Fun Times Recycling

With all of our house remodeling and new purchases for baby James #2, our house has seen quite a bit of extra cardboard boxes laying around the house (which I hate to see...not the extra boxes per say but I hate to see all the garbage our home is intaking!)

SO, my husband had a grand idea the other night.  Although we plan to recycle every last piece of cardboard...we might as well make some other use out of it!  And so my husband had a plan and went with it.

And boy did we have a happy little man for a day...or actually a few days until the fort was completely destroyed.

I was going to let Park paint the walls one afternoon but before I knew it, he had turned the fort on its side and made a slide out of it.  And then there was another day of fun to be had...

It's amazing what you can do to entertain your child.  And not only was it fun for Park to have something new to enjoy, it was good family time constructing it and laughing our butts off at his thrills!

Happy smiles all around,
~Mommy Bridget

Ecoland Review and Giveaway- ends 12/10

Ecoland Review and Giveaway-ends 12/10

Ecoland Inc is a small, family owned and locally operated eco-conscious company devoted to environmentally sustainable practices that provides healthy products for its consumers.  They use organic cotton in all of their products and donate 3% of their proceeds to featured non-profit organizations.  Ecoland Inc is a model company and by supporting them through the purchases of their products, you are supporting environmentally safe practices with everyone's well being in mind.

My son had the opportunity to review Ecoland's Boy's Striped Quarter Socks and their Boy's Tanks.

And we love them!  They are so soft and luxurious to the touch, and I didn't realize until we reviewed them how fortunate we are to have these as a part of Park's wardrobe.  We have a set of clothes for casual wear around the house or underneath other clothing to keep warm, and this was a beautiful addition to our collection.  And it's a pleasant reminder to know that what is closest to his sensitive skin is nothing but the best of fabric, made from 100% organic cotton fibers (nothing made with the use of pesticides or other harmful toxic chemicals) and made from a wonderful company.

Ecoland Inc. not only makes clothing apparel for our little ones, they also offer socks, underwear, intimates for women, spa and baby accessories and even gift sets...just perfect for your holiday gift list!  

Buy it:

You can purchase Ecoland products at their online store by clicking here.

Win it:
Ecoland is giving away their Toddler's Combo Crew Socks (set of 3) to one lucky winner on The Curious Case of Mommyhood!  (Open to US and Canada residents only)

To Enter:

***REMEMBER: POST A COMMENT FOR EACH ENTRY***

***Also, remember to leave your email address with your comments so you can be reached*** 

Subscribe to my blog (located on the left side of my home page) and tell me another Ecoland product you would love to have.  This is MANDATORY to enter the giveaway.

You also have the opportunity for additional entries (one each) if you do any of the following:

• follow The Curious Case of Mommyhood on Google Follower
• tell me something else about Ecoland Inc's products
  
• like The Curious Case of Mommyhood on Facebook
• like Ecoland Inc on Facebook
• repost this giveaway on your facebook page and post the link with your entry
• follow The Curious Mommy on Twitter
• follow Ecoland Inc on Twitter

Again, please be sure to leave your email address with each entry.

You have until December 10th at midnight to enter.

Good luck to you all,

Mommy Bridget 

Ecoland's products were provided to me by Ecoland Inc. for review.  (Please see my Disclosure under my "Reviews" page for more information.)

And the Winner is...

Congratulations to Allison, the winner of the $10 gift certificate to Abby's Lane!!!  Thank you dearly to all who participated in this and other giveaways on The Curious Case of Mommyhood.  Don't forget to check out the current giveaways under way.

Have a wonderful weekend!

Mommy Bridget

Giving Thanks

Happy Thanksgiving Day to you all and happy to giving thanks to those we love!  I hope you all have a wonderful holiday and rest of your weekend, have safe travels and most of all, cherish the time with those close to you.  And remember why many of us celebrate this holiday, to give thanks for all that we have been blessed with.

~ Mommy Bridget

Abby's Lane $10 Gift Certificate Ends this Friday-11/28

There are only a few days left to enter the $10 gift certificate giveaway from Abby's Lane.  If you haven't entered yet, you must!  Abby's Lane sells many baby products online, especially everything for your cloth diapering needs.  Click here to enter.

~Curious Mommy

Preterm Pregnancy and Dental Health

As many of you may already know, your teeth can suffer during pregnancy.  To what extent and to all the reasons why, we don't know.  But what we do know is that they suffer.  And because of this, pregnant women are doing their bodies and their growing babies a favor by taking the best possible care during pregnancy.

