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I absolutely adore Method products … but let me start at the beginning …

We needed liquid soap for the bathrooms and while in Target one day I got some Method soap because it was a great price and to be totally honest I thought was a Target brand product … I brought it home and loved it … great scent … did the job well … and had an attractive bottle … I was sold … Method was the new hand soap for our house … I bought more … even got holiday scents during the season … I just loved it …

Then when my oldest was still in diapers I was on the hunt for a killer diaper cream … we had tried everything … and results ranged from no help to horrific … as I was searching the diaper cream aisle one day I saw there was a diaper cream made by Method … again, for some reason I thought this was a Target brand … and maybe, because this was so long ago, I thought that only because I hadn’t really seen Method anywhere else and to be quite honest I did the majority of my shopping at Target …

But I digress … I spot this Method diaper cream in the baby aisle and of course snatch that up … again it was VERY reasonably priced … and better yet, it is a pump … how did no one think of this before … pump diaper cream … no more squirting it onto my fingers … or on to my daughters cute butt only to have it not disengage the tube and become a big mess … now I had a diaper cream that I could just pump out a thin application everywhere it needed to go … no mess … no squeezing the tube to get the last bit out … fantastic I thought … great great idea!!!

Turns out this was the MOST FANTASTIC diaper cream ever invented … seriously … there wasn’t a single one we hadn’t tried and this one blew them all away … a horrible case of diaper rash was almost completely cleared up by the next diaper change … and when I say almost I mean if someone else was changing her they wouldn’t have even known that the previous diaper change had been a horrible experience for her … there would maybe be a tiny spot here or there that was still a bit red … and only a mom would notice it … I was beyond in love … that is when I decided to research Method and find out more …

Turns out … not a Target brand at all … but a super cool company that makes products that are good for the environment but you don’t have to dip into your kids college fund to buy them … (I’ve always been bothered that “green” products cost more than others … makes it harder to encourage people to use them … especially when every penny counts) … and when I say reasonably priced I mean it …

Here is what the Method site says about its products:

All method products contain natural ingredients. When you see the word “natural” on a method label, it means that 100% of its functional cleaning ingredients – things like soaps, detergents, solvents and enzymes – are either found in nature or derived from natural sources.

We use natural and naturally derived materials from renewable or abundant sources wherever we can. If we can’t find a natural ingredient to get the job done, we’ll use a safe, green, man-made version instead. In all cases, we only use ingredients that have passed through a comprehensive green and health screen: ingredients we have confirmed to be totally safe for people and safe for the environment.

“Natural” is still not a standardized or regulated term. So while we could, we won’t call a product “natural” if even one of its functional ingredients isn’t natural or naturally derived. When it comes to labeling our products, we hold ourselves to a high standard because we believe that a natural cleaner should actually come from nature.

I will admit … I don’t search out green products … I stick more to going with what I like … but to learn this company made products I was gaga over and they were natural … I thought that was a big bonus … I started searching out Method products … and I started seeing them a lot more places … we tried the stainless steel cleaner when we had a stainless steel sink … a-ma-zing … did such a great job … I got Method cleaning wipes … they rocked … the baby wash is fantastic and didn’t irritate my daughter’s sensitive skin … I was starting to realize that given the choice I would choose Method products over anything else – as long as what I was looking for was something they made … and sold where I was shopping …

As my daughter got older and was starting to do things on her own she really wanted “fluffy” soap for her bathroom … she just absolutely loved the foaming soap at a friends house and anything that encourages her to wash her hands, well I am all for that … added it to my list and next time we were out shopping found foaming Method soap … it is wonderful … the pump is totally easy to use … produces some great foam … and she is happy to wash her hands without being asked …

And once my son was born he was introduced to the Method diaper cream right away and it produced the same results … diaper rash cleared up by the next diaper change … just incredible …

We’ve tried many of the things Method makes … their daily shower spray rocks our shower … it always looks amazingly clean … and their flushable bathroom wipes are awesome … then I had one of those moments where I heard “ahhhhhhhhh” in my head … a magazine ad for Method laundry detergent … two things made me want it immediately … it was a small bottle that could do 50 loads of laundry and it was a pump … hello!!!! another fantastic idea … a pump for the laundry detergent … brilliant … and it was natural to boot … now I will preface this next part with the fact that I have tried some “green” or “natural” laundry detergents that were quite lacking in the clean department … or they left our clothes feeling a bit stiff … so even though I am a HUGE Method lover I was going into it with the knowledge that this might be their first product that would disappoint me …

