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Misc Blogging Stuff
Oct
1
BlogHer Swag Favorites
Filed Under Children's Products, Green Products, Health Products | Leave a Comment
When I went to BlogHer in July, I was utterly astounded at the amount and variety of giveaways. I had heard that I should save some room in my suitcase, and I made sure to plan ahead, but I still couldn’t bring home everything. It was unbelievable.
Out of the mountain of goodies, I selected some that I found particularly useful and enjoyed. Here are my picks from the BlogHer giveaways.
Land’s End Open Top Canvas Tote
I use totes for everything from grocery shopping to carrying around my book stash, and the Land’s End totes hold up very well. This style has some helpful extra inside pockets in the medium and larger sizes.
Functional pouch slings in pretty fabrics.
Helpful little books for busy moms with very young children. Books on potty training, breastfeeding, toddler meals, getting baby to sleep, and others.
Fun, brightly colored books for the 0 to 3 set.
Adorable soft toys for babies.
Clean Well productsNon-toxic cleaners. Tried the hand sanitizer and really like the feel on my hands.
Products designed for women over 40. The skin care line is wonderful, and I really like the Dark Circle Serum.
Adorable diaper cakes, perfect for baby showers or new mom gifts. They even have organic diaper cakes.
If you like the traditional pen and paper style of organizer, this is a good one. They have August - September and January - December styles.
Nature’s Avenger Organic Weed Killer
I wish I could have brought this sample home, but it was not allowed on the airplane. I can’t say I’ve tried it, but plan to since our organic edible garden was reclaimed from a weed-infested area. Digging up weeds has not been as effective as we would like, so this is our next step.
Apr
16
Mi-Bags
Filed Under Green Products, Household Gear | Leave a Comment
Several years ago I started a little collection of reusable shopping bags to take to markets and grocery stores. The collection is mostly Trader Joe’s cotton bags, some large LL Bean and Land’s End totes and some medium bags about the size of a regular plastic grocery bags, as well as a couple string bags. I keep them folded up in the back of the car, ready to haul out when I hit the market. They are great, solid, reusable, and never wear out, but they all don’t fold and pack up well, plus my kids have played with the string bags until they’ve given out. I decided to look for something that would fit into my purse or diaper bag, handy for any time I needed it.
When I saw these cute Mi-Bags on Mummy’s Product Reviews I knew I wanted one. Vicky, who is also a DC Metro Moms blogger, was having a giveaway, and I won one of the bags, a brown bag with an artsy cat design (pictured). I have to say I’m impressed. It arrives neatly folded up in its small attached pocket, and at just 6×7 inches, it’s a perfect size for tucking away in a purse, but it opens to a large 18×23x7 inches. It has large handles that work great over the shoulder, and the bottom is gusseted to allow for expansion. The bags are made of ripstop nylon and very lightweight, yet pretty durable enough for daily use.
It did a great job with my groceries then folded right back up into my purse, so I’ve found it very handy. The price is more than other market bags, but in this case you are paying extra for the beautiful design and convenience with the attached pocket. The materials are not organic, so you will need to look elsewhere if that is a factor for you. I would not use this bag to carry any sharp objects, but for everyday use it’s great.
The bottom line:
Pros: lightweight, durable, folds into a small attached pocket, artsy designs
Cons: material is not organic, costs more than other market bags
Designs available: zebra, elephant, cat, birds
Cost: US$24.00 + shipping if ordering online
Where to buy: ID-A Designs (online), various retailers in California and Seattle, WA
Company website: ID_A Designs