Maternal Birth Kits for Haiti

How Maternal Birth Kits for Haiti are making a difference

About a month ago, I posted in the PND community about a great project making maternal birth kits for Haiti. I had learned about this through the business Delicate Fortress Creations.  They were working on a project for Craft Hope creating bags to distribute to midwives in Haiti.  At that time, the project was in progress.  It has now been completed, and with great success.

The business helping Maternal Birth Kits for Haiti happen:

Delicate Fortress is a business dedicated to stopping human trafficking, poverty and slavery. They believe in shopping with a purpose in order to make a difference in someone else’s life.  Each item on their website is aimed toward one of these goals.  When you buy a product from their website, you will know that your purchase has helped to enrich the life of another. When they found out about the project for Haiti, it seemed like a perfect opportunity to get involved in a different way.

Each bag contains various items including alcohol swabs, soap, string, plastic sheeting, a blanket and a small stuffed toy.  These items may not seem like much, but go a long way toward creating a more sterile environment for a Haitian baby to enter the world.  Delicate Fortress hoped to be able to meet their goal, through donations of money and handcrafted items, by creating 100 Maternal Birth Kits for Haiti bags to send to the project.

 

Close to the deadline they had only received enough donations for about 30 bags, it was a bit discouraging.  However, the last few days of the project saw their number jump to 88.  This was still short of their goal, but was clearly an improvement.  As it turned out, due to discounts they were able to get, the donated monies stretch further and made it to 102 kits.  Karyn, from Delicate Fortress, bought soap bars at Target and when the manager found out what she needed so many for, he gave her a 15% discount.  She also received a discount for the fabric from fabric.com. Things were looking up.

In addition to the kits donated from Delicate Fortress, a church youth group got involved.  The McLane Church youth group in Edinboro, PA was able to create 295 kits! The kids were excited and worked hard for this accomplishment.  What a great way for them to learn about the joys of giving to others.

There was also extra donation money left over from the project earmarked for postage.  As a result Delicate Fortress was able to apply that toward a November sponsorship of a 15 year old slave girl in Haiti, named Benitha.

Karyn has indicated they will continue to sell Maternal Birth Kits for Haiti with an in your honor card that can be sent to the recipient.  This is an alternative gift giving option that allows you to give a gift to a friend {or for Mother’s Day} while also giving a gift to an expecting mother in Haiti.

She is currently working on new project ideas, and wants to do something focused on child exploitation.  You can stay updated on the Delicate Fortress Blog to see if there might be anything you can do to help once new projects are underway.

The maternal birth kits for Haiti were a big success, and those who participated know how rewarding it was to participate in the project.  Do not miss the next chance to do something big for someone else.  It is true that a few people working together can make a difference in the lives of many.

Do you know of a similar Maternal Birth Kits for Haiti story?

Eco Savvy Valentine’s Day

If you are doing things right in your relationship, Valentine’s Day will be a day you celebrate love in your life.  It doesn’t need to be reduced to a trite greeting card holiday.

Around our home V-Day isn’t a HUGE deal, but hubby always makes sure he shows up to the game.

 

Here are a few  ideas to get you started!

Organic Flowers

A quick google search will likely yield a few  local flower growers.  If that fails try California Organic Flowers.  They offer both USDA & California certification.  A fine way to add some extra beauty to your bouquet!

Fair Trade Chocolates

Your chocolate will be a little smoother if it’s fair trade & organic too.  Check out Sweet Earth Chocolates for a great selection of organic, fair trade and even a few vegan options!

Diamonds

You can’t go wrong with Diamonds…unless you forget one of the c’s of diamond buying.  We’ve all  heard of the 4 c’s of diamond shopping, cut, clarity, carat and color, now there is a 5th c to look out for (or there should be anyway!) – Conscious.  Be sure if diamonds are on your list that you ensure they are conflict free.  Retailers may not be able to truly guarantee a diamond is actually conflict free – asking the question will send a strong message to jewelry retailers.

But… if homespun is more your style.. check this out:

Homemade Conversation Hearts

Check out this great DIY family friendly Valentines Day project that I spotted on La Jolla Mom’s website.  Did you know you could make homemade Conversation Hearts.  Use natural flavors and coloring to improve this February candy tradition.

Whatever you do this year for Valentine’s Day make to celebrate the love in your life.

Allison Mooney Design Jewelry: Review

By Tania Reuben

I love Etsy!  Their motto is Buy, Sell and Live Handmade.  Those who aren’t familiar need to check it out!  Etsy is a site for designers and artists to list and sell their wares.  One of the best parts about buying from an Etsy vendor is knowing that you are a part of truly supporting the person who made your item. My only problem with Etsy is there are so many vendors you can sometimes get lost browsing for hours.

