April 22 marks the 40th anniversary for Earth Day! It’s hard to believe that 40 years ago the environmental movement began and we are this far behind. I can’t believe people still actually argue over global warming! What bothers me the most is that people can ignore the health risks of the known toxins in every day products. And even more that the government still turns their heads about these chemicals! Feuds have begun in our family over this matter and I believe in it so strongly, I can not back down. I’m tired of people not doing anything because they are too lazy to make a few small changes. I do applaud the effort that has been put forth in recycling. Even the most un-eco-friendly people at least throw a few cans away. But to make a difference, so much more needs to be done! If not for the planet, for the health of you and your family!

I am happy that this week I was able to find 4 organic stuffed animals in the Easter isle at our Harris Teeter (grocery store) and Walmart now has a line of organic clothing. I’m not sure it’s Fair Trade and can’t promise a child didn’t help make it, but it’s a start. If more large corporations start marketing organic clothing and eco-friendly products, maybe more people will realize these products are better.

To make life easier for you, I have compiled tons of Eco Info from articles I have written in the past 8 months. You can access this info by clicking the Eco Info button. You will find information about organic cotton, bamboo, bedding, food, toys, plastic, flame retardants, radiation, make up, personal products, and more! You can also post my Earth Day button to help bring awareness to your friends and family on your blog, facebook or myspace account.
Together we can make a difference! Hopefully 40 years from now we can look back and see drastic changes in the planet and man kind.

Be sure to look out for my Earth Day giveaways going on! I will focus not only on why these products are better for you but the planet as well!

This giveaway has ended. Thanks to all that entered!

For Christmas Ella asked Santa for a horse the color of dirt. I won a gift card and got her a organic cotton horse that was brown. She didn’t like it. I gave up because I wasn’t going to go on an extensive horse search. Then I began working with Elegant Roots and was introduced to their chic baby and kids products. I found the most adorable Wool Pink Pony and showed Ella. She said she liked it, and a week later it arrived. Ella’s face lit up as she saw the pony and she ran across the house to show my mom. It was like Christmas morning all over again.

Elegant Roots is a stunning eco-friendly company that carries baby and kids, pet, adult, spa, travel, jewelry, home decor, business, and other fun elegant gifts. Elegant Roots considers themselves a e-commerce boutique that transparently offers high quality artisan products from eco-conscious and socially responsible designers and small businesses.

Elegant Roots focuses on the 4W’s when it comes to running their business. It is important to them What the product is made with, Who made it, Where it came from, and Why a eco-conscious consumer would want to purchase the product. You can find the 4W’s on each product description page. I love this feature because you learn everything you need to know about buying the perfect gift. You can even find other suggestions to go along with the product you are looking at.

The Handmade Stuffed Wool Pink Pony by En Gry & Sif is adorable! This isn’t your typical stuffed animal that gets thrown on the floor. It is heirloom quality and I’m sure it will look the same in 30 years. It is roughly 10.5HX13.75W which is the perfect size for little hands. It’s large, but not overbearingly large. The pony was handcrafted by artisans in a small village near Katmandu, Nepal. The pony is made with high quality 100% New Zealand wool felt and low-impact dyes. En Gry & Sif only participate in Fair Labor conditions.

Ella has been in love with her pony. She loves that it has pink hair and her doll can ride her. I love that it is made with eco-friendly wool instead of nylon or other synthetic chemicals. Wool doesn’t retain moisture which discourages mold, mildew, and dust mites. So this makes a perfect sleeping companion. I also really like that low-impact dyes were used. Most traditional dyes are bad for your health and horrible for the environment. Synthetic dyes contain known toxins and around 20% of industrial world wide pollution is credited to textile dyeing and treatment. No dyeing process is perfect, but the less impact on the planet, the better.

You can get the The Handmade Stuffed Wool Pink Pony at Elegant Roots for only $39! Plus if you sign up for their Customer Club you can get 15% off your first order.

