And we're off...

Hubby and I haven't been camping since our honeymoon...5 years ago. We used to camp all the time, but the last time I even sleep in a tent outdoors was when we were at the cabin and all the beds were gone, so to be polite we slept outside. Unfortunately I was 8 months pregnant, and still get back pains thinking about it...
So this weekend we are off on a camping adventure with a few of our friends while the kids get to party with the grandparents. (We promised to take them along next summer!) Ok, it is not all camping, we are also going to a wedding and I refuse to get all dolled up using the rear-view mirror, so we will be spending a night in a hotel too so I can look fabulous as well! (Trust me, all the ladies demanded this!) See you Monday!

Nie Nie Day

In case you didn't know, today is officially Nie Nie day, dubbed so by Design Mom (and what Design Mom says, you'd better do...)
Nie Nie (Stephanie) and her husband were involved in a very serious plane crash, her sister talks about it her on her blog. Her sister is an amazing rock. Her writings are absolutely heart-warming, and I can only hope if tragedy were to strike me, I could be that well composed and handle it as beautifully as she is. What has absolutely amazed me is the strength, compassion, and generosity of the blog-o-sphere community.
So while I don't have anything to auction, I will be checking them all out. See Design Mom again.
Please do the same, and if you don't buy give: money, time, prayers, thoughts, good karma, love, anything you can. Because life is a circle and someday it will be returned.

10 Trees for $10!

No kidding. I got an email from the Arbor Day Foundation with an offer for new membership. New members who join now for $10.00 get their choice of 10 trees. (Your options...Flowering, Blue Spruces, Redbuds, White Pines, Norway Spruces, Redcedars, Oaks, and MORE!)

"Your 10 free trees are guaranteed to grow, or the Foundation will replace them free of charge. Your six to twelve inch trees will come postpaid (Free shipping) with easy planting instructions.

If you wish, you can choose to have the 10 free trees sent to another address, such as your place of worship. You may also choose to receive the membership without the trees. You will still enjoy all of the great benefits of becoming a Arbor Day Foundation member."

I am totally signing up. Nothing better than flowering trees in the spring. Or, maybe as a present to my sister who needs some landscaping. We could split the trees! Plus, there is nothing greener than trees!

Whip it up Wednesday: Bathroom

Home-made cleaners really are fantastic, and cheap. At Costco I can buy a white vinegar the size of my two year old for about $3.00. It lasts me at least 6 months and is the base of almost all my home-made cleaners because of its high acid level (It kills a lot of crap) which is why it is great when cleaning the bathroom.

Toilet Scrub
Dump into your toilet:
1-2 squirts plant based, biodegradable dish soap (I use Method)
1/4-1/3 cup Baking Soda
1/4-1/3 cup Vinegar
Let it fizz a little, then brush it around with a toilet brush. Flush and you're done!



I used to be an avid Method Shower Spray user until one day when I ran out and found this recipe. The switch was instant!

Daily Shower Cleaner
In a old Spray Bottle Mix (I used my old Method bottle)
3/4 Water
1/4 White Vinegar
2-3 tsp. Tea Tree Oil
Shake, Spray!

Fashion & Earth

I'm so excited for this online store to open and I haven't even seen what all they have to offer! But any day now...
Fashion & Earth says it will sell affordable, eco-chic clothing that also meets fair trade requirements. Stay tuned and check out the site. While you're their sign up for the mailing list and get 20% off your first purchase!...I wonder if this store will rank as high as Stewart and Brown does for me!

Gimme more Monday

Another Monday already! Time to feel lucky and enter some contests! Who knows, by the end of the week, the mailman might just have a little surprise for you!


I know I would be probably the COOLEST mom if my son wondered into his bedroom only to find the SuperCharged Sheet Set by Pixel Organics on his bed. GreenMomFinds has a set available to one very lucky mom and kid!

I love a good bath or a nice hot shower (short, of course!). I'd love it even more with some Straweberry Lemonade Body Scrub from 100% Pure. Can you imagine how SOFT your skin would be! KatyDidandKid has one up for grabs!

Another bathtime yum, Organic Wild Blueberry Lotion...Yum...Win it at SomthingSnappee yum...

SomethingSnappee has a Microfiber Cleaning Cloth from Blue Wonder. I'm a little skeptical about these cloths, like, what makes them different from the microfiber towels I buy at Target? I'd love to win and compare. I'd probably be pleasantly surprised.

