Swaddle Babies

You might remember my review and giveaway of Swaddle Babies a few months ago. If you weren't with me, check it out. :)
Since Priscilla custom made Ella- yes, the doll is Ella 2, my Ella has slept with her every night. Before bed, she asks for "her beautiful pink Ella baby." It's too cute!! Ella never cuddled with a doll/stuffed animal before her Swaddle Baby. She did sleep with her stuffed animals at the end of her bed, but none were deemed worthy enough to sleep next to her. I never thought in a million years she'd love this doll as much as she does. I've been really happy that after 4 months, her Swaddle Baby is still bed worthy.

Now, Swaddle Babies has added a new fabric to their blankets- organic fleece!

I love how vibrant the new fabrics are!! I'm going to have to order another one to add to Ella's collection. Priscilla has cut her prices until Dec. 11 and has a holiday deadline for Dec. 15 if you want to order a custom made doll before Christmas.

Each Swaddle Baby is custom designed and personalized with a name embroidered on the tag. Swaddle Babies are snuggled in your choice of organic cotton fleece, cotton velour or Minky fabrics. Each one is crafted with organic cotton knit, organic eco-wool, organic thread, and a variety of natural and organic handspun yarns. They are so sweet looking and great for any aged child.

If you sign up for the Swaddle Baby newsletter you can get special deals and discounts! Happy shopping!!

My Precious Kid Giveaway

Obviously child safety is important to me. I wasn't one of those neurotic parents who worried about everything when Ella was born. I became that person once she became mobile and got into everything. Last year, around this time, we were at the mall and Ella ran and got lost in the crowd. This was only for a total of 30 seconds, but in that 30 seconds my heart stopped. I felt like such a bad parent for letting her out of my sight. I rushed out and bought a backpack bear "leash" to make sure that it didn't happen again. I know you can't keep your child on a leash forever, so I came up with a backup plan. I now feel safe having my Child Safety ID Pack from My Precious Kid and if you don't have one... you need to keep reading!

My Precious Kid sells child safety products and baby gear. They carry feeding accessories, baby products, child ID kits, home and child safety items, personalized products, potty training, and safety education media. Kay Green started the company with her Child ID products filling a need for homeschooled and adopted children. My Precious Kid began in 2001 with just one product. Now they carry over 150!

My Precious Kid sent us their Child Safety Pack and it is a must have for any aged child. The kit comes with 1 - Child ID Card, 1 - Child Car Seat ID Card, 1 - Medical Release Card, 1 - Child Luggage Tag ID Card, 2 - Shoe ID Stickers, 1 - Disposable Child ID bracelet , and 1 - Child DNA Fingerprint Kit.The cards have a self seal pouch that protects the photo and medical release signature. I love the car seat ID card. I never thought about that before. Ella sometimes rides with her friends and if they were in an accident, they wouldn't know who Ella was. So having the ID card, with a medical release signature, makes me feel more at ease when she's riding with someone else. Also, if we were to get in an accident and I was unconscious, the medical team will be able to know her info and who to call.

The DNA kit is something I hope to never use, but I think it's a great idea. You just swab the inside of your child's mouth and place in the pouch, which is then stored in the freezer. The DNA kit also comes with a finger print kit. So if something were to happen to your child, you'll have everything you need to give to authorities to speed up the process of finding your child.

I was also sent The Child Safety Guide for New and Expecting Parents and it's a great resource guide to help protect your baby. The books tells new parents what to look for in car seats, crib safety, infant products, hazards and more! It is a must have for every new or expecting parent. I wish I had this before Ella was born. I never thought about some of the things in the book. This would be a great baby shower or welcoming home gift!

My Precious Kid has tons of information on their site and blog. They even have a free Vial of Life Program that allows you to print out forms, labels and instructions in case of an emergency. The Vial of Life Program is recognized by paramedics and ambulances nationally. For each family member, you prepare a medical form that tells about your medical history, medications, and allergies. It also has emergency contact numbers. Then the form is folded and placed into an empty pill bottle. The a VIAL of LIFE symbol is placed on the outside of the bottle, on the outside of the refrigerator and on your front window pane. The vial is place inside your refrigerator under the top shelf. In the case of an emergency in your home the paramedics are trained to look for the Vial of LIFE symbol on refrigerators. They then have access to your medical history, medications and allergies. They also have a list of emergency numbers to call. You can also place the same form in your glove box and place the sticker on the outside to protect your family in the car too.

The Discount: You can get 10% off your first order by entering 10FLL09 at the checkout!

The Giveaway: My Precious Kid would like to give 1 lucky winner a Child ID Kit plus The Child Safety Guide for New and Expecting Parents. They also would like to give 5 lucky winners a Car Seat ID Card!
Rules: You have until 11:59 p.m. EST December 21, 2009 to enter. The winner will be chosen by random.org and announced after they respond to the winning email. The winner has 48 hours to respond to the winning email, or a new winner will be chosen. You must leave your email address! This contest is open to the US

How to Enter: Go to My Precious Kid and tell me something else you like! Make sure to leave your email address!! I cannot contact the winner without it!

EXTRA entries: You must complete the "How To Enter" before making any extra entries. Make sure you leave a comment for each extra entry and tell me which one.

