I love this site....

 

When Henry was a baby I discovered this site. The first time I was on it, I entered a contest--and won! The prize: a set of sticky name labels (from Mabel's Labels) that lasted me through the first two years of pre-school. I just ordered a new set for Henry and Luke, our new little guy. Posting this button serves two functions--It enters me in a new contest, and spreads the word about a site I really like. Enjoy!

Colorful Soap

Apologies for the slightly fuzzy picture--I took it with my Blackberry

Henry, our four-year-old, is a recent convert to the potty set. One persisting struggle, however, is getting him to wash his hands. He informed me the other day that it would be more appealing if we had "colorful" soap. Colorful has long been one of his favorite words. We had just purchased to jumbo sized (80 ounces each) bottles of clear liquid anti-bacterial soap from Costco, which were thrillingly cheap--something like $6 for both--so I wasn't too thrilled about the idea of going out and buying a little bottle of something colorful, much less paying what seams like an unreasonably jacked up price at one of NYC's over-priced drugstores. (I know I sound cheap. I'm actually not. I just don't like feeling had.)

So we came up with a solution. Paul had bought a clear glass soap dispenser for the kitchen, which we had already filled with the clear soap. Then we added four or five drops of blue food coloring--Henry's choice of color. I shook it to try to get the soap dispersed throughout. At first it looked like a cat's eye marble. But by the next morning, the color had penetrated the entire bottle. I tried washing my hands with it and though it did come out blue, it didn't stain my hands blue. So now we have colorful soap, and we can make a new color anytime, when we get bored with blue. Next time, I'll add just a couple drops. Our blue is on the navy/purple side--a little darker than I'd like.

Blueberry Season!

A week ago, we went blueberry picking at Bishop's Orchards in Guilford, Connecticut. (The locale was determined by the fact that we happened to be visiting my parents at the time...Bishop's is convenient when we're up there, but I'd like to try a pick-your-own place closer to New York, in New Jersey, if anyone has suggestions for good spots.)

I enjoy picking strawberries and apples. But I find blueberry picking oddly addictive. Maybe because it's so easy. You don't have to crouch down, you don't have to strain to reach, or scratch yourself silly reaching inside a tree for the perfect Empire. You just stand there, direct your hand to a bush that's at just the right height, and coax a handful of beautiful berries off the bush with less effort than it takes to brush a fly off your hand.

I had a hard time stopping. But it was hot and we had two little guys with us. The elder, Henry, our nearly four-year-old, has decided he "hates" blueberries, which didn't help. (This makes me so sad, not only because they were one of his favorite things when he was a little guy, but because I still have the whole Blueberries for Sal fantasy in my head. I always loved that book.)

At any rate, I think we came away with fewer berries than last year, because, though I bought some pectin to try canning, we actually managed to eat these berries without much alteration. I did, however, make a batch of blueberry muffins before they were gone. (Recipe coming soon.)

Meanwhile, if there's a pick-your-own spot in your area, I highly recommend heading out for some berries. It's an immensely pleasing and peaceful way to pass the morning.