Green & Clean Mom Pre-launch Giveaway

June 1, 2008... Green & Clean Mom will officially be at http://greenandcleanmom.org/ and to celebrate and kick of this big event, I am going to be giving away some awesome prizes! These prizes aren’t sponsored by anyone but my wallet and green mullah! There will be lots of ways to win and enter but the biggest thing is to spread the word about Green & Clean Mom and the new site. It won’t just be a new look! I will offer green shopping alternatives, a Green & Clean Mom social networking site and forum, the beginning of a program where you can do good and help others go non-toxic, green fundraising opportunities and lots of green love! Remember, at Green & Clean Mom it’s sexy and sassy to be green but we don’t expect you to do everything, just something.

So here’s what you can win:

Prize A: Box of Natural Energy Tea and a CamelBak BPA free water bottle to drink your tea from.
Prize B: Not Nice To Bugs and Non-toxic Bug Repellant because you don't need nasty pesticides!
Prize C: The Book: The Organic Housekeeper, Non-Toxic Oven Cleaner and a set of Digital Day Counters
Prize D: Andrew the Organic Hippo by Mim Yim
Prize E: A year’s subscription to Kiwi Magazine, my favorite “green” parenting magazine.

Bloggers:

1.Spread the word about the launch of my new blog, http://greenandcleanmom.org/ by writing a post and linking to this giveaway. Green Karma rocks! Leave me a comment with what prize you'd like to win. If you have any comments on what you'd like to see more or less of on the new site, let me know. If you haven't subscribed to my feed or email, please do. Then you won't miss out on the two months of launch giveaways!

OR

2. Join my social networking site and put up a badge on your site. All those that join the social networking site after today are entered in the contest! Talk about easy!

Non-Bloggers:

1.Subscribe via email so you don’t miss out on anything and all subscribers entered on my Feed blitz account will automatically entered into the contest. If you have a prize preference be sure to leave me a comment with your email (same email you used to subscribe via email).

OR

2. Join Green & Clean Mom's social networking site and start learning from others about how to go green. It's free!

All winners will be announced at Green & Clean Mom on June 1, 2008. Winners must provide a way for me to contact them. Only one entry per email.

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!

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!

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.

A green office and some help (not mental)!

With the launch of my new site (June 1st) and the various other things I seem to have going, it is time to move my computer, calendar, file folders, and misc. stuff into an area designated as an office. The kitchen counter and table just aren’t cutting it anymore and the family is getting sick of all the clutter. It certainly won’t be very convenient t having to go downstairs to my office and work but at least now there will be a separation of work and home time. Oh and my stapler office supplies won't keep walking away! My son seems to like them! Working from home is no easy task as a mom. It seems like a luxury but when work and home are always combined some days it’s hard to figure out if I’m being productive or not. The freedom rocks though!

My son goes to preschool a few days a week and my daughter was going to a daycare in the mornings to give her some socialization and allow me some work time. With her sickness and constant struggle with allergies and asthma (more on this later), I am thinking it might be time to just have the babe home with me 100% of time and find myself a good babysitter a few days a week. I’ve chatted with a few work from home mommies and they’ve put ads in the paper and some of them have had luck and some have not. I know many moms are 100% capable of being at home and working with no help. I am here to tell you, I am not that mom. Sorry, but it isn’t me or my personality and I am fine admitting my weakness. This doesn’t mean I don’t love my children, I just need some assistance and my hubby isn’t home enough to help (6a-6p schedule). So I’ve done more research (seem to like research) and I’ve found a service that was recommended by Dr. Phil. I’m going to give it a try and see if I can hire a good babysitter or nanny part-time to help with my expanding and growing business schedule. If you’re a work at home mom and you need this service don’t be afraid to use it, you aren’t weak! If you have any advise or tips be sure to let me know!

Moving my stuff into a separate work space and having to hire help has me kind of freaked out. It means two things. The first being that my business is growing enough I need to do this. The second, I’m getting my professional and home life organized. I’ve done some searching for “green” office supplies so that my office space is indeed aligned with my professional life and personal beliefs. I’m excited to have found, The Green Office and hope if you desire green office supplies at a great price, you’ll check it out. My local Office Max is starting to branch out and go more "green" but I have to hunt and I don't have time for that. I’ll have to take a photo and show you my new workspace compared to my old one! Wish me luck!

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!

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

Green Your Doggy Poo Option #2

Today I have a brighter outlook and feel more hopeful and refreshed. I think a good night’s sleep and a child safe and at home, can make a mom feel this way! The sun is shinning bright and the snow is melting (spring might be here to stay). I had forgotten about something that has been buried in snow all of these months, our Doggy Dooley! Actually it was my mother-laws from when she owned our home but it still resides in the ground next to our garage. This email from devoted reader Michelle, reminded me of another way to go green with your doggy poo…


I enjoy your blog daily and your info has really expanded my knowledge and has made me take a different look at things that I have previously "accepted" because it is easier. I especially enjoyed your Doggy Doo Disposal Gone Green! posting. I wanted to share our Doggy Doo solution. We compost our doo doo using the Doggy Dooley and have found that Erma Bombeck was correct, "The grass is always greener over the septic system." From my reading the issue with dog doo run-off is when it gets into the public sew and water system, not the natural ground water system. By the time it reaches the ground water, it is already cleansed. Hope you enjoy this green option. http://www.drsfostersmith.com/Product/Prod_Display.cfm?pcatid=570&more=1 Thank you for sharing your stories. Michelle

Thanks Michelle for reminding me of other way readers can go green with their pet waste!

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

Fresh farm milk, bpa sippy cups, and my green blog agenda (with a contest)!

Happy Monday everyone! Good news to report, my family has made the switch to buying local milk (within a 100 mile radius) that is not certified organic but is only miss a sheet of paper. There are no antibiotics, no growth hormones used, no pesticides used and the farm is family owed. We can drive to visit the cows that make our milk and I cannot wait to do this! I researched this before I made the leap and wanted to know how the glass containers are cleaned ,why the farm was not organic, if they sold raw milk and other specific questions. I was actually excited and proud to take home my glass milk container and my husband thought the entire situation was weird. I don’t even like milk but decided to pour myself a glass so I could taste the difference. I have to tell you, it was remarkable. I had some organic milk from Horizon left over (which I like) but the fresh from the farm milk was so creamy and perfect. I might become a milk fan!!!

Ahhh, except I poured this healthy hormone free milk right into a BPA sippy cup. Yes, I know slap on the wrist a thousand times over (it was a gift). I’m recycling all of the "bad" sippy cups as soon as my samplers pack of BPA FREE cups arrive from The Soft Landing ( not all of my cups are unsafe, mind you). I have some things on my green and clean mom agenda that I am personally researching and changing over so that my family is safer and more" green".

In the very near future…

*I will blog about the new BPA water bottles I’ve begun using and why BPA is so bad, along with a giveaway!!! Yeah! This will be any day so check back real soon!
*I’ll be trying out some safe BPA free sippy cups for my two children and hope to have a ruling on which I like best, no my children like best! I’ve contacted several companies about their cups for samples or giveaways for my wonderful readers and hope to hear back from them!!!
*Crocs, everyone seems to be wearing them (including my kids) but they’re made in China and can you recycle them? Are they non-toxic and what’s the best way to really clean them (I have a secret). What is the company doing to be Earth Friendly???
*All about my C.S.A. and what I learned last year from my experience and some helpful tips.
*I will be personally, purchasing a wide array of healthy, organic snacks from http://www.yumyumsnacks.com/ to sample for my family and hope to blog about this experience. I don’t have many options in my small town. We have three grocery stores attempting to carry more organic food options, Wal-Mart that is completely sporadic with what they carry but cheaper and Kmart that has nothing. Cosco is four hours away!
My home is about 50/50 right now but Tiffany over at Nature Moms Blog, has inspired me to do better with her personal story and tips.

I have lots more in the works but I wanted to give you a heads up so you’re sure to keep checking back. I think it is very important to point out, I’m a mom just like most of you, trying to do her best to live some shade of green, each day. I’m not perfect and my family did not eat healthy or organic growing up so I am learning and sharing. I am trying new and safer products to share them with you and give you my feedback. I research, research, research and read, read, read and then hope to tell you my honest opinion, thoughts and findings.

Doggy doo disposal gone green!

I do not have a dog and if I did my doggy would just run out in our yard and do its business. We would have to shovel it all up, but in our town we have the poop scoopers that come and clean your yard, for a small fee. A novel entrepreneurial idea, if scooping dog doo is your thing. I suppose if you live in the city or some place without a yard, a dogs business would be somewhat of a issue. According to poopbags.com, Americans are not cleaning up over 4 millions tons of dog waste annually and when it rains it washes into our water ways. Dog waste and the lack of responsible owners cleaning up the waste means that dog doo is number three or four on the list for bacteria contamination of our water. Not cool. Steping in the stuff is one thing but having in contaminate my water is another thing.

So if you’re a responsible dog owner and you decide to use your nifty plastic wallymart bag to pick the waste up, you think you’re doing a good thing. I would normally agree and thank you because I can’t stand stepping in dog feces. Except, the waste sits in our landfill and doesn’t decompose. There is an answer, poopbags.com! Biodegradable bags for you dogs doo! The bags are made out of mater-bi, corn and other renewable resources, the heat for the doo (gross) can evaporate and the smell isn’t so bad and it will decompose within 10-45 days!

You’re probably thinking these are way too much money, so why bother. Shoot, a year’s supply is less than $60 and you get free shipping. There are even gift packs, kitty liners and sample packs for the skeptic out there. A company, founded by a single guy who started this company out of his dining room and now has upgraded to a warehouse and one employee. Unreal! I love to support green entrepreneurs and one that loves his dog and the earth deserves some green and clean mom blogging love…so spread the news.

Do the green thing!

Do the green thing! I stumbled onto this fun, wacky, unique site that gives you one thing to do monthly to help the environment. Only 177 days old but has already saved 1650.98 tons of Co2 and has 6,091 people signed up from over 51 countries to help make a difference! The site is fun to explore and has some hilarious videos to help spread the message of going green and doing the green thing!

This months green thing is to go easy on th meat. So maybe you’re a meat eater but you just give some green veggies a try this month. Why is this so darn green you might wonder? Watch one of their videos to learn more but the U.N. has reported that meat production is one of the top 3 producers of green house gases. The cows are also responsible for a large portion of methane production, which is much worse than C02 (nasty)! It’s just a one-month pledge and then next month you find out what you can do to help. This is a great way to take baby steps towards helping the environment and learning about global warming and environmental issues. Besides, it’s fun, hip and bound to make you laugh or at least smile. They have one creative green team!

Thursday's Green Tip!

Today’s green tip has me thinking a little bit about the book I just read, Wake Up and Smell the Planet. My green tip was to reuse aluminum foil but then while I was washing my sheets of aluminum foil, my husband said I was wasting too much water. So by trying to do something good, was I actually doing something bad? Yikes! That’s what the book sort of eludes to…the confusion of trying to go green and how sometimes it can be confusing and humorous at the same time. I actually just starred at my husband for a second and said, “Well, darn it all, at least I’m using non-toxic soap!” Geez, what’s a green and clean mom supposed to do?

That’s when I started doing some research and trying to decide what was better, to recycle or not to recycle the foil? Aluminum foil takes a lot of electricity to produce and it doesn’t exactly break down in the landfills. Probably the best is to just not use aluminum foil but it does such a great job at preserving food because it doesn’t let in light or odors. I use glass storage wear from Ikea or Crate and Barrel for most everything but sometimes I just need some foil. Aluminum foil can be recycled over and over so you should probably check with your local recycling facility or try Earth 911 to find out more about recycling the shiny stuff. If you want to wash it…I guess that’s up to you but I’m not sure if that’s the best option with the water waste (pulling hair out). I’m going to go with buying recycled aluminum foil from here on out and at least know that I’m doing something right. The recycled aluminum foil requires 95% less energy to make. If your local stores don’t sell recycled aluminum foils try using, If You Care or Green Feet.

Wake Up and Smell the Planet--A Green & Clean Mom Book Review

As promised, I have a must read book to tell you about. On my flight to and from Viva Las Vegas, I had some time to spare (not something I’m used to) and usually I would read some trashy gossip magazine or fall asleep with drool coming out of my mouth. The book, Wake Up and Smell the Planet, saved me from reading about Brittney’s latest meltdown or embarrassing myself by falling asleep. This book is written by, Grist.org, a online magazine publication out of Seattle. A site with a reader base over 750,000 people for normal people like you and who are trying to do something for the environment but enjoy some humor and wit!

Wake Up and Smell the Planet, is a humorous, witty, non-text book way to look at how a person can go green from the coffee they drink in the morning to the steak (or tofu burger) they grill for dinner and the shower they take with recycled rain water at night! It wasn’t just a book full of jokes and it wasn’t poking fun of serious environmental issues like one might think. Oh, no it just gives options and ways that a person can live green and not lose sight of their sanity. Going green is becoming so popular that if you drink an organic coffee in a paper cup, should you drink that coffee or will the mom at the park snub you because it isn’t in a stainless coffee mug? It doesn’t have to feel overwhelming and be impossible.

Wake Up and Smell the Planet , helps make it not seem so overwhelming or impossible but instead logical and fun! Logical information that made me have several, “duh” moments and elbow my husband to share with him what I was reading. Actually, I think everyone around me heard these logical facts because my ears were plugged! Did you know that if you shop online you’re doing the environment good? My hubby got a elbow in the side for that one! Yeah, the U.P.S. guy has to come but it uses “40% less fuel than the average roundtrip drive to the mall.” Another “duh” moment I had that also made me laugh my numb (long flight) butt off was dog poop being used for renewable energy. It makes sense really; people use cow doo for all sorts of stuff but what about the little pooches in the park? You’ll have to read the book to learn about what San Francisco is thinking of doing with their pet waste. It’s a riot but makes sense. Makes you want to go get the book doesn’t it?

I really think that you should give this book a chance. Manyof the going green books I've read are dry, lots of facts and hard to read from front to back. Not this book! The facts are fun, there are witty quizzes that make you chuckle, and bubbled facts that make you scratch your head and think or elbow your hubby! A great gift for anyone trying to go green, wanting to go green, thinking about going green or just anyone who cares about the environment and guess what.... it's cheap. Head on over to mountaineerbooks.org and get your copy for only $14.95. You'll laugh and learn and what's better than that?

Thursday's Green Tip!

Use your garbage disposal! It is more earth friendly then allowing the waste to sit in a plastic garbage bag, where it will decompose more slowly. When using a garbage disposal you are allowing organic waste to be sent into the sewer lines, where it will be digested back into nature. Organic waste is turned into fertilizer, after being treated by your community’s sanitary district.

The greenest option is to compost left over food and waste! For those of you with your own septic this might be a good idea, seeing that there are some that say garbage disposal waste can cause back-ups. Frankly, I’ve never had this problem and we have always had our own septic.

For a organic garbage disposal check out, Mother Earth News, for this DIY project!