2. Become a fan of Mkokopelli on FB, Mkokopelli on Twitter, or Follow my blog
3. Subscribe to my blog by email (on the right sidebar) You must verify and be active at the time of the giveaway- those who are unverified will become disqualified
4. Blog, Tweet or send a message on FB and leave a link here (3 extra entries total)
5. Enter another giveaway I have going on and tell me which one or leave a comment on a non-giveaway post (1 entry total)
6. Tell me why you want a Child ID Kit
7. Become a fan of My Precious Kid on Facebook
8. Follow My Precious Kid on Twitter
9. Subscribe to the My Precious Kid Blog

Your Input

I hope everyone is enjoying the holiday season! It's happening WAY too fast! I started working on events for January and was wondering what you'd like to see more of? Less of? Any ideas or input would be great! :)

Winners!

Congrats to Leonard Family for winning the Curious Chef giveaway!!

Congrats to moushka and Birdson for winning the Little Green Books Gift Set!!

Congrats to Shelly, Tamara, and Eco-Friendly and Frugal for winning the Little Green Books Santa Is Green book!!

Congrats to Ladybug Mama of 2 for winning the Orglamix giveaway!!

Congrats to little bird for winning the Clementine Art giveaway!!

Congrats to Carolsue for winning the ecoTimeToys.com giveaway!!

Congrats to chani for winning the Little Zen Minds Pandabo game!!

Congrats to Connie for winning the Transformational Jewelry giveaway!!

Congrats to Michele P. for winning the Snug Organics Sleeper!!

Thanks to all that entered!! Here are the giveaways ending this week:

• Go Green Items Recycled Rubber Wallet Ends 12/7
• Organic Sleepy Bear from Sleepy Wrap Ends 12/8
• Atlantis Natural $20 GC Ends 12/9
• Ecorations $20 GC Ends 12/10
  
• Pedoodles Shoe of Choice Ends 12/11
• Late July Mini Cookie Variety Pack Ends 12/12
• Celery Street Overnight Bag Ends 12/13

Franklin Goose Giveaway

There is a new Eco-friendly store that I'm excited to share with you! Franklin Goose opened a few months ago and they sell over 1,300 products just for your child. They carry organic and natural: clothing from infant-6T- including underwear and socks, diapers and accessories, feeding gear, furniture, toys, books and DVDs, baby gear, health and safety, nursery items, gifts, bath and potty and things for the family. This truly is a 1 stop shop!!

Franklin Goose is dedicated to offering the best organic, natural, and Eco-friendly products available. They want to make shopping easier for you so that you can find everything in one place. Franklin Goose is still growing, so more items will be available in the future!!

I was browsing the Franklin Goose website and I inquired about a toy because I had never heard of the company. They told me they were actually taking that company's toys off their site because they found out that they use melamine in their puzzles and wouldn't confirm that their wood glue didn't contain formaldehyde. After Franklin Goose told me that, I knew this was a store that I could truly trust. There are so many companies that sell items that claim to be Eco-friendly when they aren't.

Franklin Goose has over 400 safe toys to choose from including brands like Plan Toys, ImagiPLAY, Clementine Art, Green Toys, Haba, Under the Nile and more!

Franklin Goose sent Ella Organic Thermal Long Johns from Lapsaky to review.The organic thermal's are PBDE free and meet the CPSC's requirements for non-fire retardant treated sleepwear. They are stretchy, yet they have a tight fit. Ella was sent the 4/5T and they are snug, yet she has room to grow in them. The ankle and wrist stay in place since the pj's are designed to fit through the end of the size range. I love she will be able to wear them again next year!

The Long Johns are really soft even though they have a woven pattern. I love the gusset butt on the bottoms. They are really too cute! I thought I had taken pictures, but I can't find them... it's been a long week! The Organic Thermal Long Johns come in sizes 12-18 mo.- 8 yrs. They also have multiple colors and patterns. You can purchase the Organic Thermal's at Franklin Goose for $34-$38.

Franklin Goose has a flat shipping rate of only $5! They also have an amazing registry and wish list so you can send to your family and friends. Right now Franklin Goose is in the giving spirit and wants to grant some holiday wishes until Christmas. All you have to do is create a wish list or baby registry and they will be doing random drawings for one of the items on your list. All they ask is if you win, you write why you wanted the gift so they can post on their blog! I created a wish list last month and it was really easy. Your family can search your name on the left... it's that simple!

The Giveaway: Franklin Goose would like to give 1 lucky winner a $25 Gift Certificate to their site

Rules: You have until 11:59 p.m. EST December 17, 2009 to enter. The winner will be chosen by random.org and announced after they respond to the winning email. The winner has 48 hours to respond to the winning email, or a new winner will be chosen. You must leave your email address! This contest is open to the US

How to Enter: Go to Franklin Goose and tell me what you'd use your GC on if you won. Make sure to leave your email address!! I cannot contact the winner without it!

EXTRA entries: You must complete the "How To Enter" before making any extra entries. Make sure you leave a comment for each extra entry and tell me which one.

