Our Light Bulbs are Turning Green! #GELighting

May 17, 2012 By Leave a Comment

We were really lucky when we bought our home 3 and a half years ago.  The lady that previously lived here had upgraded a lot of her light bulbs to energy efficient ones.  A few were the “Instant On” bulbs, but most were the light bulbs that took a bit to fully shine.  I didn’t like those so I actually took them out and replaced them with regular, cheap bulbs.  Well, those regular, cheap bulbs kept blowing on me – so I put the energy efficient ones back in {I kept them just in case}!

I hadn’t really thought about it – because I don’t have to buy light bulbs that often – but we’ve never changed any of those bulbs!  They’re going strong at almost 4 years!  So, I decided that it was time to make a change and make all of our light bulbs turn green!

Before the switch, anytime I bought light bulbs, I always bought the GE Reveal.  I liked the crisper light and didn’t mind to pay a bit more for those bulbs.  I had it in my mind, and my husband especially had it in his mind, that it would cost a fortune to replace all of the light bulbs in our house to the GE Energy Smart bulbs.  It might have a few years ago, but it seems that these Energy Smart bulbs have really dropped in price and are extremely affordable – especially when you factor in how long they last AND how much money they’ll save you on your energy bill!

I went around the house checking out all of the light bulbs that I would need to switch over.  I was so happy to discover that only about 1/2 of the light fixtures around the inside AND outside of our house were already Energy Smart bulbs!  I was 1/2 to having all green light bulbs already!  I headed to our local Walmart with my list and a small bag of a couple of light bulbs that weren’t standard size to get what I needed!

Honestly, I was quite overwhelmed when I got to the lighting aisles.  I would really recommend doing a bit of research before you go to the store.  You can check out GELighting.com, which is a great resource that I found after I shopped.  I thought because I had bought Energy Smart bulbs once before, I would easily know what I wanted.  But I think there are a lot more Energy Efficient choices on the market today.

One thing you’ll definitely notice as you’re shopping for green-er bulbs is the price.  It’s definitely dropped over the past few years and you’ll reap more monetary rewards by buying in bulk.  GE wants you to save money on your energy bill AND help the environment… I feel like it’s an encouragement to do a makeover on your light bulbs!  Not only will you see great money savings by buying bulbs in larger packages, but you can also save another $2.00 with this coupon on your GE Energy Smart Purchase at Walmart!

I spent around $130 to switch out the remaining outdated bulbs to GE Energy Smart light bulbs!  I was very happy with that cost and am really excited to see the change in our energy bill.  I’ll have to wait a couple of months to actually see that, but there’s a fun calculator on the GE Lighting website that will estimate your energy savings.  I put in my information and… I’m estimated to save $162.35 annually and $889.60 savings over the life of the bulbs!!!

In addition to switching your light bulbs to more energy efficient ones like the GE Energy Smart bulbs, you can also do little things to help the environment {and your energy bill} like:

  • Turn off your lights when they’re not really necessary.
  • Get motion lights for outside so your lights aren’t on continuously.
  • Use timers if you like lights on before you go to bed – the timers will turn them off and you won’t even know it!

 

I am so excited that all of our light bulbs are green now – and I can’t wait to start seeing more green in our bank account, thanks to lower energy bills!  I’ll be posting again in a month, letting you know if we did see a change in our energy bill or not.  In the meantime, be sure to check out GE on Facebook and Twitter if you’re interested in making your light bulbs green too!

You can see more pictures of my shopping experience with GE Energy Smart Bulbs and more in my Google+ Album!

I am a member of the Collective Bias™ Social Fabric® Community.  This shop has been compensated as part of a social shopper insights study for Collective Bias™. #CBias #SocialFabric

Filed Under: cbias, family, Green, learning, parenting, Review, technology Tagged With: , , , , ,

I’ve got a Teething Baby!

May 17, 2012 By Leave a Comment

Moreaya is definitely showing the first signs of teething.

