tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-51940319833258769182024-02-07T08:28:23.450-05:00Two Cups of Coffeesharleen.2cupsofcoffeehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17195940054181412446noreply@blogger.comBlogger140125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5194031983325876918.post-85648788052330784862009-05-12T14:49:00.003-04:002009-05-12T15:22:07.817-04:00The Hiking BagWe're a hiking family. We love to spend time out in the woods. We love to find cool bugs, mushrooms and rocks and we love to take some of our findings home with us. My pockets were tired of being filled with rocks and leaves and all of the other treasures my kids find. When I saw <a href="http://www.whiteoakschool.com/camp-creek-blog/2008/4/12/make-a-field-bag-from-recycled-clothing.html">this hiking bag</a>, I knew that I would be making two!<br />I purchased the pants at the thrift store, used <a href="http://www.jcarolinecreative.com/Merchant2/merchant.mvc?Screen=CTGY&Store_Code=JC&Category_Code=28">webbing</a> that I had intended on using to make <a href="http://www.jcarolinecreative.com/Merchant2/merchant.mvc?Store_Code=JC&Screen=WEBBING">belts</a> for the kids (which is a stupid idea. Kids don't need belts, they need elastic especially when they are potty training!), and Sadie's bag got backed with a <a href="http://www.etsy.com/view_transaction.php?transaction_id=15398941">Japanese <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">Kawaii</span> print </a>that I got on <a href="http://www.etsy.com/"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">etsy</span>. </a>The kids filled their bags with very useful things that one would need on a hike: their water bottle, a bug catcher, a magnifying glass, a journal, a camera, a net, and a Cinderella figurine. Very easy. Very useful. Very fun! <img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5335012275541795554" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCg9LXhyphenhyphen6dIypO_iVi2nCp08PsTT7hYRZv4oCwKs62CsZ2XeLDZkJ4C0Kva7KWIUADELPjIQv31CcEBUwadciAcpmkzj32XEEwzw1NwhqNFChYOOukVqTvZilxCA99LwhHjrILwU6VJJ4/s320/hike+011.jpg" border="0" /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5335012283709800866" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuAgr5OprLfTzZ2Jp5OoEkTguo6tulDUL_jQ8OPG8Kzqjc5tu0uVgfe13QdJuSJrWhnHBRyCSZFf6CGEGARZ7gA65A5b7-SRHmZPjr7PHRHGr5n0Ln0YSDqwZXLbh4t7i7K_NVgKIfAi4/s320/hike+014.jpg" border="0" />sharleen.2cupsofcoffeehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17195940054181412446noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5194031983325876918.post-63900741681716005782009-05-05T13:34:00.003-04:002009-05-05T13:50:40.701-04:00Worm FarmThe kids spent yesterday digging. While they were digging, they discovered worms. Lots of 'em. <img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5332395116804960402" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJu4UA7lSaZzwLq3ZCTxNxzTJnqS4DDooeOHxfScUAfH-fUTaYnGXGLy0fhvS_ZmZgd1wmf0RRVz6lJ_pEW6jMcTueGFdDnDU6LHuJp72HCGgi_Xaqm9oJcMmrQxbCarHlcKdanfvYtwQ/s320/worms+003.jpg" border="0" />Lots of little tiny worms and a few juicy fat ones!<img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5332395109866831842" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWlaIo9labR-YHjoWluaCsccKtNO4kiEM1A79X6tKOp01kc24ORfMhkBLzmqnuyik0zS0LCqb6zOgraDrjou3SDnWaI8e85H99xF85mHfMPrC8NrtGhdCZL0agjOwgdN-JwXYhyeXfzms/s320/worms+005.jpg" border="0" />So we spent the day learning about worms. How they are natures <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">composters</span> and that they aren't "icky" but instead very helpful. <img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5332395105257787010" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiu04xExM8f2lZ58cmNgwNJtwg3ifpeKfRxE0Xvud1v5Gn2_fQlmpmq8T2Z_dPHQu7pqP-kMX5y0yvMFu2dI0zhOYTN8zIY1sc7uwjhKOWGmSMwzOJZ1Wu61jljPHkvWK2rUnRoLwe8D8k/s320/worms+006.jpg" border="0" />We made a quart jar worm farm made with layers of mud, oatmeal, and sand with about 20 worms added. You can find the complete directions <a href="http://www.dnr.mo.gov/ENV/swmp/worms/wormjar.htm">here</a>. Now, we just have to be patient and wait about a week or so to see what those worms do! <img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5332395099063036562" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 240px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqQdwXZxJG_k9NvzbjuMPYEujaoncU1VATQvoyABsnEnn7Aknz6DD-PjSVxKHF8XHM8GMz6DQAojBvnAyt6sVDniSkdo7MUSHMPczZA0fxa0tat7u4A0LXXAnuNeP2H1jrpSHXaG6JrQY/s320/worms+008.jpg" border="0" />Find more earthworm facts:<br /><a href="http://animals.nationalgeographic.com/animals/invertebrates/earthworm.html">National Geographic</a><br /><a href="http://urbanext.illinois.edu/worms/">The Adventures of Herman the Worm</a><br /><a href="http://earth911.com/blog/2007/04/02/composting-with-worms/">Composting with worms</a>sharleen.2cupsofcoffeehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17195940054181412446noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5194031983325876918.post-89771109612545391442009-04-27T15:20:00.004-04:002009-04-27T15:30:30.224-04:00Secret MessagesAfter Easter's egg dying, I got to thinking of things I could do with that wax crayon they include in the egg dying kit. I thought that a secret message would be the perfect thing.<br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5329453995655778002" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXjP-9ZCFNRPe-2-LCwGg5Mq1JIlIDtjYf3l3CRWfJM7yJtzzNPBps9fkBWD929CLxPm62R6lGlx8IyGiBshRwWfGMEgWoUUB8bU9PT0Up1TrJtn1Zby1Ih_uM0tExEKSBhpay2tM40cA/s320/secret+messagespring+game+001.jpg" border="0" />You will need:<br /><ul><li>wax crayon (or a white crayon)</li><li>paper</li><li>water color paint</li></ul><p>While the kids napped, I wrote a secret message to each of them using the wax crayon (going over each letter several times assures a clear message). Then, I <a href="http://2cupsofcoffee.blogspot.com/2009/03/getting-table-ready.html">set up the table </a>so they would find it when they woke up. I told them that I had written them a secret message and that they needed to paint over it to see what it said.<img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5329453992748124402" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXy3wwqPmMtFUJ30C6UEaTJfIk6WYzh2a_vMQqp4vKO0bGekEWgFjQy1EPcbw9Jpdz2lWT7kKNJv_g0b3QJwZZ8n7CgMgWw0jIE96i2a45F800hwyAVnVYabp-sr-IcJIRPzVN6fksCNk/s320/secret+messagespring+game+008.jpg" border="0" />The messages were quite simple, and actually a picture may have been better since neither of them can read. But, they liked revealing the message either way.<img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5329453990122807074" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-lZx0y_FBX2Vtw3CXflWXyzSCabPjrV09S3nLM3xmAYvuB_9nxenoxl2BSd5oVC86xIp4OloiIZH-Wb4Yhh5WqVQREY6H9EKaHSFm7DPXEbKj1_Nu0mlweSEjVZzZuAW71GfieSNIOfg/s320/secret+messagespring+game+007.jpg" border="0" /></p>sharleen.2cupsofcoffeehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17195940054181412446noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5194031983325876918.post-47276448809184615202009-04-22T13:47:00.002-04:002009-04-22T14:11:28.457-04:00You know you're a "Housewife" when......you blog about amazing dish towels. Yes, I know it sounds crazy, but I'm in love with my microfiber dishtowels and I feel like I need to spread the word about their amazing-ness. They're from <a href="http://www.casabella.com/Merchant2/merchant.mvc?Screen=SFNT&Store_Code=C">Casabella</a>, makers of home cleaning products that promote eco-friendly cleaning.<br /><br />Here's the story: I was shopping at my local <a href="http://www.worldmarket.com/home.jsp">World Market </a>and they had the Casabella <a href="http://www.casabella.com/Merchant2/merchant.mvc?Screen=PROD&Store_Code=C&Product_Code=11304_2&Category_Code=0500">microfiber kitchen towels </a>on super-duper clearance. So, I bought one thinking they were still a little more than I wanted to spend on a dish towel, not to mention that I already have a closet full of them, and I've had other microfiber towels, but just wasn't that impressed with them. Well, let me tell you, I tried it out and it picked up every drop of every spill, wiped dry each of my dishes even the last one, and just felt so soft that I went back to World Market the next day and bought up every last one of them. Now, you won't see me in my kitchen without one of those babies tossed over my shoulder. I think I would even pay full price for them. They're just that awesome.