Chemical Free Lifestyle

Since I was young I have noticed that when I wear tight fitting clothes they itch my body, I thought I was allergic to jeans.  In high school I wanted to write an essay about laundry detergent and fabric softeners but I couldn't find the ingredients to what was in them. I e-mailed and wrote letter to the wonderful people that produce these products and not one company would give the ingredients in the products.  What the hell!  When I started living on my own I would buy free and clear laundry detergent which eliminated the itching but still the ingredients weren't labeled on the huge jug of detergent.  Over recent years I have used organic free and clear detergents but I always wondered what harmful ingredients lurk in our cleaning products that just about everyone keeps on hand.  Is there a better way to clean our homes that doesn't wreck our families' respiratory systems.  My oldest daughter was almost hospitalized at six months for pneumonia and had yearly bronchitis till she was five.

Now I am convinced there is a better way and with inspiration from my favorite author Kim Barnouin whom wrote Skinny Bitch in the Kitch and co-wrote Skinny Bitch now has come out with a book Skinny Bitch: Home, Beauty, and Style which explains the chemicals in our homes and how to rid ourselves of them.  This book is inspirational along with the environmental working group web site http://www.ewg.org/guides/cleaners/ I will rid my house of most toxins.  I'm excited and hoping the recommendations for cleaning products work effectively.  I will post what I use and I feel they work.  Can't wait to get started!

Octahedron Mobile

Octahedron Mobile

This is the second mobile in the Montessori Series

Materials:

-Printer

-Printer paper

-Super Glue

-Scissors

-Metallic Paper (found at Hobby Lobby)

    -Gold

    -Blue

    -Red

-Wooden dowel (I bought a package of 15 dowels, size 3/16in x 12in)

-Fishing line

-Small beads (3)

-Large bead

-Ruler

-Pencil

How I made it:

First print the pattern to make an octahedron.

http://www.mathsisfun.com/geometry/octahedron-model.html

Cut out the pattern

Trace the pattern on to the back of the metallic paper

Take a ruler to draw the pattern onto the back of the metallic paper

Used sharp scissors to score the drawn pattern where there will be a fold

Cut out the drawn pattern from the metallic paper

Fold the paper 

(Not pictured)

In order to attach the octahedron to the mobile you have to tie a bead to a long piece of fishing line and make sure you put the bead inside the shape and make sure you glue the bead inside the shape.

Finish gluing the rest of the shape together, making sure not to pull the string out

Once all is ends are glued your should have a hanging shape

Tie and glue fishing line to each end of the wooden dowel

Take a smaller loop of fishing line

Tie a knot in it 

(You'll hang it from this piece)

Place a bead under the knot

Tie the other end to the string attached to the wooden dowel

Repeat with other colors of paper

Then tie and glue to the wooden dowel

I used a ruler to make sure the red and blue hung at the same height

I tied the red and blue shapes as close to the edges as I could then measured the center of the dowel for the gold shape.  

I will update with pictures of my baby using this mobile when he's here.

Massager vs. Sensorial Toy

Spiky Sensorial Experience

I'm not sure if this is a child's toy or if it's just a hand held massager.  I decided it's a sensorial toy that "Roonie" can use as a teether or to massage her chunky thighs.  Usually I roll it over her arms and legs to see if she likes it.  I'm unsure of how much she likes this toy, I hardly see her exploring with it.  I'll keep you updated if she likes it at a different age.

I purchased this at a consignment store and it was labeled as "eco friendly toy", if you know what brand of toys may make this toy or if you've seen it at a store in the health area for massage.  I would love to know if it is in fact a toy or not.

Skwish

The Skwish

This toy was recommended by my instructors. 

I got this one on Amazon for only $14 as compared to some places where it was priced at $25. The first time "Roonie" saw this toy she smiled, It's extremely visually stimulating and if your baby falls on it the toys skwishes down so your baby is not hurt, or so you can easily fit it into your purse.  "Roonie" likes to shake it, I think she likes the sound of the wooden beads moving across the wooden bars.  Anyway she definitely will concentrate on this toy for about seven minutes.

Local Toy Store

Baby Bear

I've been thinking about going to a consignment store off of Lomas for a while now.  When "Addy" was younger I used to take all of her old clothes there and they would give a significant amount of money for her clothes.  My "Roonie" and I decided to visit the store to find stuff for our little bundle of joy "J" expected to be here Septemeber 30th. The moment we walked in I realized the store had expanded from being a sweet consignment store to being a quality wooden toy store and organic baby clothing store. The store is filled with the most beautiful toys that nurture infant development.  I absolutely love this store and recommend that everyone visit this store for baby shower gifts or for lovely wooden toys for your own child.   
Another joy to this wonderful store is the staff, what a pleasure they are to talk to.  Denise was on staff when I visited the store and she was a delight to talk to.  She showed me tons of toys for my little "Roonie" and gave her a baby doll to play with while we shopped.  She explained the history of the store and was helpful and wonderful to talk to.  I think I was there for about an hour just talking.  Denise also told me that they have the largest stock of cloth diapers in New Mexico.  I'm not a cloth diaper type of person but it's nice to know for anyone whom is.  

Crawling

Wooden Floor Tumbler

This toy helps to encourage crawling and also can be used as a rattle.  Adinda uses it only as a rattle because she is older.  My son will hopefully use it to help encourage crawling.  This I also found at a children's consignment store.

Walker

Radio Flyer Red Wagon Walker

We had this walker wagon in the model classroom where I took my Motessori training.

This walker wagon was a little tricky to construct but well worth it for all the use.  Adinda has ridden in the wagon while her sisters push her and now she is walking with the wagon.  What makes this wagon so perfect for beginning to walk is that it has a little it of resistance when you push it so it doesn't get away from the baby.