Update from Rick--CPSIA

I greatly depend on Rick for intelligent, important CPSIA info. Here is some of the latest. Be sure you follow Rick on Twitter also!

http://learningresourcesinc.blogspot.com/2009/02/cpsia-calling-all-mommies.html

www.twitter.com/rwoldenberg

Video Debut of How Awesome the CEM's are!

WOOOT Cafemom Etsy Moms! Sequels coming soon!

Wordless Wednesday

Photo: Copyright, Amy Dutsch

Ready for another giveaway!??? Get in here and WIN!

Here is our latest giveaway!!

$25.00 gift certificate from Blue Wings AND a free soap from Purities!!

This is a fantastic giveaway! Winning is EASY PEASEY!

Just visit EITHER shop, and come back here, leave a comment on THIS blog post with the URL of the item you like and why! You have one week to complete this task, should you choose to accept it... (and why wouldn't you?)

REMEMBER to leave a contact email for you in your comment so I can find you to let you know you've won!!!

When the week is over, I'll use my super scientific number generator (my husband) and pick a winner! No, no matter how much chocolate you bribe me with, I let him pick the random number! :)

So get on over to her shops and pick your fave!
Blog about this giveaway and get an extra entry! (Must provide blog POST URL in your comment!)

Blog about the Blockhead Radio Tutu Challenge found HERE, and get an extra entry! (Must provide blog POST URL in your comment.)

Here's a sampling of the great goodies you could win!





Happy Browsing!!!

Find her Blog at bluewingsshop.blogspot.com

CEM Member Drive! Join the BEST of the BEST on Etsy!

Cafemom Etsy Moms Street Team is having a member drive!

We have a goal of reaching 500 members by 3/29/09.

On March 29th Our Group Leader is Co-hosting on Blockhead Radio, a station for independant artisans and musicans!

We would like as much group participation for the radio show b/c we can promote our group to the world!

So come on over to the Cafemom Etsy Moms Street Team and join up if you sell on etsy!

And btw, the group member who refers the most new members will recieve a handmade tee shirt, and earring pendant combo from the group owner Rockerchic.

There will also be a funny video for the group made to laugh at, as a thank you for helping reach our goal! What it is of yet? We do not know! But we are sure we need to share this with the world!

Entrecard Market..do you know about it??

Well you should!! I've previously blogged about Entrecard on the Blockhead Radio Blog, but I'm going to tell you guys about the market place they also have!! It's really neat!! You list stuff for sell and you get paid in Entrecard Credits? Why is this important? Because you use EC's to put your advertising on other people's blog!!! Easy as that!!

Here is my latest listing: http://entrecard.com/market/listing/566/ I couldn't decide what to list so I listed a gift certificate! :)



So check it out, get your listings up there and if you aren't already doing Entrecard--GET TO IT! :)

Dr Seuss CPSIA Version

The following story was written by me, Heather Idoni, of The Homeschooler's Notebook and BelovedBooks.com, with help from my wonderful friend, Jodi Whisler, of HomeGrownHearts.com. It was really fun to write, and I hope you enjoy it! (P.S. If you have feedback or a suggestion for a title, please write to me at feedback@easyfunschool.com.

[slightly revised 2/21/2009] Working title: "The Trouble with String"]

--------

In the town of Beddubble, far out on the Moor,
there lived a small tot, who was not more than four.

Little Annabelle Ruth (her close friends would recall)
had swallowed the string from a dilly-dunk ball.

And then in the Spring of two thousand ought one,
she died of the thing that the string must have done.

They were sure of this fact, though the details were thin --

"Something HAS to be done, we have GOT to begin!"

Those dilly-dunk balls that tots spin on a string
are quite dangerous toys -- What a horrible thing!

We'll form a committee to draft legislation --
The Dilly-Dunk String Tot Protection Foundation.

There is no time to waste, get the paper and ink --
This string must be stopped, there is no time to THINK!

Every dilly-dunk ball in the town of Beddubble
(no matter the cost and no matter the trouble) --

must be taken by dumpers to tops of high hills
and dumped there -- forever to rot in the 'fills.

The law with the rules that they hurriedly drafted,
so brilliantly worded and carefully crafted,

Would certainly solve this great problem they had --
Who would complain? How could it be bad?

"Out with the bathwater, baby and all"
was the rallying cry from the town's city hall

"Every dilly-dunk ball shall be gathered and trashed --
and before that is done, they'll be burned up and mashed."

No matter the cost and no matter the trouble,
they must be got rid of -- right now on the double!

The Mayor and the Dilly-Dunk String Tot Protectors
made ready to send out their troops of inspectors

to check all the stores in the Bedubble Mall
to make sure not one ball was for sale in them all.

What they saw on the shelves brought great cause for alarm --
more toys with more strings that could bring greater harm!

