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No doubt we would all dress ourselves and our kids in organic and natural threads if we could…but for many this is still a not so attainable goal right now. Organic duds cost more and they aren’t readily available in the stores we usually shop in. But for those that splurge occasionally and get organic clothes I recently come across two really cool companies that make adorable, organic gear for kids.

The first is Green Apple Baby. Not only do they sell gorgeous 100% organic tees with a natural cotton/green apple print color scheme that I love…they adorn their tees with messages of love and inspiration. They are for conscious parents that want to send a positive and earth friendly message. They use water based inks and they are grown and sewn in the good ol USA. Seeing the tiny baby clothes from Green Apple Baby really made me heartsick for another youngin. Like any other mom I suppose, I was enthralled with cute baby clothes but add organic, natural, earth friendly fibers and the wow factor is even greater.

I have a Green Apple Baby tee to giveaway, size 6-12 months. It says “I am a Genius” in green water based ink and it has their signature apple on it. It is perfect for baby boys and baby girls and has a lap shoulder neckline for easy dressing. It is made of soft, jersey knit and 100% organic cotton.

Another great company is Cool Green Attitudes. This company is great for older kids and they make a really great line of “cool” kids clothing with great messages of self worth. Not only are they organic cotton they have really neat messages like “I am Unique”, “I am Kind & Caring”, “I am Intelligent”, and “I Am Fair and Honest”. Just like adults do, children can suffer from negative thoughts about themselves, by accepting the negative opinions, fears and superstitions of others around them. These shirts are organic cotton Confidence t shirts, to encourage and enable children to affirm a positive sense of self and attitude.

They come in white, pink, and blue and they all have the Cool Green Attitudes signature green guy on them…”Buddy” The Organic Cotton Bud Man.

To give away I have a size 18 months, white tee that says “I am Infinate Potential”. I also have a pink 2T tee that says “I am Creative”.

Winners are

#10 Thea
#19 Karen
#58 Sap

Eco Ike is a fabulous new store that I found recently that makes green t’s and products for a happy, healthy world. They keep everything organic, sweatshop free, and 100% fair trade!

They have some adorable t-shirt design for children including one that says “Be Green” and my personal favorite, “I’m Organic”, with the “O” in organic being a smiling toddler face. They are soft and comfy too.

Eco Ike also has some gorgeous animal designs t-shirts and resusable bags. I just LOVE the fact that they are a triple threat - stylish, sustainable, and fair trade. What more could an ethical and green mom ask for?

The packaging is another awesome feature. They use 100% recyled paper and 100% biodegradeable ribbon for all their packaging. Plus 5% of their proceeds is donated to American Forests.

I love supporting these smaller, ethical companies, so in celebration of Earth Week I have a great Eco Ike giveaway for you. Special thanks to Eco Ike for donating the prizes!

I have two natural colored ”I’m Organic” t-shirts to giveaway. One is a standard jersey t-shirt in 3T. The other is a 3T fitted t-shirt for girls. The size actually says 1 (european sizing) on the latter shirt but is is equvilent to a size 3 US. 

To Win: Just comment! And let me know which t you want. There will be two winners.

It is important to me that I only clean my home with products that are safe, natural, and green. Conventional cleaners might be effective in cutting through dirt and grime but they do so at the expense of our health and the environment. While many might use cleaning products like Windex or 409 with very little prior thought or concern….I actually like to know what I am spraying all over my home. These cleaners contain many chemicals that can be toxic, reactive, corrosive, or flammable. There is also the potential that they can cause serious health issues and environmental damage. Technological advances allow us to do things faster, easier and more efficient than ever before but those advances and products have to be safe!

Remember my story awhile back about how my son reacted to chemicals in toilet cleaner? All he did was sit down at a toilet that had toilet cleaning chemicals in it and I ended up calling 911. I don’t want my children to be exposed to harmful chemicals day in day out and I get hives at the drop of a hat so I avoid conventional cleaners all together.

Usually this means I make my own with simple and natural ingredients like baking soda, vinegar, pure castile soap, vegetable oil, lemons. etc. They work so well and they are so easy to make I usually won’t bother with buying any of the green cleaners on the market. I have tried many of them and they just don’t live up to the hype or they won’t disclose their ingredients like a certain company that Oprah endorses…ahem.

