Cut Down Junk Mail and Save Trees

I would like you to join me in cutting down on junk mail and catalogs.

Catalog Choice is an easy, free service that allows you to decline unwanted catalogs, reducing the number of catalogs in your mailbox and the number of trees that get sent to the paper mill.

GreenDimes is a great service that will decrease the junk mail and catalogs that come to your home by up to 90%. Plus, they will plant 5 trees on your behalf.

Join me by clicking the links below:

Catolog Choice

GreenDimes

Thank you.

529 College Savings

State-sponsored 529 programs are to be the best way to save for college. With 529 plans, college savings grow tax-deferred and many states offer tax breaks for families who participate in them. Also, 529 withdrawals are tax exempt if the proceeds are used for qualified educational expenses.

The challenge with 529 plans is that it is difficult to contribute to them if you are not the owner, making contributions by grandparents and others a hassle.

Upromise has changed that with their Ugift program. It provides a means where 529 account owners can request contributions in lieu of traditional gifts for events such as birthdays and Christmas.

You can read more about the Ugift program by clicking this link.

Join Upromise Today and start saving.

No More Wire Hangers

OMG! I recently cleaned out my closet and I have so many wire hangers. The thought of just throwing them out just bothers me. Did you 3.5 billion hangers ending up in our landfills every year. I read somewhere that not only are wire hangers recyclable, but they're made of steel (North America's Number One Recycled Material), they also contain a minimum of 28 percent recycled content. There should be a wire hanger recycling bin somewhere, but there is no such thing that I know of. They can be taken to a scrap metal dealer.

I have heard that some dry cleaners take back wire hangers and reuse them or recycle them. You can check with your local dry cleaners. Many are no longer taking them.

I think it would be a great community or school project to have a wire hanger drive. Any proceeds can be donated to a charity or to the PTA.

I did find a The Wire Hanger Exchange where you can give your hangers to someone who wants to use them.

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And just where do I find a Farmers Market?

In my last post I mentioned shopping at local farmers markets, but not everyone knows where to find them. I found a great place Local Harvest where you can search by zip code. They also have a nice mail order catalog of things you might not find locally.

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SLOW FOOD MOVEMENT

Have you heard of the Slow Food Movement? The Slow Movement first started when a protest against the opening of a McDonald's restaurant in Piazza di Spagna, Rome sparked the creation of the Slow Food organization. The Slow Food Movement opposes fast food and encourages the enjoyment of regional produce, traditional foods, which are often grown organically and to enjoy these foods in the company of others.

Slow Food organizations promote local artisans, local farmers, and local flavors through regional events such as Taste Workshops, wine tastings, and farmers' markets.

Take the family out to a farmer's market to buy some fresh local ingredients. Gather in the kitchen and let everyone have a hand in cooking up a fresh delicious meal that you can share around the family table. Maybe this can be a new family tradition.

Visit Slow Food International for more information or to join in.

Visit Slow Food USA for chapters in your area.

Getting Cozi

I have been using a neat new product that I think all moms would find very helpful. It’s a free software program called Cozi. It lets me organize and share our family’s calendar. It makes shopping lists that I can print or text to my cell phone. It has a great screen saver that reminds me of upcoming appointments, and it has a cool photo collage. It also includes an easy way to broadcast messages to the whole family by email or text message. I thought you’d like to have a look at it. Cozi

Shop A Little Greener

Surely you know that plastic bags are "OUT" and cute colorful reusable mesh or fabric bags are "IN". You can carry simple bags or make a fashion statement with the wide selection of colorful and decorative bags. Think of them as an accessory like shoes! Eco friendly shopping bags.

National Geographic News reported that between 500 billion and one trillion plastic grocery bags are consumed worldwide each year. That 100,000 birds die annually from encounters with plastic bags and also an estimated 100,000 whales, turtles, and other marine animals.
Let's not forget the fact that each bag takes about 500 years to decompose in a land fill.

You just have to get into the habit of using reusable bags. You can keep the small mesh ones that come in pouches in your purse and keep the larger fabric bags in your trunk. Just be sure to always put them back after shopping.

Save gas and check out The Green Planet Shopping Mall for practical and cute bags.

