Fruit of September

I was very blessed growing up my parents found a piece of property with mature fruit trees. So from middle school up I have memories of running out in the chilling autumn mornings and grabbing fruit off the tree for lunch.  I think generally we would pick them during the day but I remember the morning runs cause it was freaking cold!

Still I love the fruit on my parents property and I love sharing it with my kids, which I had a chance to do today. Little bit of pears, apples and plums. The boys loved helping and eating about as much as they picked. They couldn't pick a lot though due to their level of shortness even with the help of a ladder.

They did, however, really enjoy using a hammer on the walnuts, that is why I gave my 4 year old a hammer...he's walnut hunting. Dart can't even eat them but I suppose it was fun to crack them open for everyone else. 

Even baby Reign tried to help and successfully got a leaf which he even manged to taste briefly before I wrestled it away.  

Reign enjoyed watch his brothers play. 

It was a sweet day with plenty of fruit to show for it. Pears for my mom, since she can't have many fruit. I sense baby food and drying are in my future.

xoxoxo

Play Dough!

Homemade, natural, easy (although slightly messy), kid friendly (thus the mess), allergy free and just plain fun. 

I googled a basic recipe (http://www.bestrecipes.com.) and substituted the flour for some old gluten free Namaste flour I recently found but didn't want to waste. If I did this again I would probability use plain wheat flour. For cost reasons and gluten free flour is just plain sticky. Not unmanageable sticky but slightly annoyingly so.

I divided the batch into four pieces. We had some fun playing with colors

Cinnamon

I started with cinnamon. Smell really good I even added a drop of cinnamon oil for extra yum fun. PS: don't you love my cheap bulk container.

Blue Green Algae

This was an experiment, meh not as well as I hoped although if I added more maybe. Still happy kid. And since I was enjoying my scents I added a drop of cedar to this one. 

Pink!

I used my blush powder for pink. I have a lot left and I know it's time to buy a new one so why not? This stuff is pretty fierce on my cheeks so only a bit is ever needed. All natural and non-toxic I love Ava Anderson products and I think it did pretty well. 

Oh and a drop of rose water for this one. I could help myself!

Charoal

I adore my activated charcoal and when we use it gets on things sometimes and it's so very black. I broke a little capsule open for this. I really love the way it looks. I think this was be stellar for party favors that have a rock theme to go with it. Dinosaurs, dump trucks...most anything with boys....

Fun Completed  

Dart was so happy he even kept saying that he was. Good little project as he's been feeling a bit left out lately. Middle child syndrome is setting in I'm afraid. He happy sang and played with the stuff all morning. This was particularly perfect since we've all been sick and TV time has been way too much lately. 

Eco Pregnancy

So how to have a an Eco Pregnancy...I'm not totally sure. But there are definitely some things I'm doing differently this time. I've got a midwife. She's amazing, supportive and not over overbearingly hands on. I did look into a birthing center, it seem really cool but just not for me. So I'm sticking with my midwife which means a home birth.
Home birth.
This is a huge step for my husband but as soon as I said it was what I wanted his attitude completely changed. He went from unsure to totally supportive in a snap. Love him. My mom is supportive although still worried. The most negative comment I get from people is"You know there's no epidural."
Whhhhaaaa?????!!!!
 Thanks for the heads up.
Obviously they're right my last two were epidurals and that doesn't work with a home birth. But that's also kind of the point. I don't want an epidural and if it's not even a choice, then I doubt it's going to happen.
I've definitely been eating better this time, not the fast food like last time. I feel like this is what is making my pregnancy a little easier I don't hurt so much and no swelling. Of course there are all sort of differences with this one but over all I'm much more comfortable...so far.
Now if I can keep my spending under control we'll have it all worked out.

31 weeks only 9 to go. 

So here we are.

Been a while but I thought maybe I'd try this again. Light is still going to Montessori school. I've got a job I love. And Dart is on the brink of potty training.

First Light is going to school twice a week all day. I take a 15 minute break from work and run get him. Thank goodness it's close. He spends the next couple hours with me. At first this was amazingly cool but I can see it losing some of it's luster. Still he brags to every kid that come in that his mom works there and beams when they find that amazing. Cause, come on, how cool is a mom that works in a toy store.

That's right I started working at a local toy/baby store. Not only that but it's an Eco Friendly store. I'm finding myself much more busy then when I started there but it's so much fun. I've got the Facebook page going and a ton more 'likes'. I'm finding new products, ordering and entering them into the system. I've even started an electronic filing system. It's not perfect but it's awesome now that the printers been on the fritz.

I honestly do feel important there. The only real frustration is the hours. Now they are awesome hours in that they're short shifts and I get 3 day weekends but they are the best hours of my day. I'm not so much a morning person but by the time I get going I have to get ready for work. And the commute. Light is in school but Dart needed a babysitter. Luckily I have an amazing friend that watches kids. Her nephew is the same age and she does lesson and I know she won't let Dart walk all over her. And he does listen to her very well and likes going there. She has him Tuesday's and Thursdays and my mom takes both boys on Wends. This is all fine and great except it's a 20 to 30 min drive to drop them off then I have to drive back only down the road from my house to work. I don't really know any one closer to home to watch Dart and quiet honestly I really enjoy the time I spend visiting with my friend dropping Dart off.

