Food For Thought

I've been doing some research lately on homeschooling in the Montessori tradition vs. sending your child to a Montessori school.

I've found a variety of opinions but haven't yet decided what I prefer to do with my own child.

In this search I've stumbled upon the term "unschooling". It hasn't been the first time I've heard the term; this time I just did a little more research on it.

I find there are some similarities between Montessori education and Unschooling.

Here's an interesting quote I thought I would share:

"I am beginning to suspect all elaborate and special systems of education. They seem to me to be built upon the supposition that every child is a kind of idiot who must be taught to think. Whereas, if the child is left to himself, he will think more and better, if less showily. Let him go and come freely, let him touch real things and combine his impressions for himself, instead of sitting indoors at a little round table, while a sweet-voiced teacher suggests that he build a stone wall with his wooden blocks, or make a rainbow out of strips of coloured paper, or plant straw trees in bead flower-pots. Such teaching fills the mind with artificial associations that must be got rid of, before the child can develop independent ideas out of actual experience." -- Anne Sullivan

Montessori Geometric Insets - Part 1

The Montessori Geometric Insets are really a gem, in my eyes.

If you don't believe me hear it from the woman herself:


‘These drawings perfect a child’s skill in that they oblige him to draw lines of different lengths and make him ever more skillful and sure in the use of this hands… I do not believe that any means could be found more efficacious in gaining such a victory in less time and which could afford so much amusement to a child. " Discovery of the Child, Maria Montessori

What are they?

10 geometric shapes in plastic or metal. They each have a frame, like individual puzzles.

What is the learning objective?

- To teach differences in shapes
- To develop the child’s muscles for holding a pencil correctly.
- To develop control and precision of movement with flexibility.
-Indirect preparation for art development of pattern and use of colour.


You can buy these Insets made of metal or plastic or you can make them on your own for much cheaper using heavy duty poster board. I bought a plastic set on Ebay for a great deal (Ebay is GREAT for Montessori deals!) since I wanted mine to last through many children.

Part 1

This exercise is very simple and I believe can be done with a very young child:


1. Using one shape at a time, take inset and frame to the child's table and remove inset from frame.


2. Going clockwise, trace with the index finger the outside of the inset and the outline of the frame's inside edge. (this is a great exercise for refinement of small motor skills and concentration)

3. Tell the child, " This is a circle," etc.


4. Ask the child to point out objects in the room that are circles


5. Proceed in this manner with the remaining geometric shapes, using Step 1 to 4 for each, as well as using the three period lesson.


6. Show the child how each inset fits into its own frame.


7. Finally present the full tray of insets and frames, remove all the insets, and have the child replace them.


Control of Error: Insets will fit only in their correct frame.


In the book Teaching Montessori in the Home, the Pre-School Years (great book and investment!) the author suggests that the ages for this activity is from 2 1/2 - 5. However I believe a child of MUCH younger could accomplish this Part 1 activity of the Geometric Insets.


Part 2 of the Geometric insets gets a little more challenging and fun....I just started it with my own daughter so I will be writing a post on it soon.


Enjoy!

Colors in Nature Walk

My daughter loves taking walks.

She would walk for hours if only I wouldn't wear out.

I made up this Colors in Nature sheet for her to use on the walks we take, you can download it here.

I laminated the sheet for durability and added pockets for each color out of laminated paper as well.

My daughter really loved looking for different colors in the environment and putting them in the corresponding pockets.

I think it really helped her to open her eyes a little more to what her surroundings are made of.

Enjoy!

Vinegar Cleans Dish Brushes!

See this dish brush?

Beautiful, clean, spotless....

And it's probably only one time in the life of your dish brush that it will EVER be that clean again.

The worst is when you're scrubbing cheese off dishes and the whole thing just gets covered in a gooey mess and you are very tempted to throw it out cause, gosh you wouldn't want to scrub any more dishes with it looking like that! (especially when you have dairy allergies in the household like I do!)

BUT I have a solution for you! Aren't you thrilled? :)

Honestly, it is the small joys in my life that keep me going.

VINEGAR!

My favorite new cleaning solution :)

How to:

-Put your Dish Brush in a cup

- Fill it up with vinegar (enough to cover the brush)

- Wait an hour or two, or overnight

- Rinse with HOT water

If all the gunk doesn't completely come out just use a fork to get between the bristles.

