GreenOrganicMama

Getting Crafty: Amigurumi Crochet Animals!

2012-03-24T19:25:00.000-04:00

Pig by GreenOrganicMama - Inspired by the Chipotle "Back to the Start" Pigs

About two months ago, I was inspired! My friends already know I'm a huge Harry Potter fan, and I just happened to be looking at Gryffindor house scarves. They are really cool, but I thought to myself, "These look pretty easy to make." That's what prompted me to pick up crochet again.

I have to thank my third-grade teacher, who first taught me, and my entire class, how to do many crafts, including crochet. I hadn't really made anything since that potholder for my mom, but a few Google searches later, I was in love with all the amazing patterns, and the HUGE variety of crafts that can be made.

I still have every intention to make that Harry Potter scarf using this free pattern. I've got the yarn and everything! However, I've been side-tracked, making little animals instead, which the Japanese call Amigurumi. Google Amigurumi, and you'll find pages and pages, devoted to this art of making adorable little crochet toys. They are also super easy and inexpensive to make. Crochet, and its sister, knitting, are both re-surging as popular and cool crafts. We're not talking grandma's doilies here; with a little time, patience, and imagination, you can make some truly awesome things. Come see for yourself on my Pinterest Crochet board.

The nice thing about crochet is that it's very inexpensive to get started, and the materials are cheap, and very easy to find. You can take your hooks and yarn with you pretty much anywhere, and you can do as much or as little as you want, in one sitting. It's really quite relaxing! As for the hooks, I've already tried a few different types and brands of hooks, but I certainly have a favorite. Check out Clover Soft Touch which are available individually, or in a great value pack of eight popular sizes (C, D, E, F, G, H, I, and J). My value pack also came with a great travel case to store all the hooks.

Yarn is super easy to find practically anywhere, online and offline. Still, it's nice to be able to walk through a store, and touch and feel, and match up colors. Most Amigurumi patterns call for "worsted weight" yarn, which is clearly marked on yarn labels. While you're at the store, pick up some safety doll eyes, and a bag of polyester fiber-fill. Maybe a good pair of scissors, too.

You'll probably need one more thing, which is a set of stitch markers. Now, you can certainly buy a small pack for less than $2 at the craft store, but if you're like me, you probably already have a cheaper alternative at home: plastic-coated paper clips. I don't know why I haven't seen any other crocheters mention using paper clips; I think they're much easier to find, and way cheaper than even safety pins.

Getting started is super easy. There are plenty of great books out there, but I found the best tool was actually YouTube. Nerdigurumi is a great resource, with an entire series of how-to's:

Once you have the basics, the hardest part is choosing just one pattern to start with. There are thousands of free patterns, as well as those available for sale on Etsy, and in traditional books.

Here are a few of my recent projects, which have been so much fun to do. This is Timmy, from the awesome British cartoon series, Timmy Time, which was a spin-off of Shaun the Sheep (which was a spin-off of Wallace & Grommit) ;) My Timmy was based on this adorable free pattern, with a few of my own modifications:

And here's another picture of my little pig, inspired by the "Back to the Start" Chipotle commercial:

I've already been asked to make another pig, so I'll have the pattern available ASAP :)

Happy crafting!

No promotional consideration was paid for this post.
Images copyright GreenOrganicMama.com.

Homemade Lip Balm & Solid Hand Lotion

2012-02-18T15:10:00.001-05:00

Did everyone catch that awesome Chipotle commercial that aired during the Grammy's last weekend? If you didn't, here it is:

We've been living green, organic, and now paleo/primal for some time now, so this commercial really hit home for us. Thank you to Willie Nelson for his fantastic work with Farm Aid, and his moving vocals on this wonderful cover of The Scientist. There's a lot to be said for going back to our roots, and acknowledging that progress does come with a price. Everything we eat, buy, and use, has some kind of hidden cost. That being said, we definitely strive to live more simply, and reduce our impact on the environment.

I've shared with my Pinterest friends a couple recent awesome finds for super frugal, all-natural, homemade lip balm and solid lotion bars, as posted by fellow mom blogger, Sarah at Frugal By Choice. I love Sarah's insistence on "normal" (a.k.a. easy to find) ingredients, when formulating her blends. Eczema and dry lips are common-place in my family, and I'm reaching for lip balms and moisturizers all day long. Natural or not, beauty products are expensive. I couldn't wait to use Sarah's recipes, and have my own all-natural products to care for my dry lips and frequently chapped hands.

First thing first, I had to locate beeswax. Being from the Sunshine State, with lots of local farms, I was on a mission to find locally-produced beeswax. That's when Christina at Southern Wholesale Division on eBay came to the rescue! This local beekeeper also carried cute little metal tins, for which Christina graciously provided combined shipping. I opened my mailbox with glee this morning, and couldn't wait to churn out my first batches of homemade lip balms and solid lotions. I've tweaked Sarah's recipes to make them a little easier; you can skip the double-boiler, and do everything in your microwave.

Just a few notes on beeswax:

LIVESTRONG has some great info about this amazing, naturally-produced, anti-inflammatory skin protectant. Per Wikipedia, the colors of beeswax can vary widely, depending on the age of the bees and the hive, and the type of plant that the pollen is coming from. Beeswax is typically divided into two categories: raw and refined. Refined is usually more white, with little, if any, honey smell, and that's what candle makers usually go for. For our purposes, raw works just fine, and it's also cheaper, and easier to find. My shipment of raw beeswax smells absolutely amazing, and I'm sure I will be back for more.

Beeswax also comes in all sorts of shapes and varieties; from pellets to huge blocks, to everything in between. Mine came conveniently shaped in 0.5 oz/1 tablespoon blocks, which made them super easy to measure out, to conform with Sarah's recipes. Here's how I made my batches of lip balm and solid lotion today:

Equipment:
1 one-cup Pyrex measuring cup
1 silicone spatula
2 silicone trivets
4 one-ounce metal tins (for the lip balm)
2 two-ounce metal tins (for the solid lotion)

Lip balm ingredients:
1 tbsp (0.5 oz) filtered, raw beeswax
4 tbsp Tropical Traditions expeller-pressed (a.k.a. unscented) coconut oil
1 tbsp raw honey
10 drops bergamot essential oil (optional)

To make the lip balm:

Add the coconut oil and beeswax to the glass measuring cup. Microwave on 30-second intervals until beeswax is just melted.

Add honey, and microwave on 30-second intervals again. (Be careful, as the honey naturally contains water, and it will boil quite vigorously.)

Very carefully, remove the measuring cup from the microwave and set on a trivet. (Use extra caution: we're talking molten wax and hot oil here.)

Arrange your lip balm tins on your other trivet.

Add bergamot (or your favorite) essential oil to the mixture, and stir carefully.

Pour very slowly and carefully into your lip balm tins. Allow to cool and set at room temperature.

Solid lotion ingredients:
2 tbsp (1 oz) filtered, raw beeswax
2 tbsp Tropical Traditions expeller-pressed coconut oil
2 tbsp almond oil
10 drops of your favorite essential oil (optional)

To make the solid lotion:

Add the beeswax and both oils to the glass measuring cup. Microwave on 30-second intervals until beeswax is just melted.

As with above, very carefully, remove the measuring cup from the microwave and set on a trivet.

Arrange your lotion tins on your other trivet.

Add your favorite essential oil to the mixture, and stir carefully.

Pour very slowly and carefully into your metal tins. Allow to cool and set at room temperature.

I am so pleased with the finished products! The lip balm is rich and creamy, with incredible staying power, without being thick or heavy. The lotion is definitely solid, but doesn't take much effort to soften on my skin. It does a great job, soothing those really irritated, cracked dry spots, and providing a comfortable, non-greasy, invisible, protective layer. Let's not forget the savings, too. My go-to lip balms were about $3 a tube. That works out to about $20 an ounce! This homemade version? We're talking $0.42 per ounce. Looks like we've found two winners today. Sorry, cosmetic industry. Here are two more products I won't be buying from you anymore ;)

As Sarah stated in her blog comments, it's just a matter of tweaking the amount of beeswax, if you want something a little softer, or a little firmer. I'm quite happy with how mine turned out, and I plan to make some extra batches, come gift-giving season ;)

One of my favorite Paleo authors, Mark Sisson, has a fantastic recent post about handicraft. There is truly something genuinely satisfying about making something with your own two hands. Here's hoping you'll give this project a try!

No promotional consideration was paid for this post. Photo copyright GreenOrganicmama.com

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Coconut Oil: For a Healthy Body; Inside & Out

2012-01-28T17:57:00.001-05:00

I'm very happy to report that our family is still enjoying all the benefits of living the Paleo lifestyle. For those who aren't familiar, last summer, we took our healthy eating a step further, and cut out all processed foods, including grain products. It's actually been much easier than we thought it would be, and it really helps that there is a huge, supportive online Paleo community out there, providing tremendous resources, useful hints, and always a patient, listening ear. The result? Mysterious rashes have cleared up, mom and dad are leaning out, the little one is happy, energetic, and growing like a weed, and we're not suffering through repeated bouts of respiratory infections like we used to. Sounds like we've found a winner ;)

In perusing all the mouth-watering primal recipes out there, many Paleo bloggers rely on coconut oil as their primary cooking oil. Coconut oil has now taken the spotlight as the reigning healthy fat among the "super foods". Healthy fat, you say? Yes, not all fat is bad. This great post by Hybrid Rasta Mama spells out 160 ways that coconut oil is good for us; using this naturally anti-inflammatory, anti-fungal, shelf-stable, and delicious food for everything from cooking, baking, hair treatments, bug repellent, you name it! I know we've only seen the tip of the iceberg in our household. That five-gallon drum that we just ordered is going to get a lot of use!

A huge thank you to both George at Civilized Caveman Cooking Creations, and Esther at Paleo on Main Street, for introducing me to the Tropical Traditions brand of coconut oils. Not all coconut oil is made the same way, and not all of it tastes the same, either. Tropical Traditions has a great FAQ. When buying coconut oil, just be sure that yours is coming from a reputable source. Some manufacturers source their oil from multiple locations. The jar you see on the grocery store shelf could be a blend of oils from several different countries in itself. Tropical Traditions was born in the Philippines, and all their oil is made with care by local community farming families.

Coconut oil has a host of benefits, including aiding metabolism. This is now our primary cooking oil for everything from scrambled eggs to sauteing vegetables. For these savory dishes, we use Tropical Traditions' Expeller-Pressed Coconut Oil. Processed this way, expeller-pressed coconut oil doesn't have that distinct coconutty flavor or taste, making it a better choice for regular cooking. This is different from virgin coconut oil, which is fantastic for baking; adding hints of sweet, nutty flavor to your favorite recipes.

