Mommy Is Green: August 2010

Having Fun at Fenway Park

Recently, I enjoyed a Red Sox vs. Mariners game at Fenway Park. I love Boston so it's always a pleasure to travel there. I'm not into watching baseball on television but I sure do have fun at live games. I traveled over with my husband, my sister, and her girlfriend. We all had a blast!

Jeff Plympton, a former Red Sox player, was at the souvenir shop in Yawkey Way. My sister was able to get his autograph. That was right before the game so we were enjoying hanging out and getting excited for the players to get on the field.

For most of the game it drizzled rain but that didn't disturb our fun at all. Even with it being a cooler day it didn't bother us. We just bundled up. My poor sister was wearing shorts. She ended up having to buy a blanket to keep warm. It was a Red Sox blanket though so she at least had a souvenir to bring home and use.

Of course, I had to see what Fenway Park was doing to go green. I was pleasantly surprised. The napkins in the food area were made from 100% recycled paper! There were also signs and bins all over asking people to recycle their water bottles. On top of that, there were Poland Spring crews going around the stands collecting water bottles for recycling and trash. It was also announced they were coming around so everyone knew. What I got a kick out of was the crew's t-shirts. They were each made from five recycled water bottles. Very cool!

After the game, we walked around Boston before getting a bite to eat. To me, Boston is so beautiful. I love the New England feel. It's historic, warm, and it feels like home. Oh, how I would love to live there. Maybe someday...

P.S. Yes, that's me in the navy blue hat and gray sweater.

©MommyIsGreen.net - DO NOT COPY text or images.

10:23 AM | 5 comments | Read more...

DyPeas Cloth Diaper Review & Giveaway (CLOSED)

I just started cloth diapering a couple of months ago so I've been working on developing my cloth diapering routine. I love interacting with other cloth diapering mothers and learning as much as I can. One person that is always willing to offer cloth diapering help is Milli from DyPeas Cloth Diapers. She has her own Etsy shop. Even though she is also a busy mom, Milli is always ready to answer questions and lend a hand.

DyPeas Cloth Pocket Diapers come in organic and non-organic (microfiber terry & microfleece) options. Of course, I had to jump at the chance to try the Organic DyPeas. The organic diapers consist of 100% organic cotton on the outer side, an organic sherpa cotton lining inside, PUL in between those two layers, and a gender specific insert made from organic sherpa cotton.

This organic diaper is so soft! It makes me think of keeping all cozy and warm in the Fall and Winter. Yet, I see how breathable it is for the Spring and Summer. I have washed this diaper several times and the sherpa cotton has not lost it's softness. It's very plush too. On top of that, the insert has extra layers in the front for my son. Since the DyPeas inserts are gender specific they help absorb in the area most needed for either a boy or a girl. Putting extra protection in the front or in the middle (for girls) helps to keep the rest of the diaper areas slimmer. I think that's a great idea!

The sherpa cotton seems to take a little more time to dry in the dryer. So what I like to do if I feel the need to use the dryer, is put my diapers in for one cycle then lay them out to dry. Milli from DyPeas recommends sun drying because it's a natural stain fighter and kills bacteria and odors. I don't yet have a drying rack sturdy enough for outside but I do have a smaller one in my kitchen that folds up. I can easily open my window and let the sunlight and air through. That seems to do the trick.

We've tried the diaper during nap time and throughout the night. We had no problems with leaking. I made sure to stuff the insert correctly so the extra layers are in the front of the diaper. There's also some additional room in the pocket in case I'd like to add any extra cloth for sleeping. So far, I haven't needed to do that though because the insert is extremely absorbent.

DyPeas Cloth Pocket Diapers come with full instructions. They are so complete! Everything you'd think to ask about the care of the diapers is in the instructions. Milli is also happy to share any cloth diapering tips. She is wonderful about getting back to me and is really just the sweetest person. If you have any questions about DyPeas you can feel comfortable asking Milli.

WIN IT!!!

One lucky Mommy Is Green reader will win a
DyPeas Cloth Pocket Diaper.

