giveaway - Stuff Parents Need

How to Prepare for Childbirth

February 24, 2010 · by Tiffany Merritt · 71 Comments

When Tim and I were preparing for childbirth last summer, one expert we turned to for guidance was Sheri Bayles. Sheri is a registered nurse who has put out a really great DVD series called “Laugh and Learn.” She has a series on labor and childbirth, breastfeeding and newborn baby care. We watched the labor and the baby care DVDs, and they were very helpful to us!

I recently had the opportunity to read the book version of Laugh and Learn About Childbirth. I thought it was simply terrific! One of my favorite things about the dvd was all of the very helpful diagrams she used. Well, those same diagrams (and more!) are in this book. It is so hard to fully understand “pelvic station,” for example, without being able to see a good visual. Dilation is also difficult to fully understand without seeing what the different centimeter amounts actually look like. I’m very glad to see that all of these concepts are illustrated in this book, as well as some strategies for easing pain while in labor and some pushing techniques.

I would definitely recommend this book to anyone who is preparing for childbirth. Sheri helps take away much of the fear that is associated with childbirth by reminding us that, “The key to a wonderful labor and delivery is faith in the body’s infinite wisdom, combined with knowledge and information about the process itself – and a great sense of humor” (p. 17). She also walks you through every stage of labor, and gives you the most important information in a very digestible, and often humorous, format. This would be a book that I would suggest reading a few times throughout your pregnancy (and at 134 pages, it is a quick read) and then taking it with you to the hospital or birthing center.

Buy It: The brand new book, Laugh and Learn about Childbirth is available on the laugh and learn site for $12.95…a terrific price for a book so full of helpful information!

Edit: This giveaway is now closed.

Win It: Sheri wants to give you the opportunity to win your very own copy of her latest book right now!
The contest will run until Friday, March 5th at 7:59pm CST. A winner will be randomly selected and emailed, and will have 48 hours to claim their prize. Open to residents of the United States.

How to Enter:

Mandatory Entry: Check out the Laugh and Learn website, then come back here and tell me something interesting that you learned about preparing for childbirth.
Additional Entries:
1. Subscribe to my blog via RSS or email
2. Follow me through Google connect (2 entries, so leave 2 comments)
3. Put my button on your blog and leave a url where I can find it (2 entries, so leave 2 comments)
4. Become a fan of Laugh and Learn on Facebook
5. Follow Stuff Parents Need on Twitter (leave your TwitterID)
6. Follow Laugh and Learn on Twitter (leave your TwitterID)
7. Watch this YouTube clip of a class taught by Sheri, and tell me something you learned!
8. Enter any other currently open giveaway on my site (one extra entry per giveaway that you enter)

Disclosure: I received a complimentary copy of this book to facilitate my review. The opinions expressed are entirely my own.

Rethink What Matters Campaign (Bare Escentuals GIVEAWAY!)

February 20, 2010 · by Tiffany Merritt · 205 Comments

I’ve mentioned before that I really love mineral makeup. I think many of you out there agree with me on that. I actually don’t think I’ve ever personally talked with anyone who tried out mineral makeup and didn’t like it! (Let me know if you are one of those people!).

Anyway, I wanted to let you know that Bare Escentuals, the company that makes the very well-known Bare Minerals makeup, has come out with a really fun and empowering campaign called Rethink What Matters. They are inviting women nationwide to shake up their foundation and sound off on topics that are more than just skin-deep—from going bare in public to discussing what freedom really feels like.

Each week at RethinkWhatMatters.com, a new discussion topic has been featured with five questions for all to answer, share with their friends and have the chance to instantly win free products and other fantastic goodies. New topics and products will be featured weekly, posted each Friday to the site. This week’s topic is, “Rethink What A Revolution Feels Like”! I just took the latest quiz, and it was really fun to see how many women who also took the quiz felt the same way I do! Head on over. The quiz takes all of 2 minutes, and you just might be a winner of a Tutorials: Smoky Eye Kit!

