Summer Bug Repellent Guide

As a follow up to the sunscreen guide, I have been searching for a while for a good insect repellent. After a rather swarthy experience camping at Silver Jack two years ago, with only my herbal insect repellent (time effective: I'd say about 5 minutes), I realized you need the hard-core stuff. Or at least herbal repellents that actually work!

Consumer Reports has once again come out with recommendations. From the CBS Early Show, they recommend:

• Off Products (Deep Woods & Smooth and Dry), but they contain DEET
• For more natural remedies, WebMD recommends soy-based Bite Blocker for Kids. Watch out - don't use oil of lemon eucalyptus on kiddos under 3

Summer Suncreen Guide

Memorial Day is Monday, which means.... Summer is Here! And now that we are spending more time outdoors and in the sun, and those of us with the little ones, we are more concerned than ever with exposures to all sorts of things. Though I'd love to be at a beach, relaxing in the sun, with a waiter coming over every time I flip the little flag on the back of the chair (sigh) I will have to wait on that one. In the meantime let's learn a little about sunscreen.

As with everything, moderation is key: Vitamin D is good for you - you get the most from the sun - but 20 minutes is all that is needed. For more time outside than that, look for a good sunscreen. Preferably one that is PABA-free, has UVA and UVB protection (which can enter through windows, by the way). And apply liberally.

But with the dizzying array of choices, how do you pick? First try a stop over at the Environmental Working Group's Sunscreen Guide. LOVE this site. Gives you picks, tells you what ingredients are in which product and what the potential concerns are. Second, check out Consumer Report's guide - they recommend Target's Up and Up Sport Continuous and Walgreen's Sport Continuous.

Now go out there and enjoy the sun!

Knit K-Now!

The weather is warming up. The sun is shining, grass is growing, birds are chirping.

That means it is time to start thinking about knitting again.

So that I have time to actually make hats before cold weather comes again. (Side note: why can I crochet lightening fast but knitting takes me forever and a day!?) The yarn I have for bambino's baby blanket is *still* sitting in the bag. Perhaps I can make him a blanket, say, by the time he graduates high school. Or college.

New project: Baby Space Invaders Hat. If only my Atari 800 were still around.

Find instructions at Instructibles.com, here. I'll post an update when I complete it!

Freezer Paper Stenciling

One of the projects I've had on my to-do list is freezer paper stenciling. It is like silkscreening, only totally easier and with considerably less mess. (The only thing is, if you want to do a lot of the same thing, silkscreening would be easier).

How to:

To stencil your own stuff, buy a roll of freezer paper at your local grocery store (or try to ask mr. nice meat department dude for some). Print out a design and lay it over or under the piece of freezer paper (or draw your own design on it). Carefully, with an x-acto blade, cut out your image. I picked a character from Efon Fonts:

Then, iron the paper (shiny-side down) onto the fabric you are using, choosing the iron setting corresponding to your fabric. Iron a solid piece of freezer paper under the fabric so that the paint doesn't bleed through. When cool, take a foam brush and apply fabric paint on the cut-away areas (I used a standard textile paint from the craft store). Let the paint dry - Then slowly peel the paper away to reveal your image.

Follow the wash instructions on the paint bottle. Easy Peasy!

Memory Minute... wait, what?

It is said that for every new skill you learn (say, a new language, or hobby), you will help your mind retain its memory and perhaps stave off dementia. Do you find words escaping you? As of late, I certainly do.

Some of the top picks for maintaining your memory:

* Learn a new language (do you have any suggestions for good online courses? or does your local library offer courses?)

* Learn a new hobby, game or activity

* Try crosswords

* Proper nutrition (i.e., power up with brain foods at breakfast!)

We have decided, in our household, to whip out A's old guitar and try to learn how to play. A remembers a lot of chords, I am having problems "toughening up" my fingers to play. I have, however, found some great resources online for learning guitar:

- Guitar Chords, with display - so necessary for me to figure out how to position my fingers! Just click the chord you need and it shows you the finger configuration.

- Elizabeth Mitchell's "You Are My Flower" songbook

- And my new favorite, Ultimate Guitar's Tabs, especially 1234 by the Plain White Ts.

Financial Wellbeing

I am always interested in getting things organized. Starting with the house, and some spring cleaning; then moving on to finances, and what makes sense; and then moving on to your mind. Or tackling whichever, whenever you can.

