Donate your used Christmas cards

From now until February 28, 2009, you can donate/send your holiday OR all occasion cards to:

St. Jude’s Ranch for Children
Card Recycling Program
100 St. Jude’s Street
Boulder City, NV 89005

This program began over 30 years ago it started with just Christmas cards but expanded to all occassion. The children of St. Jude turn the old cards into new. The children also receive payment for their hard work and learn the advantages of going green while doing so.

Thanks to Recycle Your Day for the tip!

Reindeer Food - don't leave out the blue-collar workers

They are the ones who do all the hard work after all...

Mix rolled oats with some red or green sugar (which sparkles so the reindeer can find the food).

Have your child sprinkle it on the lawn on the 24th and see how hungry the reindeer were the next morning...that is if they even remember and aren't focused on their new train set that takes up half of your living room...

=)

Letter from Santa, anyone?

How to send your child a letter from Santa

Various services sell "Letters From Santa" mailed with a North Pole (Alaska) postmark. The post office began this service in 1953 and offers it at no cost; all you have to do is supply the letter.

Here's how to do it:

Write your letter from Santa. Be vague about the gifts - keep those kids guessing! - and throw in something about having to go feed the reindeer, etc. etc. to give the letter an authentic touch.

Request a treat you'd like to be rewarded with. The older your child, the more you should consider such details as paper and handwriting (older yet still-Santa-believing kids might be suspicious if they recognize your writing style).

Put the letter in an stamped envelope, addressed to your child.

Place the envelope into a larger, properly-stamped envelope addressed to: North Pole Christmas Cancellation/Postmaster, 5400 Mail Trail, Fairbanks, AK 99709-9998.

Or address your outer envelope to the Postmaster of any of a number of cities with seasonally relevant names, and label your package "Holiday Greeting Card Re-Mailing."

A few of favorites are listed below.

Mail your letter before Dec. 15, or even earlier to be on the safe side. The post office is anticipating the need to process over a million letters to Santa this year.

Cities Santa might vacation in and send your child a letter from:

Antlers OK 74523

Christmas FL 32709

Frost TX 76641

Holly CO 81047

Joy IL 61260

Mistletoe KY 41351

Noel MO 64854

North Pole NY 12946

Rudolph OH 43462

Santa Claus IN 47579

Snowflake AZ 85937

Thanks to ZRecs for the information!

Christmas Tree Farms - courtesy of the LA Times

HOLIDAY TRAVEL
Christmas tree farms in Southern California
Still need to choose a tree? Start a family tradition and climb aboard vintage passenger cars bound for a farm packed with pines fresh for the picking.
By Jay Jones 07:05 PM PST, November 25, 2008

Click to Enlarge
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Christmas train to Santa Paula is ready to board
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Cut-it-yourself sites
Christmas tree farms are scattered throughout Southern California. Several provide fun activities for families before or after they've picked and cut their own tree. Some of the sites:
WHERE TO GO
The Fillmore & Western Railway, offers twice-daily excursions on Saturdays and Sundays. Tickets cost $22 for adults, $12 for children 4 to 12, and $8 for 2- and 3-year-olds. Trees range from $40 to $55. Saws are provided at the Santa Paula Christmas Tree Farm at 18540 E. Telegraph Road (Highway 126) in Santa Paula (Ventura County). Food -- freshly prepared onboard -- is available in the train's dining car; (800) 773-8724, www.fwry.com
The Live Oak Canyon tree farm, in Yucaipa (San Bernardino County) features Monterey pines. Six varieties of trees, ranging from $19 to $500. Outdoor concerts and visits from Santa on weekends; (909) 795-8733, www.liveoakcanyon.com
The appropriately named Pine Tree Acres, in Ramona (San Diego County) offers kid-friendly activities. Trees sold at $6.50 per foot, plus $2 to wrap in a net; (760) 788-5524), www.pinetreeacres.com
For a more wintry experience, head to Big Bear Tree Farm in Big Bear City (San Bernardino County). At 7,000 feet, the air is cooler and Mother Nature may even provide a dusting of snow. (951) 505-2945
Jones is a freelance writer.

