Author Archive | Jennie Lyon

You Grill, Girl! Applegate Summer Giveaway!

Applegate Giveaway

Hello friends! I feel like it’s time for a fun summer giveaway! What could be more perfect for July than a grilling giveaway sponsored by Applegate! It’s a fun giveaway too – one that will be perfect for a fun summer day with your family. The cleaner-weiner giveaway kit will help you kick those dirty dogs to the curb and includes:

  • Applegate Natural Beef Hot Dogs (now made with 100% grass-fed beef)
  • Sir Kensington’s Ketchup and Mustard
  • Vermont Bread Company Natural Buns (these buns are super sweet and yummy!)
  • Applegate Cooler Bag
  • Applegate “You Grill, Girl” Apron
  • Applegate Grilling Mitt
  • Meat Thermometer
  • Applegate Bandanas & hair accessory tutorial
  • Applegate Hot Dog Boats

Want to grill girl? Leave a comment to enter. For extra entries follow Sweet Greens and Applegate via social media and leave a separate comment for each!

Sweet Greens Social Media Channels:

Facebook: @SweetGreens
Twitter: @SweetGreens
Pinterest: @SweetGreens
Instagram: @SweetGreens

Applegate Social Media Channels:

Facebook: @Applegate
Twitter: @Applegate
Pinterest: @Applegate
Instagram: @Applegate

Good Luck! Giveaway is open to U.S. residents only – and will end on July 14th, 2015.
The winner is Katrina! Congratulations!

 

Full Disclosure: This giveaway is sponsored by Applegate.

Build an Organic Bathroom Giveaway with Coyuchi + Zabada

Sweet-Greens-Giveaway

Air Weight Towels

Happy Earth Day 2015! Yay! Today I have a giveaway for you that I have been super excited to share, I know you will love it. It’s sponsored by Coyuchi and Zabada. The prize is a very generous collection of goodies to help you build an organic bathroom. One reader will receive a white Bath Towel ($48) from Coyuchi Air Weight Bath Towel Collection, a Zabada Bathroom Handy ($30) and Bathroom Marvel ($30) valued at over $100. Hooray for Earth Day Giveaways!

coyuchiWe reviewed these items in our home and have to tell you that they are perfect for building the perfect organic bathroom. Coyuchi is the first company to bring organic cotton bedding to the United States. Coyuchi towels are loomed from pure organic cotton, in colors drawn from earth, water and sky. Soft and thirsty, they’re designed to dry quickly on the towel bar and in the dryer.  A rolled self-hem helps them hold their shape wash after wash. The towels are free of the toxic dyes, bleaches and finishes used in conventional textiles.Our biggest challenge living in Florida is that it seems like it takes our bath towels forever to dry – it’s just so humid here. With Coyuchi’s Air Weight Bath Towel Collection not only do you get the first-ever Fair Trade Certification for towels in North America, but these towels dry very quickly. Bonus!

Here are some key features:

  • Coyuchi’s Air Weight Towel Collection has achieved Fair Trade Certification under the strict requirements set by Fair Trade USA
  • These organic cotton towels mark the first-ever Fair Trade Certification for towels in North America
  • Fair Trade certification for Apparel & Home Goods is the first social, economic and environmental standard that directly benefits the workers who sew the items
  • For every Fair Trade Certified™ product sold, a percentage is paid directly to a special workers’ fund
  • Workers then decide collectively how to spend these funds, based on the community’s greatest needs, including bonuses, scholarships and disaster relief funds, medical care and transportation
  • Coyuchi Bath Towels retail for $48.00 each, Hand Towels retail for $18.00 each and Coyuchi Wash Cloths retail for $8.00.

zabada bathroomhandy_hr_rgbWe also tried out the Zabada chemical-free cleaning products including the Zabada Bathroom Handy and Bathroom Marvel. Zabada’s mission is to rid American homes of harmful, chemical cleaning products. Using fiber clean technology, Zabada products remove 99.9% of bacteria using only water. The Bathroom Handy features a two-sided and fibered cleaning solution. The speckled side of the Bathroom Handy is the soft side, this is used to clean smooth surfaces such as mirrors, vanities and shower screens. The non-soft side of the Bathroom Handy is used to remove calcium, lime, mold and soap scum from wet areas in the bathroom. I love Zabada products because they remove 99.9% of bacteria just using water. Which makes cleaning the bathroom a breeze and there is never any worries about what is our cleaners because you don’t have to use any! The Bathroom Marvel is highly absorbent and perfect for streak-free drying of bathroom surfaces. The Marvel is durable enough for daily use in keeping lustrous surfaces like bathroom fixtures, shower doors and mirrors crystal clear.

Here are some key features:

  • Cleans surfaces in the bathroom, laundry and toilet
  • Removes calcium, soap, toothpaste with just using water
  • No need for yucky chemical sprays and bleach
  • Replaces store-bought cloths, sponges and grime products
  • Lasts 2 to 3 years, saving you money from buying chemicals

Want to build an organic bathroom of your own – leave a comment. For extra entries follow Coyuchi and Zabada on each of their social media channels and leave a separate comment for each!

Coyuchi Social Media Channels:

Facebook: @Coyuchi
Twitter: @Coyuchi
Pinterest: @Coyuchi
Instagram: @Coyuchi

Zabada Social Media Channels:

Facebook: @ZabadaClean
Twitter: @ZabadaClean
Pinterest: @ZabadaClean
Instagram: @ZabadaClean

Good Luck! Giveaway is open to U.S. residents only – and will end on May 1st.

