citrus

Seasons Change

2009-06-18T09:15:00.000-04:00

I have absolutely loved being a part of Citrus this past year and a half. But, admittedly, it is becoming too much for me right now. I did not know that life could become this busy :), but it has. It is becoming more and more difficult for me to find a minute here or there to write up a post (let alone check my email!:), as you have probably noted from the lack of consistent posts lately.

I am not alone in my time scarcity issues. My good friends who have joined me at Citrus are experiencing welcoming new babies, preparing for major moves, and making major life changes. It is time for us all to take a break, and focus closely on priority number one: our families.

I want to thank my friends Holly, Dinah, Rachel, and Sherie (my sister!) for their contributions to Citrus. I have always looked forward to your book reviews, recipies, product reviews, and project ideas. I have learned so much from you all. Thank you!!

So, now it is time to focus more on these guys:

Who wouldn't want to spend more time with these lovelies?

I will keep Citrus up for you to reference back to, if needed. Also, feel free to leave Citrus in your Google Reader. If any of us decide that the time is right to start up a new project/blog we will let you know here. Who knows, maybe Citrus will be reborn at some later date.

Thank you for reading!!

Read it: Pssst!

2009-06-17T04:00:00.000-04:00

by Adam Rex

New in 2008

This book was quite unexpected. The art is very different, but I love it (Recognize it from another of his books: Frankenstein Makes a Sandwich?)! There are so many things to look at on each page as a girl makes a trip through the zoo. As she approaches each cage, she is asked by each of the animals to bring them back an item. My little guy couldn't stop laughing when a sloth fell out of a tree onto his head (after the girl asked him why he wanted a bike helmet).

As for me, I can't stop laughing every time I hear my little 4 year old boy use the phrase, "Psst!" now when he wants to get someone's attention on the sly.

Enjoy the artwork and the story that "comes together" in the end.

image via contentcafe.btol.com

Sweets when you are on a Sugar Fast

2009-06-15T07:00:00.001-04:00

Sugar controls me. I crave it after every meal and I can never stop at one bite or even one serving. So I decided it was time to go on a sugar fast. I have still been eating fruit and peanut butter (that is my next hurdle haha) and other things that may have a bit of sugar. But overall, for two weeks we have been doing no treats, no artificial sugars, desserts or afternoon Puppy Chow binges (Jack and I could make a batch in record time). I was so proud that I only had a taste of those pancakes from last week. The boys had syrup and pancakes, I had an egg.

So this evening I looked at my browning bananas and thought about how Banana Pudding sounded nice. I googled low sugar recipes, low fat recipes etc.. I decided it wasn't worth the sugar or the run to the store for pudding, wafers, whipping cream etc.. But I did attempt my own low-sugar "Banana Pudding". My husband I think was expecting something closer to the real thing and thought whipping cream or cool whip was a must "Otherwise its just mashed up bananas" But to me I thought it was a great low-sugar, whole food, alternative to the fake pudding and cookies.

Here is the idea:

3 Bananas
1 cup yogurt (mine was plain but I bet vanilla would be best)
1 cup milk

Blend in the blender

2 packets of Knox gelatin
1 cup hot, hot water

Whisk quickly to dissolve gelatin. Then pour in the blender and blend with the banana mix.

Pour into serving bowls, cover with plastic wrap and chill in the fridge for an hour or two until it jiggles a bit.

Meanwhile, take about 3 cups of some semi- sweet variety of cereal (Mine was Special K Almonds) and crush finely. Top the "puddings" with crushed cereal.

If you have whipping cream you can serve it with some sweetened whipping cream.

The gelatin will make it like a pudding- but don't worry its not like Jell-o.

I think the idea could work with a bunch of different fruits. Can you think of a good combination?

Here is what else I have been doing with those bananas, sweet, dairy free, protien and omega packed:

1 banana
1 cup frozen berries
3/4 cup oj
3/4 cup water
1/4 cup soaked flaxseed (soak the flaxseed in some water for a couple hours to help release the nutrients)
2 scoops protein powder

Blend and enjoy!

OKAY now for those of you that can control yourselves or you just don't care or you just are so naturally slim it doesn't matter, check out these recipes. Someday I will make and partake:

Jimmy Carter Cake- chocolatey, peanuty, creamy pudding yum!

Homemade Girl Scout Cookies- Samoas, Thin Mints, Peanut Butter Patties!

Lemon Meringue Pie- Tart!

Chocolate Fudge- Okay drooooool!

Read It: Guess What I Found in Dragon Wood

2009-06-12T04:00:00.001-04:00

by Timothy Knapman

illustrated by Gwen Millward

I don't want to tell you much about this book, except that you'll read the first couple of pages, then go back and read the first page again. I love books that aren't what you expect. I think school-aged kids will really get a kick out of this one (especially when they "get it" all by themselves.)

image via ecx.images-amazon.com

Illustory Pt.2

2009-06-11T14:27:00.003-04:00

We received our published Illustory books in the mail the other day- just in time for Father's Day! The girls are quite proud of their work, and love seeing it all bound up and looking "professional."

I think we have read these books 100 times since the package was opened. The girls are giddy with excitement.

Now we just have to keep it a secret until the big day. If we succeed, this may be the longest kept Father's Day present secret to date.

For more information on Illustory, go here.

The Best Buttermilk Pancakes

2009-06-08T08:00:00.000-04:00

I am not so good at making them pretty, but these babies 3/4 inch thick and light and fluffy.

I have never really thought much about pancakes. I know I don't like them to be dense or soggy, or to taste like too much baking soda (ie IHOP pancakes). With those requirements alone you would think I would have put some thought into what makes a pancake just right, right?

Well, I didn't have to. I opened up my latest issue of Cook's Illustrated and a test cook basically experimented and went back and forth trying to make the "Perfect Pancake". After reading the "experiment" I realized I had no idea the intricate dance each ingredient plays in making a pancake.

Buttermilk gives a unique taste that makes regular pancakes boring (and tasting like too much baking soda). But the acid in the buttermilk causes the baking soda to rise too rapidly which leads to deflated pancakes that are dense and soggy. Too much butter milk and you basically have two crusts mashed together with no light and fluffy insides. Lower the baking soda content and your pancakes are bland and pale. Lower the buttermilk and you don't have enough of that good flavor. So after a few tests the experimenting found a secret ingredient- sour cream!

Then I learned that the more you stir the more gluten forms in the batter and gluten makes baked goods tough. So to make the ultimately light and fluffy pancakes, whisk briefly (yep, its okay to have a few lumps) and then let the batter sit for 10 minutes so the gluten can relax.

After making these pancakes. I must agree, they are perfect. Now my next step is to work on making my pancakes "Look" perfect. My burners heat a little uneven and I am not good at pouring perfect circles. Oh well, my toddler and my husband eat em right up before they can even notice those details.

Best Buttermilk Pancakes
Marcus Walser

This recipe was tested using a lower protein flour like Gold Medal or Pillsbury. If using a higher protein flour like Kin Arthur, use an extra two Tbsp of buttermilk.

On an electric griddle, cook at 350 degrees.

Recipe says it makes 16 four inch pancakes. But mine must have been a little bit bigger since I only had about 10 and my toddler ate about 6 of them. So double up!

2 cups unbleached all purpose flour
2 Tbsp sugar
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
2 cups buttermilk
1/4 cup sour cream
2 large eggs
3 Tbsp butter, melted and cooled slightly
1-2 tsp vegetable oil

Whisk together the flour, sugar, salt, baking powder and baking soda. In a second bowl, whisk together the buttermilk, eggs, sour cream and melted butter. Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients and pour the wet ingredients into the well. Gently stir until just combined and do not worry about lumps. Let sit for 10 minutes

Meanwhile, add 1 Tbsp oil to the griddle or skillet and heat over medium heat. After a few minutes, wipe the oil out with a paper towel so just a thin film remains. Repeat after you have used half the batter for pancakes.

Test one very small pancake on your griddle to get an idea of how long a side needs to cook and if the temperature needs to be turned up or down.

Then, pour batter from a measuring cup into 4 inch circles on the griddle and cook about 2 minutes or until the sides begin to look cooked the bubbles about the size of a pencil eraser in the middle of each pancake are just beginning to break.

Serve with cut fruit, pureed berries, syrup, preserves, whipped cream, chopped pecans or caramelized apples Yum!

Read It: Good Night, Gorilla

2009-06-05T14:12:00.004-04:00

by Peggy Rathmann

The zookeeper says goodnight to gorilla, who silently slips the keys off the zookeeper's belt. As the zookeeper says goodnight to all the animals, gorilla walks behind him, quietly opening the cages as he goes. All the animals follow the zookeeper home where his wife is already asleep...

This is one of those books you can't imagine anyone would dislike. But, with an average of 5 stars (as I suspected), out of 184 reviews on Amazon, three people gave it one star. One of them reasoned that they didn't like seeing the animals in cages (seriously?), others that there wasn't much to the written story. It's true, the writing is very simple, but the story that's being told goes beyond what is being said. I would be very disappointed if every book spelled out exactly what is happening in the story. And when I see my pre-reader proudly "reading" the book, I'm not complaining one bit.

I highly recommend buying the boardbook version of this story. It will be well used (especially if there happens to be a little "Goodnight Gorilla" in your family).

image via hellobigbook.com

Draw Write Now

2009-06-03T08:45:00.004-04:00

My kids are right at the age where they love to draw, but are starting to realize that their skills are still pretty primitive. Lately, I have been getting a lot of requests to "show me how to draw a _____." Fill in that blank with any member of the animal kingdom, and it has probably been requested in our house.

I am definitely no Van Gogh, so I quickly realized I needed back-up. I found the program Draw Write Now on Amazon, and it had good reviews, so I thought we would try it out.
I like that each art lesson also has a handwriting exercise. We homeschool, and my little ones typically aren't brewing with excitement over handwriting practice (who is?) but they don't mind a bit when it ties in with their art practice.

My 7-year-old loves these books. Last Saturday she disappeared for an hour and reappeared with a book of farm animals she had created. I am loving that she is growing more confident in her drawing skills, and that she is no longer turning to me as the art authority :).

There are many books available from Draw Write Now. You can purchase them separately from Amazon, or you can purchase them as a set.

You can also purchase them directly from the Draw Write Now website.

These lessons are intended for children 5-10.

Quick and Cinchy Parmesan Chicken Dinner

2009-06-01T08:00:00.000-04:00

For how moist and flavorful this recipe for Parmesan Chicken is, its surprisingly easy to prepare and feels like a full meal with a simple salad.

The Chopped Salad is not the easiest salad to make but its tasty. If you are short on time just make a green salad from any veggies you have in your fridge. The one pictured is spinach, carrots, snap peas, green onion and sun dried tomato.

Use your leftover yogurt and some fruit for a yogurt parfait afterward.

Parmesan Chicken

2 Full Skinless, Boneless chicken breasts
2 cups Ritz crackers, smashed fine
3 Tbls. grated Parmesan cheese
1 tsp. seasoned salt
1/2 cup wheat germ
16 oz. plain yogurt

Put the chicken between two layers of plastic wrap and beat with a tenderizer. I like to use the back of an ice cream scoop. Dip chicken in yogurt or just spread yogurt over with your fingers on both sides. Mix crumbs, cheese, salt and wheat germ. Roll chicken in mixture until well covered on both sides. Place in a backing dish and bake at 350 degrees for 30-40 minutes.

The yogurt and cracker crumbs keep the moisture in the chicken so it is soft and flavorful. You could use a whole wheat cracker as long as its a fine, buttery cracker. Like the Stoneground Flaxseed Crackers from Costco.

Note the breast on the left has been flattened to about 1/2 inch

Ready to go in the oven

Chopped Salad

1 head of lettuce (romaine, green leaf or red leaf) shredded
Optional 2 handfuls spinach leaves washed and cut
2 tomatoes diced
1 cucumber diced
3-4 Tbsp Bacon Bits
1 cup cooked pasta
1 chicken breast cooked and diced
1/2 cup feta cheese (or Gorgonzola)
4 scallions chopped
Creamy Dressing like Ranch, Blue Cheese, Cesar etc... (to taste)

The idea of this salad is that you chop everything into small pieces and mix it together with your favorite creamy dressing. You will forget you are eating salad mmmmmm.
Use spinach leaves too if you want to get an extra healthy boost :)

Yogurt Parfait

Plain Yogurt
Powdered Sugar
Vanilla or Almond Extract
Cut Fruit or Berries
Granola or crushed cereal

Mix yogurt with powdered sugar to your taste. Layer in a glass or bowl with some cereal or granola and fruit for a simple and low fat dessert!

Read It: Miss Nelson is Missing (and Cookie Bouquets)

2009-05-29T00:10:00.006-04:00

by James Marshall

Seriously, is there anyone who hasn't read this book yet?

Remember your teacher as the end of year approaches. He or she is such a big part of your child's formative years. Thank your teacher.

We've been getting together everything for the end of the year, making things for the end of year gift for my kindergartener's teacher. We're doing things a little different this year because of what happened this winter. The day before Christmas break it snowed over a foot. School was cancelled, so of course the class Christmas party was cancelled, and our gift to the teacher went undelivered and moldy (I'm lying. It never got moldy because I ate it the same day I found out there was no school. I needed it.). The teacher really gets a hefty load of gifts at Christmas, and school being out meant she really missed out (on the appreciation and the tasty treats). So we really put some extra effort into this end of year gift to make up for it.

This isn't exactly what we did, but it's the closest picture I could find. Our flowers weren't frosted quite as ornately. I know she likes scrapbooking, so I tucked in a gift card to JoAnn's.

To let my sneaky side show through, part of the reason why I liked this gift so much is because it was actually our church's young women's camp fundraiser. Dads could buy the "flour bouquet" for Mother's Day, or moms could buy it as an end of year teacher gift. We also sold individual cookies on a stick. All thanks to Holly's sister, Kristin, who got the good idea together with a useful purpose.

It was a very successful fundraiser, especially because we would have otherwise been selling hotdogs in front of Sam's Club with the Boy Scouts.

images via lee-knight.com and T-Woods through flickr.com

Times Tales

2009-05-27T08:40:00.003-04:00

We have been looking for a fun way to learn times tables, and after a few people passed this program along as a recommendation (and I found it recommended in the latest edition of the Well Trained Mind) I thought we should try it out.

Essentially, Times Tales uses stories (mnemonic devices) to help children master their math facts. Each number has a new identity. For instance, the number three is a butterfly. Then a story is created with that number, to guide your child to the correct answer.

I wasn't sure what I was going to think about this. It almost seemed more confusing to turn all of the math equations into stories that my kids had to memorize, but truth is- it totally, absolutely works.

In fact, my 5-year-old sat through the lessons with her older sister and now has all of her times tables down. I don't think she quite understands the concept of multiplication yet, but when she does she will be ready with her times tables already memorized.

If you use the program, make sure that you follow all of the steps carefully. Do not move faster than what is recommended. Be aware that the program does not teach facts 0x, 1x, 2x, and 5x. These are considered to be easy enough to master without mnemonic devices, so you will still need to drill these separately. It will take about 2 weeks of work (about 10 minutes a day) for your child to memorize the times tables in this program.

One more plug....my kids don't usually get super excited about working math problems, but whenever I would tell them it was time for Times Tales they would cheer, "YAY! Times Tales!" Now that was weird....but a good kind of weird.

Not Your Average Burger and Potato Salad

2009-05-25T08:00:00.002-04:00

Last Monday when I brought up grilling I wasn't thinking about all the grilling people would be doing today. But my sister found these recipes which reminded me- oh ya! Memorial Day!

So, if you were like me and weren't thinking (i.e. you still have to run to the store this morning) I hope you are reading. But if you are a good planner then save this meal for later cause its gonna be good.

I mean I haven't made it yet- I am doin it today- but my taste buds are just watering. Does it gross you out when I say that? For some reason the word "taste bud" gives me the heebie jeebies.

