what's in YOUR spf?

For the most part I didn't use any sunscreen last summer because I end up with an intense blistering reaction about 24 hours after applying it.  The big floppy hat/long sleeved white cotton shirt combo was working just fine.

But then I happened upon the sunscreen guide published by the Environmental Working Group.  EWG describes this guide as an "in-depth analysis of the safety and effectiveness of more than 700 name-brand sunscreens. The new database lists products that offer the best combination of safety and effectiveness: they are formulated with the safest chemicals, are most effective at protecting against sunburn, and help prevent long-term damage caused by the sun’s UVA rays, which are linked to skin aging, wrinkling and, potentially, cancer."

Lots of urging from my yoga teacher friend Jen convinced me I needed to give it one last shot of finding a brand that would work. I selected two that were awarded a "one" from EWG's list that were not astronomically expensive and were somewhat readily available: Aveeno Baby Natural Protection Mineral Block and Badger Baby Sunscreen.

I picked up the Aveeno Baby at Drug Mart on a BOGO 1/2 off sale. About $15 for two. It went on easy enough, didn't discolor any clothing or take the logo off my water bottle, and best of all....NO REACTION. I am one happy camper.  (p.s. they make it in a face stick too!)

A few days later the Bager Baby arrived from Amazon. About $14 a tube. If you can get past the terrible smell, is extremely thick and hard to apply. The active ingredient is 18.75% zinc oxide. Hmmmm, now wonder it reminded me of Desitin. At least it didn't give me a reaction. I will keep it on hand for a backup. Maybe the kids won't want to ride in my car if I use it. ;)


                       

bubble fun

Blowing bubbles is one of our favorite things to do so I bought 3 of these No-Spill Bubble Tumbler Minis at Walmart.  I wasn't expecting too much because they were only about $2 each.  I am so happy to say I was very pleasantly surprised.  They are the perfect size and shape for little hands.  The circle that you blow through is small.  It makes is so easy for even toddlers to blow lots of bubbles successfully. 

Lots of things can say no spill but they aren't.  This bubble tumbler can be tipped over, dropped, even turn it upside down, and at the most only a tiny splash leaks out.   

This would be a nice addition to your wee one's Easter basket.  It's won multiple awards including Oppenheim Toy Portfolio's Gold Seal, Parent's Choice Classic, and National Parenting Publication Gold Award!

nemo grille at alten house, avon ohio

Kevin was called off of his Pizza Hut delivery job last Monday so after a quick phone call to procure babysitting services for the boys, we enjoyed an impromptu date night.

When we were blessed with Macy, Kevin received a bonus gift certificate to restaurants.com when he bought me a bunch of stuff at Motherhood Maternity.  We redeemed it online for Nemo Grille in Avon shortly afterward but just now got the opportunity to use it.

I had the 16oz. rib eye with garlic mashed potatoes and asparagus.  The steak was done to perfection.  I paired that with one glass on Pinot Noir and left the potatoes on the plate.  Between the second helping of asparagus I got from Kevin (non veg eater) and the 4 servings of beef on my plate, I didn't want the potatoes.  They did come with a paper thin waffle like fried potato sculpture protruding from them.  That was kind of neat.  Kevin opted for the New York strip and had no complaints about either the steak or the garlic mashed potatoes (though he did refuse mine.)

Nemo Grille is housed in a century old home.  We were in "our" room alone until a young couple and their child came in shortly before we left.  The service was terrific, the atmosphere is great and we would definitely go back.  It is a bit pricey so bring a coupon from restaurants.com if you decide to give it a try.  20% gratuity is added to your check when you use a coupon but if your service is anything like ours, leave a bit more.  Servers work hard for their money.

the jesus storybook bible

I bought this Bible for George on the recommendation of Angie Smith.  I knew it would be good....but WOW! 

What I love most is the foreshadowing at the end of each and every Old Testament story.  Basically saying that God had fixed this situation for now but...one day he will fix it for good and forever. 

An example from the story of David and Goliath (George's favorite):  "David was a Hero!  Many years later, God would send his people another young Hero to fight for them.  And to save them.  But this Hero would fight the greatest battle the world has ever known."

All that building up of excitement as you read the well known stories of David, Jonah, Daniel and others will have you and your child just about bursting for joy when Jesus makes his debut on page 176 in "He's here!"   I highly, highly, HIGHLY recommend this for your favorite little pre-Christians.  :)

restaurant week

I met Kevin for lunch downtown today to take part in Downtown Cleveland's 4th Annual Restaurant Week.  I had a blankety-blank of a time finding parking.  Had to circle the entire self-park area twice before finding a spot(later Kevin informed me it was probably due to Obama speaking at the Wolstien Center.) 

