Articles to share, and a giveaway ending!

I just wanted to write a quick post to highlight some good articles and blog posts I've found.



And, to remind everyone to make sure you enter the giveaway for the a personalized onesie, tutu, or set of headbands from Evyn at Sweetpeacentral before it ends tonight! I have one of her personalized "funsies" and I love it. As soon as I think up something creative to say I will have to order another one.  Any suggestions?

I've recently joined Twitter (yes I'm a dinosaur!) and I am amazed at the amount of information that gets passed so quickly.  These are some of my random favorite posts and articles that have been shared recently.  Of course, keep in mind that some of them are blogs written by individuals and I haven't personally researched or confirmed the information there, so your mileage may vary.  Are you on twitter?  Let me know!  If you want to follow my posts, just go to @missionofmama.

• Stop wasting bits and pieces of food...how to put those scraps of food to use: Value Guru Capitalizes on Bits & Pieces
  

•  Save 30% at Gap, Old Navy, or Banana Republic and have 5% of your purchase donated to charity (your choice of three).  Coupon here at Baby Cheapskate
  

• Babies' Foreskins Used to Make Cosmetics - Is This Ethical?
  

• Breastfeeding Picture Gets Couple Charged with Child Porn, Children Taken
  

• Big Target Toy Clearance - up to 75% off starting now!
  

• 5 Greenwashed Myths of the Beauty Industry (And How Not to Fall For Them) since I was just talking about greenwashing. 
  

• "BPA-free" bottles still leach chemical 
  

• Nanotechnology: More Hazardous Than GMOs and Toxic Chemicals? 
  

• USA Today:  Medical group calls for reducing use of BPA

Confessions of an Eco Mommy

I must admit to having a little guilt after my "It's Not Easy Being Green" post. I try, try, try to be green and make good choices, but it isn't always easy! I'm certainly not always a poster child for green living.

Then I read Mom Confessions: Eco Edition at Eco Child's Play and I thought I would join in with a few confessions of my own. You know, assuage my non-green guilt a little. So here goes...

1) I love taking long, hot showers. The kind that turn your skin red and puckery. And I have even been known to take a quick shower, and THEN fill up the bathtub for a little soak. Not often, but sometimes. When it's been one of those days. Ahhhh...

2) I like things. Buying things. Having things. And I like sparkly, shiny, clean new things. I'm not a label diva or brand name goddess, but I do like shopping. And buying. And having. Especially now that I have munchkin and there are so many stinkin' cute baby things. Despite my best efforts to contain it, sometimes the shopping beast rears its ugly head.

3) I do the drive-thru more often than I want to admit. Like tonight, when the fridge is literally bursting with green, organic CSA produce freshly harvested from a local farm, already paid for and sitting at its peak of flavor. So what did Mr. T and I eat? Taco Bell. Sigh. Because it was one of those nights.

4) I often once in a while throw glass into the trashcan. Because our curbside recycler won't accept it. And the nearest drop-off place is about 45 minutes away. And sometimes that 45 minute drive just doesn't get done.

5) I secretly envy my neighbor's plush, green, chemical-laden lawns. As I spend hours on my butt in our dandelion-dense yard, pulling weeds by hand and realizing that the weeds are much faster that I will ever be, I secretly consider going to Lowe's and picking up a bag of weed-and-feed. Because sometimes that corn gluten stuff is for the birds. And maybe if the birds didn't eat it all, it would actually work better on the weeds.

Ok, I feel a little better already. I know, you're judging me, right? But surely, deep down, you have a few confessions of your own. Dare to add them below?

It's not easy being green!

It seems like it should be easier than ever to go green, right? Everywhere you turn, there are new products joining the green team. Even big name companies are joining in the movement, like the Nature's Source products from S.C. Johnson that I featured in two giveaways.

Normally this would be a good thing. Several years ago, when I first started my attempts to be more green, it was so difficult to find good products that were readily available and affordable. Today it is much easier, and the growing awareness means that more and more families are thinking about how they can choose products that are safer for their families and our planet.