To Enter:

1. Visit DyPeas then come back and tell me your favorite fabric design and which diaper size you would choose. This is mandatory and must be done before the extra entries count.

Extra Entries (The mandatory entry must be completed first before any of these count. Please create a separate comment for each extra entry):

2. Follow me through Google Friend Connect. (1 Entry)

3. Follow the MilliLee Designs Blog through Google Friend Connect. (1 Entry)

4. Follow @mommyisgreen on Twitter. Leave your Twitter ID in comment. (1 Entry)

5. Tweet about this giveaway on Twitter. You can do this once daily. Put a link to your tweet in a comment here (click the date/time on the bottom left of your tweet to get link). You can copy and paste: “Win a DyPeas Cloth Diaper from MilliLee Designs! @mommyisgreen http://tinyurl.com/28bzzvu #clothdiapers #giveaway” (1 Entry Per Day)

6. Tell me another item besides diapers you'd like from DyPeas . (1 Entry)

7. Add the Mommy Is Green button to your sidebar. ( 2 Entries)

8. Subscribe to Mommy Is Green through email. (2 Entries)

9. Comment on any non-giveaway blog post at Mommy Is Green. (1 Entry)

10. Blog about this giveaway with a link back to Mommy Is Green and DyPeas. Leave a comment with your web site address. (3 Entries)

This giveaway will end on September 20, 2010 at 11:59 ET. Winner will be drawn via random.org. Once a winner is drawn I will contact them and they will have 48 hours to reply before I draw a new winner. Giveaway is open to residents of the U.S. only who are 18 years of age or older.

Congratulations to the winner, #266...The Proud Mommy!

I did not receive any monetary compensation for this post. I was provided with a DyPeas Organic Cloth Diaper at no cost for review. The opinions expressed here are my own. Please see Terms of Use for more information.

12:06 AM | 450 comments | Read more...

Eco-Friendly Options For Paper

I'm the kind of person that works well with seeing things in front of me on paper. When it comes to planning and paying bills I need to see them written down. That's the way I work best. I've tried keeping a calendar online but it doesn't have the same effect. So I told myself that if I wanted a tangible paper product to keep track of my days and months I had to choose something eco-friendly.

My sister came to visit this week and brought me a notebook made from 80% sugar cane waste (Thank you, Jessica!). I thought that was really cool! Now I was thinking I could go out and find something eco-friendly for planning. Surely there would be something available. I received a Target gift card for doing a post so I started there.

I came across Blue Sky products. They are made with recycled paper from 60% post consumer waste and printed with soy based ink. I very much wanted the planner but it had a plastic cover. My sister reminded me that I didn't know what the plastic cover was made from so I should reconsider. The cover looked like #5 polypropylene but since I didn't know if it truly was and if it could be recycled I opted not to buy it. Instead I went with one of the hanging calendars (top photo). No plastic is even better. I figured I could see a whole month at a time and I could take the calendar down to write on it then hang it back up. Hanging it would also prevent my toddler from taking it and ripping the paper. If I had a planner lying around he would destroy it for sure.

While at Target I also came across the recycled construction paper I like to get for my son. If he's going to color I prefer it to be on acid-free recycled paper. I think it goes perfect with his soy crayons. He has a lot of fun coloring. I'm happy there are eco-friendly options so my son can enjoy this activity.

I'm thrilled I was able to find the recycled paper products I needed. Otherwise, I would be going without, still trying to find a way to get truly organized.

3:07 PM | 5 comments | Read more...

Wordless Wednesday: Edible Flowers

I have never heard of edible flowers before I found them in the grocery store over the weekend. I took this photo quickly (reason it is so blurry) so I could find out more. I am very intrigued. I'm not sure what can be done with them besides putting them on cakes. Is there another way to prepare them?

11:35 PM | 5 comments | Read more...

ThinkSport SPF 30+ Sunscreen Review

Sun protection has been very big news this summer. With all of the concern over toxic chemicals in sunscreen, I had to do my homework. I needed to find a sunscreen with good UVA/UVB protection that didn't contain nasty chemicals. One sunscreen that I came across was ThinkSport SPF 30+.

From ThinkSportBottles.com:

• Free of biologically harmful chemicals

• Zinc Oxide based sunscreen with the highest level of zinc oxide content (25%) which provides broad spectrum UVA and UVB protection

• Between the stability of the sunscreen, highest level of water resistance, and high molecular weight, small amounts of the sunscreen go a long way to provide lasting protection.

• Includes micronized Zinc, does not contain Nano particle or chemicals utilized for UV absorption

• Does not contain PABA, Parabens

• A member of the Safe Cosmetics Campaign Compact

• Sunscreen produced in the USA

One of the reasons I wanted to try ThinkSport Sunscreen was because it has strong protection against both UVA and UVB rays according to Environmental Working Group. ThinkSport also contains a high level of zinc oxide without nano particles. I'm seriously avoiding nano particles since they can more readily absorb into your skin and enter your bloodstream. I'm also not sure how I feel about titanium dioxide at this time so I'm happy this sunscreen only contains zinc.

This sunscreen took a little bit more rubbing in than our past sunscreen, but I'm willing to do that for safety. ThinkSport Sunscreen does not have a bad scent and is not sticky or greasy. It feels a lot like you've applied lotion once it sets. I use it on my toddler son and myself. I even make sure to get his ears and the tops of our feet. I think those are often places people forget to put sunscreen and burn. We had no problems being outside with this sunscreen.

With this product you have to shake up the tube before each application and give it 30 minutes before going in the sun. The whiteness will fade more during that time. The 30 minute wait isn't unlike other truly natural sunscreens so I wasn't turned off by that. It's the proper way to make sure my family gets the best protection possible.

Wearing hats, protective clothing, and staying in the shade are great ways to protect yourself from the sun. I believe that wearing sunscreen is a wonderful added protection as well. So be sure to check out ThinkSport and ThinkBaby sunscreen.

To keep up with the latest on ThinkSport and ThinkBaby, be sure to follow them on Twitter and Facebook.

I did not receive any monetary compensation for this post. I was provided with the product mentioned above at no cost for review. The opinions expressed here are my own. Please see Terms of Use for more information.

11:07 PM | 1 comments | Read more...

My First Time at The Fresh Market

I like to visit grocery stores that have plenty of organic items. The Fresh Market is one of those stores. As they do not have as many organic products as Whole Foods, they still carry more organic items than regular grocery stores. I decided to check this market out to see what they had to offer. Although there were many positives to the store there were just as many negatives.

The first thing I noticed about The Fresh Market was their excellent selection of organic produce! Buying organic is very important to my family so this was a major plus. The next thing I liked about the store was that they carry eco-friendly cleaning products and even biodegradable trash bags. The selection is not huge, but there were different products than I normally come across. As far as food items made by The Fresh Market themselves they have a lot that are trans fat free and preservative free. All good things.

The biggest negative I found was that they do not have a baby/toddler aisle. No baby food, diapers, or toddler snacks. At least not in the one I went to. I found that to be the biggest turn off and enough to infuriate me. I guess The Fresh Market is supposed to be a gourmet store. One that is meant to supplement shopping at another grocery store. Um, hello...what mom has time for that?! If you don't have kids or they are grown then it is great. Otherwise, I think families with children make up a lot of the grocery shopping community and they are alienating them. Yes, it's true that unprocessed foods are better for you but it's not realistic to think that moms and dads don't ever need to pick up baby food or toddler snacks. Forget it if you want a large selection of bath & beauty items too.

Another negative is the aisles. The aisles are very small. If one person is going through with a cart you can forget about getting through yourself. Not to mention that the front end/register part needs work too. If you're looking for a way to get out of the store without making a purchase it's hard to find room to leave.

I'm finding it to be a very difficult decision to know if I like this store or not. Organic produce sways me but little in the way of bath & beauty products and toddler snacks deters me. I will check it out again though. Hopefully, I will have a better view.

What do you think? Is there something that I'm missing that's a positive?

9:21 PM | 4 comments | Read more...

Yoreganics Bath & Body Products

I spend lots of time reading ingredient labels on bath & body products. Whether it's a product I see online or in a store I need to know what's in an item before I make a purchase. Often products that claim to be natural or organic have ingredient lists with complicated chemical names. I prefer straight forward natural ingredients that don't need further explanation. I also believe that less is more. If a product has a very long list of ingredients I'm less likely to buy.

One company that has great bath & body products with simple, natural and organic ingredients is Yoreganics. I had already trusted Yoreganics for my laundry and now I trust them for my bath & body products too. Some of the great products Yoreganics has to offer are Body Wash, Shaving Gel, Natural Deodorizer, Facial Bars, and Lip Balm.

Right now, my favorite is their Body Wash! It comes in Lush Lavender, Sunny Orange, Perky Peppermint, and Unscented. The first scent I tried was the peppermint. If you're looking for a scent to wake you up in the morning then Perky Peppermint is for you. The scent is so fresh and alive. Not to mention that the body wash foams up really well. The problem I face with most organic body washes is that they still contain synthetic ingredients and they don't create many suds. This is not the case with Yoreganics Body Wash. In addition, the ingredients are easy to understand: *Saponified organic coconut, olive and jojoba oils, glycerine/vegetable gum extract, *organic aloe vera, *organic essential oils of (orange, peppermint or lavender), rosemary extract. *Made with USDA certified organic ingredients.

I also like the Yoreganics Shaving Gel. I tried it for the first time this week. I was struggling to find an organic shaving gel that didn't leave my legs feeling dry or covered with little red bumps. I was becoming very frustrated before I tried this new gel. Yoreganics Shaving Gel is not too thin or runny like the others I've tried. It doesn't irritate my skin and lathers up nicely too!

Another product that has been so helpful to me is the Natural Deodorizer. I've been having problems with sweating more than usual lately. I sprinkle on the Natural Deodorizer and it helps to absorb a little of my sweat as well as helping with smell. I've also been using it to deodorize my son and husband's stinky shoes. Seriously, thank goodness for this stuff! I mean, nobody likes stinky feet, right? Or stinky underarms for that matter.

After I reviewed the Yoreganics Laundry Trio Sampler & Lip Balm I became hooked. I've placed two Yoreganics orders since. As a plus, I can get my laundry and bath & body products in one place. That couldn't be any more helpful!

I did not receive any monetary compensation for this post. Some of the products mentioned I received free of charge. The opinions expressed here are my own. Please see Terms of Use for more information.

4:40 PM | 2 comments | Read more...

How an Energizer Recharge Smart Charger Would Be Helpful

I met Xenia from Thanks, Mail Carrier at BlogHer '10. She was having a great time at the conference as an Energizer Smart ChargeHer! She let me know about Energizer's Recharge Smart Charger. I'm all about reusing and recycling so I was thrilled to find out about this rechargeable battery system:

Energizer_® Recharge Smart^™ Charger

Countdown timer shows how long until batteries are charged
Battery Fuel Gauge shows charge status
Bad Battery Alert detects alerts and shuts off charging when a non-NiMH or old NiMH battery is inserted
Large visual display can be viewed from across the room
Charges 2 or 4 AA or AAA NiMH rechargeable batteries
Charges batteries at a safe, steady rate which improves the long-term health of the NiMH battery
Energy Star® certified

I like to reuse items as much as possible. That's why I find this rechargeable battery system interesting. Even though it seems that I don't own many things that take batteries, I often find myself needing a battery for something when I don't have one. That wouldn't be the case with the Energizer Recharge Smart Charger. It would make my life easier in a several ways.

My husband loves his video games! He's a hard-working man that helps take great care of my son. At the end of a long day he likes to unwind by playing video games. We all have a guilty pleasure and playing video games is his. The problem with some of the wireless video game remotes is that they drain batteries so fast. Imagine that you finally have a chance to take some time and have fun and you can't because your fun requires charged batteries. The New Energizer Rechargeable AA Batteries are especially useful for higher draining or frequently used devices. They would definitely help to solve our wireless video game remote problem.

