Today is my 37th birthday! While I feel like I have accomplished, grown and loved so much in 37 years – it’s the next 37 years that I am really excited for. There are so many more amazing things, places and people that I look forward to experiencing. I am super happy with the place where I am today – however, I am really excited to see what the future holds, it looks bright to me.
The winter Ecocentric Mom Box was full of wonderful goodies perfect for this time of year! If you are considering joining a subscription box service full of eco-friendly goodies, Ecocentric Mom is for you! If you subscribe before February 15th, you can get 10% off with the coupon code ECOMOM10%OFF – Yay!
Here’s a peek inside the January/February box:
1. Heart Bracelet ($12)
This was my favorite goody from the eco box – super cute and perfect for February! I found the tiny love charm sweet and it’s made in the USA using reclaimed/recycled materials.
2. The Seaweed Bath Co. Wildly Natural Seaweed Detox Cellulite Soap ($6.99)
This bar soap features bladder-wrack seaweed extract, coffee and cinnamon. I found it was great for cleansing and loves that it is paraben, sulfate, dye and gluten-free.
3. pur-Absorb Iron ($19.99)
This product couldn’t have come at a better time! I am Iron deficient and I love that pur-Absorb has a clinically proven high absorption rate and it’s all natural too!
4. RESCUE Gum Natural Stress Relief ($5.95)
This was another fave from the box, I used the RESCUE gum while working on difficult projects and looming deadlines and did feel more relaxed!
5. Sjaak’s Organic Fair Trade Chocolate Hearts ($.65)
Yum – fair trade, organic chocolates! I have to admit, these didn’t even make it into the photo, I gobbled them up immediately!
6. LIPS by Healthy Houseful ($3)
I have been using the LIPS lip balm and find it healing and conditioning. Each balm is handcrafted using coconut oil, Shea butter and quality essential oils.
7. Pure + Remedy Vitamin C Facial Serum & Precious Drops Super Hydrating Serum ($9.50-42)
I am a huge fan of serums and really love the Pure + Remedy products – they offer a high quality holistic skin care products that are lightweight yet moisturize my skin perfectly.
Full Disclosure: As an Ecocentric Mom Team Blogger, I receive monthly subscription boxes for review. All of the opinions expressed are completely my own. Affiliate links appear in the post.
Making one or two homemade Valentines is a breeze, but it can be a tall order to make DIY Valentine’s Day cards in bulk for your child’s classmates. While there are many green Valentines you can order online, I am a huge fan of homemade Valentine’s Day cards and when Eben was younger I spent way too much time creating the perfect cards for him to hand out to his friends. I would put so much time into each card and the mister would remind me that they would be lucky to make it home from the class Valentine’s Day party. I definitely spent one too many Valentine’s Eves cutting and gluing into the wee hours. Have you done this too?
That said, I now choose Valentine’s Day cards that are simple to put together. Jump over to Inhabitots for my 7 of my favorite green Valentine’s Day card ideas that you can make in bulk in a short period of time with your child. These are cards that your kiddo’s classmates will go gaga over and you can complete them well before February 14th!
Organic:
Organics are produced without any type of synthetic chemicals including; herbicides, fertilizers and pesticides. Organic meat, poultry, fish and dairy have zero antibiotics, hormones and are organically raised and feed. You do not need to worry about your food being genetically modified if you are purchasing organic. Organic farming practices promote healthy soil and conservation of water and all ecological systems. Organic farmers use zero chemicals and focus on renewable resources.
All-Natural:
This one is a little trickier. All-Natural means that foods contain no artificial colors, flavors, preservatives or sweeteners. All-Natural products are minimally processed. When a product is labeled all natural, I highly recommend reading all of the ingredients and consider that these items may still contain herbicides, fertilizer, pesticides, antibiotics, hormones and GMO’s.
Free-Range: Free-Range indicates that the chickens were allowed access to the outdoors – however, they are not raised outdoors. (When, it comes to eggs, the best option is to purchase eggs from a local farmer that you know raised the chicken organically, outdoors.)
Eco-friendly:
While this term doesn’t usually refer to food items, it can refer to the packaging that your food comes in. Items that are labeled eco-friendly have been produced in a way that minimizes any negative impact on the environment. Eco-friendly products should be bio-degradable, chemical free, and/or made of recycled, compostable or upcycled post-consumer waste. Once again, I recommend reading all of the ingredients, especially in personal care products.
Vegetarian:
Vegetarians only eat foods derived from plant sources and some foods containing egg and dairy. Vegetarians do not eat any type of meat, poultry, fish, crustaceans or any product that contains them – so items labeled vegetarian should contain none of these ingredients.
Vegan: Vegans only eat food that is of plant origin, including fruits, vegetables, grains, legumes and nuts. They do not consume any type of animal or animal byproduct including; eggs, dairy, or honey. They usually do not use any type of product or personal care product made with these ingredients either including; leather, beeswax or down. Once again, items labeled vegan should contain none of these ingredients.
What others terminology have you come upon in your green journey?
Do you need help defining these terms? Drop me a note, I would love to help!
A couple of weekends ago, we hit our favorite local South Florida farmer’s market. My favorite parts of the market are always the same – I love to take photographs of the local produce, handcrafted artisan goodies and the dogs (we took Noodles and Olive with us!)
Well, I was excited to come across a new friend to photograph – this adorable little piggy. I assume she was there because you know, little piggy’s go to market! Isn’t she super sweet? I really wanted to take her home!