GE ecomagination Challenge

This is sponsored content from BlogHer and GE.

In my continuing effort to live a more eco-friendly lifestyle, one challenge is to reduce our energy consumption and look for ways to conserve energy. This is not easy, particularly in a large family and with the huge amount of technology that relies on electricity to work.

In my area, we are very fortunate that our electrical provider offers a "Green Power Program." This program uses renewable energy from wind, biomass, low impact hydro, and solar energy sources. By signing up for this (optional) program, consumers can put their energy dollars to work and support the effort to move to greener power sources.

The biggest energy challenges in my home mostly stem from the use of household appliances and electronics. While we can take small steps toward conserving energy (like hanging laundry to dry, washing clothes in cold water, unplugging appliances that aren't being used, baking more than one thing at a time when using the oven, or using energy-efficient LED light bulbs) there is much left to be done when it comes to improving energy use at home. These small things that our family does can have a big impact when every household does them. GE believes that the widespread use of clean energy starts in the home. What changes have you made in your home to make it more energy-efficient? How do you optimize your home energy use?

The effort to move toward smarter energy consumption benefits us all. Do you have even bigger ideas about saving energy? GE’s ecomagination Challenge: Powering Your Home is an open call for ideas from businesses, entrepreneurs, innovators, students and every day people with breakthrough ideas for home energy creation, management and use. The ecomagination Challenge is GE's way of reaching out to entrepreneurs, innovators, students, and anyone with big ideas about home energy technology. The first phase of this challenge generated more than 3,800 ideas from all around the world and GE and their partners have committed to investing $200 million dollars into supporting these new ideas. There is still $100 million dollars up for grabs in the second phase of this challenge and it ends on March 15, 2011 so submit your ideas now!

Share with me what your energy use challenges are at home or share an idea that you submitted to the GE ecomagination challenge, for a chance to win a GE energy smart light bulb. The GE energy smart LED light bulb lasts for more than 20 years and ultimately saves you $85 in energy costs. Now that's smart!

Giveaway Rules:

-No duplicate comments.

-You may receive (2) total entries by selecting from the following entry methods:

a) Leave a comment in response to the sweepstakes prompt on this post

b) Tweet about this promotion and leave the URL to that tweet in a comment on this

post

c) Blog about this promotion and leave the URL to that post in a comment on this post

d) For those with no Twitter or blog, read the official rules to learn about an alternate form of entry.

This giveaway is open to US Residents age 18 or older. Winners will be selected via random draw and will be notified by e-mail. You will have 72 hours to get back to me or a new winner will be selected. The Official Rules are available here.

Find more discussion about the GE ecomagination Challenge at BlogHer and at the ecomagination Challenge blog.

You can also check out the ecomagination Challenge on Facebook, Foursquare, and YouTube.

Products for Good

Shortly before Christmas I received an email from Products for Good, asking me if I would honor a veteran that I know by giving them a commemorative coin. I was intrigued and agreed to pass along the gift to a special veteran- my husband.

The coin arrived in a beautiful velvet case and was accompanied by a certificate. The certificate explained that the coin was a real Iraqi coin. It was a perfect gift to honor my husband, who had just returned from a deployment to Iraq. It seemed a fitting way to remember his service and the sacrifices our family made during his deployment.
Products for Good sells these coins to honor veterans. With each sale, they donate 20% of the proceeds to charities that support military families. In addition, they have a special Honor One in a Million Project that aims to distribute 1 million coins to veterans across the country through various military service organizations. You can purchase coins to be donated to veterans to thank them for their service or purchase a coin for a special veteran in your life.

Products for Good aims to thank the more than 20 million veterans who have served our country. They even have gifts to honor law enforcement and firefighters, as well as gifts for every branch of military service. Their coins and shadowboxes make unique, thoughtful gifts for the special person in your life.

I received a free commemorative coin in exchange for my honest review.

BlogHer

This is a compensated review by BlogHer.

If you haven't been to BlogHer's website lately, you really should check it out. BlogHer has a new design that is easy to navigate and recently started syndicating articles (like mine!) so there is always fresh, interesting content. From family and relationships to food and green living, BlogHer has it all.

Some of my favorite posts:

Green Holiday Gift Guide- This green guide to gift-giving is good all year, not just for Christmas. It has great tips for giving gifts that will be used and won't be relegated to life in the back of the closet. I love finding ways to be greener and this article is a great starting point even for those not already living a green lifestyle.

What is Community Supported Agriculture? This informative article covers the basics of how CSAs work to support local farms and provide better food options for consumers. If you've never heard of a CSA, read this and see what you are missing.

