Thanks for stopping by A Mama’s Blog for Bloggy Carnival.  I am very excited to offer a wonderful and indulgent spa gift basket by Check Mix Bars. 

I don’t have to tell my busy readers, how precious a little free time is.  The Basket of Indulgence will add a touch of luxury to that time-even if you don’t have time for a bath, this great basket includes something to indulge yourself whether you have five minutes, or five hours (don’t we wish!)

The Basket of Indulgence includes:

• One box of Turtle Chex Mix Bars with crunchy Chex pieces, pretzels, and peanuts with caramel and chocolate.  AND they have less than 150 calories per bar, while providing at least 8 grams of whole grains per serving.  (So you can indulge with a sweet treat-guilt free!)
• Chocolate Candles
• Caramel Lotion
• Spa Essentials- a loofah, hand massager, nail brush, spa towel, and wicker basket to hold it all

We all love Bloggy Carnival, and thanks to the Chex Mix Bars folks, you have a chance to win one of THREE Baskets of Indulgence!  There will be THREE winners, each receiving their own basket.

 All you have to do is leave me a comment telling me your favorite homemade spa recipe, or a relaxation tip.  I am in the process of remodeling the new home we just purchased, and packing for our move.  I need all the relaxation tips I can get, and I always love homemade spa recipes. 

This giveaway will end at 8PM Eastern time on Friday, October 31st, (Halloween), so be sure to enter before then.  One comment will enter you for a chance to win one of the three baskets.  The winners will be picked by random.org, and notified by e-mail.  The basket will be shipped directly to you, from Chex Mix Bars.  This contest is only open to residents of the USA.

This is a fabulous spa basket, and I know you will love it!  I can’t wait to read all your tips, and I’ll let you know my favorite ones in a future post. 

Thanks again for stopping by, I hope you will visit A Mama’s Blog again, and good luck!

More giveaways at the Bloggy Giveaways Quarterly Carnival!

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I am sorry this announcement is a few days late, but I have been so busy forgot to post the winners. 

As always, I want to thank the bloggers who posted this giveaway on their blogs, and they are:

Now for the winners:

The winner of the 24-ounce water bottle is:

Kristin from Blue Skies

The winner of the 21-ounce water bottle is:

One Mother’s Love

I have sent the winners an e-mail, and thanks to everyone who entered.  A BIG thank you to Lets Go Green.biz, for offering such great items.  

 Be sure to check back here at the end of September, where I will be giving away another fabulous product from Lets Go Green.biz!  Speaking of, head over there anyway, and get that water bottle in the color you have been wanting…come on, you know you want to, they are so affordable, and you need a BPA-free water bottle. 

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It is time for A Mama’s Blog, and Lets Go Green.biz’s monthly giveaway! This month, I am happy to announce that we will be giving away not one, but TWO of the fabulous BPA free water bottles made by Camelbak.

If you are not aware of what BPA’s are, they are a chemical called Bisphenola-A (BPA) traditionally used in making hard plastic bottles.  Wikipedia, states that BPA’s have been thought to be hazardous to humans since the 1930’s.  Long term exposure to BPA’s can induce chronic toxicity.  Some of the effects on the body, that were toxic in rats were: permanent changes to the genital tract, changes in breast tissue that predispose cells to hormones and carcinogens, breast cells predisposed to cancer, and lower bodyweight in both genders, and signs of early puberty.

BPA is known to leach from the plastic when heated at high temperatures (such as being washed in a dishwasher.) Needless to say, this isn’t a chemical that you want to be overly exposed to, and any chance you have to reduce your exposure to it-the better.

How many of us have plastic water bottles for ourselves and children?  Before becoming informed on BPA’s, I always ran my water bottles in the dishwasher, increasing the chances that my family was exposed to this chemical.

Lets Go Green’s water bottles are ALL BPA free, so you can put them in the dishwasher with no worries.  I have been using the 25-ounce Better Bottle now for a month and a half, and it is great.  I take it everywhere with me.  I especially love that the straw and the lid stay in place.  I have had so many water bottles that the straw comes out, and then it doesn’t work right, or makes annoying noises when drinking from it, so I ended up just throwing the straw away. 

My boys fight over who gets to use the 21-ounce Podium Bottle.  It is so easy to use and to hold, that my two-year old can use it with no help from me.  The lid is great too, because you can adjust how much liquid comes out, and you can completely turn the lid to “off,” so you don’t have any unexpected spills.  I definitely will be ordering another one of these so each boy has his own.

Be sure to check out Lets Go Green’s line of insulated water bottles too. 

