This giveaway has ended. Thanks to all that entered!!!

What woman doesn’t love shoes??? Well, I have to admit I didn’t develop a shoe fetish until I was 23. I wore the same pair of Birks for 10 years. Yes, 10 years- in the summer and even with socks in the winter. But when they finally wore out, I started buying tons of shoes. 4 years later I had Ella and my feet grew a 1/2 inch. So that meant all of my boots, heels and sandals had to be donated since they no longer fit. 😦 I then went back to my old ways and bought a pair of trusty Birks and just gave up on designer shoes for the time being.

Luckily for me, I came across Greenbees and they sent me a pair of sandals to review for our Fall photoshoot. I mean Birks don’t go with a dress! When I first came across Greenbees, I was drooling over their new boots.The second I saw these I forwarded them to a few friends so we all could drool together. I’m a big boot fan. But, I have to say I’m the biggest fan of the Thencha boot.

And here’s why… Greenbees is a new Eco-friendly shoe company with an amazing fashion sense! The owners of Greenbees, Irene Clancy and Janel Garcia, were at a park with their children when they saw a tire swing. They instantly had a flash back of their joyful youth spent playing on tire swings and decided to start a search to find some for their families. In their search, they discovered mountains of old discarded tires and found out how disastrous this was for our environment. Millions of tires are discarded annually to sit in landfills while mosquitoes and other disease infested pests breed in standing water. Did you know it takes half a barrel of crude oil just to make one tire? Think about all of that waste. There is an estimated 2-3 billion tires sitting in US landfills right now! So, Greenbees decided to make something out of these used tires and thought recycled shoe soles were genius. Well, I think that part is genius. Another genius idea was to only use the finest grained leather that is treated using a formaldehyde-free method and sourced from local materials. How much more Eco-friendly can they get? The owner Irene said, “It was important for us to design a shoe that is not only eco-conscious, but fashion-conscious as well.” For every 1 tire that sits in a landfill, Greenbees is able to produce 4 pairs of shoes.

I was sent the Estephania Sandals for review and it has its own special story that I must share. The shoe was named after Stephanie Olvera, a 12 year old little girl who lost her life to a 8 month battle with Osteo Sarcoma. Greenbees has partnered with Padres Rally for Kids With Cancer to help join their fight. Padres helps bring children and families together to promote comprehensive understanding of childhood cancer and other blood disorders and effective methods for their treatment. Again, I love companies who give back and support such needed organizations. OK, back to my sandals. The Estephania Sandals are Grecian inspired and modeled after a style that transcends decades and trends. I have to say I was a little bit nervous about the strap between the toes. I haven’t worn any other sandals in the past 3 years and knew my feet would go into shock with something different. I was more than impressed after 3 hours of walking around uptown and my feet didn’t hurt at all! The ankle straps allow your feet to slide back instead of forward while walking so there is no chaffing between your toes. I will say that after wearing them for 5 hours on a 95 degree day while power walking wasn’t such a great idea. I wasn’t expecting to walk that much, otherwise I wouldn’t have worn them- especially in the heat. But every other time I’ve worn them, they’ve felt great. The Estephania Sandals are very stylish and can go with a dress or jeans. The quality is amazing and I never would have guessed the soles were made of recycled tires. They come in 4 different colors and retail at $75.

The Giveaway: Greenbees would like to offer 1 LUCKY winner a pair of Estephania Sandals!!
Rules: You have until 11:59 p.m. EST October 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 EVERYONE!!

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

5. Enter another giveaway I have going on and tell me which one or leave a comment on a non-giveaway post (1 extra entry total)
6. Tell me where you can purchase a pair of Greenbees
7. Find a tire fact found on Greenbees, follow them on Twitter and Tweet the fact while leaving a link back on here

A big thank you to Greenbees on your outstanding effort to help the environment while bringing us great shoe fashion.

Check out Mkokopelli’s Facebook page to find out how to get extra entries!

Check out Best Baby Organics new Deal of the Week! Every week there will be a new deal posted where you can save TONS of money! This week’s deal is Organic Baby Bodysuit Onesie by Lukeeno – White (80% OFF Deal of the Week!) for only $3.99!

This giveaway has ended. Thanks to all that entered!
I’m always on the search for new natural remedies. I try to avoid all drugs, unless I’m in pain or truly need an antibiotic. I’ve had sinus issues for the past 9 months. I’ve tried 6 rounds of antibiotics, nasal aspirators, Green Volcanic Clay, used humidifiers, teas… I’ve tried many more, but those are the ones that stick out the most. The Green Volcanic Clay worked for a while, but the infection came back. Then I heard about Hazelaid and thought I’d give them a try.

Ella has suffered from constipation for 2 years. No matter how much juice she drinks, fruit & fiber she eats, the poor child still has issues. I heard that Hazelaid could also help with this. Ella and I also have a arm skin rash, which is hereditary, that we’ve tried various scrubs to get rid of and nothing has helped. Let me tell you about Hazelaid before I get into our results.