Anyway:

Flank Steak Pinwheels- Steak, sun-dried tomatoes, spinach and Boursin cheese- need I say more? ** My mother made this and rather than kabob sticks, she used wet cooking twine and tied the steak roll every inch and cut between the twine so that each roll is held together with a piece of twine.
Aida's Corn, Tomato and Avocado Salad- recipe name explains it all- except who is Aida?

Lower Fat Strawberry Shortcake- Ladies- if you are still doing "shortcake" without the shortcake and buying that dry, store bought "cake" you have got to try this. Real shortcake does have lots of butter in it so, I want to try this one that substitutes low fat cream cheese for some of the butter and low fat sour cream for some of the whipping cream. ** I made this without pastry flour and it was too dense. So use pastry flour or do the whole butter, white flour version that I like.

Also if your kids are handy at pushing the button on the food processor, you can make some of these yummy popsicles to eat outside.

Read it: Planting a Rainbow

2009-05-22T16:06:00.004-04:00

by Lois Ehlert

I just got back from buying all kinds of flowers that I will inevitably kill. Just being realistic here.

My adventures in gardening reminded me of this book. The colors are brilliant, and everyone can learn a little because it lists the names of the different flowers in the "rainbow." My kids now love identifying the different flowers in our own flower garden.

So, it's memorial day weekend. Have you finished planting your rainbow yet?

image via syndetics.com

How To: Clean Up A Broken Compact Fluorescent Lightbulb

2009-05-21T08:00:00.003-04:00

We have all become aware of the push for households to switch out their regular, incandescent light bulbs with Compact Fluorescent Light Bulbs or CFL's. Organizations like Energy Star and Companies like GE drone on about how they are 75% more efficient and last 10 times as long as traditional bulbs.

But what you hear little to nothing about is that when a CFL breaks in your house you should treat it like a small toxic waste situation. After all, CFL's have Mercury in them. Before the alarm bells start ringing- rest assured, its a small amount. In one light bulb there are 4 milligrams of mercury compared to those old thermometers with 500 milligrams of mercury.

Nonetheless, its important that people know how to properly clean up after a break as well as how to dispose of broken and/or old CFL's. I decided to find out more about this since I have a boy with a penchant for knocking over lamps... First tip: Go ahead and leave the incandescents in lamps easily knocked over. I use the CFL's only in overhead lighting fixtures.

Clean Up

Here is what the EPA recommends for household clean up of broken CFL's:

Before Clean-up: Air Out the Room

Have people and pets leave the room, and don't let anyone walk through the breakage area on their way out.
Open a window and leave the room for 15 minutes or more.
Shut off the central forced-air heating/air conditioning system, if you have one.

Clean-Up Steps for Hard Surfaces

Carefully scoop up glass pieces and powder using stiff paper or cardboard and place them in a glass jar with metal lid (such as a canning jar) or in a sealed plastic bag.
Use sticky tape, such as duct tape, to pick up any remaining small glass fragments and powder.
Wipe the area clean with damp paper towels or disposable wet wipes. Place towels in the glass jar or plastic bag.
Do not use a vacuum or broom to clean up the broken bulb on hard surfaces.

Clean-up Steps for Carpeting or Rug

Carefully pick up glass fragments and place them in a glass jar with metal lid (such as a canning jar) or in a sealed plastic bag.
Use sticky tape, such as duct tape, to pick up any remaining small glass fragments and powder.
If vacuuming is needed after all visible materials are removed, vacuum the area where the bulb was broken.
Remove the vacuum bag (or empty and wipe the canister), and put the bag or vacuum debris in a sealed plastic bag.

Clean-up Steps for Clothing, Bedding and Other Soft Materials

If clothing or bedding materials come in direct contact with broken glass or mercury-containing powder from inside the bulb that may stick to the fabric, the clothing or bedding should be thrown away. Do not wash such clothing or bedding because mercury fragments in the clothing may contaminate the machine and/or pollute sewage.
You can, however, wash clothing or other materials that have been exposed to the mercury vapor from a broken CFL, such as the clothing you are wearing when you cleaned up the broken CFL, as long as that clothing has not come into direct contact with the materials from the broken bulb.
If shoes come into direct contact with broken glass or mercury-containing powder from the bulb, wipe them off with damp paper towels or disposable wet wipes. Place the towels or wipes in a glass jar or plastic bag for disposal.

In summary, its sounds like a lot of airing out and only clean the mess with things that can be thrown away, sealed in a ziploc bag. Gotta love those ziploc bags.

Disposal

Some states allow broken bulbs and clean up materials to be thrown away when sealed in two zip-lock bags. But, the best way to dispose of broken and old, unbroken bulbs is to take them to a nearby recycling center. I was surprised to find that I can conveniently take my bulbs to a nearby Home Depot. For information on where to take your broken or old bulbs go to Earth911.org After cleaning up and disposing make sure to wash your hands and then your done.

I know it sounds like a lot of work. When I first read about proper clean up of CFL's I rolled my eyes and committed to only use incandescent. However, even though I have never classified myself as a tree hugger type, I can see the value of using a more efficient light bulb to light our homes. Using CFL's in areas where they are less likely to be broken and knowing how to properly clean them up is something I can get used to, for the trees.

xoxo leafy, green, shady trees.

Don't like the way CFL's light up yor home? Read this article.

Illustory

2009-05-19T21:49:00.008-04:00

We have been hard at work creating our surprise Father's Day present for dad. With the help of Illustory by Creations By You, we are giving dad a published gift of love.

With Illustory, your child can create their own custom book. What child doesn't dream of being published? Your child designs the cover, all of the page illustrations, and the text on pages enclosed within the box. Then, you mail your pages off to Illustory (in a pre-paid envelope included in the kit) and about 4 weeks later you receive your creation in the mail in published hardcover form.

There are templates included in the box to help your child create their own fiction story, or to help them compose an autobiography. For this Father's Day, we are creating a book which contains our top 1o favorite things about dad. The girls are sooo very excited about this. So excited in fact, that I don't know if they will be able to keep it a secret for about a month- judging by past experience.

Things to be aware of:

You can only draw in the illustration space with water based markers. There are markers provided in the kit, but they were a little thicker than what my daughters were used to. Also, my 7-year-old likes to draw her pictures with pencil first, and then color them with markers when she was done, so this was a little difficult for her.
You can only place 20 words on a page. This was not a problem for my 5-year-old. She didn't have much to articulate, and told the story mostly through her drawing. However, it was a little limiting to my older daughter. To avoid this, you can create an online creation instead of the traditional paper form. Your child can go online and create their story (complete with computer graphics), and their text is less limited. I think that the next book we create with my older child will be online.
The kit provides extra paper, so you can start over when mistakes are made. This was a big deal to my girls.
You get to choose the color of your book cover, dedicate the book to someone, and there is even an "about the author" space at the end of the book to tell about your little one.
There are several add-ons available (for a price, of course! :) if you so choose after you purchase the kit. You can have the book printed on archival paper, add pages, add your child's picture, and even print multiple copies of the same book- which would be a great idea for gift giving to grandparents.

We just recently sent our books off to the publisher, and are crossing our fingers that they will make it back in time for the big day. I will post again with how the finished products turned out. So far we have been very impressed with the product- and the price is really quite reasonable. The kit sells for $19.99 on Amazon + free super saver shipping.

Also, check out some other offerings by Creations By You. I love the idea behind My Masterpiece, and My Watch.

Patio Dinner Without The Patio

2009-05-18T08:00:00.000-04:00

I admit it, I don't know how to grill. Growing up my father manned the grill and since I have been married my husband and I have never owned a grill or even had a patio to put one on! So, when we want to have "summer grill" type food I make this:

Oven Fried Buttermilk Chicken
Creamy Coleslaw- Shred your own cabbage and carrots or buy the pre-shredded mix
Baked Beans- If you don't want to buy Baked Beans from the store try this recipe.

Serve those dishes up with some watermelon and an ice cold drink and you have got yourself a quick and easy patio dinner.

Read It: Nothing

2009-05-15T09:26:00.002-04:00

by Jon Agee

Otis has sold everything in his antiques shop and is about to close up when a wealthy woman walks in and asks what's for sale. Otis simply replies, "Nothing." He has nothing left. When the woman hears this, she replies, "I have a lot of things, but I've never had nothing. I'll pay you three hundred dollars!"

Otis believes it is a ridiculous request, but the words of his father come to his mind, "The customer is always right." So Otis packs up nothing and the town's richest woman drives away with $300 worth of nothing.

News of her stylish purchase travels fast and soon everyone will do anything to get nothing.

I love this book. It's a great story to talk to kids about how the latest trend may not be worth what we think it is at the time. And maybe it's a good lesson for us, too?

image via hyperionbooksforchildren.com

Aqua Sphere Goggles

2009-05-13T08:00:00.001-04:00

These are the best kids goggles out there. Seriously. We have come to this conclusion after trying our luck with several brands and styles- and these goggles by Aqua Sphere are by far our favorite. I bought my first pair about three years ago, due to the advice of a employee of a local swim gear shop. She touted the UV protection on on the lenses, and the durability of the silicone frame- but really, what I cared most about at the time was whether or not they would fit my child's head....and actually stay on in the water.

My daughter has been the proud owner of these ultra comfy goggles since she was three. These are easy to put on, and easy to adjust, and most importantly, they stay on *without leaking*! If they do need fit adjustment, your child can adjust them easily by pulling slightly on the side straps.

Find them at your local swim gear shop, or here.

Lemon Linquine

2009-05-11T08:01:00.000-04:00

With the warmer weather I am getting excited to un earth my summer recipes. Here is one of my all time favorites.

Lemon Linguine
By Jeanne Dunbar

2 pound uncooked linguini noodles (fresh noodles if you can find them are
the best)
1 Whole Chicken Breast
1 cup Olive Oil (the kind good enough to eat lots of)
Zest from 2 large lemons
Juice from 5 large lemons
1 cup chopped green onion
1 cup chopped fresh flat leaf parsley
Salt and fresh ground black pepper
Freshly grated parmesan cheese, to taste about 2/3 cup

Boil linguini until al dente; drain well. (But make sure the olive oil
mixture is ready for the pasta to be mixed in so your noodles don’t cool and
stick together) Pan Saute the chicken breast with some (1Tnsp) olive oil
until it is a little brown on the outside and cooked through.

Meanwhile, in bowl, combine olive oil, lemon zest, lemon juice, green onion
and parsley. Add pasta and chicken; toss well. Season to taste with salt and
pepper. Toss in Parmesan cheese to taste. Serve warm or chilled. I think
chilled makes a great summer time meal.

I like to pour the whole mix into another serving bowl as the good
stuff likes to settle at the bottom even when you have tossed it.

Serves…well depends on how much your guests like it…I would say it serves
10-12 with some leftovers.

photo from Technicolor Kitchen

Oatmeal Peanut Butter Cookies

2009-05-11T08:00:00.000-04:00

I have a thing for peanut butter. Its a diet breaker. My house can be free of all sugary treats but if I have peanut butter I will manage to make a treat with it (honey nut cheerios, chocolate chips and peanut butter mmmmm). I like peanut butter cookies right out of the oven, but within a few minutes they are flat and crunchy. Just recently I tried a recipe for Oatmeal Peanut Butter Cookies. The oatmeal keeps the cookies thick and chewy- perfect!

Feel free to use crunchy or smooth peanut butter or add chocolate or white chocolate chips.

1 cup butter, softened

1 cup packed brown sugar

3/4 cup white sugar

1 cup peanut butter

2 eggs

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

2 teaspoons baking soda

1 teaspoon salt

1 cup quick-cooking oats

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
In a large bowl, cream together butter, both sugars, and peanut butter until smooth. Beat in the eggs until well blended. Combine the flour, baking soda, and salt; stir into the creamed mixture. Mix in the oats until just combined. Pick up a 2-3 tsp of dough and roll in your hands into a ball. Drop onto ungreased cookie sheets.
Bake for 10 to 15 minutes. It’s hard to tell when they are done since the dough is already brown. I think they are done when the cookies are crackled on the top and in between the dough will have tiny bubbles. Don't over-bake! Cool and store in a ziplock bag with the air sucked out of it.

Read It Again: Are You My Mother?

2009-05-08T04:00:00.000-04:00

by P.D. Eastman

A classic!!!

A baby bird hatches from his egg while mom is off in search of food. The baby decides he must find his mother and leaves the nest in search of her...but he doesn't know what she looks like.

His search for his mother leads him to ask different objects and animals, "Are you my mother?"

Happy Mothers Day!

image via whatihaveread.net

Brain Quest

2009-05-06T09:20:00.004-04:00

Have you seen these at Barnes and Noble? I guess they have been around for a while, but we just found them a few months back while we were perusing the children's section. Brain Quest Cards are essentially trivia flashcards that are bound together in one corner (which means they won't get spilled out all over the floor, yay!). The questions are meant to be read aloud to the person/people being quizzed, and the answers to the trivia can be found on the following card.

Each set of cards comes with a recommended age. I have found cards for children as young as 2, and for as old as 7th Grade. The cards are pretty small- small enough that I can stash a few in the diaper bag or my purse when my kids and I go out. That way, we have a fun trivia game to distract us from the inevitable delays we will experience in the city....like waiting for the subway. These are also great for long subway rides, or waiting in line. Because my two oldest are so close in age they like to sit and quiz each other.

One recommendation: you may want to order one grade up from where your child is at for a challenge. Also, you can purchase trivia cards that deal exclusively with one subject. This is great if your child needs extra help in math or reading specifically.

You can find these in store at Barnes and Noble, or you can order them at Amazon for $8.76, with free super saver shipping. I even found these lately at a discount bookstore here in NYC for $4 each- so if you have a discount bookstore nearby try that out.

The Story of the World

2009-05-05T08:00:00.001-04:00

Some of you may be familiar with the book "The Well Trained Mind" by Susan Bauer. In my opinion, it is a fantastic resource for parents who are homeschooling, or just looking for ways to supplement their child's educational experience during the summer or after school.

I have been homeschooling my children this year, and have been on the look out for a child-friendly way to teach basic world history. A few of my friends recommended Susan Bauer's "The Story of the World" program, so I thought we would give it a try.

You can order "The Story of the World" in hardcover or paperback form. Also, you can purchase a 7 disk CD set for your child to follow along. If you are feeling extra ambitious, you can even purchase an accompanying activity book for your child to complete exercises after a chapter has been read. We skipped the workbook this year, and have just been enjoying the fun stories on CD.

This year we started off with the first installment (Volume 1), which deals with ancient times (antiquity to the last Roman Emperor). The program recommends that your child be 9-12 yrs of age, but my 5 and 7-year-old have thoroughly enjoyed their "history time" with this program. I have my 7-year-old follow along in the book while the CD plays, and my 5-year-old usually ends up in the same room coloring, and thoroughly interested in the story being told.

I love that my children are having an introduction to history at a young age. I also love that the book includes both East and West world history. My children have Chinese ethnicity, and they loved learning about how the Great Wall of China was built, and the buried army of Terracotta Warriors- something that may have not been touched on in western-based schooling.

There were a few negative comments in the Amazon reviews about Ms. Bauer having a Christian slant to her historical presentation. There are a few biblical figures mentioned in Volume I, and she does recount the birth and life of Christ. I did not personally feel that any religious agenda was being pushed. She objectively spoke to how these characters fit into the rise and fall of civilizations, and the birth of modern-day Christianity- which is indeed history book worthy.

We haven't tried out Volumes II-IV yet. Anyone have experience with these? I would love to hear about it!

photos via

Feeding a crowd

2009-05-04T08:00:00.000-04:00

I am feeding a crowd. I don't want to spend a fortune one steaks and ice cream. And I don't know about you but I don't have a ginourm dining table for 14. So, I can't serve anything that you need to eat with a spoon or cut with a knife (balancing a plate on your lap while you cut your chicken or slurp your soup doesn't work too well).

