ink & ivy :: eco-friendly goods {giveaway}

I have had a lifelong love for hot air balloons. So much so, that I decided to decorate baby's nursery with hot air balloon decor. So imagine my utter delight when scouring Etsy, I came across this adorable onesie by Ink & Ivy! I have seen other baby/toddler clothes with hot air balloons on them, but were way too cheesy for my taste. This Away We Go onesie is adorned with a distressed vintage style hot air balloon that is super hip, playful and fun. And better yet? It's environmentally friendly and safe for baby. Perfect!

At Ink & Ivy, you will find an assortment of modern, fun apparel for your baby. Their whimsical designs has me oohing and aahhing over everything! All garments are made with 100% organic cotton from American Apparel. They use water based ink that is non-toxic and lead-free. These onesies are ultra soft!


So if you're on the lookout for unique clothing for your baby or as a gift, you MUST check out Ink & Ivy! How clever is this typewriter design "In a land far far away..."?! (yep, I want that one too.) Wouldn't that one make a fun gift for a writer having a baby? (hmmm...I'm a writer...)

Organic Away We Go Hot Air Balloon Onesie :: $18.99


A SIMPLE COUPON!Use coupon code SIMPLE10 to receive 10% off your order at Ink & Ivy. Offer expires 6/30/11.

A SIMPLE GIVEAWAY!Ink & Ivy would like to give one lucky SIMPLE reader this World Love Onesie! Here's how to enter:

• Tell us one thing (or more!) you really like about SIMPLE (Required)
• Become a follower of Ink & Ivy's blog via GFC
• Follow Ink & Ivy on Facebook
• Facebook (Daily : Leave a link to your post in our comments) Post a status on your facebook hyper linking SIMPLE and Ink & Ivy and this giveaway
• Tweet (Daily : Leave a link to your tweet in our comments) :: #Win an adorable, organic onesie over at @simplereviews: http://tinyurl.com/6z4cad7 #giveaway #contest Please RT!
• Enter your email address in the left sidebar on SIMPLE to sign up for daily emails
• Publicly follow SIMPLE via Google Friend Connect

Winner will be randomly chosen and announced June 1, 2011. Please reference the "Giveaway Rules" tab before entering. Good luck!


*I was provided the Away We Go
Hot Air Balloon Onesie in order
to conduct this review. My
opinions are my own.*

Being earth conscious...

We drink a LOT of water in our house. So I am constantly on the lookout for cute, safe water bottles for my family and I.

I found Earthlust while on this search. Here is a little about Allison, and her reason for starting up Earthlust:
Our bottles are made from high quality materials and are created from our own custom mold. They are ethically made in China and designed and tested in California. Some of the designs I did myself, the crow is a picture I took on Treasure Island in San Francisco. EarthLust is very special to me and it has been fun to watch it grow right along with my sons!

Here are some of the things I found out while research Earthlust that I think are worth sharing:

• Hand made with high quality food grade stainless steel.
  
• Great "eco-friendly" gift idea
• Some of the designs were done by the owner
• The bottles are a custom design - not stock bottles
• Non-toxic and BPA free caps
• Their bottles are GUARANTEED
• Each bottle comes with a carabineer which makes it even easier to carry
  
• Lots of the bottles are limited edition...so if you are looking for a unique bottle a lot of other people don't have, this is a great choice!
• GREAT price....in my opinion! :)
  

Follow Earthlust on Facebook and Twitter to hear about their latest promotions as well as new product updates!

1L Stainless Steel Bottles: $21.00
20oz. Stainless Steel Bottles: $18.00
16oz. Stainless Steel Bottles: $16.00
And to find out where you can get one of your own, click HERE and you will be directed to the page that tells you this!

*I was sent the two bottles shown above to conduct this review using personal experience. The opinions expressed are my own.*

Paint Those Piggys with NEW colors!

For those who have been reading this blog a little while, you know that I am a BIG fan of Piggy Paint! And for those of you who are new and this is the first that you are reading about Piggy Paint, you are going to LOVE it too!

What makes Piggy Paint to special? Let me tell you. Piggy Paint is a natural, eco-friendly nail polish designed for fancy girls. Its non-toxic, hypoallergenic formula makes it safe to use on all piggies. Say good-bye to harsh, smelly chemicals and hello to Piggy Paint…it’s as Natural as Mud®! Piggy Paint dries to a hard, durable finish that can easily be removed with our eco-friendly, low odor Piggy Paint nail polish remover. Made in the USA!

I have two girls and they are VERY diva - all things diva in this house which is very fun! Well, the post I wrote previously didn't include their newest line - an ADULT line! Yes, I am excited!! It's called REFINED, and it is the same Piggy Paint Formulation! They have also added new colors, Sea-Quin & Sweetpea to Piggy Paint and Groovy Grape to Project Earth + GREAT NEW GIFT SETS TOO!

Also, a portion of our sales from the Breast Cancer Pail will be donated to the Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure for Research!

GET YOUR OWN: Piggy Paint has given us a coupon code for all you guys to use! The code is KEEPIT10L and it will get you 10% off your order. It expires April 30, 2011 and can be used on anything on their website AS WELL AS sale items! Follow Piggy Paint on Twitter and Facebook for secret sales and special offers too! I've actually picked up a lot of my colors through these secret sales....seems like they are always having one!

{ ** GIVEAWAY NOW CLOSED!!! ** }

WIN YOUR OWN: Piggy Paint is giving one lucky reader a $15 gift certificate to their online store! To enter, just check out their store and come back here leaving a comment telling me which item you would buy using your gift certificate. (This entry is required)

Extra Entries (leave a separate comment for each):

• Like Piggy Paint on Facebook
• Follow @piggypaint on Twitter
  
• Tweet this giveaway (daily tweets allowed): Enter to win a $15 Gift Certificate to @piggypaint at @simplereviews: http://tinyurl.com/4coccjh #win #giveaway Pls RT

Winner will be randomly selected and announced March 4, 2011! Good Luck!

*I was provided with a top coat as well as How Merlot Can You Go from Piggy Paint free of charge in order to conduct this review - all others pictured above I have purchased on my own. I love Piggy Paint and think you will too if you are looking for a safe alternative to regular ! The opinions shown here are my own.*

honey dumplings

I love searching online for new products and companies. I came across honey dumplings in my search and they caught my eye. With products made with buckwheat hulls and bamboo I had to know what they were about.

Reading through their site I knew what great products they would be.

I recieved a padded bamboo hat and a sample of one of their buckewheat mats. The hat is super cute and functional. I love it.

This cream, gender-neutral hat is gently padded with a removable pillow. Tucked in a hidden inside flap, the pillow cushions and cradles a newborn’s tiny head. Made from a soft-as-butter bamboo jersey, this hat will also wick away moisture keeping a baby’s head comfortable and dry.
This cap is ideal to help protect a baby’s head from repeated pressure. With no chemicals or dyes – it’s perfect for a baby’s sensitive skin.
· 70% bamboo/ 30% organic cotton
· unbleached with no dyes or chemicals used or applied in finishing – natural vanilla color available only
· made in Canada
· sizes : 0 - 4 months and 4 – 8 months
The hat can be washed in warm water temperatures and dried up to the MEDIUM setting on a tumble drier. Removable insert should be hand-washed only.

I just love that the hat has a padded insert to act as a pillow. It is great for the carseat. Not to mention she looks super cute in it...don't you think?

GET YOUR OWN!! Padded Bamboo Hat $16 - You can’t put a pillow in a baby’s crib so why not put it right in the hat.

A SIMPLE COUPON!! honey dumplings is giving our simple readers 10% off til March 31, 2011. Use the code SIMPLE.


*I was provided with the padded bamboo hat free of charge to conduct this review. My opinions are my own.*

Shopping with Blue Avocado

Amazingly, I only have two hands but am somehow able to carry way more than I would have thought humanly possible before kids.  You probably do it too, a diaper bag, a purse, a kid (or two!), plus those 'incidentals' that come with running errands or shopping...  I just love to see the faces of non-parents when they see what a balancing act I can manage!

With this being said, I can honestly say that I am always on the lookout for any type of bag or organizational product to make my life easier, especially when running errands.  After using it for about a month I am absolutely in LOVE my new Starter Kit from Blue Avocado!

Besides for the absolutely adorable color (mine came in plum-doodle, pictured left), I just love how sturdy and versatile these bags have been for me.  Having been long-standing member of the 'reusable bag' club from my local grocers, I know that those bags do have a few flaws:

1. they can't handle as many groceries in one bag as I'd like
2. they don't fold up very small
3. they get dirty and you can only surface clean them (Can you say gross?)

My new Blue Avocado bags fix all these problems for me!  No only does the Pak bag from my kit really hold the grocery equivalent of 3 other bags, it folds up so small that I actually still have use of my SUV's cargo space!

Plus the bags are machine washable, so I can throw them in the washer to get clean and not worry about mold, mildew and everyday dirt getting on my food. (Machine washable + me = LOVE)

Another thing I love is that these bags are sturdy!  The Starter Kit alone can hold up to 50 lbs of groceries and I don't have to worry about it ripping open while I'm trekking up two flights of stairs with 2 gallons of milk nestled on the bottom of all my other groceries! 

GET YOUR OWN: Visit Blue Avocado's online shop to stock up on your own shopping essentials.  Plus, our lucky SIMPLE readers can use the coupon code "goodkarma30" for 30% off any purchase through 1/31/11!!!  I'm thinking I need to add all the Grande Kit bags that I don't have... maybe I should just get another kit huh? :)

*I was provided with a Blue Avocado Starter Pak free of charge to conduct this review. The opinions provided are my own.a
 

Natural Tooth Chips?

About a month ago I started using something called TOOTH CHIPS.

For some time now Ive had issues with my teeth being over sensitive... and problems with my gums being easily irritated... It didnt seem to matter how much I brushed... or even if I used those "sensodine" tooth paste geared towards sensitivity, nothing worked.

Until I found Tooth Chips.

Tooth Chips are a totally natural way to brush and clean our teeth!

Rose of Sharon where my Tooth Chips come from also offers a wide variety of other great natural products.

I am currently using her goat milk lotions for my FACE and body... and my husband I actually convinced into using their mens body wash. For some time I have tried to get him to use a more natural wash... but he refused to use bars. So when I saw her liquid soap I was very excited.

GET YOUR OWN: If you are shopping for great goat milk soaps, lotions, blemish sticks, tooth chips and even ways to pamper your PETS in a natural way, check out Rose of Sharon.


A SIMPLE COUPON: Use the coupon code "Dreawood" and save 12% off your orders.

WIN YOUR OWN: I also get to giveaway some items! :-)

a... 4 oz mango lotion, 2 oz tooth chip (any flavor), soap (any flavor).

To enter simply comment listing the flavor choice you'd prefer in the tooth chips as well as the soap :-)

Grab a few extra entries by:
1- LIKING Rose of Sharon on Facebook.
2- Blogging, updating your status or tweeting about this giving-away (linking back).

Be sure to leave a way for me to contact you :-)
GIVEAWAY CLOSED

Disclosure:
Rose of Sharon sent me a number of products, including "tooth chips" - to showcase and review on SIMPLE.

reduce, ReUsies, and recycle

It doesn't take very long into "mommyhood" for you to learn the importance of always having snacks on hand.  A ten minute drive in the car can turn into the longest trip ever if your kid is having a meltdown from hunger.

With so much stuff in our diaper bag sandwich bags have been the best use of space for us, but I was feeling a bit guilty about how many of those little plastic bags were ending up in the trash.  I came across ReUsies while searching for a reusable snack bag replacement. 

ReUsies come in a Sandwich Size and a Snack Size and have so many design options it's easy to find a designs that everybody will love (over 40 designs for each size listed in their shop right now).  ReUsies are fabric bags with a liner that makes them great for use with crackers, sandwiches and cookies but also 'wet' items like fruits or cut up veggies.

I also love the fact that there are multiple ways to clean your ReUsies.  You can wash them by hand with a soapy sponge, turn them inside out and throw them in the washer or use the dishwasher to clean them!  What other reusable bag lets you do all that?

GET YOUR OWN!!!  Visit the ReUsies Shop to stock up on your own ReUsies Sandwich Size and Snack Size bags, or pick out a two-pack in your favorite design and get one of each!

WIN YOUR OWN!!! ReUsies is going to give one lucky SIMPLE reader a Sandwich Size and Snack Size Bag!  To enter just visit the ReUsies website and come back to tell us your favorite design (I'm a big fan of the Eco Chick Snack Bag pictured above).

Extra Entries (leave a separate comment for each):

• "Like" ReUsies on Facebook
• Tweet this giveaway (daily tweets allowed): Enter to win a Sandwich Size and Snack Size bag from @ReUsies on @simplereviews http://tiny.cc/fc8vn#giveaway

Winner will be randomly selected and announced on December 11, 2010.  Good luck!!

*In order to conduct this review I was provided with complimentary samples from ReUsies. The opinions provided are my

SKOY Cloths

I have slowly been "greening" our home over time, making small changes as I can. One way I have recently been trying to be more eco-conscious is in my paper towel usage. Lately, I've been using SKOY cloths instead of paper towels, and I am so happy about the switch! Not only are they cheaper in the long run, but they are also more efficient! Here's a little more info about SKOY cloths.
(From the company website)
The SKOY cloth is a fabulous, absorbent, biodegradable and natural multi-use cloth. Our re-usable earth friendly cloth is perfect in your kitchen, bathroom, and on most surface areas in your home or office. A SKOY cloth can be used in place of your sponge.

SKOY Cloths are:
100% biodegradable
absorbent
re-usable
clean
multi-use
I have loved using my SKOY cloth for the last several weeks. I've really put it through the paces! I've used it to wipe counters, wash dishes, clean out the microwave and fridge (both VERY daunting tasks at my house), clean the stovetop, and wipe up spots on the floor. I've thrown it in the wash to clean it and I've zapped it in the microwave to sanitize it. After several weeks of heavy use, it still looks pretty great! I'm impressed.

GET YOUR OWN! Visit SKOY Enterprises to shop for their great products. The cloths featured in this review are $6.99 for a 4-pack.

WIN YOUR OWN! TWO SIMPLE readers are each going to win a 4-pack of SKOY Cloths! To enter this giveaway, leave a comment telling us one way you try to be eco-conscious.

Giveaway open to residents of the continental U.S.

WINNER will be randomly selected and announced on December 8, 2010.

*Disclosure: I was provided with a set of SKOY Cloths to showcase and review on SIMPLE. My opinions are my own.

Reusable Snowflakes!

A past company I reviewed for called Harmony Lantern had up on their facebook wall some pictures of a new product they are selling on their shop.

They are reusable snowflakes!

It immediately caught my eye which, led to them sending me some to sample.

They are beautiful and so fun. They are called Mino Washi snowflakes.



With an already "snowflake" theme in my mind for this years Christmas accent in our home... we had dozens of paper snowflakes already cut out... I knew that this would make the perfect addition to the home this Christmas.

With a spritz of water, these snowflakes stick to your windows and stay. They are made in japan, hand crafted and unique... and the best part, they are reusable! Each year you can take them back down just as easily as you put them up, store them, and put them back up every year.

GET YOUR OWN: With a variety of sizes and shapes, all with names :-) - you can purchase your very own reusable snowflakes over at Harmony Lantern.

A SIMPLE COUPON: You can use the coupon code "HOSSA" - and save by getting FREE SHIPPING on your orders! This also can be used towards the beautiful harmony lanterns as well (we own two and love them!)




-below- a video showing how rice paper is made... I found it really interesting to watch and thought it be nice to include in this review:



When you think of all the hard work that goes into making the paper... $12 doesn't seem like so much for a wonderful keepsake that can be reusable over and over.

Disclosure:
Harmony Lantern sent me a few snowflakes to showcase and review on SIMPLE.

"mOmma"- the tip-proof sippy

Not to long ago I was introduced to a company called mOmma.

With Owen approaching the age for a sippy cup, I was in look for something unique, function-able and of course SIMPLE :-)

mOmma has designed a cup that will never tip and when it does, it is designed to turn right side up on its own. I even noticed when I would put it into my drying rack to "dry" - it kept wanting to roll. Its designed this way so you never have to worry about spills.. or the sippy part hitting a dirty surface. Genius!

"Bonus: The clever device is designed to accept the whole line of mOmma lids (bottle & straw cup) for every stage of feeding!"

Owen is still getting use to his mOmma cup and I had full intentions of posting a photo of him with it, however the day got away with me and I havent... however I do plan to update this post in a day or two with his photo using it.

GET YOUR OWN: mOmma also offers some other awesome products, such as unique teethers, some really unique and easy to hold soft spoons and forks. You can even buy a bottle, sippy and straw bottle as a set to save.

A SIMPLE COUPON: Use the coupon promo "iBuymOmma" and save 20% off your purchase! This promo is only good through Dec 7th, so act fast!

WIN YOUR OWN: I get to giveaway a mOmma sippy cup like Owens! (its the green sippy - so cute! goes for boy or girl).

In order to enter just comment listing 1 product over at the mOmma Website that caught your eyes besides the Sippy Cups.

Grab an additional comment by: "LIKING" mOmma on Facebook! or following them on Twitter. Comment an "additional" time for each thing you complete.

Giveaway is only open to USA Residents.
Giveaway will end Dec. 1st

Disclosure:
mOmma provided me with a sippy to showcase and review on SIMPLE

Maukilo

Have you got the lists ready?  Have you mapped out  a shopping plan yet? Yes! The holiday shopping frenzy is upon us!

Know what we love to do? Shop online (and avoid the crazy stores). Buy cool toys (that our kids will actually like to play with). Support small business that are doing amazing things.

One of my favorite places to shop online, where I can always find awesome stuff for all three of my kids is Maukilo.com. (we've told you about them before, read what we said)

Maukilo carries all our favorite companies. BlaBla dolls, Holztiger, Plan Toys, and of course HABA.

My son (who just turned one), has been loving the BlaBla Basil Bunny Doll ($33.99). We love the BlaBla's because they are handknit, easy to care for, and are just a bit understuffed, making them super cozy and cuddly.

Bla Bla's have been a part of our home for almost as long as we've had kids.  The first Bla Bla we ever got was a set of the Finger Puppets (which we play with while we wait for our dinner, when we dine out), and my 3 year old daughter is super attached to her Mermaid Doll.

Seriously, when it comes to stuffed friends, the Bla Bla's are the cream of the crop.

But again, Maukilo has hundreds of different toys, games and activities for all ages.  Don't know where to start? The Maukilo site is super easy to navigate.  Easily search by age, category, price, or even brand.  It couldn't be simpler.

GET YOUR OWN! Maukilo is the one stop toy shop online this holiday season. All orders over $65 qualify for free shipping!

WIN YOUR OWN! We have a $25 gift certificate to Maukilo for one lucky Simple reader to get started on their holiday shopping.  To enter, visit their site, shop around, come back here and tell us what you would get if you won!


Extra entry (leave a separate comment):

Tweet: Visit @simplereviews to enter to win a $25 GC to Maukilo.com: http://tinyurl.com/2aq58sk #giveaway

Winner will be randomly selected and notified on December 3rd, 2010.

The Green Garmento

I try to buy very little for myself or my kids that requires dry cleaning (or even ironing for that matter).  But my husband? He's another story.

He wears nice pants and a button down shirt every.single.workday.  And while he can get more than one wear out of a shirt (assuming he's careful with his morning coffee), he prefers me to send them out to be pressed and starched.

So, every other week, I make a trip to the dry cleaners down the street. And every other week, I throw away 2-3 of those huge plastic bags, straight into the landfill.

Did you know? Around 300 million pounds of plastic drycleaning bags that end up in our landfills each year?  Gah.

I've found a solution! The Green Garmento (Retail: $9.99) will not only eliminate those wasteful plastic bags, but will also streamline your laundry and make you more organized.

 Here's how it works:

 

Pretty Cool, huh?

Get your own! The Green Garmento is very affordable at only $9.99 a piece.  Do yourself a favor, get two right from the start.  Want more?  Visit them on Facebook and Twitter (where you might be able to score a free bag).