AP moms need Honeychunks

If you've been following my blog for a while, you know I'm in love with Honeychunks, an online boutique owned and operated by an attachment parenting Michigan mama.

I found her site through an online search a little over a year ago and then learned that she lives right around the corner from me! Well, I've since moved across the country, but I still make a point to stop by Honeychunks when the need arises.

Buttercup is getting into her "mothering" stage. She's two now, and wants to mimic what she sees and emulate what she knows. And well, in our house, that's co-sleeping, cloth diapering, and Time Outs for misbehaving.

Enter Honeychunks. When my mother pointed out that trying to button a full-sized cloth diaper onto one of Buttercup's many dolls was pretty much pointless, I got online and immediately ordered a few of the doll-sized cloth diapers for Buttercup to indulge her AP tendencies. We couldn't be happier. They're handmade, cute, and priced perfectly.

And in case you're wondering, the photo in this post is of her teddy in Time Out for not behaving during his diaper change.

Tie-Dye kits and fun for the family!

I remember thinking Tie Dye was the coolest thing since sliced bread when I was a kid. Looks like some things never change.

My husband helped me this weekend with the creation of a few Tie Dye masterpieces for our Buttercup. And I have to admit that the process was fun and the results worth the effort!

Jacquard Products, the makers behind the popular and award-winning Tie Dye and Funky Groovy Tie Dye Kits, have created an easy and fun way for families to achieve stunning results together, inspiring tons of creativity!

My husband did the majority of the work since I'm allergic to the rubber gloves and dye, so I happily snapped pictures as he went to work soaking the T-shirts in soda ash, mixing and applying the dyes, and then setting them out to dry for 24 hours in our garage.

This afternoon all he had to do was rinse and wash them, and after air-drying for about 30 minutes in the desert sun, Buttercup had five new reasons to smile. Click here for a list of places you can buy these great kits from Jacquard Products.

Buttercup's a bit too young to appreciate the experience as a bonding one, but my husband and I will always be able to tell you that the shirt she is wearing was made in our kitchen sink our first fall in Arizona and that we couldn't stop smiling at how her face brightened when she got to wear her "rainbow" for the very first time. She calls it her new shirt. We call it a great memory.

One lucky readers gets to have a blast with their own kids with a Tie Dye Kit of their own!

To enter, simply visit the Jacquard site and name one other item you would be interested in learning more about. Make sure to include your email or Twitter ID so I can contact you if you are selected as winner. Entries will be accepted until midnight, EST, on Sept. 18, 2009 and winners have four days to respond or an alternate will be selected.This contest is limited to US residents only, and to those 18 years and older.

Additional extra entries are also available if you:

* Blog about contest and link to this post.
* Tweet about this contest and leave me a comment with the tweet.

* Non-bloggers can email three of their friends about the contest at berriesweet.info (at) gmail (dot) com and CC me on the email. Girl Scout's honor that I will never bother these sweet people. I promise!

Please note all entries MUST include a valid email address or Twitter ID to be considered for the drawing! That means that well, all entries must include an email address or Twitter ID to be considered valid. Simple enough, right? ;)

Have fun Around the Table!

We're all busy. I know I am...Heaven knows it''s taken me forever and a day to get this post up with all of the daily challenges presented as a work at home mother. So how do we stay connected to our kids? When do we have time to learn what's going on in their lives?

The award-winning Around The Table Games company sent me a great new game concept to try out, and I happily passed it on to my friend Jill and her daughter Jordan, 6. Owner Beth Daniels can look forward to plenty of personal purchases from yours truly as Buttercup gets older. Her new line of games, which inspire and facilitate open-ended conversations with our kids, were actually inspired by her own.

Camp Talk, Buddy Talk, and Teen Talk encourage kids to engage in colorful conversations with new friends or learn things they never knew about old pals and family members. It's smartly designed, with a carabener clip to attach to a backpack or purse, and makes for great conversation starts on the first day of school or on the way to a field trip.

Jordan reports that her friends at school love Buddy Talk, and Jordan loves being able to have a built-in reason for making new ones. All she has to ask is ""Who wants to play a game?" With questions like "What's your favorite thing about summer break?"and "I you could have picked your own name, what would it be?" it works every time.

I'd also recommend Family Talk to try at home with your kids. Save it for a rainy day when the kids are moping about nothing to do or for that long car ride to visit the family. Sure beats 103 games of Eye-Spy in a row and you'll learn so much on the way!

And guess what? One lucky Berrie Sweet Picks reader (US shipping adress only and 18 and older) gets to choose their favorite Around The Table Game to try for themselves!

To enter, simply visit the site and let me know which game you would choose and why! Make sure to include your email or Twitter ID so I can contact you if you are selected as winner. Entries will be accepted until midnight, EST, on Sept. 14, 2009 and winners have four days to respond or an alternate will be selected.

Additional extra entries are also available if you:

* Blog about contest and link to this post.

* Non-bloggers can email three of their friends about the contest at berriesweet.info (at) gmail (dot) com and CC me on the email. Girl Scout's honor that I will never bother these sweet people. I promise!

Please note all entries MUST include a valid email address or Twitter ID to be considered for the drawing! That means that well, all entries must include an email address or Twitter ID to be considered valid. Simple enough, right? ;)

It's time to Potty!

You'll be seeing a lot of potty training related posts in the next litthe while since we are deep in the midst of Buttercup's PT University.

I've had a potty chair in the bathroom for almost a year now just so she could sit when she wanted and get used to it being there. I waited until she turned 2 to get busy after taking a minute to make sure she was showing signs of readiness.

One nifty little contraption is the Potty Watch from One Step Ahead. It's cheap (10 bucks!), cute (I got the pink one!), and makes it fun for kids with musical reminders for when it's time to try and potty. We set ours for every 30 minutes right now, and it's working a lot better than the battle of wills that ensues every time I asked if she wanted to try going potty. Just make sure to save the directions. I've had to refer to them a few times to refresh my memory on how to access the different modes available.

Time for a change

Don't freak! I'm not going anywhere...
Well, okay, so I am. But I plan on taking you with me.
I've decided to take the plunge and move the blog over to wordpress. I've got another blog over there and think things will run a little more smoothly once things are settled. So for now, I'm still posting here until I find someone to help make the transition a smooth one.