Mommy Goes Green

For the past several weeks, I’ve had many companies and PR agents ask if Mommy Goes Green was planning to do anything for Earth Day.  I’ve responded a few times that “every day is Earth Day around here” (with a smile).  Unfortunately, many people only recognize Earth Day once a year and that day is today - it’s the 40th anniversary of Earth Day.

One of the best things about Earth Day is all of the freebies, discounts, coupons and sweepstakesthat encourage people to try new eco-friendly products or services – that hopefully will become their new favorite!  Last Sunday, I posted a bunch of Earth Day Freebies and on Tuesday, a list of home and garden deals.  I’ve taken advantage of them this week and purchased some new makeup, cleaning supplies, personal care products and lawn care products that we’ve been wanting to try – and tell you about.

Starting tomorrow, Coupon Craze will be posting over 100 offers planned to go live exclusively for Earth Day.  I’m not sure what to expect, but you know I’ll be heading over there tomorrow to see what’s on sale.  According to Coupon Craze, green retailers are still relatively new to the coupon industry so offers tend to have less fine print than coupons in other categories. For example, many of the coupons don’t have a minimum spending requirement, which means you’ll can save whether you spend $20 or $500.

WIN IT!

In the spirit of “Going Green for Free”, Coupon Craze is offering our readers some great prizes!

• 1 Grand prize winner will receive a $100 gift certificate to their choice of either Origins or Patagonia!

• 3 winners will get a $50 credit in their name to CarbonFund.org to help them offset their carbon footprint. You can use the credit to balance out the carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions you cannot reduce. For example, $50 of CarbonFund.org credit is equivalent to 5 metric tons of CO2 or:

• More than 5 roundtrips from Los Angeles to New York
• Approximately the emissions an average American passenger vehicle emits in a year
• Over half the emissions from the average American home’s electricity use

You can enter in any of the following ways:

• Leave a comment telling us your money saving tips for being green mama! 
• Follow us on twitter @mommygoesgreen.
• Retweet this contest.
• Become a Facebook fan.
• Blog about this giveaway and leave me the link.

Leave your comment by Sunday, May 2, 2010 at 11:59pm PST. Contest open to all U.S. and Canadian residents, ages 18+. We will choose 4 winners, at random, and notify them by email. Privacy Policy.

If you plan on going green in your garden or home this summer, now is the time to purchase those items!  Earth Day (tomorrow!)  has mass retailers selling eco-friendly products at great prices. 

Home Depot

• 120 Gallon E-Composter with Base $49.97
• 57 Gallon Ruscany Rainwater Barrel $98
• 4×4 Raised Garden Bed Kit $29
• Ortho Ecosense Lawn Weed Killer $10
• 64 oz Ecosmart Home Pest Control $8.99
• BOGO All Organic Veggie, Herb and Flower Seed Packets
• Solar LED Walk Lights $3.88
• Martha Stewart Cleaning Products $3.98
• Honewell Programmable Thermostat $29.98
• Lutron Skylark Eco-Dim 600 Watt Dimmer $22.88
• TCP 14 Watt Soft White CFL Bulb $1.97

Target

• GE Energy Smart CFL light bulb $5
• Seventh Generation Dish Soap $2.49
• Seventh Generation Laundry Detergent $12.99
• Waterpik EcoFlow Showerhead $25

Fred Meyer

• Fiskars 48 gallon Rain Barrel $89
• Eco-Friendly Hoses $9.99 – $34.99
• Eco Fiber Bamboo Gloves $3.99
• Rain Bird Drop Patio Plant Watering kit $23.99
• 120 Gallon E-Composter $34.99
• 1  Gallon Kitchen Compost Carrier $16.99
• Easy Go Eco-Friendly Multi-Purpose Cart $26.99
• Concord Black Solar Light $4.99
• Earthwise Corded Electric String Trimmer $24.99
• Eartwise 3-in-1 Cordless Lawn Mower $289
• G-Oil 2 Cycle Engine Oil $5.99
• G Bar & Chain Oil $9.99
• Herbs in Pots 2 for $3
• Organic Veggies or Tomatoes in Pots 4 for $9
• All Seventh Generation Products 30% OFF

For Earth Day only freebies, check here.

VALID 4/18 ONLY

Target - Get a complimentary reusable shopping bags with each purchase on April 18.  Bags are made from 100-percent, post-consumer recycled PET bottles.

