Reston Mom

$25 for Ecostore give-away

2009-07-16T15:42:14-04:00

I'm giving away a $25 gift certificate for your choice of Ecostore USA products. This company has spent 20 years refining great plant and mineral based products with No Nasty Chemicals(tm). I've tried a few of their products and was really satisfied with them. The citrus spray cleaner works great and has a nice orange-y scent and I've also tried the baby shampoo which I found worked much better than some of the other "natural" baby shampoos I've tried. There are a variety of products to choose from ranging from baby and personal care to household cleaners and pet care.

More and more I'm looking for good products that don't bring toxic chemicals into our home - here's a chance for you to win some great products from a company that believes in bringing people closer to nature with non-toxic, environmentally safe solutions that also help to reduce our carbon footprint. All you have to do is leave a comment below (we'd especially love to hear what you do in your home to create a healthy environment for you and your family) and the winner will be randomly drawn and announced on Friday, July 24.

I also encourage you to take a look a the Ecostore blog and sign up for their newsletter - you can also enter to win a $500 visa card.

Good luck and good health!

design your own purse

2009-07-14T09:01:18-04:00

I love this! 1154 Lill Studio lets you design your own purse in a myriad of styles - including diaper bags. If I could afford this right now, I'd totally do it. I know I'd have a difficult time choosing from all the really cute styles and fabrics - and I'd love to customize my own diaper bag....actually, I think the problem is that once I started, I'd want to design several different bags for myself! Which is why I haven't designed one and put up a picture of it here for you to see what I would do. Whenever I start, I get new ideas and begin designing another one before I've finished the first! If you book a party now, you can get 2 free hobo bags plus the hostess discount - sounds like fun to me! This is a ton of fun for any woman with a handbag fetish...

Mt. Babysuvius

2009-07-13T11:09:32-04:00

When Maddie was a baby, I felt - how shall I put this - always a little moist. I am not exaggerating when I say that I changed my own clothes about 3 times EVERY DAY as well as changing the baby's clothes about TEN times every day. The kid had a knack for spitting up, and I'm not talking a little dribble of milk here. When the few cute burp cloths we had didn't suffice, I went to Target and bought a couple of stacks of cheap pink washcloths. We went through ALL the burp cloths and ALL the washcloths EVERY DAY! I tried everything including eliminating dairy from my diet, etc, etc...but the volcanic eruptions of milk persisted with no detriment or annoyance to Maddie until she grew out of it. I actually remember that first magical evening when Matt and I realized we were both wearing the same outfits we had put on that morning.

Well the pink washcloths are still around and making their reappearance. Ami, while she couldn't quite take out Pompeii, seems to be growing more intent on keeping up with Maddie's legendary spews. And though I'm not changing my outfit several times a day, I usually am faintly perfumed by the fragrance of regurgitated milk with forearms that are ever so slightly sticky.

our littlest monkey

2009-07-09T18:28:15-04:00

It's hard to believe she'll soon be 4 months old! And it's hard to believe that Hope was once that small. The time flies and we're having fun!

strategies at home: family points

2009-07-08T17:04:14-04:00

We're trying something new. Every once in a while parenting calls for being a bit creative. So we've started something called "family points" for our girls for a little while. The basic idea is to teach them that being in a family is being part of a team and we all need to work together and think beyond just ourselves.

I have a running tally of points on our kitchen chalkboard. The girls earn points by actions that benefit an orderly and peaceful home, likewise they lose points by actions that result in chaos or offense. The reward of our "teamwork" (the goal right now being 25 pts.) is something fun for the family to do together - specifically, we get to go choose a board game to purchase and spend time playing together.

Some examples of ways the girls are earning points right now are clearing their dishes from the table after meals (something they already know they are supposed to do but occasionally still forget), tidying their areas (bedroom and playroom), resolving arguments peaceably, being helpful during outings (such as to the grocery store), helping each other and other family members, speaking with nice tones and politeness, etc...

I deduct points for failing in the areas I mentioned above and things like screaming, calling to me from all the way across the house, being rude, or when I have to clean up after them, etc.

So far so good. We haven't reached our goal yet...the points go up and the points go down. Might not work for everyone, but for us it seems to actually be helping the girls clue in on family as a team and seeing a bigger picture than just themselves.

I'll let you know how it goes and when we get that new game!

Print your canvas

2009-07-07T12:14:36-04:00

I love this site, printyourcanvas.com- where you can send in a photo and have them print it on canvas in one of a variety of styles. If I could afford it right now, I'd totally do one of each of my kids - though I'd have difficulty deciding between Opie and Che styles (both of which I think my girls would look totally cute in!) - though I do also like the Obama and for more traditional tastes there is also the option of a nice hand-done oil painting (among others). I think it would be really fun and very unique to do a wedding portrait in one of the contemporary styles too.

Welcome to the party, Kim!

2009-07-06T11:47:54-04:00

Kim has joined our little Recipe Party here ( I hope you will "join the yum" too - we're having great fun! ) and she has tried one of YOUR recipes - this is what makes this so great! Here is what she had to say:

"So I finally had a chance to jump into the recipe party and what a wonderful treat I found! Beth's sausage and potato soup was so creamy and comforting - I just made a giant pot full this evening and am already looking forward to the leftovers - yum!"

Kim has sent me a recipe for a raspberry ripple cake that already has my mouth watering! So keep an eye out for that recipe coming soon - but remember there are plenty of great ones here to try and we'd love your own opinions about them or even your own tips on how to improve them!

Alexandra's carrot cake with cream cheese frosting

2009-07-03T10:46:35-04:00

When Alexandra joined this summer's Recipe Party and sent me a recipe for carrot cake, I'm sure she had no idea that my husband loves carrot cake or that I was on the hunt for a good recipe. This recipe fulfills both needs - tasty and easy. Alexandra claimed that for her family, this was the best carrot cake recipe out there. I think the things that make this a really delightful recipe are that there is nothing really fancy about it - no pineapple or coconut or frills or lace, just straightforward carrot cake that still somehow manages to be super moist and delicious.

We made cupcakes (makes a little more than 24) instead of a large cake and they were still super moist and tender. However, we left out the walnuts (though I would have enjoyed them, but my kids don't like them), and we also used butter instead of margarine in the frosting. Thanks Alexandra for a great recipe!

WHAT YOU NEED:

CAKE -

4 eggs

1 1/4 C vegetable oil

2 C white sugar

2 tsp vanilla extract

2 C all-purpose flour

2 tsp baking soda

2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

2 tsp cinnamon

3 cups grated carrot (just run a 1 lb bag of baby carrots through the shredding disc of your food processor - it will equal a little over 3 C, and you don't have to peel carrots)

1 C chopped walnuts

ICING-

1 stick margarine - softened

1 8oz brick cream cheese - softened

1 1lb bag/box of powdered sugar

1 tsp vanilla

extra walnuts to sprinkle on top of cake

WHAT TO DO:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour a 9x13 in. pan

Mix together wet ingredients plus sugar

Mix together dry ingredients

MIx wet and dry ingredients together

pour into pan and bake for approx. 55 min or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean

cool cake completely in pan

With an electric mixer, beat the icing ingredients until smooth and creamy. Frost the cooled cake and sprinkle with extra walnuts.

cuddle bug kids

2009-06-29T12:00:22-04:00

A long time friend of mine has opened an Etsy shop - Cuddle Bug Kids - featuring her beautiful products designed especially to provide structure and sensory support to kids with ADHD, Asperger's Syndrome, PPD-NOS, and Sensory Integration Disorder.

Her weighted stuffed animals and lap blankets are not only beautifully homemade but totally cute! You'll also find great reading pillows and hand toys/fidgets.

Also, you can purchase neat visual schedules for home and school.

Beth's recipe for Sausage and Potato Soup

2009-06-26T10:53:23-04:00

I love soup! I was excited when Beth sent me this recipe for our Recipe Party. I made it for dinner yesterday when I wasn't feeling well. It really hit the spot! You can't help but love a recipe that is easy to make, uses regular household ingredients and turns out so yummy! A bowl of this and maybe some nice bread would make a satisfying meal anytime.

I'm really enjoying adding some great new recipes to my repertoire - I know you will too, so don't forget to join the recipe party if you haven't already, or go ahead and join again!

WHAT YOU NEED:

3 italian sausages (sweet or spicy), removed from casing

1 onion, chopped

2 cloves of garlic, minced

2-3 carrots, sliced or chopped

2 cans chicken broth

2-3 potatoes, cubed

1 C milk (2% or whole for best results)

2 C baby spinach (or kale)

Italian cheese

WHAT TO DO:

Brown sausage in a stock pot. Add and saute onion, garlic, and carrots. Drain fat if necessary. Add chicken broth. Bring to a boil. Add potatoes and simmer until tender, 15-20 min. Mash potatoes in soup briefly with a potato masher to break down. Add milk and spinach and simmer for 5-10 min. until spinach has wilted down. Top individual bowls with cheese if desired.