Unfortunately, a lot of companies still have a different type of "green" in mind when they think about the growing trend of eco-consciousness. Green as in money, of course. Buzzwords like "natural", "organic", and "earth-friendly" are now plastered across television ads and product labels. It seems like every industry, from computers to cars to cookware, has a new product or campaign that is targeted to be eco-friendly.

But what does it mean? There are some trustworthy seals and certifications out there, but for the most part a company can take any old product and slap a nice-sounding green label on it, when in fact the product is really no different than the conventional version. Hence, the greenwashing that we encounter daily, on the television, in the grocery store, in our news papers and magazine articles.

Parents are no exception to the targeted deception. Think about the average new parent that is suddenly and entirely responsible for such a tiny, vulnerable creature. Many people realize that taking steps to go green is important for the health of our environment and ultimately their own little one. But for someone who is new to the whole thing, it can be intimidating and overwhelming enough to evaluate all of the baby products out there, without even considering the green factor. So many of us see a label that touts "organic" or "natural" and we think, "Ok, great! I'll pick this one so that my little munchkin will be safe and healthy!" Yet the product that we've just spent our money on (often more than we would have spent on a "regular" product)...is in fact filled with all of the same unhealthy junk that we thought we were avoiding.

For example:
- The Serta Perfect Balance Organic Crib mattress is made with "organic cotton layers". Sounds good, right? Especially since crib mattresses are a big source of concern for the scary toxins that they can contain. But although this mattress might contain some organic cotton inside and has a pthalate-free cover, the rest of the mattress contains many of the same concerning ingredients as their conventional mattresses, including their chemical-laden fire-retardants, anti-microbials, and a vinyl cover. So why are we spending more money for that word "organic"?

-Huggies Pure and Natural Diapers "include" organic cotton and recycled fibers. But all in all, are they really that different than standard Huggies? Are they worth the premium price? Should they really offer new moms the peace of mind of a "pure" diaper? No, at least according to Safe Mama who says that in many ways they are identical to their conventional (and cheaper) Huggies counterparts, including potentially nasty ingredients.

- Aveeno Baby Products are "formulated with Aveeno Naturals", like the Soothing Relief Moisture cream that is "enriched with natural colloidal oatmeal". Sounds fabulous, yes? Except they don't broadcast that it also contains methylparaben, ceteareth-6, bezalkonium choloride, and a host of other things that you probably don't want rubbed on your little one's skin. In fact, the Environmental Working Group rates it as a 6/10 (a moderate hazard) on their cosmetics scale.

- Disney Baby "Gentle Naturals" have created a soft, gentle image, and they are proud that they offer "nurturing treatments that are as gentle as a hug from Baby Pooh." For example, their Baby Eczema Wash "is enriched with natural calendula and jojoba". But again, they don't brag about the other ingredients that are certainly not natural, like sodium laureth sulfate, triethanolamine , and several parabens, which have been linked to breast cancer and can mimic estrogen in the human body. Yet how many parents have seen this on the shelf and decided to purchase it as a "natural" alternative for their child?

Unfortunately, until our labeling laws in the US are changed to offer more stringent guidelines, it is up to all of us to spend the time and research to decide if our "green" and "natural" products really deserve that name. And what parent has time to do that? It is sad that it takes this much effort to select products that are natural and safe for the earth and your baby.

If you're interested, here are some more links for information and help in navigating the green labels:
-Safe Mama
-Stop Greenwash.org
-Healthy Child, Healthy World
-Saf Baby
-The Green Parent
- Z Recs' Guide to Safe Children's Products
- Soft Landing Baby

Honey-Roasted Pork Chops - A favorite recipe for the MckLinky Blog Hop

I decided to jump in and try the new(ish) MckLinky Blog Hop!  This week's theme is to post your favorite recipe or dish.  I have a lot of favorite recipes, so I narrowed it down to one that we've been using pretty often lately, thanks to our freezer full of fresh pork.  It really is an autumn dish, a perfect warming meal for crisp nights, but we just discovered it and have made it several times recently.  It is definitely one of our newest favorites, and our friends and relatives who have eaten it have agreed!