  • Excessive drooling – even more than normal for her.
  • Chewing on her hands, more than normal.  She even dives at them to try to bite them harder.
  • Fussy more than normal
  • Loves chewing on the teethers that can be frozen.

She wears an amber teething necklace, but I’m a bit concerned that it isn’t helping like it seemed to help Sophia.  It’s actually Sophia’s necklace from when she was a baby so I wonder if they have a shelf life {does anyone know?}.

Although she hasn’t sprouted any teeth yet, I know it’s only a matter of time.  Actually, Sophia would show signs of teething up to 2 months before a tooth would actually come through.  It was so odd because she would have all of the above symptoms and they would just stop.  When they stopped – and she acted normal – you could bet that the tooth would come through in a few days!

While I was on the Earth’s Best website the other day, I saw that they now have a new Organic Teething Gel.  I haven’t had the chance to try it, but I’ve definitely been looking for it in stores when I think about it.

What do you/did you do for your teething children to help relieve their pain and itchy gums?

Filed Under: baby, Earth's Best Organic, family, parenting

Conquering My Allergies. #ClearBeauty

May 14, 2012 By 2 Comments

I sincerely hope you’re not like me, but if you are, you know all about my dreaded house guest – Seasonal Allergies.

Living in east Tennessee is absolutely beautiful – I wouldn’t trade it for anything {unless someone wanted to pay to move our entire family to a house on the beach somewhere nice and warm}.  With the beauty of the trees and mountains comes the dreaded pollen and ragweed seasons, though.  When I was a child, I usually got sick near the end of the school year in mid-May and right at the beginning of the school year in late August.  I never wanted to take shots so I tried to control them with medication.  Although nothing ever really prevented them, I did have help in controlling symptoms.

When I was pregnant, my seasonal allergies totally disappeared – talk about an awesome side effect of pregnancy!  Unfortunately, they have returned with a vengeance.  Not only do I get the sniffle or runny nose, but I get the extreme sore throat, sinus headaches, and even dizziness!  When you have 2 kids under 2 at home by yourself all day long, it makes these symptoms magnified by 100x because all you really feel like doing is sleeping, which doesn’t happen!

So, I decided to try a new allergy medication, Allegra.  This is one brand that I hadn’t tried simply because the others hadn’t given me much relief.  But after a long {but fun} day outside at Dollywood last week, I knew I had to try something new.

I was dared – ok, maybe not dared – but encouraged to show how my experience with Allegra would help me go from Drab to Fab.  Although it’s taking every ounce of “oomph” I have to post this Before “Drab” picture – here goes nothing…

Yep, I’m Drab and feeling every bit of it too.  So, I headed to CVS with both girls in tow because that’s how desperate I was to feel better!

As soon as we walked into the store, everything was decorated for Summer!  I think I’m not the only one looking forward to the end of allergy season and the fun and sun that comes with the Summer Season!  We headed straight over to the Allergy Medications section and spotted Allegra immediately – thanks to the top shelf position and the bright purple box.

I ended up choosing a 5 count box of Allegra since I’ve not had the best experience with other Allergy medications in the past.  I didn’t want to invest a lot before I tried it.  If you’ve already tried Allegra or want to save more money, the 30 count box is on sale for only $17.99 with your CVS card during the entire month of May!

And just because the girls were so good, we did a bit of shopping for them too.  I’m raising a little Lip Gloss Girl in Training!

Along with buying Allegra to make me feel better, I picked up just a couple of beauty products {remember, I’m trying to go from Drab to Fab here} to use when the medicine started to take away the yucky symptoms.  We searched that beauty wall for quite a few minutes before I decided on the essentials: Mineral Powder, Lip Gloss, Mascara, and Nail Polish!

