the project-per-month PROJECT month 10

Project-Per-Month Project HOW IT WORKS... If you want to join in the project project, and you totally should, here are the rules...
- Pick a single, manageable project off your to-do list, just one.
- Determine that you WILL do it, come hell or high water, even if you have to stay up late one night
- Give yourself specific goals.
- Give yourself a deadline: the end of the month.
- Give yourself a budget.
- Do yourself proud.

My November project was to add a little warmth and personality to my kitchen, a room that holds a big place in my heart. We are renting the perfect house, in my taste, tall ceilings, white walls, old wood floors, and architectural details galore... and if I could I would live here forever, reinforce the 101 year old windows (because Hello heating bills) and spend the rest of my life happily updating countertops and fixtures and turning the yard into a food garden that I don't kill (one can dream!).

My updates were simple, a large format print over the oven that really embodies the way I want to approach feeding myself and my family and then a huge office plant and succulents near the sink to add some life. I really love how it turned out.

Yes we actually use our kitchens and ain't nobody got time to stage their counters and do their dishes for a photoshoot, haha. This is real life :)

My favorite part of this project is the way the "Eat food. Not too much. Mostly Plants." poster came out. Isn't it awesome?! I came across this phrase on Pinterest and found it came from Michael Pollan, someone I read recently (although I read The Omnivore's Dilemma and this phrase came from In Defense of Food which is now on my reading list). I reached out to Jess from I Rock So What to hand-letter the print (she does this on Fiverr) and can I just say THAT WOMAN IS A-FREAKING-MAZING. Thank you, Jess!

My whole budget for this project was supposed to be $40 and I spent $43 including plants, plant pots (thrift store ftw) and the print. I'm lucky though, my work was able to do the print on scrap so I didn't have to pay the fortune that Kinko's wanted. ::clicks heels::

I always loved my kitchen but now when I'm in there I like really, really love it. It feels personal and simple and just right.

For December Rob is joining in with me on our project, which is to turn Loretta's bookcase into a dollhouse as her Christmas gift. I can't wait to see how it comes out!

For those of you joining in on these projects here and there, please do let me know. I started a Pinterest board for us, although I'm pretty sure I missed some. Send me links and I'll add your projects to the board! Also, because there was a request (that basically MADE MY MONTH haha) there is now a project-per-month PROJECT button you can grab on the right sidebar.

And now for a moment of CAMERA-RELATED REFLECTION... I just wanted to take a moment to gripe about the image quality of these pics. More and more I consider myself an amateur photographer and I really care about how my photos turn out. I recently ordered a zoom lens for my camera and was so excited to FINALLY be able to take inside shots that weren't at 55mm (my original lens) which is really too zoomed in to show any kind of context in our small-roomed house. Well, the new lens zooms from 18 to 55mm alright, but that's about the extent of it. The pictures I took turned out grainy and I'm really unhappy with them. I'd hoped to take family pictures with this lens in a few weeks and now I'm pretty sure I'll be taking all of those shots at 55mm, which is fine, but I'm just annoyed. A word of warning, you get what you pay for and Amazon reviews can be misleading. A cheap 18-55mm zoom lens is a cheap 18-55mm zoom lens. Don't fall for that baloney. 

♥ kate quinn organics semi-annual $10 sale ♥

Kate Quinn Organics is one of my all-time favorite brands for kiddo clothing and for good reason. Their tops, bottoms, jammies, and dresses are adorable, organic, soft, and hold up wonderfully in the wash. We love them, yes we do! And they are currently having their semi-annual $10 sale.

I don't know about you but I will be stocking up for Loretta who is growing like a freaking weed lately (girlfriend has broad shoulders and is almost in a 3T top, but she has narrow hips like her brother and still wears 18-24MO bottoms, so funny). I've found that Kate Quinn items are true to size, their bottoms are nicely long and their tops just roomy enough. I always buy 1 size too big regardless so we get a little extra life out of each piece. Anyways, have fun at the sale!

*this post sponsored by Kate Quinn Organics, the opinions are my own.

Kate Quinn Organics Friends & Family Sale

Heads up that its sale time at Kate Quinn Organics and its Plum Bunny and Violet + Moss brands. This brand is my valentine; I really love them. They have eye-catching big, bold prints; hip but not hipster kids style; and soft quality organic cotton. Right now everything (except the essentials collection) is 50% off until August 28.

Etta's green Kate Quinn jacket from last fall is still a favorite.

To shop the Friends and Family Sale visit http://www.katequinnorganics.com/ and use the code "ff2013" at checkout.

*this post sponsored by Kate Quinn Organics, the opinions are my own.

Kate Quinn Organics Semi-Annual $10 Sale ♥

Heads up that it's semi-annual $10 Sale time over at Kate Quinn Organics. It is no secret that we are big fans at my house. I love them. The silhouettes are always sweet and pretty and the clothes super comfy to live and play in for my little firecracker.

Etta in some of our favorite Kate Quinn and Violet + Moss designs. If you haven't checked out Kate Quinn yet it is darling children's fashion focused on pure, natural luxury. Their brands include Kate Quinn, Plum Bunny, and Violet + Moss.

*this post sponsored by Kate Quinn Organics, the opinions are my own.

Kate Quinn, Plum Bunny, Violet + Moss

just a little fyi that these scrumptuous organic kids clothes are on super clearance until 7/17. go. buy. now. you're welcome ♥ i recently ordered Loretta 3 little dresses from Violet + Moss and they are instant favorites. so soft and totally darling. see -->

these little frocks are so soft and charming. almost as soft and charming as my little missy.

here's a link to the $10 sale http://www.katequinnorganics.com/categories/10-sale/
and you can find Kate Quinn Organics on facebook here https://www.facebook.com/katequinnorganics

word on the street is that i might have a special discount code for you guys sometime soon so stay tuned! fingers crossed! happy sale shopping (the best kind!)!

sugar-crusted dried-fruit whole wheat muffin amazingness {a recipe}

the following is an experiment gone yummy. Ot helped me make these semi-sweet (think cornbread or scone-level sweetness) healthy fruit muffins the other day and i wanted to share...

this recipe is a modified version of Joy of Cooking's "basic reduced-fat muffins"...

What you need... vegan options in parentheses

2 cups whole wheat flour

1/2 cup sugar

4 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

1/4 tsp ground nutmeg

1 egg (or 2Tbsp cornstarch dissolved in 1Tbsp cold water)

3 Tbsp vegetable oil

1 tsp vanilla

1 cup milk (or 1 cup vanilla almond or hemp milk)

1 cup freeze dried fruit, crumbled (we used peaches)

What you do...
1. Oven at 400'F
2. Spray or line a muffin pan
3. Get everything measured and ready cuz you're gonna stir it all together at once
4. Stir everything together at once

5. Pour batter into muffin pan (original recipe says it makes a dozen. we made 9 larger muffins)
6. In a coffee cup (or whatever) mix another 1/8 cup sugar + 1 Tbsp cinnamon. Sprinkle on muffin tops.
7. Bake about 14 minutes (until a fork/toothpick comes out clean)

and voila! feed these to your friends and family. or hide in the closet and eat them all! bwahaha! for reals though, these muffins are so good, healthy-ish, and way easy to make. win to the win.

TGIF guys! this weekend we start hardcore packing (omg i'm so getting spammed by pornbots for saying that). anyways!

we move 2 weeks from sunday so we need to put our packing into high gear! my parents are coming down Saturday to entertain Ot for a few hours while Rob and i disassemble our house, get rid of stuff, pack, or do what i ended up doing tonight --> start packing up photo albums and end up spending hours just looking at photo albums. love photo albums.

oh, and we're going to a build-your-own-pizza party on sunday at a friend's house. i'm really excited about this. lots of kiddos and a fun activity, plus i get to see a few friends again before we skip town. plus pizza is no slouch.

what's everyone else up to this weekend? muffin baking? if you make these let me know what you think!

xo,
Lindsey

Welcome Green Baby Elephant! ... and a Coupon Code!

Soooo excited to welcome the newest TidbitsParenting sponsor, Green Baby Elephant!

Green Baby Elephant is a one-stop-cloth-diapering-online-shop launched by a fellow Tucson mama. They ship within the U.S. (with free shipping available in Tucson). They also offer in-home diaper parties & private consultations for Tucson-area parents looking to learn more about cloth diapering. 

