Links I'm Loving...

Usually I just post links I like to my Tumblr, but I've found that I don't have a great way to organize that yet. Here are some that I don't want to get buried there:

• From Zen Family Habits, "5 Ingredients. 5 Minutes. 5 Meals" If ever there was a menu plan for me, this is it! Some day I'll get real brave and write a "My Life as a Housewife" post, but I am the world's most timid cook. A perfectionist/procrastinator who never really learned how to cook is not the most ideal person to let loose in the family kitchen, but sometimes the task falls to me. If you have any simple, can't-fail meals like these, I'd love to have them.
• Don't remember how I found this one, but here's a simple recipe for homemade powdered laundry detergent. I don't know if Borax and Fels Naptha are the most eco-friendly detergent ingredients ever, but I'm all for them if this frugal combo works. And I don't have to melt soap on the stove, so even better. If you've made this, I'd love to hear how you liked it-- I'm considering springing this on my MOPS group for a "craft" in the spring...
• From SugarDoodle, this Thanksgiving Thankful Countdown-- liked it so much I submitted it to our MOPS newsletter. I love the idea of counting down to Thanksgiving with daily deliberate gratitude rather than relegating it to the holiday we rush through between the excesses of Halloween and Christmas.
  
• If you saw my posts on the spool doll nativity, you could probably guess that I have a lot of leftover wooden spools. So when I saw these spool Advent calendars on Just Something I Made, I knew I had found my next spool project. I happen to have a bunch of green ones, so I'm tempted to put mine on a wire and have a wreath-shaped Advent calendar. Hmm, maybe there will be a photo op in that one...
• And finally, the gem of Christmas preparation posts (pass this one on to the grandparents!) would be "10 Clutter-Free Gift Ideas for Kids" by Megan (of Simple Kids) on Simple Mom. We've discussed this with my folks (and they're on board!) but haven't with the in-laws yet. Wish me luck!
  

Etsy Love: Livvy Sue

If you've poked around the shop at all, then you probably know that I've had a long-time collaboration with ZozoBugBaby. Julie makes darling kids' clothes, sends me her scraps, and I make fabric button hair goodies out of them.

Well, little did I know that when I purchased this skirt for my Bug last spring, that it would be the start of a new collaboration. Livvy Sue makes adorable/affordable little girl skirts, as well as bibs and cute kimono sets. Over the summer, she sent me some scraps, and I'm now finally ready to lauch the Livvy Sue collection in the shop. Too cute! I'll have to see if I can resist going back for another skirt or not...

Etsy Love: Love for Earth

In my quest for better stewardship of God's gifts and resources, I went in search of reusable produce bags on Etsy and found these little gems-- a set of 4 jumbo nylon produce bags from Etsy seller LoveForEarth. And while I purchased just 4 bags, Kara included 2 more for free-- sometimes it pays to take a chance on a new Etsy seller!

May I just say that I love these? They are super strong and rinse out and dry in no time flat. I also love that Winco gives me a nickel for each one I bring in, so I guess eventually they'll even pay for themselves. Works for me!

Etsy Love: Craft Pudding

If you've been around the shop lately, you may have noticed that I've gone a bit ladybug crazy. It all started when I got my long-lusted-after Shinzi Katoh fabric and made these buttons:First, I made that little ladybug my shop and Blogger avatar and then I worked her into my shop blog and shop banner. Well, that wasn't enough. I stopped by Craft Pudding, the coolest little stamp shop on Etsy, and asked her to make me a ladybug stamp of my very own. And here's what she came up with:Isn't she just the cutest ladybug ever?!?!?! I can hardly stand it and can't wait to stamp her on shop tags, business cards, and fabric for buttons. And while I was there, I also picked up a fat quarter of Craft Pudding's fabric from her stamp designs. Won't it make great fabric buttons?So, if you haven't checked out Craft Pudding yet, you are really missing out! Go now, but you can't have my ladybug-- she's mine, all mine!

