hmmmm...

do you think lucy is ready for bathtime fingerpainting? i mean, she'll be 10 months tomorrow and all...

i stumbled across this fun recipe for make-your-own bathpaints tonight, and am really looking forward to trying it as soon as lucy's "everything, in my mouth, now!" phase starts to wane a bit. i'm also wondering if these could be made with natural colorings--anyone have any ideas? blueberry juice? beet juice? do i just have too much time on my hands?

i did find these instructions for creating naturally-colored cake icings... though i'm not too sure on how the use of such ingredients would go over for bathtime. avacados and berries are what i'm usually trying to get off of my kid, hence the bath in the first place.

Yellow: Add 1/4 tsp and a large pinch of stale turmeric to the icing. Turmeric is often used to give vegan puddings and tofu scrambles that "eggy" shade. This is a good use for turmeric that's past its prime, since stale turmeric is fairly flavor neutral.

Blush: Using a sieve, mash the juice from 3 fresh or thawed frozen raspberries directly into the icing.

Mint green: With a fork, mash 1/4 of a small avocado until creamy. Mix this into your icing. [The avocado makes your icing thinner, but in a fluffy, pleasant way.]

Raspberry: Using a sieve, mash the juice from 6 fresh or thawed frozen blueberries and 6 fresh or thawed frozen blackberries directly into the icing.

there's been some sewing going on...

and lucy has a heck of a lot of diapers to show for all of my work...

well, they actually haven't all been for lucy. many of the diapers that have vintage embroidery on the rear were done for others, either as trades or as gifts. but all the sewing has taught me quite a bit--i'm considering opening up an etsy shop soon. my good, diaper-sewing friend molly and i split the cost of a snap press and are in the process of learning how to work her serger--nothing bad can come from this--we are on the path to diaper-making greatness!

i realize that i haven't posted much lately regarding our cloth diapers. well, in addition to sewing a whole stash worth of diapers, we've also tried some new brands. i'll be posting reviews of each in coming days, along with an update on our wash routine, our continued love affair with wool, and some other cloth-related topics.

for now, i'll leave you with a laundry day photo--this is 3 days worth of diapers (and therefore only a third of our stash... yikes!)

divorce...

is totally un-eco-friendly. just another reason to stay married to my wonderful husband... :)

so my local news station did a big report on this study last night--green is such a media hot topic these days, it seems they'll spin an idea any way they can just to get an eco-edge on it. anyway, here's the basic idea: divorce is bad for the environment because it lowers the per-capita number for each household. instead of having two people living under one roof and running 1 heater, 1 dishwasher, 1 washing machine, etc., you've now got 2 people running 2 heaters, 2 dishwashers, 2 washing machines (which probably aren't full). you get the idea.

to this, i just have to say.... um, duh? i mean, of course a single-occupancy home is going to be a little less efficient per-capita than a double/triple/quadruple occupancy home. of course, having litters of babies to boost a home's occupancy? also not good. the following is a quote from the divorce study article--a little harsh (and unrealistic), don't you think?

"[Couples] don't know the impact on environment from divorce. … After the research is done, it's really simple. Before our research, nobody knew about the impact," he said. "My hope is that they will think about the decision. Also, they can inform other people about the environmental impact of divorce."

i for one don't want to make the divorcees out there (or single people, for that matter), feel bad about their non-green status. you guys are alright in my book. as long as you recycle.

did you know...

that the balloons that trader joe's hands out to kids are actually 100% biodegradable/compostable? i had no idea until today, when a friendly tj's employee handed one to lucy before i could politely refuse. we got it home and she was playing with it (in which she grabs it by the string and shakes her arm as fast as she can, so the balloon bops repeatedly off of her head), and i saw "100% biodegradable" printed right on the side.

lucy loves balloons. she gets all a-flutter when we duck into a tj's to pick up a few groceries--squeals and coos of delight can be heard from every aisle. she gives me this great, wide-eyed look like, "are you kidding me, mom? those things are here again! this is the best day EVER!" it's kind of the most adorable thing i've seen since her reaction to devil duckie & the new, improved bathtub gang.

of course, in order to be completely eco-conscious, the balloon string should be reused--if i keep hitting up my local trader joe's as often as i do, i won't need to buy any curling ribbon for christmas!

