Mylittleclothesline.com mentioned by the Washington Post

Mylittleclothesline was mentioned in today's Washington Post! Our HUGE competitor may have more sales than we do but who has the smarter, funner customers!? Hah. What do you think?

Check out the full article here

Mom Narrowly Saves the Day

It's one those really scary things that happens suddenly, on a peaceful Saturday morning.  The 7 year old daughter runs into the house, with a perfectly round wood ring stuck on her finger, which is turning purple.  Dad leaps up, runs a lap around the living room, heads into the garage, comes back in with A SAW.  And starts sawing back and forth on the wood ring!

Mom sees whats going on and hits the roof.  "Stop! Get some soap on that finger!".  A minute later, after a few spins... off pops the ring.  The kids get a lecture on "putting things on their fingers".

Who's better at solving the scary problems?  Mom or Dad?

Thrilled...

I could tell you all about this fellow blogger mom's post, but my words wouldn't do justice. Look at it yourself! ;) All I can say is that we are thrilled! http://www.treasuringitup.blogspot.com/

Leaving Kids in the Park a Crime?

Apparently, this issue has two side to it.  Is it a crime or is it not?  Maybe the more important question is should it be a crime?  After all - this dad was arrested).

Leaving your kids isn't a crime.  The responsibility is clearly up to the parents.  They know their kids.  They know the situation.  Letting your kids stay overnight with irresponsible parents is not illegal but it IS negligence. 

Leaving your kids is a crime.  The cops need to step in when kids are endangered by dumb parents.  Is being left in a park dangerous?  

When should cops get involved?  I don't think we want the government making every little decision.  But on the other hand there is a point where the law needs to protect the innocent.  What do moms think? 

Be ready to cry

Got a tissue? Click HERE
Seriously. You'll hold your child(ren) closer. Believe me.

Why Kids Wreck Clothing

Success Kid's Clothes

Sometimes a picture is worth a thousand words!  This little angel just got dressed up and he doesn't like it one bit.  I'm sure a few of you could insert a baby face from your life into this picture:

Apparently, this little guy dubbed "Success Kid" has been bouncing around the web for awhile (you moms that follow internet pop culture may roll your eyes a bit at my post).  But I couldn't resist! He's so cute and destructive at the same time!  Good thing there's a used clothes website where you can buy a whole box of clothes for $15.

PS - I wanted to include some links to Success Kid because there's some funny, cute stuff out there but it's not all appropriate (I'll leave it to your judgement to do a google search on "Success Kid").

Summer dresses from mylittleclothesline!

Media and Television in your little one's life

This video is about 15 minutes long, but I feel quite strongly about it! (thanks to my friend for the link!) It talks about the affects television and stimulating media has on an infant through toddler.

All I can say is read, read, and READ some more (kids love books anyways, so why not?!)

Click HERE to watch the video

Happy 100th Birthday Arizona!

Does everyone know the "5 C's" of our great state? If not, here you go!

People have been digging in Arizona for precious metals for a long time. Native Americans used gold, silver and copper for tools and weapons as well as for jewelry and in paint for pottery. People started to come to the state to seek riches and settle in the 1700 and 1800s. By 1863 about one in every four people in the state were a miner. Copper ore is still mined in the state for many different uses. Copper is used in mostly in wire or coins, such as a penny. Copper sulphate (a form of copper) can be used to purify water.

Climate still plays an important role in the state's economy. Climate refers to the weather in the state. Our climate is mild. That means we don't have a lot of changes in the weather. Because it is sunny most of the time people like to visit the state. People spend money on hotels and food and sight-seeing. This affects the economy positively. Climate today is referred to as the state's tourism industry.

 In 1918 Arizona had as many as 1.75 million head of cattle providing beef to the nation. Today the state has about half that number of cattle, with beef exported to other nations, like Japan. The ranching of hogs and sheep also continues as it has from Arizona's early days.

The growing of cotton became a "cash crop" for Arizona farmers in the 1910s. At that time a new cotton, known as Pima long-staple cotton started to be grown in the state. Cotton and parts of the plant is used in clothing, for fertilizer, fuel, packing, in paper and cardboard and even in some plastics. Cottonseed oil can be used in cooking and used to make margarine and shortening. Today, Arizona remains a leading cotton state along with the other leading producers including Texas, California, Mississippi and Louisiana.

