Go Green Coupons

If you purchase Go Greens, be sure to sign up at their website for valuable coupons and offers here.

Recycle a Chandelier!

I thought it would be fun to figure out what to do with an old chandelier. Chandeliers are very beautiful and can be used to make many more beautiful things!

Here are some examples:

1. 1. Have you heard of Chandelier earrings? Well, why not save the money and make your own! This is perfect if you have an old chandelier laying around. All you need to do is take part of the chandelier that you would like as earrings, get earring hooks (only a couple dollars for a multi-pack), and a pair of pliers. Example earrings can be viewed made by craftjuice who runs an etsy shop of homemade items.
3. 2. You can also make necklaces, bracelets, or anklets in the same manner. Just purchase the chain to strin it on or use one you may have laying around the house. You can then have a perfect matching jewelry set to wear.

3. You can use chandelier pieces to make beautiful scrapbook pages or to decorate a card. You could use either glue dots to affix it to the page or sew it on with a needle and thread.

4. You can use them as ends to pull strings. You could put them on window blinds, ceiling fans, ceiling lights, etc. All you need to do is pry open the ring on one of the chandelier pieces and put it into the pull string. Use the pliers to clamp the ring tightly so that the chandelier will stay attached to the pull string.

5. You could make windchimes out of it. Take an old lamp shade, fishing line, needle, hanging hook and some chandelier pieces. Tie the fishing line to the rings of the chandelier pieces and sew the other end through the lamp shade. Make sure it is tied securely. Place as many chandelier piece strings as you desire for look onto the lamp shade. You can then tie fishing line from the lamp shade to the hanging hook. Now your windchime is finished, hang it out where desired.

Thanks to Colleen for the idea to recycle old chandeliers. Do you have an object that you would like to recycle but you aren't sure how? Post it here and let me know. I will do a post of it!

Greener House, Naturally!

Here are some simple ways you can have a "Greener" home.

Save Energy:

*If the weather is nice, dry your clothing on lines outside or set up lines in your laundry room.

*Use manual appliances instead of electric. Instead of a leaf blower, use a broom. Instead of the dishwasher, put just enough water in your sink and wash by hand. Instead of lights/lamps open the shades/doors in your home for lighting.

*Turn off your refrigerator when you go on vacation. Unplug electric items when they are not in use.

*Replace your lightbulbs with energy efficient ones. I did this and really did see a difference in our electric bill!

*Defrost your freezer every 3 months. This will prolong its life and help it work for efficiently.

*Wash your clothes in cool water. Most washers now have a Cold/Cool/Warm/Hot setting. Choose the Cool setting which gets the clothes cleaner than Cold but uses less energy than the Warm or Hot setting.

Help Environment:

*Plant trees, plants or your own garden. This helps improve air quality in your area.

*Compost organic materials. This is basically everything except animal products. You can add food (fruits, vegetables, etc. just no animal products) as well as outdoor items (leaves, sticks, etc.)

*Use natural pest control. You can go to your local garden shop and ask for organic pest control products. Most if not all will carry them or can give you remedies to rid the pests, naturally.

*Use non-toxic, biodegradeable products whenever possible in your home. These items are generally washable and reuseable.

*Paint the outside of your home a light-color. It will help reflect unwanted radiant heat.

Clean Green:

*Baking Soda - Cuts grease & oil, cleans, deodorizes, inhibits mold, extinguishes fires, & can be used to clean your teeth.

*Lemon Juice - Natural bleach that can remove stains, deodorizes and inhibits mold as well. You can also use it to dye your hair blonde if interested. Squeeze lemon juice on your hair, rub it in and lay out in the sun to desired color. You will want to use moisturizers in your hair afterwards because the acid in the lemon juice can dry your hair out a little.

*Salt - Gentle abrasive & disinfectant, cleans drains, & scours kitchen utensils.

*White Vinegar - Removes bathroom scum & hard water deposits, removes discoloration from metals, & removes rust. Perfect cleaner for the bathroom.

