Good Things Green Things

New Blog Address

2009-07-04T22:28:00.002-05:00

I officially have too many blogs and pages to keep up with, so I'll be condensing everything into my Wordpress Blog. You can find me here:
Good Things Green Things Blog

Take care, stay green, and I'll talk to you soon.

Andi

Good Things Green Things

June Specials from Good Things Green Things

2009-05-31T23:19:00.003-05:00

I love summer! It's so great to spend more time outside, and I love to see how much fun the kids are having. Tate loves to water trees and Taylor is just so excited to look at everything!

My organic seeds are doing alright. They seem small, and I forgot to put the top back on their little greenhouse so Mickey the Cat helped himself to a few things. Hopefully they'll be okay.

We have some new items on the site this month. Purple Prairie Botanicals is based in Minnesota, and makes natural skin care products. I am loving everything from them so far. We have sunscreen lotion, sticks, and lip balm. Also, bug spray and lotion. They all work and smell great. I'm even trying the bug lotion on the dogs as a flea and tick repellent. I spot it on at back of the neck, base of the tail, and belly. So far so good. We're hoping to head up North the end of June, so I'll let you knwo how it fares against the North Woods. You can find all the new products on the Home Page, they will be 10% off for the month of June. You can also find them under the Bug & Sun catagory.

There are a few other specials on the home page for you to check out, and there are some great items in the Clearance Section too.

I hope all is well with all of you. Take care and stay green!

Andi

Good Things Green Things

www.goodthingsgreenthings.com

May Specials from Good Things Green Things

2009-04-30T23:30:00.003-05:00

After a busy April, I thought our specials for May should get us out and about. Find sunscreen and pet fetch toys on the home page for 10% off through May 31st. For all you momma's out there, or those of you shopping for momma: all 100% Pure skin care and makeup products are 20% off through May 31st.

Twist's new Loofah scrubby is coming your way and should be available for order by early next week. It's a hard working little scrubby, and just like the other Twist products, it's 100% biodegradable and compostable.

I hope that you're all doing well. Take care and stay green!

Andi

Good Things Green Things

www.goodthingsgreenthings.com

Earth Day Sale!

2009-04-21T20:55:00.002-05:00

Just wanted to let everyone know that we're having and Earth Day sale. At checkout, enter coupon code: goodearth to save 20%. Have a wonderful Earth Day! Take care and I'll talk to you soon.

Andi

Good Things Green Things

www.goodthingsgreenthings.com

Why Clean Green?

2009-04-01T14:46:00.002-05:00

I feel one of the most important things you can do if you want to live a greener life, is to switch to non-toxic cleaning products. There are so many horrible chemicals in the traditional products out there today. No one in your family needs to be breathing in that stuff, especially when it's been suggested that repeated exposure to these products can cause skin irritation, allergies, asthma and possibly cancer. No to mention the fact that they pollute our ecosystems and harm aquatic life and animals.

It also bothers me that the ingredients usually aren't listed on the products. Why would you use something when you dont know what's in it? The simplyneutral brand of cleaning products that we carry are reasonable priced, and were created by someone who cleans homes for a living. So you know they work. Maggie of simplyneutral developed allergies while cleaning homes, and decided to create her own line of products. Her products are ideal for people, with asthma, allergies and multiple chemical sensitivities. I absolutely love the cleaners! They work so well, and I love the light, clean scent of the All Purpose Cleaner.

Seventh Generation is also another great brand that you can find at most of your local stores. They have a wide variety of products, and all the ingredients are disclosed on the label.

The other option is to make you own products. There are a lot of natural ingredients that make great cleaning products.

White Vinegar: Can be used so many ways. Great for cleaning windows, and other surfaces. I mix equal parts with water and just start washing everything. You can add in a few drops of natural dish detergent for contertops, but you don't need to. I've been adding it to the laundry as a fabric softener (1/4 vinegar & 1/4 water in the rinse cycle dispener) it works so well, and it's nice not having to use the fabric softener sheets. White vinegar is also great for mold issues. Mix with water (more vinegar than water for this ) and just start washing! Most people don't like the smell of white vinegar, but it disappears as soon as it dries.