I really would like to get all new, safe water bottles for everyone in the house. (Including my husband who hides his Nalgene bottle in his trunk so I don't throw it out. AMamasBlog has a BPA water bottle up for grabs!

I used FuzziBunz with my two kids for their first year and loved THEM! (Thanks Holly!) We had no diaper rash, no leaks, nothing. Win a set from GreenandCleanMom! Trust me, there are NO pins or folding involved.

While they are in their cute little FuzziBunz, cover them up with an organic onesie from Eco Ike. SageAndSavvy has one up for grabs!

A few of my favorite sites

There are a few sites that I check like a manic. Even if I subscribe to their feed, I still click on the url because I think, maybe my feed isn't up to date...I know, I'm a little obsessive.
So, here are a few of my FAVORITE green blogs in no particular order!

http://greenmomfinds.com/
Check out the community forum-its great! http://greenmomfinds.ning.com/
http://www.greenandcleanmom.org/
http://www.greendaily.com/
http://www.naturemoms.com/


By the way, I got an email that ModernMom.com was setting up a group in Minnesota, but I'm not really a regular to the site. Anyone belong to a group near them. Is it worth the membership fee. I was totally ready to go for it when they said "spa and wine ladies nights", sounds like heaven, but I HATE joining things blindly! Thanks!!

Being nice...

I'm being a nice little sister and helping my big brother and his family unload the semi that just rolled up filled to the brim with their old house!
Be back tomorrow!

Whip it up Wednesday

Seriously, right now two of my most favorite things are two different home-made cleaners. LAME, I know, but we all get our kicks somewhere!
So, no more secrets, here they are, whip up your own!

HEAVY DUTY Floor Cleaner (my whole first floor is cement sealed with a water based sealant. This does the trick and does not harm or take off the sealant.)
1-2 Gallons warm water
1/2 cup White vinegar
1/4 cup Restore Degreaser or Citra-Solv Degreaser (this is optional, but useful on high traffic areas)
2 squirts plant based, biodegradable, dish soap (I use Method)

This same recipe can be put in a spray bottle and used as an All-Purpose Citrus Spray

Bleach Free Disinfectant
Take an old spray bottle.
Fill 3/4 fill water
Add 1/4 white vinegar (OK leave some room on the top!)
3 Tablespoons Baking Soda
1 Tablespoon Lemon Juice
1 Tablepoon Borax (optional) please note: Though Borax is non-toxic to the environment it is toxic to kids. Keep away if you use.

Save the earth from your computer

There are some days were I just become addicted to the internet. Maybe it is because I have a whole lot of house cleaning I just don't want to tackle, yet. Or, maybe the kids were extra tiring before their naps and I need to decompress...I can go on, I have lots of excuses... So while you (ahem) waste your day away, do something for Mother Earth at the same time. These sites will help:

ECOCHO
Ecocho uses your web searches to promote tree growing projects (and carbon offsetting generally). We generate funds through advertising, which we use to buy carbon offset credits. These credits allow us (and you of course!) to contribute cash towards carbon dioxide (CO2) emission offset. We estimate that every 1000 searches on ecocho will help remove a ton of CO2 from the atmosphere.

emPivot (aka-The Green Youtube)
emPivot.com is a video sharing website and a powerful aggregator of green-related media content for anyone and everyone to access on-line. Our diverse community of users (people, organizations, and companies) can upload video content, connect with each other to share media, and utilize our strong video search engine to find the most relevant green-related video content from emPivot.com and the rest of the web. As a result emPivot.com empowers the world to view green from every possible angle.

Eco-Tube (aka- The Other Green Youtube)
"Our mission is to build a community of like minded people. More than just a video sharing website, it’s a one stop video portal allowing viewers to make up their own minds about the issues facing our civilization today.As an organization Ecotube holds no affiliation with any view points, we provide a forum for people to express their opinions on video and give them a right to reply about the issues facing our civilization today. We let you add your own comments to films that are submitted to our site, using words or video.We are a more than profit company, we accept paid advertising in order to keep the website running so we can help be part of the tipping point in changing the way we live on the planet.We advertise products for sale to maximize awareness of alternatives in the market place that are less damaging to the environment and encourage responsible use of the planet’s resources.As the antithesis of the glossy marketing industry we encourage users to review eco products – we call this reality advertising."


Hide your kids for this one...
(I'll abreviate) F***forForest
Fuckforforest is a non-profit eco porn organization. FFF is created by people who want to have a exciting experience and a good feeling for protecting nature, having real fun with sex and nudity, not faked, not staged, but impulsive and living. With the help from sexually free people and by showing the beauty of natural love, nudity and sex we wish to direct attention to and collect money for the Earth’s threatened nature. Saving the planet IS sexy!

Is Bush my new favorite President?

President Bush finally did something I APPROVE OF, for the first time in his presidency.
Last week, President Bush signed a law that PROHIBTS lead in children's products, (we were all fearing a veto.)
The law also bans phthalates and DOUBLES the Consumer Safety Products Commission budget.
"Phthalates are used to make some plastics and are thought to be hormone-mimicking, possibly causing reproductive problems, especially in boys. They are also found in some toiletries.
While this law is a giant step forward, be conscious of other places where phthalates can still be found, including perfumes, lotions and other toiletries. Use FRAGRANCE FREE- (not unscented, which can still contain fragrance) and run your products through the Cosmetics Database to make sure you are using the safest products possible. Also be aware of vinyl shower curtains and air fresheners, which can also contain phthalates."-greendaily


Last week, President Bush signed legislation banning lead from children's products, imposing the toughest standard in the world. The law prohibits lead in children's products and the bill was passed with significant margins in both houses of Congress a few weeks ago, but it was not known if Bush would veto the bill. Well, he didn't. He signed it. Go President Bush!

The law also bans phthalates, a chemical that is used to make plastics softer. The law also strengthens the Consumer Safety Products Commisssion by doubling its budget.

Phthalates are used to make some plastics and are thought to be hormone-mimicking, possibly causing reproductive problems, especially in boys. They are also found in some toiletries.

While this law is a giant step forward, be conscious of other places where phthalates can still be found, including perfumes, lotions and other toiletries. Use fragrance-free products (not unscented necessarily, which can still contain fragrance) and run your products through the Cosmetics Database to make sure you are using the safest products possible. Also be aware of vinyl shower curtains and air fresheners, which can also contain phthalates.

Gimme More Monday

Ahh, Monday, time to waste some time entering some fabulous GREEN contests!

GreenMomFinds has a beautiful tote up for grabs. I just need two more totes and I should be paper bag free when I go BIG grocery shopping!!
I know, school is almost here. I can't believe we are doing pre-school this year. GreenAndCleanMom has a back to school assignment for you, and in return you could win a great back to school kit!
To celebrate her 29th Birthday (yay, Happy Birthday) Mama K is giving away a $29 Gift Certificate to Non-Toxic Tots. I'm always impressed with Mom's who run their own eco-friendly store, and this one looks great!! Click here to enter!
BusyMommyProductReview (wow, thats a mouthful!) has highlighted one of my favorite stores of the last month, GreenPartyGood.com. (If you are coming to Cade's party, you are eating off of plates from there, using forks and cups from there as well!) They also have great party favors, and she's giving away a Felted party hat and handmade toy! WOW!
Something I am totally dying for, NEW SOCKS, and Dianne over at SomethingSnappee has a pair of adult and baby BAMBOO socks up for grabs. I have a bamboo shirt, and it is soft as silk, I can only imagine how great these socks feel! So enter, and if you win, send them to me!!
And finally, NowEnteringMomville introduced me to a new way to waste, no, gloriously SPEND my money on cute eco-friendly clothes from Mountains of Moon. I am in love with the Emma mini dress, I might have to order it whether I win or not so I can show off my "I run 5 miles a day" legs! She has a $30 gift card up for grabs, and my list is growing and growing...


Enjoy!!

Giddy like a Green School-girl

I just placed my order at GreenPartyGood and I am literally giddy. I wish I had done overnight shipping because I cannot wait for the UPS man to come so I can play with all the fun eco-friendly items I bought for Cade's party.
For plates, we will be eating off the Sugarcaneware plates-
"Disposable, compostable & biodegradable plates made from 100% bagasse - sugarcane fiber remaining after extraction of juice from the sugarcane. Sugarcane is not only a readily renewable resource, but the sugarcane fiber can be turned into products normally made from plastic or paper. This avoids the pollution from normal burning of sugarcane pulp after juice extraction. These biodegradable plates are soak proof, have no plastic or wax lining applied to it and can be used for both hot and cold items."
I will have the kids decorate the plates with Edible ink felt pens. I happen to have some on hand, and I'm sure they will have fun drawing on a few each day up until the party. (read: don't feel bad if you get a blank plate people...)
To drink, we have Cornware cups! Biodegradable and compostable!
The napkins I found were perfect. There is somewhat of an inside joke with rocks in this family for Cade's birthday. (Last year it was literally all he wanted, this year he is getting a sand/rock box) SO, when I saw these, I couldn't pass them up!
Finally for cake, or for those who need a fork to eat chips...maybe not...we got Cornware Forks.

Do you understand my excitement? Last year we shopped at a party warehouse store and I KNOW I spent DOUBLE what I spent today on my order and I'm pretty sure I walked away with less last year since the party was smaller. This year I got more and we are 100% eco-friendly! Thanks GreenPartyGoods! It's going to feel like MY birthday the day these arrive!

Green News

You may notice the new, fairly large msnbc.com Going Green newsfeed on my blog. (Look to your right...) I just partnered with MSNBC's Going Green network and I have to say it is great. If you see a story that interests you, click, it will open a new window, and you'll be sure to learn more. Their collection of articles are great and they are constantly changing. I know I am usually pretty skeptical of ad's on blogs, but the only "ad" is below the newsfeed. I promise, if you click on a story it will take you only to the story, won't download anything funny, and won't give you any ugly pop-ups.
So, after you find a story that interests you, click around, I'm certain you'll find more.

Invitations=DONE

Cade and I finished designing his birthday invitations. We decided to make an email invitation (GREEN!) and sort of simplified his chip idea. He loved having his "photo shoot" with mom and even told me how big and small to make the circles. Check it out. I'd love to know what you think!

We've now been shopping for "healthy, organic" chips because I'm not having a party with 8 little kids running around with Cheeto fingers!! Trader Joe's has had the best selection so far and we already have some Flat Earth chips, anyone else have any other idea where to find healthy chips?! (I can't believe I just wrote healthy and chips in the same sentence...)

I can't wait for my next baby shower, I already have a handful of fun gifts to give, but these onesies from teesforchange.com top my list right now! Just look how cute they are!




I think she NEEDS to make these into kids shirts too! Her adult shirts are great too, and the simple saying on them are just wonderful. (Breathe Deeply, Laugh Often, to name a few)
TeesForChange is a fantastic company and Andreea Ayers, the woman behind the company, is passionate about living an eco-friendly lifestyle. Her shirts are 100% organic cotton and bamboo. AND, for every shirt you buy, a tree is planted!

Right now a lot of tee's are 40% off, so it is a great time to check the site out! Enjoy!

Gimme more Monday

I love a good giveaway, ask my husband, he thinks I am semi-insane (yet he wouldn't trade the 100% organic (SUPER SOFT) sheets I won for anything). So I am announcing the start of Gimme more Monday where I will highlight some great GREEN giveaways...and maybe you too can have the excitement of waiting for the UPS man to bring you something amazing!


CrunchyGreenMom is giving away some great Melissa and Doug play food. All natural wood toys, yay!
Back to school is coming up way to fast and Teensygreen.com has TWO backpacks up for grabs, and yes, they are very environmentally friendly. Learn to pack healthy Vegan lunches from the book Vegan Lunch Box in this giveaway from Green Mom Finds. Put the lunch in HERE, an organic lunch sak from Mommyland.

Got a baby. No your dog doesn't count, a real baby. The Full Mommy is giving away Seventh Generation Diapers, Wipes, and more!!

Enter, enjoy, and cross your finger!!

PS. And if you want to return the favor, I am up for some fabulous chocolate prizes HERE.
Just go HERE and vote for DOWN THE CHOCOLATE LOOKING HOLE.
THANKS!

Green chips?

I'm having a bit of a dilemma. My son's birthday is in a month, and ALL he wants is chips for his birthday, even down to the cake. That is no problem, I can oblige his wishes. However, I really want to send out some fun invitations so people don't come expecting a meal, they'll know its just chips. So, I'm thinking chip bags would be an awesome invitation. Instead of the nutrition label I'd like to have the how, what, when, etc. listed...Is this even possible? Is there a way to do it green? Is it mailable?? HELP!
If I figure it out, I'll post it here. If you help me, I'll post it here. I just need something to get me going!
Thanks and enjoy your weekend!!

#1 reason to go GREEN

Reason #2 is looking over his shoulder, slightly out of frame...

Paper-lose it...

5 minute for going green posted an excellent post on ways to reduce paper. I thought it was easy, obtainable, and complete...so I'm stealing the list and posting it here! To read the full story, go here.

1. Choose recycled paper products. Everything from recycled office paper to recycled toilet paper is available at our local grocery stores. By choosing products made from recycled paper, we can save the lives of trees. For every 17 trees saved, you are helping the earth to absorb 250 pounds of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere each year.

2. Invest in reusable dinnerware (at home and for the office). Eating dinner at home usually means eating with washable glass and ceramic dish ware and cups, and with stainless steel or silver cutlery. But, what about the occasional take out night, BBQ, or eating out? Admittedly, it is easy to clean up disposable dinnerware, but by eating and drinking from washable and reusable ware, you can reduce the ware and tear on good old mama earth. If you must choose easy to dispose of dinnerware, look for eco-dinnerware that is biodegradable and earth friendly.

3. BYOB. That is, bring your own bag to the grocery store and other shops. A single tree produces only 700 paper grocery bags, which a moderately busy grocery store can blow through in an hour. This adds up to lots and lots of trees being eaten up to tote goodies back and forth between shops and home. Make a small difference and save the lives of a few trees. Bring your own, reusable shopping bag. Many reusable bags are available at supermarkets and hardware stores, and several fashionable and reusable shopping bags can be found for more style savvy shoppers.

4. Don't forget your handkerchief. Saying sayonara to toilet paper may sound extreme, however, one T.P.-free family who chooses good old fashioned water and cloth say that these alternatives to T.P. are more sanitary. But, if going without T.P. gets you down, forest friendly toilet paper is now available. According to Greenpeace's Kleercut.net, brands of toilet that are ancient forest friendly include: CVS Bathroom Tissue 1000, Cascades, Marcal, Natural Value, Earth First, Seventh Generation, Trader Joe's, 365 Everyday Value. To learn whether or not your current T.P. is ancient forest friendly, click here. A 2005 issue of Ideal Bite explains the benefits of replacing virgin fiber toilet paper with paper made from post consumer content, noting that if all American households switched only a single roll, almost a half million trees each year could be saved.

5. Boycott Paper towels. With a new baby in tow, streamline my cleaning routine added up to more leisure time for my husband and me (which we liked to devote to sleep). Rather than going through an entire roll of paper towels each week for house cleaning, we use several cleaning rags and attractive dish towels. Now when there's a mess to clean up, even my 19 month old knows how to wipe up a mess with a cloth dish towel.

6. Choose digital subscriptions. Our family refuses to buy magazines from the news stand and only purchases used magazines from our local library. However, when we're eager to read fresh news, we hop onto the internet and check out our favorite zines. On-line magazine and newspaper subscriptions are available at TheMagazineBoy.com and at Barnes & Noble's on-line shop.

7. Visit your local library. All you need to do is sign up for a library card and voila! You now have free access to books galore, all at the low, low price of, FREE! Borrowing books from the library is a fantastic way to save paper (and ink) and money. Support your local library and your own budget by borrowing and not buying books.

8. Personalize gift wrap. Paper gift wrap isn't the only way to wrap a present. I'm not suggesting that you repurpose old newspaper for gift giving, but there are so many creative ways that we can stylize gift wrap without adding to paper consumption. One of my favorite ways to package gifts is to repurpose old cigar boxes by decoupaging the box, dressing up an already attractive box with ribbon, and painting cigar boxes with eco-friendly paint. Danny Seo, an environmental crafter and lifestyle expert, has a fabulous book called Simply Green Giving detailing creative ways to present gifts in recycled containers, repurposing common items for gift wrap rather than wasting paper gift wrap.

9. Say No to Receipts. Do you really need a receipt at the bank, the gas station, or from your local coffee shop? By declining your receipt, you are helping save paper, and collectively, the lives of trees. Understandably, some receipts are necessary for our taxes and for items we may need to return. However, when all that receipts to add up to is a heap of paper in your wallet or purse, say no to these little slips of paper.

10. Pay attention to packaging. Buy your favorite products in bulk and with minimal packaging. Better yet, eat fresh foods and cook your own meals rather than eating out, which often results in unnecessary wasted paper and other food packaging.

And the winner is...

Sara, who said:
"Have you tried Clare Bare lingerie?? It is eco-friendly and CUTE!! http://www.theokobox.com/manufacturers.php?manufacturerid=24
The OKO BOX has some other great eco friendly designers on it as well!!"

I checked out their lingerie and it is adorable!! Thanks Sara and have a blast spending the $50.00!
Hopefully everyone had a great time and found some fun clothes too! Eco-friendly and cute, how can you go wrong!