Check out our new Green Living Community

The Eco-Friendly Family is teaming up with The Crunchy Wife & Eco-Friendly and Frugal to bring you a fun event on the brand new Green Living Community!

Head on over to the Green Living Community and sign up. Starting Monday we will be hold our Great Green Giveaway*a*Day Event! This will run Monday through Friday, for a few weeks or until we are out of great products to share with you. Check out our first week's lineup!

Monday - Ilus Elu, Organic Castile Soap
Tuesday - Young Living Essential Oils, Travel Diffuser
Wednesday - Artsy Fartsy Foo Foo, FooFoo Cloths *AND* Clean Freak from Hippy
Thursday - Graham Bearwear, One-Size Fitted Diaper
Friday - Eco-Friendly and Frugal Shoppe, 3-pack of unPaper Towels or a 5-Pack of Dirty Dipes Butt Wipes (winner chooses!)

There is so much more to come too! Great items from Oi Goi, Seventh Generation, Everyday Minerals, Once Upon A Baby, Gudonyatoo & so many more!

To enter just sign up at the Green Living Community and keep an eye out on the message boards. Each day we will put up a new post telling you a little about one of these great companies and offering you the chance to win some wonderful products!

Good luck and we hope to see you there!

Did you know that I can cook?

Well, little anyways :) I just guest posted over at Rumble In The Kitchen.

I've been loving this Stromboli!

Head on over and check it out. I hope you like it!

Some Perspective

I have spent an increasing amount of time thinking about paper products, all they consume and how to reduce and/or cut out.

In my search I saw a company called Marcal Small Steps. They make paper towels, toilet tissue, facial tissue & napkins all form 100% recycled paper.

I got an email from them earlier today that I would like to share it with you. I think this helps put our use into perspective and that it is a great tool to share with those who ask you "Why?".

A TOP TEN LIST NOBODY’S LAUGHING AT:
TEN BIG REASONS WHY RECYCLED PAPER MUST REPLACE
DEAD TREES IN HOUSEHOLD PAPER PRODUCTS

Virgin tree pulp, also called virgin fiber, is the paper industry’s term for the most common source for towel, napkins, bath and facial tissues found on store shelves. But virgin fiber is obtained only one way: by killing trees.

The resulting deforestation contributes to the release of greenhouse gases, believed to dramatically magnify the effects of global warming. Now consider that 98 percent of all paper towels napkins, bath and facial tissue used in American homes is made from virgin fiber, instead of 100 percent recycled paper like every Marcal® product.

Staggering facts abound. Here’s a top 10 list from Marcal Small Steps™:

* Americans uses approximately 800 lbs per capita of paper per year. – Resource Conservation Alliance

* Every 17 trees saved helps the earth absorb 250 pounds of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere annually. – AmeriFlow Recycling Inc.

* Every American uses approximately one 100-foot-tall Douglas fir tree’s-worth of
paper and wood products per year. – American Forest and Paper Association

* A single tree produces approximately 260 pounds of oxygen per year. That means two mature trees can supply enough oxygen annually to support a family of four. – U.S. Department of Agriculture and Bombay Natural History Society

* Half of the world’s forests have already been cleared or burned, and 80 percent of what is left has been seriously degraded. – Environmental Paper Network

* One tree can absorb as much carbon in a year as a car produces while driving 26,000 miles. - U.S. Department of Agriculture and Bombay Natural History Society

* The average U.S. office worker produces two pounds of paper waste per day. – Envirowise

* Manufacturing one pound of paper requires three and a half pounds of wood and produces three pounds of carbon dioxide. – Nature Canada

* Discarded paper is one of the largest contributors to methane emissions from landfills. (Methane is a greenhouse gas that is 20 times more potent in its effects than CO2.) – Ernest Mayer, “What Evolution is 2001”

* An EPA study concluded that “Federal subsidies of virgin paper product undoubtedly cost the taxpayer hundreds of millions of dollars.” – Federal Disincentives: A Study of Federal Tax Subsidies and Other Programs Affecting Virgin Industries and Recycling (Washington, DC: EPA, August 1994), p.5.

So Clean!

From time to time I hear about a product from someone. They tell me how much they love it and I can't help but want to try it out, see if it's all true and share it with you, my readers.

That's exactly how I found this product. It's called Miraclean and it's from a sweet woman who runs Bare Naked Cleaners.
One of the obvious perks about this product is that it comes in a super compact concentrate. No big packaging!

I got the product and quickly set about diluting it into an old juice bottle. I'm all out of spray bottles, what can I say. It still works the same :)

I'd get my rag damp and go about cleaning as usual. It has a lovely natural fragrance, and you can also choose any number of essential oils or fragrance oils to scent it to your liking. I prefer to stay scent free, so plain is great for me!

I found this product to work great on all of the typical things you would expect a cleaner to work well on. Counters, quick cleaning, etc. It wasn't until one fateful night that it really stood out for me.

My husband and I had been playing a game of Scrabble when our nearly two year old daughter grabbed our pen and went happy with it on our sofa. I wasn't too happy, but I had to try something to get it out, and quick! I reached for my Miraclean, dabbed my towel and rubbed the ink stripes a bit. Gone! Just gone, and it hardly took any cleaner or effort. No hard scrubbing at all.

I was shocked and thrilled all in one instant :D Our sofa was saved and I was thankful to the friend that recommended this product! (Thank you!)

Miraclean contains no phosphates, ammonia or chlorine bleach. It is 100% biodegradable and perfect for people with sensitive skin. It can be scented (at your request) with pure essential oils.

It contains water, vinegar, stain and soil removers, and a coconut derived cleaning agent. (I do not know anything further about the natural ingredients in this.)

Bare Naked Cleaners would like to give you the chance to try out this great all-purpose cleaner.

----Update! We have a winner!----
The giveaway portion is over :) Thank you to everyone that participated!

Congratulations to christschild! Enjoy!

 

Here's how!

Please leave a separate comment for each entry in order to have it counted.

This entry is mandatory! If you do not do this, your other entries will not count!
Visit the Bare Naked Cleaners shop and tell me something else you would like to try. Include your email address and the words "Live Green" somewhere in your comment.

Want more entries?

*Follow us and tweet this giveaway! Please tweet, "Win Miraclean from @EFFblog http://bit.ly/1jtGb1 #ecofriendly #eco #green" Leave a comment with a link to your status. Tweet daily for more entries!

*Follow our blog and post letting me know that you are :) (right side bar)

*Become a member of our new Green Living Community, leave a comment letting me know.

*Join our new email newsletter (right sidebar) for notices on special events coming up for the blog.

*Put the EFF Blog Button on your blog sidebar or web page. Leave a link!

*Post about this giveaway on your blog or other social media. Leave a comment with a link.

and as always, Good Luck and Enjoy!

US Only. Giveaway ends February 28th. I'll use random.org to pick a winner. I will email the winner. If I do not hear back within 48 hours a new winner will be picked.

FCC Disclaimer: I was provided a sample to review. No other compensation was given. All reviews are my own and honest opinions. More information & Giveaway guidelines.

Personal Care Products: Ingredients to Avoid

When it comes to products, it's hard to know what's safe, what's not, what to buy, what not to buy, etc.

I thought I would do a little research and put together a short list of things to avoid in products. This is by no means a complete list, but at least some of the worst offenders to avoid. I hope you find this helpful. Happy shopping!

Sodium Lauryl Sulfate & Sodium Laureth Sulfate - Often called SLS
SLS is a surfactant. It is often used for it's ability to lather and remove oils. It can be found in so many personal care products: Shampoos, Toothpastes, Body Wash, Shaving Cream, etc. It can also be found in Engine Degreasers, Household Cleaners, Car Wash Soap, etc. It can cause skin and eye irritation.

