Green Blog Hop Wednesday 8/31

Welcome to the GREEN BLOG HOP

For "Green" Blogs Only - Even if you're just starting out!

The purpose of creating this blog hop was not to create yet another general hop, but to help network bloggers who have taken the initiative to go green for the purpose of education and continuing efforts of saving our planet - one home at a time.  We will be monitoring the blogs and will delete those that are not deemed somewhat green.

 * PLEASE make sure to put the button on your site and make a quick blog entry - otherwise we will not be reaching the most number of people that would be interested in networking

<center><a href="http://www.jonathanandmelanie.blogspot.com/"><img border="0" src="http://img97.imageshack.us/img97/7924/greenrecycleimg.jpg" /></a></center>

* Follow the blogs of the ladies in the top three spots :

Going Green with Noah

And Then There Were 4

Tales of the Wife

* Link your green blog to the MckLinky below

* Follow as many other blogs as you want. The more you follow, the more that will follow you back!  If someone follows you, it is common courtesy to follow back

Please remember to create a blog posting including the button after linking up - Please - It's the best way to get the word out about Going Green!

The Next Level: Looking for Sponsorships

Going Green with Noah has flourished by leaps and bounds over the last couple of months and I am truly blessed.


I have great followers, great sponsors, great conversations and it has led to other great opportunities, such as guest blogging and resident authoring for other sites.

As much as I love my site, I still feel as if the design and layout of the site could be improved drastically.  I also feel that this is what is necessary to take my blog and my vision to the next level.


Therefore,

I am currently in search of someone - or multiple individuals - to do (sponsor) the following:

1) Host my domain - I already own the domain name 
2) Transfer my blog to Wordpress
3) Redesign the look - I already have a great idea of what I want

I hope that someone out there is seeking a sponsorship of a site - and hopefully my intentions of going green and helping the environment and our homes will be enough for someone to peak an interest.

Please email me at mel2266@gmail.com if you are interested, or know someone who may be.

Thank you so much to all of my loyal followers!

Angelberry Organics Review & Giveaway

In all of my research and education that I have done since my family has become "green," I have been shocked and horrified at the lackadaisical attitude of the government and of the cosmetics industry!  I have written a few articles about the lack of regulation in this industry as well as had discussions over at Villageofmoms.com in my "The Skin You're In" series.

One of the most chemical ridden beauty products that are currently sitting on the market, is that of makeup. Loaded with parabens, SLS and many far worse toxins, I must admit that it is the one thing that I have not been able to let go of yet (You really don't want to see me out and about without makeup!)  Even worse, I know that my makeup rubs off on Noah and it makes me cringe.

Enter Angelberry Organics.  Organic mineral makeup! O....M....G!

I was so very excited to have the opportunity to receive and review a makeup that would be healthy and non-toxic to myself and my skin!

I received an eyeliner, a blush and a lip gloss - some of my must-haves in a crisis!

The eyeliner is not a liquid, but a pencil, which I was very pleased with.  I tend to venture towards the pencils anyways, because I cannot do liquid and keep in straight on my eye!

The blush is a little bitty container, to eliminate wasteful packaging.  Much to my surprise, I only needed an extremely small amount to create the desired "blush" effect on my cheeks.  Great when you have to consider the money spent on makeup in the first place.

Finally, the lip gloss.  Probably a little too light for me, but the texture and the taste were great.  As with all lip glosses, they don't stay on for an extraordinarily long time, but overall I was pleased with the quality of product.

I actually worked a volunteer shift at a large children's consignment sale in Dallas today with the makeup on and was very happy that all but the lip gloss stayed on for the duration.  My face tends to eat my makeup, so that it stayed on for 5 hours is saying a lot!

I was so happy with the Angelberry Organics line and will probably continue to use it once my samples are finished since it is free of so many of the toxins that our conventional makeup contains.

Would you like to try an Angelberry Organics product?

GIVEAWAY

Brook over at Angelberry Organics has graciously offered a Lemongrass Aroma Spray to one lucky follower of Going Green with Noah.

