Rainforest Alliance Week - Starts Today - Find Out How Consumers Can Help Make the Planet Greener

Eco Living

Today is the start of Rainforest Alliance Week both locally and in cyberspace. As a family that loves nature and lives as green a life as much as we possibly can, I feel compelled to pass that bit of news on to like-minded readers. Come to think of it, the rest of the world -- especially children and families -- would definitely benefit from having the knowledge of what this save the environment effort is all about, too.

This awareness campaign is being orchestrated by the Rainforest Alliance, an organization that -- according to their website -- "Works to conserve biodiversity and ensure sustainable livelihoods by transforming land-use practices, business practices and consumer behavior."

Beginning on Monday, September 19, look for the official little green frog in stores and cafes, in the media, and on Facebook and Twitter posts.

My triplets & big brother just loved these real South American Parrots
Vintage photo

Read on to find out how consumers can get in on all the fun and games about a very serious concern.

But, first, watch the funny video below that was just released today by Rainforest Alliance about the "hazards" that await shoppers at the grocery store!


Here are just a few of the many other ways you and your kids can get involved

What things have you done or are doing to help save rainforests as well as to do your part for a greener world? I hope you'll share your comments and activities with the rest of us.
FTC Disclosure: I support eco friendly initiatives such as this one and am committed to doing my part to educating the public about ways to live a more green lifestyle. However, MommyBlogExpert did not receive any payment or other compensation associated with this post. See complete FTC Disclosure information that appears at the bottom of MommyBlogExpert's main page and at the bottom of every individual post on this blog, including this one.
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Foodiacs Newest Online Community for Foodies Launches with Fun Kids Mushroom Garden Kit

Gardening

Whenever I discover a really great find, I have to share it with my readers. That's definitely the case with Foodiacs -- the newest online community for foodies -- and their partnership with Back to the Roots. Currently Foodiacs is running a Grow Your Own Mushroom Garden 3 Box Special for $40 that's shipped directly to your home. Whether you love gourmet cooking and would just like to really get some locally grown produce or you have kids and you want to do something fun, educational and healthy together, this garden in a box that produces up to one and a half pounds of tasty, nutritious pearl oyster mushrooms is just the thing. No green thumb is needed, all you do is follow the easy directions this comes with.
Image provided by Back to the Roots

Would be mushroom growers can always buy this growing set, as well as several other products, direct from Back to the Roots at the regular price of $19.95/box. But, if you purchase two mushroom garden boxes through the Foodiacs site up until 11:59 am EST on September 20, you'll receive a third box and classroom curriculum to be donated to the school of your choice.


My own Back to the Roots garden box just arrived in the mail today. In fact the inner plastic bag filled with 100% coffee grounds growing medium and the beginnings of what I hope will be a bumper crop of tasty mushrooms is submerged in a bucket of cold water for 24 hours right now, as it says on the directions. Stay tuned to hear about the results of our first-time foray into mushroom growing -- We could be harvesting our first crop in less than 2 weeks.





FTC Disclosure: Back to the Roots provided me with a mushroom growing kit. However, MommyBlogExpert did not receive any payment or other compensation associated with this post. See complete FTC Disclosure information that appears at the bottom of MommyBlogExpert's main page and at the bottom of every individual post on this blog, including this one.
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Evenflo SimplyGo Breast Pump Review

Review, Giveaway

MBE partnered with Evenflo Feeding for this review and giveaway

Baby Nursing Aid for Expectant, New Moms 


I can't express how excited I am about this Evenflo SimplyGo Breast Pump giveaway. That's because as a mom of four born within a year -- including triplets plus one more -- few mothers could be a bigger fan than I am both about nursing naturally and using a breast pump to supplement baby feedings. 

Though my own babies have since grown into teens, I still continue to spread the word to today's young new mothers that breast milk is still the healthiest nutrition option for your growing child. That's not even to mention that the milk is free when you produce it yourself while formula might be convenient to use but you will have to pay dearly for it.
 

Portable Breast Pump for Nursing Moms
EvenFlo SimplyGo Single Pump


For sure, breast pumps are a great way for your baby to still benefit from your natural milk when you are at work, traveling, or just out for the evening with your dear hubbie for a few hours of BCTT (before children together time).  A pump is certainly a welcome virtual assistant for you to extract milk during those times when you might need to be away when your baby is hungry.

Just imagine, if you have a pump. While you get a good night's sleep, DH can get up in the middle of the night and bottle feed that darling newborn with your fresh breast milk. It freezes well, too, so you can stock up on it for use when you must be away from your child for extended periods.


Boy Girl Girl Fraternal Triplets
My Newborn Triplets


Evenflo, a well-respected maker of traditional baby bottles as well as breast pumps and other products, invested two years of research with lactation consultants prior to introducing their new line of SimplyGo Breast Pumps. These include the SimplyGo Single Electric Breast Pump, the SimplyGo Dual Electric Breast Pump, and the SimplyGo Manual Breast Pump. Comfortable and compact in design, these breast pumps are all not only small and meant to be handheld, they are also portable, convenient, and are mall enough to fit in a diaper bag for the occasional pumping mom.

Product Features
  • BPA free
  • Single and Dual pump models with various accessories included
  • Quiet operation, running on 3 AA batteries or AC adapter
  • All 3 models available at Walmart, Kmart, and Burlington
  • Single pump also may be purchased at Babies R Us, Target and select food and drug stores
  • Single Pump, $44.99 SRP; Dual Pump, $59.99 SRP

Don't miss your chance to WIN
the Evenflo SimplyGo
Single Electric Breast Pump
Evenflo Manual Single Breast Pump

Giveaway Entry Details


Leave a comment(s) below this post. Contest ends October 3, 2011 at 12 midnite PST and is open to legal residents of the U.S. only. One winner will be selected at random from all entries and will be notified via email.

Required (Mandatory) Entry
Simply leave a comment below this blogpost saying what you like best about the featured product. Don't forget to include your email address, Facebook or Twitter contact info in the comment section so the winner can be contacted.

Additional Extra Entries
Get extra entries to win for doing any combination of the easy options listed below. Just be sure to return to MommyBlogExpert (MBE) to leave an additional comment after each individual extra action you do to confirm so we can record all your extra chances to win.

1.  Follow @mommyblogexpert on Twitter
2. Like @mommyblogexpert on Facebook
3. Follow @evenflofeeding on Twitter
5. Like @evenflofeeding on Facebook

Super ***Bonus Entries***
You can earn even MORE chances to win each time you TWEET the message below, up to 3 times each day. Don't forget to return to leave a comment on this post with the direct link right after every Tweet you do so you'll receive an entry for each of your RTs.

TWEET:
Evenflo SimplyGo Breast Pump GRAND GIVEAWAY ~ http://tinyurl.com/3utcbbr #baby #nursing #newborn Pls RT

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FTC Disclosure: Evenflo is providing the prize for this giveaway. However, MommyBlogExpert did not receive any payment or other compensation associated with this post. See complete FTC Disclosure information that appears at the bottom of MommyBlogExpert's main page and at the bottom of every individual post on this blog, including this one.
Location: Los Angeles, CA, USA

Free Modern Craft Ideas for Old-Fashioned Favorite Play-Doh That Inspire Children & Kid-Like Adults

Arts & Crafts

Chances are that if you are age 60 or younger, you probably played with Play-Doh when you were a child. And, if you are a mom or dad, your child aged 3 or older probably has too. As a Baby Boomer, I know I sure whiled away many hours with this creative craft toy both at school and at home back in the day.  My own sons and daughters have also enjoyed this pliable, non-toxic clay.  Here's something you might not know, though. Play-Doh -- which is a classic brand owned by Hasbro Toys -- wasn't originally invented to be a moldable play thing for youngsters. It was actually first patented to be used as a wallpaper cleaning product!
Play-Doh 4" Pizza & Box I made
iPhone Photo by Janis Brett Elspas, MommyBlogExpert.com

As the story goes, it was those very same properties of  a toxic-free product that was also easy to clean up that turned this simple wallpaper cleaner into Play-Doh, one of the most-beloved toy brands of childhood in the U.S. since it was first introduced in 1956. When I was little, there were only a limited number of colors of clay available. Today, the brand makes not only many dozens of different hues of crafting dough in various packaging options, Play-Doh also markets a range of fun play sets such as the Twirl 'N Top Pizza Shop and others.

So, when I was invited to play with and write about the innovative free art craft activity section of the Play-Doh site, it didn't take much convincing before I say yes. After exploring the site during the past week, I can assure you it's loaded with all kinds of new ideas and directions for making lots of great projects.  Easily searchable, you can select projects at the beginner, intermediate, and advanced levels. If you're like me, the only hard part will be  deciding what to make first.

Play-Doh Case of Colors
iPhone Photo by Janis Brett Elspas, MommyBlogExpert.com

To test the Play-Doh Play-Dates site, I made the Pizza and box project that you see pictured at the top of this post. I have to admit that playing with Play-Doh and then sharing the experience with you, is one of the reasons why I love mommy blogging so much. It's a hard job, but somebody's got to do it. Right?
Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1 Screenshot w/ Play-Doh Pizza Directions
iPhone Photo by Janis Brett Elspas, MommyBlogExpert.com

How To
Just like when you bake or cook, I gathered the recommended supplies together before beginning, which included downloading the PDF and printing out the pizza box template from the Play-Doh site. I also incorporated several handy tools not on the list to make this. These include: the Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1 Tablet so I could use the directions onscreen rather than printing them out to save paper, a ruler to measure the diameter of the pizza to fit in box, popsicle sticks for getting the dough out of the jars to keep the colors as pure as possible, a sharp knife to cut up the tiny toppings, two paper plates (one for the parts, one for the assembly), and paper towels to cover the work surface.

The actual process, illustrated in step by step directions, involved flattening various sizes of Play-Doh balls into disks to form the approximately 4" diameter crust as well as creating a slightly smaller irregular disk for the sauce.  To make the toppings, mini balls of clay were rolled into very thin ropes that were then cut in tiny pieces.

Assorted Jars of Play-Doh Products with Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1 Tablet
iPhone Photo by Janis Brett Elspas, MommyBlogExpert.com

After the individual pizza parts are completed it's simply a matter of laying the sauce disk on top of the crust and then sprinkling on your choice of toppings, which in my case included faux grated cheese and basil since I hate black olives and bell peppers. The last step was to cut out, fold and tape the pizza box together. As a special touch for greater authenticity, I added a small square of wax paper to fit the box bottom and then placed the pizza inside.  Word of caution: this may look good enough to eat, but remember it's really just pretend pizza!             

The quality Play-Doh products, advanced preparation and extra tools used made all the difference. In the end, this particular project was fun, easy and fast to complete -- taking just an hour from start to finish.  After checking out the Play-Doh idea site, my teens can't wait to make some more crafty projects soon.
My son with the finished Play-Doh Pizza in Box
iPhone Photo by Janis Brett Elspas, MommyBlogExpert.com

Without a doubt, there are lots of great Play-Doh products available and so many free projects online to access. With all kinds of occasions when you and/or your children might get together for a craft session -- parties, sleepovers, play dates, and more -- small kids and us big kids at heart  are certain to have a blast.
Play-Doh Products on Display at Target
iPhone Photo by Janis Brett Elspas, MommyBlogExpert.com

Please Comment
What are your own childhood memories about Play-Doh? After seeing some of the new ideas on the company's site, which designs do you like best. Please leave a comment and share.
FTC Disclosure: This post is part of a SocialMoms product evaluation, for which I've been selected. I've been compensated for my time with 8,000 My SocialMoms Rewards Points and will be receiving the Hasbro Pizza Shop playset.  The opinions expressed in this post are mine and don't necessarily reflect the opinions of SocialMoms or Play-Doh. See complete FTC Disclosure information that appears at the bottom of MommyBlogExpert's main page and at the bottom of every individual post on this blog, including this one.
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Scrabble Turbo Slam Game from Hasbro Review & Giveaway - Ends 10/5