One of my favorite finds on etsy this year is Allison Mooney Designs – CLICK HERE – to view her etsy shop.  Allison creates beautiful Jewelry, browsing through her site I wish I had most of her designs in my collection.

When she sent me a pair of her White Topaz and Filigreed Sterling Silver Drop Earringsto review I was thrilled.  So thrilled that I couldn’t chose on just one of her designs and had to order a pair of the Brushed Vermeil Trapeze Earrings too!  I’m glad that I did, the Trapeze Earrings are comfortable enough to wear all day long, super light and delicate yet dressy enough to wear out for date night.

The Silver Drop Earrings are gorgeous.  They are exrta light and comfortable. Dressy enough to wear at a cocktail party, but you could just as easily wear them with jeans and a t-shirt to add a little sparkle.  You do need to take care with the drop earrings, they will tangle if not stored correctly and you may find yourself spending a minute or two setting the dangle straight, such is the life of any dangle earring.

Allison’s designs are whimsical, elegant and have a timeless feel to them.  At the same time her pieces are perfectly current. Achieving that balance is a remarkable feet in design! I’m sure it was this balance that caught the eyes of Nordstrom buyers where her jewelry has sold.

Allison is a vendor with Nordstrom, but hasn’t shipped any new styles to them this year.  Her focus has shifted from volume production to motherhood.   She has missed attending Nordstrom trunk shows where she was able to meet her customers, socialize, and showcase over 200 pieces  allowing her to show her full range.

Allison is thankful for the positive response to her jewelry & her etsy store. She loves having a creative outlet that allows her to help support her family while still enabling her to be with her daughter during the day.

The holidays are Allison’s busiest time of the year, so she is grateful to have a supportive husband who steps up to the plate.  Taking care of the majority of the cooking, cleaning AND babywrangling.  Allison claims he’s her biggest fan, but I might have to fight him for that position!

Allison squeezes in her business with support from her husband, between baby naps (she’s lucky that little Mooney continues to take 2 naps!) and by sacrificing sleep, often staying up till midnight to complete orders during the holidays.

Take a few minutes to browse Allison’s store – you’ll be sure to find something you can’t resist!  If Santa didn’t bring you something shiny this year, pick out something yourself.

Congratulations to Carrie C, the winner of this great prize!

WIN a $30 Gift Certificate to Allison Mooney Designs!

HOW TO ENTER:

There are a few ways you can enter, leave separate comments for each entry.

Mandatory:

Become an Email Subscriber to PND using the form in the sidebar.

- The subscription must be confirmed. You will receive and email that you must reply to for your entry to be valid.

- Already a confirmed Subscriber. Complete any one of the additional entries options – Leave a comment letting Diva know you’re subscriber name and the entry option you selected.

Additional Entries

1. Go to Allison Mooney Desings at Etsy and share your favorite design here! I promise it will be tough to keep it to one!

2. Stumble, Digg, Kirsty, or Technorati favorite this post. Leave a comment with your name and the link.

3. Follow @purenaturaldiva (use link on the sidebar) on twitter. Leave your twittername in a separate comment.

4. Become a Fan of Pure Natural Diva & Allison Mooney Designs on Facebook. Post this giveaway as an update, leave your FB Name or Name with a copy of your update in a separate comment. One entry for each.

5. Tweet this giveaway. Copy and paste “WIN Gorgeous Handmade Baubles!!! Diva Giveaway: $30 Gift Certificate from Allison Mooney Designs http://bit.ly/52PMSh @purenaturaldiva”. Then come back and leave the direct link to your tweet (go to your twitter account, click on the words when your tweet was sent (ie. 5 seconds ago) and copy and paste that link in comments.

6. Write a post on your blog linking to my blog and to the – Good for two entries. Leave this comment twice so you get both entries!

This giveaway will run through midnight on Dec 30, 2009 PDT, with winner being announced December 30, 2009. Winner will be chosen using Random.org from all valid entries and notified via email. Winner will have 24 hours to contact me before another winner is chosen.

Giveaway is open to residents of the U.S and Canada.

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target=”_blank”>Click here to see the entire Blog Hop List….

Sprig Toys Dolphin Explorer Boat: Review

Founded in 2007 by an award winning trio of toy veterans Sprig Toys set out to create toys that would inspire children’s imaginations, be responsibly manufactured and green.  A tall order in the toy industry.