I only spent around $25 for all of these great products!  I was super happy with the prices and all of the great deals – both the Neutrogena Mineral Sheer & Lip Gloss were Buy One, Get One 50% off AND the Sally Hansen Nail Polish had the same deal – with your CVS Card!  I can never pass up a good deal…

I also couldn’t pass up a Mineral Sheer Foundation that contains an SPF.  As a Melanoma Survivor, SPF in products is a huge selling point for me and although I always wear more than a 20SPF, I know it’s already in my makeup for extra protection!

You can check out even more pictures of our whole Shopping Experience in my Google+ Album.

Before we get to the Fab After picture because yes, there is one!  Everyone should head over to the Allergy Makeover Game – it’s a fun way to see how Allegra can help you get over the Allergy blues and gives you a chance to instantly win a $50 CVS Gift Card!  You can play daily throughout the whole month of May!  You can follow Allegra on Twitter and Facebook too – to stay in the know with all their happenings and get other tips and tricks to managing your allergies.

Mother’s Day was yesterday and after taking the Allegra for 4 days, I was so happy that I could actually put on my contacts again and get to feeling a little bit more like myself…

“I am a member of the Collective Bias™ Social Fabric® Community.  This shop has been compensated as part of a social shopper insights study for Collective Bias™. #CBias #SocialFabric

Filed Under: cbias, family, parenting

Summer Splash Sponsor Spotlight: The First Years

May 10, 2012 By 1 Comment

Are you loving all these great giveaway events!?  I sure am – they’re tons of fun to participate in and I love bringing you some fabulous products too!

WithOurBest Event Button

I’ll be participating in the Summer Splash Event, which begins this Monday the 14th!  I’m taking a bit of a unique take on Splashing in the Summer and with today’s Sponsor, you’ll see how!

When I was contacted to review The First Years Sure Comfort Newborn to Toddler Tub, I said sure!  I wanted to see the bath tub that was named one of Babble’s 10 best infant bathtubs last year!  Moreaya had outgrown the tub that we were using with her so I had been laying her in our big bath tub on a mat.

This tub is so fun and super practical for our family because it can seriously be used for babies as Newborns all the way up to Toddlers at 25lbs!  It comes with a mesh sling for newborns and I plan on keeping it JUST IN CASE we need it again in the future {far future… like 5 years into the future! ;) }

It also includes a mesh sling with padded headrest providing extra comfort and support to cradle even the littlest ones. The form-fitting netting provides security, making bath time less stressful for both parents and baby! And, it’s machine washable and dryable.

The First Years Sure Comfort™ Newborn to Toddler Tub provides all the security, comfort and convenience parents and growing babies need in a tub. Its deep ergonomic design holds baby better for bathing, and parents will love that it fits both single and double sinks. Plus, the mildew-resistant pads make for a cleaner bath.

Moreaya doesn’t mind this tub at all!  She used to squirm in the other one we had and I just knew it had to be uncomfortable.  This bath tub is padded in all the right places and keeps her in a comfortable position.  And just because it says that toddlers can fit, we had to try it out…

They do!  Sophia is right at 24-25 lbs and she fit into the tub.  It would probably be hard to get her to actually keep the water IN the bathtub, since it’s pretty small and compact, but it could be done.  I think taking this tub along with us when we’re camping would be a great way to get the girls a bath without putting them in community showers!

The way the tub works is one side is the Infant side, with more support at the back and bottom for little ones and the other side is for toddlers who can easily sit up and need more padding for their bottoms.

Buy It:  At under $20, this is definitely the bathtub that I would recommend to friends and family members that are looking for something to bathe their Infant and even Newborn in – especially since it can last for children up to 25lbs!  The First Years Sure Comfort™ Newborn to Toddler Tub is easily available to everyone as it can be found at Walmart, BabiesRUs.com, and select Target stores!

Win It:  One lucky So Easy Being Green reader will have the chance to win their own The First Years Sure Comfort Newborn to Toddler Tub {in their choice of Pink or Blue} in the Summer Splash Event – that starts on Monday, May 14th!