Thanks to Clean House! for some of these tips.

Do you have other "Green House" tips? Leave a comment below with your tips!

Sore Throats, Naturally!

Lately I have developed a little bit of a sore throat. Not bad, just the annoying scratchy feeling. I am trying hard to avoid medications whenever possible.

I looked through my stash of stuff I got FREE through deals from my other blog to see what I had to avoid going out and spending money.

I found Sambucol which is a natural preventative remedy made from Elderberries & Ricola Vitamin C supplements made from all natural products. I have been taking both in combination as well as hot tea and rest. Hopefully they will help boost my immune system and this will not get bad.

Do you have natural remedies that you use to try to avoid an illness getting worse? I, and I'm sure several other readers, would be interested to hear what has worked for you!

Organic Valley FREEbies!

If you are a supporter of Organic products, you may be interested in joining M.O.O. (Mothers & Fathers of Organic). Each month you will receive a eRootstock newsletter which contains recipes, research, news constests, coupons and organic parenting bulletins.

You can also sign up to receive a FREE Welcome Packet which includes Kids' activity flyer, newsletter, bumper sticker & coupons for Organic Valley products. I was excited about this and thought I would share it with you!

FREE Green Smoothie e-book

If you are interested in some good, healthy recipes to make for your family, request your Green Smoothie Recipe e-book now. The recipe book is designed for use of a Vita-Mix but could be done in a blender too. I am going to try some of these recipes one of these days.

If you try one and like it, let me know what one and I will try that one!

Lighting, Naturally!

One thing I absolutely love about spring is natural lighting! One awesome way to save on electricity is to utilize natural lighting when available. My favorite thing is to sit by an open window and read. What could be better than getting a cool, fresh breeze through the house to air things out and read by God's lighting!

Have you been able to do this yet this year where you live? Just open a door or window and let nature fill your house? I love comments, let me know what you think!

Going Green, Naturally!

Exchange Bottled Water for Tap:

Instead of buying bottled water, use tap water for drinking and cooking. If you don't like the taste of tap water or you live in an area of unsafe water, you can either boil it or purchase or make a water filter. Not only do you avoid the chances of BPA exposure, save money and you help the environment by having less waste product. Most plastic bottles are recycleable but recycling uses more energy than not having the need.

Exchange Paper Towels for Rags:

Paper towels and rags do the same thing, right? They both clean up messes, soak up spills, and wipe messy faces. Constantly buying paper towels costs more that using rags and washing them. We have to do laundry anyways, what is another couple rags, right. Besides the cost, paper towels add waste. They come in plastic wrapping, each paper towel gets trashed and the cardboard center. Did you ever wonder why there is a cardboard center? What a waste! There would be 2" more paper towels without it.

Exchange Chemical Cleaners for Homemade:

Most of us have baking soda, white vinegar, club soda, salt, lemon juice, olive oil, and spices. Thats pretty much all you need for all your cleaning needs. The Tree Hugging Family has a list of 25 safe, non-toxic homemade cleaners. Whatever you need to clean, can be done with homemade products. This will save you lots of money as well as make your home and family cleaner, healthier and happier over all. Chemicals tend to cause increased allergies, in some cases cancers, and skin issues. Why not avoid those things if you can?

Do you have another simple way to go green in the kitchen? Please post it here and share with all of us!

Green Festival or Expo

If you are interested in attending a
Green Festival, click here for more information. The Festival locations are San Francisco April 10-11, Chicago May 22-23, Washington DC October 23-24, & San Francisco November 5-7.

There is also a Go Green Expo going on. Click here for more information. These locations are New York City March 19-21, Philadelphia April 16-18, or Atlanta May 21-23. You can get 50% off tickets by using code: KIWI50.

Going Greener Guidebook

If you are interested in learning how you can go green, download a FREE copy of the Going Greener Guidebook from StonyField.

Herb for Health Catalog

If you are interested in ordering herbs or spices in bulk. You can request a Herbs for Health Catalog here.

Burt's Bees Natural Toothpaste!

Click here for a sample of Burt's Bees Toothpaste.

Selina Naturally

If you are interested in learning about new brands of natural foods, here is one you can try out. Selina Naturally uses whole foods that have not been highly processed. You can request a FREE catalog & salt samples here. You could also download their catalog here and save a tree! (Thanks to The Thrifty Couple for this tip!)

Nutrition, Naturally

I went to a La Leche League International meeting this morning and the topic was nutrition. A lot of great recommendations were made about how to get your kids to eat healthy.

My toddler does not willingly eat nutritious foods. He will not touch anything that is green! I asked them for suggestions on how to help with this. The main suggestion they had was to only have healthy foods/snacks in the house so that there are no "bad" options. Kids will not starve themselves. When they get hungry enough, they will eat what is offered. I am a very thrifty person by nature and tend to buy what I can get for really cheap. This means I don't check the labels all the time so only having healthy foods at my house will mean a HUGE change for us.

One mom who was there is a pediatrician that focuses on nutrition with her patients. She said that what you eat during pregnancy affects what your child will be more likely to eat later. She referred to a book (I will get the name and update this post with it) that did a study on pregnant women. Half of them were given carrot juice to drink and the other half were not. They followed the eating habits of these children and found that those children whose mothers drank the carrot juice, were more ready to eat and actually desired carrots. The other children had to have it offered several times before they would accept it and some never did. This just shows that the foods that you eat when you are pregnant set the forground for your child's eating habits. This also continues with breastfeeding and what you offer them when they start to eat solids.

She also stated that when introducing new foods to children, the younger you introduce it, the less times you will have to offer it before they will accept it. For instance, 6-12 month olds will need to be offered it 8-10 times where a 18-24 month old will need to be offered it 15-18 times.

Another suggestion was if your kids don't like raw vegetables, try to offer them frozen ones. Some kids see this as more of a popsicle like treat then a veggie. I am going to try this with my little guy and see what happens. I have also tried a couple of recipes from a book called Deceptively Delicious by Jessica Seinfeld. She has a recipe for Spinach Brownies that is the next on my list!

Many of the moms expressed the importance of cage-free, hormone-free meats. We definitely know that protein is essential to healthy eating. Protein does not have to be obtained by meats though that is the easiest way. Lentils are very high in proteins and have a bland taste which is appealing to many kids. If you do chose to eat meats, try to go for the cage-free, hormone-free meats. You can buy chicken eggs at the regular grocery store that are in this category. Other meats are harder to find. If you know of a local farmer that butchers and sells, that is probablly the way to go. Be sure to ask him if his animals are free of hormones and live naturally. Unfortunately, the meat industry has come to control even the smaller farmers. If you would like to watch a good movie about that, I would suggest Food, Inc.

I was not aware that partially hydrogenated oils are trans fats. The food companies can place on the labels that their foods contain no trans fats if there is less than 1/2g per serving. What if you eat 2-3 servings in a day? Then you have eaten 1-1.5g of trans fat! Unfortunately, hydrogenated oils are in almost every packaged/processed food we buy. The more foods you can make from scratch the better! If you make from scratch, you at least know what you are eating, not being tricked by food companies.

There are several grocery type stores that tend to carry more of the natural, organic foods such as Trader Joe's, Whole Foods, Food Co-ops, open air Farmer's Markets, etc. If you know of any in your area, be sure to post here in the comments to let others know. Yes, most Farmer's Markets are open year round. There are obviously different items available fresh depending on the time of year. The best way to find out is to go visit or call your local market and ask what is fresh. Then you can find recipes and eat the freshest possible.

My family has vowed to visit the Farmer's Market every weekend to get enough fresh produce to last the week. Did you know that the fruits and vegetables you buy from most grocery stores have already lost over half of their nutrition. Each day a produce item sits after it has been picked, it loses more and more nutrients. The best thing would be to visit the open market daily and only buy what you will use for that day. For most of us, this is not very practical but if you drive by one every day then you are set up for successful eating!

