Group Writing Project #1 - Favorite Family Product

Does Mommy Love It is hosting their first group writing project. The topic for this month is a favorite product our family can't live without.


If I weren't confident in my abilities as a mother, I would feel threatened by you. You spend uninterrupted hours with our children while they dream. A simple touch from you provides them with comfort and warmth. My children allow you to tame their raging tantrums and cuddle with them as they read their favorite books. You are definitely something our family couldn't live without. You are their blanket, blankie, or beck, depending on which child is asking for you.

Mind you, not just any blanket will do, it has to be a Baby Morgan Thermal Blanket created by the J.E. Morgan Knitting Mills. A blanket that is so soft - bound with two inches of nylon satin. This blanket was once widely available at our local JC Penneys in a variety of colors. In 2003, the J.E. Morgan Knitting Mills closed down causing a little panic attack for this mommy!

Morgan blankets are now a staple for our family. All of our children have had one and loved them dearly. The Baby Morgan blanket production was sold to Bright Future. It has been difficult to find them in our JC Penney. I stalk eBay and patiently wait for the right color to become available. Another baby is on the way so I am on the hunt once again . . . . this time for a green one!

Recently, I found this website that carries the original Baby Morgan Blanket. They'll even monogram it for you. The original is more expensive than the Bright Future one, but I can truly say these blankets last forever and can be washed over and over again.

One word of advice . . . if you decide to purchase one of these wonderful blankets stock up so you can rotate them and always have one on hand!

Stubby Pencil Studio Giveaway Winner(s)

Thanks to everyone that entered the Stubby Pencil Studio giveaway. These products are great! I'm glad you had a chance to learn about them. The winner was chosen by a Random Number Generator a.k.a - my 3 year old son.

And the winner is . . . . Shannon @ God Gave Me You

WAIT . . . that's not all. Kate, the owner of the Stubby Pencil Studio, was so excited and overwhelmed by your comments she has decided to extend this giveaway and offer 10 of you a sample variety pack of coloring cards. The variety pack contains: 2 b-day, 2 thank you, 1 get well, 1 smile, 1 hello, and 2 blank cards. Again, these winners were chosen randomly. Congratulations to the following:

Heather @ Needles-and-Pens
Jaydee
Susanne
Miss Vida
angelaandconnor @ Seven Dogs and a Baby
Life as a Mama
Stacey @ All Because Two People Fell In Love
Megan @ SortaCrunchy
Jenny @ Hoesli House
PS @ The Dirty Work

I will be contacting you all soon for an address to send your Coloring Cards!

Friday Round - Up

I've searched the world wide web over, and I'm bringin' you some linky love!

• If you're like me you have probably wondered, "How many PB&J sandwiches is too many to feed my children?" Well, making a PB&J may not make you feel like a gourmet cook, but take comfort in the fact that you are doing something good for the environment (yes, it is possible to connect everything to "green living"). Check out the PB&J Campaign to learn how these wonderful little sandwiches are helping to slow global warming.

• My Bag & Me is a board book written by Karen Farmer. It's never too early for your child to learn about the 3 R's: reusing, reducing and recycling. My Bag & Me follows a child and his reusable shopping bag on a trip to the grocery store. By the end of the story, your child will say Paper and plastic no more! Includes a FREE reusable Tyvek shopping bag! Children can tote on their next shopping trip to show-off their eco-awareness!

• TerraCycle manufactures affordable, potent, organic products that are not only made from waste, but are also packaged entirely in waste! This company is definitely worth a look - they're doing a lot of great things with waste!

• Back in November, we signed up with 41pounds.org. We paid a $41 fee to stop our junk mail over the next 5 years - so far so good. Another FREE option that's been getting good reviews is ProQuo.
  

• Is your mom the best mother in the world? If so, enter why you think she should win the title 2007 Mother of the Year! She can win some great prizes including $5,000 cash!

• Are you coming to The Ultimate Blog Party? It's a great opportunity to meet a lot of people and have a chance to win some great prizes! The party is for everyone, not just bloggers! Check it out!
  

Giveaways:

Laura Williams' Musings has a great giveaway going on now from Stuck on You. Stuck on You helps parents manage their busy households by offering a variety of products to help you keep track of your family's belongings. Go over to Laura's and check it out - giveaway runs through February 28th.

5 Minutes for Mom is hosting a giveaway for an Oreck XL Ultra vacuum cleaner. This vacuum only weighs 9 lbs. It has a hypo-allergenic filtration system that eliminates 99.9% of all allergens. You have until 2/28 to enter for a chance to win.


