Lighten the Load

I was reading a post on Our Humble A{Bowe}d about 'green laundry' the other day and I was a little pleased with how much I'd already implemented in our own laundry room.

When we moved, I bought the Electrolux Perfect Steam Front-load Washer and Dryer Set which I reviewed here, and since we were using cloth diapers I was using Country Save Powder to launder them(which is HE friendly). When I ran out of my All Free and Clear for our regular laundry, I decided to start using the powder for all of our laundry. It doesn't just do a great job getting the clothes clean, but it leaves them smelling fresh and clean without a strong perfume. We do a lot of laundry, and the large capacity of our washer and dryer has cut down on the number of loads I do immensely. I do as full of a load as possible each time, and when I can't I love my 'fast wash' small load setting.

I knew that the boxes of powder felt like they were lasting a long time, but a quick check of my amazon account shows that I ordered the four pack of boxes in January and I'm just now about a quarter of the way from the bottom on the second box. It was 68.60 for the case, which is 17.15 per box. Calculated over the months, that's just over $3.50/month that I'm spending on laundry detergent. That seems pretty impressive! 

On the dryer side of life, I never have gotten around to installing a clothes line.  That will hopefully be a project for next Spring/Summer, or whenever our HOA decides that they're not an abomination. Anywho, I realized after reading the comments that the one thing I hadn't converted to 'green' in my laundry was the dryer sheets.  Several of the comments referenced wool dryer balls; What in the world? After all my time spent trolling cloth diaper sites for green laundry tips, how had I never seen mention of these before? And, I had never thought about the fact that dryer sheets would be adding chemicals and toxins to my laundry...I love clean smelling, soft clothes, so I was loathe to sacrifice that! Turns out, I didn't have to.

A quick search on etsy showed that these things were a hot item! I ordered an 8-pack of undyed dryer balls first from a vendor just to see if I really liked them. I'd have ordered just one, but most sites said that for very full loads, they keep about 12 in the dryer. It's the same principle as having tennis balls in the dryer, but without the awful smell and, allegedly, without the racket. (The larger loads buffer the sound better, and as the clothes get dryer, the sound lessens. The second set I purchased are larger and loftier and make significantly less noise.)

When I got them in the mail, I could see that, essentially, it's wool yarn that's been wound into a ball and then felted (probably 2-3 times). I could totally make them myself, but there is little I hate more than winding yarn into a ball. In the future, if I need to add a couple to the mix, I'll make them myself, but for now, I'm happy to support other etsy artists.

What I liked best about them is that you can either get them unscented, or choose from a wide array of scents. How are they scented? Just a couple drops of essential oils. I chose lavendar and vanilla for half the balls, and half unscented (just in case it was too strong). The scent can easily be refreshed, or you can add a totally different scent when the other is gone, by dabbing a couple drops of the essential oil of your choice on the balls.

In addition to replacing the function of dryer sheets, they also cut drying time because the wool helps absorb moisture. I've had each load come out completely dry on the 48 minute setting-that's towels and jeans and everything.

The best part is that this is something that will last for years. You just leave them in your dryer after each load is removed...well, you put them back in your dryer after you've chased the ones that jump out with your clothes and roll across the floor as you hastily warn your giant beast of a dog that these are not his to play with, and they're ready for the next load.

I wanted to wait until I'd been using them for awhile before I reviewed them-the jury is in and I love them. I ordered 5 more from another vendor on etsy because I wanted to see if there was a difference, and because it would get me to lucky number 13 for my mega loads of laundry. I'm glad I did because I like them better. The Sitting Tree has a set of 5 for $25 and the first thing I noticed was that they were bigger, and not wound quite so tight so they don't make very much noise in the dryer. 

Plus, I just plain like her shop-and the divine samples of her soap that she included. I love her blog and she's a knitter after my own heart. I purchased some of her yarn as well to go with my new blue bedroom, and it's gorgeous! A bold skein of teal and yellow; perfection. I'm totally addicted to her super soft wool and have several shades to make smooshy hats with now. But I digress...

If you want an eco-friendly alternative to traditional dryer sheets, that you won't have to replace for a long, long, long time-check out her etsy page and click 'add to cart'.

Even my husband, who sometimes is a little leary of my claims that 'it'll be just as good as using x' when I introduce a new eco-friendly alternative, has noted that our clothes are every bit as soft-maybe even, dare I say, softer as they were when we were using dryer sheets. Give 'em a whirl or, maybe more apt, a tumble.

Johnson's Natural Baby Shampoo and More!

I was asked to test out several of the products in Johnson's new Natural Baby line, and decided to try it out on my kiddos and nieces during a family get together. The line is 98% natural and is packaged in bottles that use up to 60% post-consumer plastic, not to mention it's still promising 'no more tears'.

I'm big on how a product smells, so it's hard to find a good balance of smelling great, but not having a bunch of essential oils or other fragrances added that could irritate the skin. The 'ALLERFREE' fragrance, which is plant and fruit derived, smells really nice and is not at all overwhelming. I actually forgot to bring my lotion with me during this trip and used the baby lotion the whole weekend...nobody mistook me for a baby or nailed me for a mom, so it's definitely a subtle scent.

I tried the Baby Lotion, Head to Toe Foaming Baby Wash, Baby Shampoo, Kids 3-in-1 Shampoo Conditioner and Body Wash and the Kids 2-in-1 hand and face foaming wash; all of which are under the Johnson's Natural umbrella. Due to the age (and hair) range of the kids, I was actually able to test all of these products in one bath! The 'baby' got bathed prior to the three older kiddos getting in the tub.