Here is how to enter:

MANDATORY ENTRIES (worth 1 each – Leave separate comments):

• Publicly follow Going Green with Noah via Google Friend Connect +1

                            If you already follow - just let me know!

• Visit Angelberry Organics and tell me something that you like about their company +1

OPTIONAL ENTRIES:

• Follow me on Facebook Networked Blogs on the blog homepage
• Visit Angelberry Organics on Facebook and Like them
• Follow me on Twitter +1
• Follow Angelberry Organics on Twitter +1
• Tweet this: I'm trying to #win an #Organic Lemongrass Aroma Spray in the #giveaway hosted by #anglberyorganix @goinggreenwnoah - RT

                  

                            Tweet everyday for additional entries!! - Up to 1 x per day - +1

• Sign up for "Going Green with Noah e-newsletter" and activate subscription. +2
• Rate me 5 stars on Alexa.com +2
• Vote for “Going Green with Noah” on Top Mommy Blogs! +3
• Vote for "Going Green with Noah" on Top Baby Blogs! +3
• Grab my button and put it on your blog (leave me the link) +5
• Blog about this giveaway (leave me the link) +5
• Enter any of my other giveaways +2 per giveaway
• Put this giveaway on a linky and tell me where to find it       +1 per linky

Contest ends September 10rd, 2010, 7 pm CST. Winner will be drawn via a random number generator.

Disclosure: I received the product mentioned above in exchange for this review. No monetary compensation was received by me. This is my completely honest opinion above and may differ from yours. I cannot and will not be held liable for lost or products not received.

The Power of Flowers with an Eco Friendly Twist

Did you know that simply receiving flowers can turn the emotions of a person 180 degrees?  It can brighten a sad day and make a good one better.  Flowers can immediately impact happiness in someone's life.

Rutgers University recently conducted a 10 month study that explored the link between flowers and life satisfaction.   Participants actually reported feeling less depressed and agitated and showed a higher sense of enjoyment and life satisfaction after receiving flowers.

Now... since I operate a green blog, here is my eco-friendly twist.

When sending flowers next time, send a potted flower.  This not only reduces the need to harvest and destroy flowers by cutting them, but the recipient of your kindness can actually keep the flowers potted in their home or plant them in their garden and always have an everlasting reminder of the sentiment that you shared.

Winner! Organic Cotton Travel Changing Pad

Congratulations to butlerjamie for being the 137th entry in this giveaway!


I will be emailing you with details.

Please make sure to take an opportunity to enter my other giveaways:

Nature Valley National Parks Prize Pak - 8/31

Keeping Cool in School Yoplait Go-gurt Giveaway- 9/2

$25 Gift Certificate to SEW IS YOUR FACE Upcycled Fashion - 9/3

Recycled Vinyl Record Wrist Cuff - 9/11

Make it Yourself: Natural Stone Cleaner

2 tbsp.  Biodegradable liquid soap
4 c.       Water
32 oz.   Spray bottle

Pour soap and water into spray bottle and shake gently until completely blended.


Source: Natural Home, July/August 2010

Don't want to make it yourself?  Here are some alternatives:

House of Smash * Upcycled Record Vinyl Cuff * Review / Giveaway

It all began with a Roller Derby in Dallas.

My sister attended a Roller Derby a few years ago and a vendor was setup with a table of bracelets and cuffs that he had up cycled from record vinyls and screen printed!

When my sister saw that I was doing only eco-friendly giveaways and reviews, she told me about House of Smash and I knew that I had to contact him.  I also promised that if he chose to do a review, I would have to give her the cuff.  Dang it!  Now I need to buy one for myself :)

These cuffs are one of the coolest accessories that I have EVER encountered.  I must say that I thought it was just a neat idea when I first heard about them....and then I saw them.


Nix over at House of Smash is taking records that would otherwise end up in our landfills and using them as a canvas for his amazing abilities as an artist.