The Giveaway: Elegant Roots would like to give 1 LUCKY winner a $50 Gift Card!Rules: You have until 11:59 p.m. EST April 12, 2010 to enter. The winner will be chosen by random.org and announced after they respond to the winning email. The winner has 48 hours to respond to the winning email, or a new winner will be chosen. You must leave your email address! This contest is open to the US

2. Become a fan of Mkokopelli on FB, Follow Mkokopelli on Networked Blogs, Follow Mkokopelli on Twitter, or Follow my blog (1 each)
3. Subscribe to my blog by email (on the right sidebar) You must verify and be active at the time of the giveaway- those who are unverified will become disqualified
4. Blog, Tweet or send a message on FB and leave a link here (1 entry per day)
5. Enter another giveaway I have going on and tell me which one or leave a comment on a non-giveaway post (1 entry total)
6. Become a fan of Elegant Roots on Facebook
7. Follow Elegant Roots on Twitter
8. Tell me your favorite product featured on the Elegant Roots Blog
9. Tell me one of the 4W’s on the product you would get with the GC if you won
10. Grab my button and post on your blog, Facebook page, or myspace page and link back in a comment

New disclaimer: I was sent this to review from Elegant Roots. This in NO way changes my opinions about the products or company. These are my thoughts, opinions and results.

As you’ve heard before Ella is a diva. Yesterday she wore 7 different dresses. Yes, it’s another Carrie Bradshaw in the making. She has been obsessed with Disney Princesses for so long and I’ve been trying to ween her off of them for a while. But it’s really hard to find costumes that are made well, non-toxic, comfortable and safe. Most costumes are treated with flame retardants, which I’m highly against. If you’d like to read more, check out my Eco Info section at the top of my blog. You can find all sorts of great info there.

So I went on a search trying to find the best alternative that would allow Ella to still have imaginative play time, without it being commercialized. This was a hard task, but I love the option I found- Sarah’s Silks!

Sarah’s Silks is an amazing company that sells silk dress up clothes for boys and girls, playsilks, canopies, dreamthings and playthings, blankets and more. Silk is a natural protein fiber and a renewable resource. It feels amazing against your skin unlike the polyester dress-up clothes you find in most stores. There is something about silk that sparks the imagination. You can take a silk scarf and turn it into a hat, cape, skirt or even a flag. And that’s pretty much what Sarah’s Silks has done, but they have taken it to the next level.

All of Sarah’s Silks are hand hemmed in a small village near Shanghai which the store owners visit. Seamstresses usually work from their homes in their doorways so they can watch their children play. This beats being in a factory any day! Many of Sarah’s Silk products are also sewn, ironed, and assembled in Sonoma County, CA. All of the dyes used on the silks are non-toxic and are easily hand washed.

Ella was sent 2 dress-up outfits for us to review and I am totally amazed and will be sending lots of business their way for future Ella holidays. The first one Ella put on had to be the Princess dress. Her friend came over and they were playing princess and the dragon. I wish her friend had the Dragon Costume! They ran around the “princess castle” and I had to be the super hero to save the princess. I love how creative they were! The Princess Dress has long flowing arms looks amazing when she is running. I can’t wait to let her put it on at the beach. Sarah’s Silks also makes a princess hat and crowns which I need to purchase soon. You can find the Dragon Costume at Atlantis Natural and the Princess Dress at other online retailers.

Today Ella wore the Mermaid costume. She was a bit frustrated it wasn’t like her old Disney one where the fin is on both sides which caused some drama. But, she will learn to get over it. The outfit is absolutely adorable! Plus, the fin being in the back will allow her to run better if she’s playing outside in the outfit. I can see her tripping on it in the front… like the other Ariel dress. I love the separate halter top and bottom. It also comes with a headband with seaweed and ribbons. Which is the perfect touch! Sarah’s Silks also makes Sea Pets to go along with the outfit. This will also be perfect on the beach. We are going back for my birthday in 2 weeks, so I will be sure to take pictures. You can get the Mermaid Costume on sale at Atlantis Natural now!

You also still have time to order wands, garlands, playsilks, streamers and more for Easter!

Join Sarah’s Silks on Facebook or Twitter and get 5 entries to any giveaway going on. 5 is the limit though and you can divvy them up between giveaways. Just leave a comment here saying which site you joined and leave SS in the comment box of the giveaway(s) you enter.

I was invited to join this AMAZING eco-friendly sale site and I wanted to open the invite to all of my readers! Totsy is a private shopping network for moms on-the-go and moms-to-be.

Membership is by invitation or request only. And while it costs nothing to join, the savings you’ll experience will mean everything. With your membership, you will gain access to sales, up to 70% off retail, just for you and the kids, ages 0-7. Prenatal care products, baby gear, travel accessories, bedding and bath, children’s clothing, toys, DVDs, and educational materials are just a sampling of a selection that promises only the best. Each sale lasts 48 to 72 hours and includes amazing deals from quality brands.