Lately there are tons of offers out for a myriad of financial benefits and services. They can be confusing. We recently signed up for a cell phone plan and with all the hidden costs and charges, it put both of us in a mood for a few days. A and I certainly discuss all the costs and benefits involved with financial promotions and planning. So far we agree on a bunch of things:

* Savings and IRAs/SEPs as a priority. Dave Ramsey has a simple structure to follow for baby steps towards financial peace. See where you fall on the ladder.

* Better Alternatives to those so-called deals being tossed around lately

* Most of the ideas presented in Rich Dad's Conspiracy of the Rich. The more you know, the more you realize to trust yourself among all others. Why pay for others to gamble with your money!?

* The tips presented in Suze Orman's the Laws of Money, the Lessons of Life - especially as to the life lessons as well!

De-Clutter Your Life, De-Clutter Your Mind

Lately I've been on a kick to de-clutter the house. Only to find within two days that it's back to it's normal status. Perhaps something to do with a one year old, the other perhaps to do with the fact that winter keeps returning every week. We have a spot of sunny, 60 degree days, so I put all the jackets and gloves and shearlings away, only to have a successive weekend of 35 degree days and snow overnight. Nothing seems to be ever put away.

Living with constant transition can be a challenge - or we can accept it as part of life. I am learning that the chaos seems to be the only thing that is constant, and trying to accept that fact whole-heartedly in my life. We can't control what others do or say, so why try? Why try to teach others how to treat people fairly? Instead focus on yourself, what you can change within yourself (your mind, your body, your attitude), and instead strive for excellence in your own life.

I came across an old magazine listing Peter Walsh's book "Enough Already! Clearing Mental Clutter to Become the Best You." It seems to fall in line with what I'm experiencing. Instead of returning to thoughts or experiences that drag you down, instead, ask yourself "Does this item or thought or response move me closer to my vision for my best life?" If it does, great. If it doesn't, eliminate it promptly. There is no room for it in your life.

He also talks about the "cycle" of clutter - that physical (or I would also add, mental) clutter is stealthy. You clean the house, and it's messy two days later. You are fine, and then a thought pops in your head you can't seem to get rid of. Complete the cycle - for physical, if you use it, put it away (my sister has a post on her fridge - golden rules for the household). Or, learn to live with physical chaos. That in itself can be liberating.

For mental clutter, I would say, meditate - and constantly remind yourself that you are on the track to your best life, the best vision of yourself, your dedication to excellence. And then put the thought away that doesn't fit. Keep that vision for your best life and orient your path towards that vision. That mindset, also, is liberating.

Gardening for the Ambitious and Uninformed

Photo: Our indoor propagation system for basil, tomatoes and (hopefully) flowers.

So, despite my earlier blog and childlike delving into all that was Organic Gardening, I am finding that gardening, organic or otherwise, at high altitude isn't all that it was supposedly cracked up to be.

The sustainable, green-oriented community, and the local County offices, have politely informed me that (1) I would need a soil test done, (2) that costs upwards of $50, (3) to tell me the soil can't really support anything, but the local lumber store could recommend compost/ manure/ fertilizer and (4) nothing grows here but flowers. Plus, the growing season is about, 8 weeks long - max. One of my neighbors said she spent months tending to a tomato plant to have one grow and the rest freeze in an early-August temperature drop. Well, let me save time and effort and switch my ideas now.

Thus, the garden plan is now shifting from a grow-your-own, teach-the-baby-where-food-comes-from, to a patch of hardy nasturtiums. Instead, I will have a small container garden on our sunny, warm deck, so that I can bring in the tender tomato plants at night if necessary. Containers? Courtesy of our local grocery store's flower department. They gave us some leftover rose buckets gratis. And lovely A drilled some holes for drainage.

For more inspiration, and a reality check on planning and planting a veggie garden, read Petit Elefant's post here or Jason's Guide to Indoor Gardening of Tomatoes here. In the meantime, enjoy my sprouting seedlings courtesy of our egg carton. The sunflower is sprouting, alongside some peas. The lid shows what I planted where.

Better Lotions and Potions

I am constantly finding new ways to come up with healthy, homemade personal care items.

My favorites to date?

- Peppermint Body Scrub:

* 2 cups of fine-grade, dry sea salt

* 4 oz of oil (safflower, sunflower, soy or almond oil)

* 2 Tbsp of dried peppermint leaves (i.e., the contents of 2 peppermint tea bags)

* 1/2 tsp essential oil of peppermint

Stir, mix, spoon into a jar.

- Baby Oil

* 1 cup oil (sunflower, olive or almond)

* 2-3 capfuls vitamin E (pierce and squeeze into carrier oil)

Place in squeeze bottle and shake.

