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!