Yo Betty, lets go camping and pack the cocktails! A review and giveaway!

Where I live, Memorial Day weekend is the kick off for camping season! Except the cost of gas is $4.20 a gallon and its freezing cold. I haven’t seen too many campers headed into this normally booming tourist town. I could be wrong though. Personally, I’m not much of a camper but that doesn’t mean I haven’t slept ina tent with gross, camp fired scented clothing and toxic bug spray fumes and the sticky marshmallows on my fingers. I have. I just didn’t love it. I’d rather “hotel” it. I’m just not a fan of sleeping on rocks and rolling over next to a dewing wet tent and then having to pee like crazy and running to a gross bathroom that smells like crap or better yet, going in the woods. I always pee on my pants when I squat! So then I smell like urine, among the other great things. I know, I know…there’s lots of great things associated with camping and now that I’ve read the book Backcountry Betty, Roughing it in Style by, Jennifer Worick …I think I might consider giving the tent a whirl. I’m going to start in my backyard and work my way to the camp ground and then the woods with no bathroom. Baby steps.

I think my problem with camping is the dirty, stinky gross feeling. I like showers and being clean. That doesn’t mean I don’t get nitty gritty dirty but I’m a Betty, just not my Aunt Betty. Bless her heart but she’s so grumpy and never smiles. The very first chapter of the book addresses hygiene and how to stay fresh and feel fresh. This chapter made me love the whole book right from the start. The book, besides being witty and humorous (like this blog), has many practical pointer and tips. For example, if you have to go number 2 make sure you build a “cat hole” and locate it 200 feet from water and downwind. Now that’s practical! Oh, and do not go swimming in the ocean if your having your monthly Aunt Flow visit because sharks can sense this. Go figure?

Jennifer Worick does a great job in a very non-boring way, pointing out how camping can be fun and still have style and class if you pack and plan ahead. This doesn’t mean wear your stilettos (which I can’t wear anyhow) tromping through the woods! No, just your comfy vegan hiking boots from Zappos! I don’t know if they have these or not, but maybe they do? The point is to mesh practicality, organization and a little bit of pizzazz without wreaking or giving up all sense of feeling like a woman. Over and over it is pointed out to respect nature, not liter, carry your trash and used toilet paper with you (another reason I’m not a camping fan), do not disturb nature and again to respect nature. Just because you’re camping doesn’t mean you can’t have fondue or cocktails and Backcountry Betty shows you how! Ahh and if camping with your hot sweaty man is your thing there are lots of green and clean tips on how to spice things up without disturbing nature. Backcountry Betty helps keep you warm without the sleeping bag!

Not every idea is “green” but not every person camping is either. If you’re looking for a fun read, have a friend who isn’t so keen on camping or maybe you’d like some fun tips on making your next camping trip a trip that screams, “I’m a hot Betty and I can rough it (wink, wink) in style!” then this is the book for you. I have plenty of suggestions on how Betty can be more eco-savvy and sassy, like suggesting earth friendly products, recycled toilet paper, and not being so Ziploc baggy loving (but then it is camping). Get your copy from Mountaineers Books for only $14.95.

Wanna win a copy? K. Just leave me a comment and tell me a funny camping story. I need a good laugh. I’ll send a copy of the book to whoever makes me chuckles the hardest and pee my pants. I’ll announce the winner on June 1, 2008 when the new site launches.

Reusable bags make SUV eco-savvy!

My very "ungreen" vehicle seems to fill up with kids junk. Toys, books, sunglasses, etc. You know how children have to lug everything with them? In my case, I have every prehistoric dinosaur toy stored in my car. Seriously. I needed a solution for storing this "stuff". I have tons of reusable bags and decided, what a good way to utilize two of these bags, hang them on the back of the seats! Each child has their own reusable bag filled with their, "stuff"! My son can easily bend over and reach for his bag and not have to unsafely ask me to reach over and hand him a toy. I'm using the reusable bags, staying organized, the kids are happy and my hands are on the wheel and eyes on the road! I think the reusable bags make my car more earth friendly!

To My Son: Confessions, Apologies & Many Eco-Friendly Wishes

Dear son,

Today you are four. I think most moms say, it seems like yesterday I just had you. No, it seems like four years ago…they’ve just gone quickly! When I was pregnant with you I wanted to do everything right. I wanted to eat right to nourish you. I wanted to buy you everything I thought was safe. I tried to breast feed because that is what I was told was best, yet you basically starved for three days because I could not produce milk due to a hormone imbalance. That my son, was the beginning of the struggles between doing what I thought was right and doing what I knew in my heart was not right.

I made many choices four years ago because I knew nothing else. I bought the baby food in number 7 plastic containers because I did not know about BPA. I used the plastic baby bottles and heated them in the microwave (gasp)! I used the baby shampoo with chemicals and parabens because that’s what I got for my baby shower, my mom said it was the best! I used diapers that were bleached because I didn’t know they made anything else and I even washed the floors with bleach and the counters with 409 (my grandma did)! I seriously did not know and I am so sorry. Knowing what I know now, I’m surprised you don’t have some brain damage or serious problem. Phew, you’re okay! I am sorry for not opening my eyes, asking more questions and trusting my gut feelings. I have spent the last two years devoted to learning, teaching, trying to be a catalyst for change and an inspiration. I really hope that all of this lessens your temper tantrums, demands for more dinosaurs, your stubborn streaks, pacifier addiction and bubba gum chewing phase. I’m guessing that it won’t because you’re four, but a mom can hope!