Baking Soda: Great for laundry, I add 1/4 cup per laod to whiten and act as a fabric softener. My favorite use for baking soda is on the stove top. I ALWAYS burn food on to the stove top, and the best way for me to get it off is a mixture of baking soda and lemon juice. I don't have a measurement for this one, I just sprinkle some on and add the lemon juice. Used with a scrubbie sponge, it gets that crusty food right off there.

Olive oil: Want to shine up your cabinets the natural way? Buff them with olive oil. I recently didi this to our kitchen cabinets and they look brand new. Plus, it's cheap and non-toxic. I like to use a cut up t-shirt, because it doesn't soak up all the oil and doesn't leave lint behind on what your polishing.

Have fun with your green spring cleaning, and take care of yourselves.
We'll talk soon.

Andi

Good Things Green Things

April Specials from Good Things Green Things

2009-04-01T14:32:00.004-05:00

To green up this years spring cleaning, all cleaning supplies are 10% of through the month of April. Read more about green cleaning in todays post Why Clean Green?

We have a new organic pet supplement made from nine medicinal mushrooms. Super Immunity Formula by Organic Pet Superfood is beneficial for pets who are stressed, have low energy, have joint issues, allergy problems or digestive issues. It's easy to feed and only requires a small amount of powder that can be sprinkled on your pets food. Emma, Phoebe, Mickey and Dude are testing it out right now. We started it on Monday, so we haven't seen any results yet, besides the fact that they love it. Even the cats! Dude is sick with a Urinary tract infection and bladder and kidney stones right now. He has not had much of an appetite, but was really interested in the Superfood. I'm anxious to see if it will help with Emma and Phoebe's allergies. You can keep up with our progress on our Dog Blog.

I think that's is for now. Hope you're all doing well. Take care and we'll talk soon.

Andi

Good Things Green Things

http://www.goodthingsgreenthings.com/

Noli n Nali Baby Bum Balm

2009-03-26T15:21:00.003-05:00

I just wanted to tell you how great this product is. I feel like this is somewhat of a shamless plug - because I sell this on my website, but I just have to tell you how great it is. I just got around to using it the other day, because Taylor has a nasty diaper rash, and we finally used up the other product that we were using (which was not helping, by the way).

This salve has GREATLY improved her diaper rash, and quickly too I might add. I think we've been putting it on for two days, and her rash is barely noticable. As an added bonus, I put some on my husband's hand to see if it would help with his chapped and broken skin, and that as well is healing nicely. We've tried a lot of different lotions for him an nothing has worked.

So to sum up, the Baby Bum Balm works really good and we are loving it. Noli n Nali is a wonderful, Mom-owned company with a great selection of the most natural products for mother and baby.

Hope you're all doing well. Take care and stay green!

Andi

Baby Bum Balm Ingredients:

Organic Ricinus Communis(Castor) Seed Oil,Organic Cera Alba (Beeswax), Organic Helianthus Annuus (Sunflower) Seed Oil, Organic Olea Europaea (Olive) Fruit Oil, Organic Butyrospermum Parkii (Shea Butter),Organic Rosa Moschata (rosehip) Seed Oil, Organic Calendula Officinalis Flower Extract, Organic Chamomilla Recutita (Martricaria) Flower Extract, Organic Lavandula Angustifolia (Lavender) Oil, Tocopherol (non-GMO).

Chytrid Fungus Devastates 'Chicken' Frog

2009-03-17T23:24:00.004-05:00

This is so sad! I'm sure most of you know about the chytrid fungus that is affecting frogs worldwide. It is devastating, and is causing the suspected extinction of many frog species. Scientists, herpatologist and conservation groups are collecting species for captive managemant as they disease can be treated in captivity, but not yet in the wild.

