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I (heart) Zulily! Everyday, every week and every year you find different and adorable, cute, trendy, stylish and eco friendly clothes, bedding, linens, toys, baby stuff, bath and body, cosmetics, furniture, decor, figurines and man stuff (basically anything and everything) for up to 70% off of retail! (And you know I like 70% off of retail! Who doesn't?!) It's like going to your favorite store everyday and they've restocked it (and change the decor) with all new items you simply adore. And this week is no different. Nor the week after that(!). Just check out the awesome things Zulily has to offer: Huggies Good Nights & Pull Ups on Sale
This post contains affiliate links and I will be compensated if you make a purchase after clicking on my links. SO please get to clicking :)
It is here! Just in time for pool parties, backyard barbecues and summer
adventures; TeaCollection's Semi-Annual Sale is featuring the entire Morocco line at up to 50% off! This line is bold, filled with the
brilliant hues found in the Marrakech medina, and buzzing with patterns that
line Morocco's streets in the intricate tiles. And now, all of these beautiful
styles are on sale—desert and surf inspired graphic tees for boys, twirly
patterned dresses for girls, colorful floral onesies for babies and more—all
filled with the magic of Morocco.
I have blogged about Tea Collection before (click here to view my previous post). Here is a brief blurb from the post:
"What makes Tea
Collection unique is they scour the globe for new styles, textiles and
patterns to deliver you and the kids in your life quality, (The Tea Collection clothing
I have purchased for my children have withstood football practice,
tumbling in the grass, countless washings, Earths Best strained
everything, rolling, wild sleeping, tugging, jumping, pulling, teething,
drooling, falling, crawling, first clumsy steps and the
dryer...beautifully), adorable (there's that word again) and stylish
clothes. On top of the stylish clothes, Tea Collection also
practices ethical sourcing and actively donates to The Global Fund
for Children. You know I am a sucker for ethics and corporate
responsibility (and you should be too)."
I apparently forgotten what it was like to have babies and toddlers. There is such a huge age difference between my seven year old son and 11 month old daughter, I totally forgot what life is really like when you a baby in the house. The constant diaper changing, bottle cleanings, packing a diaper bag that would help anyone survive the apocalypse, and ofcourse the constant outfit changes. My dear sweet baby girl goes through more outfits on a daily basis than Katie Perry during her concerts. My baby girl is a diva! On top of the many wardrobe changes, she seemingly outgrows new clothes in a matter of weeks. Having babies is expensive!
To keep up with her uncontrollable growth spurts I am constantly on the look out for new clothes (at a reasonable price). I am currently coveting Tea Collection. My dear readers, Tea Collection rocks. They have the cutest outfits for baby girl AND they have adorable clothes for my football playing, rough and tumble seven year old son! (Tea Collection sizes run from infant to 12) Please don't tell my son I described his clothes as adorable, by the way. What makes Tea Collection unique is they scour the globe for new styles, textiles and patterns to deliver you and the kids in your life quality, (The Tea Collection clothing I have purchased for my children have withstood football practice, tumbling in the grass, countless washings, Earths Best strained everything, rolling, wild sleeping, tugging, jumping, pulling, teething, drooling, falling, crawling, first clumsy steps and the dryer...beautifully), adorable (there's that word again) and stylish clothes. On top of the stylish clothes, Tea Collection also practices ethical sourcing and actively donates to The Global Fund for Children. You know I am a sucker for ethics and corporate responsibility (and you should be too).
Here are just some of the many adorable (I need to invest in a thesaurus) pieces I have found:
Isn't it...handsome? There we go! My son can live with that adjective. Go to TeaCollection.com now to view all their handsome and adorable pieces now! As an added bonus, as you know, nothing better than spreading love (and savings!) to friends and family...and that is just what
TeaCollection is doing! For just two days only (4/22 and 4/23) you can receive
20%off everything on Tea Collection during their Friends & Family Sale.
Take advantage of the sale and pick up twirly dresses, colorful Tees and sweet
baby items for summer. Also check out Tea's new sporty selection of swimsuits
for your little water bug. Feel free to tell your friends and family, because
there is always enough TeaCollection love to go around.
As you can tell, I have been on a serious do-good, give back, live life and raise good, compassionate kids kick and this weekend was no different! In honor of spring and the lovely weather that has finally made its way to the DMV, we started a balcony container garden. I will admit this patio garden is a very experimental because we have a north facing balcony, which happens to get little to no direct sunlight. *Sigh* But we're positive thinkers over here and we expect you to send our plants some good energy as well. (Seriously. Think positive thoughts about our garden. Now.)
