Monthly Archives: April 2009

Potty Training with Cloth, Disposable, and No Diapers

Use them all! Potty training doesn’t have to be a strict philosophy or for non-working parents only. Anyone can do as little or as much as he/she wants. This morning, I came across another article on successful early potty training and points out that the greenest option is to be diaper-free as soon as possible. […]

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Austin Baby Store Grand Opening This Saturday

Austin Baby store has expanded to their new location at 701 S. Lamar Blvd. To celebrate, they are throwing a big party this Saturday, May 2nd. Events include live music with Laura Freeman and Staci Gray, kid entertainment, food from Thai Fresh and vegan cupcakes from Sugar Mama’s Bakeshop, raffles and giveaways! I will be […]

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Earth Day 2009

Woohoo! Wish everyday was Earth Day. Here’s an easy idea you can implement: purchase a rain barrel and start harvesting rainwater for your garden use. Conserve water, save on water bills, and your plants will reward you for it (they do better with pH neutral rainwater than municipal water). In many cities, you can even […]

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Simple Oatmeal Facial Cleanser

Oat grains have so many wonderful qualities that make them ideal as a daily facial cleanser. Used in the form of flour, they cleanse your face without the drying effects associated with soap. As with any flour, oatmeal flour absorbs oils readily along with other impurities. It also acts as a gentle exfoliator leaving your […]

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Easy Homemade Natural Laundry Detergent with Soap Nuts

Traditionally, homemade laundry detergent involves at least two steps: (1) grating soap and (2a) either running it through a food processor to make it fine enough to use in powder form or (2b) melt it with water on the stove top to be used in liquid form. An easier alternative that’s also 100% natural is […]

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Climbing Antique Rose in your Southern Garden

No southern garden is complete without the presence of roses and no other rose class is more fitting in a southern garden than the Noisettes. The Noisette class descended from the first recorded American hybrid, Champneys’ Pink Cluster a.k.a ‘The Charleston Rose’, and is recognized as the first rose class originating in the United States.

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Year-round Garden Color with Antique Roses

Roses have a bad reputation for being difficult to grow and maintain. This may be true for modern roses that you often see at the floral shop. The plants that those long stem roses come from weren’t bred to look good in the garden. They were bred to, well, have long stems with a particular […]

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Scavenger Hunt at the Garden Center

I love the springtime, I love gardening, and I love going to the garden center. One of my favorite nursery is the Natural Gardener in Austin. Besides the wonderful selection of plants, they have beautiful grounds with many demonstration gardens. I love taking my kids there and to make it extra fun for them, we […]

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Basic Night Cream – Protective

Facial night creams are meant to repair your skin from daily wear (makeup, environment, etc) and restore its elasticity. As such, they are ultra-rich with oils. As with all my creams and lotions, night creams fall into two categories: protective or moisturizing.

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