- Oatmeal bath

* 1 cup oatmeal, processed in food processor until powder.

Sprinkle into bath and swirl around.

For more baby products, including creams and wipes, visit Natural Homemade. For more body scrub ideas with essential oils, try Martha Stewart.

Toxin Free Toys

Oh, the never-ending quest to protect ourselves from that which we thought was harmless...

Following up on an interesting discussion with a friend, take eco one step further and look at your baby toys: are they plastic? Do they contain phtalates, PVC or bPa (bisphenol-A)? We always prefer toys that are more "natural" for the baby - wood, metal, classic.

We strive to choose ones that are simple, safe and smart. I am trying to educate myself on the phtalates and bPa that is now found in most baby products. I know all about baby bottles, and choose silicone nipples instead of latex (due to my allergy). Now I look for the "safe for 3+" years of age sign on most toys - that means that either there are small parts, or that the plastic item contains phtalates, PVC (to make it flexible) or bPa and is unsafe for developing infants. For example, if your rubber ducky says "3+" on it, or, for example, a pail I got for Easter had that label, neither of which had small parts - that means there is either phtalates or bPa, and is unsafe for bambino to put in his mouth.

Of course babies will try to put everything in their mouths - this is the nature of exploration. So now I try to swap with a different toy, or (in practicality), let it go every once in a while. For more information, check out the San Francisco Chronicle's report, or to learn more about toxins, check out Rick Smith's "The Danger of Everyday Things".

For safer toys, check out Wee Organics, or just take a close look at the packaging.

So True!

Eco Living - Spring Cleaning in Snow!

Here we are trying to spring clean, despite an inch or so of freshly fallen snow. To celebrate winter's return, I made the lovely Zucchini Tarte - perfectly summery.

Easy ways to eco clean your house:

- My window/countertop cleaner. No harsh chemicals, and cleans like a whiz!

- For freshening up stainless steel, try white vinegar.

- To disinfect, try diluted bleach, or for fume-free, hydrogen peroxide.

- To scrub, good old-fashioned baking soda.

- Furniture/wood polish: 2 parts olive oil to 1 part lemon juice.

- Replace your shower curtain with one that is PVC free. Ours is a PEVA, available through Target home.

Teething, Anyone?

Because bambino is teething, nothing is safe - including the rail on his crib. I don't mind the marks on the crib so much as I am worried that he is ingesting some not-too-safe products (lead paint or varnish or what not). I looked around and didn't really like the plastic covers, and I am not adept at sewing, so I came up with a solution for a rail guard/protector.

Just take a blanket (we used one that came with the layette that was more decorative than practical), fold in half lengthwise, and sew the ends together. Then, sew a ribbon on each end. Sew the corresponding other half of the ribbon where you folded the blanket in half, tie the ribbons together - and voila! - you have a rail guard. No muss, no fuss!

Took the baby a little while to figure out how to climb up with the blanket, but figured it out (of course) in no time at all.

Happy Mother's Day!

It cracks me up how the press lauds Mothers Day as the time to "luxuriate in bed with coffee" or indulge in "Breakfast in Bed." With a young one, you are either up at 2 or 4 am, or up at 6am. There's no indulgence involved!

Even if you get an hour to yourself, a moment to yourself, I find that on this Mother's Day it is important to remember these feelings - that we are able to extend these moments of "indulgence" to everyday. Define what is indulgent to you, and do that EVERY DAY. Invest your time, your talent, your energy into that which feeds you, and you will feel indulgent, indeed. Extend the celebration beyond the one day that honors mothers, to every day honoring yourself.

As we know, if we don't treat ourselves well, who will?

In the meantime, enjoy these thought-provoking articles:

- Martha Beck's "10 Life Lessons You Should Unlearn"

- Ladies Home Journal "Why It's Healthy to Put Yourself First"

- Be Truthful about who you are (reflected in the choices you make). Shift your perspective: it's not about what you had, but what you have. (Both from Suze Orman's Laws of Money, Lessons of Life, excerpt here).

- Connect with spirit to shift your perspective and elevate your mood. Become connected, and strive to stay connected, with this spirit, this energy within.

EcoChic

-LOVE these new tops from BTC Elements, a/k/a, Hey, Does Anyone Remember the 80s? Instead of offering up $180 plus for these EcoChic fashions, why not take a pair of scissors to that old -shirt you have in the back of the closet (or better yet, your husband's / boyfriend's / significant other's). It's sure to make your day.