So this was Christmas.....

I hope you all had a wonderful Christmas! 

Ours was.....different.

I like to have my plans set and unfurl accordingly, but there was no planning this one.

A yucky bug made its way through the family this year, and all of our extended family that had plans to stay with us had to be rerouted (the day before their arrival) to another relative's house (& city!) in order to avoid infection. 
So, it was a quiet, yet enjoyable Christmas with just us, with some late nights and fussy babies thrown in there.

We made cookies, popcorn on the stove, and drank custard.

We wrapped presents and made dark hot chocolate with a little cayenne pepper.

We had a fire in the fireplace.

We enjoyed the radio station with all Christmas music, all the time.

We did lots of coloring, playdoh, and dress-up time.

We cuddled under blankets and read books.

We bundled the kids up and drove around in the warm van to look at Christmas lights since they were too sick to go to the Gardens Light Exhibition as planned.

All in all, it was different than expected, but still very wonderful all the same.

Soon I'll tell you about some of our favorite things that Santa brought us this year.

I did have to run out and in desperation, purchased an all-natural cough syrup. 

This turned out to be a fantastic find!

If you haven't heard of Zarbees Cough Syrup, and you have young children like I do (who aren't allowed to have the regular OTC cough remedies), or if you prefer natural remedies, I suggest you buy a bottle to have on hand in case you need it.

It is safe for children 12+ months, and is made with "a blend of special dark honeys (buckwheat & wildflower), vitamins and immune-bosting ingredients. The ingredients in Zarbee's are all-natural, side-effect-free and proven in clinical trials to be effective at calming coughs and sore throats in children and young adults." 

It is also Gluten, dye & preservative-free, and contains no drugs or alcohol.

It was created by a Pediatrician who wanted a natural product safe for young children's coughs.

 It doesn't taste like traditional medicine, which threw my kids for a loop at first, but soon after they took it, we noticed that the frequency of coughing had substantially decreased.  They also went to sleep quicker and easier after taking this.

If you are interested in trying it out, I know you can order it from Amazon:

or, buy it from Walgreens, like I did.  If you visit Zarbee's website, there is a link on the lower right hand side of the page for a coupon to purchase it at Walgreens.

Aside from this product, we found some relief from baths, cool mist humidifiers, and a tip from our Doctor to elevate the head of our children's beds with books or boards under the feet of the head of the bed just enough to keep their heads a little above the rest of their bodies to help with their coughing.

If you have any more tips, I'd love to hear them, as for some reason it appears (from new fevers today) that round 2 of a bug is just beginning.....

Limits to Candy at Halloween?

Don't get me wrong, Yes, Trick-or-Treating is about the kids having fun.  And, I love-a me some candy.  But, what I don't love is having it hang around the house with the family snacking on it for days afterward, nor do I like the sugar highs and crashes that often go along with it.  But, I always feel bad just throwing it out.  Lots of children react adversely to the ingredients (like corn syrup, artifical colors and flavoring) present in most types of candy, including having headaches, and displaying aggression or fussiness, and can have a "Halloween Hangover".  So what to do?

To limit the candy intake in your own home, Simple Organic has some great ideas.  They suggest you could try a visit from the Sugar Plum Fairy.  You allow the child to pick out some favorite pieces of candy to have after trick-or-treating, then leave the rest out in a nice container or plate overnight for the Sugar Plum Fairy.  The fairy takes it back to the fairy village and they use the candy to help build houses and homes.  In exchange, the fairy leaves a new book, craft kit, new toothbrush, coloring book, or other gift of your choice.  This way the child enjoys a limited amount of candy in moderation, but doesn't feel deprived of their bounty.

Another idea is to donate your candy.  Doctor's offices, Libraries, and many other businesses often have a candy jar out for public consumption.  They might appreciate the free donation of your left overs.  Mom or Dad might have success taking the candy to work and leaving it out in common areas in a bowl or jar for co-workers to snack on throughout the day.  I'm not sure on the policy of your local Homeless Shelter, but you could call them and ask if they would be interested in your candy donation for their residents. 

Plus, being a military wife myself, I advocate Operation Shoebox.  They welcome donated Halloween candy and distribute it to troops overseas.  You can send a one-time donation, or sign up to Adopt-a-troop.  Including a child-made card is always a nice way to say thank you.

Working with your child, set aside some candy that will be used for activities only (not consumption).  Perhaps you use the wrappers for a craft project (but pitch the candy).  Choose a variety of colors and shapes of candies and wrappers and use for a candy sorting activity.  Some candy can be saved in a tin for making a Gingerbread House later.  If you are feeling ambitious, Science 2.0 has the Top 10 Scientific Uses for Leftover Halloween Candy.

Limit the time your child trick-or-treats to begin with.  Trick-or-treating might last 2 or 3 hours, but that doesn't mean you have to spend the whole time out there.  Plan to go for a set amount of time, then have fun activities or crafts planned back at the house for the remainder of the time.  Children also like to participate in handing out candy, so especially if you have a busy neighborhood, let them have the job of candy handler for part of the time.

Feed them a healthy dinner first. 

Be sure they aren't diving into their Halloween bags when they are starving. 

Have a good dinner before heading out for trick-or-treating,

and they will be less likely to gorge themselves as much later.

