Adventures in Green Living: November 2010

Tuesday, November 30, 2010

A Merry Fluffy Christmas Giveaway Event- Day 1 CLOSED

***CLOSED***

Welcome to A Merry Fluffy Christmas!

How A Merry Fluffy Christmas works:

Each of the 5 days of this event, there will be one post up on each blog. In each post, there will be one or more items to be won! Each day is ONE prize package, so there will only be ONE winner for each day for each blog. Each giveaway is open for 3 days.

You MUST do the Mandatory Entry to enter the giveaways! If you do not do the Mandatory Entry, all your other entries will be deleted.

Please remember to read ALL instructions on each blog. We are all a part of the Merry Fluffy Christmas event, but we are each doing different ways to enter. Please read ALL instructions or you might miss something and your entries will be deleted.

The Extra Entries are just that, extra and optional! You can, if you'd like, enter only the Mandatory Entry and call it a day. But entering ALL Extra Entries as well will provide you with a greater chance at winning!

Please visit ALL 19 BLOGS! You can find the Linky at the bottom of each giveaway post..

*****

Day 1 Sponsors:

Holden's Landing has contributed an awesome holiday themed diaper! Check out the pictures and specs below:

M/L Christmas Cookies AI2

Finishing style: T&T (Turned & Topstitched)

Snap style; Side snapping with chocolate snaps

Outer: 100% cotton woven print outer featuring all sorts of delicious looking Christmas cookies!

Inner: Red microfleece Hidden layer: PUL Soaker: Quick dry contour soaker, organic cotton topped with organic bamboo velour (rayon, same fabric as always).

Size: M/L, fitting most babies 15 - 30 pounds, with an ~18" rise

Retail value: $31

*****

BabyLegs is contributing a Grab Bag!

Winner will specify gender;

Girl bag consists of 2 warmers, 1 pair of socks and 1 pair of tights.

Boy bag consists of 2 warmers, 2 pairs of socks(no tights)

Retail value: $50

But wait! They've also generously given us a coupon code for all participants:

FLUFFY20 (all caps)
Valid Nov. 24th-Dec. 24th

*****

How to enter:

1. You have to be a public follower of Adventures in Green Living on Google Friend Connect- this is not, however, an entry today.

2. Please leave your email address in each entry- ex: bigbird at yahoo dot com

3. Each entry is a separate comment.

Mandatory Entries:

Do both mandatory entries prior to completing any Extra Entries!

- Follow BabyLegs on Twitter or Facebook. Leave your twitter or facebook name(one entry)

- Follow Holden's Landing on Facebook. Leave your facebook name(one entry)

Extra Entries:

-Follow Holden's Landing blog via 'Follow' at top of the screen above title of blog(one entry)

-Follow BabyLegs via twitter or facebook(whichever option you didn't choose above- one entry)

-Follow Adventures in Green Living via Networked Blogs(one entry)

That is a total of 5 entry opportunities!

*** This giveaway closes December 3rd @ 11:59 EST; winner will be chosen via Random.org and contacted via email. Winner will have 48 hours to respond to the notification email or I will have to draw a new winner. Open WORLDWIDE!!***

Winks & Daisies- Birth, Engagement, Wedding, Holiday cards

Are you needing a last minute, inexpensive holiday card? Or maybe a birth or wedding announcement? Check out Winks & Daisies on etsy.com!

A Merry Fluffy Christmas Giveaway Event Starts Tonight!

My first event, A Merry Fluffy Christmas, kicks off tonight at 11:01 PM CST(due to requirements it start at 12:01 PM EST). We have 19 blogs total all sponsored by some awesome companies. I won't be posting anything additional while the event is running to keep it easy for everyone to find my event post each day.

Here is the schedule, give or take a minute or two:

          Dec 1st 12:01am EST - Dec 3rd 11:59pm EST
          Dec 2nd 12:01am EST - Dec 4th 11:59pm EST
          Dec 3rd 12:01am EST - Dec 5th 11:59pm EST
          Dec 4th 12:01am EST - Dec 6th 11:59pm EST
          Dec 5th 12:01am EST - Dec 7th 11:59pm EST

Each day is one package on my blog. All winners will be drawn/posted by the 10th. I will be emailing everyone so make sure to leave your email address in your entry comments. Once the winners have been verified I will post them!

