The Dapple Winner is...

1. Capital Mom said...
I learnt that the dish washer detergent has specific enzymes to target the lipids and proteins commonly found in baby foods.
April 7, 2009 11:16 AM

Congratulations Capital Mom! I will email you.

Just a Little Plug for a mommy blog group I list with!

MomDot is a mom blog listing site that is run by mommy bloggers, Trisha, Alicia, and Bridgette.They run contests weekly, reviews on awesome (and not so awesome) products for families and kids, and talk about their lives. But more importantly, they feature bloggers and mom boutiques to give them an avenue to get their names out there, also assisting in google links! You can head out and list your blog for free and talk to them about doing an interview about you. Head on over and see what MomDot is about!

Chicka-Chicka Boom Boom! Letter Fun

"A told B and B told C, "Meet me at the top of the coconut tree..."" If you have young children or are an educator of young children you are probably familiar with the book "Chicka Chicka Boom Boom". This rhythmic and comical children's story offers a fun way to learn the alphabet but this activity will expand the learning and enjoyment by creating a hands-on experience! Create your own "Chicka Chicka Boom Boom" coconut tree with letters!

You Will Need:

~ 2 large empty metal coffee tins {one with plastic lid, one without}

~packing tape

~Wood grain look mac tack/ contact paper {you know the shelf liner rolls with one sticky side}

~1-2 artificial fern stalks

~ Fun Foam or Felt sheets

~magnetic sheeting, or magnetic strips that can be cut

~hot glue gun

~cardboard traceable letters {optional}

Here's How:

1. Stack your two tins. The one with the lid should be on top. Use a strip of packing tape to hold the two tins together. Remove the lid.

2. Lay out your contact paper and wrap it around the tins to determine how much you will need. Cut the contact paper accordingly. Carefully peel off the contact paper backing and apply the sticky side of the contact paper to the cans. I try to leave the contact paper laying out, sticky side up, then roll the tin can stack over it gently to wrap it. This can be difficult to get smooth and straight but a few small wrinkles is fine and you can rub the wrinkles out to flatten them a bit afterwards.

3. Cut slits in the center of the plastic lid to accommodate the stalk{s} of the artificial ferns. Be careful not to cut too large a hole or the fern top will flop around too much. You could use packing tape or hot glue to secure the fern to the lid if you feel it necessary. Arrange the fern so it fans out like the top of a coconut tree! Then replace the lid.

4. Use traceable letters or create your own {I was a teacher so I use my traceable bulletin board letters} to trace onto the fun foam or felt sheets {fun foam is sturdier}. Cut out your letters.

5. Glue pieces of magnetic strip or sheetings to the backs of the letters.

You're done! The letters will stick to the coffee tin tree trunk!

Children can use the Chicka Chicka Boom Boom Tree to act out the story by adding the letters as you read about them in the book.

You may want to use it as a stand alone activity. Ask your child to find a certain letter and put it on the tree. Create both lower and upper case letters for children to practice their recognition of both. It makes a fabulous, and fun letter recognition activity!

There is also a Chicka Chicka 1,2,3 book so create numbers for your tree too if you wish!

The Charming Winner of the Charm Lady Giveaway!

13. niki said...
I follow
April 9, 2009 7:09 PM

Congrats again Niki! You lucky gal!

Skin Free -- Review and Giveaway!

Do you often ask yourself while showering what is in your soap, shampoo, maybe your after-shower moisturizer? What makes it smell so strong? What actually makes it work? Are there ingredients in these products which might be contributing to some skin condition? Will it irritate my skin? Is it even safe? I try not to dwell on such things but more often I have pondered it. There's no need to ask those questions when using Skin Free products. Skin Free takes the worry out of skin care! Skin Free is free of harmful chemicals, fragrances, colourants, steroids, and petroleum products unlike many commercial brands on the market today. Skin Free ingredients are 100% natural and bonus their products are not tested on animals.

I was given the Skin Free Extra Moisturizing Soap and Shampoo Bar and the Skin Free After Shower Moisture Spritz to review. The first thing I noticed as I slipped the Extra Moisturizing Soap Bar from its box was that it truly was as they said colourless and without fragrance. A plain white bar! I was a little unsure whether I would enjoy using it as I have a personal love of scents. In a soap however I found this turned out to be a great quality! Despite being such a pure product the soap bar lathered luxuriously and left my skin feeling entirely fresh yet still moisturized. Because it was fragrance free I was able to use my favourite scent without it becoming overpowered by the scent of my soap. The Shea Butter in this bar helps to combat the dry tight feeling most commercial soap produce.

This soap bar can also be used as a shampoo bar. I must admit I was leery of using a bar of soap to wash my hair! I did breakdown and try it for the sake of my readers however. It worked well to clean my hair but I did decide to use conditioner even though Skin Free information states you will not require conditioner.