That said though, I was REALLY impressed with the BabyGanics line of cleaners. So much so that a few of these products are going to have a permanent home in my cleaning cabinet. These products are specifically formulated for the safety of children, pets and growing families, and they are environmentally safe. The BabyGanics line of cleaners is:

And a big plus for mommy…they work! Below I have given my thoughts on each of the BabyGanics products. I tried the unscented and the lavender scent versions alike.

BabyGanics All Purpose Household Cleaner - You just can’t beat and all purpose cleaner that cleans a multitude of surfaces through out the house. Instead of petroleum-based ingredients, or added dyes that are common triggers for respiratory and skin irritation, BabyGanics created an all-natural cleaning blend that is based upon natural soybean and palm kernel oils. I used it on kitchen and bathroom counters, on my stove and range, on my hardwood dining table, on walls decorated with crayon, and probably dozens of other places. I LOVE this cleaner and the lavender scented version is scrumptious. I am not big on fragrance so my kids noticed the yummy scent immediately and they liked it.

BabyGanics Tub & Tile Cleaner - Normally I use baking soda and vinegar to clean my tubs and showers. It works well but it I have to admit that the BabyGanics tub and tile cleaner is more more simple and just as effective. And of course it has none of the harsh chemicals and harsh acids in conventional tub cleaners that can be corrosive and toxic. The BabyGanics version is a special formula that is based upon a naturally derived urea salt which provides tremendously effective cleaning without the negative corrosive aspects many other products can leave behind. I used it extensively in my home recently and it works pretty darn good. I have been keeping a bottle in the shower to do a quick clean-up every week…otherwise it might be a once a month job in my house.

BabyGanics Glass and Surface Cleaner - This product contains a unique, naturally derived biodegradable surfactant system that eliminates the need for solvents, glycol ethers and ammonia. I usually use a vinegar and water solution but I have to admit the BabyGanic glass cleaner is less streaky. It did a good job getting my car windows clean too and they were pretty grimy from all the salt spray on the roads this winter. I will likely just stick to plain old vinegar and water for indoor jobs but if you don’t like to make your cleaners or you hate the smell of vinegar this could be what you are looking for. I might keep some of this on hand for outdoor windows on my home and car.

BabyGanics Floor Cleaner Concentrate - This was my favorite BabyGanics product and I think it deserves a permanent place in my home cleaning repertoire. Its unique formula includes a combination of all-natural soybean and palm kernel oils and it is designed for use on tiles, laminates, and hard floors. I used it on the tile in my bathrooms, the linoleum in my kitchen and hall, the stone in my dining and foyer areas, the wood laminate in my family room, and get this…my carpet! When I was reading the back of the bottle I was super surprised to see a mention that it could also be used on carpet in addition to hard floor surfaces. So I diluted it according to the instructions and put it in my carpet cleaner and I cleaned some carpet in the bedrooms and in my kids play room. In the playroom the white carpet was starting to look gray and it had some stains from strawberry smoothie. The BabyGanics floor cleaner worked wonders. In fact I think it is one of the best carpet cleaners I have ever used. I have always tried to use soap nuts for my carpet but I find that harsh chemical cleaners are the only ones that can usually lift stains. Well not anymore…I will be using BabyGanics exclusively. Woot! I was very pleased.

So overall I REALLY like these cleaning products. They are safe and natural and they work good…a winning combo. I know I will definitely be keeping some of the All Purpose Cleaner and the Floor Cleaner on hand in my own home.

Technorati Tags: BabyGanics, organic, natural cleaning, green cleaning

I ran across a contest at Crazy Hip Blog Mamas and it turns out that I have something to say in regards to the topic….flowers. So I decided to enter with the following article. No doubt it may be too political but fun to write nonetheless.

If a Flower is a Promise for the Future - What Future Do We Want?

When I think of flowers I think of beauty, happiness, and good times. Some of the most exciting times of the year are those seasonal moments when a new flower blooms and we get to bask in its glory for a short time. It is no wonder that we like to send flowers to our loved ones and special friends hoping that they too might bask in that glorious feeling and promise the feelings and promises that only flowers bring. All the special moments in our lives weddings, anniversaries, birthdays, graduations may well have been touched by and commemorated by flowers. Even the sad times in our lives, when a loved one passes away, bring flowers to us with a promise for the future. On all these occasions flowers say what words struggle to do. That is the power behind each beautiful petal.