Son, hopefully you won’t have to go through this when you have children but you probably will. The world will change and they will find more things to tell us to use or not use. Information, statistics, media, and reports will be conflicting. My wish is that you will find a balance between nature and science. You will trust your heart and follow it. I hope I can spend the next, how many ever years, teaching you about trusting yourself, respecting nature, giving back to others, and how to live healthy. I wish you could know, how very much I love you and have enjoyed these four years and how much I look forward to all the years to come. I am not sure I would have ever come to learn about being more earth friendly and “green” had I not had you. You are my catalyst for change.

Today you will take your dinosaur hunt throughout the house and find your presents. We will celebrate your birth and rejoice. I just hope that the air you breath today and the water you drink tomorrow will continue to be healthy and safe for you when you add a 0 to that 4. I wish I could promise you this and make it come true but when you blow out those candles I will wish my hardest. I will close my eyes and wish for clean air, clean water, pesticide free food, polar bears, and fewer childhood cases of asthma, cancer and death. I love you son.

Betty use that Big Green Purse!

I’m one of those people who have a night stand full of books and they have sticky notes all over the pages, the pages are earmarked or something like a pencil or pen is saving a page. I do too much reading but for the most part, this is a good thing. I have two books I’m going back and forth with right now, Backcountry Betty and Big Green Purse. Both are fabulous and so far, fun reads. Your probably wondering what a Betty is, I did too. I’ll shed more light on this when I’m finished reading the book and post on it but Urban Dictionary defines a “Betty” as a hot chick that is stylish. So I guess they really mean Green & Clean Mom and should link to my site!

All Betty’s for sure having a stylish Big Green Purse! I have to tell you, Big Green Purse, is a fat book with a lot of pages and tons of resources and information. I’m learning a ton from Diane Mackachern, the author. The idea behind Big Green Purse is we all have one and we can all use our green mullah to change companies that are making environmentally dangerous products. One example is that, as consumers we spend $50 million dollars on cosmetics and if we just shifted our spending on one or two products to more environmentally friendly products and companies, the industry would get the point! We have power all you Green Betty’s out there. I cannot wait to finish these two books and tell you more about them. I just wanted to give you a heads up and let you know that I’ll also be giving these away! You’ll have a chance to win them when the new site launches on June 1st! Happiness!

Another great source for books that we all should be looking into is, EcoBrain.com! You can read books online and cut down on the waste of printing, paper, ink and they have a huge selection. Each month I will be reviewing one book from EcoBrain.com to share with you. Hopefully you’ll check out there selection and if you subscribe to this blog and make sure you come back for more juicy green details, you could win a $50 EcoBrain.com e-certificate. I told you lots of good stuff will happen when the new site launches!

A not so green thumb!

I do not have a green thumb. I do not like weeding. I do not like lawn work. I like playing in the grass and nature but I do not like gardening. I never have. I never will. Never. I know, never say never but folks, it just won’t happen. The problem is, I love a nice manicured lawn and if I could make a million dollars telling you this and have someone do it for me, I would. I like a potted plant here and there, some tulips to come up and that’s about it. Every time I get a plant I forget to water it. Then it dies and I feel bad. So what the point? My son planted something in a cup at school and told me to not touch it. I did and guess what, it’s dead. He was not pleased. My yard, however, is huge and we have a ton of landscaping which equal weeds, weeds, weeds. Not cool.

So how the heck will I go earth friendly when it comes to my yard? My hubby likes the big tractors, the bad chemical stuff that kills the weeds and stops the lovely dandelions my sons picks for me. My lovely better half really was a landscaper in another life time. He’s just a natural. I try to tell him, dandelions give us wonderful yellow paint for the sidewalk and I can make many, many necklaces and crowns from them. My cute face and pleading just don’t cut it. I found a company that sells eco-mowers and we’re researching buying one of these. That will cut back on our consumption of gasoline and pollution. If anyone uses an eco-mower, please share your thoughts and feelings on how they operate and cut the grass. We got a lot of tips from the site, Grinning Planet and HGTV had some nifty advice too. Our local lawn and garden center had a few options but after talking to the owner I learned that maybe 20% of his customers seemed interested in “organic” lawn care products. Bummer. So I’m still researching and basically advocating for the weeds and trying hard to not care about a manicured lawn while I lay in the grass with my dandelion crown.

P.S. I’m typing this and the kids and hubby are outside weeding. I'm feeling guilty. Nah, I hate weeding and gardening.

I'm headed to the green, green jungle!

Not the real jungle but a place called, the "Jungle" with fake green everywhere and nothing organic or healthy to eat. This is where my four year old begged to have his birthday party. I resisted and wanted to do a charitable birthday party and be the greenest mom I could be. I lost. There’s something about a cute face that came from your womb begging you to have saturated fat, high fructose corn syrup soda, cupcakes and play putt putt golf while running around like a wild baboon, playing video games. I really did resist. So then I needed to figure out how to sprinkle some of my green mom qualities onto this, not to so green birthday party. We used recycled, make your own invitations and soy crayons from the best place ever, Stubby Pencil Studio. I’ll tell you more about this eco-friendly company later and how you’ll get to win some earth friendly art supplies! The birthday boy will wear his organic shirt from MamaOm, so everyone knows that we’re an earth lovin’ family. I wanted to get the kids the organic playdough from Wild Dill , but it's made fresh and it takes two weeks to ship, bad mom I didn't plan ahead. I'm not wrapping my sons gifts, he has to go on a dinosaur hunt to find them (guess his gift) and they're dinos (he has a little obsession)! I think my good intentions and green sprinkle here and there, should really count for something! Oh, and to end the day I’ll have a green margarita with some family members (that counts, right). I’ll need it after all the screaming, yelling and begging for more tokens. And did I mention the annoying parrot that squawks and won’t shut up? Yeah, that will drive me to have two green margaritas!