And voila!

You can feel content again scrubbing dishes with your now clean as new Dish Brush.

Enjoy!

Two Great Counting Activities

I am on a File Folder Activity role since I finally got around to getting cute file folders at Michaels and finding an old filing box to keep them in.

Ahhh, I love getting organized.

Here two great counting activities.

The first one my daughter loved.

You put the corresponding muber of apple cards in each pocket. It was the perfect amount of challenge for my two year old, but easy enough that she enjoyed it and actually wanted to do it again.

Here is the link for that one.

This next one was a bit more difficult, but a good difficult.

As long as I prompted her and asked her how many balloons, finger, ducks, etc. there were, she was able to count on her own and for the most part understand that you had to match it up next to the corresponding number.

Here's the link to "Count Me In"

Enjoy!

I Clean with Vinegar

Yes. I do.

And that's all I clean with (for the most part).

Something about the extreme chemically smell of cleaning products has always bothered me.

I never wanted to breathe the fumes in....and now after doing research I have good reason not to!

So I use vinegar.

For my counters, toilet, shower, windows, mirrors, etc.

Here's what I found out about vinegar:

"Heinz company spokesperson Michael Mullen references numerous studies to show that a straight 5 percent solution of vinegar—the kind you can buy in the supermarket—kills 99 percent of bacteria, 82 percent of mold, and 80 percent of germs (viruses). . He noted that Heinz can’t claim on their packaging that vinegar is a disinfectant since the company has not registered it as a pesticide with the Environmental Protection Agency. However, it seems to be common knowledge in the industry that vinegar is powerfully antibacterial. Even the CBS news show “48 Hours” had a special years ago with Heloise reporting on tests from The Good Housekeeping Institute that showed this."

So here's what I do:

I fill a spray bottle with a solution of vinegar & water; either 1:2 or 1:3, depending on how I'm feeling or what I am using it for.

You can either spray it on the desired area and wipe off immediately or you can let it sit if you want it to work harder.

For my mirrors & windows I spray it on and wipe it off....streak free, for real!

In the shower, I spray it on all over and let it sit for a while. Then I usually go back spray it again and wipe it off, using a scouring pad in places that needs it.

To clean my toilet, I pour straight vinegar in, filling the toilet up just past the top of the water, in order to get that mucky ring off. I leave it for 30 minutes then dip my toilet brush in the water/vinegar, pour baking soda all over the brush and dip it back in the toilet to scrub, scrub, scrub.

On the kitchen or bathroom counters (and walls) I just spray and wipe off.

Here's another tip for using vinegar in the kitchen for cleaning:

"Keep a clean spray bottle filled with straight 5 percent vinegar in your kitchen near your cutting board, and in your bathroom, and use them for cleaning. I often spray the vinegar on our cutting board before going to bed at night, and don’t even rinse, but let it set overnight. The smell of vinegar dissipates within a few hours."

One of the BIG pluses for cleaning with a safe and natural cleaner is that I feel comfortable having my daughter help me! One more practical life skill I am able to teach her and she really loves spraying the spray bottle :)

Oh yeah and the fact that it is SO much cheaper than traditional cleaners!!

Montessori Quote of the Day

"The basis for a child's early learning in mathematics and numbers should be established by the time he is three years old. With the infant, such simple games as counting his toes or fingers is a good beginning. Take advantage of everything in a child's environment. Count the steps to the front door, the bottles of milk the milkman left (wow, this book is outdated!), the trees on the block, the daisy plants Dad is putting in the garden."

Math is difficult for so many people.

I, myself, have never had a problem with math.

I can easily visualize things in my head and I have always enjoyed it.

My husband, is completely the opposite.

He struggles tremendously with it.

We have always just attributed it to certain strengths and weaknesses that we each have.

But can it really be that simple?

One inherent difference is that I attended a Montessori school during my early grade school years (thanks mom!) and he didn't. Of course you can't simply blame the difference in one's schooling for a lack or strength in core subjects such as math...or can you?

All I know is that the way Montessori teaches math concepts in such a concrete, hands on way, I really don't see how anyone could fail....honestly. If someone is not naturally gifted at math, I really can see how the Montessori method would help them reaach a higher level of achievment than would the traditional method of teaching math in other schools.

That's my two cents, I will be posting more later on specific math concept activities I am using and will be using with my daughter....so check back later!