side note: in 5th grade we had a summer reading contest and for every book you read, you got a balloon to release at the beginning of the school year. totally un-earth-friendly, right? this was the same school where we got to chuck message-filled bottles into the creek behind the school as actual part of curriculum (we were reading some book that revolved around a message in a bottle). my how things have changed. anyway, i was a very avid reader and on the day of the balloon release i had more balloons than anyone in the whole school. swear. and one of my balloons made it all the way to the great state of arizona.

no kidding.

it's raining...

pouring, actually. and thank goodness it is--california is still in the middle of a severe drought. so severe that our federal water managers voted on this past friday to cut off water to thousands of california farms. yikes.

california is the top agricultural state in the country, producing over half of north america's fruits, nuts and veggies (no wonder our farmer's markets are so good!). products grown exclusively in california (over 99%) include almonds, artichokes, dates, figs, kiwi, olives, persimmons, pistachios, prunes, raisins, clovers, and walnuts. 83% of the nation's strawberries are grown here, and 65% of peaches. on our way home from santa barbara last week, we passed by miles and miles of newly planted lettuces, all just starting to peek through the rich californian sod.

this drought could "cause an estimated $1.15 billion loss in agriculture-related wages and eliminate as many as 40,000 jobs in farm-related industries in the San Joaquin Valley alone, where most of the nation's produce and nut crops are grown." not good news. you might recall previous posts where i've mentioned our mandatory water restrictions. each household in our water district has been instructed to lower consumption by 20%. we've done as much as we can--efforts include changing our diaper washing routine, letting unloved parts of our landscaping die, washing clothes only when we've got a super full load, letting "yellow mellow," not rinsing dishes before placing them into the dishwasher (okay, i never did this anyway), and yes, even taking some shorter showers (with a low-flow showerhead, of course!). still, without much-needed rain, the situation has only gotten worse. and while we've all enjoyed recent springlike days with temperatures into the mid-seventies, worries about water have become very real. especially with the new decision facing our farmers: grow less crops with more water per square foot, or attmept to grow more crops with less water per square foot. one thing is for certain: if this cutoff does indeed go though, there's no doubt that price increases will be passed on to consumers around the nation.

today's downpour also gave me the rare chance to wear my baby blue wellies, and to use my pink & white striped umbrella, which lucy happens to love (me too). good stuff.

so hope for continued rain. without landslides and flooding, of course.

thanks.

and the winner is...

lucky laura! she wrote the following comment (but was chosen totally randomly--swear!):

Congrats on your 200th post! Unfortunately I can't commit to buying organic dairy or meat. Or options are so limited being in this small a town and it is SO expensive.

i think most of us can relate. even here in the san francisco bay area, where organic options abound, dairy and meats are considerably more pricey than their non-organic counterparts. we've switched as best we can--i buy organic milk and yogurt 100% of the time. lucy gets organic cheeses and (which jeremy and i have been known to nibble upon). the vast majority of the meat & other dairy products that i purchase are hormone-free, but not always organic. for now, i've found that eating smaller amounts higher-quality stuff (meat, particularly) has me feeling good about our diets while still keeping some money in my pocket. for some meals, we try to eliminate meat all together. tonight's dinner, for instance, is a vegan soup with biscuits on the side. the soup is chock-full of beans for protein, instead of meat.

thanks to everybody for all of your great comments. i love the general willingness to admit eco-friendly pitfalls--it helps all of us to know that we're not alone in certain things, and it's also given me great ideas for some new posts!

laura, look for an email from me really soon!

so true...

if you've got a spare moment, please check out this great, short video. it's not only really funny, but right on the money as well. you won't be sorry!

responsible packaging? like, seriously?

let me put forth a mini-confession: i do quite a bit of internet shopping. clothes, laundry detergent, makeup, shoes, and let's NOT forget about the diapers! i absolutely love the internet for the simple fact that i can get practically anything that i want delivered to my doorstep within a matter of days. some even say that shopping online is better for the environment than driving from store to store (i have my doubts about this, though). at any rate, shopping online certainly falls short on the eco-friendly spectrum when it comes to packaging.

just for fun, here are the top 3 offenders that i can list off of the top of my head:

#3: the goodmama. average-sized box holding 6 diapers, each individually wrapped in a plastic bag. not an egregious packaging faux pas, but totally unnecessary, in my opinion. of course, "new in package" goodmamas are known to resell for well over $100 on diaperswappers.com--yes, there really are such things as collectible poo-catchers.