After speaking with my dentist yesterday after a routine cleaning and exam, I decided posting something about good oral hygiene during pregnancy as this would be a great reminder to many of you pregnant or planning to become pregnant to be as careful with their teeth during pregnancy as they are with the rest of their bodies.

And here is why:

• When you are pregnant, you tend to eat more (because you should, you are growing another being inside you).  As you eat, the pH levels in your mouth drop (increased salidity).  During this period, bad bacteria in your mouth are able to grow quicker...leading to increase risks of (or aggravation of preexisting) cavities, gingivitis, gum disease, etc.
• increased hormone levels may cause increase levels of bad bacterial growth in your mouth
• gum disease can not only be a risk to you but can also be a risk to your unborn child (click here for more information)

So what are a few things we can do to prevent any of the above from happening?

• visit your dentist for a dental cleaning and check up
• rinse with 1 ts. baking soda and 8 ounces of water regularly to increase pH levels to a good state...this creates an inhospitable environment in your mouth for the bad bacteria
• don't use regular mouthwash with alcohol as an ingredient (this also kills the good bacteria in your mouth)
• floss and brush regularly
• maintain a healthy diet and drink plenty of water

I was happy to leave my dentist yesterday with a clean bill of dental health.  Thank you to the greatest dentist for better explaining to me the importance of good dental health during pregnancy!

~Curious Mommy

Keeping Strong Against the Fast and the Furious 2 Year Old

Over the weekend, here in the mountainous west, we were dumped on with lots and lots of nature's cold wet stuff.  We new it was coming, and had been planning it at our house for some time.  Not only did we prepare the yard, the house with a properly working furnace and get organized to hunker down for the winter months, but we also picked up winter clothing appropriate for a 2 year old to run and play in for the winter.  I knew the moment Park played in the snow with his big snow boots and snow suit, he would be happy as can be.  However, since my son is NOT big on change, I've been dreading getting him to wear his snow gear for the first time.

So in the weeks leading up to the snow, I talked to him about his clothes, what they were for and how they are like Mommy and Daddy's snow boots and jackets.  When the snow began to fall, Park was ready at the door with his regular shoes on begging and begging to go out and play.  So yesterday, we introduced him to his snow gear.

Not surprisingly, it didn't go over very well...

After 5 minutes of trying to get his boots on without Park removing them, squirming and screaming...we got them on and fastened.  Next, we tried in every attempt to calm him and explain to him why he was wearing them.  I have to say, I haven't heard my son cry that hard since a horrible visit to an Instacare clinic down the street where I was forced to hold him down while the doctor examined a very painful appendage.  I kept wondering if the boots could be hurting him.  But, there was no way.  They were plenty big and slipped on without a problem.  It was just our son, the fast and the furious child with more will power than most people I know.

Then, I sat there dumbfounded.  What do I do now?  I hate to see him so upset.  When he cries, I want to cry.  BUT, he will never understand the necessity of snow boots unless he tries them out.  So, we let him have his screams.  We held him until he calmed down.  Then, distracted him with a snack and a car ride to the store.  Once we got out of the car, he was so distracted by the store itself, he kind of forgot about why he was so mad in the first place.  As we left the store, he jumped in a big snow pile and that is when, I assume, he realized what his big bulky boots were made for!

As soon as we got home, he begged for us to put on his snow overalls, jacket, hat and mittens on and didn't hesitate one more second to run outside to play.  And so he played...for 2 hours.  And loved it.  And came inside, with his rosy cheeks and runny nose and begged for something to eat to fuel his little 2 year old body.  And then he slept...and I was a satisfied mom.

I couldn't help but think to myself that I really learned something new about my son that day...despite the fact I thought I knew everything.  Although I have always known how strong willed he is and really likes things to be predictable...he is easily swayed by other positive distractions.  Once his strong mind, or shall I say yesterday's "furious" mind, was calmed and focused on something bigger and better than what was once so horrible at hand, he was better able to make sense of the situation.  And most of all, I learned that no matter how much my 2 year old protests something as simple as wearing new shoes, I am his mother and I shouldn't give in to what I know is right for him.  As horrible as it was for 5 minutes, it was well worth the fight.  He was so happy in the snow and by 7 am this morning, already grabbing his boots to go outdoors!

Happy motherhood my friends,

Mommy Bridget