organic — MomStart

Take Marcal Small Steps For Earth Day

April 12, 2011 By Momstart 5 Comments

Earth Day is on April 22. Marcal paper products wants you to start taking small steps to making your house green for a greener Earth. Marcal has been saving trees since 1950, and you can help trees by having your family switch to ANY Small Steps® product just once a week. Since 2000, Marcal has saved over 20 million trees by using 100% premium recycled paper. Marcal paper products are made from paper recycled from home and office paper products to make their toilet paper, napkins, paper towels, and tissues. Marcal is a small company making a big difference.

Do you know what’s in your paper products?

Marcal’s Small Steps®
Premium Recycled Paper Content 100%
New Trees Used 0%
Chlorine Bleaching for Whitening 0%
Added Fragrances or Dyes 0%
Products that are Virtually Lint Free 100%

Marcal sent me a 4-pack of double roll toilet paper and a roll of paper towel. My husband could immediately tell we’d switched brands for both products.

My husband was the first to unknowingly install and use a new toilet paper roll. We both didn’t like the firmness of the paper, at first, though it is effective in doing its job. However upon continued use we both didn’t mind the change. The toilet paper is also septic safe, which we require since our house is on a septic system. I used Marcal’s individually wrapped toilet paper in the Upper Westside’s Magnolia Bakery during a recent trip to New York City. I noticed the extra rolls before use and though I knew what I was going to be feeling, but I was surprised. I assume Magnolia orders from Marcal’s commercial line; the toilet paper was VERY soft. The paper was definitely different than the product I was sampling in my home.

The paper towels were also less soft than our normal brand and took longer to clean up spills in comparison. With our normal paper towels we would wipe and the area would be clean, but Marcal paper towels worked best when left on the area to absorb the wet mess. Marcal paper towel, however, were very affective at wet clean-up (when you pre-wet the towel in order to clean up a solid or dried-on mess).

I would recommend trying Marcal in your home; especially because Marcal is calling for small changes. Try using their products once a week in your home or purchase them for your office. Marcal is dedicated to green$ and believes you shouldn’t have to pay more for a quality products that are good for the environment. And really, you shouldn’t! Let Marcal. Find a store near you which carriers a select or all of their green Small Step® products.

I also really love that Marcal is making more green efforts than simply making their sellable product. In the Marcal paper products which require an inner core — such as toilet paper and paper towels, the core is made from 100% recycled paper materials. Marcal plastic packaging is #4 and can be recycled with plastic bags you may acquire. See your local centers on recycling plastic bags; in my area we have to turn plastic bags into selected stores with recycling containers. Maybe one day soon Marcal will change to a biodegradable see through wrap for packaging.

You can find out more about Marcal paper products on their website. You can also keep up with Marcel daily on Facebook and by tracking them on Twitter @MarcalSmallStep.

Disclosure – A product was provided to me free of charge by the manufacturer or representing PR agency for the writing of this review; however, opinions expressed are my own and are NOT influenced by monetary compensation

About Summer:

Summer is the President of our Local MOMS Club chapter, she is the mother of two adorable active boys, and is always thinking of ways to help others. She is a friend, a wife, and always busy as all mommies are. She is very active on Facebook, addicted to Geocaching and very interested in organic and green living.

Filed Under: green, organic, Summer Tagged With: Earth Day, green, Marcal, recycled paper, review, small steps

Manna Organics Bread Review

April 8, 2011 By Momstart 1 Comment

A new national distributed bread company has just recently been introduced to the market. From Manna Organics come three new Bavarian Style Sourdough loaves: Sunny Sourdough, Multigrain Flax, and Whole Rye.

I didn’t know what Bavarian style bread was before getting these samples. The bread is very dense. One thing I like about bread is its fluffy light texture; so Bavarian style breads aren’t for me. HOWEVER, I did try a slice from each loaf for flavor and they were all taste.

Though Manna Organics’ Bavarian Style Sourdough isn’t my favorite texture, the taste is nice. I did give my remaining slices to a friend who likes Bavarian style breads and her family did enjoy each loaf. Manna Organics uses Old World baking techniques, high-quality ingredients to create their hand-crafted breads. Manna Organics’ is passionate about being organic while delivering taste and nutrition. I also like and appreciate that Manna Organics is a family owned and operated, artisanal bakery, which operates with national distribution through Nature’s Path.

