Written on
March 2, 2009 by
SusanC
As Bummas graciously offered to give away two sets of their super absorbent and eco-friendly clothes for baby bums the world ’round, we have two! winners for this particular giveaway.
The first winner is… (imaginary drumroll, please): Commenter #12, Danielle!
And the second winner? Commenter #135, Amy H.!
Congratulations! ladies.
And a big thanks to everyone for entering!
Be sure to check back later this week as we’ll be featuring another great green giveaway for you to win!
An original 5 Minutes For Going Green post.
Have a great green product you would like to see featured on the site? Email me at 5minutesforgoinggreen(at)gmail.com.
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Written on
February 18, 2009 by
SusanC
These days it is hard to know which toys are truly safe for our children to be playing with. Between phthalates, BPA, lead, and every other nasty chemical out there, it can leave you feeling like you don’t want to give your child anything more than a wooden spoon to enjoy!
Well, rest easy- there are lots of wonderful toys available out there that you never have to second guess, and a few you can create yourself with very minimal effort. Here are some ideas:
-Encourage imaginative play! That wooden spoon just may not be such a bad idea! See how many brilliant things that spoon can become in the hands of your little one.
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Written on
February 16, 2009 by
SusanC
This 5 Minutes For Going Green Great Green Review is brought to you by Pacific Northwest resident and new mom, Jenifer of Quarter Life Crisis. Read what she thought of her very comprehensive trial of Bummas, and then read on for details on how you can win a set for yourself!
When we found out I was pregnant with our first child last year, my husband and I decided early on that we were both committed to raising our baby as green as possible, which naturally led us down the predominantly-paved-in-plastic path to cloth diapering. When looking at the pros and cons of disposable versus cloth diapering, the decision to embrace the latter lifestyle was pretty much a no-brainer for us.
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Written on
February 13, 2009 by
SusanC
Let’s face it, in this economy nearly everyone is having to cut corners and eliminate things from the budget. Sadly, it has come to my attention that one of the big things people are cutting back on are eco-friendly and organic products, in favor of cheaper, run of the mill alternatives.
Well, in this little post I would like to show you just some of the small ways that being green can save you those hard earned pennies to put toward the things that matter most!
Ditch the paper towels and paper plates (if you haven’t already)! By simply using dishcloths for your everyday messes and your actual dishes for dinner, you can not only contribute to a healthier environment with less garbage, but save a hefty little sum over a years’ time.
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Written on
February 12, 2009 by
SusanC
For the past few weeks, my family has been preparing for a big move. We are not moving down the street or to the next town, but instead across the country.
During our lives here in our current home, we fortunately did not accumulate a lot of “stuff,” but much of what we have will not be traveling with us. We have decided that the memories created with some of our personal belongings are not worth the expense and time of packing them up and hauling them across country. Don’t get me wrong, we are a sentimental family, but my days of holding onto my lost baby teeth (I kept them way into my college years), have been replaced with a more common sense mentality of only keeping what I am going to use eventually, preferably sometime this year.
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Written on
February 5, 2009 by
SusanC
As winter drags on I find that one monotonous day seems to drag into the next with no escape. All the “green” hobbies of other seasons, such as gardening, hiking or going for a nice family bike ride, are much less practical, if not impossible, during these blustery days.
So, what should you do with all this extra time you find wasting away indoors?
Why not take up knitting?
At it’s heart, knitting is one of the most relaxing and rewarding crafts you can enjoy, not to mention incredibly green and sustainable if you stick with wool and cotton yarns (especially those dyed with natural dyes or handspun by one of the many wonderful WAHMs on the internet).
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Here in Western Michigan, it is cold. Real cold. My bet is that unless you live quite far south, this time of year it is cold for you as well.
It can be hugely frustrating to stay green while also staying warm. Not to mention the fact that we are all trying to be more frugal, and an enormous gas or electric bill is not something anyone is happy about. In my home, with a small toddler, I am more concerned about her comfort and warmth than my own.
So what is a cold, eco-friendly mama to do? Make a list, that’s what.
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Written on
January 15, 2009 by
SusanC
Don’t you just love purchasing handmade goods, that on the by-and-large are naturally green and eco-friendly by the fact that they are created with love in peoples’ own homes and workshops? Especially those cute toys and custom accessories and apparel that can be found on such fun sites as Etsy.com and Hyenacart.com?
Well, as of February 10, 2009–less than a month away–nearly all such shops manufacturing hand-made toys will be forced by law to close their doors due to unreasonable third-party product testing mandates Congress passed this past August.
It is called the Consumer Products Safety Improvement Act, and at its heart it has good intentions: to monitor mass-produced children’s products to ensure they do not contain lead or phthalates.
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As we make strides to green our home and our lifestyle, we wanted to share our enthusiasm with the preschool where we send our two sons.
After noticing that the school did not have any recycling bins and the amount of paper scraps in the trash at the end of each session, I started thinking about how to reduce the waste and teach the kids about recycling.
Thankfully the head mistress and teachers have welcomed my suggestions about adding recycling bins in the classes. By allowing me to start with my sons’ classes and the office, it will quickly demonstrate how easy it is while providing an opportunity for the kids to learn about conservation.
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Undeniably one of my favorite things about the holiday season is the holiday cards.
Despite switching to YouTube to send our video holiday greetings, I still adore the old school holiday card sent via mail. Being the organizer that I am, I started to wonder how to display and then store the cards in a way that was space efficient, chic and functional.
What better than a wreath made of your holiday cards?
Involve the whole family and you’ll have a fun and simple craft that will create a holiday keepsake to enjoy year after year. Create one per season or, like we did, one for the family and one for the kids comprised of cards from their favorite classmates.
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