12 Things I Love- More Things to Love This Holiday Season

First up this week is the Archipelago 'Peppermint Bark' candle.  I picked one up last year while getting a massage and still had half the candle leftover for this Christmas season.  It smells slightly sweet but not cloying with a fresh but light peppermint.  I love it.  It makes an excellent hostess or teacher gift too. Kerax are the UK's largest wax manufacturer, and you can browse their entire product range if you click here. Second, is another all-time favorite of mine and is two products from one company, Skincando.  I met the founder, Sara, a few years ago while getting a facial.  She makes her own organic products and they are amazing.  They work, they last, they are pure and feel good to use too. The Miracle Cream goes with me everywhere and is perfect this time of … [Read more...]

Beauty Love of the Week- Jason Naturals

Disclosure: TMC was not paid for this post. Products received are for review purposes only. Opinions are TMC's only. I'm always trying to find new products that help us continue to live green, work with our budget and actually work. I've been using Jason Naturals for a few years, ever since they landed on the shelves at my local grocery store in 2007, and I continue to go back to them. The company has been perfecting the art of natural skin, hair, sun and oral care since 1959, after all. I love that the lotions and creams are paraben free, there are no artificial colors or dyes or perfumes either. It's a good business and some of our favorite products are right here. … [Read more...]

The 2014 Ford C-MAX Energi and #onetankofgood

Disclosure: TMC was not paid for this post. Products received are for review purposes only. Opinions are TMC's only. 2014 Ford C-MAX Energi We all want to do good this time of year and help out our fellow man.  Normally, I do the whole donation of food, clothing and give money to various charities.  This year, I wanted and felt the real need to get involved and do more.  Ford asked me to review their C-MAX Energi and incorporate it into their One Tank of Good campaign.  It sums up to mean, what can you do with one tank of gas?  With the Ford C-MAX Energi it felt limitless! For three weeks I put out the word with friends, family, co-workers, whoever I could think of that the girls and I were holding a clothing drive to benefit ACTS in Dumfries, VA.  In particular, I wanted to give … [Read more...]

Green Your Way Back to School

I don't know about you all but I have been craving more of a routine the last few weeks.  I'm ready to jump into the new school year!  But not without a little prepping of course.  I mean I can't just open the front door and say, "Ok kids, figure it out from here.  See you at 3!"  It's more of a few weeks of careful planning, budgeting and figuring out the best way to go about getting back to school and then opening that front door... Guest blogger, Ken Myers has a few ideas to help ease us all into the new semester in a simple but green way. What ways do you save or go green for back to school?  … [Read more...]

7 Simple Items to Help Live Greener and Reduce Your Bills

Spring is here, Earth Day is coming up and I find myself not just spring cleaning but looking for ways to simplify our lives, save money and be better at living green.  Paul Taylor from www.babysittingjobs.com is our guest contributor on the topic this week and has a lot of great things to stay about being greener and how it doesn't take a lot to make a big difference. Let's get started- … [Read more...]

Fall Nails

Thanks to Coterie I received three new butter LONDON nail lacquers and a matte topcoat this week. For free!  Yes, free. My new fave color is Wallis.  It just might be my go to color for fall. … [Read more...]

10 Cosmetic Ingredients to Avoid

In the past century, facelift procedures and cosmetics have become the most common ways to enhance beauty. However, some cosmetics contain harmful ingredients. Plasticsurgeryguide.com believes it is important for all consumers to know which ingredients to watch out for while shopping for cosmetics. … [Read more...]

22 Budget-Friendly Tips for Going Green

Attention Earthlings: It's time once again for that annual celebration of all things green. Earth Day is nearly upon us and, while many people offer advice on being kind to Mother Earth, too many of these tips don't quite coincide with frugal lifestyles. In an effort to dovetail these two purposes, we offer 22 budget-friendly ways to go green in honor of April 22. 1. Sign up for the "no solicitation" registry. That way, you can avoid getting credit card offers and other ads which will reduce paper clutter and save trees. 2. Shop online to reduce your carbon footprint and save money.  According to a study by Carnegie Melon's Green Institute, shopping online reduced carbon emissions by 35 percent. The abundance of online coupons from such sites as FreeShipping.org makes this green … [Read more...]

Blame it on Earth Day

Maybe it is all the PR pitches about Earth Day that has me in the green mode more than normal.  Maybe it's my pregnancy or the spring time with its feelings of renewal and spring cleaning.  Whatever it is I've become incensed lately when I see something going to waste.  Well, more so than my normal ranting, undapants in a wad, shaking fists fury. Case in point, today is trash day in my 'hood.  I look across the street and see my neighbor is throwing away a grill, two strollers, a bike, a little tikes car and a tiny pool table. Then there is some actual trash.  I say to H, "I hope that's for Freecycle."  To which he replied, "Nope.  It's trash."  One man's trash as they say... and I dashed across the street and went to look over the pile.  The bike and kid car are fine.  The strollers … [Read more...]

Just Because It’s Free…

I love me some Freecycle. I think it is one of the best things on the Internet most days.  Every few seconds my email inbox is updated with new items that are available for free.  All I have to do it pick them up.  Most of the time it is some pretty good stuff. An XM radio system here, a set of living room furniture there or even maternity clothes in your size. It's green, good for the community and for the wallet.Other times you run into postings like this -OFFER:  One Water Heater.  Heater is broken and cannot be fixed.  It has been outdoors for some time too.  Will need two people to pick up this heater as it is heavy.So, basically it is scrap metal you want removed from your yard for free, huh fellow freecycler?  You don't want to do it yourself … [Read more...]