In a few short years they have made their mark.  Winning prestigious awards like, Oppenheim Toy Portfolio Platinum Award 2009, Creative Toy Award from Creative Child Magazine, Dr. Toy’s 100 best toy products of 2008 and others. This company has had a busy few years!

Sprig toys are made from Sprigwood™ a proprietary bio-composite of recycled wood and reclaimed plastic.  So it looks almost like a plastic toy, but not quite.  They use Sprigwood™ to make an assortment of eco friedly toys that they have broken into Series:

Sprigwood is dishwasher safe on the top shelf, so their non electronic toys can get squeaky clean with a little help from one of my favorite kitchen appliances.

Eco-Trucks – Excavators, Dump Trucks, and loaders oh my.  Playing in the sand and dirt is good clean fun with our affordable trucks.

Sprig Hallow -  Join Bee & Butterfly and other characters on adventures in the sand, garden, or pool. Includes playsets, vehicles, and outdoor tools all in one!

Story Builders – allow children to build and tell their own stories. They are a complete building playset and classic storybook rolled together.

The Adventure Series – a world full of vehicles, characters, and animals to stimulate fun filled expeditions on both land and water.

They recently sent Little Diva and Dude The Dolphin Explorer Boat from their adventure series.

The set consists of:

2 boats – Explorer Boat (largest item in the set) and smaller Rescue Boat
1 Life Preserver
2 Dolphins – Mother and Baby
1 Adventure Guide – Captain Owen
1 Adventure Hat – Interchangeable!
1 Backpack Accessory

Little Diva exclaimed on seeing photos of the Dolphin Explorer set “dolphins are my most favorite ocean animal ever!!!”  Picture the hands clasped over her chest.  She was so excited when the actual package arrived.

When I  opened the package for a sneak preview I was surprised to find the dolphin’s bottoms were hollowed out.  But after observing it in action I can see how this helps them float.  This also solves another common problem with toys that get water time… Mildew.  We have had so many toys end up thrown out because they had been taken over by mildew.  The open bottom of the dolphins enables for thorough cleaning.

The boat and dolphins float and their simple design allow your child’s imagination to dictate how they play with the set.

One Lucky Reader will win a Dolphin Explorer Boat, but if you just can’t wait find it on Amazon:

The winner has been announced in this weeks newsletter!  Check your inbox!

HOW TO ENTER:

There are a few ways you can enter, leave separate comments for each entry.

Mandatory:

Become an Email Subscriber to PND using the form in the sidebar.
– The subscription must be confirmed. You will receive and email that you must reply to for your entry to be valid.
– Already a confirmed Subscriber. Complete any one of the additional entries options – Leave a comment letting Diva know you’re subscriber name and the entry option you selected.

Additional Entries

1. Go to www.sprigtoys.com and share your favorite new toy here!

2. Stumble, Digg, Kristi, or Technorati favorite this post. Leave a comment with your name and the link.

3. Follow @purenaturaldiva and @SprigToys on twitter. Leave your twittername in a separate comment.

4. Become a Fan of Pure Natural Diva & Sprig Toys on Facebook. Post this giveaway as an update, leave your FB Name or Name with a copy of your update in a separate comment. One entry for each.

5. Tweet this giveaway. Copy and paste “Diva Giveaway: WIN the Dolphin Explorer Set from @Sprigtoys http://bit.ly/7pc4mK @purenaturaldiva”. Then come back and leave the direct link to your tweet (go to your twitter account, click on the words when your tweet was sent (ie. 5 seconds ago) and copy and paste that link in comments.

6. Write a post on your blog linking to Pure Natural Diva and to Sprig Toys – Good for two entries. Leave this comment twice so you get both entries!

This giveaway will run through midnight on Jan 3, 2010 PDT, with winner being announced on January 4, 2009. Winner will be chosen using Random.org from all valid entries.  Winner will be notified via PND Newsletter – Keep your eyes posted! Winner will have 24 hours to contact me before another winner is chosen.

Giveaway is open to residents of the U.S.

Click here to see the entire Blog Hop List….

Greener Holiday Giving: Diva Guide

By Tania Reuben

Time is counting down for the holidays and if you are looking for way to green your gifting this year, check out some of these ideas.

We’ve compiled some of our favorite finds to make gift giving a little easier!

Don’t miss our current giveaways!

TOYS

Plan Toys

Plan Toys is an industry leader in making fantastic eco friendly toys for children. These toys are non toxic, durable and will allow the child in your life to play creatively for hours.