My ultimate favorite use for coconut oil is actually not for eating. A big shout-out to Liz Wolfe at Cave Girl Eats for changing my entire beauty routine; making it simpler, pure, free of chemical additives, and not to mention, frugal! I don't know what to do with all of my stockpiled face washes, creams, lotions, and potions, because it's now coconut oil to the rescue! I've always had issues with very sensitive, combination skin, with plenty of clogged pores, and a random painful zit. Toss in the occasional bout of eczema, from some kind of allergy cross-contamination (always resulting from eating out), and dealing with my skin has definitely not been easy. That is, until now. Liz, if you're reading this, you are my hero ;)

Every morning, I reach for a jar containing a mix of 2/3 coconut oil, and 1/3 castor oil. Castor oil is another super oil, with great anti-inflammatory properties (perfect for my eczema). Just don't eat the stuff ;) As I wait for the tankless hot water heater to kick in, I massage a bit of this mixture on my face, making sure to get it into those problem T-zone areas. Once the hot water is flowing, I gently wipe my face with a steamy hot wash cloth, which really does take off all the excess oil. Coconut oil is considered to be a "dry oil", as it is readily absorbed into your skin. By the time we're finished a quick breakfast, the oil has absorbed, and I'm ready to apply my makeup.

This same jar works to remove my makeup at the end of the day, too. I massage this onto my face, before stepping into the shower, and I take it a step further, by massaging with the Olay Professional Pro-X rotating brush. Call it the Clairsonic for us broke girls. LOL ;) Just a little bit of mild bar soap goes on the brush head. At the end of my shower, I apply a few dabs of another homemade blend of half coconut oil, half jojoba oil. Thank you again to Liz for suggesting the jojoba oil, which she points out is very similar to our skin's own sebum. I noticed a difference within just a few days. My pores are shrinking, the trouble spots are clearing up, and I don't have that aggravating, dry, tightness, immediately after washing my face anymore. My skin is definitely much softer now, too. As a bonus? No more having to read labels to find "natural" skin care products. You can't get much more triclosan/SLS/fragrance/paraben-free than pure plant oils.

If you want to give this a try, but don't have the other oils on hand, that's okay. Some people use straight coconut oil. Give that a try first, and see how you like this cleansing method. I'm pretty sure you're going to be hooked when you see and feel the results ;)

No promotional consideration was paid for this post. Review based on personal purchases.

Coconut & coconut oil image courtesy of Care2.com.
Spa facial image courtesy of Carlabelladayspa.com,

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100 Days of Paleo: Our Cave-Family's Update

2011-10-04T15:56:00.000-04:00

What a perfect time to check in, and report our family's progress. We're now on Day #100 of eating Paleo; life without grains and the plethora of processed junk, advertisers and manufacturers continually try to convince us is food.

Just to recap, our family has grown, since we started following the Paleo way of eating. In addition to Cave Mom (that's me), Cave Dad, and Cave Girl, we added an extra saber-tooth kitty (read: shelter cat), for a total of three, in addition to our two wolves (read: rescued dogs). Our newest cat came to us as a huge chunky monkey (twenty-two and a half pounds of cat; more than our other two cats put together), and I'm happy to report that he's slimming down well, while enjoying plenty of organic beef liver and grain-free food. I'm glad we got to him and were able to provide him with a healthy home, before any onset of diabetes, or other weight-related illnesses.

So how is our human family faring? Even with much resistance from Cave Hubby, we've made it! We're healthier, much fitter, and nobody has gone screaming out the door, in search of chocolate cake. I, myself, battled with post-baby weight for what seemed like forever, and have now finally lost those inches. I treated myself to a new wardrobe, just after my first month of Paleo, and even those clothes are now hanging loose. My skin is clearer, I'm sleeping better, no more late-day digestive issues, and the midday afternoon slumps are gone, too. Did I mention my pants are loose? Woohoo!! No beating myself up at the gym, or exhaustive cardio: it's amazing what cutting out grains can do for you.

As I've blogged about before, Paleo dinners are especially easy to prepare, making meal-planning and prep work much easier for this full-time working Cave Mom. Many others are joining the ranks of Paleo eating, and there are numerous blogs, Facebook groups, and even more recently-released cookbooks, too, with an endless array of tasty and easy recipes. We may have cut out grains, but we certainly don't leave the dinner table still hungry. Even our six-year-old has adapted, and gets to enjoy whipping up a batch of grain-free muffins with mom, from time to time. Paleo is certainly family-friendly, and can be integrated into even the busiest schedules. We're definitely not going back to our former bad eating habits.

Just last night, I got caught up on the "I, Caveman" Curiosity series on Discovery Channel. Lo and behold, my favorite Paleo author, Robb Wolf, was one of the ten participants in this "Survivor-esque" series, about going back to our caveman roots. There is an ever-growing interest in our human origins, and of course, my mom friends and I are always talking about diet. A few want to make the leap to going Paleo, but they're not quite sure. Things are definitely going to change, when switching to primal eating, and there are some key things to remember:

We, as a society, have been effectively brain-washed. Everything you learned in school, from pyramids, nutritionists, and the health industry, about grains being healthy and necessary is WRONG.
Big Pharma, Big Agri, and especially the politicians, are all in it together. They don't want us to break out of this highly-profitable, vicious cycle: the more cheap, grain-based, nutrient-poor junk they trick us into consuming, the unhealthier we become, and the more we rely on drugs to get through life. You'll never see a fortified stem of broccoli. Why is it then that we're constantly bombarded with messages to eat artificially-fortified grain products? Nutritionally, grains can't hold a candle to the meat, seafood, fruit, vegetables, seeds and nuts we were born to eat.
Weight gain, allergies, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, chronic aches and pains, and taking daily medication to deal with those things IS NOT the norm. Our bodies are like machines; operating best on the proper type of fuel. If we continue to fuel ourselves with the wrong foods, we're bound to start breaking down.
You will not starve. I'm a 5'2" Asian, my husband is 6' and All-American, our growing daughter continues to be one of the tallest and brightest in her classes, our dogs and cats are healthy and content, and none of us are wasting away. It doesn't matter how big or small you are, how young or old, or your species: eat what nature intended you to eat.
This is the one diet that makes sense, it truly works, and you'll stick with it. Give it a full 30 days. At the end of it all, your grocery store manager will be waiting, with open arms, to lead you back to the cereal and bread aisles, any time you want. Once you have that first cheat meal, your body will definitely tell you what's right and wrong for you.

Here's hoping more of you will give Paleo a short 30-days of your time, and with any luck, a lifetime after that. You'll be healthier for it. I know we are ;)

No promotional consideration was paid for this post.

The information presented in this website is in no way intended as medical advice or as a substitute for medical counseling. The information should be used in conjunction with the guidance and care of your physician. Your physician should be aware of all medical conditions that you may have, as well as the medications or supplements you may be taking.

All Natural Homemade Automatic Dishwasher Detergent

2011-09-10T14:22:00.000-04:00

We're on a roll, with our adventures in making our own homemade cleaning products. We started a couple weeks ago, by making our own super easy, super frugal, homemade laundry soap, and it was a hit! It's cheap, it's effective, and better for the environment. I won't be going back to the store-bought stuff anymore!

Next on the list of homemade cleaner recipes: automatic dishwasher detergent. First, a little background: it is so incredibly difficult to find a good dishwasher detergent that doesn't contain chlorine. My mother, especially, is very chemically-sensitive, and it was a lot of trial and error, before I started using Seventh Generation Automatic Dishwasher detergent for my own family. It cleans thoroughly, especially with our hard water, it's phosphate-free, and doesn't produce noxious chlorine fumes. Still, that came at a price; almost five dollars a box at my local grocery store. Lucky for us, after having made our own laundry soap, we had almost everything already on hand, to churn out our first batch of homemade detergent for the dishwasher.

Much like the laundry detergent, this recipe calls for borax and washing (not baking) soda. Both are readily available in grocery store and big box store laundry aisles, at a couple dollars a box. The one ingredient I had to buy was citric acid. It comes in a white powder form, and should be available where you buy your vitamins and supplements. I ordered a huge five-pound tub from Amazon. The rest of the ingredients are just pantry staples: kosher salt, and a little bit of uncooked rice (a great tip, from DIY Natural, for keeping the powder from clumping).

No soap grating in this recipe: just mix the various dry ingredients together, in a container with a tight-fitting lid, label, and you're done!

Equipment:
1-cup measure
Storage container with tight-fitting lid
An old 1-oz. plastic scoop

Ingredients:
1 cup of borax
1 cup of washing soda
1 cup citric acid
0.5 cup kosher salt
1 tbsp dry, uncooked rice

Add all of the ingredients to your storage container, close lid tightly, and shake until thoroughly mixed.

Use 0.5 oz (1 tbsp) per load.

I just ran a load of plates, flatware, glasses, mugs, and even a stoneware baking dish. Everything is squeaky clean! Vinegar also magically makes a reappearance in the kitchen. Last month, we introduced it as a fabric softener for your washing machine. Now, it goes in your rinse agent dispenser, to get sparkly, clean dishes, without the hefty price tag of store-bought rinse agent.

Happy frugal cleaning :)

Grain-Free, Paleo "No Corn" Corn Muffins with Bacon & Ham

2011-09-04T15:32:00.001-04:00

A huge thank you to Kara over at The Primal Home, for sharing this awesome, mouthwateringly-delicious recipe for the paleo equivalent of a grain-free corn muffin! One of my girlfriends has already replicated the recipe, and my freshly-baked batch is being devoured before my eyes.

These are totally gluten-free, and made with just a few basic, healthy ingredients, including the miracle that is coconut flour. Coconut flour is just ground-up, dried coconut. Surprisingly, the coconut flavor is not overpowering, and the muffins came out with a great, fluffy, moist texture. If you don't tell your friends they're grain-free, they probably wouldn't even notice.

I made a few tweaks, including substituting the cooked bacon for diced deli ham. Just like Marie Barone from Everybody Loves Raymond, I keep a "jar of fat" in the fridge, so the bacon grease was already on hand. That saved a little prep time, but you can always follow Kara's method and render three strips of bacon. Here's how I just created our batch of these awesome little muffins:

Ingredients:

3 tbsp bacon grease
5 slices deli ham, diced very small
6 eggs
1/3 cup local, raw, organic honey
1/2 cup organic coconut flour
1 tsp fresh Italian herbs, chopped fine (optional)
1/2 tsp baking soda

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Line your muffin tin with nine paper liners.