Healthy Eating Without Breaking the Bank- This article was shared from a post I wrote on my blog, discussing the ways our family eats healthy by choosing local food sources. If you think you can't eat organic because it's out of your budget, read this for ideas on making it work.

The Idiot Box and Us: Decisions About TV- This is a great read. This mom sums up exactly how I feel about children and too much TV. She also points out that TV can be a useful tool at times.

Head on over to BlogHer and see what you've been missing. There are so many informative posts from some very smart ladies. As an added bonus, there is a BlogHer sweepstakes right now. This week's sweepstakes winner will receive a full conference pass to BlogHer Food '11 in Atlanta, GA. The contest runs from December 27-31 so enter now!

Visit this week's Sweepstakes post on BlogHer.com

Earth Mama Angel Baby

Since my second child was just a soft, squishy newborn, I have been in love with Earth Mama Angel Baby. I first fell in love with the Angel Baby Lotion and then went through tub after tub of the Angel Baby Bottom Balm. My son is 6 now, so I have a lot of good things to say about EMAB after years of using their products.

Earth Mama Angel Baby makes products that you can really feel good about using, especially on a newborn's sensitive skin. EMAB makes products that are free of toxins and are created using pure, organic oils. In fact, if you read the label on any of their products you will be able to pronounce each ingredient name because there are no strange chemicals or fragrances. In addition to being safe for us, their products are also not tested on animals. Every single product from EMAB has tested at a level zero for toxins on the Skin Deep Database.

All safety and eco-consciousness aside, Earth Mama Angel Baby makes products that are delightful to use. The Angel Baby Bottom Balm is safe to use with cloth diapers and I have never seen any rash cream do a better job of clearing up whatever rash or boo-boo that my children could get. The Angel Baby Lotion smells heavenly and leaves skin buttery soft. EMAB's pregnancy teas are delicious and work wonders to soothe morning sickness. I'd tell you how well their New Mama Bottom Spray works on postpartum hemorrhoids, but that is just TMI.

I have personally used almost every product that Earth Mama Angel Baby makes, and have used many of their products with my doula clients as well. I can not say enough wonderful things about these products or this company. I'm in love.

A few years ago I contacted Melinda, the Mama behind Earth Mama Angel Baby. I approached her about EMAB supporting ICAN (International Cesarean Awareness Network) through advertising for an upcoming conference. I was amazed by her generosity when she not only offered to support ICAN's conference, but also offered to donate a portion of the proceeds from every C-Section Healing Kit to ICAN. Earth Mama Angel Baby is a company that cares deeply about mothers and babies.
One of Earth Mama Angel Baby's newest products is the Happy Mama Body Wash. See that sweet girl on the label? That's my daughter, Sarah. See that huge belly? That's my belly, ripe with my second set of twins, who were born just a few weeks after the photo was taken. The body wash? Out of this world. It smells good enough to eat (but don't) and it feels like silk on your skin. I use it myself and I use it on my children. In fact, EMAB products are the only ones I use on any of my babies.

Would you like to try a bottle of Happy Mama Body Wash? Leave a comment here telling me why you'd love to try a product from Earth Mama Angel Baby and I'll draw a winner at random on November 20, 2010. For one additional entry, tweet or blog about this giveaway with a link back to this post and leave me a comment to let me know.

Giveaway has ended. Congratulations to Anna! Random.org picked your comment as the winner!

I am not affiliated with EMAB in any way and I don't get paid to promote their products. This is just a company I admire with products I won't hesitate to recommend.

Seventh Generation Giveaway

As you may already know, I'm a huge fan of environmentally-friendly products. I am committed to making my home as safe as possible for my family, and in turn, safer for our planet. A huge part of this is removing toxic cleaners from the home!

Seventh Generation makes cleaning products that are non-toxic and safe for the environment. The best part is, they are easy to grab at the local store. I already use "green" cleaners that I love, but sometimes I run out before I can have more shipped and it's nice to have environmentally-friendly cleaners available locally at a reasonable cost.

Seventh Generation has been making their cleaning products for the past twenty years. Their new line of botanical disinfectant cleaners includes a multi-surface cleaning spray, bathroom cleaning spray and wipes created from the herb thyme, with a natural disinfecting power.

Seventh Generation has also partnered with eco-lifestyle consultant and author, Alexandra Zissu. Her new book, The Conscious Kitchen, includes information about what's healthy for you to eat, healthy for the environment, and tips on making your home more "green." This book has some great tips and is a fantastic resource if you are interested in learning more about keeping your home and body healthy.


