I’d love to share with you my May Busy Bag Exchange project!

Recycled Seed Paper Kit

Materials Needed:

• Cross stitching frame the size you want your recycled paper to be
• Screen mesh.  Pick screen that is not too flimsy
• Scissors
• Spatula
• Cardboard
• Stapler and staples
• A shredder (or feel free to shred by hand!)
• Used paper…any kind works as long as it is not glossy!
• Seeds…the flatter/smaller seeds work best
• Glitter if you would like glitter paper
• Towels (2-3)
• Cookie cutters if you desire to make other shapes of paper…chunky are best!

1.

Start by shredding your paper!  This is some old orders of mine that I do not need anymore, and sometimes we make colored recycled paper using construction paper SAP practiced her coloring and scissors cutting on!  Scissors practice is a great way to get paper shredded if you don’t have a shredder…keeps the little ones busy and less work for you!

2.

Here is my shredded paper.  Small bits like this work great for making into paper pulp!  Different colored shredded paper makes different colored recycled paper.

3.

Put shredded paper into a bowl or a rectangle tote.  If you plan on doing large pieces of recycled paper you will need a bigger bowl/tote  so you can fit your frame into it.  Rubbermaid containers are great for large pieces of paper, but this cooking bowl is perfect for a smaller project.

4.

Fill up your bowl of paper with water until it is covered, add more paper if it will fit, and let it soak for at least 30 minutes.  I happened to be doing the soaking at the same time as I was thawing out our dinner, so please don’t mind the random whole chicken next to the bowl, that’s a separate project!

5.

And here is my bowl of shredded paper soaking in some water in our sink.  Appetizing isn’t it?

6.

While your paper is soaking get your materials ready.  Here you see my cross-stitching frame, stapler, staple remover (I tend to make mistakes!), my roll of screen mesh, and a picture frame.  FYI the frame I got from the dollar store and was hoping to make a paper frame out of it, unfortunately it did not work as it is plastic and I can only staple onto a wooden frame.  If you acquire old wooden frames they would work great for recycled paper frames!  I will not be showing that here however.

7.

Take the middle part of your cross-stitching frame out of the frame and use that to measure how big you should cut your square of screen.  I cut about 0.5 – 1 inch past the frame.

8.

Here is what it should look like after you cut the screen.  This is approximately the size you would want your screen square.

9.

With the screen under your wooden circle push down into the outer frame.  Make sure the outer frame is loosened enough to do this with out breaking the frame, you can loosen it more with the screw at the top of the frame!

10.

Now that the screen is nice and taught in the frame (make sure it is pulled tight), tighten the screw at the top of the frame as tight as you can possibly get it.

11.

Trim around your frame as close to the frame as you possibly can.  The screen can be pokey if it is not trimmed very close, I found using a nail clipper on some of the problem areas got me closer than scissors.  I do not worry about the screen being too pokey since once it is put into the paper pulp it will get full of pulp and will no longer be an issue.

12.

Here is our completed frame!  Wasn’t that easy enough?  You can make whatever sized frame you want with this same technique.

13.

Now let’s make another screen “frame”!  This is a very simple frame.  I used a thinner cardboard as I like being able to bend it to get the paper pulp off the screen, some of you might prefer a corrugated cardboard so that is is more sturdy, but it will get soggy with the water.  Test it out and see what you like!  This is a box I had to cut up anyway for SAP since she wanted to play with her little cardboard Idbids, so I used the rest of the back of the box for a simple frame

14.

Cut a square or rectangle out of your cardboard  I did a rectangle so if I wanted to I could fit two cookie cutters on at the same time!

15.

Cut the center out of your square or rectangle, be sure to leave an inch or so for our “frame”

16.

Now cut a piece of your screen mesh to fit your frame!  You don’t want it exactly the same size as your frame, just a little smaller so it won’t stick out.

17.

Staple your screen mesh to your cardboard frame.  Go all the way around to be sure the screen is nice and stable on your cardboard frame!

18.

And here is our final frame and the basic idea of how we will make our shaped recycled paper!  I chose bug cookie cutters as they looked chunky enough for recycled paper and SAP loves bugs…goes great with planting them in the garden to grow too!

19.

Now back to our kitchen!  Here is my set up for making pulp out of our now soaked shredded paper.  A blender works great for making pulp but a food processor also would!

20.

I have our seeds all ready too.  I picked California Poppy seeds in orange since I wanted smaller seeds for the paper to make sure they stuck well in the paper, and I wanted something colorful and easy for kids to take care of when it grew after being planted.  Some people choose to put their seeds into the pulp after making the paper into pulp…I chose a different method and will show you my own method.

21.

Now pour all of your soaked shredded paper, water and all, into your blender.  A spatula works great for getting it all off the sides of your bowl.

22.

Blend your paper…you don’t need to “puree” it, blending is sufficient!  Some people like their recycled paper more lumpy and some like it more mushy, find a consistency you like, what your pulp looks like is what your paper will look like in the end.

23.

Here is my paper somewhat blended.  You will most likely need to add more water to your mixture during blending it into pulp.  I ended up adding 2 more cups regular water.

24.

Here’s an idea!   I had some left over purple colored water from when I made SAP’s Glitter Mind Jar, so I decided to add it to the paper pulp as well and see if it would tint it purple!  SAP loved the idea (as you can see!).  In the end it really didn’t make much difference in the color, if you want to used dyed water to color your recycled paper I would suggest using all colored water and not just 2 cups like I did, but it was a fun experiment!

25.

And here is my final paper pulp product!  Yummy huh?  It has a little purple tint to it but not much.

26.

Hey, look, it’s my dinner again!  All ready to be put in the oven!  Dinner’s in the oven, paper pulp is made, screen frames are made….now it’s time to make some paper!

27.

Here is my “paper making” set up.  My bowl of paper pulp with a spatula, my screen frames, cookie cutters, my bowl of seeds, and a couple towels, one already laid out.

28.

Submerge your round frame into your pulp and scoop up a pretty good amount of pulp, spread over evenly all over the inside of your frame over the mesh.

29.

Sprinkle your seeds into the submerged frame and swirl them around inside to make sure they’re embedded into the pulp.  If they  just lay on top they will not stick once your paper is dry.

30.

Using your thumb or a couple fingers press all over the pulp to squeeze out the excess water out of the frame.  Be sure the pulp does not come off the screen, you do not need to press too hard, we will get more water out of the paper in a later step.  I did see a suggestion to use foam painting brushes (the rounded tip ones the size of a quarter) for this step, but have not tried it myself.

31.

This is what the paper pulp will look like after being press a bit to get all the excess water out.  You can see my seeds embedded into it too!

32.

Turn your frame upside down and knock it down onto the towel on your table.  Don’t fling it but you will need to knock it down hard not soft to get the paper to drop out of the frame, it easily comes off the screen but may stick to the edges of the frame a bit so can take a couple tries.

33.

Here is my seeded recycled paper after it was knocked out of the frame.  You notice it’s not too flat…I”ll show you a trick to that later on when I do the cookie cutter paper!  Basically just fold the towel over your paper  now and compress down, the towel will absorb the excess water and flatten your paper!

34.

Now let’s make some shaped recycled paper with our cardboard frame and cookie cutters!  Place your cookie cutter on your screen, not touching your cardboard frame.  Using your spatula or a big spoon spoon in paper pulp evenly over the screen inside of your cookie cutter.    After it is even, sprinkle your seeds (or even glitter!) onto the pulp, cover with a bit more pulp if you think you need more to enbed the seeds into the paper, and compress down with your fingers same as you did with the other frame.

35.

Lift up your cookie cutter…your pulp should look similar to this….just maybe a different shape!  It will not be as compressed as your other frame is, but you will fix that later.  It will be a lot more watery too right now, but don’t worry!

36.

Turn your screen upside down onto the towel and peel the screen off the paper pulp…this is why I like the thinner cardboard frame!  It is easier to peel off the paper without ruining it.  Always remember to peel the screen or towel off the paper not the paper off the screen or towel etc., this will keep you from pulling your paper apart.  Once your paper dries it will be a lot less fragile.

37.

Now cover the paper pulp that you just put onto the towel with your towel and compress down.  Do not be afraid to press too hard, get all that water out, you won’t hurt it!  You can see the lady bug and circle paper I did before this butterfly and how they looked after being compressed. You can also shape your edges a big more definite if you would like, but some people like the lumpy edges as a “recycled paper” look!

38.

Here is our finished butterfly!  It’s nice and flat after being compressed and the seeds are well embedded into the paper.

39.

Spread them out on a screen or towel to let them air dry!  It will take a day or two so put them out of reach of pets or kiddos that want to play with them before they are dry.  Use up all your paper pulp and have fun!  Recycled seed paper makes great gifts, your can make larger pieces as gift tags, bookmarks, cards, or just use as recycled paper instead of seed paper for coloring on again!  If you want crimped edges use pinking shears or other shears to cut your edges to the shape you want.  Possibilities are endless!

40.

Now all that recycled seed paper making has made me hungry, luckily my chicken is done!  Can you believe this is the first whole chicken I’ve ever roasted?  Pretty yummy, but I have a lot of i improvement to do on both projects I did today!  A day of firsts for me and it was a lot of fun!  I would love to see your seed paper creations so feel free to share with me anytime!

She has a small “tractor” SAP loves to play on … don’t worry it no longer works, she won’t mow anyone over!

Nature is fun, why not stack black walnuts in a row along a wall?

Catching chickens was SAP’s favorite thing to do!  She loves to “hug” them!

She also really wanted to take one home…and actually got out the gate and to the car before I could stop her!

Taking a break from weeding the grape vines, SAP and I went to feed the cows the grass we weeded!

The  hay bales are always fun to climb, SAP’s favorite spot was way on top where she liked pretending to be a cat!

Stopping for a lunch break!  We bring some of our own lunch, something to share, and sometimes pick lettuce or something to add to it.

SAP of course packed her very own felt grilled cheese sandwich!

Susan Brown’s Baby skin care products was one of the lines of natural skin care I was recommended to try for her, and I was lucky enough to get the chance!  I received their Foaming Shampoo and Body Wash as well as some samples of their other baby skin care products (and mama products as well!).  The foaming shampoo and body wash was put to use right away as we had been out of shampoo and liquid soap for SAP for over a month by this time!  We had used up all of our “baby” products I had stocked up for her and were still looking for a toddler bath product line for her I was happy with.

I loved the design of the Foaming Shampoo and Body Wash!  Instead of being a foaming pump it rests upside down, so you pull open the “cap” and squeeze into your palm or onto your little one.  Since there is no turning the bottle at all this is very simple and I have found this design works great!  Our foam pumps in the past got stopped up easily and became useless, this pump works wonderful and seems to solve the problem the other design had had.  The wash/shampoo was gentle enough for SAP’s skin and her curly hair, leaving me with a nice fresh and clean smelling little girl!

I like the foaming head on this shampoo/body wash!

After bath we of course put on Susan Brown’s Nourishing Lotion, which we received a sample of.  SAP loved it!  She usually doesn’t sit still after bath, which gets her really riled up, but she enjoyed helping put on the lotion she told me smelled like grapes!  To me it had a bit of a cucumber smell but yes a bit “grapey” too!  Either way I loved how soft my hands felt after lotioning SAP with the baby lotion and had SAPsDaDa try it out himself that night.  He had done a few loads of dishes and so had dishwater hands, dried out and chapped from cleaning all day!  This lotion he liked a lot, the smell wasn’t feminine and his hands felt a ton better with the nourishing lotion on his skin.  Great product!

SAP’s favorite, the Nourishing Lotion from Susan Brown!

Though we weren’t able to test out all of the samples (such as the diaper therapy cream, lotion-to-powder, , mom stretch therapy, moisturizing hand sanitizer, and sensitive baby all-purpose botanical gelee) I very much like the thought put behind each product and ingredients.

Their natural skin therapies are:

Fragrance free, Tear free, Talc free, Paroben free, Phthalate free, Hypoallergenic, animal ingredient free, animal testing free, mineral oil free, and dermatologist tested!

The botanical gelee will come in handy for any time anything needs extra moisturizing, and the sanitizer will definitely be used with this coming summer!  Many of their products include the emollient complex (their special blend of hypoallergenic moisturizers such as shea butter, jajoba esters and butter, cocoa butter, and more) which is what gives all of their products that extra-moisturizing touch, even if it is their powder, stretch cream, or sanitizer, your skin will fell great after using their products.  SAP’s hair seems to have benefited as well!  It is always wonderful to get this type of quality from a natural product.

What SAPsMaMa Loves about Susan Brown’s Baby Products:

• Free of all the stuff I try to stay away from: phthalates, parobens, and fragrances!
• Not tested on animals
• Kept our skin nice and moist and soft
• Worked great with SAP’s eczema
• Simple easy to use designs of bottles

Suggestions For Improvement:

• Larger, economical sized products!
• More Mom’s (or even daddy) products…we need some of this great skin care too!

Meet Susan Brown

Susan Brown’s Baby products are infused with a higher concentration of botanical ingredients compared to our competitors.  Ingredients, such as Jojoba, Macadamia, Moringa and Sunflower oils are found in high percentages in our baby and mom skin care line as well. Plus, our infant products are dermatologist tested and fragrance mineral oil, paraben and phthalate free. Our customers try them once, and become fans forever.  Buy them as a gift or buy them to use yourself, I know you’ll love them!

Connect With Susan Brown’s Baby

Website: http://www.babyandmomgifts.com/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Susan-Browns-Baby/260826175057

Buy It

You can purchase the Susan Brown’s Baby products on their Website or on Amazon and Baby’s R Us online!

The product(s) provided for the review (1 box of samples and 1 bottle of Baby shampoo an body wash) was sent to me free of charge from the company or the PR agency. The opinions expressed are 100% my own. Text in italics is taken from the sponsor’s website or otherwise cited.

I received one or more of the products mentioned above for free using Tomoson.com. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers.

5/1– 5/7

Welcome to the Green Your Mom Giveaway Hop, hosted by Happy Mothering, Eco-Crazy Mom and Simple City Life. Each of the participating blogs has a prize package worth at least $20 that will help you Green Your Mom for Mother’s Day. After you enter my giveaway, be sure to visit all of the other fabulous blogs listed below the Rafflecopter form. Thank you and good luck!

For the Nursing or Expecting Green Mom!

Package 1

Find quality and functionality with Leading Lady’s Organic nursing essentials line!

(ARV $38, Open to All)

Sponsor: Leading Lady
Prize: 1 Organic Nursing Cami

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Check out my review of Leading Lady’s Organic Nursing Cami and their Organic panties set!!

Click Here Now!!

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For Every Green Mom!

Package 2

Find that unique gift that fits your personality this Mother’s Day at UncommonGoods, full of upcycled, eco-friendly, and handmade items!

(ARV $50, Open to US Only)

Sponsor: Uncommon Goods
Prize: $50 Gift Certificate to anything you want!

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Check out my review of UncommonGoods’ GrowBottle of Organic Basil and natural Whiskey Stones I chose for myself for this Mother’s Day!

Click Here Now!!

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There will be 2 winners for these great Mothers Day packages!

Enter to win  these awesome prize packages by simply filling out the Rafflecopter form below!

*Enter Here!*

Rafflecopter Form:

a Rafflecopter giveaway

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Enter at this link:   {Link will be provided once the event starts}

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I must confess…I am not pregnant, and I am not nursing.  So why am I looking at nursing wear?  Well ladies the answer is not because I like to worry the hubby (though believe me he does!), but because I have the most difficult time finding nursing wear I like, so I am planning ahead for “Number 2″!  When I learned of Leading Lady and their line of organic nursing wear I was interested in trying it out, I had not found any organic nursing tops the entire time I was nursing SAP, and for 14 months that was a long time!  So I was excited to receive their Organic Nursing Cami and also their set of organic panties in natural color to try out and dream of when we will be planning for our next little one.

The organic nursing cami and panties I received from Leading Lady!

Though not sold as a set the organic nursing cami and organic panties worked wonderful together.  Even before I put them on I knew that I was impressed with the fabric of the items, which is a thicker high-quality organic cotton.  Many times when I purchase an organic item I have received products that are thinner weight materials and feel disappointed, but not with this line of organic wear!  I also liked the durability of the elastic around the built-in shelf bra that makes up the top of the nursing cami as I had experienced my nursing camis getting stretched out in that area as time went on in my breastfeeding years, making it a bit useless near the end in covering up my much larger “Samara milk  source”, so a good durable bra area is essential in a nursing cami and I was happy to see that here!

Trying on the nursing cami and panties, they were both very comfortable, so much I could envision myself using this top for a lounging around the house day if it had not been for the nice crisp and natural look that makes it look so great with any post-pregnancy pants!  Since I know when I nursed SAP my chest size had not increased a whole lot it was important for me to have a nursing top that fit me in the “non-nursing” size I am now to ensure it will fit perfectly for when I will be nursing….score!  The cami fit great, with a bit of room for me to grow!  The rest of the cami around the tummy area is a bit baggy so there is plenty of room to cover the post-pregnancy belly and still look great until you get back in to shape.   As for the panties they fit great!  The bikini style is very comfortable to wear and is a nice addition to the nursing tops Leading Lady carries!

Functionality?  Well of course a nursing cami can be as comfortable as Monday’s seem like the longest day of the week and it wouldn’t matter if it does not work for nursing your little one  on their command, so ladies rest your worries, it is easy to use and the style is perfect for nursing!  The shoulder strap clips down on both sides for whichever side you are nursing on while the other side of you stays completely covered so no accidental flashes if you are in public!  This can all be done one-handed which is essential when you have a hungry little one grabbing for their lunch!  I had some problems with my nursing tops with SAP showing the additional fabric in the bra area and looking lumpy, but this cami seems to hold no issues of that sort, the strap runs along the side of your breast instead of over the front of it, giving you a nice sleek look.  If it weren’t for the double strap and strap clips you wouldn’t be able to tell this is  a nursing cami just by looking at it!  For working mothers who pump or feed on breaks having a top that does not “look” like a nursing top is a great thing to own (or a great thing to have more than a few of!).

At the end of the day I am now reminiscing of my wonderful nursing years with SAP and looking forward to the future little one we hope to bring into our home one day, thank you Leading Lady for such a great product!  The only thing I would change would be offering the cami in a few additional tones to choose from other than natural, color is always nice to have depending on what you feel like that day (and if you had not gotten much sleep due to a very hungry little one every couple hours during the night, sometimes you need brown or black to help you through the day!).

What SAPsMaMa Loves about Leading Lady’s Organic Nursing wear:

• Organic, so no yucky pesticides etc. used in the materials of the clothing!
• The materials are high quality cotton, and the making of the products is very durable in the areas that need it more!
• Sizing worked great for me as a smaller-size nursing mom, with lots of room for those who are larger sized during nursing!
• The cami does not look like a nursing cami, so can be worn as an every day top and pass for one if need-be
• Very comfortable!

Suggestions for Improvement:

• I would love to see additional tones and colors added to the selection of the cami for those who want to wear our wonderful Leading Lady nursing cami alot but feel like a different color sometimes!

Meet Leading Lady

Leading Lady is a premiere intimate apparel company dedicated to creating comfortably functional, remarkably affordable, stylish and easy-to-wear bras, camis and sleepwear.  A family owned and operated business, Leading Lady has been expertly tailoring nursing bras for top brands and retailers across North America for more than 70 years.  For the first time, Leading Lady’s comprehensive line of nursing intimates – including our limited edition 100% organic line – can be purchased directly on LeadingLady.com.

Leading Lady is proud to celebrate “Leading Ladies” everywhere through its products, programs and philanthropic activities.  Leading Lady is dedicated to arming new moms with the support – physically, intellectually and emotionally – they  need to nurture their babies through breastfeeding and committed to supporting a variety of organizations and issues relevant to women across the country.

Connect With Leading Lady

Website: http://www.leadinglady.com/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/LeadingLadyBras

Twitter: https://twitter.com/#!/LeadingLadyBras

Google+: https://plus.google.com/u/0/103448432404002923672/posts

Buy It

You can purchase any any of the Organic Nursing Wear Leading Lady carries as well as any of their Intimate Apparel on the Leading Lady Website!

Specials! Leading Lady has all their Organic Nursing items on sale 10% off right now, and with purchase you will receive a free 2 pack of organic Panties just like those I reviewed!  Now through end of April!

Win It

Leading Lady would like to give one lucky SAPsMaMa follower a free Organic Nursing Cami of their own!  What a wonderful present to yourself for Mother’s Day for any  nursing or expecting Mother!

You can win this great prize in our Green Your Mom Event between May 1st – May 7th with other awesome green products and sponsors to help you enjoy yourself as mothers this Mother’s Day!

Come stop on by the Green Your MomEvent now!

ENTER NOW from 5/1 through 5/7 to win!

The product(s) provided for the review (1 Organic Nursing Cami in natural and 1 set of Organic panties) was sent to me free of charge from the company or the PR agency. The opinions expressed are 100% my own. Text in italics is taken from the sponsor’s website or otherwise cited.  This giveaway is not affiliated, sponsored or endorsed by Facebook in any way.

SAPsMaMa will be joining some wonderful green bloggers to bring you some awesome gifts and products for you to give to a mother or just enjoy yourself this Mother’s Day!

Happy Mothering, EcoCrazy Mom and Simple City Life are excited to bring you the Green Your Mom Giveaway Hop, which runs from May 1, 2012 12:01 AM EST to May 7, 2012 11:59 PM EST and are accepting signups now.

Featured sponsors include as of now UncommonGoods.com and Leading Lady Organics, with 2 prize packages for 2 winners for those with children already and those expecting!

If you are looking to sponsor for this event please contact me ASAP at sapsmama at yahoo dot com.

Check out our Sponsor Spotlight reviews:

UncommonGoods Review of GrowBottle and Whiskey Stones

Leading Lady Organic review on Organic Nursing Cami and Panties (will be posted soon, please check back in a day or so!)

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Enter at this link:   {Link will be provided once the event starts}

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Ah Mother’s Day, the one day a year we get to relax, do what we want, and feel the love and thanks of our family for all we’ve done! For those of you with little ones as young as SAP is (3 years old), mother’s day has yet to yield those results, but that doesn’t mean you can’t get yourself something special! I know SAPsDaDa would treat me if he could, but he “never knows what I want”…. I think it’s a guy thing! So while shopping for gift ideas for mother’s day for my own Mother I decided to make a list for him of thoughtful gifts I would love myself, and realized that so many of my favorites I’ve been dying to get my hands on come from UncommonGoods.com!  Everything from their personalized jewelry to their unique wall art, there is something for every mother!

This Custom Fingerprint wall art is truly one of a kind!  Thinking perfect bridal shower gift!

I was first introduced to Uncommon Goods when I was looking into awesome kids gifts and reviewed their Constructive Eating set and Cate and Levi Purse Pal SAP loves!  Since then I got hooked window-shopping every week when I get their email newsletter in my inbox and read their uncommon knowledge facts, vote for their future products, and see what’s new in their store!  I’m usually a very simple person, but realized when I was able to choose my own Mother’s Day Gifts I had a very difficult time narrowing it down with so many great choices all in one place!  I  mean, when a company has not only unique items but also upcycled, recycled, and eco-friendly products all in one place, how is a mama supposed to choose?!

The Growbottle and Whiskey Stones were both wonderful Mother’s Day gifts made in the USA!

After much debate I chose a couple items I thought were very much “me”!  Uncommon Goods had a great selection of herb planters and one in particular stood out to me as fully “green”…the Growbottle!  Made from an upcycled wine bottle and with eco-friendly, non-toxic supplies like clay and wool,  you can grow your very own herbal garden!  Even better, the seeds offered are organic!  I choose organic basil since that is the herb I use most often throughout the entire year save for my herbs for teas, and now I will have my own little herb plant to take care of!

Made from an up-cycled wine bottle, this planter is truly eco-friendly and unique!

The instructions for set up of the growbottle were very easy and well illustrated, I was impressed at how simple everything was and how everything fit together so perfectly!  I had been worried about possible sharp edges on the bottle since it was cut in half but no need was warranted it was rounded and looked great set up!

All the pieces from the growbottle!  The instructions were very easy to follow and everything was well labeled.

The first couple weeks the growbottle just needs a warm area to sprout, so I have it displayed on my bed’s  headboard but intend to move it to our window sill come summer warmth.  It is great having something all my own, these days it feels like everything is shared with the daughter or hubby!  That’s my favorite thing about the growbottle as a mother’s day gift besides it’s up-cycled nature.

My growbottle on my headboard all set up!  I can’t wait for the seeds to start to grow!

The second “me” item I chose is a bit unconventional as a mother’s day gift, but I think is perfect for me and many other Moms out there!  Uncommon Goods carries a nice selection of what are called Whiskey Stones, which are basically soap stone used to cool off a drink instead of ice or plastic cubes.  I am an avid whiskey drinker but did a big no-no and kept it in the fridge to keep it chilled.  Wrong thing to do with whiskey!  The same thing applies with wines as well, wine just like whiskey should be stored at a cool but not chilled temperature for the best taste.

A very distinctive look, the Whiskey Stones will set you apart at the party, or just let you enjoy a glass at home!

Though not as often as I’d like the nights I get to relax after SAP finally falls asleep in her bed I grab a glass of wine to unwind and enjoy with a cutting board of cheese and crackers….yum!  When I saw the Whiskey Stones at Uncommon Goods I knew this was my answer to my whiskey and wine dilemma and the perfect gift for me for Mother’s Day:  something I would use often to enjoy my myself and the little time I get to myself!

The stones came with a nice bag to keep them in and I liked the little map of where they were made that was on the package!

The set came with 9 square soap stones in a small tote bag and I’m personally starting to think soap stones will become more commonly used in our household over regular ice!  Since receiving the stones in their nicely displayed box and prepping them in the freezer I not only have used them to cool my whiskey (now stored at room temperature instead of our fridge!), or a glass of wine at the end of the day, but also for regular drinks too from white grape juice to our make-at-home soda!  We like how they cool off the drinks but do not make them too chilly to drink, and best of all, don’t water down our drinks.  Another upside we hadn’t considered with the whiskey stones is that you don’t have to “make” them.  Ice has to be made, but the stones can just be put in and taken out of the freezer, there is less prep in them and so one less thing to do when cleaning the kitchen!

Nothing like a glass of wine to relax!  The stones worked great with my Wisconsin wine, chilled it without watering them down!

The stones are made from natural soapstone, so quite eco-friendly and non-toxic, perfect for a more natural family (it seems to be perfect for mine!).  My main worry about the stones was that they might crack our glass cups when dropped into the glass, but I have come to realize that is pretty unlikely to happen.  The edges of the stones are rounded and the soapstone is not too heavy, especially if the stones are put in before pouring your drink in the cup there is no worry at all!  It was an experiment to find out how many stones to use in a glass and know now a minimum of 2 or 3, so if you are drinking a small glass of wine they will take up a fair amount of room….fair reason to refill the glass when you are done!  Overall these worked great for our needs and the look they provide in our drinks gives it a more distinctive look I can’t wait to try out when company is visiting!

Thanks to Uncommon Goods I’ve had a great Mother’s Day even before Mothers Day, and I am looking forward to many years of happy mother’s days now with hubby knowing my “uncommon” taste in gifts!

What SAPsMaMa Loves About UncommonGood’s GrowBottle and Whiskey Stones:

• The Growbottle upcycled an old wine bottle, so you are reducing waste and reusing!
• Very unique, both products are very distinctive and show the personality of the owner!
• Both products are non-toxic and use only eco-friendly substances
• Both these products (as well as a majority of other Uncommon Goods products) are made in the USA!
• Both gave me something I as a Mom can enjoy for myself, something every Mother needs every now and then!
• I like Uncommon Good’s Commitment to the Environment and their Uncommon Mission!  I agree, sustainability does start with integrity in everything you do!  It shows!

Suggestions For Improvement:

• I would love if Whiskey Stones were offered in other shapes as “Wine Stones” such as in heart or flower shape, perfect for the wine glass
• I like how GrowBottle offers a replant kit if you need it, but I think additional seeds and nutrients would  be great for the herbs just in case it is needed.  A wider variety of organic herbs would be wonderful too so I could expand my collection!

Meet Uncommon Goods

Uncommon Goods is an online marketplace offering creatively designed, high-quality merchandise at affordable prices. At UncommonGoods, we believe that creativity and the expression of individuality represent two great human treasures. We have set out to create a business that makes uncommon goods accessible to everyone.

UncommonGoods presents shoppers with an array of special features that make shopping at UncommonGoods an entertaining, convenient, and uncommon experience. These features include handmade goods, featured artists, uncommon knowledge, commitment to the environment and the better to give program.

Connect With Uncommon Goods

Website: http://www.uncommongoods.com/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/uncommongoods

Twitter: https://twitter.com/#!/uncommongoods

Google+: https://plus.google.com/117195462200193731090/posts

Buy It

You can purchase any of the unique and great “uncommon” items from Uncommon Goods on their Website!

Win It

Uncommon Goods would like to give one lucky SAPsMaMa follower a $50 Gift Certificate to their store to pick out your own unique Mother’s Day Gift!

You can win this great prize in our Green Your Mom Event between May 1st – May 7th with other awesome green products and sponsors to help you enjoy yourself as mothers this Mother’s Day!

Come stop on by the Green Your MomEvent now!

ENTER NOW from 5/1 through 5/7 to win!

This giveaway is open to US ONLY!

The product(s) provided for the review (1 GrowBottle and 1 set of Whiskey Stones) was sent to me free of charge from the company or the PR agency. The opinions expressed are 100% my own. Text in italics is taken from the sponsor’s website or otherwise cited.  This giveaway is not affiliated, sponsored or endorsed by Facebook in any way.

Unfortunately college only demanded more time, and post-college work to keep the family going and SAP turning into a very mobile, active, and high-strung 3 year old all came together to bring me into the worst shape I have been in save for medical recovery after an accident.  I love to work out, look forward the feeling, enjoy the companionship of others who do the same, but most days it seems like less of a priority than spending time with my little girl or picking up extra hours at work to pay the bills.  Time goes by and I don’t realize how long it had been between work outs.

When I heard of Dustin Maher’s Fit Moms For Life program through a fellow mom blogger I was intrigued.  Could there be a fitness regimen out there that could help motivate me and my family to get more active and get out of this rut?  I was excited to find out!  The subtitle of the book is “How to Have Endless Energy to Outplay Your Kids”…what mom wouldn’t love that?!

The first couple chapters in the book surprised me…it wasn’t about an exercise program, it was all about YOU.  It was about your mindset, about setting goals and what you should be striving for and why, it was about realizing what is holding you back and how to move forward.  I found I went back to these chapters after starting the program as they were very inspirational.  Reading them first definitely got me the motivation I was looking for to change and to figure out how to do it, so I was ready to go to section 2!

Before starting the program Dustin Maher asks you to do a “before” assessment to see where you stand.  Now, I’m a smaller women, I knew I had gained some weight and I wasn’t able to run a marathon or lift the weights I could back in high school, but I thought until this point I was still above average fitness for a mom.  The Fitness Reality Check did just that: brought me down to reality.  It made me realize just how much I had slipped and pushed my own health and fitness down thinking I was doing what was needed for my family, when in reality my family needed me to be healthy, fit, and mentally well to take care of them well.  I was average or below average in every test!  Though disappointed in myself it also made me realize things had to change, and with the support and motivation Dustin’s program held it felt like it was the program for me in my busy working-mom lifestyle!

Dustin Maher, gasp… a guy? Yes, he is known as America’s Trainer To Moms, and has been recognized as one of the top fitness professionals in the world at getting moms back into shape after kids.

Now I am committed.  No I have not worked out every day, overhauled my diet and meal choices, or felt like walking on a beach in a bikini anytime soon, but I am slowly working my way into a more fit lifestyle for me and for my family.  I have made an appointment at my local YMCA to get my Body Composition Analysis and learn my body-fat percentage, I have started to keep a food journal (suggested to do just for a week, not for long periods of time) and learned more of my eating habits I feel I have been hiding from, and I have stopped using fatigue or my family as an excuse to not exercise.  This program brings a whole new idea to getting in shape, there is a lot less cardio, less restrictions on diet, more weight training, and overall just a focus on the whole body, including the mind.

I am on my way!  I think that is why I feel Fit Moms for Life will work for me, because it is a program designed for busy families, for moms with busy lives, who need the motivation and program designed just for them. This is no longer about looking good in a little black dress for the one day a year we can afford a nice date night, this is about having the energy and mental abilities to take care of my family, and it’s about being a great example for my daughter so she grows up in an active lifestyle where family days are bike rides and not always sitting in front of a TV.  I am excited!

With today’s society’s concerns over rising obesity, heart problems, and diabetes I feel we need more programs like Fit Moms for Life, where the focus is not about being skinny but for individuals of all shapes and sizes to become more fit, to the ability or need they feel is right for them, in their own personal ways.  Everyone is busy, everyone is always on the run, so instead of starving yourself cutting calories at lunch or getting up early to run on a treadmill to feel like it hasn’t made any difference at all in your body learn how to better take care of yourself and your family, and this book can help tremendously.  The stories of success from so many different women are so inspirational and I feel I can connect to their struggles and success!  Hopefully one day I can be one of them!

If you think Dustin’s Fit Moms For Life book and program can help you, it’s your lucky day, because he would love to give away a free Fit Moms For Life book to help you on your way in your journey, we all try to live more natural and green because it is not only better for the planet but for our bodies (uck, all those chemicals!), but don’t forget not all “natural” food is really good for you, natural food can still be processed, still contain fats, carbs, and proteins, a fit lifestyle can benefit your green lifestyle tremendously!

Meet Fit Moms For Life

FIT MOMS FOR LIFE chronicles the successes of 31 mothers who used Dustin’s fitness and weight loss program with stellar successes. Armed with personal stories with before and after photos, Dustin takes the reader through the five pillars of fitness: Mindset, Nutrition, Strength Training, Burst Training, and Environment. Ultimately leading to the end goal: Staying Fit for Life.

Fit Moms for Life is perfect for Mothers (and women in general) who want a fitness program that works. Dustin Maher says:

 
• Traditional Cardio Doesn’t Lose Fat
• You Can’t Work Out to Compensate for Poor Eating
• See Results 9 Times Faster With Burst Training
• Learn ONE Exercise That Shrinks a Waistline WITHOUT diet changes
• Burn Fat While You Sleep
• A Healthy Environment Equals A More Fit Family

Connect With Fit Moms For Life

Fit Moms For Life Website: http://fitmomsforlife.com/

Dustin Maher’s Website: http://www.dustinmaherfitness.com

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/FitMomsForLife

Buy It

You can purchase the Fit Moms For Life book (and it’s 4 free bonuses!) at the Fit Moms For Life Website!

Win It

Dustin would love to give one SAPsMaMa follower a Fit Moms For Life book of their own!

This giveaway is open to US  and Canada!!

Enter

Please enter using the RaffleCopter form below!  This is a very simple, easy, and quick way to enter that will allow me to verify entries quicker and keep your information private!  If there is any issues with the entry form  feel free to email me at sapsmama at yahoo dot com or on facebook/twitter for assistance.

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We love our pizza nights, but with being a full-time working Mom it is tough to fit the time into my schedule.  Think about it….waiting for pizza dough to rise takes time, mixing together and frying up the sausage takes time…then chopping all those veggies!  I want to have a family pizza night but it has become few and far between each month now.  That is why I was happy to try out Annie’s new Rising Crust organic pizza!

Even on the box the pizza looks good enough to eat!

Annie’s new frozen pizza was the first frozen pizza that met my standards for what I would feed my family.  All real ingredients, nothing artificial, whole grains all the way, and completely 100% USDA certified organic!  So the other night I worked late and SAPsDaDa was just tired of cooking, I felt a family pizza night would help us all unwind and enjoy ourselves.  So I picked up an Annie’s 4 Cheese pizza from our Whole Foods store and we were able to still have our family pizza night!

I love the crust on this pizza…something I have not been able to  master in my own pizzas!  The blend of cheeses is really yummy too!

I was really surprised at Annie’s pizza….for a frozen pizza it did not taste that way!  Being from Wisconsin I can taste the difference in good cheese and cheap cheese and the four cheese pizza really was delish.  I was sad our Whole Foods was out of the Pepperoni I would have loved to try but that saved me the argument on why I didn’t get SAPsDaDa his sausage!  The crust was great for being whole grain, which is good for the kiddos out there who are picky and won’t eat whole grain foods for the taste, Annie’s pizza tastes great you wouldn’t know it’s healthier for you!

Overall, my family was impressed with Annie’s Organic rising crust pizza’s, they will surely become a regular “alternative” to our pizza nights, giving us an option to relax and take a night off from the kitchen without sacrificing the quality of food we eat!  Food can be convenient and good for you and still be great!  SAP can testify to that!

SAP loves Annie’s 4-cheese Organic Pizza!

What SAPsMaMa Loves about Annie’s Homegrown Organic Rising Crust Frozen Pizza:

• USDA certified organic ingredients
• Whole grain, heart healthy!
• No artificial colors or flavors, it’s all real!
• Tastes great!
• Convenience of a frozen pizza with the taste of a fresh pizza

Suggestions For Improvement:

• I would love to see a sausage/pepperoni half and half pizza for families who can’t agree!
• A larger family size pizza….until then I’ll just have to buy 2!

Meet Annie’s Homegrown

For more than 20 years, Annie’s has been nourishing families with simple, down-to-earth foods that taste great and are easy to love.  They’ve sought out the best ingredients Mother Earth has to offer harvesting pure, natural flavors to make delicious foods every family can feel good about.

Connect With Annie’s Homegrown

Website: http://www.annies.com/pizza/

Facebook: facebook.com/annieshomegrown

Buy It

You can purchase the Annie’s Homegrown organic rising crust frozen pizza at your local Whole Foods market!

Win It

Annie’s Pizza would love to give away an organic rising crust pizza to 3 SAPsMaMa followers!  That means 3 of you will win this awesome yummy pizza to share with your family!

This giveaway is open to US only, with access to a Whole Foods (to redeem your coupon for your prize)

Enter

Please enter using the RaffleCopter form below!  This is a very simple, easy, and quick way to enter that will allow me to verify entries quicker and keep your information private!  If there is any issues with the entry form  feel free to email me at sapsmama at yahoo dot com or on facebook/twitter for assistance.

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