Purchase PLAN TOYS through amazon.

Green Toys

Green Toys Made in the USA from recycled Milk Jugs! These toys are non toxic and instead of plastic being wasted, they are turning it into great toys. Look for Trucks, sand toys, garden kits & this cute tea set that is food safe! Win a Dish Set from PND – CLICK HERE.

CLOTHING

Hessnatur

Hessnatur  offers a great selection of well priced classic menswear and children’s clothing. Organic whenever possible, Natural, Non Toxic and Fair trade from concept through execution.  I’ve never met a woman who wasn’t happy to receive the gift of Cashmere!  Save 25% for the holidays.

Sub Urban Riot

Sub Urban Riot makes super hip, yet still relaxed t-shirt that have been seen on Entourage and It’s always Sunny In Philadelphia.  Note – there line is slimmer cut, so if you are looking for an ‘American Cut’ T-Shirt Choose from these styles; horse tee, RIOT, tee, hell yeah, and majestic panther.

ACCESORIES

Baubles

I love Etsy – it’s an online site for artisans to showcase their handmade and crafted wares.  You can spend hours getting lost in the sites of all the vendors.

Here are a few of my current favorites!

Allison Mooney Designs

Allison designs are stunning and have broad appeal – I would love to receive any one of her designs as a gift!  Her etsy store is full of necklaces, bracelets and my favorite – earrings.  CLICK HERE for the PND Review & Giveaway.

JewLyrie

This mother of two designs simple, unique treasures from her studio in the Garden State.  With an Etsy shop full of earrings, necklaces, rings and bracelets you are sure to cross someone off your list with a visit to her shop.

Beads For Blanche

I love all the fantastic color choices this etsier employs in their line.  A great etsy shop to check out, full of colorful necklaces, earrings and bracelets.

 

Intimates

 

Couture Cotton

If lingerie is on the list, go organic where pure really counts!  Couture Cottons makes organic underwear and cozy organic pajamas.  Yet another example of design breaking down the barrier of what “organic” looks like.  Check out our Review and Giveaway CLICK HERE.

Shoes

NeuAura

Who Doesn’t love a fabulous new heels for all the great parties!  NeuAura makes fabulously stylish vegan and eco friendly designs to step out for the holidays in style.  They make styles to walk you through your entire year. Don’t forget to check out their fantastic Thames boots!

Handbags

Urth Handbags

The ultimate Eco Asscecories!  Made from recycled juice boxes, magazines and newspapers and stylish too!  Check out the Diva Giveaway and Review – CLICK HERE.

Yellow Wallpaper

Based in Los Angeles – This Etsier makes a nice selection of gorgeous handbags that have a slightly retro feel to their design.  In a day and age when most handbags are made in China Yellow Wallpaper is handmade.  What a stylish way to buy Made In the USA.

Skin Care

Juice Beauty

Juice Beauty has some lovely sets that are perfect the holidays.  CLICK HERE to read our review of their Green Apple Moisturizer and Juice Beauty.

Make Up

Everyday Minerals

We reviewed Everyday Minerals earlier this year and love the quality of their products. Check out the review and be sure to enter their ENCORE giveaway!

House & Home

Glass Dharma

Looking for a unique gift for the hostess that has it all, the glass straw is a great solution! Prices start at $6 and gift sets of 4 start at $23.

EnviroVoque

PND has been encouraging readers to bring their own bags while shopping, you can encourage your friends to do the same, with style use an EnviroVoque Reusable Bags as a fun stocking stuffer or in place of wrapping paper.  They offer some great designs that will make you want to remember to use them! Retail for $7.95-9.95.

GIVE THE GIFT OF TIME

SPUD Organic Delivery

Buy the harried Mother’s and Father’s in your life a gift certificate to SPUD organic delivery if they are in your area.  If not check out Local Harvest for options that will work for your recipient.  We use SPUD and I have to say that not much is better than having trips to the grocery eliminated from your to do list and fresh organic products delivered to your door!

Use the code PURENATURALDIVA to save $25 over 4 orders.

IT’S A WRAP

I wish we could have covered even more ground this year!  There are so many great people and companies that with a little effort you can get into the swing of greener giving.

Don’t forget to wrap greener too! Use paper made with 100% post consumer waste, reusable gift bags, or try the Diva Solutions and make your own gift bags!

Everyday Minerals: Make-Up Review

By Tania Reuben

THIS IS A SPECIAL HOLIDAY ENCORE – I first posted this review in the fall and loved them so much I wanted to feature them again for the holidays!

