Wednesday, June 10, 2009

Organic or Not?




Here's a link to a quick guide which shows which fruits and veggies are most susceptible to pesticides (the dirty dozen), making them more important candidates for buying organic. There is also a list of the fruits and veggies which are less likely to be contaminated (the clean 15) and therefore not as crucial to buy organic.

http://www.foodnews.org/EWG-shoppers-guide-download-final.pdf (Source: Environmental Working Group, 2009)

Sunday, June 7, 2009

Pool/Bath Robe





I found a great blog on the Sew, Mama, Sew website while I was pregnant and just now am actually getting around to making some things from it. Sew, Mama, Sew is a fabric store with some pretty cool stuff. The brick and mortar store is located in Beaverton, Oregon, a suburb of Portland, but they also have an online presence. Their blog is a fantastic resource for all kinds of crafty ideas for someone who loves to sew. They have great tutorials, contests, sew alongs and giveaways.

I had printed the tutorial for this pool robe (http://sewmamasew.com/blog2/?p=526) long, long ago and a few weeks back I purchased a beach towel to inspire me to actually get started. The original instructions are designed for a 4-7 year old child, so I scaled it down to fit Alex (16 months). I made it long-sleeved, although the original is short-sleeved and I also added a hood, which I thought would be useful when the little one has a wet head. I used velcro as a closure, rather than buttons and didn't applique anything, but I am really happy with how it turned out. I will definitely be making more of these in the future with my adaptations. I think that the hood makes it particularly cute!

Random, I Know

So, I haven't written on this blog since October. That is crazy! It has nothing to do with a lack of material or wanting to, believe me. It is more because of a lack of being able to just set aside time, but tonight Alex cooperated and went down at 8:00, so here I am. I was thinking the other day of some really simple things around the house which I have grown to really like over the past few years. One of these products is tea tree oil.

Growing up I had acne forever and it seems as though I tried everything under the sun to get rid of it, only to have dry patches around big red pimples...not exactly what I was looking for. But within the past few years, I have found that tea tree oil really helps with blemishes on my face. Granted, I have far fewer than I ever did in the past, but now it seems that if I dab on tea tree oil with a cotton swab, as soon as I feel something coming on it helps to really minimize it. Also works great for mosquito bites, if you react the way that I do to them. It has qualities which lend it to being a good disinfectant, so probably not a bad thing to have around. It is worth a shot, for sure. I picked up mine at the local drugstore and I have seen the Desert Essence brand at Trader Joe's. I know, it is totally a random thing, but just thought someone else might benefit from the find.

Another thing that I love to keep on hand next to my sink at all times now is baking soda. I just keep a container of it full at all times. It is great for cleaning our sink which is cast iron with an enamel coating. Just a good cleanser for alot of stuff, like the stovetop, countertops, faucets. Mix it with a little water and you are good to go.

Finally, white vinegar is a handy standby as well. I have some in a solution with water in a spray bottle. Makes a great glass cleaner without the chemicals. You do smell vinegar a bit at first, but once it evaporates, no smell is left behind. Both the baking soda and white vinegar are so inexpensive too, so that is a bonus! No harsh chemicals and inexpensive and widely available. Who wouldn't love that?