Parabens - Methyl, Ethyl, Butyl and Propyl Parabens (keep an eye out for anything ending in -paraben, there are lots!)
Parabens are used as preservatives in personal care products. There is some concern that these chemicals are carcinogenic, especially in breast tissue. They have also been found to mimic estrogen, again being found in breast cancer tumor samples.

Propylene Glycol - Also keep an eye out for Polyethylene Glycol and Polypropylene Glycol
Used as a surfactant and helps break down oils. Also a thickening agent. Known to cause rashes and dry skin. Also an ingredient in oven cleaners and antifreeze.

Phthalates - Look for "fragrance" DBP (Di-n-butyl Phthalate), DEP (Diethyl Phthalate) and BzBP (Benxylbutyl Phthalate)
These are hormone disrupting chemicals, often shown simply as "fragrance". Try to find products that you know use natural fragrances, or say so on the label. Can also cause nausea and headaches.

Cocamide DEA, MEA and TEA - Diethanolamine, Momoethanolamine and Triethanolamine
Often used as a emulsifiers and/or a foaming agent. Suspected to affect hormones and produce carcinogenic nitrates and nitrosamines. Can cause eye and skin irritation, as well as other allergic reactions.

Diazolidyinyl Urea, Imidazolindinyl Urea, DMDM Hydantoin and Quaternium-15
Preservatives like Parabens. Can cause skin irritation, migraines and allergic reactions. Release formaldehyde (known carcinogen).

FD&C , D&C Color followed by a number - Synthetic Colors
Used simply for appearance, along with synthetic hair dyes. Many are carcinogenic.

Talc
Probable carcinogen. Shown to cause tumors. Related to carcinogenic asbestos.

Petrolium - Petroleum Jelly
Mineral oil, derived from crude oil. Interferes with the skin's ability to breathe. Can lead to dryness and chapping.

Toluene
Solvent used in nail polishes. Known to cause damage to the liver, kidneys and nervous system.

*If you think there is something that should be on this list, please feel free to comment or email me :)*

There are lots of great resources to check your products and ingredients. For a more indepth look at these things, please check out the Skin Deep Cosmetic Safety Database.

Dishwasher leaving you cloudy?

We have been hand washing dishes for ages. One fine day, last year, my husband bought us a dishwasher. It's new and efficient and I thought it would make things so much easier. I was thrilled.

Well, a few washes and I was going nuts. I tried several detergents, top rated and non eco-friendly too (I'm awful, I know!).

No matter what I did, my dishes were cloudy and sometimes not even clean. I was cursing it all of the time because I would try a new combo, more detergent, less detergent, rinse aids, vinegar, washing my machine, you name it. I had to wash my dishes after they had been washed. It was infuriating.

I knew there just had to be a remedy. I got online and search, search searched. I found a couple of really happy people expressing their love for Lemi-Shine, but they were just a few random comments on questions that people had posted. I looked it up and found that it is all natural. It is phosphate free and composed of natural fruit oils and acids. I figured it was worth a shot.I headed to the store and picked up a bottle of Lemi-Shine. It was just a few dollars, though at that point I'm not sure I'd have cared what the price was.

I was a little apprehensive on my first try, but I loaded up the dishwasher (not pre-rinsing) and then put in my detergent tablet and in the same compartment, I added about 1/2 tablespoon of Lemi-Shine.

The clouds parted!

Seriously, it was AMAZING. My dishes were crystal clear. I couldn't believe it. Before, my glasses were so cloudy. It was awful. My dishes now look better than they do when I hand wash them.

I've tried it with a few different detergents and it works great with any of them :) I always run a full load too. No skimping!

I like tablets, so I stick my tablet in, put in about half a tablespoon or so of Lemi-Shine and then run it! That's it. I don't even use a rinse agent. If you really want something in there, toss some vinegar in the rinse aid compartment. I haven't done that in months though.

Not only can you use this (and get amazing results) in your dishwasher, but it has other uses too. You can use it to clean your toilet bowl, coffee pot, shower door, garbage disposal, and more I'm sure!