<br /><br />Cut to two months later, I was again at World Market (you gotta love that place!) and they had the <a href="http://www.casabella.com/Merchant2/merchant.mvc?Screen=PROD&Store_Code=C&Product_Code=11272_2&Category_Code=0500">microfiber glass cloth </a>and the <a href="http://www.casabella.com/Merchant2/merchant.mvc?Screen=PROD&Store_Code=C&Product_Code=11308_2&Category_Code=0500">microfiber dusting cloth </a>on sale so I bought both of those. The glass cloth is amazing. I don't even have to use any cleaners, I just dampen a corner and wipe the glass and they're clean WITHOUT STREAKS, my glass cleaner can't even do that. And the dust cloth, well, it picks up just about every speck of dust in this house. It's just that good.<br /><br />Casabella also sells <a href="http://www.casabella.com/Merchant2/merchant.mvc?Screen=PROD&Store_Code=C&Product_Code=14426_1&Category_Code=0200">floor-dusters </a>with washable heads that I'm tempted to buy. Man, you just got to love a company that makes you feel so good about cleaning your house! So, there you have it. As you can see, I need to get out more so I can tell you about amazing music, or shoes or... anything but cleaning products.sharleen.2cupsofcoffeehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17195940054181412446noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5194031983325876918.post-57449812585225510822009-04-20T14:20:00.001-04:002009-04-20T14:20:00.567-04:00Discovering New Things On a HikeI'm a big fan of the <a href="http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_ss_gw?url=search-alias%3Daps&field-keywords=take+along+guides">Take-Along Guides </a>series of books for kids. These books are perfect for younger kids as they are not so jammed full of information that kids can't find what they're looking for, they cover only the animals (or trees, flowers, etc. depending on the topic of the book) that you are most likely to see, and the illustrations are clear and helpful. Eli and Sadie recently got the book <em><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Tracks-Scats-Signs-Take-Along-Guide/dp/1559715995/ref=sr_1_8?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1240167305&sr=8-8">Tracks, Scats, and Signs</a>. </em>We brought it with us on our latest "hike" to <a href="http://www.metroparks.net/ParksPrairieOaks.aspx">Prairie Oaks Metro Park</a>. This is a great park because it has prairie, forest, river, wetlands, and relatively short <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">un</span>-paved trails (and the fact that it has a playground and bathrooms doesn't hurt either). The park meets all our needs and it is filled with a wide-range of wild-life, not bad for a 15 minute drive from our house!<img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5326470396758790178" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyTf1vxwhgyPNO3I2l92QLJ9QlORhywK2EuwcDyvODGByMyaCoI1Q1DXQFaN_fldPdvMtxNcoCuBbynhKHN5HAalts2VsRSyxQzEboopwZGlMakgk2SMl6eVtGEDs9lNpz1uUw5y2q9XM/s320/tracks+scat+and+signs.jpg" border="0" />We set off on our hike and the first thing we found was some very furry scat. This scat was probably the most interesting that I've ever seen as it contained an entire foot with bones and claws still attached. I'm guessing that it used to belong to a rabbit or perhaps a squirrel. We quickly paged through our book to find that the scat probably came from a coyote:<img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5326470114345910050" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5v7JgrZtuJ_L6ITQxvX2a2eYve8nBbbw8at73unh_vDW3uHFM-V-f6l_7fciorpffCk5b7TlNxZD0PmS9Ji_pWLqWdtJ3-v_FnIAASUolx906uY-RuhfqLZa94V86os9-gqLE_nA6ibo/s320/prairie+oaks+hike+scat.jpg" border="0" />It just spent four days raining in a Columbus so tracks were very easy to find and identify. The first we spotted came from a deer:<img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5326470135699299762" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheXacTQbt9jpPw5Mv9kWBRmhOLkuyVLov9ncL0U6nHfzgrdwZlnMBo6rtbjw4juJYEbaSvdmNlg6x8RoF24c3uye6qRGRQ7xrG4vE2UTngl63oCChQPpcx-Zu_rub32kouYJOX0ENzWk4/s320/prairie+oaks+hike+deer.jpg" border="0" />Down by the river we identified a perfect <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">raccoon</span> hand:<img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5326470121887981410" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 221px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSRxSAJOTvlLG6dMQ6fX93SJdEiUdPB7hD_Rb3kvyY-KJhGby3-et6yGdnXw2QbGenZFhBIZPXPJdeE8koLXo7iVK9V-KXeTnq8DJbHdwMJod5Rxv1BiVR6qXPFYlE_2Nmmu37H44J9FI/s320/prairie+oaks+hike+racoon.jpg" border="0" />And we think that this print might belong to a muskrat:<img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5326470127422264898" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigwHrlz6EViOZToF10N1aeLP7bfHh5kC-RBnGIKC9VYY5M6IXi8dxmydh2R5mT1N4w5QXsTZSd3qQflyefLlisS1-OvwoSkCf8evXpDGbw8xZwtalTziZmkN6iHdbmpzwYB7OX75o0-AA/s320/prairie+oaks+hike+musrat.jpg" border="0" />We also found signs that a beaver lives near by:<img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5326470142735668850" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOeNS0xcxsMe7JcO3NujopRXYQhdQyw1C740A3BC1lRXoL7ZZKeAc5WK_26TVKSJwD8X8BH5ipsIbKlzPVYSHzs6sayL4GOMeHggri7FW5yGWY2HLwjdyB45hUdSWKIUyosekT46S8TTI/s320/prairie+oaks+hike+beaver.jpg" border="0" />I'm including this picture because we have seen a lot of them lately mostly in grasses or wetlands areas. They look papery, but are more spongy and they look like they would be very sticky, but they're not. I'm guessing they belong to some kind of insect, but if anyone knows, I'd love to know:<img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5326470396451425042" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 240px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipT2dXWOXtkZzUhzG_kuiHtOI8Pd4wsUSFUHFRA2bCAr3aYPmKAN2CusFAJlZVDcmgx8XtMJ82M___speTu2KlHBORI0ke0Avud2RGSxgSKOifWyBE-Qb09iBXSlFtSWAfXAyF5xwBTpo/s320/prairie+oaks+hike+017.jpg" border="0" />We also found a perfect blue and black striped feather from a blue jay, which is perhaps my favorite find of the day. By the end of the trip, Eli was able to tell us a lot of the animals that lived in the park that we didn't actually see, but saw signs of. It <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">was</span> a great day for a <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">hike and</span> a great day to see tracks, scats and signs!!sharleen.2cupsofcoffeehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17195940054181412446noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5194031983325876918.post-33005165193163151772009-04-20T13:53:00.004-04:002009-04-20T14:21:28.669-04:00Hey, I got nothing to do today but smile...You know when you hear the first notes of a song and it instantly brings you back to a moment in your life? Like every time I hear the first notes to <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=luobOzreRq4">Devil Inside </a>it instantly reminds me of the smell of our schools gymnasium and seventh grade <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">cheerleading</span> try-outs. <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sxf6Xd75yUo">Eternal Flame </a>somehow reminds me of being in the back of the <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">Burley's</span> van (get your mind out of the gutter)belting out tunes with the girls. <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CxQhx4t1FmE">Hey, Jealousy </a>will always bring me back to driving around in my <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">BFF's</span> red Honda Prelude the summer before our senior year.