What have your healthy eating struggles been? What have you don't to help your family eat healthier? The more you comment, the more each of us will learn!

Cloth Diapers, Naturally!

I was searching the web today for cloth diaper patterns and came across this company, Zany Zebra Designs. They offer several links to patterns for cloth diapers. They also sell them if you decide making them is too hard.

Have any of you tried to make them before? I thought I would give it a shot one of these days. I got a bunch of fabric from my mom, an entire bucket full. So, I thought maybe I would take on a new challenge.

I am currently working on a baby blanket. It seems to be taking me FOREVER to make but eventually it will be done!

Science, Naturally

Today my little guy and I decided we didn't want to waste such a nice day. We went downtown to the Science Center. They have a great outdoor play area for the kids where they can try out different science things and learn from them.

While we were walking around, we found something we didn't know was there. DINOSAURS! There were two dinosaurs outside that the kids can see and get their pictures with. My little guy was so excited to say the least. He kept asking, "Mommy, can they get me?" I would say, "No, honey, they are not real. See go touch him." He was thrilled. He wanted me to take pictures of him sitting on the feet and tail. He could even stand under the belly of the triceratops!

When we walked back to the car, he said, "Mommy, that was lots of fun!" Then off we drove to McDonald's for a quick lunch before nap time. What a day! I am so excited for spring to finally be here and so is he!

Another thing I wanted to mention is that the St. Louis Science Center has lots of free parking. Just go to the building pictured here and park outside of it either in the lot or on the street. Your entire trip to this cool, kid friendly place can be absolutely FREE!

Disney on Ice Show Live in STL this Week!

If you live in STL and are looking for something fun to do with your little one, you should consider Disney on Ice Lets Celebrate. It is running all week at the Savvis Center downtown. If you order tickets through TicketMaster, use code: MOM and get the tickets for $11 each (4 ticket minimum). I will update this post with live pics and video from the show tonight when I get home!

Kid Day, Naturally!

Kids love to be kids. What is even more obvious than that is that they like us to be kids too. They would love for us to take a whole day and just have fun with them!

Yes, we have a lot of responsibilities like cleaning, cooking, organizing, studying, etc. Wouldn't it be nice just to let it all slide for just one day and play? Our kids grow up so fast and before we know it, they will be graduating from high school and moving out of the house. We really should try to enjoy each step of their lives with them.

Here is a Mommy & Me challenge for you. Take one day in the next week and put a big X on your calendar. This means that nothing is allowed to be scheduled for that day. When your little one(s) wake up, sit in a circle on the floor. Ask your little one, "What do you want to do today?" Make sure you are listening because there will probably be a list. Then put your hands in the middle and say together, "Ready, Set, GO!" and do everything that he/she listed.

Be sure to bring a camera and document all the things your little one wants to do. This will be a great way to remember what he/she considers "fun" at each stage of life. Try to repeat this exercise once a month or so. When they grow, their "fun" will change and things will stay lively.

When they are able to do all their "fun" things, they will be more respectful for your "need to do" things. I have noticed this on a small scale from my little guy. He is only 2 so we have a lot of "fun" days to experience!

When you try this with your little one(s) I would love to hear how it goes. What was their reaction? Were they super excited? The more you comment, the more we will all learn from your "fun"!

Great Magazines, Naturally!

There are a couple of great magazines that promote mothering, naturally!

One is Mothering Magazine.

You can view a sample digital subscription of the magazine here. When you subscribe for $19.95 you will receive a 1-year subscription, FREE Digital Subscription, FREE coupons worth over $100, & FREE Membership to MotheringDotCommunity (largest parenting forum on the web).

