I’m full of emotions this week as we lead up to Thanksgiving.  I’m usually really excited about Thanksgiving because it means spending time with family and friends – and Black Friday shopping.  Over the past few years we’ve started some new traditions in our family.  We have spent Thanksgiving Day with family (either mine or my husbands – we try to alternate each year) then we’ll leave the kids with the Grandparents in the morning as we go watch all the craziness of Black Friday shopping.  We don’t usually go out looking for bargains but more for people watching.  We normally end up eating a late breakfast or early lunch before we head home to nap.  This year our traditions are changing a bit due to our schedules.

My husband is working on Thanksgiving Day so we won’t be going to visit family – and the family isn’t coming to us either.  With my new job I’m scheduled to work off-and-on over the Thanksgiving weekend since Black Friday and Cyber Monday are some of our biggest sale days of the year.  While the hubs will be home early in the afternoon (by 3pm) it’s not all that exciting to cook an entire turkey dinner for 2 adults and 2 children.  We’re not big leftover eaters either – if it doesn’t get eaten in the first 2 days it normally gets trashed.  (Don’t get me started on using our freezer, the food just sits in there and gets frostbitten.)  I know that I will end up grocery shopping tomorrow and will cave and get all of the traditional fixings that we both grew up with.

I found a few exciting recipes that I would love to try with my new Carapelli Organic Extra Virgin Olive Oil.  They sent me a bottle over the summer to cook with and I love the flavor.  The recipes call for a variety of olive oils but since I’m not a savvy chef I’ll be using my one bottle of organic olive oil for everything.  Since I’m in such a funk tonight thinking about the changes in our traditions this year I may just make the mashed potatoes over the weekend – they are my ultimate comfort food.

Tuscan Roast Turkey – Serving Size 16 (Yes, I’ll need to scale this down A LOT!)

• 1 16-pound young turkey
• Kosher salt, to taste
• 1 cup Tuscan Herb Paste
• 1 teaspoon fennel seeds, crushed
• 2 teaspoons celery salt
• 3 fennel stalks with fronds, rough chopped
• 3 onions, large dice
• 1 stalk celery, small dice
• 2 1/4 quarts chicken stock
• 3 ounces all-purpose flour

Remove giblets from turkey’s cavity, rinse cavity and pat dry, set aside. Season turkey inside and out with Kosher salt.

Mix Tuscan Herb Paste with crushed fennel seeds and celery salt. Starting at the neck of the bird, slip your hand between the meat and the skin to loosen.

Rub half the paste mix under skin, and rub remaining paste inside the cavity and over the rest of the turkey.

Season all over with kosher salt.

Place two-thirds of the chopped onion and fennel stalks inside cavity. Truss bird.

Place turkey in a roasting pan. Roast at 400°F for 30 minutes.

Reduce temperature to 325°F and continue cooking the turkey to an internal temperature of 160°F, approximately 2 1/2 to 3 hours. Baste turkey often during cooking with juices from pan. If turkey begins to overbrown, cover it loosely with aluminum foil.

As turkey roasts, simmer giblets (neck, heart and gizzard), the other one-third of the fennel stalk, onion mix and diced celery in 1 quart chicken stock until tender, approximately 1 1/2 hours.

When turkey is done, remove from roasting pan and set aside to rest. Degrease roasting pan, reserving 3 ounces of fat to make a roux.

Deglaze pan with a small amount of chicken stock. Transfer stock to a saucepot, and add remaining stock and broth from giblets. Bring to a simmer and degrease.

Make a blond roux with reserved fat and flour. Add roux to the liquid, whisking well to prevent lumps. Simmer 15 minutes. Strain gravy through a fine-meshed strainer. Adjust seasoning.

Tuscan Herb Paste – Yield: 2 1/4 cups

• 3/4 cup Carapelli Extra Light in Taste Olive Oil
• 1 cup Carapelli Premium 100% Italian Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• 1 tablespoon fresh basil
• 2 tablespoons fresh rosemary
• 1/2 packed cup fresh Italian parsley
• 1 tablespoon fresh thyme
• 2 tablespoons fresh sage
• 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper

Blend herbs and crushed red pepper with light olive oil using a blender or food processor, then stir in extra virgin olive oil.

Serving Ideas: Rub under the skin of turkey for Tuscan Roast Turkey. Use to flavor vegetables for grilling and mushrooms for roasting.