My Review of Euro II Grow With Me Chair

Originally submitted at One Step Ahead

Built for growth spurts! Give your child our beautiful solid wood chair now, and someday he'll take it to college! Both the seat and footrest adjust to fit tots, growing kids, even adults up to 150 lbs. Built to last, and about half the price you'd pay elsewhere. Cushion included. Supports ...

Euro II Grow With Me Chair

Everything I wanted!

By Eleighnor from Akron, OH on 4/22/2010

 

5out of 5

Gift: No

Pros: Easily Assembled, Easy To Clean, Stable, Durable, Comfortable

Best Uses: Toddlers

Describe Yourself: First Time Parent

I really wanted a chair that my two year old could get in and out of by herself and one that actually went with our decor. This chair caught my eye and I have to say it is everything I had expected. I really love the fact that if necessary I can scoot her into the table all the way and she can't get out :) Like those times that she really needs to finish all those vegetables.
She just LOVES it, climbing in and out is so easy for her. I love the fact that it's adjustable. I also love the fact that I can scoot it up to the kitchen counter and have her stand on the bottom step to help me with food preparation. It is MUCH safer than having her stand on a chair, since I know she can get down on her own and that she's not too far from the ground.

Tags: Picture of Product, Using Product

(legalese)

Upper & Lower Case ABC Activity

I was so happy to find this activity online.

It's a file folder acticity, which means (when I find the time) you attach the activity to the inside of a file folder and add an envelope to keep all the pieces together.

It's a great way to stay organized...again, when I find the time.

But for now I just laminted the pages/cards and it works just as well.

The object is to match the lower case letter cards to the upper case letter on the sheet.

This was perfect for my daughter since she tends to mix up a lot of the lower case letters like d, p, b, q....etc.

This is how I do the activity with her:

I put the pile of cards in front of her

"What is that?"

"An 'r'"

"Yes, that's a small 'r', where is the big 'R'?"

She does pretty well with it and enjoys it for the most part.

Download it here!

Homemade All Natural Hair Wax that REALLY works

I am proud to say that my husband is the reason for this post.

He told me yesterday that he was thinking of making his own hair wax...hmmm, nice thought, right? Especially since it's so expensive and he goes through it so quickly.

So I bought him the needed beeswax that he asked for and tonight after dinner he comes down with a recipe (as easy as pie) and starts mixing things together.

Less than three minutes later, his hair wax was "done". Although it looked pretty liquid to me....but he assured me it would harden.

Sure enough it did.

Did it work?

Amazingly.

Even better than the "Surf Gel" he had been using, not at all sticky or greasy.

And may I add WAY less expensive and so much healthier.

I couldn't find his old hair gel on the Skin Deep Database but I have no doubt it would be a high rating.

Check out the spikiness (is that even a word?) he gets. He likes it spikey to say the least :)

So now when he's done slathering it on his hair to make his punk rock look, all he has to do is rub the remainder wax in his hands since it's all natural. Nice.

So here's the recipe:

1 cup Olive Oil

1/3 cup Beeswax

1 Tbs. Coconut Oil

Heat together in a pot until beeswax is fully melted. Remove from heat, let harden.

I got the beeswax at a local Health Food Store. It was like $23/lb (yikes!) But they had small containers of 0.165 lb for like $2 so it was pretty cheap, and there was some leftover after he made this first batch.

It looks like I'm rubbing off on my husband after all :)

Transferring Activity - Montessori

Transferring beans, rice, etc. from one container to another is a great practical life skill.

My daughter has always loved to do it.

She was just getting a little bored with transferring them from one bowl to the next.

So I tossed a few fun pots in there from another activity and she was happy again.

It also added the challenge of being more precise with her movements.

The small pots can be found at any craft store for super cheap and painted on your own if you wish.

Enjoy!

Rice Box Fun!!

I wish I lived in a house.

I wish that house had a fenced in back yard.

I wish that backyard had a full size sandbox for my daughter to play in.

BUT, since I don't this rice box will have to do :)

Thankfully, she LOVES it!!

I took an old box, put cute scrapbook paper around it, taped the edges for durability, then added a ton of the cheapest rice I could find.

Next I added little things she could hide and dig up....big buttons, shells, etc.