Nothing could have been further from the truth … now I dread doing laundry … the gooey mess of detergent in the cup … the huge container that I have to tilt and manipulate to get every last drop out of … carrying in those huge containers from the car and finding a reasonable place to put them in my little laundry area … the drip that winds up under said huge container no matter where I put it … (but in all honesty the thing I hate the most is putting clothes away … so if Method can come up with something that would do that for me well then they would be true miracle workers) …

So once I got my hands on that bottle I actually started looking forward to doing laundry … I was so excited to try it out … and rightly so … small bottle = easy to store … pump = super easy to add to laundry … smartclean technology^TM = fantastically clean clothes that are soft to the touch and the Fresh Air scent is wonderful!!! I’ve never had a laundry detergent I loved so much … in fact I don’t know if anyone has ever heard me mention laundry and love in the same sentence … but for this I can …

Well that was enough for me … I went to their website to order more things … dish washer detergent … granite cleaner … body wash … floor cleaner … we are a total Method house …

I love it that this company makes such amazing products that I fell in love with because of that and get the added bonus that they are natural and good for the planet and my family … and of course that they utilize the pump on so many things … just makes my life a bit easier …

I think I might have actually squealed when I came across this site. What a very handy service. FillAnyPDF lets you upload a PDF to the site and then type all your information into the form … no more having to print the PDF, fill it all out and then scan it so you can send it back … how awesome is that … plus if you need to collect information from several people you can send them a link to your PDF and the site collects all the info for you …

This past weekend I had a 9 page application to fill out that was in PDF format and the whole time I was writing I kept saying, “If I could just type this in that would be great. It would go so much faster and look so much neater.” Ahhh if only I had come across this 48 hours sooner … but now I am prepared for the future …

As stated on their site: “FillAnyPDF.com is a website where you upload your PDF form and link to it so other people can fill it out and sign it online. No software is needed. Any PDF form can be used, even if it’s not “interactive”, so you can get started right away. You can even invite a group to fill out your forms and track the results. Anyone that collects signatures or filled out forms will find FillAnyPDF.com to be a valuable time-saving resource.”

What a great site … for some reason I do get a lot of PDF files that I would love to just type into … the practice one I did came out so awesome … even signed my name using my mouse …

I couldn’t have bookmarked this site any faster.

This is my new favorite service website … UseTrackThis.com

As it says on their front page, “No more refreshing pages. No more wondering if packages have arrived yet. With TrackThis, we’ll send you near instant updates via Email, SMS messaging, RSS feeds, Facebook, or Twitter. We track UPS, Fedex, USPS, DHL and several other carriers.”

My brother told me about this the other day and I actually had a couple of packages I was keeping an eye on with the blizzard and all everything was getting delayed and since we weren’t at home I wanted to know when I needed to stop by the house to pick up the packages. I was using a notepad on my desktop to keep track of all the different tracking numbers.

I logged into Track This with my existing google account (awesome not to have to make a new user name and password) and put in my tracking numbers from UPS, USPS and FedEx … and because I am addicted to my google reader I set up RSS notifications … and there it was on my reader page giving me updates as packages made their way from across the country to our home … and it was quite helpful … I got notification that the boots I had ordered arrived Monday before part 3 of the storm hit – and boy did I need them.

I may have only been using the site a short time now but I am absolutely in love with it … fantastic idea … so helpful … and just makes it so much easier than logging into multiple sites with multiple tracking numbers at random times of the day to see what is going on … I will for sure be using this constantly because I do so love to order things online!!

Now this is one of the products I am not sure if we discovered while doing Rock-n-Tot or if we loved them so much we asked them to be a part of Rock-n-Tot … either way Little Capers are just absolutely fantastic.

They are superhero t-shirts (complete with an insignia and what looks like a belt) that have a cape that Velcros onto the back … absolutely fantastic idea!!!

Many kids love to tie a blanket or towel around their neck to play superhero but with Little Capers they are all set without you having to worry about something tied or pinned around their neck. And there are so many cute designs for both boys and girls.

