Get Your Green On With the Lovely Lara at La Plates: Darling (Personalized!!) Reusable Tote Giveaway

My new friend Lara graciously agreed to help me host another Go Green Giveaway! Lara is an incredible mom to two sweet boys, a runner (she calls herself "Forrest Gump"), and a Chelsea Lately fan. Somehow she also manages to juggle her La Plates blog & business on the side. I recently went to one of her La Plates parties and bought oodles of fun things from her, including this darling reusable tote made from recycled plastic. After you visit her blog, you should check out the other fantabulous items on her website. I came home with a set of monogrammed plates, personalized pink placemats for the girls, a monogrammed cooler, and personalized stationery.

(I love pink with the nautical print! But lots of other combos to choose from!)

Please go here to view styles, fonts, colors, etc. The winner will get to personalize a bag and once it has been made, it will be shipped directly to you. Lara is so nice, in fact, that if you can't wait for the giveaway, she's giving you discount code ERIN10 to get 10% off your tote (expires 5/21/10)! And because I'm a special kind of awesome, I'm going to throw in a set of three reusable produce bags from Whole Foods so you can get your GREEN on. I have these and love them:

To enter (please leave separate comments for each entry):

You must be a follower of The Mother Load (*mandatory*)--1 entry

You must be a follower of La Plates (*mandatory*)--1 entry

You may follow me on Twitter (@erinlynn76)--1 entry

You may follow Lara on Twitter (@laplates)--1 entry

You may tweet a link to this giveaway once per day (please leave a link to your tweet in the comments)--1 entry

You may become my Facebook Fan (click on the badge on my sidebar)--1 entry

You may become La Plates' Facebook Fan--1 entry

You may post on Facebook about this with a link to the giveaway--2 entries

You may blog about this giveaway, linking back to both Lara and me--5 entries

For more Go Green Goodness, please visit Deb over at Menopausal New Mom and Big Sis over at Speaking of Witch today!

If you aren't a giveaway guru, then at least check out the new Sun Chips in their 100% COMPOSTABLE BAG. This gets our Green Stamp of Approval for sure--healthyish snack + no waste = WIN!

C'mon---let's GET OUR GREEN ON!!! Giveaway begins now and ends on Tuesday, May 18. Winner will be contacted via email, so please make sure I have a way to contact you if you do not have a Blogger profile!

Happy Earth Day! What Kind of Bagger Are You? Take My Poll, Too! --->

Last week Deb over at Menopausal New Mom wrote about how many plastic bags we consume each year---500 BILLION. If you missed this mind-boggling post, please check it out here, it's a must-read. It was she who inspired me to go incognito and hide out in my minivan in various grocery store parking lots over the last few days. I put Laurie Berkner on my iPod to distract the girls, but Abby looked at me quizzically as I tried to discreetly lower my window every few seconds to get a shot, "Mommy, why are you taking pictures of people?" "Because Mommy is being sneaky," I told her. They laughed and laughed as my heart rate shot up every time I thought someone was noticing me and what I was doing.***and yes, these are all real photos I took here in my hometown over the last week.***

But I have to know. Be honest, now! (& please take my poll ---> )


Are you a (1) Everything But the Cases of Sugary Soda Goes in a Plastic Bag Bagger?

(and you in your cute lil' Volvo-- don't be tryin' to tell me you can't afford to buy some reusable bags)

Are you a (2) Two Plastic Bags Bagger?

(C'mon Mr. Manly Man. Man Up Already and Get Some ReusaBALLS!)

Are you a (3) I Don't Even Try To Hide It, I Even Enter The Store Without Reusable Bags Bagger?

(so did you leave 'em in the car & you're too lazy to go back, or do you seriously not own any of your own bags?)

Are you a (4) I Even Carry My Craptastic Subway Sammie in a Single Plastic Bag Bagger?

(or Exhibit B, just your regular groceries in a single bag? C'mon. COME ON.)

