Was Lost, but Now Found

I can't believe I forgot to post this one, but remember back to our losing Little People? Well, within that week, they were dramatically found. I was getting ready to pack up the barn; it would be rendered useless without the Little People and their animals. As I was looking around the family room for other toys to join the darkness of a box in storage, I saw a baby wipes container, and I had a premonition it was not as empty as expected. When I opened it up, I was greeted by Little People and their animals! When my little person woke up from her nap, I had to apologize for the fifteen minute reprimand against throwing things into the trash, but she didn't care -- she was excited to have her friends back again! True forgiveness!

Friday Follow and Low Entry Linky

Here's a list a few low entry giveaways (less than 100 entries) which end in the next 2 weeks. And link up contests in the blogsphere that have less than 100 entries, ending in the next 2 weeks! Happy Winning and Happy Friday!

Wordless Wednesday

Fun at the Air Show!

Beating the Heat and Enjoying the Sun!

For the past 6 years, my husband and I have attend the Air Show; but I think we skipped the summer our daughter was born. Last year was hot, and in the span of a couple of hours, my shoulders were burnt -- getting a sun burn is a relatively new experience as I've only been burned once in about 30 years. This year, with the temps in the nineties and high humidity, I was determined to beat the heat and have fun!

In the course of the 2-3 hours we were there, we hung out with about 30,000 people, drank about 8 bottles of water, saw the Thunderbirds, and got some sun (without the burn)! While waiting (about 20 minutes) in line to board the shuttle bus back to the parking area, the family in front of us was complaining that the event did not offer anything extra to battle against the heat, and I was quite surprised since they did have sprinkler/cooling stations, tent areas for kids, as well as a few free water fountains available; of course, they're still going to push their food and drink vendors, but that's normal. Coolers aren't allowed, but you can still bring in your food and drink.

If you're headed to an outdoor event in this heat, here's a few tips for staying cool without shelling out all the green!
1. Freeze bottles of water.
We transported them in the car in the cooler but put them in a bag for the event. No problem with security, and we had cool water to drink! You can even bring a washcloth to wipe your face down with the cool water.
2. Wear a hat or bring an umbrella and don't forget the sunscreen!
I'm not normally a hat person, but I do have dark hair. I think this was the first time I wore a hat out in public!
And the umbrella. . . in Asia, it's common to see people carrying umbrellas when it's not raining, simply for shade. It was quite the trend at the Air Show too!
3. Wear light, light-colored clothing.
It's pretty obvious that the lighter the fabric, the cooler you are. Also the lighter the color, the more it'll reflect the sunlight, not absorb it.
4. Bring a few munchies.
We brought some fruit snacks, and that was just fine!

I also brought a spare t-shirt to change the little one into after the event. Her shirt was soaked!

Hope everyone has fun!


Photo Credit:Image: digitalart / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Free Francis Chan Book!

I've wanted to read Crazy Love for a while, but I didn't get around to buy or borrow it. And I just saw that you can request a free copy from the publisher!

Go here to receive one free copy of either Crazy Love, Forgotten God, The Big Red Tractor, Halfway Herbert, or Ronnie Wilson's Gift.
Note: This offer is limited to one title per household, while supplies last. Offer Available in U.S. Only.

Thanks, Money Saving Mom!

DIY Home "Projects"

Typically I'm not a Do-It-Yourself-er; I'd rather just buy it complete. But in the past year, I've been making more things myself instead of the ready, prepackaged stuff. I'm not talking about projects around the house, because my handiness creates more problems than solutions. But I am proud of my homemade, household creations like protein bars, granola bars, salsa, tomato sauce, yogurt, and reusable baby wipes. Most, if not all, were created in order to save money, but another big benefit is the healthy nature of doing it yourself -- I know all the ingredients that went into it, I controlled the processing, and there are no preservatives.

I've been reading more online about family cloth and homemade detergent, and the appeal for me is not so much of the natural green but more of the financial green. I do recognize there's a healthier aspect to family cloth and perhaps to homemade detergent, but saving money on toilet paper and commercial detergents speaks louder to me -- and don't read this as I'm giving up my TP, because I'm not quite ready for that yet! I wonder if most users of family cloth and homemade detergent do so for financial savings.


Photo Credit:Image: graur razvan ionut / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Friday Follow and Low Entry Linky

Previously Stephanie from The Ten Talents' shared her Low Entry Lowdown, but she's no longer doing that. So I'd like to list a few low entry giveaways (less than 100 entries) which end in the next 2 weeks. And link up contests in the blogsphere that have less than 100 entries, ending in the next 2 weeks! Happy Winning!

Flossing Teeth...Young

Floss. We know we should do it. And generally, I'm a good flosser. I love the clean feeling in my mouth, and even better, love knowing it's good for the pearly whites!

