And the Winner is...

MommaMorton! Congratulations on winning Adventures in Green Living and Parenting's first ever giveaway! Don't forget to Facebook message or email me your address so that I can send out your prize...a super cool handmade upcycled basket filled with coupons, samples and products from some great green companies! Including HappyFamily...one of my toddler's favorites!

Thanks to everyone who entered and by the way...9 box panels were used in the making of this basket.

Foodie Friday

So, some of my good friends have been intrigued about my green smoothie recipe that I love to make for a quick breakfast...this one's for you guys!

1 bunch of green kale
1 banana
1 1/2 cups frozen berries
enough water to cover
a squeeze of yummy local honey

Blend and enjoy!

Thrifty Thursday!

This week's top organic deals!

Publix:
Cascadian Farm Fruit Spread $2.99
     .75/1 printable coupon

Muir Glen Tomato Sauce .89
     $1.00 off Healthy Clippings Coupon (Winter Booklet)

Alexia Artisan Breads BOGO at $3.39
     $1.00 off printable coupon

Maranatha No Stir Organic Peanut Butter $4.99
     $1 off Earthfare coupon (booklet or printable)
     $2 off printable coupon
    (use both and get a jar for only $1.99!)


Kroger: same as last week :-( no new sales

Earthfare:

Pop Chips 2/$4
     $1 off printable coupon
     BOGO printable coupon
     (use both and get 2 for $1!)

Traditional Medicinal 16 count 2/$7
    $1 Sunday paper coupon
    $1 Food Lion Nature's Path Magazine coupon (manufacturers coupon)

Seventh Generation Laundry Detergent $10.99
     $2 off in Earthfare's new savings booklet (or printable)

Plus, take the Boot Challenge and this week (until 5/3) trade in your Splenda for Stevia! And don't forget to sign up for the emails...free eggs this week!

Check last week's Target deals, all of the Annie's products are still on sale PLUS you can get Tom's Toothpaste for $1.99 with the target printable and $2 manufacturers coupon (found mine at 14 Carrot!)

Also, if you're in the Greater Columbia area be sure to check out:
- 14 Carrot Whole Foods produce sale Sunday and Thursday 1p to 5p (30% off!)
- 701 Whaley Farmer's Market every Saturday for SC grown produce (check out Asya's Organic Farm...they have AMAZING greens and asparagus!)
- City Roots for pesticide free "you pick" strawberries while supplies last!




  

Wordless Wednesday

Make your own babyfood? A Must read!

Most parent's have heard the risk of nitrates in root vegetable foods, particularly carrots, for their little sprouts. These concerns even go as far as to suggest that commercially produced baby food carrots are somehow "better" for your sprouts than the homemade version... I have always wrestled with this because that just didn't make since to me. Thanks to an article posted my Today I Ate a Rainbow! my concerns have subsided and I can confidently give my sprouts homemade carrots without the worry of nitrates. Here's the article by Dr. Greene, a well respected pediatric MD and great "eco" kid's doctor!

Also, check out Dr. Greene's book, Feeding Baby Green, which is a wonderful resource for any parent!

Turn off the TV and get outside!

I came across the Campaign for a Commercial Free Childhood and decided to give it a try with my sprouts during this week, Screen-free Week. Not that we watch much TV anyway but she does enjoy Sesame Street. What I didn't expect from this was re-discovering a childhood love of mine and seeing it in a new light because of the teaching opportunities it has granted me with my sprout. What am I talking about you may ask? Hopscotch! The un-ending energy of a two year old loves this game and the nostalgia in me does too! Plus, hopscotch is all things I love with my sprouts...being in nature, play without plastics, educational fun, and simple fun. While hopping from number to number we counted from one to ten in English and Spanish and worked on developing fine motor skills but all she knew was having fun mommy time!

There are lots of great tips and suggestions for low to no cost in Rebecca Cohen's book, Fifteen Minutes Outside: 365 Ways to Get Out of the House and Connect with your Kids for getting outside, having some quality parent/child time and enjoying the simple fun that nature can provide with the right imagination.

So turn off that TV, save the electricity, and connect with your sprouts and nature!

The Time is Here! Our Earth Week Giveaway!

That's right! Adventures in Green Parenting's first eco-giveaway is here! An upcycled basket filled with a mix of great organic/eco coupons (even some free products!), kid products, etc. from great companies like HappyFamily, Marcel, Green Works, and others...all put together by my friend at Crossroads Baskets. It's a great giveaway for anyone with a toddler in their lives! So...here's how it works:

Look at the photos below of the *empty* upcycled basket and take a guess at how many product boxes were used to create it. If you guess correctly, that's two entries in the drawing! An incorrect guess still gets one entry!

Receive additional entries by:

- Follow this blog (leave a comment that you're doing so)
- Share this giveaway via Facebook, Twitter, or on your own blog (one entry per share, leave a comment that you have done so)
- Follow me on Twitter @organicmommy26 (leave a comment that you're doing so)
- Follow Crossroads Baskets on Facebook (leave a comment that you're doing so)

Leave your comments by 11pm on Friday April 22nd, 2011, Earth Day!, and the randomly selected winner will be announce on Saturday evening!

*This giveaway is a personal creation and is not sponsored by the company's products featured in the giveaway...though I highly recommend their products! Random.org will be used to pick the winner.

Sunday's Eco Insipration

"I tell you the truth, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven." Matthew 18:3

This verse has spoken to me today...because for children it is easy to marvel in Creation, to live in the moment, not worried about tomorrow, to be okay with some mystery to faith...to just believe and bask in the Glory of God surrounding them. I love to watch my oldest sprout discover newness in nature...to see Jesus in the clouds and to giggle at the wind blowing her hair. We all, myself included, can learn from this...to live in the moment, relying on the Lord's plan, and basking in His amazing Creation.

Quick tips for greening your pets

That's right...green your pets. Chemicals affect pets just as highly (and even sometimes higher) as children. Plus, if your going green with your home and family why wouldn't your four legged family members go green too? Here's my top tips/products I have found success with my two pups.
Feel free to share your natural pet care tips and tricks...I love learning anything new!

1. Holistic, natural pet food (my favorites are Halo, Wellness and Ultra)
2. the book Holistic Aromatherapy for Animals, TONS of great alternatives for ticks and fleas
3. SimplyFido dog toys (my oldest pup has a polyfill allergy and this are wonderful!)
4. Steel or ceramic food/water bowls because your pet doesn't want BPA, PVC or phalates either!
5. Eco-Me Shampoos, gets your pup clean and  smelling nice without washing them down in chemicals.