I was so tempted to run a load without Lemi-Shine, but thankfully they had a user submitted photo that illustrates exactly how well it works without me having to hand wash a load of what should be clean dishes. I'm terrible, I know. The cloudy dish is exactly the problem I had with every detergent I tried. It was awful.

*If there is outrage that I didn't feel like rewashing a load of dishes, I will take my own photo.* What's funny is that the cloudy glass looks exactly like my glasses. Weird!

I love this stuff so much that I want everyone to try it. I *love* getting great green products out into your hands. I know that if you just try it, you'll love it too.

----Update! We have a winner!----
The giveaway portion is over :) Thank you to everyone that participated!

Congratulations to Wilma! Enjoy!

With that in mind, I contacted Lemi-Shine and asked that they help me do just that :D They were so sweet and helpful. They are offering up a great gift pack to one lucky reader and a whole lot of samples for me to pass out too! If you don't win the gift pack, be on the lookout! I'll randomly contact a bunch of you to send out samples :D

Want to win it?! Here's your chance!
Please leave a separate comment for each entry in order to have it counted.

This entry is mandatory! If you do not do this, your other entries will not count!
Visit the Lemi-Shine website and tell me something you learned, or why you would love to try this product. Include your email address and the words "Live Green" somewhere in your comment.

Want more entries?

*Follow us and tweet this giveaway! Please tweet, "Never have cloudy dishes again! Win @LemiShine from @EFFblog http://bit.ly/1jtGb1 #ecofriendly #eco #green" Leave a comment with a link to your status. Tweet daily for more entries!

*Follow Lemi-Shine on Twitter, leave a comment

*Follow our blog and post letting me know that you are :) (right side bar)

*Become a member of our new Green Living Community, leave a comment letting me know.

*Join our new email newsletter (right sidebar) for notices on special events coming up for the blog.

*Put the EFF Blog Button on your blog sidebar or web page. Leave a link!

*Become a fan of the EFF blog on Facebook, leave a comment.

*Become a fan of Lemi-Shine on Facebook, leave a comment.

*Post about this giveaway on your blog or other social media. Leave a comment with a link.

and as always, Good Luck and Enjoy!

US Only. Giveaway ends February 24th. I'll use random.org to pick a winner. I will email the winner. If I do not hear back within 48 hours a new winner will be picked.

FCC Disclaimer: I was not provided the product to review for the giveaway (I love this product, thank you Lemi-Shine for helping me spread the love!). No money or other perks were given. All reviews are my own and honest opinions. For more information about this blog please look here. For giveaway guidelines please look here.

Now I've done it

Our home went caffeine free.

Yes, you read that right. Caffeine Free! Well for the most part. We switched our coffee to decaff, our tea doesn't have it and we don't drink much soda. This isn't to say that we won't on occasion have it, it just means that we have removed it from our regular diet :)

We are on our fourth day of no caffeine and it's mostly good. I absolutely notice a drop in energy, but I figure that's par for the course. We have had a cup of coffee every morning for most of our adult lives, it's bound to leave us a little sluggish until our bodies work themselves back to normal :)

As a fun note, check out these images from a NASA study. On the left is the web of a spider in it's normal, non-drugged state. On the right is the web of a spider who has been exposed to caffeine.
Have you dropped caffeine from your life? I would love to hear how others have done this and how they felt/feel afterward :)

Do your body a favor. Avoid HFCS.

I started this post as a review of the SodaStream soda maker. I started talking about why it was nice to be able to make my own soda with out using high fructose corn syrup. It is great and I will do that review, but I got sidetracked thinking and writing about HFCS and because it concerns me so much, I would like to go ahead and finish those thoughts. Here they are.

The commercials claiming that HFCS is just fine make me sad.

Even *if* it were indeed fine in moderation, as the commercials claim, the problem is that it is in nearly everything that we buy to consume, or at least it seems that way. If you haven't, take a look some time, even in your own cabinets.

Did you know that it's in most breads? It is so hard to find bread that doesn't have it in it. It drives me nuts when my brand is out and I have to search through label after label to find a replacement. Sometimes, depending on the store, I can't find a brand without it.

