Green Baby Bargains gift cert giveaway!

GreenBabyBargains.com is still one of the best kept secrets on the web! I have loved all of the products I've gotten through this site which range from clothes to bottles and many other things. They are always around 50% off or more, fortunate for me they take paypal so I don't have to ask the hubbys permission before I buy these goodies ;P Also they ship super fast which always puts a smile on my face! Right now they are having a $50 certificate giveaway so click here to enter today is the last day!

Thanks to Hyla of Green Earth Journey for showing me this site and a big congrats to her having a beautiful new baby girl!

The place to get your eco-friendly packaging and other office supplies

Green Earth Office Supply
I have to share my new packaging supply find as this place has the best prices on truly eco-friendly products. Upon finding this site with it's html novice style layout I was a little deterred to try it as they don't use paypal however with it being through Yahoo Shopping I deemed it a bit safer to try out.
Below is a comparison of of the more expensive Jiffy padded envelopes that I got from another "green office" supply with the less expensive NatureWise ones from Green Earth



The more post consumer content the better as it's putting your recyclables to good (re)use.
I also applaud them for reusing packaging as my items were shipped in a reused box shown below! This is honestly the one green company that really works hard to to be green all around in contrast to where I was getting my packaging supplies from before the envelopes in their own separate 25 pack boxes creating more waste that I had to deal with.



The only cons are you must make a minim order of $40, they only ship UPS, and that it took a while for them to send out the items which seemed to be sent out after I called and emailed them and I didn't receive any response just my items a few days later. They also offer a free item with your order and I selected one but did not receive it as they may have ran out of the free items either way it would have been nice to get correspondence in some way. However these are the only down sides but not a big issue as I got what I needed.

Overall I am pleased with their dedication to being green and very cost effective I got my items and that's what counts, for this I look forward to ordering from them again and to better customer service/business management in the future from Green Earth Office Supply

Talented Friends Julia LoVan

I would like to recognize some of my amazingly talented friends that I know in person! I will try to spotlight someone either each Friday, within my next few blog posts or just sporadically because I'm bad with blogging in general.

The first person I want to showcase is Julia LoVan the creative mind behind Julia LoVan Dresses on Etsy



The things I appreciate the most about Julia is her dedication to the underprivileged community and in addition to that focuses on being eco-conscious by being, "on the constant search to use more recycled or sustainable materials." Her day job is working with intercity kids and I had the pleasure of helping her with Illuminate that gives a safe and creative haven to underprivileged kids during the summer, by equipping them with useful artistic abilities that they otherwise would not have known.



With everything she does she gives back in some way and this is stated in her shop. "Julia LoVan Dresses operates out of Los Angeles and create products that are hope-filled. We are on the constant search to use more recycled or sustainable materials. The desire to do so comes from a passion to seek justice for our friends: the local and international poor and underserved populations. This is achieved through using fashion and networking with global organizations to create housing and jobs. Part of the proceeds goes towards the building of orphanages in Lusaka, Zambia with Breath of Heaven Children's Ministries. For more information or to partner in this endeavor, please email julialovandresses@gmail.com.
Simplicity, compassion, beauty."

Recently she has been featured on Wrecked For The Ordinary



So kudos to Julia as she is one of my talented friends that really shines!

Things of today

I had my midwife appointment today and things are all good the only thing is that the baby has not turned yet but that's not too much of an issue till my next visit. Which if she hasn't turned by then, I've got exercises to do to make her turn. Anyways yoga helps out with that too so I need to join a class by next week to help with that and the ever on going hip cramps. Also another thing that Mary Lou (my midwife) brought to my attention was potty training infants http://www.pottywhisperer.com/howitworks.html which I think is cost effective and eco friendly by not wasting water on washing cloth diapers or putting disposables in landfills. Really if a kitten can use a litter box why can't we teach an infant to use a toilet? Are we really dumber then a kitten as infants as toddlers? I would pray not, and the people who do that prove it.
Since I'm on an eco kick right now I'll go into a few of my ambitions with the home front. I really want to start composting since I cook nearly every day and with the rinds and extra bits going in the trash I feel bad because it can go for good use and on top of that it stinks up the house when the trash is opened. The biggest issue it that I don't have space outside to compost things so I'm looking into getting a NarureMill electric composter

I also want to start a little garden on my balcony for that compost to go to good use. Now for those who know me I have quite the brown thumb =( but for some crazy reason I think I can do this with the baby in the household. For starters I'm not going to be growing from seeds but I'm going to buy young "organically" grown plants from a new seller that I spied the other week when I went to the Saturday Santa Monica farmers market off of the 3rd Street Promenade. So the things I want to start growing are peas, blueberry's, tomatoes, and garlic. Then I'll move on to lemon and avocado trees, carrots, potatoes, and work on growing other things from seeds. Most of this push to make my brown thumb green is because of several agendas first being that I want to start juicing and growing ones own produce is highly cost effective since it takes a lot to make a little juice. My other agenda is that I think its a good thing to invest in my child's future by being able to teach her practical and useful knowledge like this. My third agenda is with the major corporation pushed consumerism mentality which is horrid for the environment.
Anyways I shall leave you with and image of fresh baked vegan chocolate chip banana bread!

A day in the life

Today was the second official appointment with the midwives of Beach Cities Birth Service Mary Lou and her backup midwife Ashley, who works out of Mary Lou's home as well. I really wanted Jason to meet Ashley so this was my second appointment mainly with her and the next one is with Mary Lou. The appointments are extremely relaxed and generally the same routine with a lot more care and respect. The general routine is pee in a cup and insert a strip that checks for protein (preeclampsia) and sugar (gestational diabetes) which showed up negative for both! Checked my weight which is 170.5 I gained a whole half a pound from the last visit. Next was getting the blood pressure checked which turned up good as usual. Then Ashley checked the positioning of the baby which it seems that she has turned already (meaning she's upside down which is a good thing) but it won't be really noticeable or an issue till the next visit. Things are progressing really well and I pray they continue to!
Also this past weekend Jason and I found out two of our friends gave birth, another two are pregnant and the wife of a new business contact of his is pregnant as well! So ladies if in California beware the water unless you want to get pregnant ;)

On with my creative ambitious eco friendly side, I have completed phase one of operation Christmas Tree Demise which was using a little hand saw on out little four foot christmas tree to remove the branches from the trunk. Phase two is set to begin shortly and is the removal/collection of the needles (for candles and perhaps potpourri} and the drying/sectioning of the trunk (for a variety of items one of which I just thought of ...I may carve a section, with my new dremel 300 =D, to make my own candle mold which is classified as crazy ambitious but I love me power tools) So I've got a lot of work ahead of me.