2. Become a fan of Mkokopelli on FB, Mkokopelli on Twitter, or Follow my blog
3. Subscribe to my blog by email (on the right sidebar) You must verify and be active at the time of the giveaway- those who are unverified will become disqualified

4. Blog, Tweet or send a message on FB and leave a link here (3 extra entries total)
5. Enter another giveaway I have going on and tell me which one or leave a comment on a non-giveaway post (1 entry total)
6. Become a fan of Franklin Goose on Facebook or follow on Twitter (1 entry each)
7. Subscribe to the RSS Feed on the Franklin Goose Blog
8. Create a wishlist or registry and leave your last name
9. Add my Eco-friendly Holiday Gift Guide to your blog or Facebook page


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New disclaimer: I was sent this item to review from Franklin Goose. This is NO way changes my opinions about the products or company. These are my thoughts, opinions and results.

Wild Dill Giveaway

I found Wild Dill while doing a clothing search a while back and fell in love. It's so hard to find organic toddler clothing in 4T! They carry amazing clothing brands like Kate Quinn, speesees, Soft Star Shoes, Babysoy, Under the Nile, Bacche and more.

Wild Dill not only carries a wide selection of organic clothing for ages 0-5T, they also have awesome eco-friendly toys, bedding, furniture, gift sets and more! You can find toys for infants to preschoolers. Wild Dill and I have very similar taste, so you can majority of the products I've reviewed in their store! They carry Clementine Art, Green Toys, Imagination Box, ImagiPLAY, Plan Toys and more!

Wild Dill sent Ella a set of Uncle Goose Groovie Math Blocks and they are the coolest blocks I've ever seen!The Groovie Math Blocks come with 28 blocks with debossed numbers, math symbols, and geometric shapes for ages 2+. The blocks have 2 sets of number from 0-9. They are made in the US out of basswood and painted with a non-toxic child safe paint that has been tested by third parties. So no lead worries! They are high quality, vibrant blocks that will capture your child's attention for hours. What I love is that these blocks can grow with your child. There are 4 debossed blocks with subtraction, addition, multiplication and division symbols so you can teach your child basic math problems. They are awesome math manipulatives!

This has been one of Ella's favorite holiday review toys. She loves to stack and build and has tons of blocks... But these have been so much more! The Groovie Math Blocks are helping her recognize numbers and patterns, count, and match geometric shapes. She also loves that the blocks link together. The ways you can play with the blocks are endless. You can get the Groovie Math Blocks at Wild Dill for $38 and they are totally worth the price. Wild Dill also carries Uncle Goose ABC blocks and Uncle Goose Antics Ant Blocks for ages 2+.

If you sign up for the Wild Dill newsletter you will get 15% off your purchase. So be sure to sign up and get some great deals for your holiday shopping! You can also create a wish list to send to your friends and family if they need ideas for your little ones. :)

The Giveaway: Wild Dill would like to give 1 lucky reader a $25 Gift Certificate to their site!

Rules: You have until 11:59 p.m. EST December 15, 2009 to enter. The winner will be chosen by random.org and announced after they respond to the winning email. The winner has 48 hours to respond to the winning email, or a new winner will be chosen. You must leave your email address! This contest is open to the US and Canada

How to Enter: Visit Wild Dill and tell me what you'd use your GC on if you won. Make sure to leave your email address!! I cannot contact the winner without it!

EXTRA entries: You must complete the "How To Enter" before making any extra entries. Make sure you leave a comment for each extra entry and tell me which one.

2. Become a fan of Mkokopelli on FB, Mkokopelli on Twitter, or Follow my blog
3. Subscribe to my blog by email (on the right sidebar) You must verify and be active at the time of the giveaway- those who are unverified will become disqualified

4. Blog, Tweet or send a message on FB and leave a link here (3 extra entries total)
5. Enter another giveaway I have going on and tell me which one or leave a comment on a non-giveaway post (1 entry total)
6. Sign up for the Wild Dill Newsletter
7. Become a Fan of Wild Dill on Facebook
8. Tell me something you learned on the Wild Dill website
9. Add my Eco-friendly Holiday Gift Guide to your blog or Facebook page


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New disclaimer: I was sent this item to review from Wild Dill. This is NO way changes my opinions about the products or company. These are my thoughts, opinions and results.

The Soft Landing's Ebook Download

This is from The Soft Landing's Blog -written by Alicia :

The Environmental Working Group just released the results of a 2 year study where the umbilical cord blood of 10 random infants was tested for chemical pollutants. BPA was detected for the first time ever – but it wasn’t the only offender – 231 other contaminants were found as well. This research demonstrates that industrial chemicals are able to cross the placenta in large numbers to contaminate a baby before birth. We have more confirmation now than ever before that avoiding industrial chemicals whenever possible is extremely important for both children and pregnant moms.

The tough part is making your way through multitudes of unlabeled products to make safer choices – but don’t worry, we summarized our own experience with toxins in eating gear and toys to help you out! Click the image below to download our new ebook “Avoiding Toxic Plastic” to use as a getting started guide.

What’s Included in the Guide

• Three common chemicals that have been linked to endocrine-disrupting health damage
• Clues to identifying them in household products
• Tips to help you avoid them with ease
• Resources for more in-depth reading
• Action steps for demanding change in U.S. chemical policies

Coupons

I was just introduced to a site that has amazing coupon deals and thought I'd share them with you! Dealblabs.com is a coupon site that is totally transparent: no secret relationships with retailers, no special incentives, no fine print. They review each coupon they display for accuracy, relevancy and timeliness. A lot of other sites mislead consumers and offer expired coupons. Happy shopping!