Filed Under: baby, family, parenting, Review, toddler, travel

Moreaya’s New Artwork

May 8, 2012 By 3 Comments

I’ve met some wonderful bloggy friends over the past year and a half that I’ve been enjoying this hobby!  Some have remained constant, other friendships have waned a bit due to busy schedules and children, and I’m even developing new friendships everyday!  It’s such a fun concept – to meet other women that are similar to you that may live on the other side of the country.

I just happened upon my friend, Maria’s blog one day as I was blog hopping.  I saw that she was born in the Philippines, so I commented on her blog with our connection – my husband is Filipino and I still think it’s neat to meet others who are of the same origin or married to someone of the same.  Since then, we visit each other’s blogs as much as our time will allow – she is a beautiful {and young} Grandmother to a new, adorable baby girl and Mom to a son and two daughters {and two son-in-laws}!  She’s a busy lady with family and if that wasn’t enough – she’s a fabulous Artist too!

You might remember seeing one of her Personalized Sketches during the January “New Year, New Babies, New Mommies of 2” Event.  She was generous enough to give one lucky So Easy Being Green reader a personalized sketch!

Maria surprised me a couple of months ago by asking about Moreaya’s birth information.  She said she wanted to make her a Personalized Sketch!  I was so touched by this wonderful lady’s generosity.  It meant so much to me for her to offer to draw her something so special, unique, and lovely.

I just got Moreaya’s artwork in the mail last week and put it in a frame – I’d still like to get a more unique matting to go in the frame, to match the butterfly, but I just couldn’t wait any longer to put it on the wall of her room or to share it with you all!

I hope you can see in the up-close picture that the entire butterfly is drawn using her name, “Moreaya”.  This is such a special piece of art for Moreaya to have with her forever.  I am so glad that she has something so unique and made only and specifically for her, as sometimes I feel like as a younger Sister she’s going to get a lot of hand-me-downs and less personalized items as Sophia did.  But this is so special!

I want to thank Maria from the bottom of my heart.  This artwork touched me so much and shows what a beautiful spirit this lady has!

If you’re on the hunt for a perfectly Personalized Gift for your child or a Baby Shower gift, be sure to check out Maria on her blog Personalized Sketches and Sentiments and her Facebook page for more examples of her amazing artwork!

Filed Under: baby, family, parenting

Preparing for Sophia’s 2nd Birthday Party! #ExpressYourself

May 7, 2012 By 6 Comments

I have been quite a busy Mama over the past week or two!  I’ve been planning, crafting, and shopping for Sophia’s 2nd Birthday party… which has become a job {but quite a fun one} all on it’s own!

Last year we had a fun, 50′s and Rock ‘n’ Roll 1st Birthday theme, so when I  started thinking about themes for her 2nd Birthday Party, I immediately decided on a Dora Party.  I started pinning away and was really getting into the theme until I was discussing the party ideas with my Mom and Sophia overheard.  She proclaimed, “I don’t want a Dora Party.  I want a Mickey party!”  I’ve told you all that this little lady knows what she wants… so, guess what kind of party she’s having!?  A Mickey-inspired party!

Once themes changed, I still took to Pinterest for some ideas and then picked and chose what I liked and came up with my own color scheme and craft ideas!  I’ll be sharing lots of my DIY projects with you as the next couple of weeks go by and today I’m going to share with you one of the first couple!

On our DIY photo invitations, the instructions for the party let everyone know that the celebration will be held at Sophia’s Clubhouse!  So, in order to set out Sophia’s Clubhouse from the other houses in our neighborhood… we decided to make a fun sign!

Let me show you just how easy it was to make this fun sign!

First, I decided to use Painters Paint Markers from Elmers, to make the sign fun and colorful, going with our Red and Black Mickey color scheme.  It would have been a pain to try to use any other type of paint to make this sign.  So, I headed to our local Walmart to get a pack of the pens in the colors I needed!

I know I can’t be the only one that just loves to walk up and down the craft aisles looking at all the fun stuff that I could create… only if I had more time!

