MOM CONFESSIONALS

The greener side of me gets soooo peeved when my family leaves their chargers plugged in without anything actually charging.  It’s not just chargers, but everything from the rice maker plug which detached to video game systems with plug in power.  This is wasteful energy at its worst, although according to Treehugger.com, it only accounts for 5% of energy waste, namely dubbed phantom energy.  But why waste at all?! The wires are live, charging with electricity, going… no where!  Treehugger proposed a great solution in surge protectors with a handy ON/OFF switch which I’d suggest to all households.  I know that’s not ideal for all situations but perhaps my recent discovery will give you pause enough to find a solution.

I momentarily stepped away from my room with the infant crawling around in what I assumed to be my baby-proofed bedroom to put some laundry in the basket right outside my bedroom door.  I came back seconds later to find my infant had detached the wire from the back of his father’s alarm clock and like all infant’s put it straight into his mouth.  I quickly grabbed it out of his mouth knowing that the other end of the plug was still in the outlet, touched the wet end and felt a tiny shock.  Yep!  A tiny shock.  I did touch it on purpose to know if my fears were founded and they were indeed.  Guess what my upset infant found while I had grabbed the wire from his mouth?  Quick as can be, as one wire came out, he had found another wire, this time… my husband’s phone charger without phone attached but still attached to the wall.  Yes, that went into his mouth as well!  I didn’t test that one but the paranoia in me had me fearing any electrical shock the baby may have gotten from a few seconds of sucking on “live” wire.   According to BabyCenter, my son was lucky.  Electric shock injuries can vary with infants from no symptoms to death.  Better safe than sorry, secure those phantom energy suckers and save some money doing so!

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My curiosity was peaked when an email from Alice.com arrived in my inbox entitled “And the Winners Are…“  Was there a contest I forgot to apply to?  Nope, but it was even better, a list of the “The Best Household Products 2010“.  The very first, front and center item was the Best New Product to Alice, Replenish Multi-Surface Cleaner.  I had never heard of it and clicked through I did!

It was sexy!  The designer in me was infatuated.  A google search later landed me on the company’s homepage and I was ga-ga.  This wasn’t a new idea.  In fact you might recall a familiar laundry company with a similar self-measuring pod.  It’s the entire packaging that has its allure – simple and clean.

Replenish is an eco-friendly, multi-surface, ultra concentrated household cleaner.  It’s not only better for the environment but also saves money for consumers and retailers. Replenish Cleaners are non-toxic to aquatic life, readily biodegradable and PH Neutral – which means they are safe for you, your home and the planet.

A bottle and pod retail for $7.99.  Refillable pods are normally $3.99 each, on sale with coupon for $3.49 and are available at Alice.com with free shipping.

It’s part sexy, part techy, and it’s green… everything I love in a product… You bet we’ll be taking this for a test run!  Anyone try them yet?

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Two of my favorite earth-friendly brands, Method Home and CleanWell, have teamed up to bring us Method ANTIBAC powered by CleanWell, a patented botanical formula that kills 99.99 percent of household bacteria including E.coli, salmonella enterica, influenza A and H1N1 virus on hard, non-porous surfaces.  Method ANTIBAC kill germs without using bleach and triclosan.

While initially greening it up in our home, I avoided all things antibacterial, especially those noting triclosan as an ingredient.  Unfortunately with my new career change to Nursing, its been hard to avoid the ever creeping bacterial fear.  Dealing daily with patients on contact isolation, hand sanitizers every where I turned and warnings about infection control, I found bottles of Purell infiltrating my home next to bottles of CleanWell Foaming Hand Soap.  You know, for those moments I wanted to make sure the germs were — extra dead.

From Adam Lowry, Method co-founder and Chief Greenskeeper:
“In the past, we were unwilling to develop or promote antibacterial cleaners because we had not yet found a technology that met our strict ingredient standards and aligned with our principles. We recognize that some people prefer to use antibacterial cleaners for high-contact surfaces like toilets and sinks, and we’re excited to offer a line of disinfecting cleaners that utilizes CleanWell’s botanical technology.”

Can I say Hallelujah?!  I can salvage my green conscience.  Thank you CleanWell and Method for Method ANTIBAC.

