No TV still in effect…well sort of!

We have kept to the no TV for the kids EXCEPT lucky for them, it turns out the car Grandpa hired when he came over had a DVD player so they got to watch TV whenever they were in his car.

Here they are watching Cars.

I have ocassionally broken down and let them watch a 30 mins show but not very often. It has been so hard especially on the us, the parents so I am very proud of us for keeping to it. I have noticed a big different in lots of areas (better, quieter, quality family time, dad plays with kids more (not that he didn’t play with them before but now even more), Charlie’s pretend play is so much better, I read more, the kids read more, I get more done, to name a few of the improvements I’ve seen) so that I am determined not to go back but yet I still look at the object in the corner with longing everyday………….

Beware of hand sanitizer!

I found this article very interesting especially as I have a little girl who likes to put EVERYTHING in her mouth (and California Chick – take note!) …..

Hand Sanitizer?

I was sent one of those “forward to all your friends” e-mail the other day from a family member. And as usual, I started to delete it because normally they are completely false and often times dumb.

But, after going on www.snopes.com to check it out, it turns out it was true!

What was it? Hand Sanitizer. It is dangerous to small children if they lick it or squirt it into their mouths!

There were 2 different stories about small children having over the legal limit of alcohol in their systems and becoming sick from ingesting hand sanitizer. Luckily, neither were fatal.

Turns out hand sanitizer has a VERY high level of alcohol that could be fatal to a child if swallowed.

DO NOT LEAVE HAND SANITIZER WITHIN REACH OF CHILDREN!

I am going to my daughters daycare today to see if they use hand sanitizer. I don’t ever remember seeing any, but I want to make sure.

Also ladies, don’t leave your purse or diaper bag where a child could get into it if you keep small bottles of sanitizer in there as well.

It was at a blog called Family Health and Nutrition.

From now on my “Magic Merlin Potion” will be cleaning my little ones hands…………

Bad Plastics

I have just read a disturbing article about plastics. Wow………..it really makes you realise that you have a duty to think about EVERYTHING you buy and not just the item but the wrappings it comes in too. I am making a pledge to start watching everything I buy and throw in the trash. Having toddlers, so many of the toys are plastic but I am now going to start making a conscious effort to stop this or at least buy second hand (which I am very good at anyway……….I love finding a great bargain!). We ALL  need to watch what we buy and stop being a throw away society. In my books that I recommend, I recommend a book called Affluenza, which I think everyone should read. But on their website they have a 100 escapes from the epidemic of stress, waste, overconsumption and environmental decay

That’s what I love about a blog, you get a soapbox all to yourself!

Going Green

Tuesday June 5 2007

Going green is my biggest passion of late. It has been out with the Windex, pine-sol, 409 etc and in with the baking soda, vinegar and tea tree oil. I must say I have been extremely happy with the results and would like to share my favorite cleaner with you. It works great and plus it is safe to have around your kids (Charlie tested this out for you by spraying it in his face and not a tear or scream was had ………..I don’t think the same could have been said if he had sprayed 409 or bleach cleaner in his face!).

Merlin’s Magic

This recipe takes advantage of the magical antiseptic power of tea tree oil

Ingredients

Washing up liquid (I use Method from Target)

Purified water

Tea tree oil

How to make: Fill your 16oz squirt or spray bottle with water and then add 3tbsp of liquid soap to prevent the bottle from sudsing up as you fill. Because minerals inhibit the cleaning action of soap, it is best to use purified water. Add 20 –30 drops of tea tree oil and shake to mix.

I got this recipe from the book Clean House, Clean Planet by Karen Logan. Highly recommend the book

 

I am now using cloth diapers and whilst admittedly it is a lot more work, the satisfaction of knowing you are doing the right thing by the Earth makes up for it (plus you save money!). Recently I have decided to try and make washable baby wipes too and found this site. I will let you know how it goes………