Earth Day Giveaway: JoeyTotes
Update: This contest is now closed and the winner has been chosen. Thanks to everyone who entered.
Over the past couple of years, I have been doing a lot to “green” our family and household. I’ll be the first to admit that part of it may have had something to do with the fact that Leonardo DiCaprio asked me to do it.
Because how can you really say no to Leo when he asks you to do something? There really isn’t anything that I would refuse that man.
Anyway, one of the many changes that I made was to purchase a set of reusable shopping bags.
I bought them at the Dollar Store and put them in my van so that I would always have them with me.
Well, guess what? I hardly ever remember to take them with me into the store.
You know when I do remember? (Of course you do because I’m willing to bet that you’ve done the same thing.) It is when I get up to the check-out counter and have half my cart unloaded on the belt.
When the clerk asks, “Paper or plastic?” I answer “plastic” and then hang my head in shame. As the clerk places my groceries into the evil blue bags of death, I can’t help but feel like a selfish, earth-killing loser.
Before I leave the store, I take a quick peek out the door to make sure I don’t see Leo in the parking lot because there is no way that I am meeting him for the first time pushing a cart full of plastic. Absolutely not!
Well JoeyTotes has solved this problem by creating an alternative to those pesky, easy to forget $.99 bags. Their bags are designed to be convenient to remember because each bag has an over-sized pouch that is sewn into the inside seam so you can carry multiple bags in one convenient pouch.
I was given the opportunity to try a set and I am in LOVE!! Not only are they very well made and hold a lot, but they are also machine washable. The best part about them is that they fit easily in my purse, so I haven’t forgotten them once.
Giveaway!!
Would you like to win a set of JoeyTotes?
-All you have to do is leave me a comment telling me one thing you have done to try to be more environmentally conscious (“green”). If you haven’t done anything to help save the earth but still want to win a set, that is fine. Just tell me why you would like to win or how sexy you think Leo is on a scale of 1-10. It doesn’t really matter. I just enjoy reading comments so try to say something interesting. 
-For an additional entry, subscribe to my blog. (If you are already a subscriber, just leave an additional comment telling me.)
-Lastly, help me to promote this giveaway. Tweet, Stumble or post about this giveaway for additional entries. Just make sure that you leave me the link in a separate comment each time you promote.
Winner will be chosen by random draw on Wednesday, April 29th at 12:00pm EST.
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Bonus
These bags would make a great gift, especially for Mother’s Day. The fine people at JoeyTotes were kind enough to offer Daily Mish Mash readers a 10% discount.
Use coupon code: mishmash09
Good through the end of May 2009.
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To see more WFMW ideas, check out We Are THAT Family.
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Made By Survivors Winners
The winners of the Made By Survivor jewelry giveaway are:
Jodifur (necklace) and CC (earrings)
Congratulations to both winners. They have each been notified by email, and I look forward to shipping out their jewelry as soon as they send me their addresses.
Thank you to everyone who entered. Please keep Made By Survivors in mind when you are shopping for Mother’s Day. There are so many wonderful and unique gift ideas on the site.
WFMW: Made By Survivors GIVEAWAY!!!
With Mother’s Day right around the corner, I have a fantastic place for you to start your shopping (plus a great giveaway too).
Have you ever heard of Made By Survivors from The Emancipation Network (T.E.N.)?
The idea behind T.E.N. is to help bring awareness and raise funds to support victims of human trafficking.
Did you know?
- 27 million people around the world are estimated to be victims of slavery, for forced prostitution, labor, domestic work, and other forms of exploitation, with approximately 50% of victims being under the age of 18.
- Globally, an estimated 1.2 million children are trafficked each year, within countries as well as across borders.
- Victims of trafficking are subject to gross human rights violations including rape, torture, beatings, starvation, dehumanization, and threats of murdering family members.
You may have already heard about this worldwide human rights emergency or maybe you are reading these statistics for the first time. Either way, my guess is that you may be feeling helpless about how you can get involved.
That is where The Emancipation Network (T.E.N.) comes in.
T.E.N. imports beautiful handicrafts from partner organizations all over the world. These partner organizations rescue and care for survivors of trafficking, many of whom were trafficked at the age of 11 or younger.
The company’s mission is to help people to help themselves-to provide them with opportunities to learn a skill, get an education and receive the care they need to regain control over their own lives. T.E.N. feels that independence and empowerment is the key to healing.
100% of profits earned from products sales made by survivors through The Emancipation Network are donated back into anti-slavery efforts worldwide.
I don’t know about you, but that is definitely something I can get behind.
