Strocel.com | Reviews

Cardboard Playhouse: The Review I Couldn’t Say No To

Amber on November 7, 2011 5 Comments

I have done very few product reviews on Strocel.com. Partly it’s because I often don’t feel comfortable reviewing many of the products that are typically pitched to parent bloggers for review, and partly it’s because I want to make sure that what I’m writing about is compelling and engaging material. I’m just not sure my thoughts on kitty litter are all that compelling and engaging, even if I could ignore the fact that the kitty litter in question may cause breathing problems in cats. Sometimes, though, something comes into my inbox and it’s so awesome I can’t say ‘no’. This was the case with the children’s cardboard playhouse from Boutique Cascades.

I know the Cascades name from their environmentally-friendly toilet paper. According to their website, they’re one of the largest paper recyclers in North America, together with their partner Metro Waste Paper Recovery. Their products are made of recycled paper, from consumer and industrial sources. They’re branching out, and they’ve recently launched a line of children’s cardboard furniture. When they offered me a free playhouse for review purposes, I jumped on it.

I have seen cardboard playhouses online before, and my reaction was always, “Really? Can’t you just use a regular box?” My kids have had improvised cardboard playhouses before, made out of old boxes, and they were great. I didn’t see why I would shell out $48 for something that I could get for free. Since getting the playhouse, setting it up, and watching my kids play in it for over a week, though, I have to say that this is much different than an old box. The cardboard in the playhouse is far thicker and sturdier. Plus the playhouse includes features like skylights and windows, so that it’s bright inside, as well as little touches like a chimney, awnings, mailbox and front and back doors with window cut-outs.

The playhouse was relatively easy to assemble, once I decided to actually read the instructions. Far easier than any IKEA furniture I’ve put together, and I didn’t have to use any tools. It’s much bigger than it looks in photos, too. My husband and I can easily sit inside it at the same time. We can’t stand up, of course, but it’s pretty roomy. In fact, if I had realized just how roomy, I would have invested a little more thought in where I set it up. Once it’s up it can be moved – but not easily. It’s reasonably lightweight, but it’s awkward and you’d need to partially disassemble it to get it through doors or up stairways.

Because the playhouse is made of cardboard, it likely won’t last forever. I think it could last a fair while, though, as long as you don’t leave it outside in the rain. It’s pretty rugged, and so far it’s stood up to whatever my kids have thrown at it. Plus, when you’re done with it, it’s biodegradable and recyclable. Plastic houses don’t last forever, either … except in the landfill. I feel better knowing that when my kids are done with their toy, it won’t end up in a garbage dump.

The big upside of the cardboard house is that you can decorate it, and my six-year-old Hannah has been doing just that. She practiced her printing by labeling the doors and the mailbox, and writing messages inside. She’s created an art retreat / play fort, and she and her three-year-old brother disappear inside for 30 minutes or more at a time. They are really grooving on the playhouse, and I am grooving on a shared interest that gives me time to make dinner.

Snack time is always more fun inside the playhouse

I’m gushing, I know, but I heart my playhouse. When I look at how much my kids have enjoyed it, and I consider that it costs less than many, many toys that get far less play, I think I would have felt pretty good about my purchase if I had paid for it. As much fun as an old cardboard box is, it can’t hold a candle to the playhouse. Which, by the way, is something you shouldn’t do, because if you hold a candle to a cardboard playhouse, it will catch fire. Safety first, people.

If you’d like a playhouse of your own, or any other cardboard children’s furniture, Boutique Cascades is generously offering 25% off your purchase if you use the code STROCEL before November 30, 2011. Now, if you’re looking for me, I’ll be drawing smiley faces on the playhouse walls.

Tagged With: Enviro-Mama, Kids, Reviews

The Womanly Art of Breastfeeding

Amber on July 30, 2010 23 Comments

My daughter Hannah was born at 34 weeks gestation. It’s not easy to breastfeed a preterm infant, and we struggled in the beginning. On many occasions, I wasn’t sure if we would make it. But we did make it, for a whole lot of reasons. One of the biggest, looking back, was the help I found at La Leche League (LLL).