Please help me show Green Baby Elephant some welcome love by following their soon-to-be-blog at http://greenbabyelephant.blogspot.com/ and be sure to follow them on facebook too for the latest discounts, deals, and news!

Yo! Get The Discount!

To celebrate their launch, Green Baby Elephant is offering TidbitsParenting readers an exclusive discount! Use the code: tidbitsgbe for 10% off your order!  

xo,

Lindsey

Tiny Birds Organics Giveaway! CLOSED

Tiny Birds Organic Baby has awesomely offered 1 lucky TidbitsParenting reader a Sweet Pea One-Size Pocket-AIO diaper (in baby blue, includes 2 inserts) along with a Rich Frog fair trade organic cotton rubberwood rattle. Yay! I'm so excited to host this giveaway!

One of my best friends (and favorite moms/people) is the sister of Tiny Birds' owner (a total mompreneur) so that is my sweet hookup. I would love to direct some attention to the Tiny Birds online store and Round Rock, TX shop. If you are raising organic babies/tots, well this shop seriously has everything you need for cloth diapering, clothes, gear, toys, baby care, and so on...

Giveaway CLOSED...

Many Entry Opportunities (none of these is mandatory); pick and choose the ones you like:

- Tell me what else you might like from Tiny Birds Organic Baby

- "Like" Tiny Birds Organic Baby on Facebook
- Follow TidbitsParenting via Google Friend Connect (see sidebar) 
- Follow @OttosMomBlogs on Twitter
- Tweet the following and comment a link to your tweet (up to 3 bonus entries per day / 1 per tweet / 30 min apart or more please):

Win Sweet Pea cloth diaper & Rich Frog organic rattle <3 http://tinyurl.com/4p578ns

@OttosMomBlogs Tiny Birds Organic Baby #Giveaway !

- "Like" TidbitsParenting on Facebook
- Grab TidbitsParenting badge (on the right) and in your comment leave a link to your badged up homepage (3 bonus entries)
- Vote for this blog on Picket Fence, Top Mommy Blogs and/or Top Baby Blogs (see right sidebar) 1 entry per vote per day

Please Note:

Remember to leave a comment for EACH entry. I will contact the winner the week of March 14 and they will have 48 hours to claim the prize or a different winner will be chosen. Giveaway will be closed for new entries at 11:59pm Pacific Time on March 14. Open to US only. I will use Random.org to choose a winner and will verify that the winning entrant has played by the rules so it only makes sense to be honest! Note: I was in no way compensated for this post.

-Lindsey

Sunbutter + Banana + Carrot Muffins! (a recipe)

This easy recipe has quickly become a packed lunch staple in our house. I love them because they're super easy to whip up; loaded with hearty ingredients, protein and veggies; and mostly because Otto loooooves them. New on the scene: he's even been helping me bake. Craziness! Anyways...

You'll Need...

carrot mush



- 1 cup brown sugar

- 1/2 cup sunbutter (smooth or crunchy is fine)

- 1/2 cup carrot mush*

- 1 mashed banana
- 1 egg white

- 1 cup plus 1 Tbsp whole wheat flour

- 1 tsp baking powder

- 1 tsp baking soda

- 1/2 tsp salt

- 1/2 tsp lemon juice*

* Making carrot mush is super easy, just put about 3/4 cup cut or baby carrots in a microwave safe dish, cover with water, and microwave about 4 minutes until they're soft. Once soft, remove water and use a fork to shred/mush the carrot then measure out 1/2 cup. ps. the lemon juice is optional but without it the carrots + baking soda may turn greeny which is fine to eat but looks a little offputting.

Step 2: Mix everything together really fast.

 What You Do...

1. Preheat oven to 350'
2. Mix everything together really fast
3. Pour into a greased (or cupcake holdered) muffin pan
4. Bake 15-20 minutes (until a fork comes out clean when stuck in)

Note: This is a reworked recipe from Jessica Seinfeld's Deceptively Delicious *wink* cookbook (I love said book) and the original recipe says it makes 12 muffins but lordy no, no weenie muffins at my house! It makes 9... Nine not too big but not too small muffins that taste awesome and are healthy and they freeze well too.

Enjoy!