(Seriously---do you honestly need that ONE bag?)

,

Or are you a (5) This Bag Is Da Bomb Because It Speaks For Me Kind of Bagger?

This is my personal reusable bag and several months ago I gave away one just like it. But I'm not giving anything away today because I want you to get off your fannies and JUST DO IT already. Get your own. Nag your friends to get their own. Give them as gifts along with some Green cleansers, reusable chamois, etc.

I went to Hy Vee in Mission (a local grocery store) and spoke with one of the managers, Robert. I showed him these and even gave him the purple one to keep:

(reusable produce bags I bought at Whole Foods)

I was wearing my Earth Day t-shirt, had a cart with my reusable bags & groceries inside, my Shatto milk in glass bottles, etc. I told him that as a Green Gal, I'd love to see his store selling these right along with their reusable shopping bags. I added that Whole Foods is doing it and that they've also done away with plastic bags. He didn't have much to say, but was very nice and seemed enthusiastic. The whole time in my head I was thinking about Deb's post where she confronted the manager about the litter in his parking lot. "TAWANDA!" I thought.

I am taking responsibility. I am demanding change. I'm going to keep doing it until it happens.

I encourage you to join me.

Happy Earth Day. Let's change the world together. You can also go to Deb's blog today because she's hosting another phenomenal GO GREEN GIVEAWAY---check it out!

Edited to add: I stash my reusables everywhere--the car, by my back door to the garage, in my purse, etc. so I'm rarely without. If I forget them, my "punishment" is to buy a new bag or two wherever I am shopping. I have quite a collection and have put some in The Father Load's car as well.

Going Green for Spring!

My dear friend Deb over at Menopausal New Mom recently approached me about joining forces to convince you to Go Green For Spring. Being green is something I feel passionately about, and while it is part of my blog, my life, and who I am, I try to refrain from shoving it down your throats.

But the clock is ticking and the floating landfill in the ocean is growing every day with our plastic bags and other waste. Did you know it's twice the size of the state of Texas? Otherwise known as "the Pacific Garbage Patch." And we are all responsible for this thing.

"What floating landfill?" you may be asking yourselves.

This one.

The buck stops here. No more laziness. At the most basic level, we need to use fewer plastic bags. I've heard all the excuses before (and I myself use my newspaper bags to scoop my dog's poop), but we need to make a better effort and find alternative, eco-friendly solutions. Deb will be giving away two reusable cloth grocery bags. I will be giving away two sets of reusable produce bags (because not only do people use plastic bags for groceries, they use them to bag up fruits and veggies, and ALL that plastic is unnecessary) from a great seller over at Etsy, Love For Earth. In order to enter these giveaways, you must first follow both Deb and me. Giveaway rules are listed at the very bottom of this post.

(these are the bags I am giving away--2 sets, each has 6 produce bags of various sizes)

And while we're on the subject of bagging our produce, I just have to know--why on earth do people bag their bananas in the first place? They're in a convenient, easy to carry bunch already, and we don't eat the peels. So why do they need to go in a plastic produce bag? That may very well be my biggest pet peeve.

Remember that reusable/cloth shopping bags are not just for the grocery--they're for Target, Wal-Mart, the mall, toting stuff around for your kids, etc. Keep some in your car. Stash one or two in the bottom of your purse/briefcase/gym bag. If you're standing in line at the grocery and realize you've forgotten them, GO BACK TO YOUR CAR.

JUST SAY NO to plastic bags! Paper isn't much better, either. Yes, it can be recycled, but it takes energy to recycle and otherwise years to decompose. And do me a favor---if you go to the store for one or two things, please don't accept a bag at all. Just carry them out in your own two hands, especially if it has a handle already, like a milk jug or your laundry detergent. Seriously. Nothing offends me more than pure ignorance and utter laziness.