I stumbled into my first La Leche League meeting when Hannah was 8 weeks old, and we were still using nipple shields. I had been discharged from my midwives at 6 weeks, and when I asked them where to get breastfeeding support, they recommended LLL. I walked into my first meeting with trepidation, not sure what I would find. But I needed help, so I screwed up my courage and went.

What I found was community. Leaders and mothers sharing their stories, and showing me that I could do it. I returned, became a member, and eventually a leader^*. I wanted to help others as I had been helped.

LLL’s cornerstone book is The Womanly Art of Breastfeeding. The book encapsulates the organization’s philosophy and contains thorough, comprehensive and well-researched breastfeeding information. On July 13, 2010 its 8th edition was released, and I was lucky enough to nab a review copy. The new edition is a complete re-write, and is significantly different from the 7th edition. Although if you’ve read an earlier edition and enjoyed it, I suspect you will enjoy this one, too.

So, what did I think? Honestly, I breathed a huge sigh of relief. I want to thank the book’s authors – Teresa Pitman, Diana West and Diane Wiessinger – for writing a book that I can recommend without reservation. As much as I love LLL, the 7th edition sometimes made me cringe. I think the update was much-needed, and I am so happy to read it.

Here are some of the things I love about this book:

There are tear sheets at the back that you can cut out and quickly reference, including information for new grandparents on how baby care recommendations have changed, milk storage guidelines and how to get breastfeeding started.
They suggest letting the baby self-latch. I did this with Jacob, and it was much better than the “rapid arm movement” they recommended when Hannah was born.
The photos of nursing mothers in this edition don’t make me think of my grade 3 teacher anymore. The 80s hair and glasses are GONE!
No longer are babies only “he”, and partners only “dad”. The language is much more inclusive.
The book covers breastfeeding at various ages, in chronological order, so you can skip right to the section that you need right now.
The section on mothering and working much more accurately reflects the realities that parents face, without passing judgment on those who do work. This was a major issue for many people with previous editions, including me.
Just like all LLL publications, the book is thoroughly researched and includes detailed references.

If I have any criticism of the book, it would be its size. I don’t get a lot of reading time, so it’s taken me more than two weeks to finish it. It can seem a little bit intimidating. I think it’s good to keep in mind that the book contains detailed discussion of a whole lot of scenarios you probably will never encounter. So skimming it, and not worrying about breastfeeding twins if you don’t have twins, is totally reasonable. Take what you need and leave the rest.

I am so glad to see this update to The Womanly Art of Breastfeeding. I hope that other people enjoy it as much as I did, and that it helps make breastfeeding, and LLL, more accessible to all mothers.

^* I don’t talk about my LLL leader status on this blog often, because I am not writing here in my capacity as a leader. For instance, LLL doesn’t necessarily share my views on Roch Voisine. They have to remain neutral, though how they can remain neutral in the face of such awesomeness, I have no idea.

Tagged With: Books, Breastfeeding, Reviews

Hopscotch Kids

Amber on July 24, 2010 37 Comments

A few weeks ago I talked about painting my son’s toenails pink. The backstory is that I received some Hopscotch Kids Nail Polish from my friend Sue at Raspberry Kids. The sample was given to me for free, in exchange for writing about it here. Which I am about to do. Disclosure: accomplished.

Anyways, back to my story. I got the little bottle full of bubblegum pink-ness, and of course my daughter Hannah and I tried it out. And then my toddler Jacob got in on the fun. In the end three sets of toes and one set of fingers were painted. The instructions with the polish said that you should clean and buff your nails first. We did not. We are rebels that way. We applied only one coat, and then we played in the grass. More rebellion.

Hannah’s toes

In spite of our rebelliousness, the nail polish lasted pretty well. After a week there was some chipping and fading, but that’s been my experience with pretty much all nail polish. I would say that its drying time and length of wear were pretty typical. It’s been 3 weeks since I did Jacob’s toes, and there are still polish remnants on him. It behaved pretty much like regular polish, but it is not as scary as regular polish.