The recipe is from The Grassfed Gourmet Cookbook by Shannon Hayes, one of our favorite cookbooks for cooking farm-fresh, pastured meats, although this recipe would be great for any pork chops.  We usually double the recipe and have the leftovers for lunch. I hope you enjoy it, and maybe join in the mcklinky fun yourself!

Honey Roasted Pork Chops with Apples and Onions
2 servings

1 Tbsp salt
1 tsp freshly ground black pepper
3 tsp rubbed sage
1 Tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
2 pork chops (rib, shoulder, loin, or country ribs)[we use bone-in for more flavor and nutrition]
1/3 c apple cider or juice
1 tart, firm apple, cored and cut into thick slices (not peeled)
1 small onion, thinly sliced into rings (we use sweet onion)
1/4 cup raisins
2 Tbsp honey

Preheat oven to 350F.  Combine the salt, pepper, and sage, and rub mix into meat.  Pour the olive oil into a heated overproof skillet, and sear the chops over medium heat about 1 min per side or until browned [we do a little longer on ours].  Remove from heat, add the cider, sliced apple, onion, and raisins.  Drizzle with honey, cover, and roast for 1 1/2 hrs or until fork-tender.

Yum!

Real food - a new movie trailer and some great books!

Like many parents, the arrival of our little munchkin caused Mr. T and I to really consider the food we are serving and eating every day. Not a big surprise, since Americans are one of the populations that buy the most "diet" foods in the world. And yet we are also one of the least healthy - overweight and dealing with nationwide problems of cancer, diabetes, and heart disease.

Mr. T and I have struggled with choosing a healthier diet. What are the best foods to eat? How do you make good choices when those foods that are oh-so-bad for you are the ones that taste oh-so-good? And what about newer studies that show that low-fat "healthy" diets that Americans have been encouraged to eat for years might actually cause more harm than good?

In our reading, Mr. T and I have become increasingly aware of our country's dependence on processed, industrialized food. Much different than the farm-fresh offerings of our grandparents' and great-grandparents' era, today's food in America has become a huge corporate business, driven by the need to create "food" at the lowest possible costs, usually in a laboratory and not in a field.

So, we were both very intrigued to hear about the new film documentary that came out in June, Food Inc. Daniel at the Corganic blog gave a review of it here.

"Food, Inc. exposes America's industrialized food system and its effect on our environment, health, economy and workers' rights."

Unfortunately Mr. T and I haven't been able to see the movie yet. But I have been reading some informative, eye-opening books that will really make you think about food, where it comes from, and what to choose. For example, Nina Planck is a "real food" advocate, shunning margarine and boxed cereal for meat, vegetables, and, oh yes, lard. Lard. Now when have you heard that recommended in the past 50 years? Mr. T read her original book Real Food: What to Eat and Why, while I borrowed a copy of her new book, Real Food for Mother and Baby: The Fertility Diet, Eating for Two, and Baby's First Foods which seemed appropriate for me in my childbearing years. Next on our list is In Defense of Food by Michael Pollan, which was highly recommended to us.

We are fortunate to live near some great local farms, as I mentioned in this post. We currently subscribe to an organic crop share from a farm down the street; buy pork, beef, lamb, and chicken in bulk from local farmers; and have a great small dairy where we buy fresh raw milk and pastured eggs. This season we hope to start our first attempt at canning, and next year we want to actually put in our own garden.

It is a huge change in perspective from anything we have done before, and we do still struggle with the convenience of pizza delivery and dinners-in-a-box. But I hope that we can keep learning and taking baby steps to improve our diet, and to raise our munchkin so that wholesome, real food is her part of her normal.

Quick Green Tips!

Just some random things I've learned recently and thought I should share!