My favorites of the Manna Organics new line is the Sunny Sourdough. Here is a suggested recipe:

Sourdough Bread Crostini with Roasted Carrot Hummus from Clean Cuisine & More

Makes 6 servings, Preparation time: 15 minutes, Cooking time: 15 minutes

Ingredients:

3 slices Manna Organics Sunny Sourdough bread
Organic Extra Virgin olive oil
Sea salt
4 large organic whole carrots, peeled
2-3 cloves organic fresh garlic, or minced garlic in jar
1 tbs Julienne cut sundried tomatoes in extra virgin olive oil
Juice of 1 organic lime

Crostini: Cut Manna bread slice in quarters. Brush with organic extra virgin olive oil, sprinkle a little sea salt and toast in oven, 425 F for 10-15 min, or use cast iron skillet on oven, and turn frequently.

Hummus: Brush peeled carrots with olive oil, sprinkle a little salt on them. Roast in oven on baking tray for at 425F for about 40 min. Let cool, then cut in pieces and put in food processor. Add 2-3 chopped garlic cloves, or 3 tbs prepared garlic from a jar. Add sundried tomatoes, lime juice and chop in food processor for a few seconds. Do not over process.

Add 1 tbs of hummus on each bread square.

If you can’t find a Manna Organics in a store near you, simply go to their site for easy online ordering. You can find Manna Organics on their website with new recipes to introduce to your family. You can also like Manna Organics on Facebook or track them on Twitter @MannaOrganics.

About Summer:

Filed Under: organic, review, Summer Tagged With: bread review, Clean Cuisine & More, Manna Organics, organic, review

This Week’s Organic Challenge: Give a Meal and Easy Makeover

April 6, 2011 By Momstart 5 Comments

Your family’s food should be safe and nutritious because what’s more important than the health of your child? Choosing certified organic food is a simple way to help promote health. You can do it by taking small steps that have a big impact. We’re participating in the Easy organic Living Program, this week the challenge is to give a meal and easy organic makeover. (If you need any advice on living organic, feeding your children even babies organic, or just anything you want to know about organics, go visit Easy organic Living.)

Your challenge:
This week, prepare a meal for your family that includes at least one organic ingredient.

Summer's Beef

This meal coming to you is actually very organic. We’ve been trying in our home to more natural and organic products. My boys love beef, so here’s a new recipe from our kitchen to yours:

Beef Marsala with Rice and Broccoli Recipe:

INGREDIENTS:
1 pound natural cube steak, seasoned (salt and pepper) and chopped into bit size pieces
3 tablespoons flour
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons butter
1/3 cup marsala wine

DIRECTIONS:

1. Place seasoned cube steak into plastic bag with flour. Toss.

2. Warm a skillet on medium heat. Add in oil and butter. Allow to mix. Add beef. Cook until meat is no longer red on the exterior.

3. Add marsala wine to skillet. Stir all juices together. Cover and simmer for 10 minutes.

4. Remove from heat, remove lid, and allow juices and meat to sit for 3 minutes. Sauce will thicken.

We served our meat dish with stemmed organic broccoli and cooked organic harvest medley.

We order our beef in bulk form a local farm called Hemlock Highlands outside of the Seattle area. We also are currently ordering organic vegetables and fruits from a local farm group called Full Circle Farm. The rice SunWest’s Organic Harvest Medley is from Costco and I made it in our rice cooker using Kirkland Signature’s organic chicken stock.

We will receive a gift basket for participating in the program and will be giving one away at the end of the program as well. This is part of the Easy Organic Living program co-hosted by Baby Center and Healthy Child Healthy World and sponsored by Stonyfield.

About Summer:

Filed Under: green, organic, recipe, Summer Tagged With: Beef Marsala with Rice and Broccoli, cooking organic, easy organic living, Full Circle Farms, Hemlock Highlands, organic, recipe, Stonyfield, SunWest's Organic Harvest Medley

Happy Baby Food HappyMUNCHIES Organic Snack Food

April 1, 2011 By Momstart 2 Comments

I don’t like to trick my children into eating the right food; I want them to know the different between “growing foods” and “not growing” or sugary foods. I label foods for my children in the “growing foods” category: proteins, fruits, vegetables, dairy, snacks, healthier options … there might be some more, but that gives you the idea. The hardiest and finest line for me as a mom is the combo of growing snack food.

I was recently offered some snacks by HappyBaby in their HappyMunchies line of organic baby foods. We received their NEW Happy Munchies baked organic cheese and veggies snacks.

These snacks look like regular cheese puff snacks, but they contain broccoli and kale in the green can, and carrots in the orange can. This is a healthier alterative to other snack foods. HappyMunchies is USDA Organic certified and support organic farming, and HappyMunchies contains NO pesticides, NO chemical fertilizers and NO GMOs.

Additionally HappyMuches offers cheese puffs made with

whole grain corn
25mg choline per serving for healthy brain development
60% less sodium than the leading toddler cheese snacks

The HappyMunchies cheese puff version is small for little hands and mouths. Your child is ready for HappyMunchies cheese and veggie snacks when:

1. They can crawl on their hands and knees without their tummy touching the floor.

2. Eat thicker solids with larger pieces.

3. Use their jaws to mash food with gums.

4. Pick up food to eat on their own with thumb and forefingers.

My 19MO loves the HappyMunchies baked organic cheese and veggie snacks. He walks around the house holding the whole can and munching away. In fact, when we first reserved our sample my older son (4YO) was the first to try them. The 4YO rejected them (honestly he’s in “that” stage). BUT as his brother was continuing to eat the HappyMunchies cheese puffs the 4YO decided he wanted in too. Now both munch away during snack time. These little puffs are so tasty; I like them too, and yes the kids have caught me eating their HappyMunchies.

You can get HappyMunches on the HappyBaby website or in your local stores. One of the coolest products on the HappyBaby site is their “Growing Family: Starter Set” with sample of all their products: tote, bib, a t-shirt for baby and mama, 3 canisters of cereal, 3 canisters of puff snacks, 8 tot pouches, the book Happybaby: The Organic Guide to baby’s First 24 Months by Dr. Sears and HappyBaby, an infant and toddler Nutrition Guide by Dr. Sears and Amy Marlow (RD MPH CDN), FAQ on probiotics and DHA, and HappyFamily Recipes.

Use HappyBaby as a parent’s nutrition resource via the HappyBaby blog which has recipes, giveaways & contests, green tips, guest bloggers, and more. You can also Like HappyBaby on Facebook and track them on Twitter @HappyBabyFood.

About Summer:

Filed Under: green, organic Tagged With: HAPPYBABY, HappyMunchies, organic, snack

Organic Challenge–Saving Money Cutting the Budget Results

March 22, 2011 By Momstart 10 Comments

Save a dollar here, Shift a dollar there!

My husband and I have been working on our budget anyways and cutting things out is HARD!!!

I’m drinking maybe one or two cups of coffee every day instead of four or more. The price of creamer has really gone up lately, but so have a lot of groceries which is why I use a lot coupons. Not to mention that I don’t go to Starbucks or Tully’s anymore. Today proved to be quite challenging because I decided to meet someone at Tully’s and it was SOOOOOO hard to not purchase a mocha, but I did it and that’s five bucks still on my pocket to spend on something more important. So it’s little things like this that add up and could help you spend that money on organic products if that’s your choice!

Did you know how many different resources there are for organic coupons? I was reading my friend Kristin’s blog and she has a huge list of Organic Food Coupons and places to find coupons for organic products. I have a few organic coupons that I’ve received here and there. If you ever go to a Taste of (insert your cities name here) they will usually have organic companies there too and then you will find coupons to local organic companies and you can save, and try them. Anyways, I was so impressed with Kristin’s great organic coupon finds.

You could always consider giving up cable if you have it. Can you imagine what you could do with an extra 100.00 a month that you may now be using on cable. We don’t have cable and haven’t had it for almost four years. Anything that I want to watch, I actually watch on Hulu or fancast. I really don’t have a lot of extra time because right now I’m using all my extra time to find ways to earn money on-line through my website or by selling stuff. If eating organic is really important to you, you might also consider not eating out. We decided that if we do go out we’re going to limit it to 50.00 per month which means only once a month, but we’re also considering now eating out at all.

I know some of these things I’m suggesting that you do are on the huge side, but it just depends on what’s important to you in life. Is it important to eat organic, then you’ll find a way to save in order to do so!

Tune in tomorrow for the second Challenge: Invent a Snack

I received a gift basket for participating in the program and will be giving one away at the end of the program as well. This is part of the Easy Organic Living program co-hosted by Baby Center and Healthy Child Healthy World and sponsored by Stonyfield.