Edit: Contest is closed.

In celebration of this campaign, Bare Escentuals would like to offer one lucky Stuff Parents Need reader a bareMinerals 100% Natural Lipgloss (worth $15.00!). The contest will run until February 27th at 7:59pm CST. A winner will be randomly selected and emailed, and will have 48 hours to claim their prize. Open to residents of the United States.

How To Enter:

Mandatory Entry: Go to Rethink What Matters, take the quiz, and tell me if you were an instant winner. Also tell me your favorite shade of 100% Natural Lipgloss (choose wisely, as this will be the color you get if you win!).

Additional Entries:
1. Subscribe to my blog via RSS or email
2. Follow me through Google connect (2 entries, so leave 2 comments)
3. Put my button on your blog and leave a url where I can find it (2 entries, so leave 2 comments)
4. Subscribe to the Bare Escentuals newsletter (on the bottom of the page)
5. Become a fan of Bare Escentuals on Facebook
6. Follow Stuff Parents Need on Twitter (leave your TwitterID)

7. Follow Bare Escentuals on Twitter (leave your TwitterID)
8. Enter any other currently open giveaway on my site (one extra entry per giveaway that you enter)

Current giveaways: handmade lovey (ends 2/24), custom stickers/labels (ends 2/27)

Disclosure: I will receive a lipgloss as a thank you for supporting this campaign. The love I have for BareEscentuals is not influenced by this gift; this company makes really good makeup, and I know because I’m a customer!

How to Create Your Own Stickers

February 17, 2010 · by Tiffany Merritt · 101 Comments

I’m a new member of the UPrinting.com Blog Sponsorship Program. I’m very excited about this partnership, because I will have opportunities throughout the year to tell you more about all the wonderful things that UPrinting offers (such as a way to create your own stickers) AND give you the chance to win some of their terrific products and services. Woo hoo!

Today I have the opportunity to tell you about the stickers and labels you can purchase from them. If you are like me, you could use some updated mailing address labels, and this is a terrific way to be able to customize the look of your labels. If you don’t have a specific look in mind, UPrinting also has a large selection of templates from which you can choose.

Custom stickers and label printing are also helpful if you own a business and would like to put your business name or logo on products or packages. My friend Desi over at Wee Share (who is also hosting a Uprinting giveaway right now) points out in her post that bloggers can even have stickers made to match their blog buttons. That’s a really cool idea! This could also be a terrific tool if you own a small business (like at Etsy shop) and could use labels for the packages you mail out. The size range that they offer is also really impressive, going from 2 x 2.75 to 11 x 17!.

One really cool thing I want to highlight about UPrinting is the fact that they have a low price guarantee. From their site, “UPrinting.com will match the currently advertised price of other online printers for any product configurable through our website.” With this guarantee in mind, there’s no reason not to try them out!

EDIT: This giveaway is closed. Congratulations #25!

Win it!: And one of you is about to get the opportunity to do just that! UPrinting is giving away the following custom sticker/labelpackage to one Stuff Parents Need reader!

250 Stickers/Labels
Sizes: 2” x 3.5”, 2” x 4”, or 3” x 3”
Paper: 70lb Label Matte
Specifications: Full color front, blank back; 6 Business Day printing
Shipping: FREE UPS Ground Shipping

The contest will run until February 27th at 7:59pm CST. A winner will be randomly selected and emailed, and will have 48 hours to claim their prize. Open to residents of the United States.

How to Enter:

Mandatory Entry: Check out all that UPrinting has to offer. Then come back and tell me what you will use your stickers/labels for if you win!