So here is what I decided to make:

Lazy Lasagna- no meat and no need to cook those noodles
Simple Antipasti Plate
BLT Salad- the one salad my husband requests
Aunt Patsy's Super Moist, Super Chocolatey Cake- traditionally baked in a bundt pan, make cupcakes for individual, less mess party fare

Read It: A Chair For My Mother

2009-05-01T04:00:00.003-04:00

by Vera B. Williams

Life is hard sometimes...but then we have the moments we get to curl up in a comfy chair with our little ones and it's easier to see why we're doing it all.

A tribute to mothers--you'd be surprised what your kids notice about what you do for them.

image via thereadingnook.com

Happy May Day!

2009-04-30T09:20:00.008-04:00

May Day is tomorrow! The origins of May Day are pretty varied, depending on what web site you visit- as are the modes of celebration. As a young girl, I can remember making a paper basket at school, and filling it with flowers. One year, our school even had a Maypole in the gymnasium as part of its May Day festivities.

As a family, we celebrate May Day pretty simply. We start off by making baskets (holding true to my elementary memories). This year, we used a template from The Toy Maker. The Toy Maker is a fabulous- and free!- website filled with printable templates. Just FYI- I added a handle to these baskets.

After our baskets are colored and ready to go, we head outside to search for signs of spring to be collected in our baskets and brought home.

This year, we went out early. Tomorrow's forecast is going to be rainy. If the weather holds up we will be out in Central Park for a second round, if not, we will be glad we used our baskets yesterday.

It gets tricky gathering nature when you don't own any property- but I was surprised by what we were able to gather that wouldn't be missed....fallen cherry blossoms, dandelions, and wild violets.

Do any of you have May Day traditions that you want to share?

Happy May Day!

Trash into Treasured Hours

2009-04-29T08:23:00.000-04:00

Our crib was included in the recall of certain cribs purchased at Babies 'R Us last June. We used our voucher to pick up another crib, and of course I didn't want to wait until the kids were in bed to put it together (especially because it IS one of the beds). So I opened it up and tucked deep under piles and piles of styrofoam was our crib-- waiting patiently for its thousand pieces to be assembled.

The time your kids most want to help is for the project with the most pieces to lose. So how can you keep your kids happily "helping" while staying safely away from the task that needs to be done?

Yes, those are real nails, screws and screwdrivers, but not a real hammer (I'm crazy, but not that crazy)....And don't forget the eager helper!

Grab one of the styrofoam blocks/boards from the box your "assembly needed" item came in, along with the pictured items.

The rest is pretty self explanatory. The screws really will screw in and out of the styrofoam! My 3 year old enjoyed hammering the nails in the most, but my 6 year old likes using the screwdriver better.

This is a great way to teach your kids about tools. I taught my little guy that different "heads" on screws fit with different kinds of screwdrivers. He also learned the difference between a screw and a nail.

I wish I could take credit for this ready-to-go anytime project, but I heard about it when my little sister went to Marbles Kids Museum in North Carolina. It has provided us with many happy hours of "fixing stuff."

Don't have an order of styrofoam coming in anytime soon? I've seen it being discarded at JoAnn's, as well as the Home Depot. I'm sure a store would be happy to intercept it before it gets to the garbage can for you. Another way to repurpose something!

Seeing the Everyday

2009-04-28T08:39:00.002-04:00

I am still loving my subscription to Seeing the Everyday. I have looked forward to each issue. I love the idea of celebrating simple -yet very important- life happenings. A subscription would make an absolutely fantastic mothers day present.

Asian Fusion

2009-04-27T08:00:00.002-04:00

After my husband took me to Asia de Cuba and I realized the joys of fusion food I was inspired to try some recipes at home. Enter Coconut Chicken with Mango Salsa, Coconut Rice and a crunchy Asian Salad.

The coconut chicken is surprisingly easy and paired with the hot n sweet mango salsa you will be licking your lips. I know we were. It was like "What About Bob" at our house with my husband exclaiming "Mmmmm!"..."Mmmmm this is sooo good!"

The coconut rice is mild and at first just tastes like rice, and then slowly you taste more and more coconut and have to have another bite, and another....

And the crunchy Asian Salad is one of my old faves I new would go well with the rest of the meal. The dressing is simple to make and the toasted Ramen noodles, almonds and sesame seeds add the nice crunch.

Prepare the salsa first so the flavors have time to meld. Then prepare the salad ingredients keeping the noodle mixture and dressing separate until serving. The rice and chicken should be cooked just 30 min before dinner time so they are nice and hot.

Coconut Chicken with Mango Salsa

Coconut Rice
Crunchy Asian Salad

Read It: My Monster Mama Loves Me So

2009-04-24T09:35:00.004-04:00

by Laura Leuck

illustrations by Mark Buehner

Mother's day is coming up. Want a sneaky way to remind your family that it's just around the corner? Stock up on Mother's Day books from the library!

While this book isn't necessarily an official Mother's Day book, it's one of my favorite books about a mother and child.

Anybody have a favorite "unofficial" Mother's Day book? We really do love to get your comments and suggestions!

image via psychobabyonline.com

Kids in Mind

2009-04-22T13:00:00.000-04:00

Ever want to know exactly what kind of offensive content may be lurking in your film choice before you head to the theater?

Kids In Mind will tell you. Rather than sticking to the usual (subjective, and non-informative) rating system, Kids in Mind rates movies on three specific categories- Sex/Nudity, Violence/Gore, and Profanity. Each of these categories are then given a point system-the higher the number, the more content it has.

In addition to the number system, each movie has an extremely specific explanation of everything that could possibly be considered offensive in the aforementioned categories. After using Kids in Mind, you will never again have the excuse, "well I didn't expect that to be in the movie!"

This has become our family's go-to website for movies. I use it for my Netflix Que selections, and even for date night movies for my husband and I. I love that in addition to rating children's movies, it also has a wide adult selection of ratings.

Best part is, it's free. There is no subscription cost. Frequent website users are strongly encouraged to donate to the website, but a donation is not mandatory.

The website doesn't have reviews for every movie, but it is surprisingly inclusive- especially with recent films.

Any other websites we should know about that encourage informed parenting? Leave a comment!

Free: Ben and Jerry's

2009-04-21T08:00:00.000-04:00

Today you can head down to Ben and Jerry's for free cone day!! Details can be found here. If you live here in NYC, try the Ben and Jerry's in Macy's on 34th. We enjoyed a line-free cone there last year.

Spring Asparagus

2009-04-20T08:00:00.002-04:00

If you don't like Asparagus, I think it may be that you have had it out of season or poorly prepared.

You will see bunches of them in the stores now that it is in season. If you pick some up here is what to do with them.

Asparagus is best eaten fresh but if that's not possible, refrigerate it standing upright in a container of water, covered with a plastic bag for up to 3 days. Wash the asparagus paying attention to any grit in the tip. Bend each spear allowing it to break at it's natural breaking point (this gets rid of the ends that are hard and not as flavorful).

Tie the asparagus into a bundle with string. This way the spears will not fall over from an upright position when steaming. Arranging them this way allows the tougher area at the bottom of the stalks to get more thorough cooking than the tender asparagus tips. Arrange asparagus bundles in either a double boiler or pot with steamer insert or an asparagus cooker.
Bring the water under the asparugus to a boil and then cover the pot, steaming the spears for 2-8 minutes or when they turn bright green. Immediately rinse in cold water to retain their color.

For extra flavor, place the vegetable under the broiler with a drizzle of olive oil and all purpose seasoning mix.

We like to eat asparagus as a quick and simple side with chicken and Spring Risotto. Or, I under- steam the spears so they retain some crispness and mix segments into a salad.

Our favorite though is with Hollandaise sauce. Eggs Benedict is a Sunday morning tradition in my husband's family. But, cold cereal is ours. So sometimes on Saturday mornings I will break out the Hollandaise for Eggs Benedict and feel great about eating asparagus for breakfast as a side.

Read It: Tops and Bottoms

2009-04-17T04:00:00.003-04:00

by Janet Stevens

A Caldecott Honor Book

Whatever happened to that Hare after he lost the race to Tortoise? He hasn't exactly changed his ways.

When Mr. and Mrs. Hare ran out of food for their big bunny family, they hatched a plan to change their lot. The next morning the Hares proposed becoming business partners with the lazy (but wealthy) bear. Hare and his family would do all the work farming on Bear's land. At harvest, Bear and Hare would split the produce "right down the middle." All bear had to do was choose if he wanted Tops or Bottoms. You can probably guess what this clever Hare did...he taught Bear that laziness doesn't pay.

It's Spring! Are you planting a garden? Some plants grow the part we eat underground while others grow those parts above the ground. Talk about that before starting the book so you don't have to stop in the middle to explain.

A very good book for teaching values: After the book my kids and I had a discussion about whether or not what Hare did was honest or not. It was a good intro into talking about how half-truths are still lies. We also talked about what Hare could have done instead to deal honestly with Bear. Our children certainly need to learn that just because someone has more money, that doesn't mean you can deal dishonestly with them. Honesty doesn't depend on the circumstance. I personally would not read this book without the plan for a follow-up discussion.

image via www.pbp.fcs.msue.msu.edu

Have S'more Peeps and Jelly Bean Bling

2009-04-16T04:00:00.002-04:00

I'm not going to tell you to do something other than eat your Easter candy...because that's exactly what I'll be doing. The reality is that in our family we eat our candy. And we like it.

I figure I'm making the world a better place one sugar coated confection at a time. Instead of watching our landfills become piled with Peeps that will never decompose, I am repurposing them for a better cause...S'mores!

As kids we enjoyed watching marshmallows balloon in the microwave. Their cousin Peeps respond the same way. You could do it in the oven, but the microwave is faster. And while you're at it, why buy more chocolate when you could just use a chocolate bunny you already have?

My Microwave Peep S'mores directions:

1. Top 1 graham cracker square with crumbled chocolate bunny.

2. Microwave a few seconds to soften the chocolate (microwaves vary)

3. Add the Peep on top.

4. Microwave for only a few seconds, and do not walk away. It will take only seconds for an unattended Peep to plaster the walls of your microwave (this is the best part, why would you want to walk away? Your kids will love this).

5. When it balloons, take it out and put the top square on.

6. Enjoy the snack that took only about 30 seconds to assemble.

And for your jelly beans...

Delay eating your jelly beans for just a moment by using this idea from last year's Easter ideas. I think we will make bracelets, and we'll be using some stretchy jewelry cord. A fun activity for the kids during spring break! But of course, I will still be eating my jelly beans. It will just be off my wrist instead of out of my hand.

Peeps image via seriouseats.com

Piggy Paint Winner

2009-04-14T18:53:00.007-04:00

Congratulations to Marissa (comment #37), who will soon be painting with bright colors but without the toxins! Please email us at citruslist {at} gmail {dot} com with your contact info within a week to claim your prize!

New to Piggy Paint? I think they would make a great as little birthday favors. See our review, here. Thanks Piggy Paint!

Levain Bakery

2009-04-14T08:00:00.001-04:00

Levain bakery....oh my. My husband and I ended our date this past weekend with a trip to Levain. We had heard several Levain accolades and could wait no longer to try the "best chocolate chip cookies in Manhattan."

Yes, it is true. There are some really, really good chocolate chip cookies here in NYC (I also like Jacques Torres and City Bakery to be specific) but these take the cake (or cookie?).

It may have to do with the fact that the cookies are humongous. Yes, 6 ounces huge. Our cookie was about 5 inches wide and about 1.5 inches tall. If you live in Manhattan, or plan a trip here sometime soon, you will want to give these a try.

The bakery is on 74th and Amsterdam, and is teeny tiny (and not really all that stroller accessible). Make sure you ask for one right out of the oven, they are not quite as amazing when they cool down.

If you don't live in Manhattan, you can still have your Levain Cookies- at a price. You can get 4 cookies delivered to your door for $22 + shipping.

Even though it could be argued that the cookies are worth that much, there is another option. You can try to hack the recipe at home. There are several websites who have posted their attempt at cracking the Levain Bakery recipe. I haven't tried these out yet, but trying to make a cookie that closely resembles Levain's may become my new found hobby.

Conversations With A Cupcake

Picky Palate

Recipezaar

Lisa Michele

This video shows the Levain owners in action.

Top photo via

Bottom photo via

Read It: The Tale of Three Trees

2009-04-10T04:00:00.002-04:00

retold by Angela Elwell Hunt

illustrations by Tim Jonke

Sometimes things don't always work out the way you'd planned. Three trees on a hill had great visions for their futures. One wanted to become a beautiful chest to be filled with treasure. The second wanted to become a great sailing ship to travel mighty waters and carry powerful kings. The third wanted to remain on the mountain and grow so tall, people would see her and think of God in heaven.

But all three met a woodcutter's ax and turned out to be something far different from what they had dreamed. One became a feedbox, the second became a fisherman's boat, the third became a beam, tossed aside in a lumberyard. But that wasn't the end for those three trees.

Like I said before, sometimes things don't always work out the way you'd planned. However, when we fashion ourselves to be useful to God's purposes, we can become so much more.

It may be too late to get this book before Easter, so I've attached a youtube reading of this book. The actual book has full pages of pictures. The video only shows small sections of the pictures on each page.

Have a wonderful Easter.

image via ebooknetworking.com

Easter Basket Ideas

2009-04-09T07:00:00.001-04:00

If any of you are looking for some all-natural Easter Egg Basket fillers, here is a glimpse of what will fill our baskets this year.

Sunspire SunDrops- These are essentially M&M's with no artificial colors, flavors, or preservatives. I will be stashing these inside of some plastic easter eggs. You can buy these online at the Sunspire link above, or at Whole Foods.

Annie's Organic Bunny Fruit Snacks

Late July Organic Chocolate Cookies

Clif Kid Twisted Fruit

Fruitabu

Kettle Valley Organic Fruit Leather

Jelly Beans- You can purchase some organic beans from Whole Foods in the bakery area. What is Easter without Jelly Beans!

Cracker Carrots- This is something I posted about last Easter. It was such a hit last year, we will be doing it again.

One tradition we are starting this year, is to add craft project to the easter basket for my 5 and 7 year old daughters to complete. We have started to learn how to embroider, and I am amazed at how much my girls love it. I think a few embroidery thread balls, and some new stencils will make a great addition to the basket.

Another non-food item I will be adding this year is some homemade playdough. I found some extra large easter eggs to store these in the basket. Need a recipe? Here is one.

I love hearing about family holiday traditions, so if there are any Easter traditions you would like to share, please comment below!

Natural Egg Coloring

2009-04-08T07:00:00.004-04:00

photo via

One of our yearly Easter traditions includes egg decoration. In the past we have used food dyes from the grocery store, or a PAAS brand kits.

Throughout this past year, I have made an effort to eliminate artificial food colorings from my children's diets, so it didn't make sense to go the traditional dye route. How many times have you dyed eggs, only to find the egg white inside almost the same color as the shell? My kids love, love, love to decorate eggs, so I was excited when I read more about natural egg coloring.

Dying your easter eggs with natural colorants will take more preparation time, and will often not produce immediate results- most ot the dyes we used had to soak overnight. With that said, it will be a fun and educational process.

My kids were quite excited to find out that we were going to color our eggs with food. Yes, magic food! For our eggs we used beets, tumeric, and grape juice.

Here is what we did:

For the Beets: (Red/Pink eggs)

Cut about three beets up into large chunks. Place the chunks in a pot with your non-cooked eggs. Add enough water to cover the beets and the eggs. Add two tablespoons of vinegar, and boil for twenty minutes. Remove the eggs. If you desire a bolder color, return the eggs to the beet colored water after it has cooled, and store for additional time in the fridge. If you desire a lighter pink color, boil the beets separate from the the eggs, then add pre-hardboiled eggs to the beet colored water after it has cooled. Allow the eggs to sit in the beet water until desired color is attained.

