Happy Life Through Pie

I discovered last night that pie making is an art, a science, easy and a total joy!

As one of two students at Kate McDermott's Art of the Pie class I learned the classic method for making probably the world's most excellent pie - according to my husband and many others. We floured, rolled, sprinkled, poured and cored our way to happy tummies. Kate's Heritage Organic Apple pie recipe combines a variety of seasonal apples that each has its own sugar and 'bite' profile, which makes each taste of the pie a discovery.

I need to check in with Kate on whether I can share her recipe to spiritual and emotional enlightenment. So stay tuned and eat up!

My pie and ticket to a dozen roses, or something nice above. Photo courtesy of Kate McDermott.

If the weather outside is frightful...

My favorite and greenest mode of transport is walking. I like it because I feel better for it, breathing fresh air makes me happy and I get to keep the car parked on the curb. But as a Seattleite I face the now almost daily drip, drip, shower, squall, drip of our overcast and soupy skies.

I thought it might be helpful to pull together a short checklist of Must Haves to keep you and the kiddos on your pegs (and in the stroller) in spite of inclement weather.

- Stroller hood - doesn't have to be a fancy rain guard, consider jury-rigging an old folding umbrella to the side of the stroller. You'll look thrifty and hip. Others will wonder if that's some great new, but retro mommy-gear. Check out Portland's Shedrain!

- Raincoat with hood or raincoat without hood and hip waterproof hat. And consider making your own up cycled rain slicker from old plastic bags. Found this wicked site that can help you do it - Craftzine.com.

- Boots - check out Hunter Wellies made of 100% recycled material. This pair benefits the earth! Try swapping for a pair on MamaSwap or other barter/consign site.

- All weather blanket for babes. check out Tuffo and WooBee all weather blankets from Rain or Shine Kids (love this company name!)

- To-go cup of Joe and you're ready to rock and roll!

C-U-LTR, Gotta Bounce!

Not a Cadillac, more like a tricked out Prius, is one way to describe Bloom Baby's Bouncer Lounger. This bouncy chair screams sidecars and cosmos, from a bottle, bien sur.

It's made of a patented material called stylewood, which basically sums it up. Offered in an excellent array of trend-forward colors, Bloom has upped the standard on baby soothing techniques. My guess is 20 minutes in this and baby is happily dreaming.

Check it out at Best Baby Organics where you can save 15% store wide through 10/30/09 while they're gearing up for the holiday season.

No goods or services provided for this review. Photo courtesy of Best Baby Organics/Bloom Baby

A friend told me about tea tree oil. It's used in aromatherapy and is naturally antiseptic and antibacterial, which makes it a super all natural cleaner. I picked up a 4 oz bottle of NOW Tea Tree Oil from Amazon, but this stuff goes a LONG way so am recommending a 1 oz bottle here.

In an 8 oz spray bottle I mixed 1 teaspoon tea tree oil with a cup of white vinegar to create my new all purpose cleaner. I tackled the powder room first where my preschooler is learning to use the toilet and it works like a wonder! The vinegar and oil make it smell clean and I feel really good about spraying this cleaner in highly kid-trafficed areas.

Word to the wise, tea tree oil comes with warnings because it's so concentrated. KEEP OUT OF REACH OF CHILDREN. I wrote Danger/Poison on the outside of mine and put it in our locked closet. And with that paranoid warning, enjoy!

Satsuma Designs in St. Joseph's (BABY) Corner

As CEO of Satsuma Designs I'm so happy to share the news that 5% of every purchase, every day at our site helps Northwest babies in need through the incredible work of St. Joseph's Baby Corner in Seattle.

St. Joseph's Baby Corner provides items necessary for the health and safety of babies and toddlers living in poverty. Started in 1988 by two amazing women, Jeannie Jaybush and Renée Leet, St. Joseph's Baby Corner has distributed millions of dollars worth of donated and purchased baby items through dozens of local community-based agencies and organizations.

At Satsuma Designs we do what we do for our love of babies and creating cozy, useful gear to keep them happy and healthy. I hope we can do the same for babies who need us most.

You'll see more here about ways you can help. Please standby. Thanks for stopping!

Strike A Flower Yoga Pose with Lotus Mat

Back to school is a great time for resolutions and that includes healthy parents and kids. Try out a few yoga poses before school or after to tone up and increase flexibility. Try the FLOWER POSE shown here at ehow.com by instructor, Nora Forziati.

Make sure you have the right gear for you and the kids. Stock up on the Lotuspad eco yoga mats. Save 20% today on orders of $75. They're gunk free, cute and made of TPE, the new replacement for PVC in many eco-friendly products. Look for new eco-plastic products from Satsuma Designs.

Stopping The Madness: Holiday Card Consumption Dilemna Solved

I know. It's only October, so why is it normal, necessary or healthy to be planning the family holiday card? It's not, but as a busy lady, I get a big dose of 'I'm in control!' from planning stuff like this.

Part of my angst for the entire project comes from the dozens of cards I'll send and receive. I love all the greetings and seeing the beautiful little faces of friends' kids, but that's a lot of paper, stamps and adhesive in the mix and I like to conserve.

To calm my scrooge-like tendencies, I'm considering Green Field Paper Company's Grow-A-Note holiday card selection. These customizable, totally eco-friendly cards can be planted in the spring to grow a beautiful bouquet of wildflowers. The cards and envelopes are made of post-consumer recycled materials, but you're on your own with the stamps! And, they're running a promotion, up to 15% off orders. ($1.24/card with envelope on bulk orders).

Happy Holidays?!

Photo courtesy of Green Field Paper Co.