This particular story is about the Mountain Frog of Montserrat. This island is located southeast of Puerto Rico. Within 15 months of the disease arriving on the island, 80% of the frogs have died. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/7948124.stm

For more info on all of this you can check out Amphibian Ark http://www.amphibianark.org/. They're working so hard to save our frogs. Remember, frogs are an important part of our ecosystem. Frogs ingest things through their thin skin, so they are an indicator of a troubled water supply.

Take care of yourselves, and I'll talk to you soon.

Andi

St. Patrick's Day Sale!

2009-03-17T10:16:00.002-05:00

Happy St. Patrick's Day to everyone! You can save 17% on your order when you shop today at www.goodthingsgreenthings.com. At checkout, enter coupon code: stpats17. Have a great day and happy shopping!

Andi

Good Things Green Things

www.goodthingsgreenthings.com

Homemade Dog Treats

2009-03-02T13:03:00.002-06:00

I've been blessed with two dogs that both have food allergies. It it impossible to find treats that they can both eat, so I decided to start making my own. Here's the recipe in case any of you are in the same boat as me.

Dog Biscuits

3/4 C. Hot Water

1/3 C. Margarine ( I used canola oil, any oil will do. Use what's best for your pup.)

1/2 C. Powdered Milk ( I didn't have any, so I've used wheat germ, or corn meal in place of this. Flax can be used to, but my gals are allergic to it. Corn can be a common allergen for dogs, surprisingly it's something that neither of mine are allergic to.)

1 tsp. Salt

1 Egg beaten ( My girls are allergic to eggs. You can substitute one whole banana + tsp. baking powder, or 1/4 C. applesauce + 1 tsp. baking powder. )

3 C. Whole Wheat Flour ( I used organic pastry flour, because that's what I had. Again, use whatever is best for your pup. )

Pour hot water over margarine in large bowl. Stir in powdered milk, salt and egg. Add flour, a 1/2 cup at a time. Knead for a few minutes to form a stiff dough. Roll to 1/4" thickness, and cut out shapes. Bake at 325 degrees for 50 minutes. Mine got a little thick so I added another ten minutes on.

Emma and Phoebe go nuts for these, I hope that your dogs do too. Take care, and I'll talk to you soon.

Andi

Save 10% through March 7th.

2009-03-01T12:07:00.003-06:00

Happy March everybody! You can save 10% on your order through Saturday the 7th. Use coupon code: bonus10. This applies to everything in the store, including sale items. Hair care products are on sale this month for 10% off. Take care and happy shopping.

Andi

www.goodthingsgreenthings.com

Propylene Glycol in Artificial Vanilla

2009-02-08T21:45:00.002-06:00

So I just got some of the good clear vanilla extract that my sister-in-law picked up from Mexico. I like using the clear because it tastes so much better than the artificial brown stuff. Unfortunately, there is corn syrup in this formula which totally grosses me out. Any type of corn syrup is just disgusting, and I don't like that it's in just about everything that we consume.

After seeing that there is corn syrup in the clear stuff, I thought I would check the ingredient list for the artificial vanilla that I had in the cupboard. To my surprise, the second ingredient is propylene glycol. For those of you that don't know propylene glycol is found in a lot of personal care products, especially deodorants, and is thought to cause cancer, reproductive toxicity, allergies and immune system toxicity, skin and eye irritations, organ system toxicity, endocrine disruption, and neurotoxicity. It is a relative of antifreeze, and should not be in our personal care products let alone our food products.

So if you've got some vanilla in your cupboard, check the ingredients and toss it out if it says propylene glycol. You can get some organic and fair trade vanilla extract at Frontier Natural Products Co-op. Take care of yourselves and I'll talk to you soon.

Andi

Good Things Green Things

February Specials from Good Things Green Things

2009-02-02T21:02:00.003-06:00

Happy February!

