This giveaway has ended. Thanks to all that entered!

There is a new Eco-friendly store that I’m excited to share with you! Franklin Goose opened a few months ago and they sell over 1,300 products just for your child. They carry organic and natural: clothing from infant-6T- including underwear and socks, diapers and accessories, feeding gear, furniture, toys, books and DVDs, baby gear, health and safety, nursery items, gifts, bath and potty and things for the family. This truly is a 1 stop shop!!

Franklin Goose is dedicated to offering the best organic, natural, and Eco-friendly products available. They want to make shopping easier for you so that you can find everything in one place. Franklin Goose is still growing, so more items will be available in the future!!

I was browsing the Franklin Goose website and I inquired about a toy because I had never heard of the company. They told me they were actually taking that company’s toys off their site because they found out that they use melamine in their puzzles and wouldn’t confirm that their wood glue didn’t contain formaldehyde. After Franklin Goose told me that, I knew this was a store that I could truly trust. There are so many companies that sell items that claim to be Eco-friendly when they aren’t.

Franklin Goose has over 400 safe toys to choose from including brands like Plan Toys, ImagiPLAY, Clementine Art, Green Toys, Haba, Under the Nile and more!

Franklin Goose sent Ella Organic Thermal Long Johns from Lapsaky to review.The organic thermal’s are PBDE free and meet the CPSC’s requirements for non-fire retardant treated sleepwear. They are stretchy, yet they have a tight fit. Ella was sent the 4/5T and they are snug, yet she has room to grow in them. The ankle and wrist stay in place since the pj’s are designed to fit through the end of the size range. I love she will be able to wear them again next year!

The Long Johns are really soft even though they have a woven pattern. I love the gusset butt on the bottoms. They are really too cute! I thought I had taken pictures, but I can’t find them… it’s been a long week! The Organic Thermal Long Johns come in sizes 12-18 mo.- 8 yrs. They also have multiple colors and patterns. You can purchase the Organic Thermal’s at Franklin Goose for $34-$38.

Franklin Goose has a flat shipping rate of only $5! They also have an amazing registry and wish list so you can send to your family and friends. Right now Franklin Goose is in the giving spirit and wants to grant some holiday wishes until Christmas. All you have to do is create a wish list or baby registry and they will be doing random drawings for one of the items on your list. All they ask is if you win, you write why you wanted the gift so they can post on their blog! I created a wish list last month and it was really easy. Your family can search your name on the left… it’s that simple!

The Giveaway: Franklin Goose would like to give 1 lucky winner a $25 Gift Certificate to their site

Rules: You have until 11:59 p.m. EST December 17, 2009 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

How to Enter: Go to Franklin Goose and tell me what you’d use your GC on if you won. Make sure to leave your email address!! I cannot contact the winner without it!

2. Become a fan of Mkokopelli on FB, Mkokopelli on Twitter, or Follow my blog
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

This giveaway has ended. Thanks to all that entered!!!
I found Wild Dill while doing a clothing search a while back and fell in love. It’s so hard to find organic toddler clothing in 4T! They carry amazing clothing brands like Kate Quinn, speesees, Soft Star Shoes, Babysoy, Under the Nile, Bacche and more.

Wild Dill not only carries a wide selection of organic clothing for ages 0-5T, they also have awesome eco-friendly toys, bedding, furniture, gift sets and more! You can find toys for infants to preschoolers. Wild Dill and I have very similar taste, so you can majority of the products I’ve reviewed in their store! They carry Clementine Art, Green Toys, Imagination Box, ImagiPLAY, Plan Toys and more!

Wild Dill sent Ella a set of Uncle Goose Groovie Math Blocks and they are the coolest blocks I’ve ever seen!The Groovie Math Blocks come with 28 blocks with debossed numbers, math symbols, and geometric shapes for ages 2+. The blocks have 2 sets of number from 0-9. They are made in the US out of basswood and painted with a non-toxic child safe paint that has been tested by third parties. So no lead worries! They are high quality, vibrant blocks that will capture your child’s attention for hours. What I love is that these blocks can grow with your child. There are 4 debossed blocks with subtraction, addition, multiplication and division symbols so you can teach your child basic math problems. They are awesome math manipulatives!