Otto has been helping in the kitchen a lot lately. I NEED one of those Guidecraft Kitchen Helpers (like stat!) but so far I never seem to catch them on Craigslist in time. Grrrrr! Anyways, for now he drags a chair over from the table (really cute), climbs up (really cute), and (ok it's all really cute) helps choose eggs, measure, stir, and even (as shown above) samples a little. That smudge on his chin was a spoonful of whole wheat flour: that's right, yummmm.

Not really yum. But I remember learning the whole "we don't eat flour with a spoon" thing the hard way too.

Here we have Otto modeling the goods. All business. Now THAT is how you eat a muffin!

For reals guys, these muffins are so easy and yummy I hope you give them a try. Now I'm off to watch Jersey Shore with the hubs. Have good weekends!

xo,
Lindsey

Lundberg Family Farms (GIVEAWAY CLOSED). And a Review!

Lundberg Family Farms^® specialize in organic, gluten-free, and whole grain rice products and offer more than 150 healthful options. Check it...

At home, Otto eats organic 95% of the time (by design). Making sure I feed my son a well-balanced, chemical-minimized diet, is hugely important to me. (I truly believe garbage in, garbage out.) So when I got the opportunity to review a wholesome Lundberg product and host a giveaway... Ummm, yeah, of course I was all over it!

The Review...

We were given the opportunity to try any 1 Lundberg product. But when I was shopping at the Sunflower Market, I was overwhelmed by choices! Happy to say our local grocery carries a LOT of Lundberg. So I picked up 2 products and gladly considered my "1 free" coupon a "50% off 2" coupon instead. I chose Penne Organic Brown Rice Pasta as well as Spinach and Mushroom Risotto Florentine. They were both DELISH! My favorite was the brown rice pasta. I've tried various brands of brown rice pasta and have found the texture often leaves a bit to be desired. Not so this time. I actually followed the cooking instructions on the package (this is a giant step for man and a giant leap for mankind) and the pasta turned out perfectly al dente with a nice, earthy flavor similar to whole wheat pasta. I topped it with a homemade organic garlic & spinach white sauce, organic steamed peas, and freshly chopped up organic tomatoes. The whole family loooooved it. (Read: no leftovers)

How to Enter The Giveaway...

Congrats to "Sweet Bunna Bunny" with comment #54 the winner of this giveaway!

Many Entry Opportunities (none are mandatory); pick and choose the modes of entry that you like and remember to leave a comment for each):

- Tell me what product you might like from Lundberg Family Farms

- "Like" Lundberg on Facebook (also a good idea because they post coupons & recipe ideas)
- Follow TidbitsParenting via Google Friend Connect (see sidebar) 
- Follow @OttosMomBlogs on Twitter
- Tweet the following and in your comment, put a link to your tweet (up to 3 bonus entries per day / 1 per tweet / 30 min apart or more please):

Win 2 Organic Gluten-free meals/products from Lundberg Family Farms. Your choice! http://tinyurl.com/2d6tjzs @OttosMomBlogs #Giveaway !

- "Like" TidbitsParenting on Facebook
- Grab TidbitsParenting badge (on the right) and in your comment leave a link to your badged up homepage (3 bonus entries)
- Vote for my blog on Picket Fence (click here: Picket Fence Blogs ) you can do this daily & I'd love it if you did!

Please Note:

Remember to leave a comment for EACH entry.
Please put your email or Twitter name in each comment so that I can reach you if you win. Once I contact the winner they will have 48 hours to claim the prize or we will choose a different winner.
Giveaway will be closed for new entries at 11:59pm Pacific Time on December 20. Open to US only. I will use Random.org to choose a winner and will verify that the winning entrant has played by the rules so it only makes sense to be honest! Note: I was in no way compensated for this post but did receive a coupon for 1 free product. The opinions are my own.
-Lindsey

A Delish Dish! Egg Free Banana Bread Recipe

This dish was an impromptu discovery the other day when I started peeling a banana for Ot & all 3 bananas on the bunch broke open at the top. The stars had aligned, I was required to use the other 2 bananas for banana bread, I had to! But then halfway through getting all the ingredients stirred together I realized I'd thrown out all our eggs in fear of the Dreaded Salmonella Eggs! Even though we always buy organic eggs, the whole recall thing just freaked me the [beep] out so I'd tossed ours "just in case"... Back to the dramatic banana bread story... (I know you're on the edge of your seat)... So, I thought back to my vegan days and decided to do a little subbing: applesauce for moisture/sweetness/binding and cornstarch for add'l thickening/binding. The result was eggless and sooooo good - extra moist and just 100% a success! Obvi from the pic, Otto couldn't wait to get his chubby little paws on it and he/we gobbled it up!