HFCS is in almost all sodas, ketchup, barbecue sauce, salad dressings, yogurt, cookies, artificial maple syrups, cereals, frozen treats, breakfast bars, stuffing, juice blends, etc. I could go on and on. Here is a partial list of items (read the comments for more). Also look here for a list of fast food items containing it.

Because it is in so many things that people eat on a daily basis. How can it possibly be considered used in moderation for the average person?

I have even seen articles showing studies that show levels of mercury in some HFCS samples. Check out these articles from Washington Post , U.S. News and Google it for more!

This is what gets me. HFCS is made, created in a lab, made. Something I didn't know before writing this is that DNA cannot be detected in measurable amounts in high fructose corn syrup.

That's a wake up call for me. I've avoided it and we eat healthy and eat organic when we can, but that shakes me. The thought of allowing my children to consume it unsettles me. Even more than that, the amounts that so many children in our country consume on a daily basis.

I encourage you to check out this article about HFCS. It is hugely informative and in an incredibly easy to read format.

In addition to the above a study was recently done at Princeton.  Their findings were quite interesting showing the difference between HFCS and sugar on the body (as tested on rats).   

Thanks for listening to me :)

Fun things coming!

I just wanted to stick a little teaser out here :)

I am in the midst of working with The Crunchy Wife and Eco-Friendly and Frugal on a really fun event for the Green Living Community.

If you're not already a member, head on over and sign up!

This is going to be a lot of fun. Be sure to keep an eye out on the message boards!

Hope to see you there!

So you want to sell your used diapers

Cloth diapering is great for so many reasons. Not only are they cute and less expensive (unless you go nuts with spendy diapers!), but you can save even more by reselling your diapers!

How do I sell my diapers?

Well, the first thing I would do is give them a good wash or two and clean them up a little. If the velcro is pilly, clean it up. If the tabs have fuzzies in them, clean them up. You don't have to do this, but it's nice to do and your buyer will be happier with their purchase.

The next thing I recommend doing is taking pictures of the diapers, a group shot works well and is easy. Be sure to take a shot of the insides too, so that potential buyers can see that they are stain free, or worn, either way :)

Decide what you'd like to get out of them. If they are in like new condition, maybe around 25% off of retail, and then down from there depending on use. This is just kind of my guide, but you can do as you see fit :)

Also, decide if you want to include shipping in the price of each item, or just charge shipping on the total order. It is also best to protect yourself by purchasing Delivery Confirmation. If you buy shiping online (usps or paypal) it is free with priority mail, and only about .18 for all others. If you go to the post office, it is much more expensive (up around .80)

After that, you just need to list them to sell :) Don't forget to list the sizes!

Where to sell diapers?
There are several sites, but here are the ones I am aware of :)

Cloth Diaper Nation
Diaper Pin
Diaper Swappers - Please see comments at the end of this post.
My Used Diapers
Spots Corner

You could also list on your local Craigslist, not only could you help a local parent get a great bargain, you can save shipping costs and gas :)

Diaper Selling Lingo?
There are so many acronyms to keep up with. Below are a few of the most common ones :)
There area also many other terms used, diaper brands, etc. Not all of them require acronyms, so are not listed here.

Selling/Buying Terms
PPD - Postage Paid Domestic. This just means that postage is included in the price as long as it is domestic shipping.
FFS - Free For Shipping. From time to time people get rid of items for the cost of shipping only. It is also a great way to give items away in an effort to "pay it forward" so to speak :)
PP - Paypal
DC - Delivery Confirmation

Diaper Condition Terms
(These are all subjective descriptions, so be sure to see photos of the items too!)
EUC - excellent used condition
VGUC - very good used condition
GUC - good used condition
FUC - fair used condition
UC - used condition

Diaper Type
AI2 - all-in-two
AIO - all-in-one
CV - cotton velour
GN - Gender Neutral
OBV - organic bamboo velour
OS - one size
PF - prefold
PUL - polyurethane laminate (waterproof layer on cloth diapers)

