Disney 2012 Resuable Halloween Mickey Mouse and Friends Tote .99 +tax (after rebate) ~Today Only ~

Today only you can pick up a 2012 Reusable Halloween Mickey Mouse and Friends Tote for just .99 + tax after rebate.  Best of all no rebate forms are required.  The rebate is for ShopAtHome.com members and applies directly to your account when you go through your ShopAtHome.com homepage.  Not a ShopAtHome.com member?  Sign up HERE for $5 sign up bonus.  ShopAtHome.com is a rewards site for online shopping.  They offer daily deals like the one listed in this post.  Best of all I like that the rewards are applied directly to my account without having to fill out any rebate forms.  Just make sure you shop through the link from your Shopathome.com account and they will do the rest.  Shipping is free with code TREAT entered at checkout.  Limit 1 rebate per ShopAtHome.com account (see site for full details).

EcoSmart All Natural Insect Repellent Review and Giveaway!

Sponsored by Tomoson.com



When I first heard about EcoSmart I was very excited to learn more about their products.  I am always trying to further reduce my carbon footprint and maintain a safe environment for my family.  I viewed their product website and chose to review the Safe Home Value Bundle which includes:  14 oz can -Ant and Roach Killer, 24 oz spray bottle Home Pest Control, 14 oz can-Flying Insect Killer, 6 oz bottle -Insect Repellent. ($31 Value.  Their bundles offer significant savings!  Bundle price is $24)

One of the great things that attracted me to EcoSmart is that their products are safe to use around children as well as being non-toxic.  Upon receiving this bundle I started reading the ingredients and was pleasantly surprised by the list of natural plant derived oils and ingredients.  Thankfully because of the cold weather there aren't really pests around but I did treat indoors with the Home Pest Control Spray.  The products smell so good.  I will say though I would recommend that you treat your home in sections or heavily ventilate.  I treated all at once at night in the dead of winter so didn't have any ventilation other than ceiling fans and the smell was quite strong but that was my fault.  It didn't take long for the spray to dry and smell to dissipate.  Hopefully I am now well prepared for the ants who like to come marching in when we have spurts of warm weather then arrive in full force when spring arrives.  The all natural insect repellent will be perfect for warding off pest during outdoor play and cookouts.

I also read on EcoSmart's website and you can too that their products are used for woodworm treatment.  To be honest I wasn't familiar with woodworms until I read about them on their site.  Basically they are pesky wood eating insects whose damage is compared to that of termites.

You will also be glad to know that you can conveniently order Ecosmart products online or find them in stores near you with their store locator tool.  I know that Home Depot carries their products.  I think you will be pleasantly surprised too that the price of EcoSmart's products won't break the bank like some Eco-Friendly products do.  Their prices are competitive to other name brand toxic products so why expose your family to toxins?

I have great news!  EcoSmart is sponsoring a giveaway here on StuffSmart.  If you would like a chance to win a value pack of your choice from EcoSmart please read the rules below. 

If you are not the lucky winner please check out the EcoSmart blog (link on their homepage)  for special offers and coupon codes.

RULES:

This giveaway is open to US residents except AK & HI. No p.o. boxes.  Contest will begin 2/5/11 at 12am EST and end 2/15/11 at midnight EST.  One winner will be chosen using random.org and be contacted via email (please make sure email address is available in your profile or comment) and have 48hrs to reply or another winner will be chosen.  Entries are limited to one person per household.

Mandatory Entry (must be completed for all other entries to be valid):

Visit EcoSmart via one of the links above and tell me something about their products that I haven't mentioned.  Please try to list something not listed by another entrant.

*For those not familiar with blogger you can follow a blog via Google Friend Connect without having a blogger account. You will be given the choice to use twitter, yahoo, open id etc. if you'd like.

Extra Entries (optional): Please leave a separate comment for each entry ex: extra method worth 2 entries make 2 comments label 1st "type of extra entry" #1, 2cnd comment "type of extra entry"#2.