NOTE ~ If you are thinking of giving the little princess in your life some girlie make up to play from Santa.  Consider some of their shimmery light colors and be confident that you are giving your child a safer option for “play make up”.

Everyday Minerals offers a full line of Mineral Make Up. Their products are handmade in small batches to ensure product freshness. Stored correctly they should be safe for use for up to 2 years.

With a Diva Total of 13 points Everyday Minerals are: Divaliscious!

Click here for review criteria:

8 Points for Skin Deep Moderate Hazard Rating
0 Points for being Organic

2 Points for effectiveness:
I was easily able to achieve the looks I was going for with Everyday Minerals. For this review I used Everyday Minerals daily in lieu of my day to day make up. I had two functions to attend and I used Everyday Minerals for both. At a wedding I was told my skin was glowing!

1 Point for Texture:
Everyday Minerals Make Up was smooth, easy to apply and blended well. It felt light on my skin. I was also able to achieve a more dramatic look for evenings out.

1 Point for Fragrance:
I didn’t notice any smell or fragrance while using Everyday Minerals.

.5 Points for Packaging Appearance:
Everyday Minerals has simple, elegant packaging. Individual items are not re-packaged in a box. The containers themselves have inserts to limit the “flow” of your make up – making application easier. A few of the small sized containers I received had a clear film over the insert (to prevent the product from leaking) that was challenging to remove. I noticed that other similarly packaged products had a convenient pull tab. My guess is the “tab” is the new and improved film. If you happen run into the tab free film – you’ll want tweezers to remove the film.

.5 Points for Packaging Sustainability
The plastic used is recyclable. Everyday Minerals suggests saving the sample containers to use on the go touch ups.

OVERALL
Watch a full make up application using Everyday Minerals – Check this out:

I was nervous about trying a “full” Mineral make up regime. Worried I would have powder flying everywhere and it would take me forever to do get my make up done. As a mom of two toddlers, spending more time on make up is not an option! My mineral applications are quick and easy. Tip – I keep a piece of paper for blotting my colors, almost like an artist’s palette.

One appeal of Mineral make up is that overall the lines often have better safety scores in Skin Deep. Everyday Minerals scores top points here, nothing in their line scores higher that a 3 in the CD – for me that means I can shop with confidence and just have fun.

You can’t beat the value of Everyday Minerals. Their prices ranging from $2.50 to $12 for a full size foundation. They also over fantastic promotions with their Perks Program – order 5-11 products and get 25% off – order 12 or more products at 45% off!

Everyday Minerals makes it easy for you to find the right colors for your skin. They walk you through the basics of selecting the best shades and will even send you color samples for free (you pay shipping). Once you have the product – they walk you through the application.

While I was able to use my own Make Up brushes, they do offer a full line of Bamboo Vegan Brushes. If you use your own brushes be sure to clean them when your new make up arrives so you don’t cross contaminate.

Colors Used in the Video Application:
Golden Fair Foundation
Fresh Hydrating Concealer
Wild Flowers – Eye Shadow (as brow liner)
Everyday Resort – Eye Pallatte (as eyeliner and crease)
Apple – Blush (as blush and lip color on top of lip balm)

I also loved:
Champagne Lucent Powder – It has a gorgeous shimmer and I didn’t feel guilty dusting it on my daughter when she asked for some.
Dark Brown – Brow Color (as eyeliner) – created a nice dark liner for a more dramatic look.
Rare Silk – Eye Shadow – created a nice shimmer on for the eyes.

WINNER:  Amy H Check your inbox!

Ready to try Everyday Minerals for yourself – Everyday Minerals has agreed to give a PND reader their choice of 4 Holiday Reissue Eyeshadows, blush & a 2 Lip Balms a $34 Value!

HOW TO ENTER:

There are a few ways you can enter, leave separate comments for each entry.

Mandatory:

Become a Confirmed Email Subscriber to PND.
CLICK HERE.
– After subscribing you will receive an email – check your junk mail – you must verify your subscription in this email to win!
– Already a confirmed Subscriber. Leave a comment letting me know you’re subscriber and would like to enter.

Additional Entries

1. Go to www.everydayminerals.com – share your favorite Everyday Minerals Color.

2. Stumble, Kirsty, Technorati, or Digg this post. Leave a comment with your name and the link.

3. Follow @purenaturaldiva on twitter (use link on the sidebar). Leave your twittername in a separate comment.

4. Become a Fan of Pure Natural Diva & Everyday Minerals on Facebook, already a fan – post this giveaway as an update, leave your FB Name or Name with a copy of your update in a separate comment.