#2: victoria's secret: along the same lines as the goodmama--right sized box, but each item wrapped in plastic. box filled with crumpled paper (are my undergarments considered prone to damage in transit?). to top it all off, the addition of a thick catalog. um, marketing team? not only did i just make a purchase, but i did so online--trust me, i don't need a catalog to get the job done.

#1: pottery barn: massive cardboard box--think 3' x 2', and that's a conservative recollection. the entire box filled with packing peanuts. and submerged within, an 8 x 10 photo frame. boxed, of course. the upside? the frame wasn't broken. the downside? peanuts all over my living room. an overflowing recycling bin. total irritation on the part of a 9-month pregnant valley girl.

i was totally impressed to get my recent order from simpleshoes.com. besides being a very cool company that uses loads of eco-friendly materials (hemp, organic cotton, recycled soda bottles, recycled rubber, etc.), they also set a standard when it comes to responsible packaging. our 3 pairs of sandals were packed tightly into a box not much larger than a regular shoebox. each pair of sandals was packaged in a compostable cornstarch bag. the sandals had a little hanger-type thing keeping them together--also totally compostable. no catalogs, no air-filled plastic tubes, no peanuts. not a trace of plastic, actually, in the whole box, unless you count the tape on the outside. way to go, simple. you've earned my love. and as a result, i'm totally digging these shoes for lucy--organic cotton, recycled plastics, free shipping. and although i have a sinking feeling they're made in china (our flip flops were), the good is outweighing the bad at this point. aren't they cute?!

and... we're back.

our mini-vacation down to santa barbara was lots of fun. lucy didn't care much for the 6-hour car ride, but other than that she was a total vacationing superstar. here's how it all went down:

we filled our bellies with a special v-day pancake breakfast...



celebrated with a bit of L-O-V-E before hitting the road...



and made it to santa barbara in time to dip our toes into the ocean...



play in the sand (kinda gritty when you eat it)...



laugh at the doggies running wild...



and bask in the glow of the setting february sun.



the next day found us at the santa barbara zoo--checking out flamingos, penguins, giraffes, elephants, and lots more. lucy wore her excited face (see photo) for every single animal she saw, until suddenly conking out from all the fun while we walked to visit the lions.










the eco-aspect of this trip? our lovely hosts (my brother nick and his girlfriend jaime), prepared the most delicious taco dinner for us--complete with homemade salsa and shrimp that had just been caught that morning in the santa barbara harbor. nearly every fresh ingredient they used was bought locally--santa barbara residents have the luxury of a farmer's market every day of the week, as well as a fish market that sells fresh, locally caught fish. the shrimp was practically to-die-for: sweet, tender, and with gorgeous, vibrant red markings. a total treat, and a reminder that foods with a low carbon footprint really are tastier, too.

blogging break...

we're headed down south for a long weekend with my brother and his girlfriend--back on tuesday!

200th post!

well, well, well. guess who's having a celebration of sorts? that's right--me! 200 posts down in valley girl history. i'm proud. and what better way to commemorate this milestone than with the february giveaway?

this re-usable tote (elephant not included!) is handcrafted by your loyal blogger, and is loosely based on this pattern that i bought on etsy. it can be yours! to enter the drawing, simply leave a comment with your email address and elaborate a bit on this topic: despite all of my eco-efforts, the one thing that i can't give up/change (yet) is... 

for me, it's looooooong hot showers where i do nothing but stand there with my eyes closed. though i am working on taking at least 3 shorter (5 min) showers each week. 

the winner will be picked by random number generator on the morning of friday the 20th. good luck!

this is not eco-related...

but it seems really fun: one of my very favorite blogs, sew mama sew, is sponsoring a fabric exchange. (specifically, a fat quarter exchange... a fat quarter is an 18" x 22" piece of fabric). the rest of the details are here, but if you're interested in joining, don't delay: the deadline to sign up is friday, 2/13 at 5 pm.

i'm going to do it! it's always fun to look forward to getting some fun mail, right? i'll post photos of what i get too--those of you who don't want to enter can live vicariously through me.

i'm totally digging...

this head-turning, pro-breastfeeding campaign, sponsored by the marin breastfeeding coalition: 

"A series of life-sized photographs of women breastfeeding their babies, cut-out and plastered on poster board, is all part of an eye-catching campaign to encourage and promote the acceptance of breastfeeding in public..."