I wasn’t going to write all of this and flaunt how oh, so very ungreen I am going to be this weekend but then I thought, nah, readers need to see that I’m normal. I’ve written this a dozen times over but folks, being green isn’t a contest and we shouldn’t pass judgment. We all just have to do our very best and be some shade of green each day. Hopefully I won’t turn green from the not so organic margaritas either! I’d love for my kids to want earth friendly birthday parties and will continue to encourage it and when possible impress upon them the importance of having a charity party or doing something o’so green but I cannot force them. You might want to check out a post I wrote this winter about having a charitable birthday party for my daughter. I gathered some great ideas that I hoped to utilize this spring as well, no such luck. Nature Mom & Enviromom write good posts about having a green birthday party for your wee one but this Green & Clean Mom just didn't cut this year for this child. Oh, well if I’m going to go to the jungle with fake green grass and painted elephants and giraffes all over the walls it might as well be for the good of my sweet little boy turning four.

Zappos is doing their part to "go green"!

I love Zappos…you know the online shoe store that ships your shoes to you for free and the returns are free too! The selection of shoes might be great but the free shipping both ways, rock! Wait and they don't just have shoes either! Most companies are raising the shipping prices because of the economy (or so they say) but not Zappos! I was doing a little twittering the other day and the CEO of Zappos was twittering so I gave him a little “tweet” and asked him just how “green” was Zappos? If moms like me are going to buy from companies like Zappos, we need to know they are trying to go green and care. My little “tweet” to Tony ended in a quick and timely response, which impressed me. I email and talk to many CEO’s and companies and the reply isn’t so quick. Gerber is one of them and I’ll happily tell you about in another post and they are getting a lot of Green & Clean Mom love either! A big thanks to Tony, the CEO, and his staff that have been 100% great when it comes to answering questions, emailing and helping me with the launch.

Besides carrying eco friendly shoes, I found out they have a basic recycling program in all three of their Vegas locations. Everyone that’s part of the Zappos “team” has heard the important message about doing their part and recycling whenever possible. Sweet! That’s better than some homes! The pop cans get turned in for money and donated to a charitable organization which is pretty neat. When it comes to retail, Zappos, is working on giving customers a reusable bag at not cost when a certain amount is spent. This is to encourage the use of reusable bags verses paper or plastic. They’re working on plans for recycling shoes or shoe boxes and offering discounts but this is in the works. Their facilities have motion sensor faucets (I need these) to conserve water and they use 100% recycled paper. To celebrate Earth Day the graveyard team made sculptures from all the empty bottles found in the recycling. I think that’s pretty creative.

All in all, I have to say, Zappos seems to be on the right track. Are they perfect? No. Are you? I want to see companies go green and care, however, I don’t want to see them recycle a bottle and then throw away a tin can or make a product that isn’t earth friendly. Better yet, I don’t want to see a company manufacture a dangerous product that can harm my kids and the Earth but tell me that they recycle. I’m pretty sure Zappos cares and they aren’t just on the green marketing wagon like some companies. The teams of employees that work for them care and so the company cares. Kudos to Zappos and keep doing more good things and improving!!! Want to win $100 off e-certificate coming up when I turn the switch on for the new site? I know you do! Shucks, I do but since it’s my site I can’t really enter but I wish I could. Subscribe so you don’t miss out on any of the upcoming fun stuff. I saw the second mock up and “ohmigosh” it was to die for. Lori over at A Cowboys Wife even said so. She got a sneak peak!! So circle, June 1st because that will be the day, if nothing goes tragically wrong. Make sure you subscribe so you the 411 on all changes and fun upcoming stuff!

Shea Terra Organics Giveaway plus good green news!

I think it’s pretty clear, I think Shea Terra Organics is a great company, with an awesome CEO and founder and they have great products. I’ve been able to review a vast variety of these luxury body scrubs, lotions, body butters, face washes and creams of all scents and varieties. Now it’s time to share and give away one of my favorite scents, the Lavender of the Khoisan Indigenous Shea Butter gift set. This is the scent my son likes and request to use in the shower! A prize retailed at $45 U.S. dollars and anyone can win this if they live in the United States or Canada and are 18 years of age. All you have to do is leave a comment as to why you think you might need this “spa” treatment! The contest ends May 29, 2008 12am EST. One winner will be drawn randomly. One entry per email and you must leave your email address! Thanks to Shea Terra Organics for donating this lovely gift set.