One thing I'm especially happy about is that Energizer supports rechargeable battery recycling. If you go to www.call2recycle.org you can find out where to recycle your Energizer rechargeable batteries for free. It's as easy as entering your zip code. I found out that I can go to the Target, Lowe's, or RadioShack in my area to recycle my rechargeable batteries.

With the Energizer Recharge Smart Charger I will be able to get the most use out of my rechargeable batteries and know when it's time to recycle them. It has a bad battery detector. So I'll know that I'm using my batteries to the fullest and I won't keep wasting energy trying to recharge bad batteries. It doesn't hurt that it is Energy Star certified either. It couldn't get much easier than that!

I did not receive any monetary compensation for this post. I will be receiving an Energizer Recharge Smart Charger and a $15 Target gift card for this post. The opinions expressed here are my own. Please see Terms of Use for more information.

8:25 PM | 2 comments | Read more...

Save Money on Soap by Using a Foam Pump

One day I was going through some things at my mother's house when I came across a foam pump bottle she hadn't used. I remembered I had seen an article on SafeMama.com about using castile soap in a foam pump to save money. Individual organic hand soap bottles are extremely expensive so I wasn't purchasing them but I wanted to use something safer. My mother said I could take her foam pump home since she wasn't using it. She purchased it at a Pampered Chef party, set it aside, and forgot it existed. That couldn't have worked out better for me!

Dr. Bronner's Liquid Castile Soap is definitely my castile soap of choice. The larger the bottle I buy, the more money I save. I'm happy with the ingredients and you can get it almost anywhere. Not all castile soaps are equal though. It's still important to read ingredient labels. Whole Foods now produces a USDA certified organic castile soap but I have yet to check it out.

As far as the Dr. Bronner's castile soap goes, the Citrus is my favorite for hand soap. My husband, mother, and grandmother love the Peppermint. I did try the Rose before when I couldn't find the Citrus but it didn't dawn on me at first that the Rose contains ethanol (grain alcohol). It smelled very nice but was too irritating for my hands. Good thing I could still use it for cleaning. Castile soap has lots of uses. That's another blog post for another day though.

Let's get back to the foam pump. When you use a foam pump for soap, you add very little soap and a lot of water (filtered, boiled and cooled, or distilled depending on how much you wash your hands and how long a bottle will last in your household). If you look at the photo to the right you can see the measurements of how much soap is needed versus how much water. As you can see, I filled the bottle a little too much with water. When that happens I just add another squirt of soap.

If you buy a foam pump with markings on it, refilling the bottle is quick and easy. It is more expensive though. I've used a few different foam pump bottles. The one I've liked the best is from The Pampered Chef. It comes with one marked bottle but two foaming tops. That way you only have to switch the top when the first pump wears out. Keep in mind that foaming mechanisms eventually wear down on all foaming bottles. In order to extend the life of a foam pump, flush the pump with warm water before each soap refill.

I've found that it's very difficult to find foam pump bottles with markings on them in stores. If you want to avoid the cost of a marked bottle (and added shipping), you can purchase an organic soap that already comes in a foaming bottle. Once you use the soap you can reuse the bottle. Also, look around your home to see if you already use a product that comes in a foam pump. You may have a bottle already that you can reuse. For the soap/water ratio to use in unmarked bottles or ideas on how to mix your own soap scents, please visit SafeMama.com.

Special thanks to Kathy at SafeMama.com for her great article, Sunday Morning DIY: Lavender & Sweet Orange Hand Soap. Kathy, you have saved me so much money on soap!!!

©MommyIsGreen.net - DO NOT COPY text or images.

12:56 PM | 3 comments | Read more...

Spending Time With Hubby in NYC

One of the best things about visiting New York City for BlogHer '10 was fitting in some time alone with my husband. We rarely get a babysitter so time alone is scarce. Since my husband knows how to navigate NYC and I do not, he was more than happy to come along and show me around.