Feel free to share with your friends on facebook and twitter so they have the opportunity to win, too! And don't forget to visit the other participating blogs. They're nicely listed at the bottom of each post like I've done here.

Have fun and good luck!

Baked French Toast recipe

Thank you, Chicago Marriott! I have one more I'll be sharing, yet...

Baked French Toast

2 1/2 cups Heavy Cream
6 eggs
1 cup packed brown sugar
1 teaspoon salt
4 teaspoons vanilla

A Merry Fluffy Christmas Spotlight- inspired mama MAKES!

Welcome to our November spotlights on the wonderful people sponsoring Adventures in Green Living for the upcoming A Merry Fluffy Christmas! Please take a moment to read about each sponsor and visit their shop.

After the above collage, is there really anything more I need to say? Look at that drool-worthy yarn! And the sweet felt crown! Personally, I'm mesmerized by that yarn in the bottom left. I'm not a fiber expert by any stretch of the imagination, but I've followed it a bit and that looks like licorice twist. Not that I even know what that means. Good heavens, that yarn makes me want to be crazy and go grab the knitting needles still in their new package from a year+ ago. Maybe I really should learn to knit!

Or, maybe I should leave it up to the professionals, like Erika of inspired mama MAKES! She is our last wonderful WAHM to spotlight for A Merry Fluffy Christmas. And yes, some incredibly lucky reader is going to win a sample of her yarn- 4 ounces from her exclusive yarn club plus 2 ounces of solid trim! Read on to learn more about her and the amazing things she creates. Also, check out her blog(I love it!).

Ginger Thins recipe

Another treat from our stop at the Downtown Chicago Marriott!

'A traditional Swedish holiday cookie, pepparkakor is a gingerbread biscuit often shaped like a heart, star or goat. Grandma Johnson always said to hold it flat in the palm of your left hand and use your right hand index finger to push down and break the cookie. If it breaks into three pieces you will have good luck for the New Year. If it doesn't, quickly eat the evidence and try again!'

A Merry Fluffy Christmas Spotlight- Little House Creations

Today's spotlight is on a sweet etsy store by the name of Little House Creations. Abby of Little House Creations is all about creating things to help 'prevent waste and promote recycling'. While originally she made and sold handmade jewelry, Abby changed direction in 2009 and began to focus on making reusable 'green' items. Her interest in cloth diapers in particular were driven by her decision to use them on her own son while pregnant. She also makes sandwich bags and snack bags in addition to cloth diapers.

A Merry Fluffy Christmas Spotlight- Green Mountain Wee Woolies

I'm really excited to introduce to my readers an etsy shop full of the most wonderful Waldorf inspired toys, kits and even cloth diaper covers: Green Mountain Wee Woolies! They have been on Etsy since 2005 and have close to 2,000, 100% feedbacks. That says something! Ten of them are probably mine.

Frugal tips for colds and flu

'Tis the season of family gatherings, sharing food, games, gifts and... germs. My poor family got a head start on the last part the previous week, passing the flu from one to the other quicker than you can say 'Get out of the bathroom NOW!' So it's time for a reminder on preventative measures and a couple frugal, natural tips when you catch Aunt Laura's cold or flu anyways.

An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure...

A Merry Fluffy Christmas Spotlight- Northern Essence

Northern Essence is a one stop shop for all things bath, body and home for everyone in the house! Run by Traci Hoffman, Northern Essence is a trusted name by many when it comes to baby wipes solution, rash salves, wool wash and more. They are 'committed to quality ethical sourcing, natural ingredients and no animal testing.' Northern Essence also makes a point of minimal packaging to save consumers the additional cost- and hey, it works out for the environment, too!

Thankful Thursday- Family

It may be cliche, but I'm thankful for my family this Thanksgiving Day. All of my family!

We are about to embark on blending two families this weekend as my mother gets remarried. Her soon to be husband has 9 children. It might be shocking to most, but the hubs already comes from a family of 8 kids so it's isn't too overwhelming for my husband and I. For my two brothers and sister, that brings our sibling count to 15 total as my dad is also remarried and my step-mom has two (grown)children. If you want to get crazy and add in in-laws, I stand at 32 right now with all of my husband's family married off and only 8 step-siblings and 2 siblings to go(in finding significant others if they so choose).