For the Turmeric: (Yellow Eggs)

Add water to just cover the uncooked eggs in your pan, then add 3 Tablespoons of Tumeric, and 2 Tablespoons of White Vinegar to the water. Boil the eggs for 20 minutes, then remove the eggs. Again, if you desire a more intense color, return the eggs to the tumeric colored water for additional soaking time.

For the Grape Juice: (Blue/Purple Eggs)

You can use either frozen concentrate, or actual grape juice for this. If you use concentrate, to not reconstitute, just allow the concentrate to thaw and use the syrup to color. No cooking is required, but you will need to soak your eggs in the juice or concentrate for several hours, or possibly overnight depending on the intensity desired.

These are the combinations we used, but there are so many other possibilities out there! Red cabbage and onion skins are two other very popular choices. Use the time you are preparing your egg dye to have a very scientific talk about plant pigments :). These pigments are what give the plant its color, and what dye the egg.

Beets: Betalain

Grapes/Cabbage:Anthocyanin
Turmeric:Curcumin

All of these pigments are considered to be health beneficial. In fact, several of them are considered to be cancer preventative (especially curcumin). Much better than the alternative

Here are eggs are, in all of their glory. We used brown eggs (for some reason I can only find brown organic eggs out here in NYC)- so we knew the colors would be a little muted and darker. If you use white eggs, the colors won't be so dark, and your beet colored eggs will appear more pink. Not quite the cute pastel ones we are used to, but my kids were still very excited about how dark these turned out, especially the purple ones. Afterward, we even took some time to paint with our left over dye- which makes a perfect all-natural watercolor.

I am very tempted to get these cute egg holders from to display the eggs in on the table. The set is 50% off right now....however, this recession will probably convince me otherwise.

Any of you have some Easter egg dying/decorating tips that you want to share? Leave a comment!

Have fun with your Easter preparations!

Kiwi Berries

2009-04-06T23:16:00.007-04:00

Do you know about Kiwi Berries? We just came across these at Whole Foods, and had to try them. They are miniature kiwifruit without the fuzz, and they taste fantastic. More info here.

Tri-Color Sweet Pepper Quiche Re-Do

2009-04-06T08:26:00.002-04:00

The first time I made the Tri-Color Sweet Pepper Quiche. I was worn out by the process and the list of ingredients. And the long strips of pepper that would pull out of the quiche when you went to take a bite overwhelmed the other flavors. But I knew the recipe had potential. So, here is my much easier and I think, tastier version. You will save a lot of time using store bought roasted peppers, pesto and pie crust rather than making all that from scratch as the original recipe directs. And the overall taste is improved by dicing the pepper- so you spread the taste rather than getting whole bites of just pepper.

We eat this for breakfast or dinner and it makes a great dish for brunch parties.

Red Pepper and Olive Quiche

1 jar of roasted peppers, diced
4-5 Tbsp pesto
2 whole eggs plus 2 egg yolks
1 cup milk
1/2 cup heavy whipping cream
1 cup grated cheese (your favorite “white cheese” provolone, Monterey Jack etc..)
1/2 cup pitted olives (kalamata or Spanish), sliced
1 Pie Crust
Optional 2 handfuls spinach sliced very thinly

1. Preheat the oven to 400°F and prebake the pie crust until just before browning. (You will see the “wetness” has gone out of the dough.)
2. Prepare the peppers, olives, spinach (if using) and cheese (dicing, slicing and grating.)
3. Prepare the egg mixture. Whisk together the eggs and yolks in a bowl. Add the milk, heavy cream and about 1/2 teaspoon salt and whisk till smooth.
4. To assemble the quiche, spread the pesto across the bottom of the crust. Top with half of the cheese, then all the peppers and spinach if using. Dot the olives over that. Spread the remaining cheese and pour in the egg and cream mixture.
5. Bake for 40 to 45 minutes, or until a knife inserted in the center comes out clean and the edges of the crust are very golden. Remove and let rest for 10 minutes, then serve.

Read It: Once There Was a Bull...(frog)

2009-04-03T04:00:00.004-04:00

by Rick Walton

illustrated by Greg Hally

I'm on a roll... last week it was a book with idioms, this week it's compound words (if only Mrs. Allred could see me now.)! A compound word is really just two words joined together- -like "bullfrog."

The bullfrog in this wild west story has lost his hop. He looks under a dog...(turn the page)...house, but his hop isn't there.

He takes another approach and lands in a field of straw...(turn the page)...berries. Still no hop.

On bullfrog's quest to find his hop, we find that just one word in a sentence can change a sentence-and a story-completely.

Just like last week, this is probably best for school-aged kids, but my pre-k little guy still enjoys the pictures and likes to yell out the word on the next page (so proud he can "read") "BERRIES!!"

Do a little more with the book: I think this is such a great book to lead your kids into making their own books with compound words. Depending on their age/ability, they could use the same story of the bullfrog looking for his hop, or they could make up their own story completely. Great idea for homeschool or afterschool kids alike!

And a little shout-out (a compound word!) to Utah...both author and illustrator are from the Beehive State.

image via rickwalton.com

Piggy Paint Gift Pack Giveaway

2009-04-01T04:00:00.002-04:00

Does this picture give anyone else a heart attack?

What about the chemicals?

The spills?

The smell?!!

Calm down, it's Piggy Paint! Created after Melanie Hurley, mom founder, watched her "kid" nail polishes eat through a foam plate (!!!). Right then she knew something safer had to be created. Piggy Paint's slogan: "Natural as Mud." It's odorless, non-toxic and kid friendly. Safe for use on foam plates, and far more importantly, little fingernails.

My favorite things about it:

1) Extremely Low Odor!!! Dad will be none-the-wiser if us girls are having a little painting party right under his nose--literally!

2) Non-toxic!! I worry when I see my little lady chewing the polish off...and we know they all do it. I discourage her from chewing her fingers just the same, but at least I don't imagine her

IQ going down every time she begs me to paint her nails.

3) Kid Friendly!! She's old enough to paint nails on her own, but that doesn't mean she's old enough not to spill it (we're all prone to those moments). Although their website doesn't tout Piggy Paint's ability to clean up accidents with fewer tears, customers of Piggy Paint praise them for not ruining their hardwood floors and carpets. Regular polish cures immediately, whereas Piggy Paint takes a little more time (but still ready to go in just 2 min. with a blow drier!), making accidents less traumatic and less noticeable.

Add to the above: completely biodegradeable, hypo-allergenic, environmentally safe, and we've covered our bases! See the non-toxic ingredients on their site.

Bonus: Even Piggy Paint's nailpolish remover is odor free. I mean, I put my nose to the bottle and wondered if it really wasn't just water. :) Polish remover can be even more toxic smelling than the polish! Not here. But the best part is if you remove your Piggy Paints polish within 1-4 days, you can do so with just plain rubbing alchohol!

As for the durability of Piggy Paints: when you follow the directions, it performs just as well, if not better than other kid polish we've tried. Uncle Logan's toenails got a coat of Piggy Paint with the assurance that it would probably wear off quickly at the water park on our vacation (as all nail polish does). However, the end of the day came with those purple toes still looking great!

Who wants Piggy Paint on their littlest Piggies (even if it's your very own piggies)??!! One Citrus reader will get a Piggy Paint Gift Pack!! Just take a look here and then comment below about the gift pack you'd love to own. Enter before midnight on Tuesday, April 14th for your chance to be the lucky winner! Thanks Piggy Paint!

Can't wait to win? Have a birthday party this would be the perfect favors for? You can still win with a discount on Piggy Paint! For a limited time all our readers can get 20% off your order when you enter the code "CitrusList"!! Plus, domestic shipping over $25 ships free!!

April Fools!

2009-03-31T07:00:00.000-04:00

Looking for some sneaky tricks to pull on your loved ones this year? I have never been a huge fan of April Fools day, but my children sure are. They are loving the idea of a holiday that celebrates silly practical jokes.

Looking for some good April Fools fun? Every year, Family Fun manages to deliver some pretty cute ideas.

This year we will be dining on "cupcakes" for dinner. Of course these are not real cupcakes.

I am sure my kids will enjoy constructing a April Fools Day card that doesn't open (ha, ha!) for their dad. A template is found here, but I think you could just as easily have your kids make their own card out of cardstock, and glue it closed.

I can see the Suprise Balloon Swarm being a hit in our house.

Any silly tricks you will be playing on your family/friends this April Fools Day? Do share!

Tiramisu

2009-03-29T08:00:00.000-04:00

For real Tiramisu connoisseurs this recipe won't be as authentic as you may like. There is no liquor and the espresso is substituted with Pero or Postum. But for those who have stayed away from Tiramisu for those very ingredients- now you can enjoy it! You will find all sorts of recipes out there and they vary wildly. I have fiddled around with them and this is what I have come up with.

Most recipes recommend refrigerating for 1 hour. I find that after only an hour though, the tiramisu is soupy. I think the dessert is best served when prepared in the morning and kept in the fridge all day- or made the day before. It will be firmer and have better flavor.

6 eggs, yolks and whites separated

½-3/4 cups sugar (1/2 for a more authentic taste)

1 Tbsp vanilla

16 oz mascarpone cheese

2 ½ cups milk

2 Tbsp Pero or Postum drink mix

About 28 Ladyfingers

4 Tbsp cocoa powder (or even better- chocolate shavings)

In a small bowl beat egg whites with a mixer with whisk attachment until the whites are firm. They are firm enough when the beater is lifted straight out of the bowl, turned upside down and the egg white on the beater maintains its shape.

In a separate bowl, mix the egg yolks, sugar and vanilla until the mixture is a pale yellow. Add mascarpone and mix until smooth.

Gently fold the stiff egg whites into the mascarpone mixture.

In a shallow dish or bowl, mix the milk and Pero or Postum until the drink mix is dissolved. One at a time, dip the ladyfingers into the mixture. Turn the lady finger so each side is dipped twice. The ladyfinger should soften on the outside but still maintain its form (a little hardness on the inside)- you don’t want them to be soggy.

Place the half of the ladyfingers in the bottom of a 9x13 dish. Cover with half of the mascarpone mixture. Using a sieve dust cocoa powder over that until it is covered. Repeat making another layer with the remaining lady fingers and cheese. Save the cocoa powder over the top until you are ready to serve. Otherwise it will soak up some of the liquid from the cheese and look "spotty".

Read It: Parts

2009-03-27T04:00:00.002-04:00

by Tedd Arnold

Soliloquy... oxymoron... onomatopoeia... Jibberish? Or do they linger somewhere with your vague memories of sort-of paying attention in English class? Plain old memorization of terms doesn't work with me, but show me a cute book like this and I've firmly planted the definition of "idiom" in my brain (and no, I didn't mean "idiot," thank you very much.)

So what's an "idiom"? The boy in this book doesn't know an idiom is an expression that doesn't literally mean what the words say. See how disturbed he becomes as he thinks about his coach "jumping out of his skin," his friend's baby sister "screaming her lungs out" and what his grandma wants him to do when she tells him, "hold your tongue." (All idioms...see, you're getting it already!) Don't worry, this isn't a grammar book. You won't find the word "idiom" anywhere on it. It's just a fun book that's apparently good enough to have a sequel...

and another....

Great book for any age--even if your child doesn't understand the common phrases in the book, he will spend countless hours loving the pictures.

images via imperialbeachkids.webs.com, and vanillajoy.com

Double Your Pleasure

2009-03-26T09:00:00.000-04:00

Never clipped coupons before? This might be the time to start.

Saving 50 cents on a bottle of shampoo doesn't make too many people get too excited, but how about only paying 50 cents for that same bottle? I think I've got your attention now.

Not all, but some large food stores will have certain days or promotional periods when they will double your coupons. So if your favorite shampoo is on sale for $1.50. Use that 50 cent coupon and it's doubled to $1, leaving you to pay only 50 cents for a bottle that usually sells for $3. Check out this site to see if there is a store in your area that participates. Keep in mind that policies do change, but right now it's probably in your favor. More stores are participating in this type of program due to the need to attract customers...even the "Coupon Clippers."

Don't have a double-coupon store in your area? K-Mart occassionally will double your coupons. The last one was in January, so keep your eye on their ad for the next one.

The usual limitations on doubling your coupons:

Timing: Could just be one day a week or even once a month.

Amount: Will only double a certain number of coupons, and not coupons that say "Do not double."

Value: Usually only honors coupons with a value up to $1 (so you get a maximum of $2 off after it's doubled).

With Purchase: You are required to spend a certain dollar amount to be eligible (for us we have to buy $25 in groceries)

Maximize your buying power by using double coupons for items that are already on sale. You will get great savings on it, plus you can plan out and set aside coupons you will use ahead of time so your kids don't go insane while you're trying to find coupons in the middle of the aisle.

Have fun saving money! Cheap shampoo never worked so well!

image via indiebusinessblog.com

OnTray Giveaway Winner!

2009-03-25T09:44:00.002-04:00

Congratulations to Ransoms (Comment #14)!! You will soon be enjoying trail-free shopping with the OnTray! Please send us your contact info within a week and it will soon be on its way!

Support companies started by moms like you! Thanks OnTray!

Money Bags: A Coin Value Game

2009-03-24T12:24:00.009-04:00

Looking for a good way to teach your children about money? We love this game at our house.

Money Bags is a game where the players take turns rolling a die to advance around the winding path on the board. Most of the spaces are filled with chores to do, for which money is paid. For example, Wash the Dishes- earn 30 cents. Then the player spins the wheel to see if they get to keep the money (or if it goes into the "Money Bags") or how they can collect their money from the bank. For instance, the spinner may say, "no dimes"- and then you have to collect your 30 cents from the bank using just quarters, nickles or pennies.

There are several places on the board where you can land on "Money Bags"- the and you win all of the money in the pot- this adds some excitement and tears to the game :). Additionally, there is a "Bank Exchange" space where you can exchange your coins in for dollars- and earn money in the process.

The game ends when the first player crosses the finish line. That player gets to collect the "Money Bags," but is not necessarily the winner. The winner is the player with the most money.

My kids love playing this game, and I am amazed at how much they have learned by playing it. The game recommends players who are 7 and up. You can play with a younger child (5 and up) if they have some assistance.

I like this game because it teaches children that money doesn't just come out of the sky (or the money bags pot), it comes from work- in this case, the form of a chore (i.e dish washing, feeding pets) or an entrepreneurial effort (i.e lemonade stand). So beyond teaching math skills, I like that it teaches work=money.

You can purchase Money Bags from Amazon.

Pad Thai

2009-03-23T08:00:00.000-04:00

Pad Thai is one of my many favorite Asian food dishes. I really enjoy the combination of the sweet and sour sauce, the crunchy sprouts, chewy noodles and cilantro overtones.

I sometimes buy the Taste of Thai box mix at the store but we eat it in one sitting and I wish (for the price and for my love of the stuff) that we had leftovers. So, this weekend I made it from scratch and it wasn't too hard! We had plenty of leftovers to enjoy for lunches and now I have many of the ingredients to use again next time.

One way to cut down on the prep is to put aside some chicken from another recipe, cube it and just mix it in to the Pad Thai when you mix in the sprouts, egg and cilantro.

Sprouts are a great nutritional source of Vitamin A- but if you still feel the need for some veggies. Steam up some snow peas and red peppers with a little of your Pad Thai sauce.