I flipped over the bottle and found that there were still some awfully long words in the ingredients list. HOWEVER, if you go to the Johnson's page and click on the product, it lists out what each ingredient is and from what it's derived. In the lotion, for example, the only synthetic ingredient is Benzoic Acid which is used to 'maintain product freshness'.

I liked the scent and felt like it was gentle enough and actually purchased some to put in a gift package for a first birthday party I attended recently as part of a 'bedtime basket'. I'm glad that more companies are making an affordable option for parents who are invested in being more 'green' and sensitive to the needs of our ever-changing environment while they may not be able to afford some of the more high-end brands. I love to indulge in them occasionally, but with how often my kids take the cap off and dump out a whole bottle combined with the fact that a good day is judged by how dirty they are at the end of it; we go through baby wash pretty quickly! I'm glad that there's something I can reach for for everyday use that won't break the bank and also carries a name parent's have trusted for a century!

I wrote this review while participating in a blog tour campaign by Mom Central on behalf of Johnson’s and received the products necessary to facilitate my review. In addition, I received a gift certificate to thank me for taking the time to participate.

Automoblox Minis Design System

Do you have a hard time finding the right toy for everyone when the plethora of holidays, birthday parties and other gift-giving occasions arrive? Sure, there are age guidelines on the box, but they're not always easy to find, and even if a toy is geared for 3+, would a 6 year-old like it? I first heard of ebeanstalk, a website dedicated to selecting good, safe baby toys, when my sister-in-law sent two gifts in a row to H and Charlie from it. The presents were a hit, and also came with a little card explaining what each toy did to aid in development (i.e. sensory stimulation, fine or gross motor development).

I was intrigued when I got the first email from them saying that they need help from moms like me to pick the toys. I already knew that I liked their site content and was excited to be part of their test panel.

The toy they sent is called Automoblox Minis 3-pack (T9, S9 and C9) from Manhattan Toy, who makes great developmental toys. Packaged in a sleek rectangular box, you slide out the inner portion and I found my first positive: no plastic twine encasing every inch of the toy making it a nightmare for parents in the opening process.

The automoblox are wooden cars that are made to be interchangeable, so that three cars can be made into several different ones by simply pulling them apart (they're hooked together by two color coded male/female plugs). For instance, H's set came with a red, green and blue car. Each of them came apart into 2-3 pieces plus the tires and plastic bubble, which looks like the top of a car, are interchangeable and color-coded as well. H is just at the age where color identification is important, and he was able to see the 'right' way to put the cars back together because all the plugs, tops and tires matched. (The set also comes with four black tires)

This toy is marked for 3+, and I felt like it was a really appropriate guideline. The tires come off easily, which is great because it wasn't frustrating for him to pull any of the pieces apart, but they also don't come off so easily that it falls apart as you're rolling it across the carpet. For this reason, though, it's a toy that will be played with out of reach from my 14 month-old. There is a choking hazard warning on the box for small parts.

There were no weird plastic-y smells, and the wooden bodies had some fun details such as drilled out holes where the head and tail-lights will be. The body is made of German beech wood that's triple coated in a non-toxic lacquer so even though your pre-school may be beyond sticking things in their mouths it's just as important that their toys be toxin-free.

The set we were sent can be found for just under $30, and I would absolutely spend the money on it as a gift for Christmas or a birthday. H was occupied for THREE HOURS while Charlie napped...he is a pretty good kid when it comes to entertaining himself, but these three cars kept him busy the whole time! There are also larger toys that come in a single pack. At the very least, we'll be getting the other mini sets (the m9, X9-X and A9-S) so that there are more parts to interchange with.

Electrolux Goes Green!

When Kathy Lee announced that she'd be leaving Regis and Kathy Lee the nation mourned...until they started doing the interviews for her replacement. The minute I saw Kelly Ripa come on-screen I was in lurve. And so was my dad...but I digress. From the high-heeled sprint to openly talking about motherhood and it's joys and challenges, she is the icon of this American mother.

Have you seen the fun new commercials with Kelly for Electrolux? With all the diapers and kids' laundry I do, I've added to my dream home journal a front-loading washer and dryer. I have one in my apartment now, and don't know that I could ever go back to the old top-loader.

Now, Electrolux and Kelly have teamed up to introduce an eco-friendly front-load washer and dryer in the fun shade of “Kelly Green.” The new limited edition shade was inspired by the great outdoors Kelly herself, who is a self-proclaimed eco-Mom.

Kelly said “I love green… the color green and the act of living green. What better place to make a simple, every day difference than in the laundry room? Kelly Green is a gorgeous shade, and just by using the new Electrolux high-efficiency washer and dryer you can save energy and use less water. How green is that?”

Just in time for Earth day, Electrolux kicks off its virtual flower garden campaign to drive awareness and raise funds for Global Green USA. Starting today, when you go to the Electrolux site and plant a virtual flower for a friend, Electrolux will donate $1 to Global Green USA to support their healthy green schools initiatives across America. Everyone who logs on to the site and plants a virtual flower will be automatically entered for a chance to win a new eco-friendly Kelly Green front-load washer and dryer!

Additionally, Mom Central will be giving away one eco-friendly “Kelly Green” washer and dryer set to a member of our community! To enter, simply go to MomCenral and (1) tell us which flower you planted on the Electrolux site and (2) share your own “laundry tips” for saving time and energy. Mom Central will pick one lucky winner in a random drawing from all entries received!