Vine.com Earth Day Promo

If you are shopping on Vine.com today enter this code for some free stuff!

Cyber Monday: Reusable Bags

I really like that these have zippers. The ones I have only have velcro and so crumbs and jelly sometimes leak out and make a mess.

You get $24 worth of goods for $11 plus shipping which starts at $5.

The sandwich bags are $7 and the snack bags are $6.
So for $18 you could get 2 of each with this deal.

Highlights

• Eco-friendly bags in four versatile sizes 
• Great for sandwiches, baby gear, toiletries, crayons, and much more
• BPA, PVC and phthalate-free materials that are dish-washer safe and machine-washable
• Makes a great holiday gift and are perfect for all those holiday leftovers

Eco Friendly Canvas Tote. Look how big it is!

Canvas Total Deal on Mamapedia



Ecofriendly materials and processes.

Got your eyes on a Plum District Deal? Take an additional 20% off!

Use THIS LINK and get an additional 20% off any Plum District Deal to celebrate Back to School!

A few deals you might like:

$30 for $60 worth of Eco Friendly Canvas Bags  ($24 after discount)

$15 for $30 at happygreenbaby.com ($12 after discount)

$6 for a 1 yr Subscription to Vegetarian Times Magazine ($4.80 after discount)

$20 for $40 worth of all natural handmade body products ($16 after discount)

$20 for $45 of Natural Sea Salt Based skincare products ($16 after discount

Earthbound Farms Organic Steps: Possible FREE reusable grocery bag

Today's Earthbound Farms Organic Step Forward is to pledge to use Reusable Bags when you do your shopping.


Remember you can use these bags for more than just groceries. Take them into the clothing stores, shoe shops, and drug stores too. Occasionally I get plastic bags so that I can have some small garbage bags around the house, but  for the most part we use reusable. And if I am going in for just 1 or 2 things, I won't use a bag at all.

Learn How to Get your FREE bag HERE

I like to have A LOT of bags because I like to wash them. And when you wash them, they deteriorate pretty quickly. Learn WHY you should wash yours HERE.

I got my personalized bag today!

My kids make me so happy. And now I can take them shopping with me without the whining or tantrums. *grin*

This is part of a promo for Ink Garden. Normally $8.99, plus $4.99 for shipping, you can get this back for FREE and just pay shipping. 

Use your company logo for a bit of advertising.

Use a picture of your kids to send to Grandma for her birthday.

Make a cute book bag for the library.

Snag this deal below by clicking on the banner:

Reusable bags save our resources and promote a greener lifestyle.  In addition, when you purchase this deal I get credit and that money will be used to move us over to a REAL website. Then we can pay someone to improve the site and then we can start stashing money away to do really cool give aways and freebies for you. It's a win-win baby.

Customized Photo Reusable Shopping Bag $4.99

A cashier at Trader Joe's told me they are going bagless next January. A cashier at Nob Hill told me they are going to start charging for bags "soon". The truth is, if you aren't using reusuable bags to save trees, you are going to have to start using them to save money. So why not have a cute bag?

This bag is typically $8.99, plus $4.99 for shipping.
BUT through this link you can get the bag for FREE and only pay shipping.

This would be a really cute gift idea for Grandma too, if you put pictures of her grandkids all over it!
You can make a best friends one to give to your friend, or a sisters one to give to your sister.
If you got it for someone and then filled it with nice organic treats, even better!




If you need a code it's: FREEBAG

SpreeBird 3 Collapsible Bottles for $10

Spreebird has a deal today for 3 water bottles for $10.
They are reusable, collapsible, BPA- free, dishwasher safe, and earth friendly.

Normally $30, you are getting a 66% discount.

Check out the deal HERE on Spreebird

Earth Day Groupon Deals

Choose from a plethora of Earth Day Deals on Groupon.com
Check the complete list HERE

Here are a few notables:

Stefano's Solar Powered Pizza $15 for $30


Environsax Reusable Bags $15 for $35


ReUSies Sandwich and Snack bags $15 for $30

Many other offers to choose from: electric vehicles, essential oils lotions, garment bags, etc etc.
Leave a comment if you buy something and tell us about your purchase!!

Have you checked out Disney's Eco Friendly Product Line?

I got an email from Disney spotlighting their Eco Friendly line in celebration of Earth Day on April 22nd.

They have organic T's, eco-friendly mugs, reusable totes, aluminum water bottles, etc.

There are some pretty cute designs. The more we buy eco-friendly the more manufacturer's will see that it is important to us and they will make it more available. The more available it becomes the better the price. Our dollar is our most powerful vote. 

FREE SHIPPING on all orders over $75 with the code SHIPTODAY

Part 2: How to Clean Reusable Grocery Shopping Bags with Homemade Disinfectant Spray

First things first: Read up on the health concerns of Reusable Shopping bags HERE.