<br /><br />Simon and <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">Garfunkels</span> <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K0oMPfigUWY&feature=related">Only Living Boy in New York </a>was my song of the summer 1996. I was living with my <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4">BFF</span> in a cool old down-town apartment in the town where we attended school. I was working at Target, but barely. I didn't have any money and I lived off of popcorn, beer and clove cigarettes. I had nothing to do most days "but smile" and I would sing "the only living girl in Grand Forks." (clever, right!?! ha, ha) I checked the weather and decided what to do from that: go to the pool, head to the coffee shop to read, go for a <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_5">bike ride</span>, etc. The reason I bring this up is because lately I've been singing "I get the news I need from the weather report" because with kids my big question for the day is: can we go outside or not? The weather report determines our entire day. Will today be an indoor game playing, movie watching, picture coloring sort of a day or a run outside, play in the dirt, go to the park sort of a day? Today is a pouring rain, ride the bus to dad's work and eat lunch in the cafeteria kind of day. Hopefully, tomorrow will be a <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_6">sunshiney</span>, <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_7">sunglasses</span>, sunscreen and flip-flop wearing kind of a day. But, it's spring, the weather is unpredictable and I need to just go with the flow. After all, I have nothing to do today but smile (and take care of my kids)...sharleen.2cupsofcoffeehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17195940054181412446noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5194031983325876918.post-12426274232907708832009-04-17T13:22:00.002-04:002009-04-17T13:34:29.080-04:00The Butterfly ReleaseThe butterflies emerged before I was ready for it. The first one was born inside it's little cup because I was still waiting for the lurker to build it's chrysalis (which it never did and has since passed on) so she has little wrinkled wings. I promptly moved the rest of the <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">chrysalises</span> into the netted cage so they could have a safer place to live. The rest emerged unscathed and were so beautiful to look at. <img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5325712695268809586" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVWpkEHS7ncno5nQ5r3G_yI7kYsn3Cx9mF1zkK3tsh67YimkX42VJdvZ5UvJCLUldgq7sHjz41APMp6SqH-7m-sLBUUQi7-wkYFIN-FH7HxIBAAFB-82fSeTQlDK5Y-phyphenhyphen6c8qtNvpkZk/s320/butterflies+001.jpg" border="0" />Here you can see the empty chrysalis and underneath their is some red goo on the mesh netting that came from the wings and the chrysalis. I'm not really sure what it is.<br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyDpA2mhwwAyNL2PcRmF680sPhvwJhE6LBkzQHqsK-ojxG0pvCyRLuH2dv5Ohyz_7B4VmSDZT9skGho-pDH9DCrrtcU8OMsTGNpP_gccUHdi6yhe9T6XY-a_2ZA7c5TwcIhkLTkrF06Ys/s1600-h/butterflies+010.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5325712690631959986" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyDpA2mhwwAyNL2PcRmF680sPhvwJhE6LBkzQHqsK-ojxG0pvCyRLuH2dv5Ohyz_7B4VmSDZT9skGho-pDH9DCrrtcU8OMsTGNpP_gccUHdi6yhe9T6XY-a_2ZA7c5TwcIhkLTkrF06Ys/s320/butterflies+010.jpg" border="0" /></a> The butterflies should have been released a lot sooner, but it has been pouring rain in Columbus and we didn't want to send them off into a wet world. We waited until yesterday when the sun was shining. Here's Eli slowing unzipping the zipper.<img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5325712683565319890" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjffwly8fLUqvT9qBPiUU_c5s2aJ9MnSKcMwjBf3_FZAt2Px5zykOwRI8xe2tEH4zGCOrBXRt7G7l9Tsni0gf2odRmU6a45PvzIfD7KSU34KkzyYqA2P0amSguurA4QgeO2PoQvD-ZrNUc/s320/butterflies+014.jpg" border="0" />Three of them quickly <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">fluttered</span> away on the wind, but our little damaged wing lady had a harder time. She could hardly get off the ground but she eventually disappeared from us as well.<img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5325712686376432306" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZhDkHtf_pRRxxxy7Lfu_FB7AuD4fhZtSTT2YWHUjKXNqdWhhkAl-_HhChz4B2JNUa1o79C0_fzmlrEGaWNmQL4JcaUAeJ-nqM6f3wOFsgzD5e4uo2HSpz0QvhCZBzZFlK_Kzu1GTLIJ0/s320/butterflies+015.jpg" border="0" />I'm really tempted to order another set of caterpillars and do some <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">journaling</span> with Eli. It was so much fun the first time to watch the changes!</div>sharleen.2cupsofcoffeehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17195940054181412446noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5194031983325876918.post-70360607173667521912009-04-10T14:31:00.004-04:002009-04-10T14:50:22.665-04:00Homemade Shrinky DinksI've read about making homemade <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">shrinky</span> d<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">inks</span> using #6 plastic on several different blogs and have been waiting patiently to cross paths with the take-out boxes that use #6 plastic. Well, it finally happened. I had finished eating my birthday dinner and the waiter kindly boxed up the rest of my food. Then, he placed a lovely #6 plastic container in front of me. I was tickled. It was the best birthday present ever (dare I say, almost better than the yoga bag that I got from my dear children).<br />Sadie and I decided to make egg-shaped necklaces for the up-coming holiday. I punched a hole at the top and we colored on our design using permanent markers. Here's a good idea of how they looked before they went into the 350 degree oven:<img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5323133629738783730" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirknM6pdHvLM1JLMtuqSf52hsqCK0K6ACyMS0qh76JpuvNtu39MRCGPnsl9vRci_qvY90fc53tJFipK-OVj-6SYrYmdh6NSn11axFAeSMS-Kg9FPjMp9f2_F_JfP4zu7UQamz9JtLUYM0/s320/shrinky+dinks+003.jpg" border="0" />And two minutes later we had (sort of) egg-shaped necklaces:<br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5323133637102791234" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEaqNmg8jj56S40vRo7VxUEO7tQUujhMseNo1il5pcsUbGNnTmppkAnoXLQjLRAie1T3D2jpICq89GE97l9JLa0afVhAWLoUZDdf_jM6SXqiaTQeIvmwKnGAzN2UjcMJ8srYGu6wdvqK8/s320/shrinky+dinks+007.jpg" border="0" /><br />Man, I love this. I wish I had more plastic take-out containers. Note to self: go out to eat more!Go <a href="http://www.curbly.com/Chrisjob/posts/2252-diy-shrinky-dinks">here</a> for the complete instructions.sharleen.2cupsofcoffeehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17195940054181412446noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5194031983325876918.post-68066461889928109902009-04-06T13:51:00.003-04:002009-04-06T14:12:22.057-04:00The Caterpillars Came!!And they've already entered the Pupa stage! Here they are hiding out in their chrysalis:<img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5321637659735833490" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1ZOQwVD61aF3pqf8hHV_MuIyAMbshwAF-Oj3G2anhqABfoj3AAwZZxY_DzkY-u60iDslfIJ5bKPZJqGUsAUGg3XrQiI2WVM8fAUuN1S1Y4cgGg-EykxxXwvuHYD7w5R35zAVRDAD118I/s320/chrysalis+001.jpg" border="0" />We picked up a <a href="http://www.target.com/Spin-Master-20010985A-Butterfly-Treehouse/dp/B00191TLWM/sr=1-2/qid=1239040746/ref=sr_1_2/185-0480434-5016561?ie=UTF8&frombrowse=0&index=target&field-browse=1038620&rh=k%3Abutterfly%20garden&page=1">butterfly house at Target </a>several weeks ago and sent in the enclosed coupon for caterpillars. They arrived about a week later from a company called <a href="http://www.insectlore.com/">Insect Lore</a>. The caterpillars came with food in a sterile cup, so we didn't have to do anything but wait for them to crawl to the top of the cup to make their chrysalis. Once they've all made it to the top (we still have one lurking...) we can move them into their butterfly house. We should have painted lady butterflies in about a week. I'll keep you posted throughout the <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">metamorphosis.