Kale - 3 months

My sweet boy you're already 3 months old. You're a whopping 15 pounds!

You love kicking in your bouncy seat and staring at the ceiling fans.

You love watching your big brother and sister play and can't wait to join in the fun.

We love you!

Tackle It Tuesday #15 - Packing

It's official. We sold our house. We have to be out July 28th. We haven't found a house yet, so I'm tackling house hunting AND packing this week.

I'm heading out to get packing supplies today, and tomorrow I'm taking the family to see a fixer upper I found. Because I'm crazy . . . and thrive in chaos!

I'd love to hear some of your packing tips.

Check out more great tackles over at 5 Minutes for Mom.

5 Eco-friendly Ways to Cure Summer Boredom

A couple of weeks ago Shannon hosted a "Mom I'm Bored" themed edition. I didn't have it together then, so I thought I'd post these ideas today.

I've searched the web and found some great ideas for fun, eco-friendly things to do with your kids for the days when nothing else seems to entertain them.

1. GreenStyle Mom is recycling plastic to make Shrinky Dink Necklaces.

2. There's a drawer in the laundry room where I stash all of the misplaced little toys and trinkets that make their way into our house. Thanks to Kiwi Magazine, I now have a great way to reuse these things to make an adorable frame.

3. Green Mom Finds has an easy no-cook playdough recipe you can make with items from your pantry.

4. Recycle pages from magazines, coloring books, hand-drawn pictures or photos to make these wonderful wooden block puzzles. Check out other crafts and activities from Scribbit. She has a wonderful way of turning ordinary, everyday things into something fun and spectacular.

5. Plant something with your kids. Jennifer Lance has a great post of 10 Tips for Organic Gardening.

We Love Our Daddy

He takes us to do fun things.

He loves to hang out with us.

He picks us up when we're having a bad day.

He plays with us for hours.

He helps us pick out pumpkins for Halloween.

He teaches us how to ride our bikes.

He takes on us long nature walks.

Happy Father's Day! We love you,
Davis, Meg & Kale
(even though absent from the pictures above - Kale loves you a lot)

Tackle It Tuesday #14 - iPod

It's time. I've always enjoyed walking. It does wonders for my mood and state of mind. Walking makes me feel good. I have to make it a priority because my feeling good is important to the well-being of our whole family.

Before I can go out, I need to update my iPod. So, what are you listening to?

Check out more tackles over at 5 Minutes for Mom

Under Contract

WOW! Less than 48 hours on the market and we have a signed contract! Hopefully, we'll have a smooth home inspection and go to settlement the end of July.

Meanwhile, our house hunt continues. We have a back-up plan in case we don't find something soon, so I'm not feeling too stressed. Maybe I'll have some contenders to introduce soon.

Three R Thursday - Vinegar

Plan White Vinegar is a multi-purpose cleaner that's cheap and non-toxic. It can help you in the kitchen, the bathroom, the laundry and even your flower beds.

It's a great idea to create two vinegar spray bottles. One filled with pure vinegar and the other with a vinegar/water mixture.

You may recognize some of these and some might be new to you (as they were to me). I would love to hear how you use vinegar to help perform everyday tasks.

1. Moisten those annoying stickers used on frames and mirrors with vinegar. Let sit for at least ten minutes, then remove.

2. Place a bowl of vinegar in a stinky room overnight to remove persistent odors.

3. Clean your windows with a half vinegar/water spray. Wipe with newspapers or microfiber cloth to decrease lint.

4. Soak your shower head in vinegar overnight to remove corrosion or chemical build-up.

5. Remove stains from your toilet bowl by spraying with vinegar and scrubbing. Sprinkling in a little baking soda will help with any odor.

6. Keep ants away by spraying vinegar along doorways, windowsills and counter tops. Clean any ant trails with vinegar.

7. Remove odors from the sink or garbage disposal by pouring in a cup of vinegar. Give it at least an hour before rinsing.

8. Add 2 tablespoons of vinegar to your water before boiling eggs. It keeps them from cracking.

9. Keep colors from running by soaking in vinegar before washing.

10. Freshen your cut flowers by adding 2 tablespoons of vinegar and 1 teaspoon of sugar for each quart of water.

11. Spray vinegar full strength on weeds. The vinegar "starves" the weed and it will die. Works best on a sunny day. You can also spray the grass on walks and driveways.

12. Tenderize meat by soaking it in vinegar overnight.

13. Clean and disinfect your wood cutting boards by wiping with full strength vinegar.

Get the Thursday Thirteen code here!


The purpose of the meme is to get to know everyone who participates a little bit better every Thursday. Visiting fellow Thirteeners is encouraged! If you participate, leave the link to your Thirteen in others' comments. It’s easy, and fun! Trackbacks, pings, comment links accepted!

View More Thursday Thirteen Participants

Tackle It Tuesday #13 - Open House

My To-Do List is long.

The For Sale sign will be driven into the ground today. My home will officially be on the market.

Brokers and potential buyers will be walking through our door tomorrow.

I may cry.

You can see some before and after pics of our house here.

Check out more tackles here.

Off My Game

Over the last week I've found myself repeating this phrase, "Just because it's cheap and easy doesn't mean it's better".

Preparing for our open house has affected my decision-making process. I've been doing things I don't agree with all for the sake of convenience. It's so easy to fall back into old habits. I come here to confess my sins against the environment.

My offenses as of late:

• I bought fruit in plastic bags instead of using these.
• The fruit wasn't organic.
• I've used a few cleaning products that aren't exactly eco-friendly.
  
• I threw away a few glass bottles while cleaning out the fridge.
• I agreed to let the landscaper use Preen in the flower beds. I came to my senses over the weekend and I'm calling him today to cancel it.
• I called a hauler to haul away things from the garage that could've been Freecycled.
• I bought cut flowers from the "regular" grocery store that weren't certified VeriFlora.