Our first night there (Thursday) we wanted to dine at a nice restaurant. We asked the hotel staff and searched online, but we were hard-pressed to find an organic restaurant that was close. I thought in NYC there would be a lot more options for organic. I'm sure there are but maybe it helps to live there to learn where certain places are. Anyway, we ended up at a restaurant that looked friendly enough for us casual dressers. After all, we did just come in on the train and we were starving.

We were delighted the restaurant we chose at least served organic wine. I never have a drink except for on date nights so this was a treat. Unfortunately, the restaurant had horrible service and we couldn't hear ourselves think over the music. We had three different servers and my husband couldn't even get them to come over for a refill on his wine. On top of that, my meal was horrible. I ended up eating focaccia bread for dinner.

On Friday, I attended the conference and my husband found things to do all over the city. He even attended a Yankees vs. Red Sox baseball game. He said he had a blast that day and I was glad because I didn't want him to be bored while I was at the conference.

Saturday morning we packed up our suitcases and spent some time together in the city before our train ride home. We had breakfast and headed over to Madame Tussauds Wax Museum. I had been to the one in London so I knew we'd like this one too. It was very cool because the wax figures look so real in person. I think it's all about their eyes and the way the men look like they've shaved. So much detail goes into the figures. If you get really close and look at them it's almost as if they're going to jump out at you. Pictures don't have the same effect though. Hubby and I had so much fun!

After the museum, we had enough time to grab some lunch and relax a little bit back at the hotel before our train left. I loved spending time alone with my husband in the city. I missed our son very much but I knew he was in good hands. That enabled me to take in each moment with my husband and cherish it.

P.S. On the way to the train station we walked by an organic food restaurant. It was three blocks away from our hotel. We didn't even know. Total bummer!

4:29 PM | 3 comments | Read more...

TerraCycle Upcycled Products Review

If you haven't yet heard of TerraCycle, they are a company dedicated to reusing items that would otherwise end up in a landfill. They collect used packaging like drink pouches, yogurt cups, chip bags, and candy wrappers. These items are then upcycled to make messenger bags, lunch boxes, kites and much more.

TerraCycle offers free collection programs where non-profits and schools can raise money by gathering materials that can be repurposed or upcycled. These collection programs are called Brigades. Two of the newest Brigades are the Sprout Brigade and the Huggies Brigade.

The Sprout Brigade collects used Sprout Organic Baby Food packaging and converts it into hip diaper wallets, bibs, backpacks and totes (tote shown above). This saves the pouches from being dumped in landfills. If you've made the choice to feed your baby organic food this program can help you take that eco-friendly choice one step further. For every empty baby food pouch the Sprout Brigade collects, 2 cents will be donated to the school or non-profit charity of the collector's choice. Participation and sign-up are free and all shipping costs are paid by the program.

The Huggies Brigade collects plastic diaper packaging from Huggies diapers. Millions of pieces of plastic diaper packaging ends up in landfills each year. If you use disposable diapers but you want to do something to help reduce your waste this is a great program. Every step toward helping the environment has an impact. I used to think that I couldn't make a difference as one person making small steps but I've come to learn I can make a difference. Every step we take toward reusing and recycling helps to keep this planet cleaner for our children. Just like the Sprout Brigade, TerraCycle will donate 2 cents per each piece of diaper packaging received to the school or non-profit charity of the collector's choice.

I've been trying out some very cool products from TerraCycle:

Drink Pouch Tote (Small) - This Small Tote is made from used juice pouches that have been sewn together. This bag is the perfect size to take shopping for a couple of clothing items, or packing some drinks and snacks to go to the park. If you're looking for something a bit bigger, the Drink Pouch Tote also comes in Medium and Large.

Drink Pouch Pencil Case (Medium) - I love this pencil case! Just like the tote bag, it is made from used juice pouches that are sewn together. I carried this around with me in my bag at the BlogHer '10 conference. I used it to hold my extra business cards and my pens. It's super cute and convenient. It kept my things in one place so I wasn't digging all over my bag for them.