</span><a href="http://www.target.com/Spin-Master-20010985A-Butterfly-Treehouse/dp/B00191TLWM/sr=1-2/qid=1239040746/ref=sr_1_2/185-0480434-5016561?ie=UTF8&frombrowse=0&index=target&field-browse=1038620&rh=k%3Abutterfly%20garden&page=1"><br /></a><div></div>sharleen.2cupsofcoffeehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17195940054181412446noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5194031983325876918.post-22863736856864539602009-03-30T13:57:00.003-04:002009-03-30T14:05:17.874-04:00Getting the Table Ready<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLWzY5v3vaw61qz1Q57Z3GSSQert3datmrCMbd3Q06e2MVUAheWabkFB7NND2tRv3niD3rZM-XqiRNZQmrKIaz6-UI0zgwVeVc7AR0VdO6YN3wBEEwCVv4EIQr1ub4kGfPlxdMNl-O2d8/s1600-h/headband+052.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5319041721414828642" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLWzY5v3vaw61qz1Q57Z3GSSQert3datmrCMbd3Q06e2MVUAheWabkFB7NND2tRv3niD3rZM-XqiRNZQmrKIaz6-UI0zgwVeVc7AR0VdO6YN3wBEEwCVv4EIQr1ub4kGfPlxdMNl-O2d8/s320/headband+052.jpg" border="0" /></a>My children never ask me to paint. Never. But, I want them to like arts and crafts so I lead them to water, so-to-speak. When they go down for their naps, I put out some sort of creative activity for them to wake up too. It's amazing how quickly they sit down and get to work on an artsy-<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">craftsy</span> project that has been laid out for them. I guess it's hard to resist once it's right in front of them!<br /><div></div>sharleen.2cupsofcoffeehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17195940054181412446noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5194031983325876918.post-25072168475778604092009-03-23T13:28:00.002-04:002009-03-23T13:42:30.189-04:00Meet the Egg People: Growing Grass Inside Eggshells<img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5316437319354756946" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWCjfe1Gnalvi6VCJjJOlzb59052Hh14erIkdRPJc5Wvp-1e3ZxZBw-P7x8X2lopKh26tqsUfew3rGpMdO3G_vqGyio0hTVr7NdT-JvtDbfqRWY_mEYUEVDQYEJ6M-jTn3gEFXYTzIGdM/s320/eggs+038.jpg" border="0" />For this project you will need:<br /><ul><li>eggs</li><li>egg carton</li><li>grass seed</li><li>soil</li><li>markers and scissors<br /></li></ul><p>Directions: </p><p>1) Very carefully cut off the top of an egg. (Put the eggs aside to make omelets later.) With warm soapy water, gently clean out the eggs and allow to dry.<img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5316437328380438994" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOCqH8zv1a2JQWLkNVKtkfFysIcO8LU4O7pkD89HgYvve7lbEhvJJfL7CzlQkcgeypY1GCnOhtIt1r_N8hoxbsoUrP5i_51PwOIUYMZ-KaL82SEvJbybfG-vnx7Qdt0Gy0usdSDB-XzDI/s320/headband+055.jpg" border="0" />2) Carefully, fill the eggs about 3/4 full with soil. Add the grass seed. Then cover with more soil.</p><p>3) Add water, then place in the sun and wait patiently for about a week, watering as needed. Once the grass has started to grow you should still wait a little longer until you have a good head of "hair".<img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5316437335567516466" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiae1AyQ3EvovKZ527k9pKpM1e-gAwhtivZARa-4ZdbO5o3IfUQBu3F6ZUbGkSbPaE04nW3fO9UmYD31DLmLiLkATAoL1DIK6WvZAI8xDkhQwQ2m2LcwzdF9KE_T2S6_YdoEtNdW2rXALc/s320/eggs+041.jpg" border="0" />4) With a damp cloth, wash all dirt and debris from the egg. Draw a face.<br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5316437339598441618" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZjg5rZvam7wTB-0XCR1raIsFdJdkbq_3Zd4y6SkwHVVkD4xwRUWVIMw8JbxAt-MGtaE-kfyAoTej-cP3lZWqmshG5BoIOp84AKlso6XiQUbaKkxRRYwy6f2ztKW6Ixe-OyzW8ORFVcQg/s320/eggs+045.jpg" border="0" />5. Start to "trim" the "hair".<img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5316437346473366050" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtC3OLDabPEngpdbZ90cr5lod1LxmU_pM-d4HMjxm7VVQlICpokrrNm_Q8EkU3YJThwUFa5ekms_oDCAo6BfuEd1buOhL5Sdj-qZHNC83anAw8LvhZG94L_mVeIF7iJDGTNT7WcSLk-4k/s320/eggs+049.jpg" border="0" />6. After receiving their hair cuts. Put them back in the sun and allow their hair to grow back.</p><p>7. Repeat steps 5 &6.</p>sharleen.2cupsofcoffeehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17195940054181412446noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5194031983325876918.post-52800561101072754922009-03-16T21:50:00.004-04:002009-03-16T22:06:04.053-04:00Meet the Wood Family<a href="http://2cupsofcoffee.blogspot.com/2008/05/random.html">Remember back many moons ago </a>when I mentioned that finishing these little wooden dolls were on my to-do list? Well 10 months later, I can finally cross these little guys off my list. I finally finished the little details and applied the last coat of varnish (after my children had already played with them, hence the scuffs). It is without hesitation that I introduce you to my family. Yes, that's Dennis, Sharleen, Eli and Sadie: <img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5313968798094892178" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqY6yiwkA5pyhNeya7wxIV2I9MlToCy_a8GIGISuFGt7itrbfzX_30-QNpMr_m9SMbPPw9kjbkYTDurdGI50vERWJjd-ap9MR2aFTvpGGhAvFzbmWwk6H4eq0SfNPJvqhPT8Gjpg2FJwQ/s320/The+Sperle+4.jpg" border="0" />This little family was made to represent some good friends of ours. This is Michelle, Gabriella, Robert and <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">Alexey</span>:<br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilkxPirxoPY49q-3k_ZRda6k8xVFzxyG7pRZvggtJZysKiS1Zl8Tg9Q4gc6HgD_v8tw8LDrSVhIUZDefnkp6XMLebace6Whk7uQzWgYwo9cZfyFq_EpC204B39mmGJwxHd8u8PbTQUfGg/s1600-h/The+rosenbergs.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5313968793376532466" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilkxPirxoPY49q-3k_ZRda6k8xVFzxyG7pRZvggtJZysKiS1Zl8Tg9Q4gc6HgD_v8tw8LDrSVhIUZDefnkp6XMLebace6Whk7uQzWgYwo9cZfyFq_EpC204B39mmGJwxHd8u8PbTQUfGg/s320/The+rosenbergs.jpg" border="0" /></a> The <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">BV</span> Gang:<img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5313968778326787314" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjf64qbPGvNxWsS-GLGTm7Hk-anYSVWVv2YPMKbG1X3OoIKHlMK6e2bDCab8qQ3dmG8IddtMY_8PBb7wQtW5xr261EQslNolgdjVZM1no6cbPD-CMq90C5rezvdJGGBAvpBRPuWY6yrpo8/s320/BV+gang.jpg" border="0" />And the whole Wood Family:<img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5313968790710380210" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDb94DS0KuSJrCjkbDw-eTOmNiscuXUJfOsCvmsfgBDhckCAI1qEENCLFZKH9erf4KEVi_V5suqlEdLEexljTesXzvwZfTjS3T9wZVkKh4QHQ2KUGofvw7IzEEZkG9DnAhZ06s4pppMok/s320/the+class+picture.jpg" border="0" /></div><br />Yes, I got a little carried away making little wood friends for my little wood children. But, it was well worth it as these little wood people were well initiated today. They were buried in the dirt, tossed for hopscotch, passed from one neighbor kid to the next and held in grubby, chocolate laced hands. This is a good lesson in attachment for me. I'm trying to let it all go, but I think I'll apply one more coat of varnish after scrubbing them clean!! Then, I'll feel better.sharleen.2cupsofcoffeehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17195940054181412446noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5194031983325876918.post-79116361489236548762009-03-10T13:53:00.005-04:002009-03-10T14:11:45.858-04:00Instant Gratification Sunday<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_HJ2PqLOfdvbHkd4yb2XNyLsPUI5v_82svxGgrpMysvFaxvLNjY9yu0JHmz_oNaIGGx8VQZU9P4L4ATu91v7FRu-fdEnaz2622HgSDstzxrRGyh0U6amhXETl2Lk-Uez1TSi4EW6M_Go/s1600-h/headband+011.