This has been one of Ella’s favorite holiday review toys. She loves to stack and build and has tons of blocks… But these have been so much more! The Groovie Math Blocks are helping her recognize numbers and patterns, count, and match geometric shapes. She also loves that the blocks link together. The ways you can play with the blocks are endless. You can get the Groovie Math Blocks at Wild Dill for $38 and they are totally worth the price. Wild Dill also carries Uncle Goose ABC blocks and Uncle Goose Antics Ant Blocks for ages 2+.

If you sign up for the Wild Dill newsletter you will get 15% off your purchase. So be sure to sign up and get some great deals for your holiday shopping! You can also create a wish list to send to your friends and family if they need ideas for your little ones. 🙂

The Giveaway: Wild Dill would like to give 1 lucky reader a $25 Gift Certificate to their site!

Rules: You have until 11:59 p.m. EST December 15, 2009 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 and Canada

How to Enter: Visit Wild Dill and tell me what you’d use your GC on if you won. Make sure to leave your email address!! I cannot contact the winner without it!

2. Become a fan of Mkokopelli on FB, Mkokopelli on Twitter, or Follow my blog
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

This is from The Soft Landing’s Blog -written by Alicia :

The Environmental Working Group just released the results of a 2 year study where the umbilical cord blood of 10 random infants was tested for chemical pollutants. BPA was detected for the first time ever – but it wasn’t the only offender – 231 other contaminants were found as well. This research demonstrates that industrial chemicals are able to cross the placenta in large numbers to contaminate a baby before birth. We have more confirmation now than ever before that avoiding industrial chemicals whenever possible is extremely important for both children and pregnant moms.

The tough part is making your way through multitudes of unlabeled products to make safer choices – but don’t worry, we summarized our own experience with toxins in eating gear and toys to help you out! Click the image below to download our new ebook “Avoiding Toxic Plastic” to use as a getting started guide.

What’s Included in the Guide

• Three common chemicals that have been linked to endocrine-disrupting health damage
• Clues to identifying them in household products
• Tips to help you avoid them with ease
• Resources for more in-depth reading
• Action steps for demanding change in U.S. chemical policies

I was just introduced to a site that has amazing coupon deals and thought I’d share them with you! Dealblabs.com is a coupon site that is totally transparent: no secret relationships with retailers, no special incentives, no fine print. They review each coupon they display for accuracy, relevancy and timeliness. A lot of other sites mislead consumers and offer expired coupons. Happy shopping!

This giveaway has ended. Thanks to all that entered!
Still looking for toys to buy on your holiday list? I was contacted about a great site that sells tons of Eco-friendly toys called Maukilo. They carry products made for babies, toddlers, and kids that are sure to inspire their imagination! They carry brands like Haba, Green Toys, Plan Toys, Plasma Car, Sarah’s Silks and more.

Ella was sent the BlaBla Anemone Mermaid Knit Doll to review and she is extra special.Ella has renamed her Ariel, though her hair is rainbow and not red. The 17′ Mermaid is hand knitted by Peruvian artisans. They use natural grown cotton grown in Peru. She is also made with non-toxic dyes. The Mermaid is extra soft and plush, which has been perfect for snuggling. Ella has been very picky with who gets to sleep with her and “Ariel” has joined the pack- on most nights.

We’ve been BlaBla fans for a couple of years when Ella’s aunt bought her a BlaBla Butterfly backpack. I love the details and quality of their products. You can find 42 BlaBla dolls to choose from on Maukilo!

Maukilo has put together a Gift Guide for their site and I thought I’d share it with you!

For Babies

HABA Pixie Clutching Toy • Ages 6M+ •$16.19
A mini-world on a rattle! Four fun wooden shapes are seamlessly attached to a wooden rattle. The rattle helps baby develop fine motor skills and sensory perception. Made in Germany.

The Giveaway: Maukilo would like to give 1 lucky winner a $25 GC to their site to be redeemed by 5/31/10

Rules: You have until 11:59 p.m. EST December 14, 2009 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 (Maukilo does not ship outside of the US at this time)

How to Enter: Go to Maukilo and tell me what you’d spend the $25 GC on! Make sure to leave your email address!! I cannot contact the winner without it!