Hazelaid is a line of hazelwood and amber jewelry with natural, organic healing properties. The hazelwood, from the hazelnut tree, has the unique property to absorb excess acid produced in our bodies when it is in contact with our skin. The Baltic Amber, a natural resin, releases its healing oils when it warms from contact with the skin. These oils contain succinic acid which are easily absorbed into the skin and then to the bloodstream. Succinic Acid is a natural component of plant and animal tissues, and it’s presence in the human body is beneficial in many ways.
Hazelwood was first used by the Native Americans to help their children with teething pain. If you suffer from: Arthritis, Sinus Problems, Osteoporosis, Acid reflux, Heart burn, Ulcers, Constipation, Acne, Cold sores, Dental Cavities, Eczema, Headaches and Migraines.. it is highly probable that you are suffering from an acidity imbalance. The hazelwood products could prove beneficial to your ailments.

Baltic Amber has been used in Europe as “teething jewelry” for hundreds of years. Natural amber beaded necklaces are a completely non-invasive remedy for rashes, upset tummies, earaches, fevers and colds. Baltic amber is a natural analgesic that will help calm your child and is recognized by allopathic medicine specialists as antispasmodic and anti-fever. Many adults report improvement of arthritis discomfort and carpal tunnel pain in their hands when wearing amber jewelry.

I had a hard time picking which necklaces I wanted for the both of us since our symptoms fell into both categories. Severine, the owner, was amazing to work with while trying to figure out what was best for our family. She told me the hazelwood would be the best for Ella and she told me I should go with the amber. I was torn because I was wondering if my long lasting sinus infection was from acidity and that’s why I wasn’t getting better, so I decided on the combo. The inside of the hazelwood bead will start to turn black when it absorbs enough acid from your body, so you can tell if the necklace needs to be replaced. Well, after wearing my combo hazelwood and amber necklace for a month, my sinus problems still remain. My hazelwood hasn’t changed colors, so I’m thinking this isn’t acid related. See, that’s what I get for not listening to Severine! I’m hopefully going to order the Amber necklace soon! But my arm rash is drying out and going away. (note: these are just MY results… every body is different!) Am I disappointed? No way! This necklace is beautiful and only $20.95. So you’re paying what you would for any necklace, but with the chance of healing your ailments.
Ella got the children’s hazelwood necklace and it is adorable. She has loved wearing it and doesn’t want to take it off. The hazelwood is drying out her arm rash as well and the bumps are disappearing. As for the constipation- she’s now going 3-4 times a week as opposed to twice a week. She’s still wearing her necklace in hopes it will continue to help. Since we haven’t seen results as obvious as some, please go and read the testimonials for people these have truly worked for! Everyone is different and there is no way to tell if you are suffering from an acidity balance.

The Giveaway: Hazelaid would like to offer any child or adult necklace, bracelet or anklet of the winner’s choice to 1 lucky reader!
The Discount: Wanna shop? Here’s an exclusive 10% discount promo code for you to use at the checkout: MK10 that is valid until Oct. 21. Paypal checkout doesn’t calculate the discount automatically, but Severine will refund your discount via PayPal after your order is received. The code needs to be entered in the “How you heard of Hazelaid” section which is located right below the styles picked at checkout. The area titled: “Enter gift certificate, reward or discount” will not work as it is for Ebay purchases only.

Rules: You have until 11:59 p.m. EST October 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 EVERYONE!!

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

5. Enter another giveaway I have going on and tell me which one or leave a comment on a non-giveaway post (1 extra entry total)
6. Read the story about how Hazelaid began and the testimonials and tell me one that stuck out
7. Tell me what ailment you would like to heal and what you’d pick if you won

This giveaway has ended. Thanks to all that entered!
So how do you teach your children to become more Eco-friendly? Most children don’t think about how much water they waste while brushing their teeth or remember to turn the lights off when they walk out of a room. Even if we’ve told them a thousand times! It is important to start teaching our children about protecting the environment and becoming more aware of what they are doing…. I mean it is for their future.

Luckily there are more and more companies making Eco-friendly children’s educational products! I know Ella is a hands on learner. If I tell her something, it goes in one ear and out the other. But if I show her a book or a toy and we discuss something, a week later she’ll start telling me all about it. You might think 2 is too young to start teaching about the environment. idbids believes that teaching preschoolers about environmental sustainability is a fundamental concept- just like teaching shapes, colors, letters, and saying “please and thank you.” I have to agree. Ella is catching on and turns off lights every time we leave the room. Though, she sometimes shuts off the power to the computer while I’m in the middle of doing something. We need to work on that. But these are concepts that any child can pick up on and the little things will become every day behaviors.

idbids is an amazing new company that helps teach children what they can do to make a difference by making iddy biddy steps for a greener world. Watch the short video to learn about idbids! You might learn something too!

Aren’t they adorable? idbids makes a variety of Eco-friendly products that will inspire every child and even adults. I will be back in a week to tell you all about their idbids kits. But today I wanted to share with you their adorable T-shirts.They are made out of 100% certified organic cotton and Eco-friendly dyes. Some shirts are available in other colors than white. They come in sizes 2-6T, Youth X small-X large, and Adult small-XXL. Each shirt has a Eco-friendly message that your child will love to share. My favorite is the Lola “pretty is as pretty does.” These shirts will be great to put over long sleeved shirts in the Fall and Winter!

