Are kids overwhelmed with afterschool activities?

I’ve been wondering about this for a long time. How do you juggle work, family after school activities and everyday life, if you are constantly running around? Why do we think we need to fill every minute with something? Right now my two older girls are in girl scouts, Awanas and choir. That may not seem like a lot but when you throw in the weekend things, like cookie sales from girl scouts, awanas games, choir performances then things get crazy. Plus my oldest one keeps telling me about more stuff she wants to do.  I think next year each girl is only doing one thing to keep it simple.

Eco Laundry Soap and Natural Toys

I have been in love with natural and organic products way before in was the in thing. My parents where hippies and that must have rubbed off on me, at one point my mom had 3 organic gardens and even gave birth to me at home.  We ate health food and loved tofu.

Now that I’m an adult I try to keep my family as natural as I can, but I have not been very good at it. Natural has always meant more expensive to me, but now a days it’s you can go green with out spending so much green. Plus there is a wider variety of green products, which brings me to my post title of “Eco Laundry Soap and Natural Toys”

This last week I got to try a natural Laundry Soap from Ecostore USA and I received a organic cotton plush frog toy from miYim.

First up the laundry soap from the Ecostore USA

“Ecostore USA uses 100% Certified Organic Eucalyptus oil and plant-based ingredients, making it ideal for washing your children’s clothing. Conventional laundry liquids often leave chemical residue on bedding, clothes and even skin. This product is a wonderful, healthy alternative. “

In one word the soap is awesome! I first tested it out on a load of my work clothes. I get very dirty at work and the soap got my clothes very clean, better than my old brand. I also really loved the smell of the Eucalyptus Oil.

This next product is such a great idea!!!!

“miYim™ organic cotton toys are made with safety and sustainability in mind.  Colored by nature and 100% certified Non-Toxic, our toys help to make your home a safe and chemical free environment for you and your child.”

It’s a well known fact that babies and children put everything in their mouths; this is one less thing you have to worry about poisoning your children. I love the feel of the organic cotton and the colors are so cute and natural! They also have another line of natural toys found at Target called My Naturals and an organic pet collection called Simply Fido.

 

Sweet! Barbie get’s some Ink.

I find this totally amusing; parents are up in arms over Barbie Totally Stylin Tattoos Barbie Doll.

“Product Description
Over 40 easy, no mess tattoos to design and decorate Barbie doll's fashions! Customize the fashions and apply the fun temporary tattoos on you too! Barbie doll includes additional fashions, tattoo stamper and tattoos.”

So what’s the problem? Personally I don’t see one. It’s not like the tats are of skulls and evil clowns. They are butterflies, hearts, bunnies and girly things. Kids have been putting of temporary tattoos for years! We find them in gum or those annoying quarter machines at the doors of grocery stores, you know the ones that your kids see and ask for a quarter every time you go by one.

You can bet my girls will want this for their upcoming birthdays and yes I will be getting it for them. They already want tattoos but know they have to wait till they are much, much older. (I’d rather let them kid them professionally done, then have some dude give them a “homemade one” trust me I know how those turn out. Yeh I was a stupid rebellious teen, but now I have some pretty rockin tats, if I do say so myself!

 

Thomas & Friends Live on Stage.

I’m starting to feel really bad when my kids want to do something and I tell them we don’t have the money. So when I had a chance to get tickets to go to Thomas & Friends Live on Stage I jumped on it. I knew my kids would love it and I wanted to do something fun as a family. The show is going on tour until the end of July and the tickets are very reasonable. I think they start at $12 something. It’s a 90 Minute show with a 15 min intermission.

We went yesterday, in Seattle Wa. I thought it was really cute and my girls loved it. My littlest one (she’s 4) was really getting in to the show. The cast interacts with the kids and she was totally in to it! I enjoyed seeing my girls having a good time and I really think if we can go to more things like this it can foster a good love of the theater. (I think the Arts are very important)

I have a few pics of my girls there but they are on my hubbys phone so I’ll post them later. 

P.S. you can preview the show here http://www.thomasandfriends.com/usa/livevideo.asp