Diaper Brands
AFFF - artsyfartsyfoofoo
B4 - bububebe
BG - bumgenius
BSRB - bagshot row bamboo
FB - fuzzibunz
FLFB - four little fluff bugs
GAD - green acre designs
GM - goodmama
GMD - green mountain diapers
GS - green sprouts
HC - hyena cart
HH - happy heinys
KL0 - Kissaluvs size 0 (common newborn diaper)
ME - Mother-ease
SBISH - sustainablebabyish

User Inspired Additions :)
Thank you!

When listing your diapers, the title is key! Provide some information about what you're selling. What size are they? What brand/style are they? Are they extremely boyish/girlish? Adding in a few extra words to describe your diapers in the title can help buyers find what they are looking for :)

Don't be afraid to look through a few other sales posts to get an idea of how people list their diapers on the site you're trying to sell on. There may be a common format that is helpful to use :)

*Diaper Swappers* - I have heard reports of problems with people getting a virus from the ads on Diaper Swappers. I have been using Diaper Swappers for about a year and a half now without a problem. To the ones that have encountered a problem, I am sorry for your troubles. I have found this site to be very useful and am still happy to recommend it.

If it helps anyone, I use Firefox with the add-on Adblock Plus with EasyList (USA) (this part is important!) to block and filter ads on *all* sites.

**Am I forgetting a tip? Have a question? Ask and I'll be sure to add it!**

I love organic foods.

We eat organic foods whenever possible.

We buy and grow what we can and my husband hunts for the majority of our meats. However, it's not always available or affordable and hunting success can't be predicted.

Here are a couple of sites that I think are really helpful in choosing healthier foods :)

The first one is the Non-GMO Shopping Guide.

GMO stands for Genetically Modified Organism. GMOs are the result of a laboratory process of taking genes from one species and inserting them into another in an attempt to obtain a desired trait or characteristic. (source)

Basically, this means that they are altering the organism to do what they want: grow faster, bigger; resist illness, disease, pesticides, etcetera in a laboratory.

With genetic engineering, scientists can breach species barriers set up by nature. For example, they have spliced fish genes into tomatoes. The results are plants (or animals) with traits that would be virtually impossible to obtain with natural processes, such as crossbreeding or grafting. (source)

The problem, in my opinion, is that these changes come at a cost. They are physically changing the natural DNA composition of these things. Our bodies, our earth, and everything on it are so complex. Quite frankly, I'm not sure that anyone on earth can mess with these things and fully know what changes have been made and the outcome of them. It could and likely will take years to know, or even partially know the effect they will have.

The Non-GMO Shopping Guide has a lot of great information, as well as a simple and easy to use printable guide to take shopping with you.

The other site is the Environmental Working Group's Shoppers Guide to Pesticides

This site offers another handy printable guide that lists the Dirty Dozen and Clean 15.

If you are interested, the full list of 47 fruits & veggies is here.

"The Shopper's Guide to Pesticides ranks pesticide contamination for 47 popular fruits and vegetables based on an analysis of 87,000 tests for pesticides on these foods, conducted from 2000 to 2007 by the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the Food and Drug Administration. Nearly all the studies used to create the list test produce after it has been rinsed or peeled. Contamination was measured in six different ways and crops were ranked based on a composite score from all categories.

The six measures of contamination we used were:

• Percent of the samples tested with detectable pesticides
• Percent of the samples with two or more pesticides
• Average number of pesticides found on a sample
• Average amount (level in parts per million) of all pesticides found
• Maximum number of pesticides found on a single sample
• Number of pesticides found on the commodity in total"

*This methodology explanation is directly from their site. Click to learn more.

Always forgetting your reusable bags? Do you have Bagnesia?

Ditch it with this cute kit that reminds you to Grab Your Bags.

I love reusable bags. I think everyone should use them :) I've talked about them before, but I love any chance to do it again!

