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Eco-Friday: Alternative Holiday Gift Guide #GiftsWithACause

Posted on December 20, 2014

This holiday gift giving season as you are out and about shopping for commercial goods to give to family and friends, consider also gifting some alternative charitable goodies that can benefit impoverished people in America or other parts of the world.

Since 1996, the World Vision Gift Catalog has been offered to shoppers a selection of hand-crafted objects made in or inspired by the areas of the world the organization services. Last year, World Vision helped 822,000 people thought its catalog.

In exchange for a specific donation, shoppers receive a gift for themselves or to give to someone else for the holidays, a birthday or some other occasion.

The 64-year old old organization started out in 1950 aimed at helping orphans worldwide and now it focuses on poverty and injustice issues with 83% of its operating expenses going for programs to benefit children, families and communities in need. Only 5% of its 2013 expenses went to operational costs and 12% to fundraising….

…like for sending Bloggers like me a sample of an item from its catalog in exchange for sharing with our audiences about this option.

The lovely African Soapstone Box I received is perfect for storing earrings. Coated in light blue with an image of a giraffe, this ornate box features pretty details that will complement nearly any decor. Donations go toward the Kenyan artisans who crafted the box to help provide medical care for their families. It is free with a donation of $85 to the organization.

In addition, there are options in the gift registry that will be multiplied by matching government, corporate and foundation partners. For example, perhaps in the name of a friend for Hanukkah, a donation gift of $25 will go towards $200 worth of supplies to help a poor family in America or a disaster relief victim.

For those who are expecting and new parents and are grateful for being blessed with excellent healthcare and want to help mothers around the world get it too, there are options of donating towards Maternal Health in Afghanistan or a New Mother and Baby Kit.

Consider checking out the catalog and donating on behalf of that person in your life who has everything! Thanks!

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Eco-Friday:4 Re-Usable products to use while pregnant

Posted on October 10, 2014

Reusing items is one way to “go green,” since doing so produces less waste and ultimately means less resources are used to manufacture new items. Here are a few items you can reuse during pregnancy to reduce your – and your baby’s! – carbon footprint.

1. Reusable water bottle – It’s vitally important to stay hydrated during pregnancy! Instead of buying bottled water, invest in a high quality and eco-friendly reusable water bottle so you can fill up at home and keep water with you while you’re on the go.

2. Food storage containers – During pregnancy, it’s important to keep a light snack with you while you’re out and about in case hunger strikes. Be sure to keep your snacks in reusable food containers rather than disposable plastic bags.

3. Maternity clothes – If you don’t already have maternity clothes from a past pregnancy to reuse, consider finding what you need at a thrift store, garage sale or consignment store. You might even have a no-longer-pregnant friend with some maternity clothing to get rid of.

4. Items for baby – Since you’ll be doing plenty of shopping for baby now, during your pregnancy, start thinking about how you get your baby off to a eco-friendly start in life. Cloth diapers are reusable – you can even use them for more than one child! Some cloth diapering moms also use reusable cloth wipes for clean up at changing time. You can also reuse toys, clothes and larger items like cribs and play yards. You might have these items still on and from when older children were little, but even if this is your first baby or if you got rid of those items before, you can still reuse by shopping at thrift stores, consignment shops, garage sales and looking out for general freebies. Family members and friends might also have items they’d like to unload.

As you can see, there are many ways to make use of reusable items during your pregnancy. Many cities even have entire consignment shops dedicated to items and clothes for pregnant moms and babies, so you can be green even without having to search and search through thrift store racks and garage store piles to find what you need – unless that’s something you enjoy, of course!

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Eco-Friday: End of Summer Eco-Fun Tips

Posted on August 29, 2014

I’m digging the wonderful eco-friendly tips that HuffPo recently shared. I’m constantly struggling to find fun environmentally-friendly activities to do with the kids in the summer. It is a HUGE challenge to keep them entertained and their brains stimulated all summer. That’s why I loved seeing these eco-summer tips and ideas:

1) Grow a garden

Sunflower Playhouses & Mazes

Sunflowers are inexpensive and easy to grow. Certain varieties like “Sunzilla,” “Mammoth,” and “California Greystripe” can grow between 12-20 feet tall which makes them a great plant to use to make an outdoor playhouse or maze. All it takes is a couple packages of seeds and a little watering and in 8 weeks you will have a bright and cheerful “nature made” play area.