The people who make Hopscotch Kids say that their polish is completely safe and non-toxic. I am not really qualified to judge their claim, but I can tell you that it doesn’t smell like regular nail polish. In fact, it smells sort of like water colours, which I guess makes sense considering that it is water-based. It didn’t emit fumes, and I really appreciated that, especially because it was going on my kids. My daughter Hannah loves nail polish, so having a safer option is awesome.

My feet, evidence that I am not so good at getting the polish in the right spot

Along with the polish, I received a sample size bottle of polish remover. My experiences with the remover were less positive. On the upside, it is free of the scary chemicals that traditional polish removers contain. But it didn’t do a great job of removing the polish. For my kids it wasn’t a big issue. Their polish seems to wear off faster than mine, probably because they are far more active in general. Also, they don’t really care if there are polish remnants. But for me, it was a bigger deal. I don’t really enjoy the half-polished nails look, and I had to use a lot of remover to avoid that.

Hopscotch Kids is geared to kids, and for kids I think it’s a good solution. I certainly feel more comfortable with it than with whatever we find at the drugstore. My kids love the vibrant colours, too. For adults, though, the ineffective remover is a bit more of an issue. I understand that Hopscotch is working on an adult line, so perhaps they will work out their polish remover with that.

Polish and remover

My friend Sue kindly gave me a second sample size polish, remover and emery board to give away. The polish is bubblegum pink, which is the same colour we used. If you would like a chance to try it, leave a comment on this post sometime before 6pm Pacific time on July 26. I will draw one winner at random – people anywhere in the world can enter, one entry per person. UPDATE – The contest is now closed, congratulations to Melodie, our winner!

Tagged With: Bloggy McBloggerson, Enviro-Mama, Giveaways, Reviews

The Gourmet Pregnancy

Amber on May 22, 2010 20 Comments

I recently received a copy of The Gourmet Pregnancy by Leah Douglas, an author who just happens to live in my own backyard. It was given to me for free, for the purpose of writing a review on this blog. And while I’m feeling all disclose-y, I will also say that if you click on the Amazon links and purchase the book, I will earn a small commission. Also, while I am reviewing a pregnancy cookbook, I am not, in fact, pregnant. Not even a little bit. Transparency achieved? Good.

I must confess that initially, I found the idea of a pregnancy cookbook a little … odd. After all, the time that you spend pregnant is really pretty short in the grand scheme of things, unless you happen to be Michelle Duggar. I’m not sure that I, personally, would buy a book that’s targeted so specifically to cooking while you’re pregnant. Especially because I get pretty sick when I’m pregnant. It’s one time in my life when thinking about food and looking at pictures of food is completely unappealing to me. I actually had to leave a restaurant once during my 2nd pregnancy because people had the audacity to eat right in front of me. The nerve!

My kids decorated the cover – they’re so thoughtful that way

My opinion changed a little when I got my hands on a copy. The book opens with a comprehensive listing of what foods an expectant mother should avoid, and what foods she can consume in moderation. It advocates for enjoying food, and it manages to avoid an alarmist tone. The recipes themselves are varied, and they’re more about eating what you like, and less about ensuring you get your daily recommended allowance of folate. I’d sum up the book’s feel as: “Food can still be fun when you’re pregnant, even though your approach changes.” It came across to me as a gorgeous resource, that manages to avoid finger-wagging about fish consumption.

I am only one woman, though, so I decided to get some more opinions. Luckily, I just happen to have a pregnant sister. Gretchen is expecting her first child, a boy, in early July, and last weekend she had her baby shower. I prepared some recipes from the book and brought them along. I made tempura dill pickles with sambal oelek dip, fresh tomato, basil and bocconcini skewers with lemon olive oil, chocolate raspberry fudge and fresh mango strawberry lemonade. The quality of my photos isn’t very good, because the light was low, but here they are:

Tempura dill pickles (L) and skewers (R)

Chocolate raspberry fudge (L) and mango strawberry lemonade (R)

What I loved about the book was that every recipe had a beautiful accompanying photo. I liked the way the book was broken up into sections, and had a wide variety of food choices. I also appreciated that the instructions were simple and straightforward, at least the ones I tried. The skewers were especially fun, because my 5-year-old was able to help. I can see a lot of skewers in our future. On the whole, the food was fancy, but not fussy to make. Which is a bonus, because what pregnant lady wants to spend 2 hours on her feet making dinner?