1. Preheat over to 350'
2. Get your ingredients together:
- 1 1/2 cups flour (I used whole wheat) (but for a gluten-free bread use brown rice flour - you may need a smidge more flour)
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 1/4 tsp baking powder
- 5 Tbsp butter - melted (salted butter)
- 2/3 cup sugar
- 2 ripe bananas mashed
- 1/4 cup applesauce
- 1 Tbsp cornstarch mixed into 2 Tbsp cold water
3. Stir it all together and pour the gloppy batter into a greased bread pan
4. Bake for 50-60 minutes (until a fork stuck into the center comes out clean)
5. Then set oven to "Low Broil" and broil just a minute or so until the top is nice and browned. You can also brush a little extra butter on top before doing this step. Nom!

My prediction: Just like Van Gogh, you'll eat it all up! Unlike Van Gogh, you'll smile!

Serving suggestions: I lovvvve banana bread crumbled up over yogurt! Or heated and topped with a scoop of vanilla icecream!

-Lindsey

Win a Beautiful, Naturally Soothing Teething Necklace For Your Little Chomper (CLOSED)

Q. How excited am I?
A. Ummm, super excited!
Q. Why?
A. Because the awesome folks over at Tiny Birds Organic Baby have generously offered this beautiful Baltic Amber Teething Necklace to one lucky TidbitsParenting winner!

Why Baltic Amber? ... A little info about the analgesic properties (some excerpts from the Tiny Birds website):

- Amber is a fossilized resin, not a stone. It is therefore warm to the touch and light to wear
- When amber is worn on the skin, the skin's warmth releases miniscule amounts of healing oils from the amber which are then absorbed via the skin
- Amber's anti-inflammatory and therapeutic properties are also recognized by allopathic medicine. In Austria, Switzerland and Germany, it is common to find amber teething necklaces sold in local pharmacies
- As with any product with small parts, this necklace should be used under direct supervision of an adult 

Wearing baltic amber close to the skin is a traditional European remedy for baby teething. Made from fossilized tree resin, leave the teething necklace in the sunshine to warm up and increase the natural analgesic power. Each teething bead is individually knotted and the necklace fastens with a screw clasp.

Only natural 100% authentic Baltic Amber is used to make Tiny Birds teething necklaces.

How to Buy It: If you just can't wait to get a soothing necklace for your little teething machine (aka baby) or to read a full product description and customer reviews, visit the Tiny Birds website.

How to Win It: 1 winner will receive the necklace pictured in the top pic and to the right, valued at $20!

Mandatory First Entry - visit Tiny Birds Organic Baby and then leave a comment here telling any other item you would love to take home from their huge selection: organic and all natural cloth diapering, mothering, nursing, BPA-free feeding, baby carriers, bath & bed, toys, organic clothing & shoes, and other products.

Additional Entry Opportunities:

- "Like" Tiny Birds Organic Baby on Facebook (3 bonus entries) (they do lots of promos and giveaways too so you'll be very glad you did)

- Blog about this giveaway. In your comment below make sure to put a link to your post (3 bonus entries)

- Follow TidbitsParenting via Google Friend Connect (if you already follow that counts too)

- Follow @OttosMomBlogs on Twitter (if you already follow that counts too)

- Tweet about this giveaway with a link to this page in your tweet. In your comment below make sure to put a link to your tweet (up to 3 bonus entries per day - 1 per tweet - 30 mins apart or more please)

- "Like" TidbitsParenting on Facebook (if you already like us that counts too)

- Grab the TidbitsParenting badge (on the right) and in your comment leave a link to your badged up blog homepage (3 bonus entries) (if you've already got the badge that counts too)

Please Note:
Just remember to leave a comment for EACH entry. For example, if you follow Tiny Birds on Facebook since that's worth 3 bonus entries make sure you leave 3 comments for that.

