Our Day Honouring the Earth

Although Lyla is still too young to understand Earth Day, this year we wanted to do something special, which will hopefully be the start of a tradition for many years to come.

On Earth Day, we decided to spend it as a family out exploring nature.  We had hoped to go to FortWhyte Alive, but after discovering how busy it was, we decided to go somewhere that my husband had never been and that I hadn't been for years: Oak Hammock Marsh.  From their website: "This 36 km2 Wildlife Management Area features a restored prairie marsh, aspen-oak bluff, waterfowl lure crops, artesian springs, some of Manitoba's last remaining patches of tall-grass prairie and 30 kilometers of trails for you to explore.

I was excited to take Lyla here for her first Earth Day because it would allow us to discover something new, spend some time outdoors, and take in a session or two that would teach us how our family could be more environmentally friendly.

When we got there, we started off our visit with a presentation on water stewardship and we discussed things that we could do as a family to help save water.  Did you know that even though the earth is covered in over 70% water, less than 1% of it is useable?  That's a neat little fact we learned at the session and one I hope to share with Lyla as she gets older.

Lyla having fun with Mommy.

Daddy showing the birds to Lyla.

Lyla - the Boreal Biologist :)

After that, we spent some time indoors looking at the exhibits, which Lyla seemed to enjoy - there were so many new things to discover!  Then, we went for a walk outside to enjoy the trails.  During our walk we saw lots of birds and other critters.  It is great to see that areas such as Oak Hammock Marsh are protected to allow families to come and see nature at it's best!  These are things you just don't see in the city.

Overall, we had a great Earth Day!  Besides lots of photographs and new memories, we walked away with more knowledge about the earth and even a couple of tree planting kits, which we plan to plant as a family later this summer at our new house.

Disclosure:  I am part of the Fisher-Price Play Panel and I receive special perks as part of my affiliation with this group. The opinions on this blog are my own.

Camino Review & Giveaway

"Camino is a Canadian brand of Fairtrade and Organic certified food products, owned by the Ottawa-based La Siembra Co-operative. La Siembra prides itself on building direct relationships with its 18 producer co-ops, supporting more than 35,000 family farmers in 10 countries across Central and South America, and Southeast Asia. Every purchase of a Camino food product contributes to building vibrant sustainable communities both abroad and in Canada."  Camino products include everything from chocolate candy bars to baking products to beverages and more!

Review
I had the opportunity to review three flavours of Camino chocolate candy bars: Dark chocolate and peanut butter, Dark chocolate with almonds & raisins, and Milk chocolate with puffed rice & quinoa.  These 32g chocolate candy bars come in six varieties and are all natural, organic (certified by QAI), and fairtrade (certified by Fairtrade Canada).  The dark chocolate candy bars are even certified Kosher by the Union Israelita Del Peru.  The bars are made and packaged in Peru.

I had previously tried a couple of Camino's chocolate bars when I received them in my Christmas stocking.  Previously, I had never been fond of dark chocolate, but Camino changed my tastes.  I loved that the dark chocolate bars were organic and fairtrade, plus, they tasted great.  So, as you can imagine, when I found out that Camino wanted to work together and have me review their chocolate candy bars (and *new* juices), I was excited. 

As with the chocolate bars, I really enjoyed the chocolate used in the chocolate candy bars.  The dark chocolate is rich but very enjoyable!  The milk chocolate (I melt for milk chocolate) was delightful! Out of the three chocolate candy bars that Camino sent me to sample, my favourites were the Dark chocolate and peanut butter and the Milk chocolate with puffed rice and quinoa (so yummy).  The next Camino product that I'm looking forward to trying is the Hazelnut butter milk chocolate bar; it sounds amazing! 

I thoroughly enjoyed these Camino chocolate candy bars.  Considering how yummy these organic, fairtrade chocolate bars are, I'd definitely say they are worth the suggested retail price of $1.59/bar.  I'd highly suggest trying one of Camino's chocolate candy bars next time you are in your local specialty health food store; what a treat!

