tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1542806651392353413.post235970982731356965..comments2024-03-26T00:14:00.509-07:00Comments on Crunchy Chicken: Birthday candle guiltUnknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger31125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1542806651392353413.post-4897233870919595292009-03-27T12:03:00.000-07:002009-03-27T12:03:00.000-07:00Beeswax candles are great! As long as they're on ...Beeswax candles are great! As long as they're on fire, they really won't notice. There's a great mail order bakery around here that sends beeswax candles with their cakes, Dancing Deer.Mistyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00284635877840220077noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1542806651392353413.post-56096130304213013132009-03-27T11:46:00.000-07:002009-03-27T11:46:00.000-07:00Hi, gave you a shout out on my blog. Have a great ...Hi, gave you a shout out on my blog. Have a great weekend.<BR/><A HREF="http://saucysalsita.blogspot.com/2009/03/suacy-salsita-traveling-green.html" REL="nofollow">Saucy Salsita, AKA The Green Expat Mom - Greening it up in Costa Rica!</A>Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1542806651392353413.post-52980864720340513782009-03-25T18:31:00.000-07:002009-03-25T18:31:00.000-07:00When I started to read this I thought I was going ...When I started to read this I thought I was going to be able to tell you about the beeswax candles! DARN IT! haha I'm not a parent but I often beg my husband not to eat non-organic candy and junkfood.Lisahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02583524755306491510noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1542806651392353413.post-1790230093696457262009-03-24T08:23:00.000-07:002009-03-24T08:23:00.000-07:00skymring - Are your mil and my mother related? I h...skymring - Are your mil and my mother related? I had similar issues with the Easter baskets the last few years. No, my toddler does not need candy. We compromised with goldfish.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1542806651392353413.post-63431226521520844962009-03-24T03:13:00.000-07:002009-03-24T03:13:00.000-07:00Guilt is such a waste of time. I will say that my...Guilt is such a waste of time. I will say that my kids give it a try from time to time. : )<BR/><BR/>I occassionally feel bad for not having ready made snacks on hand in the pantry, so they can snack when they need a little something. I make chocolate chip cookie bars often, and we always have fruit and carrot which the kids can just grab, wash and snack on. It's amazing how quickly a bag of Indiamommyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13743441969698588715noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1542806651392353413.post-5712562068962038242009-03-23T17:18:00.000-07:002009-03-23T17:18:00.000-07:00Did the beeswax candles burn well? I had a bad exp...Did the beeswax candles burn well? I had a bad experience when I bough some locally made beeswax candles - they didn't burn well because they had "bad wicks". Since it was a fundraiser, I couldn't return the candles (the following year I just bought their the honey they sold from their local hives.) Since being burned by those beeswax candles I've been shy about giving them another go. I know I Lisa Nelsen-Woodshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13731962631056727458noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1542806651392353413.post-82015495858078466402009-03-23T12:53:00.000-07:002009-03-23T12:53:00.000-07:00It was a great teachable moment.Prof. Crunchard, y...It <B>was</B> a great teachable moment.<BR/><BR/>Prof. Crunchard, you are so amazing with those teachable moments. And so good at creating those teachable moments. That's why we all keep coming back here.<BR/><BR/>I was just pointing out that you shouldn't beat yourself up over the birthday candles. <BR/><BR/>I'm lucky in that my son's birthday always falls during spring break, so we never get toBuckyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09885809053657026847noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1542806651392353413.post-9199936586331174532009-03-23T12:25:00.000-07:002009-03-23T12:25:00.000-07:00My kids don't really expect birthday candles, they...My kids don't really expect birthday candles, they are only 5 and 6 and aren't indoctrinated into what to expect. The issue at Emma's birthday party was that all the other parents were there and I felt really weird bringing out the cake, singing Happy Birthday and then.... nothing. It was my own sense of critique of what the other parents thought or expected and me second-guessing myself that wasCrunchy Chickenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10612320939936593420noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1542806651392353413.post-65430050948551742832009-03-23T12:11:00.000-07:002009-03-23T12:11:00.000-07:00I'm feeling ornery today so let me say that, for t...I'm feeling ornery today so let me say that, for the record, I think that kid's birthday candles are such a small thing. The environmental impact of burning a tiny candle for two minutes is really inconsequential compared to so much else that we do in the world. Perpetual war for example.