Method ANTIBAC includes three botanical cleaners:

• antibacterial kitchen cleaning spray in lemon verbena
• antibacterial bathroom cleaning spray in spearmint
• all purpose cleaning and disinfecting wipes in lemon verbena

From brands this household trusts, the bathroom spray is optimized to target soap scum and hard water stains while the kitchen cleaner is designed to cut through grease and grime while leaving you with its refreshingly clean scent. Both of these products, retail for $3.99 each, are effective at killing 99.99 percent of household germs on hard, non-porous surfaces throughout any room in the home.

Method ANTIBAC can be safely used on:

• High contact areas (door knobs, sink, faucets, toilets, garbage cans, etc.)
• Kitchens and food prep areas (eggs, meat)
• Children’s toys, high chairs, changing tables as well as in day care facilities

Method ANTIBAC is available at national retailers like Target, Lowe’s, Bed Bath & Beyond and Whole Foods as well as at many local grocery and drug stores. Follow @methodtweet, find them on Facebook http://www.facebook.com/method or join us at the #ecowed Twitter party on November 17^th from 10p-11p EST, facilitated by Jennifer Taggart @thesmartmama. Method will be giving away prizes and be at the party to answer questions.

GIVEAWAY: ONE lucky family will win a limited edition Method ANTIBAC Fight the Flu Kit shown adjacent.  To ENTER, from now until November 15th 2010, fill out this FORM.  Get up to (two) bonus entries. 1st Bonus – If you follow(ed) me on twitter @momconfessional and re-tweet this giveaway (Win a limited edition Method ANTIBAC Flu Kit from @momconfessional http://wp.me/pLvfH-G2) 2nd Bonus – If you “like” us on Facebook and share the giveaway with your friends.  DON’T FORGET to visit this FORM again and leave a separate entry for each action. Giveaway only open to those with U.S. addresses and must be 18 years or older. Giveaway ends on November 15th 2010 at 11:59 EST. A winner will be selected randomly by Random.org and notified by e-mail.
{disclosure: Method Home and Mom Go Green Blog Tours provided product samples for review but the opinions expressed here are always my own }

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Meat loving connoisseurs should definitely check out High Plains Bison!  Their grass-fed bison has significantly less fat per gram than other animal proteins and contains more healthy omega-3 fatty acids, iron, protein, and minerals than  beef.  They are all natural – no hormones, fillers, antibiotics or artificial ingredients. While it has a slightly more gamey taste according to some, bison’s grass diet makes their meat milder and richer. All of their meat is 100% USDA certified and many of their cuts can even go so far as to claim to be American Heart Association certified.

We had a chance to try High Plains Bison‘s Sampler and despite my husband’s initial skeptics, the rib-eye was incredibly juicy and tender.  Since I don’t claim to be a meat connoisseur I couldn’t tell the difference.  It does cook differently than beef, a lot faster and the redness of the meat can be deceiving to the eye as far as readiness.  The toddler wanted in on the Hot Dogs and obviously since she consumed 2 in one sitting, didn’t notice the difference!  I’m not sure that’s necessarily the point, but as a healthier and more eco-friendly alternative to beef, I think bison is a great choice.

The actual highlight of the sampler was their amazing Italian Sausages. So incredibly juicy and flavorful I couldn’t get enough of it. You can purchase each item separately but I think the combos from High Plains Bison are a great deal and make great gifts.  Those who are concerned about mailing meats — High Plains Bison ships their products in a recyclable (love!) custom insulated cooler with plenty of dry ice to ensure that your product will arrive frozen and in perfect condition.

High Plains Bison is offering Mom Confessional readers a generous 20% discount off all food items with code EATGOOD22 at checkout. Please note that when you use this code the discount will not show up until the billing page.

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{ disclosure : was provided samples of Scotch-Brite™ Greener Clean Products to facilitate this review but the opinions expressed here are always my own }

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As I was walking the halls of the BlogHer Expo in New York I was pleasantly surprised by all the wonderful new green products that were being introduced to the blogging community.  Scotch-Brite just introduced their new line of cleaning products made from natural and recycled materials.

