Ahhhh dishes. Are prettier dishes more fun to wash than plain ol dishes? Kinda yeah. I am lucky to have a really awesome collection of vintage dishware. I have lots of different pieces but my main “pattern” is the Franciscan Ware Starburst—an awesome explosion of atomic cool. It was designed in 1954 by George James, and has little pops of aqua and pale green-yellow. I just love it!

It started with a set of coffee cups and a plate. And before I knew it I had plates and platters and salt and pepper shakers and bowls and candlesticks aaaaand….they just make me so happy.

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The cool thing about this dishware is the unique space-age design. Nothing is “normal”. Even the plates aren’t really circular. They’re more elliptical. This line of dishes was actually called the “Eclipse” collection and came in two other patterns, Duet (featuring two graphic roses) and Oasis. Oasis is really cool too. I have a whooooole lot of Starburst and couldn’t resist a wee handful of Oasis.

While I love my Starburst, I also like to mix things up a bit and when I found this blue bowl with the sassy curves I knew it was just the thing! I discovered it was from a Starburst-style pattern made by Vernonware called Heavenly Days. The set is really cool. I don’t like the dish pattern quite as much as my Starburst but the shapes and handles of everything are really amazing. And that beautiful robin’s egg blue? LOVE! It’s an awesome compliment to Starburst! I scooped up some smaller blue bowls that are perfect for cereal.

Oh, and if blue’s not yer style? No worries. It comes in pink too! Vernonware “Tinkled Pink” is the official name and it’s fabulous.

Besides being pretty to look at, these dishes are something we use on an every day basis. While they’re totally sturdy, they are over 50 years old and I worry about putting them in the dishwasher. That’s where these guys come in!

(how’d you like that segue??)

Honestly, Method dishsoap is the bomb.Tough on dirt but easy on the environment. Plus I like knowing I’m not muckin’ up my prized dishware with crazy chemicals. We’ve already told you about what big fans we are of Method’s planet-friendly cleaning products, and their dishwashing detergent is no exception! Unlike many detergents/soaps, Method doesn’t include any sneaky chemicals like phthalates (huh? yeah. I was scratching my head over that too.  Phthalates are softeners that have been found to disrupt a person’s endocrine system functions. Yipes!).

Instead of using potentially harmful chemicals, Method’s dish cleaners include derivatives from coconut oil, aloe vera, and purified water. Now that’s more like it, eh? It also comes in a super fun pump bottle, so you avoid goopy spout build up. One word to the wise, however: when the bottle is full, you need to hold it in your hand and pump onto your sponge or dishes. I made the mistake of using it like a hand soap, and pumped it as it stood on my sink edge and got a nice healthy squirt of soap all over my chest. Niiiice. Of course Wolfie and Greg thought it was hysterical.

So one of my favorite things about Method products is that in addition to being fabulously green, they are also easy on the eye, and on yer nosey! The dishsoap comes in vibrant shades and totally yum scents like clementine, ginger yuzu, cucumber…and limited edition fragrances like the crisp lemon mint and zingy lime & seasalt. I have this thing about cleaning scents. I don’t like things too perfumey or flowery. I feel like I’m using shower gel on my dishes. These scents are fresh and clean and SOOOO good. Seriously. Call me crazy but when you’re surrounded by a soothing pretty smell, you DO clean happy. Of course, my cute lil dishes don’t hurt either. Heh.

Which brings me to this! The last installment of Method‘s adorable video mania. GIVE YOUR NOSE A HUG!

KEEP IT CLEAN WITH A YEAR’S SUPPLY OF DISH SOAP.

As usual, our friends at Method want to give you guys something awesome. Like a shot at a year’s supply of Method dish soap! That’s a lotta clean dishes, my friends. To try and win, take the dishy personality test on Method’s Facebook page. You’ll find out your signature fragrance, and will be entered in the sweepstakes to win a year’s supply of Method dish soap at the same time. Hot dog! Residents in the US and Canada (excluding Quebec, désolé!) are eligible to enter once through the Sweepstakes app on Method’s Facebook page. This contest is open until August 6th. So hop to it! Oh, and if you’ve tried it….what do you think??

This post brought to you by 

but all opinions are always our own. To read more on Method’s green practices, ingredients and philosophy, go here!

Children develop these crazy obsessions with specific pieces of clothing. An Elmo jacket. A pair of orange crocs.  Those red mittens Grandma knit up last winter.

Well, it finally hit the Peach thanks to a package from Twirly Girl.  I had no idea that this would happen when I opened up the package the company sent for review.  Oh, but the gleam in the Peach’s eyes when she saw the Lots O Dots dress.  This little reversible number stole the Peach’s heart with its orange polka dots on one side and rosy lace skirt on the other side.

As soon as I slipped it over her head, the Peach knew just what to do—twirl!  I don’t know what they do, but this dress is cut to twirl.  And jump. And run and skip and basically keep up with any three year old’s exhaustive schedule.  Worn with those little UnderTwirl™ Shorts, well, that is her new summer go-to outfit.

When I do manage to pry the dress off of the Peach, I simply toss it into the washing machine and voila—it is ready to go again for another day of twirling and giggling and running and being the Peach. Like an old Timex watch, this dress takes a licking.

The L.A.-based company has its act together producing small batches of any given version of the different style outfits—giving the girls outfits as unique and exciting as they are.  The designs are made to be soft, comfy, and multi-functional—perfect for layering to be worn in all sorts of weather.

The kind folks at Twirly Girl have offered our readers a 20 percent discount off of anything on the Twirly Girl site.  The coupon code is “Kiddo20” and lasts until June 23^rd.  I’m going to use it myself to get the Peach the next size up dress to keep her twirling throughout the year!

Did you have a favorite piece of clothing as a kid? How about your own kiddo?

Friends, I think Method hand wash is the gateway product to total Method fandom.

It starts with trying Method soap at a friend’s house. Perhaps you notice it because it matches your friend’s bathroom (the brilliant colors really are divine) but instead of the cloying smell of most soaps, you get a whiff of something…something wonderful.  Whether it be green tea + aloe or mandarin mango, your nose is in for a subtle treat that will last long after you leave the bathroom. I really think Method’s beautiful fragrance options turns the mundane task of washing one’s hands into a little pick me up in the middle of the day.

And ah, those beautiful teardrop shapes—graceful, hip and perfect in any  space. You can even try the “fun foam” which I think would be a big hit with the kiddos.

Speaking of the kiddos, do you have wee ones that aren’t into washing their hands? Have a look at these adorable little Mickey and Minnie Mouse Foaming soaps:

The Method designers really outdid themselves with these very subtle, but very Disney soap dispensers that have turned both the Peach and Alix’s Wolfie into little hand-washing heroes. And that foaming soap really packs a punch, cleaning my little mud-pie-making girl’s hand clean as a whistle. In fact, the Peach loves her Method Minnie Mouse soap so much, she actually took it in as her Show-and-Tell item to pre-school! Mickey smells like lemonade and Minnie smells like strawberries. The scents are delicately yummy—not overly sweet. I think even grownups will love them.

In addition to keeping our kiddos clean, we also like them to be healthy—and fortunately Method feels the same way.  Word on the street is that triclosan, a popular ingredient in many hand soaps (particularly antibacterial hand washes) isn’t so dandy for you. Even the New York Times isn’t too hot on it. Method considers triclosan to be a “dirty ingredient” and never uses it in any of their products. Did you know triclosan is not only unnecessary, it’s a potentially harmful chemical? Yeech.

But back to our fabulous rainbow of fun. We can’t say enough about these lovely soaps—sassy scents, beautiful packaging, and as good for the environment as they are for you! And of course, they come in a rainbow of colors to make any design loving person tremble with delight.

When we met with the fine folks of Method earlier this spring, we got to see a sneak peek at this fantastic “lite-brite” style rainbow wall display that just kicked major booty. Can you guess how they made it? Take a look at it here:

Amazing, right? So now it’s time for our Monthly Method Awesomeness. This month, Method is doing a special Facebook Guessing contest called, “How Much Method Does It Take to Make a Rainbow?”

Just like the “guess-how-many-marbles-are-in-the-jar” contests – this month Method is asking fans to guess how many bottles of Method hand soap it took to build the spectacular rainbow light installation in this month’s video.

The brainiac with the closest guess will win a $100 gift card to soap.com to stock up on method goodies AND, their very own rainbow of handwash (a set of 7 colorful method hand soaps). Not too shabby, eh?

Nine runner ups will win a $50 gift card. Fans can guess daily for more chances to win.
Contest ends June 28.

Do you use Method hand soap? What is your favorite fragrance?

this post brought to you by:

 but all opinions are, of course, always our own. To read more on Method’s green practices, ingredients and philosophy, go here.

Whuuuuh? Laundry fun? Um YEAH. For real. So, it’s time once again for our Monthly Method and this one has been a total life changer. And it’s all because of this little guy:

Cute huh! But before we get into it, a little lesson in Laundry 101. We’ve all schlepped those big ol’ heavy jugs of detergent. We’ve used ’em. We’ve loved ’em! But here’s something we didn’t know. Have you ever filled the cap up….allllll the way up? And then even added just a weeeee bit extra because, well, mo’ detergent means mo’ clean, right? WRONG!

For starters, overdosing on detergent can leave residue on your clothing and in your machine. It can actually trap soil in in your machine too, and with today’s low-water using, suds-sensitive washers (aka those pretty front loaders), this means the perfect breeding for bacteria and stale odors. Yeech. (Read more here! Laundry Detergent: How Much Is Too Much?)

The other problem? You use up your detergent much more quickly. Now see, the other guys don’t really want to let you in on this little secret—that less is more. I mean, can YOU see the little line inside the cap? The “fill to here” mark? Um, not really. That’s because they WANT you to blow through that jug. So you’ll buy more. And that just doesn’t make sense, ya know? We are all for working smarter, not harder. And if we can save money in the process? Well YAHOOO!

