Category Archives: Holiday

Get Frightfully Green This Halloween

eco-halloween

Yes, Halloween is only weeks away. Perhaps you are all set with decor, candy and costumes. But if you are like me, there are still costumes to buy, pumpkins to carve and decorations to hang. My daughter is so excited that she wants to buy a pumpkin every she sees one on display. This year we will make our official trip to the organic pumpkin patch the weekend before Halloween. Carving will happen two days before the big night. Last year my daughter was old enough to enjoy the season and we carved our pumpkins way too early and they imploded by the time October 31st rolled around. This year I’m considering purchasing as many eco-friendly Halloween decorations as possible. And recycling things we have around the house for seasonal decor. I have a couple ornate Victorian looking candelabras which I’ll spray paint black paint to make a centerpiece in the dining room. I’ll be cutting out black construction paper silhouettes of black cats and spiderwebs from construction paper and then toss it in the recycling bin afterward. I’ve also found a few eco-friendly Halloween decor and party items that help to reduce waste and support fair trade labor.

Solar Pumpkin Light, $9.45 at The Vermont Baby Store
A sun powered light for your pumpkin. Forget the unsafe candles that contain nasty fumes. This solar pumpkin light is also more economical than battery-operated light too.
*Save on your purchases with Coupon Codes from The Vermont Baby Shop from TheFind.com’s new coupon site

ThemeNaps Halloween Napkins 16 napkins per box, $6.95 at Interior Digs
Made in the U.S.A. from eco-friendly 100% recycled tissue and FDA-approved food grade inks. These fun and modern Halloween napkins come folded in a clear packaged gift box and can also stand up to serve as a table decoration.

Fabric Halloween Treat Bag from Yellow Label Kids, $6.49 at Oompa
Trick or Treat! A perfect alternative to plastic pumpkin pails, this artisan made fabric trick-or-treat bag is made by workers whose are paid a fair living wage.

Fair Trade Trick-or-Treat Chocolates 100 per bag, $25.00 at Sweet Earth Chocolates
Indulge neighborhood trick or treaters to 100% milk or 65% bittersweet, 100% organic and fair trade chocolate coins. The individually wrapped fair trade Halloween candies are wrapped in Halloween colors and have an adorable Halloween sticker. Share your commitment to organic & fair trade with kids both young and old this Halloween.

Half-round Spider web Halloween Door Mat, $59.00 at Treasures4home.com
Make your entryway a fright at first sight with this half-round Spider web Halloween Door Mat. Made of extra-thick 1-1/2″ weave of tough-scrubbing coir fibers (an all-natural material from coconuts). This creepy but fun door mat traps grime at the door. Printed with eco-friendly dyes that are guaranteed to scare up compliments for many years to come.
*Save on your purchases with Coupon Codes from Grandin Road from TheFind.com’s new coupon site.

From our friends at TheFind.com.

A summer party with Playtex and a giveaway!

I recently had a great summer party at my house despite the fact that the thought of organizing and having a party makes my brain hurt.  That’s the ADHD. I can’t process the thoughts required to put together a party which includes decorating, food preparation, and then clean up.. just thinking about it makes my brain hurt.

My summer party actually turned out really good. I didn’t get stressed before or during the party which was exciting in itself.  I made a few appetizers including Sweet Potato Chips that were pretty delicious once I finally got the timing right.

Playtex sent me a few pairs of gloves to try out before, during, and after my party and I’m telling you, they were pretty awesome. First, I used the GreatLengths™ Gloves to clean my glass patio table and chairs one of which had bird poop on it (see photos below.. not of the bird poop!).  Before having the gloves I would have just used a few paper towels to clean it off and would have been totally grossed out but the gloves took out the gross factor which was really nice.  I also used these gloves when cutting flowers from the garden.  I was lazy and didn’t want to go to the shed to get my regular gloves out but these worked really well.

GreatLengths™ Gloves

  • Test them out when prepping your grill and/or wiping down your patio furniture for the party; these gloves are ideal for the extra messy clean-up jobs (like getting bird poop off of patio chairs)

CleanCuisine™ Gloves

  • Use them while preparing spicy recipes like salsa or try them out when preparing meat or fish for the grill so you are sure to keep clean and germ-free
  • Try using them while chopping garlic or onions which often stings hands and/or leave a lingering odor

Living® Gloves

  • A twist on the classic Playtex® Living® gloves, this new version is ideal for clean-up tasks like washing dishes and cleaning the kitchen

Here are a couple of super-easy, quick appetizers (great for moms!) to try out at your next party:

Oven Roasted Corn on the Cobcourtesy of FoodNetwork.com
Ingredients:

4 ears fresh corn
Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Place corn husks directly on the oven rack and roast for 30 minutes or until corn is soft. Peel down the husks and use as a handle when eating.  My whoops.. Out of habit, I took the corn husks off before roasting the corn the first time with not such tasty results.