Unfortunately, I had to visit the dentist for some repair work today, and speaking with the hygienist, I learned that I should be flossing my 2-year-old's teeth. Guess you're supposed to start flossing as soon as the teeth touch; 95% of young flossers have healthy teeth & gums. She told me to lay my toddler on my lap; that way I could use my hands, with the floss, to control her and her mouth. Sounded great . . . in theory.

I was so excited to try it out once we got home. And my toddler was excited to try out floss. But that lasted only 10 seconds. We tried diversion, with the mirror, with counting her teeth. Yeah. So I'm wondering when was the hygienist's last time flossing a 2-year-old's teeth.

Anyways, tonight, with my husband's help, we will be flossing!

Back to School!

It's already that time! A couple of tips to staying sane this school year:

1. Stock up on school supplies while all the great deals are running (and if you're really organized, collect a few extra for donations or charities like Operation Christmas Child).

2. When papers come home to be signed, put those necessary documents in a folder where it won't be lost in the shuffle. Growing up, the folder was to the side of the plate rack in the kitchen!

3. Help your child stay organized with getting homework completed; an agenda is especially helpful!

4. Keep in contact with your child's teacher. Email is a great way to communicate.


If you'd like to be part of a daily back-to-school sweepstakes with Master Lock - head to their facebook page here: www.facebook.com/masterlock.

This post is an entry in a contest for a Master Lock back-to-school prize pack as a member of the Mom Bloggers Club.

Wordless Wednesday - Bling

So I'm a Little Slow....

I just figured out what Family Cloth is. I've seen that term around but never really thought to investigate it.

For those of you who didn't know, family cloth is basically cloth toilet paper. Just like there are cloth baby wipes, made from cotton, bamboo, flannel, or the likes, there are cloth toilet paper/wipes for the rest of the family. From searching around, people have been using them roughly since 2007, and of the people using them, most are women -- men still prefer their TP.

I'm not sure what to think of this. Yes, we do cloth diaper, but I guess in my mind I have a big differentiation between my bodily output versus my toddler's. Give me time, and I'll be willing to try this, especially as our TP supply is dwindling. I've read about thriftily cutting apart flannel or cotton sheets/blankets/t-shirts and then washing those either with cloth diapers or on hot with towels --- I can do that. I guess the only reason I'd use family cloth would be for thriftiness though, which I suppose is how some view cloth diapering?

What do you think?

Photo Credit:Image: Ambro / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Friday Follow and Low Entry Linky

Previously Stephanie from The Ten Talents' shared her Low Entry Lowdown, but she's no longer doing that. So I'd like to list a few low entry giveaways (less than 100 entries) which end in the next 2 weeks. And link up contests in the blogphere that have less than 100 entries, ending in the next 2 weeks! Happy Winning!

Confessions

Today the little one and I went out for lunch with a friend of mine, a very kind and patient friend, wise beyond her years -- she's in her early twenties, newly married, and no children and extremely gracious to those who do have young children!

A half hour into our meal, my little one makes her declaration that she's "all done," meaning everyone should also be all done to move on to other things. After all sorts of distractions, she winds up in the lap of my friend, and they play with her iPhone and its various apps, games, camera, and video -- this is new and exciting because my little one's parents have low-tech, cell phones that you see in "old" movies. Reaching her expiration and needing a nap, we say good-bye and part ways.

Upon reaching the house and getting my little one out of her car seat, she says, "I like Bri." Aw. So I repeated her sentence, and she followed up with, "Fun phone."

We Have A Winner!

Congrats to Sarah for winning the Household Traditions Non-Toxic All Purpose Cleaner Giveaway!

Currently Tropical Traditions has BOGO Coconut Oil and 50% off Benefect Botanical Hand Sanitizer (no alcohol) . You can also receive a FREE copy of the book Virgin Coconut Oil, from the Referral program! Choose “Referred by a Friend” and enter User ID: 6608836 on you first online order, and the book will be automatically added to your order. If you need assistance, contact Customer Service.

Wordless Wednesday - Nap Time

Waiting for the Tea Pot

Guess the adage is a watched pot never boils, which is why I'm posting of our new buy! We're trying to use kitchen utensils which will not leave harmful elements in the food that we've cooked. We're big fans of cast iron skillets (so ironic for this Chinese girl to be cooking with cast iron, but I love the health benefits) and stainless steel cookware (thanks to generous friends who bought those off our wedding registry) -- I still use the Teflon, non-stick frying pans for my pancakes since I can't get anything close to seemingly good without those!

