How adorable are these baby girl shorts from Greendog? I absolutely love the flower & plaid print pedal pushers, and the denim capris would look supercute & stylish on any little girl. Oh, I just love ‘em. Now if I only had a baby girl on which to put them…

Pedal Pushers - $10.70
Denim Capris - $9.73

Available in sizes 6-24 months at Amazon.com

The USO is a private, nonprofit organization whose mission is to support the troops by providing morale, welfare and recreation services to our men and women in uniform. The original intent of Congress and enduring style of USO delivery is to represent the American people by extending a touch of home to the military. The USO currently operates more than 130 centers worldwide, including ten mobile canteens located in the continental United States and overseas.

I was invited into one of these mobile canteens last December to record a video message for my husband, who was serving in Afghanistan at the time. They made it into a DVD and sent it directly to him, along with a pre-paid phone card and some hand-written cards from civilians, and he received it in time for Christmas. It was the first time he’d seen his son in months, so it meant a lot to both of us that the USO made it possible.

They do so much more than this, so many greater things on much a larger scale, but the fact that they also do small, personal things like recording video messages for everyday military families is another great aspect of the organization. Sometimes it’s just the little things that make the biggest impact on a person, you know?

A few of their great programs:

United Through Reading Military Program

The USO, in partnership with Family Literacy Foundation, is proud to offer the United Through Reading Military program at select USO centers worldwide. Service members are able to record themselves reading a children s book aloud. The USO sends the DVD and a copy of the book to the children in their lives back home. You can donate online and choose the”donate to a specific program” option to help with this operation.

Operation USO Care Package

Distributed to deploying service members, care packages may include snacks,entertainment items, toiletries, sunscreen and other items requested by troops. With a donation of $25 you can sponsor a USO care package and include a personal message of support and encouragement. To support Operation USO Care Package, click here.

USO Operation USO Phone Home

Prepaid, international phone cards are given free to service members, especially those in Afghanistan, Iraq and other overseas locations. Help deployed service members call home by donating to Operation Phone Home today. Donate online and choose the “donate to a specific program” option.

Thanks to everyone who took the time to read through this post. I know many people get sick of constantly hearing about the wars and the troops, but as someone who’s living in it every day, I can’t begin to tell you how important it is to remember and respect what these people are doing for us everyday, so we can have cookouts and parties, and every other freedom we enjoy and usually take for granted.

Okay, and that’s all I’ll say about that. Have a great Memorial Day weekend everyone.

In the news today there’s (unfortunately) yet another good reason to use natural, chemical-free products for children.

The FDA is warning women not to use or purchase Mommy’s Bliss nipple cream, marketed by MOM Enterprises, Inc., because it contains “potentially harmful” ingredients that may cause respiratory distress or vomiting and diarrhea in infants. Oh, and the warning signs? A decrease in an infant’s appetite, difficulty in awakening the child, limpness of extremities or a decrease in an infant’s strength of grip, and a change in skin color. The ingredients that cause this are a muscle relaxer (yeah, seriously) and a preservative- chlorphenesin and phenoxyethanol.

From FDA.gov :

“Chlorphenesin relaxes skeletal muscle and can depress the central nervous system and cause respiratory depression (slow or shallow breathing)in infants. Phenoxyethanol is a preservative that is primarily used in cosmetics and medications. It also can depress the central nervous system and may cause vomiting and diarrhea, which can lead to dehydration in infants.”

Okay, scary stuff. And apparently when those ingredients interact with each other the potential risk for harm is increased and the effects are even worse. So, obviously, if you or someone you know has used this product, throw it out and contact your child’s pediatrician, or seek more immediate medical attention if you need to.

It’s advised that nursing moms contact a lactation consultant or other professional who can recommend an alternative.

I remember I was told to only use 100% natural lanolin when I was nursing. And since natural lanolin products are sold just a widely as this recalled cream (I bought mine at Target), it shouldn’t be hard to get your hands on a safe, natural, chemical-free product if you need one.

It’s Fair Trade Friday!

I can’t get enough of creative recycled products. Now more than ever it seems like there’s a vast amount being created every day, and when it comes to fair trade ones, you just can’t go wrong.

Here’s a few more I just love that I want to share…

Recycled Can Wallets
One of these would make a great gift for the man in your life. (Don’t forget Father’s Day is just a few weeks away.) It’s hip, one-of-a-kind, and would ensure he always has an excellent conversation piece on hand.
Purchased during a Global Exchange direct buying trip to Thailand, these wallets were made by a young couple living in Chiang Mai. Each one is handmade from local cans in the region. Sales directly contribute to their livelihood and improved standard of living. Choose from Thai Coca-Cola can, Singha beer, or Chang beer. ($20.00 each from GlobalExchange.com)

The Global Exchange Online Store also carries these great messenger bags- which I think would make awesome diaper bags. They’re handmade in Cambodia out of extremely durable feed bags and lined in cotton. Each bag features one main zippered compartment,2 smaller zippered compartments, a key ring, pen holders, and an adjustable cotton strap. It’sl arge enough to carry a laptop, books, the contents of your purse, or even a passel of kid supplies.

And don’t forget the most important feature of the bags- they’re fair trade. These particular bags were introduced to the U.S. through a Fair Trade business that employs landmine victims and polio afflicted women in Cambodia. Remember every purchase helps them earn a fair wage and make a living creating these products. ($49.95 each.)

Another great recycled gem made by the same Cambodian women’s group are their cell phone holders. Called “practically perfect cell phone holders”, they’re also made from recycled feed bags, lined with durable cotton, and have a velcro closure. Each holder has a snap piece that can be attached to any belt, bag, or purse, and obviously is one of a kind, since no two come out exactly the same. ($18.95 each.)

All items available at the Global Exchange Online Store. Recycled gift wrapping is also offered for $3.95. A free gift card accompanies each item that tells about it’s origin and unique story.

We love our PBS in this house. From my son’s Elmo obsession (which is bordering on addiction) to family-friendly favorites Antiques Roadshow and Austin City Limits, to Masterpiece Theater (most recently premiering the Complete Jane Austen Collection!), there’s actually quite a bit we tune into or program to the DVR. It’s because of this channel that I think I might actually survive if anything ever happened to my satellite.

I’m sure I’m not an ideal viewer because I don’t make financial contributions during fundraisers and telethons. Your PBS programming was definitely not in any way brought to you by viewers like me. However, I’ve now found a great way to, well, indirectly contribute and get a cool gift in return.

Philosophy has partnered with PBS and created the Tree House Hand Care Kit. Adorably packaged, it comes complete with two red delicious apple scented hand care formulas, one a pump lotion and one a tub of hand creme, that will “leave hands silky soft and delicious smelling.”

Philosophy has pledged to donate 100% of the net proceeds from the sale of this kit directly to PBS. If that isn’t a generous show of support, I don’t know what is. It must be made just for people like me who love PBS and love Philosophy products! So maybe once I purchase this kit I can feel a little less guilty about watching all the great public television shows, right?

Get your own and show your support! $25.00 at ShopPBS.org