- Organic produce codes - you know how all produce has a 4-digit price look-up (PLU) code that you can use to ring up the price at the register? Well, if you've noticed, some produce has a 5-digit code. What does that extra digit in front mean? Well, if it is a 9, it means that it is organic! So a regular banana has the code 4011...and 94011 is an organic banana! A great way to sort through bins of produce what your store has confusing signs. But watch out - an 8 in front means that the produce is genetically modified...

- Free scrubbies - A great way to re-use AND save money! We all have those nasty messes that require a little extra elbow grease, right? And we probably all have bought our share of scrubby disposable sponges at the store to tackle them. But, if you look around your kitchen produce you can probably find something that you bought in a nylon mesh bag (onions, lemons, potatoes, you get the idea). Instead of throwing out the mesh, wash it with a little soap and water, cut it into an appropriate sized length, and then tuck your dish cloth or microfiber cleaning cloth inside so that the mesh is a pocket around it. Now go to town! You have a gentle, FREE scrubby cloth that creates great lather and will cut through tons of ick. And when you're done, just remove the cloth, rinse the mesh with some soapy water, and hang out to dry. So easy!

- Frugal hand soap - Thanks to a great green friend Misty for this idea! There are many foaming hand soap products that you can buy at the store. Unfortunately, they are expensive to refill and often loaded with toxic checmicals. Misty told me about how she bought the Method foaming hand soap bottles on sale, and then when they were empty, she just refilled them with a mixture of Dr. Bronner's lavender castile soap and water! A great way to save money, use an all-natural product, and help keep germs at bay!

Another Nature's Source giveaway!

I'm excited to offer another giveaway for free bottles of Nature's Source cleaners!

This time, I will be giving away a free bottle to THREE readers! That's right - three winners this time!

We all want a clean house, and we want it as easy as possible, right? Unfortunately, I think most of us are becoming increasingly aware of the dangers that we may face from toxic chemicals, including the health of our families and our global environment. That's why I get so excited to see big-name companies that make an effort to offer safer, more natural products that still have the power to clean.

Nature's Source cleaners are made by the same company that brings you Scrubbing Bubbles and Windex, yet they're plant-based and almost completely all natural. You can usually find them at any local store that carries your favorite cleaning products.

This contest will end on July 8 and I will pick a winner through random.org. Check back to see who wins, and look out for more fun giveaways starting soon - I have some exciting things planned!

To enter this contest:
Go to Nature's Source and find the product that you would like to try if you win, then post it as a comment here. Make sure to leave me your e-mail if you don't have it on your public profile.

For bonus entries:
Do one or all of the following, and leave me a separate comment here for each thing that you do. Make sure you leave a separate comment here for each entry that you earn!

- For FIVE bonus entries, follow my blog via e-mail (then leave FIVE comments here)
- For FIVE bonus entries, follow my blog publicly via subscribtion to a reader (then leave FIVE comments here)
- Write about this giveaway on your blog (and leave me a link to your post)
- Tweet about this on twitter (and leave a link to your twitter account)
- Share a link to this giveaway on your facebook acct (and let me know you did)
- Leave a comment on any other posts on my blog (and leave a comment here for each comment that you post)

And, don't forget to enter my other current giveaways:

Free area rug from CSN rugs - ends July 18th

Your choice of a personalized onesie, custom tutu, or two headbands - ends July 31st

Two blogs to visit

Want a free two-year subscription to Parents magazine, no strings attached, no credit card needed? Go over to A Frugal Friend where she's posted where to find this great deal!


And, if you're a natural mama like me, you know how much thought it takes to select a safe, quality teether for your babe. And if you're like me, you will be delighted to find these adorable wooden teethers at Little Sapling Toys:

Even better, you can go to A Heart for Home and enter to win one for free!

Win soap nuts!

Hmmmm...soap nuts. Is anyone else intrigued by these? Anyone tried them and recommend them?

