GET INVOLVED and Show us YOUR Cutie!

I would love to post a few photos and stories about YOU (my readers!)!
Contact me and let me know about the funniest things your kids say or do! If you submit photos of your child along with your e-mail, you'll almost certainly receive a post! I'd love to hear from you!
Show me your adorable tots (small file sizes please) and share your funniest photos!
Or share some of the funniest things that your child has said... I'd love to post some really funny stories here! Let's make this a more interactive place! Don't be a stranger! I'm looking forward to hearing from you!!!

Dapple and Skip Hop Announce Exciting New Promotion!

I recently received an e-mail from Jesson Burnam, writing to me on behalf of Dapple (www.dapplebaby.com) – makers of baby-safe, baby-specific green cleaning products – to let us know about an exciting new promotion with Skip Hop (www.skiphop.com) – makers of innovative parenting products. Throughout the month of March, anyone who visits the Skip Hop website and purchases an item from their Feeding Product Line (Splash bottle drying rack, Mate stay-put mat & plate, Palette plate feeding set, Chow baby food organizer, Table fun feeding set, Single bottle bag, triple bottle lunch bag) will receive a free travel size Dapple baby bottle & dish liquid!

Dapple Baby Bottle & Dish Liquid uses natural ingredients to zero in on the milk residue and odor left behind on baby bottles and cups, and get all your grown-up dishes clean, too! It features green technology to target milk residue, and natural baking soda to combat odor. Dapple Dish Liquid is 100% free of phthalates, parabens, SLES, preservatives, and synthetic dyes and fragrances. It’s also biodegradable and preservative-free. Their 3 oz. travel size is airline carry-on-friendly, and great for trips! And that's a wonderful thing with summer and vacation time coming up soon!

Updates on Monkey Baby Boutique!

I thought I'd let you all know that I am planning to relaunch my Monkey Baby Boutique sometime this summer... I'm in the process of adding new products to the site and updating and editing some of the old ones.

Monkey Baby Boutique will be a specialty online baby shop that carries only the best products for you and your baby. I research each product line that I'm going to carry so that you can shop with confidence.

Interested in submitting a product?

I'm currently looking for unique inventions to carry in my boutique. I would love to help you realize the full growth potential of your products. If you are an inventor, designer, or baby fashionista and are interested in seeing how I can help you... please shoot me a message!

Mama's got a new Bag of tricks!

We are all trying to be environmentally responsible with our shopping bags, but are you having a hard time organizing the bags themselves? I would love to introduce you to an Austin company that has invented the first system of reusable shopping bags! Real Simple magazine has just called it the "smartest system!"
Blue Avocado makes 3 different kits of shopping bags for all three of the different purposes we need:

• Hauling (shlepping bags)
• Ventilation (produce bags)
• Insulation (cooler bags)

All of the bags actually fit together into one kit when you're finished using them for the day. And their site says, "...by using a BlueAvocado pod instead of plastic bags you avoid 200 plastic bags and 9.5 lbs of CO2e if you use the bag for a whole year. That's the equivalent of NOT driving 11 miles."

I think these bags are just the cutest! And I love how they organize back together into a neat little package. I am so impressed!

So... here's a question. How do you remember to take your bags with you when it's time to go grocery shopping? Blue Avocado has some tips on this here. Feel free to tell us your own tricks in the comments!

House hunting in the Bay Area

I just wanted to provide a quick update to all of my loyal readers and to also apologize for not posting more frequently! The last couple of months have been quite an adventure!
I took my kiddos back home to spend Christmas in Oklahoma with my family whom I hadn't seen in 2 years. We had a wonderful time! It was great seeing my brother and sister and all the nieces and nephews again. I just wish I could go back more often!
Since returning to the Bay Area it seems we've been on a non-stop roller coaster ride house hunting. It's been fun but I'm hoping that we actually find something soon. We've been renting for over a year now and it will be so nice to finally find a place that we can call our own again!
I will keep you all updated on the progress. We are going to view some more homes this weekend. Until then... I hope you all had a wonderful Christmas and are enjoying the New Year!

Don't Forget to Vote Today! ...and then grab a free coffee at Starbucks!

Just a reminder to everyone that today is Election Day! Get out there and Vote if you haven't already! I Did!
Also did you know that several businesses are offering FREE perks to those wearing an "I Voted" sticker? Now, there’s no excuse not to vote!
Big businesses like Starbucks (coffee), Ben & Jerry’s (ice cream), and Krispy Kreme (star-shaped doughnuts with red, white and blue sprinkles) are handing out tasty treats!
Will you take advantage of the freebies?

Green Goes with Everything

Sloan Barnett, the Green Editor for KNTV here in San Francisco, has just released a new book. It is packed with common sense and sass, product picks and practical tips, Green Goes with Everything; Simple Steps to a Healthier Life and a Cleaner Planet is a must-read for anyone who wants to be green AND clean, and for everyone who wants to take simple steps to safeguard the health of their family and our wonderful blue planet.
According to Barnett, human beings are saturating their bodies, their children's bodies and their homes with noxious waste, pathogens and carcinogens. This book is divided into seven clean-it-up chapters full of solid information and helpful tips aimed at greening different areas of your life, such as how to best filter household water. Barnett's well-written environmental call-to-arms is passionate and authoritative; her findings correlating childhood illnesses with ordinary-and highly toxic-cleaning supplies is alarming.
This book is a must read for anyone who cares about the health of their family and our wonderful planet!