Giveaway:
T.E.N. has generously offered two beautiful pieces of jewelry for me to giveaway to you on my blog.
The first piece is the Multistrand Pearl Necklace.
You will love the rich, warm colors of this four strand pearl necklace from Northern Thailand, adjustable with lobster claw clasp. Length 20 inches with a 2 inch extension.
The second item that I am giving away is a pair of Crystal Chandelearrings.
These etched sterling silver and glittering amber colored glass bead earrings were recently featured in GLAMOUR magazine.
How to enter:
1. Leave a comment on this post. Tell me which piece of jewelry you would prefer to win if your name is chosen. If you don’t have a preference, that is fine too.
2. Visit Made by Surivors and browse their shop. Leave me an additional comment to let me know which product you like the best on the site. With Mother’s Day right around the corner, you are bound to find some great, unique gift ideas for the special women in your life.
3. Tell others about this giveaway. Promote the link to this post on your own blog, Twitter, Facebook, Stumble, etc… You will receive one additional entry for each link you post. Please leave me a comment telling me each way you helped to promote this giveaway and also the url to your post/tweet.
This contest ends on Monday, April 13th at 12:00pm. Good luck!
To get in on the Works for Me Wednesday fun, head over to We Are THAT Family.
Make a Difference Monday: Water
Yesterday was World Water Day, a day to highlight and raise awareness about the global water and sanitation crisis affecting the planet.
DID YOU KNOW?
- Right now, 1.1 billion people on the planet don’t have access to safe, clean drinking water. That’s one in six of us.
- 4,500 children will die today from waterborne diseases.
CHARITY: WATER
charity: water is a non profit organization bringing clean, safe drinking water to people in developing nations. They give 100% of the money raised to direct project costs, funding sustainable clean water solutions in areas of greatest need.
WAYS TO HELP.
Give your voice. Help raise awareness by posting the above video on your blog or website, and sharing the site with friends.
Donate. $20 can give one person clean water for 20 years. 100% of donations go directly to building wells. Donate here.
MADM: Your Butt Is Killing The Planet
MADM stands for Make a Difference Monday. My original goal of MADM was to share small ways to make a difference in the world and bring awareness to important causes. It has been a really long time since I’ve done one of these and I hope to make it a more regular feature. Consistency is not one of my strengths.
So, the title of this post was just meant to be an attention grabber. Actually it isn’t your butt that is killing the planet, but the stuff you may be using to wipe it.
I read an article today that pretty much confirmed that I am guilty of using the wrong kind of toilet paper.
I’ll be honest and tell you that I really don’t give it a lot of thought. I tend to buy whatever is on sale, but usually opt for the softer brands such as Cottonelle or Charmin.
I’ve seen the more environmentally friendly toilet paper at the store but have been a little skeptical about trying them.
I mean how much of a difference does it make anyway? And more importantly, just how awful is it going to feel?
Well, the answer to the first question, according to the article, is that it makes a HUGE difference. Here are some of the important facts I learned:
- Making toilet paper has a significant impact because of chemicals used in pulp manufacture and cutting down forests.
- Those brands, which put quilting and pockets of air between several layers of paper, are especially damaging to the environment.
- More than 98% of the toilet roll sold in America comes from virgin forests (i.e. not made from recycled content).
- Making toilet paper from virgin wood is a lot worse than driving Hummers in terms of global warming pollution.
Allen Hershkowitz, a senior scientist at the Natural Resources Defense says:
“This is a product that we use for less than three seconds and the ecological consequences of manufacturing it from trees is enormous.”
The article was pretty enlightening. If you’d like to read the rest, click here.
If you are not sure what brands are best, head on over to the Greenpeace website where they have put together a handy dandy pocket guide for you to take on your shopping trip. Click the button below:
I’ll let you know what we think of the environmentally friendly TP once our family uses it. I expect lots of whining from my husband as he is a TP snob.
While we are on the subject of toilet paper, I thought I’d give you the results of The Great Debate. The over people won by a landslide. If you are an under person, you are clearly doing it wrong and should switch it immediately.
So, do you try to buy toilet paper made from recycled content? If not, will you try to switch now that you know about the environmental impact?
Make A Difference Monday: World AIDS Day
Today is World AIDS Day.
Most of us know how HIV/AIDS is spread, but here are a few facts about this disease that you may not know:
- Over 6,000 children are orphaned by AIDS every day.
- Around the globe, 15,200,000 children have been orphaned by the AIDS crisis.
- If all these children held hands, they would stretch across the United States. By 2011, this virtual chain will reach around the world.
I just find it so hard to wrap my mind around those statistics. It seems unfathomable to me when I see those numbers. How can that many children be without parents?
Obviously, getting involved in organizations like Compassion where you can adopt a child is fantastic way to help.
There are other smaller ways that you can make a difference.
One really easy way to help is to purchase products that donate a portion of the proceeds to AIDS related charities. Here are a couple:
By purchasing one of the White Hot Holiday Gift Sets, you are helping Matrix in our efforts to help support the Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation in eradicating Pediatric AIDS.
See all the participating Matrix products here.
Are you a coffee drinker? Well, when you are out doing all your holiday shopping, make sure to stop by Starbucks and pick up a cup of their special edition coffees.
This holiday season, Starbucks will contribute five cents from the sale of any (STARBUCKS)RED EXCLUSIVE beverage* at participating stores in the United States and Canada to the Global Fund to help eliminate AIDS in Africa.
The following flavors qualify:
-Expresso Truffle
-Gingersnap Latte
-Peppermint Mocha Twist
To see all the products that are participating in (PRODUCT) RED, click here.
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There is hope for a cure. There was actually just a breakthrough this past month in Germany with doctors discovering a possible cure with bone marrow transplants. To read the article, click here.
In order to continue this research, there must be funding. Please take a minute to send a message TODAY to tell President-elect Obama the steps he must take in his first term to combat HIV/AIDS worldwide. The letter is already written. All you have to do is fill in your information and hit send.
In addition to that simple email, if you haven’t joined the ONE organization, please take a minute to go over to their website:
Sign the petition at One.org asking the President-elect to spread hope and dignity to those most in need through his inaugural address and Presidential budget.
Finally, for every comment I receive on this post (up to 100), I will donate a quarter to Compassion.org. The donation will be made on January 1st so please help me to spread the word about this cause. Feel free to mention this on your blogs.
Thank you for doing your part to make a difference.
Make a Difference Monday
I haven’t done a Make a Difference Monday post in awhile, but I saw something yesterday that I absolutely knew that I just had to pass on to you.
We all know that it is Breast Cancer Awareness month. The pink is everywhere and I’m excited to see so many bloggers sharing their stories and doing things to get involved.
Like most women, I know someone who was afflicted with breast cancer. My grandmother was diagnosed right before the birth of my first child. Fortunately, she survived the disease and will turn 90 this year. While I do think that my grandmother is a fighter and believe in the power of prayer, I fully realize that she may not have been able to beat this disease without all the progress by doctors and scientists over the past 20 years or so.
I’m all for finding easy ways to get involved with a good cause. I thought I’d highlight a few today. Now before you click out, please keep reading. I’m so excited about both of these ideas and I know you will be too.
First, when you finish reading this post, head on over to Rainy Day in May for a fun and informative pink celebration. More importantly, please visit daily because Misty is donating all her ad revenues this month to Breast Cancer Research. The more visits to her site she gets, the more they get. So go there by clicking this button:
WAIT!!! Please don’t go anywhere just yet. I have one other way for you to get involved in this important cause. I personally find this idea to be unbelievably brilliant.
It is called Army of Women. This project was started by Dr. Susan Love, a pioneer in the field of breast cancer research.
Her mission with Army of Women is to recruit millions of women all over the country to sign up to directly participate in research studies that will hopefully one day find the cause of breast cancer. Her belief is that once we find a cause, we will be one step closer to eradicating this terrible disease once and for all.
By signing up you are put in a database and when there is a study near your hometown they will email you to come in and answer questions, as well as donate blood and urine for research. It is a simple, FREE, way for anyone to get involved.
They are looking for women of all ages, ethnic backgrounds and risk factors so PLEASE consider signing up today. If you are still unsure, watch this video. Then head over to Army of Women to join.
Make a Difference Monday
If you are still in the diaper buying stage (thankfully, I am not), please make an effort to purchase specially marked (with the sticker pictured left) packages of Pampers Swaddlers Sensitive, Swaddlers, Cruisers, and Easy Ups diapers and Pampers Sensitive, Swipers, and Clean ‘n Go wipes.
For every one of these products purchased in the U.S. and Canada through August 31, 2008, the Pampers brand will donate 5¢ to the U.S. Fund for UNICEF to provide one tetanus vaccine to a woman in the developing world.
If you have no reason to buy diapers (lucky you, those things are expensive) then there are still two other ways to help:
- Follow this link to buy a package of diapers for a needy family in America. That same diaper purchase will provide a vaccine through UNICEF to a pregnant woman and baby. One purchase = two donations.