Game Review & Giveaway
Entry Details Below - Contest Ends 10/5/11 

Scrabble Turbo Slam by Hasbro is a cool new game for 2-4 players ages 8 and up. This battery powered electronic version is a take off on the half-decade plus old low-tech Scrabble classic that was first trademarked in 1948 by American architect Alfred Mosher Butts, a very clever bespeckled guy born in 1899.  The newest Scrabble version takes the word building game to a new level in 2011.

iPhone Photo by Janis Brett Elspas, MommyBlogExpert.com

This game is really as fun as it looks for the whole family to play together. Young and old will definitely enjoy this throughout the year. But, this might be just the thing that gets tweens and teens excited about participating in Family Game Night 's get-togethers in homes across America on September 28, too. To help you get ready for the big night, parents will be pleased to know Hasbro is making this annual event even sweeter by offering $80 in coupon savings right now on any of their popular games.

My family -- including triplets, age 14, and big brother 15 -- tried this out for the first time this week. There are so many good things about this, here are just a few that we liked best about Scrabble Turbo Slam:
  • Installation of 3 AAA batteries (not included) and set up for game play takes just about a minute. Just don't forget to have a phillips screwdriver on hand to put them in.
  • You can throw away the paper box that this comes in at the store because there's a little drawer built right into the electronic gadget to stow all the playing cards
  • Even the directions that fit right in the hard built-in plastic box with the cards are quick and easy to read, so you can be playing this 5 minutes after you open the box
  • My kids love the game because it really is fun and fast-paced with all kinds of music and sound effects that are so energizing
  • As a mom, I like this game because it's educational and it gets us together for quality family time
Still not convinced that this will capture your skeptical kid's attention and get him off his laptop for awhile? Then watch this 30 second YouTube demo of the game and some of it's really awesome sound effects. Listen really carefully and you'll even hear our Miniature Pinscher barking, LOL!


My 15 year-old stars in this Scrabble Turbo Slam YouTube Demo
iPhone Movie by Janis Brett Elspas, MommyBlogExpert.com

Scrabble Turbo Slam from Hasbro Games, $14.99, is available for purchase starting Fall 2011 online and at mass merchandise retailers nationwide.

Scrabble Turbo Slam
GIVEAWAY
iPhone Photo  by Janis Brett Elspas, MommyBlogExpert.com

HOW TO ENTER
Leave a comment(s) below this post. Contest ends October 5, 2011 at 12 midnite PST and is open to legal residents of the U.S. only. Winners will be selected at random from all entries and will be notified via email.

Required (Mandatory) Entry
Simply leave a comment below this blogpost saying what you like best about the game reviewed. Don't forget to include your email address, Facebook or Twitter contact info in the comment section so the winner can be contacted.

Additional Extra Entries
Get extra entries to win for doing any combination of the easy options listed below. Just be sure to return to MommyBlogExpert (MBE) to leave an additional comment after each individual extra action you do to confirm so we can record all your extra chances to win.

1.  Follow MBE on Twitter
2. Like MBE on Facebook
3. Subscribe to MommyBlogExpert
4. Follow FamilyGameNight on Twitter
5. Like Hasbro FamilyGameNight on Facebook

Super ***Bonus Entries***
You can earn even MORE chances to win each time you TWEET the message below, up to 3 times each day. Don't forget to return to leave a comment on this post with the direct link right after every Tweet you do so you'll receive an entry for each of your RTs.

Scrabble Turbo Slam Review & GIVEAWAY ~ Ideal electronic #game for @FamilyGameNight http://tinyurl.com/4yx3ak5 #Hasbro #teens Pls RT





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FTC Disclosure: Hasbro gave me the game to facilitate this review. In addition, Hasbro is providing the giveaway prize. However, MommyBlogExpert did not receive any payment or other compensation associated with this post. See complete FTC Disclosure information that appears at the bottom of MommyBlogExpert's main page and at the bottom of every individual post on this blog, including this one.
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