Maukilo Giveaway

Still looking for toys to buy on your holiday list? I was contacted about a great site that sells tons of Eco-friendly toys called Maukilo. They carry products made for babies, toddlers, and kids that are sure to inspire their imagination! They carry brands like Haba, Green Toys, Plan Toys, Plasma Car, Sarah's Silks and more.

Ella was sent the BlaBla Anemone Mermaid Knit Doll to review and she is extra special.Ella has renamed her Ariel, though her hair is rainbow and not red. The 17' Mermaid is hand knitted by Peruvian artisans. They use natural grown cotton grown in Peru. She is also made with non-toxic dyes. The Mermaid is extra soft and plush, which has been perfect for snuggling. Ella has been very picky with who gets to sleep with her and "Ariel" has joined the pack- on most nights.

We've been BlaBla fans for a couple of years when Ella's aunt bought her a BlaBla Butterfly backpack. I love the details and quality of their products. You can find 42 BlaBla dolls to choose from on Maukilo!

Maukilo has put together a Gift Guide for their site and I thought I'd share it with you!

For Babies

HABA Pixie Clutching Toy • Ages 6M+ •$16.19
A mini-world on a rattle! Four fun wooden shapes are seamlessly attached to a wooden rattle. The rattle helps baby develop fine motor skills and sensory perception. Made in Germany.

HABA Cuddling Town Fabric Bricks • Ages 6M+ • $25.19
Every master builder has to get their start somewhere! Includes six fabric building blocks with visual and acoustic elements—a chirping worm, magnetic flap, net, mirror, or crackling blossom. Made in China.

For Toddlers

Plan Toys Stacking Ring • Ages 2+ • $16.19
A classic stacking toy. Try to stack the rings in order of size and color. Encourages counting, color and size recognition. Made in Thailand.

HABA Ducky Duck pulling animal • Ages 1+ • $26.99
A classic pull toy with a twist. Pull the string and Ducky waddles across the floor! Made from beechwood and brightly colored with child safe paints. Made in Germany. *Named a 2009 Best Toy of the Year by Parents Magazine

For Girls

HABA Bluemchen Jewelry Case • Ages 3+ • $12.59
A perfect place to store all of your jewelry, in a case that’s as pretty as what you store inside. Colorful jewelry case embroidered with beads and colorful flower décor on top. Made in China.

BlaBla Anemone Mermaid Knit Doll • Ages 2+ • $43.99
Hand-knit 17” mermaid, complete with scaly tail and colorful hair. Knit by Peruvian Artisans.

For Boys

HABA Terra Kids Pocket Magnifying Glass • Ages 8+ • $8.99
Kid- and travel-friendly pocket magnifying glass. Comes with two shatterproof glass lenses, one magnifies and one gives a kaleidoscope effect. Protective Cordura sleeve protects the glass and metal carabineer clip is perfect on-the-go. Made in China.

Automoblox Mini Set of 3 • Ages 3+ • $25.95
Perfect for the little car-enthusiast. Scaled down versions of the full-sized Automoblox, but still just as fun! Set includes Mini A9S Compact in Yellow, X9X Sport-Utility in Blue, and M9 Sport Van in Purple. Each car is approx. 4” long, 1.5” high. Made in China. *Named a 2009 Toy of the Year by Parenting Magazine

For Families

GEO Toys GeoPuzzle Animals • Ages 4+ • $14.95
GeoPuzzles make learning world geography fun! As children assemble this 68-piece puzzle they learn which animals are found on which continents. Made in Germany.

HABA has become an industry leader in children’s games over the past decade, thanks largely to their approach to writing game instructions. They believe by offering multiple play variations for different skill levels, they increase the value and the lifespan of the game. They’re also one of the few game manufacturers that makes cooperative games, so that siblings work together to complete the game instead of competing against each other.

HABA Castle Knights • Ages 5+ • $24.99
The knights are racing to build the towers before King Duncan gets home! Players use a stretchy band, not their hands, and together lift and build different castle towers shown on the picture cards. But watch the timer - you have to move quickly. Build a tower on each of the three levels before the King's arrival. Cooperative game designed for 2-4 players.

HABA Pirate Joe Mini Game • Ages 4+ • $12.59
A game of quick reactions. Players wear the included eye patches, and roll the die to determine what to do, if it’s the cannon—clap your hands together and say “Boom!” The last to do it gets a scar drawn on their face with the included face paint pencil. The first pirate to get 5 scars loses, and the person with the least number of scars is the winner. For 2-4 reckless pirates.

The Caravan Game • Ages 6+ • $21.59
The caravan moves through the scorching-hot desert. The heat, dunes and mirages hamper the camels’ progress. Watch out for sudden sandstorms that pop up and get the camels misdirected! With some tactical thinking and luck, the player with the most camels at the oasis is the winner. Great family game! For 2-4 players.

The Giveaway: Maukilo would like to give 1 lucky winner a $25 GC to their site to be redeemed by 5/31/10

Rules: You have until 11:59 p.m. EST December 14, 2009 to enter. The winner will be chosen by random.org and announced after they respond to the winning email. The winner has 48 hours to respond to the winning email, or a new winner will be chosen. You must leave your email address! This contest is open to the US (Maukilo does not ship outside of the US at this time)

How to Enter: Go to Maukilo and tell me what you'd spend the $25 GC on! Make sure to leave your email address!! I cannot contact the winner without it!

