Winners!! I have winners!!!

Thanks so much to ChildOrganics.com for sponsoring this very useful and green giveaway of Extreme 18x Laundry Soap.  Our winner was #14 - Cindy! 

Cindy said... I commented on the blog here: http://childorganics.blogspot.com/2010/03/guest-post-motherless-motherhood.html#comment-form

 

Congrats Cindy! 

And the lucky winner of a fun and fabulous shirt from WestMamaDesigns is #11 - Goddess Amaunet!

 

 

Goddess Amaunet said... I would love one of her born at home shirts! Either for my little one on the way that better take after her older sister with no complications homebirthing, or one for the older sister who is 2 years old! :)

Kimberly really doesn't make anything I don't love and some even the cuttlefish is growing on me. LOL
I am bias though, I have at least three of her items already!

Congrats Goddess!!

I will be in touch with both of you today to get your info!  Thank you all for entering!

I can't get into that summer state of mind

The weather is just starting to turn here and all the trees and flowers are in full bloom.  I am a planner by nature, so I jump ahead and start thinking of our summer weekends and how we plan to fill them.  We are lucky that we live only 45 minutes from the ocean, so we visit fairly often during the hot summer months.  My mind drifts off to seeing the dolphins each morning at sunrise (yes, NJ has dolphins!), spending hours building sandcastles with my son, and reading a good book while hubby takes our son in the ocean for a swim. 

This year though, I cannot conjure up those lovely images, because I am haunted by these instead:

ICK!  The Great Pacific Garbage Patch.  Before plastic made its way into our everyday lives, there was still garbage in the oceans.  But that garbage was mostly biodegradable.  Plastic does not biodegrade, but when exposed to sunlight it photo-degrades, breaking down into smaller and smaller particles and finally breaking down into “nurdles”(tiny grains that are the building blocks of most modern plastics). Nurdles soak up waterborne toxins like pesticides and cooling agents. Then the nurdles are consumed by filter-feeders at the bottom of the food chain and these toxins make their way up the food chain and onto your plate.  So, yes, you drink that crap.  And yes, you eat it too.  Revolting, isn't it?

So, what can we do to help clean up this mess that we all made?  The most important thing we can do is STOP USING PLASTIC.  Stop using plastic grocery bags, stop buying plastic bottles of water, juice, and soda.  Take action: write companies who package their goods in plastic and urge them to use earth friendly packaging instead.  Recycle as much as you possibly can. Pick up litter on the road, at the park, in the parking lots, and on vacation. It will eventually find its way to our water and the only way to stop it is to stop our dependence on plastic and clean up after ourselves.

Green Gal Pick: WestMama Designs Review and Giveaway!!

I am so excited to introduce this next Etsy shop to all of you.  WestMama Designs is an ADORABLE little shop that features all sorts of earth and people friendly apparel and gifts.  

Kimberly kindly sent Miss C a 100% organic cotton t-shirt in her unique giraffe design.  WestMama Designs uses only non-toxic inks and people friendly materials.  Kimberly cares about the people behind the materials she chooses in her shop.  

Onto the review of this cute t-shirt.  First thing that I noticed is that this t-shirt is SO SOFT.  It has a silky, light feeling to it.  The color is beautiful.  It is a muted orange that is ideal for a boy or a girl.  But, what really impressed me about this shirt was the unique design.  At first glance, you see a giraffe, but then you notice that the giraffe has stars for spots.  I think it adds a touch of whimsy to this children's shirt and makes it special.  Miss C loved her giraffe shirt and kept growling at it (she isn't so great with animal sounds just yet, haha).  This shirt is nice and light, so it is perfect for layering in the spring and fall when you aren't quite sure what the day will bring.  It also works great for summertime, because the light soft material is so breathable.  

WestMama Designs caters to a natural parenting crowd.  She uses phrases and  images that tie us to our earth and one another.  Here are a few that I know the more "crunchy" crowd would love:

I had the chance to talk with Kimberly and get some insight on her business and her inspirations.

How did you get your start in green clothing and accessories?

I have always been a creative person and for long time wanted to start a business on Etsy. After my daughter was born I knew I needed a an outlet for my creativity to help combat my ppd. Act of going green was a no-brainer for me. It is very important to me that the product I use treat people and the earth kindly. It's that simple. 

Where does your inspiration come from?

My inspiration comes from my immediate environment. Often my back yard or my son's interests. The Bird and Tree design is from a dogwood in my back yard. It is the lone tree back there and brings me a lot of joy. I also want to create items that are different from the mass produced gender specific stuff. 

What is your favorite item in your shop? 

It is hard for me to pick a favorite. I'd say my bird and tree shirt is up there. 

My little bird card set, because they were inspired by a great late winter day in Oregon. 

And my cuttlefish because I LOVE cephalopods.  

What are you hopes for your business over the next five years? 

My hope is that I'm still in business. That my products are in more stores locally and that I can earn enough income to stay at home with my kids as long as possible.

Well, I for one, certainly hope that WestMama Designs sticks around because the quality and caring behind each item is certainly going to make this shop popular for any baby presents I need to buy!

WIN IT!

Kimberly has generously offered to host a giveaway for one LUCKY Baby To Green reader!  The winner will get to choose a shirt in the size and style of their choice!!  What a great prize!