Schuyler has had the short sleeve pink star one for some time now with a fabulous shinny pink cape. For the holiday’s both kids got long sleeve ones. A wonderful red shirt with a silver lightening bolt and silver cape on it for Skye and a black one with a red and yellow start for Linc with a bright red cape. (Mommy thought ahead and made sure Skye’s would be good for a girl or a boy so Linc could have it eventually)

Skye decided today was the day to wear it to school and boy did she make quite an impression. I must say we were probably a bit disruptive coming into day care because she flew in like a super hero but she really did love all the attention her shirt was getting. Suddenly it was an entire room of 3 year old kids who were flying around saving the world. As soon as I got to work I had to email some of the mother’s to let them know where we got the shirt because I was pretty sure their children would be talking about it at pick-up and I wanted them to know where to find it.

I love anything for my children that foster adventure and imagination and this shirt does that for sure. We were ready to leave earlier this morning because she could “fly” to get everything done. She helped carry all her stuff to the car because she was a superhero that could do anything.  And she went into her classroom with the biggest smile on her face … proud of how powerful she is and ready to open up and explore endless possibilities with her friends.

It had me leaving with a grin almost as big as hers and I can hardly wait to hear the stories of her superhero day!!

The shirts can be found at http://www.littlecapers.com The site also lists stores around the country that carry the shirts.

We are big juice lovers in this house … probably too much … but with Honest Kids juice I am much happier about doling out the juice … and the way my daughter can polish it off in moments she would never know it is better for her than sugary juices …

There is only 40 calories per pouch … no fat … only 5mg of sodium … 10g of sugar … and 100% vitamin C … that is something I feel good about … but what makes me feel even better … is how much my daughter loves it … so far she hasn’t had a flavor she doesn’t absolutely love … and we are very excited to try their new Appley Ever After and their Super Fruit Punch …

And for us here in Maryland … they are a local company … right in the same city as us which means we are supporting local business … which I really like … but no matter where you are it is a great business to support …

And they aren’t just for the kiddies … they are the makers of Honest Tea … Honest Ade … Honest Mate and Honest Kombucha … there is something for everyone in the family!!

I am a lip balm junkie … have been for as long as I can remember … even spent time making my own looking for that perfect lip balm …

I found it in Lypsyl… oh my goodness did I find it … my friend gave me one that she got to pass along as a Bzz Agent … I couldn’t believe how perfect it was right off the bat … I was so excited …

The shape of the tube is perfect for great coverage … the easy slide bee makes it very convenient to expose the balm (even easy for my 3 year old) … no more problems of the tube getting twisted too far and not able to go back down (seems to be a constant problem in my house with twist lip balms or what she thinks is lipstick) … and the actual balm is amazing … goes on light … no wax-y feel … no glop … just perfect coverage that has made my lips softer …

Well I was in love from that first weekend … I have one stashed everywhere in my house because I never want to be without it … nightstand, purse, diaper bag, computer, bathroom and at my desk at work … and I pick more up at the store constantly to make sure I always have it on hand …

Here is the information from the company’s website:

LypSyl is a family of premium lip care products. The secret behind the LypSyl is pure Swedish beeswax, ultra light to spread evenly and penetrate deeply, for unsurpassed moisturizing and protection. And the innovative packaging is uniquely designed for quick and easy application — at home, on the go, anywhere! Available in five formulations, each LypSyl formula was created for a specific lip care need.

LypSyl has been the first choice of European lip care users for generations. The brand originated in Sweden over 100 years ago, with a name derived from Swedish to communicate the soothing and natural benefits of beeswax. For the American market, the product has been reformulated with pure Swedish beeswax and an advanced blend of natural and therapeutic ingredients.

This baby food dispenser is awesome … we got it as a Christmas gift this year and I was so excited about it … I had seen it in Target a bunch of times but just didn’t know if it was really worth the $7.39 price … let me say … it is!!

