Hello again~*~

~*~Hi friends~*~

Your Groovy Mama is back~*~Yep, i had left this blog behind last summer due to a very hectic schedule, but, I'm back to it and ready to go full force forward~*~The Groovy Girl's guide is going to be YOUR guide to reviews and green tips for raising our groovy children in today's world~

My boys are growing up, and sometimes i feel like I'm growing up right along with them. Bushai will be 12 this summer, so dealing with the trials and tribulations of an almost teen can be well, trying, but, learning as we go and keeping the lines of communication open are KEY~*~*~*~

Ronin is 9 and just trying to walk that line between little kid and big kid can be a test sometimes. One minute he's belting out the latest pop song and the next, he's tinkering with a toy i thought he'd long forgotten about.

Of course, being the mom of a toddler is sometimes my biggest challenge, but in the end it's my biggest soul kiss~*~Jasper is one energetic little 17 month old and everyday finds something new to open, taste and explore.

The Groovy Girl's Guide wants to be your resource for alternative parenting, so, i welcome site suggestions and input~*~

I'll be back in a day or 2 with our first review of 2010.

Hugs and Kisses, Love and Light~*~

~Groovy Girl~

~A Cool Summer Refreshment~

I've found lately, through these so called "dog days of summer", that sometimes a glass of water just doesn't suffice. I've wanted a cool refreshment that wasn't full of sugar or artificial flavors. I love iced tea, it takes me back to my childhood, when my mom would put out a glass jar of sun tea almost every day during the summer. Well, the other day, a friend had mentioned a watermelon iced tea he'd had at a restaurant the night before, so i had an idea, I'd been putting watermelon slices through the juicer lately, to put in my infant's sippy cup, so i thought maybe I'd put some of the freshly squeezed watermelon juice into my iced tea. YUM~*~it was really nice~Now, i did have to try a few flavors of tea, but here's what i came up with:

The Republic of Tea's Child's Play tea is a nice fruity/floral tea with no caffeine. Either make a jar of sun tea, or brew a glass, and when it's chilled, put about 3 parts tea to one part watermelon juice. It's a nice refreshing afternoon treat for you mamas~

Another good idea, is to pour the watermelon juice into an ice tray, and when your tea is ready, use the watermelon ice cubes in it.

Ahhhh~Enjoy~*~

~Quick Tip~

Are you and your little ones feeling a little overeated this summer? Here's a little something you can carry with you while you're out and about. Get a spray bottle, travel size is easy to carry in your purse or diaper bag, or to be "green" re-use an old hairspray bottle or something of the sort, clean it out ofcourse, and fill it with water. Now, I'm sure you've seen this done before, come to think of it, I've seen water bottles with fans attached sold at stores, but, add a few drops of lavendar and chamomile essential oils to it for a calming affect~Keep yourself and your little ones cool and calm this summer~

Quick "green" tips

From time to time, i will be posting "green" tips. These are things that i have either done myself, or have seen seen elsewhere, that i feel are good for our planet as well as easy mama solutions~
Today's tip~re-using the plastic bags that onsies, etc come in.
Seriously, most of you have probably gotten lots of these little packages as baby gifts, right? and if your at like me, and don't like throwing things away that could potentially be reused, (a trait i inherited from my Grams), you have an abundance of these little empty packages laying around. Well what i have found lately is that they work really well as diaper bag organizers.
Here are some examples:
~medicinal needs~
i have a larger size plastic bag from my baby's leather shoes filled with things like teething drops, infant Tylenol, calming spray, rescue remedy, sunscreen, etc
~diaper care~
In a smallish size bag, i keep small travel size containers of diaper cream, baby oil, baby lotion, baby soap, and a few small towels
~snack time~
depending on the age of your baby, this will vary of course. I have a 7 month old, so, currently in our bag, we have a jar of baby food, a few baby spoons, teething biscuits, bibs, a reused baby food jar with baby cereal mix, a fruit strainer (I'll explain this one in another blog if you're confused)
These have all been very handy, so i don't have to dig around the diaper bag for loose items and whatever the need is, i can just grab the appropriate bag, and they all have a closer of some sort, snaps or zippers, etc.
Other clever uses for these bags: (some stuff my older children use them for)
~Yu Gi Oh cards
~pool / beach supplies (sunscreen, chapstick, I.D., goggles
~coupons
Have any of you come up with any creative uses for these bags? I want to hear about them~*~

Blogging on the go~

~so this is coming to you via my Blackberry~Pretty nifty, huh? I'm headed to Oregon tomorrow to see my sister and her family. I'm just taking the baby, my older boys and hubby will be staying in AZ, so I plan to blog our plane experience, as well as other mama/baby adventures~