Ingredients:

8-10 oz. Thai rice noodles, linguini-width

1 to 1 1/2 cups raw chicken breast or thigh meat, cubed

4 cloves garlic, minced

3 cups fresh bean sprouts

3 green onions, sliced

1/3 cup crushed or roughly chopped peanuts (or other nuts, such as cashews)

1/4 cup chicken stock

1/4 tsp. black pepper

½ cup cilantro, leaves pulled from the stems

2 eggs, scrambled

Lime wedges or juice squeezed over meal to add some citrus taste

Sauce:

3/4 Tbsp. tamarind paste dissolved in 1/4 cup warm water (look for tamarind at Asian/Chinese or Indian food stores)

2 Tbsp. fish sauce (optional, I don’t like the fishy taste so I don’t use this and substitute soy sauce)

1-3 tsp. chili sauce (depending how spicy you want it) (I use a "sweet chili sauce" see above)

3 Tbsp. brown sugar (not packed)

Preparation:

1. Place noodles in a pot of water and place on the stove. Bring to near a boil, then remove from heat. Allow to sit while you prepare the other ingredients (about 10 minutes).

2. Combine the sauce ingredients together in a cup, stirring well to dissolve both the tamarind paste and the brown sugar.

3. Check the noodles. Noodles are ready when they are soft enough to be eaten, but are still firm and chewy. Drain and rinse through with cold water.

4. Warm up a large frying pan over medium-high heat. Add 1-2 Tbsp. oil plus garlic. Add the chicken. Stir-fry 30 seconds to 1 minute. Add chicken stock 1-2 Tbsp. at a time until the chicken pieces are cooked (about 5-8 minutes).

5. Add the noodles, and pour sauce over it. Using two spatulas, wooden spoons, or other utensils, quickly stir-fry the noodles. Use a "lift and turn" method (like tossing a salad) instead of the usual stir-frying motion, or the noodles may break apart.

6. Fry the noodles in this way for 1-2 minutes. If you find your wok/frying pan too dry, push noodles aside and add a little more oil to the bottom (but no more broth, or the noodles will become soggy).

7. Add the bean sprouts, egg and black pepper. Continue "tossing" for 1 more minute, or until noodles are cooked. Noodles are done to perfection when they are no longer "hard" or translucent. They should be opaque and chewy-sticky wonderful!

8. Taste-test the noodles for seasoning, adding more fish sauce as needed (I usually end up adding up to 1 more Tbsp. fish sauce, as I like mine on the salty side). Toss well to incorporate.

To serve, lift the noodles onto a serving plate. Top with generous amounts of cilantro, green onion, and chopped nuts and lime juice/ wedges.

photos from FreshDirect.com

Read It: Bean and Plant

2009-03-20T04:00:00.000-04:00

by Christine Back and Barrie Watts

Are you getting a garden ready right now? Even if you aren't, this is a fantastic book for showing kids what's going on under the dirt with plants that produce our food. The pictures are excellent quality and very close up, so you can see exactly what's happening.

The book can be read by a beginning reader if they just read the top line of each page. If you want to learn more about what's going on in the picture, you can read the smaller print.

The end of the book has 6 pictures for your little one to put in a sequenced order: first the seed, then the root grows...

I highly recommend this book. I like it so much I'm going to go ahead and recommend the book "Tadpole and Frog" by the same authors, without even reading it. I'm sure they will not disappoint.

Hansel and Gretel No More: the OnTray Giveaway

2009-03-18T16:43:00.005-04:00

We've all heard 'Never go to the grocery store hungry.' Sounds easy, but even if I eat beforehand I always get hungry while I'm shopping. Call it a manic response to the darned appealing food packaging or whatever. Regardless, if I get hungry when I'm surrounded by food, my kids will too.

My solution: let them eat at the store. And if they're going to be eating anyway, why not eat at lunchtime?

Every Wednesday (double coupon day) we head to the grocery store with our OnTray. The OnTray is a 5x5 inch container that clips to the handle of your cart, and rests on the lap bar. It comes with a lid so I just pack my baby's little lunch inside ahead of time. Basically it's like a small bento box with a clip. You can save money and waste by avoiding plastic baggies.

We no longer have a problem with leaving a trail of raisins or Cheerios behind us. As convenient as it was to follow our tracks back to the entrance, my little girly now eats with her pincer grip instead of her fist. Apparently that makes for a much cleaner eater since she can easily see the food in front of her instead of blindly reaching into a bag for a handful of food. Plus, I love that my thirsty baby can always keep her drink at arm's reach, now that I don't have to keep grabbing it from the bag.

The OnTray is BPA free, but also dishwasher and microwave safe.

Bonus Pro: Don't just use it at the grocery store! Keep your bike trailer crumb free because the OnTray hooks onto my Burley!

The Con: It is possible for your little one to pull the OnTray off the handle of your cart.

The OnTray is available in 4 colors at these retailers or online for $7.00 (plus shipping). But I did hear that it could be available at your local Meijer.

Who wants to win an OnTray? Just comment here on how the OnTray will make your life easier. Enter by midnight on Tuesday, March 24th to win! Thanks for the giveaway OnTray!

Invisibelt Winner!

2009-03-18T15:38:00.002-04:00

Congratulations to Sarah (Comment #8) and Jon and Angela (Comment #9)!! You are soon to be the proud owners of an Invisibelt!! Please send your contact info to citruslist{at}gmail{dot}com within a week and you will be on your way to hands-free pants wearing! What's an Invisbelt? Read our review here!

Go Green!

2009-03-17T07:00:00.001-04:00

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

You may have just finished your green breakfast, put on your green shirt and started planning your green dinner, but "green" has new meaning in our everyday vocabulary these days. Conversations about saving the planet, recycling, reducing your carbon footprint and living plastic free are more commonplace. I love all of it. I can't say that we have fully embraced every "green" idea, but we do what we can and are always looking for small ways we can make our contribution to a better earth.

I couldn't help but pass on this creative idea from Laura Wilson: Re-useable Snack Bags. Click here for her tutorial. I have not made my own yet, but can't wait to get started. I am not a seamstress by any stretch of the word. Looking over the tutorial, it doesn't look like you need to be a rocket scientist to make these -- my kind of project. I would love to see my family use less plastic bags. This seems like an easy solution though you couldn't use them for everything you use a ziploc bag for.

Slow Cooking: Hearty Beef Stew

2009-03-16T08:00:00.001-04:00

I was pleasantly surprised to find a trial issue of Cook's Country in my mailbox a few weeks ago. It's by the same authors as Cook's Illustrated and America's Test Kitchen- both of which I love for their experiment style approach to cooking. They give you the tried and true recipes, tips and know how. The recipes in Cook's Country seem to be more down to earth, homey, comfort food recipes. One of which, is the Slow Cooker Hearty Beef Stew.

The recipe title did not catch my eye since I don't really like beef stew- the vegetables are always turned to baby food by the time the meat is cooked and the whole thing just tastes of mud covered with salt. But when I went to turn the page I noticed, included with the recipe, was a picture of a crock pot with an aluminum foil Hobo Pack (aka tin foil dinner) set inside. This intrigued me so I read the cook's commentary and recipe.

Sure enough, this cook was looking for a way to cook the meat and the vegetables to perfection so that the flavors married. The recipe has you steam the vegetables in a tin foil pack on top of the beef in the slow cooker. The other tricks are to brown the meat first, add a dash of soy sauce for a beefy flavor no one will ever guess is soy sauce, and to thicken the stew without a starchy texture by using tapioca.

Not only can you cook this in your crock pot while you are away, you can prep this stew the night before by cutting the vegetables and browning the meat and onions. Store the meat from Step One and onion mixture from Step Two in different bags. In the morning put it all in the slow cooker with the hobo pack on top and get it started.

Hearty Beef Stew
from Cook's Country by Diane Ungar
serves 6-8

5 lb boneless beef chuck-eye roast, cut into 1 1/2 inch cubes
salt and pepper
3 Tbsp vegetable oil
4 medium onions, chopped fine
1 6 oz can tomato paste
2 cups chicken or beef broth
3 Tbsp soy sauce
1 lb carrots, peeled and cut into 1 in pieces (1 1/2 to 2 inches if cooking longer than 10 hours)
1 lb parsnips, peeled and cut into 1 in pieces (1 1/2 to 2 inches if cooking longer than 10 hours)
1 lb red potatoes, peeled and cut into 1 in pieces (1 1/2 to 2 inches if cooking longer than 10 hours)
1 1/2 tsp thyme
2 bay leaves
2 Tbsp Minute tapioca
2 cups frozen peas, set out to thaw

1. Dry beef with paper towels then season with salt and pepper. Heat 1 Tbsp oil in large skillet over med high heat until just smoking, add half of beef and brown on all sides about 8 min. Transfer to slow cooker and repeat with remaining beef.

2. Add 1 Tbsp oil, onions and 1/4 tsp salt to the empty skillet and cook until golden brown about 6 min. Add tomato paste and cook stirring well for 2 minutes. Add broth and soy sauce, bring to simmer and transfer to slow cooker insert.

3. Toss carrots, parsnips, potatoes 1/2 tsp thyme and remaining 1 Tbsp oil in a large bowl. Season with salt and pepper. Wrap vegetables in a foil packet that will fit in the slow cooker, folding over the seam to trap steam. Stir bay leaves and tapioca into slow cooker with the meat and onion mixture. Set the vegetable packet on top of beef.

4. Set the slow cooker to high and cover. Cook for 6-7 hours. (Or cook on low for 10-11 hours)

5. Transfer vegetable packet to a plate. Open and pour vegetables and juices into the stew. Add remaining 1 tsp thyme and peas. Let stand until the peas are heated through. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Read It: Tim O'Toole and the Wee Folk

2009-03-13T04:00:00.002-04:00

An Irish Tale Told and illustrated by Gerald McDermott

Tim O'Toole and his family are very poor. When they haven't a thing left to eat, Tim sets out to find work. At first I was uncertain why he would wait so long, but as the story goes on you learn that Tim O'Toole is quite the O'"Tool."

After searching for work with no luck, Tim comes across a troop of leprechauns. For discovering them in the daylight, the leprechauns give him a goose that lays golden eggs. After being warned to tell no one and head straight home, Tim becomes tired on his journey home and stays the night at the McGoon's home. Tim brags of his new treasure and then goes to sleep. As he sleeps, the McGoons trade Tim's goose for one of their own. In the morning Tim shows the ordinary goose to his wife. The goose lays no eggs, and Tim returns to the leprechauns, accusing them of cheating him. Although the leprechauns provide Tim with another treasure, he repeats the same mistake as before. Surprisingly, it's the leprechauns that help Tim come out on top despite his poor choices.

Although this isn't my favorite of the St. Patrick's Day books, I like it because it tells a different story of the leprechauns. For those of us who have met one, we know leprechauns are held bound by their word. Other books tell stories of how leprechauns try to get out of their promises without breaking them. This book shows leprechauns going the extra mile to make sure their promise is fulfilled. Just something a little different this time...

This is a classic tale. You will find many variations of the same story line. Instead of leprechaun's, another book we've read used Father Wind.

Gerald McDermott has quite diverse styles in his artwork. Although he typically retells folklore in his books, his artwork is untraceable between some of his books. You probably didn't recognize that he is also the illustrator of the popular "Anansi the Spider" book.

In my little family we have a tradition of looking for leprechaun gold on the morning of St. Patrick's Day. Theresa's family's leprechaun is far nicer than ours, because our leprechaun hides the gold. Dad usually tells the kids he thought he saw a leprechaun in the (pick a room), and that is where they rush to find chocolate gold coins hidden throughout the room. It's fun, and we use the coins to decorate the table for our St. Patrick's feast.

image via library.camden.rutgers.edu

St. Patrick's Day Preparations

2009-03-11T22:41:00.011-04:00

We are getting ready for St. Patrick's Day around here. My kids keep on reminding me that it is next! Tuesday. In our house, we have a leprechaun tradition. My kids wake up to a rainbow fruit parfait, and a little pot of gold (a small bag of Rolo's or chocolate gold coins) left by the lucky Leprechaun.

Some of you may remember the picture above from last year's St. Patrick's post.
Now that my kids are a little older, they have started expressing more interest in this Leprechaun and where he comes from. My oldest daughter insisted this year that we paint some rainbows and put them up in the house, so the Leprechaun will have an easier time finding us. This has been a fun addition to our St. Patrick's Day tradition.

We painted these with left over packing paper from our last move. I love these big sheets of packing paper. It is perfect for little ones to paint on. If you are looking for a cheap way to purchase large sheets of paper, this is definitely the way to go. I bought a huge (heavy!) stack from a local moving supplies store for a great price (I want to say it was less than $20). I like to use painter's tape to affix the paper to the table so it does not move around.

Wondering what to make for dinner on the big day? I was dreaming up kiwi smoothies, spinach noodle fettuccine alfredo, green beans and key lime pie for dinner. But, I think we may go more traditional this year. My friend Jaime at Sophistimom has a great post on serving a traditional Irish meal for St. Patrick's.

image via sophistimom

Doesn't this look amazing? There is even a post on how to make the Irish Soda Bread.

Here are some fun St. Patrick's Day crafts, projects and printables.

Have fun!

Invisibelt Giveaway

2009-03-11T01:00:00.002-04:00

My best friend and my worst enemy: my jeans. I like to get the lowrise with a little stretch in them. For me they are more comfortable, they look better, and they give the illusion that I actually have a butt. My jeans and I get along great for the first 3? 4 hours? After that the honeymoon is over and we start tug-o-war...and I always lose.

I didn't realize how ridiculous I looked yanking my pants up until I caught someone doing a tug through the window heading into Target. I laughed until I realized it was my reflection.

So why not just wear a belt?

1) I like to wear long, form fitting shirts and hate the bulge of a belt under that.

2) I'm always between the hole sizes in belts. It's either too tight or too loose.

So where do I turn? The Invisibelt.

1) It holds my pants up with zero belt bulk under my long shirts. The only bulk that's left is up to me to take to the gym. It's great for any kind of pants, including dress pants.

2) It adjusts like a bra, so I can get the perfect fit. Plus, the belt itself has just a tiny bit of stretch. I've never had to undo my Invisibelt because I ate one-too-many brownies.

Con: I like that it gets the perfect adjustment, but don't much like how the buckle or adjuster looks. But, considering that the point is for the belt to not be seen, it really isn't much of a con.

Bonus Pro: Huge score for the traveling mom! Never have to hold your toddler and your pants up while your belt goes through airport security. The belt is completely metal-free. Forget about moms, everybody loves that!!

You can get the Invisibelt for $19.95 in clear and now (my favorite) in black. The same belt works for sizes 0-14 (so it works for post-pregnancy, too!). Or get the plus size belt that fits up to 4x.

Who wants to win an Invisibelt? Comment with your reason for loving the Invisibelt, along with your color preference, and TWO lucky readers will win!! Contest ends at midnight on Tuesday, March 18th. Thank you, Invisibelt!

Homemade Rocket Ship

2009-03-10T07:00:00.000-04:00

We were tricked by the weather again. Were you? It was warm and then it snowed, but I am hoping somewhere, someone is enjoying the sun and will be able to use this fun, easy homemade rocket ship. My kids have enjoyed them for years and were a little sad when I pulled out all the goods only to see it was too cold outside.

You will need:

water
Alka-seltzer tablets
35mm film canister
rocket ship clip art

It is really important to have the correct type of film canister. The crucial part is having an inner seal. Next time you are at a store with a photo counter ask them if they have any left over. Costco or Sams Club usually have an abundance and collect them for recycling. They won't have any problem giving you some since they will either throw them away or recycle them. I came home with 25 canisters to use for my daughter's preschool class.
Next, find a rocket ship sized down to about the height of the canister. I found several cute ones by searching "rocket ship clip art" on Google Image. Its fun to let your kids decorate and color their own rocket. This part builds anticipation for the launch. Attach the rocket to the canister with tape. Remember the bottom of the rocket is the lid of the canister.
This is definitely an outside activity. When you find your launching site outside, drop one Alka-Seltzer tablet into each canister.
Fill the canister about half full of water. Immediately, the Alka-Seltzer will begin to react and bubble.
Quickly, snap the lid into place. Give the canister a little shake. Set the rocket on the ground, lid down. Run away. Warn your little ones to stay away once the rocket is set. The party would be ruined if someone got whacked in the face.
3,2,1 Blast off! Within seconds the pressure inside the canister starts to build until the lid pops and the rocket "launches" into the air. Oooos and ahhhs come next. Retrieve the rocket and lid to use again. One Alka-Seltzer tablet may have 3-4 uses before it runs out of gas.