Composting to Reduce Waste

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Springtime is in the air, and many of us are planning summer gardens and planting rows of colorful flowers. At this time of year, gardeners often turn to nutrient-rich compost to improve their soil and increase their yields. In fact, compost is the successful gardener’s secret weapon. Fortunately, virtually anyone can create compost. Whether you choose to purchase a ready-made compost bin or create a pile in a corner of your yard, you can create compost ready for the garden in no time. Not only is it good for your garden, it is also good for the environment. As 67% of the waste thrown away in this country is actually organic waste, composting is a great way to recycle.

Compost transforms household organic waste into something beneficial. Rather than throwing away table scraps, outdated produce, eggshells, moldy bread, and coffee grounds, why not add them to a compost pile in your own backyard? In addition to food waste, you can also add leaves, yard clippings, and even some types of paper to the compost pile. As you start your compost pile, keep a few things in mind. First, alternate layers of brown materials, like dried grass clippings and leaves, with green materials like food scraps. Next, water down your pile periodically. Finally, stir or mix the pile occasionally and then watch it turn from discarded waste into rich compost. To learn more about organic waste and what you can do about it, check out this infographic.

Recyclebank_Impact_of_Organic_Waste

 This post wasn’t written by me, thank you for supporting the businesses that keep Sweet Greens running!

5 Steps to Green Spring Cleaning and Refreshing Your Home

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Spring is in the air – everything smells fresh and seeing nature wake-up from wintertime is fascinating. With spring, comes spring cleaning – there is just something inside of us that wants our home to feel and smell fresh and new, just like nature in springtime. The last thing you want to do while freshening your home is to introduce toxic chemicals by using commercial cleaners or creating a lot of waste by purchasing new things that you don’t necessarily need. Read on to learn my 5 favorite ways to get your home clean while adding a refreshing “new” element, while saving the environment and your family’s health too.

1. Open Those Windows
First things first, now that it is warm and sunny outside, it’s time to let mother nature’s fresh breeze do her magic. You will be amazed at how much fresher and cleaner your home will feel and smell if you simply let the fresh and clean air in!

2. Declutter It
For some reason clutter seems to build up over the winter months and springtime is the perfect time to go through it all. Make it simple, by using my simple sorting tip, go through everything and separate it into five bins; Keep, Donate, Sell, Recycle, and Trash. This makes things so much easier in the long run, you make a quick decision and roll with it. I always make a promise to myself that I will never look back into any of the bins, if I initially thought that I should donate or recycle it, then that is exactly what happens. The decluttering stage is also when I have Eben try on ALL of his clothing and we immediately donate or sell anything that no longer fits – this goes for Mr. Sweet Greens’ closet and my own as well.

3. Organize It
Make your spring cleaning work last all year long by getting truly organized. This means only keeping items that you absolutely love and use and finding an exact place for everything in your home. I know that may sound a little harsh, but if you have an exact spot that you keep all of your crafting supplies for example, then when you have a few minutes to steal away to scrapbook – you won’t waste that time looking for your scissors or glue. This goes for everything in your home – if it belongs in the kitchen, bathroom, bedroom etc; that is where it should always stay.

4. Make Your Cleaners
Spring is the perfect time to make fresh batches of all of your favorite natural household cleaners. You can find some of my favorite household cleaner recipes here and my favorite laundry cleaners here. Green cleaners are amazing because you aren’t poisoning the environment or your family and you save a bundle of cash making your own cleaners too!

5. Utilize the 6 R’s for Refreshing Your Home
You can freshen up your home and give it a whole new look without spending a lot of money or making a huge impact on the environment. To give your home a “new” look and feel, utilize my 6 r’s for re-freshening your home

  • Recover: if your sofa or chair has seen better days but has great bones, give it a make-over by recovering it with a slipcover.
  • Reorganize: Give your rooms a new look by switching around your furniture!
  • Revamp: Touch up walls with a fresh coat of no-VOC, eco-friendly paint, replace broken knobs, handles and hardware on cabinets and furniture.
  • Refresh: Switch out your regular towels and linens with a new eco-friendly version, add potted plants and soy candles to your home.
  • Repurpose: If you have a dresser that isn’t being used, repurpose it into a buffet in your dining room or as a gift-wrapping station in your office.
  • Reconsider: The next time you are considering purchasing something new, ask yourself whether the purchase is absolutely necessary – could  you borrow the item, rent it or could you repurpose something that you already have.

Do you have special spring cleaning tips that you utilize every year? 

photo credit

Introducing Stonyfield Oh My Yog! and OP Yogurts

yogurt

As you know, my family is huge Stonyfield fans. We love a lot of their products and especially love their frozen yogurt! It’s the perfect treat – any time of year.

Stonyfield has been launching a few new products, which is always fun to taste test. We recently received a shipment of Greek and Chia and Oh My Yog!, here is a breakdown of what we thought.

Oh My Yog!

I have a smoothie every morning, so it was only natural that I would add the Oh My Yog! to mine. It is thick and creamy, and with a little fruit and honey – added just the right sweetness to my morning breakfast. I also love it straight out of the cup with 6 amazing flavors to choose from – you can’t go wrong.

op-panel-background

OP (Organic Protein)

The OP is like a yummy smoothie that is ready for on-the-go. I love these for an after workout snack packed with 15g of protein! They come in strawberry, chocolate and vanilla – and are also great for getting a little added protein into your child’s diet – oh yeah, and it’s organic too and without artificial colors or flavors.

Do you have a favorite Stonyfield product? Which one?

This post was created in partnership with Stonyfield. All opinions are my own.