The Giveaway: idbids would like to give 2 lucky winners a T-shirt of their choice!

Rules: You have until 11:59 p.m. EST October 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

5. Enter another giveaway I have going on and tell me which one or leave a comment on a non-giveaway post (1 extra entry total)
6. Tell me where you can find idbids in a store near you
7. Follow idbids on Twitter and/or on Facebook (2 entries for both)

I have a new poll posted on the right to help me determine what to look for when putting together Mkokopelli’s Eco-friendly Holiday Gift Guide in November. Obviously all of you don’t have 2 yr. old little girls and I’d like to offer something for everyone. So, please go and fill it out!

If you have ideas for things you would like to see or know more about, please leave a comment below.

Oh- and sorry to mention the holidays when we haven’t reached Oct. yet!!! But, if you want to win some awesome stuff I have to get on it!!

The first Word Filled Wednesday begins today! This is your chance to promote your giveaways and blog to all of the Mkokopelli readers! In the “Name” you can leave a contest name or just your blog. You are more than welcome to leave more than 1 link as long as you leave a comment. After you leave your link, leave a comment about anything that’s on your mind!

http://www2.blenza.com/linkies/autolink.php?owner=mkokopelli&postid=29Sep2009&meme=wfw

This giveaway has ended! Thanks to all that entered!

I can’t believe Halloween is a month away! Where does the time go? I have to say this year is the first year I haven’t really been excited about Halloween. I’m not looking forward to having to tell Ella no when she begs for the candy she just scored. I’m not looking forward to looking for or creating a costume. I am ready to have a pumpkin and I love my Fall decor… but something is just missing this year. Maybe it’s the new-found knowledge about all of the toxic junk in costumes that has me down.

I’ve learned that majority of the cheap costumes sold are made with toxic conventional dyes, which can cause skin irritations and also pollute waterways. Some costumes are also made with petroleum based products which require oil drilling. Both are bad for the environment, not to mention your child’s precious skin. On top of that, most costumes are also made out of nylon or polyester which are both non-biodegradable. They all are treated with flame retardants- which is good and bad. Good- it’s saving your child’s life in case they come across a open flame. Bad- there is a lot of negative attention towards certain flame retardants and you don’t know which kind is in your costume.

As I was researching “safe” costumes, I was thrown back after reading to avoid cotton since it is highly flammable! Cotton, rayon, acetates or blends are all highly flammable. Also you should avoid cardboard boxes, paper, tissue, long costumes, flowing costumes, fake fur, stringy strands, lace trim, tight costumes, loose costumes, masks and hard props. Wow… that’s a lot to avoid. See why I’m getting down?

The good news is that there are Eco-friendly options available, like at Oeuf. Oeuf, pronounced UH-F, is a Eco-friendly company dedicated to create practical, stylish, high quality safe products for our children. They have adorable Alpaca fabric Halloween costumes that quickly caught my attention. Alpaca wool contains fibers with microscopic air pockets. This gives the fiber tremendous thermal capacity that allows a breathable fiber with an insulating nature.

Oeuf has a Mask and Tail set made from 100% Alpaca wool that is really cute. The mask will only cover your child’s nose, so you don’t have any safety worries! The set is made in Bolivia and is sure to stand out. You can choose from a tiger, raccoon, dog, fox, cheetah, zebra, giraffe or crocodile.

Oeuf also has Halloween Bat Boy & Bat Girl hats, an Animal Hat & Booties, Angel Sweater and Angel Booties that are all adorable. You can also find Alpaca jewelry, which is a great alternative to the cheap plastic stuff. While you are looking around, be sure to check out their amazing new items!

The Giveaway: Oeuf would like to give 1 lucky reader a Mask and Tail set!! A $48 value!
Rules: You have until 11:59 p.m. EST October 12, 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

5. Enter another giveaway I have going on and tell me which one or leave a comment on a non-giveaway post (1 extra entry total)
6. Go to Oeuf and join their mailing list
7. Tell me one of Oeuf’s Mission Statements
8. Grab Mkokopelli’s Fall Week button and post on your blog or FB page

Eco-Pet Week starts ending tomorrow. It seems like yesterday it just began. Remember you can’t win if you don’t enter!!

• Reclaimed Wool Sweater from Puppy Pie Ends- 9/29
• Jelly Beans Catnip Toys from Casbah Kitten Ends- 9/30
• Very Vintage Organic Collar Ends- 10/2
• Krafty Kates Kreations Organic Catnip Toy Ends 10/3
• Eco Bones from The Soft Landing Ends 10/4
• Shorty’s Gourmet Treats Ends 10/5

I’ve seen weekly Q&A’s done on several blog sites that feature other blogs and their writers. Would you be interested in reading about other blogs & their owners? Better yet, would you be interested in being one of those featured blogs? Let me know and we can see what we can do!