February 15, 2008
Swango, Ideal Bite, A Green Ferret Mission, Consumer Consequences

February 8, 2008
Valentine's Edition

February 1, 2008
10 Ways to Deal with Blogger's Block, The Dirty Dozen Chemicals in Cosmetics, The Lost Blog, Blogging Basics 101

January 25, 2008
31 Days to Becoming a Better Blogger, PaperBack Swap, Crunchy Chicken's Book Club

Three R Thursday - Organic Children's Clothing

They’ve been sitting there for over a week.

Lonely. Confused. Free from toxins.

In a virtual shopping cart. Somewhere on the Internet, sits a basket full of organic baby clothes.

Why, you ask?

Because I am a month away from bringing another beautiful baby into the world, and my neurotic mind is trying to justify spending $20 on an organic onesie.

A $20 organic onesie that will inevitably end up with a breast-milk-induced-poop-explosion all over it. A $20 organic onesie stained and in need of some chemical-laden stain remover, totally defeating the purpose of buying organic in the first place. In the end, leaving the $20 organic onesie unwearable.

Have I mentioned the average organic onesie is about $20?

Decisions, Decisions…

Choosing to buy organic food for our family was an easy decision. Many of the things we consume on a daily basis are organic. We are willing to pay a little more knowing what our family is eating is better for us and the environment.

After researching the production of conventional cotton, my decision became a little easier. Just because my kid’s not going to be eating his organic onesie - doesn’t mean it shouldn’t be safe for him!

I decided to empty my shopping cart today. I want to spend a little more time looking for organic products that hopefully hit the “Green Trifecta” – organic, fair-trade and local (or at least made in the U.S.).

Hopefully, the day will come when words like “natural” and “organic” will be obsolete. A day when concerned mothers can safely assume manufactures are participating in safe practices bringing safe products to our families and into our homes.

I’d love any suggestions or comments you may have. I’ll update you with my findings and hopefully my purchases next week.

Below is my little “pros & cons list” I came up with as I was researching. I’m sure there are a lot more “pros” , but the EPA’s findings pretty much sealed the deal for me.

Pros

1. Organic cotton is produced using materials and methods that are better for our environment.

• Cotton occupies 3% of the world’s farmland, but uses 25% of the world’s chemical pesticides and 10% of the insecticides.
• The EPA considers seven of the top 15 pesticides used on cotton in 2000 as “possible”, “likely”, or “known” human carcinogens.
• According to the Sustainable Cotton Project, it takes about one-third of a pound of pesticides and fertilizers to grow enough cotton for just one T-shirt.

2. The production of organic cotton protects the health of people and the planet.

• The toxic chemicals and synthetic pesticides used in the production of conventional cotton ends up in the ground, air, water, and food supply.
• Can lower instances of allergies and asthma

3. Better value over time.

• Organic cotton becomes softer with each washing. It's also stronger and more durable than a lot of other fabrics.

Cons

1. Organic cotton is more expensive.

• I know the market drives prices. It is going to take an increase in demand from families like ours to make these prices drop.

2. Getting what you paid for.

• If you are going to invest in organic clothing, make sure you are getting a certified organic product. Read the labels or ask the merchandiser if the cotton has been certified.

WFMW: Wrap-n-Mat

I am very happy with my new WRAP-N-MAT^TM wraps. The WRAP-N-MAT^TM is a sandwich wrap and a placemat in one. Simply place the sandwich or other snack food on the mat and fold the WRAP-N-MAT^TM wrap from left to right, top to bottom. Close the Velcro tab; it’s that easy. I like to place a napkin at the bottom of the sandwich. These wraps definitely work for me!

Environmentally Friendly:

Daily over 20,000,000 baggies are discarded and added to our landfills. One wrap can be used for an entire school year without having to be replaced. All wraps are LEAD FREE. In addition, the colors on the Eco print are made with vegetable dye.

Manufactured in both USA and China:

Manufactured proudly in both Kansas, U.S.A. and Hong Kong, China. WRAP-N-MAT^TM wraps are made up of cloth and have a lining that is either made of PVC or PEVA. Materials found in both linings are on the FDA safe list for food contact surfaces.

Alternative lining available as well:

Three years ago, WRAP-N-MAT^TM wraps started being manufactured in China with a lining made of PEVA (Polyethylene vinyl acetate). This material contains no “C” chloride compound so it is more ecologically friendly in its production than PVC. WRAP-N-MAT^TM wraps have recently expanded their line of wraps made with PEVA lining to include solid blue, cream, solid green and our ever popular red/white gingham. Wraps made in China are manufactured under Fair Trade Association-approved guidelines.