Yes, that's a lot of Christmas cards. If I were smart I'd get started right now!

I have 17+ wonderful aunts and uncles, 23+ nieces and nephews and more cousins than I can count at the moment. In fact I added the (+) because it's a loose number, too, depending upon the exact specifics. Suffice it to say, I have an extremely large family. New or Old, blood, law or friend, I hope each one knows how much I love them not just today, but every day of the year. Family makes our lives so much richer than all the money in the world ever could.

Happy Thanksgiving, from my family to yours!

Wednesday, November 24, 2010

Yummy Hot Chocolate recipe

The two things I love most about the fall and winter seasons: hot chocolate and uggs.

This recipe for hot chocolate I picked up while at the Chicago Marriott shindig for the Gingerbread House of Blues unveiling! The original has liqueur but, being a fun-hater I have omitted it. Just joking! But in reality, we don't drink. And I'm not including it.

Hot Chocolate

Hevea Pacifier Review

A couple weeks ago we were sent a pacifier from The Natural Baby Company by the brand Hevea Baby.

Hevea Baby USA is a company that seems to have gone above and beyond everything they could think of in terms of sustainable material and a solid design. The packaging itself is even recyclable and printed on 100% recycled paper with soya-ink.

Wordless Wednesday- Uncle Shane

CSN Stores.com and BabyKicks Review

Remember my teaser post on a CSN Review here?

What I decided to test out was... the BabyKicks Organic Fitted Diaper!

I know. Over 200+ stores and I choose a cloth diaper. What can I say? We love cloth! At one point after I first started cloth diapering my then 4 month old daughter, I actually dreamed about them. Maybe I shouldn't tell people that... moving on!

A Merry Fluffy Christmas Spotlight- Rhoadworks

Looking for an awesome shirt or onesie for your kids or as a gift? Take a gander at the sweet designs Rhoadworks offers and you may have trouble choosing just one!

A Merry Fluffy Christmas Spotlight- Bunnyfeet Boutique

Bunnyfeet Boutique is another wonderful WAHM business in our lineup of sponsors! I first came across their shop while looking for wipes before my son was born. Megan is the very multi-talented mom behind Bunnyfeet Boutique. Here's a list of some of the items you'll find offered:

A Merry Fluffy Christmas Spotlight- Laines Magnifiques

Hoot

Have I been very vocal about how much we love wool in the Crazy Green Home? Well, we do! And even if you haven't tried it before you're going to want to after checking out the dyeing talents of Nicole of Laines Magnifiques. I've often drooled (yes, drooled) over the fantastic colorways Nicole has dreamed up. Little Doggies in Quyon, Mirage, Eurobirds... I'll take 10 of each, please! Whether you want to knit up a hat for yourself, for the kids, or longies for a sweet cloth diapered babe, Laines Magnifiques has a colorway and base to suit your needs. In addition to being found on their own website, they also stock on one of my favorite congos via Hyenacart- Universal Mama. And of course Etsy!

I will survive! I will survive! Hey-ey!

We are finally home after the most ridiculous trip to Chicago to date.

I'm not sure what our immune systems have against that city or the direction East. It's like we get 2 hours away and everything goes haywire. Of the last 3 trips we have attempted, one or more of us have ended up ill. My 'uh-oh, hold up and turn around' radar must have been off when we hit a 'sleeping' deer on the interstate at 70mph not too far out of town. I'm thinking that might have been the sign to go home. But we kept going, after a stop at the closest off ramp in the parking lot of the 'Adult Superstore' to verify no excessive damage had been done- aside from cracking the rear bumper.

A Merry Fluffy Christmas Spotlight- Holden's Landing

I'm so excited one of my favorite WAHM's, Bonnie of Holden's Landing, has joined us for A Merry Fluffy Christmas! I originally discovered Bonnie on Hyenacart a couple years ago while looking for diapers. But these are no diapers, they are works of art! Open since 2004, you can expect to find hand dyed fabrics with beautiful embroidery on diapers, pillow cases, blankets and children's clothing.

Just what does 1,000 pounds of gingerbread look like?

Well, with a few added pretties...