Filed Under: green, organic Tagged With: organic food coupons, savings

Make Easy Informed Nutritional Choices with Safeway SimpleNutrition Giveaway

March 21, 2011 By Momstart 165 Comments

Shopping at Safeway for Organics, Gluten Free, High Fiber and low sodium products just became easier with Safeway’s Simple Nutrition Signs found all across the Safeway store. I took lots of pictures on my last trip to my local Safeway so you could see how nice they look.

Safeway SimpleNutrition helps shoppers Find the Right nutrition choices easily depending on what you are looking for. Do you have a gluten free diet you need to stick too, just look for the Gluten Free signs on products. This new shelf tag system uses green tags next to Safeway’s Everyday Low Prices and Club Card specials so they are quite easy to find. SimpleNutrition makes it easy to find nutritionally better items in store with green shelf tags that highlight up to two of 22 different nutrition and ingredient benefits, such as: Gluten Free, Organic, Sodium Smart, or Made with Whole Grains.

There are 22 benefits highlighted in the SimpleNutrition program. The 22 benefits included in the program encompass two groups of messages: those that meet lifestyle or dietary needs, and those that meet specific nutrition or ingredient criteria:

· 4 benefit messages for lifestyle/dietary needs: Gluten Free, Organic, Natural, and also Calorie Smart

· 18 benefits with specific nutrition criteria: Made with Whole Grains, Good Source of Fiber, Fat Free, Sodium Smart, Low Saturated Fat, Low Fat, Sugar Free, Good Source of Calcium, Good Source of Vitamin A, Good Source of Vitamin C, Good Source of Iron, 0g Trans Fat, 100% Juice, Low Cholesterol, Good Source of Antioxidants, Good Source of Potassium, Good Source of Folate, Lean Protein

Say you aren’t in the store or you’re taking advantage of the on-line shopping offered by Safeway, then all you need to do is turn to Safeway.com/SimpleNutrition as a resource for food, nutrition and health information, as well as answers to common nutrition questions, tips for making healthier and affordable food choices and great-tasting recipes.

I do use the on-line resources from time to time, but honestly most of my shopping is inside the stores. I look for organic products, and things that are “low in fat” for my families health. We really try to eat healthy and I love how the green signs are easy to notice, clean and very attractive. Each shelf tag is limited to only two nutritional descriptions even if it might qualify for more than one because it was found that it’s overwhelming to list them all which I can agree with. I need things really simple when I’ve got two kids, and we’re getting through the grocery store as quickly as I can.

Be Sure to grab a SimpleNutrition brochure when you enter Safeway and hopefully you’ll still find a coupon for 1.00 off the purchase of 5.00 in produce. I saved over 85.00 on my last trip in coupons and Club Savings combined.

Enter to Win:

25.00 Gift Card to Safeway

To Enter:

Leave a comment telling me what nutritional options you might look for in a special green SimpleNutrition tag?

Extra Entries:

tweet or RT this post and include the link to the post

Make Easy Informed Nutritional Choices with Safeway SimpleNutrition #Giveaway @MomStart http://bit.ly/eVpIXA

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Comment on any non-giveaway post
List this giveaway on any giveaway site, dig, stumble, like or share on Facebook (or use any of the share options listed below)
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This giveaway ends April 4th. All rules can be found under giveaway rules.

Disclosure – The product featured in this giveaway was provided to me by the manufacturer or representing PR agency. Opinions expressed are my own and are NOT influenced by monetary compensation.

Filed Under: giveaway, organic Tagged With: giveaway, gluten free, healthy eating, organic, Safeway, SimpleNutrition

Take An Organic Challenge with Me: Save Money Shift Money

March 12, 2011 By Momstart 9 Comments

Summer and I decided to take part in a few Organic Challenges over the course of the next two months as part of the Easy Organic Living program, that happens to be co-hosted by Healthy Child Healthy World and Baby Center with Stonyfield as the sponsor. My husband and I are big fans of Stonyfield yogurt, we fed it to both children when they were little. My contributor Summer, many of you love her already, has inspired me to try using more organic in our lives. We are lucky in the area we live in; we have so many farms at our disposal and even Costco carries a lot of organics. Before I started reading Summer’s contributions here on Mom Start, the only reason we ate any organic was because it was a great price at Costco.

This Week’s Challenge is,

Save a dollar here, Shift a dollar there!

Everyone including me is under the impression that it takes a bigger budget to eat organically. The Easy Organic Living program is challenging us to start buying organic for the same price you would normally spend. For the next week try using some of these tips to save money to use on organic products.

