Great find - SWEEP DREAMS Broom

Yesterday, I popped into one of my favorite stores in Escondido, CA, REVERIE, and purchased a SWEEP DREAMS Broom for my son.  It is handcrafted out of 100% renewable sorghum and bamboo from Thailand.  It is dyed with non-toxic colors, and assembled by workers under fair labor conditions and compensation.  The one I bought for my son is kid sized, but I think I may go back and get one for me that is full sized.  They are beautiful.  I needed to buy a new broom anyway, and this one sure beats anything I would have bought at the nearby big box store.  

Check out their website, they have lots of cool stuff.  (We have one of their mats, too!  And LOVE IT!)

http://www.sweepdreams.com/index.aspx

And here is Reverie's site:

http://www.reverieboutique.com/

Homemade French Fries

Homemade French Fries are one of our favorite things to make around our house.  Maybe not the most healthy in the world, but at least we can say we make them with love!

Vegetable Oil

Yukon Gold Potatoes - sliced thinly, or julliened

White Granulated Sugar

Seasoning Salt

Straining Ladle, Slotted Spoon, or Slotted Spatula

Paper Towels

Heat oil in a large pot.  It must get hot before you toss in the potatoes, but make sure the oil does not burn.  I always toss one potato in to see if the oil is ready.  If the potato immediately starts to bubble, then I know I am good to go.  Turn the potatoes a bit as they cook, to be sure all sides are browning evenly.  When the potatoes turn golden brown, they are ready.  Take them out of the oil and place them on a plate lined with paper towels.  Pat some of the excess oil off.  Sprinkle the sugar and the seasoned salt on the potatoes, making sure to get all sides covered.

Here are some neat ways to enjoy your fries:

With Spicy Ketchup

Mix in your favorite hot sauce (mine is Tapatio) with regular ketchup.

Aussie Style

Dip first in sour cream, then in Sweet Thai Chili Sauce.

Brit Style

Smother them with yellow curry sauce.

Texas Style

Smother them with gravy.

Spanish Style

Melt Manchengo cheese over fries and top with caramelized onions.

SMILE!

""A child's smile is like a ray of sunshine on a cloudy day.""

Author: Unknown

""If you smile when no one else is around, you really mean it""

Author: Andy Rooney

"A child's smile is one of life's greatest blessings."

Author: Unknown

"A laugh is a smile that bursts."

Author: Mary Waldrip

"A smile costs nothing but gives much. It enriches those who receive, without making poorer those who give. It takes but a moment, but the memory of it sometimes last forever."

Author: Anonymous

"A smile is a language even a baby understands."

Author: Unknown

"A Smile is truly the only thing that can be understood in any language."

Author: Unknown

"Don't worry about wrinkles they're just antique smiles."

Author: Unknown

"Keep smiling - it makes people wonder what you've been up to."

Author: Unknown

"Start every day off with a smile and get it over with."

Author: W.C. Fields

"A smile is an inexpensive way to change your looks."

Author: Unknown

""Don't cry because it's over...Smile because it happened.""

Author: Dr. Seuss

Sunscreen Can Affect Fish and Turtles - Gotta Read This!

So, at some point last night, I feel asleep with the t.v. still on.  When I woke up early this morning, Bill Nye The Science Guy was on.  He was talking about SUNSCREEN.  Many sunscreens contain sodium benzoate, which wash off in the ocean as we are swimming, or wash off in our showers (and down our drains, and eventually back to our oceans) after a long day at the beach - and fish and especially, turtles, are being adversely affected by this chemical.  

By sodium benzoate leaching into these waters, it is exposing wildlife to high levels of estrogen which can cause them to CHANGE SEX!  The younger and smaller the fish, the more prone they are to this phenomena. 

 

So, "The Science Guy" suggests we look for sunscreens that contain zinc oxide, instead.  Also, wearing UV protectant clothing is an option.  Since summer is upon us, I thought this was good info for us all to have.  

http://www.billnye.com/

Also, check out:

http://realityisastateofbeing.blogspot.com/2010/05/safer-sun-protection.html

for a great blog post on sunscreen!

"Seeing" Design

Design is everywhere.  It is in nature:  the way a long leaf curls onto another leaf, and then gives way to a flower.  It is in the sidewalk:  the way the crevices and cracks form an impromptu pattern on the ground.  It is in in your child's smile : the way the corners of the mouth gently curve upward onto plump cheeks you just want to pinch - they are so cute!

Take the time to "see" design.  You will see your house, your yard, the "usual" things in a very different light.  You can even keep a small journal to write down your discoveries.  This is a great project for both parents and kids alike.  It will stretch your creativity and writing muscles.  

Yummy Trail Mix

Check out the bulk bins at your local health food store.  There are lots of fun items to choose from - and the kids love picking out their favorites.  (Plus the scooping and mixing are great "practical life" skills. )  Here is our most recent recipe:

1 scoop raisins

1 scoop dried pineapple (sweetened)

1 scoop dried shaved coconut (sweetened)

1 scoop peanuts (salted)

1 scoop pistachios (unsalted)

1/2 scoop chocolate chips

GREAT TOY! - Kapla Blocks and Keva Planks

We first saw Keva Planks at The Reuben H. Fleet Science Center in San Diego.  The Keva Plank area was packed with kids (and adults) intently building their own masterpieces of architecture.  They were building these amazing structures by stacking the planks.  No glue and no connectors.  Each plank is identical.  

As the Keva site says, "They can be stacked upright which looks like it would be unstable as a house of cards, but even this type of structure is surprisingly stable."

Then, a friend gave my son Kapla Blocks for his birthday.  Each wooden block is also made of pine and is identically sized and shaped.  They are intended to be stacked, and you can stack them REALLY high, depending on your design.  They are all weighted the same.  The blocks are certified green from renewable forests of Marine pine near the Bordeaux region of France.  They are used as educational toys in France, and I bet you might find them in some Montessori schools here in the States.  A model Eiffel Tower made of thousands of Kapla blocks was exhibited in 2008 in the Cité de l'Architecture in Paris. Kapla has also shown at the Louvre and at the Children's Museum of Manhattan. These toys are beautiful, practical, "green," and will capture your child's imagination for years.  (I like to play with them too, I must admit!)

The Keva Planks are produced here in the US.  Check out their site at:

http://kevaplanks.com

I found Kapla Blocks on Amazon.com.  Here is a link to the basic set:

http://www.amazon.com/Kapla-100-Piece-Wooden-Building/dp/B000LNNC8S