Pizza Garden

If space is an issue or you have older children, a pizza garden is a lot fun and keeps them really engaged. In a small bed or pots, plant a few tomato plants, basil and oregano — all of the garden ingredients that you need for a pizza. After you harvest at the end of the summer, make pizza sauce with the ingredients from your garden.

2) Use Nature’s Art Box

Go on a stroll in your yard, neighborhood or nearest park and collect leaves, small twigs, and flowers to use as materials in a translucent garden window or mobile. All you need are the materials that you have collected, translucent contact paper and string.

For older kids, it is fun to collect rocks and pebbles from your yard or neighborhood and paint them. It is great to show your child pictures of ancient cave art for inspirations. You can even try making your own natural pigment paints using egg white and ochre (blush) for reds and charcoal for black.

3) Recycled Box Crafts

Boxes are by far the best item to let the imagination nation run wild. Refrigerator and wardrobe boxes make a great playhouse or puppet theaters. You can take them outside and let your child color or paint them. You can help them cut windows and doors into them. One way to make the decorating easy and fun is to use a paper cup to hold the paint and tape it to the outside of the box right at your child’s arm level.

Medium-size boxes that may be gathering dust in the attic or garage are great for toy train tunnels and matchbox car tracks/highways. Help your child cut the tunnel hole in the box and then help them put tape highways across the tops and sides, then take a marker and add the line for the road.

You can also combine several medium size boxes with multi-colored masking tape to make a fun play tunnel for your child to crawl though. Another option would be to have your child color or paint the tunnel to look like a caterpillar.

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Eco-Friday: 200+ Upcycle Projects for Families

Posted on August 8, 2014

Source

Old is new again. One man’s trash is another man’s treasure. These are the tenets of upcycling: taking a product that is old, used or not wanted and repurposing it for another use. Add ornaments, cut up, saw, refinish and retouch.

For budget-conscious families and cash-strapped households, it may be a better option to upcyle to save pennies. Pinterest is a perfect go-to for ideas. Check out these links to places where you can learn to upcycle over 200 items!

Over 200 Upcyling projects Source

Source

100 Items to Upcycle

Source

Just threw this in for good measure because it is so cute!

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Eco-Friday: 50 Creative Ways UpCycle old products

Posted on June 27, 2014

Most people have loads of old things laying around the house that they just don’t get rid of. How about using them to repurpose, reuse and upcycle those old items into new uses.

You need to go to TwistedSifter‘s blog and check out its very full list of 50 products you can upcycle. Just click through the images to take you to the DIY guide to each item. Here is an image sample of some of the upcyle projects.

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Eco-Friday: 17 OTHER uses for Breastmilk

Posted on January 17, 2014

Aaaah nourishing breast milk. Great for giving a newborn nutritious nutrients and passing on critical antibodies crucial for their healthy growth.

But did you know that breastmilk is great for solving eye irritations for any person, not just the baby?

Did you also know that hospitals use donated breastmilk to soothe the scars of burn unit victims?

Yup! It’s that miraculous source from the heavens that keeps on giving. Who knew you could recycle breastmilk?

Researchers reveal that there are lots and lots of uses for breast milk that many people probably were clueless about, Check out some other uses:

1. Pink eye breast milk (eye infections). You can put a few drops of breast milk into baby’s eyes or any family members who are suffering from pink eye. The breast milk will keep the area clean and will initiate healing. You can do this as often as possible.

2. Eye puffiness or redness. Wonderful for removing puffiness and is used just as you would cows milk for the same purpose. Dab on with some cotton wool.

3. Opening a stuffy nose. Breast milk is natural and a great alternative to medications which might even make the situation worse. Just squirt a few drops into baby’s nose while he is lying down, then use a bulb to suction the excess out from his nose.

4. Sore throats and mouth sores. Swirling some of the breast milk around in the mouth and even gargling with it can help. Even a breastfed baby can be given some breast milk in a cup to rinse out the mouth.

5. Eczema and other skin rashes. Breast milk will keep the skin clean and will prevent flare ups. Just apply a layer of breast milk to the area and allow to air dry.

6. Dry skin. Using breast milk as a moisturizer.

7. Cradle cap. Just apply to baby’s scalp a few times per day.

8. Breast milk diaper rash. Using breast milk to treat and prevent normal nappy rash.

9. Breast milk ear infections. Squirt a few drops inside the ear for healing and some pain relief. (can be used for infants and grown-ups)

10. Insect bites. Rub a small amount on the bite to relieve the itching and promote the healing process.

11. Chicken pox. Apply the breast milk on the skin to relieve itching just as you would any other ointment.

12. Warts. Apply daily on the wart until it dries up and falls off.

13. Treating sore nipples. Putting some breast milk on your nipples can often heal them faster than any over the counter nipple cream. It can also prevent cracking by keeping them supple.

14. Immune boost. Older children can be given a glass of breast milk or more everyday to boost their immune systems and keep them from becoming ill.

15. Ease cold/flu symptoms. Get over your cold quicker with some liquid gold breast milk. Drink as much as you can.

16. Make-up remover. Breast milk can naturally and easily remove eye make-up.

17. Skin cleanser. Breast milk will gently cleanse your skin and can prevent acne because of its antibacterial properties.

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Eco Friday: This Vegan SakRoots Crossbody Is A Mom’s Best Accessory {Review}

Posted on January 24, 2020

It’s been a while since I blogged an Eco-Friday, my series when I used to highlight eco -friendly products.

I’m bringing it back today with my recommendation of the Sakroots Crossbody Bag.

It is totally VEGAN and made of all man-made material.

I think it’s the perfect bag for a new mom or any one who need their hands free.

The best part of this bag is the compartment in the front that can hold a mobile phone.

It fits my iPhone 11 perfectly.

I wear mine in the front so I can keep an eye on my phone and wallet.

It has loads of compartments inside for holding all your credit cards, business cards, receipts and more.

There is a coin purse in the middle and two sections on the outside where I put my cash.

For me, this is a great option because I can separate cash I set aside for miscellaneous petty spending and for specific purposes like school lunch, game snacks, tutors etc.

There is a wristlet strap so you can also easily and quickly convert it to a wristlet.

Take off both and use it as a clutch.

I love the pattern on the one I got. It features Black women with an Afro along the bottom.

It is soooo me!! There are other patterns too!

And for about $44, you cannot beat it!

Buy yours at Saks’ website or Amazon!

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EcoFriday: DIY Tips with Mom-to-Be ‘FABLife’s Leah Ashley (VIDEOS)

Posted on November 13, 2015

So here’s what happened.

A little while ago, I got the heads up from the folks on the new lifestyle talk show FABLife about an episode where the daily show’s DIY enthusiast and Lifestyle specialist Leah Ashley did an awesome upcycle job turning a pair of baby cribs into children’s desks.

Ashley co-hosts the show along with show creator Tyra Banks and our Bellyitch Bumpwatch mom-to-be Chrissy Teigen, design stylist Lauren Makk and Fashion expert Joe Zee.

On the show, Ashley helped a mom to quadruplets go through the kids’ grandmom’s garage and pull out their old cribs and eventually convert them into two awesome kids’ desk workstations! Amazing. You can see the clip here!

Perfect for our occasional Eco-Friday segments on the blog.

On the episode with the cribs transformation, I noticed that Ashley was also preggers and naturally, being obsessed with pregnant women, I started to do some online research and landed on her Living with Leah Facebook page and soon learned that the YouTube Star turned regular DIY featured guest for several TV shows is expecting her first child, a son, Finn with her husband of about a year.

She had a baby shower on the show recently and then had one with an audience full of other expecting women.

And I also discovered that Ashley has been rocking her stylish looks on her channel and on air during the daily talk show.

And Ashley also shares some pretty cool DIY vids that moms-to-be could appreciate, like this video on how to make your own baby shower ornaments and items:

.How to make a Baby Mobile!

Ashley even took her fans into her own baby shower at the Peninsula Hotel in Beverly Hills, California!

And she recently gave out Nursery tips this week!

We also dug the Baby Shower Bites that Teigen whipped up for Ashley’s on-air baby shower

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Review: SmartyPants Prenatal Gummy Vitamins Are Yummy And Good For You (WIN $70 WORTH)

Posted on October 21, 2015

SmartyPants All in One PreNatal Gummy Vitamins SmartyPants Vitamins

This review of these eco-conscious prenatal vitamins couldn’t wait for Eco-Friday!

SmartyPants gummy vitamins for adults and kids just released its prenatal version this Spring. And as my 10-year old son who sneaked a few when my back was turned can attest to ….they are deelish.

And they’re good for you. Each gummy is packed with all the mineral and nutrients a pregnant woman needs: Vitamin C, D, E, B3, B6, folate, B12, and pantothenic acid; along with extra mom-to-be goodness: Vitamin D, B12, the omega-3 fatty acids EPA, DHA and the MK-7 form of vitamin K2, which is particularly hard to get through diet.

What you won’t find: GMOs. Artificial colors. Artificial flavor or Artificial sweeteners. The only thing that would make them better is if they released a Sugar-Free version next for moms-to-be who have gestational diabetes and are watching their sugar intake.

This Kid is Totally Like my 10-year old! ha!

Other than that, these vitamins look to be a great alternative to the large horse-pill vitamins I had to take when I was last pregnant over 7 years ago. Our reviewer, my 7-year old daughter’s expecting 2nd grade teacher, who checked out our review sample (Valued at $34.95 retail) said she is enjoying them.

The other awesome part is you get to take 6 daily. Yum!

SmartyPants Vitamins — All in One Gummy Vitamins for Kids and Adults with Omega 3 Fish Oil2

Founded by serial entrepreneurial parents, Courtney and Gordon, SmartyPants also has an altruistic mission. It has a on one-for-one nutrient grant to Vitamin Angels for every bottle sold. So far, it has donated more than one million life-saving nutrient grants to women and children worldwide who suffer from undernutrition.

The makers of SmartyPants are giving one lucky Bellyitch reader a TWO- MONTHS SUPPLY!! Woot! That’s a Value of over $70 retail!! You get 360 Gummies to take home. Awesome Sauce!

Now thru next Friday, October 30 – It could be a pre-Halloween gift to the winner. Open to US ONLY. Many ways to Enter. None Mandatory. Enter Below:

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Earth Day: Eco-Friendly Celebrity moms who do good for earth

Posted on April 23, 2015

Earth Day is a month away!

For this edition of Eco-Friday, we are going to highlight some of our fave Bellyitch Bumpwatch moms who have shown they have a commitment to the earth and helping others overcome natural disasters.

Jessica Alba co-founded an eco-friendly baby company, the Honest Company, which makes earth friendly products.

Drew Barrymore, actress, author and entrepreneur is known to be a flower child and recently she launched an eco-friendly and affordable make up line called Flower Beauty.

Beyonce Knowles has worked with Second Harvest food bank network and with her husband Jay-Z founded United Nation’s Water for Life, an organization devoted to giving people worldwide access to clean drinking H2O.

Gisele Bundchen, international Brazilian model, has been involved in plenty of earth conscious programs and events over the years. She and husband Tom Brady live in a 22,000 square foot eco-friendly green mansion with solar panel roofs and a rainwater recovery systems.

Hilary Duff is involved with USA Harvest a non-profit that collects surplus from area restaurants for homeless, missions and soup kitchens and has donated millions of dollars in meals to the homeless.

Hayden Panettiere, Nashville actress, volunteers to register youth to vote and works with programs to help wild sea creatures including dolphins and other endangered wildlife.

Kelly Preston , with her husband John Travolta, Preston is famously known for donating their private jet to fly in loads of supplies and medicine to the Baton Rouge and New Orleans area during Hurricane Katrina.

Alicia Silverstone is a vegan who has worked often with PETA and helped promote its campaigns. Silverston also lives in a very cool eco-friendly house.

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