Mom Goes Green

(This giveaway is now closed for entries… see “comments” for the winner!)

This is the 5^th and final giveaway on this little trip we’ve taken through some fantastic eco-products!  Today’s giveaway allows you to GET something for yourself but also GIVE to others.

It’s Zulugrass from The Leakey Collection!  (Now, who doesn’t love jewelry?)  Zulugrass is both unique and beautiful… this jewelry is made of natural grass beads (yes, grass!) dyed in rich colors & hues and combined with glass beads.  Each piece is handmade by the Massai women of Kenya and, with every purchase, you not only support the women’s work but funds are routed back to the local women, their families and communities to support education and health.

See, it’s absolutely possible to give the gift of opportunity while you’re getting a little something for yourself.  (And with the holidays fast approaching too, it’s definitely something worth considering for gift-giving!) I have two amazing strands in colors of green (imagine that!). They can become bracelets, necklaces, belts, anything(!) and I think you might love them, so…

…would you like to ‘get the goods’ and ‘do some good’ at the same time?  Then just leave a comment here saying you’d like to win, or send a Twitter message that includes a reply to @momgoesgreen and a link to this blog. Facebook friends can also leave a comment to be entered. The winner will be randomly selected on November 12! (U.S. entries only… sorry.)

Be sure to check out Zulugrass and The Leakey Collection too… their work is beautiful!

I hope you’ve enjoyed Mom Goes Green’s Five Days of Giveaways journey through fantastic eco-goodies! I’ve always believed that with every choice, there is a greener option… “Choose Green”!

(This giveaway is now closed for entries… see “comments” for the winner!)

We’re on to the fourth giveaway… and it’s another great one! We’ve covered some giveaways for you, for your baby, for the whole family and now it’s time to send one of your kids off to lunch in the coolest, greenest way possible!

It’s Citizenpip’s lunchkit! Everything is BPA-free, safe, reusable, eco-friendly galore and super cute! Perfect for avoiding all of that needless lunchtime trash.  (Did you happen to know that, on average, a child throws away about 67 pounds of trash in one school year?!?)

Today, you can win a FREE Square Meal Kit! It includes an insulated lunch bag, stainless steel water bottle, thermos and fork & spoon set, four food containers and five cotton napkins.

Does your little citizen need some pip?  Then just leave a comment here saying you’d like to win, or send a Twitter message that includes a reply to @momgoesgreen and a link to this blog. Facebook friends can also leave a comment to be entered. The winner will be randomly selected on November 9! (U.S. entries only… sorry.)

Enter to win and turn lunchtime “Citizenpip” green… minus the 67 pounds of trash!

(This giveaway is now closed for entries… see “comments” for the winner!)

You got it, baby!… this one is for baby (and peace of mind for mommy and daddy too!)

It’s been a few years since either of my babies were actually babies but I certainly still take extra care in making sure their bath and body products meet my standards! You would be shocked (SHOCKED!) to know what’s contained in some of the better-known commercial products too.  Quite honestly, it’s awful…

But, not these products, my friends!  Mild by Nature has a fantastic line of Shampoo & Body Washes, Hair Conditioner, Everyday Lotion (scented and unscented), Bubble Bath and Bitty Bottom Cream. They literally take care of your baby from head to toe.  Okay, truth be told, they’re great for anyone, including my  6- and 9-year old “babies” and I’m considering arm-wrestling one (or both) of them for the Everyday Lotion!

The great thing about these products is their on-going  commitment to using only the best ingredients.  They like to say that their products contain NO “No-No’s”: No sulfates, parabens, dyes, animal testing or animal ingredients.  They DO contain natural and naturally-derived ingredients including beneficial oils and extracts that smell amazing.   I especially like that they cross-reference information and data about all of their ingredients to make sure they give us only the very best products.  Impressive, right?…

… and you want to try them out, don’t you? How about one of each product then… just leave a comment here saying who you’d like to win these for (you CAN say yourself!), or send a Twitter message that includes a reply to @momgoesgreen and a link to this blog. Facebook friends can also leave a comment to be entered. The winner will be randomly selected on October 18! (U.S. entries only… sorry.)

So there you have it, baby… another chance to win!

(This giveaway is now closed for entries… see “comments” for the winner!)

Yes, that cliché use of the word “bee” is referring to exactly what you’d think… those amazing little creatures we rely upon to pollinate a substantial portion of our food supply. My husband swears by bee pollen, in fact.  He takes a dose each and every day by way of JOEBEES, for nutrition and energy.

Aside from the pollination work of our busy bees, they also provide fabulous honey… and Beecology has formulated some amazing body products just for us. Everyone will love these body washes, hand and body creams and lip balms.  Everything is paraben- and preservative-free, but chock full of renewable, sustainable ingredients that nature provides!

Not only are Beecology’s products great but they’re also “pollinating society with charity”! 10% of the profits from the sale of their products will be donated to the charity of your choice.  (See why I like them!?) You can GET some great products and GIVE to a great cause!

I think you should check them out now… but, is anyone interested in winning some products?  How about three Body Washes in all three scents (peppermint, grapefruit & lemongrass, and lavender w/bergamot!), an Original Honey Hand & Body Cream and two Beeswax Lip Balms?!?!

YES, you say?  Well then, just leave a comment here saying you’d like to win, or send a Twitter message that includes a reply to @momgoesgreen and a link to this blog. Facebook friends can also leave a comment to be entered. The winner will be randomly selected on October 12! (U.S. entries only… sorry.)

Now, shoo!… go check them out & enter to win… you’ll BEE happy you did! (Sorry, I just had to!)

As I attempt to get back into the swing of things I realized that I haven’t shared a lot of new product info with you. I, for one, am always on the lookout for a great new product that fits a need and also fits my need for being green as well…

So, over the next five posts, I’m going to tell you about some of these products and give you the chance to win them too!

It’s the Mom Goes Green FIVE Days of Green Giveaways!

Stick around, take a gander and enter the giveaways for goodies, gadgets and green greatness!

Come back soon for your chance to WIN!!!

Sunday is the day to celebrate fantastic fathers! Our Sunday will be spent celebrating my amazing husband…”fab dad” to our kids!!!  As always, he’s literally asked for “nothing” and just wants to spend time with me and the kids… likely fishing, picnicking and enjoying what’s slated to be a wonderful “weather day” (Phew!).  Every year he just wants to enjoy the pleasures of the great outdoors and, of course, his family!

Hopefully you already have some terrific plans in the works, but if you are pressed for that last minute gift idea, here is my list of “great green ones” that are easy to find (or “do”) and he’s sure to love:

• Plant a tree – it’s amazing to watch them grow over time, so add a special one to the yard. (We have one in its ninth year… it’s just incredible and we have loved watching it grow and bloom!)
• Make a gift – recycle, upcycle and reuse!  Your own home is the perfect place to find supplies to create something that says “I cared enough” to make this for you!
• Electronic solar charger – free power from the sun!  And dads love their electronics.
• Bamboo knives or grilling set – incredible bamboo is sustainable and this is perfect for the grill master!
• Organic brew – ideal for accompanying him at the grill!
• Organic coffee – for his morning (or all day) pick-me-up!
• Reusable water bottle – to keep him hydrated while he’s working hard or working out!
• iTunes – no more CDs to eventually end up in the trash.
• Solar powered landscaping lights or a solar flashlight – (are you seeing the trend?) again, free energy!
• Adopt nature and animals in his name or give a membership to a nature center or arboretum – my list of favorites is in a previous post here.
• “Give your time” and get outdoors – make him king for the day and hike, bike, picnic, fish… whatever makes him happy, your time will make him the happiest!

With that I simply want to wish my amazing husband another wonderful Father’s Day! He is the best husband, the greatest dad ever, a dedicated son, and works so hard so that I can be home with our kids.  He single-handedly supports our family AND he’s a published author (with more on the way!) and I am so very, very proud of him!  Add to that the fact that he tolerates ME, goes along with my green ways and encourages me (always!)… I couldn’t ask for more.  We love you, honey!

Happy Father’s Day to every amazing dad out there!  We celebrate you! And for every dad that is joining this mom in her journey to going green… THANK YOU!

Sounds crazy, I know… but I’m not kidding.  You can actually skip the detergent in every load of laundry and STILL get your laundry clean.  Imagine what that means… okay, it means a whole bunch of things, but I’ll get to the point…

I’ve been using the SmartKlean Laundry Ball and it’s really amazing! The ball is made of recyclable thermoplastic and filled with little ceramic beads, each comprising a combination of earth minerals.  When they come in contact with water, they form oxygenated water that goes to work cleaning and deodorizing your laundry! I’m literally amazed at how well it works…

Imagine… NO detergent! So, there is (1) NO environmental impact, (2) NO potential health impact or skin sensitivity, (3) NO soaps or chemicals to shorten the life of your clothing & laundry, (4) NO need for a rinse cycle (water & energy savings!), (5) NO need for hot or even warm water (choose cold!), (6) NO extra packaging & bottles to recycle or (gasp!) throw away… impressive list of qualities, right?

I was really skeptical, but it’s really worked for me.  Sure, some of the tougher stains still require a little extra attention but that goes without saying, no matter what method of laundry cleaning you choose.  It still has plenty of use left in it too… in fact, one SmartKlean Laundry Ball = 365 loads of laundry! I think I might need to get a second one though… it works best on medium-sized loads (limited to about 18 lbs.) and I am notorious for overloading the washer!

I just think it’s an impressive product that literally eliminates some of the chemical and environmental concerns we have about the massive amounts of laundry we do every year. (If I could only teach the SmartKlean Laundry Ball to also dry, fold and hang my laundry, I’d probably buy seven of them!)

Check them out… maybe you’ll be willing to ditch your detergent too!

Well, it isn’t often that I have to make an update so soon… I just sent everyone to Environmental Working Group’s list and rating of sunscreen products… and it’s JUST been updated again for 2011!

We know the concern with sunscreen is the presence of some nasty chemicals (that part certainly doesn’t change) but, like our ever changing lives, products get changed too and I would be remiss if I didn’t share the latest findings with you…

So here… without further ado is THE latest listing: EWG’s 2011 List of Suncreens!  Maybe you want to head right over to their Best Suncreens list… and hope that what you’ve been using didn’t make their Hall of Shame!

Now, back to our regularly scheduled program… get your BEST suncreen and GO PLAY!

(Okay, Mom Goes Green is BACK from my little Mother’s Day hiatus, so…) I’m now thinking summer! The kids have started the countdown to the final days of school and we’re ALL thinking summer fun, the pool, beach vacations and lots of outdoor time!

But every parent knows that fun-in-the-sun also means extra precautions to make sure our precious ones (ourselves included!) don’t get fried during “the fun part”, so sunscreen is sure to be a purchase in the very near future.

The concern with sunscreen is the presence of some nasty chemicals that we really don’t want to apply to our bodies daily, or even “frequently” for that matter (since they absorb into our skin and accumulate). Many are believed to cause hormone disruption, cell damage and allergies, amongst other things. They include vitamin A (retinyl palmitate), Oxybenzone, Zinc Oxide, Titanium Dioxide, Mexoryl, Avobenzone… augh!… just a bunch of things that we could really do without!

So instead of laboring over labels and trying (sometimes in vane) to decipher the ingredients… (drumroll, please….)  Environmental Working Group has a list and rating of over 500 sunscreen products.  Believe me, it is much easier to find one on the “best” list and just know you have a good product to keep you safe from the sun AND the nasty chemicals.

You can also look-up the products you have been using to see how they rate.

Last year (via this list!) I discovered a great product:  Blue Lizard.  It was fantastic and we didn’t have a burn in the bunch (or exposure to nasty chemicals!).  Fortunately, EWG has done most of the work for us, so the answers are just a few clicks away.

(Boy, I sure have come a long way from those teen-days when my friends and I applied baby oil(!) in HOPE of sizzling and frying!… WHAT were we thinking?!?)

Now check it out, buy some, slather on the good stuff and GO PLAY… summer is almost here!

Mother’s Day is a few days away! I could give you a long list of ideas but I happen to be a mom too(!) and I’m going to go easy on myself today (yes, I’m taking some time off!).

In the past years I’ve gotten everything from a “dogtag” necklace with my children’s names and birthdates (made of silver recycled from film {from Mommy Tags}) to a stainless steel water bottle to a rain barrel!!! (Who knew a barrel could be so exciting!)  This year I’ve asked for NOTHING! I have everything I could possibly need and the thing that makes me happiest is just spending time with my kids and husband.

If you ARE still looking for ideas, I assembled a pretty decent list in my Valentine’s Day post and all are very appropriate for this holiday, so no need to reinvent the wheel.  But if you want those ideas just click here and take a gander.

For this Mother’s Day, whether you are being celebrated, celebrating your Mom or another special lady in your life, just remember to keep Mother Earth in mind too. She is quite extraordinary and she shares her gifts with us every day of the year.  Just like all other moms, she never takes a break!

And finally, I wish a very truly Happy Mother’s Day to all of the moms who constantly join me on this journey… we all “work” so hard for our families and keep Mother Earth in mind all along the way too… and THAT is quite extraordinary as well!

Enjoy & I hope you feel the love…