Add a couple of shovels, small bowls AND a rule that the rice stays in the box, and you've got yourself a babysitter that your child will love :)

Smallest to Largest Activity

This activity went pretty well with my daughter.

She was able to put them in order when I prompted her by asking which one was the next largest.

I found this printable activity from Workboxables, a GREAT resource. Enjoy!

Soapwalla Review + Discount

Soapwalla Kitchen is a truly wonderful find on Etsy. Rachel, the creator and chef of Soapwalla Kitchen started making luxury organic face and body products in her apartment kitchen to alleviate her painful sensitive skin rashes caused by lupus, an autoimmune illness. Her objective is to make the highest quality products available, made with organic, vegan, food-grade ingredients, and never harmful or synthetic additives such as petrochemicals, parabens, pthalates, or sodium lauryl sulfate.

"Our skin is our largest organ and in order for it to function at its best we must feed it with wholesome ingredients. If I refuse to put something in my body, I shouldn't be putting it *on* my body, either. "

I have been in the market for a product line for skin that wasn't going to affect me adversely. Since becoming acquainted with the Skin Deep Cosmetic Safety Database, I was so wary of all my beauty products that I had been using on a regular basis. Rachel, with impeccable timing, contacted me regarding her line and offered a few samples for me to try!

Here are a few of Soapwalla Kitchen's products and my two cents on them :

Deodorant Cream

"This all-natural yet powerful deodorant cream utilizes superfine vegetable powders, clays, and lavender, peppermint and tea tree essential oils to absorb moisture, inhibit bacteria, and ensure a long-lasting and highly effective experience. The frosting-like consistency ensures effortless manual application and quick absorption."

Definitely smelled the peppermint and loved it, and I have to admit it really did work! The only thing I wasn't crazy about was the application, having to put it on by hand. The normal stick application is much more convenient, especially when you forgot to put deodorant on and you quickly have to apply it before you dash out the door. With that being said, I guess it's up to each person to decide which is more important....convenience or safety.

Luxurious Moisturizing Body Oil

"Jojoba, sweet almond, grapeseed and coconut oils lock in moisture. Mowrah Butter, derived from the fruit kernels of the Madhuca tree (India) reduces the degeneration of skin cells, and promotes smooth, supple skin. Scented with pure ginger, citrus and lemongrass essential oils. Truly divine for all skin types. I call it springtime in a bottle!"

I loved the subtle fragrance of this oil, it was very pleasant. It went on smoothly and left my skin feeling soft and moisturized. The only downside is that I think I would go through the bottle so quickly! I know it says that you only need a couple drops but I felt I needed a little more than that to make my skin feel moisturized.

Organic Hand and Body Wash - Recover

"Cleanse your skin with a natural, consciously produced wash designed to clean without leaving a film or stripping the skin, nourish the body and remove unhealthy toxins, and soothe sensitive skin. Recover (lavender and eucalyptus) - specifically calms, relives aches and soreness."

I thought the fragrance was very invigorating and nothing like I had ever used before as a body wash. It didn't leave my skin feeling soapy or dry, I was very pleased.

Overall I would recommend Soapwalla Kitchen to anyone I know who is looking for a safe beauty line.

And check it out Soapwalla Kitchen is offering Organic Mama Blog readers 10% off their purchase through April 15th!

(coupon code: OrganicMamas10)

And along with that purchase Rachel will be throwing in something special for you to enjoy as well!

Counting Activity

Thurdays are counting days with my daughter. We are at 1-15 right now, she has known 1-10 for months but always confuses 13-15. We have number cards and a counting catepillar that we match up together on the floor. This part is simple for her. Next we place stones below the cards to correspond with the numbers. She doesn't quit get it yet but loves putting the stones down and is able to count them all by herself.

Setting the table - the Montessori Way!

I have always wanted to buy a placemat that helps a child to learn how to set a table. I never thought of making one myself until my friend Jodi put up a tutorial on her blog! Check it out here! I love the choice of fabric in her placemat below.

I tweaked her pattern a little bit to make one for my two year old. It is still a little rough around the edges (I am waiting for that promised serger from my mother-in-law) but I was so happy with how it turned out and the fact that my daughter LOVES using it!!

Montessori Music for Toddlers

Friday's are our music days.