I also had the opportunity to review Camino's juices in 946ml and individual sized 200mL Tetrapaks in all the flavours that Camino offers: Mango, Tropical, Orange Mango, and Limeade.  These juices are brand new and the first organic and fairtrade certified juices in Canada!  The fruits contained in these juices come from Peru, Cuba, and Brazil.  These juices don't contain fillers and are made from 100% fruit juice; except for the Limeade, which does have some golden cane sugar to make it a little less tart and a little more sweet.

When I tried these juices I was impressed by how 'real' they tasted!  Many juices you buy in the store, especially tropical blends, taste fake.  Because Camino's juices don't have extras, you can taste and enjoy the goodness of real fruit.  Of the juices I tried, I really liked the Mango and Tropical.  I was quite surprised that I chose the Mango as a favourite, since prior to trying this juice, I disliked Mango.  This is another example of how Camino has converted me.  It is clear that Camino uses the best quality ingredients when making their products.  I also found it convenient that Camino offers their juices in individual sized Tetrapaks; these are perfect for sending to school in your child's lunch bag!

Camino's 946mL and individual sized (4x200mL) juices have a suggested retail price of $4.49.

Camino products are sold in health food stores and in some major grocery chains. To find a store near to you that sells Camino products, visit the store finder feature on the Camino website - just enter your postal code to get a list of nearby stores that sell Camino products.

*GIVEAWAY*

How many winners are there? Five (5).

What can you win? Each winner will receive a CASE of 20 Camino Chocolate Candy Bars.

To enter, visit the Camino web store.  Then, come back here and tell me which specific product you are most interested in trying.  Please list an individual product; in other words, please do not say a group of items such as 'their chocolate bars', 'their juices', etc., otherwise your entry will not count.  This must be done to gain an entry in the giveaway.

Each of the following will give you one extra entry in the giveaway (unless stated otherwise). If an entry option is worth more than one entry, please leave a separate comment for each entry:
- Become a Registered Camino Customer.  Please state the email address you used to sign up in your comment.
- Register for Camino's Newsletter. Please state the email address you used to sign up in your comment.
- 'Like' Camino Amigos on Facebook. Please leave your name (First name and last initial) that is shown on Facebook for verification. 
- Follow Camino on Twitter (@caminolala). Please leave your twitter name in your comment.
- Adding the Everything Up Close blog button to your blog or website.

- Following me on Twitter (@ihchicky) and tweeting about the giveaway with a link to this page. Please leave a link to your tweet or your twitter name. You can tweet 1x a day.

#Win 20 #organic #fairtrade Camino chocolate candy bars fr: @caminolala & @ihchicky. Ends Apr 27. http://bit.ly/CaminoChoco #giveaway #Canada

- Following me on Blogger / Google Friends Connect (publicly).
- Following Everything Up Close on Pinterest.  Please leave your user name in your comment.
- 'Liking' Everything Up Close on Facebook.  Please leave your name (First name and last initial) that is shown on Facebook for verification. 

- Blogging about this giveaway on your blog. Please leave a link to your blog post in your comment.

- Talking about and linking to this giveaway in any public forum or on Facebook. If you do this, please leave your user-name and a link to the post. 2 ENTRIES!
- Telling me about a topic you'd like to see covered on Simply Beautiful Beginnings.  Suggestions must fall into the scope of Simply Beautiful Beginnings to be considered as an extra entry.

Important Entry Details: The above entries (main and bonus) can only be submitted once per person (except for the tweet entry, which can be done daily). Please do not use more than one blogger account or add additional anonymous comments to gain extra entries. This is not fair to everyone else and this practice is strictly prohibited. If a person is found to be using more than one account to enter the same giveaway, they will be disqualified from that particular giveaway, as well as all future giveaways.

This giveaway will end on Friday, April 27th at 11:59pm (Central Standard Time). After the giveaway has ended, the winner will be picked randomly using random.org and the winner will be posted on the Everything Up Close Winner's List.  The winner will have 1 week to send me an email with their complete mailing address (the winner's information will be verified - please email using the email address you used to enter). If you do not contact me within 1 week, a new winner will be chosen.  