They called for the head Dilly-Dunk Tot Protector,
who brought out his big STRING INSPECTION DETECTOR --

and he looked in their books and the shelves full of clothes --
Why this string was in EVERYTHING under his nose!

We must ban these toys, all the clothes, every book --
We can't keep all this dangerous gobbledygook!

For in memory of little tot Annabelle Ruth,
we must keep our promise, we must tell the truth.

So because of a tot (who supposedly died)
from a string on a thing that got tangled inside,

the girls and the boys of a town called Beddubble
were in big piles of mess and a big heap of trouble.

For how would they learn now? And what would they wear?
Without books to read and with no clothes to spare?

They had no intentions of swallowing strings --
and tangling them up -- and dying of things!

Books were to read; clothes to wear, toys to play.
This law must be STOPPED -- it's plain silly, okay?

But the law was the law -- and what more could be done?

Well --

They put in a call to the mayor's only son.

Little Jimmy was all alone in his room playing --
when a boy rang him up and -- now, WHAT was he saying?

"What a strange silly law!" Jimmy thought to himself,
and he took down his favorite book off the shelf --

And he read and he thunk and he thunk and he read
'til his thinker was sore and his brain hurt his head.

What could HE do -- he was just the mayor's son --
Just one voice, just one person -- what more could be done?

Then he got an idea... a strange, happy idea --
That boy got a crazy, amazing idea!

He packed up a sack with some snacks and a peach
and headed out south toward this shack on the beach

Where he'd heard a girl lived by herself all alone,
since she'd left years ago from her childhood home

After causing a stir with some string from a ball --
Why that girl wasn't dead as they said -- not at all!

He wrote down her story and headed back north
and gathered the Council in town and so forth --

With his notes in his hand and a smile on his face,
he told the town council, "I'll now state my case."

(And his dad, the Lord Mayor sat patiently listening
til the sweat on his face was all silvery and glistening)

"Now you know, since these men did not research their facts
before they enacted their laws and their acts,

a strange, silly ruling has come into play
and our fine and fair citizens now rue the day

that they ever elected this great legislature
who think up strange laws that have gone against nature.

For Miss Annabelle Ruth (she never did marry)
Had a time with that string (oh, yes, it was scary)

But swallow it she never did, not at all --
that string from the 'dangerous' dilly-dunk ball.

In fact, that small youth, little Annabelle Ruth
had only just tangled it up 'round her tooth!

And that testimony, my friends, is the proof
That the law that you made is not based on the truth."

The men all just stared, their lips trembling with shame --
they glanced 'round the room seeking someone to blame

But the shame came in waves on the men in their places,
whose hats from their heads were now hiding red faces.

Then the mayor spoke up proudly, "My son you've done well...
You've made our stupidity clear as a bell.

This law must be changed, be un-done, un-enacted --
It's clear that the lawmakers overreacted!

I hereby decree throughout all of Beddubble
this string ban is ceased -- there will be no more trouble.

Call all of your friends to a huge celebration --
we'll build a great fire for this bad legislation!

So each girl and each boy brought a dilly-dunk ball
and they had a great feast at the city's town hall.

And Miss Annabelle Ruth carved a roast Beezle duck --
and she kissed all their cheeks and she wished them good luck.

-----

Copyright 2009 Heather Idoni and Jodi Whisler - All Rights Reserved - EasyFunSchool.com
Link to this page: The CPSIA Meets Dr. Seuss

Nancy Nord Address at NY Toy Fair

http://cpsia-central.ning.com/video/nancy-nord-address-at-toy-fair

Check it out. More on Youtube.com

WOOT for Byhand.me and Wickedly Chic!!!

Woooot check it out!! :) Blog love....

http://www.wickedlychic.com/category/Guest+Quarters/

Don't Miss the Party!!

Don't Forget about our CPSIA thank you party for all your hard work!!!

http://blockheadradio.blogspot.com/2009/02/are-you-ready-for-party.html

TONIGHT Feb 22, 8 pm EASTERN!

www.blockheadradiolive.com

Personal Rant.....

Okay. I do not usually do such posts but this reaaaaly ticks me off. We need LESS government, not MORE! Anyone who reads the bible know such things will happen but this REALLY ticks me off. Government again trying to say what is right for me and my family as if I am too STUPID to know it?

http://wnd.com/index.php?fa=PAGE.view&pageId=87929

Online Party and Giveaway!

Don't forget guys!!

Our online CPSIA party (a thank you for all our hard work and a way to kick back!) will be going on Sunday, Feb 22 at 8 pm on www.blockheadradiolive.com

You can read more about it HERE.

AND,

Do NOT forget the current giveaway...going on HERE!

Enter to win now!!

I Got Tagged!