Matching their regular line, you don’t have to compromise by going green and that’s something I can appreciate when my family puts every cleaning product under some intense situations.  Their Scotch-Brite™ Greener Clean Scrub Sponge and Scour Pad is made from 50% natural scrubbing fibers from the agave plant, a highly flexible, renewable resource and replaces 50% of the standard petroleum based fibers used to make a scrub sponge. The sponge portion is made from 100% natural fibers, of which 23% is recycled paper.  While 50% of it is still made from polyester, I think it’s a huge step up from the countless green and blue sponges my family goes through each year.

Their Scotch-Brite™ Greener Clean Biodegradable Absorbent Sponge and Biodegradable Expanding Soft Sponge is a great reusable alternative to paper towels – outlasting more than 30 rolls.  Did I say biodegradable enough?  It is inherently biodegradable in a composting environment.  For a sponge that’s gotten stinky with use, I think that’s a great end to it’s life.

From a company that many trust, Scotch-Brite is moving in the right direction by making an affordable greener cleaning option.  I love their natural “designer” appearance in my kitchen too, it doesn’t scream cleaning product, rather fitting nicely into my sand and beach colored kitchen.  It adds an air of sophisticated chicness!  Step by step, little by little, my kitchen is getting greener everyday and I’m lovin it!

GIVEAWAY: ONE family will be cleaning greener thanks to a Scotch-Brite Greener Clean gift pack worth $25.  To ENTER, from now until September 30th 2010, fill out this FORM.  Get up to (two) bonus entries. 1st Bonus – If you follow me on twitter@momconfessional and re-tweet this giveaway (Win a Scotch-Brite Greener Clean gift pack from @momconfessional http://wp.me/pLvfH-Ax) 2nd Bonus – If you “like” us on Facebook and share the giveaway with your friends.  DON’T FORGET to visit this FORM again and leave a separate entry for each action. Giveaway only open to those with U.S. addresses and must be 18 years or older. Giveaway ends on September 30th 2010 at 11:59 EST. A winner will be selected randomly by Random.org and notified by e-mail.

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{ disclosure : was provided samples of nuk breastfeeding products and a Larrivo dress to facilitate this review but the opinions expressed here are always my own }

I’m a little late with my post for national breastfeeding month.  Okay, VERY late.  My excuse is that it’s breastfeeding month every month in my household.  I’m loving the fact that with each child, I’m learning there are more and more products out there really supporting a mom’s choice to breastfeed.

I was recently introduced to Nuk’s line of breastfeeding products and I was pleasantly surprised to find they were extremely high quality product underneath their plain unassuming packaging.  Nuk’s Gentle Flow Ergonomic manual breast pump is a must have for any on the go mom.  Their silicone cushion (breastshield) is super-soft and molds perfectly to the shape of my breasts.  This is the first hand-held BPA-free breast pump that I’ve seen that has adjustable suction strength which is perfect  for those who also use an electric pump at home.  I can see leaving it handy in the car for those unexpected longer trips.  Included with the pump is one store ‘n go bottle with nipple ready to go!  Additional BPA-free Store ‘n Go breast milk containers can be purchased separately in a 3-pack for $12.99.  I love their thoughtful inclusion of a blank field for entering date and time of milk expression.  My only wish — for all hand-held pumps in general — is that they would have included a carrying case.   The Nuk Gentle Flow Ergonomic manual breast pump retails for $44.99 and is available nationwide.

I’ve always considered breastfeeding a green thing to do with the reduction in formula purchasing, packaging, etc.,  But for the power nursing green mom’s, Nuk also has has reusable machine washable nursing pads.  A little stiff right out of the box, but after a wash they are soft and super absorbent with a waterproof layer for extra leakage protection.  At $4.99 for a package of 6, it a great deal!

By now I’d like to think I’m a pro at the whole breastfeeding thing and trying to regain some normalcy and sense of me again.  I’ve gotten pretty good at multitasking and now am a little more put together than the disheveled me in the earlier days of my son’s infancy.  It’s always nice to remember you’re a woman and a desirable woman at that.  Never wavering from my commitment to breastfeeding, I still want to feel like more than just a meal and that’s where Larrivo comes in with their chic line of nursing attire.  I love their tag lines, for the bedroom and beyond… in my son’s case… yum yum! and celebrate the arrival… of me!  Larrivo‘s nursing attire  is made from luxurious fabrics with 4 way stretch, with their patented NurtureBra Support System gives firm support without constriction. The built in nursing bra is easy to open with its clever hidden snap closure.  Surprisingly affordable at $62 for a tunic and $79 for a dress, it’s an affordable way to still be a nursing mom.  I’m nursing in style now!

