THIS CONTEST IS NOW CLOSED TO NEW ENTRIES.

In the spirit of celebrating the original mother, our Mother Earth, for Earth Day and all mothers for Mother’s Day, I decided to combine the two occasions into one big celebration with a huge earth-friendly mother-centric giveaway.

Just as the Earth is our Mother and we must take care of her, we must also take care of our mothers - all mothers. Since joining the “mommy club,” I’ve met some amazing mothers (both here on my blog and out in the “real world”); mothers who deserve to be honored for all that they do to take care of their children and their families. Moms so often make sacrifice after sacrifice to insure their family is provided for. And while the rewards of being a mom are priceless, it is sometimes nice for moms to get a little something extra, a little mommy schwag if you will. ;) That is why this giveaway is designed specifically with moms in mind, to give them some practical things, as well as some fun things, but most importantly to honor them with some green cheer.

Donations for this great green giveaway have come from the following awesome stores/blogs:

Mission Playground’s hip and unique designs promote environmental awareness on soft, organic cotton tees. Mission Playground’s approach is “to create awareness through our environmentally conscious and globally mindful designs.” Some of my favorite designs include: Life’s a Garden, Dig it., Nature’s Calling, and Keep In Touch. Mission Playground carries women’s, men’s and children’s sizes, and donated 1% of sales to non-profit environmental organizations through their S.E.E.D. program. MP has donated two women’s organic t-shirts to the giveaway.

Tees for Change simple designs on organic cotton or bamboo shirts inspire conscious living. The Tees for Change mission is “to inspire you to live life with passion, purpose and positivity. We believe that practicing mindfulness and loving kindness throughout daily life can enhance our whole being.” I personally love “Choose Happiness” and “Live Mindfully,” but Tees for Change has a wide selection of sayings with something that should appeal to everyone. Tees for Change has donated one woman’s organic cotton shirt.

Oceano Sea Glass naturally recycled gems jewelry is hand-crafted from glass that has been rubbed smooth by the ocean. Combing far-flung beaches and discovering the sparkle of “ocean gems,” Christine and her daughter Emily have been inspired by the beauty and significance of sea glass and turned their found treasures into jewelry. Oceano has donated two beautiful one of a kind sets of earrings (one green, one brown) to the giveaway.

Say goodbye to wasteful plastic bags with BYO Bags - reusable produce bags. They are made from nylon mesh, and are reusable, lightweight, breathable, washable and durable. What’s Cooking Weekly - an online menu service offering “healthy and seasonal recipes, grocery lists and tips on making cooking with your kids fun and simple” - has donated two sets of three BYO Bags.

Green cleaning has never been easier than with Lily’s Garden Herbals All Purpose Clean. Made from natural substances like vinegar and essential oils, Lily’s Garden Herbals get the job done without the worry over harmful chemicals. LGH has donated 2 - 32 oz. bottles of All Purpose Clean.

Plastic sandwich bags can be a thing of the past if you use reusable Wrap-n-Mats. The Wrap-n-Mats double as a sandwich wrapper and a place mat. Nature Moms blog has donated two Wrap-n-Mats.

Celebrate the Earth by planting a tree with a flowering catalpa Tree in a Box. Planting a tree doesn’t get much easier than this. The Tree in a Box comes with everything you need. La Mama Naturale blog has donated two Trees in a Box.

One lucky person will win:

• 1 Mission Playground woman’s organic t-shirt
• 1 pair of Oceano earrings
• 1 set of three BYO Bags
• 1 32 oz. bottle of Lily’s Garden Herbals all purpose clean
• 1 Wrap-n-Mat
• 1 Tree in a Box

And one even luckier person will win the grand prize which includes:

• All of the things mentioned above
• And 1 Tees for Change organic cotton t-shirt.

ENTER TO WIN!
While I wish I could open this up to moms all over the world, I’m sorry, but I have to restrict it to US residents only. To enter the Earth-Mother’s Day Giveaway, you must complete the following three steps.

