Take Our Kids to the Park...And Leave Them There Day: Saturday, May 22

(Or rather... And Let Them Play Without Hovering Day)

This is an interesting article from TODAYMoms. I think Lenore Skenazy has some valid point / ideas to consider.

Erupting volcano + two little boys = so much fun!

Gabe, Will and I made a volcano for the first time. The idea was inspired by a project Gabe's class did in school a few months ago. We were looking for a little fun and this project was the result. It's not nearly as messy or as much work as I thought it was going to be.
We grabbed a bottle from our recycling bin. I think it was a empty bottle of Izzy (good stuff, by the way!) and were on our way. Below are our simple directions.

To make the volcano:

1. Place a soda-shaped bottle on a rimmed pan (we used a broiler pan) lined with aluminum foil. 
2. Tape the bottle to the aluminum foil and cover it with play dough. We used some old red play dough that was on its way out due to loss of moisture. The boys enjoyed covering the bottle with the dough.
3. Decorate if you feel like it. Sticks and dandelions worked wonders in our case. 
4. Let the volcano (dough) dry. Ours sat overnight and built anticipation the whole time. 

To make the lava:

1. Mix 1 tbs. liquid dish washing soap, 1 tbs. baking soda and a few drops of red food coloring in a cup.
   
2. Pour or scoop the mixture into the bottle.
   
3. Pour 1/4 c. white vinegar into the bottle and stand back to watch your volcano erupt! It may take about 30 seconds before you're able to see the lava coming out. Very exciting!

Here are more detailed directions which we referred to and certainly simplified.
Have a blast!

2010 Dirty Dozen list by Franklin Goose

Just read this 2010 Dirty Dozen list that was featured in Franklin Goose's e-newsletter and was compelled to share. I'm always intrigued at just how many pesticides / chemicals are used to produce food that we put into our bodies!

Yet again, another reason to adjust the budget, vote with our wallet and buy organic. ...Or hit up the local farmer's market and support those hard workers that don't use chemicals (ask them if they spray or use chemicals) but aren't yet a certified organic farm because it costs a lot to become one.

1. Celery
Celery has no protective skin, which makes it almost impossible to wash off the 64 chemicals that are used on crops.
Alternatives: organic celery, broccoli, radishes, and onions.
2. Peaches
  62 pesticides are regularly applied to these delicately skinned fruits in conventional orchards.
Alternatives: organic peaches, watermelon, tangerines, oranges, and grapefruit.
3. Strawberries
If you buy strawberries, especially out of season, they're most likely imported from countries that have less-stringent regulations for pesticide use. 59 pesticides have been detected in residue on strawberries.
Alternatives: organic strawberries, kiwi, and pineapples.
4. Apples
Like peaches, apples are typically grown with poisons to kill a variety of pests, from fungi to insects. Tests have found 42 different pesticides as residue on apples. Scrubbing and peeling doesn't eliminate chemical residue completely, so it's best to buy organic when it comes to apples. Peeling a fruit or vegetable also strips away many of their beneficial nutrients.
Alternatives: organic apples, bananas, and tangerines.
5. Blueberries
New on the Dirty Dozen list in 2010, blueberries are treated with as many as 52 pesticides, making them one of the dirtiest berries on the market.
6. Nectarines
With 33 different types of pesticides found on nectarines, they rank up there with apples and peaches among the dirtiest tree fruit.
Alternatives: organic nectarines, watermelon, papaya, and mango.
7. Bell peppers
Peppers have thin skins that don't offer much of a barrier to pesticides. They're often heavily sprayed with insecticides. Tests have found 49 different pesticides on sweet bell peppers.
Alternatives: organic bell peppers, green peas, broccoli, and cabbage.
8. Spinach
New on the list in 2010, spinach can be laced with as many as 48 different pesticides, making it one of the most contaminated green leafy vegetable.
9. Kale
Kale is known as a hardier vegetable that rarely suffers from pests and disease, but it was found to have high amounts of pesticide residue when tested this year.
Alternatives: organic kale, cabbage, asparagus, and broccoli.
10. Cherries
Even locally grown cherries are not necessarily safe. In fact, in one survey in recent years, cherries grown in the U.S. were found to have three times more pesticide residue then imported cherries. Government testing has found 42 different pesticides on cherries.
11. Potatoes
America's popular spud reappears on the 2010 Dirty Dozen list, after a year hiatus. America's favorite vegetable can be laced with as many as 37 different pesticides.
Alternatives: organic potatoes and sweet potatoes, eggplant, cabbage, and earthy mushrooms.

12. Grapes
Imported grapes run a much greater risk of contamination than those grown domestically. Only imported grapes make the 2010 Dirty Dozen list. Vineyards can be sprayed with different pesticides during different growth periods of the grape, and no amount of washing or peeling will eliminate contamination because of the grape's thin skin. Remember, wine is made from grapes, which testing shows can harbor as many as 34 different pesticides.

 

Past Dirty Dozen Contenders

Try to purchase organic leafy greens, carrots, pears, and tomatoes.

Happy Birthday, Abi!