Make sure that I can reach you if you win - via email or Twitter. We will contact the winner on October 1 and they will have 48 hours to claim the prize or we will choose a different winner.

Giveaway ends at 11:59pm Pacific Time on September 30. Open to US & Canada. We will use Random.org to choose a winner and will verify that the winning entrant has played by the rules so it only makes sense to be honest! Also - I was in no way compensated for hosting this giveaway.

Congratulation to the winner of this giveaway with comment #17 Chrissyb! I'll be contacting you via email & twitter. Thanks to everyone for entering!

-Lindsey

Rosemary 'n Black Pepper Quick Bread (No Machine) That Makes Amaaaaaazing Bruschetta!

Nom! Nom! And here's the recipe, cuz...

First things first I'm going to give you the recipe for the quick bread because it stands alone as delicious, moist, cakey bread that makes great toast or would sop up soup in a heavenly fashion or you can just sit there at the pan and eat handfuls of it like I did. I was inspired to make Rosemary & Black Pepper bread by Whitney (aka Waddlebug) from The (Un)Balancing Act of Motherhood; she has a recipe on her blog for a bread machine loaf that I was (sigh) unable to attempt because I lack the key appliance! Whitney is a cool chick and she's a great source for gluten and dairy free recipes!

Rosemary & Black Pepper Quick Bread Recipe:

This is a modified recipe, based on Joy of Cooking's "Mediterranean Olive Bread" ...

- Preheat oven to 350'
- Grease a loaf pan

- Get all of the following measured and ready cause you're gonna stir em all together at once:

2 1/4 cup whole wheat flour

(or use brown rice flour for gluten-free, that's what I did)

2 1/2 tsp baking powder

2 tsp dried rosemary or 3 tsp chopped fresh rosemary

1 tsp ground black pepper plus a pinch

1/2 tsp salt

2 large eggs

1 cup milk

1/4 cup olive oil

- Stir it up!

- Dump batter into the loaf pan and spread evenly

- Bake for 40 to 45 minutes (or until a fork inserted into the center comes out clean)

- Let cool for a couple of minutes and then transfer to a plate (should pop right out if you run a butter knife around the edge)

- Try not to eat the whole loaf in one sitting!

Getting Bruschetta Freaky Deaky:

This bread made the freakiest deakiest bruschetta I've ever had. For reals. The bread melts in your mouth and the rosemary and black pepper just tasted phenomenal with the mozzarella and basil!

Thanks!

-Lindsey

What Tastes Like Banana Bread, Looks Like a Pancake, and Is Loaded With Oatmeal Heartiness?

I was reading in one of my parenting books recently about how good oatmeal is for kids. I tried feeding Elliot some good old fashioned oatmeal, but he wasn’t having it. Even when I spiced things up with raisins, brown sugar, or apples, Elliot just didn’t care for oatmeal.

I came across this recipe for oatmeal pancakes and decided to give it a shot. I added the cinnamon for that extra zing and Elliot went crazy for these pancakes. They are super fluffy and really good with butter and a little bit of syrup.

If you add banana slices just after the first time you flip them, they come out tasting like banana bread.

These pancakes taste amazing and are a great way to get your kids eating oatmeal! Enjoy!

OATMEAL PANCAKES RECIPE:

1 1/3 c. wheat flour

2/3 c. quick-cooking oats

2 tbs. sugar

2 ½ tsp. baking powder

½ tsp. salt

1 egg

1 1/3 c. milk

3 tablespoons melted butter or margarine

1/8 tsp. cinnamon


1. In a large bowl, stir together the flour, oats, sugar, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt.

2. In a medium bowl, beat the egg. Beat in the milk and butter.

3. Add the milk mixture to the dry ingredients and stir until just combined; let stand 5 minutes.

4. Heat a skillet or griddle over medium-high heat. Brush the skillet lightly with butter, margarine, or oil. For each pancake, drop 3 tablespoons of batter onto the skillet. Cook until one or two bubbles start to burst on the top; turn and cook until golden on the bottom.

-Megan

Creamy UnChicken Enchiladas from Mommy D's Kitchen!

Mucho Mucho Bueno Bueno!