Olive Oil and Herb Mashed Potatoes – Serving Size: 12

• 10 8-ounce potatoes, (about 5 pounds) peeled and cut in half
• 3/8 teaspoon white pepper
• 1 1/2 tablespoons kosher salt
• 1/2 cup Tuscan Herb paste
• 1/2 cup Carapelli Premium 100% Italian Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• 1 cup heavy cream, warmed

Boil potatoes in salted water. When cooked tender, mash potatoes. Mix salt and pepper with Tuscan Herb Paste, olive oil and warm heavy cream. Fold into potatoes.

What about you?  Do you like to try new holiday recipes or do you like to stick with family traditions?  Have you ever cooked an entire Thanksgiving meal for just your immediate family?  What tips do you have – I don’t even know what size turkey to get for 4 people.

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madii & dyl is a company from Australia that specializes in eco-friendly and hypoallergenic pillows for babies, toddlers, and children.  If you have a sensitive child or a child with breathing problems such as asthma you know how difficult it is to find bedding that doesn’t harbor dust mites.

From the madii & dyl website:

Made from 100% certified organic latex our pillows contain no chemicals, are hypoallergenic and naturally resistant to dust mites, mildew and bacteria. Designed for comfort, its softness, support and innovative design makes it the superior choice in children’s bedding. All pillows come with polyester pillow protector and pure cotton pillow case.

When I read the statement I was curious – what is “certified organic latex?” Is that a good thing?  It sounds like it would be good because it’s organic, right?

Actually, I’ve learned that natural latex foam is made from the milk of a rubber tree.  If it were synthetic latex it would be made with crude oil.  There are actually a few different types of foams that are used in making mattresses and pillows; polyurethane foam, latex foam, and soy or bio foam.  According to an article I found from the Healthy Child, Healthy World organization the preferred material for foam mattresses and pillows is natural latex because it is the only process that is free of polyurethane.

More on the madii & dyl pillows:

• Available in 3 different sizes.  Sooki Baby (3mo-18mo), Teenii Tot (18mo+), and the Mini Me (4 yrs+)
• Provide proper neck support and spine alignment
• Perfect for allergy sufferers
• Washable and should last up to 5 years

Personal experience:

We’ve been using our Teenii Tot for 2 months now and it’s a nice sized pillow for my tot.  She only suffers from asthma related issues when she has a cold but having asthma myself and I can see how this will be a nice pillow for her to use.  I love that it is washable.  We’ve fallen into the “Pillow Pet” trap (daddy brought it home for her right after our Teenii Tot arrived) and she loves her unicorn and insists on taking that to school with her.  It’s huge, harbors dust mites, and isn’t exactly the most ergonomical pillow…but she loves it!  I’m hoping that the unicorn won’t last for 5 years!  As for the Teenii Tot – the way my tot has behaving I’ll be lucky if this pillow makes it 5 years.  Here is a glimpse at what she did to the pillow after she unzipped the pillow case and the inner casing – who would have thought toddlers could be so destructive at nap time?

Where to buy? Purchase directly from madii & dyl and save 20% until the end of September with coupon code TEC20.

Follow madii & dyl online:

Facebook:  http://www.facebook.com/madiidyl

Twitter:  http://twitter.com/#!/kidsdayout

Reference:  Healthy Child, Healthy World; What foam mattress should I use?

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Ever wondered why organic produce costs more than its chemical-laden counterparts? If growing organic means less pesticides, less growth-enhancing fertilizers, and less technological interventions, then why do we pay more at the check-out line?

GUEST POST:  Darcy K. is a writer and stay-at-home mom to her young son Dax. In her blog (365) degrees, she talks about cloth diapering, breastfeeding, baby wearing, buying organic, and trying to green up her life one product at a time.

If you can afford organic (and local) foods then you are helping tell the market what’s important to you.   Sadly many of us cannot justify the extra expense.  The Environmental Working Group has developed a Shopper’s Guide to Pesticides.  By visiting www.foodnews.org you can learn about the Clean 15 and the Dirty Dozen – foods that are almost always safe and foods that are almost always contaminated.  Thanks Darcy for your guest post.  If you would like to be a guest blogger on The Eco Chic email Calley@TheEcoChic.com and submit your ideas and topics.

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A few weeks ago I shared a recipe that I spiked with Square One frozen organic baby food, Healthier for you Potato and Ham Soup.  Wednesday nights at our house (OK – every night) is hectic with trying to figure out what’s for dinner.  Each Wednesday we attend a small life-group at our local church but it starts at dinner time.  The adults do potluck style and eat together but we normally feed the kids before we come.  Anyways – that leaves me finding something QUICK to fix the kids before we leave.  If your pantry looks like mine I’m sure you have those ‘emergency’ boxes of mac-n-cheese for busy nights like tonight. 

I’ve really been trying harder this year to make an effort to make dinner more healthy for all of us but especially for the kids.  Want to know how I made a box of mac-n-cheese healthier with baby food?  

My recipe for Vegged Up Mac-N-Cheese:

1. Take one box of your favorite mac-n-cheese (can be organic, whole wheat, Kraft, or store brand – whatever you purchase) and cook the noodles as directed.
2. Drain water and put the noodles back into the pot.
3. While the kids and hubby aren’t looking add one single size serving of Square One frozen organic pumpkin puree to the pot with the noodles.
4. Add butter and about 1/2 the required milk (to desired consistency) and mix well.
5. SERVE and don’t tell them your secret!  They will never know! 

I’m always hesitant to try these hidden recipes because I’m afraid they’ll be able to taste my hidden secret.  I did the mommy taste test and I couldn’t even taste the difference.  I took a deep breath and loaded the kids bowls with the mac-n-cheese.  To add a little more nutrition they like it when I add some cooked (from frozen) peas to the mix.

Guess what?  They asked for seconds!! 

More information on Square One frozen organic superfoods:   
Web: http://www.squareoneorganics.com/index.php
Blog: http://squareoneorganics.wordpress.com/
Facebook:  http://www.facebook.com/SquareOneOrganics?ref=ts
Twitter: http://twitter.com/SqOneOrganics

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Monday is America Recycles Day – an annual event organized by Keep America Beautiful.  Each year I organize an event for my company to recognize America Recycles Day for our employees.  It’s not until later in the week that I can actually teach my children about the outreach efforts.  Fortunately my sons school organizes a Great American Teach In later in the week to allow parents to visit the classrooms and teach the kids about a hobby or profession.  I always choose recycling in support of America Recycles Day.

This year I have a new friend to help me talk to the kids – Recycle Kyle and the Global Green Pals.  Kyle and his friends are a line of eco-friendly stuffed toys that can serve as eco-ambassadors for our children.  Each pal has a story to tell – Recycle Kyle of course recycles everything!  Kids can visit the Global Green Pals website to learn more about their favorite eco-ambassador.  For instance, did you know that Kyle is from Seattle where he likes to get around on his skateboard.

Each Global Green Pal is made of organic cotton and stuffed with recycled PET stuffing.  They come with removable accessories and their hair can be combed.  They don’t just have a good eco-message – they are eco-friendly and safe for our children to play with.  There aren’t many toys that you can say that about these days is there?

We received a Recycle Kyle for my little boy and a Pink Coral Laurel for my little girl.  As soon as they arrived my 7 year old wanted to play with Kyle.  My daughter snuggles up with Laurel every night and wanted to take her to the baby sitters earlier this week.  These dolls are 100% fun according to my kids!

I’m planning on taking Recycle Kyle with me to the Teach-in next week to help me tell my story about recycling.  We have a second Kyle which we are donating to the school to help promote our new recycling efforts (as PTA VP I started up several TerraCycle Brigades to help the kids learn about recycling first hand).  Kyle will be allowed to visit any classroom that requests him throughout the year.  I can’t wait to get see what the rest of their kids think of Kyle next week.  Now – I guess I should start planning my presentation for Thursday! What should I talk about?

About Global Green Pals:
Global Green Pals was founded in 2004 by Malini Goel whom I had the pleasure of meeting at the Green Blogger Soiree in NYC during BlogHer 10.  Malini is a lawyer and environmental policy consultant as well as the founder of Global Green Pals.

Website:  http://globalgreenpals.com/ Free shipping on all orders before 12.15.10!
Blog:  http://globalgreenpals.com/blog/
Facebook:  http://www.facebook.com/pages/Global-Green-Pals/295894050844?ref=ts
Twitter: http://twitter.com/globalgreenpals

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This post is going to be hard for me to write because it’s one area in my life where I’m still learning – eating green.  What does it mean to eat GREEN?  Does it mean eating locally?  Does it mean to eat organic?  Does it mean that I have to be a vegetarian?  Do I have to shop at a natural food store?  Do I have to eat raw food?  Do I have to eat only fresh food?

Eating green is actually all of those things – and you may incorporate some or all of the aspects of eating green – I don’t believe that there is a right or wrong way to eat green. 

My history- I come from a family who likes food, a lot!  I can remember many family reunions with everyone huddled in the kitchen cooking for hours, making more food then we could eat in a week.  My fraternal grandmother was a tiny frail lady who knew how to cook – she didn’t have a choice with 5 hungry kids and a husband.  My favorite family memories as a child involve turkey, ham, mashed potatoes, Yorkshire pudding, gravy, gravy, gravy, and more gravy, desserts, and a few vegetables to go along with it all.  I have to say my own personal comfort food has turned into mashed potatoes and gravy. 

With that history came heart disease which has been experienced by my paternal grandfather (when I was 2), my father, and my uncles (2 of them) – all of which have had heart attacks or heart surgery.  I don’t remember my grandfather since I was only 2 when he passed away – but I’ve been lucky enough to still have these other men in my life today because of the miracles of modern medicine.  My father struggles with food daily – he’s been on a roller coaster with his weight since I was a young child – and probably will be on that roller coaster the rest of his life.  He’s achieved some wonderful accomplishments with his weight battle – including my senior year in high school when he lost 100 lbs in a year (healthy weight loss – no crash diets – he was eating well and exercising) because he wanted to live to see me get married one day.  God has blessed us with lots of extra chances, in addition to his battle with food he had a triple bypass a few years ago and just recently battled larynx cancer (he also battled cigarettes in his younger days).  My uncles stories are very similar – each battling to repair the damages that have been made on their hearts by the food they ate for 60+ years.

Me – I’m not sure how me and my brother managed this one but we are both lanky and trim.  I’ve always been underweight (please don’t hate me) but I also suffer from Graves Disease (a thyroid disease).  When I was in my early twenties I had my thyroid irradiated because that’s what my endocrinologist suggested I do to manage the disease.  Looking back I probably would have researched other therapies to help manage the disease naturally – but now I have to manage it with medication that I have to take for the rest of my life. 

I don’t share the same love of food that my father has though – while I do love food I guess I picked up some of the lessons my father learned later in his life.  The year he lost 100 lbs he was going to Weight Watchers and I really paid attention to what changes he was making.  I’ve never had a problem with portion control.  My only problem was knowing what was healthy because the only thing I ever learned in health class was what the food pyramid was – and if you are like me it was ALWAYS changing and very confusing. 

In theory I know that you should have a well balanced meal with lots of fruits and vegetables and very little fats and sweets.  I think we all learned that at some point in our lives.  But how does a well balance meal compare to eating green? 

When my son was born I did my homework and decided to make most of his baby food from scratchand I continued that tradition with my daughter.  However about the time they turn one or two something happened and they find -McDonald’s, processed food, sweets, sodas, and all of the bad things we know in our hearts that we shouldn’t be feeding our children – or ourselves!  Our lives get so busy with school and living that it’s easier to pull through the  drive-thru and bow to the golden arches!  I noticed this trend much soon with my daughter – her caregiver even brags on the days when she takes them out for a ‘treat’ – AKA Happy Meal!  My seven year old who once loved mashed avocado turns up his nose at my favorite indulgence.  My daughter squeals in excitement when daddy opens the freezer to fix a bowl of ice cream.  And I’m embarrassed to tell you how many nights a week I make mac-n-cheese. 

Fortunately my husband has started to pay more attention to his own food choices which has allowed me to rethink what we are teaching our children.  I’m very proud of my hubby who has, for the first time in our 9+ years of marriage, made an effort to eat healthy and exercise regularly.  He’s lost 20 lbs since the beginning of summer and is now back to the size he was when we first met.  Even my own clothes have started to fit a little better – with only a few small changes in our diets.

I’ve also had the pleasure of reading Dr. Greene’s newest book, Feeding Baby Green (affiliate link).  Dr. Green explains the history of the food industry quite well and how convenience foods were introduced to make our lives easier.  He gives us many examples of advertisements from the food industry that tell us these new processed, engineered foods were created to make life easier on us, to make food safer for us, and to provide us with better tasting food.  If you are pregnant or have very young children I highly recommend that you read this book and learn how to eat better now when you have the most influence over your child.  He even recommends reading this book BEFORE you get pregnant so you can make changes to your own diet so that your body is the perfect home for that growing fetus.  While the book ends with the toddler years the lessons he teaches are ageless.  I’m only half way done with the book but I’m ready to commit to my family to make the change – slowly!

But how do you make so many changes without a revolt from your family members?  My daughter is currently experiencing some pretty severe eczema (I think – we still haven’t gone to the doctor’s for it) on her inner elbows and behind her knees.  A very dry and scaly – scratchy rash of sorts.  All the indicators that it’s eczema.  No one else in my family has ever experienced eczema so I’m reading a lot about it.  Most of the articles I’ve read indicate that it’s an allergy to something – probably something that she’s eating.  Is it dairy, or wheat, or something else – we don’t know yet. 

My goals for the next few months are to take a look at where we can make better choices.  Today I decided I was going to visit the local farmers marketto purchase our produce.  My son and I headed out after church this morning to experience our first time – granted it wasn’t nearly as successful as I had hoped for.  A farmers market to me means fresh, local, and organic – this market only had 7 vendors and the produce was not even organic – and the origin was questionable.  Some items were clearly marked – Tennessee tomatoes, organic apples from Chile, and of course the Del Monte bananas.  Other items had no indication as to where they were from and when I asked about them being organic the lady clearly told me they were not.  BUT – at least I was supporting a local company instead of a large corporation that I would normally be supporting – right??  Oh yeah, and next week – we’ll be looking for a different farmer’s market!  (We did stock up on some awesome local honey though – yummy!)

The Eco Chic’s Top 5 Ways to Start Eating Green (the baby steps)

1. Ask where your food comes from.  Not all foods are available locally and they do have to ship - but how far is your food traveling before it reaches you?  As with my experience today, why would I buy an organic apple from Chile when I could go to the super market and get that same organic apple from the USA?  Don’t be afraid to ask questions – if they don’t know the answers go somewhere else.
2. Go organic!  Now for full disclosure I have a problem with this one because of cost.  Today I actually convinced my husband that I needed to spend THREE dollars more (double the price of the alternative) to get ORGANIC MILK for my kids and I.  It was very hard NOT to put it back and save the money by selecting the non-organic milk.  Where do you start with organics if you can’t afford to go ALL organics?  Review the Environmental Working Groups (EWG) Dirty Dozen and Clean 15 Guide to pesticides.  They even have it in an iPhone app so you can take it with you to the store.  I’ve made it a priority to choose to find organic varieties for these twelve fruits/vegetables – and yes, sometimes I still purchase the non-organic varieties if I just can’t spend the extra money. 
3. Buy fresh whenever possible.  Avoid the canned or processed foods.  Someone once told me to shop the outside of the grocery store and skip the inner aisles – that’s where all the boxed, processed foods are located.  And one more note on FRESH – beware of the pre-packaged fruits and vegetables.  You don’t need to buy your apples already cut up and why do we need to buy our carrots processed into tiny smaller bites?  Take the extra time to show your family how easy it is (and save some money) by purchasing these items the freshest way possible.
4. If you can’t buy fresh – buy frozen insted of canned.  Canned fruits and vegetables tend to have extra ingredients (usually salt or sugar) added.  The cans also present another problem – most of them are lined with BPA. 
5. Go meatless at least once a week (or more often).  If you’ve watched Food, Inc you already know that our food industry is severely broken – if you haven’t please take the time to watch it.  But be prepared that it WILL change the way you look at food.  I can’t walk into Mc D’s without thinking about where that food comes from.  I can’t eat chicken without thinking about the hormones that have been added to make that breast so large.  I try not to send myself into a panic thinking about the consequences of my choices thus far – but prefer to let them lead the changes that I make.  Show your kids that dinner doesn’t have to include meat – and invite them to enjoy all the colors of the rainbow in fruits and vegetables. 

Full disclosure:  This week’s shopping trip included some produce from a farmer’s market, some organic produce, some non-organic fresh produce, some frozen produce, some meats, organic milk, and yes – even some junk food.  On the list of items I will try to limit in the future: Lucky Charms, candy bars, and ice cream.  The Eco Chic and my family are not perfect and we are just beginning our journey to become more green in our food choices.  I’m trying to get my husband to understand that being healthy is not always the same as eating greener.  I received a copy of Dr. Greene’s book to review free of charge in hopes that I would pass along my personal thoughts to you.

If you made it this far without leaving I want to thank you for beginning this journey with me.  Please share with me your strengths and weaknesses when it comes to food.  What changes have you made that were easy and which one’s are you struggling with?  I hope to continue to share our story with you in the coming months.  Maybe I’ll even find a real farmer’s market next week.     

Photo credits: http://www.sxc.hu/photo/1304490

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Giveaway alert! One lucky reader will win a BabyKicks Bumboo Pocket Diaper and a Premium Duz-it-All. Details following post.  Closed! Eco-ngratulations to DebbieLG @MSU_MOM_TO_2 you are the winner!

Despite how lame I know this is going to sound…I got a total KICK out of BabyKicks newest diaper, the Bumboo pocket. I mean seriously, look how adorable it is when it arrives in the mail.

BabyKicks is a small family owned business that hand makes about 90% of their products in Maryland. In addition to their new Bumboo pocket diaper they also sell fitted diapers, pre-folds, nursing pads, burp pads, and blankets.

When the Bumboo first arrived I was in love with the softness of the inside and the interesting leg gussets. The Bumboo is a one-sized diaper that fits babies from 7lbs to 30lbs (comparable to most one-sized diapers). As you can tell from the picture above it has snaps but they are side snapping. Side snapping simply means you don’t snap the diaper by pulling the side tabs to the front…instead you pull the front snaps to the side. It actually takes a little while to get use to it but I like it. Although I fear that if you had a very hefty baby or toddler that it might be snug around the middle. (updated 2/23/09…BabyKicks is working on a new wing design to correct this potential issue with size!). One advantage of the side snap is that it prevents tab droop. The snaps are available in green (as shown here), blue or multi-colored.

I mentioned the interesting leg gussets. They are soft bamboo/fleece like the inside barrier but there is no PUL. It’s amazingly soft on their little legs but I feared that it would leak….guess what? It didn’t! The leg gussets were designed like this for 2 reasons: 1) to reduce rubbing on your babies legs, and 2) for better air flow (thus reducing the possibility of rash).

The Bumboo is a front loading pocket which allows for a more trim fit and helps to prevent that extra fluff in the rear. It comes with one Joey-Bunz 100% hemp insert. I love hemp inserts….they are so trim and so absorbent. My only other hemp insert came with our GADBaby diaper which Lil’ B recently outgrew (boo!). Why hemp? Hemp is super absorbent and anti-microbial (no bacteria or mildew here). Look at this pic of Lil’ B and you can tell that the Bumboo pocket really does have a nice trim fit.

Did you know that hemp is better for the environment than cotton? Hemp does not deplete the soil and actually adds rich nitrogen back into the soil. This allows growers to use less fertilizers and reduces the need for crop rotation.

But it now! The Bumboo pocket diaper sells for an amazingly low $18.50…this is incredibly LOW for a diaper of this quality! It’s very difficult to find a diaper with organic cotton and bamboo for less than $20-25 each. You can buy the Bumboo pocket diapers directly on their website or at many cloth diaper retailers nationwide.

Win it now! Visit the BabyKicks website and leave a comment below telling me one interesting fact about hemp. This is a mandatory entry.

Extra entries: (Leave an individual comment for each extra entry.)
1. Follow me on Google Friend Connect.
2. Follow both @TheEcoChic and @BabyKicksUSA on Twitter. Tweet about this giveaway a maximum of 2 times per day. **Be sure to include @TheEcoChic and @BabyKicksUSA along with a link back to this post in your tweet.
3. Subscribe to have The Eco Chic blog delivered to your inbox via Feedburner.
4. Add The Eco Chic blog to your Google Feed Reader or other RSS reader.
5. Add my button to your blog and/or blog about this giveaway.

Giveaway is open to residents of the US only. Must be over 18yrs old to enter. Contest will end on March 8th at midnight (EST).

Good luck!

ECO-ngratulations DebbieLG @MSU_MOM_TO_2 You are the winner! Watch your email for details on claiming your diaper!

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How was your Valentine’s Day?  Mine was very low key and relaxed.  I’ve been battling a cold for a few days and have lost my voice, can’t breath through my nose, and am generally pitiful. 

Hubby and I don’t normally exchange big gifts on Valentine’s Day but he always does something special.  Today was really cute and unusual.  He got me a candy bouquet in a small white vase.  Each ‘flower’ is a different hard candy in red, pink, or white wrapper.  He also sent me a tweet and a Facebook message at midnight so I would see it when I woke up.  He knows me so well.

I am such a slacker (that combined with the way that I feel) that I didn’t even get him a card.  But I did make breakfast for him…his favorite…grits, eggs, and bacon!  He didn’t seem to mind that there was no card or Hallmark inspired gift.

My son got some wonderfully yummy chocolate treats.  While I am very eco-friendly around the house our food selections don’t really follow suite.  I only buy organic food on rare occasions, I don’t really care about high fructose corn syrup, and I’ve never feared artificial colors.  However, I do understand the reason for concern.  I tried some really yummy organic candies recently by Surf Sweets that are organic and natural.  I didn’t expect them to taste nearly as good as my favorite gummy bears but to my surprise they were really delicious.  I saved some for my son to try but I managed to eat most of them all by myself.  It’s a good thing that our local Sweet Bay also carries them because I have found my new favorite indulgence…and I can feel good about giving it to my son.  I should get some for my best friend too since the are vegetarian and vegan snacks (with the exception of the gummy bears and worms).  If you become a Fan of Surf Sweets on Facebook during February they will donate $1 to The Ocean Project on your behalf.

If I was feeling better this week I would have gotten a little more creative and tried some new recipes from POM Wonderful.  I received 4 bottles of POM Wonderful 100% pomegranate juice recently and I only got a sip of one of them.  My husband took them to work with him everyday until they were gone.  He doesn’t normally reach for the healthy drinks but when he saw that medical research has shown to improve prostate, cardiovascular, and erectile function I don’t think I had to sell him on the goodness that was in the bottle.  Isn’t it funny what men pay attention to?  Look at these fabulous cupcakes that are made using POM Wonderful and pomegranates.  Now…to see if I can find fresh California pomegranates at our local grocery store here in Florida. 

In past years hubby has been a regular shopper at the store with the little turquoise box (my absolute favorite jewelry). 

I have a few pieces that I wear regularly mixed in with a few feel good pieces.  I wrote a few months ago about the Andean Collection and Zulugrass which both support women, families and communities in impoverished areas around the world.  My favorite piece of feel good jewelry still remains my zulugrass bead bracelet set.  It is so durable and the blue/green colors go with the majority of my wardrobe.  On days like today when I pull out the red I only have a few pieces of jewelry with red in them so my Hands Up Not Hand Outs (HUNHO) wrist wrap in red and black is a nice addition.  These wrap style bracelets tie around your wrist with a satiny ribbon and are made by Palestinian women in the Qalandia Refugee Camp near Jerusalem.  I love that all of the proceeds go back to support the artisans and their local communities.   

What do you do to celebrate Valentine’s Day?  Did you get anything extra special?  I’d love to hear about it. 

Are you curious about the products I talk my views and the products I talk about?  Be sure to read my disclosure and privacy policies.

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My husband and I have a great relationship but like all spouses we pick on each others weaknesses when we get frustrated. This weekend he picked on my green weaknesses so I decided to turn it into a blog post. (Love you huney!)

Whether you are green-minded or not you will appreciate knowing that I’m not perfect and I don’t claim to be. While I am The Eco Chic that doesn’t mean that I am always living the perfect green life. I am human and there is no way that I will ever be 100% green. Our current lifestyle just does not allow for me to do everything to the greenest level possible. Like most parents out there I have real life responsibilities such as a career, a family, kids, house work, church, extra curricular activities, and so much more to juggle each day…being green is just one aspect of my life.

Five Things I Don’t Want You to Know About Me:

1. I’m a lazy recycler and I don’t recycle everything. We pay to have our recyclables picked up once a week where we live. I am guilty of letting the recycling gather in the garage until it’s overflowing. I usually wait until my husband decides to take it out to the road. Unfortunately they will only pick up plastic and aluminum. I really let the cardboard accumulate in the garage…for over a month! And hubby will usually get sick of looking at it and take it across the road to the drop off center. Glass…gets tossed because there is no place local to recycle it (easily).

2. I don’t compost. I’ve tried…I made a redneck compost bin from chicken wire 2 summers ago with all the intentions of composting our kitchen scraps. This failed because I never turned the compost bin…so essentially it has become a leaf bin and is overgrown with weeds.

3. I don’t have a green thumb when it comes to gardening. I’ve tried that too…and failed. I expect the garden to be self sufficient and it’s not.

4. I’m not a vegan and I don’t eat organic (all the time). I tried the vegan lifestyle in college for a few years and did ok with it. Then I married a meat and potatoe man. Just adding green beans to a meal is a chore! I do try to buy organic when the prices are competitive and I usually buy apples organic. Hubby doesn’t understand the whole organic craze, nor does he believe the claims. Don’t tell him…but I sneak in several meat-free meals all of the time and he never complains!

5. I use plastic. Even with my understanding of BPA and plastics I still use plastic food storage containers and I allow my children to play with plastic toys.

Why am I telling you all of these things? Because I don’t want you to think I’m a hypocrite. I’m just a human being trying her hardest to be green. While my life may be greener than most it’s certainly not as green as it could be. My goal is not to shame or guilt anyone into changing their lifestyle…my goal is to educate you of your options and provide you with small steps you can take to change your life.

What is your green weakness that you don’t want me to know about you?

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Giveaway alert! Win a $25 gift certificate from Sprout Baby AND get a coupon code for 15% off your first purchase at Sprout Baby AND a chance to win $2500 in cash!  Details at the bottom of this post.  Eco-ngratulations Nancy!

All of my readers can save on purchases at Sprout Baby and save 15% off your first order with coupon code SBBL055!!

Sprout Foods!

No, baby food does not have to be boring?  And it doesn’t have to come in a glass jar!  If you have shopped the aisles of the local grocery stores lately you might have noticed that the baby food has been invaded by celebrity chef Tyler Florence.  His gourmet organic baby food line, Sprout Foods, is spoiling babies all around the country! 

Babies just like Lil’ B are loving the new flavors such as Peach Rice Pudding and Oatmeal with Roasted Cinnamon Applesauce.  Sprout Foods uses all USDA certified organic ingredients with no preservatives, sugars, or fillers.  Their resealable pouches are BPA-free and leave a smaller footprint on the Earth than the traditional glass jars.  We received a variety pack of Sprout Food for Lil’ B to try and I have to tell you…the smell of the Peach Rice Pudding made me hungry!  I actually tried it and it’s REAL FOOD…not just baby mush in a jar!  Trust me…and Lil’ B…your baby will L-O-V-E Sprout Foods!

While I make most of Lil’ Bs food from fresh fruits and vegetables there are times when processed baby food is just more convenient (like when you’re traveling or visiting a theme park).  It’s nice to know there is a baby food out there that resembles homemade! 

Sprout Baby!

Sprout Baby is a sister company of Sprout Foods and they are working to provide parents with environmentally friendly baby products such as glass bottles and cloth diapers.  Another one of their partners is Healthy Child Healthy World which is a non-profit organization working to provide parents with steps to creating a safe, clean and green world for their children. 

Sprout Baby is celebrating their 1st birthday!  And they want to giveaway $2500 in cash!  Yes, for all customers who shop between now and Dec 15, 2009, we will be entered into a drawing for $2500 in cash! 

One lucky reader will receive a $25 gift certificate to spend at the Sprout Baby store online to purchase anything you like!  They sell Sprout Foods, cloth diapers (I can hear my readers yelling with excitement!!!), feeding items for baby, soothing items for momma, and so much more! 

All of my readers can save on purchases at Sprout Baby and save 15% off your first order with coupon code SBBL055!!

WIN IT!  Want to win the $25 gift certificate to Sprout Baby?  All you have to do is visit Sprout Baby online and tell me what you would buy if you won.  Leave me a comment below and be sure to leave your email address so you can be contacted when you win.  Giveaway is open to resident of the US only. 

Bonus Entries!
1.  Make a purchase at Sprout Baby using coupon code SBBL055 and earn 5 bonus entries into the giveaway.  Leave a comment below telling me what you purchased and the date. 
2.  Follow @sproutbabyclub on Twitter for 1 bonus entry.  Leave me a comment.
3.  Follow @theecochic on Twitter and tweet about this giveaway (max 5 bonus entries).  Leave me a comment.
4.  Become a fan of SproutBaby.comon Facebook for 1 bonus entry.  Leave me a comment.
5.  Subscribe to my blog in your favorite readers for 1 bonus entry.  Leave me a comment.

LEAVE YOUR COMMENTS HERE TO ENTER!

Contest will end on Friday, November 13th, 2009 at midnight (EST).

Yes, I was provided with samples from Sprout Baby to write this post…but as you can tell my the picture of Lil’ B…she really did L-O-V-E the food!

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