Circuit Board Coasters - If you want coasters that are fun, different and even appealing to men, you'll want to check out these coasters. They are fantastic for a home office, by the computer, or even on a coffee table as a conversation piece. I really like how they are made from actual circuit boards. I think they are a very clever way to reduce waste.

TerraCycle Products can be found at Target, Home Depot, Walmart, Whole Foods Markets, and online. Be sure to check out TerraCycle on Twitter & Facebook too!

Happy Upcycling!

I did not receive any monetary compensation for this post. I was provided with TerraCycle prouducts at no cost for review. The opinions expressed here are my own. Please see Terms of Use for more information.

11:25 AM | 4 comments | Read more...

Kickin' It Old School and Sweating It at BlogHer '10

As some of you know, I attended BlogHer '10. Many of the bloggers attended parties on Thursday night before the start of the conference on Friday. The party RSVP lists filled up fast so I wasn't able to attend any of the parties. When I arrived on Thursday I saw everyone joining groups and making friends already. Since I hadn't made one friend in person by Friday morning I was feeling pretty nervous and out of the loop.

I was supposed to meet up with Xenia from Thanks Mail Carrier at the Newbie Breakfast Friday morning. We planned this online but ended up missing each other at the breakfast and didn't find each other until 4:00 pm. I was feeling pretty shy and nervous most of the day. I'm not exactly sure why because I'm usually a very outgoing person. I've never had trouble making friends but I felt outside of my element. I think it's because the blogosphere is so huge and I'm just a tiny part of it. Everyone I met was very nice though. Even when I sat somewhere by myself people would come sit and chat. So I know I was being completely silly about being shy.

Another reason I felt out of my element was because I must have been the only blogger there without a Blackberry or an iPhone. I was totally unconnected when I wasn't in my hotel room. I didn't want to lug around my laptop and so far I don't have Internet on my cell phone. I had to kick it old school with my pen made from recycled paper and a note pad to take notes during sessions. As I usually don't feel the need to be that connected when I'm not at home, I wish I had a cool cell phone with easy Internet access for the conference. The capability to take easy notes with it would have been helpful as well.

If that wasn't enough to make me feel different, I had sweat creating puddles under my arms. I made the transition to natural deodorant 9 months ago. The detox stage is long over with and I shouldn't be sweating this much. In fact, I've never sweat this much during any time using natural deodorant. That says to me that I need to switch to a new natural deodorant. Even when I used traditional deodorant it eventually came time that it stopped working well until I chose something new to use. So if you saw someone dressed nicely on Friday but still had sweaty armpits, that was me! Lol! If you didn't meet me but saw me, or you have my card and don't remember what I look like...surely you can identify me by my sweaty pits.

Regardless of my insecurities, shyness, and nervousness I still had a good time at BlogHer '10. I loved meeting everyone, learning new things, and playing at the Expo. I can't wait to start visiting new blogs from cards that I collected at the conference as well as catching up with bloggers that weren't able to attend. I have a very busy week ahead of me!

10:14 AM | 3 comments | Read more...

Planet Wise Wet/Dry Bag Review & Giveaway (CLOSED)

I've recently started cloth diapering. I ran into the problem that I had nowhere to store my dirty cloth diapers. I was placing them on the washing machine which was very inconvenient because I have a top loader. I don't yet have enough diapers to use a pail so I needed something small and convenient. I was certain the Planet Wise Wet/Dry Bag would be perfect!

The Wet/Dry Bag has great qualities:

PVC-Free
Lead-Free
Waterproof
Machine Washable/Dryable
Pocket for Wet/Dirty Items
Pocket for Dry/Unused Items
No Wicking or Leaking
Plenty of Fabric Designs
Made in the USA

The Planet Wise Wet/Dry Bag holds approximately 8-9 cloth diapers. That's perfect for me because I don't have more diapers than that right now. The bag has a snap handle so I can conveniently hang it on the bedroom or bathroom doorknob. When I'm ready to wash my diapers I just bring the bag over to washing machine and drop the diapers right in! I have enough cloth diapers to use at home but I would like to get more. At that point, I plan on getting a Planet Wise Diaper Pail Liner. That way I can use my wet/dry bag when I'm out and about. I can keep my unused diapers in the front pocket (breathable cotton) and easily put my dirty diapers away in the waterproof lined pocket.