Melt bacon grease in a large Pyrex mixing bowl, in the microwave. Heat until mostly melted (do not overheat).

Whisk in honey with the melted bacon grease.

Add the six eggs and Italian herbs, and continue to whisk. Add the ham.

Add the coconut flour, and mix thoroughly, breaking up any lumps.

Once blended, whisk in the baking soda. Immediately scoop the batter into muffin tin, filling 3/4 of the way, and bake for 15 minutes.

Transfer muffins to a cooling rack.

These came out so delicious, even my reluctant-caveman husband went back for seconds! I'm trying to keep myself from going back for a third. This is going to be a regular baked-good item in our Paleo household ;)

All-Natural Homemade Laundry Powder Detergent

2011-08-16T22:20:00.004-04:00

A big thank you to my dear friend, and Super Mom, Nance, for introducing our gang of mommy friends to the wonders of homemade laundry soap!

Now, why would anybody want to make their own laundry detergent, when every grocery store, drug store, big box store, and even the corner convenience store carry the ready-made stuff? First, it's frugal! I finally have the HE (high-efficiency), front-loading washing machine that I was salivating over for years, and I love that it uses so little soap per load. Still, that soap doesn't come cheap. Whereas some detergents can run upwards of twenty cents a load, homemade laundry soap works out to mere pennies.

Our go-to brand of all-natural powder detergent does list all of its ingredients, but many popular brands do not. Just like cooking your own meals at home, making your own laundry detergent also means you know exactly what went into it. [Note: please don't eat your soap.]

Many of our friends have family members with sensitivities to perfumes and chemical additives. This is definitely one way to get around those issues. Avoiding those nasty chemicals also means that they're not being released into the environment, every time you do a load of wash. Basic ingredients go into this recipe, which works out better for everyone.

This is also going to be one of the simplest DIY projects you could do. A quick detour down the laundry aisle at my grocery store was all it took to locate a box of borax, and washing soda (not to be confused with baking soda). Please don't try to substitute baking soda for washing soda; it's a totally different animal. Besides, both boxes were a mere couple of dollars each. For the final ingredient: choose one bar of your favorite soap (preferably petroleum-free, like castile, glycerine, coconut-based, or olive-oil based like what I used). That's it! Here's how I assembled my stash of homemade laundry powder, in about 20 minutes, while standing in the kitchen, catching up on HGTV:

Equipment:
Box grater with non-slip base
Flexible, non-slip cutting board
Mixing bowl
Mixing spoon
1-cup measure
Storage container with tight-fitting lid
An old 1-oz. plastic scoop
*optional - food processor

Ingredients:
1 bar of soap
1 cup of borax
1 cup of washing soda

Place the box grater on top of your flexible cutting board, and grate the entire bar of soap (finer is better). Use the flexible cutting board to pour the grated soap flakes into your mixing bowl as you go.

After grating, if your soap flakes are still a bit large, you may optionally pulse them in your food processor.

Add the borax and washing soda to the soap flakes in the mixing bowl, and blend thoroughly.

Store in lidded container, and use 0.5 oz (1 tbsp) per load.

We have a quilt that we keep on our bed, for the sole purpose of keeping the rest of the bedding clean, from our beloved cats (and sometimes the dogs) who think we don't know that they steal up there to nap when we're not around. That quilt was the Level 5 test subject for this newly-minted batch of soap. It passed with flying colors! I have another friend to thank, Jill, for reminding me to use a bit of plain, white vinegar in place of fabric softener. Even with no dryer sheet, the quilt came out fresher, cleaner, and softer than ever! No lingering vinegar smell; I promise! :)

Thank you, ladies, for your fabulous, eco-frugal laundry tips!

Happy wash day :)

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Paleo Lemon Bars (Gluten-Free)

2011-06-13T22:30:00.001-04:00

Thank you to George over at Civilized Caveman Cooking for turning me on to these awesome lemon bars, made Paleo style. I'm now on Week 3 of primal (i.e. grain-free) eating, losing weight, firming up, and feeling great! It's nice to know that even cavemen and cavewomen can still enjoy some baked goods, once a while. These lemon bars hit the spot! My reluctant caveman husband just "Mmm... mmm... mmm"ed his way through a slice. I'm savoring some myself, while sharing my tweaks to this recipe with you.

Due to shipping delays, I had to make do with ingredients on hand, and made a few substitutions. I thought the crust was looking a little wet, so I added 1/3 cup of organic coconut flour (essentially, ground up dried coconut). That worked like a charm! I also started the lemon topping the night before, and let it set in the fridge overnight, and made the crust the next day. Here's how I made our super-lemony lemon bars:

For the lemon topping:

6 organic eggs
1 cup freshly-squeezed organic lemon juice (about seven lemons)
1/2 cup local honey
1/2 cup organic virgin coconut oil (measured in solid state)

For the crust:

1 cup raw whole almonds
1 cup raw whole pecans
1/3 cup organic coconut flour
1/2 cup melted vegan organic margarine
1/4 cup local honey
2 organic eggs

To make the filling:

Slow and steady warming, and continued whisking -- that's the key here for a thick, smooth, silky topping, and not lemon-flavored scrambled eggs.

- Whisk the eggs, honey, and lemon juice in a cold sauce pan
- Turn heat on medium, and continue to whisk
- As mixture warms, add the coconut oil
- Continue to whisk, allowing mixture to reduce and thicken
- When the mixture starts to bubble, turn the heat down to low, and whisk for two more minutes
- Remove from heat, and allow to cool to room temperature, before transferring to a lidded container, to chill in the refrigerator. Lemon topping can be made a day in advance.

To make the crust:

To get that nice crumbly texture, pulse the nuts in your food processor, to ensure some chunks and pieces.

- Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (I used 375 degrees F in a convection oven)
- In a small mixing bowl, combine the honey, melted margarine, and eggs
- Chop the nuts in a food processor on pulse setting, to achieve a crumbly, mealy texture (not powder)
- Add the chopped nuts and coconut flour to the wet ingredients
- Grease a 9"x9" baking dish with vegan margarine
- Spread an even layer of the nut mixture in the baking dish
- Bake for 12-15 minutes, until nuts are golden brown, and edges are crisp
- Allow crust to cool to room temperature before layering on lemon topping
- Serve chilled

These are seriously delicious! Our first flourless dessert is a success! Seriously, you won't even notice those missing whole (and not so whole) grains. I plan to make a few different versions of this delectable treat; raspberry and lemon, cranberry and lemon, and I can't be a resident of the Florida Keys without making a Key Lime flavor sometime ;)

Enjoy!

Easy Last-Minute Paleo Dinner: Garlicky Steamed Mussels

2011-06-10T21:22:00.002-04:00

Ah, I love seafood. I also love quick, easy, healthy meals. After a busy week, and a quick run through the grocery store on the way home, I came home with two pounds of delicious, fresh mussels!

It took a few minutes, but I finally convinced the lady at the seafood counter that yes, I wanted the plastic bag open. She looked at me like I was crazy, but it's important to remember that unlike a lot of the seafood in that chilled case, mussels are alive, and they need to breathe. Mussels can live out of sea water for a short period of time, and they can survive in the fridge, but they do need air. An experienced seafood monger will pick through bulk shipments of mussels, and throw out any with broken shells, or ones that are sealed shut. Live, happy mussels have their shells open. When touched/jostled, they will close up to protect themselves. It's the live ones that open back up. They should also have a clean, briny smell. Those are the ones you want to enjoy.

Mussels are super easy to prepare, and fast! Dinner is on the table in mere minutes. No salt needed: mussels bring their own distinct briny goodness to the dish. Here's how to do it:

Ingredients

2 pounds fresh mussels
1 small sweet onion, diced
1 handful cherry tomatoes, halved
1/4 cup white wine or chicken broth
1 clove crushed garlic
a few grinds of fresh ground black pepper

To prepare:

Preheat a heavy-bottomed lidded pan/dutch oven on medium.

Gently rinse the mussels in a colander under cool water. (Do not submerge these saltwater creatures in fresh water, or they will die.)

Coat the bottom of the pan with a tablespoon of olive oil. Sweat the onions until translucent. Toss in cherry tomatoes, and cook for another minute.

Turn heat up on medium high. Stir in crushed garlic and black pepper.

Add mussels and white wine/broth, and cover tightly with lid.

After two minutes, switch off the heat. After three more minutes, carefully open the lid, and check to see if all the mussels have opened. If not, cover and let sit for a few more minutes, until the majority of the mussels have opened.

Gently toss the mussels, throwing out any that haven't opened, and serve immediately with the broth.

I gently pull the halves of the shell apart, loosen the mussel from the bottom shell, leaving the little inedible stem in place, scoop up a little of the broth, and down the hatch! Have a big plate ready to catch all of your empty shells.

Although we usually prepare extra portions when making dinner, cooked mussels don't work too well as leftovers. Only buy/make as much as you'll eat in one sitting. Enjoy with a nice fresh side salad, for a quick, easy, any-night dinner.

Getting Healthy By Going Grain-Free: The Paleo Solution - Eat Like A Caveman

2011-06-05T11:35:00.003-04:00

In the words of a famous gecko, "it's so simple, even a caveman can do it".

Years ago, we began our organic journey, when we found out we were expecting our little girl. That quickly evolved into making smarter ecological choices for everything we buy and use, and I know we are healthier for it. There are so many helpful resources nowadays, to make it easy going green and choosing organic. Still, I have to thank another source for our family's most recent lifestyle change: my beloved dogs and cats.

After much research, I recently switched our fur babies over to grain-free food. Our pets' wild ancestors certainly did not sit down to meals of ground corn and bowls of wheat, and more and more pet food manufacturers are acknowledging this. While reading into the health reasons for pets to go grain-free, I couldn't help but wonder why we human beings are eating grain, too? That's when I picked up a copy of The Paleo Solution: The Original Human Diet, the New York Times Bestseller by Robb Wolf.

Once in a while, a book makes your eyes open wide, and makes you question everything you thought you knew. The Paleo Solution certainly did this, and turned my whole view of diet and nutrition upside-down. My friends and family already know how much I detest the food giant Monsanto. I firmly believe evil food conglomerates, the pharmaceutical industry, and crooked politicians are all in cahoots, poisoning our environment and us, taking advantage of hard-working farmers, and squashing those who do try to do things right. I was so pleased to find someone else who feels the same way, in author Robb Wolf.