"Each cut-out figure is holding a card which reads, “When breastfeeding is accepted, it won’t be noticed.” 

"The Marin Breastfeeding Coalition said it would love for everyone to notice the campaign and to question why they were even paying so much attention to a breastfeeding mother in the first place. The group wants the public to know that breastfeeding in public is perfectly acceptable and that it is actually protected by law."

the cut-outs will be on display at an outdoor shopping mall not too far from my home. i like to take lucy there, because they've got a really fun outdoor playspace. i think a trip is in order--if not simply to go and see the campaign in action. 

i've personally come a long way since my first few months of nursing lucy. not only has it gotten a lot easier (we're both total pros at this point), but i've realized what a gift it is to be able to sustain and comfort her--simply by using my body for what it's intended. i feel a lot less guilty or embarrassed about having to nurse in public when the need arises. we're as discreet as can possibly be, and i am thankful not to have encountered any issues. still, i think that this campaign is a great idea. newly nursing moms need all the support they can get, both technical and emotional. it's always nice to feel like you've got other people who want you to succeed standing by your side--and not looking down their nose at you due to their own discomfort. 

let's not forget how totally green breastfeeding is! no packaging, no energy, no waste due to production... it's almost like magic, right? except that i eat more than jeremy on a regular basis--running your own personal milk machine is a lot of work!

you can read the entire news report here. 

hello, friends...

meet lucy's current fascination: devil duckie. he arrived at our home a few weeks back, along with other random toxic junk from my old office desk. have you seen a 9 month old get visibly, over-the-top excited recently? if not, you should swing by and have a look--it's certainly a sight--squeals of joy, flapping arms, kicking feet, wide eyes. so, sooooooo cute. anyway, i'm sure devil duckie is full of phthalates (a chemical softening agent linked to hormone disruption, and part of the CPSIA legislation you may have read about here). bummer, cause my girl REALLY likes him. especially in the bathtub, where he bobs all around and is fun to try and catch. what's a sympathetic, yet totally informed mommy to do?
let grandma handle it, that's what! as an early valentine's day gift for sweet little lucy, grandma went ahead and bought a set of phthalate-free bath squirters from giggle, very much like the set pictured below. lucy's now got herself a dolphin, an octopus, a puffer fish, a clownfish and a sea turtle. the devil duckie won't be making any more appearances in the warm bathwater, and will likely soon disappear altogether. sad, but terribly true. i'm not taking any chances when it comes to my girl! looking for even more phthalate-free bath toys? check out this great list from the soft landing--it's full of great ideas. 

energy vampires?

jeremy's current edition of handyman magazine has 10 really great tips for saving money & energy around the house. here's one that really struck home with us: according to the department of energy (as quoted by handyman magazine), "75% of the electrical use of home electronics occurs when they're turned off. these 'energy vampires' suck electricity all day long--costing you an extra $100 each year." 

a quick scan of our living room shows lots of possible waste--a television that we don't watch, a record player that we use, a dvd player and a receiver. we're all set up to be totally eco here, with all of the aforementioned items plugged into a power strip. but eco we aren't--the power strip stays on 100% of the time, which totally defeats the purpose. 

until now. i'd known in the past that electronics drain energy, but i wasn't aware of just how much it could be costing us. over the summer i went around the house unplugging things that weren't in use--the toaster, the dryer, a couple of lamps. it didn't really stick. tomorrow i plan on going around the house again, pulling plugs. i'll leave plugged in only what's hard to get to & used daily--the living room stereo, for instance. 

who knows if there'll be a difference on our energy bill, but it's worth a shot--last months grand total was $175 (running the heater, longer showers, baths for lucy in the real bathtub, christmas lights--it all adds up, i guess.). paying out on this small fortune makes me long for the $35 bill of no-dryer july, that's for sure! 

what we're using...

i thought i'd put together a short list of our "daily" products--the stuff we trust enough to have put in the heavy rotation. i was kind of a product junkie before making some real lifestyle changes since lucy's birth. i can now count on fingers the amount of lotions & potions that get used around these parts. our life is certainly simpler (and more affordable) due to the shift. you may have seen me blog about some of these before, but i thought it'd be handy to have them all together now that i've reached bodycare almost-nirvana. here's a rundown, for those looking for great "green" products in an affordable price range:

shampoo & conditioner: trader joe's tea tree tingle

anti-frizz serum, when needed: extra virgin olive oil

deodorant: the crystal stick

body lotion: aveeno naturals daily moisturizing lotion (i can get this at costco!)