Surpassing the standard cut and style pieces of jewelry, each bracelet and cuff that Nix creates is truly a piece of art.  Every time that I wear my cuff, I receive numerous comments from people I know, as well as strangers and passer-bys.  They are just so cool.....did I say that yet?


Not only are the records recycled and upcycled to create this accessory, but 90% of the paint that is used is intercepted before it makes it to the landfill.  The less in the landfill the better!

The cuff measures approximately 1 1/4" wide and approximately 7" in circumference.


Make sure that you are careful, though, just as a record breaks when its dropped, so can these bracelets and cuffs if stretched too far.  Blessings on me for having tiny wrists!


Trendy, sleek and eco-friendly....make sure to get yours today!




GIVEAWAY


Would you like to have one of your own?  


 Woohoo!

MANDATORY ENTRIES (worth 1 each – Leave separate comments):

• Publicly follow Going Green with Noah via Google Friend Connect +1

                            If you already follow - just let me know!

• Visit House of Smash on Etsy and tell me what bracelet or cuff you really like +1

OPTIONAL ENTRIES:

• Visit  House of Smash  and add them to your Favorites
• Follow me on Facebook Networked Blogs on the blog homepage
• Go and LIKE the House of Smash Facebook and tell her that I sent you!
• Follow me on Twitter +1
• Follow House of Smash on Twitter +1
• Friend House of Smash on Myspace +1
• Tweet this: I'm trying to win a #HouseofSmash #recycled cuff in the #goinggreenwnoah #giveaway  http://tiny.cc/hdsxd

                            Tweet everyday for additional entries!! - Up to 1 x per day - +1

• Sign up for "Going Green with Noah e-newsletter" and activate subscription. +2
• Rate me 5 stars on Alexa.com +2
• Vote for “Going Green with Noah” on Top Mommy Blogs! +3
• Vote for "Going Green with Noah" on Top Baby Blogs! +3
• Grab my button and put it on your blog (leave me the link) +6
• Blog about this giveaway (leave me the link) +5
• Enter any of my other giveaways +2 per giveaway
• Put this giveaway on a linky and tell me where to find it       +1 per linky

Giveaway ends on September 11, 2010 at 7 p.m. CST

Disclosure: I received the product mentioned above in exchange for this review. No monetary compensation was received by me. This is my completely honest opinion above and may differ from yours. I cannot and will not be held liable for lost or products not received.

Winner: Eco Golf Tees!

Congratulations to Nancy Sue, she had lucky entry number 101!

She has won a bag of Eco-Friendly golf tees from EcoGolf!

I will be emailing to get your mailing information.




Please make sure to come and enter all of my other great eco-friendly giveaways!







Organic Cotton Travel Changing Pad Giveaway - 8/29 - LOW ENTRIES

Nature Valley National Parks Prize Pak - 8/31 - LOW ENTRIES

Keeping Cool in School Yoplait Go-gurt Giveaway- 9/2

$25 Gift Certificate to SEW IS YOUR FACE Upcycled Fashion - LOW ENTRIES - 9/3

Thanks!

Make it Yourself: Easy and Safe Stain Removal

Coffee, Tea and Wine

Pour boiling water over the fabric in the sink.  I actually took my sisters yellow blouse that had a red wine stain and boiled it in the pot!  Whala! It was gone in about 30 minutes!

Grease

Mix granulated sugar and water to create a paste.  Rub it into the stain and let it set before washing.  Dry in the sun.

Scorch Marks

If its not too bad and brown, dip in Borax and water and dry in the sun

Spilled Wax

First, harden using ice cubes.  Scrape off excess with a dull table knife.

For washable fabric, stretch over a bowl and pour boiling water through the stain.

For non-washables, place between several layers of clean white cotton or muslin and press with a warm iron

  

The Village of Moms: The Skin We're in - The Final Chapter

As many of you know, I am a resident author over at Thevillageofmoms.com


My article, published today, is the final chapter of a three-part series called "The Skin We're In" - and discusses the harmful effects of Sodium Lauryl Sulfate.