<BR/><BR/>But the bigger issue is perhaps that we need to change our habits and our customs. They are going toBuckyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09885809053657026847noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1542806651392353413.post-35743520736928385932009-03-23T11:32:00.000-07:002009-03-23T11:32:00.000-07:00I love the idea of beeswax candles. In costa rica,...I love the idea of beeswax candles. In costa rica, they simply don't exist and if they do, i have yet to find them. so what i did, I bought my son the teeniest tiniest candles and after he blew them out, i gave them to my friend to use. this way, we dont really waste, and the kids still see fire to blow out:)<BR/><A HREF="http://saucysalsita.blogspot.com/" REL="nofollow">Saucy Salsita, AKA The Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1542806651392353413.post-9986380825931463212009-03-23T10:19:00.000-07:002009-03-23T10:19:00.000-07:00Greenpa - From the crayola website regarding melti...Greenpa - From the <A HREF="http://www.crayola.com/educators/techniques/meltedcrayon.cfm" REL="nofollow">crayola website</A> regarding melting crayons:<BR/><BR/>"Provide adult supervision in well-ventilated area for techniques involving melted crayons. Overheating wax crayons during melting or ironing may release irritating fumes."<BR/><BR/>I think I'll stick with beeswax :)Crunchy Chickenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10612320939936593420noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1542806651392353413.post-30641429441047745962009-03-23T07:59:00.000-07:002009-03-23T07:59:00.000-07:00I love using the beeswax candles. You can even bu...I love using the beeswax candles. You can even buy them with cool rainbow colors--all natural. Sometimes we buy post-Hanukkah beeswax Hanukkah candles on sale to use for birthdays. <BR/><BR/>As Greenpa says, beeswax birthday candles are also really easy to dip yourself--and it is a great project to do with kids! We color ours with little pieces of our very worn or broken beeswax crayons. (WeHannahhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09543197858284977937noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1542806651392353413.post-36041146251413406892009-03-23T07:56:00.000-07:002009-03-23T07:56:00.000-07:00Crunchy- almost all the crayons out there these da...Crunchy- almost all the crayons out there these days are EDIBLE. While I don't know for sure, I think that's a really good indication that they're not going to be making any toxic combustion products. If you're worried- heck, just stick with the beeswax. You can also buy bayberry wax in lumps, and mix it in. Pure bayberry candles are a little tricky; the melting point is so low they tend to Greenpahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17224906349154302210noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1542806651392353413.post-43733691232894866992009-03-23T06:11:00.000-07:002009-03-23T06:11:00.000-07:00I think this one is a little over the top. Reuse ...I think this one is a little over the top. Reuse the candles and they'll last for many birthdays to come. How much petroleum is used to make the candle? Paraffin is a by-product of oil extraction and refining.<BR/><BR/>I applaud all that you do. Guilt over birthday candles though? Seems a bit much. I'll play devil's advocate and say that you should let your kids enjoy some of things that Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1542806651392353413.post-6772738587066561052009-03-23T02:17:00.000-07:002009-03-23T02:17:00.000-07:00Beeswax candles are great - our school makes them ...Beeswax candles are great - our school makes them with the children every year so we have an interesting assortment of sizes and shapes to try out. <BR/><BR/>As for parties - we don't go there much as far as food goes. I found a couple of boxes of ice cream and some cones were all that was really required when they were young. Now they go to the movies or the museum or the skating rink and that knutty knitterhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00325560883289908412noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1542806651392353413.post-54586661137816917522009-03-22T20:59:00.000-07:002009-03-22T20:59:00.000-07:00My kid's still little (not quite 4), so I don't kn...My kid's still little (not quite 4), so I don't know for sure, but so far he's fine. <BR/> <BR/>Last week, we went and picked out 5 short-sleeve shirts, since he mostly only had long-sleeved shirts. The nice thing about the thrift store is there were only about 10 in his size, all cheap, so I could just lay them all out and let him pick the ones he liked.