paper towel watch...

#16 & #17: used to drain bacon

#18: compost bucket

#19: more bacon (blt's w/ avacado & cheese--so good!). 

thanks to some smart comments from you readers, i now have a plan to start using newspaper in the indoor compost bucket to absorb some of the "food-scrap runoff." no idea if this will work as well as paper towels, but we'll see! we don't take the paper, and i meant to grab an old one last time i was at my parent's house, but forgot. 

another reader tip i can't wait to try is using warm bread to pick up those miniscule glass shards that come every time we get a dish tossed over the side of the highchair. while i love not having to worry about popping lucy's plates & bowls into the microwave, or transferring warm food into them, there sure is a risk involved with handing baby something so very breakable. she's getting much better about this though--it only took 6 months, but today she ate cereal out of her glass bowl without so much as picking it up. till the food was gone, anyway. then all bets are off:

mmm. trader joe's organic raisin bran crunch. good to the last drop! 

now, what do you non-paper-towel-users do for draining bacon & hash browns? 

no peeking, lucy!

i'm so excited about part of lucy's birthday present that came in the mail last week--just had to share. how cute are these from lucette on etsy?




i originally purchased only the cupcakes, but this kind seller threw in the breakfast goodies as an apology for shipping a mere 1 day late. talk about great customer service! the quality of these crocheted treats is excellent, and the price was right--only $6 for the set of 3. score. i hope lucy loves them as much as i do--i see tea parties on her green toys tea set in our future!

i hoped to make something for lucy, but i am super running out of time. i might issue her a rain check for some felt letters like these, (though for the work involved, i think i'd rather just shell out the $30). as consolation for my procrastination, i am also trying to take into consideration the smart words of my own mom, who, after hearing me say "i haven't even made anything for lucy's birthday yet!" said, "honey, you're making her a party." hmm. is that why i'm so tired?

jeremy has built lucy a sandbox (which she won't yet touch with a 10-ft. pole... uh-oh!), which will be her big gift. and we've asked guests of her party to bring only themselves. it'll be interesting to see how many listen to our wishes! 

the best bibs...

every since her first foray into the world of solid foods, little lucy has been quite skilled at making a big ol' mess when it comes to mealtimes. thankfully i have found a bib that can keep up--as much as can be expected, anyway. along with being made in the usa, bumkins bibs are free of nasty stuff like pvc, phthalates and vinyl, and have a nice, non-plastic-y feel to them. they're also waterproof. i swear the pocket at the bottom actually holds water--large amounts of it. what i love the most is that they are easily hand-washable. i rinse lucy's out at the sink and hang it on a hook in our kitchen. it's always dry by the next mealtime. the only thing that could make this bib better is if it came with sleeves... oh wait, it looks like they already thought of that:i always feel like lucy doesn't need another thing, but the bib pictured above could get a lot of use around here. i mean, at first glance it does seem like overkill, but it would be awesome at preventing messes such as these:  

that's steel cut oats with frozen blueberries, if you're wondering about the specifics. blueberry juice out of thermal knit? not an easy task. it's a good thing this girl is cute--i don't mind working for her. 

seriously though, a bumkins bib is now on my personal go-to baby shower gift list. along with something handmade, of course. 

tried it... baby sunscreen...

after a long day spent out at the alameda antique fair, jeremy is sunburned and i am fairly fried. only lucy managed to escape from all-day sun unscathed--she was wearing a long sleeved shirt, capris and sunbonnet, but i slathered all of her exposed parts with avalon organics natural mineral sunscreen. thankfully she's looking a lot better than us. 

sunscreens are tricky. you use them to protect yourself from harmful sun exposure, but often times they are made up of lots of nasty chemicals, many of which are known carcinogens. it kind of defeats the purpose, in my opinion. last year i bought natural sunscreens, including the avalon organics for lucy, but i don't think i ever got around to writing a review. 

for an spf 18, i think this stuff works really well, though it is a bit slow to rub in and not water resistant. it's hypo-allergenic, paraben-free, and fragrance-free. active ingredient is titanium dioxide, which is thought to be carcinogenic when inhaled. (mental note: do not huff the sunscreen). the skin deep cosmetics safety database rates this product as a 3 out of 10 on its safety scale. certainly not the worst, but they do list 27 alternate sunscreens with lower ratings. we're about halfway through our bottle. i'm thinking that when it's emptied, i'd like to give california baby sunscreen try. it gets a ZERO on the ratings scale, which is obviously the best mark that a product can receive. we've had nothing but good luck with their baby wash, conditioner and bug spray. my only curiosity is as to whether or not it will work! have any of you mommies out there had any hands-on experience with california baby sunscreen?

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. 