We've all grown up with the belief that we need to eat grain (whole grain at that) to be healthy. Every little pyramid and diagram that has been put in front of us has included this as a recommended "food group". Robb Wolf, who comes from a bio-chemist background, prior to being a health and fitness consultant, is quick to present data, showing just how little nutrition is in grain. Our ancestors lived for thousands of years without agriculture; living as hunter-gatherers. Our diets consisted of meat, fruits, vegetables, seeds, and nuts. It wasn't until wide-scale farming of grain began, that anthropologists began seeing evidence of health problems in the remains of our ancestors.

Bringing the story up to modern-day, Robb Wolf paints a detailed picture, showing how the ingestion of grain causes chain reactions in our bodies, throwing everything off-kilter, from our cholesterol, insulin levels, and most visibly, our waistlines. I myself have retiree parents, and my mother in particular has been plagued her whole adult life with cholesterol issues, high blood pressure, and in recent years, osteoporosis. The whole time I was reading Robb Wolf's explanations, I kept picturing my own mother. Mom, you and I are going to sit down and have a long chat about Paleo eating, when we come visit. We want you off your medications and with us for a long, long time.

So, it's been a week since I began my Paleo eating shift; focusing my meals on lots of vegetables, roasted meats, broiled wild-caught seafood, and snacking on fresh fruit and nuts. The result? I feel fantastic! No more midday slump at the office, my skin looks clearer, and I can visibly see myself getting leaner! You know where your own "problem spots" are, and I can tell you, mine are shrinking before my eyes! WOOHOO! This switch has honestly been very easy. The meals are surprisingly filling, and keep me full for a longer period of time. I haven't missed the cookies, bread, or pasta. As a bonus: Paleo meals are so incredibly easy to prepare, which is fantastic for this busy working mom. Just steam/roast/sautee some vegetables, while broiling/roasting some meat, and voila! Dinner is served! I could seriously get used to this.

So, my apologies to the grain industry: you've lost a customer. To the pharmaceutial industry: I won't be following in my family's footsteps, and you can keep your high cholesterol/blood-pressure/diabetes medications. I'm off to say hello to a healthy, long life, and my pre-pregnancy clothes ;)

Thank you, Robb Wolf, and the Paleo Solution!

No promotional consideration was paid for this post. This is a review of personal purchases.

Image courtesy of Amazon.com.

Organic is More Than Skin Deep: Pesticides and Herbicides May Be Causing Rapid Animal Population Decline

2011-05-01T10:39:00.002-04:00

A great article from Natural News caught my eye this weekend, drawing a possible correlation between rapidly declining animal populations around the world, to the widespread use of pesticides and herbicides. We've all seen the headlines lately: birds falling dead out of the sky, honeybees threatened with extinction, and countless more. My immediate thought of this was another popular article that was making its rounds once again: "The Dirty Dozen", and its counterpart, "The Clean Fifteen". Both of these guides from the EWG try to summarize for consumers a list of produce that should be purchased organic, and those that aren't so risky, based on the EWG's analysis of how much harmful pesticide residue is on, or getting past, the outer layers of commonly-purchased fruits and vegetables. Not a bad way for those just getting into organics to start, but I firmly believe these guides are misleading: organic is about much more than just not consuming pesticides.

People choose organic for many different reasons. For us, we made the shift when we found out we were expecting. What began as a goal to keep harmful chemicals out of my developing daughter's body, quickly blossomed into considering the impact of these chemicals on our entire household, and our environment. I did a lot of reading into the entire organic life cycle, from "farm to table", as they say. One of my favorite documentaries, Food Beware: The French Organic Revolution, depicts exactly what happens when chemicals are unleashed on the environment, through conventional farming. There's a great scene in this film, shown on the border of two farms, where one side was farmed conventionally, and the other the organic way. The conventionally-farmed soil was like stratified sand, packed hard, and couldn't absorb water or nutrients, if it tried. Right next to that was the organic farm's soil, dark, rich, and full of life; the way soil should look. When farmers devastate their land with chemicals, they aren't just contained just to that area; they leach into the ground water, and into the surrounding air. That's the message Natural News was getting at with their article: choosing organic is about keeping harmful chemicals out of our environment as a whole.

So the next time you're at the market, do consider that you're shopping not just for yourself, but for the planet that we all share.

No promotional consideration was paid for this post.

Image courtesy of Amazon.com.

Adopt A Rescue: Meet Our Newest Furry Child

2011-04-16T23:49:00.001-04:00

It's been an exciting last couple of weeks in the Green Organic household. Please say hello (or woof-woof) to our newest fur baby, the hair ball above with the eyes, nose, and tongue. Under all that fluff is such a sweet, happy boy, who up until recently, was a parasite-infested stray. He came to us through the same rescue group where we adopted the shy Schnauzer mix, peeking into the frame above. They are such a great match, and it didn't take long for them to become BFF's. That now makes four furry children in this household, including two adult shelter cats. There's a lot of furry love under this roof.

Shelter and rescue animals are sadly too numerous. If you and your family are looking to provide a forever home for an animal, please do consider adopting. Not every one of these animals comes from a harmful or neglectful situation. Like our Schnauzer mix and one of our shelter cats, many come from loving homes, but had to leave, due to changes in living arrangements, job loss, passing of an owner, etc. The rescue group where our dogs came from, does a great job, trying to get a good sense of a particular animal's behaviors and personality, to try to match up with a fitting forever home. As long as you have a good understanding of your own family's dynamics, and your expectations, that will better the chances for a good fit, when the right animal comes along.

On that same note, I highly recommend everyone to read Cesar Millan's books, and watch at least some of the Dog Whisperer episodes. We humans have forgotten that while dog is man's best friend, he's still, by nature, a dog. After reading Cesar Millan's books, I firmly believe that if this was required reading material, prior to bringing a dog into a household, we wouldn't see quite so many unwanted animals out there. Understanding breeds, training, and care is just the tip of the iceberg. Millan teaches that it's more important to know yourself.

We feel very fortunate to be able to provide a loving home for at least some of these needy animals, and in turn, they give us unconditional love back. Caring for animals is also a great teaching tool in our household. Early on, my daughter learned how to approach them, and use a gentle touch. She's learned that animals are a lot like us; they eat, they sleep, they play, they, uh ... go potty. ;) She knows they have feelings, too, and she's learned how to respect them. She's watched how they communicate, with each other, and with us. She knows they are her friends and her family. When she's older, we'll be sharing some more pet care duties with her as well; adding to her sense of responsibility. There's a lot to be learned from our furry friends.

For those looking for a new pet, please do consider your local rescue groups and shelters. Here's to more happy tails and forever homes :)

No promotional consideration was paid for this post.

Product Review: Fluffy, Delicious, and Picky-Eater-Approved: Bob's Red Mill Organic 7-Grain Pancake & Waffle Mix

2011-03-05T10:59:00.000-05:00

Ahh, I love Saturdays. It's the one day that we're all off and home together. We always start the weekend with a big, yummy breakfast. On the menu today: homemade whole-grain waffles.

I love my family for having put up with my attempts to feed them healthier. While we had great success with Bob's Red Mill Buckwheat Pancake and Waffle Mix, my husband continually asked for something more traditional-tasting; something lighter, fluffy, and golden-brown. After some research, we turned again to Bob's Red Mill, and ordered a case of their Organic 7-Grain Pancake and Waffle Mix.

Each package has simple instructions for turning out the most delicious pancakes or waffles. Waffles were the goal today, so I plugged in our beloved Cuisinart waffle iron, put it on setting #4, and prepared the mix. How easy is this:

1 cup of mix
2 eggs
2 tbsp vegetable oil
1 cup milk (we used almond milk, to keep this dairy-free for me)

Mix it all up, and drop a couple ice-cream scoops of the thick batter onto your preheated, lightly-greased waffle iron. A few minutes later, we were enjoying the most delicious homemade waffles! These came out so big and fluffy. The picky eaters in the house didn't even bat an eyelash at the whole-grain content. Mission accomplished ;) Paired with some turkey bacon, these were a hit! My pickiest eater even asked for seconds. This is definitely another pantry staple :)

No promotional consideration was paid for this post. This is a review of personal purchases.

Image courtesy of Amazon.com.

The Culture of Cola: Take the Caramel Color Ban a Step Further & Ban Soda Completely

2011-02-17T18:39:00.003-05:00

By now, most everyone has heard the call by a consumer group to the FDA to ban caramel color from soda, due to the presence of two cancer-causing chemicals. While the elimination of potential carcinogens is always a good thing, I think this is an even better opportunity to step back and look at the bigger picture: soda itself.

Thinking back to my childhood, soda was everywhere. It was just another one of those everyday items, offered along with your meal, and nobody ever thought twice about it (especially my parents, who worked in the food industry). With the exception of vending machine bans on school property now, not much has changed. Almost every restaurant, food court, gas station, and many households will offer you a sugar- and chemical-laden carbonated cocktail. Even 20,000 feet up in the air, soda has become this inescapable part of daily consumption.

I'm hoping that many will hear about this call for the caramel color ban, and perhaps take this opportunity to ask why so many of us automatically reach for one of these, and even crave them. Soda is nothing but water, high fructose corn syrup, and a mess of other artificial ingredients. It has no nutritional value, and not to mention, we are charged an arm and a leg for this stuff. I've actually been soda-free for several years now, and I won't let my daughter have any, either. I came to the realization that soda is NOT normal; even though the big manufacturers and the media have been telling us otherwise, from the time we were children. What is normal? Water, tea, coffee, juice, and milk (cow's, soy, and almond are our favorites). I think the rise in eco-awareness in recent years, with its onslaught of reusable bottles everywhere, has created more water-drinkers. I know we drink more plain water now, and that is what nature intended. Ever see a deer wander the forest, searching for a stream of brown cola? Maybe on Planet Pepsi :P

So please, raise a glass of clean, pure water with me, and toast to your health! Let's leave soda behind, along with asbestos and lead paint, as another one of humankind's prior mistakes, that we've learned and moved on from.

No promotional consideration was paid for this post.

Image courtesy of news.sympatico.ctv.ca.

Meet my Digital Alter-Ego: Tech blogging @ TechnoMommy.com!

2011-02-04T22:11:00.001-05:00

Hello everyone! It's a new year, and I'm venturing into new territory. I'd like to introduce all of you to my newest blog: TechnoMommy.com.