For this giveaway, we are giving one 25-ounce Better Bottle, and one 21-ounce Podium Bottle.  The winners get to pick the color they would like.  In order to be eligible to win, go to Lets Go Green.biz BPA Free Water Bottle page, and look through the water bottles.  Then leave a comment here, stating which bottle you would like to have, and what color(s) you like.  If you would like to earn an additional chance to win, mention this contest on your blog, and provide a link back here. Be sure to sign Mr. Linky so I know you did this.

There will be TWO winners selected on Monday, September 1, at 8 PM eastern time, by random.org.  The first winner will receive the 25-ounce size, and the second winner will receive the 21-ounce size. 

If you can’t wait for the contest to end, these water bottles are VERY affordable. They range in price from $8.79 to $12.89.  If you use the coupon code, FRIEND, at check-out, you will receive 25% off your order!

Good luck!

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Thanks for stopping by A Mama’s Blog for Bloggy Carnival.  You are going to go “green” in more ways than one, with this giveaway.   I hosted a similar giveaway from Lets Go Green.biz a month ago, and it was so popular, we decided to offer it again for Bloggy Carnival.  This is round two -here we go!

If you are like me, you might be trying to gradually replace household items in your home with more eco-friendly options.  Who wants to expose their family to harmful chemicals, so often found in traditional cleaning products? 

But probably the biggest single factor for me in holding off replacing more household items is the cost.  We only have one natural grocery store in our town, and paper products, etc. are pretty expensive there.  My regular grocery store doesn’t have that big of a selection of eco-friendly paper, plastic, and cleaning supplies.  I suspect I am like a lot of people, who would like to purchase more eco-friendly products, but can’t justify spending double, triple, or even more on them. 

Fortunately, we don’t have to now.  There is a fantastic company, Lets Go Green.biz, which now provides many eco-friendly household products that are affordable.  In fact, many products cost less than what I have been paying for conventional items.

What makes it even more affordable, in addition to their already low prices, if you use the coupon code FRIEND during checkout, you receive an additional 25% off your order!  How wonderful is that? 

I am so excited and pleased to offer a fabulous giveway from Lets Go Green.biz.  It is valued at over $37 and all the products are eco-friendly.  One lucky person will win: 

 Let’s Go Green Large Canvas Shopping Bag  (I have used this bag, and it is great.  It is a heavy weight bag.  This is the bag to take to the grocery store to tote all your heavy items.  You will love it!)

 32oz. Glass Cleaner  (I have used this, and it works wonderfully!  It gets the smudges and little handprints off the windows with no streaks.  It is dye and fragrence free, non-toxic, and it is biodegradable!) 

 Recycled Bath Tissue 4pack  (Have been told this is really soft-not rough at all.  )

  Recycled Paper Towel 3pack

  13 Gallon Ecosafe Tall Degradable Kitchen Bags  (15 count)

  Slider Gallon PVC Free Freezer Bags (10 count)

   5 Minute Shower Coach  (to help time your showers and conserve water)

   Toilet Tank Bank  (helps save almost a full gallon with every flush)

   Walnut Scrubber Sponge (made with organic walnut shells)

To be eligible to win this prize, all you have to do is go to Lets Go Green.biz, and look at their products.  Then leave a comment here, stating what product, or products you would like to try, or what product caught your attention.  That’s it! 

The contest will run for the entire week, ending at 10 PM. eastern time, August 4th.  A winner will be picked by random.org.  This contest is only open to those who have a United States shipping address. 

Going “green” doesn’t have to be expensive, and thanks to Lets Go Green.biz, they have just made it a lot easier and affordable.  Good luck- and may the “green” be with you!

After entering this giveaway, make sure to head back to Bloggy Carnival to enter more of the fabulous giveaways!

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As always, thanks to everyone who entered this terrific giveaway.  Remember, you can always check out KIWI’s site, and subscribe to their newsletters too, and since there can only be one winner, you could get yourself a subscription while you are there-come on, you know you want to!

The winner of the year’s subscription as determined by random.org is:

INSTA-MOM!

Thanks again for all the entries, and be sure to stop by A Mama’s Blog next week for a fabulous, fabulous giveaway during Bloggy Carnival.

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There is an exciting family-centered magazine with a focus on natural and organic lifestyles.  The magazine, as you can see from the cover shot, is KIWI!

KIWI “shares the desire held by all parents to create a safe, happy environment for our children that promotes growth and well-being.” 

I found out about KIWI a few months ago when one of their writers contacted me to be interviewed for a story on delaying vaccines.  She had come across my blog post on the subject.  While our schedules didn’t work out for me to be interviewed for her story, I looked at KIWI’s website, and loved what I saw. 

There are so many interesting natural living articles ranging from family, to health, to social responsibility to eco-friendly crafts.  There are organic and natural recipes, a “goodie” section-including contests, and a special section just for kids!  And of course, they even have a terrific blog, The Kiwi Log.