Another great idea that a few bloggers were talking about recently is making our blogs carbon neutral. It's so easy, just check out this site, pick a Carbon Neutral button that you like, put it on your sidebar, and send an email to confirm that you have posted. Then they plant a tree to neutralize the carbon dioxide emissions from your blog. Cool, huh?

Here are more of my favorite quick green tips:

1. 
   
   Check out http://www.terracycle.net/ and see about setting up a Recycling Brigade for your school or the charity of your choice. I currently have a Juice Pouch Brigade set up and it's so easy!
2. 
   
   Go to http://www.catalogchoice.org/ to stop all of your junk mail (i.e. catalogs). Shop on-line.
3. 
   
   Stop buying bottled water. Use a Brita or a Pur filter.
4. 
   
   Bring your own mug to Starbucks or your coffee shop of choice when you go out for java.
5. 
   
   Turn off lights and tv when you're not in the room.
6. 
   
   Set your thermostat to 75 in the summer and 64 in the winter. Bonus points if you can beat these. Ceiling fans are your friends and help circulate air.
7. 
   
   Wash all of your clothes in cold water (it's better for your clothes, anyway).
8. 
   
   Air dry as much of your clothing as possible.
9. 
   
   Run errands all at once.
10. 
    
    Buy local, organic, and all natural. Shop the perimeter of the grocery store.
11. 
    
    Reduce, reuse, recycle. Don't buy new. Shop on Craigslist, go to garage sales, accept hand-me-downs.
12. 
    
    Check out Method and Mrs. Meyers' products.
13. 
    
    Use rags, sponges, and dish towels instead of paper towels.
14. 
    
    Use cloth napkins at mealtimes. Check out http://www.etsy.com/ for cute ones for kids!
15. 
    
    Use soy candles instead of regular.
16. 
    
    Check out www.snacktaxi.com in lieu of Ziploc bags.
17. 
    
    Turn off the tap when brushing your teeth. Teach your kids to do the same.
18. 
    
    Take shorter showers. Consider turning the water down/off while you lather up.
19. 
    
    If you are in the Kansas City area, try Shatto Milk and dairy products. The milk comes in glass bottles which means nothing to recycle, no waste, the milk stays colder and tastes better. Plus you are supporting a local dairy and what could be better than that? Their butter and ice cream are divine, too!
20. 
    
    When you are at the ATM and/or the gas pump and the machine asks if you want a receipt, press "no."
21. 
    
    Unplug it when you're not using it (toaster oven, coffee maker, hair dryer, flat iron, etc.). Use power strips you can turn off.
22. 
    
    If you are in the Kansas City area, check out http://www.rippleglasskc.com/ for your glass recycling needs. There are collection bins all over the place, just check out the site to find the one closest to you.
23. 
    
    Consider using Evites or http://www.paperlesspost.com/ for invitations! So easy and fun. And saves our trees!
24. 
    
    Bring your reusable bags shopping. Tell your friends! When someone asks you "Paper or plastic?" you can smile sweetly and say, "Neither!"

Now for the giveaway rules:

--You must follow both Menopausal New Mom and me to be considered. (1 entry)

--Tweet about this giveaway and send us a link to your tweet. You may tweet once daily.(1 entry)

--Write your own Go Green For Spring post and link up to us/these posts within yours.(5 entries)

--Follow me on Twitter (@erinlynn76). (1 entry)

--Become a fan of The Mother Load on Facebook. If that link doesn't work, scroll up and look on the right side of my page for my badge. (1 entry)

--Post links to these giveaways on Facebook. (1 entry)

Giveaways begin NOW. Giveaways end on Thursday, April 15, 2010 at 7:00 a.m. CST. Winners will be announced shortly thereafter. GOOD LUCK!

So now that you're thinking of "Going Green For Spring" and how you can be a big part of the solution, head on over to Deb's Place and enter her "Go Green For Spring" Giveaway too!

It's never been so easy to make a difference!