Half a dozen: A few of my favorite things

Recently, I have fallen heads over heals in love with some products. So much so that I think about them way more often than I should. Three of them simplify my life entirely and the last one I just find luxurious and love the fact that I am supporting a small, hand made business that provides me with an awesome, all-natural product in which to indulge myself at a cheap price.

so, I just had to share with you.

First off is Happy Tots.

A friend of mine was over visiting and when the baby she was watching got fussy she simply whipped out one of these and gave it to her. I was sold at that moment.

I went on a quest to find the store that sold them and hit the jackpot at Target. If anyone knows where else they are sold please let me know.

All organic and apparently totally yummy, because baby K is really in love with this food. It comes in pouches like this with twist off top. You simply untwist the lid and give it to them and it immediately produces a happy baby, no kiddin.

Don’t worry, at home we still feed him finger food and with a spoon, lest he becomes a twenty year old who doesn’t know how to chew :). We have had no issues with him switching from sucking his food to chewing his food or eating from a spoon.

Point is, in the van, or on the go this stuff can’t be beat for convenience. No longer do I have to carry baby food, a spoon, bib and or wipes. shhh…. can you hear the angels singing?

Next on my “have to have” list is penagains Twist N Write .

I was at the Washington Homeschool Convention this past weekend and one of my missions was to find a cursive curriculum. In the last five minutes of the convention I found it! Not only was it just what I was looking for in every way, she was also selling these pencils for a measly buck when you made another purchase. Upon coming home the children were very eager to use them and immediately loved them, even my leftie.

I almost didn’t get one for T.J. as he hasn’t really showed an interest in writing, but Matt talked me into it and I am glad he did! T.J.loves it!

Pencil grip is something i have had to work on with each child, definitely a learned behavior and not a natural one.

Third on the list is Times Tales.

I have a long time relationship with this product. Way back when, in another life time, I taught third grade. When it came to math I was frustrated because while teaching and learning the lower times tables isn’t all that hard, there are lots of tricks and tips for 1,2,3,4,and 5, teaching the upper numbers was excruciatingly painful. That is when I literally stumbled upon this product in desperation. Within a week my whole class of 32 kids knew their complete multiplication table.

Since then I have used the technique to teach each of my children, and have taught co-op classes using it. I highly recommend it for anyone, children and adults who pause longer than five seconds when solving an upper multiplication problem!

Back then i just had it on paper, which I lent out and have been drawing out the stories ever since. At the WHO convention I was excited to see the creators of Times Tales had a booth. As I was talking to them, they gave me the new edition on cd for free for being one of their first customers. Who couldn’t love a company like that?

Rounding out the list we have S.L.A.B. On our Anniversary get away in Salem we wandered into this shop and it was love at first sight and smell. Something about the look of hundreds of handmade soaps organized into wooden bins called to my heart. It wasn’t fancy with a ton of advertising, didn’t come in fancy and cool packaging( in fact they wrapped each bar in a piece of paper and put them in a paper bag), wasn’t found in a super mall. It was simple.

I love using it. The smells filling my breath and soul. They even have a shampoo bar that my husband and I adore. All natural ingredients and oils, how can this get any better?

They also have a laundry bar that i have been toying with the idea of getting. It would save me the time of making my own.