My Greening: Going Green

Family Bed

2010-11-02T08:07:00.000-07:00

I took the boys to an organic farm last weekend. We stayed 2 nights and the kids loved sharing the big king sized bed.
A platform bed made sharing the bed with little ones seem easier and safer, because we were closer to the ground.

Sweet Cribs

2010-04-25T06:32:00.000-07:00

If I have a 3rd baby, I'm going to be really tempted by all of the cute mod cribs out there these days, even though we already have a suitable used one.
Repleate with teeth marks.
This is one of my favorites:
At over $1,000, it is waaaay out of my price range, but adorable, yes?

Sigh. Those Scandinavian designers and their simplistic yet expensive pieces get me every time.

Home Soda Maker Review and Giveaway

2010-02-20T02:10:00.000-08:00

Have you heard of the Fountain Jet Home Soda Maker from Soda Stream?

It helps reduce the amount of waste generated from consuming soda, because instead of buying disposable 3-liter bottles or canned soda, you can continually re-use the same 2 Soda Stream containers for your soda needs.

You save money making your own soda at home, and, even better, this soda mix contains less sugar than pre-made sodas.

The bottles have a special seal so that your soda won't go flat.

The Fountain Jet Home Soda Maker uses regular water mixed with the Soda Stream flavoring of your choice to make your ideal drink.

I got the chance to review the Penguin Soda Maker, the classy version that uses glass bottles.

Sorry for the background noise, my niece was begging for jelly beans that she is forbidden to eat by my sister-in-law, who wasn't present.

1) Enter to win your very own Fountain Jet soda lover’s start-up kit which includes a Fountain Jet home soda maker, CO2 to make over 100 liters of soda, a variety sample pack of sodamix and MyWater trial-sized flavors, and 3 full-sized flavors of the winner’s choice. The retail value of this prize is $99.99!

1.) For a chance to win, visit the site and tell me your favorite sodamix flavor and what excites you about making soda at home!

1 winner will be chosen by random number generator.

This giveaway is open to those with a continental US mailing address. No PO Boxes.

2.) Email subscribers get an extra entry for as long as their subscription is active.

Already a subscriber? Leave me a separate comment on this post to let me know you’re interested in this giveaway.

Want to subscribe? Just click here: Subscribe to Mom Most Traveled by Email (Only verified subscriptions are entered for all the giveaways.)

3.) Twitter about this giveaway (include a link to this post, @SodaStreamUSA and@MomMostTraveled ) and comment here with your Twitter name. (once daily)

4.) Blog about this giveaway, including a link to this post. Leave me a comment with the link so I can check your post!

This contest will close on March 2, 2010, at midnight CST.

Winners will be notified by email and have 72 hours to respond.

SodaStream provided a review unit and is providing the prize for this giveaway!

CSN Stores

2009-12-06T07:37:00.000-08:00

CSN Toys was able to send us some cool Indiana Jones Legos, though they arrived after Jojo's party, they had great communication with me via email and twitter to remedy the back order as soon as possible.

Thanks CSN for great customer service!

Giveaways at Katydid and Kid this week:

We Got A Blog Award!

2009-10-10T23:54:00.000-07:00

Green Babies Blog gave MY GREENING and these other great blogs a Lovely Blog Award:

1. Suzy Q Homemaker

http://www.suzyqhomemaker.com/blog/

Blogs about her family with 4 boys. She makes some beautiful hand sewn and knit items. I especially loved her post on natural childbirth!

2. Green Mamas Pad

http://www.greenmamaspad.com/

A mom of three documenting her journey to going green. She does reviews and giveaways as well as documenting green news.

3. All About Cloth Diapers

http://allaboutclothdiapers.com/

So many cute and informative posts on anything you want to know about cloth diapering and all its accessories!

4. The Simplistic Mom

http://simplisticmom.blogspot.com/

Nominated my blog for this award! She talks about everything from cloth diapers, to sewing, to eco-friendly fridays! All wonderful environmentally friendly tips!

5. Natural Mommie

http://www.naturalmommie.com/

Great giveaways of some fabulous natural products!

6. My Wee View

http://myweeview.com/

A mommy writing great product reviews on all things baby and family!

7. Dirty Diaper Laundry

http://dirtydiaperlaundry.com/

Great cloth diaper giveaways. Many videos on all different kinds of cloth diapers. Also some great babywearing info!

8. The Green Mom Review

http://thegreenmomreview.com/

Great recycled and natural product ideas and reviews for children.

9. The Cloth Diaper Report

http://www.theclothdiaperreport.com/

Great cloth diapering tips and giveaways. Lots on info on diapering accessories, baby wearing, and other earth-friendly products.

10. Green and Clean Mom

http://greenandcleanmom.org/

Great green ideas for the whole family.

11. My Greening

http://mygreening.blogspot.com/

Lots of eco-friendly giveaways/reviews!!!

12. Modern Organic Mama

http://www.modernorganicmama.com

A mother of three, from Santa Fe not only going green, but trying to save money while doing it. She and her husband are starting a gelato company, mmm….I love Gelato!

13. Mommy Words

http://www.mommywords.com

Cute and funny posts about a mother and her family.

14. 5 Minutes for Going Green

http://www.5minutesforgoinggreen.com/

A blog with the goal to pass on great green ideas to move towards a more sustainable way of life!

15. Our Life Upstate

http://www.ourlifeupstate.com/

A cute blog about family life. She’s a natural mommy and also does some great reviews and giveaways. She’s also a fellow cloth diaperer!!

Don't miss these great giveaways for October:
At Mom Most Traveled:
* 250 Custom Holiday Greeting Cards(ends 10/11)
* Nature Valley Prize Pack (ends 10/11)
* Kids Lunch Box Cards(ends 10/12)
* The Zula Patrol DVD set(ends 10/14)
* Care Bears DVD (ends 10/14)
* Doodlebops DVD (ends 10/14)
*Fodor's Guidebooks, 5 winners (ends 10/16)
* Eileen Goudge Novels (ends 10/16)
* Wooden Toy giveaway, open worldwide (ends 10/18)
* Family tickets to Warren Miller's Dynasty (ends 10/19)

At Katydid and Kid:

Seasonal:
A Nut in a Nutshell- Good Witch/ Bad Witch Necklace (10/ 15)
Wubzey Goes Boo! DVDs (4 winners) at superdumb supervillain (10/14)

Win Ugg Boots

2009-09-18T08:43:00.000-07:00

You can enter to win some Free Ugg Boots just by posting this button on your blog or website! Do it! :)

Shop-a-ganza!

2009-09-04T07:59:00.000-07:00

The boys are finally old enough for bunk beds (sort of) and they are in some (disconnected) metal frame ones in the room they share.
BUT I can't help but dream of the fancy ones at the CSN store. Check out the Mission Merlot Series Extra Long Triple Lindy Loft with Third Bed, of for a pirate theme room (my dream :), there is the Shiver Me Timbers Youth Bunk Bed.
I have visions of Jojo and Deeds growing up as best buds as well as brothers. I hope they have lots of great memories in their shared room.

I recently ordered the Indiana Jones Temple Escape Building Set, also from CSN stores!
I can't wait to give it to Jojo! We are going to have so much fun with it!
He will be primed and prepped to indulge in my new favorite website, http://www.doityourself.com/
I'm going to go look for some home made cleaning recipes.

Linky Love

2009-09-02T06:54:00.000-07:00

Want a Wii?

2009-06-04T17:56:00.000-07:00

Christian Personal Finance celebrating their 2 year "blog birthday" by giving away a Nintendo Wii and an iPod nano (8GB)! The giveaway ends tonight (Thursday 6/4)! Go here to enter.

Other great giveaways on the web:

* UV protective Baby Legs from Mom4Life (ends 6/4)

* Hip-T (ends 6/7)

* printed personal photo on a 16x20 gallery wrapped canvas (ends 6/9)

* $100 Gift Certificate to Eyebuydirect.com (ends 6/17)

Great Contests Around The Web

2009-05-14T00:55:00.000-07:00

Giveaways At Mom Most Traveled:
* Lady Bug Pod by Boon (ends 5/15)

* Cystex OTC UTI medicine (ends 5/18)

* Evenflo Big Kid Amp Booster Seat (ends 5/19)

* 500 Custom Postcards (2 winners ends 5/20)

* Polliwalks (5/21)

* European Playground CD (2 winners ends 5/22)

Win a Green Diaper Bag

2008-11-20T18:51:00.000-08:00

Go Natural Baby Blog strives to bring you earth-friendly info to help you and your family be green!
Ever on the lookout for great, eco-friendly companies, Go Natural Baby Blog wants to give you a chance to win another this tres chic Fleurville Re-Run™ Mod Pod Changing Tote from Nubius Organics. The Fleurville Re-Run™ Mod Pod Changing Tote is ideal for quick trips when you don't want to be loaded down by your enormous diaper bag.
But, really, I think this Mama could use one of these for a cosmetic bag (don't tell my baby, Deeds!).
This Changing Tote is something a fashionista wouldn't mind sporting, and it is also eco-friendly, weighing in at 100% PVC-free
Each Changing Tote keeps three plastic bottles out of our landfills.
Two winners get to take their pick of Botanical Azure or Khaki Berry Ogo.

Contest sponsor Nubius Organics have also offered a coupon code for 15% off your next purchase. Just type in ECO15 at checkout.

I pretty much want one of each product at Nubius Organics. Look at these cool bamboo bowls!

To enter to win your earth-friendly Changing Tote, visit Go Natural Baby Blog by December 14th and leave a comment on their post about your favorite product from Nubius Organics!

Red Barn Co. Quilt Giveaway

2008-11-16T06:46:00.000-08:00

Want a chance to win? Enter here!

Win Fun Stuff! Tea Party Extravaganza!

2008-11-09T08:50:00.000-08:00

It’s Tea Party Week at Mom Most Traveled! Enter here for your chance to win a Baby-G watch from Casio!

The Tea Party Week fun continues at Mom Most Traveled! Enter here for your chance to win a Barely Bamboo hoodie from Bamboosa!

Check back throughout the week for giveaways at Mom Most Traveled, Superdumb Supervillain, Katydid and Kid, Fractured Toy, and 7 Clown Circus!

Go Natural Baby Giveaway

2008-11-07T05:20:00.000-08:00

Win over $400 worth of eco-friendly products for your baby! Go Natural Baby has partnered with some great companies to offer one lucky winner some fabulous eco-friendly products.

One lucky winner will receive:

Go Natural Baby’s organic cotton kimono set, matching blanket, and washcloth set. (winner’s choice of size and color)

I think Deeds looks adorable in his Zah Organics ™ Signature Kimono from Go Natural Baby (the very outfit you could win!)! Jojo is wearing a cute and comfy Hawthorne T-Shirt and a pair of Coco Pants from Zah Organics. I love my snuggly organic babies!

Also included in the prize is:

3 pairs of Isabooties

An activity gym from Cariboo.

One Belle Baby Carrier from their organic/hemp line.

To enter, just fill out the form! Enter Here!

Hurry! This contest ends November 11, 2008. Valid for shipping addresses in the United States.

Win a Flip Video at Skimbaco Lifestyle

2008-10-29T10:55:00.000-07:00

I have been trying to get my hands on a Flip Video for ages. And by "get my hands on" I mean legally obtain without purchasing.

Now I can MAYBE win one from Skimbaco Lifestyle blog!

Go enter!

Giveaway closes November 5th!

Giveaway at Laney Pottery

2008-10-28T09:37:00.000-07:00

Please visit LaneyPottery.com to see the Pottery Apple Bakers for yourself.

Laney Pottery is giving away a set of 4 pottery apple bakers!

Go enter to win!

The contest will close on November 2, 10 pm EST!

Laney Pottery has lots of beautiful hand made items. I kind of want them all.

Nalgene Goes BPA-Free!

2008-10-26T10:02:00.000-07:00

I am a traveler. There was a time when no self-respecting backpacker would be caught without a Nalgene bottle dangling from a carabiner on the side of his or her pack.
If you were REALLY hip, you used the same Nalgene bottle ALL THE TIME and personalized it with stickers that referenced obscure places, bands, or eco-clubs.
When the news about the possibly harmful side effects of BPA in plastic food containers came out, I didn't want to take any risks with my health, so I tossed all of my BPA plastics, including offending sippy cups, baby bottles, and my beloved sports bottles.

I was so excited to learn that Nalgene has a line of BPA-free bottles! I am proud to say that we have a set for the whole family!

Nalgene bottles are made in the USA, are indestructible, and are taste & odor free, so you can enjoy your drinks without that yucky tainted plastic smell.

The BPA-free bottles include:

The 32-oz "everyday" bottle, that my husband drinks coffee out of (kind of weird, I know...).
The Everyday retails for $11.50.

The OTG has a handy flip-top lid and holds 24 ounces of BPA-free hydration! The Nalgene OTG retails for $11.99.

My FAVORITE new BPA-free offering from Nalgene are these adorable Grip-N-Gulp bottles! It is the convenience and spill-proof qualities of a sippy cup, but the Grip-N-Gulp looks a lot more "grown up" than a standard sippy.

Both of my boys love using the Grip-N-Gulp. When we first got it, I removed the valve because it was almost too difficult to drink through. Even without the valve, there is very little leakage. At $9.25, I think the Grip-N-Gulp is a great value for a BPA-free kid's cup!

The first day I took the Grip-n-Gulp out on the town with us to run some errands, I left it in on the counter of the grocery store while I was checking out!

Luckily a friend of mine had seen me in the grocery store and realized what had happened when they saw my abandoned bottle. I was glad to be reunited with our Grip-N-Gulp! I was so afraid my son would be devastated if it was lost!

Nalgene is giving away a set of all 3 BPA-Free bottles mentioned in this post (ARV 32.75)!