My goals for music time with a two year old:

-Introduced simple music instruments

- Listen to upbeat songs and try to keep rhythm with maracas or a drum

- Sing, clap, have fun

For Small Hands has a variety of inexpensive music instruments. Below is my daughter using the Wooden Slide Whistle($4.50) which she was so intrigued with. It was super easy for her to use (age 2) and she had so much fun making her own music :)

We also love using wooden Maracas , they are beautifully painted and are the perfect size for small hands. We did get them from For Small Hands but I just found them for $1 each here!

Montessori Sorting Activity with Rookie Stix

In addition to being a great sorting activity this activity is also excellent for fine motor development. I got the Rookie Stix from For Small Hands, a great Montessori resource, for $4.95 for a set of 2. My daughter grasped the concept immediately and was so excited to use them.

You can use them to sort a variety of things. In the picture my daughter is sorting small pony tail holders (which she LOVES playing with) but I also have small different color pom poms (bought for cheap at any craft store) that she loves too. The "sorting" tray is used for paint, got that for super cheap at a craft store too.



Enjoy!

Simplicity Parenting Treasures

So I have officially finished the book Simplicity Parenting by Kim John Payne, M.Ed.

There are so many treasures in it that I would like to share with you, but unfortunately that would keep you here for a couple hours.

So instead I am going to share with you a few of my favorite quotes from the book:

"Too much stuff leads to too little time and too little depth in the way kids see and explore their world."

"With "predictability" a child knows what to expect."

"Relationships are often built in the intervals, the space between activities, when nothing much is going on."

"Children who've had a role in preparing a meal assume ownership of it. More simply: When children make the food, they're less likely to throw it, or refuse it."

"Family dinners get much simpler when they're predictable: Monday pasta night, Tuesday rice night, Wednesday soup night, and so on." ( I LOVE this idea!)

"Before you say something, ask yourself these three questions: Is it true? Is it kind? Is it necessary?"

Now those quotes barely scratch the surface, but it's all I can offer at the moment :)

A reader asked me a couple weeks ago what my typical day/schedule looks like. Since a big part of Simplicity Parenting is on the Rhythm & Schedules of children I wanted to read it first before sharing my own.

Basically Payne says that children need to know what's next. They need predictability in their lives so that they can fully feel secure in their worlds. They also need time to just play. Payne says that boredom is a gift, a gift that should be freely given to children. It is only through boredom that creativity can be found. A child's daily or weekly schedule shouldn't be so packed that they don't have time to just "be".

In my case, I am home all day with my daughter. We only have one car and my husband is in school full-time. I get the car once or twice a week. On those days I do grocery shopping or other errands. I don't try to jam those days full of errands though because I know my daughter can only sit in a shopping cart/car seat for so long.

My typical day is very typical. For those who care, here is a brief summary :)

- Wake up, slowly make our way downstairs, coffee/breakfast (the coffee's just for me), dishes while Dear Daughter (DD) plays, food preparation with or without DD help, prayer time.

- Upstairs to get dressed, make the beds, tidy up the rooms, brush teeth. All the while DD just busies herself with whatever suits her.

- Downstairs to do daily cleaning, if she is able to DD helps me (like with dusting, "trying" to sweep, etc.)

- Snack/lunch time

- Activity. I usually have one type of activity I try to do with DD a day (which is a separate schedule) that I might do with her before her nap. I could really go into detail but for brevity's sake Mondays I do a classification/sorting activity, Tuesday I do sequencing, Wednesday I do matching/memory games, etc., then DD takes a nap.

Believe me it DOES take a couple hours to get to this point :) I just try to really be present to my daughter and if she wants me to read a couple books or play or do a puzzle, I do those things with her and when I am thru I proceed with what's next on my list.

- Wake up from nap, snack.

- Playtime. I try to go outside with her once a day if the weather permits, even in the cold weather. I think it's important for her to have a change of environment and she really does love being outside.

- Prepare dinner (we eat pretty early) while DD helps or just plays.

- Dinner time, I clean up while DD plays with her daddy. The rest of the evening is kind of up in the air.

- Bath time usually around 7 pm which can last up to 45 minutes, since she LOVES being in the water. Snack, read books and bed!

I do have to say that I love the calmness and simplicity of my days. While I was running my Etsy shop the days weren't so calm and stress free for me, but I have realized that I really do need to maintain a sense of peace within me in order to be the best Mother and Wife that I can be.

