Should I buy water shoes for my toddler?

I never thought one of the main wardrobe components of my son's would be water shoes. We live in a hot desert climate and we find water recreationto be the funnest on a warm day. The cost of my son's water shoes was $30 at Stride Rite. Ouch, they were so cute I couldn't resist. To my surprise, I can't imagine my son's life without them. First, we used them for swimmng lessons, the hot pool concrete made it essential to have. Then, the water parks and splash parks, it's safer for him to be wearing them rather than stepping on dangerous park grounds. Overall, the investment in these shoes was worth it for us. Even playtime outside just watering the lawn requires these types of shoes. I am glad I purchased them and I think anyone with a toddler should consider adding them as an essential toddler accessory. 

Summer Toddler Activity - Water Balloons & Hula Hoop

Toddler activity- 20 months

I never thought of this but at a company picnic my son discovered water balloons. 

They put a bucket of water balloons and he loved it ! Ended up soaking wet but on a hot summer day like today; it was the best entertainment. So, I'm on my way to the dollar store to buy a bag of water balloons.

One thing, balloons are a choking hazard!  Alhought I wasn't able to throw the torn balloons away here, when I do this activity I'm going to make sure I have a trash bag ready to pick up the pieces. 

Also, hula hoops, who knew ? He loved pushing it through the grass.

Water and Witch Hazel to Clean floors ?

 

This morning, I decided to review a post I had seen on Pinterest about The Many Uses of Witch Hazel. One of the recipes was about how it's used to clean floors. So, I decided to test it out since my  Home Made Floor Cleaner recipe was not as successful as I had hoped. You can see the before and after pictures that I've posted. The floors are not as streaky as with the other homemade floor cleaner and they aren't shiny, but they look clean. 

I used a diluted solution;  4 cups of water to 2 tablespoons of witch hazel. I wrapped a piece of towel around my swiffer and learned to not soak the floor but the piece of towel with my solution. I'm slowly learning how to clean floors daily. I think my main improvement in cutting time and work is using a thick towel and soaking it. I actually watched How to Clean Floors video on youtube yesterday for some help. What I like most is that there are no chemicals or strong odors like the vinegar left. I think if I needed a quick floor cleaning I will use this recipe but I still plan on testing more. I really want to get shinier floors.

Home Made Floor Cleaning Recipe

Today, I tried the floor cleaning recipe: equal parts water, vinegar and alcohol. 

While my floors are not as shiny as I wish they would be and they look streaky, they look better than before. I think the main issue I have more than a cleaning solution is finding the right mop or floor rag to clean the floors with. I feel the cloth I used today cleaned some areas better than others. Back to trying to find what will make my floors squeaky clean. One thing, the smell of vinegar is overpowering, especially if you're pregnant. I definitely recommend a well ventilated room!
 Tomorrow, I will try the same recipe but with a few drops of dish soap. I hope it works better and I will definitely try a different mop.