Etsy for Easter

The kiddos had a mostly handmade Christmas, thanks to Etsy and the local holiday bazaars. There aren't many bazaars this time of year, so to fill their Easter baskets, I turned to Etsy.

Bug loves all things soft and cuddly -- and I know I won't be able to indulge my love of vintage chenille with her as an excuse forever-- so she's getting this sweet bunny from Chenille Treasures in her basket:Mugger would never appreciate such sweetness-- he is "five and three-quarters" now-- so he's getting a marble archboard game from Palumba, being that he is still 100% game-crazy:And, in recognition that he's getting to the point where he might appreciate colored pencils over crayons for church on Sunday (or perhaps for future nature hikes), he's also getting this colored pencil sketch roll from Beacon Hill Goods:What about your kiddos? Any Easter basket goodies to share?

Etsy Love: LassieGirl

Way back in January already, I ordered Bug this cute little pinafore from a new Etsy fave, LassieGirl. Ashley of Lassie Girl was kind enough to include some scraps for me so that I could make her some matching ponies-- and generous enough that I'll have to list some extras in the shop one of these days.
Love this fabric! Bug does, too, which is why we forgot to photograph the other side of the pinafore-- yes, it's reversible, so it's 2 for the price of one. To see for yourself, check out her listing for the Blueberry Fields pinafore. Oh, and if you're already a Lassie Girl fan, be sure to check out her new blog where she previews upcoming designs.

Etsy Love

In case you haven't discovered Etsy yet, check out this post from Rocks in My Dryer...

And one of these days, I'll stock my own Etsy store with Ladybug Limited hair accessories!

Want to Make Your Voice Heard?

If, like me, your toy-buying habits have changed drastically over the past few months with all the news of recall after recall, then I've got just the link for you. PEM (Parents for Ethical Marketing) has a request for consumer feedback from Vision Conscious Brands. If you'd like to provide some feedback that will be heard, pop on over and answer the 3 questions.

Leaded or Unleaded?

Toys, that is. "Leaded" and "unleaded" were the signs above two toy aisles in a cartoon I saw around Christmas. After what seemed like the millionth lead toy recall last fall, I spent a lot of time at the CSPC's site looking up all our current toys, brand by brand.

My Christmas shopping then was limited to companies with no recalls for lead paint. Lots of Internet surfing led me to our new favorite toy company, Plan Toys. Not only are Plan Toys products painted with water-based, non-toxic dyes, they're also made from renewable rubberwood, as I learned from their letter posted on Moolka.com.

Moolka became our new favorite site for Christmas shopping for their quality brands like Plan Toys and Haba. (Haba's "The Orchard" has quickly become a favorite game for our 2 and 4 yo.) Our 2 favorite things about this site (besides the safe toy brands) are the reviews by parents (which earn you $1 credit at the site for each one you post) and the fact that we can keep a wishlist to share with relatives.

So what did my 2 kids get for Christmas? Well my 2 yo daughter got this fold-up toy kitchen by Alex and this set of play food by Melissa and Doug. My 4.5 yo son got this parking garage by Plan Toys and this wooden constructor set by Baufix. As easy as online shopping has become and as difficult as it is to find some of these brands in local stores, I may never wander into Target's toy aisles again!

Of course, being the cheap (make that "thrifty") shopper that I am, a lot of my online shopping still happens at Amazon since I can get free shipping if I spend $25 if it's something sold by Amazon (only the Alex and Melissa & Doug toys this round). We also did some of our Christmas shopping at KidSurplus this year, as they discount toy prices and had free shipping for purchases over $75. Like I said, goodbye Target!

This post would be incomplete if I didn't give a shout-out to The Cool Mom Picks Safer Toy Guide of 2007, as that list is what got me started in my search. I also have to link up here to The Not Quite Crunchy Parent's post on her favorite shopping sites, as reading that today got me to post this here.