This is a Sponsored post written by me on behalf of Miracle-Gro. All opinions are 100% mine.

The sun is shining and the weather is beautiful, so the girls and I have been trying to do more projects and activities outside each day. We’ve planted seeds and enjoy letting the chickens roam the yard. But finding fun activities that teach lessons of sustainability is always something I’m looking for.

Miracle-Gro is currently challenging people to create their own fun garden projects so they can inspire kids to become future gardeners!

They have one on their The Gro Project Facebook app called Toyrarium that Zoë got very excited about when she saw it. Of course I want to encourage her creativity and learning, so we were off to buy the supplies we needed!

I was unable to find smalls succulents after visiting 3 places, so we settled on some ground cover plants that were small enough to fit in the glass bowls they chose at the Dollar Tree. They’ll probably overgrow the terrariums before long, but we still get the lesson

Putting together the Toyrariums was very easy.

1. We popped the plants out of the container and loosened the soil.
2. Then we added some extra soil to the container and watered the plant. You can use what you have on hand or something like Moisture Control Potting Mix.
3. After that, the girls added some plastic toys, also from the Dollar Tree to finish off their Toyrarium.

It maybe took us 10 minutes to put these together, but the lesson will be ongoing. I have told the girls they are responsible for keeping their plants watered. I’ll definitely have to remind Kaylee, but Zoë is becoming more responsible, so I thought this was a great thing for her.

If you are looking for some great gardening activities to do with your kids, check out The Gro Project initiative! There are some other fun ideas for you to do with your kids.

And check out the Miracle-Gro Pinterest page – it’s a forum for gardeners to come together and share gardening stories. You can also check out Miracle-Gro online to access their expansive library of articles and videos full of expert gardening tips for beginners and professionals alike.

As always, all you have to do is click on the image to go download your copy of the Kindle book. But hurry before they aren’t free anymore!

I’m excited to announce the June Natural Living Blog Carnival, sponsored by the Green Moms Network and hosted by Happy Mothering and The Pistachio Project! We will be hosting the June Natural Living Blog Carnival on Thursday, June 20, 2013.

June 2013 Submission Details

Theme: A Natural Challenge

Take 1 or 2 weeks to explore a natural practice that you have yet to try, then tell us about how it went. Perhaps it was cloth diapering, cooking completely from scratch, ditching all paper products, eliminating plastic purchases or line drying laundry. The possibilities are endless!

Signup Deadline: Thursday, June 13, 2013.

Add your blog to the linky below to sign up for this month’s carnival.

Carnival Date: Thursday, June 20, 2013.

Before the carnival goes live, we will send you an email with the details, links, and html that you will need to paste into your blog post. Please have your blog post scheduled to publish on June 20, 2013 between midnight and 9 a.m. EST (6 a.m. PST).

Guidelines:

• Blog post should be a new post, not previously published.
• Please write with proper spelling and grammar and keep your content family friendly and supportive of this month’s topic.
• Anyone found to be writing off topic or not including the linky and intro copy will be given 24 hours to rectify the issue or be removed from the linky.
• You must submit your link before the carnival goes live to the link provided in the email you’ll receive before the carnival.

Connect With Us

Bookmark the Natural Living Blog Carnival page in order to check back for future topics.

You are invited to join the Green Moms Network if you are interested in connecting with other bloggers dedicated to green and natural living.

Subscribe to our blogs via email and follow us on Facebook or Twitter to stay updated on any carnival announcements.

Chrystal: Email, Facebook, Twitter
Brittany: Email, Facebook, Twitter

Share Your Work:

If you are participating or have previously participated in a Natural Living blog carnival and would like a button to put in your sidebar, grab this code and share with your readers (and potential sponsors) that you write about natural living!

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Questions

If you have any questions please contact either Chrystal at chrystal {at} happymothering {dot} com or Brittany at thepistachioproject {at} gmail {dot} com.

Sign up for June’s Carnival! Fill out this linky form!

Just add your blog name, link, your name and your email address, and we’ll email you with instructions on participating when submissions close on June 13!

After reading Cure Tooth Decay: Heal and Prevent Cavities with Nutrition last year, I decided we needed to make some dietary changes to halt the tooth decay that both girls were experiencing.

I got my first bottle of Fermented Cod Liver / High Vitamin Butter Oil, which is recommended in Cure Tooth Decay, for the girls last October. We went with the gel in the Cinnamon Tingle flavor since neither Zoë nor Kaylee could swallow a pill yet and I thought they’d go for cinnamon over plain flavor.

Zoë did okay eating it with yogurt and raw honey or by dipping walnuts in it, but Kaylee wasn’t having it. There was nothing I could do to hide it from her. She spit food everywhere whenever I tried to hide it from her.

Strangely enough, it seems that Zoë’s tooth decay on her front teeth has halted and Kaylee’s has continued to progress. Since then, I have discovered that both girls can swallow large capsules. They pride themselves on swallowing big fish oil capsules whole rather than chewing them now. They get so excited every time they do it – it’s pretty cute.

After I made that discovery, I decided I needed to give fermented cod liver oil and high vitamin butter oil another shot with the girls – this time encapsulated.

I didn’t want to waste the gel I already had, so I looked into encapsulating it myself. It seemed simple enough and it was. I ordered 250 Veg-Capsules for $4 off of Amazon and I had everything else I needed.

I decided to go this route because I didn’t want to waste what I already had, but as I was encapsulating the FLCO I had a realization. If I filled my own capsules, I could save a lot of money.

Both the capsules and the gel are about the same price. But I can fill twice as many capsules with the gel myself than I can buy buying it already encapsulated. Yes, it’s messy, but if I can cut my costs nearly in half, I’m okay with that.

If you’ve been wanting to add FLCO to your family’s diet, but have been worried about the cost, try making your own capsules!

How to Encapsulate Your Own Fermented Cod Liver Oil

Tools

• 1 Bottle FLCO Gel
• 1 Package of Capsules
• 1 Medicine Syringe (I used one left over from infant Ibuprofen)
• 1 Storage Container

Directions

1. Pop open a capsule
2. Fill your syringe with FLCO
   
3. Fill the larger side of the capsule with FLCO
4. Seal the capsule with the other half
5. Continue until the gel is gone or you need a break

Both girls have had an easier time taking their Butter Oil / Fermented Cod Liver Oil now that it’s encapsulated. They have both even told me how yummy it is!

Do you take FLCO? Have you ever encapsulated your own supplements?

No matter how comfortable you feel in your home, making a few changes and improvements can be hugely beneficial. If you live in an older property that is beginning to show signs of wear and tear, there are many ways you can give your property a facelift and a whole new lease of life.

With the right improvements, you can not only improve your home in terms of aesthetics, but you can also add increased practicality and functionality to the home. This means that you can enjoy even greater comfort in your own home, as well as convenience, ease and a great new look.

Five ways to make a big difference to your home

There are many different ways you can give your home a new look or feel, and the options you go for will often be based on which areas of your home are most in need of change as well as on budget.

Some simple and popular ways of giving your home a facelift include the following.

A New Bathroom

Anew bathroom can provide you with a sparkling new space in which relax and enjoy some ‘me’ time. You don’t have to spend a fortune on creating a new bathroom space, as you can decorate yourself and then invest in new fixtures, fittings and furniture, all of which is available at affordable prices if you take some time to look around.

A New Kitchen

Kitchens are areas where we tend to spend a lot of time. They can often start to show wear and tear more quickly as a result of this. A new kitchen is a great way to give this area of your home a facelift, and enjoy a more modern, attractive and practical space in which to do everything from cooking family meals to eating or entertaining.

Double Glazing

Having double glazing installed can benefit you in a number of ways. It will give your home a modern, new look both inside and out. It will also provide you with greater levels of warmth, help to keep noise out of the home and offer energy efficient benefits, helping you keep your energy bills down.

Work on the Garden

The appearance of your garden can have a big impact on the overall look of your home. Consider some landscape gardening, paving or decking to improve the look of your garden and add to the overall appeal of your home.

Decorate

Simply decorating your property throughout with a lick of paint or some new wallpaper can help to really refresh the property, giving it a newer, fresher appearance.

It is also worth bearing in mind that with some home improvements you will not only improve the look of the property, but could also potentially add value to it.

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Fostering a child can be one of the most fulfilling experiences for a person. Giving a less-fortunate child the opportunity for a happy childhood and a chance to reach their full potential is not only important, but also gratifying.

Agencies like Fostering Solutions rely on the help of people looking to open up their homes and hearts to foster caring. If this is you, you’ll already be aware that it’s a serious commitment and that there a number of questions to consider. We’ve tried to assess the most popular.

Is there an age limit for fostering?

There is no upper-age limit to fostering and anyone over the age of 21 can apply. Regardless of age, all applicants would have a series of checks to ensure they could provide a stable environment for a child.

How long can approval take?

Creating as safe a space as possible for the child is of the utmost importance, so fostering applicants do undergo a series of checks. The whole process can take between three and six months to complete.

I’m single, I don’t have children of my own, can I foster?

Fostering is open to anyone who can provide a healthy environment for children to grow and be happy. Some carers are single men and women, usually without children of their own, dedicating themselves to children who need them most.

Can we be considered for foster carers, as a same-sex couple?

Traditional family set ups are not a prerequisite for foster caring. Agencies are looking for potential carers willing to commit themselves to caring for children, regardless of their sexual orientation. If you can provide a safe home environment that provides care to a child during an especially trying time, then you should be eligible.

Do I need to stop working?

Foster children require a great deal of attention, and it is important that carers make themselves available to the children in their care. A job that is flexible and can be worked around the child’s needs may be acceptable, but it will be hard if your job is a full-time one that requires a great deal of you.

What age or gender will the child be, and how will this affect my family?

Each case is considered individually, and every aspect of the process works on a case-by-case basis. During the evaluation, both the situation of the child in question, and the situation of your own family will be taken into consideration, thus ensuring that we can find the best possible scenario for everyone.

I have my own children, how will fostering affect them?

Involving your children in the initial discussions and answering any questions they have will ensure they feel involved in the decision making. We find as long as your children are involved, they too can find fostering a great experience.

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As we desperately try to find alternative energy sources to polluting, non-renewable fossil fuels, solar power has gained a huge amount of momentum and research and development into its capabilities is growing at a steady rate. However, solar energy is by no means a new idea. We have utilised the sun’s powerful rays to heat dwellings and water since our very creation. We take you through an abridged history of our understanding and development of solar power from the very beginning to where we are now in terms of technology and efficiency, and look at the future of solar for the planet.

All ancient attempts to utilise the sun’s powers focused on its ability to heat homes – the Ancient Egyptians and Greeks used passive solar designs in their buildings to keep dwellings cool during the day and heat them at night. It wasn’t until 1767 that the world’s first solar collector was created. Reaching temperatures of up to 230℉, the glass-covered insulated box developed by a Swiss scientist is largely credited as being the first solar oven. Today, solar collectors, or concentrators, can reach temperatures of thousands of degrees and are used to produce steam or heat saline storage ponds.

With the widespread introduction of electricity, scientists tried to find ways of converting sunlight to electrical energy and in 1839 a French scientist had a breakthrough by discovering the photovoltaic effect. Edmund Becquerel exposed two electrodes in an electrolyte to light and found that the electrical current increased. He couldn’t explain it but the observation had been made and would later be utilised to its full effect. In 1873 Willoughby Smith discovered the photoconductive properties of selenium, which was utilised by William Grylls Adams and Richard Evans Day in experiments that ultimately led to the realisation that a solid material with no moving parts could convert light into electricity.

A decade later, solar cells wrapped with wafers of selenium were created. These early cells could only convert 2% of light into electrical energy but it was a huge milestone nonetheless. It wasn’t until 1954 that the first usable photovoltaic cell was created, when American scientists invented a silicone crystal cell that could convert enough solar energy into electricity to power equipment. In 1958 solar energy was used commercially for the first time, to power satellites and space stations.

Recognising the potential of solar power, the sixties saw a huge push for the discovery of methods to increase efficiency and decrease the incredibly high costs. In 1972 the world’s first laboratory dedicated to photovoltaic energy was founded in America and solar energy research institutes across the globe soon followed, leading to a number of breakthroughs. The 1980s saw the first solar powered aircraft, the first solar powered car and huge advancements in solar power plants. Since then, solar cell and panel technology has steadily been advancing and the past few years has seen an enormous amount of investment in large scale, industrial sized solar plants and more efficient solar cells.

Current research is focusing on bringing production costs down, finding more efficient ways of both converting and storing solar electricity, and creating construction materials which will ultimately transform buildings into giant solar panels. It certainly seems as though the future is solar.

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About the Author:

Journalist and copywriter Emily Buckley is passionate about heralding in a future powered by renewable energies and is currently writing a series of articles on the subject.

Father’s Day is coming up fast. Do you know what you’ll be getting your father and/or husband? I used to always have so many ideas on what to get my husband for special occasion, but since our lifestyle has changed so much in the past few years I don’t always know what the best gift will be.

My husband spends a lot of time driving for his business, so anything to make his life easier and safer are always great. I was happy to be able to get him a Stat Gear T3 Tactical Triage & Auto Rescue Tool this year.

Features include:

• A spring loaded steel tip window punch
• 440C stainless steel hook blade for seatbelt cutting
• LED light with replaceable batteries
• 1/2 serrated 440C stainless steel blade
• Stainless steel belt clip & heavy duty nylon belt sheath

I gave it to Brian as an early gift so I could get his initial feedback. After reading the instructions he said we should definitely keep this in the truck within reach in case of an emergency (not in the glove box). So now it’s in the truck.

If you’re looking for a Father’s Day gift idea for your husband or father, check out the Stat Gear T3 Tactical Triage & Auto Rescue Tool.

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See that sweet baby sleeping on my chest? That’s Zoë as a newborn. My sweet little 10 lb. 1 oz. baby girl. I can’t believe that picture was taken 5 years ago!

I have delayed writing this post because I feel like every time I say something about the girls making a positive step towards choosing independence for themselves, I jinx it and we regress. But it has been a few weeks now, so I feel comfortable saying…

Zoë now sleeps in her own bed!

She still has a toddler bed, so it’s definitely time to upgrade her to a full sized bed. She’s happy in her bed for now, but I want to reward her with a new big girl bed for making the decision all on her own that she was ready to start sleeping in her room.

There were moments where I wondered if she’d ever sleep in her own bed (she told us on many occasions she would never sleep anywhere other than in our bed). There were even more moments when people around us asked when we were going to put her in our own bed because she was getting a little old to co-sleep, wasn’t she?

We followed our intuition and allowed her to sleep with us until she no longer felt that she needed to. A few weeks ago, Zoë told me she was going to sleep in her bed that night. She did, and she has every night since.

She even made it into a bit of a comedy routine. She told me that when Daddy got home and she asked me if I had any rules about her sleeping that I was supposed to tell her that she wasn’t allowed to sleep in our room anymore.

She made that decision on her own. She decided it was time for her to take another step towards independence. And that makes me feel so proud of her. And proud of myself and Brian for listening to our hearts and following our parental instincts.

While I’ll miss her snuggles and having her close, I won’t miss the random kicks in the night. I won’t miss having the covers kicked off of me when I’m cold. And I won’t miss Zoë and Kaylee fighting over who was sleeping next to me that night.

We’re all sleeping better now. There was no need for sleep training or demands. It all came naturally just like co-sleeping did.

Kaylee is still sleeping in our bed, and I’m not convinced that she would sleep soundly through the night every night in her room just yet. So I still get those sweet co-sleeping snuggles. And I’m trying to appreciate those moments while they last – because they won’t last forever.

If you co-sleep, I encourage you to listen to your instincts and continue co-sleeping until it feels right for your child to sleep in their own bed. They really won’t sleep with you forever even though some nights – when you’re being kicked in the head and having the blankets ripped off of you – it feels like it will never end.

Experts sometimes refer to addiction as a family illness, but it’s not because of any biological context. It’s about the emotional repercussions of addiction. If one family member is experiencing addiction, the whole family suffers. This is especially true for parents who are witnessing their child go through addiction.

Parents have this overwhelming need to protect their children from any pain or hardship. And because no one can be cajoled out of addiction, it’s particularly devastating for parents to watch a child suffer through it. While there may be little you can do as a parent to cure your child’s addiction, there are still ways you can contribute to their recovery. If your child has finally decided to get help and change their life, there are a few things to keep in mind if you want to be involved in the process.

One of the first things your child will need from you is forgiveness. It’s important to remember that people do things under the influence of addiction that may be out of character. You may have been hurt by some of the things your child did or said while abusing drugs.

Many kids lie or steal from their parents while under the influence of drugs. You have probably spent some time feeling hurt or betrayed by these actions. But before you can serve as a helpful resource in your son’s or daughter’s recovery, you will need to let go of any resentment you have as a result of that behavior.

At some point, your child may apologize for the things he or she did to hurt you at the time of their addiction. Or they may choose not to talk about it at all. In these cases, your child could be feeling so much guilt over their actions that the healthiest thing they can do to recover is move forward. If you feel the need to discuss the past at some point, it is best to wait until after they have made a full recovery.

Once you’ve let go of the past, it’s time to help your child begin their new future. While your child is recovering, they will experience an adjustment period. This is when they will attend meetings, talk to counselors, and look for a job. A big part of drug rehabilitation is about rebuilding self-reliance and finding purpose and pleasure in things outside of drugs.

This will be a tough transition because the addiction process rewires the pleasure centers of the brain. It made your child get used to thinking pleasure can only be found in using drugs. So whatever you can do to contribute to their search for new ways to achieve pleasure will be beneficial during this phase. Help them get involved in volunteer work or pick up a new hobby. While thinking about what opportunities to introduce them to, remember that physical activities help serve as a distraction from drug cravings.

Finally, help your child remember the things they used to have a passion for before the addiction. Drug abuse can create a great deal or shame and guilt for someone. Your child may have anxieties about the past because it reminds them of the terrible person they had convinced themselves they were. So, remind them they also had good qualities and accomplishments. As a parent, you are in a great position to reintroduce them to the interests they received pleasure from in the past.

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Image source: http://blogs.psychcentral.com/addiction-recovery/files/2013/05/momdaughter.jpg