5. Tweet this giveaway. Copy and paste “Dive Giveaway – WIN $34 in Make Up from Everyday Minerals!   http://bit.ly/6oBeCy @PureNaturalDiva “. Then come back and leave the direct link to your tweet (go to your twitter account, click on the words when your tweet was sent (ie. 5 seconds ago) and copy and paste that link in comments.

6. Write a post on your blog linking to PND and to Everyday Minerals website – Good for two entries. Leave this comment twice so you get both entries!

This giveaway will run through midnight on Dec 19, 2009 PDT, with winner being announced the morning of Dec 21, 2009. Winner will be chosen using Random.org from all valid entries and notified via email. Winner will have 24 hours to contact me before another winner is chosen.

Giveaway is open to residents of the U.S. and Canada.

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target=”_blank”>Click here to see the entire Blog Hop List….

Green Toys: Diva Review

By Tania Reuben

Green Toys makes a line of toys made in the USA from recycled milk jugs! Very few toys are Made in the USA and even fewer are made from primarily reclaimed ingredients!

Most PND readers know that I’m not a big fan of plastic.  Green Toys are part of the solution. They use recycled plastic milk jugs, turning waste into fun, high quality, safe toys.  The milk jugs are high-density polyethylene (or HDPE), the safest plastic option in the marketplace today.

Green Toys has some great basics in their line-up.  Everything from jump ropes & eco saucer (think frisbee) to a 15 piece tool set, 4 piece Sand Set and a 27 piece Cookware & Dining Set.

Green Toys recently sent me a couple of their toys to check out:

The Tea Set – 17 pieces of food safe tea fun!

Their Tea Set is great, and I’m not the only one who think so.  At the time of writing this post this set had 78 reviews on Amazon and a 5 star rating!

The set is sturdy, the colors are pale pastel and the size of the cups and plates are just right.  Not too big, not too small.

One of the best things about this set is that it IS food safe.  Now this might seem like a basic criteria for a children’s tea set, but surprisingly it’s not.  Most of the tea sets in the marketplace for children are not food safe.  Yet I bet everyone of them is used to hold many a thimbleful of water that that will be refilled and consumed throughout every tea party.

Recycle Truck – Boys (and girls) loves trucks and choosing a recycling truck gives another tool for eco teaching the child in your life

The Truck is a good size, similar to those you’ll see in a sandbox or playground.  It has a door that opens on the back so it can be filled with treasures – important in the Diva home.  We also liked that the side of the truck had small openings that the children use to stash coins or rocks.

It’s worth noting that the doors to the cabin of the truck don’t open and close and which is fine with me, one less thing to break off and fall apart. 

A Special Not About Packaging! Have you ever had to spend more time wresting to get your toys out of their excessive packaging?  You won’t have that experience with green toys.  They don’t use any cellophane, plastic, or twist ties!  They also use all 100% recyclable corrugated cardboard to package their toys.  Open the box and play!  Just like it should be!

We loved the Green Toys so much that I added a few of their items to the children’s wishlist for their grandparents!  I added the cookware set and the tool box.

WINNER:  Samantha C Check your inbox!

Are Green Toys on your wishlist? 
You’re in luck.  One lucky PND reader will win The Green Toys Dish Set!

HOW TO ENTER:

There are a few ways you can enter, leave separate comments for each entry.

Mandatory:

Become an Email Subscriber to PND using the form in the sidebar.
– Subscription must be confirmed. You will receive and email that you must reply to for your entry to be valid.
– Already a confirmed Subscriber. Complete any one of the additional entries options – Leave a comment letting Diva know you’re subscriber name and the entry option you selected.

Additional Entries:

1. Share your favorite Toy from Green Toys!

2. Stumble, Digg, Kirsty, or Technorati favorite this post. Leave a comment with your name and the link.

3. Follow @purenaturaldiva (use link on the sidebar) & @greentoyspr on twitter. Leave your twittername in a separate comment.

4. Become a Fan of Pure Natural Diva & Green Toys on Facebook. Post this giveaway as an update, leave your FB Name or Name with a copy of your update in a separate comment. One entry for each.

5. Tweet this giveaway. Copy and paste “GREEN TOYS Diva Giveaway – Win a Children’s Play Dish Set http://bit.ly/4KRHql@purenaturaldiva”. Then come back and leave the direct link to your tweet (go to your twitter account, click on the words when your tweet was sent (ie. 5 seconds ago) and copy and paste that link in comments.