Many of you already know that I'm a computer geek at heart; as evident by my technology-laced posts. Over the past few months, I was shopping for a new cell phone, and was all set to go the iPhone route and leave T-Mobile for Verizon. Wrong! I'm glad I didn't. I've found all the qualities in a great, user-friendly phone that I wanted and more in an Android. That went so well that a friend has followed suit, and ditched her old clamshell Motorola for an Android, too. Please stop by my new blog to check out what went into choosing my Anti-iPhone ;)

Not to worry... GreenOrganicMama.com isn't going anywhere! Being eco-friendly isn't a fad; it's a lifestyle change. That's ingrained in our everyday life. The green posts will continue to come. TechnoMommy.com is another one of those "You know, I really should be writing this stuff down," ideas ;) I've been the go-to tech support person for as long as I can remember, so it's only natural to bring this into web form. Other moms have posted about the latest tech gadgetry, but few actually explain what to do with this stuff, and how to use it, and get the most out of it. That's where TechnoMommy will come in.

So, I hope to see you all over on the tech side! Thanks for being such loyal readers :)

All the best in 2011!!

Store Review: The Key West Toy Factory, Key West, FL

2010-09-25T09:24:00.005-04:00

What do you get when you cross the Rainforest Cafe with a sunken pirate ship, carrying a cargo hold full of eco-friendly and educational toys? In our town, it's the Key West Toy Factory!

Right in the heart of Old Town is the newest family-friendly stop for tourists and locals. Last weekend, after our awesome vegan lunch at Green Republic, my friend Yvonnie and I made our way down to Clinton Square Market; the home of the Key West Toy Factory. We didn't have the kids with us, but that didn't matter; there's something in this store for everybody!

Pictures can't describe the sights in this store. This video comes close ;) The time and effort put into the design of this store is phenomenal, right from the moment that you walk under a rope bridge and through the "jungle" to get inside the store. There are water features and life-like creatures of all types; not to mention the giant sunken pirate ship. Oh yes! This happens to be a toy store. The owner envisioned a place where kids and parents could come and hang out for a while. There are play tables, a reading nook with comfy pillows, to settle in and read a story together, and the best part of all: the Imagineering Workshop. Open to all customers, and even available to book for free (yes, free) for your next birthday party or gathering, this part of the store, with its benches and stools and art supplies, is the place to get creative, with coloring sheets and art projects for kids to do. Don't worry about making a mess; the designers deliberately splattered leftover paint all over the place, so what's another splatter? ;)

Green Organic Girl and I went back together the following day. I paid for two hours at the parking meter, and let me tell you, those two hours flew by fast! We were sprinting back to the car! We had such a great time, playing with stuffed animals, banging on drums and a steel pan, reading books, coloring pictures, and exploring all the educational toys the store had to offer. We loved the atmosphere of this store, that encourages you to stay and play. I was very pleased to see many eco-friendly options, like wooden toys from popular brands like our personal favorite: Melissa & Doug. Despite the obviously huge investment that went into the design and opening of this store, the prices are all very reasonable; much more reasonable, I would say, than the other smaller traditional toy store we have across town.

So what did we take home that day? Green Organic Girl changed her mind a dozen times (like any kid), but finally settled on a "Doodle Sketch" by Etch-A-Sketch. Hours of paperless, tree-free, drawing and stamping fun! Sounds good to me ;)

Oh but that wasn't all! That day we were there, the store staff were giving away free balloons, and with every purchase, a wooden token, good for a free kiddie cone of homemade ice cream, downstairs at the Sweets of Paradise shop, owned by our friends Walt and Lindsey. Walt has figured out the magical formula, as to just how many chocolate chips a giant cookie can hold. We were treated to one, fresh and warm out of the oven! Oh boy! A fun day at a new store, a new toy, a balloon, ice cream, and a giant cookie! We can't wait until our next trip down to the Key West Toy Factory :)

Image courtesy of KeyWestHotLine.com.

YouTube Video courtesy of KeyWestToyFactory.com.

No promotional consideration was paid for this post. This is a review of a personal shopping trip.

Restaurant Review: Green Republic Vegan Restaurant of Key West, FL

2010-09-19T17:27:00.005-04:00

Many thanks to my friend Tracey for sharing a great new place for those of us wanting something other than the usual greasy fare.

My friend Yvonnie of KeyWestBaby.com and I were in dire need of some "me" time. Between work and our families, we barely had time to breathe, or a chance to say more than three words to each other on the phone, before being pulled away by some family member. Nevertheless, we had set aside this past Saturday afternoon as an outing for just the two of us; no children, no husbands, and we could actually have an uninterrupted conversation (what a concept!) ;) As Yvonnie is also into going green and organic, she was also eager to try Green Republic; a new vegan addition to Key West!

We arrived at the restaurant, which is in the heart of downtown, and is just bright, clean, and inviting. The menu items with all of their clever names were all neatly displayed on chalk boards along the walls. There is a wide assortment of delicious options, and it was hard to make up our minds. There are sandwiches, wraps, burgers (vegan, of course), soups, salads, and even rice bowls! The prices are all very reasonable. Yvonnie had a craving for brie, and had the portobello and brie wrap. I decided to give the burgers a try, and went with the Bacon Cheddar. Of course, I advised the gentleman at the counter of my dairy allergy. "No problem," he said, and offered me vegan cheddar instead. That was so nice to have that option. I also chose one of their many fresh-made (i.e. NOT from a mix) smoothies, and enjoyed the mango/pineapple/banana/orange, known as the Maui Mango.

We settled in on one of the platforms, with its comfy cushions, and enjoyed the calm atmosphere of the restaurant, and the quieter side street, while our orders were filled. My smoothie came first, and it was delicious! All of the Green Republic smoothies are dairy-free, and start with soy milk. The smoothie was so refreshing, and just the perfect hint of sweetness. No sugary concoctions added to these drinks. Our food didn't take long, and our taste buds were in for a treat! Everything on the menu is homemade, right down to my vegan burger, which we were told is made from lentils. One bite into my burger, and it clearly did not come off an assembly line. No mass-produced, flash-frozen food here! We both polished off our entire plates, and we were comfortably full, satisfied, but didn't have that icky feeling from eating too much grease.

Now, my friend Tracey had raved about Green Republic's fabulous homemade, organic, vegan cupcakes, complete with vegan icing! So, we weren't about to leave without sampling at least one. There were several flavors to choose from, including Tracey's favorite of Carrot Cake, but we decided to split one chocolate cupcake. We were not disappointed! My first taste of vegan chocolate cake was the birthday cake we ordered for my daughter at the Crystal Palace in the Magic Kingdom at Disney World. That one was phenomenal, and in comparison, this cupcake did not disappoint! It even had a fancy swirl of vegan chocolate icing on the top. It was light, airy, and just the perfect touch.

We can't wait to go back to Green Republic again! It's just the perfect place to kick back, relax, and have something delicious and good for you, too!

Do check out Green Republic's website, and they'll even give you a dollar off your pickup/delivery order if you place your order online! We were told to sign up for member-exclusive specials, too.

Hope to see you at Green Republic! More locations are opening up across the U.S. :)

Image courtesy of GreenRepublic.com. No promotional consideration was paid for this post.
This review is based on personal purchases.

We Are No Longer Members of Annie's Organic Buying Club of South Florida

2010-09-16T18:29:00.001-04:00

Way back in March of 2009, our family made the healthy-eating decision of joining an organic produce buying club; sort of like a CSA, where our money was pooled together each week with other consumers like us, and our combined buying power allowed us great prices on a variety of farm-fresh organic produce.

While we still firmly believe in the power of buying clubs and CSAs, and we have truly enjoyed the bountiful harvest, it has come to our attention that perhaps the particular club we joined has potentially grown too big, too fast, and whatever small problems it may have had are still there, still unaddressed, and now magnified and exasperated by the exponential growth of the membership base.

As I had previously blogged about how much we were enjoying the club, I feel it is my duty to my readers to provide an update, now that our family’s position has changed. I write this as a mom blogger, an organic consumer, and also as the holder of a business degree.

All businesses have their problems. The ones who survive are the ones who acknowledge those problems, and work with their people to evolve and find ways to learn from, and deal with those issues, and to do so in a timely manner, before those issues become too big and too complex to handle. Those successful businesses know their customers, and they take the time to listen to them. Not just the good feedback; but the bad feedback too. They also understand that their staff are customers, too. Complaints and concerns are acknowledged. The causes for those concerns are explored, and solutions are found. Messengers are not shot down, and those who don’t like the way things are done are not told to sit down and shut up, or worse, made to feel like outsiders. Communication is key, and how much easier could it be, for a club such as this, where each and every member is already of your target market, and everyone is working toward the same goal? Yet, it has become apparent that the ways of this particular club deviate from what I have just outlined above. It’s easy to see what will soon become of this club, if its management continues to go on the defensive, turn a blind eye, and refuse to streamline processes. Sadly, things went as far as turning away offers for help in reorganizing and restructuring from its own members who wanted to see the club succeed. Those members became part of the outcasts. It just goes to show that you can’t help people who don’t want to be helped in the first place.

Below is a copy of my e-mail to Annie herself, detailing my concerns, and our request to withdraw from the club. Annie did take the time to respond to me, however, I did not get the assurance that the root problems were going to be acknowledged and addressed. Don’t get me wrong. Annie is a wonderful person, who took a huge chance, and has a monstrosity of a job, keeping the flow of fresh produce coming. However, as I told Annie, the ends don’t always justify the means. Annie did graciously invite us back to the club at a future date; however the nail still has yet to be hit on the head. Below is my e-mail:

Annie,

You know I've been with the group since almost the very beginning. We've e-mailed a lot, and (your husband) and I chatted in person a few times about the challenges with the club. I even approached you and volunteered my services to help streamline some of your processes, re-do your spreadsheets, and I even pulled strings and tried to find you some other software that might take the place of the spreadsheets to make life easier for managing the club.

Every business has its problems. It's up to the owner and management to acknowledge those problems and find ways deal with them. I'm not going to be coy and pretend I don't know what's been going on between you and some of your coordinators, because they are my close friends, this is a small, tight-knit community, and we all talk. Annie, I know you care about the club, and I hope you understand that the members and coordinators do as well. If someone is bringing up a concern, it would be to your benefit to take a less defensive stance, and keep an open mind. Nobody is trying to insult you or the way you do business. If they didn't care, they wouldn't be upset, and they certainly wouldn't be fighting for change.

Unfortunately for many, it would seem that change would have come too late. No customer in any industry wants to hear "What? Why do you have a problem with what we're doing?", or "You are the only one who has complained about this." Annie, most people with complaints do not take the time out to report those through the proper channels. In business, it's called the Rule of Eleven. One happy customer will tell one friend. One unhappy customer will tell eleven, and those eleven will tell eleven more, and so on. In (our town), our gossip line is lovingly nicknamed "The Coconut Telegraph", and many have succumbed to it. Going forward, I hope you will bear in mind that if you do hear of a problem, it's most likely indicative of multiple people having similar issues.