2. Become a fan of Mkokopelli on FB, Mkokopelli on Twitter, or Follow my blog
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

This giveaway has ended. Thanks to all that entered!
One of the best presents you can buy a child is books! Ella has such a massive collection and enjoys sitting down to “read” by herself during the day and we read together every night before bed time. I love reading stories that teach important lessons and inspire her imagination. I found Barefoot Books and fell in love with their collection!

Barefoot Books began in 1993 when 2 mothers wanted their children to have books that would feed their imagination, while instilling a respect for diversity and a love for the planet.

Barefoot Books sent us an amazing One World, One Planet Gift Collection that has been one of my favorite review items yet! This extraordinary gift collection comes with the beautifully illustrated books, Whole World, The Sun in Me, A Forest of Stories, and Herb, The Vegetarian Dragon. It also comes with the Putumayo CD World Playground, Yoga Planet: 50 Activities for a Greener World (card deck), and a 100 piece Around the World Puzzle. They sent Ella the Our World Floor Puzzle instead of the 100 piece puzzle. This gift collection is so wonderful, I don’t know where to begin!

My favorite book is The Sun in Me. This is a collection of poetry, written by poets representing various cultures and times, that explore the beauty and fragility of the planet. I majored in creative writing and I honestly haven’t read much poetry since I graduated. When I read The Sun in Me to Ella, my passion for poetry reemerged. They are such simple, yet powerful poems. They are a great start for early readers and poets. Ella was at first confused at why there wasn’t a story being told. After we talked about the poem and explored the illustrations while re-reading them, she started to understand. You can purchase The Sun in Me for $12.99!

My other favorite is Whole World. The book comes with a sing along CD, which I love! I couldn’t help but sing the song as I read it to Ella. Whole World is a vibrant book with whimsical illustrations that help teach your child about the world. It’s a classic song and I love seeing it come to life! I especially like that after the story/song is over there is a index explaining each part of the world. This is a great tool to explain what a valley and plain is to a 2 year old! The last page has the sheet music to the original song, so if you are musically inclined, you can play along! You can get the Whole World for $16.99 or the mini version for $9.99!

The Putumayo CD World Playground and Our World Floor Puzzle are great learning tools to teach your child about the world. I love the diverse music in World Playground. You’ll hear music from Bolivia, Jamaica, Greece, France and many more. The Our World Floor Puzzle is great for teaching about the continents and important land marks. We listened to the World Playground CD while putting together the puzzle and talked about the music and where it originated. I’m not quite sure if Ella got it, but I had fun doing it! You can get the Our World Floor Puzzle for $17.99 and the World Playground CD for $15.99!

It’s been a rough week and Ella didn’t cooperate to do the Yoga Planet cards or allow me to read the other 2 books with her. But, I have enjoyed them. Especially the Yoga Planet cards, which are great for any age!

You can purchase all of these amazing products at Barefoot Books separately or as the One World, One Planet Gift Collection for $100. Plus get
The Giveaway: Barefoot Books would like to give 1 LUCKY reader a One World, One Planet Gift Collection

Rules: You have until 11:59 p.m. EST December 14, 2009 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 and Canada

2. Become a fan of Mkokopelli on FB, Mkokopelli on Twitter, or Follow my blog
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

Atlantis Natural supports the charity Operation Shower who provides showers to wives of our military men who have been deployed in high risk situations during the expected birth of their children. If you purchase the Rich Frog Rubber Duck (for only $7.99) from Atlantis Natural before Christmas they will donate 100% of the proceeds to Operation Shower.

BARBAR is trying to educate people on radiation output and blow dryers because a lot of us are unaware that a standard dryer emits MORE radiation than a microwave. BARBAR’s ultimate goal is to grab the attention of Dr. Oz, whose show can really bring to light this basic, relatively unknown fact. If you have a free moment during this holiday season (ha!), please take a moment to view the video:

Then contact Dr. Oz at http://www.doctoroz.com/contact and ask him about blow dryers and radiation. Tell him about the BARBAR Eco 8000. If you contact Dr. Oz and help get BARBAR on the show, they will mail out free Eco 8000’s to every person that participates, and provide a promo code for an 80% discount off your entire purchase made at http://www.barbarhairtools.com. They can only promise this if BARBAR gets asked to be on The Dr. Oz Show. So they can only ask that you please do your best to help.

They’ve tested their competitors so called eco-friendly dryers. There is nothing as eco-friendly as the BARBAR Eco 8000 and they’d really appreciate your help in getting the word out there.