CLICK HERE TO ACCEPT THIS INVITATION,
AND START EXPERIENCING EXCLUSIVE ACCESS,
TOP BRANDS, AND GREAT DEALS TODAY.

Every apron in stock at Battered Up Kids is priced at $9.99!! Some are even valued at $65! Yes, the one below comes with everything pictured!Each apron is listed with the number of aprons left in stock and when they’re gone- they’re gone! Get ready, get set, and grab a handful of aprons! Offer ends 3/31

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My favorite place to shop for organic clothing deals is at GreenEdge Kids! Since I am broke, it’s been a hard task to only purchase eco-friendly clothing in the past year. Luckily, GreenEdge Kids makes it easy with their blowout sales and specials. I was able to get a great Kate Quinn tee for only $5! And GreenEdge Kids has 2 places on their site in which you can save- their Clearance and Specials.

GreenEdge Kids sells designer name brand organic youth clothing (sizes 2-14) from companies like Kate Quinn, Fig Organic, Lapsaky, Maggie’s Organics and more! You can find organic dresses, tees, pants, skirts, pj’s, underwear, socks, sweaters, jackets, hats, backpacks, eco lunch items, bath and body care, water bottles, jewelry and more. Plus, with every order that you make, a organic fruit juice sucker is included.

GreenEdge Denim has been working on creating the perfect collection of organic cotton jeans since 2009. I’ve been anxiously awaiting their arrival since November and was more than thrilled when they were waiting for us when we got back from the beach. The kiddo got sick before I could take pictures… but today it was 75 degrees and perfect to let her run wild. Ella was being the perfect model, so I had to keep snapping. (More on Facebook)Ella got to try the Pocket Flare Denim. I love the fit of the jeans. Especially the tushie! They are tight around the waist and thighs and then flare around the ankles. They are loose around the knees, so kids can run and play comfortably. It is a blue/black denim which is my favorite. The jeans aren’t scratchy and are very soft. My mom said they were definitely the softest jeans she has ever felt. They have front angled pockets and 2 back pockets with hand-cast blue enamel buttons. The front closes with the same button, but it is not a snap. That was the only thing I didn’t like. Ella got frustrated when she couldn’t take them off to go potty. So, these will be going out jeans instead of lounging around the house. Ella got a size 4, so I’m sure before she outgrows them she will have mastered getting them on and off. GreenEdge Denim said they were designed for tweens and will think about snaps in the future. The jeans also run a little long (which is a good thing in my book!) so if you have a tall child, these are perfect. And since kids grow so fast, this allows your child to enjoy them longer than just 1 season!

GreenEdge Denim also has a girls Zippered Skinny, boys Coast Skinny, boys LA Relaxed Boot, and boy and girl shorts in sizes 2-16.http://vimeo.com/moogaloop.swf?clip_id=6027835&server=vimeo.com&show_title=1&show_byline=1&show_portrait=0&color=&fullscreen=1

You can purchase GreenEdge Denim at GreenEdge Kids. If you make a GreenEdge Denim purchase, until March 31, 2010, you can get 25% off your entire order by entering gedenim25 at the checkout. Make sure you sign up for the GreenEdge Kids newsletter so you can get amazing deals and coupons sent to you! Plus, you can get 5 extra entries to any giveaway going on if you sign up… just enter GEK in the comment section and comment here saying that you did. 🙂

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First, I want to say I am sooo sorry the past giveaways have only been open to the US. I try to have them open to everyone since I truly want to include everyone. Moonrise Jewelery has opened up their giveaway to Canada, so you can now go enter! Thank you for sticking with me, I appreciate your support!

Congrats to Cakeblast for winning the Planet One Gifts Lip Balm!!

Congrats to kenziesmum for winning the Play and Learn Toys Donut Set!!

Congrats to Tylerpants for winning the KellyGreen-Way Soybeam Candle!!

Congrats to Jennifer for winning the ecostoreusa GC!!

Congrats to Makayla for winning the Boiron Homeopathic Childs Kit!!

Thanks to all that entered!!! Here are the giveaways currently going on:

• Earth Mama Angel Baby Mint Herbal Lip Balm and Bath Blossoms ends 3/19
• Planet One Gifts Divine Chocolate Coins Imported from Netherlands Ends 3/19
• ecojot 5×7 and 6×9 Journals Ends 3/26
• Putumayo Rhythm & Blues CD Ends 3/27
• Moonrise Jewelry $25 GC Ends 4/1