Water Bottle Safety- How safe is your bottle

Did you know that most water bottles contain BPA. You should never drink from a water bottle that has been left in a hot car and you should not reuse plastic water bottles. I found PRIMO water at my local grocery store. It comes in cases of 16.9 ounce bottles or you can buy PRIMO Bulk, larger 3 or 5 gallon jugs for coolers and crocks. The plastic bottle is made from American grown corn and not crude oil. I always find it on sale and the price is comparable to major brands.

There are many reusable water bottles available on the market now that are safe and BPA Free. Click below for a list:
BPA Free Water Bottles

Beware of BPA In Your Home

Many retailers have pulled BPA containing baby products from their inventory. Make sure all of your baby items are labeled BPA FREE.

Here is a great product called Baby Banquet and it is a BPA Free baby food and toddler snack dispenser and storage unit. You can view images at www.babybanquet.com. It is a clever and unique product that was invented by a Houston couple out of necessity.

This is why you need it:

If you are not aware of this information, please pay attention. BPA is a compound found in many products such as: Water bottles, glasses, tooth sealants, plastic liners in cans, baby toys, bottles, pacifiers, microwave oven ware and utensils.

The problem is that BPA can leach out of plastic during everyday use, causing health problems. Most notably, BPA mimics the female hormone estrogen and may affect fertility and promote cancer. Studies have also found : enlarges prostate, genital deformities, increased cancer rates in certain organs, pancreatic changes that promote insulin resistance, altered thyroid regulation, structural damage to the brain.

• Plastic that contains BPA carries the #7 recycling symbol on the bottom.
  

• Most clear plastic baby bottles and child cups are made of BPA-containing plastic.

• Dental sealant may leach BPA; this is being debated. You may want to avoid dental sealants on your children's baby teeth.

You can minimize your BPA exposure by:

• Replacing plastic food and drink containers and utensils with glass, ceramic or metal varieties.

• Purchasing glass baby bottles.

• Using baby bottles and sippy cups made of polyethylene plastic (#1, #2, #4 recycling symbols) or polypropylene (#5) (these are usually colored, not clear, and should still not be heated).

• Not using canned foods or foods wrapped in plastic.

• Not letting children put plastic toys in their mouths.

• Being careful with BPA-containing plastics, if you choose to use them. This means not exposing them to heat (microwave, dishwasher) or harsh detergents (bleach, etc.) and not letting food or beverages sit in the containers for too long.

IDENTIFICATION OF PLASTICS (let's get technical)

There are seven classes of plastics used in packaging applications. "Type 7" is the catch-all "other" class, and some type 7 plastics, such as polycarbonate (sometimes identified with the letters "PC" near the recycling symbol) and epoxy resins, are made from bisphenol A monomer. When such plastics are exposed to hot liquids, bisphenol A leaches out 55 times faster than it does under normal conditions, at up to 32 ng/hour.^[ Type 3 (PVC) can also contain bisphenol A as antioxidant in plasticizers.

Types 1 (PET), 2 (HDPE), 4 (LDPE), 5 (polypropylene), and 6 (polystyrene) do not use bisphenol A during polymerization or package forming, and thus will not leach bisphenol A into food or beverages.

Getting Social

After the birth of my third child I went from working mother to stay-at-home mom. My life is busy and my days are full raising 3 children and maintaining the house. I love being a stay-at-home mom but I lost that contact with the outside world and also with the friends that I had made. I need to get out and meet other mothers....who, where, how?

There are many "moms groups" out there. One really great one is Moxie Moms. They offer a network for socializing with planned events, discounts on eating out, and shopping. You can search the web for more mommy groups. Many are small local groups and many have national chapters. Meetup is a good resource for all kinds of groups, not just mommy groups. Neighborhood news letters also have listings of local groups. If you prefer a spiritual group, most churches have groups for mothers. Go out, meet, greet, and have fun.

Household Inventory

When tragedy strikes it is too late to wish you had a thorough inventory of your household items. Unfortunately there are fires, floods, tornadoes, hurricanes, and even burglaries. It is definitely an arduous task to inventory an entire household, but the payback is great if the time comes to make an insurance claim.

I found a FREE downloadable software from The Insurance Information Institute called KNOW YOUR STUFF. It has step by step information to make the process easier.