If you contact Dr. OZ, please leave a comment here and BARBAR will review it if they get on the show! You can also get 5 extra entries to ANY giveaway going on if you participate and contact Dr. OZ. Just leave “Dr. OZ” in the comment area on the giveaway you enter.

Diane MacEachern needs your vote to help her go to Copenhagen. Diane MacEachern is a green mom, blogger, environmental activist and best selling author of the book Big Green Purse. (http://www.biggreenpurse.com/) She is also a finalist in the Huffington Post’s contest (http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/11/19/hopenhagen-ambassador-con_n_363672.html?slidenumber=QCjRGmul2Ak%3D) to send one person to Copenhagen to represent all of us “real people.”

For more information about Diane, take a look at the following links:
http://greenwoman.typepad.com/biggreenpurse/
http://www.biggreenpurse.com/
http://fakeplasticfish.com/2009/08/personal- changes-do- make-difference/

To vote for Diane:

1) Please visit this link: http://www.huffingt onpost.com/ 2009/11/19/ hopenhagen- ambassador- con_n_363672. html?slidenumber =QCjRGmul2Ak% 3D
2) You will need to login to the Huffington Post web site or register if you are not already a member. You can also login using your Twitter or Facebook account.
3) Please rate Diane’s entry with 10 stars.
Note: Diane is wearing a red shirt.

FACEBOOK? If you have a Facebook page or fan page, let people know about Diane and how they can help send her to Copenhagen by voting for her. Be sure to include this link- http://www.huffingt onpost.com/ 2009/11/19/ hopenhagen- ambassador- con_n_363672. html?slidenumber =QCjRGmul2Ak% 3D

TWITTER? If you’re on twitter, I would appreciate it if you tweet about the contest using #votehope and @huffpostgreen.

Voting ends in just two short days, on December 4, so Diane needs as much support from you, your friends and your readers right now as possible. Please help us send this deserving green mom to Copenhagen by voting now and spreading the word!

If you vote for Diane you can get 2 extra entries to ANY giveaway going on! Just leave a comment saying “Diane” in whichever giveaway you’d like. 🙂

This giveaway has ended. Thanks to all that entered!

Are you still looking for gifts for the person who has everything? You’ve got to check out Celery Street! They have awesome eco-friendly, recycled, reused, and refurbished gifts, housewares, and other practical items for everyone. Celery Street also has handcrafted jewelry, candles, bath products, apparel, pet gear, home decor, rugs, bags, purses, totes and so much more! They have a eco gifts section where you can choose gift for her, gifts for him, for the kids and for the pets. I love when shopping is made easy!

Celery Street sent me the mother of all tote bags- the Night Bird Overnight Bag.We don’t travel often, but the bag could fit enough stuff to get us through a weekend. It’s HUGE! Ella went with me to the townhouse this week to do some work. I thought I’d pack up the Overnight Bag with her toys so she’d have something to do and wouldn’t try to help us. I was able to fit a bag of blocks, a box of Sprig Toys, her Monsters Play All Day 3 tower box, crayons, 2 art pads with some loose paper, some spare clothes, VHS tapes and other little things- and still had room! The Night Bird Overnight Bag is 27.5” x 13.75″ The Bag zips shut, so you don’t have to worry about anything spilling out. It is made with 90% recycled materials of HDPE bottles and grain sacks that are ground up and melted into rolls of recycled plastic.

I love how large the bag is! It’d be great to pack toys in when dropping your child off at a friend’s house or with the grandparents. Sorry, I always think about Ella before myself. The bag is designed for women and its elegant black design with a bird singing is gorgeous. I know I’ll be using it for my next road trip- whenever that might be! It is a very durable bag and would even be great to take to the market, shopping, or to the pool. The Overnight Bag is very light weight, so what you add to the bag will be the weight you are carrying. You can get the Night Bird Overnight Bag for only $17.99!! That’s an awesome deal!

Celery Street also has a variety of Tote bags including shopping bags, shoulder bags, bucket bags, courier totes and more! They range from $9-$56, though most are under $20.

The Giveaway: Celery Street would like to give 1 lucky winner a Night Bird Overnight Bag

Rules: You have until 11:59 p.m. EST December 13, 2009 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, Mkokopelli on Twitter, or Follow my blog
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