Please take a moment to read this article and come back and leave me a comment :)

Thanks!

9 Months Old

Last Monday, Noah turned 9 months old! Wow. How time has flown!

Our biggest achievement, of course, has been the crawling. Of course he decided to wait until the day after he turned 9 months to take the leap! Stubborn It really won’t be long before he starts walking. He can do it already with help.

At our 9 month visit on Friday, Noah weighed in at 20.0 pounds and 27.5″ long. He remains in the 50th percentile for weight, 75th percentile for his head and jumped to the 90th percentile for length. Go Noah Go!

We continue to make his baby food at home and some of the new foods he has eaten has been Kabocha squash, Tahini, Okra and Kale. Interestingly enough, he loved them all! Before he turns 10 months, we will have introduced beans, chicken pork and beef.

Noah continues to talk more and more and its funny because his babbling seems to be taking on more of the sound of words, although that first word has not yet come.

We have grown into our 12 month clothes, but will probably be in 18 month clothes by the end of September!

Noah has made lots of friends between the weekly library Mother Goose time and our Mom2Mom group at a local church. It’s been good for Noah and Mommy.

The only other thing that we are doing so far is the “crying it out” at night. As you remember, Noah has never slept well. He continues to wake up multiple times a night and we were instructed by our pediatrician to increase the length of his cry time from 15 to 30 minutes. So even though we still wake up with every cry, we are able to sleep through the 30 minutes and Noah has (knock on wood) gone back to sleep by himself each time.

Each day is such a blessing and we are in awe with each new thing that he does.

We love sharing our experiences with you – our family and friends!

Finally: Here are some pictures!

Make it Yourself: Heavy Duty Herbal Carpet Shampoo

Need to cut grease and remove tough dirt from your carpet in an environmentally safe way?

3/4 c.    Very hot water
1/2 c.    White vinegar
1 tbsp.   Hydrogen peroxide (omit for dark colored carpets)
1 tbsp.   Liquid castile soap
1 tbsp.   Powdered citric acid
20 drops    Grapefruit seed extract

Combine all ingredients in a bowl and blend well.

Pour formula into your steam cleaner and clean carpet.



Source: Natural Home, July/August 2010

Don't want to make your own?  Here are some safe alternatives:

  

Make it Yourself: Eco Strawberry Face Cleanser

Ingredients
6 Whole Strawberries (Try and get Organic)
3 tbsp Witch Hazel
2 tbsp Almond Oil

Blend all ingredients until smooth.  Pour into a clean jar with a tight fitting lid.

Store in the refrigerator.  Will last 2-3 weeks.

Massage a small amount on your face.  Rinse well and pat dry.








Source: Eco Beauty by Lauren and Janice Cox




And here are some that you can buy if you don't want to try and make it!
   

100% Organic Aminals Liun Review * Compostable Inside and Out

I start with a picture of an AMINAL .... no .... I did not misspell that :)

My roars are the loudest.  Thunderstorms are not scary.  When we are sleeping we are the heaviest.


That is how great this toy is - That the picture comes first!  Isn't he awesome?!

This Liun is one of a variety of Aminals that AminalDolls.com carries.

Based on the imaginative drawings of children, these dolls are vivid and bright with a whimsy that could only come from the minds of children.

What drew me to these great dolls was the fact that they are made with 100% organic materials inside and out!  Aminals are made from all natural, organic materials that can nourish your garden!  All Aminal dolls are stuffed with 100% unbleached, unprocessed, chemical-free organic cotton and dyed with low-impact vegetable dyes.  They also contain no petro-chemicals or synthetic materials

Now...how many of your children's toys can you say that about?

Not only are their dolls great fun for children, but their mission of sustainability and education was even more encouraging.

Aminaldolls.com uses organic cotton for the same reasons that we have discussed cotton in previous discussion on this website.  Cotton is one of the dirtiest and pesticide-ridden crops that the United States possesses.  Even through processing, these toxins linger and can be absorbed into our skin simply by wearing our cotton clothes or playing with cotton toys.