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{ disclosure : received a Filtrete Water Station to demo but the opinions expressed here are always my own }

After observing all of my environmentally conscience classmates over the summer with their reusable water bottles I was determined to kick the bottled water habit.  No matter how small a step I managed to take, my family never seemed to climb on board.  I couldn’t believe they thought the mere act of filling up the bottles before leaving was just too much for them.  Sheer laziness I tell you!  It was simply easier to grab a bottle from the shelf and walk right out the door. Yet I was shocked that they could remember to bring back the empty bottles for recycling redemption and yet couldn’t be bothered to fill up their own bottles and bring it back, as if the 5¢ really makes it an incentive.  If there was a sale at Target or BJ’s Wholesale Club my basement would be filled with cases and cases of Poland Spring water, much to my chagrin.

When I spotted the Filtrete Water Station at BlogHer, I thought it was sheer brilliance!  It took the Brita or Pur water pitcher idea one step further and was just the thing to help my family kick the water bottle habit.  The station is small enough to move under the faucet to fills 1 to 4 reusable crystal clear bottles rapidly.  When I say rapidly, it’s not a drip drip drip like the filtration pitchers I’m use to.  Within a couple minutes I have 4 bottles of water ready to go.  The bottles have a uniquely designed cap that creates a spill proof seal each and every time and also serves as a handy handle for transportation.  Every morning as I leave for school, I grab a bottle and go.  It’s been a life saver in the heat wave we’ve had this week.

My family is slowly coming around.  This past weekend as we headed out the door, we grabbed 3 bottles for the car and were on our way!  I guess the sleek bottled water design helps too!  Another added bonus, I can twist the cap off and add in a few ice cubes for an instant chill.  That’s one over on bottled water!

The Filtrete Water Station boasts a savings of 3000 plastic water bottles from landfills per year.  The filter doesn’t have to be replaced for an amazing 3 months, almost 2 and a half times longer thn traditional pitcher filters and is recyclable with #2 plastics. The Filtrete Water Station comes with a docking station, (4) 16.9oz bottles and 1 Filtrete Fast Flow Filter and retails for around $42.99.  Additional bottles can be purchase in a 2-pack for $15.99.  Replacement filters are only $12.99 and only need to be changed 4 times a year.  This mom loves Filtrete and Mom Confessional readers can download this coupon for $5 off their own environmentally friendly Filtrete Water Station.

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{ disclosure : received complimentary business card printing but the opinions expressed here are always my own }

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My husband always says without even looking at the prices I always choose the most expensive item on the menu.   What can I say other than I’ve got good taste!  When it comes to design, I’m pretty much the same way.  When it came time to think about getting new business cards I wasn’t going to get the same design as before.  I saw it as an opportunity to do something different and change things up a bit.  A new design wasn’t going to be cheap… or so I thought!

When the kind people at Uprinting.com offered me a chance to try out their printing services and dangled “square” business cards in front of me… I was drooling.  I had previously priced square business cards and they were NOT cheap.  I always got the same lame excuse, it’s a unique size, requiring a special die… as if I was the first person to think of this brilliant idea of a square business card.  Added to my idea of a double sided card, my internal calculator was working overtime.  I thought I was in for a REAL treat… getting all fancy smancy with square business cards.

As I uploaded my design with their easy to follow guidelines and handy Illustrator template, I was shocked to see how affordable they made it.  Not only was I getting square business cards, but double sided, hi-gloss, full-color with bleed too.  In laymen terms, the whole nine yards!  Each of the features individually would exponentially add to the final production price at a print shop… but not at Uprinting.com!  There is even an eco-friendly option printing with 13 pt recycled uncoated cardstock.