To enter, tell me another product you would like to have from Nalgene!

For a second entry, leave another comment telling me how you would use your 3 BPA-Free Nalgene bottles.

One winner will be chosen at random.

This giveaway will close on November 1, 12 midnight CST!

*Giveaway closed! Congrats to Olga!*

Giant PR Giveaway at Momma Wannabe!

2008-10-26T08:55:00.000-07:00

Go enter to win advertising galore to earn your fortune and glory at Momma Wannabe!

Contest dates are Oct.26,2008 to Dec. 1 2008

What can you win in this contest?

53,500 ecs are at stake and lots of Premium Ad spots and other great prizes!

Estimated Prize worth : $350 for the entrecard credits
$ 800 for all the other prizes

Grand Prize - 14,000 ec credits , 8 premium ad spaces plus you can choose 4 bonus prize

10,000 ec credits from Momma Wannabe
1000 ec credits from The Pinay Blogger
1000 ec credits from Eastcoastlife
1000 ec credits from Random Chronicles
1000 ec credits from Random Detoxification
125x125 ad for 2 weeks at PR3blog My Fashion Link
125x125 ad for 2 weeks at PR2 blog My Gossip Girl
125x125 ad for 1 month at PR2blog Momma Wannabe
125x125 ad for 1 month at PR4blog Positive Thinking
125x125 ad for 1 month at PR2blog EvilWoobie
125x125 ad for 2 weeks at PR3 blog Multiply Themes
125x125 ad for 1 month at PR3 Bloganol.com
125x125 ad for 1 month at PR3 Bad Evan

2^nd Prize - 10,000 entrecard from the following sponsors plus you can choose 3 bonus prize

1500 ec credits from Positive Thinking
2000 ec credits from Seek No More
2000 ec credits from Politikon
1500 ec credits from Weather for headphones
1000 ec credits from BrainFoggles
1000 ec credits from Michael Aulia
1000 ec credits from Contest Whiz
125x125 ad for 2 months at Love is a Perfect Gift
125x125 ad for 2 months at A message From My Heart
125x125 ad for 2 months at The Fountain Of Happiness

3rd Prize - 9000 entrecard from the following sponsors plus you can choose 3 bonus prize

2000 ec credits from Everything Has a Reason
2000 ec credits from Proud Mommy
1000 ec credits from Path to Pegasus
1000 ec credits from Bad Evan
1000 ec credits from Realm to Prosperity
1000 ec credits from Web Buzz
1000 ec credits from E Pamilya

4th Prize - 8000 entrecard credits plus you get 3 bonus prizes

1000 ec credits from Fantasy Baseball Advice
500 ec credits from Mammadawg
500 ec credits from Project Runway Philippines
1000 ec credits from Fragile Heart
1000 ec credits from Singaporean in London
1000 ec credits from Dasboobs.com
1000 ec credits from Read My Mind
1000 ec credits from So Far So Good
1000 ec credits from Asian Economist
125x125 ad for 1 month at The Joy Of Life Forever
125x125 ad for 1 month at My Life's Adventure
125x125 ad for 1 month at Wonderful Things In Life

Bonus Prizes:

Free Advertising

125x125 ad for 1 month at Blogging Hacks
125x125 ad for 1 month at Joby's blog
125x125 ad for 1 month at Blogging from Scratch
125x125 ad for 1 month at Actiwiz Dot Com
Text ad for 1 month at Ragnarok Guide
Text ad for 1 month at Project Runway Philippines
125x125 ad for 1 month at Proud Mommy
125x125 ad for 1 month at Beauty of Life
125x125 ad for 1 month at The Money Maker
125x125 ad for 1 month at Starts at Two
125x125 ad for 1 month at Heart Random
125x125 ad for 1 month at There is Happiness
125x125 ad for 1 month at Twinshappines
125x125 ad for 1 month at Random Chronicles

Special Prizes

Blog Makeover by My Design Workbench ( for Blogger blogs only)
Customized Template by Earning Money Online ( for Blogger blogs only)
Free Domain Name : THESASSYHOMEMAKER.COM valid till September 2009 from THE PINAY BLOGGER!
2 Premium Templates from Revolution Themes worth $299 (not for free hosted wordpress blogs)

Special Prizes - 2 Top Points Earner will share the following prizes

$5.00 paypal cash from Wonderful Things In Life
$10.00 paypal cash from Pink Hues
1000 ec credits from Niacin Works
1000 ec credits from SG Entrepreneur
2000 ec credits from Freebie Reporter
1000 ec credits from Google Stalking
1000 ec credits from Name Sherry
500 ec credits from Beauty of Life
500 ec credits from Starts at Two
500 ec credits from The Money Maker
500 ec credits from Life of a Manila Gurl
500 ec credits from Housewife at work
500 ec credits from Free Famous Quote
500 ec credits from Gift reviews
500 ec credits from Better Interpersonal Communication
500 ec credits from Journal of Journey
500 ec credits from Jo's Reviews & Free Ad Space
500 ec credits from Dota Guide
500 ec credits from Wonderful Things In Life
500 ec credits from My Collection
300ec credits from It's my Party & I'll cry if I want too
300 ec credits from The Joy Of Life Forever
200 ec credits from My Life's Adventure
500 ec credits from Love's Haven

Go see how to enter!

Giveaway Alert: Earthwise Kids Book Pack

2008-10-25T03:26:00.000-07:00

The Go Natural Baby blog is hosting a giveaway for a jute tote bag stuffed with three children's books from Earthwise Kids about protecting the earth.

I am always looking for ways to teach my children to value and conserve the earth's resources!

To enter, visit Go Natural Baby blog and leave a comment on the giveaway post with suggestions for improving Earthwise Kids' website.

The giveaway ends Friday November 7th.

Huge Handmade Giveaway Alert!

2008-10-24T10:52:00.000-07:00

I love handmade giveaways, mostly because I don't have very many crafty skills of my own. Sure, I can make stain glass windows, but those aren't the best "hand made gift". And do my children appreciate them? No.

Over at Indie Fixx, there's a HUGE array of handmade goodies up for grabs in the Autumn Cornucopia giveaway.

There are not ONE but TWO prize packs filled with indie and handmade stuff.

There are two ways to enter.
1). Blog about the contest.
OR
2.) Post the link of where you found the contest (as in, this blog post).
If you enter with #2, we BOTH win!

You can enter more than once, too, so if YOU blog this contest after entering, let me know and I will re-enter using YOU as my link. Got it?

Also mention your favorite product sponsor in your comment and in your blog post.

I am already a fan of Sublime Stitching and would love to have some new patterns from Jenny Hart! Chronicle Books also has some great crafty reads up for grabs!

Go enter the giveaway HERE!
Be sure to copy and paste the URL for this post to tell them "My Greening" sent you!

WW: Share, and Switch

2008-10-22T08:06:00.000-07:00

Baby Deeds thought my coconut juice looked pretty tasty, so he tried to buy me off with his pacifier:

Cloth Diapering Moms (and Wanna-be's) Take Note:

2008-10-21T11:14:00.000-07:00

There is a new blog in town with the scoop on cloth diapering: The Cloth Diaper Whisperer!

Blogger/editor-at-large Kelly also runs Kelly's Closet, a shop with fantastic cloth diapering supplies, including my favorite, bumGenius one-size diapers!

I Must Win a Musty!

2008-10-21T08:12:00.000-07:00

A SWEET stroller is up for grabs at MomDot.com!

Homemade Granola Bars

2008-10-20T10:36:00.000-07:00

Save packaging waste by making your own granola bars!

I made some extremely tasty "Harvest Granola Bars" (I just made up that name, what do you think?)
They contain pumpkin seeds, flax seeds, sesame seeds, and sunflower seeds!

Recipe:
3/4 c. firmly packed brown sugar
1/2 c. granulated sugar
1 egg
3/4 cup oil
1 tsp. vanilla
1 1/2 c. all purpose flour
1 tsp. baking soda

2 1/2 c. oats

1/2 cup mixture of flax seeds, sesame seeds, and sunflower seeds

1/2 cup pumpkin seeds (shelled)

1/2 cup chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Mix together oil and sugars. Beat in egg and vanilla. Combine flour and baking soda; add to oil mixture, mixing well. Stir in oats, seeds, and chocolate chips.

I ended up "massaging" this together with my hands to make it more homogeneous.

Press into bottom of ungreased cookie sheet/jelly roll pan (something with a slight lip). It is okay if it doesn't reach the edges of the pan. Mine were kind of free-form edges. They look nicer after you trim them off but they are still deeee-lish, so don't throw any of this away!

Bake about 20 minutes or until light golden brown. Cool and cut into bars.

I also like to eat the crumbs in milk, like cereal.

Store in a sealed container. I put mine in the fridge but I'm sure it would be fine at room temperature as well.

Spindle to Sashes

2008-10-20T09:11:00.000-07:00

I'm reposting this to tell you to go enter a cloth diaper giveaway at Spindle To Sashes!

You can win the following:

~1 Designer Dots One size fits all Snap Diaper~
~1 Butter Yellow One size fits all Snap Diaper~
~6 Cloth Wipes~
~A batch of our Home Made diaper laundry Soap~

I started cloth diapering when my first child was seven weeks old. I did it out of necessity, because we were living in another country where disposable diapers were difficult to find and exorbitantly expensive.
I had no diapering experience of any kind. My only tools were internet research and my own mother. I coveted the nice "all-in-one" cloth diapers, but eventually settled on prefolds, because cost was a factor.
Pre-folds are the cheapest cloth diapering option (aside from making cloth diapers yourself out of old t-shirts and towels). I was confused for a while as to what to call these diapers, because I thought a "pre-fold" must be something else. These aren't folded. They are flat rectangles. But I guess "pre-fold" means that YOU fold them yourself before you put them on the baby. Shouldn't they be called "self-fold"?
We bought a bunch of pre-folds (maybe around 20 to 25), along with five Bummis Whisper wraps in size Medium. I was also afraid to use pins so we got three special diaper fasteners made by Snappi. I also tried to be domestic and sew a huge velcro belt for fastening the diapers, but I don't actually know how to sew, even though I wish I did. So a Snappi was definitely my best bet. I found the pre-folds easy to use and take care of. I used the "wet pail method". I washed one load of diapers every two days and dried them on a clothes line. I had to experiment with ways to get stains out of the diapers without using bleach, which causes the fibers to become thinner and less absorbent. I used Oxyclean and white bar soap for the stains, and baking soda and vinegar for the smell.
My husband had no problem diapering our son with the pre-folds as well. I did feel that they weren't very practical for days when we were running a lot of errands, or when we went on trips. On those occasions we used disposable diapers.
Another downside was that the pre-folds were very bulky and made my baby look like he had a HUGE booty! I didn't really mind the look of a big booty, but it did make it hard to wear certain cute baby outfits. Usually he had to wear larger sized clothing instead of his "true" size, because of the extra diaper bulk.
Those pre folds and five diaper covers got us all the way through to when my son self potty trained on his second birthday. He continued to sleep in a cloth diaper at night (just in case) for another year.
When our second baby came along, a wonderful friend gave us a big supply of used Fuzzi Bunz. Fuzzi Bunz are pocket diapers, which means you have a small absorbent piece of material that fits inside of a diaper-shaped "envelope". I was excited about using these, thinking they were a step up from pre-folds. They were less bulky than the pre-folds, and easier to take in a diaper bag, but the care and maintenance was about the same. Fuzzi Bunz have snap fasteners which, in my experience, are complicated for caregivers who aren't the primary diaper changer in the relationship. I read lots of testimonials about how Fuzzi Bunz never leak, but personally I had a big problem with leakage (even with a diaper doubler). Another downside is that Fuzzi Bunz come in specific sizes, so that theoretically you might have to buy an entire supply of diapers in more than one size. Instead of buying 15 diapers and being done with it, you would have to buy 15 size small + 15 size medium +15 size large = three times the money!
I do have a friend who swears by Fuzzi Bunz, but they didn't work for my child.
Eventually I was able to get a great supply of BumGenius diapers. I bought several of them on clearance at Cotton Babies. I wanted to try them initially because they are One Size! One diaper can fit babies from 7 pounds to 35 pounds. Note: my 3 1/2 year old weighs 32 pounds. You could potentially get A LOT of mileage out of these diapers. I have 15 of these and use about 7 per day on my 7-month-old.
I like BumGenius diapers because they are used in the same way as disposables, thereby making me confident to let babysitters and relatives handle them when they care for my baby. They have velcro tabs which fasten in the same way as disposables. BumGenius are pocket diapers, and I "put them together" and stack them in our diaper stacker. For outings, I carry along a Bummis Diaper tote, size small. This gives me a place to put the wet or dirty diaper while we are out and about. The Diaper totes are good about controlling odor, so I have no worries!
So far, BumGenius have served well as an overnight diaper as well. I use two diaper inserts at night and have had very few leaks. In fact, I have had more night time leaks with disposable diapers.
To launder my BumGenius diapers, I use the dry pail method. I wash them using Charlie's Soap and add vinegar to the rinse cycle to neutralize urine odors. I hang the covers to dry. I put the inserts in the dryer with some Dryer Balls instead of fabric softener. Try Nellie's Dryer Balls. Fabric softener is a no-no for cloth diapers, because it creates a waxy build-up on the fabric that impedes absorbency. Now I use Dryer Balls on all of my laundry that goes in the Dryer. They are great if you have a family member who is sensitive to perfumes (like my eczema child!).
I love my cloth diapers, and I look forward to using them on my future children, as well as passing them on to friends when my diapering days are over!

Cloth Diapering Resources:
Journey WIF Nappy
Cotton Babies
Diapers Etc.
Diaper Pin
Green Mountain Diapers
Jardine Diapers
The Diaper Jungle
The Cloth Diaper Whisperer

A Thoughtful Gift

2008-10-18T06:47:00.000-07:00

I definitely want to "simplify" this Christmas, but one area in which I feel pressure to meet expectations is in giving gifts to my in-laws.