What I didn’t love as much was that almost every recipe called for ingredients I didn’t already have on hand. I suppose that’s going to be true of most gourmet recipes, though, since my pantry runs more towards cheddar, apple slices and ketchup than bocconcini, fresh lemons and sambal oelek. On the upside, I did discover that my local suburban grocery store stocks sambal oelek, so that was fun.

Tempura dill pickle recipe

I thought the recipes I tried were delicious, and I went back for more. I especially thought the tempura pickles were fun. Gretchen said that she enjoyed all of the food, too, so it has an actual pregnant lady’s stamp of approval. As for the other shower guests – most everyone liked the the mango strawberry lemonade, and the skewers were also a hit. The pickles were hot and cold – folks either loved them or hated them. And the fudge? Well, it was fudge. I had to cut my 5-year-old off at 2 pieces, and then I had to peel her off the ceiling.

As for the book, Gretchen was a fan. She is much cooler than I am. In fact, she always has been, not that I’m bitter or anything. She and her husband live downtown, and they eat out and entertain a lot. She thinks that she would actually use a book like this, in order to make food that she really enjoys for herself and for others. She also thinks that many pregnant women aren’t very well-informed about what they should and shouldn’t eat, so having a fun resource is helpful. Plus, she managed to escape pregnancy without any nausea, so food is maybe less scary for her than it was for me.

If you are a pregnant foodie, or you are a foodie cooking for a pregnant lady, then The Gourmet Pregnancy may be a good book for you. It’s certainly gorgeous to look at, if you enjoy poring over recipe books. I passed my copy along to Gretchen, and she’s loving it. She said that she would absolutely buy it as a gift for a pregnant friend. As for me, I bought some more tempura mix and I plan to try the pickles again. They don’t seem to be everyone’s thing, but they’re a hit with me. Pickles are good, man!

Tagged With: Books, Food, Pregnancy, Reviews

Friendlier Dishwashing

Amber on March 22, 2010 25 Comments

I’ve mentioned before that I hate doing dishes. I pretty much always have. Thankfully I have a dishwasher, which saves me a fair bit of hand washing. But some things just don’t go in the dishwasher, so I can’t completely escape the chore.

To make dishwashing a little more palatable I use sponges. For some reason, I find sponges less off-putting than dishcloths. However, the ubiquitous scrubby sponges that I love have a plastic scrubbing piece attached, and they often contain dyes and antibacterial agents. Sometimes the sponges themselves are even made of plastic polymers which won’t biodegrade. Not so environmentally friendly.

Eden Home came to my rescue, by giving me some Twist biodegradable sponges and scrubbies to try out. They sent me a ravioli scrubby, a dish dumpling and a two-pack of loofah kitchen sponges. They also sent me a bottle of Maison Belle dish soap to try.

I was a little disappointed that the sponges came wrapped in plastic. It would be great if that weren’t the case, because while the sponges themselves might be biodegradable the plastic wrapper definitely isn’t. So, Twist, maybe you should consider changing that.

For the past few weeks my husband and I have been using the sponges and scrubbies, along with our new dish soap, to do our dishes. Out of the gate, I loved the ravioli scrubby. I was able to make it work as a stand-alone dish solution. It is just abrasive enough to scrub with, but also soft and absorbent enough to wipe counters with. Given the choice of the three, I found myself reaching for it most often. Unfortunately, after a couple of weeks of use its edges started to fray. It is still usable, but not as good as pre-frayed edges, for sure. Also, I found that it takes quite a while to dry out, since the sponge inside is wrapped in the heavy hemp exterior, so I think you would need to sanitize it regularly.

The dish dumpling works just as well as the ravioli scrubby for scrubbing purposes, but it isn’t good for wiping. It has held up well, but it’s definitely not a stand-alone dish solution. Looking on the website this is the one that most appealed to me (I think because I am a fan of dumplings in general, which is a bit random) but it’s the last one I reach for in the kitchen.

The loofah sponge works well for wiping, but it’s a little weak on scrubbing. The loofah part is not as good at getting off cereal that my children have glued to the countertop as the other two. The sponge has held up well. I have only used one of the pair I received, and it’s got a lot of life in it still. I think that the loofah sponge in combination with the dish dumpling is probably the most economical and longest-lasting solution. Although I am still trying to use the ravioli scrubby, the truth is that if I had paid for it I would be kind of ticked off that it’s coming apart already.

My husband normally scoffs and complains when I buy ‘enviro’ dish soap, he’s a big Sunlight fan. However, he seems to feel that the Maison Belle soap is just as good. He also said that it smells good, and it does, with the lovely essential oils it contains for fragrance. The bottle is plastic, as pretty much all dish soap bottles are. The big downside was that it came with a plain cap. The pump spout I received with it was the wrong size for the bottle. Luckily, the top of the bottle is the same size as our regular dish soap, so I re-purposed a spout from my husband’s beloved commercial soap and it’s working fine.

The best choice, environmentally speaking, would probably be to buy a bunch of organic cotton dish cloths and change them regularly. Or I could even get really fancy and knit some. But until I get over my dishcloth mental block, the dish dumpling and loofah sponge combination may be a reasonable compromise.

Now I’m curious. Do you have strong feelings about what you use to wash your dishes? Are you all about the hand-knitted dishcloths or the scrubby sponges? I wonder if it’s unusual that I have strong feelings about what I use to wash my dishes.

Tagged With: Bloggy McBloggerson, Enviro-Mama, Reviews

Play Dough Disaster and Redemption

Amber on March 8, 2010 16 Comments

My kids love play dough. Because, you know, they’re children. I keep thinking that I should make some of my own for them to play with. A quick visit to Google will provide you with several dozen recipes to choose from. And yet I have only attempted it once in 5 years of parenting. That single attempt left me feeling somewhat reluctant to try it again.

When I was growing up we referred to salt dough, that very salty substance that you make into shapes which are then baked and painted, as ‘homemade play dough’. Call it a regional quirk, I’m not really sure why. Anyways, my friend Kirsten and I had this brilliant idea to make homemade Christmas ornaments with our daughter’s hand prints. The girls were around 19 months old or so, and we were going to roll out flat circles in red and green and press the children’s chubby little hands into the dough to make an impression, that once dry could be proudly hung on a relative’s tree. Easy, right?

Um, not so easy, as it turns out. Like I said, until that fateful day I had never heard the term salt dough, so I set off on the internet and found a recipe for ‘homemade play dough’. One of the key ingredients was cream of tartar, which is a leavening agent. Oops. So Kirsten and I rolled out all of these little circles of dough and wrestled our toddlers to get 10 hand prints each. Not. Easy. When we put these ornaments into the oven, the cream of tartar worked its magic and they bubbled and rose and were completely destroyed. Trauma, sadness, the last time I ever attempted to make play dough again.

So, when the lovely Carmen from Eden Home contacted me and offered me some free organic play dough to review on this blog, I was really quite happy. Because it saved me from some of my guilt over never getting around to re-trying homemade dough of my own.

Max’s Mud organic play dough

The play dough is gluten free, vegan, non-toxic, fragrance-free, soy-free and corn-free. And maybe other things-free, too, I’m not sure I remembered everything. Its main ingredient is organic rice flour, and it comes in many colours. Your children will mix these colours together and if you are anything like me, it will make you more than a little neurotic. But try to remember, they are children, and the point is to play, not to keep the play dough pristine. Although it would be a better world if it were kept pristine, wouldn’t it?

Pretty colours, still pristine in their tubs

I loosed my children on the play dough, because honestly, my opinion matter just doesn’t matter here.

I asked my 5-year-old Hannah what she thought, and she seemed to think that it was just like other play dough. She did say that it doesn’t smell as good as other play dough, although it smells fine to me. It just doesn’t have any fragrances in it. It was the same as any other dough I’ve tried in terms of consistency. When my kids left it out, it also dried out the same as other doughs. It’s basically the same stuff, but less scary.

The biggest downside I can see to the organic play dough, aside from the cost that is understandably higher, is that it still comes in plastic tubs. The tubs are a little bit better than the traditional ones, because they are much easier to open and close. They are like small margarine tubs, so you could re-purpose them for other uses. Although the most ecologically-friendly choice would still have to be making your own, and one day I may just try it again myself.

So, please tell me your crafting with children disaster stories or tips. Have you attempted ornaments that didn’t turn out? Or are you a homemade play dough star with perfect results every time? I would love to hear all about it!

PS – The Green Moms Carnival is up today, and it is all about Environmental Toxins and Cancer. Read my post about the toxins found in breastmilk, and then drop by Nature Moms to see what everyone else had to say.

Tagged With: Bloggy McBloggerson, Kid Activities, Kids, Reviews

Ventriloquists are Fun

Amber on December 18, 2009 11 Comments

This week my 4-year-old Hannah and I were invited to see children’s entertainer and ventriloquist Kellie Haines perform Journey to the North Pole. I was asked to attend because I agreed to write about Kellie. I’ll take any chance to look cool to my kid, and going to a Christmas show with just my daughter sounded like fun.

We arrived at the theatre and took a bathroom break. That’s how 4-year-olds roll. I held the stall door shut for Hannah because this is the glamourous life I lead, people. Don’t let anybody tell you that family blogging isn’t first class all the way.

Holding the stall door shut

We had two reserved seats in the theatre’s second row. Primo location, really. But Hannah decided she would rather sit in the first row. That kid’s got chutzpah, what can I say? Anyways, they very kindly moved our reserved signs. We could have taken them off, of course, but Hannah really liked them.

Look at us, we have reserved seating!

Hannah, sitting in the new and improved front row seat

The rest of the show’s patrons were students from five local elementary schools. It was a field trip and the energy was high. There was much in the way of talking and seat-kicking and making pretend bunny ears over the head of the kid in front of you. It turns out that 6-year-olds are still pretty much the same as they have always been. It’s sort of comforting, really.

The stage, set up and ready for action

Before the show started a very nice gentleman reminded everyone that it was time to stop using our mouths and start using our ears. But the show was really not about sitting still and being quiet, opening with the classic, “Are you ready? I can’t hear you!” The kids screamed and yelled and laughed and pointed throughout the show. Kellie has been practicing her ventriloquism since she was 8 and she’s very good. Magrau the bird was the wise-cracking sidekick, and he brought down the house by stealing cupcakes and making jokes involving underwear.

Kellie and Magrau having a little chat

Hannah laughed loudest at Magrau, but was more taken by Kamilla, the 4-year-old frog puppet. Being a 4-year-old girl herself, she seemed to feel they have more in common, although she told me she thought Kamilla wasn’t really a frog.

Kellie and Kamilla

After the show, there was an appearance by Santa, bearing goodie bags. Hannah got to try a Wagon Wheel and was in raptures. Chocolate, marshmallow and cookie all in one package was too good to be true. We were also invited backstage to meet Kellie and the puppets. Hannah got to have a chat with Kamilla and talked Kellie into letting her try on some lipstick.

Kellie shares make-up tips with Hannah

It was really great to spend the afternoon with just Hannah, and watch her enjoy herself so thoroughly. Front row seats, underwear jokes, 4-year-old frogs, a Wagon Wheel and lipstick were just too much fun for my kid. Although she continues to puzzle about just how those puppets were talking, she thoroughly enjoyed herself. I would like to say a big thank you to Kellie for inviting us to the show, and I would recommend checking her out if you have the chance.

PS – I have advanced to the second round of the Canadian Blog Awards! From now until December 19 you can vote every day. Look for Strocel.com in the Family and Blog Post Series categories. This is the last time I’ll hound you about this, promise!

Tagged With: Bloggy McBloggerson, Kids, Reviews, Things to do

Practically Green

Amber on November 7, 2009 9 Comments

Mindful Momma and fellow Green Moms Carnival blogger Micaela Preston just published her first book, Practically Green. I asked her if I could have a copy for review. She happily sent it. So, you have full disclosure, I got this book for free.

I really didn’t know what this book would be like in advance. I’ve read more than my fair share of ‘green’ books, and I’ve liked some and disliked others. Some even left me feeling sort of depressed, as if the world is going to end no matter what and all my choices are wrong anyway, so why bother? I was really crossing my fingers that Micaela’s book would not do that, and I am happy to report that it didn’t. In fact, I really loved Practically Green!

Like I said, I didn’t really know what to expect. The first thing that struck me when I opened the book was how very pretty it is. I wouldn’t quite call it a coffee table book, but it is colourful, with lots of little green and orange boxes, as well as full-colour photos and diagrams. I am a sucker for the pretty, as you may know. The book also has lots of information on sustainable living, recipes, craft projects, and information on DIY greening like re-purposing old clothes or making your own beauty products.

Beyond the pretty, I really appreciated Micaela’s pragmatic approach. She says right up front that we’re not always going to be able to make perfect choices. But by doing our best, we are making a difference. Even if you can’t afford to buy all organic fruits and veggies, or have no interest in making baby hats out of old shirts, there are still small, practical changes you can make. And these changes will help your family’s health, and the health of the whole planet.

Because I am a full-service reviewer, I tried a couple of the projects in the book. My favourite was the recipe for ‘Power Bites’. I loved them! And so did the other people who tried them. Well, except for my very picky 4-year-old, but she won’t eat mashed potatoes, either, so take her opinion with a grain of salt. I fed them to some of my friends and their kids, and they disappeared pretty quickly.

Power Bites in progress

The finished product

There wasn’t much new information in this book for me. I already knew about the toxins in many home cleaning products and the potentially harmful chemicals in cosmetics. If you are looking for new, ground-breaking information you probably won’t find it here. But if you’re looking for some practical tips on how you can green your lifestyle, it’s great. And while some of the information is US-specific, I still felt that the vast majority was useful and applicable to me as a Canadian.

I can’t tell you how relieved I am that I liked this book. I was really afraid that Micaela would send me a free copy and I would struggle with what to say. Instead, I find myself trying to contain my gushing. If you are at all interested in sustainable living, and especially if you like the idea of sustainable crafts and cooking or making your own cleaning or beauty products, I highly recommend Practically Green!

Tagged With: Bloggy McBloggerson, Books, Enviro-Mama, Reviews

Trying out the Ergo

Amber on October 30, 2009 12 Comments

A few months ago I became the proud owner of a Beco Butterfly II baby carrier. I tried it out, and wore it all over. And while it had many upsides, in the end I preferred my mei tais. The poor Beco never stood a chance.

Recently, though, I got my hands on an Ergo. I have a friend who loves her Ergo, but is expecting a baby any day and she hasn’t had much luck with Ergo’s infant insert, so I loaned her my Beco. In exchange, she lent me her Ergo. And I have been wearing it here, there, and everywhere to see how I like it, and how it compares to the Beco and my beloved mei tais.

Trying out the Ergo on a family outing

So, what’s the verdict?

Here are the things I like about the Ergo:

There are far fewer points of adjustment as compared to the Beco, so I found it much easier to get a good fit.

It can hold a child who weighs up to 40 lbs. It held my 37 lb 4 1/2 year old comfortably and securely.

It doesn’t slip or give at all while you’re wearing it, so you can adjust it once and you’re set.

There is no fabric between you and the baby, so you could conceivably breastfeed in the Ergo.

There aren’t any dangling straps to drag on the ground or get caught in stuff.

I think most dads would be more willing to wear a carrier like this one than, say, a woven wrap.

The Ergo’s built-in sleep hood means that you’re not fumbling to find it and snap it on.

The Ergo is cheaper than the Beco.

Here are the things I don’t like so much:

The Ergo has a built-in sleep hood, which mostly just got in my way and can’t be removed. If you like the hood this wouldn’t be a problem, but I don’t use it and so it irked me.

For some reason I found the chest / back strap really hard to do up when I was wearing the baby on my front, much harder than the Beco.

The Ergo doesn’t have the handy-dandy little strap for easy and compact folding that the Beco does.

I didn’t try the Ergo infant insert, which is sold separately and required to use the Ergo with a baby under 4 months. However, the general consensus among my friends who have is that it’s not that great, and the Ergo is much better with babies 4 months and up.

It is harder to get the baby on your back when using the Ergo, as compared to the Beco.

Now that I’ve tried both the Beco and the Ergo, I am more on the fence than ever. I found the Ergo generally easier to understand and use, but I found the Beco to be a more well-thought-out carrier. If you are going to be using the carrier with a newborn, or if you feel less comfortable with back carries, I would go with the Beco. If you are going to be using the carrier with a slightly older infant or toddler, you like to breastfeed in the carrier, or you just don’t want to spend the extra money, an Ergo may be the way to go.

As for me, in honesty, I am going back to my Kozy. Like I said, I love my mei tais!

PS – I’ve got a new post up today at API Speaks – so head on over and read When Attachment Parenting Speaks for Itself.

Tagged With: Baby Gear, Babywearing, Reviews

Lovable Labels

Amber on August 22, 2009 15 Comments

I am not a review blogger. However, I have long been coveting some of those super-cool labels so that we wouldn’t constantly lose Hannah’s containers and clothes at school. So when the good people at Lovable Labels offered me some free labels in exchange for reviewing them here, I was all over it like a bad smell. It turns out that I can be bought for $39.95 worth of labels. Who knew?

I’ve had my eye on these sorts of labels for a while, but held off on buying them. After all, I could just pull out my marker and do it. And I could, but it’s a pain, and sometimes I forget and of course that’s the day 3 kids wear the same style of skirt and all spill juice on themselves and we experience the Great Skirt Mix-up. And even when I do label things the writing wears off after a while. Hannah’s name wore right off her lunch bag, and the writing has faded or disappeared from many re-usable lunch containers. Plus writing her name on everything is time consuming, and there are certain items that are hard to label with pen, like black shoes. But I wasn’t convinced that buying labels was worth the money, or that they would work in the long run.

The package, waiting to be opened

I’ve been using the labels for a little over a week now, and I love them. I’ve run the sticker labels through the dishwasher, and the clothing dots through the washer and dryer. They’re going strong, and show no signs of wear. The shoe labels are also going strong, and Hannah applied them herself. I found the clear protective covering a little tricky to apply, but I seem to have managed.

Hannah was very excited to open her labels

I really appreciate that the labels can be applied quickly and easily. I can stick a clothing dot on a pair of pants while Hannah is wearing them and heading out the door. Or I can label all the lunch containers in the time it would take me to track down my pen. Also, because they’re pretty and they have her name my kid loves them. She wants to label everything, she’s proud of her labels. Although if I were to do it again, I would opt to have only our last name on the labels. Now all of our food containers say ‘Hannah’, and I’m not sure that Jacob will be so thrilled about that when it’s his turn to use them.

All the pretty labels, ready to go

The only downside I’ve found is that every type of label came in its own plastic baggie with instructions. While the instructions are fabulous, the different sizes of the same type of label could really go in the same bag and it would reduce waste. Or maybe they could be packed in paper envelopes. I’m trying to reduce my plastic waste, so I always cringe a little when I bring more into my house, however small the quantity.

On the whole, though, I think the labels are well worth the money. Laura, the creator and owner of Lovable Labels, has a great product, and I would totally recommend them to a friend. Which, really, is my metric for whether or not I’ll talk about them here. If you also want some labels of your own, Laura is generously offering 10% off your purchase of a back-to-school pack between now and September 5 if you use the code STROCEL on checkout. I don’t think you can go wrong, especially with the kids heading back to class soon.

Happy labeling!