Even more amazing is their customer service.  During the process I got a free proof (before you pay) sent to me and then a personal phone call to approve my draft for production.  Every question I had was answered and my own little quantity mistake was rectified during one of our phone calls.  The perfectionist side of me asked the graphic designer to double check the red on the back matched the red of the lips and she happily complied.  From start to finish my order took just a little over a week with standard delivery.  When I opened the box, they were perfect! and gorgeous!  It was my design come to life!  Nothing makes me more giddy than seeing my design come to fruition.  A similar order would have cost around $120 easily at another unnamed printer using one of their own single sided designs.  For approximately $33 with 3-day shipping I got the whole she-bang!

GIVEAWAY: One lucky winner will win 500 Business cards by Uprinting.com.  Your choice of 2 x 3.5”, 2 x 2” (square card) or 1.75 x 3.5” (slim card); 14 pt gloss cardstock, 14 pt matte cardstock or 13 pt recycled uncoated cardstock; Full Color Both Sides.  To ENTER, from now until September 10th 2010, fill out this FORM.  Get up to (two) bonus entries. 1st Bonus – If you follow me on twitter@momconfessional and re-tweet this giveaway (Win 500 Business cards by Uprinting.com @momconfessional http://wp.me/pLvfH-yD) 2nd Bonus – If you “like” us on Facebook and share the giveaway with your friends.  DON’T FORGET to visit this FORM again and leave a separate entry for each action. Giveaway only open to those with U.S. addresses and must be 18 years or older. Giveaway ends on September 10th 2010 at 11:59 EST. A winner will be selected randomly by Random.org and notified by e-mail.

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My FIRST Wordless Wednesday post!  Since I had all 3 kids today and we were prisoners in our home, I decided to have a little arts & crafts fun… oh wait… this was suppose to be wordless…until talkative thursday it is!

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{ disclosure : received a box of Pomi Chopped Tomatoes and Pomi Strained Tomatoes to sample }

Added to our cooking skills this summer was homemade fresh marinara sauce.  The toddler and I have become obsessed with making our own sauce.  Since we discovered the relative simplicity of the recipe, its been a fun Mommy and Me activity.  To round out the adventure, I’ve included every step of the process the toddler can be involved in including cultivating her very own herb garden.  Okay, its more like Mommy’s herb garden since it only has my two favorite herbs, sweet Italian basil and golden sage (a nod to my other food obsession, butternut squash raviolis with brown butter sage).  We attempted them from seeds but since Mommy doesn’t exactly have a green nurturing thumb, we had to resort to purchased seedlings from our neighborhood garden nursery to ensure it’s survival.  So far it has survived and then some… and boy do they yield fragrant and delicious herbs!

When Pomi approached me to try their line of BPA free tomato products, the toddler and I had visions of an Italian feast.  Grown in Italy without the use of pesticides or genetically modified seeds, they are packaged in a BPA free box without preservatives, citric acid, or additives bringing moms high quality tomatoes with a garden fresh taste for their kids.  Because we like a chunkier, more homemade look to our sauce we blended both the chopped and strained tomatoes for a thicker sauce.

The toddler ran out to her garden to pick fresh basil leaves while I peel garlic cloves and heated up the olive oil.  While she washed the basil leaves and carrot sticks, I sauteed the garlic until it was tender and golden.  We eagerly opened up both boxes of Pomi tomatoes , note to self — next time a larger opening for the chopped tomatoes — and into our favorite red pot they went.  Bright red and no sign of oxidation, it smelled divine!  A quick chop of the carrots, the toddler pushed the magic button until it was the right consistency, adding just the right sweetness to balance the acidity of the tomatoes.  30 minutes later, we had a delicious sauce begging to be devoured and devoured it was because I didn’t even have time to take a picture of the finished product!  All in all this mom was happy to find a BPA free tomato product finally!

Pomi is available nationwide in stores such as Whole Foods, A&P, Waldbaum’s and Food Emporium in three (26.46 oz) boxed varieties: Strained Tomatoes, Chopped Tomatoes and Marinara Sauce.  Once opened the package will stay fresh for 10 days under refrigeration, but I’m not sure any will be left for refrigeration with my family.  But for such instances, my only qualm would be that it’s missing a resealable cap seen on other aseptic packaging.

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