A Seed Has Been Planted

Photo from: mlwhitt

In my post from a couple days ago I told you all how I had been reading over at (seed) and they were inspiring me.  Well, here it is days later and I'm still being inspired by what I read. Last year I set up a square foot garden. Okay, so really I (I as in hubby) built the frame, I read a book about it but I was paralyzed by fear of not being able to do it "right", so that's as far as we ever got with the garden.

I've been thinking the last few days about that garden and how I really want to grow my own veggies this summer.  Not just because it will be less expensive than buying then at the grocery or farmer's market. But also because I can grow them organically, they will be in my yard so our carbon foot print will be virtually nil. I think it's very important to buy local (when you can) because it supports local farmers but also because it's so much better for the environment.  I truly believe that every small step we make towards preserving our plants helps.  I want to be a good example of what I believe to my children.  I can talk to them all day about things like this but if I don't actually do what I talk about, it's nothing more than words.

So this week I'll be getting out some paper and pencil and making some real plans for our garden this year.  It doesn't matter if I don't do it exactly "right" or if only half of it actually grows. What matters is that I'll be taking another step in living an organic lifestyle that is not harmful for the environment.  That's what is important. Thank you (seed) for planting a seed within me to make these changes and for keeping me thinking about what else I can do for my family and the environment.

This post was written as my entry in a contest hosted by Hip As I Wanna Be and (seed) to win a sponsorship to BlogHer 2010.

A Seed Has Been Planted

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The Power of a (Seed)

SEEDology: Everything begins with a seed.

I recently read the story of (seed) and how the (seed) company and products were born. It really got me thinking about our life at home.  Several years ago I switched to natural cleaners, like vinegar, tea tree oil, and borax to clean the house.  Several reasons at the time prompted the change - I was getting migraines from cleaning products, my husband and daughter both have lung issues and the fumes from the cleaning supplies were bothering them daily and I was concerned about the effect these products had on the environment as I used them and discarded them.  The bonus that came from switching was the cost - who doesn't like to save money right?   Last year I switched from using laundry detergent to using soap nuts (I had already switched to vinegar for fabric softener) and I'm really pleased with how soap nuts work.  I try hard to feed my family organic foods when I can.  What goes in our body is so extremely important to our health and that includes the chemicals found in and on our foods.

So you might be asking yourself what else could she possibly need to do for her family?  The one place I've been letting slide by is in the products we use on our bodies.  I've been careful to try and buy products not tested on animals, because I do feel that is important but I've not gone so far as to make sure the products we use are really natural.  I know a lot of products claim that title but not all body care products really are all natural.  This is where (seed) comes in - they are 100% Natural.  Soap isn't really a hard product to find that is all natural but (seed) has an all natural body lotion and an all natural shampoo bar! I am really excited about those two products. Finding a hair care product that is safe for our body and good on the environment is not always an easy task. I've tried no-poo for myself but convincing my family to go no-poo isn't going to happen. I know that I could get them to use a shampoo bar though.

I'm so happy that I have learned about (seed) and that their story has inspired me to take my family's organic living to the next step. You can read their story and look at their products here.  I hope that a seed will be planted in your mind to do something good for yourself today and every day.

This post was written as my entry in a contest hosted by Hip As I Wanna Be and (seed) to win a sponsorship to BlogHer 2010.

The Power of a (Seed)

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Christmas Giveaways from Things Moms Like

Things Moms Like has a couple of really nice giveaways going on that would make fantastic Christmas gifts for the kids. So of course I am entering!

She's giving away two books from Scholastic. The titles are The Nutcracker and the Mouse King and The Christmas Magic.  Both books look beautiful.  Every year I try to purchase a couple new Christmas books to go into our holiday library for the kids.  These books would be beautiful additions.

She's also giving away a Dora the Explorer Christmas CD and a Dora’s Christmas Carol Adventure DVD.  My little E is just starting to like Dora.  We have no Dora DVDs so this would be fantastic. Truth be told I would rather my kids watch DVDs of shows or movies they like rather than TV.  We miss all the commercials and "I want's" that way. :)  I think I might have a little girl here that still would enjoy this too, although she wouldn't admit that in public.

P.S. Both giveaways end today so if you want to enter hurry! :)

Christmas Giveaways from Things Moms Like

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Coffee! Coffee! Coffee!