I got tagged by The Watermelon Tree.! And... the rules are to tell 7 things about yourself and then tag 7 others.

1. I would be an Amos Lee groupie. No questions asked.

2. I am learning to soap.I like it. Now I smell good.

3. I can somehow never keep the house clean enough...never.

4. I both hate and love to take photos at the same time....

5. I can curse in American Sign Language

6. I run promotions/public relations for www.blockheadradiolive.com---Enjoy!

7. I love Lost, do not miss it, and would marry Desmond in a heartbeat.

Now for 7 lovely ladies
1.http://mypocketfulofsunshineblog.blogspot.com/
2. http://heatherknitzdesigns.blogspot.com/
3. http://turtle-turtlemommy.blogspot.com/
4. http://shineyourhineysoap.blogspot.com/
5. http://mybeautifulcreations.blogspot.com/
6. http://buddydesigns.blogspot.com/
7.http://welovecheeseandchocolate.blogspot.com/

Don't Miss this Awesome Blog Post!

This will be AWESOME.

http://blockheadradio.blogspot.com/2009/02/see-blockhead-rod-in-full-ballernia.html

Random Recipe--Gluten Free Mocha Cake

ENJOY!! (No, I will not pay your gym fees for eating this cake. Eat it and be happy damnit.)

GLUTEN FREE Mocha Cake

1 box devils food cake mix (to make it gluten free, use Pamela’s Luscious Chocolate Cake Mix)
1--8 oz cream cheese
1--3 oz cream cheese
3 cups confectioners sugar
2 tsp hot water
1 Tsp coffee granules
3/4 cup butter
6 1oz choc squares (semi sweet)
1 Tsp corn syrup
1 stick of butter

Mix and bake cake according to directions. (I use 2- 8 in round pans)
Cool cake.

To make Icing:

Cream 3/4th cup butter and cream cheese. Mix sugar in.
Mix on high speed until fluffy.
Reduce speed.
Have ready the hot water and coffee granules dissolved in it and ready to pour in mixture.
Mix until well mixed, scraping sides of bowl.
Put icing in between the 2 layers of cake and on the outsides of the cake.
Put cake in fridge for 1 hour.

To Make covering:

Cut choc squares into pieces.
Put corn syrup, choc pieces and 1 stick of butter in sauce pan.
Melt on low heat.
Let sit for 5 minutes.
Remove cake from fridge.
Put wax paper along edges of cake (along bottom of pan so choc doesn’t get on pan.)
Pour the syrup over the top of the cake, let it run down sides.
Chill in fridge for 15 minutes.

YUMMMMMY!!

Easy to Understand CPSIA

Thank you Matt, from Etsy for this great article on how to better know what to do for your business.

http://www.etsy.com/storque/craftivism/cpsia-its-february-10th-so-now-what-3413/

Mindless Trip Down Memory Lane

Wow. I miss these little snippets of life in New Orleans!

These were always AWESOME!



I miss K&B... I really do



Krispy Kreme has NOTHING on the gone but not forgotten McKenzie's!




It drives me crazy sometimes, and I can barely afford to live here...

But you know I still

Light at the end of the tunnel...Again?

Could it be...is it possible?

Clothing exempt?

http://www.cpsc.gov/cpscpub/prerel/prhtml09/09120.html

My Faves: Bath and Body Edition

Hello gang...if you haven't heard I have recently taken up soaping...oh my. Why didn't someone tell me it's so darn addictive?? I'm a goner. I have no room left for ANYTHING, fabric and soap supplies have taken up my home...the kids must sleep outside I guess?

So here are some of my favorite bath and body items!

I did not order this one last time because I feared I may eat it...being a chocoholic and all...












Aliens Rock:



Avocados..I don't eat 'em but they look yummy to bathe with..
Laundry Soap counts as Soap, remember! Save money, Go Green!!

So pretty... So clean...



Soapy Fun from Louisiana:


This isn't soap, it's art! And from Daytona Beach, my second hometown!

Don't Eat the Soap!!

And you have to have something to PUT these awesome soaps on!

And to help use every last drop of your cool soaps!

This is just the tip of the iceberg!! Check out www.etsy.com and just search 'soap' or any of these great teams:
Cafemom Team
Lartisans
Pluggers United

and many more!

----Amy

Cool Mom Video

Some of my favorite things.....

My future pimp hat:

Because I'm gluten free and awesome:

Because I have a new dishwasher and love purple!


Because I love coffee AND Ruthie of Roseworks Jewelry!


And because I have a scrabble/glass tile pendant obsession....I love her shop:

Duh, I like martinis:


One of my first favorite bands...and I heart Banished...


Long Live Mommy Milk!! Liquid Gold!

How can you not love owls?


Ok that's enough for this edition!! Don't worry if you aren't in it...you know I love you!!

:)