I wanted to share with you an awesome recipe I discovered at the amazing Mommy D's Kitchen blog (that link will take you to the original recipe - yum!). I made Mommy D's creamy chicken enchiladas but subbed out Morningstar Farms Meal Starters Chik'n Strips.

Other than the chicken substitution, we followed the recipe to a T and ended up with a super delicious dinner than will definitely become a regular on the menu at my house (even my 18month old, Otto, loved these enchiladas and he is famous for his "no tortilla" attitude).

That's right, Otto hates tortillas, how dare he!? Haha, but these enchiladas made the grade!

I loved that this recipe was quick to make but allowed for the use of super healthy and hearty ingredients. So even though it's quick and simple, the end product was very healthy!

♥♥♥♥♥♥

-Lindsey

Good Clean Fun - Bubbles & Bath Fizzies Review and Giveaway! - CONTEST ENDED

We are very excited to have been approached by the eco-conscious guys over at Smith & Vandiver to review and host a giveaway of Good Clean Fun Dino-Bubbles and bath fizzies!

Among the features and benefits of these wholesome, cruelty-free products:

- PH balanced to be gentle and non-irritating to skin and eyes
- Sulfate-free and non-toxic

- Phalate-free certified natural fragrance
- Paraben and formaldehyde free
- No colors, synthetic fragrances or animal by-products

Check out "Mr. Cute City" (aka Elliot) posing with his Party Fizzy and Dino Fizzy for the review!

Our awesome contributor Megan volunteered to take a Party Fizzy, Dino Fizzy, and Ducky Bubbles home to try out with her 2 year old Elliot. Here's what she had to say about Bath Fizzys and Ducky Bubbles:

Bath Fizzys Review:

First off, they are really cute, the packaging is cute and fun, and they smell really good (on the strong side, but good). Even though these toys are geared for kids ages 2-10 I think the fizzys were a bit too much for my two year old and I would actually recommend them for kids over 3 years. They fizzed like crazy! Which would probably be a lot of fun for an older kid, but Elliot was overwhelmed by all the fizzing and didn't want to be in the bathtub with it. Once the fizzing stopped the toys inside appeared and that was a nice little touch. Again, though, because of the tiny size of the toy discs inside I would recommend for over 3-year-olds because littler ones (like Elliot) might be tempted to put the toy in their mouth.

Good Clean Fun Ducky Bubbles Review:The Ducky Bubbles would be appropriate for kids of any age. The packaging of all these products is fun and cute! The smell of the Ducky Bubbles is sweet but subtle. We added about 1/3 of the package to our bath and that created "optimal bubbling" (a scientific term). The bubbles were thick and fluffy.

The Giveaway - Enter to Win Dino Bubbles and 4 Bath Fizzys!Smith & Vandiver have provided 1 winner a Good Clean Fun prize pack of:

WIN THE PARTY PACK!
(1) Dino Bubbles
(1) Dino Fizz Tyrannosaurus
(2) Bath Party Fizzies!

How to Enter:

This is the last day and their website seems to be wonky so entries are easy today! Lots of ways to enter!

- Follow TidbitsParenting via Google Friend Connect (2 bonus entries) (if you already follow us that counts too!)

- Follow @OttosMomBlogs on Twitter (2 bonus entries) (if you already follow me that counts too)

- Tweet about this giveaway with a link to this page in your tweet. In your comment below make sure to put a link to your tweet (up to 3 bonus entries per day - 1 per tweet - 30 mins apart or more please)

- Like TidbitsParenting on Facebook (2 bonus entries) (if you already like us that counts too)

- Grab the TidbitsParenting badge (on the right) and in your comment leave a link to your badged up blog homepage (4 bonus entries) (if you've already got the badge that counts too)

Please Note:

Just remember to leave a comment for EACH entry. For example, if you follow us on Facebook since that's worth 2 bonus entries make sure you leave 2 comments for that.

Make sure that I can reach you if you win - via email or Twitter. We will contact the winner on August 1 and they will have 48 hours to claim the prize or we will choose a different winner.

Giveaway ends at 11:59pm Pacific Time on July 31st. We will use Random.org to choose a winner and will verify that the winning entrant has played by the rules so it only makes sense to be honest!

The opinions expressed here are 100% my own and Megan's.

- Lindsey and Megan