Your fear for the day....

http://www.iihs.org/ratings/default.aspx

The Insurance Institute of Highway Safety wishes you a safe drive...

TruKid is having a sale

Since I can't stomach paying $22.49 for a bottle of Cal Baby sunscreen...here's an alternative.
Enter code: Cheer20 for 20% off

http://www.trukid.com/

Movies to avoid with the kids ....or at least watch when they're asleep =)

I think you'll find it ironic that most of these are films that define our 80's childhoods...


http://www.babble.com/content/articles/columns/the-babble-list/26-Most-Disturbing-Kids-
Movies-Ever-Family-films-that-will-scar-your-children-for-life/index.aspx

Tom's of Maine

I chose it b/c of its score on Skin Deep and other recommendations.

This came from IdealBite recently and is a good analysis of all things Tom....



Are you totally devoted to your toothpaste?
The BiteThe loverly crew at Tom's of Maine is (they're dedicated to your soap and mouthwash too). Over the last thirty-some years, Tom's has perfected an entire line of personal care products that's as eco as possible and has tons of admirers.
Company BackgroundFounded by Tom and his wife Kate in 1970, Tom's goes out of its way in pursuit of planet- and people-conscious profitability - and we're not just talking recycled paper packaging. Even its employees feel the love. Says Media and Public Relations Manager Susan Dewhirst, "I probably couldn't have afforded a Prius without the company's hybrid credit, and the flex hours help me juggle work and my child." New to Tom's: a hops-based deodorant and a sodium lauryl sulfate (SLS)-free toothpaste. Try one, and you'll probably be going steady before too long.
Why Care?
The company donates 10% of its pretax profits to charity.
Power use at the Tom's factory is 100% offset via wind energy credits, reducing carbon dioxide emissions by the equivalent of planting 214 trees each year. (It also purchases renewable energy for its offices.)
Its eco-friendly packaging incorporates biodegradable plastic and recycled paper, annually avoiding the use of 2.8 million gallons of wastewater and enough electricity to power a house for 70 years.
Employee benefits include a $4,000 hybrid vehicle credit, 12 paid volunteer days per year, and fresh, organic produce at HQ.
After the FDA required animal testing for all fluoride oral care products in 1995, Tom's was the first company to get FDA permission to use nonanimal testing.
It does not use genetically modified ingredients.
Keeping It RealNot all of Tom's containers are made from all-recycled materials - its toothpaste tubes, for example, while recyclable, aren't made from 100% nonvirgin metal. But, says Dewhirst, "We are working toward 100% sustainability."

Homemade playdough recipe

http://www.make-baby-stuff.com/playdough-recipe.html

We're going to try this tomorrow. I'll post a review after we do.

Still using water bottles? Stop - Sigg has made it easier to be green

Three BPA-free companies - SIGG, NurturePure, and KidBasix - have each made simple changes to their kids' drinkware post-launch. In the case of SIGG, it makes a good product better; in the latter two, it has transformed a poor product into a good one. Here's how to identify the new and improved version of each cup so you don't get stuck with the "oops" edition.SIGG's kids' cups now come with caps attached to the screw lid with a hinge rather than a simple plastic flap. The old design meant that kids had a hard time keeping the cap out of their faces when taking a drink; now it stays out of the way, as it should. We also think that the twist-to-open design is a bit looser, making it easier for a child to open, but can't prove it.You'll see both the old and new design in online shops, including on Amazon.com, so make sure to buy the new version if you're in the market for a SIGG for your child.

Thanks to Zrecs.com for the review and above info.

Sleep tight. Don't let the bedbugs bite...

When I win the lottery next year, I think the first thing I'll invest in is new bedding and mattresses for the whole clan (I'm assuming that the co. will broaden their horizons and realize that cribs aren't the only place that need saving.)
http://www.naturalmatusa.com/ is one of the sites I've saved on my favorites tab for healthy, organic products. Even if I start small and change our sheets, I'll probably catch a few more zzzzz's with less mama-guilt.

Boy Mamas

We are not alone =)

http://rulesformyunbornson.tumblr.com/

This fun website is an author list of advice for his boy. Things your mother never told you that your father didn't know himself =)

xo to all the boys and girls out there.