I assumed the Painters Paint Markers would be with the other paints that Walmart carries and I was correct!

There were two different packs of the Painters Paint Markers and although the Orange, Yellow, and Pink look like so much fun – I needed the Primary Pack for the Black, Red, and Blue!

Although my Walmart didn’t carry them, Painters Paint Markers can now be purchased individually for only $1.97 each!  I will definitely be keeping an eye out on our local craft shelves because that’s a super cheap price, especially when I can choose whatever color I want!

I made my sweet hubby get involved with this project.  I planned on simply painting on a plain piece of wood, but he had a fun idea to cut the sign into an arrow itself and made quite a fun wooden creation!

After having him sketch out the word “Clubhouse”, I went to painting!

The Painters Paint Markers are really so easy to use.  When you first start, you simply pump the tip a bit to get the paint to come down and then it flows very easily – but not fast at all.  It’s really just like using any type of marker!  It makes projects like this one super fast and easy because you can stay right in your lines!

The sign turned out so cute and exactly what I had in mind – simple, eye catching, and Mickey inspired!  It will be easy for all of our Party Attendee’s to find Sophia’s Clubhouse!

I’ve been using the Paint Markers for a few other birthday crafts too – including these fun, little party favor bags for her fellow Mouseketeers!  I’ve added their names since we’ll be having a few different ages attend and their favors are a bit different!

I can’t wait to show you more fun projects that I’m working on for her fabulous Mickey Mouse inspired party!

You can connect with Elmers and learn more about their great craft products, like the Painters Paint Markers, on their Facebook and Twitter pages!

I am a member of the Collective Bias™ Social Fabric® Community.  This shop has been compensated as part of a social shopper insights study for Collective Bias™. #CBias #SocialFabric

Filed Under: cbias, family, parenting, toddler Tagged With: , , , ,

I’ve been unplugged.

May 4, 2012 By 5 Comments

I told my sweet hubby, last night, that I hadn’t blogged in 2 days.  And then I said “It feels so good”.

I’ve really been working super hard at blogging here at So Easy Being Green regularly for the past year that I’m starting to burn out.  I have 2 little girls that demand a ton of my attention, ok all of my attention, and my blogging just can’t keep up!  I said when Moreaya was born that I was going to slow down, but things only seemed to pile up and speed up.

I really am slowing down.  I want more meaningful posts, more relevant giveaways – like I’ve been focusing on in the past few weeks, and more personal interaction.

So, you may not see a post everyday, but I’m still gonna be here!

AND… I’m guest posting today on Stuff Parents Need – with a perfect explanation of why I’m going to be blogging less and enjoying my 2 girlies even more!  :)   I’d love for you to check out my post!  Making the Most of Two under Two

Filed Under: blogging, family, parenting

Bedtime Routines with Earth’s Best Sleepytime Lotion {giveaway!}

April 26, 2012 By 43 Comments

I always had a hard time setting a good nightly routine for Sophia when she was younger.  Once she started sleeping in her “big girl bed” a few months ago, I knew it would be crucial to follow a nightly routine.

Here’s how ours goes:

  • Pick out PJ’s – She absolutely loves picking out her own pajamas and her favorite thing to wear to bed is my old, vintage t-shirts from when I was about 6.  They fit her like nightgowns and she thinks it’s the greatest thing ever.
  • Brush Teeth – She used to love brushing her teeth, but apparently the fun-ness of the activity wore off and it’s a chore for this active toddler now.
  • Lotion up! – More on that in a bit…
  • Pick out Stories – We fluctuate.  Right now she’s in her “Mommy picks the books” mood where for a few weeks now, I get to choose all 3 stories that we read that night.
  • Turn out the light and Wait… and Wait… and Wait some more. – Yep, my toddler doesn’t like going to sleep and sometimes our bedtime routine lasts a good hour and a half!