Try Buying in Bulk

Use or freeze your leftovers for later use.

According to the USDA, 14 percent of all the food that we buy ends up in the trash, adding up to almost $600 thrown away each year.

Don’t buy soda, and use reusable cups for the water you drink

Buy the Whole Chicken instead of the pieces separately

Buy fruits and veggies that are in season, you’ll save a lot of money that way

You can save up to $130 or more per year by shifting to seasonal produce (i.e., apples in the winter, plums and nectarines during the summer).

Eat Less meat

If you were to cut meat out of your diet once a week and replace it with a vegetarian option, you could save about $250 per year for a family of four.

Why should you participate in this challenge?

You’ll focus on how much money you are spending thus saving yourself some money

You’ll shift your budget to support a healthier lifestyle

Your family will be eating organic food avoiding potentially harmful ingredients

In less than one week, I’ll tell you how I’m doing in the challenge and introduce you to the new challenge. Please leave comments and tell me how you are doing working on organic changes in your life.

I received a gift basket for participating in the program and will be giving one away at the end of the program as well.

Filed Under: green, organic Tagged With: organic, organic challenge, Organic Living, Save a dollar, Shift a Dollar, Stonyfield, stonyfield farm

Save 10% on Organic Sheets and Bedding

March 30, 2009 By MomStart Leave a Comment

You can purchase organic sheets made by picci at Goores for 10 percent off using the code “mspic”. Picci has elegant soft colors to add an excellent touch to any nursery. The bedding is made in Florence, Italy where beautiful fabrics are chosen. The designs range from contemporary to classic. I do find that the sheets are a little bit pricey but they are really exquisite. However, the price of the basket that you see on the right is 194 and that is a great price. It is the Picci Blue Ocean Carry Basket. At the retail store I used to work at we called them Moses baskets, and we sold them for that price or more. So for a basket with sheets it’s a great price.

Blue Ocean and Green Forest (NEW) offer a chic, playful mod look for baby’s room. Blue Ocean features a blue circular design and Green Forest, a green circular design in degrade color tones. Made from 100% Egyptian cotton, these sets offer a Moses Basket with two coordinating comforters, one in ivory soft chenille and the other in a printed fabric

As far as bargains go, 10% off must make the value even better. I never tried co-sleeping or having my child in the same room with us, but I hear it’s very popular. It does make breastfeeding in the middle of the night a whole lot easier. The bassinet that you see is from picci’s Crystal line.

- Crystal , the quintessential bedding set for the ultimate in refined style for baby’s room. Offering a transitional classic or contemporary look in a soothing color combination of white and taupe, Crystal features adorable rocking horse and boy and girl appliqués. The coordinating bassinet includes an elegant crystal like embellishment.

I pictured this last picture because my daughter is about to be here. We are about to take off the front of her crib and I am very nervous about this. I mean, is she ready? Is she really getting older and more mature. My daughter is growing up and is almost ready for a big girl bed, but before we do that I’m going to keep her crib with just the side off. Ohhhh. I guess that will be a story to tell. The bedding pictured is also from the Crystal line.

Filed Under: natural, organic, picci Tagged With: green

Green Festival In Seattle

March 23, 2009 By Momstart 1 Comment

So this weekend I was thinking about going to the Green Festival in Seattle. I also have a parade I’m supposed to be in. My kids will enjoy both. They absolutely love to go out. In fact whenever we’re all having a bad day we just leave and go out. Then we all have fun and come home with smiles on our faces.

I think that the Green Festival will be an excellent opportunity for me to learn more about being green. I think in addition to all of my other posts and giveaways I’m going to try and write about something green, organic, or natural every day until Earth Day. My husband laughed at me the other day and said that If I just read your blog, I would have no idea who you are. I do write about a lot of different things and I am pretty easy to please. I do worry about the environment and the energy crisis I just don’t voice it. I’m not an activist unless it’s about giving to charity. I’m still not even that active. I recycle, but I live in the part of the country where they will fine you for not recycling.

Another thing my husband has taught me is that even recycling uses up resources. So thinking that you are green just because you recycle isn’t very accurate anymore. So we need to reduce, reuse and then recycle. dannyglover

I was looking at all of the different companies that are going to be at the festival. There are so many. I had no idea there were so many different green companies. Oh and I was looking at the Keynote speakers and Danny Glover is going to be there. He is awesome. I would probably recognize more of the keynote speakers if I was more informed on being green. So I plan to learn a lot. But after our parade.

Here is the press release for the Green Festival:

SEATTLE HOSTS GREEN FESTIVAL FOR SECOND YEAR

Nation’s Largest Green Consumer Event Returns to Leading City in Sustainability

As Our Economy Transitions, Political Interest in the Environment Increases and Numbers of Green Consumers Grow, Green Festival Stands Out as a Vital Resource

March 28 & 29, 2009

Seattle, WA (March 2009): Green Festival, the fastest growing green consumer event in the country, returns to Seattle for the second year on March 28 & 29, 2009. The Washington State Convention and Trade Center provides the space for the festival to take its platform and bring the most cutting-edge people, ideas, and organizations on the green scene to Seattle residents and the surrounding community. Co-hosted by the city of Seattle, the 2009 Green Festival will introduce sustainable options for a transitioning economy, growing consumer consciousness, and evolving environmental policy. This year, the Green Festival will have specialized programming to address the current state of the economy with extensive discussions and information on the growing sector of green jobs.

A joint project of Global Exchange and Green America (formerly Co-op America), two leading nonprofit organizations dedicated to environmental and social justice for more than twenty-five years, Green Festival is a forum to explore and build sustainable solutions for communities and the environment. The Seattle Host Committee of over 140 community leaders, elected officials, local businesses, and activists include Richard Conlin of the Seattle City Council, Michael Mann, Office of Sustainability and Rachel Smith, Office of the Mayor have all contributed to design the event with a local focus. With special appearances by Mayor Gregory J. Nichols, the Seattle Green Festival will host 125 visionary speakers, 350 local and national green businesses, and dozens of community and nonprofit groups. All exhibitors must meet strict standards set by Green America, guaranteeing the highest level of social and environmental responsibility in all participating organizations. Each business is thoroughly vetted by Green America to ensure they are authentically sustainable.

If the first few months of 2009 are any indication, this year has the potential to be a turning point in American history for environmental issues, social justice and economic redevelopment. All of these topics come together at Green Festival with programming that provides realistic options for people all shades of green, from how to improve household energy efficiency to building a greener economy to environmental education initiatives geared toward children.

This year, Green Festival welcomes one of America’s most influential chefs, Alice Waters, to discuss the local organic food revolution she begin in 1971. In “An Edible Education,” Waters will be joined by film director Chris Taylor to share her vision of potentially greening the White House to create a national model and expand the sustainable narrative school systems. Seattle-specific programming ranges from interactive panels on “Undriving Stories: Getting Creative About Getting Around” and “What Does Green Art Look Like” to Alisa Gravitz’s nationally relevant “Green Fixes for the Economic Mess” presentation.

“In addition to bringing a diverse and exciting program to Seattle for the 2009 Green Festival, this year’s show will also provide insight into one of the most pressing issues of our time: economic stability,” says Alisa Gravitz, executive director of Green America and cofounder of Green Festival. “Through the many talks and exhibits at the Green Festival, participants will be able to experience first-hand that one of the ways out of this mess is to go green in their careers, investments, and lifestyle. Sustainability does, and always has, made perfect economic sense.”

In between the exciting presentations, festival participants can explore the show floor and experience a sustainable marketplace with local and national exhibitors providing the best in fair trade and eco-friendly wares. The Green Home Series offers eleven diverse 45-minute workshops to drive the sustainable movement home, with how-to’s ranging from “Bringing Home Baby” to “Composting for Apartment Dwellers.” The Fair Trade Café will provide participants with an extra jolt of energy from natural tea and coffee. The Organic Food, Beer and Wine Pavilion will satiate even the staunchest environmentalist with local eateries, breweries, and vineyards.

Not just an event for grown-up green enthusiasts, the Seattle Green Festival provides engaging activities for the next generation of budding activists in the Organic Valley Green Kids’ Zone. Kids can explore the insect world through song, story and dance in “Don’t Squish That Bug!” with Creepin Critters or learn about climate change in a “Shrinking Big Foot Performance.” Hosted by the Fair Trade Sports and Wilderness Awareness School, the Kids’ Movement Zone will feature eco-soccer games, yoga stretch breaks, and wilderness activities.

Since the first event in 2002, Green Festival has created a model of environmental and social leadership, consistently providing authentic information for consumers on every aspect of green living. A stringent screening process ensures all exhibitors and sponsors meet the best practices and highest standards for environmental integrity and social responsibility. While many events and tradeshows are notoriously wasteful, Green Festival demonstrates an unmatched commitment to reducing environmental impact by walking its green talk and reusing, recycling, or composting 97 percent or more of show waste. Green Festival was referenced as a model for “how it should be done” by USA Today for the festival’s commitment to producing a reduced carbon footprint experience. To further lower the impact of the event on the environment, those who arrive by bicycle are offered reduced admission along with valet bike parking. Green Festival also provides carbon offsets for the entire event and its participating staff and organizers.

“For eight years Green Festival has been bringing the most up-to-date information on the growing green movement to communities around the country,” explains Kevin Danaher, executive director of Global Exchange and cofounder of Green Festival. “As this movement continues to grow and evolve, Green Festival remains in the forefront as the most relevant source of information on a eco-friendly, fair-trade lifestyle. “

Green Festivals take place in Seattle, Denver, Chicago, San Francisco and Washington, DC and saw over 125,000 guests in combined attendance in 2008.

Seattle 2009 Green Festival Speaker Highlights:

· Nationally renowned speakers such as Alice Waters, one of America’s most influential chefs, Waters created a revolution in 1971 when she introduced local, organic fare at her California restaurant, Chez Panisse; Jerome Ringo, president of the Apollo Alliance and National Wildlife Federation’s Chair of the Board; Bryan Welch, publisher and editorial director of Mother Earth News, Natural Home, Utne Reader, and GRIT; Paul Stamets, who runs Fungi Perfecti, a family-owned, environmentally friendly company specializing in the use of gourmet and medicinal mushrooms; Amy Goodman, award-winning journalist, host of Democracy Now!, and coauthor of The Exception to the Rulers and Static; and many more

Seattle 2009 Green Festival Program Highlights:

· Organic Valley Green Kids’ Zone

· Community Action Center

· Green Home Series

· Fair Trade Pavilion

• Music Stage Featuring Local Acts

• Socially Responsible Investing

· Organic Food, Beer & Wine

· Eco Fashion

· Eco Tourism

· Green Careers

Event Details:
Washington State Convention and Trade Center, 800 Convention Place, Seattle, WA.

Saturday, March 28: 10:00AM – 7:00PM

Sunday, March 29: 11:00AM – 6:00PM

$15 for two days/$10 for union members, seniors, students, and all who arrive by bicycle

FREE: Children 18 and under, Green America or Global Exchange members

FRIENDS OF THE GREEN FESTIVAL – With a donation of $75 you’ll receive:

· Full Green Festival admission

A coupon for two free drinks at the Organic Beer & Wine Garden

20% off at the Green Festival Store and the BetterWorldBooks Book Store

Exclusive tour of the Greening Operation at Green Festival – witness how we achieve 95% resource recovery

Visit with Alisa Gravitz of Green America and Kevin Danaher of Global Exchange and receive autographed book – The Green Festival Reader and Building the Green Economy.

Regular Executive Producer Updates about the Green Festivals from Global Exchange and Green America

Green Festival Partners:

Better World Books, Clif Bar, Greener Printer, Honest Tea, Pangea Organics, Seattle Climate Action Now, Simple Shoes, T Mobile, KOMO 4/ KUNS

For more information on Seattle or any other Green Festival event visit: www.greenfestivals.org

About Green America (formerly Co-op America):

Green America (www.greenamerica.org ) is a national nonprofit organization founded in 1982, providing the economic strategies, organizing power and practicing tools for businesses and individuals to address today’s social and environmental problems. Its Green Business Network is the largest national network of businesses screened for their social and environmental responsibility.

About Global Exchange:

Global Exchange (www.globalexchange.org) is a membership-based international human rights organization dedicated to promoting social, economic and environmental justice around the world. Since its founding in 1988, Global Exchange has successfully increased public awareness of root causes of injustice while building international partnerships and mobilizing for change.

Filed Under: going green, natural, organic, recycling

Organic Coupon Giveaway

November 3, 2008 By Momstart 18 Comments

I have quite a few organic coupons to giveaway. I haven’t totaled them out yet to give you a total but I wanted to make sure that I let everyone know what today’s giveaway was

To enter

Please leave a comment with your e-mail address. If you won’t leave your e-mail address then I can’t contact you.

You have until November 8th to enter this contest.

Products range from
Amy’s Organic
to Eden’s Organic

Good luck

Filed Under: coupons, freebie, giveaway, organic