My in-laws don't have the same eco-friendly, simple living values that I do, so it makes it hard for me to choose a frugal, earth-friendly gift because I am afraid it won't be appreciated.

It dawned on me that a photo book would be a meaningful, personal gift for just about any close friend or relative!

Right now, there is a holiday giveaway over at Go Natural Baby Blog, where you can have a chance to win one of THREE coupon codes good for a free photo book from inkubook.com! The winner gets their choice of style/page count of an Inkubook photo book AND free shipping.

Wouldn't it be nice to win and cross one gift off of your "to buy" list?

The contest closes Friday, October 31, 2008!

Eat Local

2008-10-16T21:31:00.000-07:00

Deeds wants to remind you to eat locally! Go visit the Go Natural Baby Blog and read my guest post about what eating locally looks like in other countries!

You can read more about foods in Laos here!

WW: Ecofriendly, green toys

2008-10-15T02:47:00.000-07:00

My boys have found some interesting things to play with this week.
On Saturday, we were at an organic market and purchased 2 sparrows in a bamboo cage for $1.20.

The boys took turns looking at the birds and holding the cage. After a few hours we let them go.

Yesterday, one of the neighbors gave Jojo a grasshopper to play with. He was really proud of it and used it as an action figure. He let it ride in his toy trucks.

I guess "eco friendly toys" are everywhere you look!

Barking Mad and Wheezing the Juice

2008-10-12T03:36:00.000-07:00

Wheezing the Juice:

I have a problem with this assignment, even though I watched Encino Man about 175 times in the early '90's, I would love to go wheeze some juice but there seriously aren't any slurpee machines around here! I know! The injustice!
So I tried to take a picture of myself weezing homemade juice.

If you're edged 'cause I'm wheezing' all your grindage, just chill 'cause if I had the whole Brady Bunch thing goin' on over at my pad, I'd go grind over there, so don't tax my gig so hardcore cruster!

Under the Bed

2008-10-12T03:34:00.000-07:00

Under the bed:

This is going to be a bit of a disappointment, I know, but we rent a furnished house that came with 2 platform beds. And my child sleeps on a mattress on the floor. The baby doesn't have anything under his crib. Except maybe a dusty pacifier.
Also note the comforter that was part of the rental. Nice!

Barking Mad Photo Contest: Ugly Shoes

2008-10-11T23:47:00.000-07:00

Best pair of shoes ever:

These are actually kind of new. I saw them while shopping with my 3-year-old at a home improvement-type store and he thought they were pretty cool. If you can't tell what is going on, what we have here is a pair of slippers with mops sewn into the soles. I think they are kind of awesome, but I wouldn't leave the house in them. Therefore I submit them as MY UGLIEST PAIR OF SHOES, but also they would win MOST FUNCTIONAL PAIR OF SHOES EVER INVENTED!

Wordful Wednesday: Dyeing Playsilks

2008-10-07T18:00:00.000-07:00

I love Waldorf-style toys, and I was very excited to find this tutorial on www.Make-Baby-Stuff.com about an inexpensive way to dye your own playsilks!

I ordered 6 plain white silks from here. I got 4 35x35 (at $3.75 each) and 2 30x30 (at $2.80 each!), thinking the smaller ones would be more manageable for my one-year-old, and my 3-year-old could use the larger ones for capes!

I prepared the vinegar soak as detailed here and put in all of the silks with a full tea kettle of hot water:

I first dyed red and green, because I only had two containers to work with.

The red dye was 2 packets of cherry Kool-Aid and one packet of Black Cherry Kool-Aid.

For the green dye, I had only 2 packets of some kind of lemon-lime Kool-Aid. MakeBabyStuff.com recommends 3, but I didn't plan ahead that far...

After about 5 minutes I took the green silk out and rinsed it, followed by the rinsing of the red silk.

I didn't plan ahead in my vinegar rationing either, and I noticed I would run out before I finished all 5 silks (I decided to leave one silk undyed, so it could be white "snow" for an igloo play set we have from Imagiplay).

To conserve vinegar, I saved the green dye water and added blue food coloring to it to dye the blue silk.

MakeBabyStuff.com recommends wearing gloves to prevent dye stains on the hands, but I didn't have those either...

I "recycled" the red dye concoction by adding 3 packets or orange Kool-Aid to make our orange play silk.

I used the vinegar soak from step one of the tutoria l for my yellow dye. I had 2 packets of Wyler's lemonade, but it wasn't as brilliant a yellow as I wanted, so I added a good splash of my favorite brand of yellow food coloring.

It is called Best Odour Brand, made in Thailand! I just like the name! They make extracts, too!

When the silks were hung to dry, I was so excited I wanted to wake my preschooler from his nap to come see them! I refrained, because I am trying to save these until Christmas!

But I did give him the white one to play with, which made a great "snow" surface for the Arctic Playset!

Eastern Inspired Furniture

2008-10-04T01:12:00.000-07:00

Furniture is something that is easy for me to admire.
I especially love Eastern inspired decor; I feel most at ease in a serene living space with clean lines and and simple, functional furniture.

I have wandered many a market and boutique store in Thailand, Laos, and China, looking at distinctive and antique pieces and wishing that overseas freight wasn't so astronomically expensive!

After Lombock co-founder Alex spent time in Indonesia, he too wanted to bring the beauty of Asian furniture back with him. Through research with his friend Sarah, the pair concocted a way to offer a collection of hand-made, affordable, solid-wood furniture.

Lucky for UK residents, Lombok offers an astonishing selection of fabulous furnishings and home accessories for "Eastern Inspired Living."!

LOMBOK’s passion is to use recycled and natural materials wherever possible, for pieces that are naturally stylish and comfortable with that reassuring lived-in feel. The Eastern inspired designs of furniture; lighting and home accessories are incredibly versatile, suiting both contemporary and traditional homes.

The simple, striking beauty of these Tila hanging lanterns caught my attention immediately! Wouldn't they look great in just about any room of the house (or even the in the garden)?

I am really drooling over the chests of drawers at Lombok, especially this Nirvana Nine Drawer Chunky Chest. Maybe the ample drawer space would keep the peace in our home, with no more arguments about whose clothes are hogging all of the room!

The chest would look perfect next to any of the wooden beds from Lombok. My personal favorite is this great Canton four poster bed! Lombok uses only natural, solid wood sourced with the environment in mind.

And, since I'm ever on the lookout for dining tables to inhabit my dream house, I couldn't help but appreciate this beautiful Malang Extending Dining Table. I can imagine lots of happy family memories being created around these gorgeous dining tables!

A girl can dream!

Mexican Sugar Skulls

2008-10-03T19:51:00.001-07:00

I have long been a fan of Mexican folk art that celebrates El Dia De Los Muertos, or The Day of the Dead. This special holiday focuses on gatherings of family and friends to remember friends and relatives who have died.

The celebration occurs on the 1st and 2nd of November. Traditions include building private altars honoring the deceased, using sugar skulls, marigolds, and the favorite foods and beverages of the departed, cleaning graves, and visiting graves with these as gifts.

This week, a family owned company, Mexican Sugar Skulls (www.MexicanSugarSkull.com) is teaming up with my favorite source for organic baby clothes to offer a great Dia De Los Muertos prize pack at Go Natural Baby Blog!

You can enter to win $59 worth of prizes, including a sugar skull kit, complete with skull molds, and a Day of the Dead tote bag!

To enter, visit this post on the Go Natural Baby Blog and leave a comment according to the instructions provided!

The deadline is October 17th, so you will be receiving your prize in time for some Halloween fun with your family!

Children's Art and Poetry Contest

2008-10-02T05:20:00.000-07:00

The Pheakkley blog is having a contest for children aged 12 and under to share their art work and poems.
I submited a drawing by Jojo (age 3). I think it is wonderful what they are doing over there and wanted to share it with you. Even if you don't have a child who can enter, please try to spread the word!
The more people who participate, the more fun we will have!

Children’s Art and Poetry, open to anyone 12 and under!

Winners will be announced November 3rd and take away cool prizes like fair-trade toys and original art by Etsy sellers!

This contest is intended to spread laughter, smiles, happiness, love and general feelings of euphoria and joy throughout the online communities we are a part of.

Please submit up to 3 scanned/photographed images of the child’s artwork and poems via email with the words “Children’s Art and Poetry Contest” in the title to:

rehrlund@gmail.com

Entries should include the child and guardians first and last names and location. You can exercise any rights here as guardian as to what information you want shared, and what information you want kept private. PLEASE add special HIGHLIGHTED notes with any specific requests and instructions with your entries.

Any relevant Etsy or blog usernames you subscribe to as guardian should also be included (links would be helpful so that Pheakkley can do some advertising for you).

Brief explanations or comments on the child’s poem or artwork, as well as candid photographs of the child would also be appreciated, but are not required. All information given with express permission is subject to use as content on this blog.

You will receive an email receipt confirming that your entry has been received. One submission per child will be considered, posted and up for review by the general public. If you have submitted more than one entry, they will choose for you. And this time, it’s your votes that count, so tell your family, friends, and co-workers to get in on the fun!

While you are at it, I entered a poem myself in last week's call for poetry by grown-ups! You can go vote for me here, in the left side bar. My poem is called "For My Boys" by CanCan!

Sleeping Angel

2008-10-01T08:02:00.000-07:00

I took this picture last weekend of my son Jojo. He will be 4 in a few more weeks! He is such a busy preschooler, it seems like I hardly have time anymore to "gaze" at him like when he was a sleeping baby.

Visit 5 Minutes for Mom to see how you can enter to win a new bedroom set from Home & Bedroom Furniture for your Sleeping Angel.
I would like to win the Summer Breeze Bedroom Set!

WW: Fun in a Thai Mall

2008-10-01T00:54:00.000-07:00

We had a fun weekend when we went on an overnight trip to Udon Thani, Thailand.

At the mall, Jojo and Deeds enjoyed riding on several different coin-operated kiddie rides. The cutest one was this little tuk-tuk that they could ride in together:

Jojo was the driver and Deeds was the passenger, next to some strange plastic person. The tuk-tuk goes forward and backward while also rotating slowly in a circle.

I think they rode this one two or three times. It cost 10 baht each time.

After the rides, we each enjoyed a 10 baht ice cream cone (about 35 cents each).

Go Win A High Chair..

2008-09-30T09:35:00.000-07:00

If you want to WIN A HIGH CHAIR , you should be over at Berrie Sweet Picks RIGHT NOW!

Go! Before October 7!!

Craftsbury Kids

2008-09-29T19:32:00.001-07:00

Craftsbury Kids is an amazing selection of handmade treasures for children!

On their web page they describe their philosophy; it's like they can read my mind:

:: A breath of fresh air in a gadget-filled world. ::
Your Source for the Best in Handmade & Independent Design for Kids.

Let your senses revel in the smooth feel of real wood toys, the fine hand of natural fiber baby knits, the beauty of a hand-embroidered piece. In an industry that is over-run with shoddily-made gizmos and gadgets your child doesn't need, take comfort in our carefully handcrafted classic wooden toys, natural fiber dolls, cozy knits, and thoughtful books. A large toy room and nursery full of things may seem impressive, but a small collection of truly useful and beautiful possessions will see far more use, and prove worthy enough to be handed down to the next generation.

Bestill my heart, they are having a giveaway!!

Craftsbury Kids has a new Shopping Section, and is
bigger and better than ever with over 70 artist partners
and counting! To celebrate, we're giving away this
fun-filled prize package worth over $290 -generously
contributed by various Craftsbury Kids artists- to one
lucky person! Enough goodies to treat the kids, and
have some left for gift giving!
Or maybe you'd rather keep them all...

Here's What the Winner Gets!
As shown above from left to right:
Click the links below for more information about the
artists and items:
Gnome Doll by projectgrabbag (one doll, exact style
not pictured), Pumpkin Monster Cape by
Baby Leo Designs, Fox Creature Mask by Abigail Brown,
Itty Bitty Oak Tree by Hi Tree!, Four Pewter Drawer Pulls
by f. is for frank, Owl Bonnet by Beek (size 2-4T),
Spool Doll Family by Erica Daley, Caterpillar Pull Toy
by Brian Driscoll, 'Hello Friend' Print by Marisa Hopkins.

Giveaway Guidelines:
:: There 3 different ways you can enter to win this
amazing prize package:
1- Forward this newsletter to 5 or more of your friends
and CC contest@craftsburykids.com.
2- Blog about our New Section, or some of your favorite
Craftsbury Kids items and/or this contest. Then send a
link to your post to- contest@craftsburykids.com.
2- If you don't have a blog, comment on our blog
at littleida.com about one or two of your favorite
Craftsbury Kids items and why you like them.
:: You have until midnight on Monday, October 6, 2008
to enter. The winner will be randomly chosen and
announced on littleida.com Tuesday October 7th.

Just one of these beautiful handmade items would be amazing to win, but all of them?? I might faint!!

Spooky Halloween Stroller!

2008-09-28T21:12:00.000-07:00

Go over to Sister Sister to enter and win a Mutsy Spider!

Leave a comment on the giveaway post according to the instructions provided!

Easy Homemade Black Bean Burgers

2008-09-28T07:55:00.000-07:00

I sort of made up this recipe today.

What can I say, I'm inspired.

Ingredients:

1 package of taco seasoning

3 cups black beans, divided

1/3 cup bread crumbs

1/3 cup corn

1/4 cup finely chopped onion (you can saute first if you like)

Procedure: Combine 1 1/2 cups of beans with taco seasoning. Mash well (I used my blender; a food processor might be good too. Or, just mash!)
Add remaining ingredients and mix well.
Using a 1/4 cup measure, scoop out the mixture and form into 1/4 cup patties. Set aside

(I got 11 paties out of this.)