So, I mentioned that we lotion-ed up in that routine… we haven’t actually always done that.  But when I received my bottle of Sleepytime Lotion from my Earth’s Best box of goodies this month, we added that in and Sophia loves it! 

The lotion is a lovely fragrance of calming chamomile and is very gentle for children with super sensitive skin!  It hasn’t irritated Sophia’s or Moreaya’s skin like other lotions do.

  • Contains 70% Organic Content
  • Hypo-Allergenic
  • No Sodium Lauryl/Laureth Sulfate or Sodium Methyl Sulfate
  • No Mineral Oil or Petrolatum
  • No Parabens or Harsh Preservatives
  • No Synthetic Fragrances, Colors or Phthalates
  • 100% Vegetarian, No Animal Testing

Win It:  One lucky So Easy Being Green reader is going to win a bottle of Earth’s Best Sleepytime Lotion in Chamomile!  This giveaway is open to US & Canadian residents only.


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Filed Under: baby, Earth's Best Organic, family, Green, Review, toddler

Wordless Wednesday: Sisters Chilling at the GCDC

April 25, 2012 By 2 Comments

Filed Under: baby, family, toddler

I’ve got a new favorite Baby… Carrier! {giveaway!}

April 24, 2012 By 381 Comments

Yep, it’s true!  I couldn’t fathom that I would love another carrier as much as I had fallen in love with the ones I’ve used in the past, but I have.  And it’s all thanks to Beco!

Oh yeah, those cute little sucking pads with taggies?  Those are from Red Charlotte!

Since I received my new Gemini Baby Carrier from Beco, well, Moreaya has been in it probably once every 2-3 days at least.  I am so happy that she loves to be carried because it makes my life so much easier!  When I got my first soft structured carrier, Sophia was already walking and had already gained enough independence to not like being carried as much.  I carried Moreaya as an infant in a wrap and now I’m carrying her everywhere in our Beco!

Where do you use your Baby Carrier?  So far, Moreaya’s been on me in the grocery store {sooo much easier and safer than putting her car seat on top of the cart!}, all around Dollywood, Old Navy, and she was riding on me the whole time we were at the Great Cloth Diaper Change!  I’ve worn her for more than 2 hours straight and not felt a thing when I take her off.

So, why am I loving my Beco Gemini so much?!  {Seriously, I sing it’s praises to anyone that will listen!}  The shell is made from 100% Organic Cotton.  Because it’s a 4-in-1 Carrier, that’s right, you can wear your baby four different ways, including facing out!  I tried this once with Moreaya but I don’t feel like she’s big enough to sit comfortably facing out, yet, but I can definitely see how this would keep your babe happier while their being carried as they get older! I’m also loving that the Beco is so super light, only weighing 1.5 lbs.  It’s slim and trim and holds your baby right next to your body with absolutely no extra bulk

But what do I love most?!  I love the fact that this carrier works for babies from 7-35lbs!!!  That’s right, no extra infant insert to buy!!!  Moreaya is right at about 13lbs and holding her head up fine, so I can technically carry her without an infant insert in other carriers, but we have a big wide problem.  Her little legs are very uncomfortable when they’re stretched open so wide in the carrier.  This isn’t a problem at all with our Beco Gemini!

This is the only adjustment that I have to make to carry Moreaya one minute and Sophia the next.  The base of the carrier simply snaps in when you’re carrying a smaller child and snaps open when your child has a wider sitting stance.  It is what I love most about our Gemini Carrier because I know Moreaya is super comfortable in it… she almost always falls asleep right away!

Even Sophia has tried out the new “back pack” and enjoyed being carried around outside a bit!

Buy It:  You can purchase a Beco Gemini Carrier from their website and at a variety of retailers.  These carriers retail for $135 and are worth every penny!

Win It:  One super lucky So Easy Being Green reader is going to win their very own Beco Gemini Baby Carrier!!!  This giveaway is open to US and Canadian residents only.


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Filed Under: baby, babywearing, family, Green, parenting, Review, toddler
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