This product was awarded the National {US} Eczema Association seal of acceptance in August 2008 and though I do not suffer from eczema I can tell from the way is soothed and did not irritate my skin that this soap would be wonderful for those who suffer from various skin conditions. Because Skin Free is without so many harmful ingredients I feel safe using this on my children's sensitive and delicate skin! Skin Free Extra Moisturizing Soap is helpful for allergies, eczema, dermatitis, and psoriasis and is for all skin types!

The Skin Free After Shower Moisture Spritz is fabulous! It is easy to apply because it is a spray and it felt silky on my skin and gave it a smooth youthful appearance. Skin Free suggests using the spritz on warm, still moist skin immediately after showering for maximum hydration. As you towel dry the light blend of oils absorb deeper into your skin. I found the natural oil spritz to be light and non-greasy but extremely effective. It left my skin feeling moisturized, soft, and smooth. Again as with the soap bar, the spritz had no noticeable scent.

Skin Free's mission is "to fill a void in the larger retail market for excellent natural skincare". Petroleum jelly or mineral oil bases found in most other products are occlusive {pore clogging} and are not absorbed by the skin leaving a very greasy after effect. The natural oils in Skin Free are actually absorb-able. Skin Free products have been tested for toxicity and are rated 0-1, the lowest in toxicity. Skin Free strives to be effective, innovative, and affordable. Their products are made even more affordable because they offer free shipping for orders $25 or more.

Skin Free carries an entire line of skincare products and I am most eager to try many of their other skin saving, skin freeing products! Would you like to try? Three of my readers will win Skin Free products!

~The first lucky reader chosen will win both products I tested: 1 Skin Free Extra Moisturizing Soap Bar and 1 Skin Free After Shower Moisturizing Spritz!

~Two other readers will each win a bar of the Skin Free Extra Moisturing Soap.

To Enter:

• Visit Skin Free and tell me the name of one other Skin Free product you would like to try {This is Required}
• non-bloggers may also enter. Just leave an email so I can contact you if you win!

Extra Entries:

• Become a follower or already be a follower {publicly}
• Subscribe via Email
• Grab my button
• Blog about this giveaway with a link back here {please leave me the link to the post} {Leave a separate comment for each entry}

This giveaway is open to US and Canadian residents. Giveaway closes April 30th, 2009 10:00 PM CT. Please see the General Giveaway rules for further details.

Speakng of David Suzuki..."There's A Barnyard in My Bedroom" Book Review!

At the book store this past week we came across a new children's book by David Suzuki entitled "There's a Barnyard in my Bedroom" and we quickly scooped it up for our youngest daughter! It was written in 2008 and is actually divided into three stories which are separate but interconnected {hey, how environmental a philosophy}. The children in the book learn about the environment from everyday experiences with the help of their parents. The characters Megan and Jamie are lead through a nature adventure in their own home through which they come to understand that everything in their home ultimately is produced from elements of nature, they learn how the air around us connects all living things, and how the earth has changed and continues to change over time!

This book may be a bit daunting for the very young but a mature four year old and above should truly enjoy the wealth of knowledge these three tales impart. Our children were quite fascinated. As a bonus to parents and teachers who strive to enrich their children's learning and literary experiences, the book also includes an activities page!

David Suzuki has written and co-written many other children's books including "Salmon Forest", "You Are the Earth", and "Eco-Fun".

I do not leave links to online bookstores for books I review unless they are a rare item and found only through a specific store/publisher. I feel that a person's choice of bookstore can often be a reflection of their consumer ideals and do not wish to necessarily link you to a large corporate bookstore if you prefer the small town local book seller!

David Suzuki -- I'm a Fan!

Like most Canadians my first real introduction to scientist and environmentalist David Suzuki was the CBC series "The Nature of Things". This show represented the collision of both my husband's interest in science and my interest in culture, in particular indigenous cultures of the world, so how could we resist? In 2000 we joined one of Suzuki's environmental challenges and have followed his foundation and his book publications since. It was a real coup for us and some of our friends when David Suzuki toured the arctic and was the featured speaker at a 2003-2004 teacher's conference we attended in Cambridge Bay, Nunavut. I remember feeling the giddiness of one wowed by celebrity when Suzuki and his wife walked into the host school's staffroom and his wife began cooing over my daughter Emma. "What a beautiful baby girl!" she had said!
After the evening seminar Dr. Suzuki gave we waited eagerly along with friends for him to autograph our treasured copies of his book, "The Sacred Balance" and posed for quick photos {I looked awful but I just have to post it}. The most thrilling part of the evening however was having the opportunity to actually converse with David Suzuki as we mingled at the wine and cheese party which followed. Wow!

Today we are registered members of the David Suzuki Foundation and enjoy regular updates on environmental issues. Currently, the Suzuki Foundation is running The "Living Room Challenge" fundraiser! Choose from hosting a Green Spa Night , A Green Movie Night, or a Local Foods Potluck ! Even if you do not host a fundraiser these are great themes for social gathering!

What I most respect about Suzuki is his dedication to environment in a way that does not dismiss the importance of indigenous lifestyles. "The Sacred Balance" illustrates this understanding of indigenous culture and its fundamental connections with the natural world!