Additional Entries:
1. Subscribe to my blog via RSS or email
2. Follow me through Google connect (2 entries, so leave 2 comments)
3. Put my button on your blog and leave a url where I can find it (2 entries, so leave 2 comments)
4. Subscribe to the UPrinting blog
5. Become a fan of UPrinting on Facebook
6. Follow Stuff Parents Need on Twitter (leave your TwitterID)
7. Enter any other currently open giveaway on my site (one extra entry per giveaway that you enter)

Disclosure: I received no compensation for this post. I will receive the same sticker/label package in appreciation for hosting the giveaway.

Current giveaways: awesome children’s cds (ends 2/18), flower arranging dvd (ends 2/19) and handmade lovey (ends 2/24)

How to Stop Swaddling Your Baby

February 16, 2010 · by Tiffany Merritt · 177 Comments

How to Stop Swaddling Your Baby

Some of you may recall that Darah has always been a big fan of her swaddle. She simply will not sleep without being swaddled! It has such a calming effect on her that she will sometimes start to fall asleep while we are in the process of swaddling her. She’s been rolling over for a month, though, and this makes having her arms tucked in a blanket too dangerous. So we’ve been on the (bumpy) journey of figuring out how to stop swaddling (well, actually, we’ve just been getting her used to having her arms out…her legs still get swaddled!). I have to tell you, this was REALLY HARD in the very beginning. Darah’s arms would move wildly about, even though she was exhausted. She simply didn’t know what to do with them. They often made their way up to her face, and she’d pull out her pacifier again and again. This, of course, would keep her awake.

One of my amazing readers, Lisa, sent me a product from her new Etsy store, Leyton Smiles, that really helped us out. She sent Darah a CuddleBug lovey. Darah has been loving her lovey since the day it came in the mail. I often hand it over to her when it is time for bed, and it gives her something very interesting to play with. Her hands stay occupied, but away from her face. She usually falls asleep within just a few minutes after getting her lovey. In my eyes, this makes it a miracle blanket!

Lisa has really put a lot of thought into the design of her CuddleBug loveys. The square shape (12 x 12) makes it just the right size for a little one to tote around. I’ve even it been able to stick it in my coat pocket from time to time! We’ve found that in addition to it being useful at bed time, Darah also likes to have it on hand when she’s in her car seat.
Lisa points out its usefulness, stating, “This lovey is meant to not only serve as a security and comfort item for little ones, but also to stimulate their senses with numerous ways to learn and explore!” We have found that to be the case, for sure. It keeps Darah’s hands busy whether she’s drifting off to sleep or sitting in her car seat. She also likes to rub the minky side of the blanket against her face. All of the ribbons on the blanket (which are VERY securely sewn in) really delight Darah. She love to pull on them, run her fingers through them, and scratch them to hear the different noises that they make. Notice in the picture that the ribbons are different sizes, colors and materials. This makes it more interesting for the baby!

There are a few other features of this lovey that I’d like to highlight. First, I really like is the loop that is attached to the lovey. We can use this and a toy clip to connect this to her stroller, car seat or even her activity mat. Second, we have washed this lovey a few times, and I’ll admit that I was nervous that the ribbons would fray or that some of the stitching might not hold up. This has NOT been the case. Lisa does an outstanding job of preparing these blankies to be washed again and again! Finally, I just have to say that the overall look of this lovey is sooooo cute. The bright colors are so much fun, and everything coordinates together. I have had a few other parents ask me where they can find something this cute for their little ones.

Buy It!: Leyton Smiles is a shop where you can find these beautiful and unique loveys as well as burp cloths, blankets and other fun items. You can even place a custom order to match your desired color scheme! If you need something special for your little cuddlebug to hold so you can stop swaddling, I highly recommend the CuddleBug Lovey. It is a huge hit at our house. Purchase one today for $16.00.

EDIT: This giveaway is now closed.

Win It!: Lisa wants to give you the chance to win a CuddleBug Lovey right now! Awesome! This contest will run until Wednesday, February 24th at 7:59pm CST when a winner will be selected via random.org. The winner will have 48 hours to respond to my email before a new winner will be selected. Open to residents of the United States. Make sure your email address is either in your comment or in your profile or else I can’t let you know that you won!

How to Enter:

Mandatory Entry: Head over to Leyton Smiles and tell me your favorite item in the shop OR tell me something that you’d like to see sold there!

Additional Entries:
1. Subscribe to my blog via RSS or email
2. Follow me through Google connect (2 entries, so leave 2 comments)
3. Put my button on my blog and leave a url where I can find it (2 entries, so leave 2 comments)
4. Subscribe to Leyton Smile’s Blog
5. Become a fan of Leyton Smiles on Facebook
6. Follow Stuff Parents Need on Twitter (leave your TwitterID)
8. Enter any other currently open giveaway on my site (one extra entry per giveaway that you enter)

Disclosure: I received a complimentary product for review purposes. The opinions expressed in this post are strictly my own.

Other current giveaways: awesome children’s cds (ends 2/18) and flower arranging dvd (ends 2/19)

Rock Music for Kids: Three Great Albums

February 10, 2010 · by Tiffany Merritt · 85 Comments

EDIT: This giveaway is now closed.

Since Darah was in the womb, Tim and I have made an effort to expose her to a variety of music. She gets plenty of classical music when her dad is home with her on Mondays. When she’s with me, we like to listen to a lot of Ben Folds. We’ve recently discovered that Darah is particularly fond of a few Michael Jackson songs, especially Smooth Criminal. She loves the quick beat; it makes her giggle when we play it! This got us thinking that we needed to find more rock music for kids.

I’m glad that we are exposing our baby to music that we love. We also need to look beyond our own favorites and expose her to other types of music that she might love all on her own. I recently had the opportunity to try out three bands that are new to me, because they are bands geared toward children.

The first a lbum we listened to was Party Like a Twinkle Star, a double album by Charity and the JAMband. The first cd has 10 songs designed especially for “rocking out,” and the second cd has 10 songs for the end of the day as you wind down. I really love that the music is on two discs, separated by overall mood. We listen to selections from the Party disc at different points throughout the day. We seem to dance the most to “Get Your Booty Out of Bed” and “Row Row Row Your Boat.” We also listen to the Twinkle disc sometime in between her last nap of the day and her bedtime routine. There are several really sweet songs on this disc, with our favorites being “Twinkle Twinkle Little Star” and “So Long to the Day.” So what does this group sound like? From their website, “JAM is a hootenanny, a hullabaloo, a dance party, a shindig-bash, a festival, a family band, a rain dance, a sun song, a fairy frolic, a wander in the park, a race on the beach, a flitting floating butterfly-bop, a blundering thundering elephant-stomp, a twirling-whirling-swirling dizzy-dee fall-down boogie!” The overall sound of this band is what I would call funky laid-back rock. It’s not the type of music that Tim and I already had on our Itunes, which makes it a welcome addition! I was also impressed to learn that two of their four albums have won Children’s Music Web Awards! Check this album out for yourself. Right now you can download “We are Stardust” from the Twinkle album for free and get an idea of what you would be buying! I really think you and your little one will like it!

The second album we have been listening to is Go Waggaloo from Sarah Lee Guthrie & Family. Sarah is the granddaughter of Woody Guthrie, and she is definitely continuing her legacy of gifted singing and songwriting. If you are a fan of his, you should know that this album features three songs with lyrics by Woodie that have never before been put to music. So what does this music sound like? From her site, “The arrangements blend traditional folk music with contemporary lyrics and instrumentation. Among the surprises on Go Waggaloo are a scratching drum machine, songs about Xboxes and DVDs, and a spur-of-the-moment song recorded on a cell phone by the Guthrie family on a road trip.” I really liked the overall vibe of this album, and I have found myself singing some of the songs to Darah even when the cd isn’t playing. “Don’t I Fit in My Daddy’s Shoes?” and “If Mama Had Four Hands” are among my personal favorites, and “Oh How He Lied” makes Darah smile when she hears it. You can really get a good sense for the music by checking out this short YouTube clip about the album.

The third album we have added to our music collection is the self-titled album by Earthworm Ensemble. I thought this was a very interesting cd because if features a lot of different vocalists, which gives each song a unique sound. From their site, “We’re calling it family music, rather than just children’s music. We hope children and their parents can enjoy the songs together, and talk about some of the ideas in the songs. We sing about the earthworm’s role in the plant cycle; about buffalo migration as told by a young buffalo; buying fresh corn at the farmer’s market and taking it home to cook; how to make pizza from scratch; and trains, walking in the woods, birds, and a superhero team of Bear and Dog who’ve come to save the planet!” That pretty much sums it up, folks. With this album, I found myself chuckling quite a bit and tapping my feet right along with the music. If you are intrigued now (and you really should be!) and you’d like to hear some of their tunes, check out their MySpace page.

Buy Them!: If the only music you have in your house is the stuff you know and like, it’s time to branch out a bit and try some sounds that will appeal to kids (and that will surprise you by how much you enjoy them, too!). Purchase Party Like a Twinkle Star (double album) for $20, Go Waggaloo for $11.98 and Earthworm Ensemble for $15.99.

Win Them!: Right now I’m giving away one copy of each of these terrific rock music for kids albums! Three very lucky Stuff Parents Need readers will be winners! The contest will run until Thursday, February 18th at 7:59pm CST. A winner will be randomly selected and emailed, and will have 48 hours to claim their prize. Open to residents of the United States. Be sure to leave your email address in your comments or have it in your profile or else I can’t contact you to tell you that you won!

How to Enter:

Mandatory entry: Tell me which of these albums you’d most like to win (1 winner will be selected for each album).

Additional entries:
1. Subscribe to my blog via RSS or email
2. Follow me through Google connect (2 entries, so leave 2 comments)
3. Put my button on my blog and leave a url where I can find it (2 entries, so leave 2 comments)
4. Follow Stuff Parents Need on Twitte r (include your TwitterID)

Disclosure: I received product samples for review purposes. The opinions expressed in this post are strictly my own.

Beautiful Homemade Fabric Coasters

February 6, 2010 · by Tiffany Merritt · 122 Comments

Homemade Fabric Coasters

Today I want to talk about homemade fabric coasters. Do you use coasters? If you don’t use them at all, you probably have water marks all over your furniture. Or you may be like my family was growing up and just use a paper napkin or a paper towel as your “coaster.” They are easy to grab, and then you just toss them when you are done. Either way, did you ever stop to think about the fact that you are doing harm to the environment by having these habits? I will fully admit to using both strategies in the past, and only recently did I realize that this produced so much waste! There’s no telling how many paper napkins and towels I have used over the years to put my drinks on, and there’s also no telling how many times I had to clean my desk, table or counter top with a cleaner that in retrospect was actually pretty toxic, just to remove those watermarks.

Coasters are probably not something that you spend a great deal of time thinking about, but I want to encourage you to start using them if you don’t. Think of it as a small way to be a little bit kinder to the environment! And while we are on the topic of coasters, let’s talk about what kind of coasters you should get. If you have children (or clumsy adults) in your home, I would discourage you from getting glass coasters. Those are basically disasters waiting to happen. I would also steer clear of cork coasters if toddlers are around, as the cork could break off while they are chewing on them (and they WILL chew on them).

I do have a suggestion for a specific type of homemade coaster that would be a great choice. Go with fabric! This brings me to my next Planet Earth is My Valentine Review and Giveaway! Let me introduce you to some seriously lovely fabric coasters by K. Ventura Design. These are really special coasters, because the fabric has been screen-printed by hand with beautiful floral designs on 100% linen fabric. The reverse side of each coaster has a striped linen fabric. Kelly, the owner of K. Ventura, sent me a set to try out for myself, and I have to say, they are simultaneously sophisticated and casual, mature and playful, and luxurious and practical. I absolutely love them. I never realized that there was room in my heart for coasters, that is, until the right ones came along! Edited; Since K. Ventura is closed, I wanted to point you to some other great homemade fabric coasters…you can snag them on Amazon!

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These lovely fabric squares can help you kick your coaster-free or disposable coaster habit, and they can help you do it in style! They are also machine washable, so you can use them again and again. While I haven’t washed them, yet, they appear to me to be the type of material that will only get softer with each wash.

Before I close this post, I want to point out some of the other swoon-worthy items that K. Ventura Design offers. I actually learned about this shop because this ruched jersey scarf was featured on the holiday shopping guide at dooce.co m. I flipped over it, and promptly ordered one for my BFF (and she loved it, naturally!). She also has some other divine offerings like these pillowcases and this organic cotton screen-printed shirt.

Buy It! If your home is in need of coaster reform, make a positive (and beautiful) change! The 4 piece coaster set can be yours for $18.00.

EDIT: This giveaway is closed. Congratulations #100!

Win It! Lucky you, you’ve got a chance to snag this set FOR FREE! That’s right, one Stuff Parents Need reader is going to bring the beautiful home made coaster revolution straight to his/her doorstep by winning a set. The contest will run until February 14th at 7:59pm CST. A winner will be randomly selected and emailed, and will have 48 hours to claim their prize. Open to residents of the United States. Be sure to leave your email address in your comments or have it in your profile or else I can’t contact you to tell you that you won!

How to Enter:

Mandatory entry: Kelly wants to hear from you: What type of products would you really like to see in her shop that she doesn’t currently offer?

Additional entries:
1. Subscribe to my blog via RSS or email
2. Follow me through Google connect (2 entries, so leave 2 comments)
3. Put my button on my blog and leave a url where I can find it (2 entries, so leave 2 comments)
4. Tell me the most lovely item (in your opinion) in the shop
5. Take a peek at Kelly’s children’s shop, The Urban Thimble, and tell me your favorite item sold there
6. Enter another Planet Earth is My Valentine giveaway and tell me you did (1 extra entry per giveaway)

Disclosure: I received product samples for review purposes. The opinions expressed in this post are strictly my own.

Best Natural Laundry Detergent: Charlie’s Soap

February 4, 2010 · by Tiffany Merritt · 290 Comments

Yesterday we talked about the fact that Darah is holding nothing back when it comes to putting anything and everything in her mouth. Today I wanted to talk about one thing she is especially fond of chewing on: her sleeves. I suspect that this is not something unique to my baby. My child is a big fan of her pacifier, but lately I’ve noticed that she will frequently take out her binky in favor of chewing on her sleeves.

Natural Laundry Detergent to the Rescue!

As I watch her gnaw away, I feel very relieved to know that her clothes are not full of icky and dangerous chemicals. This brings me to our next Planet Earth is My Valentine review and giveaway! Lately I’ve been using the best natural laundry detergent called Charlie’s Soap. From their website, “Our Laundry Powder is a revolutionary approach to laundry care. It does not cover up stains and odors with scents and brighteners – it really cleans. It is made with a unique blend of biodegradable coconut-based detergents and high-grade, completely soluble, Green River washing soda.”

I have had the privilege of trying their laundry products in both the powder and the liquid form. The powder form requires 1 tablespoon per load…that’s it!!! One bag retails for $15.50, and it will do 80 loads of laundry. That’s just 19 cents per load for a soap that will clean your clothes beautifully and not harm our environment in the process. That’s a downright bargain, folks! If you prefer liquid, know that you only need to use 1/8 of a cup per load. This reduces the amount of plastic that gets used on the bottles, because a little bit goes a long way.

Charlie’s Soap also carries an all-purpose cleaner. Now when they say, “all-purpose,” they REALLY mean it! The spray bottle itself says that it will clean anything from false teeth to diesel engines. On their site, they have a great breakdown of how to dilute the solution properly depending on what you are wanting to clean. Again, this product comes in a concentrated formula of 17 ounces, but it will last you a good long while. It retails for $13.35, but you can also buy it by the gallon for $21.67!

I really love how well these soap products have worked in my own home. I also really loved that the products came in recycled cardboard. This company is really showing that it cares about the environment! But what I love most of all about Charlie’s Soap is the fact that the people who make and sell it have a real sense of humor. On the laundry products, they write that there is really nothing better than the scent of honestly clean clothing. They state, “If you want flowers, go pick some.” Ha! That really is a good point, though, that sometimes these perfumes added to our detergents are only there to cover up the fact that our clothes didn’t get REALLY clean. With Charlie’s Soap, you don’t have to wonder. You know!

Buy It: Charlie’s Soap is so confident that you will love their natural laundry powder products, that if you don’t, they’ll refund your money (but not gladly!)….hey, at least they are honest about it! I love that!

EDIT: This giveaway is closed: Congratulations to #196!

Disclosure: I received product samples for review purposes. The opinions expressed in this post are strictly my own.

Choose Non Toxic Cleaning Products: Ecostore USA

February 4, 2010 · by Tiffany Merritt · 264 Comments

Over the weekend Darah made an interesting discovery. She figured out that she had full control over this funny thing inside her mouth called a tongue! She loves to practice sticking her tongue out and making noises while her tongue is out. It is absolutely precious. You can imagine, though, that the drool factor just went up a notch in our home!

Another change that this has brought on is her interest in licking anything with which she comes in contact! This has really given me pause to think about what I am using to clean around the house. I’ve been wanting to “go green” with my cleaning supplies, but now I truly feel as though a fire has been lit under my behind. Darah will not hesitate to put her mouth on the floor, the carpet, the table…anything! I really need to make sure that she is not at risk for ingesting anything toxic, and one way I will do that is to choose non-toxic cleaning products.

This brings me to my next review for the Planet Earth is My Valentine series! One suggestion I have for showing love to the little ones in your home, and even showing love to your home itself, is to kick those chemical-laden cleaning products to the curb! A company that can help you do that is ecostore USA. The idea behind this company is simple: create products with NO NASTY CHEMICALS!

The super friendly folks at ecostore USA sent me two household products to try: the auto dish powder and the toilet cleaner. I was really impressed with the ingredients of the dish powder. They are as follows:

Ingredients

Palm and coconut based non-ionic surfactants
Silicates and carbonates including sodium meta silicate (simple mineral salts)
Citrates and natural citrus oil
Cellulose (plant based)
Fatty acid derivatives

That’s it! And you know what? My dishes have been coming out just as clean as when I use more commercial (and more toxic) products that you find in grocery stores. This product sells for $12.00, which may seem like a lot, but listen to what ecostore USA has to say about their prices: “Ecostore USA knows that it can be expensive to buy natural or organic products, but we’ve found a way around this by safely super-concentrating each formulation. This means that a little really does go a long, long way. The result is saving money by significantly cutting down on cost per use.” Since very little is used per load of dishes, this container will last our home a good long while! I also like the fact that purchasing concentrated products cuts down on your waste in terms of the number of containers that you purchase, too!

I was excited to try the toilet cleaner because I have yet to find an environmentally-friendly product designed for cleaning toilet bowls. I feel a twinge of guilt each time I use my current product because I know that what I’m putting into the water system just to get my toilet bowl shining is bad stuff. From their website, “Because Ecostore USA’s Toilet Cleaner uses NO NASTY CHEMICALS, your toilet will not only be fresh and clean but safe for Earth’s waterways as well. Conventional products have released toxins, dyes and synthetic perfumes into toilets for years causing water degradation. Created with your environment in mind, this product is extraordinary.” I completely agree! Once again, I have found this product to clean just as quickly and effectively as the stuff I was using before, and now I have zero guilt! The product retails for $8.00.

In addition to these and other great eco-friendly household products, ecostore USA also carries a terrific line of soaps, baby care items, and even a line of products for your pets, all with NO NASTY CHEMICALS!

Buy It! If you have been thinking about going green with your cleaning products or your personal care products, ecostore USA is a great product line to try. Give them a try today!

EDIT: This giveaway is closed. Congratulations to #123!

Win It! Ecostore USA wants Stuff Parents Need readers to have the chance to win! Woo hoo! They are giving away one $25 credit to their site so that you can green your home! The contest will run until February 14th at 7:59pm CST. A winner will be randomly selected and emailed, and will have 48 hours to claim their prize. Open to residents of the United States. Make sure that your email address is either in your profile or in your comment.

How to Enter:

Mandatory Entry: Visit ecostore USA and tell me about the product in their line that you need the very most in your home.

Additional entries:

1. Subscribe to my blog via email or reader (2 entries, so leave 2 comments)

2. Follow me on Google friend connect (2 entries, so leave 2 comments)

3. Listen to the ecostore podcast and tell me something you learned!

4. Enter any other current giveaway on my site and come back here to tell me you did

5. Fan ecostore USA on Facebook

6. Follow ecostore USA on Twitter

7. Tweet about this giveaway

8. Add my button to your blog and leave me a url where I can find it (2 entries, so leave 2 comments)

Disclosure: I received product samples for review purposes. The opinions expressed in this review are strictly my own.

Ethical Fashion for the Expecting Mom: Miravos Maternity and Nursing Wear

February 1, 2010 · by Tiffany Merritt · 124 Comments

Announcing my first Planet Earth is My Valentine giveaway! I was recently contacted by Miravos, an eco-friendly clothing line (made in the U.S.A.!) that offers ethical fashion in the form of swanky clothing for pregnant and nursing mothers. I know….”swanky” doesn’t usually describe these types of clothing! Take a look, though, and you’ll see that they are offering some really cute pieces! Check out this fabulous Chelsea Top in a stunning shade of purple, or the sexy-chic Hudson dress, which actually looks good on the expecting mom, too!

All of the clothes from Miravos are made from bamboo, which is gentle on the environment, and which has natural anti-bacterial properties in its fibers. Bamboo is also a really soft fiber, which makes it very comfortable to wear!

Buy It!
If you are currently pregnant and looking for an “investment piece” that will carry you through your nursing months, consider what Miravos has to offer! If you are already nursing and are sick of your terribly ugly nursing tops (and we all have them) then treat yourself to something fabulous today!

EDIT: This giveaway is closed. Congratulations #37!

Win It!
Miravos would like to offer one uber-lucky Stuff Parents Need expecting or nursing mom a Chrystie 3/4 sleeve shirt! This is a top that will go from the playground to the office with ease. I wish I could enter my own contests! 🙂 The contest will run until February 14th at 7:59pm CST. A winner will be randomly selected and emailed, and will have 48 hours to claim their prize. Open to residents of the United States.

How to Enter:
Mandatory entry: Go check out Miravos. Come back here and tell me your very favorite ethical fashion piece that they sell.

Additional Entries:
1. Subscribe to my blog via email or RSS. Leave a comment with your email address for the subscription (2 entries, so leave 2 comments)
2. Make a purchase at Miravos (5 entries, so leave 5 comments)
3. Enter any other “Planet Earth is My Valentine” giveaway and tell me you did.
4. Sign up for the Miravos newsletter (include your email address that you used to sign up)
5. Follow me on Google friend connect (2 entries, so leave 2 comments)
6. Tweet about this giveaway

Disclosure: I received no product for this giveaway, nor did I receive any compensation.