6. Write a post on your blog linking to my blog and to the – Good for two entries. Leave this comment twice so you get both entries!

7. Add the PND Button to your site.  Leave a comment with the link.

This giveaway will run through midnight on Dec 19, 2009 PDT, with winner being announced December 21, 2009. Winner will be chosen using Random.org from all valid entries and notified via email. Winner will have 24 hours to contact me before another winner is chosen.

Giveaway is open to residents of the U.S!

Can’t wait to win:

Click here to see the entire Blog Hop List….

Fabulous Sweaters for Fall & Winter: Eco Savvy Guide

By Tania Reuben

 

With winter moving through most of the country there is nothing like a great sweater.

Living in Los Angeles it doesn’t get too cold, I probably wear sweaters daily. We are cold in the morning (if you call 48 degrees cold and I do) and often in a t-shirt by midday – cardigans offer warmth with flexibility. Dodging to avoid the snowballs being flung my way by mid-west and east coast readers.

Recently I’ve been on a hunt to find great eco sweaters.  I thought if I was looking, maybe my readers were too.  It didn’t hurt that  as an added bonus I’d be able to feature some fabulous woolens from my sponsor, hessnatur.  I searched through pages on Google, hunting and found nothing  I loved.  The sweaters from my sponsor, were better than anything I was finding.

My plan had been to feature one or two styles from hessnatur. After my search, I couldn’t find anything I wanted to add.  I did make an honest attempt.  From the style of their offerings, the ethical manufacturing, the number of organic selections, to their pricing. They have some of the best eco friendly sweaters I could find. Did I mention the variety of styles they offer?  They hands down had more styles, color and variety than any site I visited preparing this piece.

Sweaters make a great gift because they tend to be more forgiving fit wise, but if it’s not right, it’s nice to know that you don’t have to pay more money to return an item.  hessnatur is currently offers free shipping and returns, for worry free online shopping.

Links to some of the other items I found researching for this piece:  Gaiam & Fair Indigo

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NeuAura Shoes: Diva Review

If animal and eco friendly footwear are important to you, then NeuAura could make just the shoe you are looking for.

Think that sounds boring? Think again! Created by, Arti Upadhyaya, she founded NeuAura shoes to dismiss this myth and bring stylish, vegan, and eco friendly shoes to the market.

A GREENER SHOE

Arti has aligned herself with a manufacturer in Brazil, that has been awarded a “Green Seal” from the Brazilian Technological Institute for Leather, Shoes and Accessories for their green efforts.  They recycle material waste generated from manufacturing, use water-based adhesives, less toxic solvents, and they also use chemicals that are more environmentally safe. Additionally, they advocating recycling and preservation in their community. CLICK HERE to learn more.

Tell the truth, when you think Eco Friendly footwear, you think of something more birkenstock than manolo. Taking a look at the NeuAura line will redefine this for you.

Are you looking forward to special for the holiday? NeuAura has a few sexy offerings in it’s line up.  I selected the Miette – in red!  The shoe that arrived at my doorstep did not disappoint.  It is stunning.  I love the criss cross straps, thin heel and how sexy it looks on the foot. I must confess it will look much sexier when my pedicure is fresh! The Miette retails for $104.

The Miette is a 3″ heel, so if you don’t normally wear a heel you won’t be dancing all night in this shoe. That said it is as comfortable as most of the other comparable shoes in my closet.

Ready to try NeuAura Shoes?

WINNER OF THE $100 NeuAura Gift Certificate is Jen Mathews!

HOW TO ENTER:

There are a few ways you can enter, leave separate comments for each entry.

Mandatory:

Become an Email Subscriber to PND using the form in the sidebar.
– The subscription must be confirmed. You will receive and email that you must reply to for your entry to be valid.
– Already a confirmed Subscriber. Complete any one of the additional entries options – Leave a comment letting Diva know you’re subscriber name and the entry option you selected.

Additional Entries

1. Go to NeuAura Shoes – Share your favorite Style!

2. Stumble, Digg, or Technorati favorite this post. Leave a comment with your name and the link.

3. Follow @purenaturaldiva (use link on the sidebar) & @neuaura on twitter. Leave your twittername in a separate comment.

4. Become a Fan of Pure Natural Diva & NeuAura on Facebook. Post this giveaway as an update, leave your FB Name or Name with a copy of your update in a separate comment. One entry for each.