Things Mom's Like and Coffee for Less have teamed up to give away this Keurig Single Cup Coffee Brewer.I have been wanting one of these single cup brewers for awhile now.  I missed out on the Tassimo Canada giveaway on Twitter so I was thrilled to see that Erin from Things Mom's Like was giving away another brand of single cup brewers.  I looked over at the Coffee for Less site and they have a LOT of flavors I would love to try.  Not just coffee either, there is tea and hot chocolate too. Yum!  So send me lots of  lucky dust that I will be a winner! (oh and if you really want to you could go enter too! No pressure though!)

Coffee! Coffee! Coffee!

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Organic Girl Giveaways - Mega Post!

I've been following the Organic Girl blog for a little while now and finally decided I needed to share her blog with you. She has some fantastic giveaways going on for the babies in your life. So if you have a baby, you're going to have a baby or you know someone who is going to have a baby, go over and check out her giveaways. I promise you won't be disappointed.


The first giveaway is a jungle themed baby gift basket from Gift With a Basket. This basket includes: 7-bib gift set with a different day of the week embroidered onto each bib, an after-the-bath towel with hood, baby wash mitt, rattle, wash clothes, brush and comb set, adorable receiving blanket and fun links toy! ($76 value).

I am hoping to win this for a good friend who is due to have a baby this fall. I really think she will love it!
*Ends August 12th*


The next giveaway is a 'Peanut' shirt by Parade from Cuddly Bunny. The Cuddly Bunny company carries a wide variety of baby gear items for your baby essentials and gift needs! Head over to their site to see all the great things they carry.

I think this little tee shirt will look so cute on my little guy. :)
*Ends August 10th*

Another giveway is this beautiful Pink and Posh Diamond Peony Hat from Pink Bowtique.

"Made with an extra large blooming pink varigated peony securely affixed to a top quality cotton hat. A beautiful silver plated rhinestone jewel sits in the middle of this pretty silk bloom, making it shine!"

Go over to the Pink Bowtique and check out all the other gorgeous handmade hair bows or baby head bands.

I am hoping to win this for the same friend that is due to have a baby girl. :)
*Ends August 14th*

The next exciting giveaway is 1 pair of toddler booties and 1 pair of baby booties from BePe Baby.

I am hoping to win the toddler booties. I live in Canada. In case you didn't know it gets cold here in the winter. My little man needs these little slippers. :)

They are cute, and I love the patterns on all the slippers. These aren't your grandma's slippers. These are some pretty stylish slippers for your kids. Go check them out and enter to win a pair for your little one.
*Ends August 24th*

The next giveaway I want to talk about is a $40.00 Gift Certificate to Chick Pea Boutique.

Chick Pea Boutique offers everything from wooden toys to, Siliskin Bottle Covers, Bamboo Bowls to designer shoes. And everything is super cute! Top quality items to chose from.

If I were to win this gift certificate I think I would chose the cute little JellyCat Rollo Monkey for my little guy, since he loves monkeys. And I would also get JellyCat Truffles Lamb for my friend who is going to have a baby soon.
*Ends August 31st*




This next giveaway is for a package of Ultra Plus Power Laundry Detergent (thats approx. 70-90 loads of laundry) from Norwex Healthy Green Living.

I really like that there is no harmful to the environment chemicals in this laundry detergent. That is very important to me. I also like how many loads of laundry it does and that you only have to use 2 tsp to do a whole load of laundry!

It's safe for newborns and people with sensitive skin or eczema.
*Ends August 24th*


This is a great back to school giveaway - You Name It Baby! is offering a free personalized lunch box for one lucky winner!

The lunch box I would choose is at right. It's called the "Pink Ponies Lunch Box". My little girl is very much into ponies and her favorite colour is pink. I call that a lunch box made in heaven. That's not the only reason though. You Name It Baby! lunch boxes are lead & mercury-free! That's very important to me.
*Ends August 12th*



Next up is a huge giveaway from 3 Little Monkeys. This is a fantastic giveaway. One lucky (I hope it's me) winner will win a Baby Hawk Baby Carrier, a pair of "Ivy league" baby Legs, a Bamboo Spork, a Bummis small bioliner, a set of 3 Sage Creek Organic washcloths. That is a sweeet deal! The one thing I am most excited about is the Baby Hawk baby carrier. I just love wearing Little E and the carrier they are offering is so pretty! The other item I am estatic over is the baby legs. I want a pair of those for E so badly. I think they will be fantastic when I am wearing him this fall and his pant legs ride up. That way his little legs will still stay warm. :)
*Ends September 15th*