The month of love is upon us, although I think they should all be that way! February is also I Love to Read Month, so grab a book and sit down with your little ones for some story time. Check out our selection of children's books.
For your Valentine treat, all month you can receive 14% off of your order by entering coupon code: valentine . This coupon is also good on items already on sale, so Belli Skin Care Products, and the wooden puzzles will be 54% off!

I hope that you have a great month full of love, and hopefully some sweet treats too. Take care and I'll talk to you soon.

Wishing you good things,
Andi
Good Things Green Things
http://www.goodthingsgreenthings.com

Green up you Valentine's Day, check out these sites:

Valentine E-Cards: http://www.hallmark.com

Plantable Wildflower Valentine Cards:
http://www.greenfieldpaper.com

Organic and Fair Trade Chocolates:
http://www.sweetearthchocolates.com

New items from Twist

2009-01-26T23:33:00.003-06:00

Hi there! I just wanted to let you know that we have a few new items on the website. We've added the medium and large sized Naked Sponges from Twist, and the Dish Dumpling. The sponges are 100% biodegradable and compostable, and they are also dye free. The Dish Dumpling is really great for scouring. It's stuffed with naked Sponge and covered in Agave twine.

The Agave plant grows in Mexico, and some of the southern and western states. The twine is made from the leaves, and you can also get agave nectar from the plant too. It's a great replacement for refined white sugar, and it breaks down more slowly that sugar so it's considered a low glycemic sweetener. Pretty neat, huh?

If you're interested in these new items you can shop for them here. Enter coupon code: greenclean and save 5% off of your total order.

Take care and stay green, I'll talk to you soon.

Andi

Good Things Green Things

Happy New Year!

2009-01-07T21:14:00.003-06:00

Hi there and happy new year! I hope you all are doing well. We have a few new products on the website for you to check out. There are two new lotions from Hugo Naturals,an unscented formula, and shea and oatmeal. I really like them both. There are also three new all natural deodorants from Hugo Naturals: Sea Fennel & Passionflower, Mexican Lime & Bergamot, and Unscented. I'm using the Sea Fennel, and it seems to be working pretty good so far. It has a nice floral smell. We have some kids books too that are new this month. It's a small selection right now, but I hope to be adding more titles soon. I got them from Barefoot Books, a US and England based company. They are very environmentally friendly, and also work with a lot of charities. They are partnered with Books for Africa, a group that gives books to African children. I really like their books and the company. All the books are 10% off this month. Take care and I'll talk to you soon.

2008-11-26T15:45:00.002-06:00

Wishing you all a Happy Thanksgiving! We have so much to be thankful for, not just on Thanksgiving, but every day of the year. If you're ready to start your holiday shopping, then head to www.goodthingsgreenthings.com. Now through Friday, everything is 20% off, including SALE items! At checkout, please enter coupon code: thankful

Have a wonderful holiday!

Article on BPA

2008-11-05T15:23:00.002-06:00

This is an interesting article about the safety of BPA (Bisphenol A). It's a little long but definitely worth reading. http://www.ewg.org/node/27325 published on 10/31/08. This was was posted on Nov. 4th, it's a little shorter. http://www.ewg.org/node/27336

November is Prematurity Awareness Month

2008-11-05T15:08:00.002-06:00

Every day 1 in 8 babies is born prematurily. Please sign the petition for preemies to support and increase prematurity related research and data collection. You can learn more about this great cause at www.marchofdimes.com , or sign the petition below.

Green Holiday Poll

2008-11-03T16:23:00.002-06:00

Feel free to take our green holiday poll, you can select all answers that apply to you. If you have any suggestions for greening up the holidays, feel free to post a comment. Have a great day!

Welcome!

2008-11-03T16:18:00.002-06:00

Welcome to the Good Things Green Things blog! We hope to keep you informed on all things green, and provide you with new product updates for our website. We carry a great selection of green products for everyone in your home. Please check us out at: www.goodthingsgreenthings.com