Groovy Girl's guide to a day trip with a teething baby~

Yesterday was Father's Day, and we decided to take a little trip down to Phoenix for the day. The town we live in is about 9 miles away, so, for most, it's not a big deal to jaunt down and back, i actually know folks who commute(they're crazy, I know). So, we left around 9:30, because i wanted to hit a sale at a clothing store i like, and we had planned on having a nice lunch, and then heading to a 'health food store" there that we really like and do not have in the town we live in. Step one, i wanted to make sure that baby had a full tummy and dry diaper before we hit the road, so, i changed him, and nursed him just before we walked out the door, i think i had already even sent my older children out to the truck to wait. Happily dry and fed, i put him in the car seat, and we set out on our way. I've realized that by doing this, the baby is ready to just fall asleep as the vehicle starts moving. It's pretty common, but, i have to say that there have been times when i haven't done this, and he ends up crying and unhappy during a drive, even if it's just running errands around town.


Some of you are avid stroller pushers and many of believe in "wearing" your baby, either way, unless baby's still under 10 pounds, simply carrying in your arms can get to be so tiring, and we all know, tired mom means unhappy mom, so, do this for yourself. Most larger cities have at least one children's resale shop, so, if it's a matter of expense that has disable you from owning a carrier of some sort, seek out a shop like this. I could recommend a thrift store too, but, sometimes you don't know if the item is worn out, or broken, whereas, with a children's resale shop, the owners have taken the time to clean the items, and have also made sure that all parts are on it, and nothing is broken. Another good resource is your local "Freecycle". Never heard of it? I think I'll do a whole blog on Freecycle alone, watch for it. Until then, google it along with the name of your home town.


So, when leaving the safety and comfort of your hometown for the day, whether traveling to a countryside lake, or into the neighboring big city to shop, have a somewhat clear plan. Yes, i know that it may not seem too "modern" to not be able to "fly by the seat of your pants", but, have you noticed, you're not just living for you anymore, there's another little life involved here, and they tend to get cranky when they've been drug around outside of their comfort zone for too long. So, in our case, we had shopping and eating to do, so, luckily i had helpers, i.e., my husband and two older children. I think that knowing where your going is super important, the less time you have to spend in the car, baby in car seat, crying, or on the verge, is, well, not very fun for anybody on board, is it? For those of us that do not have GPS, there are very simple things you can do to make sure you have clear directions to where you're going~you can google map the places you're headed before you leave, or, use your cell phone to make a phone call. There should be no reason that anyone should be lost in a city these days.

What to take~*~

Obviously you're going to have a diaper bag with the essentials, but, here's a list of extras i thought would be helpful for my teether on our day out~*~

~bottle of juice for refreshment if it's a hot day
I've been putting watermelon through the juicer and in the baby bottle, I've put about 1 pt juice to 3 pts water

~teething drops or tablets
most health food stores will carry a natural, homeopathic teething remedy, I've also even seen these things at Walgreens in the baby section

~solid food
by the time most babies are beginning the teething process, they've started on solid foods, so be sure to pack a jar or two of baby food, or a container of rice cereal and something to put it in

~healthy, cold snacks (i.e. veggies to gnaw on)
what i brought was a container of thickly sliced, peeled cucumbers that I'd kept in the fridge overnight. Another option is a cold carrot.

~Infant Tylenol

These few things seemed to help make a day trip with a teether a little more bearable, they did for me anyway~
Safe travels~*~

~The Launch~

Today is my 37th Birthday, and my brain, as always is flowing with ideas~*~I had this idea to share thoughts and ideas with you folks out there about living life as a modern mother in the 21st century. We face challenges our moms did not, from "What's the best 'green' laundry soap?" to "Can i get a tattoo while I'm pregnant?". Things are different now than they were when most of us grew up, and there really is no guide book. No, I'm no expert, but i can share with you my experiences, ans well as things I've observed and been told about. I plan on sharing recipes and book suggestions and even let you all know when i come across something "FAB" that might make your life as a mom and a woman a little easier~*~
Why did i start this blog today? Well, i suppose it's my birthday gift to myself. I have stuff to share, and want to get started.
I live in a small town in Arizona, but love to hit the road when i can, and i will be blogging from wherever i go, when the ideas hit~*~
Why am i a "groovy girl", well, first of all, i like the way the name sounds, and, well, i like to dress cute, and listen to music, and introduce my children to all of the magic that the world has to offer~*~