So here is how it works … screw the spoon cap off …

Then fill the base up with pureed food …squeeze and food funnels into the spoon …

You can totally feed with one hand … we love it so much I went out and bought a second one … I’m trying to get Skye to use it with yogurt in the car in the morning …

I mostly only use it when we are out somewhere … that seems to be when it is hardest to feed Lincoln … because we are usually at a restaurant or some sort of activity so I am already doing 3 things at once … being able to feed a very hungry little boy as well makes for a great day …

David and my mom both use it at home as well … they both love it and it makes the whole process of feeding him much easier …

If he doesn’t finish all his food (which to be honest doesn’t happen too often) David just sticks it in the fridge for later … and it is easy to clean … food just rinses out and it all goes in the dishwasher … can’t get easier than that …

The only downside I have seen is the little plastic cap that fits over the spoon is so hard to get on … but I always carry it in a Ziploc so it isn’t too big of a deal …

I saw it in a new color yesterday at Target and had to resist from buying a 3rd … I can’t say I’ll be able to resist the next time … I just love love love this product!!

I am just absolutely in love with the hats from Born To Love Clothing. This was a product we came across while doing Rock-n-Tot and it was love at first sight.

My daughter as an infant was not big on hats – she just had a thing about something on her head – so nothing we tried worked. When I saw these I had to order one for her; so we got the pink argyle. She too was instantly in love and 2 years later it is still her favorite hat. If she could wear it every moment of every day she would.

When we thought she lost it we ordered another one immediately, along with the pink camo one as well … by the end of that week we had our new hats in hand and had found her original … she thought she had hit the jackpot.

As my belly got bigger with my second pregnancy my daughter kept telling me that we had to order the baby a hat … that he would want one too … and she was absolutely right … he loves his argyle and his black one and wears them all the time.

Where ever we go people stop to comment on how adorable the kids hats are and where did we get them … I am quick to let everyone know they are from Born To Love Clothing and that they are the greatest hats ever.

They are so well made … Skye’s are in perfect shape after two years of wear by a toddler – that is saying something. And the adorable heart with wings is just precious (Both kids wear theirs with the heart in front – Skye by choice and Linc because Skye insists he wear it like that).

Felicia is the awesome mommy who started Born to Love Clothing and runs the business. You can see she just absolutely loves what she is doing and takes such pride in her products that it makes everything that much better. And myself as a busy mommy absolutely love supporting a mom business. She even has new products coming out this year before Christmas – I know we are very excited to see them.

I am just so happy Born To Love Clothing participated with the original Rock-n-Tot … because this is a product I am so happy had been a part of our life … I know you might think that sounds a bit silly to write about a hat but as I sit here at my desk and look around at all the photos of my children – the very best photos of them they are wearing their Born To Love Clothing hats – in fact my two absolute favorite photos of Skye she is donning a huge smile and a pink argyle hat. The hats will be part of her happy childhood memories forever … it will be something I one day tuck away for her to give to her daughter.

When I first heard about Vulli Sophie The Giraffe Teether I was a bit skeptical … I mean was what my child chewed on that big of a deal? My daughter wasn’t a big gnaw-er … she had a binky and that was all she needed … she chewed on that when needed …

On the other hand though my son hates the binky and wants to chew on everything he can get his hands on … but most things just didn’t seem to do it for him … things were thrown down in frustration and he appeared to be unsatisfied …

We tried teething rings and toys … he took it upon himself to try the remote control and telephone … his hand … side of his high chair … seriously anything and everything …

I have heard people rave about Sophie The Giraffe but in all honesty I thought, “Why would this be any different than any other teething toy out there. And it seems a bit expensive for something my child is going to chew on – maybe.” …

Well I will be the first to say it was worth every penny I spent on it ($17.90). My son is absolutely in love with his Giraffe … and it is the first teething toy that leaves him looking very satisfied and happy. It is very light weight and has all sorts of different sizes and places for him to chew … he loves the little squeak she makes and his little 7 month old hands have no problem picking her up and holding onto her …

We have had Sophie The Giraffe for a week now and it is with him always and although he hasn’t quite cut the teeth he is working on currently he has become much calmer about it and is quite content when he is gnawing away.

The company talks about the unique smell – the rubber from the Hevea Tree – the cause and effect of squeezing the toy and hearing the squeak – the food grade paint … these are all wonderful things of course but when it comes down to it I want to provide my child with something that makes his life a bit better … that leaves him satisfied and happy … because when that happens then mommy is also satisfied and happy … Sophie The Giraffe totally has done that for our family. And if you have a gnaw-er in your family – I say give Sophie a try – she just may do the same for you.