This was going to be the last giveaway and contest for Green & Clean Mom but seeing that I'm so generous I'll giveaway a fun read and then some more goodies for the prelaunch. I just cannot resist waiting till the launch. There’s so much in store that I am having a hard time sleeping at night trying to organize everything and sort through the amazing giveaways. The official launch or really more of a relaunch will span over the course of two months with two giveaways each week (subject to change). If you’re following me on twitter you might know of some confirmed giveaways! So stay tuned, try to win some Shea Terra Organics, and subscribe so you don’t miss a thing. I am still accepting advertisers and giveaways from the following green categories: jewelers, accessories, toys, diapers and slings.

Moms + Strollers = Stop Global Warming or we'll run you over!

Give a few thousand moms a mission and they’ll get it done! Seriously, don’t mess with a bunch of moms and their strollers! Green Peace has an movement taking place called, Project Hot Seat and the idea is to get off you’re your bum and do something! On Mother’s day between Greenpeace, 1Sky, and True Majority over 455 events were scheduled on mother’s day to show congress that we want change! Our children need clean air to breath, non-toxic choices, safe drinking water and darn it all a health planet! Head on over to Project Hot Seat and find out who your legislator is and how you can do something. I don’t even have a mommy meet up event listed in my State (gasp) so you know what I need to get working! Okay, at least get my friends to start something! Listen to some very motivational testimonials from moms just like us!

Two clubs named Skirt

When you were little did you ever create a club and have members? When I was in elementary school we had a club and a clubhouse and special members, knocks on the door, dues, etc. It was great fun. I don’t remember the name of it. Had another group of kids created a club with a similar name I might get ticked off but what could I have done? Teepee their clubhouse? Three grown women created an online clubhouse for women bloggers to tell other women bloggers about great articles, blogs and content. They named it, Skirt. Well there just happened to be another club name Skirt but they publish a free magazine. Instead of using some teepee and just getting mad, they used money, lawyers and bullying tactics and made the ladies of Skirt change their name. Actually the ladies that created their online club weren’t made to do anything; they gave a little Kirtsy and like ladies decided to change the name of their popular online “club”. It just wasn’t worth the money to fight it. Ahhh, smart tactic because now they have lots of traffic and this has grown to be a very popular topic amongst bloggers. The women also trademarked the name, Kirtsy. Not a bad idea but it's close to $2,000 or more to do this and I know because of a service I've used called, Legal Zoom. Probably why many bloggers and people don't go through with it.

How does this relate to my blog or why should you care? I started thinking about what it means to name something and a blogs branding. Did you research your blog name? What about Green & Clean Mom, did I research it? Yes I did. However, what if someone took my name? What would I do? How would I feel? What if I took someone’s name? It’s controversial and the people over at the Skirt magazine, in my opinion, had a right to feel upset. They had a registered trademarked name that costed them a lot of money to get. The ladies of Kirtsy, had bad legal advise and that isn't the magazine's fault. I feel bad for the ladies. The lawyer might not have thought they'd be as big as they became but lawyers should never think this way when it comes to the online social media scene. I think it ended up just making the magazine look bad because the two are different "clubs" and offer different services but we aren't little anymore and throwing toilet paper on anothers clubhouse won't cut it. Plus, it's wasteful to throw toilet paper and not very green!

Whatever it might be Skirt (not the online magazine) is now Kirtsy and I respect the way the women have handled the situation. To celebrate their change and encourage others to learn about their “club” they are having a HUGE giveaway. I know everyone loves a giveaway. Now, not all the products are oh so “green” and I’m not promoting the products but rather, Kirtsy. They are giving away ten cases of Primo water the bottles are made from plants not crude oil. I guess if you have to chose bottled water this is a better option.

No more BPA petition!

I wanted to pass this very appropriate and timely email on to all of you green mommies. A new friend of mine, Monica, so graciously sent this to me. Moms we have power and together we are even more powerful, so lets fight this BPA war and win! No more BPA...enough is enough!

Please join me in stopping toxics in baby bottles. The evidence is mounting. After years of concern about the safety of baby bottles, children's care products, and other food and beverage containers that contain the chemical bisphenol A (BPA), the verdict is in--and it's not good.
Yesterday the Canadian government announced it is planning to ban the use of BPA in baby bottles, and declared BPA dangerous.[1] And, earlier this week, the Los Angeles Times reported that the U.S. based National Institutes of Health (NIH) concluded that there is "some concern" that babies, fetuses, and children are in danger because BPA harms animals at the low levels found in nearly all human bodies.[2] Sadly, a recent study found this chemical in all five leading brands of American baby bottles.

It's enough to sink any mother's stomach. Let's take a second to take a collective deep breath, and then mobilize for major action. Sign a petition calling for the CEOs of the leading manufacturers of baby bottles to stop the use of BPA in our baby bottles and other children's products.

TAKE ACTION: http://salsa.democracyinaction.org/o/1768/petition.jsp?petition_KEY=1177
Sign on now and we'll send the petition to the CEOs of Avent, Disney/First Years, Dr. Brown's, Evenflo, Gerber, and Playtex in collaboration with Center for Health, Environment, & Justice and other organizations.

Tell everyone you know about this! The more signatures, we have, the more the CEOs will get the message that consumers want healthy products, not toxins. With the current media attention on BPA, this is a critical moment to take advantage of that momentum and push these CEOs to stop using it in baby bottles.