5. Tweet this giveaway. Copy and paste “WIN SHOES!!! Diva Giveaway: $100 Gift Certificate from NeuAura Shoes http://bit.ly/8gBO0v @purenaturaldiva”. Then come back and leave the direct link to your tweet (go to your twitter account, click on the words when your tweet was sent (ie. 5 seconds ago) and copy and paste that link in comments.

6. Write a post on your blog linking to my blog and to the – Good for two entries. Leave this comment twice so you get both entries!

This giveaway will run through midnight on Dec 3, 2009 PDT, with winner being announced December 5, 2009. Winner will be chosen using Random.org from all valid entries and notified via email. Winner will have 24 hours to contact me before another winner is chosen.

Giveaway is open to residents of the U.S & Canada!

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myEarth360.com: Review

By Tania Reuben

myEarth360.com was founded by Lynn Hasselberger in 2008. It is a website dedicated to bringing consumers products that enable them to easily transition to an earth friendlier lifestyle while educating them at the same time.

Lynn’s story began a couple of years earlier in 2006 on her sons entry to first grade.  As she looked around her son’s school, went to soccer games and attended school functions, she realized that she was in the epicenter of the “eco battle”.  Flats of water, Gatorade, juice boxes, and single serve lunch snacks. A generation being raised in an environment where convenience trumps all.  Her goal became to raise awareness and offer solutions.

The  I Count for my Earth campaign was born. Launched at Lynn’s son’s school in January 2008, this school program–FREE to schools–was designed with the goal of empowering students to take care of the earth and inspire others to do the same.

Lynn’s website, myEarth360 shares the eco-friendly products she uses with others.  Offering:

eco-practical; household products, school supplies, water filtration, reusable shopping bags.

eco-chic; handbags & accessories made from recycled materials, Rain Tees illustrated by children living in endangered rain forests and sustainable fashion.

While visiting myEARTH, don’t forget to check out her blog.  It is a further extension of her passion for issues that impact the earth and our children’s health; a platform to not only help others take small steps through personal (often humorous) stories about her own family’s journey, but to motivate others to use their voices to help make change on a global level. She helps other organizations like End Water Poverty, Green House Neutral Foundation and Save The Frogs spread their word via social marketing.

To give back even more, myEARTH360.com offers the Shop and Share program to schools and non-profit organizations –a virtually effortless, paperless ongoing fund-raiser that also helps raise awareness in the communities.

Lynn recently sent me a few of her wares to try out.

SKOY cloth – An ultra absorbent 100% biodegradable cloth made of cotton and wood-pulp cellulose. Keep fresh by tossing it in the dishwasher or mircrowave.
Refresh’n Dryer Towel – Think chemical free Dryel.
Crayon Rocks – Super cute rock shaped crayons that are not made with petroleum and have a tripod grip (perfect for little hands). A great stocking stuffer!
Grow a Note Cards – Plantable Greeting Cards – handmade in San Diego, CA. How fun is that!

Ready to Check out myEARTH360.com for yourself?

The winner of the $50 gift certificate is Benita G!  Congratulations check your inbox!

HOW TO ENTER:

There are a few ways you can enter, leave separate comments for each entry.

Mandatory:

Become an Email Subscriber to PND using the form in the sidebar.
– The subscription must be confirmed. You will receive and email that you must reply to for your entry to be valid.
– Already a confirmed Subscriber. Complete any one of the additional entries options – Leave a comment letting Diva know you’re subscriber name and the entry option you selected.

Additional Entries

1. Go to myEarth360 and tell PND what you would do with your $50 gift certificate.

2. Stumble, Digg, or Technorati favorite this post. Leave a comment with your name and the link.

3. Follow @purenaturaldiva (use link on the sidebar) & @IC4ME or myEarth360. Leave your twittername in a separate comment.

4. Become a Fan of Pure Natural Diva & myEARTH360. Post this giveaway as an update, leave your FB Name or Name with a copy of your update in a separate comment. One entry for each.

5. Tweet this giveaway. Copy and paste “Diva Giveaway: Win a $50 Gift Certificate from myEARTH360 http://bit.ly/22PECh @purenaturaldiva”. Then come back and leave the direct link to your tweet (go to your twitter account, click on the words when your tweet was sent (ie. 5 seconds ago) and copy and paste that link in comments.

6. Write a post on your blog linking to my blog and to the – Good for two entries. Leave this comment twice so you get both entries!

This giveaway will run through midnight on December 3, 2009 PDT, with winner being announced December 5, 2009. Winner will be chosen using Random.org from all valid entries and notified via email. Winner will have 24 hours to contact me before another winner is chosen.

Giveaway is open to residents of the U.S & Canada!

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