Wonderous Wikki Stix

We love Wikki Stix!  Not only do our kids flex their creative muscles creating masterpieces with these simple yet magical waxed yarns, but we have also had fun creating figures and pictures with them.  Who'd have thought that a bunch of stix could provide such entertainment? 

 

They are definitely on to something...here are some examples from their website of what is possible with these stix:

Ours tend to look more like this:

Regardless of your abilities, they are a great toy for all ages...and happily they are Made in the USA!

We also love Wikki Stix because according to the company "they do not contain latex, gluten, nor peanut or other nut oils or byproducts which makes them an ideal creative activity toy for children with allergies."  You can read more about Wikki Stix here.

 

   Shop their Website here or click here to find a retailer near you that carries Wikki Stix.

Sassy Cook

We grew up in a house where our wonderful Mom cooked a homemade dinner every night.  The entire family sat together and ate at the kitchen table.  Now that we are Moms, we appreciate the care, effort and planning this took and we try our best to cook for our family a few times a week.

When trying to throw together a healthy and delicious meal, it is always nice to feel a little "chic."  We started a search some time ago to find a perfect apron and found some super, sassy ones made in the USA: Sassy Chef Aprons.  Here are a few that are so cute...even if you are donning your everyday sweats underneath:

And she makes kids aprons too...

To shop her collection, click here.  

Lunchskins

Over the years, we have found ourselves using a ton of plastic baggies for snacks on-the-go and started to feel bad about contributing to the landfill problem in America.  Wouldn't it be great if there were a super cute, easy to clean, reusable baggie?  Well, there are: Lunchskins.  The patterns are adorable and they are dishwasher safe.  That's right, throw them right on the top rack of your dishwasher!  And best of all, they are manufactured in America!

It doesn't get easier than this to help Mother Earth, support American jobs and keep your family chic.  Here are a few adorable Lunchskins:

To find a store near you that carries Lunchskins, click here. Or to shop online, click here. 

Snack away and feel good about it!

Burt's Bees

This time of year the weather is becoming crisp and dry, leaving our skin and lips to suffer.  For a long time, we have both loved Burt's Bees lip balm and always carry a tube in our purses.  We also love that it is an all natural product and made in Durham, NC.  Burt's Bees has many, many more products than just lip balm and I can tell you the ones we have tried, we have loved! Here are a few of our favorites:

Honey Lip Balm

Lip Shimmer in Raisin

Baby Bee Diaper Ointment

Baby Bee Shampoo & Wash (smells sooo good!)

Another super cool thing about the Burt's Bees company is that they have implemented a "zero waste to landfill" program.  They don't throw anything out; they reuse everything.  Click here to read more about it!!! To shop Burt's Bees products, click here.

Enjoy some soft skin this season!

Fall is in the Air

Though it is still 105 degrees in Phoenix, it is time to say goodbye to summer and hello to fall.  What is better than the scents of fall...apples, cinnamon, pumpkin!   Williams-Sonoma is well-known for its hand soap and lotion combos, and they make the most divine smelling, autumnal pair known as Spiced Chestnut.  One whiff of it makes me think crisp, cool weather and family holidays.  They only carry this scent in the fall and early winter so if you like it as much as we do, stock up.  

Best news is the lotions, soaps and candles are made in the USA!    

Visit your local Williams-Sonoma store or to shop online click here.  

Tailgating

College football season is upon us and we love it!  Of course we are partial to one particularly awesome team- The Wisconsin Badgers!

We grew up going to games with our family and tailgating in the parking lot ahead of time.  There is something special about the feeling of fall, brats on a grill, a nice cold beverage and a good football game. One of the essential tailgating items is a cooler!  One of the best coolers on the market are Igloo coolers!  These coolers are top quality and come in every size and color.  We have old ones and new ones- they seem to last forever!  And the best part about Igloo is that they are made in TX- that's right all of their products are American made!  Here are a few coolers we love.

If you would like to find a local retailer that carries Igloo coolers, click here. 

Enjoy a little college football this fall!  We hope your team does well, maybe not as well as the Badgers...

Bear Feet

Is there anything sweeter than shoes for babies and toddlers?  We have to say, buying shoes for our littlest ones is almost as fun as finding the perfect shoes for ourselves...well, almost!  In looking for children's shoes that are Made in America, we came across Bear Feet Shoes. 

We think you'll agree they are ADORABLE!

Here are the ones I ordered and they are well-constructed, simple and oh so baby-stylish:

Here are some of the other styles and colors we love (there are many more on their website):

These shoes are handmade in the USA of mostly US and some European materials.  You can read more about Bear Feet Shoes here.

tavern puzzles

Who doesn't love a good puzzle?  A few Christmases ago our mom gave us all Tavern Puzzles and family members of all ages had the best time figuring them all out.  To give you an idea of what a Tavern Puzzle is see below:

Object: To get the ring off

Object: To get the ring off

Object: To remove the shuttle

As you can see, some of them are trickier then others!  Believe me they can keep your attention for hours.  Tavern Puzzles have been around for ages...to read about the fascinating story of how they began click here.  They are all made in the USA by Tucker Jones House, Inc.   They make excellent gifts for any adult or super talented child!  To shop the Tavern Puzzles, click here.

Solve Away!

In memoriam

In memory and honor of all those who lost their life on 9/11.

We shall never forget.

Pyrex

Whether we are baking a batch of brownies with the kids, assembling a pan of lasagna for company or marinating the chicken/beef/pork our husbands will be grilling for dinner, our Pyrex glass baking dishes are one of the most used items in our kitchens...and they were in our Mom's kitchen too.

Great news is that Pyrex glassware is manufactured in the USA and has been since 1915.  This is something we didn't know, but we're sure glad to hear since we LOVE our Pyrex!  You can read more about Pyrex here.

There are tons of different shapes and sizes and now they come with colorful lids too for storing and transporting:

Happy Cooking!

Thanks for your support!

A big, red white and blue "Thank You" to all of you for supporting us!  We hope we are helping to awaken an American awareness regarding consumer habits.   And, if we can help create American jobs...even better!  We love hearing that so many of you share our passion about supporting American made products.

And, by the way we were nominated for a Parents Magazine "Best Blog Award 2011" in the category of best gear and toys blog.  How excited are we?  Very!  And we could use your help.  Please CLICK HERE and vote for us!

Thanks again for your support!

Cozy Coupe

When your child turns 16, buying them a car is a huge commitment that comes with a lot of stress for many parents.  When your child is 2, buying them a toy car is an easy, stress-free decision.  We like those types of decisions!

What child doesn't love a toy car that they can open the door, get on in, steer and beep a horn?  Little Tikes has made the beloved "cozy coupe" for years and it has always been a childhood favorite!

Little Tikes cozy coupes are sold at many large, national retail locations such as: Walmart, Target, Toys R Us, and K Mart.  Or to find your favorite cozy coupe online, click here.

While not all Little Tikes toys are made in the USA, many are.  They are making a commitment to manufacturing many of their toys in the USA.  To shop all Little Tikes toys made in the USA, click here.

Happy Flag Flying

What is more American than baseball, apple pie and an American Flag?  An American flag is a staple in many houses, we fly ours most every day...and Monday (Labor Day) is a National Flag Flying Day.  Whenever you choose to fly your flag, you want one that will last through all kinds of weather and still look great.  Annin flags do!

The Annin Co. start making flags in 1820 in New York.  Click here to read their interesting history of producing flags in America.

And good news...Target sells these flags.

To find an Annin flag near you, click here.

Have a restful and relaxing Labor Day!!!!!