is perfect, if it were up to me, i would only allow food stamp money to be used on healthy food choices, not potato chips and processed cheese.  but for what it is and the estimated 31 million people that it helps, it's doing a pretty good job!

it's not the system; it's the user!  learn how to shop wisely, cook from scratch, and stock up for a rainy day.

DIFFERENCE: eat better

i LOVE the 'Eat this, Not that' book series!  i think it is so clever and easy to follow and has some great pointers and information.  

for those of you who haven't heard of the series, its a really straight forward book about foods at restaurants and in the supermarket, even at school cafeterias, and making better choices to eat healthier overall.

it's great, the left hand of the book is the 'eat this' where it shows you the best choices at all the different locals, and the right hand is the 'not this' page with the worst things you could eat.  i love it!

they have 3 editions, the original, a kids version, and a new supermarket edition.  i highly recommend them to everyone, because no matter how you eat, or where, these books offer easy swaps to save you calories (and especially in the kids edition, sugar!). 

check out the website for the series, www.eatthis.com.  they have a few online tools, or you can pay for a premium service.  there's also a link on the side bar.  or do what i did, get them from the library!  but i must say, i LOVE these books so much, i'm going to make them permanent fixtures in my book collection!

check them out, i guarantee you'll be amazed!

FAMILY TIME: winter blues

lately we've been feeling a little 'slow'.  the weather has been COLD and snowy, and it's hard to get out and there's only so much you can do inside!

so, i thought we'd try and make a change.  we now play a LOT of games!  i love board games anyhow, but now, my 5 year old is old enough to play fun games that i enjoy playing!  he's getting really good at clue jr. and rummikub.  we play simpler games with my 3 year old, like lucky ducks and bingo.  and our all time family favorites are disney scene it and sorry.

i'm not trying to endorse these specific games because there are so many out there!  and if you take your time, you can find them in really great condition second hand!  thrift stores, kids resale stores (like once upon a child) and book resellers (like half-priced books) usually carry used games for a LOT less than retail stores.

or you can always make up your own 'games' with things around the house.  have a scavenger hunt to find the most pennies or the biggest pillow or whatever in the house.  set up an obstacle course like a somersault in the living room then run up the stairs and do 10 jumping jacks and reverse.  

we love games!  and it's a great way to spend time with your kids and show them that you care.  it's an easy way to make memories and pass on family traditions (when they get a little older i'll introduce them to our family's tradition of tripoly!).

a surefire way to cure the winter blues!

what are your favorite games?  share them with us so we can add them to our collections.

DIFFERENCE: tropicana rainforests

did you know that right now when you buy certain Tropicana Pure Premium OJ's you can enter in a code printed on the package and help tropicana save 100 square feet of rainforest?  

COOL!!!  so just buy the specially marked oj's and effortlessly help save the rainforest!!!

they've teamed up with coolearth.org to help protect certain high risk rainforests.  already cool earth has saved 42,697 acres of rainforest in 2 different parts of south america. 

how much oj can your family drink?  how much of the rainforest can you save?

DIFFERENCE: outlet hunt

did you know that even an electronic device that is turned off but still plugged in uses electricity?  electricity that you have to pay for?  it's not that much, but it all adds up.  and why waste money and resourses if you really don't have to?

so go around your house and locate all your outlets.  if there's something plugged in and not being used (like that old VCR player), unplug it, and leave the cord close by for that one time you might use it this year.  you'll be surprised at how much you have plugged in all the time.  even power strips drain electricity, so switch them off whenever possible.

baby-proffing note:  of course it isn't safe to leave cords laying around with little kids.  then again, it's not that safe to leave an outlet exposed with cords hanging out either.  try and block them with furniture, or get those box covers that cover the cords and the outlet and the little plug covers.

my big shocker: i used to leave my desktop computer running 24/7, sure it would go to standby, but it's still using up electricity.  but then i learned that leaving it powered on all year would cost me about $200!  so now i turn it off at night, and it usually doesn't come back on till the afternoon.  i'll take that money to the bank!

FAMILY TIME: resolutions

with the new year, it's fun to think of some resolutions for everyone in your family.  we sat down and talked about what a 'resolution' is, and brainstormed some that we wanted to make for 2009.  it was a lot of fun, and the kids enjoyed coloring their resolutions, since neither can write very well yet (one of their resolutions;).

we used heavy cardstock and labeled each with our name and the year.  then we made one for our whole family.  it will be nice to look back on it at the end of the year and see how well we did at keeping them!  

so, give it a try, set aside some time with your family and talk about setting goals and writing them down.  then play a fun board game and have a treat.  maybe family nights can be one of your family resolutions!

because a goal not written is just a dream...

DIFFERENCE: eat green

now that the holiday festivities are over, we need to stop blaming them for our indulgence in 'special' treats.  add more fruits and veggies into your daily diet, since hardly any of us get what we actually need, more matters!

check this out for great ideas and recipes on getting MORE!

http://www.fruitsandveggiesmorematters.org/

did you know...

a 1/2 cup of pasta sauce or salsa has 1 serving of veggies?  so pile it on, and reduce the other stuff, like sour cream on your taco or baked potato.

DIFFERENCE: start fresh

happy new year! it's the perfect time to start fresh; to clean out your lives, closets and the world around you.

we'll go on a journey together to find helpful ideas, hints, money and time saving tips that will simplify our lives and make the world a little brighter and happier!

we can make a difference, one mom at a time! let's work together toward a greener and safer world for our families!