Oil a cast-iron skillet. Put a few patties in a heated skillet and cover. Cook for 3-5 minutes and flip. Cover again and cook 3-5 minutes for the other side.

(I tried with the cast-iron skillet AND a teflon coated frying pan and got way better results with the iron one).

You can eat the burgers right away, or put them on a well-oiled cookie sheet and bake for 10 minutes if you like them a bit more crisp (I do!).

Serve on a bun, topped with salsa and sliced avocado.

Yum!

William is Going Green!

2008-09-27T02:24:00.000-07:00

Even William the Garbage truck is going green in this fun book for teaching young kids how to go green in a fun, exciting way!
William begins life as a smoky white garbage truck, but as William learns about conservation, he eventually transforms to a green hybrid recycling truck committed to the fight against global warming!

William is Going Green is the first in a series of children's books with an eco-friendly message that focus on a favorite subject for preschoolers: big trucks!

Other friends of William (crew members) include:

ASHLEY is a street sweeper truck.

	BLAKE, who carefully carries toxic household items like poisons, paints, oil, solvents, automotive fluids, cleaners and herbicides to the city dump.
	STAN, a garbage truck

This is a 38-page, hardcover book is a great pick for young children (I'm speaking as a mom of two vehicle-loving boys!). It is written for children aged 3-8 and features engaging, full-color illustrations.

Interestingly, my own preschooler doesn't have much to say on the subject of the environment.
"Going Green" is something I value and want to teach my children.
My little one is very interested in books of almost any kind, so I hope that kid-friendly books like William Is Going Green can help open his little mind to BIG ideas!

Author James Martin II was inspired to write a book highlighting environmental awareness by something that happened in his own life several years ago:

A few years ago, James, like most people, didn’t fully understand the intricate relationship between the earth and human beings until he inadvertently damaged the environment himself. While landscaping his home in Connecticut, he cut down trees on his property and was immediately fined and instructed to replant. Determined to be more environmentally aware, James educated himself intensely on global warming and conservation. The more he studied, the more driven he was to make a difference. So he replanted the necessary trees but didn’t stop there. He also committed to a daily conservation and recycling routine for himself and his family. Now armed with information, James is dedicated to educating adults and children about how to make our planet a safer, cleaner place to live.

I also love that these books were written from a father to a son, and the message is relevant for everyone!

For more about William the Garbage Truck and his friends, check out http://www.williamandcrew.com/!

The book is available to purchase directly on the website for $14.95 and is also available from other popular online booksellers.

Thanks to Parent Reviewers for the heads-up on this great new book!

Silicone Baking Pans and Recycling Crayons!

2008-09-25T02:57:00.000-07:00

I have these great silicone number and letter molds from Sillycone, Inc.:

I also have many many old bits of crayons, some of them from when I was a child! I was inspired to use the Letter Ice and Number Ice trays to recycle the crayon bits and make something fun for my son:

All I did was break up the crayons and put them in the molds, then put the entire tray (on a cookie sheet) in the oven for about 10 minutes. I took them out to cool after they melted, then easily removed the hardened wax from the flexible molds.

More than an ice tray. More than a pan. ®

It's really a mold that's colorful, educational, flexible & nonstick. A design patent pending product line that's made from high-gloss FDA tested silicone and is oven-safe to 550ºF and (-50F) is cool to the touch within minutes after baking. Food cooks and browns evenly, there's no unbaked pockets or pale looking goods. Our trays won't retain odors or flavors, and are dishwasher safe. For storing, they fold or bend to fit anywhere.

Make Ice, Jell-O, Sidewalk Chalk, Butter, Concrete Numbers, Spell your name in Soap, Make Chocolate Letters, Short Bread Cookies, Number Crayons, Brownies or Muffins, Candles, etc...
A perfect product for Kids Birthdays, Anniversaries, Graduation Parties, an Educational Tool for Back to School, and many more...

I think it came out great, and I can't wait to try it with some other silicone molds I have (hearts for valentines favors, anyone??).

Here is another great idea I found on a blog called Daily Danny. They used a large sheet of melted wax and cut it with cookie cutters while it was still a bit warm:

The full instructions are here, on the Daily Danny blog.

Get more green tips today at the Green Baby Guide! Today is Thrifty Green Thursday!

Vegan Lunchbox Fame

2008-09-23T12:12:00.000-07:00

I am honored to have one a bento contest at The Vegan Lunchbox!

My lunch box is featured here (I'm winner #4!), and she even asked for my recipe for Vegan Roll-Out Oatmeal Cookies and posted it here!

Go Natural Baby: Zah Organics Giveaway!

2008-09-18T10:22:00.001-07:00

Over at Go Natural Baby there is a giveaway for the winner's choice of their adorable Keiko Kimono Dress OR Fairfax Vest by zah organics™ (organic cotton).

The Keiko Dress is available in sizes 12 months- 4t and the Fairfax Vest is available in sizes 3 months-4t. A set of organic cotton washcloths will also be included $7.00).

Go enter! Everything is adorable!

Tofu Burger Recipe

2008-09-14T09:22:00.000-07:00

I just found this recipe online. The source is not credited, and I haven't tried it yet, but it looks easy (although a bit bland; I will add more seasoning when do my trial run!). Another thing I might try would be to bake the patties on parchment paper for about 30 minutes and then try pan frying them LIGHTLY, just for flavor and a firmer texture.

Tofu Burgers
These burgers are quick and easy to make. The ingredients can be mixed in advance and stored in the refrigerator for up to a week. Form and cook the patties as needed. Or you can cook all the patties at one time, then store them in the frig. and reheat them in a toaster oven or microwave. If you want to grill the burgers, precook the patties before putting them on the grill.

1 pound firm tofu, mashed
1/2 cup quick-cooking rolled oats
1 slice whole wheat bread, finely crumbled
1 small onion, finely chopped or 2 tablespoons onion powder
1 1/2 tablespoons finely chopped parsley
3 tablespoons soy sauce
1 teaspoon garlic powder or granules
1/2 teaspoon each: basil, oregano, cumin

Mix the tofu with the rolled oats, bread crumbs, chopped onion, parsley, soy sauce, and seasonings. Knead for a minute or so, until the mixture holds together. Shape into 8 patties. Lightly spray a large skillet (preferably non-stick) with oil then add the patties and brown on both sides.

If you want to be a little daring, experiment by adding finely shredded carrots, zucchini, beets, or chopped walnuts or sunflower seeds.

Organic Baby Stuff SALE ALERT!

2008-09-13T08:01:00.000-07:00

Today is an exciting day at one of my favorite organic baby and children's clothes stores, Go Natural Baby!

Firstly, I have my very own guest post on the Go Natural Baby Blog! Go check it out, and maybe even leave a comment or "digg it" to make it seem like I have fans *wink*.

Also, there is a HUGE BLOWOUT SALE staring today, with 40-50% off of organic baby bedding, blankets, some clothing items, and dolls!
Personally I'm drooling over this adorable Organic Cotton Baby Doll by Sckoon, which is now only $6.00!!!

Go shopping to your heart's content using coupon code: joy at checkout (stock up for Christmas and future baby showers!) Be sure to save me one of those dolls though...

Also on sale are these amazing fair-trade baskets, hand-woven in the historical town of Bolgatanga, Ghana in West Africa.

The Gathering Basket, pictured with Deeds, is now only $15! These baskets are truly works of art. You can feel the quality as soon as you wrap your fingers around the leather handle.

The pail shaped basket is also on my list; at only $13.20 I cannot pass this up!

I saw baskets similar to this at Whole Foods Market one time for about $40!

Jojo wanted one then, but I said "DON"T TOUCH THAT!" (I'm always afraid that high prices might be contagious; I can hardly shop there without hyperventilating). Now he has one from Go Natural Baby, so he shouldn't be traumatized.

Besides the attractive design, this basket is woven of soft elephant grass fibers. The handle is wrapped in hand-tanned leather. It smells like an open field on a breezy spring day. It is a piece of art!
Sometimes my desire for a good bargain meets conflict with my desire for high quality, eco-friendly, and socially conscious products. Things like this beautiful basket push me closer to the good.

At Go Natural Baby's online store you can find Fair Trade and organic cotton clothes for babies and children up to 4T.

This mama-owned company is “bringing the richness of organic cotton and the values of fair trade into the lives of our children”. What a worthy goal!

Win a VIBE Stroller! $800 value!

2008-09-11T11:04:00.000-07:00

You just have to go HERE:

And enter to win one of these:

OR you could go to THIS page and enter to win this:

The Snuggly Blanket's supreme softness and beautiful colours will enhance any nursery and will continue to soothe and comfort your child over the years. This is the perfect blanket for your child - a blanket to last a life-time.

A cream double-sided satin trims the top end of the blanket. It is lovingly edged with a Mexican candy strip French ribbon.

Blog to Fight Diabetes

2008-09-06T10:50:00.000-07:00

Fellow blogger Soy is the New Black has a four-year-old daughter who was recently diagnosed with Type 1 Diabetes.

To raise awareness about Type 1 diabetes, she is having this giveaway . Go over and check it out.

The Magical Loaf Studio

2008-09-04T05:59:00.000-07:00

Roll up, roll up for the Mystery Loaf! Roll up, roll up for the Mystery Loaf! The Magical Mystery Loaf is hoping to take you away....

I am a big fan of The Vegan Lunchbox blog, and she has a great resource for creating vegetarian entrees on her site that she designed called "The Magical Loaf Studio".

You can choose from a check list of various ingredients, select the ones you have on hand and MAGICALLY generate a loaf recipe!

I think that these would also be suitable for forming into burger patties as well.

I have been a vegetarian for a very long time, but have only in the past few years discovered a wealth of vegetarian recipes that are healthy, inexpensive, and fun to eat (not just rice and beans, though I do enjoy that on occasion, too!).

Have fun designing your Magical Loaf (you get to name it, too)!

Look at more "Thrifty Green Thursday" tips over at the Green Baby Guide.

Great Moments in Homemade Veggie Burgers (recipe 1)

2008-09-03T07:47:00.000-07:00

Inspired by Katydid and Kid and her recent vegetarian burger experiments, I thought I would share a few of my favorite recipes.
I have been a vegetarian for over a decade. When I first "went veg" it was kind of hard to find vegetarian convenience foods. I went a little crazy when Bocca Burgers and Morning Star Farms started having options available in the freezer section of normal grocery stores! I ate their products so often that I was actually eating processed foods MORE than when before I became a vegetarian!

This is the first home made veggie burger recipe I ever tried, and I love it. It makes a lot and I freeze the leftovers in a ziplock bag and reheat them one at a time. You can also make "meat balls" out of this recipe. It comes from the Country Life Vegetarian Cookbook.

Oat Burgers

1 1/2 cups chopped onions
2 TBSP olive oil
4 1/2 cups water
1/2 cup soy sauce, unfermented (I have used Braggs Liquid Amino for this)
1 1/2 tsp. garlic powder
1 1/2 TBSP onion powder
1 1/2 tsp. basil
1 tsp oregano
2 tsp ground dill seed (I leave this out because I have never bought it)
1/2 cup nutritional yeast (I got mine from www.BulkFoods.com, but I have also substituted 1/2 cup of sesame seeds when I was half way through a recipe and realized I was out of nutritional yeast!)
1/2 cup sunflower seeds or chopped walnuts
3/4 cup cracked wheat (I have used wheat germ as well)
3 1/2 cups regular rolled oats

In a large pot, saute onions in olive oil until soft. Add remaining ingredients except oats. Stir together and boil for 5 minutes.
Add oats and mix briefly. Reduce heat and simmer 5 more minutes.
Cover, set aside and let sit 1 hour (this lets all of the liquid be absorbed by the oats)
Using 1/2 cup measure dipped into water, fill with oat mixture.
Place on greased cookie sheet (I used parchment paper)
To prevent sticking, dip hands into water before forming into burgers.
Bake at 350 F for 35 minutes.
Turn over and bake additional 15 minutes.

yield: about 15 burgers

I have also pureed all of the ingredients in my blender before boiling.

I did that so that I could feed bits of oatburger to my one-year-old who doesn't have many teeth. It gives it a more uniform texture, but isn't at all neccessary.

Wordless Wednesday: Part of the Problem

2008-09-03T01:24:00.001-07:00

I hated to do it, but we just had to cut down the thick growth around our back gate. I have to get out of the car and manually open the gate every time we come or go, and I was worried that a snake would attack me as I stepped out of the car one day.

Nick saw a snake dragging a huge frog (still alive) by the leg in this spot:

The day after the snake sighting, we sprung into action. This is the view from our driveway:

The alley isn't paved. You can see the tall grass where we stopped clearing (that isn't near our property so we stopped there):

Amber Teething Jewlery

2008-09-01T01:55:00.000-07:00

A few months ago I saw something in an online store called an "amber teething necklace." I wasn't familiar with the many virtues of amber jewelry, but I was still intrigued.

They are made of Baltic amber beads that when placed against the skin and allowed to warm up release natural oils that are supposed to help soothe the teething pain.

Wearing Baltic amber close to the skin is a traditional European remedy for baby teething. A natural analgesic, amber will help calm a baby without resorting to drugs. Used for centuries in Europe, amber's natural anti-inflammatory and pain relieving properties are perfect to soothe teething babies. Amber is fossilized resin, which warms against the skin, releasing it's therapeutic properties safely and naturally.

Personally, I have never tried it on myself or my children, but I am very interested. I thought you guys might like to know that Ohana Mama is having a giveaway for an Amber teething necklace from Inspired by Finn.

I would love to hear from anyone who has used Amber to ease teething pain!

