How To Make Reusable Non-Toxic Dryer Sheets and More

by Gwen Since I've discovered Pinterest, I can't begin to tell you how many new recipes I have tried, how many DIY's I have done and how many new things I have learned. It is such a great way to share the millions of ideas found on the internet and an even greater way to bookmark, or "pin" what interests you so you can come back to it later.

In the past week, I have pinned lots :) Here are 3 of my faves:

How to make reusable and non-toxic dryer sheets - We all know that store bought dryer sheets are not healthy for us right? Follow the step-by-step instructions in this post to make your own eco-friendly, safe and effective dryer sheets.   Image credit: Live Renewed Blog

What to Do With Broken Crayons - If you have kids, you have broken crayons lying around your house. I know I sure do. This post lists 10 eco-friendly and creative ways to re-use them. No need to keep throwing them out!

DIY Felt Food - I have a thing for felt food. I just think they are all so adorable! And yes, my kids love them too :) So when I came across this  DIY felt food kit on Etsy, I took note and pinned it. The price is very reasonable for what you get and once you are finished making everything, you'll have the satisfaction of saying you made them with your own 2 hands!   Image credit: sweetemmajean on etsy

Do you have a favourite eco-friendly pin? If so, please share it in the comments!

Gwen is a mom of 2 and owns/operates Nayla Natural Care, an online store that specializes in carrying the best organic, natural and eco-friendly products.

Fast Food: Make grocery shopping a little easier

By Heather

I am a firm believer that a good grocery shop begins at home with just a bit of preparation. A little planning saves you time and money because you don’t have to take extra trips to the store and you aren’t as tempted to just order in when the day gets away from you!

Ask any organizer and they likely have different ways of setting up their kitchen, their grocery lists and doing their shopping, but don’t worry — there is no one right way. It’s about what works for each of us. And here is what works for me:

Know what you want. Meal planning makes grocery shopping — and five o’clock on a busy Wednesday afternoon — so much easier! Before you shop, make up a menu of dinners for the week by flipping through your cookbooks and/or online recipes for inspiration, and then note down what you need to buy. By writing out your menu for the week you have a clear plan. I find this helps keep me on the straight and narrow. If I see “Tuesday: Thai Chicken with side salad” and I know I have done my shopping accordingly, I am way more likely to have Thai Chicken and a side salad on my plate than any type of fast or frozen food.

Know what’s there. Let me warn you that you will be in for some ribbing from family and friends but this step will be worth it, honestly…label your fridge. I know, I know, it sounds a little over-the-top but it will change your life as a foodie! A few years ago I separated the sections on my fridge door into categories like “sweet stuff”, “dressings”, “condiments” and the shelves into “meats”, “fruits and veggies”, and “dairy”, etc., and it has made a huge difference in the amount of food I shop for and throw out. By having clearly marked sections (choose labels that have a laminate surface for better durability), I can quickly figure out what I need for my menu planning week — and when I really don’t need yet another bottle of salad dressing! Another bonus to labelling is that I don’t end up losing items in the back of my fridge when I know what I have purchased has a purpose and a place. Even better, my husband and kids can also easily locate and relocate food because every shelf is clearly marked.

Know what you need. Have you ever come home from the grocery store and realized you forgot to buy a particular item yet again?! Don’t leave your shopping to memory — write down what you need as soon as you realize you are running out of it. I keep a 4-by-6-inch pad of paper and a pen mounted on the side of my fridge with a magnetic clip. When I see I am getting low on something, I add it to my ongoing grocery list. It saves me riffling through the fridge right before I head out shopping or counting on my memory recall when in the meat aisle — and my family also knows that if they want more of their favourite cereal, they have to add it to the list. When I sit down to do my meal planning, I use this ongoing list and my recipe requirements to re-write my list according to my grocery store’s layout — so fruit and veg go at the top of the page, followed by bread, then cleaning products, etc. I find it is worth the few extra minutes to re-write the list so I am not criss-crossing the store.

These ideas are what works for me, but be sure to tailor your shopping experiences to what works for you. Maybe it is a pre-printed checklist of often-purchased ingredients, maybe it is making your meals on the weekend and popping them in the freezer — whatever it is, find out what works for you and stick to your plan. It will make Wednesday dinners (and all the others) so much easier

Heather Cameron is a mom of two and a professional home organizer and decorator with Edited Interiors. She believes that being organized isn't about being perfect but about finding what works perfectly for you.

Pre-natal care: Pregnancy Massage

by Amanda

Pregnancy can bring much joy and excitement as you learn that your family will be growing and you prepare for your little loved one to enter into your life.  However, with this joy one may also experience common aches, pains and discomfort as the body expands and prepares for the growth and delivery of your precious baby.

