GoodyBlog

May Flowers

   

If you haven't yet discovered Kids Craft Weekly, then it's time. Amber Carvan, Australian mom of 2, offers up really accessible, adorable, and kid-friendly craft ideas. You can sign up for her themed newsletters that will give you fantastic ideas for rainy day crafts, birthday party crafts, and  educational crafts.

The most recent edition is about flowers—you can get complete instructions for these precious blooms and step by step photo-illustrations on her site. Kids Craft Weekly is the perfect remedy for the "I'm bored" weekend mantra!

Plug of the Week: Home Improvment Made Easy

When Marni Jameson isn’t writing for Parents, she’s dishing out very practical and funny home-decorating advice in her syndicated column “At Home with Marni Jameson." Her new book, The House Always Wins, is about how you can create your dream home—but a real-world, budget-friendly dream home that actually works for a family, not a spartan, spotless showroom. And the book isn't all how-tos: Marni has two daughters, one of whom wants gorillas and elephants painted on her bedroom walls and a “furry phone,” so she’s also got great tips on finding a sane compromise when your kids make crazy decor requests. You can order a copy here or enter to win one by sending her your most horrific remodeling tale.

Mother's Day Giveaway: Win a Katie Brown Gardening Kit

It's spring and you're no doubt spending as many minutes outside with the kids as possible (at least if you don't suffer from seasonal allergies). So while you're hanging out in the garden, suit up in some good-looking gardening gear and get your hands dirty (after Mother's Day, of course—no maintenance of any sort for you on May 11th)! Enter to win this all-you-could-ever-need garden kit, designed by domestic darling, Katie Brown, produced by The Companion Group. Here's the loot:

• To wear: Halter Garden Apron, Reversible Garden Hat, Lightweight Garden Mud Gloves (size medium), Gauntlet Style Garden Gloves (size medium)
• To dig: Cast Aluminum Garden Cultivator, Cast Aluminum Garden Trowel, Cast Aluminum Garden Scoop, Cast Aluminum Garden Fishtail Weeder, Cast Aluminum Garden Precision Weeder, Lightweight pruners
• To plant: Collapsible Garden Utility Bucket, House-Shaped Plant Markers (set of 6), Handheld Bug Zapper (okay, this has nothing to do with planting, but it didn't go in the other two categories!)

To enter to win, just post a comment on this post (click on "comments") by midnight ET on Friday May 9. We'll email the lucky winner on the following Monday. Goody Luck!

Full rules here.

Recycle to Make DIY Watering Cans

Here's a green way to grow some green! Instead of throwing out your old, plastic soda and water bottles, pick up the Twist and Spout at re:modern—you just screw it to the tops of the bottles and voila... instant watering can (found via Coveiter). It's also got a nice, easy-to-grip handle so you or your kids can carry it around and water all your plants. Happy gardening.

How-To Gurus

I admit it--I am a "how-to" junkie.  I can't get enough of this D.I.Y. craze sweeping the nation.  So you can imagine how totally thrilled I was to come across Howcast.com, a website that will show me how to basically do anything. The site is broken down into categories, from Kids to Personal Care & Style to Mind & Body. 

Some of my personal faves are How To Pretend You're a Real New Yorker, How to Make Your Girlfriend's Parents Like You, and How to Get Into a Nightclub (the materials needed: appropriate clothing, good shoes, money to burn and optional: an expensive car).  But in all seriousness, the kids section is super-fun, with videos on crafts, games, and even essential how-to's like changing a diaper. 

I love the cute "You Will Need" graphics--they include grown-up as a material needed.  Listed right under scissors.  How perfect.

The Greenest Calendar Ever?

Yes, I know it's already January 9th, but if no one gave you a desk calendar over the holidays, check out cute and clever "plantable" calendar from Botanical Paperworks. Each month's sheet is embedded with wildflower seeds, so once the month is up, you can plant it and enjoy! Not in the market for a calendar? They also sell plantable cards, gift tags, and more. Love it!

A Green Christmas Tree

Now before you say, "duh"... do you know how to make a naturally green Christmas tree, well, Green?  Here's a hint: You don't have to chop down an evergreen to enjoy it during the holiday season. (And I'm not suggesting you decorate the fir tree in your front yard instead of putting one up in the living room either.) This year I'm taking a cue from my sister (who normally scoffs at what she calls my "tree-hugging ways"). She and her boyfriend will soon decorate a live Blue Spruce Christmas tree, which they bought from the local nursery for $95 (not much more than your average cut-tree price tag, mind you). Their plan is to plant O' Tannenbaum in the backyard after the new year and have something to remember their first Christmas together by for years to come. Now of course for this to work every year one would need a very large backyard that could accommodate a lifetime of Christmas trees, but even still I think it's a pretty cool, eco-friendly idea. So when she sent this picture of her new tree to my cell phone last night, I praised her efforts and welcomed her to the "green side". Then I reminded her to decorate with LED lights, since they use 90% less energy (I just couldn't resist).

Funky (and Budget-Friendly) Gifts

At a teeny bit shy of age 32, I know I'm kind of old to be shopping at Urban Outfitters, but they're currently winning over my inner teenager with their adorable (and pretty affordable) gift selections. Just look at this stuff!

I'd say this is perfect for tweens, but I'd shamelessly display this in my house, too. $26.

I will never get tired of all things cupcake-related. I hope all my friends feel the same way because they're all getting this lip balm set for Christmas. $10.

Even your black-thumbed friends can probably keep these pretty micro terrariums in bloom. $6 each.

Amores perros … y ardillas

I don't know about you, but these days I'm finding squirrels a lot more interesting than people. So as a follow up to our "Crazy Critter Attacks" story from Friday, we offer this more cuddly squirrel tail. Er, tale: Four baby squirrels were felled from their nest and orphaned. Sniff, sniff.

… but wait! They're saved by Derek Varnes, the tree cutter who found them on a downed limb. Mr. Varnes gives them to his fiance's mother (can't wait to see what he gets her for Mother's Day!) and, in turn, her dog Mimi adopts the baby squirrels as her own. The chihuahua dotes on the little things, even to the point of nursing them with her own milk. (And you thought your kids had sharp teeth!)

Actually, a quick web search revealed that baby squirrels in fact have no teeth. But once they're adults, a squirrel's teeth never stop growing.

And for anyone really, really desperate for a crafting idea, why not try trimming a wild squirrel's chompers? Proof positive that you can find everything on the Internet.

Photo via.

Toxic Shocker: Part 2

    As I listened to the news this morning, I felt like I was living my toxic shocker nightmare all over again! ABC News reported that 5 out of the ten garden hoses they tested for lead content were above the EPA standards. With some of those hoses including this warning: "This product contains chemicals known to the state of California to cause cancer, birth defects, and/or reproductive harm" in teeny tiny writing on the back of the packaging. (who would even think to look?)
    Clearly, this is a huge FYI for parents! (So be sure to spread the word) Turns out it's not just old paint chips and Chinese imports that can make our children sick! Make sure to find out if your garden hose is safe, and skip filling up a kiddie pool or taking a drink from the hose until you do. 
    Read the story here for more details and visit the EPA for info on protecting your child from lead poisoning.

[photo via]