At least an hour of amusement will come of these little rockets. This would be easy to take to the park, beach or camping trip. I hope you and your kids enjoy them as much as we do!

Homemade Snacks

2009-03-09T08:00:00.002-04:00

I get a little wary of all the words I can't pronounce listed as ingredients in my child's snacks. I like to buy natural options or just steer clear of processed snack foods altogether. But, they are convenient and tasty after all. I will admit we have microwave popcorn and canned frosting with *yikes* trans fat in our cupboard! So, to tip the balance towards a healthier lifestyle, I like to use these recipes for snacks with ingredients I know and trust.

Soft and Chewy Granola Bars
Natural Dripless Popsicles
Homemade "Goldfish" Crackers

photo of Watermelon Chocolate Chip popsicles from Cookie Mag

Read It: How Ben Franklin Stole the Lightning

2009-03-06T14:52:00.005-05:00

by Rosalyn Schanzer

"I am for doing good to the poor, but I differ in opinion of the means. I think the best way of doing good to the poor is not making them easy in poverty but leading or driving them out of it."

-Benjamin Franklin

Politics and the economy have been on my mind lately. Yours too? Reading is usually an escape from everyday worries for me, so I'll spare you here. Although I shared a quote from Benjamin Franklin's political views, this book covers only his life as a scientist and inventor. A fast moving history book with interesting (and entertaining) pictures.

Best for school age children, but my three year old did enjoy the pictures.

Want to do more with the book? We don't have cable, so we occassionally enjoy watching "Peep and the Big Wide World," online. It's a kids' cartoon with a little bit of science mixed in. I was particularly impressed with the website's full page of ideas for science experimentation with kids. There are scientific experiments everywhere!

"A house is not a home unless it contains food and fire for the mind as well as the body."

–Benjamin Franklin

image via rosalynschanzer.com

Salt Scrub Recipe

2009-03-04T21:37:00.005-05:00

Looking for a low-cost/all-natural way to get rid of winter skin? Try out a body scrub. There are some pretty amazing ones on the market. Fresh makes a fabulous Brown Sugar body polish, and Sabon makes a fantastic scrub as well. But, who wants to spent $30-$65 on a body scrub that you could make for a fraction of that price?

Here is a low-budget version:

1 Cup fine crystal Sea Salt (or you could use Epson Salts)
1/2 Cup Oil (I like avocado oil- but you could use any oil)
2 Tablespoons Honey
5-10 drops of Essential Oils

You can find essential oils at most natural food markets. I am a big fan of grapefruit, lemon, orange and peppermint. The honey is optional, but I feel like it helps to hold the scrub together better.

Store the scrub in an airtight container. It will last longer if you refrigerate it.
I like jars from IKEA, which run around $2. You can use any airtight container. If you want to get extra fancy, you can use these templates from Martha Stewart to create some labels for your scrub. These would be great if you wanted to give it away as a gift.

I love salt scrubs because they exfoliate and moisturize at the same time. I don't have to apply lotion on the days that I use a body scrub in the shower.

Any of you have a home-made beauty recipe/tip to share? Comment away!

Sesame Street: Old School

2009-03-04T07:07:00.001-05:00

Remember when Sesame Street looked like this? The weather has been wickedly cold here in NYC, so we have using our Netflix account a little more than usual. We recently rented Sesame Street: Old School Vol. 1 & 2, which contain selections from some of the Sesame Street episodes of 1969-1979.

Did you know that Oscar the Grouch started out as an angry orange monster?

Remember Barkley the Dog?

I cannot remember Oscar being orange, but I was surprised at how much of Sesame Street I could remember from my childhood. My girls both told me that they like the old shows much better than the "new" Sesame Street, and they got a kick out of the clothes and hairstyles that go along with the 70's. There are also several characters in the older editions that still appear in up to date episodes of Sesame Street-so they had a fun time identifying them.

Be aware that the video has a disclaimer at the beginning stating that the shows are meant for adult entertainment, and "may not suit the needs of" today's children. I am not sure why they threw that in there. Oscar is a little more ornery in the "Old School" collection but that was really all I found objection with (well, that and the fact that Big Bird is somehow significantly more annoying :)

If you want more vintage viewing, try out:

The Electric Company

If you are not a Netflix fan, you can also purchase these from Amazon.

Sensory Matching Game

2009-03-03T07:00:00.002-05:00

We are wishing daily that spring will come. After last weeks big snow fall and a daughter almost in tears over it, we decided we needed to come up with a new game to play at home. This sensory matching game is easy to make with items from your closet.

You will need:

4 card stock cut into four equal pieces (16 squares total)
household items that fall into the following categories: rough [sandpaper, scouring pad], smooth [aluminum foil, paper, ribbon], hard [wood, metal, pasta] and soft [cotton balls, fabric, pipe cleaners] -- use your imagination.
glue, scissors and a marker
blindfold

Write hard, smooth, rough or soft on the back of each card. Each category gets 4 cards.
On the front side glue on the corresponding item, making two identical cards. For example, I used cotton balls for soft. On two cards I wrote soft on the back and glued cotton balls on the front. Once you have made all your cards lay them out with the item facing up. For a younger child use fewer cards per game.

Blindfold the child playing. Instruct her to feel all the cards and select two that are the same. Set those aside until all the cards are matched up. Next have your child look at all the matches she made and sort them into the appropriate categories. Checking the back to verify the answer.

A fun game for yet another day indoors.

Chicken Noodle Soup

2009-03-02T06:28:00.003-05:00

We had the flu at our house this weekend. And the only thing that sounded good to eat was...what do you know...Chicken Noodle Soup. Only problem is that I have actually never made chicken noodle soup and I didn't have a recipe. But I did have all the ingredients. So here is what I came up with.

One Pot Chicken Noodle Soup

1 onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, chopped
pinch celery seed
pinch thyme
2 small chicken breasts, cooked and shredded
6 carrots, peeled, chopped
2 stalks celery, chopped
1/2 package egg noodles
12 cups chicken broth

In a large stock pot with a little olive oil, sautee the onion garlic, celery seed and thyme until the onions are softened and translucent. Scrape the onions into a bowl and set aside. Using leftover oil, cook the chicken, covering the pot and turning the breasts halfway through the cooking process.

Remove the breasts when cooked and wipe the pot with a paper towel to remove chicken grease. Fill the pot with 12 cups of broth and bring to a boil. Add noodles to the broth and after 3-4 minutes add the carrots and celery.

Meanwhile, take a fork and shred the chicken. When the noodles are cooked and the carrots and celery are softened, add the onion and garlic mixture you set aside. Add the chicken and continue to heat the soup for a few minutes before serving.

photo by edestlin

Happy Birthday Dr. Seuss!

2009-02-27T04:00:00.005-05:00

" From near to far, from here to there, funny things are everywhere!"

-One Fish Two Fish Red Fish Blue Fish

Theodor Seuss Geisel was born March 2, 1904. Under the pen name of Dr. Seuss, Theo. LeSieg and Rosetta Stone, Geisel published over 60 books. One of the most important things he taught us is that learning to read could be fun. "The Cat in the Hat" came about in response to how boring books at the early reader level were at that time.

He died September 24, 1991. If he were alive today, he would be 105.

Looking for free Educational (not mindless) computer games? Go to Seussville.com where you will find these:

Appropriate for kids who can maneuver a mouse:

The Lorax Sticker Game (finish the pattern game)

One Fish Two Fish Concentration (A memory game)

For kids 1st grade and up (my guess):

Fox in Socks Matching game (put together the words to describe the picture)

"In 2000 Publisher's Weekly compiled a list of the best selling children's books of all time. Of the top 100 hardcover books, 16 were written by Geisel." (source: Wikipedia)

Geisel's books were the inspiration for the creation of the Read Across America event that takes place around the time of Dr. Seuss's birthday every year. Many Target stores participate, so if your local library doesn't have activities, feel free to check out what's going on in your area here.

In the meantime, if you'd like to learn more about Theodore Geisel...

School is out for us tomorrow. It's funny how you don't have to look hard to find something to celebrate. We are reading our Dr. Seuss favorites, making Cat in the Hat... hats and eating green eggs and ham for lunch. Yessss, another reason to eat birthday cake....

images via barnesandnoble.com and usps.com

How to NEVER wash your windows again

2009-02-26T08:04:00.000-05:00

How I used to clean my bathroom mirror and windows:

1) Spray with Windex or other window cleaner.

2) Wipe with paper towel or newspaper.

3) Step back and look at streaks the TV says aren't supposed to be there.

4) Cough from the fumes.

5) Repeat.

I have to admit, I'm not a super-charged eco-mom. I use the plastic bags at the grocery store (can't pass up free trash liners). I don't carry my sticky empty yogurt cup home to recycle it, even though I do recycle at home. Sure, I'm a terrible person to some. However, one way I'm making my move to green is by making my home just a little more chemical free. I said goodbye to my glass cleaner today because I learned water works better.

I bought a pack of 6 microfiber cloths on clearance for $6 in the automotive department at Target, thinking I would use them for washing the car. A year has passed and my car hasn't gotten any cleaner. However, my cloths made their debut another way. When looking into some $20 "environmentally friendly, chemical free" specialty microfiber cloths, I wondered if my $1 microfiber cloth would work just as well.

My meander to the cleaning closet turned into a cleaning frenzy when I found that the mirror I had just cleaned with Windex was now visibly significantly cleaner with just water and my microfiber cloth (that uses NO chemicals to clean).

Next I washed the fingerprint ridden TV screen that glass cleaner was never able to remove. Voila, gone. It turns out, you aren't supposed to use chemicals there anyway. And for those of you still using silver polish on your stainless steel appliances--these towels work fantastic there too!!

Where the cloths really sold themselves: I seriously became giddy when I realized I could start having my 3 and 5 year old kids wash the windows!!!!!!!! Something they have been dying to do, but were never allowed to because of the chemicals. When it comes right down to it, I have figured out how to NEVER wash my windows again. My kids are going to be so happy (I'm not kidding)!!

My advice: If you're looking for the cheapest microfiber cloths, look in the automotive section or I've even seen them at the dollar store. However, mine are orange and not very colorfast in the first few washes. I usually don't wash them with anything I care about them bleeding into, but if you want to make sure the colors don't bleed, you could probably find that in more expensive microfiber kitchen towels. I hear you know it's a good quality microfiber if it sort of sticks to your hand when you swipe your hand over it.

Save even more money: I now attach my microfiber cloth to my Clorox ReadyMop instead of buying refills. It works well to dust mop and it's so much cheaper!! You could safety pin it around your Swiffer with the same results.

Anybody have any other cleaning secrets I should know about? I seriously feel like I'm the last person to know, because it's so amazingly effective.

some images via islandcleaning.ca and ungerglobal.com

Myself Befts Winner Announced

2009-02-25T08:04:00.002-05:00

Congratulations to Lise, comment #21, the winner of the Myself Belt give-away! Email us at citruslist (at) gmail (dot) com, with your contact info and we will pass it along to Myself Belts.

Thank you Myself Belts!

Everybody Wins

2009-02-25T08:00:00.005-05:00

In lieu of a give-away we have something you can all enjoy. Sherie (my deal-savvy sister) compiled a list of free online promotions to share with you all. Here are some links to a bunch of free products. I just signed up for all of them and it took me less than five minutes. I am the most excited about the Quiznos Sub coupon. Everything tastes better when it is free.

Quaker Dark Chocolate Raspberry Almond True Delights Granola Bar

Aquaphor Ointment

Tide Total Care

Quaker Rice Cakes

Mr. Clean Magic Eraser

Free music each week from walmart.com This week: Martha Reeves and the Vandellas - (Love is Like a) Heat Wave

Cream of Wheat

Printable coupon for free Quiznos Sub

Enjoy!!

Community Supported Agriculture

2009-02-24T07:00:00.001-05:00

Last week's weather was a taunting preview of a path towards spring, sun, grass, park days and farmers markets. Unfortunately, MN won't see spring for another three months or more {sigh}. But this doesn't deter me from some spring time planning. It is time to find your CSA farm.

Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) "consists of a community of individuals who pledge support to a farm operation so that the farmland becomes...the community's farm...In return, they receive shares in the farm's bounty throughout the growing season, as well as satisfaction gained from reconnecting to the land and participating directly in food production." (for more read here: National Agriculture Library)

We participated in a CSA farm in Baltimore, MD and had a terrific experience. It works like this. Before spring, you sign up and pay for a share of the farm's harvest. We had a summer share, May through October. Some farms may have spring and winter shares as well. Each week we picked up a wax box full of the farm's harvest, recipes (necessary for those greens I've never tasted before) and newsletters. We split our share with friends (which we will do again this year) and had enough food for both of our families. Each week we took turns picking up our share and dividing the goods among us.

Many of the CSA farms are certified organic as ours was. They also offered fresh eggs. We were allowed unlimited access to pick-your-own strawberries and blackberries when they were in season. The farm offered discounted rates for shareholders who volunteered to work on the farm. I've heard of farms offering baked goods such as bread and pies. In some cases farms will have a meat share as well. As you can see there are many options out there.

A good resource for finding a CSA close to you (they are all over the country) is Local Harvest. By entering your zip code, the site will find the nearest CSA farms. Keep in mind that many farms offer different pick up locations which in our case saves us a 45 minute drive. Two things that were important to us when choosing a farm was 1) are they certified organic and 2) are they still within driving distance so we can participate in any farm events.

Its fun to see as a family where your food is coming from and to feel connected with the farm. I love that we can directly support our local farmers and that my family will be eating the best the earth has to offer.

And Your Secret Ingredient Is....Craisins!

2009-02-23T08:00:00.000-05:00

I love Craisins. I think my son may never have had a raisin since we always have "c-raisins" around. I am eating them right now in fact. You would think my mouth thinks these tart morsels are candy. And they might as well be- they do pack a sugar rush. So don't left yourself eat the whole bag before you use them in some of these recipes.

Springtime Spinach Salad
Effortless Spinach Salad
Cranberry Pecan Salad
Cranberry Bliss Bars

PS. I have been doing the dairy free diet this week to see if it helps my little nursing one feel any better. Its tough! Kudos to all you ladies out that with lactose intolerant loved ones! If any of you have dairy free recipes I would love to try them!

Read it: Big Al (and get a free book)

2009-02-20T04:00:00.004-05:00

by Andrew Klements

illustrated by Yoshi

You couldn't find a kinder fish than Big Al, but he still had no friends. The problem was Big Al was a very, very scary looking fish.

Big Al really wanted friends, so he tried disguising himself, changing how he looked and even hiding himself in the sand. Nothing he did made any fish get close enough to find out how great Big Al was on the inside.

Big Al finally gets through to the fish not by hiding his ugliness, but by using it to protect them. But the story doesn't end there...

I thought of this book while grocery shopping this week. I found my 3 year old intensely staring down a woman who was missing all fingers on both hands. Later reading this book helped us talk about how we will never know how beautiful people are on the inside if we treat them like they are scary (like the fish did). Just because some people are different on the outside it doesn't mean they are different on the inside.

images available for purchase as giclee prints through yoshikogo.com

Feeling the pinch from the economy, but want to keep up your addiction to children's books? Remember our post about Little Scholastic Books? Act now and you can receive info on how to get a Little Scholastic book for free here!

Arrowhead Mills Pastry Flour

2009-02-19T08:00:00.001-05:00

image via sophistimom

Love this stuff. If you are looking for a way to incorporate some organic whole grains into your family's diet, here you go. I first was introduced to this flour on my friend Jaime's blog Sophistimom.