Sweet Potato Chips
Ingredients:
2 sweet potatoes
Directions:
Slice two sweet potatoes very thin.  Lay as many slices as will fit without overlapping directly on your clean microwave turn table then spray the slices lightly with olive oil cooking spray (salt optional).  Microwave them in increments of a few minutes checking for desired crispness.


Playtex Gloves

Learn more about Playtex Gloves at the Playtex website here and buy Playtex gloves at your local grocery store or drugstore.

GIVEAWAY!
Playtex is giving 1 lucky reader 3 Glove samples AND a $50 gift certificate to the grocery store of their choice to buy food/drinks for their own Patio Party.
This is the perfect time of year for a nice patio party!  Leave a comment below telling me why you want to win and if you have something fun or funny to tell me about a previous party you held, you’ll get two entries!
Entries accepted until August 18th.

Vermont Nut Free Chocolates


StpatricksdayvermontIt's a little late to enjoy Vermont Nut Free Chocolate's St. Patrick's Day treats but there are plenty of other reasons to order and indulge in a special nut-free chocolaty treat. There's Easter, Mother's Day, Father's Day, and there's tomorrow! All great times for chocolate!

Vermont Nut Free Chocolates sent a box of St. Patrick's Day chocolate coins, miniature chocolates, and Leprechaun Pops and I gave Sebastian one of each this morning. What's really funny is that I had already sent him to school and I forgot it was St. Patrick's Day! He didn't wear green, and I didn't give him a special St. Patrick's Day treat! I felt so bad. I grabbed a green sweater from Sebastian's closet, and one of each of the St. Patrick's Day treats from Vermont Nut Free Chocolates, jumped in the car and made a fool of myself at the school's reception desk when I told them that I needed to give Sebastian a green sweater and some chocolate! I know all four of the women behind the desk thought I was crazy. What's worse is that one was the school counselor. I'm sure she thinks I'm crazy!


Vermontchocoeaseter
Vermont Nut Free Chocolates are handmade, gourmet quality candies, that provide children withpeanut and tree nut allergies a way to safely enjoy chocolate treats.They’re also a great alternative for classroom parties in peanut-free schoolsor day care centers.

Here are some fun Vermont Nut Free Chocolates facts:

  • There's a fun chocolate tool set for little guys and dads
  • You can buy chocolate for baking including chocolate chips, cocoa powder, and unsweetened baking chocolate
  • A litter of 9 chocolate pigs is only $3.25!
  • Perfect for class treats
  • And yes, they sell Truffles!

Treats can be ordered from the company’s web site, http://www.vermontnutfree.com/

Ready-made Printable Valentine’s Day cards from my friend Mo

I haven’t bought Valentine’s Day cards for Sebastian’s classmates yet. I stink.
That’s why I was thrilled when I got an email from Mo telling me that he stars in his very own Valentine’s Day cards that I can print right from my computer! Mo, you saved the day!

Children and parents can download and print Mo’s Valentine’s Day cards to give out or keep. Share “Mo” love with family and friends! For extra fun, printable coloring pages are available too.

Valentine’s Day celebrates love, all kinds of love and with Mo, parents can teach their toddlers and little ones love and compassion towards animals while coloring or mailing out Mo’s special Valentine’s Day cards. It’s easy and it’s free!

I just printed my Mo’s Valentine’s Day cards! Click here to print yours!

Ready-made Printable Valentine’s Day cards from my friend Mo

Movdaycards
I haven't bought Valentine's Day cards for Sebastian's classmates yet. I stink.
That's why I was thrilled when I got an email from Mo telling me that he stars in his very own Valentine's Day cards that I can print right from my computer! Mo, you saved the day!

Children and parents can download and print Mo's Valentine's Day cards to give out or keep. Share "Mo" love with family and friends! For extra fun, printable coloring pages are available too.

Valentine's Day celebrates love, all kinds of love and with Mo, parents can teach their toddlers and little ones love and compassion towards animals while coloring or mailing out Mo's special Valentine's Day cards. It's easy and it's free!

I just printed my Mo's Valentine's Day cards! Click here to print yours!