Win One Year of Kiwi Magazine (Not About New Zealand)!

2008-08-27T09:08:00.000-07:00

When I first started hearing buzz about Kiwi Magazine, I figured that it was something to do with hippies from New Zealand or something. In case you are confused, I was wrong.

Kiwi Magazine is an organic family lifestyle and parenting publication for "Growing Families the Natural and Organic Way."
Kiwi Magazine has all of the departments that you would expect from a parenting magazine, but with a "green" twist!

Here is a sampling of what Kiwi Magazine has to offer:

Food and Nutrition: check this article about feeding a family of four healthy, organic food for only $90 a week!
Family and Pets: learn all about Green School Supplies!
In the Green Planet section there is an article about gardening with children.
Topics like choosing natural oral hygiene products are covered in the Health section of Kiwi Magazine.
The Social Responsibility section particularly excites me. Dig this article about volunteer work that children can do (even a 3-year-old!).
I love doing crafts; if you know how to crochet, check out the Eco-Craft section and start on your frankenrumi doll. Actually this no-sew poncho is more on my level.
The Book Reviews section is a cornucopia of eco-friendly wisdom on all things from pregnancy to interior decorating.

If the website is this enlightening, imagine what you could do with a one-year subscription to Kiwi Magazine!

I could conquer the world!

Enter to win a one year subscription to Kiwi Magazine!

To enter, visit the Kiwi Magazine website and comment on this post telling me something from Kiwi Magazine Online that you would like to learn more about!

One winner will be chosen by random integer generator.

This giveaway will close on September 10, 12 midnight.

*Congrats to Michelle Maxwell Nebel who said... Ooooh, what a neat magazine! I had not heard of this before, but it sounds like it's right up my alley.

I love the Family+Pets articles I've skimmed so far -- love that they address TV viewing in moderation, and the article about identifying your child's "play style" was excellent!*

Prizey Contest Listing

2008-08-26T09:38:00.000-07:00

I love hosting giveaways, and I also love entering giveaways. Whenever possible, I list my giveaways on Giveaway Hub Prizey.

Listing on Prizey guarantees that a good amount of traffic will be directed to my giveaway. Of course I hope that readers will come for the giveaway and stay for the genius articles, and that does happen, sometimes.

If you love to enter contests, definitely go over to Prizey and browse the current contests. Prizey lists contests that are easy to enter and don't require you to sign up for some kind of spammy mailing list.

Recently I won an art print from a contest that I found out about through Prizey. I'm hooked!

If you are hosting a giveaway and want to list on Prizey, you can earn one free contest listing by telling them that you were referred by MyGreening! We will both get 5 free "prizey points" that can be spent toward premium contest listings (those are the ones that include a photo).

Alternative Housing

2008-08-22T07:46:00.000-07:00

Want to build one of these? Kind of like a hobbit house, no?

Wordless Wednesday: My Attempt at a Vegan Lunchbox

2008-08-20T05:55:00.000-07:00

Top of my "bento" box I purchased in China several years ago. It says "An intellectual world. I like delicate nature." That pretty much describes me, so I bought it:

Fresh spring rolls filled with sprouts, home made peanut butter, glass noodles, thai basil, and lettuce. Dipping sauce (red bowl), crushed peanuts (blue bowl), and bell peppers.
The spotty white stuff is dragon fruit, the hairy looking things are a fruit called rambutans, and the hearts are home made roll-out oatmeal cookies.

Inside Out Kidz

2008-08-15T09:11:00.000-07:00

It is so exciting that "going green" is a bona fide trend in America these days. One of the fringe benefits is that there are LOTS of new earth-friendly companies now that sell a seemingly endless variety of products.

I really enjoy finding organic children's clothing companies that are new to me. Most recently, I was introduced to Inside Out Kidz!

Inside Out Kidz desires to help children be healthy in a healthy environment by creating onesies, lap-tees, and t-shirts that are 100% certified organic unbleached cotton.

The shirts are printed with simple designs and meaningful messages using water based inks that do not contain PVCs!

Inside Out Kidz clothing is made in the USA!

Use coupon code IOKPROMO for 20% off your order, until December 11, 2008!

Inside Out Kidz wants to give one My Greening reader an Inside Out Kidz clothing item in YOUR choice of style, color, and size! (*$18 value*)

To enter, simply tell me which item from Inside Out Kidz you would like to win (don't forget to tell me color, size, and style!).

One winner will be selected by random integer generator.

This giveaway will close on Saturday, August 23, 12 midnight!

*Congrats, Cool Crafty Mom * !

Social Consciousness: What Do You Buy With Your Luxury Fund?

2008-08-09T08:47:00.000-07:00

Some friends of mine have stared a project called The Luxury Fund.
Here are the details:

Did you know that $1 will provide clean drinking water for an African person for an entire year? And that Americans spend $20 Billion on Ice Cream and $15 Billion on bottled water each year?

In 2001, Americans spent more than $2.1 billion in grocery stores and drugstores on breath freshening products.

Americans spent an estimated $550 million on ringtones in 2007?

We're starting The Luxury Fund in hopes of using some of our "luxury money" to help change the lives of those around the world who suffer from great poverty, disease, and injustice. It's just in the beginning stages. In the first stage, a.k.a. "The Experiment," I'm presenting the idea to people that I know, to see what they think and what sort of response there is.

As Americans, we are very privileged. We have access to doctors, food, clean drinking water and systems that protect us from all sorts of injustice. The majority of the people on the planet are not so privileged. We also have small everyday luxuries that we take for granted, like good coffee, bottled water, energy drinks, soft drinks, ice cream, candy bars, movies ... (obviously this list could go on and on.) We as Americans spend hundreds of BILLIONS of dollars each year on these luxuries while many people in this world suffer without access to clean water, a decent food supply, or protection from injustice. While I think we would all agree there is nothing innately wrong with a premium cup of coffee or a sweet treat every now and then, I want to encourage people to be aware of how much they spend on a daily basis on these things and how that same money could impact our neighbors in other parts of the world.

Our family is participating in "The Experiment." We are planning to decide together what daily luxuries we can give up for a month in hopes of making an impact in the world. We hope this month becomes a way of life for us. Would you like to join us in "The Experiment?" For the next few weeks, could you forgo a chosen luxury? The next time you decide to give up a luxury for the day, come put that money in The Luxury Fund, and let's see what we can do.

We have chosen a few incredible organizations to which The Luxury Fund money will be donated. ( Love 146, Compassion International, Blood:Water Mission, and International Justice Mission ) . At the end of the this month, we will divide the money evenly among these organizations. The intent behind The Luxury Fund is not to condemn the things we are able to enjoy but to help us become more aware of how we are spending and how we can be giving.

Solar Powered Living and Crafting

2008-08-08T08:38:00.000-07:00

I came across a blog a long time ago written by a woman who lives in Maine and makes jewelry and recycled paper crafts, which she sells on Etsy. But what made this artisan stand out in my mind was that she lives completely off-grid in a solar powered home.
Here is her story:

All of my handcrafted jewelry is made in my solar powered home in the Maine woods. My husband, step-daughter, and I have been living with solar power for 9 years now. There are no utility poles on our road whatsoever, and as we are a half-mile back, it wasn't a hard decision for us to "go green" and utilize the sun's rays to power our home.

Twelve photovoltaic (solar) panels, a 3600 watt power-inverter, and twelve 6-volt batteries now make up our system, along with various meters and controllers and lightening arrestors and circuit breakers. The value of which is somewhere around $15,000. If we were to have put in enough utility poles to reach our home, we would have been looking at over $20,000, not to mention the monthly electric bill. Almost all of the components of our solar system are guaranteed to produce their rated amount of power for 15-20 years! And of course most of it is still going to work after that.
So, even if we didn't have to pay to put in utility poles, we still would be saving money on our electricity by using solar power. If you take the cost of our system and divide it by even the low end of the rated spectrum-15 years-we're only paying $83.00 a month for our electric. And if you think about it, 15 years from now $83.00 is going to be less than it is today.

Plus, it's reliable! My mom still calls me when her power goes out to see if mine did too, "No Ma, my power doesn't go out, we make our own, remember?"

And it's good for the earth! We all live here, we've got no where else to go, so we better be good to the earth.

If you are thinking about solar power, but are scared by the thought of dishing out $15K, you don't have to do it all at once. Our homesteading adventure began with us living in a tent and we slowly built our house, and are still building it in fact! Just as we have built up our home, we built up our solar system. We started out with just a 12 volt light and a car battery we would swap with the one in our vehicle and use the alternator to recharge it as we drove to work. Quickly we progressed to a $40. power inverter and two second-hand solar panels. A lot of the things we have used to build our home and our solar system are second hand. As I said earlier, the equipment is guaranteed for 15-20 years and most of the stuff you can get used is only a few years old with plenty of life left.
We are pretty comfortable with the amount of electricity we make now. We haven't had to use the generator to charge the batteries in a couple of years, the solar panels we have are now adequate for that. And we never come near using the 3,600 watts we make with our inverter. But as we didn't always have this amount of power available to us, we have become used to living a little differently than most folks. For instance, we don't leave lights on unnecessarily, we make toast on the stove top in a dry pan, not in a toaster, etc. At this point we could use a hairdryer, a toaster, whatever, but we have just come so accustomed to not using these things and we actually prefer this simpler way of living.
I encourage anyone who's interested in becoming more green and reducing their carbon-footprint, or become more self-sufficient to power their home with solar. You won't be sorry you did.

I hope to one day live with off-grid power as well. It is good to hear it from someone who has been down this road already. If she can do it, maybe I can too!

Conserving Water in The Home

2008-08-06T20:06:00.000-07:00

Like many consumers, I am working towards a life style with a smaller carbon footprint. Some steps have been easy for me, such as taking reusable bags on shopping trips, or replacing paper products with cloth. But one of my weaknesses is the desire to indulge in a long, hot, shower...every day.

I have a pet peeve with people who embrace the "green movement" only on a surface level and do very little to actually conserve resources. I was so excited when LetsGoGreen.biz offered to sponsor a Water Conservation Kit giveaway on my blog.

Last summer, my state experienced a long drought. This resulted in the water company putting a penalty fee on homes that used more than a certain amount of water in a given month. We did all we could to conserve water and avoid the financial penalty; I bathed the kids in the kitchen sink instead of the big bath tub, we never watered the yard (we used rain barrels to keep some tomato plants alive), never filled up the kiddie pool, and, yes, we stopped flushing the toilet every time.
The toilet thing was a bit embarrassing. I was always worried about unexpected guests discovering that we were letting the yellow mellow. I would much rather save water using these inexpensive products from LetsGoGreen.biz:

This low flow faucet aerator reduces your bathroom sink output to only 1.5 gallons per minute. It installs easily without any tools. I did it myself with one hand! It took about 20 seconds. The aerator results in a nice, even spray from the sink. I have one of these...I need another for the second bathroom!

The Low Flow Earth Massage shower head also installs easily without tools and uses only 1.5 gallons per minute....that is 40% less than the average shower head. With this baby, I can still take a long shower while using 40% less water than before! And it has a massage setting. Woohoo!

The adjustable flapper prevents leaks in the toilet tank and saves thousands of gallons of water per year. And you can still flush.

This little jewel is a low-flow kitchen faucet aerator. It uses only 1.5 gallons of water per minute and has an on/off valve so that you can get the water to the temperature you want, turn it off when your soaping the dishes, and turn it back on when you are ready to rinse. I love using this in my kitchen; it even swivels!

The Household Water Conservation Kit from LetsGoGreen.biz includes all of the above, as well as leak detector tablets and a flow meter bag!

This is SO easy to use and can make a BIG difference in the amount of water you use in your home. The kit is only $21.99 at LetsGoGreen.biz and with the coupon code "FRIEND", you can save 25% ! It is fun to see how much you can save on your water bill while feeling good about conserving the world's clean water supply!

I'm hoping to add the Shower Coach and a couple of Toilet Tank Banks to my array of water-saving tools in the future!

LetsGoGreen.biz wants to give away a Household Water Conservation Kit to one MyGreening reader!

To enter, visit LetsGoGreen.biz and tell me another product from their store that you love or would like to know more about.

One winner will be chosen by random number generator at random.org.

This contest will close on Monday, August 18th, 12 midnight.

*Congrats, kagey10 ! *

Eco-Friendly Gifts Don't Have to Be Boring

2008-08-06T07:20:00.000-07:00

Just when you thought you were out of gift ideas for the Eco-minded person in your life, along comes something that they are guaranteed NOT to already have.

PoopooPaper.com sells a variety of beautiful (really) paper products produced from dried elephant dung. The idea of paper made out of poop might seem kind of scary at first. Here are the details of the process from PooPooPaper.Com:

We collect naturally dried elephant dung from elephant conservation parks and bring it back to our paper-making factory. • We then pre-rinse the elephant dung with water, leaving only the fibrous materials from the grasses, bamboo & fruits they've eaten. • Afterwards, we place the fibers into a giant pot of boiling water to ensure the fibers are super clean. After this thorough cleaning, any color that we may want to add can be added. • Natural fibers from banana trees & pineapples are added to the dung mixture so the paper will be thicker & stronger. • Once this is all mixed together, we separate the moist fibers into small “cakes' or “wafers” of about 300-400 grams each. • The cakes are spread evenly over a mesh-bottomed tray measuring about 60cm by 90cm. • The tray is leaned up against a tree, angled toward the sun and allowed to dry naturally for a few hours. • Once dry, we peel the sheet of paper from the mesh tray and start making Poo Poo Paper products.

I will admit that I have indeed seen some Poo Poo Paper products while in Chiang Mai, Thailand two years ago.

I wouldn't mind having one of these Poo Poo Paper journals. And at only $12.99 each, you can support a good cause and not go broke!

