v 2 issue 15: Get Accessorized

Dress up your every day gear and clothing with these products that add a little extra. We review accessories for your children in this week's issue.


Cover by Adrienne Rider









1 Gorgeous knitted hats, adorned with a blooming flower and a long, color coordinating ribbon, can be transformed into a purse for 2-in-1 function. Versatile and chic accessorizing from Lollitops!

2 Creating a bouquet of accessories is a cinch with customclippies.com. With an endless assortment of flower hair clips made of organza, silk, and everything in between...the selection can't be beat. Enter code: Trendsweekrdr15 for 15% off your total purchase. Exp: 4/30/09

3 Repurposed 4 You creates the cutest bags for young girls featuring pages right out of recycled children’s books. These pages are then stitched to vinyl to keep the pages looking fresh and fun. Every purse is one of a kind. Extremely durable and roomy at Approx. 11 inches x 12 inches. Available at Celerystreet.com Enter code: GREENKIDS15 for 15% off your total purchase. Exp. 3/31/09

4 We are certain your youngsters will love Kidzsack back sack as much as we do. It is eco conscious, made of recycled fabric in the USA. The sack is screenprinted for coloring and comes with 8 washable, non-toxic markers. When your child wants to change the colors, just wash your Kidzsack and start again. What an artistic way to accessorize an outfit! Enter: Kids Trends for 5% off wholesale orders of 36 pcs. and more

5 Spice up her hair with fun ponytail holders at Bugalug. These patterns will coordinate with just about any outfits at only $3.50 each. So grab a bunch and mix and match. An easy way to tie back her hair and look put together. Enter code: TREND10 to save 10% off total purchase. Exp: 3/31/09

6 The perfect accessory for your young lady is this affordable freshwater drop pearl necklace from PearlParadise. Approx.10 mm Drop-Shape Freshwater Pearl sits on a Leather strand in raspberry or turquoise with sterling, 14k white or 14k yellow gold accent. Each Pearl Necklace comes in an elegant gift box with care instructions. Every day can be a special day for pearls at only $35 each.

7 According to Cambodian folklore, the delicate sounds of this jingle bell ankle bracelet ward off unwanted spirits. Pass along an ancient tradition with the sounds of dainty bells and the beauty of sterling silver. Available at baby emi. Enter code: TTW15 for 15% off your total purchase


This weeks Mom tip:
Vinegar - an earth friendly alternative to many chemicals

The active component of vinegar that makes it so useful is acetic acid; which is a byproduct of a bacteria called acetobacter. White vinegar is incredibly cheap, particularly when bought in bulk (under a dollar per litre or quart) and has a long shelf life.

• Some commercial air fresheners use chemicals that can be harmful to a baby's development. Instead, lightly spritz the place with vinegar.
• Vinegar will clean out deposits clogging a steam iron or coffeemaker.
• A cup of vinegar will clean a washing machine. Run it through a regular cycle - but not with clothes.
• If using vinegar as a cleaning agent, pick the white variety. Brown will stain porous surfaces.
• To create a tub-scum cleaner, mix baking soda and a "green" liquid soap to a honey-thick consistency. Apply it with a little elbow grease and perhaps a splash of white vinegar.
• Use full strength vinegar to polish chrome and stainless steel.
• Vinegar can also be used as a glass cleaner either mixed with water or used neat in a spray bottle.
• Vinegar can be used as a fabric softener by adding half the amount of vinegar as you would of your usual softening agent.
• Use it as a broad leaf weed killer - spray it neat onto the leaves of weeds, being careful to avoid plants you wish to keep. A mix of vinegar and salt can be used to keep weeks and grass out of driveway cement joins.
• Old, stiff paintbrushes can be revived by dipping them into heated white vinegar for a couple of hours, followed by a rinse in soapy water. Beats using turpentine!
• For a DIY dusting formula, add a few drops of olive oil to 1/4 cup vinegar. Dampen your dust cloth with the solution.


Get Kids Involved in Food Preparation
Storybooks with cooking involved are a good place to start building an interest in helping in the kitchen for younger kids. My son became very interested in food prep after watching the Disney movie ratatouille.

Ask questions and talk about what will happen when you do certain things, like chop something up, or put something in the oven ... this gets their interest even if they aren't doing the action themselves yet.

The simplest tasks can get even a toddler involved in food prep, stirring the macaroni, pouring the milk, etc.

Clean up is a time when everyone can help as well.

Gathering of ingredients is an important step and one that most kids can handle, "please bring me 3 carrots, and 2 sticks of celery" and a good beginning to helping out in the kitchen area.

Teach them to make something that they can make with little help from you, a scrambled egg, a grilled cheese sandwich, a bowl of soup, a fruit salad, etc.

Look for kids sized kitchen gear and alternate tools for little fingers, for example kids could use a rolling pizza cutter to cut up veggies instead of a big sharp knife.

Get kids their own cookbook and let them choose a recipe, there are a variety of kids geared cookbooks on the market today to choose from.

Let them experiment with different foods, textures, ingredients, combinations, sauces, dips etc.... even if you think something sounds gross and they want to try combining it let them try a small amount, it's the best way to learn about foods.

Don't take over, as adults and parents we tend to want to do things for them when we see a little bit of a struggle or when we think they might not succeed, try to take a different approach, stand back and be observant but don't help unless they ask you too or if it's with something sharp or extremely hot.