Today is my neice's birthday! She is sweet, spunky, precious and a beautiful little lady.
 Last week I whipped up this tutu and sent it to her. It was super easy and fun to make, a great gift to send across the country as the finished product is light in weight. And the best part? Fun for Abi! She wore it the entire first day after opening it.

G + W = no pacifiers + 1 bedroom!

So there have been a few major transitions in our home over the last week.

First, the pacifier fairy swung by for a pick-up last Wednesday. I've been dreading this transition and we made it through! I will admit that it was less painful than anticipated and that I'm happy all has smoothed over with missing their good ol' comforting pacies.

Second, the boys are now sharing a bedroom. Gabe and Will have been asking to have sleep overs with each other for months and reminded me that the deal I made with them a couple weeks ago was that once they get through the pacifier transition and sleep well without their pacifiers, they can share a room. Gabe called Jon and I on this last Saturday. So we did it because we said we would.

This has been quite an adventure. So far I've loved it and hated it (mostly during the times they're supposed to be sleeping but decide to throw a party ... the kind that includes emptying the clothes in their dresser and using it as confetti -- let's just say they had a 40 minute exercise in which they learned how to fold clothes and put them away).  But I mostly love it, partly for the sweet memories I recall from sharing a bedroom with any one of my sisters and partly for their sake and what it's teaching them about sharing, being flexible and a host of other qualities that I won't share b/c I just want to go to bed.

The main reason I'm sharing this info is because of these sweet photos of built-in bunk bed ideas I came across after my dear friend Natalie passed on a link regarding kids sharing bedrooms. We don't have bunk beds yet, but I'm guessing we will in the future! G + W are already talking about it.

Here are a couple of my faves from said photos of built-in bunks.

Reset Button

Yesterday morning I was a little grumpy. I was desperately trying to not take out my moodiness on my boys despite their million demands before and during breakfast all pre-7 a.m.

Despite my best efforts to suppress my issues, my snappiness showed up on the table. I know by now that suppression isn't sustainable, yet I'm still working on figuring out what to do with my emotions when they aren't what I want them to be in the moment.

After a bit of regrouping and calming my heart, I apologized to my Gabe and Will, told them I was kind of grumpy and made a bad choice by taking it out on them and told them that I thought it'd be a good idea to hit the reset button and start our morning over.

This sparked an idea that I thought might help to make the concept of resetting a little more tangible for Gabe and Will and actually make a pseudo reset button. I drew it, cut it and we pressed that button. Both boys wanted a turn and we went on our merry way.

At the end of yesterday I was satisfied that I was able to turn around my moodiness and have a way to walk my boys through this process in a way that they could grasp at 3 and 4 years old.

So today I had almost forgotten about said button until Gabe brought it up several times today at appropriate instances suggesting that we hit the reset button. One such time was after he had bit his brother. (This doesn't happen often and there is definitely a back-story to his frustrated emotions turned to action.) On his way to time out he looked at me and said "Mommy, I think we need to hit the reset button." Man, that kid is adorable. ...And it's a good thing he can whip that asset out at times when I'm not so happy with his choices.

Since the reset button has been a helpful tool in our house, I decided to make a little printable of one in case it might helpful for you to have your own. It's worth a shot. Download from above, print, cut and use! Seize those teachable moments and the grace that can sometimes turn things around.

Easy, Yummy Breakfast

I think the recipe below might be the easiest breakfast in the world. And it's very healthy too. Mornings can intimidate me in my typically groggy, sun-rising state at 6 a.m. with two boys ready to cease the day and exert all the energy they stole from me.

Last night I whipped this up in the 5 minutes before heading to bed. It was well worth the minimal effort. I used to make something similar years ago when I was single and working. In both cases, it was delightful to have breakfast ready for consuming.

Benefits: This gig is healthier, just as easy and less expensive than boxed cereal. Plus it gets better the longer it sits and doesn't fall apart like gross, soggy cereal (a plus when dealing with the kiddos). It's gluten, dairy and corn free, raw and delish!

Here's the recipe I made this morning which has a high capacity for modification. Adjust to your or your family's taste and quantity. Let's call it:

Soaked Mueslix Recipe Template
Serves 4-ish

2 c. Rolled oats (I use Bob's Red Mill Gluten Free Oats)
1/4 c. Raw honey
Water (enough to cover mixture by about 1/2 inch)

Optional add-ins:
Cinnamon (to taste)
Chia seeds (2 tbs. or so)
1/2 tsp. Ground Kelp (a few sprinkles)
Raw sunflower seeds (a couple handfuls)
Raisins / cranberries (whatever floats your boat)

At night, in a large glass container add oats and raw honey. Using two spoons stir / cut honey into oats until mixture starts to clump together. Add cinnamon, chia seeds, ground kelp and sunflower seeds. Mix until evenly distributed. Cover with filtered water and give it a mix. Cover container with lid or towel. Let sit on counter until morning. Just before eating add in dried fruit to whole container or atop individual servings.

Note: This will also work in the morning with about 20 minutes to soak. It won't be quite the same, but still delicious and my boys like it just the same. However I like the convenience of tossing it together before bed.

Enjoy!