This giveaway is open to residents of Canada only!

Good Luck!

**Disclaimer** Camino sent me free products to help facilitate my firsthand review of their products.  Receiving these items did not in anyway alter the information which I discussed in this article; this review is 100% my own opinion.  I did not receive any other type of compensation for this review.

Camino occasionally has promotions, contests, and other news on the Camino website.  Be sure to check back regularly (and subscribe to their newsletter) for updates!

Seventh Generation is giving back!

Seventh Generation is committing to giving back to families across Canada this October! Their goal is to distribute up to 240,000 packages of diapers (or up to $160k worth of diapers) to women's shelters located in the provinces of Alberta, British Columbia, Nova Scotia, Ontario, and Quebec, since these shelters often do not receive corporate help.  Seventh Generation has started a diaper donation program that they are calling BOGO (BUY ONE GIVE ONE) and they are encouraging families across Canada to participate.  I was lucky that Seventh Generation gave me to chance to participate in, enabling me to help to donate even more diapers across Canada.

As part of Seventh Generation's diaper donation program, I was able to donate four (4) packages of diapers to a local charity of my choice.  Because I work (when not on maternity leave) in the Wolseley area of Winnipeg, I wanted to donate the diapers to a charity that I know a lot about, that I've worked with in the past, and that I've seen benefit many families in the community. 

I chose to donate the four (4) packages of Free & Clear diapers that Seventh Generation sent me to a place called Wolseley Family Place, a non-profit community based charity that helps families with young children.  When I went to drop of the diapers, I felt good knowing that the diapers would be put to good use.  The centre receives food and clothing regularly as donations but I have a feeling that don't receive diapers too often...especially so many at once or ones that are eco-friendly (an aspect that many people in this particular community feel strongly about).  It was great to see a number of Moms and their babies in the centre when I went there because I knew that they may be one of the families who will benefit from Seventh Generations kindness.

As I mentioned briefly above, you can help families in your community too by participating in the Diaper Donation Program.  Seventh Generation is encouraging families to Buy One & Give One.  In other words, the next time you purchase a package of diapers, purchase an extra package to donate to a local community charity of your choice, to help a local family in need.

I recently had a chance to try Seventh Generation's Free & Clear diapers.  I wasn't quite sure what to expect since I had never tried eco-friendly diapers before.  I'll be honest and say I wasn't expecting much because I've learned over the past few months that I'm rather picky about my daughter's diapers and I wasn't sure how an eco-friendly version would hold up.

After using a whole package of the diapers, I'm happy to report, I love them!  First and foremost, I love that these diapers hold up (most importantly); I didn't experience any leaks despite some really wet and really poopy diapers.  I also love that the diapers contain no chlorine, no petroleum based products, no latex, and are scent free and hypoallergenic!  With my baby's sensitive skin, I'd rather her not be exposed to all that unnecessary 'stuff'!  I was surprised that these diapers were a beige color but realized that, that was because these diapers are not bleached (something I can definitely live without).  After using the 'beige' diapers, I actually started to enjoy the natural look to them, partially because it reminded me that they were au natural!  I also loved that these diapers fit really well; they had the nice stretchy contoured parts around the legs and the back that are needed to avoid leaks (there is nothing worse than a poopy diaper that runs up the whole back of my baby's sleeper).  I would definitely use these diapers again and I'd recommend them to other Moms who are looking for an eco-friendly alternative.

If you haven't already, become a part of the 7th Gen Nation or visit Seventh Generation's Facebook Fan Page!  As a member of the 7th Gen Nation program, you will have special member-only access to coupons, special offers, and tips on how to live green and keep your family healthy at the same time!  Both places are a great way to stay up to date on what is new and happening with Seventh Generation!


Disclosure – I am participating in the Seventh Generation program by Mom Central Canada.  I received compensation as a thank you for my participation.  The opinions on this blog are my own.