1. Leave a comment stating your favorite t-shirt design from Mission Playground or your favorite piece of jewelry from Oceano. Please make sure you include a valid email address so that I can contact you if you are a winner.
2. Link back to this giveaway on your blog or, if you don’t have a blog, email the link to this giveaway to three friends and cc me on it - amygeekgrl AT gmail DOT com.
3. Sign Mr. Linky below.

All three steps must be completed in order to have a valid entry. The deadline to enter is 10 a.m. Mountain Time Sunday, May 11. Two winners will be chosen using the Random Number Generator later that day (May 11) and announced on Monday, May 12. Good luck! :)

Here is the code for linking back to my giveaway button. (It wasn’t working properly earlier, but I believe it’s been fixed now. Email me if you still have problems. Thanks.):

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Just a reminder that my Pay It Forward (PIF) - Reader Appreciation post is still open for comments. Please take a look and if you are a regular commenter, leave me a comment there if you want to be considered for some fun PIF gifts from me. You just need to promise to host a PIF on your own blog. I’m closing it to comments after Friday, April 25, so I can pick some names and get goodies mailed out. Thank you all for being such fabulous readers! :)

Also, I have a big Earth-Mother’s Day giveaway in the works to celebrate both Earth Day and Mother’s Day. You won’t want to miss it. Details will be posted this week. :)

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This week’s green tips come from my good friend Heather at A Mama’s Blog, who just got a bloggy makeover and a new domain and is celebrating with a giveaway (more on that below). Heather’s tips are great suggestions for making gift wrap more usable and less wasteful.

• Wrap a bottle of wine in a dish towel, tied off with a ribbon at the top. Bonus: the recipient gets a dish towel that can be reused, instead of throwing a mylar bag away.
• Use a jump rope for the ribbon on an older child’s present. Bonus: they get to use the jump rope.
• Recycle birthday, Christmas cards, etc. as gift tags. Cut out the part you want to use (make sure there is no writing on the back), and then reuse these the next time you need a gift tag.

To celebrate the fact that she moved to her own domain, Heather is giving away one of her best-selling What Happens At Grandma’s, Stays At Grandma’s t-shirt from her store Little Pumpkin Sweet Pea Designs! Stop in for a chance to win and to check out A Mama’s Blog. She discusses everything from attachment parenting to the reality of c-sections, from household projects to life with her two sweet boys. :)

Have any green tips you’ve recently learned? Please email them to me and I may include your tip with a link to your site or blog in a future post. :)

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The winner of the bottle of Shaklee Basic H2 cleaner is #28, Lisa W. from Lisa Michelle Design. Congratulations, Lisa! I’ll be emailing you soon. Thank you to everyone who entered.

If you are a regular commenter on my blog, please check out my Pay It Forward - reader appreciation post! You could get a special treat in the mail from me. :)

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Hello. :) I’m Amy, also known around the internets as amygeekgrl. Welcome to my groovy green blog party, part of the Ultimate Blog Party hosted by 5 Minutes for Mom! I’m so glad you stopped by. :) Come in, have a seat and let me offer you something to eat.

Can I tempt you with some homemade granola or perhaps an oat-nut scone topped with strawberry jam or maybe you’re in the mood for a Grilled Panini with Provolone and Basil or a brownie baked with love? I have a fair bit to choose from here, as I enjoy cooking and baking a great deal. :) I just wish I had more time to do more of both.

Now that you’ve got something to munch on, let me tell you a little bit about myself. First and foremost, I’m a mom. I stay at home with my two amazing children - Ava (3 3/4 years old) and Julian (15 months). My husband Jody and I try to raise them with the philosophy of attachment parenting in mind, though we really just follow our instincts and do what feels right for our family.

I have a lot of passions that I like to write about on my blog. Some of them include home birth (my son was a footling breech and born at home), breastfeeding (I’ve shared my experiences of nursing while pregnant and tandem nursing), and informed healthcare decisions (why we delay/selectively vaccinate). I also write a lot about the environment (picking up trash in our neighborhood, composting, and recycling) and do a weekly Green Tip of the Week column with suggestions to make life a bit more eco-friendly. Some would call me a hippie or granola or crunchy, hence my blog title. ;)

One of my favorite quotes is “You must be the change you wish to see in the world” by Gandhi. I try to live by that philosophy both on my blog and in my life.

I also write about maternal health as a contributing editor on BlogHer, write reviews for Green Mom Finds and will soon be joining the team of Blissfully Domestic as the Eco-Diva.

I like to do giveaways here at Crunchy Domestic Goddess. In the past I’ve given away t-shirts, natural cleaners, reusable bags, books, toys, and even a digital camera. I currently have a giveaway going on right now for a bottle of Shaklee Basic H2 natural cleaner. It’s good stuff! The deadline to enter is March 13. Hope you’ll check it out and enter to win!

In addition to my blog, I also have two online stores - Attached At The Hip, featuring AP advocacy wear and more and home to the I make milk. What’s your superpower? shirt, and Cute As A Bug, featuring cute and original designs for babies, kids and adults. I enjoy photography (and love taking part in Best Shot Monday), reading, and hiking.

Ya know, this is my kind of party, very environmentally friendly - no paper or plastic waste and little carbon emissions! :) I hope you enjoyed your visit and will come back again.
Please feel free to sign up for my RSS feed or follow me on Twitter (amygeekgrl)! And, of course, be sure to leave me a comment so I can try to come check out your party too. :)

Now it’s time for the kids and I to get our party groove on, but feel free to visit the rest of the other party people linked up at 5 Minutes for Mom.

Edited to add: I’ve donated a prize - an I make milk. What’s your superpower? short-sleeved t-shirt - to the Ultimate Blog Party. It is prize #141 on the prize list.

There are so many great prizes to choose from in this year’s Ultimate Blog Party, but my top fvie choices are: Bead Dangle Photo Tile Necklace by Elemental Memories, Marketing for Entrepreneurs by Lis Garrett, Burt’s Bees Naturally Ageless skin care line by Geggie, Go BPA Free Sippy Sampler Kit by The Soft Landing and Rocking Horse by A Rocking Horse To Love. If my top five picks are already taken, then I’d also love any of the following (in order of preference) #11, 12, 15, 2, 3, 14, 32, 34, 37, 70, 72, 79, 87, and 5 or anything related to a toddler or preschooler. :)

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This giveaway is now closed. Congratulations to winner Lisa W.! 

Last holiday season Oprah gave Shaklee natural cleaning products her nod of approval in her “Favorite Things” show, and now, after trying the Shaklee Basic H2 cleaner myself, they are getting the Crunchy Domestic Goddess nod of approval as well.

The Basic H2 Organic Super Cleaning Concentrate is some powerful stuff with a lot of uses - from cleaning windows, tile and bathtubs, to wood floors, stainless steel and ovens and the list goes on. The 16 oz. bottle of concentrate comes with three spray bottles labeled for “all-purpose cleaning,” “windows and mirrors,” and “degreasing.” You simply pour in the recommended amount of concentrate (a few drops to 1 1/2 teaspoons), add your own water, and you are ready to start your cleaning frenzy.

I really like the Basic H2 Cleaner. It worked well both in my bathrooms and kitchen, and even helped me get a handle on my shamefully dirty well-used oven. The cleaner is unscented, which is nice for people who don’t do well with scented cleaners, and is, of course, nontoxic and biodegradable.

The fact that this little 16 oz. bottle can make 48 gallons of all-purpose cleaner (when you add your own water) is a big selling point for me, and it only costs $11.95.

You can buy your own Basic H2 Organic Super Cleaning Concentrate here or check out the numerous other Shaklee products.