La Leche League International's New Beginnings. To get this magazine, you simply become a member of La Leche League. There is a $40 membership fee yearly and the magazi

ne will come to you digitally bimonthly. You can view back issues of their magazine here. This is a great organization with a wealth of information for moms. If you attend meetings you will see that there are mothers there from all different circumstances and there are issues discussed from moms of kids of all ages.

Kids Eat FREE Locations

Kids Eat Free

Sunday

• Chartroose Caboose - Sunday-all day.
• O'Charley's Restaurant - Every day-all day.
• Jose Pepper's Authentic Mexican Food - Sundays-all day.
• Sunset Grill - Sundays-all day.
• La Mesa Mexican Restaurant - Sundays-all day Children ages 12 and under eat for 1 penny from the kid's menu.

Monday

• CiCi's Pizza - Mondays 5 p.m. to close.
• O'Charley's Restaurant - Every day-all day.
• Chartroose Caboose - Mondays 5 p.m. to close.
• Cinzetti's - Mondays and Tuesdays 5 p.m. - 9 p.m.
• Buffalo Wild Wings - Mondays 5 p.m. - 8 p.m. Children ages 12 and under eat for $.99 from the kid's menu.
• Fuddruckers - Mondays from 4 p.m. - 9 p.m. Children ages 12 and under eat for $.99 from the kid's menu. Drink is included.
• Red Robin - Mondays from 5 p.m. - 9 p.m. Children ages 10 and under eat for free.
• KC Masterpiece - Monday through Thursday from 4 p.m. to close. Children ages 12 and under eat free from the kid's menu.

Tuesday

• Fuddruckers - Tuesdays from 4 p.m. - 9 p.m. Children ages 12 and under eat for $.99 from the kid's menu. Drink is included.
• Lone Star Steakhouse - All DayPlanet Sub - Tuesdays from 4 p.m. to close. Children ages 11 and under receive a free kid's meal.
• KC Masterpiece - Monday through Thursday from 4 p.m. to close. Children ages 12 and under eat free from the kid's menu.
• O'Charley's Restaurant - Every day-all dayDenny's - Tuesdays and Saturdays 4 p.m. - 10 p.m. Children ages 12 and under eat free from the kid's menu.
• Cinzetti's - Mondays and Tuesdays 5 p.m. - 9 p.m. Children ages 12 and under eat dinner free.
• Fazoli's Restaurant - Tuesdays 5 p.m. - 8 p.m. Children ages 12 and under eat off the kid's menu for $.99.
• Pizza Street - Tuesdays 4 p.m. - 8 p.m. Children ages 9 and under can purchase a child's drink and then the child eats free.
• Salty Iguana Mexican Restaurant - Tuesdays-all day. Children ages 12 and under eat free off the kid's menu.
• Perkins Restaurants - Tuesdays-all day.
• Red Robin - Tuesdays from 4 p.m. - 10 p.m.
• Godfather's Pizza - Tuesday buffets from 11 a.m. - 2 p.m. and 5 p.m. - 8 p.m. Children ages 10 and under eat from the buffet for free.
• Ponderosa Steak House - Tuesdays from 4 p.m. to close.

Wednesday

• KC Masterpiece - Monday through Thursday from 4 p.m. to close. Children ages 12 and under eat free from the kid's menu.
• O'Charley's Restaurant - Every day-all dayRainforest Cafe - Wednesdays from 5 p.m. to close.
• Zarda Bar-B-Q - Wednesdays-all day.

Thursday

• Buffalo Wild Wings - Thursdays-all day.
• KC Masterpiece - Monday through Thursday from 4 p.m. to close. Children ages 12 and under eat free from the kid's menu.
• O'Charley's Restaurant - Every day-all day.

Friday

• O'Charley's Restaurant - Every day-all day.

Saturday

• Denny's - Tuesdays and Saturdays 4 p.m. - 10 p.m. Children ages 12 and under eat free from the kid's menu.
• Lone Star Steakhouse - 11-4.
• O'Charley's Restaurant - Every day-all day.

What to Expect Guide to a Healthy Home FREE

Click here to get a FREE copy of What to Expect Guide to a Healthy Home.

Protein, Naturally!

Protein is a very important part of our diets. It provides amino acids that are the building blocks for the human body. It is very important for healthy bones, teeth, muscles, brain, basically everything!

So, what if I don't get enough protein? Well, it can lead to fatigue, swelling, and a lack of appetite. You might think a lack of appetite is a good thing. WRONG! Your body tells you that you are hungry for a reason. Your body knows when you need to eat to replenish your blood sugar as well as to keep your metabolism going. You do have to fuel your body for it to work properly.

An average female should intake 20-70g of protein a day. Indoor Climbing has a great calculator for protein intake depending on your height. The average male should intake 21-78g of protein a day. What are you supposed to intake if you are pregnant? If you are pregnant, you should intake 80-100g a day.

Now you may wonder what foods contain protein. You may be surprised how little is contained in certain foods. The highest source of protein is definitely in meats & fish. Here is a printable protein counter that you can use for a reference. There is another here that lists them in order most to least.

Pain Relief Naturally!

Everyone whether pregnant or not has some type of pain from time to time, right? There may be some ways to naturally relieve some feelings of pain whether physical, mental or emotional.

#1: Close Your Eyes & Sleep

This is definitely relaxing to me. Sometimes when we get head or body aches it is because we are just plain exhausted. You could try just simply getting some much needed rest.

Each person has a different need for sleep. There is a test to see how much sleep your body needs to function properly. Decide what evening you have that you do not have any commitments early the next day. Go to bed at a reasonable time and sleep until you naturally wake up. Calculate how long you slept the next day and that is the number of hours your body needs each day to function. Mine is about 8.5 hours a day.

#2: Cry/Scream/Vocalize

Have you ever felt like you just had too many emotions all bottled up and you just needed to cry? Do it! The best way to avoid emotional aches is to let it out. Pick a time when you are alone, go out to a quiet place, or just lock yourself in the bathroom and let it all go.

#3: Hot Water

This is one of the best ways to ease body aches. Take a warm shower or bath and take your time! If you do not have time for a long shower or bath, you can use a hot water bottle.

There are several ways to make a hot water bottle. One way is to fill a sock with uncooked rice. Tie the open end of the sock. Microwave the sock for about 30 seconds or until warm (not too hot to touch). Place the flexible sock wherever the source of your ache is.

#4: Get a Massage

Massages are wonderful! You do not have to pay a lot of money to get relief from a massage. If you have a spouse/partner, tell them where you need a little comfort and let them at it. You can have them use natural oils to fit your relaxation needs. Gentle music or natural sounds may also add to the calming effect. Think about your special place, a place where you feel completely calmed and relaxed. This may help you relax mentally.

Sometimes the need for privacy, comfort, silence and dark can all be acheived by a little relaxation.

#5: Apply Pressure

Sometimes applying pressure to the point of pain helps to relieve it. Pressure points have an effect on pain or amount of pain that you feel. If you are pregnant be aware that there are some pressure points that can induce premature labor so be careful to avoid those.

#6: Eat or Drink

Some headaches or even body aches can be a cause of low blood sugar or dehydration. It is best to eat small meals throughout the day to keep your body going. Eating three balanced meals and healthy snacks in between seems to be a good strategy. No, this is not possible to do at all times but it may help if you find yourself hungry between meals.

Definitely keep well hydrated. According to WebMD, a female should drink 91oz & men 125oz of water a day! This includes ALL liquids whether water, soup, coffee, tea, etc. If you drink whenever your feel thirsty, you are probably getting a sufficient amount of water.

There are several other ways to relieve stress. Sometimes, I will just sit down in my room quietly and try to listen to what my body needs. If I get a bad headache, I will try to think of how much water I drank that day, how much food, etc. I can usually pinpoint what I can do to help relieve some of my ache.

What have you found that helps your aches and pains naturally? Your comments could help someone else so please share!