After viewing the special restaurant week lunch menus online we selected the Greenhouse Tavern.  It was a short chilly walk from his office.  Even though we didn't have reservations we were slightly ahead of the lunch crowd so we were seated immediately.   The server took a lot of time explaining all the specials to us.  He wasn't quite thorough enough though.  We are the antithesis of foodies so we were left wondering about more than a couple of the items he described.  Cornichons, mignonette sauce, lardo, and fromage blanc were among the items we were ignorant of.

From it's description, I knew I wanted to try the fried Brussels sprout soup but wasn't sure how far to push the envelope.  I was going to opt for the burger but Kevin encouraged me to be brave so I ordered the Pâté Melt Sandwich w/ caramelized onions, two year cheddar & pâté maison.  I'm still not really sure what it was that I ate, and likely don't want to know.  It was quite tasty.  Somehow I already knew the pomme frites it came with were fried potatoes.  They were hair thin potato strands that took too much effort to eat.  Now that I think about it, maybe I was supposed to use my fork.

Kevin was VERY adventurous and went with the special.  House made ravioli stuffed with lardo, goat cheese, and apples.  The server just described the sauce it came in as "sweet and sour."  When his plate arrived I was surprised at the small size of the serving.  And the fact that it looked like it was garnished in tiny cubes of beets.  After a quick taste I confirmed to him that they were in fact beets so he worked his way around them.  He was so generous and let me taste one of the tiny pillows of deliciousness.  The lardo, goat cheese, apple combo was yummy.  The pasta dough was so thin and done to perfection. 
Our meal ended with ONE vegan chocolate chip cookie the size of a quarter.  He got one bite.  I got a bite and a half.  Yum!

This was a very fun lunch.  Once in a blue moon, there is nothing wrong with eating someplace where you have to google the ingredients before you order but I'm not making a habit of it.

I made sure there was a substanial dinner waiting for hubby.  With all the running he does he needs a ton of calories.

Do-a-Dot Printables

George came home from school with a letter P stamped in circles.  He was very excited to tell me all about "do-a-dot".   It's an activity they do at school to help with fine motor skills.  Since his teacher told me that is the only area of concern she has with George, we picked up our own pack at Michael's Crafts this morning. 

This is a super activity that doesn't create any mess whatsoever.  There is a complete set of uppercase letters at Tot School.  Two places to find pictures to Do-a-Dot are Making Learning Fun and DLTK Kids.  Or google "do a dot printables" or "bingo dauber art" to find your own.

Happy Dotting!

oval sticker overload

I'm getting very tired of trying to figure out what all those ovals on the back of your cars stand for.

The earliest one I recall is OBX but according to Mike Rudeen, it all started at the Geneva Convention on Road Traffic in 1949.

This morning on the way to the orthodontist, an SUV in front of me had one for French Bulldogs and Bulldogs. Easy enough...he's a Bulldog guy. But then there was one with tiny colored Bulldogs lined up in rainbow order. Does that mean he is for gay Bulldogs too?

This is too much for me to think about in traffic.

Don't even get me started on all those stick figures on the rear window of your minivans....

pampering time

and I don't mean diapers.

It's common for cash to be a little less easy to come by in a step family but everybody can benefit when we step moms enjoy a bit of "me time" at the spa. Hopefully we come back less frazzled and more willing to deal with issues that come up with a smile on our face.


Cosmetology students to the rescue! I've discovered I can get the same basic services for much less at the local Aveda Institute. Services are discounted and because they are students and not employees you are not permitted to tip them. Students do get rewarded based on successful recommendation of the product line to the customer so I usually pick up a little something if I can afford it.

So far I've had a hair color & cut session (highlight/lowlight/retouch) that lasted 7 hours, a relaxation massage and a facial. Brown Aveda is just about 30 minutes away and they can easily fit me in any Saturday morning as early as 8:30 a.m. And no, the "financial aid" link on the homepage is not for clients. I was bummed too. :(

Search HERE to find your own local budget spa experience.

Now I've seen everything

Spending money on this type of stuff may be one of the reasons you need two incomes. Believe it or not, the Peter Potty Toddler Urinal is SOLD OUT all over the web.