WIN IT!
One lucky person is going to win their very own bottle of Basic H2 cleaner (plus three spray bottles). Please see below for what you need to do to enter to win. You must follow all 3 steps or your entry will not count.:

1. Sign Mr. Linky below
2. Link back to this contest on your blog (or, if you don’t have a blog, email 3 of your friends and CC: me on the email - amygeekgrl AT gmail DOT com)
3. Leave me a comment stating something green and eco-friendly that you are already doing to make the world a better place.

The deadline to enter is Thursday, March 13. Winner will be selected at random (thanks to Random.org) and announced on Friday, March 14. Good luck!

Thanks to Sommer, Shaklee distributor and blogger at Green and Clean Mom, for the great giveaway.

If Mister Linky doesn’t appear below (it seems to be having some down time), please do the other steps and check back later to sign it. Thanks!

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Monday, Feb. 11, is my 3 year blogging anniversary AKA blogiversary. (Can you believe it?! 3 years!) To celebrate, I will be hosting a giveaway right here to be announced that day. Please check back on Monday for details. :)
It’s Jody birthday on Sunday and I still don’t know what we’re going to do to celebrate. Anyone have any ideas on things to do? He’s not giving me any suggestions on how he’d like to spend the day. :oP

Have a great weekend!

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Congratulations to Romie of Romie’s Rants. Her lucky number (481) was selected by Random.org as the winner of the HP digital camera in the Bloggy Giveaways Carnival!

Thank you all for your interest. :) I wish I had a camera for each of you!

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2/2/08: This GIVAWAY is now CLOSED. I am no longer accepting new entries. Thank you for all of the interest! :)

It’s time again for another round of the Bloggy Giveaways Carnival and this time I’ve got something supa-dupa cool to give away - a digital camera!

It’s an HP Photosmart M547 6.2 MP 3x Optical Zoom digital camera. (Thank you, HP!) I’d like to say that it’s brand new in the box, but the truth is that I took it out and used it a handful of times. That was back when we were thinking of buying a new camera and I wanted to see how this one handled. The good news is that it’s a fine point and shoot camera, is easy to use, has a powerful (in my opinion) flash and 2.4″ LCD, and takes good pictures. It’s small enough to fit in your pocket and is a nice little camera. It does need a memory card and batteries, but my husband tells me that you can get a good 2 GB card for under $20 (heck, under $13!) at Amazon.

If you want a chance to win this camera and you live in the continental United States (sorry, but I can’t afford the cost of shipping internationally), please leave a comment below and make sure you include a valid email address so that I can get in touch with you if you are the winner. You do not need to have a blog in order to enter. I will randomly select a winner (using Random.org) on Saturday, Feb. 2, and announce the winner later that day.

Good luck! :)

Now head on over to Bloggy Giveaways to see what everyone else is giving away!

Like my blog? Subscribe to my RSS feed. :)

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I know I posted about this before, but now they are in the finals and your votes really matter because the contest is neck and neck! Please bear with me and read below. :)

A blogging friend of mine, Tanya at Motherwear Breastfeeding Blog, is trying to get a new Mothers Milk Bank started in New England, where no such facility currently exists. To help raise money for this worthy organization, she entered a contest on Ideablob where a monthly winner gets $10,000 for their cause.

The Milk Bank needs money for 1) processing and storage equipment, 2) a “Milk Money” fund to help families whose insurance won’t cover processing fees, and 3) marketing materials to get the word out about the new bank.

The MMB of NE made it into the finals (yay!) but it is falling behind and needs all the votes it can get to win. This is where you come in! Would you please consider taking a minute to click over and vote? You do need to register to vote, but it only takes about 30 seconds.

Vote for the Mothers Milk Bank of New England

Please, please pass this on to any breastfeeding supporters you know. Voting ends on Jan. 31.

Thank you so much for your help!

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