The beauty of the flour is that you can can substitute it evenly for your recipes that call for white flour, without adjusting the liquid in the recipe. It works really well in quick breads like banana or zucchini bread. Jaime has a great recipe for Banana Bread where you can evenly substitute this flour for the all-purpose flour.

It works pretty well for cookies. This Valentine's Day I made sugar cookies with 1/2 white flour, 1/2 of this. It didn't turn out quite as perfect as the quick breads do, but everyone was still happy. My kids did not complain or even offer a comment about the fact that the cookies were darker than usual.

Just realize, that this flour is made from a soft grain wheat which is low in gluten (pastry flour in general is a low-gluten flour) and gluten is what makes your yeast breads nice and chewy. So, I would not recommend it for a yeast bread recipe, pizza crust, or cinnamon rolls. But, I would absolutely recommend it for anything you would like to turn out flaky or crumbly, i.e cakes, quick breads, muffins, and pie crust.

I haven't noticed these in the stores yet, but when I was on the Arrowhead Mills website I came across this new product line of organic cupcake, cookie and cake mixes. These look yummy and quick.

Celebrating Presidents Day

2009-02-18T08:00:00.002-05:00

If you managed to do any presidential celebrating this past Monday, I salute you. My family was busy spending time with Dad, who rarely gets a weekday off. If you, like us, did not even take a millisecond on the 16th to honor George and Abe, there is still time.

Technically, President Washington's birthday is on the 22nd of February (as was Presidents Day before 1971). And technically, Presidents Day is still formally called either Presidents Day or Washington's birthday. So, you can feel well within the holiday "boundary" if you are a little late taking some time to talk with your children, or doing some activities to honor these great men. I am feeling like this is one of those "better late than never" kind of moments.

You could start by explaining what exactly a President is. This link will help. It provides information about where the president lives, how he travels, and even provides pictures of presidential pets. I think it makes it easier to comprehend Presidents from the past, when the one presently serving seems more tangible.

Here is a list of all the Presidents, and when they have served. Here is a slideshow of what our past presidents looked/look like, and a link to each individual's biography. My kids think Van Buren's sideburns are hilarious. Actually, they got a kick out of quite a few pictures.

Presidents' Day officially became a Federal Holiday in the 1880's (as Washington's Birthday), and at the time celebrated only President Washington achievements. Officially, this holiday still only honors George Washington, but our country has become more inclusive of other presidents in the celebration, specifically Abraham Lincoln- whose birthday is February 12th.

Here are some craft/activity ideas for some belated Presidents' Day festivities:

George Washington Coloring Page

Abraham Lincoln Coloring Page

Abraham Lincoln Hat

Pretzel Log Cabin

Presidential Pins

Several Presidential Activity Books/Coloring Pages- these are great, especially if you have a child in Pre-K to 3rd grade. Scroll down to the bottom of the page to see them.

Top and Log Cabin Picture via Martha Stewart

A Week's Wardrobe

2009-02-17T07:00:00.001-05:00

Mornings can be tricky when we are trying to get ourselves out the door in a rush. It never helps when my girls don't know what to wear or can't find what they want to wear. They are also young enough to make choices like a skirt and short sleeve shirt for 10 degree weather. We tried taking time each night to lay out their outfits for the next day, but we are not consistent. Bedtime is too hectic. Here is our solution: Days of the Week Outfit Organizer Tags.

I stumbled on these cute tags designed by Amy Locurto over at www.livinglocurto.com. She provides them as a free download and are available in bold or pastel colors. (As a side note she has a lot of cute free downloads for every occasion; birthdays, baby, holidays etc. Its worth taking a peak.)

I printed mine on cardstock, cut them out and laminated them for greater durability. My five year old got super excited about this new routine. Amy said she and her son would make funny poses as they laid the clothes out the night before. Very cute!

Family Fun also has the same idea if you want to make your own. This would be fun for your older child to design and create her own out of felt. It may even give her a greater sense of ownership in the dressing process.

Peanut Soup and Fortune Cookies

2009-02-16T08:00:00.000-05:00

Maybe you are like me and missed the Chinese New Year and still really want to try out Theresa's crafty centerpiece. Or maybe you like food with an Asian kick and have a hankering for a good fortune. Here are two recipes worth a try and a quick rice tip too.

Haven't the slightest clue what fortunes to wrap up in your cookies? Go here for the longest list of fortunes I have ever seen- this guys eats a lot of cookies.

Super Simple Peanut Soup with Vegetables
Fortune Cookies

Cook's Illustrated Quick Tip: Rice at the Ready

Making rice is not one of my favorite things. I rarely get it just right.And its takes such a long time. But with some steamed, frozen stir fry veggies, soy sauce and some ready made rice you have got yourself a quick and healthy lunch or dinner.

To have rice at the ready prepare a double batch of rice the next time you make rice. Spread half of the rice on a baking sheet to cool and break up any clumps. Place the cooled rice in a zip lock freezer bag and freeze until the next time you want to make a speedy rice bowl.

Read It: Somebody Loves You, Mr. Hatch

2009-02-13T04:00:00.002-05:00

by Eileen Spinelli

illustrated by Paul Yalowitz

Mr. Hatch was tall and thin and did not smile.
Every morning at 6:30 sharp he would leave his brick house and walk eight blocks to the shoelace factory where he worked.
At lunchtime he would sit alone in a corner, eat his cheese and mustard sandwich, and drink a cup of coffee. Sometimes he brought a prune for dessert.

Everything changes for Mr. Hatch when a Valentine arrives at his house with a note, "Somebody Loves You." Mr. Hatch has no idea who it could be from, and then something happens that has never happened before....he smiles. Mr. Hatch begins to act differently, knowing that somebody loves him, and because of this he reaches out and makes new friends.

The postman returns to Mr. Hatch's house to give him bad news about his Valentine, and Mr. Hatch is left to believe nobody loves him. The story continues to a happy ending for Mr. Hatch and his new friends.

Fun Activity: Work with the kids to cut out a simple heart that says, "Somebody Loves You." Secretly work together (or separately-depending on your child's age) and do a good deed for a family member or friend and leave the heart behind. My kids go crazy for doing stuff like this, and doing just one good deed isn't usually enough.

Happy Valentine's Day!

images via thereadingnook.com, workplaceliving-uk.com

A "Hearty" Breakfast

2009-02-12T06:52:00.006-05:00

I love that Valentine's Day is on Saturday this year. I may actually have time to make a fun breakfast. I love these ideas from Martha Stewart. My kids will adore those heart marshmallows.

Here are a few more last minute Valentine's Day ideas.

Rice Krispie Treat "Kisses"

Valentine Flowers

Origami Heart Bookmarks

Chocolate Dipped Pretzel Hearts

Myself Belts

2009-02-11T06:00:00.001-05:00

Does your little one have trouble keeping trousers up? All three of my kids do. Most of the pants and skirts I purchase nowadays have the adjustable elastic waistband, but even that contraption has it's limits at times. I came across these belts at a trade show here in NYC and thought they were absolutely genius.
Myself Belts creates belts that even your littlest one can manage. The belt attaches to your child's pants with a hidden snap. Then, for the rest of the day, the belt can be fastened and unfastened by your child (with ease!) because the closure is made of velcro.
This is perfect for any child who is potty training, but can also be great for older children. My 5-year-old loves her belt, because traditional belts always take a little more dexterity than she has. I love it, because she no longer runs to me after each bathroom break looking for some belt help. My favorite belt styles are the Airplane, Polka Dot, and Leather.

Myself Belts even sells belts for teens or adults who may deal with disabilities that would limit their ability to fasten a belt. These belts have the appearance of a regular belt, but also have a velcro closure.

If you order a Myself Belt, make sure to follow the weight recommendation as you select sizing. My 5-year-old daughter wears a size small, which is labeled 3 yrs.
You can purchase a Myself Belt on their official website, or you can find a retailer near you. Some Nordstrom and Stride Rite locations carry the Myself Belt. I was surprised by the number of stores here in NYC that carry them, so chances are you can find a shop nearby.

Who wants to have their little one try out a Myself Belt? Make a comment on this post by midnight February 24th, 2009 to enter. A winner will be randomly selected and announced on the morning of the 25th. Good luck!!

A Valentine Medley

2009-02-10T07:00:00.003-05:00

With Valentine's this week, I have pink, red, hearts and love on the brain. Here are three things we are doing in our house.

1) Valentines for classmates = Heart Flower Lollipops

You will need Valentine paper of your choice (something sturdy like card stock is preferable), scissors, glue, a hole punch and of course lollipops.
Cut out hearts (the size will depend on the size of your lollipop...eyeball it). Using 4 hearts at a time punch a hole through all of them at the bottom of the heart.
Line up the hole and hearts to make a flower. Glue the layers together. Write "to" and "from".
Insert lollipop and you have a Heart Flower Lollipop Valentine for your classmates.

2) This little number is for my hubby. He loves herbal tea. I like the idea that each time he takes out a tea bag he finds another love note from me...the gift that keeps on loving. I was thinking you can do this to anything your hubby uses over time, maybe even notes in different pant pockets. Just an idea.

3) Now lets not forget the old time classics. Roses from chocolate kisses for the teachers. You will need red cellophane, thick wire, green paper hearts (for the leaves), floral tape and chocolate kisses.

Put bottoms of kisses together. Wrap with cellophane. Hold firmly with wire and tightly wrap with floral tape around the kisses and wire adding in leaves down the stem.

A bunch of these cute things, a ribbon and a simple tag made by my daughter will be the perfect gift for her teachers.

Please share any fun ideas you have going this Valentine's week.

Happy L O V E Day!

For Your Sweetheart With A Sweet Tooth

2009-02-09T08:00:00.000-05:00

Just in case you need a reminder, its Valentine's Day this Saturday. One more excuse to make some sweet treats. I bet you think that's all I cook at my house- don't worry we will get back to real food next week. But for this week, I thought I would resurrect some of my favorite treats that would compliment your candle lit dinner. Need an idea for that? Steak Dinner. Its the one time per year we eat steak in our house and I am not sure why since its so easy:

Steak- Do this last when the table is set, salad is chilling and potatoes are in the oven and just about done. Broil with a pinch of dried rosemary and crushed garlic. And if you would like, add some blue cheese to the tops just before the steaks are done.

Oven Fries- Wash and cut potatoes (3 large potatoes) like this. I like to leave the skin on. In a bowl, stir the cut potatoes with olive oil (2 Tbsp) and salt (1 tsp) and any other seasonings you would like. I like the Spice Hunter All purpose Chef's Shake. Spread some more olive oil (1 Tbsp) on a cookie sheet and spread the potatoes across it. Bake at 425 degrees for about 25 minutes. make sure to periodically stir/turn the potatoes for even baking.

Green Salad- Don't skimp here. This is the part of dinner that will wipe away the "red meat/large amounts of chocolate V-day guilt". Buy some really nice greens and that dressing that you have been drooling over in the grocery aisle but can't fathom spending $7 for.

Molten Lava Cake- Make a few extra cakes just in case the volcano "explodes" as you try to plate the cake. It does take some practice to plate them without a leak.

Simple Fruit Cobbler- No, its not chocolate- is that a Valentine's Day sin? But I think of this as a warm romantic dish anyway.

Sour Cream Sugar Cookies- What is V-Day without sugar cookies? Whether you make them for your hubby, your kids class, your co-workers or to munch on during your chick flick, you are gonna need to make batch of these. Don't forget the pink frosting- Studies show icing tastes way better when its pink.

Chocolate Covered Strawberries- Remember Theresa's post for a Father's Day Bouquet? I will warn you: Your's will not look as perfect as hers but its the thought that counts right?

Easy Chocolate Mousse- Seriously, the easiest dessert you can make from scratch for Valentine's Day.

xoXoxO- Holly

Read It: I'm the Biggest Thing in the Ocean

2009-02-06T04:00:00.002-05:00

by Kevin Sherry

Ha ha ha! I have to admit that many of my book recommendations are funny books. Some days you need a reminder to laugh, and a book is a great way to snap you back to where you want to be. Although I try to make all my book recommendations a good read for any age, this book would be absolutely PERFECT for preschoolers or early readers. The story is simple, the pictures are simple, and it has an unexpected ending that will make your little one roll with giggles (because you will be, too!).

The story follows a giant squid who swims around finding things he's bigger than. He sees that he's bigger than shrimps, a crab, a shark, and others. Continue the fun when the book is over by helping your preschooler find things he's bigger than. A great book to introduce the concept of "bigger" (and "smaller").

Buy the book, and I'm pretty sure all editions come with bath clings at the end. Have the little one retell the story in the bathtub!

Giant squid are actually incredibly interesting. Did you know we have only had photos of a living giant squid since 2004?!! Do your kids want to learn more about giant squid? A great way to remind your kids the Internet isn't the end-all, tell-all for information: pull out a book! "Outside and Inside Giant Squid" is a great non-fiction (only 35 page) book with color photographs.

images via www.brookslibraryyouth.wordpress.com, flickr.com and amazon.com

Out with the Old, in with the New-ish

2009-02-05T08:00:00.000-05:00

It's all fun and games until someone gets hurt. In this case, it was my husband's sweater. He likes to spin my 15 month old girl above him like a pizza, and that was the last daredevil stunt that sweater performed. I'm sure you wonder how I can handle the spinning and tossing my husband does with all our kids. I'll tell you... You look away. I have to admit, it is nice to know we could move seamlessly into a circus act if the economy gets any worse.

So back to the real victim in all of this-- the sweater. It was a small rip, but not in a fixable location (his bicep--yeah he was proud of that one). So what do I do with a sweater we love, can't wear, but can't bear to throw away? Play Frankenstein and end up with a pair of mittens you will love!

I found this idea through my best friend growing up, Sara. She got me starting birthday week and I wish her and her fun husband all the best in their hope to adopt their first! Sara is so crafty, so of course she has crafty friends. One of which was on a morning show to give step-by- step instructions for these "handy" mittens. So cute, and so just what my freezing hands need right now.

Click here for the free mitten pattern, and click here for the free written directions. OR shell out $50 for a pair just like them (minus being your old sweater) from baabaazuzu.com

You never realized cutting up an old sweater could save you $50, did you?

OnBoard SportsBaby Carriers

2009-02-04T08:30:00.001-05:00

My friend Kimberly is in the process of launching a new baby carrier product, and I thought many of you may be interested to hear more about it. The OnBoard SportsBaby carrier can function as an everyday-use baby carrier, but can also be used in the water.

This is big news to me as a mom of 3 small children. I haven't tried this carrier, but I can imagine how nice it would be to have my youngest child strapped into this, and have my hands free to keep my other two children afloat the next time we are at the pool.

The carrier is made of neoprene, layered with an anti-bacterial fabric which keeps it clean, and water-ready.

If you sign up for the OnBoard Newsletter before February 14, you will be automatically entered into a drawing for a year membership to Gold's Gym.

Way to go Kimberly, best of luck with the launch of OnBoard Outfitters!

Winner of the Save Your World Oasis Gift Pack

2009-02-04T08:00:00.001-05:00

Congratulations to Mary, Comment #7, winner of the Save Your World Oasis gift pack. Email us at citruslist (at) gmail (dot) com with your contact information and we will pass it along!

Just FYI, we will not have a give-away this week. I have been sick with the flu all week long, (feeling near death :) and haven't been able to firm a give-away up. Hopefully, I will feel better soon and we will have another give-away shortly. I hope you and your families are all staying healthy!

Brite Kids

2009-02-03T07:00:00.002-05:00

When I was young, maybe 6, I remember my mom bringing home a set of 12 cassette tapes and corresponding books for us kids to listen to. Let it be known that I listened to these tapes day in and day out, until every word and song was memorized. I loved these tapes. So 25 years later when my mother-in-law said she had these very same tapes and wondered if I would want them for my kids, I was all over it. Oh the memories that came flooding back. To my delight, my girls love them just as much as I did. I remember thinking this would be a great thing to post on Citrus, but where would the readers find the tapes and who uses cassette tapes these days besides me...if only we could purchase them new today on CD.

