Cloth Napkins - Easy and Bright

We moved to using cloth napkins about a year ago and even the kids love it. Its an easy way to cut down on the amount of garbage we make and I’ve enjoyed adding new napkins into the collection. I decided from the beginning not to worry if they matched, so I usually ‘treat’ myself by buying the old ones from fancy stores like Williams-Sonoma and Sur Le Table, where I’ve gotten them for as little as a $1 each. They are easy for the kids to access when they help set the table and we have enough that we wash them about once every week or so. They also make great bibs or last minute smocks when the kids want to play in the sink. My aunt has a wonderful collection of cloth napkins she’s built from yard sales and estate sales, so even more green for the re-use!

In the Night Kitchen by Maurice Sendak

Okay, this is a non-typical recommendation for a kids book.  My 18 month old son loves In the Night Kitchen by Maurice Sendak (author of Where the Wild Things Are).  He carries it around, he refers to it even when it is no where in sight (the Mickey book!), he stares at each page with complete focus.  So on the kid side, its a winner.  On my side of the equation, while it doesn’t make me want to stick a fork in my eye, the story is a strange one and I find the pictures weird.  If my son didn’t love it so very much, I wouldn’t recommend it at all, but clearly it strikes a chord with him.  And while the story doesn’t make sense, it is not boring, so this squeaks into the ‘recommended’ column.

Parents’ Perspective Radio Show

A friend referred me to the Parents’ Perspective website and radio show and I wanted to pass it along.  Its run by two grandmothers, based out of Washington DC, with a wealth of experience raising children between them and it covers a wide range of topics relating to parenting.   The website lists the times and stations the show is aired, and they also have their podcasts available for download.  It seems like another nice resource to add into the rotation.

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