I hope this helped! And if you haven't already, check out Simplicity Parenting from the library!!

Baby Dipper Giveaway Winner!

Congrats to Brandy C whose favorite feature of the Baby Dipper is the no slip bottom!!

Please contact me by Thursday to claim your prize!

Baby Dipper Bowl Review + Giveaway

Barbara, a mother of two sets of (gorgeous!) twins developed the concept for the Baby Dipper bowl when she starting the daunting task of feeding two babies at a time! She needed a bowl that required only one hand to successfully feed a baby, but there were none on the market!

Hence came her vision and creation of this bowl!

Here are a few of the ingenious perks of the Baby Dipper Bowl:

*Non slip bottom surface to keep it from sliding

*A sloped interior surface and a spoon-shaped collection point that help gather the food down to the last bite.

*Easy for toddlers to self feed!

*BPA, Phthalte & Lead Free (that's my kind of bowl!!)

Barbara sent me a bowl in the mail to review so I can fully back up every one of her claims. My daughter LOVES to use it for her apple sauce! She no longer asks me to scrape the last little bit out of the bowl since she can do it herself! It even works when the slop is facing away from you ( which is how my daughter insists on using it).

And of course Barbara is generously offering one Baby Dipper Bowl to one of you!

To enter this giveaway:

Please visit the Baby Dipper Website and leave a comment here telling me what you favorite feature of the Baby Dipper Bowl is!

Additional Entries:

1. Subscribe to the Baby Dipper Newsletter

2. Follow Baby Dipper on Twitter

3. Subscribe to Baby Dippers Blog

(Check them out on Facebook too!)

Note: Previous winners of the Baby Dipper Bowl giveaways sponsored by Baby Dippers, LLC are not eligible for this giveaway

The winner will be selected at random on Tuesday, February 9, 2010!!

Montessori Sequencing Activity

Children just continue to amaze me.

I introduced this activity to my daughter about 3 months ago. She sat on my lap while I silently showed her how to match up the cards. Of course she wanted to try and it was clear that she didn't grasp the concept at all. I tried a few more times to no avail. So I decided to put it away for a while.

Last month I got it out again and without me even showing her again she wanted to do it "all by self". Okay, I thought, good luck! She then proceeded to do the entire activity all by herself PERFECTLY. And not only just one sequence at a time but with all of them laid out in front of her at once.

I am reading Maria Montessori's Absorbent Mind right now and it really just continues to amaze me how children have the ability to absorb everything even without us knowing it.

The link to the printout and instructions to this activity is below. That site is a great resource for other activities as well! Have fun!

http://www.montessorimom.com/montessori-sorting-printout/?utm_source=newsletter-sorting-printout&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=S

Simplicity Parenting

I didn't technically make a New Year's resolution this year.

I guess I half forgot to and half thought it was pointless since I never really stick to them anyways :/

But as I think about it now I did make a very simple resolution at the beginning of 2010, whether I was intending it to be my New Year's resolution or not. I decided to temporarily close my Etsy shop.

I know, I know, I've built it up for so many months and business was going great and yada yada yada.

I think actually part of the problem was that business was going so well that I sort of lost focus of my first two vocations in life...that of being a wife and mother.

I needed to start my Etsy shop last year, I needed to have a creative outlet all the while being a stay-at-home mom. I needed to know I could bring in the dough on my own accord.

So I proved all those things very well.

Yes I could do it, yes I was capable.

I also proved a lot of other things.

I was a much testier person when I had deadlines to meet and orders to fulfill on time.

I let my cooking slide and lost the joy I once found in preparing healthy and yummy food for my family. I often got annoyed that I had a little person tagging at my shirt because I just had "one more thing to finish!"

So I am taking a break.

And I must say it feels...very good. :)

So after I had started to simplify my own life a little I read about a book called, "Simplicity Parenting" by Kim John Payne, M.Ed.

Perfect, I thought, I SO need to read that.

Well I am about a chapter into in and I have to say that I can already tell it is one I will have to buy very soon because I am hating the fact that I can't highlight like every other sentence in my borrowed copy!

Basically, here's the gist of it all. The author has been a school counselor and family-counselor therapist for many years and has found that the missing piece in many children's lives is simplicity. As a result so many children are suffering from anxiety, ADD, ADHD, OCD. Children are being so bombarded with toys, books, activities, that they don't have time to be children! Take out 3/4 of all they have in their life and they will be happier, less anxious, more attentive, etc.