I was delighted when I recently discovered the blog at Passionate Homemaking because she offers some great recipes and ideas for living naturally on a budget. And of course I was even more excited to see her new giveaway for soap nuts. If you've been wondering about using soap nuts, this is a great chance to win some and try them for free!

Organic Coupons from Stonyfield

Check out these new coupons for some of your favorite organic brands!

Annie's, Stonyfield, Happy Baby, Newman's Own, and more!

Love the WAHMie sites

I have been a little distracted from blogging by the Great Cloth Diaper Hunt. I love a good scavenger hunt, and this one has been quite the challenge! One of my favorite things about it (aside from the thrill of the hunt and the chance to win a prize) is the opportunity to discover new websites and online stores from other moms. I love the unique offerings, handmade items, and the chance to support other moms making a grassroots effort to make a difference.

Some of my favorite things I've discovered so far:

Wool Dryer Balls from Buddha Bunz. We've all seen those plastic dryer balls that promise to give you soft laundry without using expensive and often toxic fabric softener. I've looked at them several times myself, but have always been put off by their plastic/PVC ingredients. After all, it can't be good to heat PVC over and over while rubbing it against your baby's clothes and breathing in the air, right? So I was very excited to see this all natural option available. Not only does it eliminate the need for fabric softener, but Buddha Bunz claims it can also reduce your drying time by up to 50%! Good for the environment, good for the wallet!

Creative Greeting Cards from MA! motherhood with attitude. Send a card that says how it REALLY is for moms! Not your average Hallmark variety and guaranteed to get a laugh.

All Natural Hair Detangler from Blue House Soaps. Our Munchkin has been blessed with a head full of hair. But those long curly tresses turn into a disaster after a long night in bed. I've been wary of the detanglers on the shelf at the drugstore and their long list of chemical ingredients, so I've resorted to slathering baby lotion on the back of Munchkin's head. Not the best look for her. I was so excited to discover this and can't wait to give it a try. One of the great things about Blue House Soaps is that they offer all-natural products that are fragranced only with essentional oils, as well as traditional scents like Chocolate Euphoria and Plumeria.

A great contest!

If I haven't said it before, I love love love etsy. Great products, great people. I may never be the crafty mama I wish I was, but I can live vicariously through everyone else's storefronts.

So of course I was excited when Dee at "Two of a Kind, Working on a Full House" posted her new giveaway for a trio of products from Farmstead Organics. I am drooling over all of the fabulous products that Farmstead Organics offers. Bath products, baby products, yum. And what better way to try them than winning a set for free?

Check out the giveaway for more details!

Free Organic Gardening Magazine!

Gotta love the freebies! Right now, you can join the "Organic Heroes" campaign and get a free subscription to Organic Gardening when you buy one product each from Nature's Path and Organic Valley.

For example, buy a box of cereal from Nature's Path and some milk from Organic Valley, and you're set!

For an even sweeter deal, use the $2 off coupon or one of the coupons from Organic Valley's website.

Three (big) pigs

Lately the talk around our house has been all about the pigs. And no, not because of the swine flu. My husband Mr.T has somehow become a meat broker between our local farmers and about 15 random friends and family members. One advantage to our big move to the country has been access to lots of local farmers for veggies, fruits, and meat. And Mr. T has been taking full advantage of it all, being the king of the carnivores that he has always been.

So our newest endeavor has been to order three pigs (aka hogs for you less romantically inclined). This is our first foray into the world of the pig, and it is an eye-opening experience. Between worms, castration, and pig slop, there is a lot to consider about that pork on your plate.

As I write, we have a large order of pork being processed for us. It is apparently so lean that the butcher can't make any bacon out of it. Mr. T is pretty excited, and has been searching for the most creative pork recipes he can find. If you have any, pass them on!

In the meantime, if you're interested in using local meats, I highly recommend the book The Grassfed Gourmet: Healthy Cooking and Good Living with Pastured-Raised Foods. And you can search for a local source at Local Harvest You see your food in a whole new light once you see the life cycle process from start to beginning.