There are also so many other uses for the wet/dry bag. It can be used for wet clothing, swimwear, cosmetics, etc. One reason I wish I had more of these bags is travel. It would be so convenient to put shampoo, conditioner and body wash in the waterproof section, and put combs and hair ties in the dry section. Using plastic bags for those items seems very wasteful to me. I would find a reusable wet/dry bag to be a better choice.

Planet Wise offers many different cotton fabric designs. It would be difficult not to find one you like. They even offer two organic cotton options. One is Organic Blue Vista and the other is Organic Leaf. I chose the Organic Leaf because I love the green and brown combination! It is truly nice.

Planet Wise is a very environmentally conscious company. Their packaging is printed on recycled/recyclable paper using soy-based ink. All of their products are reusable helping to reduce waste. They also thoroughly research their product materials to make sure they are PVC-free and lead-free. Make sure to stop by www.PlanetWiseInc.com to check out their other great products as well.

WIN IT!!!

One lucky Mommy Is Green reader will win a
Planet Wise Wet/Dry Bag.

To Enter:

1. Visit Planet Wise then come back and tell me which fabric you would choose. This is mandatory and must be done before the extra entries count.

Extra Entries (The mandatory entry must be completed first before any of these count. Please create a separate comment for each extra entry):

2. Follow me through Google Friend Connect. (1 Entry)

3. Let me know another Planet Wise product you'd like to own. (1 Entry)

4. Follow both @planetwiseinc and @mommyisgreen on Twitter. Leave your Twitter ID in comment. (1 Entry)

5. Tweet about this giveaway on Twitter. You can do this once daily. Put a link to your tweet in a comment here (click the date/time on the bottom left of your tweet to get link). You can copy and paste: “Win a Planet Wise Wet/Dry Bag! @mommyisgreen http://tinyurl.com/22pv8kz #clothdiapers #giveaway” (1 Entry Per Day)

6. Enter another Mommy Is Green giveaway. (1 Entry)

7. Add the Mommy Is Green button to your sidebar. ( 2 Entries)

8. Subscribe to Mommy Is Green through email and confirm. (2 Entries)

9. Comment on any non-giveaway blog post at Mommy Is Green. (1 Entry)

10. Blog about this giveaway with a link back to Mommy Is Green and Planet Wise. Leave a comment with your web site address. (3 Entries)

This giveaway will end on August 19, 2010 at 11:59 ET. Winner will be drawn via random.org. Once a winner is drawn I will contact them and they will have 48 hours to reply before I draw a new winner. Giveaway is open to residents of the U.S. only who are 18 years of age or older.

Congratulations to the winner, #348...Karine Traverse!

I did not receive any monetary compensation for this post. I was provided with Wet/Dry Bag at no cost for review. The opinions expressed here are my own. Please see Terms of Use for more information.

1:47 PM | 399 comments | Read more...

New York State Bans BPA in Baby Bottles & Sippy Cups

If you live in New York State, you can now cheer for the ban of BPA in baby bottles! Starting December 1, 2010 BPA will no longer be allowed in baby bottles, sippy cups, and other children's products sold in New York State. I remember having to check for BPA-free labels on baby items when my son was born. Even then, I had to call companies that did not have information posted on their product packaging to inquire about BPA.

Luckily, at the end of this year checking children's items for BPA in New York will become a littler easier. I'm not saying research shouldn't still be done for the presence of phthalates or PVC, but at least New York retailers will have to conform to the ban of BPA. I think this sends out a great message!

If you don't happen to live in New York State there is still a reason to rejoice. Every state that bans BPA is making a statement!

(Source: www.weny.com)

2:03 PM | 4 comments | Read more...