WHAT DOES IT DO? Growing children are especially at risk to chemicals as they face greater exposure per pound of body weight. Even fetuses are susceptible as chemicals, including BPA, cross the placenta in pregnant women. Over 130 studies suggest that BPA exposure, even at low doses, is linked to many health problems, including early puberty, breast and prostate cancer, obesity, attention and hyperactivity disorder, brain damage, altered immune system, and lower sperm counts.[3]

This is a widespread issue which we need to address together. A 2007 study by the Environment California Research and Policy Center found that all five leading brands of baby bottles leached BPA at levels found to cause harm in numerous laboratory studies.[4]
It is time for all parents to take action!

*Click here to sign the petition: http://salsa.democracyinaction.org/o/1768/petition.jsp?petition_KEY=1177
* Consider sharing this email with your friends. Let's show 'em we MOMS mean business.

Toxins, lead etc in any childrens products are simply unacceptable!
Thanks for your work on behalf of all children!

P.S. For tips on how to limit exposure to BPA, see http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/04/15/AR2008041502161.html
[1] http://www.cbc.ca/canada/calgary/story/2008/04/18/bisphenol-a.html?ref=rss
[2] http://www.latimes.com/features/health/medicine/la-na-plastic16apr16,1,498138.story
[3] http://www.environmentcalifornia.org/environmental-health/stop-toxic-toys/bisphenol-a-overview.

Thanks to Momrising.org for starting this!

Announcing the Green Contest Winners

Happy Belated Mother’s Day! My eyes are bugging out of my head right now because I’ve been sorting through FOUR contests that ended last night at Midnight EST. Wow! There was a ton of participation, great ideas and comments and now we have some winners. I have to make one quick comment before I disclose the winners, if a contest asks for a email address…please leave one! I cannot get in touch with you if I don’t have an email address. If you don’t want spam then spam proof it by typing out the words at for @ or dot. Here is my example: sommer at greenandcleanmom dot org. Now with that off my chest you must know that I had to do some redraws because I could not email the winner and that stinks. Enough crying and pouting let’s celebrate and announce the winners, who have already been emailed and have one week to reply or I will draw another name.

I used Random.org to draw five numbers 1-87 (there were 88 comments with one duplicate) for the PUR water filtration system. These are the five numbers that were drawn:

Here are your random numbers:
53 43 23 49 87
Timestamp: 2008-05-12 17:13:17 UTC

I am royally bummed that I couldn’t score an interview with Cindy Crawford but at least five more people are drinking safer drinking water and not buying bottled water. Thanks PUR and thanks for sponsoring this contest and thank to all the readers that helped support Thirst for Change!

For the Green Cleaning Kit, there were 216 comments and so many good green cleaning ideas. Baking soda, vinegar, and composting were common suggestions. I have to tell you, I can’t stand using vinegar. Sorry but it smells and it shouldn’t be used on granite counter tops and it’s too acidic for my floors. It may be natural and cheap but I had to find something different and that’s how I came to this green cleaning kit. Congrats to Connie, comments number 207!

The Kroger Reusable Bag Design contest surprised me because there was only one entry. Folks, don’t you want to win grocery money? Weird. So the one person wins it all. Lucky gal, she designed some cute bags, check them out in the comment section.

Ahh and the yummy Stonyfield Yogurt contest for $50 dollars in yummy yogurt! This contest, also had lots of entries and only one lucky winner who suggested pineapple as a flavor. It was time consuming to go through all the comments add up the entry points, write each name down the correct number of times, cut them all up and put them into a hat but Amanda, with four entries, must be glad I did! Thanks for everyone’s participation in helping Stonyfield raise money and thanks Stonyfield for being such a great company and caring so much about us and the environment!

That’s all folks! Shea Terra Organics giveaway is on the horizon and a few months of weekly contests for the launch!

Part II: Shea Terra Organics Interview--with a very special mom

In honor or Mother’s Day, I thought it was very appropriate to publish this post about a very special mom, a mom who received 11 hugs and kisses today, Tammie Umbel. A few days ago I was honored to interview, Tammie Umbel, CEO and founder of Shea Terra Organics. Why is this an honor, you might wonder? Tammie’s a little busy, with 11 children that she home schools and she runs a major company. I’d say her time is a wee bit valuable but the honor part also comes into play because at the end of my conversation with Tammie, I felt empowered as a woman. Here’s why...

Tammie began her first business at 18 in the textile industry but she didn’t like it. She didn’t like how cut throat it was. She told me it wasn’t her and that she couldn’t be creative. Tammie “thinks and breathes business” but not “money” but the ideas. She got out of the textile business and literally had a dream and that dream became her next business, bringing natural products from third world countries to the U.S. at fair prices.

Tammie is a pioneer of bringing Shea butter to the United States. This fruit from a tree comes from the savannah belt of Africa and is boiled or crushed. The fat that comes from this is Shea butter. Tammie formulates 100% of her products all by herself. They are her creations and she tests them and does the research. Tammie works closely with individuals and companies in Africa to insure fairness and protection of the environment and resources. She has her own Ethiopia Project that she gives a portion of her proceeds to. This project helps buy goats, support schools and feed orphans. Simply amazing!

Tammie has faced many uphill battles with fair trade prices, the politics of natural products and the competition. When many would just have thrown in the towel…Tammie continues to plow forward. She believes in what she is doing and the products she creates and formulates. She has even lost money because she refuses to raise the prices when it isn’t fair or couldn’t be obtained by all. To me that is honorable, standing by what you know is right.