Go Green: Back to School

2008-08-04T11:32:00.000-07:00

MyHealthySchool.com provides teachers, administrators and parents with action plans for creating greener, healthier, more socially responsible schools and children. As a result of this combined effort, our children will learn how to make decisions that benefit their communities, the environment and their own lives.

Sponsored in part by Kiwi Magazine, MyHealthySchool.com offers a wealth of resources for helping your school (and your student) to go green one step at a time. You can find a list of green school supplies (Office Depot brand folders make the cut!), advice on starting a school garden, starting a recycling program at your school, tips on packing a healthy lunch, and a waste free lunch guide.

Teachers and parents can also find ideas for how to teach concepts of social responsibility (and why it is important)! I find that children love to be a part of a cause and are usually very eager to do what they can when they learn about recycling or fair trade. There are also some free download able activities for kids from Kiwi Magazine.

You can send your child back to school in an organic cotton or hemp school uniform from Kid Bean. Don't forget a backpack made from recycled drinking bottles, and your little scholar will be on his or her way to saving the earth!

Eco-Friendly Birthday Parties

2008-08-03T01:51:00.000-07:00

I was so excited to find www.OneMomAndAParty.com among my discoveries when I was browsing through the Bloggy Carnival last week.

Modern birthday parties, as we know, generate A LOT of waste. The typical birthday party results in a mass of disposable plates, cutlery, napkins, cups, balloons, wrapping paper, banners...the list goes on and on!

One Mom And A Party sells eco-friendly party supplies in a variety of festive themes. Check out the super cute Flip Flop Party Set (pictured) that includes a fabric flip flop table cloth, stripy napkins, and flip floppy goody bags.

I am totally smitten with the White Stars Napkin Set...it makes me want to have a tea party! I'm also looking forward to the Birthday Banners that are supposed to be "coming soon"! Think of it: a unique fabric, washable Happy Birthday Banner that can be reused for YEARS. That is a family tradition starting, my friends!

My favorite thing about One Mom And A Party, though, is not the super adorable table linens: Terry has assembled a wealth of FANTASTIC ideas for throwing an eco-friendly party of just about any type!

You can look at a list of possible themes for an Earth friendly party (do you prefer a Montessori party? Indoor? Outdoor? Destination? Take your pick!). Once you choose a theme, take a look at the Activity Ideas page. After that, you can plan the menu with the Eco-Friendly Party food section! But Terry didn't stop there (she is amazing)! You can look at ideas for a Baby Buffet (for a first birthday), Toddler Party Foods, Picnic Foods, Healthy Birthday Cakes (say what?), and even Free Recipes!

I can't wait to use One Mom And A Party as a planning resource for my next birthday party! Maybe I'll start planning RIGHT NOW!

Wrap-N-Mat for Waste Free Lunches

2008-08-02T00:23:00.000-07:00

A long time ago when I wanted to be Green but I had no idea where to start, I discovered the mom-invented Wrap-N-Mat on a review blog. I thought it was a genius solution for lunch boxes everywhere. The Wrap-N-Mat is a reusable sandwich wrap that unfolds to become a travel-friendly place mat!

Before I bought 2 Wrap-N-Mats, I was using resealable plastic containers to transport my sandwiches. I didn't like how the containers were bulky and took up a lot of room whether there was a sandwich inside or not. Also, in the meantime, my preschooler started going to a Montessori school, and it was required that all of the students be able to open and close their lunch containers WITHOUT HELP.

My son can't manage a plastic container, but he can easily open and close his Wrap-N-Mat, even at age 3 1/2.

Wrap-N-Mats are recommended by www.MyHealthySchool.Com; they have lots of tips to help parents equip their children for a healthy school day!

We have four Wrap-N-Mats: two in the PEVA lined Eco Print and two in the PEVA lined Solid Kelly Green. My husband uses them when he packs his own lunch, and it never fails that someone expresses interest in the Wrap-N-Mat when they see him using one (or two).

Jojo used the Eco Print Wrap-N-Mat in a noodle shop in Laos. We brought his own sandwich because I was afraid the soup would be too spicy for him to eat.

The Wrap-N-Mat is a great place mat. Jojo is enjoying some watermelon that we transported in a sippy cup.

We have used our Wrap-N-Mat for sandwiches, bagels, hot dogs (actually a pb and j on a hot dog bun), and handfuls of chips. Our Wrap-N-Mats have been used at work, school, restaurants, in car trips, and airplane trips.

The Wrap-N-Mat is an easy and inexpensive way to reduce your waste, provide a germ-free surface for eating, and keep your sandwiches fresh!

The Wrap-N-Mat is available for purchase at www.Wrap-N-Mat.com .

Win your own Wrap-N-Mat! www.Wrap-N-mat.com is giving away one Wrap-N-Mat to a My Greening reader!

To enter, simply tell me what design (not mentioned on this post) that you like the best!

One winner will be chosen by random integer generator.

This giveaway will close on August 11th, 12 midnight CST.

*Congrats, Lisa!*

ImagiPlaying

2008-07-28T03:00:00.000-07:00

I LOVE toys made out of natural materials. There are so many advantages to choosing wooden play things, including durability, safety, and beautiful simplicity. I was excited to discover ImagiPLAY toys, which are made from plantation-grown chemical-free rubberwood and bamboo (which is actually a grass). ImagiPLAY uses safe, renewable materials, no child labor, and pays it's factory workers a living wage. But besides being ecologically responsible and crafting toys with integrity, ImagiPLAY toys are adorable and downright fun!
My 3 1/2 year old got a new ImagiPLAY toy called puzzleplay. It is a puzzle and an 18 piece play set all in one! In the rainforest play set that we have, the pieces are in the shapes of various rainforest animals. The animals are thick enough to stand up on their own. This is a terrific toy that can be enjoyed in a variety of ways.

I wondered if Jojo would have the skills to do the puzzle; it looked pretty challenging to me, but it was no problem for Jojo.

ImagiPLAY also has a line of toys for toddlers: Baby Deeds has his very own Pushalong Duck. The wood is gorgeous and smooth, hand painted using child-safe (lead free) paints. The wheels on the Pushalong Duck have little rubber "tires" so that it rolls smoothly and doesn't scratch surfaces.

Deeds has fun pushing his Pushalong Duck, but he also likes to kick it, making it roll really quickly, so that he can "run" after it and kick it again! I have tried to teach him that ducks make a "quack quack" sound, but Deeds makes his Pushalong Duck go "vroom vroom"!

Check out this cool Arctic Expedition play set! It has a variety of arctic-themed figures that store nicely inside of a fabric igloo! I think it is one of the neatest and most practical ideas for a play set that I have ever seen! Jojo likes to hook the dog sled around the dog's tail and haul the other members of the Expedition. The Arctic Expedition play set sees A LOT of action at our house. I'm going to borrow the igloo and polar bears for a Christmas centerpiece. Shh! Don't tell the kids!

Isn't this African Safari set the cutest? I love the baobob tree the little baboon that fits so nicely on top of it. The driver of the safari jeep also slides inside like a puzzle piece.

I think it is so important to give my children quality playthings that help them learn about the world around them. ImagiPLAY playsets are a great way to introduce simple concepts of ecology and zoology.

ImagiPLAY also has an ENORMOUS variety of Colorific Earth Puzzles for teaching numbers, letters, spatial relations, and hand-eye coordination.
The hand-painted, 3-D Number Snake is a fabulous manipulative for a tactile learner to explore number sequencing (as a teacher I get excited about these things!).

So, how would you like to win an amazing prize from ImagiPLAY?

You could win the VERY COOL ZOOM TO THE MOON playset ($27 value)!

To enter, simply comment here with your favorite ImagiPlay puzzle (besides the snake, of course!).

One winner will be chosen by Random Integer Generator at www.random.org and notified by email.

This giveaway will close on Sunday, August 3, 12 midnight.

*Congrats to jnmacdonald*

Stay Tuned Until 8 AM Monday

2008-07-27T20:10:00.000-07:00

Since Green Moms are Usually Crunchy...

2008-07-18T02:26:00.000-07:00

Pop on over to Mom Most Traveled to enter and win an Ultimate Baby Mei Tai by Parents of Invention. Cool!

CamelBak delivers BPA-Free Hydration

2008-06-30T19:31:00.000-07:00

If you are like me, you engaged in a major "drinking vessel" clean-out when the news broke about harmful BPA in plastics. I tossed out sippy cups, baby bottles, and my beloved sports bottle.

I was more than thrilled when I heard about the new BPA-Free CamelBak Better Bottle. This is the first ever CLEAR reusable water bottle that is BPA-Free.
It is stylish, safe, leak-proof, and fun to use! The very first morning I started using my BPA-Free CamelBak Better Bottle, my preschooler asked for a drink on the way to school. In about ten minutes he had consumed almost 16 ounces of water (which is A LOT for a 3-year-old). Finally he grunted, "muh tummy hurts!", but that was easily remedied by a visit to the bathroom.
After that incident, my child learned a little more temperance. But still, this neat little "flip, bite, and sip" valve is fun to drink out of, and it really is completely leak-proof (even when the straw is in the "up" position).
I also love that the BPA-Free CamelBak Better Bottle is dish washer safe and does not give the water a "plastic taste". It really is a Better Bottle! We love ours!

I have one to share with you!

CamelBak is allowing me to giveaway a CamelBak Better Bottle just like mine!

To enter, just look here and comment on this post telling me one other color of the Better Bottle you like.

If you would like to order a BPA free CamelBak Bottle from Lets Go Green!, use the coupon code "FRIEND" to receive 25% off your order! Wow!

This giveaway will close on July 6 at 9pm CST.

One winner will be chosen via random integer generator and will have 48 hours to claim his or her prize once notified.

*Congrats to ANNE S who said...Like the Ocean, thanks.*

To Market, To Market with Reisenthel Market Basket

2008-06-26T21:17:00.000-07:00

The "green movement" is really taking off this year; it seems that a lot of people who wouldn't consider themselves "hippies" are making small changes in their lives to be more environmentally friendly. Every grocery store chain is selling their own reusable shopping bags; I am developing quite a collection. When I got my very own Reisenthel Market Basket, I felt that I had finally reached an oasis of reusable-shopping STYLE in a sea of lack luster fabric bags.

I love this basket. It is light (made from tear-proof polyester and sleek aluminum), very sturdy (it holds up to 55 pounds, but I'm not sure I can), has a small zippered pocket on the inside, and a nice, rigid bottom.

I have enjoyed taking my Reisenthel basket shopping; I fill it with neccessary coupons before I go to the store, and then use it instead of a shopping cart while I'm there. I feel that I look more like a well put together Euro-shopper when I use my Reisenthel Market Basket. Sometimes when I have a handful of fabric bags, I'm afraid I look like the "harried hippy mom".

I love that the Reisenthel Market Basket is lightweight and collapsible: I plan to use it in Asia when I go to outdoor markets. I think it would be a handy way to corral the children's toys when we are traveling, because I can set it up easily in a hotel room as a mini-toy box.

The Market Basket is a smart alternative to giveaway plastic & paper bags. Lightweight, collapsible and comfortable to carry. Comparable size to store hand basket. Ideally suited for farmer's markets, small grocery loads, picnics, & gardening.

The Reisenthel Market Basket is available for purchase at ReusableBags.com . They also have a very adorable Kids Market Basket by Reisenthel: it is a wee version of the original; definitely on my wish list!

I have a Reisenthel Market Basket in the Art Deco design (pictured with Baby Deak, but new, still in the package) to giveaway to one very lucky MyGreening reader!

To enter, just comment here with your favorite Reisenthel product not mentioned in this review.
Get an extra entry for subscribing to myRSS feed .

One winner will be chosen by random integer generator.

This contest will close on July 5, 9pm CST.

*The Winner (thanks to her EXTRA ENTRY!!) is

Kathleen @ Katydid & Kid, who said...: I also subscribed to your feed.*

SoapNuts Winners II

2008-06-19T21:27:00.000-07:00

The winners of one sample pack of SoapNuts are:

Danielle said...

Citrus Mist is for me!

Kimberly B. said...

I'd love to try the sweet orange essential oil. Thanks!

Samantha P said...

i'd love citrus mist!

Pamela said...

I'm torn between the energy and baby powder scents!

Jenny Jones, who said...

WHOO!! Soapnuts are back I can feel a win coming on!! I want some free soapnuts!!

AND the winner of the SoapNuts Starter Kit is....

windycindy, who said...

Evening, I have read many good things about these "Soapnuts!" I find them highly unusual looking and unbelievable at what they can do! The
lavender oil is what I love. Please enter me in your drawing. Thanks,Cindi

Okay ladies! Time to claim your prizes!

Handmade Beanies for Your Bean-head!

2008-06-13T06:14:00.000-07:00

The Portland Beanie Shop on etsy offers adorable hand crocheted beanie hats in a variety of sizes from infant to adult.
The Portland Beanie Shop is a small, family-run business located in Portland, Oregon (naturally!). Judging from the wide variety of styles and sizes, Nili, the fiber artist behind The Portland Beanie shop, has been very busy!

You can win a beanie from The Portland Beanie Shop! Nili has offered the winner's choice of a visor beanie or flowered visor beanie in any size between 0-3 m and 2T-4T! You pick the color!

To enter, just go browse the WIDE selection at The Portland Beanie Shop.

Come back here and comment with an item you like from the store! You can tell me which size and color you would like to win, or another item you think is cute!

One winner will be chosen by Random Number Generator. Be sure I have a way to contact you if you win.

This contest will close on June 21, 9pm CST.

*Congrats to the winner, Team Chilton who said...

I LOVE the yellow with the flowers, visor style for a girl. LOVE IT....if I have a boy, I'd go with an ear flap style with the khaki color and blue, so hard to choose! Either way, probably 6-12 month size. Awesome giveaway!