Ohhhh how I want to win one of these Baby Hawk Baby Carriers. This one is being offered by The Cloth Diaper Shop. I want one of these carries so badly because I have fallen in love with wearing E on my back. I had to send back the borrowed wrap I was using to do it and if I won one of these I would be back in business. This one is fantastic because the colour of the carrier is pretty gender neutral. Which means daddy could use it. He was so not using the wrap - no interest in that at all. But one of these looks more like a backpack than anything else. So we could take turns wearing E. :)
*Ends September 15th*


Another fantastic giveaway that she is hosting is from baby bellies. They are giving away a jar of their Belly Envy Belly Cream and a baby bellies stainless steel water bottle. baby bellies entire skin care line uses only natural ingredients to hydrate and sooth the skin. I'm all about natural products to use on our bodies and around our home.
*Ends August 31st*

This next giveaway is another great one! It's 2 pair of Monkey Legs from a great Canadian company - Monkey Legs! What cute styles they offer! For the longest time I thought that the leg warmers were pretty much for girls - in their little dresses, nighties, ect. But then I saw their site and realized wow boys can wear these too! What a great thing to put on E when we are baby wearing him in the fall. And what about in the winter when you just going shopping or something so you don't want to do the whole snowsuit thing, but when you pick them up their pant legs ride up...brrrr. This will keep his little legs warm. He needs a pair of these, don't you think? :)
*Ends September 4th*

Last but not least is a sweet giveaway for a little girl or boy. Bamboo Bebe is offering one long sleeved kimono (pink or blue) and one pair of 100% bamboo socks. Are they not the cutest things you have ever seen? Yes, I am once again entering this in hopes of winning for my friends little girl that is on the way. :) She would look so cute in one of these.
*Ends September 5th*

So that's all the giveaways for now. Told ya it was a mega post. ;) Organic Girl is always adding new ones. So go over and check them out. You know, you can't win if you don't enter. :)

Organic Girl Giveaways - Mega Post!

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Things Moms Like is Giving More Away

Things Moms Like is at it again! Yes, and so am I...entering and blogging the giveaways. :) So have you been over to her site since I last blogged some of her giveaways? If not you really have to get over there! She has some of the best giveaways going for the whole family. I think that is so fantastic - stuff for everyone the kids, the babies, and stuff for you. What more could you ask for?!

Today I'm going to share a few of the many fantastic giveaways she has going on with you.

The first giveaway is a 100% cotton, fair trade, tee shirt or onesie for you child/baby from Green as We Grow. This is the first I have heard of this company. And what a great company! It's a mom run business out of the U.S that focuses on green/organic clothing options. They offer crib bedding, onesies and tee shirts (for girls and boys). And the clothing is super cute! The prices are a bit high (to me). I normally try to by second hand for my kids, it's better on the environment and the chemicals are all washed out by the time I buy the clothing, plus everything is worn and soft. But there are occasions that I do by the kids brand new - bithdays, christmas, first day of school. So why not spend a little more and get something that is green/organic. I could still feel good about what I am buying and putting on my kids. What's not to like about that!


The second giveaway is a DVD from Lionsgate Entertainment titled Super Capers. This movie is a comedy spoof on Super Heros. It sounds really funny. I was most excited about this DVD because my husband and I love spoof movies (even if they are cheesy) but they are normally not something the kids can watch with us. Language or inuendos usually keeps it from being a family movie. This movie is different! It's rated PG (Dove rating of ages 12 and up). As the kids get older it gets hard to find a nice family movie that we can all enjoy together without one of the kids saying "this is for babies" or the other saying "this is too scary". I think a good spoof movie is in order at our house!



Up next is a brand new giveaway that I am really excited about. It's for a Anatex Magnetic Trace a Letter from Wooden Toddler Toys.

"With Anatex Magnetic Trace a Letter, ($99 value) children use the magnetic wands to trace the 26 alphabet letters! Magnetic Trace a Letter helps children develop early writing skills. Each letter board has an associated picture and word printed on the bottom, promoting language art skills and teaching letter recognition. Each letter comes with its own wand! (wood box not included). This set is great for ages 3 and up. Each letter measures 4″ x 6″"

This would be a fantastic toy for little E to use for many years. I love the fact that it's a wooden toy. I'm so over the tons of plastic that enters our home in the form of toys. This would be a toy I could save for future grandbabies. :)

So now you've read about the giveaways, click the links and head over to enter them for yourself! Good luck!