KIWI is happy to offer a FREE one-year subscription to a reader of A Mama’s Blog.  This will be for six issues.  I know you will love receiving KIWI bi-monthly.  In order to be eligible to win, all you have to do is go to KIWI’s site (you can click on the magazine cover at the top of this post,) and look around.  Then leave a comment here, on what you liked, or what caught your interest- it could be a recipe, an article, or a feature. 

Earn an extra chance to win- If you mention this giveaway in a blog post on your blog, you will earn an additional entry to win the subscription.  If you do this, please make sure you sign Mr. Linky with a link to your blog post, where you mention this giveaway.  That’s it- easy as pie!

The contest will run until July 24th at 10 p.m. eastern time, and a winner will be selected by random.org.  So head over to KIWI, and start checking out all their informative and eco-friendly features.  Good luck!

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If you are like me, you might be trying to gradually replace household items in your home with more eco-friendly options.  Who wants to expose their children and family to harmful chemicals, so often found in traditional cleaning products? 

I have also been trying for over a year now, to reduce the amount of plastic bags we bring home from the grocery store.  Once I started paying attention to how many bags I was bringing my groceries home in, it was so excessive.  No wonder I always ended up with what seemed liked hundreds of bags under my sink.  Sometimes the bagger at the store, would use one bag for one small item. 

It bothers me that we still use plastic Ziploc bags, but quite frankly, they are so easy to use.  I use the gallon sizes for everything from marinades to storing art supplies in.  I use the sandwich and snack sizes for the boys’ snacks on the go, and for Ryan’s school lunches. 

But probably the biggest single factor for me in holding off replacing more household items is the cost.  We only have one natural grocery store in our town, and paper products, etc. are pretty expensive there.  My regular grocery store doesn’t have that big of a selection of eco-friendly paper, plastic, and cleaning supplies.  I suspect I am like a lot of people, who would like to purchase more eco-friendly products, but can’t justify spending double, triple, or even more on them. 

Fortunately, we don’t have to now.  There is a fantastic company, Lets Go Green.biz, which now provides many eco-friendly household products that are affordable.  In fact, after reviewing their site, many products cost less than what I have been paying for conventional items.

What makes it even more affordable, in addition to their already low prices, if you use the coupon code FRIEND during checkout, you receive an additional 25% off your order!  How wonderful is that? 

One of the best bargains they have is their new BPA-free water bottles from Camelbak.  I have seen similar BPA bottles in the sporting good store for at least $15.  Sigg BPA-free water bottles are great, but in my health food store, they run from $20-$40.  The price of Lets Go Green’s BPA-free water bottles: $12.89. With the 25% discount, they end up being $9.67.  I have yet to see them less anywhere else.  Plus they come in a variety of colors. 

I am so excited and pleased to offer a fabulous giveway from Lets Go Green.biz.  It is valued at over $37 and all the products are eco-friendly.  One lucky person will win: 

 Let’s Go Green Large Canvas Shopping Bag 

 32oz. Glass Cleaner (I have used this, and it works wonderfully!  It gets the smudges and little handprints off the windows with no streaks.  It is dye and fragrence free, non-toxic, and it is biodegradable!) 

 Recycled Bath Tissue 4pack 

  Recycled Paper Towel 3pack

  13 Gallon Ecosafe Tall Degradable Kitchen Bags  (15 count)

  Slider Gallon PVC Free Freezer Bags (10 count)

   5 Minute Shower Coach  (to help time your showers and conserve water)

   Toilet Tank Bank  (helps save almost a full gallon with every flush)

   Walnut Scrubber Sponge (made with organic walnut shells)

To be eligible to win this prize, all you have to do is go to Lets Go Green.biz, and look at their products.  Then leave a comment here, stating what product, or products you would like to try, or what product caught your attention.  That’s it!  The contest will run for two weeks, ending on July 1, at 10 PM eastern time.  The winner will be picked by a random.org, with the number corresponding to your comment number.

If you can’t wait that long, be sure to click on the Lets Go Green.biz button I have on the top of this post, or on the left hand side of my blog.  It will take you to their website, and remember to enter the code FRIEND at checkout, to save 25% off your order. 

Lets Go Green.biz also has a fundraising program that is definitely worth checking out if you have a group or organization.  If you are interested in finding out more about their fundraising programs, be sure to check out their Green Fundraising pages.

This is a terrific chance to win some eco-friendly household products.  Make sure to enter before July 1st.  Going “green” doesn’t have to be expensive, and thanks to Lets Go Green.biz, they have just made it a lot easier and affordable.  Good luck- and may the “green” be with you!

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