Two Gnomes, Two Winners!

2008-06-12T19:44:00.000-07:00

The winners of the hand knit gnomes from Green Mountain Wee Woolies are:
TheAngelForever, who said...

Gorgeous creations! I really like the Wool Salad :)

Thanks for the great giveaway! AND,

craftylady5780 who said...

Where do you begin w/ this one! I want it ALL! I want to learn to knit it all too. I think you would find ME playing w/ her toys... FUN!
Please contact me within 72 hours to claim your prizes! Congrats!

Melissa Vest Tote Winner

2008-06-11T19:51:00.000-07:00

We have a winner, out of 144 entries:

JenO , who said...

I love the eye chart one! All tho all are totally cute!

Enjoy your Grocery Getter Tote by Melissa Vest Designs!

Stay tuned for a new giveaway tomorrow!

My 3-year-old on Homelessness

2008-06-10T14:11:00.000-07:00

Me:
Jojo, do you see that man over there? He doesn't have a house. He has to carry a lot of stuff because he doesn't have a house to put it in.

Jojo (in a serious voice):
"he don't have a house. but he can't go to the store because houses don't live at the store? but what can he do? we can buy he a clock but he don't have a house. he can't go to his mama. when he was a baby he have a house."

Me:
Where does he sleep?

Jojo:
"he sleeps outside."

Me:
Where does he go when it rains?

Jojo:
"he gets a umbrella."

Me:
He can't take a bath because he doesn't have a house with a bathtub.

"he can take a bath in the rain. he needs to go to the beach to dry off."

SoapNuts for Everyone!

2008-06-08T18:21:00.000-07:00

Snuggly, fresh laundry, anyone? Remember my previous review on SoapNuts from Laundry Tree? Since my last post about SoapNuts, my mother, who is not a hippy, has embraced SoapNuts. And some friends of mine, who ARE hippies, are exploring the possibility of stocking SoapNuts in their store. SoapNuts cross the barriers of age, creed, color, religion, and lifestyle. Hooray for SoapNuts!

Now, LaundryTree is giving away 5 SoapNuts samples to 5 lucky My Greening readers! And ONE lucky winner will receive a SoapNuts Starter Pack, which is a 100g package of SoapNuts and 1 oz. of scented oil in the aroma of your choice! That is a value of $15.00!

Reasons why SoapNuts are good for the environment:

One little drawstring bag of 3 to 4 SoapNuts can be used FOUR TIMES! The same four SoapNuts can wash 4 loads of laundry!
SoapNuts are organically grown (chemical free!).
SoapNuts are biodegradable. After they have done their four loads of laundry (did you just READ THAT?), just toss them into the compost pile.

Since SoapNuts are free of chemicals, they are great for sensitive skin (like eczema). I'm really loving SoapNuts for my entire family!

I was thinking how convenient SoapNuts would be for traveling...no zip-lock bag of detergent to spill when you are trying to do laundry on vacation (in the condo or laundry mat)!

If you check out the website, there are recipes for making other types of cleaning supplies out of SoapNuts...try SoapNut Soak!

LaundryTree would like to give away samples of SoapNuts to FIVE MyGreening readers! The sample size includes 8 SoapNuts...enough for up to 8 loads of laundry!

To enter, just leave a comment on this post telling me which of the scented oils from Laundry Tree you would like if you are the BIG SoapNuts Starter Kit Winner ($15 value)!

FIVE winners will be chosen to receive a SoapNuts Sample pack.

This contest will close on June 17, 9pm CST.

A total of SIX winners will be selected by Random Number Generator.

If you don't win, or if you just need to restock,

Laundry Tree has also offered to extend the discount code for My Greening readers! Until 7/1/08, you can get 10% off the 100g bag of SoapNuts using the coupon code MYGREENING.

Green Mountain Wee Woolies

2008-06-04T19:45:00.000-07:00

Handmade, natural toys are something that I REALLY get excited about. I especially love Waldorf toys (which are classic, simple, and designed to be open-ended). If I had some sort of windfall of cash, I would be powerless to resist all hand felted, crocheted and knitted toys.

Since I appreciate the finer things in the world of toys, I am smitten with Green Mountain Wee Woolies etsy shop. Fiber artist Valerie has been handcrafting since childhood. All of that practice has paid off in the form of beautiful, timeless wool toys and baby knits. These are perfect for anyone who recognizes that fine hand-crafted toys are works of art as well as treasured playthings.

One my favorites is this cute little a la carte collection of veggies. Those peas look rather tasty...

There are also fruits, if that is your preference.

I also spotted some knitted gnomes frolicking about in the garden...

There are so many wonderful things at Green Mountain Wee Woolies...I have been browsing for a while now and need to pull myself away!

But first I have a generous giveaway from Valerie of Green Mountain Wee Woolies fame:

TWO winners will each receive a knitted Wool Gnome in their choice of color! The gnomes are 7" tall, knit from wool yarn, and stuffed with carded wool. Natural fibers and VERY CUTE!

To enter, visit Green Mountain Wee Woolies and look around.

Comment here with the name of something you like from the store that was NOT mentioned in this post.

This giveaway will close on June 12, 9pm CST.

TWO winners will be chosen by random number generator.

Hooray for prizes!

Shopping Totes Can Be Cute, Too!

2008-06-02T19:17:00.000-07:00

Melissa Vest Designs has a plethora of BIG (15"x18"x6") TOTE BAGS, which are useful for just about anything that needs toting. Some of them have snarky messages, and some of them are contemplative, but they are each a unique statement in the form of functional art!

You might recognize this Grocery Getter Red Bicycle Tote Bag from the April Issue of Pregnancy and Newborn Magazine!
These cotton tote bags are made in the USA and are embellished via a direct printing process which dyes the design right into the fibers.

Look at this design, perfect for snagging hotties at the co-op. If co-ops have hotties. Not all of them do. Nevertheless, it is always good to be prepared:
Get Fresh With Me! *insert kitten pur here*. That could work some magic. Watch out now! Fresh food is good, too, but everyone loves a little double entendre. There are a lot of little jewels in Melissa Vest's Designs, but I want you to browse the 91 different totes and unearth them yourself!

Melissa Vest Designs donates one dollar from the sale of every tote bag in her etsy shop to a local food bank project. So far Melissa Vest Designs donations have purchased two flats of corn, one flat of soup, and one flat of peanut butter from the proceeds! That is a fantastic start! It is great to support those who support the suffering!

Melissa Vest Designs is giving away a Grocery Getter Red Bicycle Tote Bag (retail $24.00) to one lucky My Greening Reader!
To enter, visit the Melissa Vest Designs etsy shop and comment here telling me a tote design you love that was not mentioned in this post!

One winner will be chosen using a random number generator.

This contest will close on June 11, 9pm CST

Eco Filter Winner!

2008-06-01T19:40:00.001-07:00

Jubilation! We have a winner!

The winner of the Eco Filter is

Bebemiqui said...I like the reusable aspect. Great giveaway! Count me in.

Congrats! Stay tuned for more giveaways!

Adiri Natural Nurser

2008-05-27T20:07:00.000-07:00

My baby is VERY happy, because today we started using Adiri Natural Nurser Baby Bottles. We still nurse, but increasingly there have been times that we need to be apart for short periods, including when I am at work part-time. When I am away from him, I don't want him to be entirely dependent on my return to give him nourishment. I snack between meals a lot myself!

What is good about Adiri?

100% polycarbonate-free and BPA-free
beautiful design
easy to fill and prepare for use
includes cover to protect nipple from dirt and germs
dishwasher safe
Adiri bottles are shaped like a mother's breast!

My son adores using Adiri bottles. I was so excited to try them that I gave him a bottle of water. He started to drink it and then stopped and smiled at me! He happily began to "milk" the bottle with his hands while he continued to "nurse" on the Adiri.

I have often wondered why baby bottles to not resemble an actual breast in any way. Do a lot of people have 2-inch long nipples shaped like pencils? (that was a rhetorical question; no show of hands, please). An Adiri bottle would make the transitions between breast and bottle feeding seamless and interchangeable. It's revolutionary.

Eco Filter Giveaway

2008-05-24T20:06:00.001-07:00

If 25% of Los Angeles residents make 1 pot of coffee in the morning using a paper filter, (one used filter measures 5cu. Inches) this amounts to 81,159 cu. Ft. of trash per day. (approximately 10,000 sq. ft. in area, the size of two McDonald's buildings).

Going Green is about making small changes to lessen my impact on the planet. Something small and easy to change is the way I filter my coffee.

ECO FILTER is a gourmet coffee filter made form tightly-woven, unbleached cotton.
It can be used in the place of a paper coffee filter and needs only to be rinsed in between uses. However if you feel the need, ECO FILTER can be washed in the dish washer. ECO FILTER comes in a pack of two, so it is easy to rotate when one is being washed and dried.

ECO FILTER comes in a variety of sizes to fit most any coffee maker.

Eco Filter allows the diterpenes (found in the oil droplets) and coffee sediment to be filtered out. A Dutch study, cited in the UC Berkeley Wellness Letter March 1997, stated that if people trying to lower their blood cholesterol should not drink unfiltered European style coffee, such as that made in a French press.

So, if you would like to make great tasting, healthy, earth-friendly coffee, you should try an Eco Filter!

ECO FILTER is giving away a set of 2 Eco Filters in your choice of size to one lucky My Greening reader.
To enter, visit the Eco Filter website and comment here telling me something you like about Eco Filter.
Make sure I have a way to contact you if you win!

Contest will close on June 1, 9pm CST. One winner will be chosen by Random Number Generator.

Smart, Green Consumer Resource

2008-05-19T21:20:00.000-07:00

Climate Counts is a collaborative effort to bring consumers and companies together in the fight against global climate change. We are a nonprofit organization funded by Stonyfield Farm, Inc. and launched in collaboration with Clean Air-Cool Planet.
[...]
Our goal is to motivate deeper awareness among consumers-not only that the issue of climate change demands their attention, but also that they have the power to support companies that take climate change seriously - and avoid those that don't. When consumers take action and raise their voices on issues that matter to them, businesses pay attention. A loud and clear consumer movement that demands more aggressive corporate action on climate change will not fall on deaf ears.

Check Climate Counts for the Climate Counts Company Scorecard to see how serious companies are about stopping climate change - and how they compare to their sector competitors. The annually updated scorecard reflects the self-reported efforts of companies to address climate change - or avoid it altogether.

SoapNuts Winners!

2008-05-16T20:11:00.000-07:00

Time to draw a winner out of the hat!
Actually today we have FIVE winners who will get to try SoapNuts for free! They were selected via a random number generator at www.random.org

The winners are:

Swtlilchick who said... I would love to try SoapNuts.
They sound great.I get so upset
having to dispose of those bottles
of laundry detergent.What a nice
find.Thanks for the giveaway

valerie who said...: I'll try anything once and if you say they work then I trust you.
(Valerie, I don't have a way to contact you so please email me!)

Mary512 who said...: Wow what a cool product. I am also trying to 'green' our family lately by purchasing mostly organic/natural or recycled. So this is right up my ally. I have never heard of anything like this, would love to try it. Great giveaway, thanks!
Grateful Gramma who said...: What an interesting idea. These would be fun to try!
and
Emily Ecklund, who said...: Wow! Sounds like a wonderful alternative...would love to try something different :)

I will contact the winners soon! (Right now I'm afraid my typing will wake baby Deak)

If you didn't win, stay tuned for another giveaway next week! We have a coffee related giveaway coming up (hmmm...) and another chance to win some SoapNuts!

What is your Greendex?

2008-05-15T21:13:00.000-07:00

From National Geographic:

What Is the Greendex?

You've read the news—everyone wants to be green now. But do you really know how your personal choices are adding up? What about the choices of your fellow citizens? How well are people around the globe adopting behaviors that can make the world a more environmentally sustainable place?

National Geographic and the international polling firm GlobeScan have just conducted a study measuring and monitoring consumer progress toward environmentally sustainable consumption in 14 countries around the world.

Click here to Calculate your Greendex!

(I got a 60!)

How To Recycle Almost Anything

2008-05-12T20:46:00.001-07:00

I have a very hard time throwing away things. I mean, I'm not OCD (am I?), but I just don't want to waste anything.
Some people give me grief for this, saying things like, "What are you going to DO with THAT?"
My usual reply is, "I don't know...but I'm sure it's good for SOMETHING."

Thankfully, I have found a website called How Can I Recycle This? ...an answer to my "what to do?" dilemma!

If you get stumped, you can post a query on the website, such as, "How Can I Reuse or Recycle Meat Bones?" and other readers will give you suggestions.

I got some good tips about reusing yogurt containers, unused tampons, and body scrubbers just browsing the site.

SoapNuts From Laundry Tree

2008-05-10T10:00:00.000-07:00

I have found a product that is new-to-me, easy to use, and good for the environment (what a winning combination!)
I'm talking about SoapNuts (say what?) from Laundry Tree.
What are SoapNuts? They look like this:
They come from the Sapindus Mukorossi tree, which is found in Nepal, Indonesia, and India.
All that is done to the soap nuts to prepare them for use is to harvest, de-seed, and dry them in the sun.

When I received my sample pack in the mail, I was excited to try SoapNuts, but also a little wary. What if they somehow messed up my clothes?

I followed the directions that were included.
First, three to four soapnuts are placed inside of the small cotton drawstring bag (included).

Then the little bag is put into the washing machine with the load of clothes (warm or hot water works best for SoapNuts).

I washed a (very big front-loader washing machine) load of beach towels and other whites. Yes, I trusted my whites to the SoapNuts.

SoapNuts made the laundry clean, non-perfumy...just the way I like it. We didn't use a fabric softener and the towels came out nice and fluffy!

Even my (not a hippy) mother tried SoapNuts and was pleasantly surprised!

