Summer Camp Basics

So, back in March when all the brochures were coming in the mail I had all these ambitions of taking my pre-kindergarten kid out of her year-round preschool and having her do a series of day camps for the balance of the summer. I polled my friends and they were just not ready to commit to the summer camp plans of their kids.

Now summer has arrived (well, quite nearly) and our summer camp plans are slightly altered but still pretty action packed. I remember going to sleep away camp five times as a kid, each trip has it's own special place in my heart and memories. While my daughter is still much too young for sleep away camp the websites and Facebook posts filling my newsfeed are making me yearn for the good ol' days and honestly, making me start writing lists for when she and her two younger siblings are finally ready to head off to camp.

What are some camp must haves?

First is a personal water bottle, our favorites are Kleen Kanteen and Vapur. These water bottles are also great for school and taking to the park. Both of these brands come in a variety of colors. The Kleen Kanteens are stainless steel and come in sizes to meet the needs of all the members of your family. The advantage to the Vapur bottles is that they are lightweight, come with carbiner clips and collapse to nearly nothing between uses. These are the ones my kids have - color-coded so everyone knows whose is whose.

If you are heading sending the kids to day camp you will want an easy lunch packing system, we are very, very fond of Easylunchboxes. Their containers are dishwasher safe, have handy compartments that encourage balanced meal packing and they are the perfect size for anyone in the family. Two other reasons we love these lunch containers is the website's huge photographic collection of lunch ideas and the fact that the company is owned and run by a mom!

What are you packing?

Mama's Got a Reusable Bag

Taking a little creative license and and really ruining a song, we thought we'd talk about the reusable shopping bag. They're hip, they're trendy, they're everywhere and they're in the news. Recently Long Beach, California joined a growing list of US cities to ban plastic shopping bags.

Nearly every store now seems to have their own reusable shopping bags for sale for a dollar or two. Of the local chain stores (we're in Southern California) The Trader Joe's reusable bags are a Cricket & Scooter Mom Panel (CSMP) favorite because they are durable, come in a variety of patterns and sizes and are inexpensive.

"I have several different kinds and I have found that my blue trader joes bags hold up the best. They are the strongest and were only $2 each!!!" - EFH, mom of three, Simi Valley, CA

Unfortunately the recent news has been that many of the reusable bags found at retailers throughout the country are actually made of unsafe materials and/or can't be properly washed to avoid food poisoning. This is something to take into account when selecting your shopping bags.

Since we started going to the local farmers market on a regular basis we have amassed quite the collection of reusable bags, two of our readers' favorites were actually handmade by their relatives. If you aren't so lucky as to have these sort of craftsmen in your family but would like handmade bags there are a plethora of them to be found on Etsy.

Our editor lived in Europe and South Africa a decade ago and came back inspired to have a dedicated set of shopping bags. Her "investment" bag was a Longchamp Le Pliage, purchased in Switzerland almost ten years ago and still looks as good as the day she bought it. Now, it's $145 price tag might seem a bit steep but given it's nine years of service that is about $16 a year or $.31 a week so hardly a hardship and as we said, the bag is as good as new still.

We polled the CSMP for other bag suggestions and two others came up repeatedly, the Chicobag and Envirosax. These companies have both regular multipurpose shopping totes and dedicated item specific bags, such as Chico Bag's Produce Stand collection, made of differing materials for the various fruits and vegetables you might be buying. We also found washable reusable produce bags on Etsy at Miss Motley's.

"I use Chico Bags and love them. They fold up small enough that I can keep 2 or 3 in my purse, which is great because otherwise I often forget to bring my reusable bags in with me!" - EWD, mom of three, Springfield, IL.

And, while we are at it...since we are all parents here, consider this offering from Envirosax for reusable favor bags for your next party. If that's out of your budget, you might simply try their licensed line of kid shopping bags and teach your children early to BYOBag on their shopping trips (we are pretty sure that having an Elmo shopping bag combined with tagging along to the market will result in more veggies in the preschoolers tummies).

What do you take shopping?

Bathing Beauties

Bath time at our house is a little bit comedy, a little bit mermaid and a lot of slippery wet kids. As a kid I had pretty severe allergies and even as I got older I found that many soaps and lotions caused my skin to break-out, itch or dry out. When I found out I was pregnant with my first baby I did a lot of research into what to use on the new little one's delicate skin. I settled on Aveeno's oatmeal based baby care line, that worked well for all three of my kids when they were tiny and I have even used the body wash on myself in a pinch (read, when I was showering in the kids' bathroom).