Alternatives to giving out candy:

Candy isn't the only fun option at Halloween.  Try handing out bundles of crayons or colored pencils tied together with a rubber band or ribbon.  The dollar stores often have large bags of Halloween rings (spiders, pumpkins, etc.) that children love to receive.  Bulk stores like Costco and Sam's Club will commonly sell large packages of mini cans of Play-Doh.  Mini bottles of bubbles are also sold in bulk usually in the party favor aisle of many stores.  Halloween stickers, temporary tattoos (buy a package and cut them up into individual tattoos for handing out), seasonal pencils, erasers, Halloween magnets (just make sure they aren't a choking hazard), packets of apple cider mix (like Hot Chocolate Mix), granola bars, and baggies filled with air-popped popcorn are also good alternatives.  Juice boxes or small bottles of water are also a popular alternative, and trick-or-treaters will always be thirsty when they are walking around the neighborhood.  Be aware that not all parents will allow their child to eat home-baked or homemade goods meant for consumption as a safety precaution.  It might be best to stick with pre-packaged items to ease other parents' minds.

There are also Organic and Natural options for Halloween Treats:

Mother Nature Network has a great list of traditional candy alternatives, including Annie's Bunny Snacks Variety Pack (package includes: 8 - Chocolate Chip Bunny Grahams, 8 - Chocolate Bunny Grahams, 8 - Honey Bunny Grahams, 12 - Cheddar Bunnies Crackers).  You can purchase Annie's products (including All-natural Fruit Gummies) at many regular grocery stores and Target.  Simple Organic recommends a product like YummyEarth Organic Lollipops.  Surf Sweets is a company that makes organically-sweetened gummy candies and jelly beans that are free of artificial colors and sweeteners, corn syrup, gmo's and gluten.  Click here to see where you can purchase them (many stores like Whole Foods carries their products).

Finally, don't make Trick-or-Treating the only Halloween event.  Visit a farm, pumpkin patch, or u-pick orchard.  Carve pumpkins and bake the seeds together (see my previous posting for a recipe).  Pumpkin Scrubbing is a great Practical-Life montessori activity (just provide a scrub brush, some soapy water and a towel and the kids will scrub away!).  Dress up the day before Halloween and pay a visit to nursing home residents to brighten their day.  Organize a neighborhood or school-wide Halloween parade.  Complete Halloween themed activies and read booksat home in the days leading up to Trick-or-Treating.  Bake cookies together or make caramel apples or apple cider.  Have the child participate in making portions of their costume.  Make the Halloween decorations for the house together.  If the candy isn't the only focus of the holiday, it won't be such a big deal if there are limits placed on the intake.  Also, be sure to explain to the child why the candy is being limited.  It is always a good time to teach them responsibility in their eating habits.♥

NAMC has a good article about a Montessori-Style Halloween celebration here.

I read (somewhere??) after Halloween is over, compost a whole pumpkin by planting it in the ground.  The compost will feed the seeds, which will sprout next spring. 

Don't miss these great Halloween 3-part cards from United Teaching!

Natural and Nontoxic Wooden Toys

Okay, I know, I'm an Etsy addict. But, I just love the selection of personally crafted, carefully handmade, wonderfully creative items for children that Etsy provides!!! My latest love is the natural and non-toxic wooden toys that you can find on there. I just think that the feel of wood over plastic makes the work so much more "important" feeling, you know? Not that my house is plastic free- it isn't!!! But, if I have the choice, I go with natural, hands down.

One of my favorite Early Childhood activities is sorting. There are endless ways you can sort things- by colors, textures, smells, materials, size, shape, and on! I just love giving my children a group of objects and observing them as they come up with their own ways to sort. I'm always pleasantly surprised when they think of a way to sort that hadn't crossed my mind.

This is also one of my favorite activites because it is easily completed cooperatively or alone, and it is simple, inexpensive, and easy to prepare.
Gather together a group of objects, easily customizable to any theme, holiday, season, or lesson, and a place to sort! The place to sort can be mats, bowls, a muffin pan, circular hoops laid on the floor, boxes, or even just under header cards in columns. Oriental Trading is a wonderful place to purchase inexpensive sorting materials. They have just about any theme you can think of, and you can purchase in quantities that allow you to sort and resort without abandon! :) We have their Mini Insect Erasers, and these are a favorite for my children to sort.

I love using sorting as a great activity to keep them occupied at the table while you fix a meal- just hand them a bag and some bowls, and let them sort away! Another one of my favorites is button sorting! I love vintage buttons, and if you don't have a collection of your own, you can purchase collections of them many places, including Ebay. Or, you can go to Walmart and purchase a lovely package of assorted buttons in many colors, shapes, and sizes in their sewing and crafts department for just a few dollars. As always, monitor your children during this activity and choose age appropriate materials.

So now you can see why I just love this product from Wee Wood! It combines my enthusiasm for sorting activities with my passion for handmade, natural toys. :)
This Large set of 5 bowls, includes 1 bowl (and 1 scoop in each bowl) of each: hearts, mushrooms,spools, stars and apples. Each bowl painted in 5 primary colors with nontoxic paint and sealed with a nontoxic and hypoallergenic sealant.
How much fun would your little one have with these? It is one of those toys where they are having too much fun playing to realize they are learning!! And as a bonus, they are also great for scooping and pouring, counting, whatever you (and your little one!) can imagine.
Please visit the rest of their store, too, as they have many other lovely products for your child. Happy shopping!