With only 6 weeks left (hopefully not 8!) before we get to meet our little girl I have found this pregnancy much harder on my body than the first.  I noticed I looked pregnant sooner then second time, my round ligament pain started earlier, sciatica problems which were easily relieved by yoga before were a bit more of a nuisance and my body was just plain exhausted all the time.  Now, some of these symptoms could have been increased due to the fact that I have a super cute but active 20 month old to chase around but even with taking much care of my body, practicing yoga daily, eating well and sleeping lots I found things still just felt different.

I am one of the few “blessed” women who experience nausea through their entire pregnancy.  Nausea may actually be down playing it a little.  What I experience is downright ugly and I carry a garbage can with me everywhere because you just don’t know when you may need it for 40 weeks.

There is only one thing that can make my nausea, discomfort, pain and aches completely disappear or at least lessen.  That thing is…… MASSAGE!  I worship my massage therapist. I met her when I was only 12 weeks pregnant with our first child and we became fast friends. She was hired as our doula and I had massages at least every 4 weeks.  As I near the end of this pregnancy I have been seeing her every three weeks and it has been divine!  My body continues to thank me.

When having my massage it is the only time I can once again lay on my stomach with complete ease and comfort. The special cushioning system ensures that the belly is supported at all times but that there is lots of room for baby and that both mom and baby are comfortable. The cushioning and padding provided under the chest ensures that sore and growing breasts are comfortable throughout as well.  As soon as I lay on that magic table, face down; I feel my body begin to ease.  The hands of my therapist warmly and with great intentions of healing begin to ease my mind, body and soul.

When you are pregnant going to a massage therapist who specializes in pre and postnatal care is crucial.  It is not only your body that they are working on but that of your unborn child as well. Anything you as the mother are feeling can be passed onto the child.  Aches and pains the mother is feeling can be because of various positions or growth of the baby. It is important that your therapist is experienced and knowledgeable.

I cannot recommend enough the importance of taking care of your body as you grow such a precious and innocent little baby that will become a part of this world.  Take time out for yourself, pause and enjoy the positive moments of life.  While you are at it book yourself a prenatal massage….you deserve it!

Amanda DeGrace is mom to a 20 month old boy and a baby girl due in 6 weeks.  When she is not at her massage therapists enjoying her treatments she can be found running her company DeGrace Energetics (www.amandadegrace.ca) & Little Lotus Yoga (www.littlelotusyoga.ca) and is the Fitness Supervisor at the Ottawa Athletic Club.

To School Or Not To School

by Nicki Do I send Liam to junior kindergarten or not?  That is a question that has been on my mind for quite some time.  For many parents there really isn't a decision to be made.

My son was born on Christmas Day, 2008, this means that Liam is eligible to start Junior Kindergarten this September at only 3 years and 8 months old.

For us, this makes the decision very difficult.  Do we send him this year, based on his age?  Do we wait another year?  If we do, should he start in Junior Kindergarten or Senior Kindergarten?

If he does go this year, I worry about it being too much for him on many levels at such a young age.  The structure, the independence in self help skills (including using the bathroom), the long days without a nap, can a three year old cope with these things?  Not to mention such a small child riding on the school bus.

If we do wait until next year, which is what we are leaning towards right now, where do we put him?  JK where he will be the oldest and in theory most advanced in the class?  Or SK where he will be the youngest but still with kids born the same year as him.  Will he be too advanced and bored if we start him in JK?  But at the same time, he could be too far behind if we start him in SK.  Either way, our decision will effect his whole school career.  Thinking way into the future, if he starts JK this year as a 3 year old, he will be due to go off to college or university at only 17! Looking back, there was no way I could have gone off to college at 17!!!

Really, I know there is no right or wrong answer to this dilemma.  it is one of those things that every family with an end of the year baby has to make for themselves.  However, I would love to know how other people have handled this issue.  Please share your experiences as a parent or as a teacher!

Nicki is mom to 3 year old Liam.  She is an ECE,  who loves to garden, scrapbook, write and take photos. She blogs about the randomness that is her life at Perils of a Working Mom

Registering for Kindergarten

by Lara It's hard for me to believe that it's already been two years since I first had to register my son for school, or that I'm only a year away from doing it for my twins.  But we all get there and suddenly our babies are ready to go to school!

February tends to be the time that most schools start accepting registration for September - are you prepared?

There are four public school boards to choose from and most have open houses where you can go in and meet the teachers and ask questions about the programs.  The boards are:

English Public: Information on Kindergarten registration.  To find the school in your area.

English Catholic: Information on Kindergarten registration.  To find the school in your area.

French Public : Open house list for 2012 (some have already passed but many haven't yet) To find the school in your area.

French Catholic: Information on registering.  To find the school in your area.

For some the choice on which school to send their kids to is clear, for others there's a little more decision making involved.

We chose to send our son to the French Public board. Although my husband doesn't speak much French and we only speak English at home, I learned French by attending elementary school in French and felt it was the best way for my children to learn as well.  Although it took almost six months for Kiernan to really start feeling comfortable in French, in his second year of full-day French school he is thriving.

Are you ready for school registration? What school board did you choose for your kids?