Citrus refers to agriculture and farming in the state. Grapefruit, lemons, limes and oranges are among the most popular citrus grown. Eating and drinking citrus juice is very healthy and good for you.

We got a kick out of this...Enjoy it!

New Product!

Here's some tips to healthy eating for your kids!

• For the full article, visit allrecipes.com
• Let Them be Choosy

An afternoon snack gives kids the energy to play outside or do their homework. The important thing is to provide kids with choices. If all the choices you give them are reasonably nutritious, then everybody's happy: your kids get to choose their snacks, and you get to ensure that they're eating healthfully

Take a Dip

Kids love anything they can dip! A baggie full of carrot and celery sticks, cucumber and bell pepper slices, sugar snap peas and cherry tomatoes will disappear like magic if there's a tub of dip to go with them.

Make some ranch dressing using low fat ingredients, or make a batch of nutritious hummus, bean dip or salsa.

Baked tortilla chips and whole wheat crackers or pita triangles are perfect, nutritious and kid-pleasing accompaniments for dips, too.

Sliced fruit takes on a whole new appeal as well when it's accompanied by a sweet, creamy dip. Good fruit dips include flavored yogurt, applesauce, low fat sour cream sweetened with honey or brown sugar, and caramel ice cream topping.

Be Constructive

Let kids construct their own snacks. You'll keep them occupied and they might be more likely to sample whatever nutritious foods they're working with.

Fruit Kabobs: Stick melon balls, berries, pineapple chunks, and cubed peaches, pears or apples onto frilled toothpicks.

Mini Sandwiches: Use crackers or cut-up bread--or give the kids a few slices of bread, lunch meat, and cheese, and a couple of miniature cookie cutters to make tiny, fun-shaped sandwiches.

Pizza: Who can resist pizza? Pizza can be a perfectly healthy snack. Use half an English muffin, a whole pita, or a tortilla as a pizza crust. Let them smear on a bit of bottled tomato sauce, add a light sprinkle of low-fat mozzarella cheese, and then top with chopped vegetables and maybe a bit of lean meat. Heat for a few minutes in the toaster oven or microwave, then cut into triangles for extra kid-appeal.

Freeze!

We usually equate frozen snacks with special treats, like ice cream and snow cones. Take advantage of that association: frozen grapes are cool like popsicles and sweet like candy, but they've got plenty of vitamins and fiber too. Peel and freeze bananas, then roll the frozen fruit in chocolate syrup and chopped nuts. Other favorites include peach and nectarine slices, and berries of all kinds. Turn any combination of frozen fruit, milk, yogurt, juice and ice into a delicious, nutritious "milkshake."

Substitute!

Even traditional desserts can become healthy, well-balanced snacks.

Make cookies and muffins with applesauce in place of some of the fat, and add oats, dried fruit, nuts and whole wheat flour.

Achieve the cool, creamy deliciousness of ice cream with low fat frozen yogurt, or pudding made with nonfat milk and frozen into pops.

Top a big, fluffy slice of angel food cake with fresh fruit to add vitamins and fiber, or cut it into cubes for dipping into fruit-flavored yogurt for an extra dose of calcium.

Establish a Snacking Zone

When hungry kids burst through the front door after school, they grab whatever is easy and available. So it's best to have a few things prepared in advance. Designate one shelf of the refrigerator and/or pantry as the "snack shelf," with the understanding that anything that's on that shelf is okay to eat without having to ask permission first. Then, stock the shelf with several choices--a little healthy variety to hold the kids' interest and keep you from worrying about them overloading on junk.

Extracurricular activities keep some kids at school throughout the afternoon. Fruit, vegetable sticks, crackers, cheese, granola bars, healthy cookies, and muffins, and peanut butter sandwiches are all high-energy foods that hold up well in a locker until your hungry kid is ready for a homemade pick-me-up. Homemade munchies also helps them avoid the sugar and fat-laden temptation of the vending machine or convenience store.

Happy New Year!