v 3 issue 11: Editor's Picks

Our current issue includes our favorite picks from 2009. These products are of high quality, along with being stylish and of excellent value.

Cover by Shannon Stewart









1 When the mission is a good night's sleep, venture on over to Barn Dandy's. They've got a sleeping bag that is out of this world. Comfy & cozy with a vintage moonwalk feel.

2 Great. Great. Great. "Reduce your forkprint" with reusable bamboo utensils & chopsticks. Each set of RePEaT utensils comes in a storage case made of recycled PET plastic bottles. But, that's not it! To-Go Ware also has the most fabulous stainless steel food carrier. Works with both hot and cold foods. The 2 tier system is fashioned after a lunch box system used in India. Use just the top, stack them up, &/or store dressing/sauces in the sidekick tiffin. Stupendous!

3 Get to steppin' with Sidewalk Surfers from Sanuk. The Culprit's canvas upper comes with an EVA soft molded footbed and a rubberized Happy-U sole. These make great house shoes for the winter months.

4 The tight weave of the fabric used in UVSkinz sunblock clothing provides 50+spf protection by blocking 98% of the sun's harmful rays. We love it because it's chemical-free sun protection which doesn't need continuous reapplying. Plus chlorine resistant. Easy & effective!

5 The black tie and rocker buttons on this tee are all a bluff. Call it the safe way for tots to get their rock on. Go to shrnk to find this and other "stylin' hip rags for newborns & kids".

6 For any little girl, the Camille skirt is a perfect addition for her summer wardrobe. It is made of light-weight cotton with a fun flare and gathered waist. Visit sweetfunkyvintage and check out their hip, stylish, boutique clothing for babies and girls up to size 12.

7 18" dolls with gorgeous life-like characteristics and personality traits offer friendship and a little something extra. Each Friends Forever Girl has a unique story about her family life and friends. Kyleen is special because she shares a story of shyness which her friends are helping her to overcome most triumphantly.

8 The finishing touch to any fall fashion is a great bag. Made of denim to sturdily hold all those heavy duty school supplies, after-school sports equipment, or goodies for a weekend sleepover. A gonto bag has a cushioned strap for shoulder comfort and comes with lots of pockets for organization.

9 This sweater skirt at Magpie Lovely is a perfect addition for her fall wardrobe. It is made from scraps of sweaters with a fun flare and soft jersey stretch waistband. Twirl in comfort and warmth with this skirt of many colors. Available in sizes newborn all the way up to mom’s.

10 What a beautiful sentiment to wear around your neck, “Blessed beyond measure.” Treat yourself or buy this for any woman on your holiday list. Add additional charms, Birthstones or initials. Hand crafted from fine silver @ Madison Reece Designs.


Our favorite mom tips:
Green Tips: Stamp out junk mail once and for all the Green way.

There is now a solution for reducing your carbon footprint while freeing your mailbox from those irritating direct mailings that leave it overflowing.

Each year, 100 million trees are cut down to create the approximately 4 million tons of unwanted junk mail in the U.S. This unwanted junk mail ends up in landfills.

GreenDimes offers a giftable Junk Mail Reduction Kit. You can buy GreenDimes eGifts for friends in various denominations of value, and GreenDimes will send your recipients an email with a code to redeem their gift. The kit includes automatic removal from major direct marketing lists, plus 10 trees planted with one of GreenDimes's nonprofit tree-planting partners.

For a $20 annual fee Green Dimes pledges to reduce your junk mail 90% within 90 days. They do this by pulling your name off a broad range of lists and follow up monthly to make sure you stay off those lists.

Visit Green Dimes for more details.


Natural Drain Cleaner
1-1/2 cups vinegar
1/4 cup baking soda
Boiling Water
Put a kettle of water on the stove to boil. Pour the baking soda down drain. Next, pour in the vinegar and cover the drain. Allow the solution to sit and work for at least 5 minutes. (The vinegar and baking soda will begin to break down some of the fatty acids which will allow the clog to wash down the drain.) Grab the now boiling kettle of water, remove the cover from the drain and begin to pour the boiling water down the drain. Do not use this method if you have used a chemical drain opener as it may still be present in the drain.


Green Cleaning Supplies: How green are your green cleaning supplies? Manufacturers of commercial cleaning products are not required to list all of the ingredients used. So, while the new green products may be less toxic, that does not mean they are non toxic. In order to find the greenest and least toxic of the commercial cleaners available, read the labels. Learn what the warning labels mean. Don't assume that all of the environmental and health claims made by these products are true. Check the ingredients list. You can also check out the Eco Label center at GreenerChoices.org to see how a particular product rates.

We recently had the opportunity to try out some Eco Mist Solutions products and absolutely love their Kitchen cleaner. It is totally unscented, non toxic and made with plant based ingredients. Now that is a cleaner you can trust!



Make It a Special Holiday Week
Christmas day is the big day, no doubt about it. There's much anticipation leading up to it, and then "poof", it's over in what seems like a lot less than 24 hours. And then, if you admit it, you feel a little let down. All that work and excitement for just one day?

The answer is to enjoy the whole season, not just the day. One way to do that is to turn the whole week into something special. You will need to plan it out ahead of time and get any necessary supplies to make it a success. The kids will love it!

The idea is to make each day of the week special with a theme of some sort. Here's a sampling:

Day #1 - Bake cookies and invite your favorite family or two over to enjoy them with you. Put on an animated Christmas movie while you visit.

Day #2 - Have the kids create a Thankful Stocking picture on poster paper and decorate it. It should be big with lots of empty space on the front of the stocking. Throughout the day, everyone in your family should write in as many thankful declarations as they can.

"I am thankful for my warm socks."
"I appreciate my mom sewing my button on."
"I am thankful for the French fries I had at dinner."
"I really love Fluffy."

Day #3 - Write a family Christmas story, giving all family members a part in the story. Have the kids write it down, add pictures, bind and laminate it. Then you can read it aloud every year.

Day #4 - Make a mailbox from an old shoebox and have everyone in the family "mail" special short letters to each other telling what they like about the person.

Day #5 - Make a holiday quilt. Get different holiday fabrics from the fabric store and have everyone cut out squares, 6 inches by 6 inches, or whatever size you'd like. You can also cut squares from old clothing. Lay them out and arrange them in a pleasing design. Sew together, by machine or hand. You can have a family member with quilting skills finish it off. You'll enjoy the quilt every Christmas from that point on. Quilts are good memory makers.

Day #6 - Giving day. Each family member gives each of the other family members a gift, and it can't be newly purchased. It has to be something you already own that you know another member would like to have, a homemade craft item, or a gift of time.

Examples:
• a kid can knit a scarf for mom
• a girl can give her funky pair of mittens to her sister
• dad can give mom a ticket for a good back rub
• mom can give her son an extra hour of TV time

Day #7 - Christmas day. Everyday - Read a Christmas book out-loud to the family right before bed. There's something magical about this. Take time to watch your favorite seasonal movies too.