You can be rest assured as a parent that Aminals are not only 100% organic, but 100% safe for your children.  To read more about the mission of Aminal Dolls, click here.

What could make these dolls even cooler and even more eco-friendly?  They were designed to be 100% recyclable - 100% compostable! Wow.

If after years of love, your Aminal is ready to return to the Earth, click here to learn how to compost your doll.  So very cool!

Are you ready for your babies to be safe with a great and innovative Aminal of their own?  

Click here and you could have one of your own!

Disclosure: I received the product mentioned above in exchange for this review. No monetary compensation was received by me. This is my completely honest opinion above and may differ from yours. I cannot and will not be held liable for lost or products not received.

Green Blog Hop 8/24 - The Hop for GREEN Blogs / Sites

Welcome to the GREEN BLOG HOP - For Green Blogs Only Please 

* And Yes - You can just be starting to blog green - as long as your site is trying :)

The purpose of creating this blog hop was not to create yet another general hop, but to help network bloggers who have taken the initiative to go green for the purpose of education and continuing efforts of saving our planet - one home at a time.

We will be monitoring the blogs and will delete those that are not deemed somewhat green.

We do not mean this to be harsh - only to stay in line with the initial purpose and mantra of this hop.

We would like if everyone, when linking, could link to a specific green article that they have posted on their blog.

 * PLEASE make sure to put the button on your site and make a quick blog entry - otherwise we will not be reaching the most number of people that would be interested in networking

<center><a href="http://www.jonathanandmelanie.blogspot.com/"><img border="0" src="http://img97.imageshack.us/img97/7924/greenrecycleimg.jpg" /></a></center>

* Follow the blogs of the ladies in the top three spots : 

Going Green with Noah

And Then There Were 4

Render Me Mama - Guest Host :)

* Link your green blog article to the MckLinky below

* Follow as many other blogs as you want. The more you follow, the more that will follow you back!  If someone follows you, it is common courtesy to follow back

Please remember to create a blog posting including the button after linking up - Please - It's the best way to get the word out about Going Green!

My Healthy Baby Home Party

After having to reschedule multiple times, I was finally able to host my Seventh Generation Healthy Baby Home party.


I entered for the opportunity to host one of these parties sponsored by Healthy Child - Healthy World, Seventh Generation, YoBaby yogurt and Stonyfield Farms, and I was elated when I was selected to participate!


Healthy Child Healthy World is leading a movement that educates parents, supports protective policies,  and engages communities to make responsible decisions, simple everyday choices, and well-informed lifestyle improvements to create healthy environments where children and families can flourish.


In preparation for my friends to come over, I cleaned the house with all of my Seventh Generation products, boiled a pot of cinnamon and apples as an alternative to chemical-laden air fresheners, as well as prepared a completely organic array of snacks and drinks, including organic fruit, organic cookies, organic lemonade and more!  I even replaced standard napkins and paper towels with reusable cloth napkins :)

The Air Freshener

 

The Organic Spread

The Organic Beverages

In the living room where everyone was to congregate, my centerpiece was an array of great samples that I received to give out.  Next to this, I lay a spread of "green" books for people to peruse.

After all of my friends showed up with their little ones, we watched a very powerful video called WAKE UP!  Take a moment and watch it. You won't regret it!





Afterwards, we played a game of Environmental Bingo.  It was quite fun and led to a lot of great discussion about how we currently are taking green steps, as well as ways that we could.  A couple of the girls won great prizes that were given to me from our sponsors, including diapers, cleaners and a YoBaby Eric Carle growth chart!


Next, we had the kids get involved as the moms traced the hands and feet of our babies on postcards.  The mommas then wrote short messages to our congressmen to change the Toxic Chemicals Act.

I handed out great samples of Seventh Generation and had a tasting of YoBaby and Stonyfield yogurts :)


























It was such an amazing party and I felt so good knowing that I was helping so much!  I wish I could continue to do things such as this to feel as I am continuing to contribute on a daily basis!