toothpaste: trader joe's peppermint 

liquid body soap: dr. bronner's peppermint castile soap

bar soap: dr. bronner's almond

facewash: local raw honey

for makeup, i use bare minerals foundation and bronzer--this stuff is a little on the pricey side but it lasts forever! i use clinique eyeliner, eyeshadow and mascara. when these run out, i will be looking for a line that does not include parabens or other nasties in its ingredient list. if anyone has any suggestions, i would LOVE to hear them. 

lipgloss: alba passionfruit lip gloss. so yummy and gives a nice pretty shine, comparable to the stuff i used to use that was basically liquid plastic with some synthetic flavoring & scent. i also use lansinoh lanolin for healing chappy/dry lips. 

for lucy: 

california baby calming hair & bodywash in the bath. olive oil on rare occasions for dry skin. weleda children's tooth gel for her bitty teethies. we do not use rash cream for diaper rash--primarily because she doesn't get rashy, but also because if she does get rashy, i find that fresh air clears the rash quicker than any cream. 

for regular laundry: 

ecos liquid detergent in magnolia & lily scent. this stuff is 100% biodegradable, smells delicious without synthetic fragrances, and has a soy-based softener. 

for cloth diaper laundry: 7th generation delicate care. gets them clean, every time. 

for wool: ecover delicate wash for fine fabrics & wool

for lanolizing: lansinoh lanolin. SO much better than medela. 

for extra whitening & stain removal: oxyclean. pure magic. swear. 

around the house: 

dr bronners & baking soda for pretty much everything that needs a scrub. 

vinegar for the windows. 

a sprinkle of baking soda for stink in the diaper pail. 

an open window for air freshener. 

in the diswasher: trader joes liquid detergent. to be honest, it's not all that great. sometimes the dishes are squeaky clean, sometimes not so much. i have a box of ecover dishwashing tablets that i am itching to try when the tj's stuff runs out. 

as a rinse aid in the dishwasher: vinegar. 

there you have it. life has gotten pretty simple here. i like it. 

as promised...

here's a quick post on lanolizing and caring for wool. now, i'm no expert but i have had nothing but success with wool so far--it's much easier than i expected and pretty much a low-maintenance part of my cloth diapering routine. here's what's working for me: 

washing wool: i use ecover washing liquid for fine fabrics & wool. i fill up the bathroom sink with hot water, add a capful of the ecover, and swish the water around until it gets a little bubbly. then i toss in the wool--make sure that your wool doesn't bleed if you are washing more than one piece at the same time! i let it sit for about half an hour, then drain the sink and fill it with plain cold water to rinse. i swish each piece around a bit, then drain the sink again. i press excess water out of the piece--wringing wool can cause it to felt and shrink, which is not the greatest look. i roll up the wool in an extra-large bath towel, and then set it out in the sun or over a heating vent to dry. 

i wash each piece about once every 2 weeks, or every 10-15 uses. wool is so interesting--lucy's nighttime cover will be very pee-stinky in the morning, but after it's aired out for the day it smells fresh & clean. i could probably get by with even less washing, but for now i'm sticking with every 2 weeks. 

to lanolize: lanolin is the naturally occurring secreted by wool-bearing animals, and is very much like a wax. it keeps our wooly friends dry--the water just rolls right off instead of absorbing into the fibers. lanolin makes wool super effective for use in cloth diapering, giving it moisture-containing properties while still allowing for breathability, unlike the plastic pants of the past, or polyurethane laminate (PUL) covers of today. existing lanolin in wool is reduced with each washing, so a cloth-diapering mama (or papa) has to add it back in. i got great information from green mountain diapers on how to do this, but here's a quick rundown of what i do:

wool cover should be freshly washed & rinsed. in a stockpot, i boil about a gallon of water--enough for the piece to be fully submerged. to boiling water, add 2 big squirts of lansinoh lanolin (by far better then the medela brand) to the water--what would amount to 2 big tablespoons. add a bit of wool wash--this is important to avoid glopping which can put big greasy spots all over your wool (don't ask me how i know this, but my imse vimse cover has seen better days). swish everything fully to break up the oils in the lanolin. turn down the heat on the water. 

flip your cover inside out (you want the bulk of the lanolin to be on the side of the cover that will be exposed to moisture) and toss in the wool. using tongs, dip the wool in and out of the water a few times. transfer to a strainer and let cool, then press as much of the water out as you can. do not rinse. roll wool up in a towel & lay flat to dry. 

if the wool feels greasy, you probably used too much lanolin. if your little angel is soaking their covers, you probably didn't use enough. but really, this is the simplest thing ever, and it takes very little time. the payoff is a cute, breathable, natural little tush for your babe--well worth the minimal amount of work!

now, whatever you do, don't look here or here. or here. or here or here or here. or, you know, here. well, i could go on all day but... you get the idea. 

what we're loving...

this is a cloth-diapering momma's dream:

a pair of gorgeous, hand-knitted wool "shorties."



a matching cap. an adorable model. this adorable set was handmade by my brother's extremely talented girlfriend jaime as a christmas gift for lucy. the shorties ended up needing a slight tweak to accommodate lucy's chunky thighs (which are almost a foot in diameter--no exaggeration!) and they're now a perfect fit. wool is amazing--once properly lanolized, it contains wetness as well as PUL but is naturally antibacterial and breathable. more on lanolizing in another post--it's my bedtime!
lucy is sporting a kicky pants bamboo shirt. the softest thing i've ever felt in the way of everyday baby clothes, aside from the shorties, of course. bamboo is naturally organic and antibacterial, and apparently stays 2-3 degrees warmer in the cold and 2-3 degrees cooler in the heat. lucy likes how it accentuates her tummy, and i can't help but agree. this ensemble is a very good look!

a big bummer...

for my personal shopping situation. 

i heard on the radio today that my much-blogged about, favorite natural drugstore elephant pharmacy has closed it's doors after only six years of business. the current economic downturn has been cited for the closure. no advance notice was given--they simply closed up shop. elephant pharmacy had 3 locations, 2 of which were close to my home and on my regular shopping route. 190 jobs were lost in the closure. 

it's so sad to see an excellent, green-minded company have to shut its doors due to economic distress. elephant pharm offered tons of free classes--midday yoga, baby signing, baby massage, and much more. i was totally looking forward to taking lucy to toddler yoga classes when she turned 1. they offered a huge array of "green" body care, baby care, food, clothing, and supplies for the home. 

i have spent lots of money at elephant pharmacy over the past year, but always felt good about my purchases. now i'll have to look elsewhere--i certainly won't be switching back to the big box pharmacy nearest my home, as they don't carry much of anything i'd want to spend my money on. 

oh, elephant pharmacy i will miss you so. 

in case you hadn't heard...

the consumer product safety awareness act has been postponed. the original enactment date would have been just a week from now--february 10th. a year-long "stay of enforcement" has been enacted instead: 

Significant to makers of children’s products, the vote by the Commission provides limited relief from the testing and certification requirements which go into effect on February 10, 2009 for new total lead content limits (600 ppm), phthalates limits for certain products (1000 ppm), and mandatory toy standards, among other things. Manufacturers and importers – large and small – of children’s products will not need to test or certify to these new requirements, but will need to meet the lead and phthalates limits, mandatory toy standards and other requirements.

this enactment is much alike the one that was given to reseller's of children's products in january--and no doubt better than the proposed alternative. still, it places responsibility in the hands of the crafter or reseller--not the original manufacturer of parts & pieces. 

there's of eloquently written information on the issue here. 

i suppose it's entirely possible to feel victorious and defeated all at once. after all, despite this last minute save for handmade, serious issues in the toy industry still stand. it's a shame that things of this nature are even a concern--shouldn't we be able to walk into a store, choose a toy, and not have to worry about whether or not that toy is toxic? but shouldn't we also be able to purchase toys from people who care about their craft? why can't we have each of these scenarios without sacrificing the other?

rhetorical questions always seem so impassioned, don't they?

by the way, lucy's favorite toy of the moment is a miniature tin bucket that her friend's mommy picked up at a thrift store. it doesn't light up or sing songs or sport cartoon characters down the sides. it just sits there, and she can put things in it and wave it around in the air, and, on occasion, throw it so that it makes a glorious bang wherever it lands. i'm just sayin'.