Eventually though the babies have grown into small people and I have continued looking for bath time products that are good for their skin and will encourage them to stay in the tub long enough to get the job done. One line that is easy to find and meets my organic/natural standards is California Baby. Target carries many items from this line including shampoo, conditioner, body wash and a few diaper products. One of my favorites (given that there are three little bathers in my house) is the jumbo sized, pump bottle of Calming Shampoo & Bodywash. My only complaint is that the shampoo is a bit drying on my daughters' hair.

So, the search continued. Recently we were introduced to another line of children's skincare products, our new favorite, Little Twig! The name is cute, the products are wonderful, they smell richly of the natural fruits and herbs that are actual ingredients not just fragrances. There are tangerine, lavender and fragrance free versions of their shampoos, conditioners and body wash. Last night we tried the Calming Lavender Bodymilk. Putting the lotion on my kids was an aromatherapy treat for me as well as them. This morning as I pulled the baby from his crib he still smelled freshly cleaned and even more huggable than ever. ;)

Scandinavian Inspiration

I have three small kids, two girls and a boy. They wear a lot of clothes. We do a lot of laundry. The first few years were spent in hand-me-downs and the generous gifts we received at baby showers. Now that they are getting a little older and developing more defined personal styles I am challenged to find clothes that (1) reflect their personalities, (2) hold up in real life use and (3) look like actual outfits without being quite as matchy-matchy as Garanimals (which we do love for a myriad of nostalgic reasons).

Enter, Appaman, a line created by Norwegian Harald Husum. Although this line has gained some notoriety in the past eight years since it was founded, they still are very focused on quality, customer service and finding inspiration in the street art of New York City. This line is a perfect mix for my eclectic four year-old, simple enough for my conservative three year-old and practical enough for my very active toddler. Their Facebook page is a fun mix of Appaman knowledge and general lifestyle fun.

While the past few years has been trying on our family's budget (like so many others) we have quickly learned that saving money isn't really saving if you have to buy things twice as often. Because our kids were all born so close together we were able to really test the staying power of a number of brands. The "Scandinavian" brands have won my heart and wallet.

Another favorite is the Swedish-influenced Hanna Andersson. They are based in Portland, Oregon (hence the quotes around Scandivavian in the previous paragraph). Their comfortable, colorful, knit clothes do cost more than those you would pick up at Target or Wal-Mart but there is a good reason. They make healthier clothes using organic cotton. Here's a quote from their website:

"Organic cotton is healthy and good for so many people, from workers in the fields to kids and families who wear it next to their skin. All of our long johns, baby sleepers, unders, turtlenecks and boxy tees (plus many baby hannas) are made from 100% organic cotton that's grown without harmful chemicals! We are passionate about giving this gift to our children's future."

You can feel good about buying their clothes and your kids will feel good wearing them. If the prices are a bit steep for you check out their Very Güd Price line of everyday basics, also, follow their Facebook page and website for regular news on sales, they have some really good ones (like their Best of Summer Sale on right now).

Our other Swedish favorite, Polarn O. Pyret really is Swedish. (if you live in snow country you will want to pop onto their site in the next few days and take advantage of their amazing winter clothing clearance!) They have a signature red and white striped shirt that they make for the whole family - newborns on up to mommies. Much like Hanna Andersson these are clothes that you will pass down from one kid to another or on over to their cousins.

PO.P is a new entry to America but has been a staple in Europe for years. Check out their Facebook page regularly for contests, savings and news.

And yes, we still go to Target for layering pieces, leggings, and seasonal t-shirts but as the kids start to grow at a more manageable rate their wardrobes will include many more pieces from these great lines.

Welcome!

Cricket & Scooter has been created as a way for real moms to share the things they find, love, need and want.

Some of the things we review have been sent to us by the manufacturers, referred to us by their PR people or comped to us in hopes of a write-up. Many of the things we write about are things that we simply discovered along the journey of motherhood and have found to truly work for us. We try to be very honest about our opinions and feelings, if we don't love it or find it works as promised we won't recommend it to you.

Our goal with Cricket & Scooter is to be an extension of your own circle of friends, moms talking to moms. There are lots of great websites, blogs, Facebook pages and other venues filled with an overwhelming number of fantastic clothes, gear, toys, books, services, travel ideas, photography, meal suggestions and the list goes on. We want to help you sift through this pile and find the true gems.

One of our passions is supporting mom-owned businesses. We are always looking for ways to support our fellow moms (and dads) so please don't hesitate to share what you know, love, buy, covet and we will help get the word out.

Welcome to our playground!