Things Moms Like is Giving More Away

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A Baby Bash Giveaway

Two of a Kind,Working on a Full House is hosting a Baby Bash giveaway, if you haven't been over there you should check it out. She is giving away some really fabulous prizes. Some are for US only but others Canadians can enter as well. I almost hate to share them with you because it will lessen my chances of winning but why should I have all the fun?! :)

The giveaway I entered today is for the Crane humidifier. Go right now and take a look at them, I'll wait for you.... Aren't they the cutest things ever! I just love the penguin.

He's so cute!

Want to try to win one of your very own? Head over to Two of a Kind, Working on a Full House now, read the rules and start entering for your chance!

A Baby Bash Giveaway

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Giveaways, Giveaways & More Giveaways

I've been busy tonight. No not cooking, not cleaning...entering contests at Things Mom's Like! Have you been there? Oh my gosh, you have to go over to her site. She has the best giveaways over there. Not all of them Canadians can enter but the percentage that we can enter is really high. Defiantly worth going over and taking a look. There is something for everyone. She does reviews of products as well. So check out what she has tried out and see what she thinks before you go spend your hard earned cash.

Now to share with you all the giveaways I have entered tonight (please don't feel pressured to go enter though, I understand if you are too busy. ;))

First up is Rosie Bear Aunt LaLa's Log Giveaway. This is a fabulous and cute little organizer for new parents. Now I know E is already over a year, but I have all of his weights & heights recorded on a growth chart from the doctor. I could transfer them over. It has a spot for medications, last feedings & diapers (great for newborns when you need/want to keep track of that). You can check out all of the designs they offer for the log at the Rosie Bear website.

Next up, is a Nickelodeon DVD called The Wonder Pets "Ollie's Slumber Party" Giveaway. This show on Nick Jr is not only one of my children's favorites but also one of mine. I just love when they sing "The phone, the phone is ringing.." So cute! So if your kids are a fan of this show you should also put in an entry or two to win. Go read Things Mom's Like review of the video for more information about the program.

Another giveaway that is soo darling is the Lil' Miss Diva Dress Giveaway. These dresses are so cute! She is giving away 2 different ones. One for the little girls (sizes 3mon - 24 mon) that is a bloomer 2 peice dress. (A dress with a bloomer diaper cover). And a sweet dress for the bigger girls (2T to 12yrs). Go check out the giveaway to see the exact designs that are up for grabs and head over to Lil' Miss Diva too see what other things you can buy for your Lil' Diva.

This next giveaway is fantastic for all of us busy moms who want to be organized and on time to all of those appointments. It is the WhoMi How Do I Do It? Planner Pad for Busy Women Giveaway. This is something I can carry around with me to appointments and to school meetings and it isn't going to take up tons of room in my bag. The layout and the extra pockets for recipets and business cards are sure to help me stay organized (I would hope anyhow). It really looks fantastic. The WhoMi website has other products that look fantastic as well.

This one is another Nickelodeon DVD giveaway called Nick Jr. Ni Hao Kai Lan Great Trip To China. My daughter just loves the show Ni Hao Kai Lan. I don't let my kids watch a whole lot of tv (mostly because I hate the I wants that comes with seeing all the commercials), but we love a great DVD. And since this is something she loves I just couldn't resist entering. Check out what Things Mom's Like has to say about this DVD and then put in your entry.

My last and final entry for the night was for the Zumba® Fitness Total Body Transformation Collection Giveaway. This workout collection looks fantastic and fun! I went to the Zumba website to see if there were any classes locally and the closest one to me is over an hour away, so the DVD collection would be a fabulous win. They do offer classes worldwide though, so if you don't win definately check to see if there is a class near you. The classes sound very fun!

This is just a small sampling of the giveaways that Things Moms Like is offering. Even if one of these isn't something you would fancy go over to her site and see whatelse she is offering. I'm sure there is something that you will just have to try to win.

Good night & good luck!!

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Giveaways, Giveaways & More Giveaways

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Canadian Only Giveaway!

Two of a Kind, Working on a Full House is giving away a cloth swim diaper! The contest is open to Canadians only and I thought it only fair to share with any of my readers that might be Canadian. There aren't very many giveaways (especially baby products) that are aimed only at us. So here's your chance!

The Swimmi Reusable Swim Diaper is sold by New & Green Baby Co. They are based out of Vancouver. You must check out their website if you are a cloth diapering mommy. The have everything you can possibly imagine for cloth diapering.

Head over to Two of a Kind, Working on a Full House's website to read the full review of the Swimmi Reusable Swim Diaper and to enter for your chance to win!

Good Luck!

Canadian Only Giveaway!

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