The 2 questions I have been asked the most since posting about the lead and ecoli found in reusable shopping bags are:

1- How do I know if my bag has lead in it?

2-How do I clean my bags without wearing them down and releasing the lead?


I don't know if your bags have lead in them. If they are from Walmart or Target, odds are they do. Unfortunately, the bags do not have materials labels and do not tell you what they are made of.  My only thought is to track down the Manufacturer of the bag and see if they have a list of materials on their website, or use their Contact Us link to email and ask directly. The key word is Polypropylene. When I google images of Polypropylene bags, I get results showing both the plastic feeling bags and the fabric feeling bags- so that isn't very helpful. My suggestion is, if in doubt, throw it out. Replace your bags with a safer alternative.

I've been researching different methods of cleaning the bags. Many suggest to simply throw them in the washer. It seems to me that you are going to wear your bags down quickly this way. I don't know how your bags look, but mine don't give the impression that they are made to withstand alot of abuse.

I suggest spraying them with a disinfectant spray, wiping them down inside and out, and then letting them air dry. You can use an earth friendly store bought brand, like Mrs. Meyers, or make your own.

Here are a few recipes:



Lemon Disinfectant Spray

• 1 Fill a 10-oz. plastic spray bottle with distilled water.
• 2 Add 1/2 tsp lemon essential oil, shake well.
• 3 Shake prior to every use.

Tea Tree Oil Spray

•  Add 2 cups of distilled water to a plastic spray bottle.
•  Add 1/4 cup of white vinegar.
•  1/4 tsp. of tea tree oil and 1.4 tsp of your favorite antimicrobial essential oil like orange, lemon, or lavendar
•  Shake to mix and before each use.
• Don't be afraid of the vinegar smell. The vinegar loses it's odor when it dries, but the essential oil smells will remain.

Borax Spray

• 2 TB Borax
• 1/4 White Vinegar
• 2 cups HOT water.
• A few drops of your favorite essential oil

These may be natural, but they are still powerful cleaners. Keep out of reach of children.

Important Health Information Regarding Your Reusable Shopping Bags

Several weeks ago I read a disturbing news article on the lead levels found in reusable shopping bags. In particular are the bags sold at Target, Walmart, Winn- Dixie, and Publix, made out of Polypropylene. The Federal standard for lead in products in 300 ppm for adults and 100 ppm for children. These bags rang in at 194. Since it is typically an adult doing the grocery shopping, these bags are considered safe even though they are double what is safe for your child. And everyone admits they don't know how they will dispose of them as they will contaminate landfills and pose a threat to the environment.

It's not safe for the dirt-but it's been deemed safe for you.

In addition, the lead doesn't pose a threat to you until the bag starts to wear down, therefore releasing the lead. So our environmental friendly bags aren't so environmentally friendly and they just might be exposing you and your children to lead poisoning.

Strike One.

Strike Two might even be more disturbing. When grocery shoppers allowed their reusable bags to be tested for bacteria, 50% tested positive for E Coli. 97% of shoppers admitted never having washed their bags before.

So the key is to wash your bags-- but washing your bags does what? You guessed it-- wears it down and releases the lead! So you have E Coli on one hand and Lead Poisoning on the other.

And I used to be so proud of myself for remembering to use my reusable bags. Sigh.

So what's the solution?
You have several options.

1- Use your bags, wash them regularly, and when they show signs of wear, toss them out.
They are only $0.99 and you can often get them for free during store promos, local street fairs, etc.

2- Make your own bags. Follow a free tutorial online to turn your old T-shirts into bags. There are also free patterns for crocheting, knitting, and sewing. You can shop the clearance bins for cheap fabrics, or use your coupons and buy organic fabrics or sustainable bamboo.

50 Free Patterns for Making your own reusable bagsfrom TipNut

                      
3- Not the crafty type? Buy reusable bags not made from polypropylene. They are most expensive, but they will last longer and you won't have to worry about lead, adding toxins to our landfills, or continually replacing them as they wear down.

Yes It's Organic Organic Reusable Bags starting at $5

Reusable Organic Grocery Bags Start at $8 a piece on Amazon.com

Reusable Produce Bags 5 pack on Amazon.com  $10.09 Shipped



Sometimes it can be quite discouraging when we think we are doing so good and we find out it's not so good. But don't lose hope. Just take things step by step. Day by Day. Eventually we'll get where we want to be.

If you find a great tutorial on making bags or a great price for organic bags, please leave a comment below and share with us!

More Information on Lead and Ecoli:

Article By USA Today

The Daily Green Lead Levels In Reusable Bags

University of Arizona Ecoli in Reusable Bags