I am actually pretty good at remembering my bags, but it's not quite the same story with my husband (not even close). I was very pleased to have a chance to try out this great little reminder kit.

It includes a reusable shopping bag (to get your goodies in), a door hanger & steering wheel wrap (to remind you to bring them), a little mini clip (to snap your bag onto something or put it on your key chain as another reminder!) and little storage bag to stick it all in :)

I think it's really cute and for anyone wanting to put an effort into remembering their bags, a really useful tool. Plus it's only $15! I've seen bags that cost more than that :)

The only concern I had was that I was the safety of something on my steering wheel. I'm a bit of a worrier. I did find that putting it on the bottom of my wheel doesn't bother me or come into contact with my hands (as opposed to up top and center).

I also think that the door hanger is a great idea. Put on the door and the bright color stands out as you go to leave the house, reminding you to Grab Your Bags :)

The bags in this fold up super tiny (perfect for tossing in a purse) and are actually quite large when opened up. They measure approximately 18" X 16" and will hold up to 40 lbs (comparable to 2-3 plastic shopping bags). They are made out of a lightweight washable & water resistant nylon.

Something else that I like about the bag is that the name is cute. "Bag-ne-sia" is written on them and it just seems like something people can remember. If that gets more people to use reusable bags, that's good in my book :)

They also offer produce bags. I haven't tried them, but they look great :) They measure 13"x16".The ladies at Bagnesia would like for you to always remember your bags, so they are offing one lucky reader a reminder kit!

----Update! We have a winner!----
The giveaway portion is over :) Thank you to everyone that participated!

Congratulations to Christina's Cookies! Enjoy!

Here's your Chance!
Please leave a separate comment for each entry in order to have it counted.

This entry is mandatory! If you do not do this, your other entries will not count!
Visit the Bagnesia website and tell me something you learned, or a product you would like and why. Include your email address and the words "Live Green" somewhere in your comment.

Want more entries?

*Follow us and tweet this giveaway! Please tweet, "Win a reusable bag reminder kit from @bagnesia & @EFFblog http://bit.ly/1jtGb1 #ecofriendly #eco #green" Leave a comment with a link to your status. Tweet daily for more entries!

*Follow Bagnesia on Twitter, leave a comment

*Follow our blog and post letting me know that you are :) (right side bar)

*Become a member of our new Green Living Community, leave a comment letting me know.

*Join our new email newsletter (right sidebar) for notices on special events coming up for the blog.

*Put the EFF Blog Button on your blog sidebar or web page. Leave a link!

*Become a fan of the EFF blog on Facebook, leave a comment.

*Become a fan of Grab Your Bags on Facebook, leave a comment.

*Post about this giveaway on your blog or other social media. Leave a comment with a link.

and as always, Good Luck and Enjoy!

US Only. Giveaway ends February 12th. I'll use random.org to pick a winner. I will email the winner. If I do not hear back within 48 hours a new winner will be picked.

FCC Disclaimer: I was provided the product to review for the giveaway (My husband has remembered the bags on more than one occasion, I call success! Thank you!). No money or other perks were given. All reviews are my own and honest opinions. For more information about this blog please look here. For giveaway guidelines please look here.

Store your laptop with style!

I recently got a new computer (thank you husband!). I had an old desktop computer, but it wasn't keeping up with programs any longer, and I needed something that provided me with a little more flexibility. I decided to go with a laptop.

I ended up going with Sony. I love it and though it is not the point of this post, I wanted to mention it because I am so pleased with my laptop and Sony's green efforts.

Since computers are such a huge expense, I wanted to be able to protect that choice. I started looking for a way to keep it from harm. I needed sleeve or a case. I wanting something simple, easy to use and not bulky. That's when I stumbled upon a company called GreenSmart.

GreenSmart came up with a way to make a neoprene type of material without all of the chemicals. They came up with Neogreene! They offer a line of great laptop sleeves in an assortment of sizes.

They make also make bottle koozies, wine carriers, and lunch bags.