One lucky reader will win a Seventh Generation "Disinfecting Cleaning Kit" that includes a disinfecting multi-surface cleaner, bathroom cleaner, wipes , a copy of The Conscious Kitchen, a cleaning caddy made from recycled plastic, and two rolls of 100% recycled, unbleached paper towels. Simply leave a comment telling me what you've done to make your home safer and greener. Giveaway ends May 9, 2010.

Giveaway closed! Congratulations wonderchris!


The Seventh Generation products, information and prize pack were given to me by Seventh Generation through MyBlogSpark.

Bosom Bliss Comfort Packs

As any breastfeeding mother knows, nursing a baby (or babies) is not always as natural and easy as you might think. Trust me, I know from experience.

I've nursed all 6 of my children through various different challenges and have had a wide range of experiences. I pumped when I went back to work with my first child, I struggled with tongue tie with 3 of my sons, I nursed two sets of twins simultaneously and I've suffered my fair share of complications from over supply, overactive letdown, engorgement, plugged ducts, mastitis, thrush, etc. It's enough to make anyone cringe.

Last month I was very rundown and I developed mastitis. It was a miserable 24 hours with a dangerously high fever and a considerable amount of pain in the affected breast. After writing about my experience, I received an email about Bosom Bliss Comfort Packs. I agreed to try them if I ever had the need to use them again. Unfortunately, I did. I developed another case of mastitis that landed me in the hospital with a lemon-sized mass of infection in my breast. Ouch.


I can now say that I wish I'd had these Comfort Packs 7 years ago when I first started nursing. Those early days with a newborn lead to lots of discomfort and engorgement for many moms and I was no exception. These Comfort Packs use heat to help improve milk flow and induce letdown. The heat is also what helps relieve plugged ducts and mastitis by encouraging milk flow. Breastfeeding dilates the mammary blood vessels and improves blood flow in the affected area but it can be very painful when there is an infection present so mothers are often reluctant to breastfeed. The Comfort Packs can also be refrigerated to provide cooling pain relief to make nursing more comfortable during mastitis.

Bosom Bliss Comfort Packs come in sets of two and feature a cover made of an eco-friendly bamboo fleece core. This cover is removable for easy washing and the bamboo fleece is naturally anti-bacterial and anti-microbial so moisture is wicked away from the skin. This means that you have a soft, dry layer against your skin to protect against leaks while also providing soothing warm or cool comfort from the organic sushi rice pack. The Comfort Packs are generously sized and fit nicely inside a loose-fitting bra.
I used my Bosom Bliss Comfort Packs during my week-long bout with mastitis and loved them so much that I have used them a few times since then to help with engorgement. I've used many different nursing pads and heat packs in the past and these are, by far, the best that I have ever seen. In my professional experience, I've recommended using warm or cool compresses more times than I can count. Often, I've suggested a warm, wet washcloth. These Comfort Packs make washcloths a thing of the past. There is no need to keep a soggy, wet cloth on your breast when you can have a warm, dry pad that is perfectly shaped to fit your breast.

As a special promotion for my readers, Bosom Bliss is offering a 15% discount when you use the coupon code "twinsanity." I encourage you to take advantage of this savings by trying the Comfort Packs and Nursing Pads today! Your breasts will thank you.

In addition, Bosom Bliss is giving away a set of Comfort Packs and a set of Nursing Pads to one of my lucky readers! To enter, leave a comment here on this post. For an additional entry, post about this giveaway on your blog or tweet about and comment here with a link. Please leave a separate comment for each entry method. This giveaway will end on March 17, 2010.

Giveaway has ended! Congrats to comment #5!

Kroger Bonus Box Tops for Education Giveaway

From now through March 18, Kroger Family of Stores is supporting local schools by giving you the chance to earn bonus Box Tops coupons. The Box Top coupons program has raised over $300 million for schools across the country. It's as simple as clipping a coupon!

Register at www.RewardYourSchool.com and select the personalized offers that you would like to receive. Once you register, you will automatically receive 5 Bonus Box Tops just for signing up! You will also receive custom offers for bonus Box Tops for purchasing participating General Mills products. The offers you select will then load onto your Kroger Shopper Card to be redeemed once you purchase the items. You just scan your Kroger card and the Bonus Box Tops will automatically go straight to your chosen school.

Visit www.RewardYourSchool.com and click on "current promotions" to view bonus Box Tops items. It's an easy way to earn money for local schools!

If you'd like to win a $25 Kroger gift card, just leave a comment here. One additional entry for blogging and/or tweeting about this giveaway. Please leave one separate comment for each method of entry. Giveaway ends February 28, 2010.

Giveaway has ended! Congratulations Erin!

This information, Kroger gift card, and giveaway were all provided by General Mills through MyBlogSpark.