But recently, my husband discovered that we have a rust problem in the tea kettle. Guess I shouldn't over-estimate and empty that thing more often than I do. But he wanted to get a glass or porcelain pot, since stainless steel still does leech into the water a little. This was a daunting task, since we didn't want to overpay for a tea kettle. We ended up getting one that looks old-style, seriously, and I had a coupon to use too! We'll have good, clean hot water to drink, but it does take a while to boil on low or medium heat!

Bona Free & Simple™ Review

Have you used a household cleaner that read, "KEEP OUT OF REACH OF CHILDREN. May cause stomach irritation if swallowed, drink 1 or 2 glassses of water to dilute"? Not that anyone in my family is planning on ingesting any household cleaner, it's reassuring to know that there are cleaners which will not cause harm or even warrant a call to Poison Control!

I got to try out Bona's New Free & Simple™ Hardwood Floor Cleaner, which is also free of dyes and scents. It is non-toxic, biodegradable, and environmentally responsible, without disappointing with its cleaning abilities. I used it to clean our wood floors in the dining room, and
Bona's New Free & Simple™ Hardwood Floor Cleaner conditioned the floors so no one would know that milk was spilled, food was tossed, or dust had collected on it! I really appreciate having a non-toxic cleaner for my hardwood floors.

If you'd like to try it yourself, sign up for their mailing list to get a $2 coupon -- products may be purchased online or at select Bed Bath and Beyond stores (and I've also seen it at Meijer).


****This is not a paid post. The opinions are solely my own and may vary from others. Thank you to Bona who supplied the products for the review.****

Friday Follow and Low Entry Linky

Previously Stephanie from The Ten Talents' shared her Low Entry Lowdown, but she's no longer doing that. So I'd like to list a few low entry giveaways (less than 100 entries) which end in the next 2 weeks. And link up contests in the blogphere that have less than 100 entries, ending in the next 2 weeks! Happy Winning!

Crying and feeling sick inside

I was browsing the Yahoo homepage, and noticed the article titled, "Jurors cried, felt sick after acquitting Anthony." Wow. To me that is the cries of a squelched conscious, actually many of them. It really angers me to hear how some thought that she was not innocent yet still voted to acquit her -- that doesn't make any sense to me. Be definition, if you're not innocent, you're guilty.

It's so upsetting to see what our nation has come to. And I apologize if I've also upset you, but it bothers me that we've somehow dissembled common sense to rework it into correct-sounding contradictions. Does everything have to be so simple where no thinking has to take place? In my working with adolescents, I know people want easy methods which will not require much thought or work, but imagine a world of those kinds of people. If you want to take a nation down, get rid of the intellectuals, the thinkers which cannot be easy swayed -- it's happened before.

Ugh. In addition to true justice not being achieved, perhaps monetary windfall will now come from interviews. What?!?

So I hug my two-year-old just a little bit more now and try to teach her to think, logically and independently. Case closed.

Photo Credit:Image: renjith krishnan / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Mysery Solved

I'm not sure I like the resolution to this, among other cases, either.

We've been looking for our little people for a few weeks now. Yes, literally looking for little people, the Fisher Price Little People and some animals that were housed in their red plastic barn. Since they're little, I thought maybe they were shoved under furniture or hid behind another larger toy, but my little informant fessed up that they were thrown in the trash. Hmm....how did I not notice Little People and their animals in the trash can, and how did I not notice my little person putting them in the trash can? My twenty minute conversation with my little person, filled with "I put in the trash," "Oh my goodness," "I angry," and gesturing towards the trashcan leads me to believe that she threw her Little People and entourage, along with two missing little balls, into the trash some time ago. I even bought this special trash can to keep her out, but guess curiosity is her best suite.

I'm not sure my point of not throwing just anything into the trashcan got through to her, as she proceeded to talk about other random happenings. Oh well, at least I have closure about our missing Little People.

Wordless Wednesday - 4th Display

Independence Day Thoughts

Every time Independence Day rolls around, I start thinking about my decision to allow me to truly embrace the freedoms of this nation. Unlike many Americans, I chose to become an American, being a naturalized citizen. One of my friends even joked that my patriotism greatly surpassed his own, but because I got to choose which country I wanted to be most closely aligned with, listing pros and cons, I take my citizenship and all its rights very seriously. And it pains me to see how some take it all for granted, selfishly insisting that freedom means simply doing whatever one desires, disregarding what our nation's founders envisioned for this country.

I was blown away by being able to see the flag which inspired Francis Scott Key to write "The Star-Spangled Banner" at the Smithsonian. Just the size of it amazed me. And to think of all the people who've worked and sacrificed to ensure the freedoms we can enjoy.

While I try not to let the ungrateful bunch bother me, I never want to be complacent but want to be grateful for those who have and still are striving to maintain our rights to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness and to become one of them, in my own, little (or perhaps big) way.

Photo Credit:Image: nixxphotography / FreeDigitalPhotos.net