Annie, our family has greatly enjoyed being part of the club over this past year and a half. However, just like with any product or service, I have to consider the bigger picture. I always try to listen to both sides of a story. When one friend has poured her heart and soul into helping the club, only to be met by delays of information, conflicting data, multiple last-minute revisions, constant surprises week after week, angry customers over issues that are beyond her control, and her concerns are largely ignored, that is disheartening. When I hear of another friend telling me almost the exact same thing, Annie, that just blows my mind. With the way these coordinators are being treated, the time commitment they are expected to put in, the stress, the aggravation, and the continued turnaround, do you know what phrase immediately popped into my mind? "Sweat shop". Annie, I have no qualms telling you that what you're doing week after week to these many volunteer coordinators of yours is borderline abuse.

Deep down inside, Annie, I know you are not a spiteful person, and you truly did want to bring healthy eating to our communities. However, sometimes the ends don't justify the means.

Annie, at this time, our family will be discontinuing our club membership. Healthy eating is one thing, but it's not worth the price of watching my friends suffer.

All the best to you, (your husband), and your family.

Faye

We are all blessed to live where we do, and to have the ability to use our consumer dollars to make a difference. Our friends and family are looking forward to exploring other organic options, and we look forward to doing business with companies that take a holistic approach to ensure that not only are the products sound, but so are the business practices that get them there.

Software Review: The iPhone/iPod Touch Kindle App by Amazon.com

2010-07-31T10:06:00.004-04:00

The Internet has really transformed how we work and play. One thing I'm really grateful for is connecting with all sorts of like-minded people; especially other mom bloggers. Recently, one mom blogger in particular, Karrie over at Mommatudes, posted questions to her followers about e-readers. E-readers have really caught on, and more and more people are looking into investing in one. Obviously, the choices can be a bit overwhelming.

Several months ago, I blogged about my favorite "Mom-friendly" apps for the iPhone/iPod Touch that I really love; ones in particular that helped me reduce my carbon footprint. My top favorite back then and still to this day is the Kindle app from Amazon.com for my iPod Touch. This amazing app turns your PC, iPod/iPhone/iPad, Blackberry, or Android device into an e-reader. Did I mention that it's also free? ;)

Karrie posed a lot of great questions for current e-reader owners, and I took the time to answer them from the perspective of a user of an e-reader app for a multifunctional device. Below is my reply to Karrie's post, along with a few more expanded details.

Great post, and good questions. My husband and I used "e-readers" long before the phrase even existed. We've carried smart phones for years, and there have always been various text readers that would integrate on those devices. Hubby and I read a lot, and just like we enjoy having the convenience of only needing to carry one device to manage all of our communications needs, it's worked out perfectly, being able to tote along "books" in the same way.

1. Do you own an eReader. If so, what brand?

My husband carries around an Android-based Google Nexus One phone, and uses one of the Android-based readers.

I don't use my cell phone as much as I used to, so I carry around one of the "free" flip phones, and do my e-reading (and Facebooking, e-mailing, Twittering, checking my calendar, compiling my grocery list, battling vampires, farming zombies, etc) on my iPod Touch. I downloaded the Kindle app from Amazon for the iPod Touch, and that is truly my absolute favorite app! It's also free, and available for PCs, Blackberries, iPhone, iPad, and Android phones as well.

2. If you do not own an eReader, would you like to purchase one in the near future? If so, what brand? If not, why not?

Just like my favorite Food Network star, Alton Brown, we don't believe in "uni-taskers". First, e-readers are not small, and certainly don't fit in my purse or pocket. Second, you are then "married" to the store where you bought that e-reader (If you have a Kindle, you can only buy from Amazon; a Nook, from B&N, etc.) With my iPod Touch, I can download other e-reader apps, including B&N’s Nook app, and Apple iBooks, and not be locked into one provider, and I can take advantage of the best e-book prices. At the end of the day, my iPod Touch does so much more than show me the text of books, and price-wise, I think it's a better bang for your buck.

Still, if I had to choose a standalone e-reader, it would be a Kindle, because I have so many Kindle books already. However, the Kindle is NOT backlit, and I do most of my reading in bed, right before falling asleep. I’m also not sold on the “e-ink” technology, that it would justify buying a standalone device that does nothing but show me text, albeit crisper text. I’ve been a computer geek since age 13, and reading from a screen is second-nature. I'm very happy with the display output on my second-generation iPod Touch, and I'm sure if and when I upgrade to my next iPhone or iPad with the new retina-display technology, my e-books will look even better.

Also, FYI: I recently tried to purchase e-books at B&N for the iPod Touch Nook app. What an absolutely frustrating experience. If you don't believe me, try out the Kindle e-books site first, and then browse around on B&N's. There is absolutely no comparison between how well Amazon has their Kindle store laid out, versus B&N's, which is clumsy, lacks the same at-a-glance reviews and details, and doesn't have the same categorization. After selecting a few titles at B&N, I actually got so frustrated that I abandoned my cart in the middle of the checkout process. Did I mention that I have a bachelor's degree in IT management, and minored in e-business? The Internet is my life. With that being the case, I can confidently say that in the e-book world, Amazon leaves B&N eating their dust.

3. What features are most important to you in an eReader?

Portability, ease of use, text quality, wide range of selection of books at reasonable prices.

4. If you have an eReader, are you going to upgrade to another brand or a newer eReader soon?

As the Kindle apps all "talk" to your Amazon account, you can start reading one book on one device (say, your PC), and then pick up your Kindle, or iPod, or Blackberry, and continue right where you left off.

With that being the case, sometimes I would like to have a larger screen to read on, like when I'm lounging outside on my deck. I will most likely invest in an iPad down the road, when the prices come down, and my Kindle books will easily sync between my iPod and iPad, and know exactly where I left off, without a hitch. Many of my favorite magazines are now available on Kindle, and having a larger screen to enjoy those would be great (and would save more trees). The iPad will have the same multipurpose functionality like my iPod Touch. Eventually, my iPod Touch will be replaced with an iPhone, if and when T-Mobile has them on their network.

5. What do you love most about your eReader? (Pls mention brand)

I love my iPod Touch Kindle app, as I buy so much from Amazon already. All of my e-books are tied to the same, already-established account. I also love that I don't need any wires or special software to transfer e-books to and from my iPod. In fact, I can sit here at my PC, browse Amazon for some new books (and there are TONS of free ones, and very cheap ones), and with a couple clicks, they are ready for my iPod. Then the next time I turn on my iPod and start the Kindle app, it automatically (and wirelessly) checks my Kindle account for anything new, and within minutes, my new books are ready to go! Deleting old books is easy, with a couple taps, and they still remain tied to my Kindle account, should I ever want to read them again.

I'm also the GreenOrganicMama, so how could I not love that no trees were harmed in the production of my books ;) No shipping/freight/emissions were involved either; save for the running of the computers involved.

6. What do you most dislike about your eReader? (Pls mention brand)

I admit it; I'm a member of the spelling/grammar police. There are the occasional typos in e-books that make me nuts. LOL!

I'm a HUGE Sookie Stackhouse fan, and I'm a little irked that I had to pay $12.99 for the latest and greatest installment, and it was very late coming out on Kindle. Apparently, that was something to do with the fee structure that Amazon pays to the publisher. So, the most you'll pay for a Kindle book is no longer $9.99, though there are still plenty of books to be had for less than $4, including recent bestsellers. I also enjoy that Amazon lets you “Send a Sample”, which sends the entire first chapter of that e-book to your device for free!

Amazon is also very good about updating their special deals frequently. I noticed the Apple iBooks app doesn’t seem to keep up as such.

One final beef would be that J. K. Rowling, the amazing author of the beloved Harry Potter books, flat out refuses to bring Harry Potter into the e-book world. I know she’s made her oodles of money already, and anything else she might make from e-book sales would be just a drop in the bucket, but she is losing out. Amazon just announced that Kindle book sales have surpassed hardback copy sales. Muggles don’t enjoy books in the same way they used to. The Hogwarts Express needs to leave the station.

7. How much are you willing to spend on an eReader? Or how much have you spent on an eReader?

My second-generation iPod Touch was $183, and the Kindle app is free, as are many of the other e-reader apps. If I could do it all over again, I'd still choose the iPod Touch, over a Kindle. Price-wise, they are almost the same. Functionally, they are worlds apart. While e-books are here to stay, sadly, just like many cell phones have taken the place of the standalone GPS, the standalone e-reader will soon be a thing of the past, too. With my iPod Touch, I couldn't be happier with having this little multifunctional "mini computer", complete with my library of books in my pocket, at my disposal :)

Karrie, hope you find the e-reader/app that suits you best :)

No promotional consideration was paid for this post.

eReader questions were posed by Mommatudes.com. Responses are based on my personal purchases.
Image courtesy of Amazon.com.

Book Review: The Global Forest by Diana Beresford-Kroeger

2010-07-18T16:55:00.003-04:00

Thank you to Penguin Group USA for another fantastic eye-opening book. The Global Forest by Diana Beresford-Kroeger is a must-read; a collection of short essays, as can only be written by someone with a true passion for life and the Earth we all share.

Trees and plants are all around us, and sadly, the first of many things we take for granted. However, as Diana Beresford-Kroeger's beautifully composed essays tell us, life as we know it would be changed forever without them. This is a truly unique book; part history lesson, part biology class, and all woven together seamlessly like a walk through nature. How many of our modern-day medicines come from the healing herbal secrets, uncovered by aboriginal peoples? Animals have even evolved to seek out certain species of plant life; from the bucks rubbing their itchy, shedding antlers on the trees with natural antiseptic growing right in their bark, to the hippos feasting on a steady diet of favorite plants, to help them sweat out their own natural form of sunscreen. It's amazing how in-tune animal species are with nature's ability to heal, grow, and protect; a lesson we all could stand to re-learn. Plants provide so much more than just the air we breathe, and a little greenery in our landscapes. Without them, our entire planet's survival would be in jeopardy. By taking care of our forests, we take care of ourselves.

The Global Forest is easily one of our new favorite must-reads to be added to our green library. We certainly have a whole new appreciation and respect for nature, and hope others will also.

No promotional consideration was paid for this post. One copy of "The Global Forest" was provided by the publisher for the purpose of this review.

The Winner of Our Yoreganics Organic Soap Nuts Trio Giveaway!!