Healthy:
WRAP-N-MAT^TM wraps always provides a clean surface to place your food. Use them in the school cafeteria, your office desk, the picnic table, a fast food restaurant or in the car.

I purchased my WRAP-N-MAT's from Reusable Bags where I get all of my great sustainable products, like my shopping bags.

Tackle It Tuesday #6 - PaperbackSwap & Update

This morning I completed the quick, easy, and as of now, FREE registration process for PaperBackSwap.

For the rest of today's tackle I'll post 10 books. By posting 10 books, I'll receive 2 credits as a "welcome gift". I can use these 2 credits to request my first 2 books from other members.

Go on over and read for yourself how quick and easy this process is - it's a great way to declutter and save some money!

Guest Room Conversion Update

Before


Week 1


Week 2


Week 3

• Obviously, clear out the room. Everything from computer pieces to bike parts. I am told all these various parts will eventually turn into a bicycle. I made a little progress clearing things out but still have some work to do.
  

Still clearing out . . .

• Order window coverings. I ordered 3 of these from Target.
  
• Order bedding. I ordered this organic duvet and pillows for the bed. I also order this blanket. I have a thing for pillows: I ordered this one in the sandlewood, this one in the khaki, this one in the ivory, and this organic one. Told you I had a thing for pillows. Can you tell I am going for a natural/neutral look with this room.
• Order lamps. I decided to re-purpose lamps from another room so no need to order new ones. Never mind, I picked one up at Pier 1 for less than $30.
  
• Install window treatments.Two out of Three hung ain't bad!
• Buy comforter for duvet cover.
• Buy mattress - Bob is doing this tomorrow
  
• Come up with something for the walls. I found something I love - a little tribute to my husband. I figured if I won't let him have the real thing stored in here . . . .
  

Thanks to the 5 Minutes for Moms, Susan and Janice for hosting Tackle It Tuesday. Go and check out more Tackle It Tuesday participants.

Previous Tackle It Tuesday Posts:
Empty Shelves Syndrome
Guest Room Conversion
My Thoughts
Coat Closet

Our Home is More Than a Structure

Logically I know a house is just a structure, but this house and the memories it holds are precious. I know memories will travel with me to my next destination, but this house - our home - will always be more to me than a structure.

We bought our home in the Fall of 2002. We'd seen a lot of different places, but knew instinctively this was the home for us. Right away we made a few changes, but it felt good. It just seemed to fit. In a little over a year, my feelings would change about our home, and I'd know for sure it was more than just a structure.

After we lost Ellie and Kate we weren't sure if we should or could stay in our house. There's no guide for parents who lose both of their children on the same day - who go from having a house full of life to an broken and quiet soul. There's no one to discuss the pros and cons with. Not many people feel comfortable handing out advice to bereaved parents.

We didn't know what to do - so we did nothing. Grieving is exhausting - just deciding what or if to eat was the biggest decision I was struggling with back then. Through the shock, through the numbness, and through the healing . . . we stayed. The same house, that just a few days prior was full of joy and laughter, was now unbearably quite. And yet, it was still so full of love and memories. . . . we stayed.

For months to come I would find little fingerprints on windows and doors. I would find little toys and "treasures" Ellie tucked away in some obscure place she alone was privy. As I would wander through the house at night in a grief-stricken fog, I could still see them sleeping in their beds. I could picture them playing with their toys and eating breakfast at the table. I wasn't ready to let those memories go. I wasn't willing to let someone else live in my house - the house where I played, cared for, and loved my girls. I was afraid the least little shift in my thinking, in my being would make their voices, their smiles, their spirit disappear from my memory.

I don't remember the exact moment or the conversation, but we decided to stay. Staying was going to be hard. Spring was coming. I knew it wouldn't be long before we'd hear children laughing and playing at the park behind our house. I needed something to drown out those sounds. I needed a distraction. We decided to stay, but needed to make our house different. We decided to remodel. The process was definitely stressful, but the distraction was helpful.

Four years have passed. Bedrooms once providing shelter and comfort to our little girls are now occupied by their siblings. Their brothers and sister - too young to understand now - will one day know their sisters. We'll help them understand there were two little souls, who came before them, that taught their mommy and daddy how to love bigger than they ever imagined. Davis, Meg and Kale remind us how fortunate we are to be parents. We are blessed to be able to provide them with a comfortable home and hearts full of love and hope.

This post was submitted to Scribbit's April's Write Away Contest.