EXTRA entries: You must complete the "How To Enter" before making any extra entries. Make sure you leave a comment for each extra entry and tell me which one.

2. Become a fan of Mkokopelli on FB, Mkokopelli on Twitter, or Follow my blog
3. Subscribe to my blog by email (on the right sidebar) You must verify and be active at the time of the giveaway- those who are unverified will become disqualified

4. Blog, Tweet or send a message on FB and leave a link here (3 extra entries total)
5. Enter another giveaway I have going on and tell me which one or leave a comment on a non-giveaway post (1 entry total)
6. Follow Maukilo on Twitter
7. Sign up for the Maukilo Newsletter for a chance to win a $20 GC!
8. Become a Fan of Maukilo on Facebook
9. Add my Eco-friendly Holiday Gift Guide to your blog or Facebook page


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New disclaimer: I was sent this item to review from Maukilo. This is NO way changes my opinions about the products or company. These are my thoughts, opinions and results.

Barefoot Books Giveaway

One of the best presents you can buy a child is books! Ella has such a massive collection and enjoys sitting down to "read" by herself during the day and we read together every night before bed time. I love reading stories that teach important lessons and inspire her imagination. I found Barefoot Books and fell in love with their collection!

Barefoot Books began in 1993 when 2 mothers wanted their children to have books that would feed their imagination, while instilling a respect for diversity and a love for the planet.

Barefoot Books sent us an amazing One World, One Planet Gift Collection that has been one of my favorite review items yet! This extraordinary gift collection comes with the beautifully illustrated books, Whole World, The Sun in Me, A Forest of Stories, and Herb, The Vegetarian Dragon. It also comes with the Putumayo CD World Playground, Yoga Planet: 50 Activities for a Greener World (card deck), and a 100 piece Around the World Puzzle. They sent Ella the Our World Floor Puzzle instead of the 100 piece puzzle. This gift collection is so wonderful, I don't know where to begin!

My favorite book is The Sun in Me. This is a collection of poetry, written by poets representing various cultures and times, that explore the beauty and fragility of the planet. I majored in creative writing and I honestly haven't read much poetry since I graduated. When I read The Sun in Me to Ella, my passion for poetry reemerged. They are such simple, yet powerful poems. They are a great start for early readers and poets. Ella was at first confused at why there wasn't a story being told. After we talked about the poem and explored the illustrations while re-reading them, she started to understand. You can purchase The Sun in Me for $12.99!

My other favorite is Whole World. The book comes with a sing along CD, which I love! I couldn't help but sing the song as I read it to Ella. Whole World is a vibrant book with whimsical illustrations that help teach your child about the world. It's a classic song and I love seeing it come to life! I especially like that after the story/song is over there is a index explaining each part of the world. This is a great tool to explain what a valley and plain is to a 2 year old! The last page has the sheet music to the original song, so if you are musically inclined, you can play along! You can get the Whole World for $16.99 or the mini version for $9.99!


The Putumayo CD World Playground and Our World Floor Puzzle are great learning tools to teach your child about the world. I love the diverse music in World Playground. You'll hear music from Bolivia, Jamaica, Greece, France and many more. The Our World Floor Puzzle is great for teaching about the continents and important land marks. We listened to the World Playground CD while putting together the puzzle and talked about the music and where it originated. I'm not quite sure if Ella got it, but I had fun doing it! You can get the Our World Floor Puzzle for $17.99 and the World Playground CD for $15.99!

It's been a rough week and Ella didn't cooperate to do the Yoga Planet cards or allow me to read the other 2 books with her. But, I have enjoyed them. Especially the Yoga Planet cards, which are great for any age!

You can purchase all of these amazing products at Barefoot Books separately or as the One World, One Planet Gift Collection for $100. Plus get
The Giveaway: Barefoot Books would like to give 1 LUCKY reader a One World, One Planet Gift Collection

Rules: You have until 11:59 p.m. EST December 14, 2009 to enter. The winner will be chosen by random.org and announced after they respond to the winning email. The winner has 48 hours to respond to the winning email, or a new winner will be chosen. You must leave your email address! This contest is open to the US and Canada

How to Enter: Go to Barefoot Books and tell me 2 other things you'd like to have (that I didn't mention above) in 1 comment! Make sure to leave your email address!! I cannot contact the winner without it!

EXTRA entries: You must complete the "How To Enter" before making any extra entries. Make sure you leave a comment for each extra entry and tell me which one.

2. Become a fan of Mkokopelli on FB, Mkokopelli on Twitter, or Follow my blog
3. Subscribe to my blog by email (on the right sidebar) You must verify and be active at the time of the giveaway- those who are unverified will become disqualified

4. Blog, Tweet or send a message on FB and leave a link here (3 extra entries total)
5. Enter another giveaway I have going on and tell me which one or leave a comment on a non-giveaway post (1 entry total)
6. Become a Fan of Barefoot Books on Facebook
7. Follow Barefoot Books on Twitter
8. Join the Barefoot Books Community for specials, new releases and more!
9. Add my Eco-friendly Holiday Gift Guide to your blog or Facebook page


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New disclaimer: I was sent these items to review from Barefoot Books. This is NO way changes my opinions about the products or company. These are my thoughts, opinions and results.