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5311619030141996514" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_HJ2PqLOfdvbHkd4yb2XNyLsPUI5v_82svxGgrpMysvFaxvLNjY9yu0JHmz_oNaIGGx8VQZU9P4L4ATu91v7FRu-fdEnaz2622HgSDstzxrRGyh0U6amhXETl2Lk-Uez1TSi4EW6M_Go/s320/headband+011.jpg" border="0" /></a> Sadie has really been into accessorizing her outfits lately. She loves purses, belts, extra layers, tights, jewelry, and special hair thingies. She is such a girly-girl which is a good thing for me because she keeps me crafting. A new headband was desperately needed to keep Sadie's ever-growing hair out of her face which is probably driving me more crazy than her. I purchased the pattern off of <a href="http://www.etsy.com/">etsy</a> from <a href="http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=5819252">deidrewicks</a> and I found the instructions immediately in my inbox. Gotta love the instant gratification in that and I had all of the materials that I needed in my house! So, I got started right away and sewed while watching <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hwRXeKffyr0">The Rage in Placid Lake </a>on <a href="http://www.hulu.com/">Hulu</a> (which I thought was an excellent movie, by the way). I made the headband reversible and I shrunk the pattern down a little to fit Sadie's head. I just love the feeling of accomplishing whatever you want to accomplish without having to leave your house. Sewing and movie watching instantly? It feels so gratifying.sharleen.2cupsofcoffeehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17195940054181412446noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5194031983325876918.post-45761079565275903522009-03-09T14:04:00.003-04:002009-03-09T14:20:27.357-04:00Lemondade Award!Hey all! I was just given the Lemonade Award from Becca over at <a href="http://chocoeyes.blogspot.com/">Chocolate Eyes</a>. The Lemonade Award is an award given to those who inspire. Aww, shucks, thanks. I'm touched, so I'm going to pass it along.<img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5311250759724036098" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 124px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 128px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYoEjHGIaL8jLKeQCu0h8fz5hMCDOQk9pEndxU-_9IMJdia0EKZfwVNlS1GyFD5b85-GtivAjZrwejBdzN7Z80XT0pvS6U5WtU6MztbooYDQ2gP_mD2td5XIk_zJwp7MskztYGMk9P4zk/s320/Lemonade_Award_Logo.jpg" border="0" /><br /><p>Here are the rules:</p><p>1. Put the logo on your blog or post.</p><p>2. Nominate blogs which show great Attitude and/or Gratitude</p><p>3. Link to your nominees within your post.</p><p>4. Let them know they have received this award by commenting on their blog.</p><p>5. Share the love and link this post to the person from whom you received your award.</p><p>Here are my nominees:</p><p><a href="http://5orangepotatoes.blogspot.com/">5 Orange Potatoes</a>: An Ohio homeschooling mom inspires with her creative activities for her children.</p><p><a href="http://tisagoodlife.blogspot.com/">'Tis a Good Life</a>: A crafty Canadian mom who finds inspiration in the everyday.</p><p> </p>sharleen.2cupsofcoffeehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17195940054181412446noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5194031983325876918.post-70473433344721768092009-03-06T13:39:00.003-05:002009-03-06T14:03:28.065-05:00Skin DeepToday was the first 70 degree day of the year. We met our playgroup friends at a park for a little romp. We had a blast, but I noticed when we got home that we all looked a little pink-cheeked and somehow my freckles have quadrupled. I forgot the sunscreen. Rats!! I sort of thought we were safe, but I guessed wrong. That sent me to <a href="http://www.cosmeticsdatabase.com/">Skin Deep </a>a data base of research on the safety of cosmetics and skin care products sponsored by the <a href="http://www.ewg.org/">Environmental Working Group</a>. There they have a <a href="http://www.cosmeticsdatabase.com/special/sunscreens2008/findyoursunscreen.php">list of all of the sunscreens they tested </a>and how the sunscreens were ranked for safety by measuring toxins in the sunscreens themselves as well as how they actually protect you against the sun. This list is a little intimidating because the ones that ranked the best are a) hard to find and b) expensive. But, after going through the list I found that <a href="http://www.cosmeticsdatabase.com/product.php?prod_id=101610&refurl=%2Fwordsearch.php%3Fquery%3Dsunscreen%26">CVS</a> has a moderately hazardous ranked sunscreen, as does <a href="http://www.cosmeticsdatabase.com/product.php?prod_id=176198&refurl=%2Fwordsearch.php%3Fquery%3Dsunscreen%26">Trader Joes </a> which are both easy enough for me to find and inexpensive. Last year I used the CVS sunscreen with zinc oxide 45+, but I can't find it on their website this year. I can only find the <a href="http://www.cvs.com/CVSApp/catalog/shop_product_detail.jsp?filterBy=&skuId=199292&productId=199292&navAction=jump&navCount=3">sunblock +30</a>, but I'll check in the stores and see if they have it.<br />I got a little long-winded just trying to tell you to check out your family's skin-care products at Skin Deep to see how they're ranked. It might just surprise you at how toxic your child's shampoo might be. (Darn that "fragrance"!)sharleen.2cupsofcoffeehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17195940054181412446noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5194031983325876918.post-14935339703251615872009-03-04T13:42:00.004-05:002009-03-05T13:15:42.461-05:00Tie-Dye Cookies<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGanUGLv-BPFX_P36NwAcmfgNZJW-GMP-5_ARaFXWaB-SWt8zIMIK9srN7vDF_AATcy13kvF-4U-xRSnT9xDTjGP_mNmfLyUcHDZrS-vCP0IbgsGVfLMERUbeCPyL6ZL2P2k5Q8Ff65-A/s1600-h/cookies+003.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5309405099696048850" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGanUGLv-BPFX_P36NwAcmfgNZJW-GMP-5_ARaFXWaB-SWt8zIMIK9srN7vDF_AATcy13kvF-4U-xRSnT9xDTjGP_mNmfLyUcHDZrS-vCP0IbgsGVfLMERUbeCPyL6ZL2P2k5Q8Ff65-A/s320/cookies+003.jpg" border="0" /></a> We made tie-dye cookies yesterday and they were a real hit. You can find the recipe <a href="http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Play-Dough-Cookies/Detail.aspx">here</a> where they are called play-dough cookies, but I like the name tie-dye cookies a whole lot more. These were really simple to make and I didn't even have a <a href="http://2cupsofcoffee.blogspot.com/2008/10/fall-activity-9-ghost-cookies.html">freak-out mommy moment </a>when we made them. The dough is really easy to work with and not sticky at all so the kids were able to make the balls, then roll them into snakes, then coil them into snails with little assistance.<br /><div>**<em>edited to add: Thanks Jennie for the heads up. The link to the cookie recipe has been changed!</em></div>sharleen.2cupsofcoffeehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17195940054181412446noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5194031983325876918.post-91871816674872105272009-03-02T13:28:00.002-05:002009-03-02T13:33:37.961-05:00Low-Carbon LentIn case anyone else wants to follow along with the Low-Carbon Lent, here are this weeks:<br /><br />• Monday – Share this week’s Low-Carbon tips with a neighbor, coworker, or friend.<br />• Tuesday – Turn down your thermostat down by one degree.<br />• Wednesday – We are asked to give up meat on Friday’s during Lent. The average American diet contributes an extra 1.5 tons of greenhouse gases per year compared with a vegetarian diet.<br />Consider giving up meat an extra day this week.<br />• Thursday – Climate change <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">isn</span>’t a distant threat – it’s affecting poor communities now. Pray for those helping vulnerable communities adapt to the changing weather.<br />• Friday – Give your dishwasher a day off or promote it to an Energy Star rated appliance.