Downtown Chicago Marriott

Friday Frugal 101: Deal... or No Deal?

Did you catch Friday's Frugal 101 at The King's Court?

Last week's post was in anticipation of this week's ensuing Thanksgiving craziness. Head on over to brush up on your Black Friday skills and determine whether that $200 TV is a Deal... or No Deal?

What stores or items are on your list for Black Friday?

Thursday, November 18, 2010

Thankful Thursday- Draining tubs

When it comes to our house, I have to remind myself often to be thankful.

It's 70 years old. Of that 70, 64 were spent with owners that apparently didn't know how to properly repair or just didn't care. There's also the little matter of our backyard flooding after a couple hard rains that wasn't disclosed but moving on...

Wordless Wednesday- Greener days

Hard to believe this was taken just a month ago! Pretty sure it was our last family bike walk. I already miss the green and sunlight at 6pm!

Tuesday, November 16, 2010

Eufora Fortifi review

I've been using Eufora products for 3+ years now- having been introduced to their company through a local salon. After my daughter was born, it was time for a haircut! I'd been having a lot of post-baby hair loss and was really starting to worry about it. Due to my infrequent haircuts(two a year?) and the texture of my hair(a little wavy/coarse/dry), my stylist recommended trying Eufora's Moisture Cleanse shampoo and conditioner. In the past I've found certain big brand products to really strip my hair and dry it out terribly. Eufora did not do this and I was pleasantly surprised at the condition of my hair when it was time for the next haircut. No split ends were in sight! My hair loss had also slowed considerably.

Where Erica Jong Went Wrong

I know I wasn't the only woman left jaw-on the floor by Erica Jong's piece, Mother Madness, in The Wall Street Journal November 6th. If I were to adhere to her assertions, I'd believe my current lifestyle is my prison. Wearing my baby, breastfeeding, cloth diapering, are all repressing me as a woman worse than any man ever could. In reality, right-wrong positions such as Ms. Jong's imprison women everywhere from believing they can know what is best for them personally- whether they be single, wife, mother or any combination of the above.

A Merry Fluffy Christmas Spotlight- BabyLegs

From the Man- Holiday Memories

The holidays are fast approaching and it is a busy time of year for us. Shopping, food, family and presents, the things holidays are made of help the cold winter months pass by in the Midwest. What are some of the things I remember most as a kid?

Trader Joe's

At last, I have experienced the experience that is the Trader Joe's experience!

Little old West Des Moines, Iowa opened their first Trader Joe's about a week ago. We didn't get out on the actual opening day but made it that first Saturday night. It was packed! The store itself isn't that large; they occupy what I think was an empty store front in a mini strip-mall area. It was fun to be part of the chaos and excitement but we'll have to go back when there is more time to actually check things out. We picked up milk, goat's gouda(yum!), mint hot chocolate mix(so-so), whole wheat bread, dried fruit and nuts for the hub's desk at work and a dried fruit roll up thing for my big girl. It totaled around 23$, which surprised me- in a good way.

Next time I'd like to see if they carry baby items/food/snacks. Also hoping they make the bath and body section bigger. All in all it seems like a nice place to shop. We won't make it a weekly thing but as we're on that side of town if we need something, we'll stop there!

Thankful Thursday- the Kidlets

I've been a bit behind on my intentions to blog my Thanks on Thursday. And in November, no less!

Promise not to do this often!

Will you vote for my kiddo's picture in the Ecomom contest? It goes until the 16th.

http://blog.ecomom.com/wp-content/plugins/wp-photocontest/viewimg.php?img_id=47&post_id=1346&order=chrono

Easy to vote =) The do not email you!

Thanks so much!!

Wordless Wednesday- Flowers

Fabric flower clip from Sophia's Bow-tique

Holiday Open House: Kolaches

It's the last day to blog for the Holiday Open House event and I've saved my personal favorite for last. Ok, maybe it ties with Grandma B's apple pie. This particular recipe is a Bohemian one from the area my mom grew up- in memory of Mrs. Frank Paca(pronounced Potza). Forget cake, for my birthday all I ask for are kolaches!