Atlantis Natural Giving Back

Atlantis Natural supports the charity Operation Shower who provides showers to wives of our military men who have been deployed in high risk situations during the expected birth of their children. If you purchase the Rich Frog Rubber Duck (for only $7.99) from Atlantis Natural before Christmas they will donate 100% of the proceeds to Operation Shower.

Help BARBAR get on the Dr. OZ Show! Worth reading!!

BARBAR is trying to educate people on radiation output and blow dryers because a lot of us are unaware that a standard dryer emits MORE radiation than a microwave. BARBAR's ultimate goal is to grab the attention of Dr. Oz, whose show can really bring to light this basic, relatively unknown fact. If you have a free moment during this holiday season (ha!), please take a moment to view the video:

Then contact Dr. Oz at www.doctoroz.com/contact and ask him about blow dryers and radiation. Tell him about the BARBAR Eco 8000. If you contact Dr. Oz and help get BARBAR on the show, they will mail out free Eco 8000's to every person that participates, and provide a promo code for an 80% discount off your entire purchase made at www.barbarhairtools.com. They can only promise this if BARBAR gets asked to be on The Dr. Oz Show. So they can only ask that you please do your best to help.

They've tested their competitors so called eco-friendly dryers. There is nothing as eco-friendly as the BARBAR Eco 8000 and they'd really appreciate your help in getting the word out there.

If you contact Dr. OZ, please leave a comment here and BARBAR will review it if they get on the show! You can also get 5 extra entries to ANY giveaway going on if you participate and contact Dr. OZ. Just leave "Dr. OZ" in the comment area on the giveaway you enter.

Help send Diane MacEachern To Copenhagen!

Diane MacEachern needs your vote to help her go to Copenhagen. Diane MacEachern is a green mom, blogger, environmental activist and best selling author of the book Big Green Purse. (http://www.biggreenpurse.com/) She is also a finalist in the Huffington Post's contest (http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/11/19/hopenhagen-ambassador-con_n_363672.html?slidenumber=QCjRGmul2Ak%3D) to send one person to Copenhagen to represent all of us "real people."

For more information about Diane, take a look at the following links:
http://greenwoman.typepad.com/biggreenpurse/
http://www.biggreenpurse.com/
http://fakeplasticfish.com/2009/08/personal- changes-do- make-difference/

To vote for Diane:

1) Please visit this link: http://www.huffingt onpost.com/ 2009/11/19/ hopenhagen- ambassador- con_n_363672. html?slidenumber =QCjRGmul2Ak% 3D
2) You will need to login to the Huffington Post web site or register if you are not already a member. You can also login using your Twitter or Facebook account.
3) Please rate Diane's entry with 10 stars.
Note: Diane is wearing a red shirt.

FACEBOOK? If you have a Facebook page or fan page, let people know about Diane and how they can help send her to Copenhagen by voting for her. Be sure to include this link- http://www.huffingt onpost.com/ 2009/11/19/ hopenhagen- ambassador- con_n_363672. html?slidenumber =QCjRGmul2Ak% 3D

TWITTER? If you're on twitter, I would appreciate it if you tweet about the contest using #votehope and @huffpostgreen.

Voting ends in just two short days, on December 4, so Diane needs as much support from you, your friends and your readers right now as possible. Please help us send this deserving green mom to Copenhagen by voting now and spreading the word!

If you vote for Diane you can get 2 extra entries to ANY giveaway going on! Just leave a comment saying "Diane" in whichever giveaway you'd like. :)

Celery Street Giveaway

Are you still looking for gifts for the person who has everything? You've got to check out Celery Street! They have awesome eco-friendly, recycled, reused, and refurbished gifts, housewares, and other practical items for everyone. Celery Street also has handcrafted jewelry, candles, bath products, apparel, pet gear, home decor, rugs, bags, purses, totes and so much more! They have a eco gifts section where you can choose gift for her, gifts for him, for the kids and for the pets. I love when shopping is made easy!

Celery Street sent me the mother of all tote bags- the Night Bird Overnight Bag.We don't travel often, but the bag could fit enough stuff to get us through a weekend. It's HUGE! Ella went with me to the townhouse this week to do some work. I thought I'd pack up the Overnight Bag with her toys so she'd have something to do and wouldn't try to help us. I was able to fit a bag of blocks, a box of Sprig Toys, her Monsters Play All Day 3 tower box, crayons, 2 art pads with some loose paper, some spare clothes, VHS tapes and other little things- and still had room! The Night Bird Overnight Bag is 27.5” x 13.75" The Bag zips shut, so you don't have to worry about anything spilling out. It is made with 90% recycled materials of HDPE bottles and grain sacks that are ground up and melted into rolls of recycled plastic.

I love how large the bag is! It'd be great to pack toys in when dropping your child off at a friend's house or with the grandparents. Sorry, I always think about Ella before myself. The bag is designed for women and its elegant black design with a bird singing is gorgeous. I know I'll be using it for my next road trip- whenever that might be! It is a very durable bag and would even be great to take to the market, shopping, or to the pool. The Overnight Bag is very light weight, so what you add to the bag will be the weight you are carrying. You can get the Night Bird Overnight Bag for only $17.99!! That's an awesome deal!