Our garden is a budget garden; meaning, we bought most of our supplies at the Dollar Tree. Yep, that's right, the Dollar Tree. Our 8lb bag of potting soil, 8 seed packets (4 for a dollar), and fertilizer were all purchased at the Dollar Tree. I did go by Walmart (shudder) and pick up more seeds. The Dollar Tree offers their seeds 4 packets for a dollar and of course the global evil empire offers their seeds 5 for a dollar...but some how can not manage to pay their workers a living wage. Anywhoo, I digress. The containers were remnants of indoor plants that are no longer with us; may they rest in peace. (Don't judge me)
Since our balcony is north facing we receive very little direct sunlight, so I chose veggies that do well in shady areas. I chose: Lettuce Mustard Greens Broccoli Radishes
Here is a more robust list of veggies that can grow in the shade:
Lettuce
Arugula
Spinach
Broccoli
Green onions
Cabbage
Parsley
Sorrel
Garlic
Mint
Collards
Endive
Cress
Cauliflower
Peas
Currants
Pak Choy
Beets
Kohlrabi
Brussels Sprouts
Mustard greens
Thyme
Coriander
Tarragon
Radishes
Cardamom
Potatoes
Rhubarb
Swiss Chard
Kale
Turnips
Carrots
Sweet potatoes and yams
Gooseberries
Cilantro
Dill
Lemon Balm
Strawberries
Beans
Blackberries and raspberries
I also threw some wild cards in our container garden like: carrots cucumbers tomatoes flowers (Cosmos and Bachelor Buttons)
We'll see how these plants do in limited sunlight, fingers crossed. With the exception of a few seeds, most of the plants I chose are easy for a beginning gardener to grow. Believe me, I need veggies for dummies. With the exception of 3 indoor plants I currently have, one I bought and two I inherited from my mother, I have managed to kill most of my indoor plants. Even bamboo! Who does that?! All you need is rocks and a little water and bamboo is good to go! However, somehow and some way I couldn't keep them alive. Hopefully, our garden experiment will produce fruits and I will no longer be afraid of being a plant killer. With our garden project (and knowing my unfortunate plant killing history) I did my research, I scoured Better Homes & Gardens, Mother Earth News (www.motherearthnews.com), local gardeners forums, and even local resources, like Master Gardeners of Northern Virginia. (By the way, depending on your city and county, they sometimes offer free mulch and soil. Check your local resources for availability.) I tried to arm myself with as much knowledge as possible. Knowing what plants do well in the shade, how they like to be sown, how much room they need to grow and what to do to care for the soil and plants. After that I was ready to go! I was so excited to get started and got the kids excited as well. All last week the kids and I researched and planned our garden. With our space I knew I would be container gardening. Basically, container gardening (for dummies) goes like this:
1) Examine your growing space; how much sunlight do you receive and when? How much space do you have? For your planting zone (map below) when are the best times to sow your seeds? What type of plants will strive in your region? Any other considerations? For example, I am on the second floor, so I had to make sure that my gardens water drainage wouldn't affect our lovely neighbors below us. If they weren't so lovely, I wouldn't care! (Just kidding) 2) Plan your garden with the first questions in mind. If you get a lot of sun, you have a wider range of veggies to grow. What would you like to grow? Where are you going to grow it? What items can be grown together? How many containers will you need? Etc. 3) Get your supplies. Soil, container, seeds, snazzy work gloves, garden tools, whatever you need and want. 4) Start planting! Pay attention to the optimal times, conditions and soil for each plant. 5) Water! Keep your soil moist but not soggy. If an inch below the surface is dry go ahead and water.
As far as fertilization goes, there are many options. There are numerous seed starting soils on the market to help your veggies along. Furthermore, some people plant in doors first before re-potting outside. Not us. While I did buy some fertilizer from the Dollar Tree, I want to see if I can get my plants started the way mother nature intended. A little sun, a little soil, a little water and seed. Since our plants are already being raised in less than optimal conditions, we don't want to spoil them early! Our garden project was a great activity for the kids and I to do together. My daughter supervised from her walker and my son had a great time planting. Now that our garden is up he checks the soil constantly. This is a great way to teach him a little responsibility (he is responsible for the watering) and hopefully get him to understand and respect nature. AND, if we happen to yield some veggies in our garden it will be an added bonus for our self esteem, our pockets, and our dinner table! This is our finished project:
Not the most beautiful container garden, but when our plants start to grow we'll invest in more ornate containers. I also want to get a statue for the garden...maybe some sort of garden goddess or buddha with a fat belly to represent prosperity and abundance. For our next garden project, we are focusing on a compost! Composting is a great way to recycle kitchen waste and provide nutrient rich soil for our garden babies! If you are looking to start your own container garden, check local resources first. The Master Gardeners of Northern Virginia have been an amazing help and can provide you with tips and tricks to grow native veggies and plants. My second favorite resource, Mother Earth News (www.motherearthnews.com) Great tips on composting, organic gardening, and container gardening. Lastly, Better Homes & Gardens has great advice on everything from basic planting to container gardening to even making your garden look it's best!