Tuesdays from the Teacher- Post Parent Teacher Conference Suggestions

Introduction:
Ms. B. is a 7th grade Language Arts teacher in the Midwest. She has been teaching for 15 years, having taught Special Education for 4 years and Language Arts for 11 years. Ms. B. has a degree in Special Education, Reading and her Masters in Education. In her free time she enjoys gardening, baking bread, being a grandparent and eating fine, imported dark chocolate.

I have just finished 3 afternoons and evenings of parent-teacher conferences this week. It is always an interesting adventure when I meet the parents of my students and have a chance to discuss their students’ academic and social activities in class. So many parents ask what they can do to help their child be more successful in the classroom, and I suspect they are surprised with my suggestions.

Holiday Open House: Surviving Family

Don't get me wrong, I love my family. All... 100+ of them. I grew up pretty close to my aunts, uncles, cousins and grandparents. We spent a lot of time with all of them despite being a couple hours' drive time away from most. I also grew up knowing my husband's family pretty well! It wasn't until the past few years that I realized this was a unique situation. So many people don't see their cousins often, if ever!

Goodwill Adventures and Jason's Belly

I really, really needed to get out of the house today.

It wasn't really a bad day and in fact, we've been out of the house the past 3 days. But it just isn't enough when you have one really whiny sad 10mo old who's probably cutting his first molars. On top of just having gotten over a cold. And being close to walking. Poor little dude! And yes, poor Mama.

Holiday Open House: Homemade Caramels

My mother was given a recipe for caramels a long time ago and has since adjusted it to her tastes. Caramels are a little finicky. But when done right, are so delicious and unlike bought caramels! These are another oft-requested treat by friends and family when the holidays roll around. Awesome to add to those treat platters.

Holiday Open House: Christmas Music

A little background music is a must for any party, especially a Holiday party. We do a lot of entertaining in the holidays at my mom's. My mother has enough Christmas music to rival our local radio stations.

I'm not even joking.

A Merry Fluffy Christmas Spotlight- Same Knit Different Dye

Next up in our lineup of fabulous sponsors is Michele of Same Knit Different Dye. I found Michele originally on etsy.com and she has since also opened her shop up on hyenacart.com, also named Same Knit Different Dye. Both sites are wonderful places to find handmade items.

My Review of Premium Joey-Bunz Pouch (Pack of 3)

Originally submitted at CSN Stores

Features:

55% natural hemp, 45% organic cotton
Designed to be trim, absorbent and easy to use since there's no folding
Special quick-dry design
Incredible absorbency and softness
13.5" long, 6" at the widest part of hourglass ...

Trim insert

By Organicmommyluv from Midwest on 11/7/2010

Pros: Absorbent, Convenient, Easily Cleaned

Cons: Too wide

Best Uses: Overnight, Diaper Changing

Describe Yourself: Child Care Professional, Parent of Two or More Children

I got these to try for overnights as my son is a heavy wetter. They do seem to hold a lot! The only down side is that they are very wide. Even after so many washes, they haven't shrunk. The length is fine, it's just the width that doesn't lay flat in any of my pockets- even my widest one-size. I'd be interested to see if it actually fits in the babykicks pocket. If I could do over I'd get the smalls.

(legalese)

Saturday, November 6, 2010

A Merry Fluffy Christmas Sponsor Spotlight: TomBoyKnits

Welcome to our November spotlights on the wonderful people sponsoring Adventures in Green Living for the upcoming A Merry Fluffy Christmas! Please take a moment to read about each sponsor and visit their shop.









Today we are going to get to know a little about Shannon of TomBoyKnits. Shannon is another wonderful Etsy artisan. Just from the pictures you can tell she does flawless work!

Blog Linky Love: This for That/ Ten Talents

I wanted to take a minute and share with everyone a great blog and linky. Stephanie of Ten Talents has been running her This for That and Low Entry Lowdown for a while now. They are both excellent links for new bloggers- easy to use(even I can understand) and very helpful while trying to get up and running. Or, if you are just a reader, the Low Entry Lowdown is a great way to increase your odds of winning some awesome giveaways!

Be sure to check them out every day!

Holiday Open House: Decorating Aunt E's Sugar Cookies

Another wonderful memory I have as a child growing up, is of the hundreds of sugar cookies my mom baked and we all decorated. These, along with caramels and other homemade treats, went on assorted platters for family and friends. My favorite is to have a cinnamon dot for each bite! And to eat them straight from the freezer. Enjoy!