Celery Street also has a variety of Tote bags including shopping bags, shoulder bags, bucket bags, courier totes and more! They range from $9-$56, though most are under $20.

The Giveaway: Celery Street would like to give 1 lucky winner a Night Bird Overnight Bag

Rules: You have until 11:59 p.m. EST December 13, 2009 to enter. The winner will be chosen by random.org and announced after they respond to the winning email. The winner has 48 hours to respond to the winning email, or a new winner will be chosen. You must leave your email address! This contest is open to the US

How to Enter: Go to Celery Street and tell me another product you'd like to have. Make sure to leave your email address!! I cannot contact the winner without it!

EXTRA entries: You must complete the "How To Enter" before making any extra entries. Make sure you leave a comment for each extra entry and tell me which one.

2. Become a fan of Mkokopelli on FB, Mkokopelli on Twitter, or Follow my blog
3. Subscribe to my blog by email (on the right sidebar) You must verify and be active at the time of the giveaway- those who are unverified will become disqualified

4. Blog, Tweet or send a message on FB and leave a link here (3 extra entries total)
5. Enter another giveaway I have going on and tell me which one or leave a comment on a non-giveaway post (1 entry total)
6. Subscribe to the RSS Feed of the Celery Street Blog
7. Become a Fan of Celery Street on Facebook
8. Join the Eco-Friendlist Sign Up Newsletter for Celery Street
9. Add my Eco-friendly Holiday Gift Guide to your blog or Facebook page


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New disclaimer: I was sent this item to review from Celery Street. This is NO way changes my opinions about the products or company. These are my thoughts, opinions and results.

Craziness!

I feel like a walking zombie and I've been neglecting my blog- not to mention my child. We started cleaning out the townhouse on Sunday and we had hoped to be done by Monday night. Well... it's going to take another 2 weeks at least before it's presentable to show anyone. We had no clue how much work needed to be done. Some damages were from my ex-husband and seeing the dents, broken glass and patched up holes in the wall has brought back some really bad feelings and memories. It's crazy how the mind blocks out certain things but one little dent can bring back a instant reply of the night it happened. So it's been a rough emotional couple of days, not to mention working my butt off for over 7 hours each day. Hey- I've been out of work for 3 years... I forgot what it was like. But there is so much that needs to be done and it's so overwhelming. I've got some great friends who've been assisting with the massive clean up and repairs. It took one dear friend 4 1/2 hours to clean a shower stall and it's still not white. Ugh...

But today, I took the day off to finish decorating our Christmas tree which has been up for 6 days with no ornaments and cleaned my trashed living room that had Christmas decor spread out. And now I'm focusing on my blog and catching up on some missed stuff for my posts. The rest of the week will be spent cleaning and painting the townhouse and I have photoshoots all weekend. So, I'll be a busy girl with no time to really do some extra posts. So sorry for the slackness. I hope everyone is enjoying the beginning of the holiday season and has had fun shopping and spending time with your families!

The irony

HealthyStuff.org just released their Dec. 2009 toy testing findings. As I was browsing at the High Level Products, I saw this and had a satirical laugh:

Palumba Review

If you can't tell, I love unique toys. Last year I was so caught up in buying Tinker Bell junk that I forgot what I had vowed to never do. It was an easy mistake, especially since Tinker Bell was the first character Ella took an interest to. Then, I walked into a small family owned toy store and was surrounded by true toys. It made me stop and think about how I got sucked into the licensed character black hole and I re-vowed to never let that happen again. After seeing all the amazing wooden toys, I went back to my roots. I was just introduced to Palumba and sooo wish I had holiday money to spend because they have some truly unique down to earth toys plus more!

Palumba, or PA-lum-BA, loosely translated as wooden dove, sells amazing non-toxic all natural toys. The items they sell, "enable children to use their imagination and take flight, to soar like a dove- to find peace!" 80% of their toys are made in the US, while the others are bought through Fair Trade Co-ops. They carry baby items, dolls and puppets, house play, imagination play, clothes for babies-adults, books, music, arts and crafts, house and home and more!

Palumba sent me 2 great toys to review and Ella has had a blast playing with them. My favorite is The Slow Race puzzle and book.The puzzle is simple, yet tons of fun. The book tells a story about a race between a snail and a turtle. As you are reading, you arrange the blocks in shapes like the characters. They work better when you lay them flat on the table unless you have a skilled balancer. Ella tried with several of them, but they kept falling so she laid them flat. The goal is for your child to be able to create their own shapes and designs.

On Palumba they had a great idea and said you can have your child trace the blocks with their new shapes and write their own story. That sounds like such fun!! The blocks are made with cherry wood and the book is made with recycled paper that is printed with soy ink. You can get The Slow Race at Palumba for only $14.99!

Palumba also sent Ella a Pita Sandwich. The Pita Sandwich is hand knit from handspun and hand dyed wool yarn. The pita is stuffed with an avocado, onion, tomato, and lettuce. Ella has never eaten a pita before, so she didn't know what it was. But she has enjoyed stuffing it. She also likes to "fry" the food in her frying pan and then serve me "lunch." Palumba also carries fruits, veggies, snacks and other fun play foods that are sure to spark your child's imagination. You can get the Pita Sandwich for only $12.99!

