It's Getting Closer!

Posted Monday, June 21, 2010

One of the highlights of the summer on our family is an annual 4th of July celebration, complete with burgers and hot dogs, watermelon, ice cream and great company ~ plenty of fireworks too! In honor of the time to come, here are some of our favorite 4th items from EtsyKids!


Patriotic Patchwork Twirl Skirt from Chew Chew's Closet



Flower Clip Set from the Sunshine Shoppe
 

4th of July Picnic Blanket from BoogaBoo Babies



Boy's Patriotic Tshirt Short Set from Kid's Fashions by Linda

Happy Fourth of July!!!

EtsyKids Design Challenge for June: Sea Life

Posted Monday, June 14, 2010


Each month EtsyKids Team members are challenged to create a unique item within a chosen theme. This month's challenge, "Sea Life", was picked by last month's winner GreenGoat. EtsyKids members will have until June 19th to submit their entries, and voting will be open to everybody from Monday, June 21st to Sunday, June 27th. So, be sure to come back to the EtsyKids blog for a new post on the 21st to see all of the entries and VOTE! In the meantime, please click here to get a sneak peek at some exciting entries so far!

Do You Have an Adrenaline Junkie?

Posted Monday, June 07, 2010

I could say that my 3-year-old is a daredevil, but that doesn't seem to tap into her need for a thrill. In fact, I think it's fair to say that my daughter is an adrenaline junkie.

I never had to childproof the house for Peri, but Ryah on the other hand has been curious from the start. If it can be opened, climbed on, jumped off of, she'll do it. Lately, she's taken to climbing halfway up the stairs and jumping down to the landing with a really loud thump. I don't always catch her doing it and I swear I'm just waiting for her to sprain her ankle or something.

Last weekend, Jim and I took our first big trip without the kids and my in-laws were kind enough to watch the chicklets. They took the girls to the local aquatic center for swimming and good times. Ryah likes to jump off the side of the pool in the deep end and my MIL had to constantly keep tabs on her because she'd just jump in when no one was around. When Pat would pull Ryah up she'd be all smiles and wanted to go again. She even tries to step to the side and jump in next to you so you won't catch her. She loves the thrill of it!

Then this weekend my neighbor was showing Ryah her garden. About 20 minutes later, they both came strolling down to my house and Ryah was carrying something. "Ryah has something to show you." A freakin' garden snake! She just picked it up and started playing with it by whipping it against the ground. By the time I saw it, it was dead. Not sure if she found it that way, but it looked recently dead. I couldn't believe it. After tossing it in the debris bin we asked Ryah if she was scared of spiders and she said, "yes." When asked if she was scared of snakes, she said, "no." Ack!

So, apparently I need to keep a closer eye on my adrenaline junkie or enroll her in a 12 step program. Yup, AA, Adrenaline Anonymous.

7 Days to an Organized you....well....

Posted Saturday, June 05, 2010


...so here I go again - organizing attempt number 10,329...tisk! I saw this one on Yahoo's home page and fell in love (as I always do) because it's just a little bit every day - -doesn't seem quite as overwhelming! I'm very excited to get started Monday! I won't type out the entire article because you can read and print it for yourself HERE ...but I will hit the high points!

MONDAY: Organize your in-box: Slip into the office an hour early for an uninterrupted cleaning session.

TUESDAY: Calm Cabinet Chaos. Roll up your sleeves and tackle your kitchen Cabinets.

WEDNESDAY: Create a hassle free hall closet. Plow through the gear crowding the closet.

THURSDAY: Lick the linen Closet. Pull out all like items and organize by shelf.

FRIDAY: Manage your meds. Sort through the prescriptions in your medicine cabinet.

SATURDAY: Draft your family. Time to include them in the organization efforts. Identify on a cleaning schedule weekly and monthly tasks for each person.

SUNDAY: Plot your pleasures. This day is all about you! Order Take out, spin your favorite tunes and resist the boob tube temptation. In a notebook, scribble wish lists...

Ok Divas - I'm outtie - we've been at the pool all day and now we're gonna watch the Wolfman and Alice and Wonderland...for the 1000th time! hee hee

Berry Picking with Tots

Posted Tuesday, June 01, 2010

Monday after attending a flag raising ceremony and pancake feed to benefit the local scout troop, we took a drive to the country to pick strawberries at a friends patch. Oh the berries we picked ... 15 quarts, in just under an hour!

Picking berries is one of our families favorite activities during the Summer. With five little helpers this summer, Papa and I knew the experience would be much happier if everyone had their own berry bucket, but as I started to collect bowls from the kitchen, I didn't have enough. eeek! think fast...
A couple of months ago I saw the "super scoopers" in Family Fun Magazine and started saving milk jugs and made a half dozen or so for craft supplies. They are fantastic for markers, glue bottles, scissors, etc. They looked like they might work for berry picking, so I grabbed the three closest to the kitchen, (dumping the glue sticks, glue bottles and scissors out onto the craft room floor) and quickly rinsed and cut up the jug waiting for the recycling bin from last nights dinner. Armed with four super scoopers, and three graduating plastic bowls, we were off.

A super scooper makes a fantastic berry picking bucket for little hands! They are light weight, have a handle, stand up well on their own, and hold plenty of berries! This new found use means I'm going to need to hang on to a half dozen more jugs (I won't have to wait long, 7 gallons is what we go through in less than two weeks). I'm thinking they'll come in handy when the garden starts producing peas, beans, tomatoes, peppers, and onions.

Need a hands free bucket? Loop the handle through a belt, or thread a rope through the handle and loosely tie it around your waist.

You can make your own by follow these instructions from FamilyFun.

Pregnancy Exposure

Posted Saturday, May 29, 2010


As some of you know - I work in a Genetics Center where we handle a wide range of issues with children and babies. One service we offer is a pregnancy exposure hot-line. I thought, since summer is upon and these basic questions pop up alot on the hot line that I would share some info for anyone who is expecting or knows someone who is :)...then I'm off to the pool YAY!

1. Hair Color:
Highlights are fine b/c they dont touch the scalp - hair dye, however is a no no b/c it saturates your scalp and is then absorbed into your blood stream.

2. Teeth Whitening:
Hormone levels are elevated during pregnancy and increase tooth sensitivity - which makes whitening a bad idea The American Academy of Cosmetic Dentistry recommends waiting until you've finished breast feeding.

3. Acne
Spot Treatment ONLY - no over all acne systems on a regular basis!

4. Fake Tanning
These are ok - b/c they only sit on the skins surface.

5. Hair Removal
SHAVING ONLY! No chemical removal!

6. Manicure
Manis and Pedis are fine just make sure the salon is well ventilated b/c they can have fumes-o-plenty from all the procedures going on at once!

EtsyKids Design Challenge - We Have a Winner!

Posted Friday, May 28, 2010

Congratulations to the winner of this month's challenge 62. Hummingbird and Wildflowers Dress Reserved for Izzie by: greengoat ! At Green Goat you'll find an appealing array of colors and elegant illustrations screen printed onto 100% organic cotton baby garments. All are hand dyed and printed using eco-friendly, low- impact dyes and inks, making it a safe and wonderful addition to your baby's wardrobe. You can view their entire collection by following this link.


"100% Organic and Original Screenprinted Apparel for those who hunger for something fresh, different, and eco friendly. "
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