The EcoChic

Giveaway alert! Two lucky readers will win one of the Generation T books by Megan Nicolay – details at the end of this post.  ECO-ngratulations Alanna & Shirtee.

As you know I’ve been better and better at actually completing eco-crafty projects each week for you. This week is the jackpot of all Trash to Treasure Thursdays with a collection of projects and a giveaway! I’ve been infatuated with finding ways to reuse or upcycle old t-shirts – I scour the blogosphere, YouTube, Etsy, and other crafty websites looking for innovative ways to use t-shirts. In one of my searches I came across Generation T and Megan Nicolay.

Who is Megan Nicolay? Much like myself Megan has had the crafty bug since she was a child – always looking for the next great project. We also share a common statement – “I could so do that!” My friends and family are always telling me – “You could do that!” when they see anything. Megan began her website www.Generation-T.com back in 2005 and by 2006 she published her first instructional book – “Generation T – 180 ways to transform a T-shirt.” In her first book she includes many punk inspired projects to transform that plain boring t-shirt into halter tops, bodices, skirts, leg warmers and more! My favorite is the Grand Finale – “Tying the Knot” – a wedding dress made from old t-shirts. I have a co-worker of mine who is getting married next year and this would be PERFECT for her – she’s a little bit of an eco-junkie like myself.

Megan’s second book – “Generation T – Beyond Fashion – 120 new ways to transform a T-shirt” – was published in 2009 and include projects for the home, kids, pets, and men! Having a tot running around the house my favorite chapter is Kid Rock and I can’t wait to make The Little Empress for my own little princess. There is literally a project for everything you could possibly need around the home.

While I have a list a mile long of projects I WANT to complete – here are pictures of projects I’ve already completed. I don’t follow directions well so many of them have been altered from Megan’s directions to fit my own style. That’s the great part of crafting – you are the designer – and you can decide what you like!

My husbands old Little League T-Shirt

My husbands old High School T-shirt

A collection of Counting Crows concert t-shirts

More on Generation-T and Megan -
Blog: www.generation-t.com
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Generation-T/95374461988
Twitter: http://twitter.com/generationtee

WIN IT! I have one copy of each of the Generation-T books to giveaway. I’m going to split the set and offer this giveaway to two (2) lucky readers – I pick which book you receive. To enter visit the Generation-T website and tell me two things – 1) what are you most excited to make, and 2) what t-shirt do you plan on cutting up first? Leave your comments below and be sure to leave your email address in the comments.

Extra Entries: Earn up to 5 extra entries each day until the close of the giveaway (August 15, 2010) – leave a comment for each task completed (along with a link if applicable).

1 – Follow @Generationtee, @TheEcoChic, and @EcoChicParties on Twitter – 1 entry for following all 3 combined.
2 – Like all three (3) on Facebook – 1 entry for Liking all 3 combined.
3 – Blog about your own Trash to Treasure project and include a link back to this giveaway. Leave your own link in the comments below. – 1 entry for each project.
4 – Tweet about this giveaway – include @Generationtee, @TheEcoChic, and a link back here in your tweet. – 1 entry for each tweet.

Rules: Winner will be randomly selected at the close of the giveaway period from all entrants over the age of 18 who are residents of the US & Canada – however Canadian residents will be asked to pay shipping if selected. Giveaway ends midnight (ET) on August 15, 2010.

Disclosure: Thank you to Megan Nicolay for sending my copies of each of her books for review (and inspiration). Megan also supplied the copies for the giveaway. Images in this post are original creations by The Eco Chic and vary from the actual projects featured in Generation – T slightly.

It is now 382 days (and counting) into our 2nd journey with breastfeeding and things are still going strong.  I’m still excited to have this bond with Lil’ B today.  My journey the 2nd time around has been different than with my oldest.  Primarily because 98% of the time I work at home. 

For the first 8-9 months I was blessed to be able to have Lil’ B home with me at all times.  After I returned to work at 3mo Lil’ B had an amazing nanny part-time.  Whenever she was hungry the nanny would bring her to me and she would eat.  As the months went on I actually decided to start pumping because I had to travel. 

I am an experienced pumper….with my oldest I had to pump everyday since I worked out of the home.  I had a Medela hand-me-down (actually it was only used 1-2 times before I got it) from a friend.  That was one of the items that I kept to use again.  Unfortunately after just a few short months it started to have some issues.  I was frustrated beyond belief…I rarely used the breast pump but I needed to have one for when I traveled for work.  I never leave for long; usually just a day or two.  Either way, a good dependable breast pump is a necessity. 

I decided after one trip to buy a hand-pump because I just couldn’t see spending any more money on a pump that would get used once a day.  That was a disaster…it was horrible!  It took me almost an hour one trip to get both sides expressed and my arms were killing me. 

Then heaven arrived…my Hygeia EnJoye  breast pump!  The EnJoye is slightly larger than my old Medela but is very similar.  It actually looks more like the pumps that the hospital rents than the personal pumps.  It has an internal rechargeable battery which is a blessing.  My old one took 2C batteries which were always dead…and pumping was WEAK!  With the EnJoye I often forget to plug it in because the battery is so strong.  I’m on a business trip right now (just for one night) and I didn’t even bring the plug.

The pump and all of the parts that would come in contact with breast-milk are all BPA/DEHP Free and safe for your baby.  There is also a button on the front that allows you to record your baby’s voice or cry to help with letdown.  I’m not a big fan of the carrying case though…as a parent who is a frequent flier the bag is rather large and awkward.  I always try to fit the pump into my carry on luggage so I don’t have to carry their bag.

The greatest eco-features of the EnJoye are 1) it’s approved by the FDA for multi-users, and 2) it’s recyclable!  When you no longer need the pump you can sell or donate it to another mom.  All they need to do is replace the plastic tubing and accessories (Retail $35 for accessories).  I’m actually excited that I’m going to be able to pay-it-forward when I’m done with our breastfeeding journey.  The EnJoye has a 3 year 3-year limited warranty…but never fear…if it can’t be fixed you don’t have to landfill your pump!  Hygeia will recycle your used breast pump for you (only Hygeia brands are accepted for recycling).     

And face it…no one really LIKES pumping!  Hygeia has brought a little Joy back into my life with the EnJoye….Thank You!!!  My journey into breastfeeding wouldn’t have lasted this long without you. 

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

Tis’ the season for our children to WANT, WANT, WANT!  I struggle each year around this time to remind my 6 year old that it’s not all about presents and Santa.  He had a homework project this week to talk about the holiday that we celebrate (Christmas) and why it’s important to him.  His teacher is including Winter Holidays in her lesson plan and each child gets to contribute with the holiday that they celebrate.  While working on his project I realized that he still doesn’t ‘get it’ with the reason we celebrate Christmas. 

Christmas of course is the celebration of the birth of Jesus Christ in the Christian religion.  One way that people help celebrate the holiday is with Advent Calendars.  You can find them in most retail stores filled with candy hiding behind little cardboard doors.  The last two years I’ve made our Advent Calendar.  Last year I had a different part of the Christmas Story from the bible to read each day…leading up to the birth of Jesus on Christmas Day.  I really enjoyed that version because in addition to counting down to the big day Big B got to learn a little each day. 

This year I finally broke down and purchased an actual Advent Calendar (I fell in love with one shaped like Mickey Mouse from Disney World) but I still want to make it special.  I just caught up reading some of my favorite blogs and I just had to share these ideas with you all.  One of our family friends is Genie who writes a great family and Christian blog The Blazi Gang had a wonderful idea on how to make the Advent Calendar a little more special.  She decided to make a list of 24 activities for her family to complete like 2) Build a fort and have dinner in it, Make a Christmas craft, and 22) Go downtown and look at lights.  You can see the full list on her blog or you can make up your own list.  I’m going to try to start this tomorrow because I think it’s a fabulous idea to show that giving is not only about giving gifts….but also about giving of yourself and your time. 

Another blog I like to skim each day is the Crafty Crowbecause they collect great craft ideas from around the blogosphere and share them.  They always have great holiday ideas and I found one today from a blog called Maya Made on making an Advent Calendar from toilet tissue tubes.  Last year Maya made a similar Advent Calendar and she had a ticket in each tube with a special activity for the family members. 

So then I decided to search the web for some other Advent Calendar ideas using scraps and trash.  How about these:

Cookie Sheet Advent Calendar

Mini Muffin Tin Advent Calendar

Bottle Cap Advent Calendar Magnets

Recycle Bin Advent Calendar

Altoid Tin Advent Calendar

I could probably search all night but the truth is I don’t have a ton of time to make something new for this year AND Lil’ B just woke up with a horrible hacking cough.  I guess I’ll go snuggle up to her before I drift off to sleep.  What are your family traditions around the holidays?  Do you have an Advent Calendar that is unique…I’d love for you to share it with me.

Today I spent an hour at my son’s school with about 40 first graders talking about trash!  The Great American Teach In is a time for parents and community members to come into the schools and show the kids what we do for a living.  I love talking to the kids but I was a bit intimidated when I drove up…there was a garbage truck, a helicopter, and a police car in the parking lot!  And here I come with my reusable shopping bag full of goodies.  I was afraid they wouldn’t be interested but they loved it.

I decided that this year I would talk about the 3R’s – Reduce, Reuse, Recycle!  The media tends to push recycling but they don’t mention the other 2 R’s.  I started by asking kids if they knew where their trash goes to…that big hole in the ground we call a landfill…and told them that hundreds of years from now their trash will still be there!  Then I talked about the Mobius Strip (the recycling symbol) and what it means.  Did you know that it was created in 1970 by a 23 year old college student; Gary Anderson? 

I showed the kids some simple ways to reduce and reuse their waste.

-Reusable bags
-Reusable water bottles
-Using both sides of the paper
-Using trash for craft projects

I even prepared a small craft project for the kids.  I took some of our cardboard boxes from the recycling bin (cereal, pop tarts, mac-n-cheese, etc) and cut them to the size of a bookmark.  Each kid got to draw and color a picture on the backside and I finished them off by adding a ribbon to the top.  It was so cute to see the kids all excited about playing with trash! 

I can’t wait for next year to visit again; I wonder what I’ll talk about then?

Giveaway Alert!  The Natural Baby Co is giving away one Gro Baby Bio Soaker Intro Package to a lucky reader.  To enter see details at the end of this post.    ECO-ngratulatins Holly S!

One of the newest hybrid cloth diapering systems out there is the Gro Baby System.  Check out there cute new animated short video HERE! 

The original Gro Baby shell consists of a water proof shell and an organic cotton soaker pad that snaps into the shell.  The idea is that you purchase several soaker pads and reuse the shell.  Unlike most pocket diapers the Gro Baby has a unique quick drying layer between the soaker and the shell (it’s sewn into the shell and looks like a large weave mesh).  The soakers attach to the shell with two snaps; one at the front and one at the back.  The original soakers are very thick organic cotton and are very absorbent.  They also come with a booster for nights and naps.  The other unique feature to the Gro Baby Shell is the closure.  It’s a very fine hook closure that works withthe very soft fabric loop (similar to Velcro only much softer and finer).  If you prefer snaps The Natural Baby Co will convert your Gro Baby shell for a small fee.

The features don’t stop there!  The Gro Baby shells will also work with their newest product…the Bio Soakers biodegradable, disposable soaker pads.  These disposable pads easily attach using two adhesive tabs located on the back of the pads.  Each pad is made up of three parts; 1) the lining, 2) the core, and 3) the waterproof outer.  The lining and waterproof outer layers are both compostable.  The core is biodegradeable.  The core is made of a wood pulp fiber and contains about 3 grams of superabsorbent polymers (SAP).  SAP is what makes traditional diapers (and other hygiene products) absorb and retain liquids.  Not only can the Bio Soakers be composted the core is flushable (similar to G Diapers)…just tear it open and flush the insides.  (*As with any flushable product, please use caution!)  Bio Soakers would make a practical travel option that would allow you to have the cuteness of your fluff with the convenience of a disposable. 

The traditional GroBaby cloth diapering system is very compareable to other organic diapers (selling at $24.95 each…same as the BG Organic).  The nice feature to the Gro Baby is that you can reuse the shell.  The soakerpads sell for $16.95 for a set of two.  With just one shell and three soakers you would spend $41.90 and end up with three diaper changes…three BG organics would cost you $74.85…not a bad savings!  The Bio Soakers cost $19.99 for a box of 50 pads…a mere 40 cents for each pad. 

What did I think?  I have a two part response to that question. 

1) Traditional Gro Baby System: I love it!  It’s very easy to use and I wish I had a few more soakers so I could take full advantage of the reusability of the shell.  I love the absorbency of the organic cotton…it just soaks up the pee!  I really like the closure system.  It’s a much softer hook closure than traditional Velcro.  The only negative comment I have about the traditional Gro Baby is the laundry tabs don’t seem to hold very well.  Each time I washed the shell the tabs were stuck on another diaper.  This is easily rectified if you purchase the snap conversion…but I prefer the hook closure for me.  Out of all the diapers I’ve tried the Gro Baby is at the top of my list.  Just look at how cute it is…even in the simple vanilla color! 

2) The Bio Soakers with Gro Baby Shell:  I used the Bio Soakers a few different ways.  When I used the bio soakers as they were intended to be used…with the Gro Baby shell…they worked wonderful.  Unfortunately I only have one shell at the moment.  It never fails that each time I put it on Lil’ B she decides to poo…and poo large…and spill out onto the shell.  This makes it difficult to reuse the shell…hence my frustration begins.  If I had at least 3-6 shells I think I would have enjoyed the bio soakers much more.  Instead…I attempted to use the bio soakers inside other diaper covers…while they still functioned the same way there was one problem that I encountered.  The adhesive that is used on the bio soakers is a very strong adhesive and it didn’t remove easily from my BG cover material.  You can read all about my travel experience here.  I’ve used the bio soakers a few random times around the house with the Gro Baby shell and I’ve never had any problems arise when I use them the right way! 

Here is a tip I received from Kim at The Natural Baby Co regarding the Gro Baby Bio Soakers. 
“We use a eco friendly adhesive which can get sticky when warmed from being by baby’s skin.  My biggest tip is to let your diaper sit for a minute BEFORE peeling off the soaker pad.”

Buy It!  Want to try the Gro Baby system yourself?  You can purchase your own system at The Natural Baby Co.  The introductory package (one shell and 50 bio soakers) sells for $34.95. 

Win It!  I know…you want to win your own Gro Baby system…who doesn’t want free fluff?  I’m giving away one complete introductory package (one shell and 50 bio soakers) to a lucky reader!  Contest is open to residents of the US and Canada.  ECO-ngratulations Holly S!

MANDATORY ENTRY!  Visit The Natural Baby Co and tell me what your favorite Gro Baby shell color is…don’t forget they have some brand new prints available!  Leave me a comment below with your answer.

Bonus Entries:  Leave an individual comment for each item completed with links (if applicable).
1.  Become a Fan of Gro Baby on Facebook.
2.  Become a Fan of The Eco Chic on Facebook.
3.  Follow Gro Baby on Twitter.
4.  Follow The Eco Chic on Twitter.
5.  Add my button to your blog or website!
6.  Subscribe to The Eco Chic on Feedburner…deliver me to your inbox!
7.  Subscribe to The Eco Chic in Google Reader (or other feed reader).
8.  Tweet about this giveaway…be sure to include @TheEcoChic and @GroBaby and a link back here! (Max 5 tweets per giveaway!)
9.  Blog about this giveaway.
10. Make any purchase from The Natural Baby Co (valid for purchases between now and the end of the contest only) and earn 5 extra entries to this giveaway!

LEAVE YOUR COMMENTS HERE TO BE ENTERED TO THIS CONTEST!

Contest ends at midnight (EST) on October 29th, 2009.

Yes, a Gro Baby Introductory Package was provided to me in exchange for this post…I’ve been writing this post for over 3 hrs now so I think that’s a good exchange for my time…don’t you?   

Now the tricky questions that I am trying to find answers to.  While I’ve began doing some research on the topics I can’t learn it all in one evening.  Biodegradable, compostable, and other environmental marketing terminology.  Are they just keen marketing skills or are they really environmentally friendly?  This is where I start to get a little lost in the sea of green!  So to help you out a little here are some definitions:

Biodegradable:  the material breakdown of chemicals by the environment.

Compostable:  according to Wiki it means the same as biodegradable.

Bio-Film (Fecula): a compostable material that is made from all natural corn starch.

SAP:  super absorbent polymers used in disposable diapers to absorb moisture.  Regular disposables contain 10-20 grams of SAP.  SAP was removed from tampon production in the 1980s due to the link between SAP and Toxic Shock Syndrom (TSS).  Most babies in the US are in disposable diapers all day, every day, for three years! 

EN13432 (EU):  European standards for biodegradability and compostability.

ASTM D 6400 (US):  An American standard for composting.  Refers to the use of aerobic composting facilities (similar to wastewater treatment processes) to kill pathogens in human waste. 

Aerobic Composting:  the breakdown of a material by heat-loving organisms at a very high temperature.  Can occur at an industrial composting facility or when using special composting toilets. 

Sources:
http://www.thenaturalbabyco.com/grobaby™-ic-11_16.html
http://healthychild.org/blog/comments/dissin_disposables_why_cloth_diapers_rule/
http://ilex-envirosciences.com/leaflets/EN13432.pdf
http://www.astm.org/Standards/D6400.htm
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Biodegradation
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aerobic_digestion#Active_.28aerobic.29 
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Superabsorbent_polymer
http://www.thedailygreen.com/living-green/blogs/organic-parenting/green-eco-diapers-66031101

Giveaway Alert!  Wow, this has been a busy day here!  Yes, it’s my 2nd Blogiversary Celebration and I have lots of fun prizes for you!  How would you like a revamped car seat for your tot?  One lucky winner will receive a posh toddler car seat cover compliments of Baby Bella Maya.  Giveaway closed!

Car seats…we all have them for our kids!  After all it’s the law.  Some of us are even lucky enough to have one in each car so we don’t have to keep installing them in our spouses car.  Well I still have my old car seats from when Big B was smaller.  Actually he was in this car seat until last year when he graduated to his booster seat!  We knew we were having another kid by then so we saved the convertible toddler car seat to use for Lil’ B.  Well she’s finally big enough to use it (yeah!!) but it’s sooooo old and grungy!  It’s never been in a wreck and it’s still in great condition…but it’s old!  I would have loved to take them all to Goodwill but I know I should just reuse them.  They meet the same safety standards and they haven’t been recalled.  (I really wanted a new Britax…I almost convinced hubby of this at Target one day!)  Never fear, The Eco Chic has found a way to Pimp Your Car Seat!

Baby Bella Maya is an online retailer that sells car seat covers for infant and toddler car seats, baby blankets, baby headbands, leggings, pouch slings, and more!  It’s quite the posh little baby store!  My favorite accessory that they sell are these awesome Toddler Car Seat Covers!  They are made of a silky, woven polyester blend fabric.  They were designed to fit the Britax Marathon but fit most major brands.  We have an Alpha Omega Convertible Car Seat that is the no-name version of the Eddie Baurer brand car seat and it fit nicely.  It has elastic that allow it to fit snugly over the existing cover and snaps that open to allow the straps to peek out!  What a great invention!  Baby Bella Maya saved our car seat! 

Baby Bella Maya currently has eleven fun designs for both girls and boys!  My favorite (and the one Lil’ B sports on her seat) is the Couture Pink Champagne!  The toddler car seat covers range from $70-80 but sometimes you can find a design you like on sale!  Compared to the cost of a new car seat it’s worth the money!

Giveaway period now closed!

Win One!  One lucky reader will get a free makeover of their Toddler Car Seat compliments of Baby Bella Maya!  To win I want to see your Ugliest, Dirties, Grossest car seat pictures!  First you must visit Baby Bella Maya and come back to tell me what design you like the best!  Leave me a comment below with the design of choice.  Second you must send me your pics!  Send your car seat pics to theecochic@gmail.com with the subject ‘Pimp My Car Seat’.  Next week I will post all of the pictures and let you vote!  The one with the most votes wins this giveaway!

LEAVE YOUR COMMENT HERE TO ENTER CONTEST

Don’t forget to send me your pics too!

Send your pictures to The Eco Chic by Sept. 23rd, 2009 (midnight EST).   

Giveaway Alert!  One lucky winner will receive their own E-cloth Kitchen Pack (Valued at $17.98).  Entry form below.  ECO-ngratulations Cinella! You Win! Check your email!

It’s rather ironic that I hate to clean and I’m doing a whole week of cleaning reviews!  Why do I hate to clean?  Mostly because I can’t stand the smell of all of those nasty cleaning chemicals.  However my husband will tell you it’s just because I’m always on the computer and too busy to clean! 

A few months ago I got an email from a company called E-cloth asking me to try their product.  I have to tell you that I was a bit skeptical of this company that claims to be able to clean with their cloths and water, no chemicals at all!  Huh?  No bottles of soap?  No scouring pads?  Just cloth?  I was a bit intimidated with their selection of cloths too.  They offer cloth specifically for cleaning kitchens, bathrooms, electronics, furniture and more.  Why would I need all of these different packs to clean my house?  Like I said, I was a bit skeptical!  I opened them as soon as they arrived and was very curious!

I’ve mentioned before that I work full-time during the day from home.  I’ve also mentioned that I’m very fortunate to have Lil’ B stay home with me.  Since she’s become so mobile we have hired a really nice lady to help me out during the day.  While Lil’ B sleeps she is very helpful around the house and was actually the first person to try the E-cloths.  She started with the E-Cloth Kitchen Pack and began to clean the kitchen with the general purpose cloth.  Our kitchen is a small galley style kitchen so there isn’t much to clean; a very small counter area and the appliances.  We have one of those flat, glass top stoves and it’s always dirty.  I have to use a special polishing cream to get it nice and shiny.  There is no way this soft green cloth is going to clean my stove top. 

Next thing I know she’s calling me into the kitchen to show me the results.  We were both shocked!  Using only the E-cloth and a little bit of water my entire kitchen was clean and streak-free.  No kidding, it was clean! 

How does it work?  E-cloths are a high quality cleaning cloth.  The fibers of the E-cloth are so fine that they lock in dirt and moisture.  They can even pick up dirt and grease effectively.  The grease cutting ability is one factor that makes the general purpose cloth such a great choice in the kitchen.  The E-cloths are also great for removing bacteria, including E coli.   

What do they clean?  The E-cloth Kitchen Pack contains one general purpose cloth and one glass & polishing cloth.  The general purpose cloth is so versatile that it will clean stainless steel, counter tops, chrome, granite, tile, marble and wood.  The glass and polishing cloth is intended for light cleaning, glass, and as a final polisher. 

Money Saving & Green!  Because you can reuse E-cloths over and over again you can reduce your need for both paper towels and cleaning products.  E-cloths can be machine washed in hot water over 300 times.  If you wash them once a week one set of E-cloths will last you over 6 years!  No that’s what I call a responsible product!

The price point of the E-cloth Kitchen Pack is $17.98 and you get both the general purpose and the glass and polishing cloth.  I think the price might scare some people away from trying these.  However, if you divide that out over the 6 years then E-cloths will only cost you about $3 a year.  That’s cheaper than one bottle of household cleaners! 

Environmentally speaking you are making a trade off with E-cloths.  On one hand you are saving hundreds of trees from becoming paper towels, but on the other hand the E-cloths are made in Korea from petrochemicals (chemical products made from petroleum).  The fabric is made from 80% polyester and 20%polyamine (or nylon) which are synthetic fabrics.  They are packaged in plastic and obviously they have been shipped long distances before they reach your home.  Which is actually better for the environment?  

Overall opinion?  I like the E-cloths.  I think they work very well, surprisingly well!  I have reduced the amount of paper towels that I’ve used around the house.  They clean better than cotton cloths and are much more absorbent.  I use it regularly in the kitchen and dining room because it doesn’t leave streaks and it easily wipes up the grime!  And with kids you know there is a lot of grime!  Food gets smeared all over the highchair and the E-cloth gets it off easily.  And the glass stove top…it’s never been cleaner!  Yes, I like E-cloths! 

Would you like to try E-cloths?  The Kitchen Pack sells for $17.98 and E-cloth is currently offering FREE SHIPPING on ALL orders!  One lucky winner will receive their very own E-cloth Kitchen Pack. 

Win It!  To enter to an E-cloth Kitchen Pack you must visit E-cloths and leave me a comment below telling me about one thing you learned about E-cloths that I did not tell you.  That’s it!  It’s that easy to enter!

Extra entries!  Yep, as always you can enter more than once!  Each entry below is worth one extra entry into the giveaway.  You must have answered the Win It! question first in order to qualify for the extra entries.
1.  Follow both @TheEcoChic and @Eclothon Twitter.  Leave an individual comment with your @Name.
2.  Tweet about the giveaway up to twice daily.  Include both @TheEcoChic and @Eclothand a link back here in your tweet.  Leave an individual comment with a link to your status tweet. 
3.  Refer someone new to The Eco Chic contests and get them to enter any open contest!  Leave me their name (the name they used to enter) and how you spread the word.  Encourage them to enter your name when they complete their entry!  (This is a new one to me…hopefully it won’t be too complicated to verify this)

Leave your comments HERE to complete your entry to this contest.

ECO-ngratulations Cinella!  You Win!  Contest ended Sept. 11th at midnight (EST).

Good luck and clean green!  

In honor of my son’s first week back to school I have dedicated the entire week to Waste-Free Lunches!  This week will feature great tips for sending your child off to school while treading lightly on the Earth.  When parents go school shopping they are really good about getting their child a brand new lunch box but what goes inside the box?  Single use baggies, aluminum foil, waxed paper, pre-packaged & individual serving snacks and meals, disposable forks & spoons, paper napkins, juice pouches…you get the picture!  It is estimated that the average elementary school age child produces 67 lbs of waste per year from disposable lunches alone!  These disposable items aren’t cheap on the pocket book either! 

Here are some tips to help reduce your grocery bill and your footprint!

1.  Purchase a durable, reusable lunch box.  The days of paper bags are long gone, your child wants a cool and hip reusable lunch box or bag!  Check out one of my sons new lunch bags, the Meadow Munchler by Built NY.  The Munchleris one of many lunch bags and totes that Built NY produces.  This insulated, soft-sided, polyproplyene bag has been tested and contains no lead and is safe for food.  It is available in 4 whimsical animals and was inspired by children book illustrator, Stephen Savage, to represent zoo animals.  After all, our kids belong in a zoo don’t they?  One cool thing about this bag is that when it unzips fully the entire bag lies flat and acts as a place mat for your child.  I bet your kid would be the talk of the lunchroom with one of these cool bags!       

2.  Purchase reusable sandwich and snack containers.  Depending on your lifestyle you may opt for the cheap plastic containers or the safer BPA-free options like the stainless steel lunch containers.

3.  Bring back the cloth napkin!  Chances are the kids just wipe their hands on their pants anyways so don’t use paper, use cloth!  Maybe they will at least use it as a place mat!  Come back later in the week as I giveaway some cool cloth napkins from Litter Free Lunch and Fabkins! 

4.  Buy products in bulk or large containers and repackage them into individual servings (using your new reusable containers)!  This will save you LOTS of money too!  An ordinary bag of cookies now becomes 10 or more days of kids snacks and costs a fraction of the cost of pre-packaged cookies.  And no more baggies means more savings there too!

5.  Invest in a good water bottle for the kids.  All the major brands are making them small and fashionable just for the kids!  Again, you can fill the bottle with the beverage of choice without the expense of those pesky juice pouches.  My little one takes his bottles with him everywhere these days.

By spending just a little money up front on these reusable items you won’t have any expenses (except the food) afterwards.  The average savings from packaging alone is about $250 a year for each child.  I can think of lots of things to do with $250 besides buying baggies!  Just be sure that your child remembers to bring everything home with them.  I was actually quite impressed with my son last year, as a Kindergartner he never once forgot to bring his stuff home with him.  We never lost a container or a fork!

Not only will you be saving money at the store but if you are like me your kids will start eating a little healthier along the way.  I always find myself adding fruit to his lunch since it doesn’t need any packaging.  Instead of cookies we’re now eating bananas.  What are some tricks you use to make your kids lunches a little more healthier and greener? 

It wouldn’t be Waste-Free Lunch Week without some coupons, promotions and giveaways!  Check back tomorrow and learn about a great waste-free offer from Kids Konserve and win your own Litter Free Lunch cloth napkins.  There will be more surprises each day so visit often.

If you are like most Americans we have so much junk that ever so often we need to purge and get rid of our belongings to make room for new ones.  Our closets are stuffed, our garages are overflowing, there is no more room under our beds to hide all that stuff we no longer use. 

I’ve mentioned before that I love websites like FreeCycle and Craigslist but when was the last time you held a Yard Sale? 

Well this past weekend we did just that, held a community yard sale.  A neighbor decided to organize the sale and advertised in the local paper.  Of course we also used the wonderful poster board signs to lure those bargain hunters in.  I decided to post the sale on Craigslist in hopes of gaining a few more customers.  Then I was sent an email with a new website just for Yard Sales and Garage Sales called Garage Sales Tracker. 

It was very easy to use the site, just enter a title of your event, the date and times, your phone number and address, and a brief description of the items for sale.  Presto…your sale is listed on the web for FREE! 

Unfortunately, I have no idea how any of our treasure hunters found our sale because we were too busy to stop and chat.  Our sale started at 8am and by 6:45am the hubby said people were circling the neighborhood waiting to find the best bargains of the day.  As soon as I opened the garage doors at 7am the cars began to park and the fun had begun. 

You might be wondering what items would sell at a yard sale.  Honestly, I’m a bit surprised at the stuff that sold and the stuff that we were left with.  We sold everything from CDs, baby clothes, mommy clothes, maternity clothes (ok…all clothes sold well!), kids toys (you know those McD’s stuff…great seller), vases, books, radios, VCRs, you name it…it sold! 

I did have a hard time selling some of the nicer items.  I had a highchair that I’ve decided to part with but I wanted to get $30 for it, no one even asked about it.  I also had a nice train set (GeoTrax) that Big B has outgrown, all the kids played with it but their parents didn’t even ask about it.  Picture frames, didn’t sell well even at 50 cents. 

While I’m not the regular yard sale shopper (rarely stop) I was surprised to see the diversity of people who stopped.  I was extremely surprised by all the ‘rich’ people who stopped by.  We had a few Jaquar and BMW owners who actually stopped and bought…maybe that’s how they can afford those nice cars!  Maybe I should take a lesson from them and start my Saturday mornings driving around town looking for my own treasure.     

Our sale was winding down by noon and we were left with only a small truck load of stuff.  We loaded the leftovers into the hubby’s truck and dropped it off at the local charity truck (this week we gave to Goodwill).  I did keep a few things that I thought I could still sell or give to a deserving person I already know.  I’m making a trip to the local consignment store later this week with the highchair. 

What did I learn?  There is always someone who can use what you no longer want or need.  I guess the old saying is true, “one man’s trash is another man’s treasure.”

I was talking (ok…emailing) a friend of mine today and it reminded me about some questions I’ve been struggling with lately.  Can switching to green actually have a negative impact on the environment? 

Take for instance babies.  I now have a 4 mo old baby (Lil’ B) who is getting many of my son’s baby gear.  He’s 6 yr old and I wasn’t quite as green as I am now.  Some of the items I’ve saved aren’t exactly eco-friendly.  So here is a list of the items that if I were to buy them today I would make a different choice than I did 6 yrs ago. 

1. Crib mattress.  I would buy an organic cotton mattress if I bought a new one today.
2. Baby bottles.  I would buy BPA-free bottles and storage jars for my breast pump.
3. High Chair.  I would buy a nice wooden high chair today instead of the plastic bulky one I have.

And what about the baby gifts you receive.  What if you receive items that aren’t eco-friendly?  Like baby soap, lotion, disposable diapers & wipes, and  plastic toys.

So here is my question (ok many questions).  Do you buy new or reuse what you already have?  Do you keep what you are given or exchange/giveaway gifts that aren’t eco-friendly?  At what point is buying new more damaging than keeping what you already have?  As long as the product I saved hasn’t been recalled due to some safety issue, what is the harm in keeping it?  And if I did feel strongly about the new issue (like paraben free soaps and lotions) what do you do with the item you are replacing?  It’s obviously still usable but not up to your standards.  So do you donate it or dispose of it?  If you donate it aren’t you then putting someone else into danger that your feel strongly about?  If you purchase a new product aren’t you then doubling the impact of producing that item?  And if you used that product on your first child and they are still ‘fine’ than what’s the harm of using it again?  But if you don’t replace it are you knowingly putting your next child in danger?

As if moms don’t have enough mommy guilt to deal with!  Me personally, I’m still using the majority of the items I used with my son.  It’s only as I purchase new items that I am replacing them with the newer, more eco-friendly products.  What about you?