Mindful Momma

Win a 3 Month Subscription to Conscious Box!

I'm in the mood for a giveaway. How about you?

Conscious Box, one of my favorite monthly product subscription services, has just relauched their website, making it easy for users to rate and purchase the green & health focused products they find in their boxes. To celebrate, they are allowing me to do a giveaway of a 3 month Conscious Box subscription!

Conscious Box is different every month, but you can be sure it is filled with really high quality products. Here is one I received awhile back. I was thrilled to get a new glass straw and another handy PeopleTowel. The Dr. Singha's Mustard Bath packet was perfect when I was sick with the flu. Plus I got to try some new snacks and lotions!

5 Craft Kits That Boys Will Dig

All this talk about fostering imagination in your kids has got me thinking about arts & crafts projects. My youngest son is 8 years old and still loves to do crafts (see him proudly holding up a dragon puppet he made in school?) At almost 13, my oldest son is less enthusiastic about making crafts but more inclined to do a science project or two.

Over the years we have dabbled in many types of crafts, from junk sculptures (made out of whatever recycled materials you have on hand) to felted sweater coasters to homemade yarn pom-poms. We keep a bin of supplies in the basement for whenever boredom strikes.

Craft Kits to the Rescue!

When the creative inspiration (or stash of supplies) is not all there, it's nice to simply pull out a box with a craft idea ready to go. In the past few years, a number of new craft kits have come onto the scene and many of them have projects geared toward boys. I don't typically emphasize gender differences but there are plenty of crafts that my boys are not interested in and having grown up in a household full of girls, I know the opposite can be true as well.

It's Never Too Late For Chocolate (Win Some!)

Lookie what showed up in my mail box on the day after Valentine's Day! It may have been a day late but I'm not complaining - every day is a chocolate day in my book!

These chocolate bars from Chuao Chocolatier (pronounced chew-WOW) are made from Venezuelan chocolate and other natural ingredients. The chocolate is ethically sourced and fair trade prices are paid to farmers. (As there is no fair trade certification for chocolate in Venezuela yet, they are not officially Fair Trade certified.)

The good news for you is that the company is giving away a year's worth of chocolate plus other weekly chocolate prizes! Just head over to the Chuao Chocolatier Facebook Page to enter. The contest will be open through February 28th, 2013. Good Luck!

What's your favorite ethically sourced chocolate brand? 

Practically Green on Kindle for iPad

Maybe I've been living under a rock but I only recently discovered that you can read Kindle books on an iPad. Exciting news for someone who has an iPad but no Kindle! Turns out there's an app for that - It's called Kindle for iPad and you can get it for free through Amazon.

Guess what the first book I downloaded was? My own book Practically Green: Your Guide to EcoFriendly Decision-Making of course! It was fun to see it on the big screen for the first time! 

If you are interested in getting a copy for your Kindle or iPad, it's just a couple of clicks away! Here's a peek at what's inside the book (read more about it here):

• Copy & Clip guides that simplify shopping
• At-a-glance charts and lists that break down complicated information in an easy-to-understand manner.
• 30+ easy, earth-friendly DIY projects and ideas
• Healthy recipes for things like sustainable snacks and greener lunches
• Essential information to help you make smart, greener choices for your family

I'd be so honored if you picked up a copy!

Top Natural Skin Care Products

Taking good care of my skin has ranked high on my priority list for most of my adult life. I had the good fortune to learn a lot about safer, natural and organic ingredients when I worked as a buyer for a local bath and body care company years ago. My luck continued when I started this blog and skin care companies started pitching me to review their brands. Yes, I'm a bit spoiled and my skin is very happy about it!

Out of a slew of products I've either purchased myself of been sent for review, here are a few that rose to the top: 

1. Facial Cleanser

AnnMarie Gianni Aloe Herb Facial Cleanser - Having heard good things about the AnnMarie Gianni line of skin care products, I took a chance and purchased this cleanser and I have not been disappointed. The creamy formula is good for my dry skin and I love that it contains antioxidants to prevent and repair free radical damage. $24 for 50 ml

Brownie Points - Love that this line is packaged in glass instead of plastic.

Better Life Green Cleaning Product Giveaway

Like I said in my recent post about favorite green cleaning products, the chore of cleaning can be greatly improved when you use naturally fresh smelling products that you know are non-toxic and better for the earth rather than nasty chemical-laden sprays that give you an instant headache. Yes, it's still a thankless job, but it needs to be done so why not make the best of it?

You may know, I'm a big fan of Better Life and have been partnering with them to help spread the word about their brand. I'm excited to offer you a chance to win some of their eco-friendly cleaning products!

Better Life Starter Kit

If you are just getting started switching over to greener cleaning products, the Better Life Starter Kit is the perfect place to begin. The kit comes with 4 of their most popular cleaning products, along with a few handy microfiber cloths thrown in to boot.