<br />• Saturday – Unplug your mobile phone charger: it uses electricity even when it’s not charging.sharleen.2cupsofcoffeehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17195940054181412446noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5194031983325876918.post-27142231336365087152009-02-27T12:34:00.004-05:002009-02-27T13:23:28.937-05:00Lent 2009-- Doing MoreWednesday marked the beginning of the Lenten Season-- the 40 days that helps us prepare for Easter, our Salvation. It is a time for prayer, self-reflection, sacrifice and giving. Now, I'm not the most religious person in the world by far, and I'm not even a very good Catholic. This year, however, I'm trying to make more of an effort this Lenten Season to grow as a Catholic and as a person. I didn't grow up Catholic so "giving something up" for lent feels awkward for me. I don't really see how giving up chocolate is going to make me a better person, in fact, it's only going to make life worse for those around me and it will make me miserable. Yeah, yeah I understand that it's all about sacrifice, but wouldn't doing more during Lent help me grow more as a person? I think so. That's why this Lent I'm attempting to <em>do</em> three things that will hopefully help me grow as a human-being, help others and help the world.<br /><br />1) Each week during Lent I will volunteer my services to an organization. <a href="http://www.thenewmancenter.net/wcms/index.php?index">Our church </a>provides sign-up lists for opportunities to serve. Usually these are for working at the local shelter providing meals, building a Habitat for Humanity home, working at the St. Vincent De Paul, and the like. This week, I'm volunteering to help with the blood drive that is being held at my church.<br /><br />2) Participating in <a href="http://crs.org/">Catholic Relief Services'</a> <a href="http://orb.crs.org/">Operation Rice Bowl </a>that helps raise money to help fight global-poverty. <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">CRS</span> provides a calendar of events for each day of lent that helps raise awareness of poverty around the world. The calendar provides prayers, Bible study, opportunities to give, and introduces you to people from all over the globe who have benefited from Operation Rice Bowl along with fasting recipes from those countries.<br /><br />3) The <a href="http://www.thenewmancenter.net/wcms/index.php?id=23,81,0,0,1,0">church bulletin </a>is giving ideas for a "Low-Carbon Lent" in which they provide one "green" idea a day to help reduce our carbon footprint. This weeks ideas are:<br />• Ash Wednesday – Remove one light bulb (without inviting danger) and live without it for the next 40 days.<br />• Thursday – Check your door for drafts with a ribbon or feathers. If it flutters, buy (or make!) a draft stopper.<br />• Friday – Tread lightly – whether that’s by foot, by bike, on to a bus or the gas as you drive. Find a way to reduce carbon dioxide emissions when you travel today.<br />• Saturday – Are you recycling everything possible? Really –everything? Look into it today. Visit earth911.org to get started.<br /><br />I'll keep you posted on my progress. Hopefully, this Lenten season will be a time for change for me.<br /><br />Oh, and because Catholics are asked to abstain from eating meat and fasting on Fridays during lent, I thought I'd add some links to some of our favorite vegetarian meals:<br /><ul><li><a href="http://www.elise.com/recipes/archives/007218curried_potato_and_vegetable_soup.php">Curried Potato and Vegetable Soup</a>: Seriously, this is an awesome soup. I serve it with rice. The first time I made this soup Dennis said, "I love this soup. It reminds me of Nepal." Hey, if my cooking can help bring back memories, then it must be good!</li><li><a href="http://smittenkitchen.com/2009/02/red-kidney-bean-curry/">Red Kidney Bean Curry</a>: Seriously easy, seriously tasty!</li><li><a href="http://find.myrecipes.com/recipes/recipefinder.dyn?action=displayRecipe&recipe_id=249952">Lentil-Tomato Soup</a>: An old stand-by at our house. Great for cold, wet days!</li></ul>sharleen.2cupsofcoffeehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17195940054181412446noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5194031983325876918.post-13530503977418057892009-02-24T13:16:00.003-05:002009-02-24T13:46:20.027-05:00Sadie's New ThreadsI've had my eye on some super-cute <a href="http://www.bodenusa.com/en-us/Girls-Tops-and-T-shirts.html">applique shirts </a>over at <a href="http://www.bodenusa.com/en-US/Girls-Clothing.html#nav">Mini Boden </a>for Sadie. But, for the price, I decided to make them on the cheap at home. After searching for plain colored shirts in department stores (why can't I find bold non-girly colored pocketless shirts anywhere?) I ended up buying some <a href="http://www.amazon.com/American-Apparel-KIDS-Sleeve-T-Shirt/dp/B000FNCSWA/ref=pd_sbs_a_5">American Apparel shirts </a>for a sort-of reasonable price and appliqued the designs on. I have three more shirts that I'm still deciding what to do with. I think I'm going to <a href="http://2cupsofcoffee.blogspot.com/2008/06/freezer-paper-stenciling.html">stencil-paint </a>dandelions on one, but the "pattern" I have in mind looks a little too intricate.<img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5306430290879113554" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhX6nI8LmGWHGvRuRQl8pM80-BKSSSNPLmo75uSNsKRcmGSPHVxjKgKCPD8t2eXEM_1bgxbjSHnTRH9ncbCIWYfcBIYb1Ls1YJ-k2b_qFvkwuLb_M5nbS39n-AEWteYwf4Z4FnEVeGHLSU/s320/vday+012.jpg" border="0" />These skirts are from a simple, <a href="http://www.oliverands.com/patterns/Oliver+SLazyDaysSkirt.pdf">free pattern </a>from <a href="http://www.oliverands.com/">Oliver + S</a>. The blue skirt turned out cute and Sadie loves to wear it. The fabric is from <a href="http://www.amybutlerdesign.com/main.php?fl=0">Amy Butlers Daisy Chain Collection</a>. <img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5306430313725094210" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 240px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3t69gexV3R9CzKZZLl0CGOknF_YlRrm7szbHzcE93qsfD1NCWAXGVZR8JNZz8Hc2u1lFOgXo1-JQrAw7r8tZXbJOVXgo7t38bljLihODUfwZ3V4CkT97Jx7zFSUEdN1LDs2x-51DDG0o/s320/sadie+skirts+010.jpg" border="0" />Even with the baubles on this skirt, the brown and green is not princessy enough for Sadie, but she was happy to wear it for a lollipop! Should have known better...<img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5306430305482523042" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSyVbaEb2ExTlKS-vxUbwf8MZD0LgBjF1ayznRBWjFI8pPPrIHTEdSbn4GXr0rEJrGAuwFIyXMPGW2g9ayL5gzkV86EEjyGE70AfVHRV7hrZxOVnZ5jkDTqNI2s7-0AK6Umls6yfU3swU/s320/sadie+skirts+008.jpg" border="0" />sharleen.2cupsofcoffeehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17195940054181412446noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5194031983325876918.post-44630555106238927022009-02-12T14:15:00.000-05:002009-02-12T14:15:00.926-05:00Cuban Black Beans and RiceI made this recipe for company the other night. I have no idea if it is authentic or not, but it certainly is delicious and the leftovers are even better. It's super easy too. There are a lot of ingredients and it takes a little planning ahead and all day (but only because you're soaking beans), but hands-on time is about 10 minutes so in my mind this is a "simple supper". Serve it with a <a href="http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/dave-lieberman/boston-lettuce-avocado-salad-and-lime-dressing-recipe/index.html">salad</a> and dinner is served.<br />This recipe calls for epazote, which I had never heard of before. It is an herb traditionally used in Mexican cooking. I borrowed some from my Mexican neighbor who said that it can be hard to find (especially fresh), but you can get <a href="http://www.penzeys.com/cgi-bin/penzeys/results.html">epazote at Penzeys </a>and Mexican markets. She also said that with such a small amount it would be ok to omit without making too much of a difference in the taste.<br /><br /><span style="font-size:130%;"><strong>Cuban Black Beans and Rice </strong></span><span style="font-size:85%;"><em>from Penzey's One Volume 3, Issue 5, 2009</em></span><br /><strong>Ingredients</strong><br />1 pound dried black beans (about 2 cups)<br />12 cups water, divided<br />2/3 cup olive oil<br />1 cup red wine<br />1 large yellow onion, chopped<br />1 green bell pepper, chopped (I used 1/2 green and 1/2 red)<br />4 cloves garlic, minded<br />1 whole bay leaf<br />1 T. dried Mexican Oregano<br />1 T. epazote<br />1 tsp. cumin<br />1 tsp. black pepper<br />1 T. salt<br />2 T. sugar<br />2 T. red wine vinegar<br />3-4 cups cooked rice<br />lime (optional)<br />cilantro (optional)<br />avocado (optional)<br />corn tortillas (optional)<br /><br /><strong>Directions</strong><br />1. Rinse the beans well, discarding any debris or floaters. Put the beans and half of the water (6 cups) in a large stockpot and soak for at least 5 hours or overnight. Just before cooking, drain and rinse the beans. Place in a pot with the remaining water (6 cups).<br /><br />2. Add the olive oil, wine, onion, bell pepper, garlic, bay leaf, oregano, epazote, cumin, pepper, salt and sugar to the pot. Place the pot on the stove over medium-high heat and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer covered, for 45 minutes or until the beans are soft. Add the red wine vinegar and simmer, uncovered , to thicken the beans until ready to serve, about 15 minutes. Discard the bay leaf. Optional: mash some of the beans against the side of the pot with a spoon. <br /><br />3. Serve with rice, lime, cilantro and corn tortillas.sharleen.2cupsofcoffeehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17195940054181412446noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5194031983325876918.post-34415391183228004682009-02-11T13:20:00.003-05:002009-02-11T13:37:35.184-05:00Valentine's Day Stuff<p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhD9duzqOQxbfggHYoghUIzCUa3wAw2q2UOkp5lVC6c8unlYFs2XD6lvHYo5mdmlQQ4ns_bztfGPo4p-paasvbjQu7KhwKOU-V_wa9Bp3soei5F3DYp27bVZk7_5RECQ1RdIU_Q-8iXqk/s1600-h/vday+004.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5301606698461901074" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 240px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhD9duzqOQxbfggHYoghUIzCUa3wAw2q2UOkp5lVC6c8unlYFs2XD6lvHYo5mdmlQQ4ns_bztfGPo4p-paasvbjQu7KhwKOU-V_wa9Bp3soei5F3DYp27bVZk7_5RECQ1RdIU_Q-8iXqk/s320/vday+004.jpg" border="0" /></a> We've been busy doing Valentine's stuff from around blogland. Here are some links of what we've been up too. </p><ul><li>Making <a href="http://www.skiptomylou.org/2009/01/21/candy-cane-hearts/">heart shaped lollipops </a>from leftover candy canes at Skip to My Lou</li><li>Making <a href="http://www.skiptomylou.org/2008/02/08/how-does-your-garden-grow/">Flower Valentines </a>at Skip to My Lou</li><li>Making <a href="http://www.skiptomylou.org/2009/02/03/printable-valentines/">Butterfly Valentines </a>also at Skip to My Lou (Eli has two parties!)</li><li>Making <a href="http://zakkalife.blogspot.com/2009/01/clip-art-craft-valentine-card.html">Snail Valentines </a>at Zakka Life</li><li><a href="http://mominmadison.blogspot.com/2008/12/snowflakes.html">Growing heart shaped crystals </a>from Mom In Madison</li><li>Valentine color <a href="http://scrumdillydo.blogspot.com/2009/02/revisiting-shake-and-make.html">container painting </a>at Scrumdilly-Do</li><li>Making purple <a href="http://www.cooks.com/rec/view/0,189,149163-234206,00.html">kool-aid playdough </a>with red glitter (This is the playdough recipe I have used since I started teaching, minus the kool-aid with food coloring added to the water. I cook it in the microwave for about 2 1/2 minutes, stirring every 30 seconds or so until it is no longer wet and forms a ball. Add the glitter when it has finished cooking.)</li></ul>sharleen.2cupsofcoffeehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17195940054181412446noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5194031983325876918.post-38983332946243483582009-02-05T13:39:00.005-05:002009-02-05T14:10:33.330-05:00MIA, Hotdishes and Orange Cranberry MuffinsIt seems that posts are slowing down a lot around here. I've discovered that the less I post the better I'm feeling about life. Not that posting makes me feel bad about life, but just the opposite. It seems that the less satisfied I'm feeling about life, being a stay-at-home-mom and thinking I should get a paying job, feeling bored, feeling down about all the things I should be doing and aren't, I tend to post more to help me feel better about myself, like I'm trying to prove to myself that I'm doing a good job at being a mom, a wife, a person who cares about the Earth and humanity. So I post more so I can see what I accomplish during the day in black and white. When I'm feeling great about life, I still do the exact same things that I always do, I just don't feel the need to post them. So, the bottom line is when you don't hear from me for a while, know that life is grand and that I feel at peace with my situation. Maybe this is also very selfish as it seems by what I've just written that this blog is more for me than you!<br /><br />I think I'm going to be posting more recipes this year, which means less pictures, because I am not a food stylist and all of the pictures I take of food just make the food look unappetizing, which it isn't because if it was I wouldn't be posting about it here. Anyways, I have dubbed this year "the Year of the Casserole" as I am trying to find really easy, make ahead meals. So, not everything will be a casserole but it will be fast, or make ahead or a one-pot meal. I have checked out lots of books on the subject of casseroles--"<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">hotdishes</span>" as those who grew up in the <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">north land</span> call them, and I plan to make a lot of them, though I don't plan on using a single can of soup. I'll be posting lots of recipes or sending out to favorite food blogs for super-fast suppers.<br />Here's a couple to get you started:<br /><a href="http://www.elise.com/recipes/archives/007390chicken_and_rice_casserole.php">Chicken and Rice Casserole</a> This is a delicious, relatively quick recipe to put together. You can make it ahead of time, it doesn't call for any "exotic ingredients" and my kids ate it. Bonus!<br /><br /><a href="http://smittenkitchen.com/2009/01/squash-and-chickpea-moroccan-stew/">Squash and Chickpea Moroccan Stew</a> This recipe is absolutely delicious. It was way better than I anticipated. Though the ingredient list is long, this came together fast in ONE pot (plus the couscous pot, which doesn't count). It's a vegetarian meal, which we're trying to eat more of. The kids would not touch this. Rats!<br /><br />And now the Orange Cranberry Muffins, as promised... I love these muffins and would eat them everyday if I wasn't so lazy to make them. Not that they're hard, I'm just lazy.<br /><br /><strong>Orange Cranberry Muffins</strong><br /><strong></strong><br />2 cups flour<br />2/3 cup brown sugar<br />1 tsp. baking powder<br />1 tsp. baking soda<br />1/2 tsp. salt<br />1 cup buttermilk<br />1/3 cup vegetable oil<br />1 egg<br />1 tsp. vanilla<br />zest from one orange<br />3/4 cup dried cranberries<br />1/2 cup chopped pecans (or walnuts)<br /><br />1) Preheat <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">oven</span> to 400 degrees. Grease 12 muffin cups and edges.<br /><br />2) Stir together: flour, brown sugar, baking powder, baling soda and salt. In another bowl mix together: buttermilk, oil, egg, vanilla, and orange zest. Add wet to dry. Stir until just combined. Add cranberries and nuts.<br /><br />3) Spoon batter into cups. Bake 15-20 minutes.<br /><br />4) Cool 5 minutes in pan before removing from pan.sharleen.2cupsofcoffeehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17195940054181412446noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5194031983325876918.post-5194342907345994562009-01-30T20:39:00.002-05:002009-01-30T21:28:48.325-05:00Homemade Non-Toxic Cleaners<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNh9R6Mk4ZOdHqw7fIH9M81rprIZr4XCEew68duhTMTNplJTXz9Uu0-JdffB2cGufVuB5kq291rIX0rDTY1lTZkQK1oqAcKS0HO3kBNVzKuaID5s9K-iI3SOsDfvRqfXQOBdWzHVymX58/s1600-h/home+made+cleaners+005.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5297266692807787778" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNh9R6Mk4ZOdHqw7fIH9M81rprIZr4XCEew68duhTMTNplJTXz9Uu0-JdffB2cGufVuB5kq291rIX0rDTY1lTZkQK1oqAcKS0HO3kBNVzKuaID5s9K-iI3SOsDfvRqfXQOBdWzHVymX58/s320/home+made+cleaners+005.jpg" border="0" /></a> I've been using "<a href="http://www.seventhgeneration.com/">environmentally friendly</a>" cleaning products for several years, ever since I realized that cleaning the shower would give me a gigantic headache. It was either stop cleaning the shower or use products that didn't give me a headache. (I seriously considered the first option though!)