In the sonnet Flowers, Love’s Truest Language, Park Benjamin states Flowers are Love’s truest language; they betray, Like the divining rods of Magi old, Where precious wealth lies buried, not of gold, But love–strong love, that never can decay!

The flower represents so many things love, joy, promise, grief, and remorse a tall order for any object but a flower fulfills its destiny beautifully and with grace. I am sure that everyone would seek to preserve the very essence of flowers but sadly their essence is losing some of its luster and the meaning. Would a flower grown under conditions that do not preserve their very nature and essence be regarded as highly?

What I do not like to think about of in regards to flowers is chemicals, toxic work conditions, and global warming but these are things that should come to mind when we think of flowers. The fact is most flowers are imported from other countries where they are doused in toxic chemicals to preserve them, cared for by workers who are shrouded in toxic fumes all day, and they are transported thousands of miles emitting many tons of greenhouses gases into the air. How can flowers hold promise when their method of growth and delivery is in direct contradiction?

The next Fields of the World arrangement should come direct from the United States and from rich, organic soil. We can curb a flowers contribution to global warming by selecting flowers that grow locally and by growing them organically they are safe and they retain their essence as Mother Nature intended. It does not matter if the arrangement is comprised of roses, lilies, baby’s breath, or carnations they all have a lovely story to tell and as long as they are locally grown and organic in nature then they will have a special place in all my life events that require the beauty and promise of a flower.

Technorati Tags: flowers, organic, 1 800 Flowers, Fields of the World

As if we needed proof of that right?

Well, the science is on our side too. Two recent studies show that organic food is healthier.

The first study was conducted by The Journal of Agriculture and Food Chemistry and the outcome after 10 years of research and comparing organic and conventional tomatoes was that organic tomatoes are twice as high in flavanoids then conventially grown. Woohoo! This study joins others that recently found organic tomatoes to have higher levels of vitamins and minerals. This is attributed to healthier soils found on organic farms.

Another study from the British Journal of Nutrition showed that organic dairy and meat products in a mother’s diet positively affect the nutritional quality of her breast milk—markedly increasing beneficial fatty acids. These fatty acids are important as they are believed to have anti-carcinogenic, anti-atherosclerotic, anti-diabetic and immune-enhancing effects, as well as a favorable influence on body fat composition. The immune development properties are especially important for newborns. This study just shows how important breastfeeding is AND how important an organic diet is.

Technorati Tags: organics, tomatoes, breastmilk, cancer, health

I just ran across this eye opening video on YouTube. It shows how Fox News killed a well researched story about the dangers of Monsanto’s rBST in our milk and the connection of it to cancer. Fox News was threatened by Monsanto with “dire consequences” and it in turn killed the story and fired the reporters who investigated it. This is really shocking but I guess it shouldn’t be. If you are familiar with my feeling on Monsanto then you know I think they are evil with a capital E! Anyone else feel weird about drinking milk infused with chemicals from the same company that makes Roundup…the weed killer? Just another reason to buy organic milk.

My recent post over at Green Options spurred a comment that organics are not affordable enough to be practical for average families. I find the comment extremely valuable because I used to think the exact same thing. It was a no brainer that organics were healthier for my family since they had no chemicals, pesticides, or dangerous additives but the price tag was hard to ignore. I wasn’t ready to double my grocery bill at that point. Now several years later when my household food is 90% organic, I see things a bit differently. All it took was a few frugal purchasing practices and a few changes in my thought process about my food and where it comes from.

My first goal was to start replacing conventional foods that we used the most and had the most danger of accelerating our cumulative exposure to chemicals. Milk and eggs topped the list. By starting with these two items I saw only a small increase in my monthly grocery bill. When I found an organic supplier of raw milk the cost did go up significantly as the price tag was $8.00 a gallon. The cost, coupled with the fact that I was now actually able to drink milk for the first time in my life, prompted me to give up other household beverages I would normally buy to offset the cost. Soda went on the chopping block and good riddance. I was now buying organic, raw milk and organic eggs every week and there was no additional cost to me.  I could do this.

I slowly made similar changes to my grocery list without dramatically affecting my bill. I was also becoming a savvier shopper.