Here are a few specific questions I asked Tammie and her answers:

A portion of your proceeds for each Shea Terra Organics’ product is donated to self-empowerment and environmental programs. How do you choose which organization to give to?

I have my own program, the Ethiopian Project. This helps buy goats, feed orphans and provide schooling. I prefer to not do organizations but you don’t know how much of the money is really helping. I like the Diane Fosse Fund though.

Tell me about parabens and your products shelf life.

They all have a shelf life of 1-2 years and they have a preservative in them but not parabens. Phenooxyethanol, caprylyl glycol is the preservative we use. If you combine water and oil, you have to have preservatives. You have to have your product properly preserved and not stink. I did a lot of research and we use the best.

What advice do you have for my Green and Clean Moms that are trying to have a family, go green and start or run a business?

I’m one of those moms who you either like what I say or you don’t. I don’t believe in sacrifices. If it’s important to me, I do it. I have never used a babysitter, only family members to help me watch the children. Women can get what they want when they know its right. They have to follow their heart and gut if it is good for others.

Alright, the burning question…you have 11 children and you don’t use a nanny or sitter so how do you do it?

I just do it. Sometimes they’re in the office with me and come to work. Some of them stay home. If it makes them happy it makes me happy. My resolution is to bring up healthy, happy, children. Sometimes it’s noisy but I try to keep them quiet. Ultimately you can hear the kids but I won’t bend my beliefs or passions for business. A lady got really mad once when my daughter answered the phone and wanted to talk to me. I said, no. If someone is going to get mad because a two year old picks up the phone, then that is silly.

Do any of your 11 children have an interest in the business?

They see the world like me. They see a leaf, they see a business. I’d like them to go into the medical field. Science is for the good, there is so much potential of using natural products and things from nature.

Tammie is inspirational with her drive, her business savvy, her motivation and her passion! Be sure not to miss the big Shea Terra Organics giveaway in the next post!!!

A GREAT Green Weekend!

The weekend is here! My hope is to start sorting through all of the great posts and making some replies and getting to some new blogs. I want to visit as many sites as possible but this is time consuming. I have to listen to my new best friends, Dori and Val...I'm behind on my podcast listening! The to do list is longer than the hours in the day. Don't forget, there’s still time to enter a few contests taking place at Green & Clean Mom…

Win Green Cleaners
$50 in Stonyfield Yogurt Contest
Design a Kroger Reusable Gift Bag and win grocery money
Win a Pur Water Filtration System

The launch of the new blog is in the process and I’ve seen the first mock up and I’m sooooo excited. I just got chills thinking about all that is to come! If your reading this and you’ve haven’t subscribed , you should because there’s a bunch of big giveaways along with the launch. Let me just give you a few examples of some company giveaways: Babylegs, Fridgebox, Shea Terra Organics, Yum-Yum Snacks and more. I can’t tell you everything!!! If you have a company or blog that you'd like to promote be sure to contact me, it would be great exposure.

Oh, and Sunday is Mother's Day! Happiness!! If you need a last minute mother’s day gift idea for yourself, buy the Healthy Child Healthy World book. Read my review but also take a few minutes and check out what other parents are saying about this book and the impact it is having on their lives. I’m all about pampering yourself but reading a book that will open your eyes and help you be a better mom is even better! If you can do this at a spa or in the bathroom while soaking your feet in rain water....rock on! Have a great "green" weekend and shout out to all you Green & Clean Moms! It's hard trying to go green and sift through all the information but give yourself a big pat on the back for even trying or caring.

PBS Mother's Day Special with Mama Mirabelle

A while back I wrote about the PBS Kids’ hit series called, “Mama Mirabelle’s Home Movies”. My children enjoy watching this series and when the television is on, I try to make sure PBS is the station we choose. You have to check your local listings and make sure you watch the Mother’s Day Special that will air this weekend. My son and I curled up on the couch during rest time the other day and both of agreed that it was a great show. He’s even requested to watch it again! It showcases the bond a mother and child have in the animal kingdom. Some adorable footage of mother animals and their babies, made me squeeze my little one closer to me. Something I really enjoyed about watching this episode was the message that not all animals are the same and its okay for animals to want to be independent but they need their mommies too. This elicited a great deal of conversation and turned into a wonderful parenting lesson. I think, when possible, parents should watch television with their children and when a conversation can’t come of it and learning takes place, the time is well spent. Have a great mother’s day weekend and be sure to enjoy this show with your child; it will be well worth it.

Yeehaw...the blogesphere is full of contests this month!

When I first began blogging I started reading the blog, A Cowboy's Wife and My Wooden Spoon. They’re owned and operated by a mommy blogger who lives in Texas and blogging is her business. She’s pretty darn good but what I’ve learned to like best about her blog, she’s transparent. Lori is human and she admits it. I’ve learned a lot from Lori and she’s been great to me when I email and bug her with questions. I’m still working on getting her to be a “Green & Clean Mom”!!! Her blog, My Wooden Spoon, is having a three month contest and she’s giving away some great kitchen tools that could help all Green & Clean Mom readers do some o’natural cooking with their CSA veggies! Her recipies are also very down home, easy and yummy. Are they organic and do they use all natural ingredients? No, but if you want you can convert any of the recipes to be as healthy as you’d like for them to be. I’ve converted a few here and there. The pumpkin cake with Cream Cheese frosting is to dye for! When you get a chance, take a gander and try winning the stand mixer that she’s giving away this week. Pretty big contest and this is only the second week. I can’t wait to see what else she has up her sleeve.

Oh, and don't forget about trying to Win $50 in Stonyfield Yogurt, A Pur Water Filter System, and a pack of green cleaners, right here at Green & Clean Mom! Momsational is giving away some Baskin Robins coupons and Amy over at Crunchy Domestic Goddess has a huge mother's day giveaway in the works. One of my favorite blogs, Green Mom Finds, they're giving away a pair organic jammies that I know my little guy would look so cute in. The Soft Landing, another Green & Clean Mom read is offering all those that subscribe this month the chance to win a BPA free teething sampler kit. I've started writing for Busy Mommy and they have a fun Spring Giveaway that's a must for all moms to check out. And did you hear about Katja over at Skimbaco being endorsed by Tom Cruise on Oprah, right? Check out her story and she's giving away some of the same shoes that Tom's little girl loves on a few blogs (A Cowboys Wife). It's a great tale! So moms, go win your self some goodies and don't forget who told you about all of this! If you know of something else going on, post it right here! Good luck!

A Yum-Yum Taste Test

Forever and ever ago I ordered snacks from yumyumsnacks.com, in an effort to try a variety or natural and organic good for my family treats. When the box arrived it was a tasting feast! We opened one of every thing and just sat around and sampled the different products. The taste, the children liking the food the nutritional value and cost were all important factors in deciding if I'd purchase any of the products again. I spent close to $70 on the bulk variety of foods and saved $3.00 with a coupon from the yumyumsnaks.com, which isn’t exactly cheap. My thought process was this: Healthy alternative snacks for the kids that aren’t available in my town, great blog information for my readers and it saves me from having to buy the bad stuff at the store. Here’s the verdict on the snacks:

Healthy Valley, Peanut Butter and Strawberry Bars: My son tolerates these, my daughter won’t eat them, I love them and my husband won’t even try them. They’re 70% organic so that’s better than most of the bars out there and the box is over $4.00. I won't buy this particular flavor again.

My son is a gummy freak. Gummy worms, bears, you name it and he loves gummy stuff. I was excited to find these, Xtreme Fruits, so we bought a variety pack and the only ones he’ll eat are the Lemon ones, seen in the picture. They’re all natural, sweetened dried fruit and there’s no preservatives or artificial colors. $12 for 24 pouches but they’re a good alternative for my family. Personally, I don’t like them and neither does anyone else in my family but for my son I will buy again.

Sensible Foods Organic Dried Sweet Corn: These are organic and delicious. Tasted like popcorn and everyone gave them a thumbs up! Fat free too and I liked that. $10.25 for six of them but again, a healthy on the go alternative and the bags are big! I'll forsure give these another try!

These were my favorite but I’m not so sure they’re really any more healthy for me or the kids then the alternatives that I can get in the store. They say natural but they aren’t organic or anything special. They taste like cheese puffs but my hands didn't turn orange. I liked them and for a treat I'd buy them, if I can find them locally.

We tried the Seventh Heaven, of Grizzilies Trail Mix, and these aren’t cheap but addicting and amazing. Four small bags for $6.00 we were fighting for them! No artificial sweeteners and 6 grams of protein. A decent and delicious alternative! If you like trail mix they're worth buying!

These are hands down my favorite and my 15 month old daughter’s favorite. They melt in our mouth! Organic, no bad stuff what-so-ever and the cost is reasonable. Eight pouches for $8.50 isn’t all that bad. I found them in the box at our local health food store and the box was over $4.00. Another company whose site is well worth visiting, Late July Organics.

Immaculate Baking Company, Hunka Chunka Cookies: I ordered these for my son’s lunch and he’s addicted! I don’t seem them on the site anymore. You can still buy the Hunka Chunka along with the variety pack. I urge you to check out the Immaculate Baking company and their online store. They have a huge variety of yummy organic treats for the kids of all ages! Price doesn't matter for these because they are that good!

I was able to try a bunch of good products and for almost two months now, my family was able to continually have healthier snacks in the house. Not that we don’t right now but I wasn’t as tempted to throw in a bad for the kids snack while on a grocery run. Yumyumsnacks.com offered great service and it was timely and shipped in a recycled box, which I like to see. For those wanting to go bulb and have a variety, I’d recommend using the site. Finding healthy alternatives in a smaller town is hard to do. I have to say, it’s getting easier but I just keep requesting products and won’t give up! Remember we have a large amount of consumer power and need to vote with our dollar!!! I'd really like to see more of the Immaculate Baking Company and the Late July Organics in my local stores. I think moms should be choosing these two companies, hands down!

You won't want to miss what is coming up at Green & Clean Mom!

Ladies this is the one of those time where I am telling you that Green & Clean Mom is raising the roof and doing a dance! I have a three part series of posts coming up because I have so much great stuff to tell you. The first part is going to be a sexy and sassy review of Shea Terra Organics products that I’ve been sampling over the last few weeks. I haven’t been saving too much water doing this review because I keep wanting to take a shower and try the products. They smell heavenly. The second part in this series will be a honorary interview with the CEO and founder of Shea Terra Organics. I say honorary because she has 11 children that she home schools and she is running a major company. WOW! Last but not least, the third post will be a summary of the review, interview and a CONTEST! Oh, yeah mama’s you’re gonna be able to win some spa quality products for your very own use and they’re natural and organic. Too darn good to be true! Start cutting back on the water now because I promise you, if you win you’ll take some long showers! Not to mention a little zest in the s-e-x- department! LOL! I’m not going to tell you when I’m going to post about all this good stuff either so if you want to be in the loop, subscribe so you don’t miss out! Plus I have the big launch to the new site taking place soon and I’m going to have some even bigger and better giveaways. Remember the Fridge Box? Yeah, well April wants to generously give two away!