2010-07-18T16:11:00.000-04:00

Thank you to all of our green, organic readers, and to Yoreganics for another wonderful giveaway!

As promised, one reader has been chosen via Random.org, and will enjoy the Yoreganics Organic Soap Nuts laundry trio, and bonus SuperMint organic lip balm! Our laundry came out fresh, and all naturally clean, thanks to these amazing dried fruits from the Soapberry tree!

Here are the results of our Random.org drawing:

Random Integer Generator

Here are your random numbers:

Timestamp: 2010-07-18 19:57:20 UTC

Congratulations to Eco-Friendly and Frugal!! Please check your e-mail, and we'll make arrangements to get your prize pack out to you!! :)

Thank you again to all of your entries! Soap nuts really are the way to go for an all-natural clean, and what better way to sample these for yourself than with this wonderful trio & bonus lip balm from Yoreganics!

Happy washing!!

The Winner of our $25 Franklin Goose Organic Baby and Family Store Gift Certificate Giveaway!

2010-07-05T21:44:00.000-04:00

Thank you to everyone for the enthusiastic response to our Franklin Goose $25 Gift Certificate Giveaway!! I'm glad you got to see for yourselves the huge selection of organic and all-natural products at this wonderful online organic baby and family store.

My apologies for the delay in choosing our winner today. There were technical issues with Blogger, that have since been resolved. So, without further ado, here is the result of our Random.org drawing:

Random Integer Generator

Here are your random numbers:

Timestamp: 2010-07-06 01:32:45 UTC

Our winner is Justine M! Congratulations, Justine! Please check your e-mail, and we'll make arrangements to get your $25 Franklin Goose gift certificate delivered, for you and your beautiful babies to enjoy :)

Thank you again to Franklin Goose for generously allowing us to review the totally awesome Way Basics Spin Cubes; our new favorite shelving solution, made from recycled paper, and for this great gift certificate giveaway.

Hope everyone had a fantastic 4th of July weekend!

Green Product Review and Giveaway: Organic Soap Nuts Laundry Trio by Yoreganics!

2010-07-03T20:43:00.016-04:00

Would you believe me, if I told you that laundry soap grows on trees? It does in Asia! It's even USDA-certified organic ;) Welcome to the wonderful world of soap nuts!

Sharing our dirty laundry with you today, is the Green Organic family. We had the pleasure of trying out a sample of soap nuts from Yoreganics; one of the few companies specializing in organically-sourced soap nuts. But what is a soap nut? The soap nut is actually not a nut; but the dried fruit from the Soapberry tree. Yoreganics chooses the fruit from the Sapindus mukorossi species of Soapberry tree, as this variety produces the most of its key cleansing component: saponin. When agitated in water, five soap nuts, tied in a little muslin bag, are plenty enough to get through four to six loads of laundry! Soap nuts do all this, while being non-toxic, chemical-free, allergy-friendly (they're berries; not nuts), and as Mother Nature herself designed them, they're good for the Earth, too.

I've actually had quite a bit of fun doing load after load today, and my dryer just beeped, signaling the end of the fourth load that we've washed with soap nuts today. I have to say, I am really impressed by cleaning power packed in these little cherry-sized dried berries. They have a hard shell, and are hollow on the inside. The shell is actually where the saponin lies. While the soap nuts have a sort of tangy, dried fruit smell (it kind of reminds me of the dried fruit my California relatives send us as gifts), they actually leave no smell at the end of the wash cycle! They also do an amazing job of cleaning, all without suds! The corporate conglomerates have misled us over the years, that you have to have bubbles (and lots of them) to get clean. Not true! The bubbles are a visual indicator; and if you ask me, I think they're a trick to try to get you to use more (and eventually buy more) of the product to create more suds. Since moving into our new home, I finally have the high-efficiency washer and dryer I've been salivating over for years. HE washers don't like suds anyway. Suds in a front-loader are a BAD thing (unless you want the sudsing action to continue onto your laundry room floor) ;)

So, the first load up for the day: the lights , whites, and pastels, including Green Organic Girl's wardrobe, adorned with their weekly carnage of food stains and miscellaneous preschool-age stuff. The challenger: five very brave, dried soap nuts, tied securely in their accompanying muslin bag. I also added a 1/2 tbsp of the "Brightens & Whitens" laundry enhancer; Yoreganics' own special weapon, free of chlorine, artificial fragrances, phosphates, and enzymes, yet powerful enough to tackle all sorts of stains. The "Brightens & Whitens" went in my powder dispenser, and the cloth bag with the soap nuts went in with the clothes. And away we went!

After one normal cycle, I was very pleasantly surprised! No smell whatsoever; except that of clean fabric! As the soap nuts remain in the machine through the whole cycle, the saponin they released in the rinse cycle acts as a fabric softener. Our clothes were fresh, bright, clean, and soft. No odors, and no residue. Just simply clean.

I continued on with three more very large loads, taking advantage of our wash drum's 4.4 cubic-foot capacity. The soap nuts worked great on everything from bath mats, a queen-size comforter, towels, sheets, and finally, reusable mop pads. Everything came out fresh and clean. I then did some further research into soap nuts, and you can actually boil a batch for 20 minutes, strain the liquid, and have your own multipurpose cleaner. A few soap nuts tossed in the utensil basket of your dishwasher will also get your dishes clean. Now that is impressive! When they're all used up, soap nuts don't get mushy, but the shells do get a visible waterlogged appearance. That's when it's time to put them in the compost, where they will readily biodegrade. Laundry soap that falls off a tree. You can't get any simpler and more natural than that.

We really have to extend a big thank you to Yoreganics. We thoroughly enjoyed their Laundry Trio, which includes not just the soap nuts and "Brightens & Whitens" enhancer, but also an all-natural coconut-based stain remover! It's perfectly sized to carry around on-the-go, and I love that it's a great bleach-free alternative to some of the pocket-sized stain removers on the market. Yoreganics has also won over this die-hard lip balm fanatic with their Simplemint certified organic lip balm; a bonus gift that comes with every Laundry Trio. It goes on smooth and has staying power, thanks to the balanced blend of organic palm oil, beeswax, and extra virgin olive oil. Then it leaves a refreshing tingle from the added essential oils of peppermint and spearmint. It smells great, and feels great :)

Now, here is your chance to win a Yoreganics Soap Nuts Laundry Trio & Lip Balm all to yourself!! One lucky GreenOrganicMama.com reader will win one of these awesome trios :)

Thank you to everyone who entered! This giveaway has come to a close. Please click here to see the results of our Random.org drawing and to congratulate our winner!

Please be sure to read the complete rules:

To enter this contest, first visit the Yoreganics Soap Nuts FAQ and see what they have to say about these amazing berries. Then, come back here and please leave a comment below, letting our readers know one fun fact you learned about Soap Nuts. Please be sure to leave your e-mail address, so I may contact you if you're the lucky winner.

Want extra chances to win?

For additional entries, please first leave a comment with one Soap Nuts fact from the Yoreganics FAQ, and then do any of the following, for a maximum of 9 (nine) total entries in this giveaway contest [please be sure to come back and leave a follow-up comment for each of these completed tasks, in order to be counted as an additional entry]:

Like Yoreganics on Facebook
Follow @Yoreganics on Twitter
Like this giveaway on Facebook by clicking the Like button at the bottom of this post
Follow GreenOrganicMama.com with either our RSS feed, or with Google Friend Connect
Follow GreenOrganicMama.com on FaceBook with NetworkedBlogs
Follow me on Twitter @greenorganicmom
Tweet this giveaway: I just entered to win Organic Soap Nuts with @GreenOrganicMom
Display our GreenOrganicMama.com badge on your blog

By entering this contest, you have read and understand the rules and fine print of this contest:

Contest ends Sunday, July 18th, 2010 at 3:00PM EST
Contest open to U.S. and Canadian residents
Giveaway prize pack of one Yoreganics Laundry Trio sampler consists of: soap nuts, cloth bag, "Brightens & Whitens" laundry powder, stain remover spray, and Simplemint lip balm, to be awarded to one (1) randomly selected winner.
One (1) winner shall be chosen from the pool of valid comment entries, using Random.org
Winner will be contacted via e-mail, and will provide a valid U.S. or Canadian mailing address, for the purpose of directly mailing one giveaway prize to the winner.
If Winner does not respond via e-mail within 48 hours of the prize drawing, another winner will be selected via Random.org, and new winner will be awarded the prize.
Approximate retail value of the prize pack: $9.98 USD.
Giveaway sponsor reserves the right to modify the prize package and quantities.
Winner will be announced here on this blog, on Twitter, and on FaceBook.

Good luck to everyone!! :)

Click here to be taken to the comments form to place your entry/entries.

Photos copyright GreenOrganicMama.com.

No promotional consideration was paid for this post.

One Yoreganics Laundry Trio was provided for the purpose of this review.

Green Product Review and Giveaway: Way Basics Spin Cubes Recycled Furniture & $25 Franklin Goose Gift Certificate Giveaway!

2010-06-27T16:11:00.009-04:00

Welcome to the Green Organic Family's eco-friendly new home! As we blogged about in Part 1 and Part 2, our family has been busy making green transformations and settling into our new house. It's still taking time to find the right places for all of our stuff, but thankfully, the great people at Franklin Goose came to our rescue with a fabulous eco-friendly storage solution: Spin Cubes by Way Basics!

Green Organic Girl's new bedroom is now twice as large as her old one, with plenty of room to stretch out and play. The first thing we did was to take her to the Home Depot, where she picked out her favorite choice of FreshAire brand no-VOC paint, in Pink Reef. It's a lovely, soft, pale pink that's perfect for a little girl, yet soothing enough for a bedroom color. We love it!

To match the pink theme in Green Organic Girl's bedroom, we turned to the green-minded team of experts at Franklin Goose, a great online store with "Everything for your organic baby & family". This site is a definite must-see for all parents, looking for eco-friendly choices. Franklin Goose has put together an amazing array of products, for children right from birth and up. Everything from diapers, to furniture, to cleaning products can be found, and everything is backed by Franklin Goose's Safe Baby Promise: that everything is hand-picked, and carefully selected for being the best natural, organic, and/or recycled option, free of harmful chemicals, and chosen with your family (and their own) in mind.