I joined a local CSA or Community Supported Agriculture program that delivered fresh organic produce to my door every week. The fee was very reasonable and I ended up eating healthier and trying many new things. This arrangement was what spurred me to start putting Kale in smoothies since I had so much of it every week and few ideas on how to prepare it. Now my kids benefit from getting a Kale infused berry smoothie a couple times a week. I also started going to my local farmers market where the food is fresh and delicious and competitive with conventional foods because you are eliminating the middle man. And in my area the Amish are abundant so I make sure to frequent their homes often for their organic offerings. I just love driving through Amish country, passing horse drawn buggies, looking for signs boasting of farm fresh eggs or homemade noodles. It is an adventure.

Buying in bulk was the next step and this is still my favorite money saving tip. I buy organics in bulk from co-ops for wholesale prices. I also shop at Costco, which has a wonderful selection of organic foods and products. I can get frozen fruit, veggies, peanut butter, jam, crackers, soups, chocolate milk, soy milk, eggs, edaname, yogurt, maple syrup, tea, etc….all organic of course and at killer prices. And while it is not organic I love to buy wild caught salmon there too. It is beautiful and pink without the coloring added to farmed salmon and it is out of this world delicious.

Amazon also has a great selection of organic groceries and shipping costs are no obstacle since it is usually free if you spend over $25.00. Think of the gas money you save by having your groceries delivered to your door.

Coupons for organics were hard to find but I quickly found that if I visited the web sites for organic products that I liked and joined their mailing list I would get free coupons in the mail. Many of the sites also had printable coupons you could get immediately. I joined the advisory panel for Kiwi Magazine and got free magazines (which have coupons) and I also got coupons from affiliated companies. Mambo Sprouts is another source of coupons for organics. And don’t forget other discounts you can get at places like Whole Foods where they will give you a 5 cent credit for each bag that you bring in for your purchases. All these little savings can add up or at least equal a free organic chocolate bar!

The biggest change I made to my shopping regimen began with a change of attitude. You see I grew up in a household that was pretty green but one area that definately wasn’t was the amount of meat that was consumed. My dad was a meat and potatoes man. If the meal didn’t have meat (usually beef) then it just wasn’t a meal…it was more like a snack. It is no wonder that a large portion of my grocery bill was spent on meat and meat is expensive.

Around that time I read an article promoting vegetarianism. The article cited numerous reasons why meat consumption was harmful to the planet and I had to agree. Vegetarianism was not for me personally as I had already tried it for two years when I was a teenager and it did not seem to me the healthiest way for me to eat. I am a true omnivore and dare I say I found myself with an Omnivore’s Dilemma? It was then that I decided that my meat consumption needed to be reduced and I had to change my ideal of what a meal should be. Why must EVERY meal have a meat portion? Well, it no longer has a special place in every meal in our household anymore. Last week our favorite meatless meal was simple and delicious.

* Fresh raspberries, blackberries, and strawberries (local and organic)

* Smoked Gouda (organic from Whole Foods and one variety was local)

* Flax and rye crackers (organic from Costco)

* Cooked yellow beats (organic from Whole Foods)

* 4 types of raw radishes including my personal favorite Daikon (mostly organic and local)

The meal was delicious and my kids loved it. I don’t feel as though I was missing out on anything in the least. In fact the smoked Gouda is so good I feel as decadent eating it as I would caviar. And all things considered the meal was very affordable.

Since organic meat and beef in particular are so expensive I find that I often end up buying more fish now. Wild caught salmon and catfish are big hits in our household and the abundance of healthy oils in fish makes them a better choice too. I make 2-3 fish meals a week and the price tag is much more kind.

I also incorporate more veggies into our meals as fillers. There is a great book called The Sneaky Chef with great recipes for hiding veggies in other foods so picky eaters don’t know the difference. There is even a recipe for hiding veggies in chocolate chip cookies.

All of these changes have been small and gradual but they have made a big impact on our lives, including better health, a more sustainable way of eating, and an AFFORDABLE organic diet.

Technorati Tags: organic, food, groceries, shopping, budget, frugal, meat, vegetarian

I blogged over at Green Options this week about how the world can be changed by making different food choices. Check it out:

The World You Want is at the End of Your Fork