I tell you, there is so much good stuff in the works I can barely contain all the secrets! Do you have a earth friendly, green lovin’ product that moms have to see? Maybe you want to offer a discount, do a giveaway and have me review your products? I am looking for sponsers to help support this move and help give Green & Clean Moms the site they deserve with the power of information. I’ve been reading the book, The Big Green Purse (a launch giveaway and review) and women spend $.85 for every $1.00 spent in the U.S. This means we have some major spending power to make companies go green and move in a more earth friendly direction. I can’t wait to tell you more but I have to finish the book. Just wanted to leave you with some green food for though! Don't forget to subscribe at the left hand side of this blog so you don't miss out!!!

Green Tips from Cindy Crawford

Like me, many moms today are concerned about the environment. We all want to live a little greener and do our part for the planet and for the health of our families. The good news is that even small changes can make a huge impact on the environment. And that’s great news for my family because changes that fit easily into our hectic routine are the ones that are going to stick.

That’s why I would like to share some easy, green tips for other moms out there. They’ve worked in my house. I have learned that getting the whole family involved shows the kids that being eco-friendly can be fun!

Drink filtered tap water with a reusable water bottle: Over 38 billion plastic water bottles end up in landfills every year. By switching to water filtered by PŪR Water Filtration and a reusable bottle, each person can prevent up to 3,200 plastic water bottles from ending up in a landfill every year. PŪR is a healthy choice because it is certified to reduce more contaminants from tap water than any other brand on the market. In addition, drinking filtered tap water is about one-tenth the cost of supplying your family with bottled water for an entire year, which could save one person up to $600 annually.

Recycle and create a compost pile:
Recycling and composting food diverted 82 million tons of material away from landfills and incinerators in 2006. Turn your kids into recycling and composting experts by putting them in charge of your household’s efforts. It will teach them responsibility as well as sustainability.

Wash clothes with cold water and use concentrated detergent:
Thirty-six percent of hot water use in households comes from laundering. By using cold water, you’ll cut back on your energy bill and consumption. Take it one step further by washing your clothes with concentrated detergent and you’ll cut back on plastic container waste as well.

Ditch the plastic bags :
Over 100 billion plastic bags are thrown away every year. Next time you head to the grocery store or out on your errands, take canvas bags with you. There are a lot of stylish options out there now so you’ll be very “eco-chic!”

Buy local:
Purchase food from local areas and help to cut back on gas emissions created by long transportation routes out-of-area fruits and vegetables must take to get to your local grocery. Your food will be fresher, taste better and the air will be cleaner.

Use an online phone directory:
Call up your local phone company and ask to be taken off of their delivery route. Believe it or not, phone books make up almost 10% of waste at dump sites!

Throw an eco-chic party:
Don’t throw out those old pants – throw a wardrobe-swapping party instead! At the beginning of every new season, invite your friends over and trade old clothes along with your stories. It’s fun, eco-chic at its best!

Go low-flow:
Americans flush 4.8 billion gallons of water down the toilet every day. Take the easy step of filling a container with water and submerging it in your toilet tank. You’ll cut back on your water bill and prevent hundreds of dollars being flushed away along with that extra water!

Unplug your life :
Forty percent of all electricity used in homes is for appliances that are turned off but still plugged in. Pull some cords on your way out the door next time and you’ll see a huge savings on that electric bill! Using surge protectors with numerous outlets is a great way to turn them all off at once.

Help Cindy bring safe drinking water to children in third world countries and you could win a PUR water filtration system. Enter contest

"Bubba" gum for the greenie!

Chomp. Chomp. My son loves his “bubba” gum. “Mom, can I have some bubba gum.” He’s got this oral thing and the speech therapist says it’s okay for him to chew it and good for his speech. Distracts him from wanting the pacifiers that he has to get rid of on his fourth birthday (he only uses these at bed). I know, Super Nanny but back off…he’s my kid and he’s fine…the dentist and speech therapist says so! Ha!

So I wanted to find a better gum for him. Go to the grocery store and all I see is gum with lots o’sugar or the sugar free stuff. At my local health food store I found Glee Gum and I bought every stinking’ flavor. I got out to my car and opened all the boxes to see what they tasted like. I couldn’t bring him home gum that he’d spit out. Glee Gum is natural, meaning no synthetic stuff, artificial flavors, preservatives, pesticides, etc. You know the kids swallow the stuff so shouldn’t they swallow a good for you alternative??? Yeah, I think so too! The stuff actually tastes good. I like the tangerine and my son prefers the green spearmint. Glee Gum is made with sustainable harvested rainforest chicle, watch the video about the tree to the glee (get it?).

You can order online but most local health food stores have this Glee Gum too! So go for the alternative when it comes to gum and I promise you, you’ll have feel giddy and your kid won’t even know the difference. They even have kits for making your gum and I’m thinking my son would love this for him up and coming birthday! So go chew some "bubba" gum!