<br />If you haven't noticed, these "environmentally friendly" products are usually quite a bit more expensive than their Earth damaging counterparts. Making my own cleaning products is cost effective, environmentally friendly, and fun! I've been messing around with some different options for cleaning and here are a few things that I came up with: a dusting aid, a window cleaner, a multi-purpose and I still use <a href="http://2cupsofcoffee.blogspot.com/2008/05/homemade-laundry-soap.html">my laundry soap</a>. There isn't a homemade cleaner for the toilet, shower or a dish soap. That's because I tried the baking soda and vinegar thing in the toilet but found that I had to clean my toilet several times a week to keep the pink stuff from growing and I just don't like cleaning my toilet that often so I'm using Seventh Generation <a href="http://www.seventhgeneration.com/Toilet-Bowl-Cleaner">toilet bowl cleaner </a>instead. I'm using Seventh Generation in the <a href="http://www.seventhgeneration.com/Shower-Cleaner">shower</a> too, because when you use <a href="http://www.drbronner.com/DBMS/SHIKAKAI.htm">pure soap </a>in the shower, it leaves one heck of a soap ring that is hardly dented by homemade stuff. I did give up my beloved Comet for straight up baking soda to scour with and I think that it works as well. As for dish soap, I tried to convince my husband that using <a href="http://www.drbronner.com/DBMS/LS.htm">Dr. Bronner's Castile soap </a>cleaned the dishes just as well as the foamy soap, he just wasn't convinced so we compromised on Seventh Generation <a href="http://www.seventhgeneration.com/Dishwashing-Soap">Dish Soap</a> (I also love <a href="http://www.traderjoes.com/index.html">Trader Joe's </a>Dish Soap because it smells yummy but the dishwasher (aka Dennis) thinks that it doesn't work as well). You would think that this is an advertisement for Seventh Generation. It isn't. I just use them because I can get it at most supermarkets and at <a href="http://www.target.com/">Target </a>and I've been pleased with the results. As for the floors, I just squirt a bit of Dr. Bronner's into warm water and scrub on my hands and knees. This is not an advertisement for Dr. Bronner's either. The guy may be a bit wacky (just read the the label), but his soap is pretty good!<br />I bought a few ingredients to get me started. Here are the ones that are the most helpful, some you probably already have in your kitchen:<br /><ul><li>baking soda</li><li>vinegar</li><li>Arm and Hammer washing soda</li><li>Borax</li><li>Murphy's Wood soap</li><li>Dr. Bronner's Pure Castile Soap</li><li>essential oils: tea tree, sweet orange, lavender, and peppermint are a good assortment</li></ul><p>I bought the spray bottles at the dollar store and made the labels myself by using (really fun)<a href="http://www.staples.com/office/supplies/StaplesProductDisplay?storeId=10001&jspStoreDir=Staples&productId=229317&cmSearchKeyword=sticker+paper&fromUrl=home&cmArea=SEARCH&catalogId=10051&langId=-1">sticker paper</a>. Have fun and let me know what you think!!</p><p><strong>Dusting Aid</strong></p><ul><li>1/2 cup Murphy's Soap</li><li>3/4 cup water</li><li>5 drops orange essential oil</li><li>15 drops cedar essential oil</li></ul><p><strong>Window Cleaner</strong></p><ul><li>1/2 cup vinegar</li><li>2 cups water</li><li>1/4 tsp. castile soap</li><li>8 drops essential oil</li></ul><p><strong>All-Purpose Cleaner</strong></p><ul><li>1/4 tsp. washing soda</li><li>1/2 tsp. castile soap</li><li>2 cups water</li><li>10 drops essential oil</li></ul>sharleen.2cupsofcoffeehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17195940054181412446noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5194031983325876918.post-18248071368588967602009-01-26T13:16:00.005-05:002009-01-26T13:37:12.307-05:00Color Mixing: Rainbow GooHere is a fun color-mixing science activity!<br />You will need:<br /><br /><strong>Ingredients</strong><br />1/3 cup sugar<br />1 cup cornstarch<br />4 cups cold water<br />red/blue/yellow food coloring<br /><br /><strong>Other Materials</strong><br />3 bowls<br />spoons<br />whisk<br />pot and stove<br />zipper bags<br /><br />Instructions:<br />1) Combine sugar, cornstarch and water in a pot. Heat until the mixture begins to thicken (about when it starts to boil), stirring constantly. Cool.<img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5295670116236020018" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLGysZuseFanxiP8b-BmmtZMpljn5PqiFx9eR3Q5HosSM9vZh48nVy64C82DC63Nqi4MhJ253ZZJcjckdE7AXGZAIOhhBQ0IUfgUWu5yUQPFCMRiMWs78n7PKJZC0akeZLHNEj8ZqHZQQ/s320/ice+and+rainbow+012.jpg" border="0" /><br />2) Divide the mixture into the three bowls. Add food coloring to mixture so you have one red, one blue and one yellow.<img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5295670123134298258" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9Kdeu1iuvNvK6DbmFh_s5fH9AK0Hk-CHlCay-etv3Y00Anq1u1Pq9AbiRQVzWmU_fK8KUwP8AmJEz2MPQLhYwfWIomwc3dPTQeZ4HLpGwP5-2u36-UbffHFGIPvILGw7XiEOJVOFE4rw/s320/ice+and+rainbow+009.jpg" border="0" /><br />3) Put several tablespoons full of each color into a zipper bag so you have the following combinations: red/yellow, yellow/blue, red/blue, and red/blue yellow. Tape the bag closed.<img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5295670128342010834" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4TL-m27rdaZtRWseazOKs5VeJwoQnj2gP6GTxiR_7mGovxOi7mTHbTx7M3UxdJPfZnpyYq9uVNW9T57y8ER5-U6pYtMM7QKI_L8Azc8uD78T7uUis1bSHfsoKX9-3K0iWygqPwqi-8w8/s320/ice+and+rainbow+023.jpg" border="0" /><br />4) Knead and mix the colors.<img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5295670136628608674" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFUA0GDjtqSEOFy1mmdhYt17-ORvadstH9GYfeAEsEPZxf-RdnB2DK8TjSLzN4-YQcflUKv3PIJEorMju17pzuRHvyBk1MFcC0lc5AAYZWrJ7-VipIZNI91p_ZyLYyf_dlMuSYl-d7oLc/s320/ice+and+rainbow+024.jpg" border="0" />5) Talk about the new colors you made.<img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5295670117398630930" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRgkWJfK1HFUJFBSmOgiQJ48V5ItIyD_IOvU0CurV8ePVlZXSawypAnyVCcSdkPZK0WIzdhMDtVvTQozd1gDWFs0o2kfPr4Kf0g1ZauwUBTvz7kc2SYPesI_TQyn6HY6bxrKKscK9nVGg/s320/ice+and+rainbow+027.jpg" border="0" />When you are finished mixing the colors, use your goo filled bag as a writing tablet for practicing those letters or just for scribbling!sharleen.2cupsofcoffeehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17195940054181412446noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5194031983325876918.post-30836431633267750442009-01-21T13:23:00.004-05:002009-01-21T13:43:14.650-05:00Iceberg Rescue<img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5293815413292342306" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWuwejsPsKTt7cYgDAIIqDnHF03rFK8E7x6RBxSiYT1jKTdm2BHI2CMMLEO2a5fiKRlL02Ox3TfIaSNEer-qKCI1KgEUKXJDigxsJM0QG19bwOBVoT6HZa1AnBvr5ye25eSTgkjIr9iyk/s320/ice+and+rainbow+035.jpg" border="0" />Oh, No! Some animals got frozen into a gigantic iceberg and need to be rescued before they lose their air supply. Super Eli to the rescue!<img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5293818693338935266" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIUcClWCzAGG_jFpKvUdIHT6Iz3hml4Zohh7KqFqaIkXpaLkrUTLOX17_Jv38UYHKtq9d6d_pcWyAd-iHMdEh25ToOZF1xn2o7EvqN6zDsPUWx97j7wUDVBfM-MgfkoYQ6GTA7ciY9JRo/s320/ice+and+rainbow+033.jpg" border="0" />It's a good thing that Super Eli has the right tools for the job and he uses a towel so he doesn't make a mess: a super hero every mother can love!<img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5293818697890078946" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi06bE7WQody9JEn57M495FB-YtQPQ4RM_SryW2BGe-TXUcSmViPBd6NthSJma5D-RG1ia2ULzvbuGtc7946IieTreu5c3EDool_LeiY1VV88JkH8qWnvK289QFuoJb0ILK7b1KAVv0Na4/s320/ice+and+rainbow+039.jpg" border="0" />Can he do it? Yes he can.sharleen.2cupsofcoffeehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17195940054181412446noreply@blogger.com2