2 points for the french...

french government has banned the marketing of cell phones to children under the age of 12--a bold move in the wake of research suggesting that cell phone usage poses a risk of brain damage in children and teens. this article, though short, has more information on the ban.

the cell phone crackdown is, in my opinion, another great move by french government. it was only a few months ago that they banned all television programming aimed at children under 3, citing extensive research that television exposure actually negatively impacts the rapidly developing brains of babies and toddlers, instead of boosting IQ's as intended.

any chance that bans such these as could happen here? or am i destined to have to explain to my pre-schooler that just because her classmates have a firefly, doesn't mean that she can have one too?

our lovely loot...

christmas certainly had an eco-friendly aspect to it this year. klean kanteens and resuable bags were in abundance! i was a bit worried about all of the "stuff," what with the fact that babies often = loads of toys. but i have to say that it seems nearly everyone we know understands and appreciates our outlook on superfluous baby things.


don't get me wrong--lucy still got her fair share of gifts! but it was easy to see that they were thoughtfully chosen: the green toys tea set & green toys cooking set, california baby hair & bodywash, some used (and a few new) books to enjoy. organic clothing. a set of balls to roll around. a secondhand hat and mitten set. a pair of sparkly converse... okay, the shoes might not be eco-friendly but they are soooo cute!

my mom made lucy the most darling cloth book, complete with pictures on printable fabric. this book, like all of lucy's handmade things, is something we will treasure forever. knowing that my mom took the time to put it all together makes me smile everytime i see it sitting on lucy's dresser. grandma really took handmade holiday to the next level!


for me, from my dad: a handpainted box that opens to reveal a hand-cut wooden puzzle. i think this is such charming little thing. lucy and i will no doubt have lots of fun putting it together when she gets a little older. i think my dad picked this up at a street fair in berkeley--good things can always be found there. not handcrafted, but sure to inspire: a gift for lucy and i from her cousins. instructions and patterns for creating the cutest little creatures i have ever seen. i guess i'll be the one doing all the work, and lucy will get to cuddle the finished products!


finally, here were my gifts to lucy--not handcrafted (by me, anyway), but certainly secondhand. a vintage dollie. the hands & head are handpainted porcelain, the body is cloth. dollie was nakkie when i bought her, but i managed to dig up a dress that fit her properly at another antique shop. she looks a bit concerned that lucy might play too rough, doesn't she? no worries, dollie. we're teaching lucy to be gentle with pretty things such as yourself!

lucy, by the way, gets all squealy when she gets to hold dollie. i think it's because she looks so real...
last but not least, i got lucy a wooden elephant pull-toy. i think this little guy is from the mid-seventies, but there's no real telling of just how vintage it might or might not be. i do know one thing: the leather string seems very, very yummy. i look forward to the day that i see little lucy toddling around with elephant behind her.


hope your christmastime was just as wonderful as ours was! now we've got our eye on the new year... there are a couple of resolutions in the works. all so very eco, of course!

just in time for the holidays...

here's a read-worthy article that discusses the general overabundance of toys in american households. an excerpt:

"The average child in America gets seventy new toys a year, and the United States, with 4 percent of the world's children, consumes 40 percent of the world's toys. This is doing our children no good. Rather than bulldozing their way through dozens of one-note, breakable, and possibly harmful toys, children benefit from repetitive use of old favorites, finding new ways to play with them as their minds mature and expand."

seventy toys? i must admit that in nearly 10 years of nannying, i'm all too familiar with toy-mania. some families had more, some families had a little less, but in general, all of the children i watched had more than enough toys to go around (the block). the best memories of my nannying days don't include any recollection of store-bought playthings. the kids and i went for long walks, did art with found objects, took trips to the park. board games were fun on rainy days, as were forts constructed from sheets & blankets, neverending sessions of hide-and-go-seek, cooking lessons (cupcakes, yum) and playdough whipped up from scratch.

lucy, at 7 months old, has a very large basket (think laundry basket-ish) filled with toys. there's not too much in the way of craptastic plastic--so far we've been able to stick pretty well to a few sets of blocks, stuffed animals and cloth creatures, a couple soft stackers and shape sorters, a puzzle, a vintage xylaphone, finger puppets, sophie the giraffe and a whole mess of secondhand books (the books are in another basket). i like her toy stash--it's big enough so that she doesn't get bored, but it's not running the risk of overtaking our house. yet. i've always believed in the "one in, one out" rule--at some point soon i'm sure we'll have to implement it.

her newest toys (as pictured above) include a container full of tupperware lids, a wooden spoon, metal measuring cups (good for banging, mom!) and a rolling pin. recent additions to her bathtub collection are a trio of metal scoops i found in the cooking drawer, burried beneath more frequently used tools. once again, they are quite good for banging. they sink when you drop them, too. wow!

fun times, this mommy stuff.

if you're in the mood for a bit more reading, please take a look at this post. handmade toys are in danger of becoming extinct due to impending legislation that will require extensive testing prior to sale. while this is good in theory (who doesn't want safer toys?) it means that lots of small toymakers and work-at-home crafters will no longer be able to sell their goods. they simply won't be able to afford it. which means that so many of the things on my "someday" list for lucy will be gone, and in their place will be crappy plastic toys from big box stores. yuck.