Well, we are all in luck. I recently discovered that these tapes are available for purchase on CD or MP3 download on Britemusic.com. Brite has six different series of books and tapes. I am only familiar with the Standin' Tall series and the Safety Kids series. Here is what I absolutely love about these two series.
The Standin' Tall series is the one we enjoy now. There are 12 books and CDs featuring 12 character building values: obedience, honesty, forgiveness, work, courage, happiness, gratitude, love, service, cleanliness, self-esteem and dependability. The stories and songs do an excellent job of illustrating and bringing to life some hard to describe topics like dependability and courage. If nothing else it opens up a discussion with my children as they ask questions. I can't tell you how many times I have referred to the lessons in the tapes by saying something like, "remember in the tape how Jenny was ungrateful and no one wanted to help her anymore....or how the princess was unhappy even though she had everything she wanted."

I will warn you the songs stick in your head and the music is reminiscent of the the late 1980s at times. But overall they are very well done and are in every way applicable today as 25 years ago. Standin' Tall is perfectly geared toward preschool to about 1st or 2nd grade age kids.

The Safety Kids is another series that I loved as a child. Monica, Amy, Freddy, Zan and Gregor are five kids that teach through different situations about the importance of safety rules: never talk to strangers, always use the buddy system, lock the doors when alone or taking care of younger kids, know your telephone number and don't let anyone do things to your body that they shouldn't do.

Again, Safety Kids helps parents begin discussing these important issues in a fun, child friendly way. There are three CDs in this series: Personal Safety, Stay Safe from Drugs and Protect their Minds. I only know the first one, Personal Safety, and love it.

If you want to get started, but are not ready to buy the entire collection let me suggest a few of my girls favorites: Cleanliness, Dependability and Gratitude from the Standin' Tall series. One book and CD from Standin' Tall is $15.96 together. For Safety Kids, one book and CD are $19.95 together. All the CDs are available for MP3 download for about $2 cheaper.

I am in love

2009-02-02T07:00:00.000-05:00

I am in love with my new Cook's Illustrated magazine. My mother gave the subscription as a gift and I have been reading it all week. It is slightly odd reading about how to "Cook Hearty Greens" and "Finding The Best Skillet" when I have been doing zero cooking. But I sure am excited about trying the recipes, tips and shopping with product reviews in hand when I am back in the groove. Here are some tips I found pretty helpful:

Butternut Squash- I love it. So good for you and so good in Curried Red Lentil Stew and Butternut Squash Ravioli. I found out in the latest issue that the smaller the squash the better the flavor. As the squash gets bigger the taste dissipates somewhat and becomes "dirty" tasting.

French Toast- Why does restaurant (yes, even IHOP) French Toast always taste better than mine? A soggy, eggy mess is what I end up with. Cook's Illustrated tested it out and concluded with these helpful hints.

First, its all in the bread, something white with a hearty crust on it. Dry it out by laying the bread on a cookie sheet in the oven so it does not get soggy. Next, only use egg yolks in the mix so you don't get an eggy taste or worse, globs of cooked egg white. And for an extra yummy taste put some melted butter in the mix (with room temp milk so as not to solidify the butter). Read the whole article here.

French Toast- serves 4

8 large slices hearty white bread or challah
1 1/2 cup whole milk warmed
3 large egg yolks
3 Tbsp brown sugar
1/2 tsp cinnamon
2 Tbsp unsalted butter, melted
2 Tbsp butter for cooking
1/4 tsp salt
1 Tbsp vanilla
Maple Syrup

1. heat oven to 300 degrees and place bread on a baking sheet. Bake until almost dry (center still moist) about 15 min. Remove from oven and cool for 5 min. Reduce oven temp to 200 degrees.
2. Whisk milk, yolks, sugar, cinnamon, melted butter, salt and vanilla in a large bowl. Pour into a 13 x 9 baking pan.
3. Soak bread for about 20 seconds per side. Using a slotted spatula, pick up each slice and allow excess mixture to drip off. Place dipped bread on plate or platter.
4. Heat 1/2 Tbso of butter on a skillet over medium low heat. When foaming subsides, use the spatula to place two slices in the skillet. Cook until golden brown about 3-4 minutes. Flip and cook the other side for another 3-4 minutes.
5. Take the slices that are cooked to the baking sheet in the oven to keep them warm and crisp.
6. Repeat step 4 wiping out the skillet between each batch.

** If using a griddle and cooking all at once, use 2 Tbsp butter and set the griddle to 350 degrees.

Read This: Fancy Nancy

2009-01-30T04:00:00.001-05:00

by Jane O'Connor

illustrated by Robin Preiss Glasser

Is there a princess in your family? This is a funny and touching story about Nancy, who fancifies everything she touches. She doesn't understand how her family can be so not-fancy, when being fancy is so much fun! She finally decides that her family needs fancy lessons.

I can appreciate that this story not only tells a good story, but also has found an enjoyable way to teach new vocabulary (that's a fancy word for words).

When was the last time you were fancy? A better question for me would be, when was the last time you weren't wearing a ponytail? Pull on all the fancy things you can find and go out for ice cream as a fancy family. I'm sure it will be one of those experiences your princess will be saying in years to come, "Remember when..."

image via www.angelicdreamz.com

Nix Sale

2009-01-29T08:00:00.000-05:00

Remember these cute socks? They are now 50% off for the rest of the week on the Nix website. Hooray for sales!!

Ladybugs and Lullabies

2009-01-28T08:00:00.002-05:00

My five-year-old is a huge ladybug fan. She spends her summers hunting for them (which proves to be pretty difficult here in NYC), and she is absolutely delighted by the unfortunate ones she is able to catch. Her love for ladybugs is evident in her wardrobe. She is the proud owner of a ladybug watch, ladybug galoshes, and ladybug socks. When I spotted these cute clips by Ladybugs and Lullabies, I knew she would adore them.

Ladybugs and Lullabies also has a wide array of other products to chose from. They make other hair clip insects, including: butterflies, bees, and caterpillars. If you prefer the standard bow or clip, they also sell these. Clips by Ladybugs and Lullabies have a no-slip material which helps to keep the hair accessory in place.

Ladybugs and Lullabies is probably best known for their newborn hair clips. These clips (I have never seen clips this small) can attach to even the tiniest amount of newborn "peach fuzz," and stay put.

You can purchase Ladybugs and Lullabies clips on their website, and at a few select retail locations.

Crayon Hearts

2009-01-27T07:00:00.000-05:00

I was inspired by Martha Stewart today. My daughter and I had a fun afternoon putting these cute Valentine hearts together with a few things we already had at home.

Start with unwrapping some Valentine color crayons; pink, red, purple, and even some red-orange. I went over board on this step. We really only ended up using about 10 crayons, but hey they are ready and unwrapped for the next project.
Ellie used a pencil sharpener to create her crayon shavings while I used a vegetable peeler.
Place a piece of paper, brown paper bag or newspaper on your ironing board to protect it. Then lay down a sheet of wax paper. Lightly sprinkle on your crayon shavings. Be mindful to evenly spread your crayons throughout.
Apply another sheet of wax paper on top of the crayon shavings. Then add another sheet of paper, brown paper bag or newspaper on top of that. This will protect your iron.
With your iron on medium heat, make several passes over the papers. Check often. Once your crayons have melted and your wax paper seals then you are done. Allow to cool. We decided on a marbled look. The more you melt the crayons the more the colors blend and disperse throughout. For a marbled heart, be careful to check often and stop ironing just when the crayon melts but doesn't quite blend.
We traced hearts in three different sizes using our cookie cutters. Cut them out. Thread with string and hang them on a window. The picture doesn't really show how the light shines through. They are a happy addition to our Valentine festivities.

Chinese New Year!!

2009-01-26T00:30:00.001-05:00

Welcome to the year of the Ox! Today marks the beginning of the Chinese New Year. For ideas on how you can celebrate it with your family look here. For some history and additional information, look here.

My children all have some Chinese heritage (thanks to my 1/2 Chinese husband) so I have always felt like we should celebrate this holiday in some way, but we really haven't done a great job of it over the years.

Now that we live here in NYC, I have no excuse to not to be festive- with China Town so accessible. My girls loved visiting China Town on our supply run. It is especially fun this time of year, as all of the vendors have their New Year items out.

As you read more about Chinese New Year, you will see that many of the Chinese New Year traditions make great family traditions, regardless of your heritage. My favorite: before Chinese New Year families clean their homes from top to bottom. My kids were a little more excited to clean this past week, knowing it was a part of a "holiday celebration."

If you would like some Chinese New Year craft ideas, there are plenty online. Check here, here, and here. The Chinese Lanterns pictured above were simple to make- just cut some red cardstock "paper-doll" style into the desired lantern shape, put vellum or tissue paper in the window cut-outs, decorate the windows, tape up the seam, put a candle in the middle, and you have your very own Chinese Lantern centerpiece. Of course, watch you little ones closely while these are lit on the table, or you could have a really exciting New Year party.

A traditional Chinese New Year meal would be a feast comparable in size to an American Thanksgiving. I still have not mastered the art of Asian cooking, so I knew that a 10-dish meal was out of the question. Instead I prepared a non-authentic Chinese Salad and Potstickers. Maybe as the years progress, my children will encounter more authenticity :).

The recipe for the salad is below. It is quite good, authentic or not.

Chinese Chicken Salad:

For the dressing:

1/2 C. Rice Wine Vinegar
1/4 C. Peanut Butter
2 T. Finely Chopped Ginger (very finely chopped)
1/2 to 1 tsp of finely chopped chipotle pepper (according to children's spice tolerance :)
2 T. Soy Sauce
1/4 C. Honey
1/4 C. Toasted Sesame Oil
3/4 C. Canola Oil
Salt- to taste

Whisk the ingredients together for the dressing, set aside. I love to make the dressing a day a head to save time on dinner prep.

Then Prepare:

1/2 Head Nappa Cabbage, chopped
1/2 Head Romaine Lettuce, chopped
1 bunch of scallions (about 7), chopped
1 cup carrots, shredded. I love to use these to save time.
4 oz Snow Peas julienned
1/4 cup Cilantro, chopped
1/4 cup Mint, chopped
1/2 cup Roasted Peanuts, chopped
2 cups of shredded chicken (You could use rotisserie chicken to save time. I like to cook 2 chicken breasts in a crock pot with a Tablespoon of chopped Ginger for 5-6 hours) Of course, you could use less Chicken, or even omit it entirely for a vegetarian salad.

Mix the above ingredients together, then mix with the dressing and you are set. Note: you may not need all of the dressing depending on how large your lettuce/cabbage heads were. Just add it until you are happy with how much dressing is on the salad.
*as you can tell, I forgot to add the carrots to this last time.....so imagine it with shredded carrots....

Read it: What! Cried Granny, An Almost Bedtime Story

2009-01-23T04:00:00.002-05:00

by Kate Lum

illustrated by Adrian Johnson

This book is just silly and fun. The great thing is that it would definitely apply to any parents and especially to any grandparents who have ever had to go to great efforts to put the little one to bed.

Inside the book, we follow Granny and Patrick through the adventures Granny endures (all the while still wearing a pearl necklace and a little black purse) in order to get everything ready for little Patrick to go to sleep.

You must use Granny and Patrick voices (especially when Granny says, "WHAAAAAAT?"), and you must find the little dog on every page.

Free Cosmetics?

2009-01-22T06:00:00.003-05:00

Did you purchase cosmetics (including fragrances) from a major department store during any year spanning 1994-2003? If so, there may be a freebie waiting for you at the counter of your nearest Macys, Dillards, Bloomingdales, Saks 5th Avenue, or Nordstrom (actually there are more stores, look for the list here).

There was a class action law suit recently settled that required these major department stores (accused of price fixing) to give away $174 million dollars worth of cosmetics to their past customers. Yes, $174 million.

Truthfully, it makes me kind of ill to think of that much money (especially during these financial times) being poured out in free make-up, but it is what it is.... by court mandate.

So, you can head to your nearest department store, and get in line for your free product. One product per customer. Do you need a receipt? No, thank goodness, who keeps receipts for 6 years??

Yes, it is true. Check out the news story here. Check out the list of stores, and the products they will be giving out, here.

They will be giving out product until the 26th, or until it runs out.

P.S- sorry if my post yesterday put a damper on your excitement over free make-up :)

photo via totalbeauty.com

Nie Nie is Back

2009-01-22T05:00:00.001-05:00

If you have been following the tragic story of Nie Nie (Stephanie Nielson) and her husband, you may be interested to know that she is back to blogging. I had been the occasional reader of Nie Nie ever since she was featured on Design Mom, and I loved reading her posts whenever I have had the time.

Ever since her accident, however, I have been hooked. I have checked her blog almost daily as her family re-posted from her archives in her abscence. I have also stayed updated on her medical condition through her sister's blog.

I am excited for her return. She has a way of displaying the beauty of things that may seem mundane to some. I love her view on motherhood. I love her zest for life. I can only imagine how these last few months have been for her, as she has endured countless reconstructive surgeries. I pray that her recovery continues to go well, and look forward to reading all about it.

photo via nie nie dialogues

Obuba Nursing Cover Winner and New Give-away!!

2009-01-21T16:44:00.002-05:00

Yay! Congratulations to Joanna Wilde (comment #8)!! Please contact us within a week with your contact information at citruslist {at} gmail {dot} com. Find out how much I love this product here! Thanks Obuba!!

For anyone who's beside themself from not winning an Obuba, make sure you sign up for the Save Your World giveaway that follows this post!

p.s. Since I last posted about them, Obuba has added new styles at their etsy shop for only $29.95!

Save Your World Products

2009-01-21T06:00:00.001-05:00

I feel like every New Years I resolve to eat a little better. Every year (often after I have overdosed on Christmas goodies) I renew my resolve to cut back on sugar and meat, eat more fruits, vegetables, and whole grains. In the last couple of years, I have also become more conscious about buying organic. My reasons for renewing this resolution are varied, but the overarching reason is that I just plain feel better when I do. This year, in addition to my resolution to make better choices about what I put in my body, I have also resolved to be better informed about what I put on my body.

Have you ever wondered what exactly hangs out in your lip gloss, shampoo, lotion and make-up? What exactly are those ingredients you can't pronounce on the back of the bottle? If you want to know the answer, you can head to http://www.cosmeticsdatabase.com/ and search by either your beauty product, or by the ingredient in question. This website ranks beauty products by a 0-10 ranking (10 being the highest) to give you an idea of the potential health risk certain beauty products pose. I was a little alarmed to find that my favorite mascara ranked a 9.

In my quest to find some high quality, all-natural beauty products I came across Save Your World. Save Your World is company that produces shampoo, conditioner, soap, lotion, shower gel, and lip balm- that are both good for your skin and the environment. Their product ingredients (and an explaination of what they are) are available on their website. Many of their products include organic ingredients, and are scented with essential oils.

Two of my favorite products are the Lip Balm and the Exfoliating Bar soap. These two products help to combat the winter dryness my body is experiencing right now. I am also a big fan of their shampoo. I love the Grapefruit Mango, and the Oasis Fruit scent.

In addition to being good for your body, SYW products are good for the environment. When you purchase a SYW product, you are helping to preserve an acre of rainforest for one year.

You can purchase Save Your World Products on their website online, or at Whole Foods. You may also find their product line in your hotel room in the near future.

Who would like to try the Save Your World product line? One lucky Citrus winner will recieve the Oasis Fruit of Love Gift bag. This prize has a 59$ value and saves 12 acres of rainforest for a year. Enter by leaving a comment on this post before Midnight February 3, 2009. A winner will be selected randomly on February 4th, and posted. Shipping to continental US only.