He outlines 4 ares of life that need to be simplified: their environment, rhythm, schedules and filtering out of the adult world.

Now since I haven't read the entire book yet I can't go too much in-depth but I have to say I love what he says about a child's environment. Much of it goes along with the Montessori principles that I already love and have put into practice. He suggests only having half a dozen books on the shelf at a time. The rest can be put away and used as a sort of library to borrow from every week. Toys should be kept at a bare minimum and should be mostly limited to those items that foster creativity in a child. So think of all those toys that are supposed to "entertain" your child...pitch em. In their place put building blocks, puzzles, creative materials, construction toys, etc.

I have mostly tried to keep the amount of toys my daughter has down to a minimum anyways but I went even further in the past couple of days...I mean honestly there are so many things in our living room she hasn't touched in weeks! So off to storage they went!

The same with books too....we have SO many books I didn't know where to keep them all, plus I was going to the library once a week too, and i noticed that my daughter really was losing interest in reading all together. So out went the books. And literally, like magic i swear ( which I don't' even believe in) she was super interested in her books again.

I will definitely write more about the book when I read more....stay tuned!

Naturity Giveaway Winner!

The winner of the Organic Baby Bucket from Naturity is ...

Anonymous:

"It's super cool that they make organic nipple cream! I've not seen that before! - Amy"

Please contact me at jflborn@gmail.com by Thursday January 21st to redeem your prize.

Thanks to all who participated!!

Naturity Review + Giveaway

What a great name for a great company!

Naturity prides themselves on the organic integrity of their products, which are compromised of 99-100% certified organic ingredients. They are also a green company using only sustainable packaging. All items are contained in recycled glass or tin and orders are shipped in recycled packaging and bi-degradable packaging peanuts.

They have recently been rated "zero" toxicity in the Environmental Working Group's skin deep database.

So with no further ado let's look at the three main product lines Naturity offers!

Naturity's Organic Motherhood line is safe for you and your baby.

Products include Nipple Cream, Belly Butter & Belly Massage Oil.

There is also a Mother's gift basket including those 3 products, which would make an excellent gift.

I received Naturity's Belly Massage Oil to review and was very pleased with the product. When I was pregnant I was super cautious about what I put in and on my body for fear of hurting my growing baby, that's one of the reason's why Naturity's products excite me so much!

The Belly Massage Oil was very easy to rub on and did not leave a super oily feeling left on my skin afterwards, unlike the cocoa butter I had used during my first pregnancy. The smell of it is very pleasant smelling and actually brought me back to my childhood when we used to crack open vitamin e capsules to put on our cuts. I highly recommend the Belly oil!





Next we have Naturity's Organic Babyhood line, which is vegan friendly and nut and wheat free.

All of the Babyhood products are free of chemicals, fragrances, additives and synthetic preservatives. Naturity doesn't use any essential oils that may cause irritation. All products have been tested and are safe for baby skin.



Naturity's Organic Babyhood line includes Diaper balm, Baby Massage Oil & Baby Powder as well as a Welcome Baby Bucket including those three.

I received the Baby Massage oil to review as well and I'll repeat what I said above about the Belly oil, it was very easy to put on and didn't leave the skin feeling oily at all. As advertised this oil was fragrance free.

Last but not least we have Naturity's Body-Bath line. All products contain pure, unrefined organic ingredients gentle enough to use daily on the body or in the bath to nurture healthy skin. All products available in unscented and six herbal scents.

Products include Massage Oil, Sugar Body Scrub, Salt soak, Herbal Bath blend, and 2 gift baskets as well.

I received the Sweet orange bath salt soak to review. I was very happy to have an excuse to have to take a bath (the first one in two years since my daughter was born!)

The aroma was very pleasant, not too strong at all. It left my skin feeling smooth and moist and not in much need of lotion application afterwards like I usually do. Highly recommended!

Now of course is your favorite part!!! The giveaway!!

Naturity will generously be giveaway a Welcome Baby Bucket to one of you!

This includes Diaper Balm, Baby Massage Oil & Baby Powder.

To enter into this giveaway:

Visit Naturity and leave a comment here telling me what your favorite thing about the company is!

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The winner will be picked randomly and announced on January 19, 2010!