Home Depot - On 4/18 only, free faucet aerator to the first 250 customers.

VALID 4/22 ONLY

Disney Store - Take 6 empty plastic bottles or soda cans into the Disney Store and receive a free baseball cap make of 100% recycled materials.

Pottery Barn Kids - Earth Day celebrations will include Earth-friendly activities and stories.  Kids will get a surprise they can plant at home!

Walgreens - $1 inkjet refills on April 22. Use instant value coupon code #6365 to download a coupon.

Origins -  One day only – 4/22. Bring your current skincare to any Origins counter and we’ll trade it for a full-size of one of our gentle, high-performance cleansers. Choose either: Checks and Balances™ Frothy face wash Or a Perfect World™ Antioxidant cleanser with White Tea. Value up to $20!  For New Yorkers, get a free ticket to a Macy Gray concert.

EVOS – Come to your neighborhood EVOS on 4/22 from 10am – 10pm and get a free homemade organic milkshake in celebration of Earth Day. 

Stonyfield Farms – Make an Earth Day resolution and download a free Jack Johnson MP3 recording that has never been released.

Planet Smoothie - The first 30 customers at each location will get a free, reusable MacDaddy Mug with the purchase of any 32 ounce smoothie.

True Green – Free set of laundry dryer balls with code ‘EARTH2010′ – must pay for shipping.

CouponCraze- According to Eco Office Gals, over 100 deals are going live on 4/22.

A lot of stores have eco-friendly products on sale this week so try some new products and stock up on your favorites! 

Or if you love sweepstakes, visit Ecobungafor loads of eco-friendly prizes up for grabs this week!  We currently have two: Win a copy of Green Mama or The Six O’Clock Scramble to the Rescue.  

Earth Day has all kinds of companies giving away stuff!

FREE roll of Reynold Wraps 100% recycled Foil – sign up for a rebate for $3.99 but it’s only available on Earth Day.

FREE nursing cover - Go to Udder Covers and click on ‘Shop Now’, enter the code ‘onefree’ and choose from pink or blue.  You will have to pay shipping.

FREE reusable water bottle – Go the Disney Store and bring 3 empty plastic bottles to be recycled.

FREE cup of coffee – Starbucks stores located in Target will give you a free cup of brewed coffee if you bring in a reusable cup.

FREE bottle of non toxic nail polish – Starting at 8am PST on April 22, the first 500 users to that log onto Butter London will receive a bottle of free non toxic nail polish ( free of formaldehyde, free of toluene, free of DBP ).  Coupon code: EARTH09.  You will have to pay for shipping.

FREE Jones Soda – Sign the Jones Soda Earth Pledge and get a coupon for a free Jones Soda.  Better yet, if you are in Seattle, stop by their office for a free soda.

FREE Seed Bomb – Visit any LUSH and get a free ‘seed bomb’.  What’s a seed bomb, you ask? Throw it in some dirt and BOOM – flowers!

Earth Day 2009 is THIS Wednesday, April 22 – here are 10 ways to participate!

1. Find a local event. 
2. Pack your kids a waste free lunch.  Include a cloth napkin, reusable lunch bag, drink bottle and sandwich containers. ( don’t include anything prepackaged )
3. Get rid of junk mail – start by cancelling unwanted catalogs.
4. Get outside - go for a hike or bike ride.
5. Tune your kids into PBS Kids special Earth Day cartoons.
6. Do a craft using recycled materials- from cotton ball trees to ladybug rocks.  I love the pet food scoop!
7. Plant a garden – it can be as easy as visiting a local gardening store to pick up strawberry plants.  Imagine  your kiddos eating home grown, pesticide free fruit ( and loving it! ).
8. Replace one conventional cleaning product with a toxic free one – for a quick, easy to find brand, check out Seventh Generation products.
9. Carpool, walk or take public transportation.
10. Watch BIG GREEN LIES, a new show on Fine Living Network.  Some of the topics:
    • should a smog alert be issue for your living room?
    • organic vs. non-organic foods?
    • paper or plastic?
    • the debate over disposable vs. cloth diaper continues…..

Let me know how YOU celebrate!  And if you watch Big Green Lies, let me know what you think – we don’t get Fine Living Network so I will sadly miss it!