Here's what you get:

• what-EVER Sage & Citrus All-Purpose Cleaner
• Simply Floored Floor Cleaner
• Even The Kitchen Sink Cleansing Scrub
• I Can See Clearly, WOW! Glass Cleaner
• Six compartment tote
• Scrubbing microfiber (dark blue)
• General purpose microfiber (green)
• Glass and polishing microfiber (light blue)

Top Green Cleaning Products

I'm not exactly a clean freak. In fact, I wouldn't be sorry to give up cleaning forever. That said, I have found that making an effort to use safe, environmentally friendly cleaning products does make the process a little easier. Gone are the harsh, toxic products that I used to use years ago and instead my home is stocked with naturally fresh smelling products that still are tough on dirt and grime.

My cupboards are full of many different brands (as well as my workhorse baking soda and vinegar), but here are a few newer products that I've been experimenting with lately:

Laundry Detergent

Whole Foods Organic Laundry Detergent - This newish line of cleaning products sold under the Green Mission™ label (pictured above) is USDA certified organic and garners the highest rating on Whole Food's Eco-Scale rating system for cleaning products. My first reaction was that the watery liquid (based on organic soap nuts) wouldn't really clean my clothes but I after putting the detergent to the test, I was pleasantly pleased with the results. $13.99 for 100 oz (100 HE or 66 standard loads).

Thumbs up: Full ingredient list on label. Scores well on the EWG Healthy Cleaning Database. Love the subtle lavender scent. The Organic Dishwasher Gel is a winner too.

Second thoughts: Despite the claims, a grease stain is tough to remove with this detergent even after pre-treating (stain remover is still my best friend in the laundry room). This thin liquid detergent is easy to overpour. I marked the lid with a sharpie pen to keep better track of the dosage.

Eco Friendly Nursery, Detox Diet and Eco Craft of the Week

Eco Friendly Nursery Ideas

Are you pregnant or know someone who is? I've got some tips for putting together an eco friendly baby nursery over at Zenoobi. I'll be writing a monthly blog post for them so check it out if you have a chance! And while you're there, check out their web store too. Zenoobi is a great resource for eco friendly baby furniture, gear and clothing!

Traditional Medicinals: More Than Just Herbal Tea

Winter is tea time for me. In the morning you'll definitely find me clutching a cup of coffee but come afternoon or evening, it's a cup of herbal tea that I crave. Tea warms me up on a cold, Minnesota day and is a flavorful drink between meals. But more and more often I reach for tea to help improve my health in some way, whether it's to stave off a cold, calm a cough or help me relax.

The Traditional Medicinals Difference

One thing I have often wondered about tea was whether or not there is a big difference between brands. I mean, I certainly have my favorites but I wondered, could the quality really be different between say two different brands of peppermint tea leaves?

Well it turns out there is a difference. In reading up on Traditional Medicinals, I learned that their teas are more than just good tasting, herbal blends. They are true herbal supplements, made with health and wellness in mind. Traditional Medicinals uses pharmacopoeial quality herbs which deliver much stronger health benefits than food grade herbs. This is a very high standard for the quality, purity, strength, identity and composition of the plants.

Dolphin Organics Gift Sets {+ a Giveaway!}

About Dolphin Organics

Dolphin Organics is one of my preferred brands for kids personal care products so I was thrilled when they decided to become an advertising sponsor of Mindful Momma! If you are not familiar with the brand, read what I had to say in a past blog post about Dolphin Organics. In a nutshell they are a safe and effective brand from a neat little parent-run business that you can totally trust!

Gift Sets

Dolphin Organics has put together some really cute gift sets for the holiday season. The set shown at the top of the post includes full sized bottles of the tear-free Baby Shampoo & Body Wash, Conditioner, Bubble Bath, Hypoallergenic Lotion and the SPF32 mineral sunscreen. Get it in the Simply Citrus fragrance or in Fragrance Free if you prefer. The set also comes in the Norfolk Lavendar scent without the conditioner.

Dolphin Organics also has a new line aimed at teens called Do Naturals. Choose from the basic Do Naturals gift set with 5 products including the Just Berry Shampoo, Conditioner, Body Wash, Moisturizer and Detangler.

Or go all out with the Do Naturals Diva Set that also includes a reusable drink tumbler and tote bag. An awesome gift for a teen girl, don't you think?

 

A Giveaway and a Coupon Code!

Dolphin Organics is offering a $50 gift card to one lucky Mindful Momma reader! Just use the Rafflecopter form below to enter. The giveaway will run through midnight on Thursday, December 20th, 2012. Good luck!

Want to place an order? Use code MMFIVE for $5 off your order of any size.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

(Disclosure: Dolphin Organics is a paid advertiser on Mindful Momma.)