1. Follow StuffSmart publicly via Google Friend connect for 2 extra entries.
2. "Like" StuffSmart on Facebook for 5 extra entries (please leave first name of fb account you follow by so that I may verify)
3. Follow via Network Blogs (located in left sidebar) for 2 extra entries.
4. Follow @StuffSmart via Twitter for 2 extra entries.
5. If you follow via all methods 1-4 give yourself 3 extra entries for being a Super Follower!!!
6. Tweet about this giveaway.  You may do this up to 4x's per day but tweets must be at least 2hrs apart.  Please leave a link to your tweet in your comment.  Tweet: EcoSmart All Natural Insect Repellent #Review and #Giveaway! on @StuffSmart blog: http://bit.ly/h1bIzs #EcoSmart #EcoFriendly
7. "Like" EcoSmart  on Facebook AND Post on their blog that StuffSmart blog sent you and include a link to this post. 2 extra entries.

I received one or more of the products mentioned above for free using Tomoson.com. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commissions 16 CFR, Part 255 Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising. Tomoson Product review & giveaway Disclosure.

Ten Tips for a Cleaner, Greener Home

One priority in our home has been to make our home cleaner and greener and we are always looking for new ways to do so.  A Greener Home is one that uses practices that do not harm the environment but help sustain it.  Part of our motivation for making our home greener is that I have asthma and allergies so I try to avoid strong cleaners.  We also utilize a septic system so we only use products that we can use without disturbing the balance of a septic system.  Here are just a few ways that we keep our home cleaner and greener.

1. Use re-useable cloths for cleaning.  I have microfiber cloths for cleaning and dusting and they work well for dusting without any chemicals at all.  They also work beautifully on our wood floors.  When they are dirty I just throw them in the wash and can re-use them.
2. With two girls in our house with long hair we have the challenge of keeping our drains clear.   Baking soda sprinkled down the drain followed by vinegar does a good job of clearing drains without harming the environment.
3. Use natural lighting.  We open the windows and let the sun come in to help heat the house in the winter and to light the house naturally.  We have a skylight in one of our bathrooms that also works wonders keeping the toilet and tub clean.  Sunlight is a wonderful cleaner!
4. When Spring rolls around and the ants come marching in, I use vinegar to wipe down the point of entry.  After a couple of applications the problem is solved without harsh or poisonous chemicals.
5. When doing laundry I turn to detergents that are environmentally safe.  I also use 1cup of white vinegar in the rinse cycle as a fabric softener.  Don't worry about the vinegar smell, just dry as usual and your clothes will smell clean and fresh.
6. Re-use!  We re-use several items in our household.  The item we re-use the most is coffee grounds.  They are great for our flower beds.  I just sprinkle them throughout our flowers and they love it!  This is a safe chemical free boost for your flowers.
7. Lavender is our friend around our house.  My dd especially likes the scent to help her sleep.  I love it since reading that lavender helps repel head lice!  That is a great function for homes with school aged children.
8. I recently purchased a handheld steam cleaner and absolutely love it for cleaning and sanitizing hard to clean surfaces.  It eliminates the need for chemicals to clean those grime monsters like your oven.
9. Hydrogen Peroxide isn't just for the medicine cabinet.  It has many uses including removing tough stains like blood from laundry.  You do have to be careful since it acts like bleach so make sure you do your research and dilute it properly.  You may use it to whiten whites in lieu of chlorine bleach and Hydrogen Peroxide breaks down without harming the helpful bacteria in septic systems.
10. I am not a cook nor do I claim to be so I have had more than my share of pots and pans with burnt or caked on food left on them.  Use Baking soda or a little borax and you can safely remove these little mistakes and leave your cookware looking as good as new without harsh chemicals.

I am always looking for new ways to make our home greener and would love to hear your suggestions so please feel free to comment.  I also make sure to follow blogs that post green options so that I can improve our Greener living practices.
Our family is also AVID recyclers.  If it can't be recycled do we really need it?  We try to limit household garbage to less than 3lbs a week.  Believe it or not, this is easier than you think.  Once you get in the swing of it recycling will become second nature and should leave you feeling good about yourself.  Don't forget to pass along green tips to your neighbors!  We need more Greener homes!

I wrote this blog post while participating in the TwitterMoms and Mrs. Meyer’s blogging program, making me eligible to get a $30 gift card. For more information on how you can participate, click here .

For more information on Mrs Meyer's visit: http://www.mrsmeyers.com.
Join Mrs. Meyer’s on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/mrsmeyerscleanday

Great deal on a Green Toy

A while back I posted about the Green Toys Recycling truck.  Amazon.com currently has a great price on the Tea Set from Green Toys.  List Price for the set is $24.95 but Amazon has it listed for $16.65.  Hurry this offer ends Feb.27, 2010.

This would make a great gift for that little one on your shopping list!