Big Book of Books and Activities - Review

School is in session!  We are on Day 10 of My Father's World 1st grade and loving it.  Lucy can hardly stand the weekends because she wants to do schoolwork.  I'm slowly feeling more confident with the curriculum and getting into the routine of things.  Today I thought I would share a great resource with you that we are using.

Dinah Zike's Big Book of Books and Activities is a fun book to have on hand.  I found this book listed at the back of my MFW 1st teacher's manual.  Its no longer listed in newer teacher editions since they changed things up a bit and introduced the deluxe packages.  I am so glad I found it though!  Dinah Zike's books are available for purchase on her website here.  The Big Book of Books and Activities has all kind of mini books to make, similar to things found on Homeschool Share or lapbooking if you are familiar with that at all.

We've been using the ideas in this book to make mini science booklets.  Lucy is proud of them and showing them off helps her remember the facts she has learned.  Dinah Zike's book has plenty of photographs and clear step by step instructions.  I found it easy to follow along.  The photos include plenty of inspiring ideas as well!

Last week we made this booklet after studying worms.

Each flap opens up to complete the sentence.  I wrote on the flap and had Lucy write her answers inside.  "Worms live... underground.  Worms eat... dead leaves.  Worms help... plants.  Worms... make tunnels."

This week we are talking about the seasons.  MFW recommends dividing a sheet of paper into four sections and drawing pictures depicting the seasons.  We made this top tab book instead.

Lucy decided to draw the same house, road, pond, mailbox, and tree on each page but with seasonal differences.  I love it!

I'm sure we'll be using this reference book for years to come.  The mini books and projects are great for any age and grade level.  The Big Book of Books and Activities includes ideas for math, reading, science, and more.  There is a huge variety of projects and I'm sure we could make one for just about anything.  Just flipping through the book inspires me to create!  Two thumbs up!

Dinah-Might Adventures sent me a display copy of this book to review upon my request.  

All opinions are my own.

Replacing Kitchen Items

I've been slowly replacing items in my kitchen with safer, non-toxic choices.  I'm actually surprised at how much there is and how long it has taken me.  A couple of years ago we did a big overhaul, buying new pots and pans and even safer dinnerware.  Some things had to wait until we had more money to spend, and others just got overlooked.  Here is my hit list:

Bisphenol-A (BPA) - usually a clear hard plastic, can be labeled number 7 but there is no law requiring items to be labeled.  Check the ZRecsGuide for specific information on whether or not something contains BPA.

Plastic - I'm extremely picky about even "safe" plastics in the kitchen.  I do not like using plastic for anything that is going to be heated or have hot foods put in it.  Often its difficult to tell what type of plastic something is made of, and its just as difficult to try and track down companies and get them to answer your questions (I've tried!).  Tupperware and Pampered Chef unfortunately are both companies that are unwilling to be upfront about their plastics.

Non-stick coatings/ Teflon - This is a big one that I'm not sure we've fully eliminated from the kitchen.  The Environmental Working Group has pages of research about this.  Evidently its a well known fact among owners of canaries and other small birds that you must keep them away from the kitchen because fumes from non-stick cookware could kill them (small birds?  ...what about small children?).  I hate how the non-stick coating peels off after a while and then you're eating it.  Bleh!

Aluminum - In looking for non-non-stick bakeware, many of the options are aluminum.  I'm not comfortable with this either.

When shopping for new items I look for high quality stainless steel or glass products.  I recently got to replace our plastic colander with an All Clad Stainless steel colander from CSN Stores.  This one is very sturdy and comes with a lifetime guarantee.  Its expensive, but will last forever.  I also chose some Le Creuset spatulas - mini, small, and medium.  The spatulas have wooden handles and removable silicone heads.  They are made in the USA.  Both the colander and the spatulas are high quality, safe items that I enjoy using in my kitchen.  (Thanks, CSN Stores for the review items!)

We do still have things in our kitchen that I'm not comfortable with.  For example, our waffle iron has a non-stick inner.  I've been unable to find a good alternative.  Are there things that you are working on replacing as you learn more about toxins in your home?

SodaStream Home Soda Machine Review

Did you ever read the old Raggedy Ann and Andy books?  I loved them.  The old black hardcover books with colored illustrations inside.... I still remember where they were located in the library.  I read them many times over and can't wait to read them to my girls eventually.  (If you read the title of this post you might wonder why I am talking about Raggedy Ann, but then again if you read the books you might know what I'm getting at.)

In one of the stories, when Raggedy Ann finds a wishing pebble, she wishes for a magic soda-water fountain.  She and her friends have the loveliest time drinking soda from the fountain, enjoying all sorts of flavors, right in their living room!  They poke holes in their little cotton mouths and her and Raggedy Andy drink fifteen glasses of soda-water.  (They were the especially magic kind that never give anyone a stomach ache.)  I think this was my favorite book.

Indulge me for a moment while I admit that... when I found out about Sodastream home soda machines, I thought of Raggedy Ann and Andy and their magic soda fountain.  Getting the chance to review one was like a little girl dream come true.  Yes, I have my own magic soda machine, right on my counter!

We were sent a Fountain Jet kit including SodaMix flavorings and MyWater flavor essences to try out.  Set up of the machine was not hard at all, although I wasn't quite sure I had gotten the carbonator in completely.  It helps to read the instructions and FAQs online - they give more info than the instruction booklet that comes with it.  To carbonate the water, all you do is press a button at the top of the machine until you hear a loud buzzing noise.  You can then mix flavoring in, or make your own concoctions, which is what we do.  (Only water can be carbonated with the machine.)

The first time I used the soda machine I was a little freaked out wondering if the carbonator was in right.  I knew it was supposed to buzz, and was listening for that.  It didn't buzz with the first press, and then was hissing (freaking me out even more, lol).  I pressed again and my finger ended up slipping down in and getting stuck.  I had to press the button down with my other hand to be able to pull my finger back out.  Ross and my mom were laughing hysterically at me being so jumpy with this machine.  I should have been making a video blog of it.  I haven't had any trouble with it since, then again, if Ross is around, I usually make him press the button.

Here are some of my thoughts on the SodaStream home soda machine:
- I like that it doesn't use any electricity or batteries.
- The buzzing noise is LOUD - it sounds like an elephant blowing his nose and scares the baby.
- The bottles are BPA free.
- I love that I can fill the bottles with my Berkey filtered water and therefore have Berkey filtered soda.

There is a store near me that sells SodaStream machines and refills the carbonators.  It costs $18 to refill a carbonator there.  If you don't have a local store, you can go through the website where $45 is the cheapest option but you get two carbonators.  $18 divided by 60 (the number of liters of carbonated water you can make with one carbonater) = 30 cents per liter of carbonated water.  This is not including the price of the machine, or shipping.  The cost goes up slightly, depending on what you use to flavor the soda with.  Compare this to the cost of a store bought soda and its a steal, especially when you compare it to healthy sodas!

We honestly don't like the soda flavors - they all contain Splenda.  I'm not a big fan of Splenda for health reasons, and the mixes do have a Splenda aftertaste.  We do enjoy making sodas our own way though.  I absolutely love real homemade cream soda using this recipe.  Another easy way we make soda is to mix a spoonful of frozen juice concentrate into carbonated water (this tastes almost exactly like Izze).

In summary, I love having my own magic soda machine.  I do think the machines are rather pricey, the initial cost is hard to swallow.  However, if you regularly buy soda, the machine would pay for itself eventually.  We are enjoying making our own sodas and its a fun conversation piece with company.

Update: I contacted SodaStream about the finger pinching incident and they are actually sending me an upgraded model.  They have great customer service and responded quickly to my questions.

Molly's Miracle "Fun"draiser

I met Kim recently at a playdate.  She gave me a flyer for a fun event at the local children's museum to support Molly.  It turns out that Molly is her 2 year old daughter who had a brain tumor removed this spring.  Kim also has a six month old girl who was just two months old at the time of Molly's surgery.  Kim spent time in the PICU with Molly, and family brought Nora to her every so often to nurse.  You can read more of her story on her blog Life of a Modern Mom, click on the picture of Molly on the left.  I'm amazed at all Kim has gone through.  Molly is doing well, and I'm excited about this celebration event.  If you're local, mark your calendars and come on out!  If not, you can still check out Kim's blog and even donate to the cause.

DATE: Friday, September 17
TIME: Festivities run from 6-9pm, stop in any time!
PLACE: Grand Rapids Children's Museum

"Join us as we celebrate Molly's miracle at this family friendly event.  Enjoy snacks, music, silent auction, a penny carnival, face painting, crafts, and much much more.  There will be so many ways to show your support.  ALL money raised will go directly to support Molly's medical expenses.

Admission is $5 per person, or $20 for a family of 4 or more.

(As a side note, I'm loving all the awesome crafty decorating ideas Kim shares on her blog!  Check it out!)