The Tadpole's Promise: a book to break your heart

My husband brought home the most horrible book for sweet George from the library. It's called The Tadpole's Promise by Jeanne Willis.

At first it appears to be an inter species love story between a boy tadpole and a girl caterpillar. The caterpillar drags a promise out of the unsuspecting tadpole to "never change." Nature takes it's course. The caterpillar gets pissed off and wraps herself up in a cocoon to get over it. The tadpole is mourning for her. When she emerges she decides to forgive him. She flutters down to the edge of the pond to find him.

(WARNING SPOILER: highlight the next cluster of white text to see what happens) I had been hoping for a tearful reunion but she quickly encounters the tadpole(now unrecognizable as a frog) who promptly EATS her(now unrecognizable as a butterfly)!!!
I have to admit, my son is loving this book. And there are a WHOLE bunch of deep lessons to be found in it.

Check it out of your local library.

Busy Mom's Guide to Shopping Aldi's

As we all look for ways to stretch our grocery budgets, I thought this would be helpful to a lot of readers. I have shopped at Aldi's for over 4 years now. I can't get everything I need there but I do save tons of money with what I am able to purchase there.

A word for new Aldi's shoppers: Bring a quarter to get a cart unlocked from the cart corral. Also, bring reusable bags from home.

Dairy: I find their milk and cheese to be too bland. I would recommend purchasing these items elsewhere. Yogurt is another story....I have purchased yogurts in the past and they have not disappointed me. The eggs are fine too.

Fresh Produce: I have absolutely no complaints about the fresh produce. You will not find the wide variety you will get in the traditional grocery store, but you will be able to find most things you need. They also have bagged pre-washed lettuce that comes in very handy.

Baked Goods: Aldi's has a terrific Whole Wheat bread. However, the hamburger and hot dog buns are only available in white. Bread does have a lengthy shelf life.

Cereal: I have tried many of their varieties of cereal and they are all great. My daughter actually prefers their Cinnamon Toasters to the Cinnamon Toast Crunch. The oatmeal is almost exactly the same as Quaker too. George loves it. I would caution you when it comes to the toaster pastries. They can't hold a candle to the Kellogg's brand and most of them will end up in your trash can.

Single Serving Lunchbox Items: Aldi's is a great place for picking up snacks for school lunches. We buy their HoHo's, Chocolate Peanut Butter Wafers, Puddings, Juice pouches and Fruit Cups.

Pastas and Noodles: Caution on purchasing the "white" pasta. I have tried their egg noodles (gross) and rigatoni noodles. Both fell apart on cooking. Turned into a big mess. I have it on good authority that the whole wheat pasta sold under the "Fit and Active" brand is quite good. The Aldi's brand mac and cheese is a nice substitute but be sure to whisk the cheese flavoring into the milk and butter before adding the noodles. The cheese flavoring tends to cake up a bit.

Cookies: The imitation Oreo's will please even the pickiest eater. They are the only choice to be had in the cookie isle. They come in double stuffed, fudge stuffed, and original. The Belmont chocolate chips are greasy and heavy. I do not recommend purchasing them. The oatmeal cookies with frosting are ok but use them up quickly. They are dry to begin with and do not have a long shelf life.

Bagged Snacks: Pass on the chips. They are mostly crumbs in the bottom of the bag. The Fit and Active mini rice cakes are well worth your purchase. They come in cheddar cheese and caramel. The multigrain tortilla chips are also a good investment.

Staples: Flour, sugar, oil. Save $$ by purchasing all of these items here.

Canned Fruits and Vegetables: You can not go wrong with any of the canned fruits and veggies. The pears are especially nice and soft.

Frozen: Definite YES to the following: Bagged boneless skinless chicken, canisters of popcorn chicken in original and buffalo, chicken nuggets in a family size bag, single serving stuffed chicken, french toast sticks, round sausage patties in a bag. The waffles don't taste as good as Eggo but the kids don't mind.

Meats: The cubed stew meat is actually much more tender than any I've ever cooked. Also, be sure to grab a turkey ham. These come in about 3 lb mini ham shapes. They are great for a quick meal.

I will follow this up next week with a week's worth of dinner menus for a family of 4.

Angel Food July 2008 Menu Reviewed

Back by Popular Demand: Just picked up our Angel Food on the 26th. Check back often as I review food items.

40 oz. Marie Callender's � Family Crock Pot Dinner (Meat Included) I did get this in my packet. It is no longer in my freezer but I have no memory of cooking it so I must rate it "unmemorable". Not sure if that is good or bad?

1.5 lb. Boneless Pork Filet

5 lb. Breaded Chicken Chunks Get Real !@#$ There are maybe 5 "chunks" in the entire bag. The remainder of the 5 lbs. resembles what's left in the bottom of a Banquet Fried Chicken box after you take the parts out. Very tiny pieces of mostly breading. A speck of chicken here or there but this bag is mostly crumbs. At any rate, I cooked it in the oven for about 15 minutes at 400 degrees. Kids dipped them in ranch and bar-b-q sauce. No complaints. The breading is their favorite part. This did the job and satisfied their plebeian appetites. The bag states the contents as "diced chicken breast fritter".

1.5 lb. Meaty Beef Ribs My dad cooked these up at his cottage one weekend we were there. He is the best cook in the world. He could make a sneaker taste good so it wouldn't be fair to recommend these ribs based on his preparation.

28 oz. Meatloaf and Gravy

1 lb. Beef Fajita Meat Suprisingly delicious. Pan fried in canola oil. Seasonings were great. Wish I could buy a huge bag.

1 lb. Fully Cooked Meatballs Easily the best microwavable meatballs ever. From Home Market Foods. They carry these at Super Walmart but they are much more expensive than the Great Value brand.

1 lb. All Meat Hot Dogs Acceptable.

1 lb. Broccoli Fresh and delicious.

1 lb. Peas and Carrots High quality.

28 oz. Pasta Sauce

1 lb. Pasta

32 oz. Borden 2% Reduced Fat Shelf Stable Milk Came in handy when I ran out of milk but kids had a problem with the packaging. Wish I had thought to save the gallon jug to dump it into.

32 oz. Hawaiian Punch Name brand drink. I don't usually buy sugar drinks so this is sure to be a hit. However, there are only 4 8oz servings so the kids will have to duke it out.

12 ct. Corn Tortillas

7 oz. Blueberry Muffin Mix

1 dozen Eggs In medium

1 Dessert Item This was an off brand bag of Teddy Graham style cookies. They were buttery and flaky. Just the snack to bring along to an afternoon on the beach. They did have trace amounts (.05 g a serving) of trans fats.

Additional items I received that are not listed on the national menu. I went to a new church this time as the other one I had used has changed to the "Great Food for All" program.

6 Frozen Mini Ears of Corn on the Cob My 11 year old stepson would have been happy to eat the whole bag. Tasty.

Lean Cuisine Brick Oven Pizza

ALL THIS FOR THE LOW COST OF JUST--..-..$30.00

AAA - Help on the Road and Beyond

But only 4 times a year!

We have been members of the AAA auto club for 4 years now. Wednesday night my dear husband locked his ONLY set of keys, wallet, and cell phone in his car when he stepped out to referee a soccer game. One of the coaches was kind enough to let him borrow a cell phone to call me for help.

I called the police first but they don't give that type of assistance in our city, so I called AAA. They have always come to my rescue so I was appalled to hear the woman on the phone offer to give me numbers to local garages who would COME AND TOW MY CAR for locksmith service. She then informed me that I would be totally responsible for all the fees as I had used up all of my service calls for the year already.

I was almost at a loss for words as I politely asked for information on purchasing a better plan that would cover all of our emergency automotive needs. The representative transferred me to member services where I was happily informed that we get 4 service calls EACH. So all Kevin needed to do was to call himself and they would assist him for free.

After dropping off the older kids at church, I stopped off at the field with my cell phone and AAA card. The tow truck came shortly after Kevin called and the driver successfully got into his car. He motored off to his soccer meeting in Oberlin none the worse for wear.

Only disappointment was that due to his delay, we missed out on the Quiznos Prime Rib Subs he usually picks up for us on these monthly meeting nights.

Angel Food Ministries Food Review March 2008 Menu

This is a review of the menu items supplied in March of 2008 by Angel Food Ministries. This was the first month we purchased the plan. I would purchase again. Real "Foodies" will want to stay away from this plan but that isn't who it's intended for anyway. If you marinate and tenderize the meats, you can't go wrong for $30. I will participate in this again.

Hamburgers. 6 burgers were cooked to perfection on our George Foreman grill. I didn't expect much as they seemed from their appearance to have a lot of fillers and the fat pan almost filled up with the 6 burgers. However, I was pleasantly surprised with the first bite. JUICY and tender. I ate 2. Needless to say, there weren't any leftovers. Would definitely purchase again.

