Help! Save Handmade!

Have you all heard of this? This is disturbing. Though I believe congress' intentions were good when they passed CPSIA, their law will essentially, unnecessarily, put many who make handmade items for children out of business. CPSIA was intended to prevent toys containing lead paint from reaching the hands of our children--a very good thing. However, the fees required to rigorously test handmade items would certainly sink Mom & Pop shops--a very bad thing, especially when so many are already stuggling to make it. I for one am up for doing what I can to help ammend this law. If you would like to learn more and help:

Sarah Jane said it all so well, take a quick look at her blog here.

And visit designmom's lovely short list of ways to get involved.

It really would be a tragedy if this law continued forward as is.

Play Time, Thrifty Style

In the spirit of frugality, I thought I would share this inexpensive, but really great, gift idea with you. It's a little play mat: something for children to drive cars on etc. Each of my sisters and I made one of these for our 2-year-olds to exchange with each other as Christmas gifts this year. The cost was really low--like $5 to $10. They are about 3 feet square and all you need is felt, scissors and a hot glue gun. Because we all live so far from each other we made the houses representational of our family's real houses. That way they can "visit" each other whenever they want! I thought they all turned out really cute. I rolled mine up and tied it with felt ribbon for storage, but my other sister made a drawstring bag for hers. Either idea works great!

Random Thoughts on Hard Times

A family member recently sent me a copy of an article. It's called STUFF IS NOT SALVATION It's a good one. And, it can help us understand a little better what brought the difficult economic times our country is now facing.

AND it brings me to another thought. Have you all read THE LONG WINTER by Laura Engalls Wilder? I have been reading the Little House on the Prairie series with one of my kidos, and reading these books has made me realize just how wasteful and greedy I am. The people in those books lived happily with so little. I mention it just incase you, like me, need a little help motivating yourself to be frugal and to prepare for hard times. The Book THE LONG WINTER in the series was especially motivational for me.

AND on a happier note, I have also recently been directed to this scripture D&C 78:17-21. Read it! And Be Happy!

I know this is sort of a downer of a post (and not very cohesive)...but I just feel it's so important for us to realize that hard times are ahead, and that we can prepare for them, and that we can change if we need to, AND that in it all we can BE HAPPY!!