Neogreene contains no phthalates, VOCs, chlorine or metals that are traditionally used in neoprene. It also consumes 25% less energy to manufacture and 25% less petroleum to produce, compared to neoprene.

Neogreene packages (foam plus the fabrics glued to it) are only constructed using water-based adhesives, as opposed to solven based with generally contain toluene and dimethyl formaldehyde.

It is also fully waterproof! To test this out, I placed some mail inside of my laptop sleeve and poured water on it. I let it soak in and then checked my paper. It was dry. To test it a bit further, I applied pressure to it, trying to squeeze it though. No luck :D My paper was still dry! With three children, I am thrilled to know that when in it's case, no amount of cup spillage will get through :)

*GreenSmart and Neogreene are trademarks of TD Innovations*

I am very pleased with the quality of this product. It works great. I love the look of it and I am *so* pleased that there is no chemical odor to come with it.

GreenSmart would like to offer one of you the chance to win one of these to see for yourself how great their materials and products are.

----Update! We have a winner!----
The giveaway portion is over :) Thank you to everyone that participated!

Congratulations to Miche! Enjoy!

Here's your Chance!
Please leave a separate comment for each entry in order to have it counted.

This entry is mandatory! If you do not do this, your other entries will not count!
Visit the GreenSmart website and tell me something you learned about one of their products. Include your email address (if it's not on your profile) and the words "Live Green" somewhere in your comment.

Want more entries?

*Follow us and tweet this giveaway! Please tweet, "Win a Neogreene Laptop Sleeve from @BeGreenSmart & @EFFblog http://bit.ly/1jtGb1 #ecofriendly #eco #green" Leave a comment with a link to your status. Tweet daily for more entries!

*Follow GreenSmart on Twitter, leave a comment

*Follow our blog and post letting me know that you are :) (right side bar)

*Become a member of our new Green Living Community, leave a comment.

*Join our new email newsletter (right sidebar) for notices on special events coming up for the blog.

*Put the EFF Blog Button on your blog sidebar or web page. Leave a link!

*Become a fan of the EFF blog on Facebook, leave a comment.

*Become a fan of GreenSmart on Facebook, leave a comment.

*Post about this giveaway on your blog or other social media. Leave a comment with a link.

and as always, Good Luck and Enjoy!

US Only. Giveaway ends February 10th. I'll use random.org to pick a winner. I will email the winner. If I do not hear back within 48 hours a new winner will be picked.

FCC Disclaimer: I was provided the product to review for the giveaway (Thank you GreenSmart for the laptop sleeve. It is a wonderful product and I am happy to be able to share it.). No money or other perks were given. All reviews are my own and honest opinions. For more information about this blog please look here. For giveaway guidelines please look here.

Sophie the Giraffe

If you haven't heard of her, she is amazing. :D

I was sceptical until I actually had her. She smells like childhood and my daughter loves her.

Right now Amazon has her for just $14.95 (she's usually 20+)!!!

Sophie is Phthalates and BPA free & made of 100% natural rubber and food paint.

Here's the company's description of Sophie :)

"Sophie the Giraffe, full of discoveries and activities to awaken baby's senses.

Sight: The dark and contrasting spots all over Sophie the Giraffe's body provide visual stimulation and make her easily recognizable to baby. She soon becomes a familiar and reassuring objet.

Hearing: Her squeaker keeps baby amused, stimulates his hearings, and helps him to understand the link between cause and effect.

Taste: Sophie the Giraffe is very flexible and has lots of parts for baby to chew like ears, horns, legs. She is perfect for soothing baby's sore gums when teething and is completely safe. Made of 100% natural rubber and food paint.

Touch: Sophie the Giraffe is perfect for baby's small hands. She is very light and her long legs and neck are easy for baby to grip. She is very soft to touch, just like baby's mummy, stimulating soothing physiological and emotional responses.

Smell: The singular scent of natural rubber from Have tree makes Sophie the Giraffe very special and easy for your child to identify amid all his other toys.

Phthalates and BPA free."