Holiday Open House: Candlelight Service

One of my favorite Christmas traditions is the Midnight Candlelight Service. Our church doesn't actually do this kind of service, my family visits other churches wherever we happen to be for the Holidays! We don't care what church it is, provided it's a mostly traditional service with the old carols, a reading of Christ's birth and of course, a candle at the end. We could do something similar at home and have tried in the past but it just isn't the same. There is something special about standing in a chapel with hundreds of people, everyone there for the same purpose and watching their faces shine in the candlelight while singing 'Silent Night'.

A Merry Fluffy Christmas Spotlight- ScotiaFarmGirl

ScotiaFarmGirl is our first spotlight; you'll find her on Etsy if you're browsing for cloth diapers, doublers and wipes. She's been open since August of 2009. Let's get to know the owner, Linney Cairns!

Holiday Open House: Grandma B's Apple Pie

Food is a big part of my family on all sides. Thanks to some fantastic cooks (also on all sides) we eat well. Here is my Grandma B's apple pie recipe that I lovingly share with you. Pie can be tricky so never fear, practice makes perfect! As does the proper apple- see below:

Wordless Wednesday

The most beautiful castle I've ever seen(and I've seen a few)!

Holiday Open House: Traditions in Ornaments

One of the things that comes to mind for the Holidays are the handmade decorations my siblings, mother and I made years ago. Beaded ornaments on pipe cleaners, cross-stitch, hard baked dough, construction paper hands with photos, etc. decorated our tree growing up. We didn't have a lot of money, so we just didn't have a lot of 'pretty' ornaments. There may have been some moments as a teenager that I was frustrated by all of these worn looking things and wished we had a tree like the ones you see in department stores. Now as a parent, I better understand and appreciate the simple joy and beauty in displaying something my child has made.

My daughter's 1st Christmas Pooh, son's first Christmas train and daughter's chosen ornament last year.

SillyHilli interview and spotlight

I was browsing through Etsy a few weeks ago while looking at knitted things(my fav!) and came across the sweetest scarf ever!
Foxy wants to come home with me. I just know it. You can see it in his eyes.

The most Handsome 10 month old!

Technically his 10mos was 10/28. But I'm slow to post pictures as we've been dealing with the ickies. I love this sweet prince more than words can adequately describe. He has his Grandpa B's blue eyes, just like his mom! And the fantastic diaper we're sporting for the 'shoot' is a Zany Zebra.

Holiday Open House: Collette's Wasil

My mother has a beautiful name, doesn't she? Yes, she'd be Collette of Collette's Wasil. My mother's Wasil is famous among family and friends for the holidays. There's nothing quite like walking into her home with a pot on the stove; the smell warms you right through your chilled winter bones.

Coming Soon! CSN Review preview

If you are not already familiar with them, I'd like to introduce you to one of my favorite places to browse and shop online: CSN Stores.com.
CSN Stores.com is an online mecca of just about anything and everything you could possibly want. With over 200+ stores a person could browse for days(in your jammies!) and still find something new the next time they visit.

Happy Baby PIF winner!

Congratulations to Lisa! She has been verified/responded.

Random.org and I are still in conversation about how to properly screen shot and post the true numbers I used... we will get there!

Thanks everyone for your support. =)

Happy Halloween!(A day late)

A fairy princess and robot alien.

Someone please come and eat all of this candy before I do!

Housepoet's Lactation Cookies recipe

I realized I should post this recipe on my blog after eating some oatmeal cookies last night. Holy lots-o-milk, batman! My Boob Man actually refused to nurse on the other side as he was so full. There is nothing I love more than getting to kiss soft cheeks when they are totally zonked out- and tummy full zonked he was! This is not my original recipe, I found it a year or more? ago online on someone else's blog. It wasn't their original, either. Near as I can tell, the 'original' must be Housepoet, whomever she may be!
(I skip the flaxseed and they still seem to work just fine.)

A Merry Fluffy Christmas Giveaway Event- Only a month away!

You may have noticed the event tab at the top of my page- if not, here is your official introduction! In just a short month, we'll be kicking off the very exciting 'A Merry Fluffy Christmas' giveaway event. Read on for more info: