Mommin' It Up!

June 11, 2008June 11, 2008

WFMW: Tottoos.org

I’ve been meaning to write this WFMW for, oh, about 11 months, but with summer here, now seemed like the perfect time to finally do it!

Last June we took a trip to Disney World. Kate had just turned three. Being the giant dork I am, I was researching everything I could. You should have seen the notebook in my purse with maps, the order in which we’d ride each ride, “must see” tips and more. It made Jenny and her coupon binder seem well adjusted.

But anyway! Right before we left I found out about Tottoos. They are, as you might imagine, tattoos for kids. Here’s what they look like:

Yes, I planned to tattoo my cell phone number on my child’s arm! We were about to leave on our trip, and I wasn’t sure I could get them in time, so I called the tottoos people and they were SO nice and sent my order to me with time to spare.

Tottoos aren’t like the regular temporary tattoos you’re used to. They are more plasticky (yes, that is the technical term) and you have to use their special remover to get them off, so they are water proof and will stand up to a long day at the amusement park or whatever.

They also have a medical alert variety that can be used to warn people about a child’s diabetes, allergies, etc.

I took a lot of razzing when I told my friends at work that I was going to order these (paranoid much??) but they were great. Having been lost in Disney World myself as a child, I really wanted to make sure that we would be quickly reunited with Kate should we become separated. She couldn’t be trusted (and still can’t, really) to remember a phone number, especially if she were upset, so this was perfect. I just told her that if she couldn’t find us, she should find a Disney worker or another mom with kids and show her Tottoo.

Fortunately, we didn’t need to put the Tottoos into action, but I was very glad to have them. And many, many moms stopped me throughout our trip and asked me where i had gotten such a thing.

Keeping kids safe – that works for me. For more Works for me Wednesday fun, head over to Rocks in my Dryer!

I just got an email from the nice Tottoos people and they are offering our readers 10% off – just use the code MOM10.

June 4, 2008

WFMW: Water Play

Today’s Works for Me Wednesday is the “Mom, I’m BORED!” edition. Thankfully, Joshua doesn’t know that word yet, but what he does say very often to mean “Mom, I’m BORED!” is “What can I do here?” That question drives me BONKERS. Although I often run down a laundry list of toys, games, and activities that he can do, the one that is always a sure cure-all for the boredsies is water play. Joshua loves to help “wash the dishes” (aka play with clean cups in the sink while I load the dishwasher), or float boats and anything else that will float in the bathroom sink. It wastes a little water from time to time, but he loves it and learns from it and it always gets him over the BORED hump. Plus, it’s something we can do together if I’m needing to spend some time in the kitchen. I realize this may not work for older kids, but right now it sure works for me! For other great ideas to keep your kids occupied, check out Rocks in My Dryer.

May 28, 2008May 28, 2008

WFMW: Making my own cleaning products

Today’s WFMW post is brought to you by my sister Anna. She is pretty cool.
— Emily

I was spraying my bathroom sink with my favorite cleaning product a few weeks ago, when the warning label caught my eye. “Hazard to humans and domestic animals. Get immediate medical attention if swallowed. Beware, danger, poison…” And as I watched the bubbles ooze down the sink and into our water supply, the thought occurred to me that perhaps there was a better way to make my sink shine.

I went to the library and checked out “Clean and Green” by Annie Berthold-Bond. When I brought it home, I couldn’t wait to try it out. I was pleasantly surprised to find that I already had may of the needed ingredients, most of them in my kitchen cabinet. “Clean and Green” tells me how to clean all kinds of things – everything from rugs and carpets to bathrooms to cars – and all the recipes are non-toxic.

The first one I tried out was a glass cleaner. I chose this because it was easy to make and because I had the necessary ingredients on hand. It worked great.

Next, after picking up washing soda and borax at the store, I tried out a recipe for a tub and shower cleaner. For me, this was the real test for how well these recipes worked. I hate cleaning the bath tub and shower. I’m using the word “hate” here. But what I hate even more than cleaning the tub/shower is cleaning it with a product that doesn’t work. On many occasions, I’ve scrubbed and scrubbed, only to discover that spots remained on the shower walls. The “Clean and Green” solution worked well, as least as well as the cleaning products I had been using, maybe even better. And the apartment didn’t smell like chlorine for the rest of the day. The “Clean and Green” solution didn’t leave the faucets and fixtures as shiny as I would have liked, but the book does have some recipes specifically for them that I will try out next time. I’m also eager to try out the recipe for cleaning the oven.

I’ve found making my own cleaning supplies to be strangly motivating. It’s like doing a science experiment. I make no promises on how long this will last, but for now I’m much more excited to clean if I get to test out some new concoction.

I haven’t really researched it, but it seems to me that putting poisonous chemicals down the drain isn’t the greatest idea. I don’t know for sure if using brand-name cleaning supplies is harming the environment or not.

But here’s what I do know:
—When I use the tub and shower cleaner from “Clean and Green,” I can stand barefoot in the shower while cleaning, without fearing that the cleaning product is going to cause the skin on my feet to melt off.
—It’s cheap to make. Many of the ingredients you probably already have, and those that you need to buy last a long time, as the recipes usually only call for a tablespoon of this and a teaspoon of that.
—They work. (At least the ones I’ve tried). I’ve been very satisfied with the results of the solutions I’ve made.

Cleaning supplies that work, are cheap to make, and that won’t harm me, my family or the world… that works for me.

For more Works for Me Wednesday tips, check out Rocks in My Dryer. Thanks, Anna!