Seventh Generation Giveaway

If you look in my cleaning products cabinet, you will notice one thing: the majority of it is filled with eco-friendly products. For almost every type of cleaning product on the market, there is an eco-friendly option. I take pride knowing that I can keep my whole family safe while keeping a clean house. To me, it doesn't make sense to me to use a product filled with chemicals when I can use something natural; it's better for my family and for the environment. Now especially, with a little one in our home, keeping chemicals to a minimum is even more important than ever! Plus, I'd like to know that I'm doing my part to ensure that the environment that our family currently enjoys will be there for Lyla to enjoy when she is older and possibly has a family of her own.

Seventh Generation is a leading brand in North America (established in 1988) that is committed to keeping both your family (the human variety, as well as your furry friends) and the environment healthy. Seventh Generation offers a variety of household and personal care products that are free of chemicals. Seventh Generation product types include household (dish washing and household cleaners), laundry, and baby care (diapers and wipe).

After visiting the Seventh Generation website (and spending quite a bit of time on it), I left feeling educated, not only on the brand but on keeping the environment and my family healthy and happy! I was happy to see the passion that the people at Seventh Generation have for 'Mother Earth' and their belief that each one of us can make a difference!

So, why not join the 7th Generation Nation?! By joining this free, eco-conscious program, you will have access to a special member only area, providing you with coupons, special offers, and great tips on how to live a greener life.

Another area of the Seventh Generation website that I highly suggest checking out is their 'Learn' section. This area includes links to the 7Gen blog, filled with many interesting articles (everything from 'How to load a dishwasher' to 'Food Packaging and BPA'). They also have a ton of great videos on more eco-friendly topics, as well as a forums section where you can meet other people who are passionate about the environment and their families. Since we have a new baby, I'll definitely spend a bit of time checking out the 'Baby' forum to learn more about how to keep our home safe and healthy for Lyla, my husband, and me.

Finally, you can find an area on the Seventh Generation website that allows you to search for stores that carry Seventh Generation products. This is very helpful because it saves you from having to go from store to store to find their products, consequently, saving time - and as a new mom, I know how important that is! Before realizing that the locator is available online, I went to a couple of stores before finding what I was looking for. Just today, I was able to pick up a couple of Seventh Generation products at Real Canadian Superstore that I'll be putting to the test in the next couple of weeks.

*GIVEAWAY*

How many winners are there? One.

What can you win?  Thanks to Seventh Generation, one lucky winner will receive a Seventh Generation prize package, which will include a 100% organic cotton Seventh Gen Eco lunch bag with FREE coupons for a package of Seventh Generation Free & Clear Diapers, Free & Clear Baby Wipes, and dish washing products.

To enter, Tell me your best tip on how to be more environmentally conscious. This question must be answered to gain an entry in the giveaway.

Each of the following will give you one extra entry in the giveaway (unless stated otherwise). If an entry option is worth more than one entry, please leave the according number of comments.  Please make sure to leave a separate comment for each thing you do to gain the proper number of entries:


- Subscribing to my blog via email or RSS feed. 

- Adding my main button to your blog sidebar.

- Following me on Twitter (@ihchicky) and tweeting about the giveaway with a link to this page. Please leave a link to your tweet or your twitter name. You can tweet up to 2x a day (at least 6 hours apart).

Enter to #win a Seventh Generation Eco-Friendly Prize Pack from @ihchicky Ends Sept16 #giveaway #SeventhGenCanada http://bit.ly/7thGener

- Following me on Blogger / Google Friends Connect (publicly).
- 'Liking' Everything Up Close on Facebook.  Please leave your name (First name and last initial) that is shown on Facebook for verification. 

- Blogging about this giveaway on your blog. Please leave a link to your blog post in your comment. 2 ENTRIES!

- Talking about and linking to this giveaway in any public forum or on Facebook. If you do this, please leave your user-name and a link to the post. 3 ENTRIES!

Important Entry Details: The above entries (main and bonus) can only be submitted once per person (except for the tweet entry, which can be done daily). Please do not use more than one blogger account or add additional anonymous comments to gain extra entries. This is not fair to everyone else and this practice is strictly prohibited. If a person is found to be using more than one account to enter the same giveaway, they will be disqualified from that particular giveaway, as well as all future giveaways.