Reasons why SoapNuts are good for the environment:

One little drawstring bag of 3 to 4 SoapNuts can be used FOUR TIMES! The same four SoapNuts can wash 4 loads of laundry!
SoapNuts are organically grown (chemical free!).
SoapNuts are biodegradable. After they have done their four loads of laundry (did you just READ THAT?), just toss them into the compost pile.

Since SoapNuts are free of chemicals, they are great for sensitive skin (like eczema). I'm really loving SoapNuts for my entire family!

I was thinking how convenient SoapNuts would be for traveling...no zip-lock bag of detergent to spill when you are trying to do laundry on vacation (in the condo or laundry mat)!

If you check out the website, there are recipes for making other types of cleaning supplies out of SoapNuts.

Laundry Tree would like to give away samples of SoapNuts to FIVE MyGreening readers! The sample size includes 8 SoapNuts...enough for up to 8 loads of laundry!

To enter, just leave a comment on this post with your thoughts about SoapNuts. FIVE winners will be chosen randomly on 5-16-08, after 10pm CST.

Laundry Tree has also offered a discount to My Greening readers! Until 6/1/08, you can get 10% off the 100g bag of SoapNuts using the coupon code MYGREENING.

Organic Snack Food Winner!

2008-05-09T21:18:00.000-07:00

Gray Matters won the Organic Snack Food from Snikiddy Snacks!
More delicious than baby toes!

Congrats!

Stay tuned for another giveaway soon...

EASY Composting

2008-05-08T20:44:00.000-07:00

I love the idea of composting, but I have never officially "composted". I mean, my entire life I have thrown food scraps out the back door to a place behind the bushes, but I have never had a "compost bin". When I run across an article about composting in one of those homesteading magazines, it looks extremely intimidating.
I'm a big advocate of the "green movement" being achievable for city dwellers. After all, half the world's population will live in urban areas by the end of this year and about 70 percent will be city dwellers by 2050 (according to the UN).
Rural folks can't save the earth alone!

So, (back on track here...) I was excited to see this Automatic Indoor Composter by NatureMill. It takes up less space than those trash-compactors from decades past, and it serves a useful purpose. The NatureMill composting machine can compost up to 120 lbs of food per month. (According to a study by the University of Arizona Garbage Project, Americans throw away 1.3 pounds of food every day, or 474.5 pounds per year.)
The instructions, per the company website, sound very easy and apartment-friendly:

Deposit food waste items at any time, on any day. Add up to 120 lbs (55kg) per month. For best results, cut items into small pieces. Items remain in the upper chamber, with "hot composting" conditions: mixing, air flow, heat, and moisture. The energy released destroys odors, pathogens, and seed germination. The compost is later transferred through a trap door to the lower cure tray chamber, where it continues to compost while you add fresh waste items to the upper chamber.
No odors, worms, or bugs: Cultures consume waste quickly, without odors. The cultures produce a mild aroma similar to sourdough, mushrooms, or damp straw. Balance the chemistry by adding a small amount of sawdust to increase "brown" content, and baking soda to reduce acidity (both are included). A fan draws air into the machine continuously, providing oxygen to the cultures. A powerful carbon filter removes any lingering odors. Replace the filter every 4-5 years ($8 online, or about $1 if you buy the carbon yourself).

The initial investment is something to consider, but the ease of use will guarantee that you get your money's worth.

BONUS: NatureMill is offering FREE SHIPPING to MyGreening readers with the coupon code FREESHIPPING847.

Organic Snack Food Giveaway!

2008-05-05T20:17:00.000-07:00

My 3 ½ year-old son, Jonas, helped me check out Snikiddy Snacks . I was a little worried because I have a great love of health food but my son has never been much of an eater. He has been this way his entire life. Really, he only likes marshmallows and would eat them all day if allowed.
I gave him a bag of the Snikiddy Chocolate Chippers while we were riding in the car. His response? “CHOCOLATE! When I get home, I can get another bag!” When I asked if I could taste one, he replied very sweetly, “No, thanks.” These cookies got the picky child seal of approval!

I did sneak a taste out of another bag when he wasn’t looking and they are very good. They don’t taste like something is missing as a lot of healthy prepared snacks do. I can usually pass on a packaged cookie, but I could definitely eat an entire bag of Snikiddy Snacks! And that would be okay, because the entire (.85 oz) bag only contains 5g of fat and 120 calories!

We also tried Snikiddy Grilled Cheese Puffs. You know how many puffed cheese snacks pale in comparison to the original? These are actually BETTER. They are the right density, have a good flavor, and don’t leave a greasy aftertaste. I have seen my child pass on processed cheese snacks after only a few bites, but he steadily munched on the Snikiddy Snacks until they were gone! I was also impressed that one (.06 oz) bag of Grilled Cheese Puffs contains only 3g of fat and 80 calories!

So while you can feel good about giving Snikiddy Snacks to your kids (and being sure that they will definitely eat it), Snikiddy Snacks are also good news to us snackin’ parents out there who need to watch our waist lines!

This is a review that I wrote for The Opinionated Parent, which ran on 5/3.

See also:

Z Recommends: They're Organic, But Are They Healthy? Sizing Up Snikiddy Kids' Snacks

My Little Organic Cotton Model

2008-05-04T19:23:00.001-07:00

I need to post these fresh-off-the-memory card pictures that I took today of the debut of baby D's new organic terry cotton clothes from Go Natural Baby's Zah Collection!
Am I the only one who thinks everyone looks great in a kimono top?
If I had a girl I would want her to wear this: It's the Keiko dress. Presently I have two boys and zero girl children, so I will have to be satisfied with kimono shirts instead of cutie-pie dresses.

Baby D was a little unsure about touching the sand. This is our 4th day at the beach! I guess he just needs more time to wrap his little baby mind around the "sand" concept.
He was, however interested in playing with his fair trade Gathering Basket. I love this basket. The fibers are soft and it even has the wonderful smell of sun-dried elephant grass.
Don't worry, we didn't pick the sea oats! We just had lots of fun exploring and enjoying a fun morning in the sand!
We are fortunate to be staying in a place with access to a more natural section of the beach. It is in between two large, protected areas. We are seeing lots of gulls and crabs and not a lot of people or rubbish!

Matchstick Garden Giveaway Winners!

2008-05-03T19:42:00.001-07:00

Baby Deak would like to announce the winners of the Matchstick Garden Giveaway. For the occasion he is wearing a spinach leaf mustache.

The first winner is.....

nor_lou , who said...: Matchstick Garden - Mixed Greens (my girls love mixed greens)
I also like their Garden Lab, how cool to watch the plants grow without dirt in the way of your view

The second winner is...

Naomi, who said...: The Nippon Work Gloves are totally going to be my hubby's Father's Day gift... so cool!

Baby Deaky is so happy for you both! Happy Gardening!

Don't Forget...

2008-05-02T17:55:00.000-07:00

Don't Forget...Matchstick Garden Giveaway ends tomorrow! Stay tuned next week when I get home from vacation...we'll have two new giveaways. I'll give you a hint: one has to do with LAUNDRY, and the other has to do with EATING. Hmmm....

I'm living the beach bum life this week, and I noticed something CRAZY...why would someone take disposable cups to the beach? There isn't even trash cans near by, so you have to carry it back with you anyway. Why not just bring reusable cups? It is just as easy. Little changes can add up to a big impact!

DIY Cloth Bags

2008-04-30T21:05:00.000-07:00

I am on vacation this week, but when I return next Wednesday we will be having MORE fun giveaways, so stay tuned!
I will try to update here when I can, but I don't have giveaway capabilities until I return!
For now, here is something for you to chew on:
Rags to Bags is a website that teaches how to make very unique reusable bags out of old clothing. Some of them look really cool!

I noticed at my recent yard sale that hardly anyone bought clothes! So I'm always looking for ideas that will help me reuse my old stuff.
Go craft something!

Green Travel

2008-04-29T21:28:00.000-07:00

The folks at MyGreening are packing for a trip to the beach!
I starting thinking about what changes we could make in order to be more eco-friendly on vacation.
Here are our strategies:

we will bring our cloth diapers
we will bring our own cloth napkins. This will cut down on paper waste during meals.
we are bringing 2 slow cookers so that we can make meals but no one has to slave in the kitchen while everyone else is frolicking on the beach. This will save natural gas by not using the stove, and save gasoline by not driving to restaurants. It also saves time and stress!
we are NOT using "travel sized" toiletries. These result in more throw away containers.

If you are planning a beach trip, check HERE before you purchase sunscreen. You can view the Cosmetic Safety Database to check if your sunscreen is free from hazardous chemicals. I think that is good to know!

The Matchbook Garden Giveaway is going great! I'm excited to be able to introduce my readers to a new, fun, green product!

Fabulous Matchstick Garden Giveaway!

2008-04-28T20:30:00.000-07:00

This just in!
Brooklyn 5&10 has decided to give away 2 sets of 4 Matchstick Garden matchbooks to 2 My Greening readers! That is $10 worth of Matchstick Gardening!

To enter:

go to this website and look around.
Leave a comment below telling me which Matchstick Garden you would most like to try, and one other product from Brooklyn 5&10 that you think is neat!
For an extra entry, blog about this contest (and leave a comment telling me the link)
for an another extra entry, subscribe to my RSS feed.

(max. 3 entries per person!)

Deadline for Entry is 5/3. Good luck!

Gardening with Matches

2008-04-27T20:00:00.000-07:00

A few weeks ago I ran across a neat little invention called "matchstick garden". It is a little book of paper "matches" that contain seeds on the ends. When planted, they grow into herbs or wildflowers (as specified on the packaging).

This is info from their website:

There are two styles of Matchstick Garden available, either four herbs or wildflower seeds already mixed on the end of each matchstick. The Mixed Herb Matchstick Garden contents Basil, Chives, Parsley, and Thyme. The Wildflower Matchstick Garden contains Cornflower, Shasta Daisy, Corn Marigold, and Field Poppy. Each matchbook is 3" W x 2" H with 10 matchsticks. Easy to follow instructions are printed inside. The Matchstick Garden a great party favor, stocking stuffer and surprising gift!

My preschool-aged son loves gardening, and I thought something like this would be a fun and manageable way for parents without gardening skills (myself included) to start growing with their children.

This is easily more useful than growing "magic rocks". Hydrated Silica, anyone? Most likely NOT organic.

Dining Out without Eating Resources

2008-04-26T19:30:00.001-07:00

Last night my family went out to eat at a pizza restaurant. I hadn't been to this particular restaurant in about 3 years. The food was good, but I was really disappointed to find that:

all of the plates were paper (no non-disposable plate option)
our plastic (disposable) cups were made from #6 plastic (not food safe)
all of the cutlery was plastic
sauces were served in #6 plastic (disposable) containers

I told my husband that we need to start packing some kind of "emergency dining-out kit" that includes reusable plates, cups, cutlery, bowls, cloth napkins, and drinking straws.

If you are an entrepreneur, I would suggest you begin putting together some kind of kit like this in an organic cotton drawstring bag.

Here are the types of things you might include:

bamboo or stainless steel drinking straws
cloth napkins (serviettes). You could do a kids set or a classic set.
Reusable unbreakable plates and/or bowls, in wood, stainless, or safe plastic. These are child-sized, and so is this one. Here are some cute child-sized snack bowls.
bamboo or stainless utensils (for the children, too!)
reusable cups. You could go cheap with some mason jars, or go exotic with some coconut cups, or go homestead and make some out of gourds...there are plenty of possibilities.
maybe throw in a couple of bamboo condiment cups, to avoid using disposable containers for various sauces.

Viola! Green on the Go!

Giftionizer Winner!

2008-04-26T05:28:00.000-07:00

I had such a great time doing the Bloggy Carnival! Some of your stories about bad gifts really made me laugh!
Here are my favorites:

The Reads, who said...

The worst gift I ever received was when I was 16, it was a needlepointed sunflower blue jean vest! Yikes! My poor Grandma thought she was being cool! Thanks for the giveaway.

Niki , who said...the worst gift i ever got was a ceramic plaque for the powder room that had a picture of a boy holding his ummmm, member, standing over a toilet

like who would hang that up?

LOL

Karin, who said...

A giant pacifier from a co-worker....she said I should give it to our boss when he annoyed me.????????????? I thought it was weird-- and a very odd gift. It is especially annoying when you think someone is giving you a nice gift and they give you something like that..... I think I threw it in the garbage!

Richelle, who said...

Worst gift, probably the sweatshirt with a collar from my grandma (looked just like what she loved to wear, but I didn't appreciate it when I was in high school)

Tara , who said...The worst gift, was at my sons baby shower, I was given a pink and purple jumper for him that was from a store that closed down 15 years prior!!

Reeva said...

What a great giveaway! I hope i'm the lucky winner :)

by far, my worst gift ever was a bull scrotum purse ..yuck!

That was so fun! But the winner, determined by a random number generator, is Ginny!

Ginny said, "Worst gift would be a very ugly sweater from my grandma. I don't even think she would have worn it. She likes to give me the stuff nobody else wants."

Congrats, Ginny! Thanks everyone for making this such a fun giveaway!

Proud Green Mama Moment

2008-04-25T20:42:00.000-07:00

Last week my 3 1/2-year-old son was quietly busy outside for a good while. Eventually he told me to come outside and see what he had been working on.
He used all of his little toy garden tools (which are metal, so they are actually functional).
He carefully took this small flower out of it's flower pot....
and he "planted" it! I was so touched, and very very proud.

Green Book Winner!

2008-04-23T21:56:00.000-07:00

Taryn is the winner of the green book! Her comment was...

Hmmm.. I plan on starting a compost bin because once we move I can have a real garden in the ground and not in pots! :)

Thanks to all who entered! Don't forget to enter my other giveaway this week!