SMARTER. Method Laundry is ultra-concentrated laundry detergent that delivers big cleaning power with just 1/4th the dose of the leading brands. That’s 50 loads from one little bottle. Not too shabby!

GREENER. We care about the planet. We want to leave a safe and healthy place for our kiddos, so this is something that means a lot to us. Method Laundry is powered by plant-based technology (using 95% natural and renewable ingredients). In fact, Method Laundry reduces the average laundry detergent lifecycle carbon footprint by 35%.  Even the bottle is made from recycled material. (No more big jugs cloggin’ up the landfill!) So it’s good for the earth and for your family. What’s not to love?? (read more about it all here).

OH YEAH! We forgot the most important point. (Well, to Wolfie and the Peach anyway.) It’s WAY MORE FUN. You can hold that lightweight bottle in one hand and with just four little pumps, it cleans your whole load. Seriously. It’s SO fun to squirt this little guy, you won’t have AAAANY problem getting the kiddos to help on laundry day! And one standard bottle? Good for 50 loads. Small but mighty, friends.

Of course it comes in all kinds of yummy scents too. Like Fresh Air. Lavender Cedar. Sweet Pea. And Spring Daisy. (Which is what I currently use! It smells great…not too perfumey. Just fresh and pretty.)

OK. So how would you like to give this awesome stuff a try for yourself? We’ve got THREE easy ways!

1. “Say No to Jugs” Facebook Photo Contest
Starting today, Method is launching a “Say No To Jugs” photo contest on Facebook for the entire month. One lucky person will win a year’s supply of Method detergent! Wowza!! The contest asks users to submit a photo that documents what makes doing laundry a chore  (you know, like lifting that heavy jugs, goopy caps dribblin’ on your machine etc etc).  Get your peeps to vote for your photo and you could win that laundry day bonanza!

2. Awesome Thursdays $2 Coupon Day
Every Thursday for the month of May, there will be a $2.00 off coupon for Method Laundry Detergent on the PERKS tab of their Facebook page. The coupon will only be on available to print on Thursdays. (Don’t worry, we’ll remind ya!)

(Canadian residents: Instead of printing the physical coupon, they will be able to get $2 off Method products available at http://well.ca using the discount code “WASHME,” so please mention that for your readers up north.)

3. Nab a Method Laundry Starter Kit. For FREE!
Because we’ve been giveaway happy over here, we’re gonna make this one crazy easy. First 10 commenters get a little Method Laundry Starter Kit. Method will mail you two mini bottles good for 8 loads apiece. That’s it!

**NOTE: We have our ten winners! Giveaway closed.**

We leave you with this little piece of awesomeness. CLEAN HAPPY friends!

This post brought to you by

but as always, all opinions are our own!

We here at Modern Kiddo are pretty darn lucky to have such amazing people to work with us as sponsors. They are all such a creative and colorful bunch—we consider ourselves truly truly lucky.  I know you’ll adore them as much as we do!

1. STOP THE CLOCK VINTAGE

Stop the Clock is nestled in the foothills of Denver, CO and delivers an eclectic mix of hand-selected vintage wares for kiddos AND their parents! As if I didn’t love Stop the Clock Vintage enough.Yes, her prices are great, but she had me at this:

Look, folks, a pink fur coat for a toddler with two little duckies on it. Anyone who finds this and lists it for a mere $20, has to be an amazing person.RIGHT?

2. FUZZY MAMA VINTAGE

Oh Fuzzymama Vintage, how much I adore you! Your amazing vintage kiddo finds and great prices have made you one of my favorite Etsy seller for years.  And soo many of your goodies are under $10! You can’t beat that.

3. 1 SWEET DREAM VINTAGE

With almost 200 vintage items for children, 1 Sweet Dream Vintage  is one sweet Etsy shop!  You could seriously spend an hour looking through all of the wonderful items—I dare you not to buy something! There is even a five dollar sale section, so I’m sure you’ll find something fun to take home for your wee one!

4. ELK DRESSES

Super creative stay at home mama Marjory is the brains behind elk, an amazing line of beautiful and colorful dresses, leggings and skirts out of the softest jersey cotton.  She even makes little ruffly knickers for little cutie girlies can wear. I’m particularly head over heels for these three tiered color wheel skirts. Sigh!

5. LEARN & GROW DESIGN

As a mama always looking for new ways to find fun and educational things for the Peach to do, Learn and Grow Design  is going to save me one Saturday.  Shauna used to be a 4th grade school teacher and even ran her own preschool, so she knows her stuff. I’m particularly fond of the puppet print outs. And almost all of them are under $4.00! That’s cheaper than an ice cream cone (or a latte)!

6. SQRL & BEE STUDIO

I have such a weakness for felted goodies and Melissa from Sqrl & Bee Studio has created some of the prettiest pieces around. Her style is so gorgeous. And these beautiful rattles! I think this is going to be my new go to place for baby shower gifts.

What a collection! That’s just a taste of ’em. We adore our sponsors and hope you’ll check them out too. If you’re interested in becoming a sponsor, email Alix [at] modernkiddo.com and she’ll shoot you a rate sheet. Happy shopping!