My son is a right brain thinker. He excels in music, art, and literature. If I ever need him to memorize something, we could drill it and flash card it until he is blue in the face...and while some of it sticks, it's never a permanent memory. However, if we create a song or if we create pictures full of vibrant colors with his multiplication tables, he picks it up instantly.
Unfortunately, with our educational system (and he is in a private school, mind you) not designed for independent right brained thinkers, many children get frustrated and lack motivation. The great teachers (bless their hearts) with all their efforts still can not go against the system that employs them. I have realized (long before he was born) that most of his education would be up to me and my husband. While I was fully aware of this, I admit I have become complacent. Yes, private school forces you to become this crazy "Tiger Mother", (even when your inner hippie is trying to rebel with every fiber of your being) and you find yourself in an endless sea of flashcards and 2nd grade homework that is more time consuming than your junior thesis...and in between the fog of math drills...you realize, I am forcing my child to be a sheep...a non independent thinker. Furthermore, this is not the way he learns and forcing him into this box is just causing him (and I) to be frustrated and weary.
I remember my sons first day of kindergarten. He was freshly dressed in his school uniform and was excited to go. We walked him into class (me, my husband and my mother in law. Yes, the first day of kindergarten is a big event in our family) and watched him for a moment while class started. My son was so excited, all the other students were fidgeting and staring into space, but not my son. He was at full attention, with his hands folded on his desk, hanging on to his teachers every word. Slowly as the days and weeks passed, he went from loving to do his homework and going to school to absolutely loathing homework (he still wanted to go to school to play with his friends, however).
"With all this pondering and trying to find fun (fun for me too!) and educational activities, I was delighted to find Kiwi Crate. Every month Kiwi Crate sends a crate with fun activities for children ranging in age from 3 - 8 years old. Each month, subscribers receive boxes filled with fun and engaging kids' projects. Each box includes plenty of materials and inspiration for 2-3 projects in arts & crafts, science activities or imaginative play. Previous crate themes include Dinosaurs, Gardening, Colors, Space and more. Kiwi Crate projects are designed to encourage discovery, exploration and expression. Each project is designed by moms, reviewed by child development experts, and, of course, tested by kids. Every month is a new adventure and opportunity to do fun and creative things with my children."
The wonderful thing about Kiwi Crate is every month you have a new activity crate with each one geared toward another subject to explore. Here are some of the crates available:
Wild Safari
Overview
Create your own stamps to decorate safari animals. Play a round of safari bingo and build an off-road jeep that actually rolls!
Everything needed, from materials to illustrated directions, is included, along with bonus online content specially created for this crate.
All the materials are included to create:
Safari Animals
Make your own stamps to decorate animals. Hide them and send a friend on a safari bingo hunt.
Off-Road Jeep
Everything you need to build your very own safari jeep that actually rolls!
Animal Drawing Booklet
Learn more about your safari animals with an explorer booklet. Plus, create a savanna scene from your crate.
Space Hero
Overview
Up, up and away! Explore outer space in your very own hero cape and mask, and create a special flying ball for a game of comet catch.
Capes are 25" long with a 16" velcro-closure neck circumference.
All the materials are included to create:
Hero Cape
Customize your very own cape with sticky felt shapes.
Hero Mask
Complete your disguise and decorate a mask with metallic markers.
Comet Catch
With bright fabric and ribbons, make a special ball for a game of comet catch .
Secret Agent
Overview
Go on a secret agent mission! Gather your gadgets and disguises to discover clues and solve a mystery.
All the materials are included to create:
Periscope
Build your own periscope to hide, seek, and spy.
Disguise Kit
Create your own secret disguises and play pretend.
UV Light Pen Kit
Use this special pen to write and decode secret messages
And there are many many more crates and themes to choose from! Every month my child will do fun activities designed around themes that are interesting to him. Furthermore, besides peaking his interest in the arts, each activity works on a specific cognitive skill such as problem solving and critical thinking. These activity crates also will help build upon some of the things he is learning in school in a fun and imaginative way. With Kiwi Crate you can choose to buy one crate (or a few) or sign up for their monthly subscription and get a fun filled activity crate to your door every month.
For more information visit Kiwi Crate here: http://www.kiwicrate.com/. Now Kiwi Crate isn't just for the right brain thinker. The activities and projects are designed for all kids left or right, and designed to spark their inner creativity and imagination, while educating them. My BFF homeschools her little ones and subscribed to the monthly subscription. She says it really adds to her curriculum and helps them stay engaged. Furthermore Kiwi Crate, has been recently
featured in InStyle, Parenting Magazine, and US Weekly. Kiwi Crate has also
been awarded Dr. Toy 100 Best Children’s Products of 2012, Parent’s Choice Gold
Award, and an Oppenheim Gold Seal Best Toy Award. Kiwi Crate is already a
celebrity favorite, and is sure to delight the little ones in your life!
Kiwi
Crate offers a range of subscription levels, all shipped for free:
