Thursday, September 30, 2010

Info on SoftBums Mystery Diaper Event! **EXTRA ENTRIES!**


If you havn't heard, SoftBums is un-veiling their mystery diaper!! The unveiling will take place TOMORROW at 12 Noon CST! Not only this but part of this big announcement is the kick off of a wonderful event where you could win many wonderful prizes!


SAPsMaMa will be taking place in this great event! As a reporter SAPsMaMa will be one of the blogs you can enter on to win some of those great prizes they're offering! You can see more details about this event and prizes on the SoftBums Blog!


So with short notice, and since I will be gone for 2 days, I am offering some extra pre-entries!


** You MUST be a public GFC follower of SAPsMaMa to get these entries!!**

Get 1 Extra entry for telling me WHAT you're hopeing the Softbums mystery diaper will be! Can you imagine?? Snaps....colors...prints...inserts that remove themselves...anything, what do you think it will be!


Get 1 Extra Entry also for following SAPsMaMa on Facebook!! Be sure to include your Facebook name (or at least first initial and last name!) so I can verify! Being a fan will benefit you alot also with extra entries available to only facebook fans for EVERY giveaway on SAPsMaMa! :)


Post your extra entries here, one comment per entry, and then when the event starts at Noon Friday you will have 2 extra chances to win these awesome prizes!


Extra entries must be submitted to this post before Friday Oct. 1st at Noon. Not extra entries past that point will be accepted. I will be out of town until Late Saturday Oct. 2nd so do not worry if your comment entry is not published before that time, I will approve comments once I get back into town. Good Luck and enjoy this event!! :)

Saturday, September 25, 2010

Eight To The Eight To The Eight

SAPsMaMa's First MeME!

Really, what is a MeMe? lol I really don't know, but I was tagged in one by the wonderful blog Going Green With Noah, one of my favorite green blogs! You should really check them out I think you'd love them too!

But seriously, what is a MeMe? Well it's a serious of questions that get passed around to different blogs, and you get to learn more about the blogger, and then they pass it on to, in this case, eight more deserving blogs!

So now, to answer the questions!

1. Why did you start blogging?



I started blogging when my friends suggested I should! Everyone kept coming to me with questions on how to go green with certain things or how to cloth diaper, what is my take on this etc., and Facebook just wasn't doing it for me anymore! I thought instead of repeating my self so many times and only giving the information to the few people that asked, make it available to everyone! SAPsMaMa was born!



2. When do you find time to blog?



That's a toughy. I mostly blog after SAP goes to bed, though that interferes with mommy and daddy time. Since my blog has grown so much and requires more attention and upkeep I've started working on it early in the morning (like 5-6am!) for a half hour or hour, and then periodically throughout the day, like lunch time!



3. What do you think is the best way to encourage new followers?



I have yet to find the perfect way! I try to provide quality over quantity and hope that my followers are loyal to what SAPsMaMa provides and not just hanging around for free stuff! I try to provide only items that fit our theme of green, non-toxic, natural and hope that by reviewing the items to the best of my ability I answer all their questions and help them make better decisions in their daily life!



4. What is the most rewarding thing you do in blogging?



The most rewarding thing I do in blogging is help out families that need it. So many mommies have emailed me, overwhelmed by choices and the contradictions of how to go green and how to cloth diaper etc., and it makes me feel so good to help them out and make their choice a reality! So feel free to send me an email I would love to help!



5. Who is your favorite Blogger and why?



It's so difficult to choose, I love so many bloggers for so many different reasons! I love Going Green With Noah for all their wonderful content regarding natural and green decisions and the great stories shared on their little boy! I love Mom To Bed By 8 for all their wonderful products and companies I learn about through their site and exciting events they hold!



The number one blog I follow however, that I read all their posts and feel a great connection with is Mama B! She not only has wonderful giveaways but her posts are very open, I can easily connect to her and love having conversations with her! If you havn't checked any of these blogs out please do! You'll love them I gaurentee it! :)



6. What advice would you give to new bloggers?



It's easy to get overwhelmed! It's ok not to do everything and be involved in everything and every blog that you meet, form relationships with bloggers and companies, those will last you alot longer than followering hundreds of blogs and adding a ton of twitter followers!



7. Name one thing that has been a blessing to you because of your blogging.



My blogging has helped me get through some rough times. It gave me a sense of purpose ( I know I'm lame) and the people I meet and form a connection with have given me a sense of friendship that I have lost over the years since my old friends have moved away and I have started a family when others have not.



8. What could make blogging better?



Well, one, if my followers would comment! Comment comment comment! I love comments and feedback please! :) I can't give you what you're looking for without them!



What could make blogging as a whole better? If it didnt' take up so much time lol. I'm sometimes so overwhelmed with reviews or posts that I'm tempted to take time away from family to fullfill timelines, but family comes first, always! :)


Ok, the 8 Questions I will send to 8 bloggers.....

1. What is your main goal with blogging?
2. How has blogging helped your family (not just yourself! :) )
3. What do you hope your blogging future holds?
4. If you had an entire week to just blog, what posts would you put up? (monday, tuesday, wednesday.... and so on! :) )
5. What is the oddest thing that you've eaten while trying to blog at the same time?
6. What inspirational moment have you come accross while blogging?
7. How do you try to "give back" with your blogging?
8. How much has your blogging style changed from your first post? This one should be fun!

And now for the 8 blogs I will pass this on to! You should all check these blogs out, they're amazing and you will love them all!

1. MaMa B
2. Fitteds and Pockets and Snappies, oh My!
3. Minnesota Mama Must Haves
4.Coupon Mommy of 3
5. Chubby Cheeks Thinks
6. Home Grown Families
7. Loves Jurn 3
8. Raising My 5 Sons

I"d like to thank Going Green With Noah for tagging me! :) Love your blog!

Friday, September 24, 2010

Friday Follow 9/24!!

Welcome followers!

Welcome to the last day before the weekend, hope you have a good day today!

PLEASE POST HERE! I will follow everyone back!! I promise!

Love cloth diapers?? Then you'll love my AppleCheeks Little Bundle and my Rockin' Green Detergent giveaways! Be sure to enter soon, AppleCheeks is ending 9/27! :)

But don't forget about my great Soy Genius with Insect Shield Leggies Giveaway! Keep bugs away without using bug spray, protect from the sun without sunscreen, and it's soy and organic fabric!! What's not to love! VERY LOW ENTRIES right now so you'll want to check this out and enter for your chance to win!

Also, want to know something really cool? My blog is Carbon Neutral! That's right! And so can yours (or your website!)! Want to know how AND get an extra entry into EVERY one of my giveaways from now until an undetermined time?! Check out my blog post about how to get your Blog Carbon Neutral!


Checkout SAPsMaMa's fan page on Facebook, my number one way to contact you, and a way to get extra entries! Also follow us on Twitter at @SAPsMaMa!

Thanks again for the follow, I look forward to checking out your blog too!

My Wee View



New Friend Fridays








Let's Just Give It Away



badge















BoostMyBlogFriday

Wednesday, September 22, 2010

How Much of the BPA story do you know??

As a follower of SAPsMaMa, I'm sure you've heard me talk about Bisphenol-A (BPA), a toxic chemical that I ban from my house. This chemical is widely used in many plastics and many people find it difficult to find products that do not have BPA in them or just stop trying because it is so difficult. Others completely disregard it saying "we'll all die of something" or question why it's used in plastics if it is toxic and if it was toxic, it would not be used.

So in light of all of this, BPA has become a big topic of research for me. For one of my college courses this semester I have chosen BPA as my main topic and will be reviewing and summarizing multiple articles over the next few months.

This first article is "Just How Harmful Are Bisphenol-A Plastics?" published in the Scientific American Journal back in September 2008...back when our government still considered there to be safe levels of BPA and before Canada and California had laws against BPA use in childrens products for children under 3 years of age. If you have ever been asked "Why do you not want plastics with BPA?" "How is it toxic?" "Why doesn't the government ban it if it's toxic?" this summery of the article should help you out a lot! It tells you where BPA came from, it's history, and the contraversy behind the question of "Is there a safe limit of BPA or should it be banned completely?".

After reading my paper, I'd love to hear your opinion on the BPA issue! What do you think? Does knowing this information make you feel more confident in your decision to not use BPA or do you feel like more evidence is needed?

Hope you find this a good read! One of my topics of passion right now! :)

How Much of the BPA Story do You Know?

Source: "Just How Harmful Are Bisphenol-A Plastics?" published in the Scientific American Journal Sept. 2008

http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=just-how-harmful-are-bisphenol-a-plastics


Bisphenol-A (BPA) plastics have come under great heated debate recently, but the debate about the toxicity of BPA and the study of BPA's effects has been going on for quite some time. In the Scientific American article "Just How Harmful Are Bisphenol-A Plastics?" back in September 2008 you can see that the controversy started many years ago....and yet it is still happening today.

BPA is a chemical that is used in making many plastics, but it's original use was quite different than that...it was a synthetic estrogen back in the 1930's. When combined with other components, including phosgene (which was used as a toxic gas in war time), it can create a very useful plastic...plastic we use on a daily basis and rely on heavily. Unfortunately, some are now claiming that BPA, the plastic we all love and rely on, is actually very toxic to us.

Geneticist Patricia Hunt accidentally stumbled into studying BPA toxicity and its effects when her lab mice came up with egg defects when exposed to Bisphenol-A, and she has since been working on proving this toxic effects in humans, which has been found to be quite difficult. It seems that BPA does not behave the same way as other toxins we are familiar with, which causes problems with studying it. This, in turn, causes the conflict as to if BPA is highly toxic and should be banned, or if its exposure should just be regulated and limited to what are considered "safe" levels.

Many companies are questioning as to why, if BPA is used in everyday plastics for centuries, have there not been any harmful effects on humans accounted for if BPA is toxic? There have been many studies in the past years proving BPA causes harmful defects in rodents, including different kinds of cancers and genital defects in males, but proof that these same results can occur in humans are questionable. Why? Unfortunately, these results have not been able to be duplicated 100% of the time in lab tests. This inconsistency is causing many skeptics. However, at a closer look at these studies that failed to duplicate the findings of BPA being toxic at the low levels Hunt was claiming it to be, these studies were all funded by industries, where as the government funded studies found conclusive results. One could question whether bias was present in those studies that did not replicate similar results.

There are also claims about BPA causing some of the hot-topic issues discussed today, like early onset puberty in females, ADHD in children, and the overwhelming amount of obesity occurring. If this can be proven it would cause a huge change in the types of materials used in our plastics, lining of aluminum cans and other preserved shelved food like infant formula. This would be very costly to manufacturing companies and the industry of plastics.

Hunt believes she has an explanation, or at least some insight, into why the debate about the toxicity level of BPA are still controversial over a decade after her research found its results. When we normally consider toxicity we think of it as a "safe" amount is ok, a bigger amount can cause some unfortunate effects, and a large amount can cause potentially great damage. Unfortunately, this is not the case with toxins that are harmful through the route of being hormone disruptors as hormone disruptors can cause harmful effects at very low levels, and can even shut down the body's response at high level of exposure. BPA is such a toxin and causes harm by imitating estrogen (remember, it's original use was as an estrogen imitator before it was used to make plastics). Studies have shown that the bonds that form when products are manufactured with BPA not all of the chemical bonds with BPA get locked together. This can cause BPA leaching. Leaching is most prevalent when it is exposed to high heat or even abrasive damage such as scrubbing pads used for cleaning dishes, and this leaching then gets into the food and drink we consume. When tests were done on humans 93% had detectable amounts of BPA in their urine, and human blood and breast milk have also been shown to carry traces of the toxin.

The greatest concern, and the reason researchers like Hunt are extremely prevalent about asking for the ban of BPA use and not just "safe limit" legislation, is the fact that BPA does not only affect the individual that it enters. Recent studies that Hunt has produced show that if a pregnant female is exposed to BPA, especially at the stage where her fetus is producing its' eggs, both the fetus as well as the eggs of that fetus are affected, resulting in tarnished eggs and problems for that child and it's offspring in the future.

It is studies like this one that got Canada to ban the use of BPA and California to recently pass into law a bill that does not allow BPA in any children's items, such as toys, feeding items, bottles etc., of children under 3. Children are much more susceptible to levels of toxins than adults are and, as these states and countries have determined it is better to be on the safe side than sorry when it comes to potentially highly toxic chemicals.

Yet the debate is still inconclusive, as are the results of many studies. The question is not "is BPA bad", the question is, is BPA completely unsafe, or just unsafe in certain amounts, quantities and uses? That choice, right now, lies in the hands of the consumer until further testing proposes enough evidence to satisfy our government.

Sunday, September 19, 2010

Soy Genius with Insect Shield (Buggies) Review and Giveaway! Ends 10/11



SAP's Story

I was buzzing around the internet one night, flipping though blogs and searching on Google just randomly....I'm not sure what exactly brought me to their page but VOILA!! Soy Genius Buggies! (They are now called Soy Genius With Insect Shield)

So what is Soy Genius with Insect Shield?
They are a brand new clothing line introduced in Spring 2010 that use Soy Genius soy and organic cotton fabric that is soft and moisture wicking, which is wonderful in the summer time! Besides the Soy Genius fabric the Buggies line includes "insect shield", which is a man-made version of a natural insect repellent found in certain types of chrysanthemum plants! That's awesome don't you think?!

So not only do you have natural Soy Genius fabric, but also great bug and sun protection!

I contacted the Soy Genius company and talked to Ginger, who agreed to send me a pair of Insect Shield leggies to test out! I was even more surprised to open the package I recieved to find two Buggies leggies, one of each of the wonderful colors I loved! Boy was I happy!


Unfortunately we were done with our camping trip for the summer and couldn't fit another one into test these out, but this gave me an opportunity to find what other practical uses our Insect Sheild leggies have for the every day use!


In our city we are fortunate enough to have a wonderful reserve. It's used for research by the University students, but anyone can enjoy it in many different ways. So we decided to take an evening sunset stroll through the reserve! Now keep in mind, It's September, and we recently had a lot of rain...can you say mosquitoes galore!! My fiance and I were very annoyed by all the bugs, we had forgotten to put on bug spray! Of course we were more worried about our little girl...but she didn't seem bothered in the least! She was running around exploring, climbing, getting her leggies sooo dirty (and the dirt washed out wonderfully!) but the only place I saw mosquitoes "bugging" her was on her face! I was so happy to have had the Insect Shield Leggies on her, she was probably the only one of us that was comfortable with all the bugs around us! And I felt comfortable letting her run around in her skirt as her knees were protected with the leggies! No scraped knees!

Here are some cute pictures of SAP in her Insect Shield Leggies at the reserve!! How cute is she?! :)


Crawling around with her leggies on! They protect her knees!

And then climbing rocks! I love the Ocean color, they bring her eyes out very nice! :)

So excited to be out in nature and no buggies to bother her! :) And not even caring her Rumparooz are showing at that lol

SAP looking so cute in her Coral colored leggies!

Climbing steps! The stone did not hurt her at all, and see how nicely they stay up on her legs with all this activity?!

"Hi Mommy, I'm adorable, you know you love me :P"

Mommy's little heartbreaker!

Over all, my experience with the Soy Genius Insect Shild leggies was very positive! There was a ton of bugs around at the reserve but none went near SAP at all except her face, and if we had some Buggies T-shirts or hat or something we wouldn't have any worries at all! The leggies are designed really well, they stayed up great on her legs and did not make makes or make SAP uncomfortable. She got them very dirty yet the stains came out in the wash! I really hope I can get some more Insect Shield clothing soon because it comes in handy! Recently I've sent SAP to daycare in her Insect Shield leggies and everyone commented on how darn cute she looked!

The fabric also seems quite durable. The tags say that the insect shield is good up to 70 washes and can be laundered like regular clothes so very happy about that! And the leggies should fit her next summer too!

**I would like to clarify that Insect Shield is a man-made version of a natural insect repellent found in Chrysanthemum plants, it is not completely "natural" as it is made in a lab. This is still a much better and healthy way to keep safe from bugs than most insect repellents and with organic and soy fabrics I fully approve that these products are wonderful and safe for children as well as pregnant or nursing moms and everyone in between! :)

Information about Soy Genius Insect Shield Clothing (formerly known as Buggies)



Whether in the backcountry of Belize or in a suburban backyard, BuggiesTM are essential clothing for infants and toddlers who enjoy time outside. Buggies is the only line of Insect ShieldTM apparel for infants and toddlers - keeping children cute, comfortable and protected. The built-in insect repellent provides a carefree outdoor experience, letting little ones focus on their adventures—not bugs.
.
The Buggies collection is well-constructed, smart and innovative. Insect ShieldTM technology provides protection against a variety of bugs, including those that can carry West Nile virus, Lyme disease, malaria and other insect-borne diseases.
.
Soy Genius ClothingBuggies are made with Soy GeniusTM fabric. It’s what makes Buggies super soft and moisture-wicking, keeping kids comfortable and dry. The 30+ UPF provides an extra measure of protection from UV rays.
.
Available Spring 2010, the Buggies collection is made with our exclusive Soy Genius fabric and includes T-shirts, bodysuits, hats, shorts/skorts, warmers and pants for both boys and girls.



About the Insect Shield:



What SAPsMaMa LOVES about Soy Genius with Insect Shield!


  • Made of organic cotton and soy fabric, environmentally friendly choices!
  • Protects from the sun without the use of sunscreen! (30+ sunsheild)
  • Soft and comfortable for SAP to wear
  • The colors are great! Not the typical colors and easy to coordinate!
  • They have a lot of options, from skirts and leggies to t-shirts and hoodies!
  • Stain resistant! The stains came out of her leggies!
  • Can be used by babies, toddlers, nursing moms, or pregnant moms safely!
  • Less worry about disease carrying bugs like ticks, which are prevalent in our area!
  • I love I don't have to use bug spray or sunscreen! Got both things covered in one!! Awesome! So saves money and you buy less products so better for environment!
  • One or two sets will last you the whole summer, unlike sunscreen and bug repellent, which you have to keep replacing! Plus if you buy a size bigger, better coverage and it'll fit next summer yay! :)
Suggestions for Improvement There is Always Room For Improvement!


  • These work wonderful and I love that it's all natural, there's not much I can suggest. I would like to see some more natural colors though! Natural colors are easier to match with and bring about the feeling that it is a natural clothing option, something I like!
  • SAPsDaDa also thought darker more natural colors would be nice, although the current colors are nice for summer, they show dirt a lot, so you might want darker color if you're camping or something where baby will be crawling around in dirt!

Buy It!
You can purchase Soy Genius with Insect Shield (formerly known as Buggies) on the Soy Genius website shop HERE!

I have also seen the whole range of sizes, colors, and articles of clothing on Zulily.com for about 40% off twice now! So keep your eyes peeled it might pop up again!

Win It!

One luck SAPsMaMa follower will win a pair of Soy Genius with Insect Shield Leggies just like the ones I reviewed! (color preference will be considered but will be based on what is in stock).

Rules!
  • You must be a SAPsMaMa Google Friend Connect follower PUBLICLY to enter this giveaway!

  • You must leave your email in each comment/entry! You may leave your email in the " email at host dot com " format if you would like to deter spam bots, but your email MUST be included for your entry to count!

  • Mandatory entry must be completed before any other entries!

  • Leave a separate comment for each entry in order for all entries to be counted (i.e. if something is worth 2 entries, please leave two comments, and please label #1 and #2, etc.)

  • If you need clarification on how to complete one of the entries, feel free to contact me and I'll be happy to help!

  • I will check each comment entry! So please be fair and only enter for entries you qualify for!
Mandatory Entry! (Must be completed BEFORE any extra entries!)


You must follow SAPsMaMa PUBLICLY via Google Friend Connect!
Also...
Head on over to the Soy Genius with Insect Shield shop and tell me what piece of apparel and what color you like best! (There are navigation links on the left side of the page to look at boys, girls, or accessories clothing options)

This mandatory entry is worth 2 Entries, and you must do BOTH these things!

Extra Entries!

  • Like Insect Shield on Facebook! (1 Entry)
  • Follow @Insect Shield on Twitter! (1 Entry)
  • Head over to their website and tell me:

    1. What other awesome brand does Soy Genius have? (1 Entry)

    2. What is so special about their Soy Genius fabric? (1 Entry)
  • Tweet about the giveaway! You may tweet once per day! You may use this tweet if you would like:
    Protect your little ones from sun and bugs with Soy Genius with Insect Shield Clothing! #Win some at @SAPsMaMa! http://tinyurl.com/2vv9z9q
  • Tell me what you'd use your Soy Genius with Insect Shield apparel for! (1 Entry)
  • Read my Soy Genius with Insect Shield review in this post above and answer the following questions, 1 extra entry per question answered! All answers should be pretty obvious, these are not trick questions! :) Make sure to put a separate comment for each entry!

    1. What is the active ingrediant of insect shield that makes it repell bugs naturally? (1 Entry)

    2. How many washes does the Insect Shield stand up to? (1 Entry)
  • Like SAPsMaMa on Facebook! Please leave your Facebook name or at least your first initial and last name for me to verify. (2 Entries!)
  • Follow @SAPsMaMa on Twitter! Please leave your twitter handle! (1 Entry)
  • Subscribe to SAPsMaMa via RSS Feedburner! (1 Entry)
  • Change your Facebook status to link to this giveaway, remembering to tag @SAPsMaMa: Natural Parenting in the Modern World in your status post! Please leave the URL to your status in your entry! You may do this once per day! (1 Entry)
  • Enter any of my other CURRENT giveaways! (1 Entry Each!)
  • If you guessed this review correctly on SAPsMaMa's Facebook Fan Page (Valerie!), you get 5 extra entries! Be sure to like SAPsMaMa on facebook and have a chance at each giveaway at extra entries! (5 Entries)
  • If you participated in my little guessing game for this review/giveaway you get 1 extra entry! Only 2 other participants this time, we do this for every giveaway so follow SAPsMaMa on Facebook and get some extra entries for yourself! (1 Entry)
  • If you liked Dependable Luxury's Facebook Fan page and commented on their wall that Melissa from @SAPsMaMa: Natural Parenting in the Modern World referred you (remember to tag me!), you get 1 extra entry! You can still do this throughout the month of September and it will get you an additional entry into my other giveaways too! (1 Extra Entry per giveaway)
  • If your blog is Carbon Neutral, you get an extra entry! Please leave your link to your blog! You can learn how to do this on my blog post My Blog is Carbon Neutral, Is YOURS?! (1 Entry)
  • If you made a donation of any amount to the Cloth Diaper Foundation you get 10 extra entries! Learn details on how to do this on my recent post The Ying and Yang of Life and Help The Cloth Diaper Foundation Please! It's a great cause! (10 Entries)
  • If you helped out The Dirties on Diapering and got extra entries there (anywhere from 1-40 extra entries!) post those entries as well! You can find out how to get these extra entries at my blog post HERE! Requirements for these extra entries must be done before Wednesday Sep 15, 11:59pm EDT to qualify, but you may still use these extra entries in giveaways for the month of September :)
  • Any other extra entries please put in also, I will check and approve them, so be sure I know what you're referring to in your entry! :)
Disclosure:
The product(s) provided for the review (2 pairs of Soy Genius with Insect Shield Leggies) were sent to me free of charge from the company or the PR agency. The opinions expressed are 100% my own.
Text in Italics is from the company's website or otherwise sited from party it was received from.

Giveaway is open to USA Only! Giveaway will end Oct. 11th @ 11:59 PM (CST). Winner will be chosen using random.org. Winner will have 48 hours to respond after I contact via email. If winner does not respond, a new winner will be chosen. Good Luck and thank you for supporting SAPsMaMa!



Thank you to Soy Genius with working with me on this great giveaway, I am thrilled to be able to share the new Insect Shield apparel and help spread the news about how great they work! It was wonderful working with you!

Friday, September 17, 2010

100 Fan Giveaway on Facebook!! Only 24 hours to enter!!


We hit a milestone! We now have 100 wonderful SAPsMaMa facebook fans!! I'm so happy!

To celebrate I am giving away a wonderful ON Tray! It's the tray that clips on to your shopping cart while you're shopping to make things easier! It also has a lid so easy to travel with! You can use it for snacks for your little one to keep them happy and occupied while shopping, or for your coupons! Don't you just hate them falling through the holes in the cart?! Check out all the uses you can use this tray for HERE!!

This tray is toxin free, made in the USA, and Mom invented! Also dishwasher safe so easy clean up if it's dirty!

Win yourself one of these great little trays to try out from me, SAPsMaMa! I am giving one away on my Facebook Fan page to celebrate 100 fans! You only have 24 hours (until 11:30pm CST Saturday Sept. 18th!)

Tomorrow is also SAP's 19 month anniversary, not that it's anything special, just thought I"d mention it! lol

So head on over and fan SAPsMaMa on facebook if you have not already! You won't be sorry you did, there's extra entries possibilities available for every giveaway on our fan page, and you can be part of that!

Good Luck Everyone!!

Monday, September 13, 2010

Winner and Results of the CSN Stores Giveaway!

I love CSN Stores, they have so many things I need and want, it's difficult to choose! I hope it will be easier for the winner of this gift certificate to choose!

The winner of the CSN Stores $40 Gift Certificate is

True Random Number Generator Min: 1 Max: 228 Result: 150 Powered by RANDOM.ORG


The Crave to $ave! said...

I am following CSN on FB


Congrats to The Crave to $ave! Have fun shopping! :)


And now for the result of some of the questions asked in the giveaway! Even more fun than picking a winner sometimes!

Question #1: Head on over to CSN Stores and tell me what item you would LOVE to have if you could splurge and money were of no issue! Dream big!! :D

Results:
  • Kitchen
  • Le Creuset baking dish
  • New table and chair set for the kitchen
  • Calphalon Contemporary Cutlery 21 piece set
  • Ice cream maker
  • Espresso machine
  • New dishes for our kitchen! I would love some of the Noritake Colorwave Chocolate 4 Piece Place Setting collection and the Rachael Ray Bubble and Brown 2-Piece Stoneware Baker Set in Chocolate
  • Baby/Children
  • Choo choo train pretend play tent
  • SportsPlay Castle Modular Play Set
  • A glider (rocker-glider for baby's nursery!)
  • Guidecraft kitchen helper.
  • Plan toys wooden woodpecker walker toy
  • Ecotots Surfin bed
  • Honeydo Toy organizer
  • Kidwise clubhouse climber
  • Bedroom
  • Serta Pedic Morris Plush Mattress Set
  • HOME Spencer Sofa in Bixby Cherry with Black and White Vine Pillows
  • New bedroom set! Maybe something like the Magnussen Reflections Sleigh 4 piece bedroom set
  • American Drew Ashby Park Panel Bedroom Set!!
  • Serta Perfect Day Aqua Oasis Mega Euro Top Mattress Set in California King
  • Bathroom
  • eco-friendly showerhead
  • Other
  • Whitehall Products Sunny Hours Sundial

Question #2:Head on over to CSN Stores website and find me another Green/Natural/Non-Toxic item that was not listed in my CSN Stores Pre-Giveaway post! I can't wait to see what you all find!

Results:
  • Cloth napkins:
    http://www.csnstores.com/Sassy-Cookn-Cherry-Fresh-Napkin-CKN1013.html
  • Zolowear Organic Cotton Baby Sling
  • Organic Cradle Collection
    http://www.csnstores.com/Green-Frog-Art-11-greenEARTH-Whisper-GFA1290.html
  • A cradle that is environmentally friendly. :)
    http://www.csnstores.com/Green-Frog-Art-10-201-GFA1007.html
  • EarthPan Earth Pan II Eco-Friendly 8" Skillet in Espresso here:
    http://www.csnstores.com/EarthPan-19472-ETH1006.html. It has a non-stick coating that originates from sand
  • Babykicks Premium Joey-Bunz
  • GreenWorks by clorox cleaners
  • Entire stash of babykicks cloth diapers!
  • Sealy soybean foam crib mattress
Tally of Special Extra Entries! (Let's see these numbers grow!):

  • Carbon Neutral Blogs: 1
  • Blogs that helped The Cloth Diaper Foundation:
  • Blogs that supported The Dirties on Diapering: 1

Rockin' Green Review and Giveaway Ends Oct. 3rd!




SAP's Story

When I first started cloth diapering I did what most families new to fluff do when looking for a cloth diaper detergent...I went with the cheapest one that was most readily available and showed as "ok" for cloth diapers on some cloth diaper laundry detergent charts I found online. That of course ended up being something free and clear on the shelves at the grocery store.

THEN I started having leaking problems, build-up issues, repelling issues....it was not pretty, nor fun. We would strip weekly with some Dawn Dish Detergent but it was still occurring...we needed new detergent and we needed to somehow get that detergent build up out of our diapers!

Of course, at that time, I was past the whole "get the cheapest and easiest detergent" phase, I wanted quality, I wanted to enjoy washing my cloth diapers again (and I do enjoy it!), I wanted them to smell and look pretty! That's one of the reasons we all cloth diaper is for the cute fluff factor isn't it?! :)

I tried many diaper detergents, but the one that surpassed all my expectations and satisfied all my needs was Rockin' Green!

Rockin' Green has a variety of detergent designed to not only fit your unique needs, but also your unique preferences! They have different strengths of detergent that you can choose from, from their soft rock to their hard rock and their traditional classic rock everyone loves. So if you have a child with sensitive skin they have you covered! Or have hard water? They have that covered too!

Their formula is also unique in a different sense...it is a GREAT stripping detergent! And I'm not just talking cloth diapers here! I work grounds work full time in the hot sun in all kinds of conditions, my clothes get HORRIBLE! What do I do to get them clean and get the smell out? Rockin' Green! If Rockin' Green can stand up to that imagine what they've done for my cloth diapers, which had needed a great amount of stripping! Filled up the washing machine, soaked them, rinsed them a couple times, and they worked wonderful once again! And that only took one stripping!

I started out with the Classic formula of Rockin' Green as I was not sure what type of water I had nor how sensitive SAP would be to the detergent. I would suggest something similar if you are unsure yourself, you can never go wrong with classic! I LOVED that when I first ordered in the Fall as they had their fall scents out....including the Crunchy Pumpkin scent! I LOVE pumpkin! I'm sad it was only a seasonal scent and I really hope they bring it back this fall! But this brings up another wonderful point about Rockin' Green that many people love...their detergent is scented! They have wonderful scents for each person's individual preferences (or unscented if you don't like scent) so your cloth diapers or clothes will come out clean and smelling yummy! Who doesn't want to fold clothes smelling like raspberries or lavender!? And all the better, it's naturally scented, not artificially! So you don't feel bad about how good your clothes/diapers smell!
Sample Packs!!

For this review Rockin' Green was wonderful enough to send me some samples of their brand new Hard Rock 2.0 version of their detergent...new and improved! Of course, I was excited to try it! I had recently learned we actually have hard water, so even though our Classic Rock was working well, I was curious what would happen if I tried their Hard Rock 2.0!

So without telling hubby, I switched detergents in the cloth diaper wash for a week! You know what I hear from him when he's stuffing diapers? "Hey Honey the stains are coming out of the diapers, they look whiter"! And he had no idea that I had switched detergents! That's saying something if he notices it! So we've continued to use the Rockin' Green Hard Rock for a couple more weeks...no more stains! White, clean, yummy smelling diapers that don't leak! I am a very happy mommy! And my fears about SAP being sensitive to the detergent? Gone! SAP has sensitive skin, but Rockin' Green Hard Rock doesn't irritate her at all and I feel as if the diapers are getting cleaner so I worry less about her getting diaper rash!

What SAPsMaMa LOVES about Rockin' Green!

  • Environmentally friendly, it's biodegradable!
  • No fillers, No enzymes or optical brighteners, 100% Phosphate free, Vegan, and dye free!
  • Naturally scented with yummy scents (Check out scents on their FAQs Page!)
  • An unscented option!
  • Safe for cloth diaper use! See info HERE (Check out The Diaper Jungle Cloth Diaper Safe Detergent Chart!)
  • Sometimes you don't even need an extra rinse when using this detergent for washing cloth diapers, so you save water, yay!
  • Has 3 formulas to satisfy your unique needs! (See which formula is recommended for your area by using their great chart HERE!)
  • Offers sample packs as well as a 45/90 load sized bag and a big 90/180 load sized bag, so you can try before you buy or stock up and save!
  • Their new package looks awesome!
Suggested Improvements, There's Always Room For Improvement!

  • I would like to see a liquid Rockin' Green option in the future! There are many people that dislike powdered detergents and this alone might keep them from trying this wonderful detergent, so a liquid detergent would be helpful in this area!
  • I'd also like to see specific formulas for whitening, stripping etc., as I mainly use my Rockin' Green Hard Rock for times I need to strip now (which is A LOT less often!) so if there was a specific formula for that I'd be all over it!
  • Make seasonal scents available year round! I know they wouldn't be as special or sell as well but I would LOVE my pumpkin crunch back!
  • I would have suggested new packaging and a new laundry scoop as I had started out with the old style bag and the wooden scoop, but they've already covered that with the wonderful new magnetic scoop that measure any measurement you'd need with the detergent as well as their new bags that will be less prone to break upon shipping or tip over as easily! Thanks so much for the upgrades I love them! :)
About Rockin' Green



Rockin’ Green LLC was born out of necessity. My kid’s have incredibly sensitive skin and they broke out with just about everything store bought. Eventually I started buying WAHM soaps and lotions and saw an immediate improvement in their skin. On top of my kid’s skin sensitivities, I also found it extremely difficult to get my diapers clean with hard water. We either ended up with stinkies or buildup problems. So I set out to find a better way, and Rockin' Green was born.

Rockin' Green offers more than just excellent laundry detergent! They carry many other natural laundry supplies! Check out their:

Buy It!

You can purchase Rockin' Green laundry detergent and other products directly from their online store with shipping starting at just $1 !

You can also find Rockin' Green at retailers nation wide! Se which retailer is closest to you HERE!

Win It!

One lucky SAPsMaMa follower will be the recipient of one bag of Rockin' Green 45/90, a retail value of $13.95! Lucky you!

Rules!
  • You must be a SAPsMaMa Google Friend Connect follower PUBLICLY to enter this giveaway!

  • You must leave your email in each comment/entry! You may leave your email in the " email at host dot com " format if you would like to deter spam bots, but your email MUST be included for your entry to count!

  • Mandatory entry must be completed before any other entries!

  • Leave a separate comment for each entry in order for all entries to be counted (i.e. if something is worth 2 entries, please leave two comments, and please label #1 and #2, etc.)

  • If you need clarification on how to complete one of the entries, feel free to contact me and I'll be happy to help!

  • I will check each comment entry! So please be fair and only enter for entries you qualify for!
Mandatory Entry! (Must be completed BEFORE any extra entries!)


You must follow SAPsMaMa PUBLICLY via Google Friend Connect!
Also...
Head on over to the Rockin' Green website and tell me what formula of Rockin' Green detergent you'd need (soft, classic, or hard rock), and what yummy scent you'd love to have it in!

This mandatory entry is worth 2 Entries, and you must do BOTH these things!

Extra Entries!
  • Subscribe to Rockin' Green's Newsletter! (1 Entry)
  • Like Rockin' Green on Facebook and tell them on their wall: I want to win a bag of Rockin' Green from @SAPsMaMa: Natural Parenting in the Modern World! http://tinyurl.com/3xlabxy (1 Entry)
  • Follow @RockinGreenSoap on Twitter! (1 Entry)
  • Tweet about the giveaway! You may tweet once per day! You may use this tweet if you would like:
    Rock the Soak with Rockin' Green! #Win a 45/90 bag of @RockinGreenSoap from @SAPsMaMa blog!
    http://tinyurl.com/3xlabxy
  • Tell me what scent you'd love to see from Rockin' Green! (1 Entry
  • Tell me what your favorite accessory from Rockin' Green is or that you'd be most interested in! (1 Entry)
  • Tell me who your closest retailer of Rockin' Green would be! (1 Entry)
  • Read my Rockin' Green review in this post above and answer the following questions, 1 extra entry per question answered! All answers should be pretty obvious, these are not trick questions! :) Make sure to put a separate comment for each entry!

    1. What is SAPsMaMa's favorite all time scent of Rockin' Green detergent?! (1 Entry)


    2. What else did I wash using Rockin' Green besides my cloth diapers? (1 Entry)

    3. What did SAPsDaDa say after I switched to Rockin' Green Hard Rock 2.0 without him knowing? :) (1 Entry)

  • Like SAPsMaMa on Facebook! Please leave your Facebook name or at least your first initial and last name for me to verify. (2 Entries!)
  • Follow @SAPsMaMa on Twitter! Please leave your twitter handle! (1 Entry)
  • Tweet about this giveaway! You may tweet daily! (1 Entry / day)
    You may use:
  • Subscribe to SAPsMaMa via RSS Feedburner! (1 Entry)
  • Change your Facebook status to link to this giveaway, remembering to tag @SAPsMaMa: Natural Parenting in the Modern World in your status post! Please leave the URL to your status in your entry! You may do this once per day! (1 Entry)
  • Enter any of my other CURRENT giveaways! (1 Entry Each!)
  • If you guessed this review correctly on SAPsMaMa's Facebook Fan Page (Kelly!), you get 5 extra entries! Be sure to like SAPsMaMa on facebook and have a chance at each giveaway at extra entries! (5 Entries)
  • If you participated in my little guessing game for this review/giveaway you get 1 extra entry! (1 Entry)
  • If you liked Dependable Luxury's Facebook Fan page and commented on their wall that Melissa from @SAPsMaMa: Natural Parenting in the Modern World referred you (remember to tag me!), you get 1 extra entry! You can still do this throughout the month of September and it will get you an additional entry into my other giveaways too! (1 Extra Entry per giveaway)
  • If your blog is Carbon Neutral, you get an extra entry! Please leave your link to your blog! You can learn how to do this on my blog post My Blog is Carbon Neutral, Is YOURS?! (1 Entries)
  • If you made a donation of any amount to the Cloth Diaper Foundation you get 10 extra entries! Learn details on how to do this on my recent post The Ying and Yang of Life and Help The Cloth Diaper Foundation Please! It's a great cause! (10 Entries)
  • If you helped out The Dirties on Diapering and got extra entries there (anywhere from 1-40 extra entries!) post those entries as well! You can find out how to get these extra entries at my blog post HERE! Requirements for these extra entries must be done before Wednesday Sep 15, 11:59pm EDT to qualify, but you may still use these extra entries in giveaways for the month of September, maybe longer! I have not decided yet :)
  • Any other extra entries please put in also, I will check and approve them, so be sure I know what you're referring to in your entry! :)
Disclosure:
The product(s) provided for the review (3 Samples of Rockin' Green Hard Rock 2.0 Laundry Detergent) were sent to me free of charge from the company or the PR agency. The opinions expressed are 100% my own.
Text in Italics is from the company's website or otherwise sited from party it was received from.

Giveaway is open to USA Only! Giveaway will end Oct. 5th @ 11:59 PM (CST). Winner will be chosen using random.org. Winner will have 48 hours to respond after I contact via email. If winner does not respond, a new winner will be chosen. Good Luck and thank you for supporting SAPsMaMa!



Thank you so much to Rockin' Green for providing the items for review and the giveaway prize!