This giveaway will end on Friday, September 16th at 11:59pm (Central Standard Time). After the giveaway has ended, the winner will be picked randomly using random.org. EMAIL RULES: In order to win, you must provide a valid email. I will be notifying the winner by email only. Please make sure your blogger profile includes your email address and make sure that it is visible. If you do not have a blogger account, please make sure you have included your email address in your post. If there is no email address provided, to contact the winner, another person will be chosen. The winner will have 48 hours to respond to the winning email notification with their complete mailing address (I will be forwarding all this information to the sponsor), If this information is not received within 48 hours, a new winner will be chosen.  

This giveaway is open to residents of Canada only!

Good Luck!

Disclosure - I am participating in the Seventh Generation program by Mom Central Canada.  I received compensation as a thank you for my participation.  The opinions on this blog are my own.

Journals Unlimited Review

There are a number of special times in your life that you'll want to remember for years to come.  One of those special events is your wedding!  I'm sure that many people will remember the big things but you may easily forget the small things...such as the ideas that went through your head, the feelings you felt, and the process you took in deciding on different aspects for your wedding.  Journals Unlimited offers a great product to make the wedding planning process something that you will be able to relive for years to come!  Journals Unlimited's Write It Down! series is a series of journals that includes checklists and spaces for you to journal about your experiences. 

Journals Unlimited also sells a number of  Write it Down mid/mini journals, The Color Collection full/mini journals, Notepads, Write to Remember, Between Me and You and special online exclusives.  Some of these titles include, 'Vacation: The Travelers Journal', 'Daily Devotions: A Prayer Mini Journal', 'Meal Planners Notepad', and 'Reunion - My Family Reunion'.  This list reflects only a small fraction of the books actually offered by Journals Unlimited (they have over 60 titles all-in-all).

In the book Wedding Planner: My Wedding Journal, Barbara Morina starts off the journal with this quote, "Life is an adventure.  It's not the destination we reach that's most rewarding, It's the journal along the way.  So, 'Write it Down' & treasure the memory forever..."  How true and what a nice concept!   The Write It Down series is a great way to document your experience and pass those stories down through the generations.

Review
The owner of Journals Unlimited was kind enough to send me a copy of Wedding Planner: My Wedding Journal (full-size) to experience and share with all of you.  The first aspect of the journal that caught my eye was the beautiful natural look of it (the journal also comes in color for those of you who prefer that option).  The book is made from recycled material, which I think is fabulous!  Not only can I capture my memories, but I can help save the earth one memory at a time! :)  This journal has a hard cover and it seems to be very durable.  The journal is comb bound and the pages contained in the book are 70lb acid free recycled paper.

The first few pages of the journal includes spots for the bride and groom's names, information about the wedding party (and other contacts - e.g. photographer, officiant, etc.), specifics about the wedding celebrations, ceremony, and reception, as well as an detailed wedding checklist.  The wedding checklist starts at the engagement and continues all the way through the wedding planning stages.  This journal reminds people that the list is not inclusive since all weddings are unique, which means there are different tasks couples will need to complete.  When I was originally looking for a wedding checklist, I found the exact same thing - there was no checklist or budget template that exactly matched the vision for my wedding.  Personally, I think that is a good thing; every wedding should be unique to capture the aspects of the soon-to-be married couple.

The rest of the journal is filled with 'journal pages'.  These pages include spots for you to fill in the following:
-date
-time
-plan for today (a.k.a. your to do list)
-people to contact
-progress you've made/updates
-how you are feeling (emotions)
-items that you are concerned about
-the best part of your day
-your plan for the next day
-how many day to go before the 'big day'
-and a full page dedicated to notes/plans/ideas

The journal pages are helpful because they are both structured and free flowing; you can make them what you want by filling out only a few or all of the spaces and by adding more info on the notes pages.