To enter each entry must have an email address in the comment or visible in your public profile.  No email address = no winning.  Each comment is worth 1 entry into the drawing.

Mandatory Entry:  You must be a follower of Baby To Green via Google Friend Connect and you must become a fan of WestMama Designs On Facebook.  After we are all friends, leave a comment saying that you will be our friend forever!  That counts as your mandatory first entry.

Extra Entries (only after Mandatory Entry has been entered):

• Fan me on Facebook.  
• Follow me on Twitter and leave a comment with your Twitter ID.
• Follow WestMama Designs on Twitter and leave a comment with your Twitter ID.
• Tweet this ONCE per day and leave the permalink in your comment. "Win an organic tee from @WestMamaDesigns and @Baby2Green http://bit.ly/bcSS3J #eco #giveaway"
• Go to WestMama Designs Etsy Shop and pick one item you LOVE and come back here to tell me what it is.
• Become a follower of WestMama Designs Blog

So that is at least SEVEN chances to win.  Be sure to pay attention on Twitter and Facebook.  I may or may not be giving out bonus entries throughout the week.

Deadline for entries is Friday, April 23th at noon Eastern Time.  All entries will be checked and any entry that doesn't qualify will be removed before the drawing.  The winner will be drawn via Random.org for fairness.  Winner will be notified and has 48 hours to respond.  If winner does not respond, a second drawing will be held.

Disclaimer: I did receive a sample product for review.  

This does not affect the review of this product. I was not paid for this review and the opinions are mine and mine alone. 

Soap Nuts and Extreme 18 Laundry Detergent Review and Giveaway from ChildOrganics.com

Erica over at ChildOrganics.com generously offered to let me review Soap Nuts and the Extreme 18X Liquid.  I am always looking for ways to keep my laundry routine earth friendly, so I was very excited to try our both the Soap Nuts and the Extreme 18X.


First, I tried the Soap Nuts.  Soap Nuts are the most natural way to do laundry.  These funny looking little fruits are eco-friendly, biodegradable, hypoallergenic, unscented and highly effective.  I think they are super easy to use.  You just tie them into the teeny little muslin bag and toss them in the wash.  This same little bag of Soap Nuts can be used for 4 - 5 loads of laundry or diapers.  

When the diapers came out of the washer, they smelled like NOTHING!  Which is perfect for us.  I loathe artificial fragrances and cringe when I wonder what it takes to make chemicals smell like flowers.  Scary stuff.

The Soap Nuts left the diapers clean, residue free, and soft.  Just what I want for a cloth diaper routine -- easy to use, rinses clean, and all natural.  Perfection.

The Extreme 18X is a concentrated liquid version of Soap Nuts.  Just 8oz does 96 he loads!  Can you imagine how efficient it is?  It is great for the earth because it is all natural and it is so concentrated that one small bottle that can be recycled later can do up to 96 loads.   I just used a 1/2 teaspoon in my washer and the laundry came out perfect.  The results were just as wonderful as with the Soap Nuts.  

WIN IT!

Erica has generously offered to host a giveaway for one LUCKY Baby To Green reader!  The winner will get an 8oz. bottle of the Extreme 18X!  That is enough for 96 he loads!!  

To enter each entry must have an email address in the comment or visible in your public profile.  No email address = no winning.  Each comment is worth 1 entry into the drawing.

Mandatory Entry:  You must be a follower of Baby To Green via Google Friend Connect and you must be a follower of Child Organic's Blog.  After we are all friends, leave a comment saying that you will be our friend forever!That counts as your mandatory first entry.

Extra Entries (only after Mandatory Entry has been entered):

• Fan me on Facebook.  
• Follow me on Twitter and leave a comment with your Twitter ID.
• Tweet this ONCE per day and leave the permalink in your comment. "Win Extreme 18X from ChildOrganics and @Baby2Green http://bit.ly/aL18H4 #clothdiaper #giveaway"
• Go to ChildOrganics.com and pick one item you LOVE and come back here to tell me what it is.
• Become a fan of Child Organics on Facebook.
• Stop by Child Organic's Blog and comment on any post. 

So that is at least SEVEN chances to win.  Be sure to pay attention on Twitter and Facebook.  I may or may not be giving out bonus entries throughout the week.

Deadline for entries is Friday, April 23rd at noon Eastern Time.  All entries will be checked and any entry that doesn't qualify will be removed before the drawing.  The winner will be drawn via Random.org for fairness.  Winner will be notified and has 48 hours to respond.  If winner does not respond, a second drawing will be held.

Disclaimer: I did receive a sample product for review.  

This does not affect the review of this product. I was not paid for this review and the opinions are mine and mine alone. 

Winner of Sew Natual AIO!

And the winner is Vanessa!  Vanessa will get to choose a Sew Natural AIO in her choice of color and size!  Congratulations Vanessa!  I am sure you will love your diaper!

Thank you all for entering and be on the lookout for more giveaways this week!!

Sorry for the VERY slow posting

We had a family emergency last Friday that has left us all very thankful, but very stressed out.  My father in law fell from a ladder onto his neck and head.  He has a broken back, neck, sternum, ribs, and foot.  Life is a bit chaotic to say the least, but he will be fine after some serious physical therapy and some rest.

Thank you all for hanging in there this past week.  I have been a bad blogger.

I have a few posts to put up today and then hopefully back to my regularly scheduled posting.