- Or, follow this link to make a direct, secure, tax-deductible donation to the U.S. Fund for UNICEF, supporting UNICEF’s maternal neonatal tetanus programs. Donations of any amount you can give will make a difference.
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I mentioned last week that I was thinking of changing Make a Difference Monday to a monthly feature. A few of you commented that you would prefer this, and I agree.
So, go out and find a cause you feel passionate about, and then figure out a way that you can get involved. It may be volunteering your time, donating to the charity or just writing about it on your blog. It really doesn’t matter how you get involved as long as you do something.
I know how much you love giveaways so I thought I would bribe motivate you to come back and participate. During the first week of September, I will announce the prize and how you can be a winner.
It is at this time that I would like to ask Ryan Gosling to donate two of his worn t-shirts as prizes. Now, Ryan, I know you like to wear your t-shirts until they are just about falling off of your body in shreds. While we all appreciate this act of charity on your part, I think it would be even better if you would donate the shirts to be a prize for Make a Difference Monday. Don’t you think it would make an even bigger impact? Why two shirts you may be asking yourself? Well, you know I would have to keep one for myself. So, have your people get in touch with my people (and when I say “your people” I really mean you and when I say “my people” I just mean email me).
Then on Monday, September 8th, I will put up the Mr. Linky and everyone will join hands and sing Kumbaya put up their posts sharing their important cause and what steps you have taken to make a difference.
(And hopefully someone will win one of Ryan Gosling’s shirts. A girl can dream, right?)
Make A Difference Monday: Blogging For Blood Cancer
This week is Blogging for Blood Cancer week.
Not only will there be opportunities to win fabulous prizes (I’m personally hoping to win the $50 American Express Gift Card), but you will also get to learn more about the importance of The Leukemia and Lymphoma Society’s research and patient services in the fight against blood cancer, as well as the specific efforts of the Friends of Heroes. Visit their blog to learn more.
Although I haven’t personally known anyone affected by this terrible disease, I feel that I want to do something to help those who have.
I have found three easy ways to get involved with this cause. I hope you will pick one of these ideas or any other and do your part.
1. Take a minute to send a quick email to your Senator urging him/her to improve cancer care.
The U.S. Senate has introduced the Comprehensive Cancer Care Improvement Act (S. 2790). This bill will improve cancer care by establishing grant programs for symptom management, provider education and related research. These programs will increase the ability of patients to make informed decisions about their treatment options and all aspects of their care. Urge your senator to cosponsor this legislation today!
2. When doing your back to school shopping, consider bookmarking this page and shopping for a cause. Each purchase you make from these select retailers at the bottom will result in a percentage donation being made to LLS.
The retailers include Nike, Eddie Bauer, KB Toys, Cingular, Sharper Image, Office Max, Sears, The Container Store, Peapod from Giant, Verizon Wireless, and West Marine.
There is also a spot for magazine subcriptions. You can subscribe to US Weekly or People and not feel so guilty for getting your celebrity gossip fix since 12% of the subscription price will be donated to the L & L Society.
3. Lastly, consider participating in one of the many different events that the L & L Society sponsors each year. This one is probably the most involved, but also the most rewarding. My neighbor did the Team in Training Marathon a few years ago and really loved it. I would absolutely LOVE to run (who am I kidding) walk the Walt Disney World marathon one year (who’s with me?!) It is a big commitment but I think the payoff would be worth it.
Click on the banners to learn more:
What have you done to make a difference this week?
Make a Difference Monday
If you haven’t been over to cheer on Heather as she kicks cancer to the curb, click on this banner and go say hi. Then consider adding it to your sidebar if you have a blog. Thanks to McMommy for creating this and coming up with her awesome quilt idea!
Speaking of banners, I had a Photoshop Fairy Godmother come to the rescue for me. Ana of Former City Girl created this one for us:
Feel free to grab it and put it on your site if you decide to do a post.
So, I have a confession. I haven’t been very productive this week as far as making a difference in the world.
I know, shame on me for being the host and having nothing to offer.
I know you are probably sitting on pins and needles waiting for something so I don’t want to let you down.
I found a simple thing anyone can do online. You’ve probably seen my Free Rice banner on my sidebar. This is a similar concept except you don’t have to play a game.
Visit Ripple.org and simply click on a button of your choice. You will be shown some advertisements. They pass the revenue (100%) from these advertisements onto your chosen charity. Set them as your homepage and click away.
If you have an idea to share that would make the world a better place, write up a post and link up here:
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