I have a couple of suggestions for improvement in regards to the checklist.  First of all, I'd like to see some of the 'to do's' separated into different points.  For example "Order tablecloths, napkins, centerpieces, dishes, glasses, guest book, decorations, etc."  My first thought when I saw that was 'Wow.  That's a lot of stuff to do for one check mark'.  Since most couples do these things at different points in the planning process (I know we did), I'd like to see them as separate items.  Also, I'd like it if Journals Unlimited included a page of blank lines and check marks that I could use to add my own 'to do's'.  This would help me stay a bit more organized by allowing me to keep everything in one place.

Other than the checklist, I would like to see a few more pages added at the front that ask open ended questions about the wedding planning process, etc.  For example, I've love to see questions asked specifically about why certain decisions were made, why some decisions were harder than others, obstacles faced, the meaning behind different aspects you chose, etc.  It would also be nice to include a few blank pages at the end of the book that could be used to showcase mementos, such as invitations, photos, business cards, etc.

Overall, I thought this book was a great idea.  It is good for people who love to journal.  Because of the style of this book, I would suggest people purchase it towards the beginning of their wedding planning (shortly after the engagement) to get the most out of the journal.  There are enough pages to accommodate for a long or short engagement.  The book is flexible in that you can write an entry whenever you have a chance - you can write as much or as little as you want!

I think the Wedding Planner: My Wedding Journal by Journals Unlimited is a great way to preserve your memories, including some items that you might forget in future years (e.g. some of the emotions you felt leading up to the big day).  This book is reasonably priced at $18.95 on the Journals Unlimited website.  If you like personalized items, you can get a personalized journal for only $11.00 more (including custom text and an image of your choosing).  You can also purchase the standard journal on Amazon.com.

In my mind, this journal would make a great engagement gift for the bride (or the groom) to-be!

Kids Konserve SALE!

In anticipation of Halloween, one of my previous sponsors: Kids Konserve, is offering a coupon code valid on all orders.  Save 15% off your order when you quote the coupon code halloween.  This coupon code is valid until October 31, 2009.

While at the Kids Konserve website, check out their 16 oz. Stainless Steel Bottle (Squiggle bottle), which is now selling for 62% off (please read description fully re: minor manufacture defect)!

Finally, read about some great Halloween tips in 2 of Kids Konserve's latest blog posts!

Shoo-foo Review & Giveaway

Shoo-foo is a Canadian-based company that operates by the motto, "Let's bring the softness of bamboo into our lives!" Shoo-foo was developed in 2006 and now offers a number of bath (le bain), bed (le lit), and baby (le bebe) products - all of which are made primarily with bamboo.

Shoo-foo believes in making their products with bamboo for the following reasons:
-bamboo is soft and gentle on the skin
-bamboo fabric is highly absorbent
-bamboo fabric has natural antibacterial properties
-bamboo fabric seems to stay fresher longer
-bamboo fabric holds in warmth very well, which makes it ideal for making bedding and baby products
-"bamboo is the fastest growing plant on earth"
-bamboo grows bountifully and replenishes itself easily (no need for humans to replant)
-bamboo is an "environmentally sustainable resource"
-bamboo grows easily with no need for pesticides, fertilizers, or water irrigation
-Finally, bamboo limits the effect on the environment, which makes it an eco-friendly option!

Shoo-foo sent me one of their 100% bamboo bath towels to review. This specific towel measures 30x60 in. and retails for $35 (CAD) on their website. Besides being made from 100% bamboo, these towels are anti-bacterial, soft and very absorbent (up to 4x more so than cotton).

When I received this towel in the mail and pulled it out of the package, I was immediately surprised by the towel's softness and weight; it truly felt like a little piece of luxury. After using this towel thoroughly, I realized that this towel surpassed all of my expectations and met all of shoo-foo's claims. First of all, this towel was extremely soft; I don't think I've ever felt another towel like it. Secondly, I found the towel to pick up/attract a lot more water than I was used to with my standard cotton towels. In my daily routine, I usually use two towels: one for my hair and one for my body. However, with this towel, I only needed to use one because of it's absorbency. When it comes to standard bath towels, the one thing I hate is how stinky they get after they've been hanging around. Throughout the time that I've been using the 100% bamboo Shoo-foo towel, I haven't noticed it smelling at all. And...that is good news for me! It tells me that the antibacterial properties of the towel are doing what they are supposed to!