<BR/> <BR/>We did have to stop visiting Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1542806651392353413.post-42375667398614127452009-03-22T16:50:00.000-07:002009-03-22T16:50:00.000-07:00When we had kids, we of course wanted them to have...When we had kids, we of course wanted them to have the best food possible, and to pass on our values as earth friendly low consumerists. But I also knew that denying kids something in a strict manner would probably just lead to their interest in it increasing. So I decided to let them try out things at their own pace; when they discovered it and asked for it. My son was 3 until he discovered and theresehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13423669994232456611noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1542806651392353413.post-78464366788846487772009-03-22T13:04:00.000-07:002009-03-22T13:04:00.000-07:00i think that the little buckster is getting used t...i think that the little buckster is getting used to doing without. he gets to enjoy all of those illicit treats when he is at friends or grandparents. <BR/><BR/>increasingly he thinks i'm a little crazy with all of this. luckily i've got a good friend who is almost as crazy our kids are the same age and good friends. i hear them talking from time-to-time about all the things they don't get to Buckyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09885809053657026847noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1542806651392353413.post-17232895611138390592009-03-22T12:11:00.000-07:002009-03-22T12:11:00.000-07:00Today I didn't buy the grapes :(. I just can't buy...Today I didn't buy the grapes :(. I just can't buy grapes from Chile. I live in Europe. I told my kids they can eat plenty of grapes from the end of summer, but they were not happy. Instead I bought some organic carrots. Not quite the same... At least they're from Austria, a neighbouring country.<BR/>pszAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1542806651392353413.post-28126808856684570222009-03-22T12:06:00.000-07:002009-03-22T12:06:00.000-07:00Crunchy,I'm willing to bet that your kids didn't e...Crunchy,<BR/><BR/>I'm willing to bet that your kids didn't even miss the candles because they were having so much FUN! We Moms do beat ourselves up and bring guilt on ourselves!<BR/><BR/>I'm sure the beeswax ones will be a hit! Thanks for sharing!Everydaywomanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18177067303981498522noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1542806651392353413.post-22689116076419527312009-03-22T11:16:00.000-07:002009-03-22T11:16:00.000-07:00Greenpa - I do have a huge lump of beeswax that I ...Greenpa - I do have a huge lump of beeswax that I use for making soap. I'll have to look into dipping n' such. But, is it safe to burn crayons? Something about it makes me a little suspicious even though they are allegedly non-toxic...<BR/><BR/>Abbie - Glad to oblige.Crunchy Chickenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10612320939936593420noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1542806651392353413.post-42347780484977382842009-03-22T10:26:00.000-07:002009-03-22T10:26:00.000-07:00I like Greenpa's idea.I don't have kids (yet...) b...I like Greenpa's idea.<BR/><BR/>I don't have kids (yet...) but thanks to you Crunch and the other commenters I'm already making a list of what I can deprive them of...<BR/><BR/>I do deprive my husband of things, since I'm the one who does the grocery shopping. I've stopped purchasing those little yogurts and make him mix plain or vanilla yogurt with some of my homemade jam in a glass container Farmer's Daughterhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04993260095409544097noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1542806651392353413.post-32029580271907564902009-03-22T09:11:00.000-07:002009-03-22T09:11:00.000-07:00I was guessing it would turn out that you started ...I was guessing it would turn out that you started making your own birthday candles. :-)<BR/><BR/>It's NOT that hard- you could even get the kids to help do it. They'd learn what "hot" means in a useful fashion.<BR/><BR/>You could either buy a lump of beeswax; or use "found" paraffin. Old broken crayons burn fine, and can add color. Mix em all up and you get- brown. Do some experimenting to Greenpahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17224906349154302210noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1542806651392353413.post-81953383153033875252009-03-22T07:43:00.000-07:002009-03-22T07:43:00.000-07:00We deprieve a fair amount on the food front. Last...We deprieve a fair amount on the food front. Last year it was bananas, year round. This year, I decided we could buy organic ones during the winter when there was less fruit choice. I never buy any of the usual process snacks - jello, goldfish, etc. In fact, my 6 year old went to a playdate (I was there) and asked for some Oreos please. Neither the mom nor I had any idea what he was talking Green Beanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03133847111288382381noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1542806651392353413.post-47147219951192676272009-03-22T06:14:00.000-07:002009-03-22T06:14:00.000-07:00When our daughter was younger-like in grade school...When our daughter was younger-like in grade school and middle school-we always shopped at yard sales and thrift shops for clothes etc. So basically she rarely had new clothes for school. The clothes she wore were always gently worn and pretty much fit in with what the kids were wearing that year. At first I felt guilty about it then over the years just figured guilt was a waste of time. She Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com