Lately Husbands been working late so that makes 2 hours of driving for a 4 hours shift it's hard to justify. Husband still wants me to do it because it makes me happy just wish it wasn't complicated. Every activity I want Light to join doesn't give me enough time. I didn't foresee this problem as I get off at 5:30 which seems pretty standard. We had to stop Swim lessons because the mommy and me class started at the same time I got off and I just could make it fast enough. My mom and husband took him in for a while but that would leave Light on the side line, alone. I wasn't comfortable with that. It just wasn't fair for my mom either.

So yes I have a job I total love and yes it total complicates things. I've considered quitting I certainly feel selfish. Still I'm feel super productive and I'm feeling like part of this community finally. I don't know what I'll do when school starts next year but for now I'm here.  I'm sure I'll share all the great products I've been finding soon enough.

Christmas Gifts; Quickly Made.

I hope everyone had a happy holiday. We had a ton of fun. Although there has been a little mishap with Santa and his elves, Light gift seems to be not only late but lost. Luckily Light seems fine with it all and doesn't even know the difference. Unfortunately we can’t find a replacement and time is running out.

So in knowing that Santa was not making it in time, I went craft crazy the night before. I just wanted to share. I wish I had more pictures but I was in a hurry.

First was idea I've had for a while. Flower in a flower pot. I’d bought the flowers for about $2 a piece at Michaels months ago and the plastic pot for not much more at Lowe’s. The predicament was how to put the flowers in and out as Dart liked. Beans or Lentils would be the best and he could place the flowers were ever he liked. 

However this seemed, well, an insane idea with Dart. So, I took cardboard and fashioned inside the pot. Covered with green duct tape I had on hand.  Tah Dah! Ok so it took more effort than that. I cut holes and then attached cardboard tube (made from left over cardboard and tape) on the bottom to guide the stems. I did have to trim the stems and I totally forgot about one of the flowers but there is gaps on the sides so it all worked out.  He was even sharing flower with family on Christmas.  

It works his coordination and we can talk about the colors and being gentle. It was a good quiet time activity when he was acting up at the dinner table.

Another gift for Dart was bird and eggs. I was lucky enough to stumble on the bowl at a thrift store for a dollar and the eggs at a craft store. I was planning on a gray bird with a yellow belly but not enough gray. Quick round stitch with the felt. I still like the way it turned out especially for winging the pattern.

Now for Light. We had discussed a house for his gnome peg people before. But I saw a large version of a home made to look like a trunk and fell in love with the idea. Now to do it on a smaller scale. I used two embroidery hoops on either end of a cracker box I had cut up. Make sure to cut the door out before. It takes a little wiggling to get in right. Then I tacky glued the heck out of it, Tacky glue is new to me and let’s just say I love it! 

Round piece of felt glued to the top and a green on the bottom. Sharpie for the ring on the tree, if I’d planned this I would have sewed it all. Still, Light loves it.

Last is a memory game. The round discs are found at the craft store and a thin Sharpie drew the design. It not perfect but it is fun. Plus it shows my geek side. The symbols are from Avatar, The Last Airbender. This is a show Light and I have enjoyed together. 

Overall a pretty successful haul for 3 hours or more of brainstorming and crafting.

Favorite Toys

Alright with the Christmas season I've really been looking at toys. If there's one thing I've learned this year it's  eco friendly and non toxic do not go hand in hand. Almost any plastic in my kids toys has BPA and other potentially harmful chemicals. I've recently discovered talk that recycled materials may even intensify these toxins. No good, especially with toys made from recycled plastic.

Green Toys 

Green Toys is a brand that uses recycled plastic to make their toys. To my relief they are BPA and PVC free. While I can't help but be skeptical of all and any plastic this is great news. They have all sorts of toys from tea sets to trucks and have even branched out into feeding utensils and plates.
If you want to buy amazon.com has a good selection as does abesmarket.com. Personally I'll be hitting a local store Eco Tots.

This truck was beat out for Santa's request from Light. But I think I'll surprise him. I don't think he know he gets a gifts from his parents, just Santa.

I just love how cute this is. 

Plan Toys

Another favorite toy maker of mine. Plan toys is primarily wooden toys. A variety of toys for all ages. Doll houses to intricate play cityscapes. Fun and educational toys. Each toys comes with a booklet of other toys and this use to be Light favorite thing to read. I'm going to have to get him another.

Between the ages of two and three Light collected this entire series. The steam roller was the bribe that got him potty trained. They've held up pretty good although Dart has managed some damage. 

I think these bees are adorable and educational fun is a bonus.

How cool are these for a little drummer.

Honestly the prices are reasonable and these are toys I can feel good about. amazon.com again has these as well as Eco Tots. These are some main brands of eco friendly toys. 

My Boys.

 It's true I am so out numbered. Boys, boys and more boys. Alright so it's 3 versus 1. Plus Loki. Olivia our female cat is about but not in the house much. No, all boys except for me. It's fun. Decorated for Christmas and then the boys had wrestling and play time. Those are the times were everything is bliss.

Flying Dart

Running in circles

Squealing as Daddy approaches

As Dad advances Dart crawl backwards

Hides behind a decoration

Get him. Cause Dad's a jungle gym.

This just makes me happy.