All-in-all, I am very happy with this towel. I didn't think it was possible to love a towel, but now I know it is. Now that I have one of Shoo-foo's bamboo towels, I wish I had enough money to splurge and replace all of my towels. But, for now, I will have to put them on my wish list, using Shoo-foo's gift registry, and hope that someone buys me a few for Christmas.

What can you win? One winner will receive a 100% bamboo bath towel from Shoo-foo.

To enter, Answer Shoo-foo's question: Shoo-foo is a Canadian brand providing 100% bamboo home linen and baby basics to people who love to surround themselves with good quality natural fibers and who do care for the environment. Now our collection is available in different colors and we would like to know which one you would like us to add to our assortment? This question must be answered to gain an entry in the giveaway.

Each of the following will give you one extra entry in the giveaway. Please make sure to leave a separate comment for each thing you do:
-Tell me the name of the store closest to you that carries Shoo-foo products. This information can be found here. (Update: Some people have been leaving the state or city that the store is in. This does not count as an entry and I've had to delete many of these ones already. You must state the exact name and/or address of the store for a valid entry)
-Sign up for the Shoo-foo newsletter. Then, come back here and tell me the email address you used to sign up.
-Read through this page, then come back here and leave a comment telling me one thing that you learned.
-Subscribing to my blog via email or RSS.
-Adding my button to your blog sidebar.
-Following me on Twitter (ihchicky). Please leave your Twitter name.
-Following me on Blogger / Google Friends Connect (publicly).
-Tweeting about this giveaway (with a link to this page) on Twitter. Please leave a link to your tweet or your twitter name. You can do this once a day.
-Blogging about this giveaway on your blog. Please leave a link to your blog post in your comment. 3 ENTRIES! Please leave 3 separate comments if you blog about this giveaway.

Important Entry Details: The above entries (main and bonus) can only be submitted once per person (except for the tweet entry, which can be done daily). Please do not use more than one blogger account or add additional anonymous comments to gain extra entries. This is not fair to everyone else and this practice is strictly prohibited. If a person is found to be using more than one account to enter the same giveaway, they will be disqualified from that particular giveaway, as well as all future giveaways.

This giveaway will end on Sunday, September 27th at 11:59pm (Central Standard Time). After the giveaway has ended, the winner will be picked randomly using random.org. EMAIL RULES: In order to win, you must provide a valid email. I will be notifying the winner by email only. Please make sure your blog profile includes your email address and make sure that it is visible. If you do not have a blogger account, please make sure you have included your email address in your post. If there is no email address provided, to contact the winner, another person will be chosen. The winner will have 48 hours to respond to the winning email notification with their complete mailing address (I will be forwarding all this information to the sponsor), If this information is not received within 48 hours, a new winner will be chosen. This giveaway is open to residents of Canada and the US only!

Good Luck!

Kids Konserve is celebrating their 1 year anniversary!

Kids Konserve (the company that eliminates the trash from school lunches) is quickly approaching their one year anniversary. With this special occasion, Kids Konserve is introducing a number of new eco-friendly lunch accessories: stylish insulated lunch bags, nesting stainless steel trio sets, and no-sweat icepack holders.

To help celebrate and to kick off the new school year, Kids Konserve wants to offer all my readers a chance to save on their next order. Just quote the coupon code 'upclose' to save 15%! This offer expires on September 30th, 2009.

Want to read a review of Kids Konserve products before you buy? Check out my review on their waste-free lunch kits: http://www.everythingupclose.com/2009/02/kids-konserve-review.html.

Finally, schools are now signing up to take on the waste-free challenge and earn/save money for their schools. To learn more, please check out http://www.kidskonserve.com/schools.asp.