SANCTUARY

3 Tips to Ensure Your Baby's Eating The Best

monacoem@gmail.com (Emily Monaco) — Sun, 20 May 2012 09:07:58 +0000

Knowing the "right" thing to feed your baby is a little bit like knowing what is the "best" diet: low-fat, low-cal, low-carb, high-protein... breast milk, formula, baby food, fresh food... At the end of the day, though, both things boil down to common sense. As with feeding yourself, when feeding your baby, all-natural is best. Here are some tips on making sure your baby has everything they need.

5 Ways To Decorate With Mismatched Dishes

kmhudson1@gmail.com (Kirsten Hudson) — Sun, 20 May 2012 03:53:28 +0000

Who actually wants to be all matchy-matchy anyway, right? Sometimes dishes in a set get broken or you just accumulate random plates, bowls, cups and saucers until you have a random assortment of dishes that you’re not sure what to do with. Make use of those mismatched dishes stashed in the back of your kitchen cupboards by repurposing them with these five ideas.

8 Great Finger Foods for Mini Foodies

lacylu42@gmail.com (Lacy Boggs Renner) — Sat, 19 May 2012 17:42:36 +0000

When toddlers reach the stage of wanting to feed themselves, it's tempting to reach for those squeeze packs of pureed fruits and veggies, or baby-friendly crackers and crisps. But you don't have to go processed to give them great finger foods. Try these healthy alternatives instead.

DIY Ideas for An Under The Sea Party-scape

shaw.erinm@gmail.com (Erin Shaw) — Fri, 18 May 2012 15:41:58 +0000

Theme parties are fun opportunities to get creative, whether you’re 5 or 35. An under-the-sea theme offers a lot of ways to re-create a seascape with easy-to-find or recycled materials and some imagination. Kids can join the fun with crafts and homemade decorations inspired by their favorite marine life. Just in time for summer birthdays, here are some do-it-yourself ways to turn your living room into a mermaid’s den.

Farming or Fracking: The Battle Over Water Rights Begins

lacylu42@gmail.com (Lacy Boggs Renner) — Tue, 15 May 2012 15:33:36 +0000

It's going to be a long, hot summer for Colorado farmers. With snow packs lower than average for the year and a possible drought predicted, farmers along Colorado's Front Range need to buy water rights in order to irrigate their farms. But this year, there's a new bidder on the block: oil and gas companies.

9 Tips for Shopping Gluten Free on a Budget

shilonikelle@gmail.com (Shilo Urban) — Tue, 15 May 2012 05:09:42 +0000

If you or someone in your family has been diagnosed with celiac disease or gluten intolerance, you’ve probably experienced sticker shock at the grocery store when trying to shop for gluten-free foods. The prices of standard grocery items become inflated once their gluten is removed, thanks to the increased processing effort and time required.

Shopping for Others: The Rise of the Buy One, Give One Purchase Model

ridereight@gmail.com (Jill Ettinger) — Tue, 15 May 2012 01:43:22 +0000

Cause-marketing has become one of the hottest selling points for brands like Yoplait, General Mills, Proctor & Gamble, Kellogg's and even the Girl Scouts, as well as a growing number of all-natural and organic brands. In short, we like to feel good about where we spend our money; and when our favorite brands show commitments to eradicating hunger, curing diseases and saving the environment with every single purchase, we're more likely to support those brands on a regular basis. And recently, a new model has moved into the cause-marketing category. More than just making a monetary donation to a charity or non-profit, scores of companies, like the well known brand TOMS shoes, are donating an equivalent product to someone in need when you make a purchase. But does it work? And how?

The DIY Way to Lounging In The Great Outdoors

ginchywords@gmail.com (Abbie Stutzer) — Sun, 06 May 2012 01:03:31 +0000

Whenever a gal pal tells me she’s going on a vacation, or a staycation, I always reply with an, "Awesome! You'll have a good time and it will be so relaxing, right?" Typically, my friend’s response is not as lighthearted as I think it should be: "Yeah. Once I get there. I have to buy a lot of stuff to get prepared, though. It's going to be so expensive." Well, ladies, you don't have to spend a ton of money to get prepared to go on vacation. You can use a lot of the stuff you already have at home to create cute, DIY gear. One thing I've recently fell in love with? This DIY beach chair.

11 Eye-Catching Ways to Decorate with Succulents

shaw.erinm@gmail.com (Erin Shaw) — Fri, 04 May 2012 17:40:23 +0000

Harsh climates give rise to some of the most adaptable, extraterrestrial-looking plant life on Earth – so adaptable that they can even thrive in an urban jungle! Succulents, the catch-all name for a variety of plants that retain water, offer the perfect mix of easy care and beautiful aesthetic. These ruggedly delicate “fat plants” come in a variety of colors, shapes and sizes, and are tough enough to be planted in unconventional ways (living chandelier? Oh yes). Here are some creative ways to bring a bit of the desert’s strange beauty to your home or garden.

9 Healthy Ideas to Squelch Your Youngster's Snack Attack

monacoem@gmail.com (Emily Monaco) — Tue, 01 May 2012 05:24:35 +0000

All throughout my childhood, the focus of kids' snacks was on portability, ease, convenience. Snack packs and things of the sort were all over supermarket shelves and in the pantry of any kid I knew. That being said, everyone always wanted to come to my house after school. Instead of ready-made snacks, my mom made ours, like, herself. Nothing fancy, mind you: a few sliced vegetables with dipping sauce or cut up fruit. But, for some reason, those extra two minutes made us famous in elementary school.