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.

An abundance of "green"

Lots of fun stuff going on here at Green & Clean Mom, a contest to win a Healthy Home Pack™ , a chance to win two BPA free sippy cups (Foogo and Boon) and an opportunity to design a Kroger reusable bag and win some grocery money from Kroger and from G&CM! Plus there are some great green giveaways over at Nature Moms Blog ,Mamanista and The Crunchy Domestic Goddess. Gotta love the "green" giveaways!

Earth Day is over but everyday should celebrate Mother Earth! I’ve discovered a really neat "green" tee shirt companies for you to check out that help remind others to recycle, do their part and be earth friendly. Miss Witt has some “sustainable Bamboo Fiber, and 100% Organic Cotton Climate Neutral, manufactured from Wind Powered Energy printed Tees!” I love the baby onsie! When you sport tees that say what you think and feel but that are as eco-savvy as the Miss Witt tees…you’re for sure being a sexy and sassy green mom!

Speaking of being sassy, how about not just using reusable bags but using reusable produce bags? I started thinking about this yesterday when I went grocery shopping and had to load a plastic bag up with oranges. It’s easy to take the reusable bag idea one step further and bring your own produce bags. I love the one’s over at Bag Green because they aren’t only 100% natural cotton and biodegradable, they also ship green. I can’t stand ordering a “green” product from a company and having it come wrapped in tons of bubble wrap or packing peanuts!

Hope all of you moms had a great Earth Day and can continue to remember Mother Earth everday! Register for all the contests and spread and listen to my new Best Friends today!!!

Use those creative "green" juices to win a $25 Kroger gift card!!

Kroger, like most other grocery stores is trying to go green and use resuable bags and encourage the use of them. Except this chain of groceries stores decided to involve the consumer and ahve a design contest for their reusable bags. Have you heard about it? You design a reusable bag at Kroger.com/green and if you shop at Kroger and have a shopper’s card number, you can get a free reusable bag. Your design is entered in a contest for you to win a $500 Kroger shopping card from Kroger. Once your design your bag you get confirmation via email and you can email this your blogging buddies, friends, etc. and have them vote for you! That’s a lot of potential groceries and they have a great organic selections!!!

I couldn’t exactly post about this but not try it out myself. Do as I say, not as I do! Not. So, I gave it a whirl and it’s easier than I expected. You can get real creative with this and when I viewed some designs out there I realized it’s competitive. So G&CM readers get creative! Right here at G&CM I I will vote for 2 of MY favorite designs and give away a Kroger gift cards for $25 to each of the winners!!! I could keep one of the gift cards for myself but oh, no, you moms deserve this!!!!

Here’s what you have to do and it’s is not hard. Simply go to www.kroger.com/green and follow their simple step by step directions for entering the design contest and designing the bag. You will then get an email confirmation with your design and number (psssst…it might take a day or two). You can post about this with your design number and that might increase your chance for others going and voting for your design (including me) OR you can email your design confirmation (sommer at greenandcleanmom dot org). The contest started April 11, 2008 and goes until May 23, 2008. I’ll pick my favorite two designs, submitted via post or email on May 23, 2008. All posts must have a spam proof email or I cannot contact you for the gift card, if you win!!!

A little side note…I get lots of Press Releases and emails for me to do plugs for this company and that (I’ll post on this later). I can’t possibly get to all of the stuff and not all of it is worth posting about or having you waste your valuable time reading about. I especially liked this contest because I keep seeing many grocery stores and chains selling reusable bags and trying to appeal to the “greenie” but they aren’t involving the masses and rewarding them. This was at leaset creative, engaging and on the green side. Hats off to Kroger for that! So take advantage of the opportunity and maybe be a winner for me and for Kroger!!! Sweet, sexy and sassy!

WIN 2 BPA FREE Sippy Cups- A review and a sippy good time!

Sippy cup! Sippy cup! Oh, where is my sippy cup!?! Taking all of my daughters “usual” sippy cups away (bad plastic—evil BPA) and replacing them with this sampler pack of cups that I purchased and some great free ones, per request for this review, left her a little confused. It was for her own good though. Seeing that she could not actually tell me about the different cups my four year old son and I filled each of the sippy cups with water and tried all of them. Then we shook them silly to see which ones leaked water (that was the part they enjoyed the most). Over the last few weeks I’ve washed them, watched the kids drink from them and sometimes would offer two and see which one my daughter would grab. I wanted to give the cups a real test!

For each review you will see the cup description and company as well as a picture of the cup. All of these cups can be purchased at varies places, including the companies direct websites but I’m going to recommend, The Soft Landing. The reason being, I hope you pick up some other BPA free items along the way! The cups were rated from 1-5 with 1 being okay and 5 being super! Under each of the ratings I have good and bad points that I discovered through the review. The cups were scored based on leaking, how easy she accepted the cup, her preference, cleaning, parts and cost. All of them are considered safe and non-toxic so no need to rate that! Phew!!! Oh, and this is just my opinion and findings, you might have a different experience but here it goes...

Test Cup A:



One 7oz Foogo Stainless Steel Sippy with leak-proof valve
****
Good Points: Sleek and stylish, clean nicely in the dishwasher, easy to drink from, did not leak when we shook it, keeps milk cold for up to six hours and it seemed very easy for her to hold. She gravitated towards this cup many times.
Bad Points: Hard as a rock if it lands on your foot and she dropped it on my toe a few times! Ouch! A few parts to take a part for the dishwasher and if you don’t put them back together correctly it leaks. My bad not the cup!

*Costs a little bit more but it keeps the drinks colder and safer and the price for the straw bottle and the 9oz are the same price at the Soft Landing!

Test Cup B:

Foogo Stainless Steel Leak Proof Straw Drink Bottle
*****
Good Points: Again, sleek and stylish, cleaned very nice in the dishwasher and both my son and my daughter insisted on drinking out this. My son loved how the straw comes up when he pushed the button. He wanted to take it to school. Keeps things cold for up to 12 hours!!!
Bad Points: They both wanted it and I only had one! A few parts for the dishwasher but it was easy to assemble.


Test Cup C:


One 9oz Think Baby Training Cup with soft silicone spout and chunky handles

**
Good points: Easy to assemble after putting it through the dishwasher. The handles are a nice bonus but are optional. Probably best for a child new to sippy cups.
Bad points: Leaked when we shook it and she did not prefer to drink out of this cup. It had more of a bottle feel to it. For one cup that didn’t offer anything special I thought the cost of almost $9 was a little high.


Test Cup D:

One 9oz Fluid Sippy Cup by Boon with ergonomic grip

*****
Good Points: Unique and easy to assemble! Easy to hold once she got used to it. Came clean easily in the dishwasher and this was her preference every time because she didn’t need to tip it very much. Oh, and it’s very inexpensive ($6) and soft when it lands on your toes.
Bad points: I couldn’t find any that’s why it scored a five!!!

Test Cup E:

One 10oz Nuby Sport Sipper with silicone straw spout

**
Good Points: This is cup is cheap ($4) and I can find it locally. It was easy to clean and both my son and daughter can use the cup.
Bad Points: It leaked like crazy and she did not seem to prefer it.

Test Cup F:

9-oz. Born drinking cup, spout, and travel cover

***
Good Points: This cup would not leak no matter how hard I shook the thing!!! There wasn’t any access air when sipping from it and she seemed to like it just fine when it was offered to her. The handles being optional was a nice feature and the lid for on the go. A cup for the child in transition for sure! Easy to find locally and sold in sets.
Bad Points: Way too many parts for me to lose. It drove me nuts taking it a part and putting it together.


Still to come…

Safe Sippy but they’re on backorder so when they come out I’ll be sure to tell you all about them and maybe I can score giving one away!

Kleen Kanteen but for some reason when I ordered from the Soft Landing, I did not get this cup I got the Born drinking cup in the sampler pack. Oh, well.

Now for the giveaway…

One lucky winner will be able to try two of Josie’s favorite sippy cups! Fluid by Boon and Foogo by Thermos!! What do you have to do? Just post a comment on what sippy cup you currently use and what your child loves to drink from that sippy cup. I’ll randomly pick one lucky winner. Of course I believe in Karma so it helps me if you give me some juice and blog about this contest, stumble, subscribe or digg me!

Please leave me your spam proof email in the post (yourname at charter dot com)!

Begins April 15, 2008 and Ends April 25, 2008

Two CamelBak BPA free water bottle winners!

Lot of moms wanted to be sexy, sassy and green, toting a CamelBak water bottle! I had 43 comments posted and with the variety of ways to win there were a total of 120 entries. I entered them all into a spread sheet, printed them out and cut them up. My baby girl grabbed a handful out of a hat (don’t have a handful to giveaway) so I had to help her out. The two luck winners are Melonie with 6 entries and SheShe with 1 entry! Congrats ladies, you can now sport the new CamelBak BPA free water bottle and know that your helping the planet by using a safe reusable water bottle. I’d love to get these out to you ASAP so please contact me (link above my picture) with your address.

Oh, and ladies who didn’t win…no worries. I have many more contests to help promote green living, so keep on coming back for more. Thanks for all the comments and posts. I try to get to all of your blogs and leave comments but with my sick baby girl this week it was hard. I’m so glad there’s a growing number moms reading this blog daily, it means that the message is getting out there. We do care! We want to make a difference and live as green as possible!! Way to go moms!

Win a BPA FREE CamelBak Water Bottle (no fooling)!

Your out with the kids, it’s hot and your thirsty. What do you do…buy a bottle of water. The price tag yearly, according to the New York Times, $1,400 green smackaroos! That alone makes me want to think twice before I leave my CamelBak water bottle at home. It seems so easy to just grab that bottle of prepackaged water but have you really thought of how very opposite of green you are being? I’m far from being perfect and if it came down to dying of thirst and buying a bottle of water I know my choice, but really people…were just being lazy…not dying! Most of the damage to the environment happens before we even open up that purchased water bottle. Think about the energy use to make the bottles, the paper that wraps around the bottles, the shipping and other transportation to get the bottles to the store and the coolers to keep our water nice and cold for us. Where does it all go? You don’t have to be a rocket scientist to figure that one out. I just recently took a big trip to a city and I saw my fair share of these bottles on the streets or in garbage cans.

Let me again, raise my very imperfect hand say I too have a fear of drinking tap water. While at dinner in the city they offered tap or bottle and I said bottle. My husband kicked me under the table and I changed to tap. What is my fear? What is your fear? Is the tap water in our country dangerous? This reminds me of when I had my first child, the rage was to use expensive bottled water for the baby bottles (yes, I used a bottle not the breast but that is another medical post). I asked my doctor about this when I saw a mom use the tap. The doctor said, I had no worries because we didn’t live in a third world country and if I can drink it, he can drink it. Save myself some money! Cha Ching….AND THE ENVIRONMENT! So why do so many people still buy water bottles and contribute to filling our landfills with over 144 billion wasted containers each year (this was in 2005 and by wasted I mean not recycled). Not good, not good at all. From 2002 to 2005 water bottle sales doubled, according to the Container Recycling Institute.

Hmmm…so what do you think they’ve done by now? Is it so “uncool” to be drinking tap water or do we think we will die of some disease? I just read on the Carbon Conscious Consumer blog , 40% of the bottled water we buy is just good old fashion tap water! I think I have been duped, what about you? So moms out there who run into get that bottle of water because you’re just dying of thirst or the little one is pulling at your pants and can’t wait one more minute…think ahead and bring a CamelBak water bottle. That’s what I’m swearing by now. “Why Camelback, Green and Clean Mom?” No I am not being paid to tell you this! It’s because they’re a company that cares and they have a new water bottle that is BPA free. I'm going to be trying out some BPA Free sippy cups here in the near future for the kids because there really is danger involved and a risk. Like I posted yesterday, why buy hormone free milk and then use a plastic cup leaking BPA?

Let me help in some way bring drinking out of a reusable water bottle back to “cool” status by giving away two CamelBak BPA water bottles with the classic cap. For those of you that don’t know, CamelBak is the water bottle system to use because you can use a back pack to stay hydrated while running, skiing, hiking, etc. It’s really a sweet system. Law enforcement, government and military use the CamelBak system. Now, us moms on the green and clean scene might need to stay hydrated but with all the bags I carry and baby stuff, just a nice large water bottle will do. If I need an accessory like an insulated cover or a different top I have my choices. I’m staying hydrated, not wasting money, using a bottle that is BPA FREE, very wallet friendly, helping the environment by not supporting bottled water and looking like a sassy green mom, what could be better?

Wanna tote one of these sporting cool bottles and be sassy and green (you should win for reading this long post)? Not a problem… I want to give you lots of chances to win!

1) Post a comment (1 entry).

2) Blog about this contest on your blog with my button linking to this post, see side bar for button (5 entries).

3) Stumble or digg this blog (1 entry).

4) Subscribe via email to this blog…previous subscribers don’t count (1 entry).

5) Subscribe via feed burner…previous subscribers don’t count (1 entry)

*Leave all of your entries in one post to make it simpler for me.

Contest begins, April 1, 2008 and ends April 8, 2008 at 12am EST

And the winner is....

On Wednesday, March 19th the contest for a organic tee was posted. If your going to be a sexy, sassy, green mom you might as well make a inspirational statement doing it! Tees for Change, generously donated a tee shirt for this contest and I'd like to give them a big, Green and Clean Mom, THANK YOU!!!! Thanks for helping to make a difference and inspire people with your organic tees!!! Personally, I like the "embrace change". Isn't there some saying about the only thing that is constant is change? Time and time again I speak with moms that are so reluctant to change their ways or do something different than what their mom or grandma did. This is why I choose, "embrace change". When you know better you do better!

Thanks to all of you that participated in this fun contest and for all the inspirational suggestions, diggs, stumbles, posts, subscribes and comments. I love it! I did things the old fashion way. If you qualified for 5 entries I typed your name five times into a spread sheet. I printed this out (on recycled paper--a piece of scrap paper) and cut them up. We used my little guys fishin' hat and dumped them all in.

He was so excited to be a part of this and loves to look at his picture in the digital camera.

He mixed them up!

Pulled one out!

And the winner is....

Congrats for winning a sexy and sassy, inspirational organic tee, complements of Tees For Change!

A Green Hour

I like to post a video once a week, on Sunday’s usually. I’m compelled to share with you today a video that explains how a very simple movement called, Earth Hour, began. Earth Hour began in Sydney Australia with 2.2 million people and 2,100 business turning off the lights for on hour. This very simple concept is now going global with major cities (Chicago, Toronto, and Copenhagen, to name a few) around the world turning off all the lights on March 29, 2008 at 8 p.m. One hour for you, your city and your family to become part of a large and monumental movement to conserve energy. An hour where you can light candles and come together as a community or as a family. Go a step further and just unplug the television, the phone the computer and reunite with those closest to you. I would like to personally invite you to join me for Earth Hour, there are 7 days left to create huge waves with this…let’s embrace this!

Take a minute to watch how it all began...




*While you're here enter my contest to win a organic tee!

Win a Sexy & Sassy Organic Tee!

I can never have too many t-shirts, black shoes (weakness) or books. Having a tee that is organic cotton, supports a good cause and can make someone think, is a plus. Tees for Change, are fashionable, soft organic cotton tees. The company was started by a mommy like me who cares about the environment and for each tee purchased at retail cost, a tree is planted. So I can give twice when I buy one of these great shirts. Personally, I like the
"embrace change" inspiration the best. They’re all so catchy though, it’s hard to choose.

So guess what…you could win one of these comfy and inspirational Tees for Change! Here’s how…

Bloggers and Non-Bloggers:

1) Post a comment with which tee for change inspiration you like best (1 entry).
2) Post a comment with a new change for inspiration idea (2 entries).
3) Blog about this contest on your blog with my button linking to this post, see side bar for button (5 entries).
4) Stumble or digg this blog (1 entry).
5) Subscribe via email to this blog…previous subscribers don’t count (1 entry).
6) Subscribe via feed burner…previous subscribers don’t count (1 entry).

Try to leave all of these in one comment so I know that how many times to enter you. For example leave a post that says, "I subscribed via email, posted at myblog (blog URL listed), posted a new inspiration and stumbled you. My favorite inspiration is...." This lets me tally your entries very quickly and eaily so I don't miss any! I will randomly draw a name and the more entries you have the better the chance you will win. Lori over at, A Cowboy's Wife , does her contests this way and I just love how it works and hope you do too!

The contest runs from Wednesday, March 19 through Wednesday, March 26th! So you only have one week to win one of these sexy and sassy tees!! Good luck!

Green cleaning product for the best idea! Green & Clean Mom needs your help!

In less than two weeks, my husband and I are going on a mini vacation. It’s actually a trip for his business but we’re making it a little time away together. It’s a much needed break from the daily grind. Our two children will be staying with their godparents. We are so grateful for their help. Actually, were indebted and someday we will be watching their children (three and probably four) as a pay back. The children will be extremely well taken care of and have a blast but that doesn’t put my worries aside. Typical mommy worries. Will they cry for me, miss me, be sad, think I’m not coming back, eat well and sleep well? I worry that they will get hurt and I’m not there to kiss their boo-boo or cuddle them if they have a bad dream. It’s a rather bad feeling to have as a parent. Then, I reassure myself that they will be busy and our best friends, who love them as their own, will do exactly what we would do. I tell myself I need this break and time with my husband to reconnect and recharge. It will help to make me a better mommy when I return.

My dear friend, Amber, will need to be recharged when I return! Bless her heart! I am so grateful to have her and want to show her and her husband how much we appreciate them taking care of our children. Trusting someone to watch your children is a big deal. It’s a lot of responsibility and work on their part. What do I do for them or give them as a gift of thanks? This is where I need your help! What would you want? Someday we’ll watch their children so that doesn’t count. It can't cost a fortune and has to be practical.

Help me by posting your ideas and I will pick one idea, by Friday, March 7th. Assuming that there is an idea I like, the winner will receive one of my favorite green cleaning products! It’s amazing and replaces a bleach or oxi-clean and treats just about any stain. I seriously love this stuff! When you post you need to make sure I have your first name and a way to contact you. You can always contact me with your idea at the left side of this blog, above my picture.

Win the first ever biodigradable cleaner!

I've blogged about Green Mom Finds before because the site is chalked full of useful green ideas and we all need some of these. We'll they're giving away a bottle of the first every biodigradable cleaner that came on the market in 1960. Folks this was when synethic was in not green. It was also the first official Earth day product in 1990. You can win a bottle of this versitle cleaner and three spray bottles and you only have until February 10, 2008 to take the quick quiz and register. Easy! Easy! Easy! Hop on over and check it out.

Nobody wants to shrink their waist?

Okay, I'm offering a $500 hundred dollar gift card as a prize for the person who loses the most inches on a natural weight loss plan thats proven to work. I need six people and in all of cyberland there are not even six people who are interested in this contest? Come on! Maybe I'll join my own contest and win the most inches and treat myself to the clothes! LOL! That doesn't work because I'm using the program to maintain the weight I'm at and for a healthy alternative to the other crap that's out there. Come on six moms or friends that want some friendly competition? February 1st is the last day to register so round up some friends with a few extra inches to lose and sign up!!! It will be fun!!

Help others and win prizes!!!!

Remember that movie with Helen Hunt, "Pay it Forward"? I cried my heart out at the end of the movie but what a great message. Now I like to post on all things natural and how moms can be green entrepreneurs and save the World but a fellow blogger has got me thinking. She's posting a contest about paying it forward and doing good deeds for others and there's prizes involved and I'll be donating one of the prizes.

The reason I'm spreading this news and letting all of you fellow bloggers and readers know about this contests is for this reason: doing good things for others should be as natural as brushing our teeth. It's exactly why I do what I do: help others work from home and use products that are good for them and the environment. I want to help others everyday and when someone uses my products or starts their own business I feel like I've helped more people then I can imagine and that the World is better off for it.

Check out Christy's coffee break and learn about this challenge and how you can win great prizes. At least help her spread the word!!!!