The team at Franklin Goose generously shipped us a set of awesome Spin Cube storage shelves by Way Basics. This you have to see to believe! There is absolutely no wood in the construction at all. Green Organic Dad was blown away when I handed him a piece of this unique "zBoard" material, and told him he was holding 99% recycled paper! That's right! These sturdy, yet light-weight storage cubes are made with post-consumer recycled paper. How strong are they? Here's a YouTube video of the founder of Way Basics, and all 200 pounds of him, standing on a cube. Now that is strong! At the end of their useful life, these cubes can be recycled again! The outside paper veneer is also free of toxins, as it's actually printed with ink! These cubes are free of VOCs, and free of formaldehyde! They are also amazingly easy to put together, and require absolutely no tools! That's right... you heard me! Put those tools away ;)

When our Spin Cubes arrived, I was amazed at how little packaging was involved! Each was carefully folded inside a corrugated cardboard box, with no foam, and no plastic baggies. I was very impressed, as I'm sure we've all received online orders from other websites, with more wasteful packing material than product. Those other companies could learn a lesson here from Franklin Goose and Way Basics. They use minimal packing material, and it's all recyclable. I took the pictures below, of how the products looked when I opened the boxes. See how neatly everything is packed, and how there's no wasted air space? No foam, no peanuts, no bags of air, and yet everything arrived undamaged! It goes to show how a little pre-planning can save a lot of resources!

These Spin Cubes are amazing easy to put together. There are very clear, "dummy-proof" instructions included, and Way Basics even has several videos on YouTube, showing how to put these together in no time! The pieces already have adhesive strips applied in all the right places, and it's just a matter of following the instructions, and adhering each piece. Green Organic Girl and I took our project outside on our deck, to enjoy some fresh air, and this is how easily our Spin Cubes came together:

First, the base. The back of the unit faces you.

Then what will be the right side (remember, you put this together from the back).

The other side.

Now the top.

Then lay the unit on its front, and apply the backing. Then voila!

We finished off the other two cubes in the same manner, and then stacked them on top of the included turntables.

Dino-approved.

These Spin Cubes are amazing, as are all of the other Way Basics storage solutions. They come in an array of colors, to match almost any decor. I would have loved something like this in college, and I think these super-portable, easy-to-assemble shelves would be fantastic for any student going away for school. The packages are easy and lightweight for transport, they're simple to put together without tools, and their simple design makes it easy to configure multiple cubes almost anywhere.

Now, here is your chance to enjoy a $25 gift certificate from Franklin Goose, good toward your purchase of any of their wonderful eco-friendly products, including Way Basics Spin Cubes! One reader of this blog will be the lucky winner of this $25 gift certificate!

Thank you to everyone who entered! This giveaway has come to a close. Please click here to see the results of our Random.org drawing and to congratulate our winner!

Please be sure to read the complete rules:

To enter this contest, first visit FranklinGoose.com and check out their wonderful array of products. Then, come back here and please leave a comment below, letting our readers know what product you would like to try. Please be sure to leave your e-mail address, so I may contact you if you're the lucky winner.

Want extra chances to win?

For additional entries, please first leave a comment about a product you'd like to try from Franklin Goose, and then do any of the following, for a maximum of 7 (seven) total entries in this giveaway contest [please be sure to come back and leave a follow-up comment for each of these completed tasks, in order to be counted as an additional entry]:

Like Franklin Goose on Facebook
Follow @FranklinGoose on Twitter
Follow GreenOrganicMama.com with either our RSS feed, or with Google Friend Connect
Follow GreenOrganicMama.com on FaceBook with NetworkedBlogs
Follow me on Twitter @greenorganicmom
Display our GreenOrganicMama.com badge on your blog

By entering this contest, you have read and understand the rules and fine print of this contest:

Contest ends Monday, July 5th, 2010 at 3:00PM EST
Contest open to U.S. residents
Giveaway prize consists of one $25.00 USD gift certificate to the FranklinGoose.com online store, to be awarded to one (1) randomly selected winner.
One (1) winner shall be chosen from the pool of valid comment entries, using Random.org
Winner will be contacted via e-mail, and will provide a U.S. mailing address, for the purpose of directly mailing one giveaway prize to the winner.
If Winner does not respond via e-mail within 48 hours of the prize drawing, another winner will be selected via Random.org, and new winner will be awarded the prize.
$25 Gift Certificate good toward the online purchase of merchandise at FranklinGoose.com only, subject to terms of sale as specified by FranklinGoose.com.
Winner will be announced here on this blog, and on Twitter, and on FaceBook.

Good luck to everyone!! :)

Click here to be taken to the comments form to place your entry/entries.

Top image of Spin Cubes courtesy of FranklinGoose.com.

Subsequent product images copyright GreenOrganicMama.com.

No promotional consideration was paid for this post. One set of Spin Cubes was provided for the purpose of this review.

The Green Organic Family’s New Eco-Friendly Home – Part 2- Switching to a Tankless Hot Water Heater (And Manufacturer’s Giveaway!)

2010-05-30T09:50:00.007-04:00

It’s a gorgeous, sunny morning, and I’m enjoying a hot cup of tea, while watching the sunrise through the glass French doors of our patio. It’s great to be home in our new place.

As I mentioned in Part 1 of our story of settling into our new home, we made lots of changes around our new house to make it green, and to make it ours. After the kitchen, the next biggest project was switching to a tankless hot water heater.

In our old rental, we were at the mercy of a very old, very small, conventional electric hot water heater. No amount of begging or pleading with the landlord could convince him to change that out, with something bigger and more efficient. So, that meant that every evening turned into a carefully orchestrated plan, as to who was going to bathe first, and when. What time do the dishes have to be done, to allow for the 30 minutes for the hot water to recover? Nope, can’t do laundry right now… Green Organic Girl has to take her bath. Then when you finally got into the shower, it was a mad rush to get finished, before the hot water suddenly ran out. It was totally unnecessary, daily aggravation, and wasted energy spent on that aging hot water heater. So, along with plans for a functional, modern kitchen, another must-have for our new home included a tankless hot water heater.

Tankless hot water heaters are exactly what they sound like: there is no holding tank, and instead, the water is heated to a preset temperature as it passes through the unit. These units pass on tremendous energy savings, as they don’t sit there, warming water all day long, while everyone is at work/school, or asleep. When the computer inside the heater senses that a hot water faucet has been switched on, it sends a signal to the heating element. In the short trip the water takes through the unit, it instantly goes from cold to hot. Once running, the supply of hot water is virtually endless. Depending on the size of the unit, various other things can share in the hot water at the same time, without interrupting each other (i.e. run a sink, while someone showers, at the same time).

We absolutely love our tankless hot water heater, and we’re happy to report no issues with it. The water comes out at a steady temperature, and at a steady pressure. It’s only on when we need it, and that works out great for our busy family. It’s one of those things you wish you had done a long time ago, and we’re sure glad we did. We did have some hiccups with our installation, but that was mostly due to atypical factors, like rules set out by the HOA governing our neighborhood. This is what we had to go through…

During the whole time we were house-hunting, our plan was always to upgrade the electrical service, to accommodate an electric tankless hot water heater. In our area, most of the homes we were looking at, were built with 100 amps of service coming in. For the size of tankless hot water heater we were looking for, one that could accommodate two faucets running at the same time, we would definitely need to upgrade to at least 200 amps of service, in order to power one of these heaters. While these units do save on electricity, because they’re not running all day long when not needed, when they do run, they draw a lot of power. That’s a must, when the water needs to be heated an extra 60 to 70 degrees in an instant.

It was shortly after we closed, when we were finalizing renovation plans with our contractor and electrician, that we were told just how much an electrical upgrade would cost: somewhere in the ballpark of $5,000. That’s just for the electrical upgrade; not including the heater and plumbing work (about another $1,000). Thankfully, that’s when our team of professionals suggested the slightly more affordable Plan B: going with gas.

After coordinating a new plan with our contractor, electrician, plumber, and now the gas company, we were set! Well, not exactly. Welcome to the HOA. According to the HOA, we weren’t even allowed to install an outside vent for my over-the-range microwave hood, let alone run a gas pipe up the side of the house. It took a little brainstorming by our professionals, but eventually, a workable plan was formed: A brand new Rinnai tankless gas hot water heater would be installed up in our attic, taking place of the old electric tank already up there. As the heater would be up in the attic, it would simply require a vent through the roof for the exhaust, and the gas could be fed through a pipe, running up through the middle of the house. Looking good so far…

The gas company showed up, drilled a hole, and started feeding a pipe up to the attic. It got up there. Well… almost. I guess it’s good to know that we have a firewall between our upstairs and the attic. The pipe couldn’t make it through the firewall. Thank goodness for our ingenious contractor. Our two bathrooms are perfectly positioned, one on top of the other, and built in the same layout in our house. Our contractor then came up with the brilliant idea of drilling holes right through our bathroom floors, and tucking the pipe in the back corners of the bathrooms, and later covering it up with drywall and paint. It worked out perfectly! It even softened up the look of those corners in those two rooms. Extra bonus ;)

All in all, it took a lot of coordination and labor, on the parts of the electrician, plumber, and gas company, but everyone worked well together, and the rest of the install went on, without a hitch. When the gas was fed through, and the heater switched on, it was like magic. All that time and effort was worth it. We’ve been enjoying endless, instant hot water since ;) Green Organic Dad even went as far as hooking up a UPS to the water heater. Even though it’s gas-powered, the computer inside still runs on a teeny bit of electricity. In this way, when we lose power, either during a typical regular power outage, which happens frequently down here, or during a hurricane, the water heater will still have enough power to click on and off, as needed. Smart thinking, hubby ;)

We are extremely happy with our decision to go tankless. We now have steady, on-demand hot water, and the added energy savings of not cooking a whole tank of hot water 24/7. Hubby did do a lot of research, and spoke to a lot of professionals, before deciding on our Rinnai brand of tankless water heater. It’s one of the better ones out there, with a smart regulating computer inside, that knows just how many of its burners to fire up, depending on the water flow. That gives us peace of mind that not all the jets are burning, if a certain little one has just a trickle of water going, to wash her hands. We can also precisely set the temperature, using digital controls, so we know it definitely won’t come out scalding hot. Rinnai is Japanese-made, and it’s also the brand featured on HGTV. We love ours, and highly recommend it to our friends considering going tankless.

As an added bonus, Rinnai is just about to wrap up a giveaway, where you can win one of these wonderful tankless heaters for yourself! Click here to go to their site for more info. ( ~ Giveaway ended 6/4/10 ~ )

Also, don't forget about the Federal Tax Credits running through December 31, 2010. We're taking advantage of 30% back on the installation of our tankless gas hot water heater. Click here to go to EnergyStar.gov for more info.

When it comes time to replace your water heater, I hope you and your family will consider going tankless, too :)

No promotional consideration was paid for this post. This is a review of a personal purchase.

Image courtesy of Rinnai.us