Frozen Mixed Veggies. Came packaged in clear plastic. No labeling. Microwaved in Pampered Chef Batter Bowl. Good color and flavor. Uniform in size. Would purchase again.

Borden Shelf-Stable Milk. To me, there is something inherently wrong about boxed milk. However, this came in very handy when we ran out of jugged milk. Baby did not complain. Drank greedily as always. Nice thing to have on hand in a pinch.

Macaroni and Cheese. Boxed. Hospitality brand. Stove preparation. Similar in quality to Kraft. Would purchase again.

Waffles. Pillsbury brand frozen. Toaster prepared. No complaints.

Dessert Item. Mrs. Smith's Apple Pie. Delicious consumed at room temperature. This had sugar crystals sprinkled on the top. High quality. Would definitely purchase again.

Boneless Pork Fillet. Second meat item I cooked that was tough and dry. These meats are obviously cheaper cuts and I see now the need to marinate and tenderize. We are making the rest of the steaks the end on the month so I'll see then if that works. Disappointed.

Breaded Chicken Breast Strips. Southern Style. Directions called only for deep frying but I baked on Pampered Chef large bar pan. Very tasty and crunchy. Nice change from the usual nuggets.

Marie Callender Chicken and Dumpling Soup. Opened can. Dumped in bowl. Heated in microwave. Nothing very special. Nice big soft chunks of celery. Edible.

Frying Chicken Leg Quarters. Baked in the Pampered Chef rectangular deep baking dish. Very large. I wasn't expecting a lot after my latest disappointments but these turned out to be quite good. And there was enough left over to make a Chicken Noodle Casserole the next day.

5 lb. Thick Cut Rib Eye Steaks. Initial 2 were cooked Medium on George Foreman Grill. Very disappointing. These were very dry and tough. Will tenderize and marinate the other 6 the end of the month and update this post.

**UPDATE**The remainder of the rib eyes were tenderized with a meat cleaver and soaked in a marinade for 12 hours. Cooked up on the George Foreman because we were out of propane for the outdoor grill. SURPRISE SURPRISE They went from a F to a B- in quality! I think the Angel Meats just need a lot of TLC.

Sherwin Williams Review

The interior of our entire house was painted in Antique White and Navajo White when it was built 7.5 years ago. The paint used at that time was a scrubbable Sherwin Williams paint that is no longer being manufactured. It has held up great but with 7 kids in the house, the walls are really calling out for some color.

A few weeks ago I used the Color Consultant service provided by Sherwin Williams. You contact your local Sherwin Williams to schedule a designer to visit your home. Additionally, you may need to purchase a $75 gift card to Sherwin Williams to reassure them that you will actually purchase their paint and not just take advantage of their designer. An old college friend turned me on to this service.

Last night I painted the kitchen with the three recommended colors (Butter Up, Baize Green, and Papaya) from the Color to Go 31 fl. oz. sample containers(only $4.99 each). Baize Green was quickly vetoed by Kevin. My favorite for the kitchen is the cheerful Butter Up. Kevin feels this isn't enough color and would prefer the Papaya. I love the Papaya too but feels it's a better match for the family room although it does look REALLY nice next to the wood cabinets.

One thing we ALWAYS agree on is the EXCELLENCE and UNMATCHED COMPATIBILITY of the environmentally preferred Sherwin Williams Duration Home Interior Latex. More for it's great coverage, low odor and superior wash ability than it's Greensure label. Now if we could just decide which color to get it tinted...

Baby Trend stroller review 10 years later

When I was pregnant with my third child I needed to purchase a double stroller. Mind you, I had already been through about 4 other strollers in the 5 years since my first child was born(Graco, Fisher Price, Kolcraft). So I read a lot of reviews and opinions on the web and decided on a Baby Trend double stroller. It was very highly recommended and very lightweight. It was a major investment for me at the time, I think around $185.

Well, I'm here to tell you, 10 years later, this stroller is still going strong. The fabric of the seat and the canopies is totally removable and machine washable. It's very easy to push, even on the soccer fields. Both seats recline. It's incredibly light, weighing less than my 13 month old son. I've relocated to Texas and back with it. It has been handled by countless baggage handlers in airports all over the country. One of the rear wheels had a problem back in 2000 but the company hooked me up with a brand new set for around $16. The storage baskets underneath are long gone. Some of the straps are starting to show the very first signs of dry rot and the navy fabric is faded somewhat but I'm not ready to part with it.

If you are in the market for a stroller, Family of Nine very strongly recommends you take a serious look at Baby Trend.