You can get 5% off your order at Palumba by entering winter2009 at the checkout!! Plus, if you sign up for their catalog or register to their site, you will be automatically entered to win Camden's Kitchen- a $250 value!!Happy Shopping!

Late July Giveaway

I've heard so many stories about Christmas Eve traditions and setting out food for Santa and the reindeer. I'm so excited that this year Ella will actually understand what's going on and it will begin our family tradition. I love the idea about leaving the reindeer food outside, but of course leaving Santa cookies is a must. This year Christmas is going to be a bit different for us since we are getting the townhouse ready to sell and not having shopping money like we normally do. Already, it's 3 days passed the norm for our tree to be decorated and I'm sitting in a room full of boxes filled with decor. So I'm thinking baking cookies the night before Christmas might be pushing it.

Luckily, there are some super yummy organic cookies made by Late July that will be perfect cookies for Santa. I actually bought some Late July cookies a couple of months ago and loved them. They contacted me about their new Mini cookies and I have to say these are some of the best store bought cookies I've ever had. Nothing can beat freshly made out of the oven cookies, but these come pretty close.

Late July sent us the new Mini White Chocolate and Mini Milk Chocolate cookies to try out and we're hooked. They aren't super sweet, yet have just the perfect flavor to satisfy your chocolate cravings. And they are made with real chocolate!! They are great for all ages and I don't feel guilty bribing Ella with them since they are made with whole grains and are a good source of calcium. Each cookie is stamped with animals that have been brought back to the brink of extinction which are fun to talk about with your kids.

What I love most is that 10 cookies have only 7 grams of fat, 9 grams of sugar and 140 calories. That is equivalent to 2 Oreos, but add another 6 grams of sugar and 20 calories. Late July cookies are made with organic ingredients with no pesticides, trans fats, high fructose corn syrup, artificial flavors- colors- or preservatives.

Another cool thing I love about about the Mini's is that 10% of their profits will be donated to the Jane Goodall Institute! The institute she founded is guided by her belief in the interconnected nature of all living things and works to save animals, promote sustainability and, through Jane Goodall's Roots and Shoots program, nurture new generations of committed active citizens. You can read more about Jane Goodall's institute by visiting www.janegoodall.org

Late July also sells regular sized cookies, classic crackers, mini cheese crackers, mini peanut butter crackers and more. You can purchase them online at Late July or find them in a store near you.

The Giveaway: Late July would like to give 1 lucky winner a variety pack of cookies!!!

Rules: You have until 11:59 p.m. EST December 12, 2009 to enter. The winner will be chosen by random.org and announced after they respond to the winning email. The winner has 48 hours to respond to the winning email, or a new winner will be chosen. You must leave your email address! This contest is open to the US and Canada!

How to Enter: Go Late July and tell me your favorite product. Make sure to leave your email address!! I cannot contact the winner without it!

EXTRA entries: You must complete the "How To Enter" before making any extra entries. Make sure you leave a comment for each extra entry and tell me which one.

2. Become a fan of Mkokopelli on FB, Mkokopelli on Twitter, or Follow my blog
3. Subscribe to my blog by email (on the right sidebar) You must verify and be active at the time of the giveaway- those who are unverified will become disqualified

4. Blog, Tweet or send a message on FB and leave a link here (3 extra entries total)
5. Enter another giveaway I have going on and tell me which one or leave a comment on a non-giveaway post (1 entry total)
6. Tell me something you learned about Late July on their site or blog
7. Become a Fan of Late July on Facebook
8. Tell me where you can find Late July near you
9. Add my Eco-friendly Holiday Gift Guide to your blog or Facebook page


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New disclaimer: I was sent these items to review from Late July. This is NO way changes my opinions about the products or company. These are my thoughts, opinions and results.

Wear The Earth Deal

Wear the Earth has just extended their FREE shipping until December 14!! They also would like to give all of my readers a 10% discount by entering MKBLOG at the checkout until December 20!! Happy shopping :)

Winners!!

Congrats to vgi for winning the Sweet Organics and Naturals GC!!

Congrats to Katie for winning the Formulations Hemp Cat Collar!!

Congrats to Surge for winning the Simply Chickie Giveaway!!

Congrats to carol for winning the Piggy Paints GC!!!

Congrats to Sarah C for winning the Best Baby Organics Teethers!!

Congrats to Marianna for winning the Breakfast Menu from Oompa Toys!!

Congrats to sharonjo and Terra H. for winning the Alex and Ani Crazy Love Bangle!!

Congrats to a2editor for winning the Wear the Earth GC!!!

Thanks to all that entered!! Here are the giveaway ending for the week:

• Little Green Books Recycle Gift Set- 2 winners Ends 11/29
• Little Green Books "Santa Claus Is Green" Book- 3 winners Ends 11/29
• Orglamix 3 shades Ends 11/30
• Clementine Art Natural Modeling Dough Ends 11/30
• $30 Gift Certificate to ecoTimeToys.com Ends 12/1
• Little Zen Minds Pandabo Game from HaPe Toys Ends 12/2
• Transformational Jewelry- "Live With Passion" Necklace Ends 12/3
• Snug Organics Sherpa Organic Sleeper Ends 12/4
• Your choice of any item under $25 at NikkiDesigns Ends 12/5