A Playful, Earth-Conscious Resource For Your "Ing" Journey

Earth Mama Angel Baby Bottom Balm

February 21, 2012 by buckbuckgoose | 1 Comment

I’m deeply in love with my bottom balm. (If you can be in love with a diaper cream…) I bought Earth Mama Angel Baby’s Angel Baby Bottom Balm several weeks ago and the stuff is simply miraculous. It is cloth diaper safe, which was crucial for me. But, beyond that, it is a quality, toxin-free product that works quickly and smells divine. I’m definitely going to look into the other products made by Earth Mama, namely the lip balms, washes, and teas. (*You can visit the Earth Mama website here. However, I ordered my bottom balm on Amazon.) My girls rarely have any diaper area skin issues since we use cloth diapers. However, at night and on long trips, we do use disposables. When this happens, sometimes my little ones’ bottoms get a little red. As soon as I see that happening, I use the Angel Baby Bottom Balm and the irritation disappears. (When I use it with my cloth diapers, I put a fleece liner to ensure no residue build up.) Other features about this product that I adore:  a little bit goes a long way and it is organic, certified vegan, and cruelty-free. Extra bonus:  it can be used for all sorts of other ailments:  rashes, burns, cuts, scrapes, insect bites, and more! This product definitely gets the Buckbuckgoose Seal of Approval.

The Best of the Laurie Berkner Band CD

February 17, 2012 by buckbuckgoose | 1 Comment

I received The Best of the Laurie Berkner Band cd as a gift from one of my mom’s very close friends. It is a huge hit in our house! Baby Ap and Baby Er really like it. In fact, they get very excited when I put it on (screeching, arm flapping, smiling). I enjoy singing along to the songs “Victor Vito” and “I’m Gonna Catch You” as I chase them around our living room. “Five Days Old” brings a tear to my eye when I think of how small our girls were at that age and it reminds me of how fast they are growing up. “The Goldfish” is also a good one. I love the line: “Wait a minute! We’re fish. We don’t ride bicycles!” Too cute! The music on this cd would be appropriate for little babies, toddlers, and pre-schoolers. You’ll love how each song is different and varies with tempo, rhythm, and melody. I highly recommend this as a gift for any young child. It inspires giggling, singing, and dancing!

First Steps and Vanilla

February 16, 2012 by buckbuckgoose | 0 comments

Thankful For (Thursday, February 16, 2012):

1)  A hot cup of coffee on a rainy, wet morning

2)  Watching Baby Ap and Baby Er taking their first few steps

3)  Ordering some special birthday gifts online for my daughters’ first birthdays

4)  Grilled cheese for lunch

5)  The soothing smell of vanilla

Separate Bedrooms

February 15, 2012 by buckbuckgoose | 0 comments

The latest endeavor in our house has been moving Baby Ap and Baby Er into separate bedrooms. I wasn’t crazy about the idea because I wanted to have the girls share a room and be with one another while they slept. However, that was not working out. Baby Ap is not a sound sleeper and she was often waking up Baby Er. This led to poor daytime naps and interrupted night slumber. Our first solution was to have Baby Ap sleep in our room in a Pack-n-Play. That worked great! Both girls were napping well and sleeping better at night. However, I really wanted Baby Ap to sleep in her crib, with its supportive mattress and extra soft sheets. Plus, I was afraid that she’d become too accustomed to the Pack-n-Play and we’d have a huge problem down the road. So, after much deliberation, we decided that we’d move my husband’s office into the far side of our bedroom, leaving an available room for Baby Ap. I’m hoping that this was the right choice for everyone and will ensure more restful sleep for our entire family. When the girls are older, if they prefer to sleep in the same room, I’m all for it. However, at this time in their lives, it is better for them to have their own personal space to dream and relax. Baby Ap and Baby Er are two very different little people with different needs, personalities, and sleep habits. I guess this is one of those moments where I have to look beyond the ideas I had conjured up in my mind (ie. the girls would want to spend every single minute of their lives together and never be apart) and find peace knowing that whatever makes for two pleasant babies, is the way to go. Changing my vision isn’t easy, but having a happy Baby Ap and a happy Baby Er helps.

Reusable Filters for Keurig Machines

February 15, 2012 by buckbuckgoose | 2 Comments

This post is a response to an issue I’ve discussed with my mom about the Keurig Coffee Machine. I don’t own one myself (yet), but I know a lot of people do. It came to my attention that the K Cups for the Keurig are not recyclable! How ridiculous! That’s a  lot of plastic being thrown away and making its way into the environment yet again. My mom actually contacted the company to find out why and they gave her some reason about the seal/glue on the lid for freshness yadda yadda yadda. I just happened upon this article at a site I frequent often. You can get a reusable BPA-free filter, the Ekobrew, for the Keurig so you don’t have to use the K Cups. This eliminates waste and can save you money since you can use your own ground coffee. You can also read some additional information about the Ekobrew here. I like the mention of using your own organic or fair trade coffee that might be stronger and better tasting than the K Cup coffee. There is also a nice review of the Ekobrew filter here, highlighting the differences between it and the Solofill, another reusable filter that was created earlier. Here is a link to purchase the Ekobrew on Amazon. This may seem like a minor bump along the “greener” road, but in actuality, billions of K Cups are sold every year. I think that warrants a new solution and I think the Ekobrew is a good one. Now you can enjoy your hot mug of coffee with less environmental impact: Yum Yum!

Snow Falling and A Sleeping Yorkie

February 11, 2012 by buckbuckgoose | 0 comments

Weekly Thankful For:

1) Hanging out with good friends who I haven’t seen in a while

2) The quiet sound of snow falling

3) Making homemade valentines for Baby Ap and Baby Er

4) Clean bathrooms

5) When my little 5 lb. Yorkie sits in my lap and falls asleep

A Green Valentine’s Day

February 11, 2012 by buckbuckgoose | 0 comments

I’m always looking for some green ideas to celebrate special holidays. Valentine’s Day is this week and I was wondering how to share some love while keeping the environment in mind. This link lists some great suggestions for organic and fair trade chocolates. (If you aren’t familiar with fair trade, please read my post about Dr. Bronner’s Castile Soap or go here.) I’m a huge fan of dark chocolate, but Equal Exchange’s Organic Chocolate Caramel Crunch with Sea Salt sounds amazing! This site has some great recycled gift ideas. I love the ring made from old camera innards, the doorknob wine stopper, and the soda bottle glasses. I want nearly every item that BTC Elements sells! I’m digging the purse made from neckties and the one fashioned out of an old kimono. The upcycled jewelry and the children’s cookie aprons are also at the top of my list. Added bonus: everything is made in the good ol’ USA. For those of you who are do-it-yourselfers or are on a tight budget (like me), you’ll surely enjoy these craft ideas for Valentine’s Day. All of them are fantastic, but I particularly like the felt fortune cookies, candy heart rings, and origami bookmark. Finally, this site includes some great stats about Valentine’s Day (1 billion valentines are sent every year – that’s lots of trees!) and suggestions for having a greener holiday. Buying local flowers or giving a donation as a gift can make your special day of love even more meaningful. I hope you have a memorable Valentine’s Day and think “green” amid all the red and pink.