Mommy Goes Green

Using sample sizes are a great way to try out new products.  Healthy Child, Healthy World has a great list of Organic and Natural Travel Size Toiletries you can get from Minimus.

Essential oils always seem like a safe alternative to fragrances derived from chemicals. Bubble and Bee tells us that’s not always true – especially during pregnancy!

Considering a stay at home birth?  Check out Simple Organic’s post on Natural Pregnancy, Birth and Postpartum Healing.

Remember how I said just two weeks ago that I didn’t think using coupons was for me? Yah, well I lied. I used coupons today and got 3 packs of diapers for $1.47.  They weren’t green but they were free and frankly, I’ll take free over green.  I can use the extra  money for other green things   If you’re a coupon queen, check out Organic Deals and Coupons.  On Thurs alone, she posted 6 great deals.

Healthy Child shared that ‘Child’s Chances of Getting Cancer Begins Before Conception’.  How’s that for scary?  I shudder to think about what I ate/drank/[other unhealthy things] before I ever had kids.

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I keep a bag in my laundry room just for baby/kid’s clothing, toys and other gear that I no longer need.  I am constantly adding to that bag and try to empty it once a month.  Depending on the item and quality, I either give them to a friend with younger children,  take it to a local organization that donates them to charities and families in need or I drop them by Goodwill.   When I have large quantities of good quality items, I’ve always taken them to resale events.

I’ve just found another option: Freepeats!  Have you heard of it?  I just stumbled on it today and I love the idea.  You can pass on your baby clothing, gear, toys, maternity wear and more to local parents, and find items you want that others are giving away. And…..for FREE.  Sign me up.

What do YOU do with your used kid’s clothing, toys and gear?

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When I was a kid, my mom threw me a 50′s themed birthday party complete with a jukebox made out of an old refrigerator box.  It wasn’t fancy but it obviously made an impression since I remember it over 20 years later.  Once the party was over, it stuck around the house for a month or two while we continued to play with it.  Quite a bit of use for an old refrigerator box that was otherwise bound for the recycling bin (although I don’t remember if we even recycled cardboard boxes 20 years ago?).

Now that I have my own kiddos, I love to watch them create games with simple things like old plastic dishes and a bucket of water.  Imagine what they could do with one of these dream playhouses made of just cardboard boxes using Mr. McGroovy’s Rivets to keep it all together.  

Mr. McGroovy’s even has 17 project plans with step-by-step instructions to build projects like a firetruck, castle, space ship or lemonade stand.    All you need is some free cardboard boxes, Mr. McGroovy’s Rivets and some paint.

For more inspiration, check out the photo gallery where people have shared their project photos.

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Are you a hand sanitizer junky?  Sorry to burst your bubble but according to a new study from the U of Virginia,  ”using alcohol-based hand sanitizer doesn’t significantly decrease how often someone is infected with a cold or flu”.

 Have some great tips for a new mom?  The Creative Mama shares “From New Mom to New Mom” – a letter with advice. 

A study about ‘EcoAware moms’ found that the 5 things EcoAware Moms are using are:

• Chemical-free cleaning products – 47%
• Organic foods and beverages – 45%
• Plant-based cleaning products – 40%
• Water filter – 38%
• Resealable plastic bags – 38%

Looking for some great green products to easily incorporate into your life? On Monday, I shared “5 Green Products You Can Use Daily” with the readers over at The Creative Mama.

Eversave has had some great deals over the past couple weeks for green products like Glory for Girls, Greeno Bambino and Leelai.  If you haven’t heard of Eversave, it’s similar to Groupon where you there’s a daily deal usually 50%+ off or more.  We’ve purchased so many awesome deals through these programs on clothing, restaurants, entertainment and other products.  Sign up to receive their daily deal emails.

What about you, do you have any linky love to share?

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The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency recently estimated that as much as 69 million gallons of paint are left over annually in the United States. That’s enough paint to cover 27.6 billion square feet each and every year, or the five boroughs of New York City—some 303 square miles—more than three times.

You definitely don’t want to toss the paint in the garbage, contaminating the soil and groundwater.  In fact, some paint is considered hazardous waste and needs to be disposed properly at a hazardous waste collection facility.  However, for most paints and stains, there are recycling facilities.

This summer, a new pilot program was launched in Oregon called PaintCare, a program that manages the reuse, recycling and proper disposal of paint. Each time you purchase paint, a small fee is added to the price to fund the program.   This allows state-wide collections centers that accept:

• interior paint
• exterior paint
• deck coatings and floor paints
• lacquers
• melamine, metal and rust preventatives
• primers
• stains
• swimming pool paints
• varnishes and urethanes
• waterproofing, sealers and repellents for concrete, masonry and wood
• wood coatings 

If you live in Oregon, you can find a local collection center through PaintCare.  For those of you outside of Oregon, check out Earth 911 for a local facility.

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